Headaches Chapter 1, a dragon knights fanfic

Headaches

Dane Soar

My first multi-chapter story in Dragon Knights, I'm hoping you enjoy it. Please review!

Part I

Reception Hall

Alfeegi felt ill.

Very, very ill. Fall over, be sick, pass out ill.

He pressed the wineglass to his forehead, the coolness temporarily relieving the unusual heat in the reception room, it seemed hotter than in normally was, or was it just him? Truth to tell, he wouldn't be here at all if he didn't think it was really important, if he had any choice at all Alfeegi would be in his own rooms, in bed trying not to feel so miserable.

But Kai-stern had recently been brought in unconscious, apparently someone had run across him collapsed on a road outside Draqueen and Alfeegi was to report to Lord Lykouleon what he'd been able to glean from the White Dragon Officer's half done paperwork. Lord Lykouleon was busy recently, due to trouble off the eastern coast, pirate raids and now was the most convent time for Alfeegi to pass on what he'd been able to find out.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem, even if the reception was for the greeting of the new Octavian diplomat's arrival at court, but Alfeegi hadn't bargained on being sick like this, the Dragon Clan didn't usually fall ill.

There was a light touch on his arm. "You okay?" It was Ruwalk, his brown eyes concerned.

"I'm fine." He replied quickly, perhaps too quickly because Ruwalk frowned at him.

"You look pale, did you spend too much time around Kai-stern?"

"I visited him last night, yes."

"Well, maybe your catching what made him faint." Briefly he put the back of a finger to Alfeegi's forehead. "I hate to say it, but I think you have a fever."

"I'll be fine, don't fuss." Alfeegi glowered at Ruwalk.

"No, fussing is you job, I forgot. Come on, Lykouleon isn't busy now, you can give him your report and then get some rest." He pulled Alfeegi by the arm through the crowds toward where the Dragon Lord and Lady sat.

Night Before

Never before had Kai-stern looked more human than now, when he was ill. Perhaps it was because he had once been human that he'd gotten sick in the first place.

But Karis, the Red Dragon Officer, had suspicions that she'd shared only with the other Officers that something or someone had attacked him on that path. A suspicion supported by the fact that there was a nasty bump on Kai-stern's head.

Now, watching the Blue Officer sweat with fever, Alfeegi couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't woken up yet. He hoped that Kai-stern wasn't miserable as he looked, it must be horrible to be sick. Alfeegi hadn't been in a long time, so he couldn't actually remember, but was suddenly glad it usually didn't happen to him.

There was a paper-cut on his finger, he'd gotten it just that day, that twinged, annoyingly. He hated it when he got one, it made shuffling papers awkward.

And then he'd reached out to touch Kai-stern…when…Alfeegi woke up in bed, five minutes before he needed to be in the reception hall, he'd slept all day!

He didn't remember how he'd gotten there…

That Night

Reception Hall

Crossing long arms, Karis, the Red Dragon Officer, leaned back against a pillar and watched people go by. She quite enjoyed observing court functions, as long as she didn't have to do anything. There were a good number of Fighters posted here, but she sort of wished that Tetheus was not out in the field, the young fellow was quiet, but good company. Then again, he was probably going to be back tomorrow or the day after, along with the squadron he'd been sent with.

She eyed Alfeegi as Ruwalk steered him over to were the Lord and Lady sat. The White Officer looked unusually pale.

Her blue gaze narrowed as she sensed… something, something that scrapped like sandpaper to her senses. Reflexively she stiffened. There was a note of wrongness in this situation.

Starting to push off from the wall, Karis was just in time to see Alfeegi freeze in place.

For one horrible moment he stood stock still, swaying in place. That strange, strange aura flared one last time, then Alfeegi dropped his wineglass. It shattered on the marble and almost as if the sound had broken a spell, the White Officer collapsed.

Unknown

The demon worked it's way through the maze of the Officer's mind slowly, carefully, taking his time, though he knew the longer he took to insert himself fully into the mind, the more the effects would show on his host. Doing it slowly would mean there was less chance of damaging the mind in question, which he didn't want.

Showing his hand, or the scaly appendage that was his hand when he wasn't in someone's mind, would be a bad idea at this point. He needed to get closer to the Dragon Lord before he could risk striking.

For the moment, this mind was a confusing maze of numbers that Kenen would have to wade through.

Later

Very slowly Alfeegi realized that the room that was coming back into focus, was his own. It took longer than it should have. His head was still pounding.

"Hey there," said a detached voice from the side, Alfeegi turned his head to see Ruwalk, who was putting a book aside.

"Glade to see your awake." he reached for a pitcher of water, and after pouring a glass took a folded packet up. "A doctor came to look at you, I'm under eyeball orders to make you drink some sort of noxious brew he calls medicine. Let me just make it up." Ruwalk dumped what was in the folded packet into the glass of water, before stirring it.

The water turned a nasty brown color and Ruwalk winced in sympathy as he passed it to the other Officer.

As Alfeegi took it he noted his hands shook, he frowned, having to steady the glass with both hands, to his surprise. "Were you sitting here the whole time? And how long was I out anyway?"

"Three days, and no, if you'd woken up ten minutes earlier, Tetheus would have been here, and Karis before that. We've been taking shifts." Ruwalk shrugged. "When you're sick the last thing you want is to wake up alone. Hell, Kai-stern even dropped in and he's not supposed to even be out of bed yet. Don't you feel loved?"

"No, I feel sick." He blinked tiredly. "Wait, Kai-stern's awake?"

"Yeah, he woke up around when we were carrying you to your rooms. And I only really know because he came staggering out of his chambers down the hall, as soon as he woke up. He says he can't remember what happened at all but Karis—" Ruwalk stopped. "Sorry, you've just woken up, I shouldn't be starting on this."

Alfeegi shifted the glass in his hands. "No, no it's alright, tell me, what does Karis think?"

"She…well, she thinks Kai-stern was attacked and maybe drugged, though she and Tetheus are still trying to figure out a motive. Hey, you still haven't taken that medicine," he waved a finger. "take it, I know it's disgusting looking, but it's supposed to help."

He lifted the glass reluctantly, draining it. With a wince, he passed the empty glass back to Ruwalk. "That was horrible." But the headache was fading a little.

"Yes, but it's good for you, most things like that do taste bad," Ruwalk put the glass aside. "how do you feel?"

"My head hurts and I feel somewhat… odd, but a little better."

"That's good." said Ruwalk.

"By the way," Alfeegi had just noticed. "what happened to your arm?"

Ruwalk touched the bandage. "Oh, this? Sword practice this morning with Tetheus. I'm really rusty and he's not. The only reason I'm not missing my arm is that he managed to sort of turn the blow after I fell. It's not so bad, it's pretty fairly shallow."

"But—" Alfeegi began.

"Why look at this!" Karis was leaning in the doorway. "Here I come to relieve Ruwalk early for his watch and here's our sleeping beauty awake. You, sir, had a lot of people worried. I can feel my hair turning gray with worry." Karis fingered a strand of her already completely gray hair. "though it might be a little late for that." They laughed, though Alfeegi up wincing and pressing his hand to his suddenly aching head.

Both Karis and Ruwalk exchanged worried looks.

"This whole thing is too odd," muttered Karis. "Hey, you alright?" she asked Alfeegi, who nodded as he lent back in the bed. He looked tired. "Take a nap, you might feel better. Can you take the watch, Ruwalk? I want to tell Tetheus, the Lord too, the good news, and I have some work to catch up on."

"Don't neglect your work on my account." Alfeegi said at once. "Please." He sighed thinking of the accumulating papers in his own office. "It's a good thing I'm ahead in my work. Otherwise there could be quite a snarl in the paperwork."

"Don't worry about it," Ruwalk patted his shoulder. "just concern yourself with getting better. Speaking of which, Karis, you should tell Kai-stern Alfeegi's awake, he's bedridden," Ruwalk explained to Alfeegi. "on doctor's orders."

Chuckling evilly, Karis left. "You know he hates having to stay in bed." Ruwalk said in response to Alfeegi's perplexed look. "But anyway, you eyelids are drooping. Go to sleep."

Grumbling a bit, Alfeegi closed his eyes drowsily.

Later

"But all this is senseless, Karis. I don't remember a damn thing." Said Kai-stern, his head in the heel of a hand.

"You're positive? Surely you remember what gave you that nasty lump on your head."

"No! And believe me, it's bothering me too. I didn't just fall down faint by the roadside. I must have had a little help. I'm thinking an attack."

Karis leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "So let's think what might be the most likely candidate for attacking a Blue Officer, a known diplomat. Let's think for a moment." She put a finger on her chin. "Oh, how about a demon?"

"But what would they gain from knocking me out? Maybe if they'd killed me it might have gained something, maybe even started a war with one of the outlaying kingdoms, but I really can't fathom why they'd just leave me there."

"Hmmm. No chance you ran into a branch or something?"

Kai-stern touched the back of his head, where he could feel through his hair the wound. "No, I doubt it. It feels like something hit me. But again, I'm not seeing the point." He winced. "Damn it, it's so frustrating, I don't remember anything that happened before I was knocked out."

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?" Karis asked.

"Walking in the road…and I looked up to judge the time by the sun…then I was waking up here with a pounding headache." He sighed. "well, enough of things I don't recall, how's Alfeegi?"

"Feeling somewhat better now that he's awake," replied Karis.

"I have to hope that if I'm sick I didn't give what I have to him. I feel bad enough, thanks."

"Get some sleep," said Karis, rising. "the sooner you're on your feet the better."

Unknown

Kenen was so angry he was giving his host a pounding headache. This one wasn't going anywhere!

He needed to be closer to the Dragon Lord, and this host obviously wouldn't do.

Later

After some time, when Karis didn't return to relieve him of his watch, Ruwalk dozed off, slumping gradually sideways in his chair. The moon rose, casting bars of sliver light across the boards of the floor that were slightly dappled from passing through the leaves of the tree outside.

And it was only when Ruwalk appeared to be completely asleep, did Alfeegi move. Or, it was Alfeegi's body that moved, but something in the stiff way he held his arms and the curiously blank look in his eyes hinted that it might be Kenen moving him.

Slowly he rose from the bed and padded on bare feet to where Ruwalk was. Reaching out, he carefully unwrapped the bandage. When the wound was partially shown he stopped, the gash glinting wetly in the light.

Letting the bandage fall loose from his fingers, he reached for the slash, putting the paper-cut on his finger to it.

A little later Ruwalk woke. Opening his eyes he groaned.

His head was killing him all of the sudden.

End of Part 1