| I took off, digging my talons into the stone for extra pulling power. I wasn�t going to stop for anything except Garnet, Vanel, or Zidane. The pendulums I either jumped or ducked under. I entered an enclosed corridor and even though I was sure Armodullahan was gone, I didn�t stop running. There was a woman with huge axe in my path. � Out of the way!� I snarled. She lifted her axe and let it drop on me. I dodged, but only got so far away. The weapon sliced my flank open. I wailed and went tumbling, throwing my passengers off and further down the way. I laid there and panted wildly, watching her go straight for Garnet. I couldn�t allow that. I pulled myself to my feet, collapsing repeatedly because, I realized, I had no control of my back end. Something had been severed. I refused to let that stop me and rose into the air. If I couldn�t attack one way I�d try another. I flew right at the woman, slamming my head into her back like a battering ram and knocking her away. She rolled down the passageway, then got back up, retrieved her axe, and came for more. � Dumb dragon! Die already!� She swung, but the axe was very heavy and cut the air just below my rear talons. � Ugh! Come down here and fight fairly!� � The world is not fair,� I replied. � Deal with it.� I tucked my head right up against my neck and dove at her. She shrieked and turned to run, but my horns stabbed her in her arm and shoulder. I jerked away and she fell to her knees, clutching her injured left side. Then she got up and ran, disappearing back the way we had come. � Is everyone all right?� I asked. They gave affirmatives and I settled carefully on the ground, then dropped to my right side. � Mother!� Zidane rushed over, stopping short at the sight of my torn flank. He fell to his knees by my head and cradled it gently. � No . . . You . . . You can�t . . . A stupid human couldn�t�ve hurt you!� � I�m not invincible, Ziaden.� He set my head down and moved to my side. Vanel was already there, getting bathed a bright orange as she tried furiously to keep the bleeding under control. Garnet reached for her. � No. Don�t touch her.� � Why?� � Dragon blood is highly acidic. It�ll burn right through just about anything you can put in front of it.� Zidane pulled off his gloves and grabbed Vanel, moving her to the side. [Stay there and don�t touch anything.] [All right.] I motioned her over and cleaned my blood from her. [Go on now.] She returned to her spot. � Wait, Zidane,� Garnet said quietly. � You just said dragon blood is acidic.� He was silent for a long while, staring at my side, watching my blood dribble down my stomach to the floor beneath. Finally, he grabbed his gloves and handed them to her over his shoulder. � You�re not a dragon.� He then went to work, using a helpfully volunteering Vanel to clean up the blood directly over the wound. With a growl at the ceaseless flow, he pushed Vanel aside and laid his whole arm against the length of the injury. He stayed that way, despite how uncomfortable the position obviously was, for fifteen minutes. [Vanel, in my pocket is a small bottle. Could you get it for me?] [Sure!] She disappeared part-way into his pocket, reappearing with the bottle neck in her teeth. [Thith?] [Yes. Thank you. Now can you pull that little thing out of the top?] She did so. He picked up the bottle and moved his arm, pouring the bottle�s contents over the cut. The gray powder clung to the injury and began working immediately. It stung painfully, so I did the only logical thing I could think of right then. I screamed. Everyone covered their ears except Zidane. He dropped the bottle (which shattered) and fell onto my side, sobbing. �I�m so sorry! This is my fault! I should�ve been paying attention! I could�ve kept it from happening!� �Ziaden, if it wasn�t meant to happen, you would�ve been ready. Stop dwelling on what you cannot reverse.� �But it hurts.� �It will always hurt, Ziaden. Guilt is a horrible thing. But you cannot let it control you. I don�t hate you for not watching out for me. It was my fault. I could�ve stopped, or jumped over her, but I didn�t. You had nothing to do with it. You were only an innocent bystander.� He scratched around my wing muscle and along my spine, which made him feel better and made me forget about the pain in my side. �I don�t want you to die.� �You�re thinking about the dreams, aren�t you? Ziaden, dreams are not always literal. Death can mean the birth of something new. I won�t die. I might�ve, if you and Vanel hadn�t worked as quickly as you did, but I won�t anymore. Rest assured, I�ll be up and around in a few minutes. Until then, why don�t you take everyone and explore the area?� �I don�t want to leave you here.� �Nothing will attack me.� �I�ll stay with her.� Zidane turned and I lifted my head to stare at Vanel. �What?� �I said that I�d stay with her.� He picked her up. �How did you get on this frequency?� �I don�t know. I heard you all talking and listened. Was that wrong?� she asked, suddenly fearful. �No, it wasn�t wrong. I�m just wondering how you can be listening to this.� He looked at me. �Blood,� I answered. �She had your blood and mine. It allows her to speak with us.� He seemed to understand and set Vanel beside me. [Can I trust you to take care of her?] [Of course! I�ll protect her! You can count on me!] He smiled and pet her a little. [Thanks. I knew I could.] He stood and turned to the others. � Kiti should be okay in a little bit. Let�s look around.� <--Part 19 Part 21--> |
| Nothing is worse than losing what you love most. Hold on to your heart--it is ever so delicate . . . ~Dragon's Teachings, pg. 78 Part 20 |