Chapter II.
Sev'rus moaned in pain as he pushed his way out of darkness. He could still feel the presence of his dragon and a small sigh of relief made its way out of his body. The healer, Poppy, heard him and bustled over quickly. Her pursed lips at the sight of his bruised face would have made him smile slightly, but he glanced by her and met the cold, lifeless eyes of Minerva. The Flight had been disastrous and the loss of the two Queens tore at his heart. He felt the hot tears prickling at the back of his eyes before he could stop them. Sev'rus knew that they had lost Talleth's Rider, Selena, in the Flight and that Minerva was still alive made him feel more pain. 'She should have gone with Aerith. That she did not…she is only a walking, lifeless corpse.' He watched her stare at him and opened his mouth to speak, "Minerva?" She did not answer him and he glanced away quickly, so that she did not see the tears falling from his ink black eyes.
Sev'rus was not a man of many emotions and the other Riders knew it. The only one he would show emotion to or around was Wrath and sometimes Minerva. Minerva was like a mother figure to Sev'rus for he had lost his at a young age. That he had to see her now, after such a heart breaking event, made him want to do whatever he could in his power to bring her back. He knew it was hopeless. Short of ending her suffering, there was nothing he could do to bring back the fiery spirit that she had once been. She was now half a person and Sev'rus remembered seeing one Queen Rider, who had survived the deaths of her Queen, her mate, and her mate's dragon. Even her child had been lost to the Weyr that day. He did not like thinking of Her death, even if he had never gotten along with Her mate.
"Poppy?" Sev'rus turned to look at Poppy and she saw the conflicting emotions swirling in his normally cold eyes.
"Minerva, why don't I help you to go to sleep? Sev'rus and I will still be here when you awake and we won't leave you by yourself, okay?" The only movement Minerva made was the glance she gave Poppy. Poppy had to steel herself against the dullness she would see, but she still flinched slightly.
"Minerva, I will be here when you awaken. Go and rest." Minerva allowed Poppy to lead her away and when Poppy came back Sev'rus asked what he had wanted to ask since he had awakened, "How long?" Poppy stared at him sadly.
"Three days since the Flight and Wrath is missing. We have been unable to locate him. That you are still thinking and are whole, we are hopeful that he will be found soon. Sleep, Sev'rus. You need it and so does Minerva. There is nothing we can do now, except hope. Hope that a new Rider will be found to Impress the Queen egg on the Hatching Grounds."
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