Chapter 21. "Ballade ends"

Brute was sitting in his room and tried to sleep, but noises of the banquet were much too loud for him. At the moment, when in act of despair, he covered his head with wings and paws, in front of him appeared Octava and Decimo, only two Vengantimos, who looked exactly like dragons, Octava blue, Decimo black. "Trying to sleep, Sexto?" Decimo smiled with sham pity.
"Don't provoke me." Brute hissed. "How it went, Octava?" He asked another Vengantimo.
"Flush left letter with reply. He refused." The blue wyvern explained. Brute cursed.
"So what did you do about that?"
"I put a poison to his food at this afternoon and made sure that only he ate it." Octava was an expert in making deadly poisons, so his target had no chance to survive.
"You know Primero's orders. No killing dragons, unless that's unnecessary. Especially not Flush."
"Well, I saw no other choice." Octava lied through his teeth. Brute sighed deeply.
"Fine, let it be. So, when will it start working?"
"Any second now."
"Good. Leave now. I'm trying to sleep." Both Vengantimos nodded and they were about to leave to their rooms, when they heard terrible female shriek. Sexto turned his head in direction, where it came from. "Is that..." Octava nodded slowly with a devilish smile.
"Poison started working." It was a sentence of death.

All dragons watched lying on the ground fire breather completely aghast. Ivory felt that she was paralyzed, as if unknown force had bound her limbs, so she couldn't even twitch. Tremor, Candice, Sylvia and Dusty ran to them.
"Medic!" Sylvia shouted loudly and from the crowd, there appeared a lightning dragon much older than them. He started controlling Flush to find a reason of his sudden collapsing.
"Ivory?" Candice poked her friend. "Ivory?" The white dragoness ignored her and crouched next to another medic.
"Master Bolt, what happened to him?" She asked. The lightning dragon cursed silently. He ignored fact that he was called master, even if for three years he had been telling her to don't do it. More important thing was the fact that Flush's state was bad. Very bad.
"He has paralyzed limbs, this is matter of minutes for poison to start working in the heart." The old medic explained. He knew it was poison, even if no one realized how he figured it out.
"Poison?" Tremor asked, unsure, if he heard it right. "But how, when?"
"Definitely not in time of the banquet. Others came earlier, they'd be poisoned as well. It surely has delayed action." Bolt stated. "We have to take him to the hospital where are medicaments." The earth guardian took Flush at his back and all dragons started flying to the clinic. Even if it was night and there was a cold wind, everybody felt warmth of stress and excitement. They reached the hospital. That was when began the fourth stanza of the ballade. Several medics started healing the fire breather, but the white dragoness was standing several meters from them. Everybody knew, why. Her magic was powerful, but couldn't help in situation like this. She was helpless. The lightning dragon cursed loudly. His herbs weren't working at all.
"Bolt, if you don't hurry up..." One of medics said.
"I know!" Bolt was shouting now, desperately trying out any herb, which could help Flush. In Ivory's eye appeared simple tear. Whole that situation was so similar to the night, when she lost father. Ivory closed her eyes. Like heroine of the ballade, the white dragoness felt, that she had to do something. Anything.
"More power. Give me a bit more power... And I'll save him." She whispered with begging voice. Her request was filled. Suddenly, the air around her changed. She could feel energy everywhere and easily absorbed such big amount of it, as never before. She felt creeps around whole her body, full of energy. Young medic opened her eyes. They were glowing with an azure energy intensive like never. All her friends glared at her surprised. Ignoring their sights, she went to medics, who vainly tried to heal the one, who she loved. "Please, stand back." She asked with voice doubled by magic.
"What are you doing here? You know that your magic can't..." One of medics tried to argue.
"I know." She answered. "But you all are helpless now and I feel that I can save him." Her teacher watched her carefully.
"Fine. Everybody, stand back." All dragons took several steps back and the white dragoness sat in front of her beloved fire breather. She put both her paws on his chest and then this happened. All dragons' eyes grew wide as Lian in fifteen seconds healed deep and large wound, which pierced Marks's left lung and split into two parts his sternum. Ivory saw, how parts of a venom slowly start appearing from between Flush's scales and floating higher and higher. Twenty centimeters above the unconscious red dragon, all splits connected into a small black sphere and fell on the ground.
The white dragoness smiled to herself. "I did it." She whispered. Then she closed her eyes and she'd fall, if not her teacher, who caught her.
"She's fine. Just overtired a bit." He said. "What about him?" Two medics went to the laying dragon and checked his state.
"That's impossible! She...She completely healed him!" All dragons sighed with a relief. Her former teacher just smirked.
"Impossible? She doesn't know this word." He replied, finishing the fourth stanza of the ballade. The black shape several meters from window moved slightly to disappear in next several seconds.

Flush woke up the next morning. After opening eyes, he yawned deeply and then he noticed that he was not in his house, but in the hospital and next to him, there were sitting Tremor and Candice.
"What happened?" He didn't remember anything.
"You've completely ruined a party." Tremor explained, smiling silly.
"You were poisoned." Candice explained, before the fire breather asked her. "You would die, but Ivory healed you using almost whole her magical power."
"Again." The earth guardian added.
"Oh..." Flush didn't know what to say at first. "Where's Ivy?" He finally asked.
"Bolt took her to another room to check her state." Tremor explained. Then in Flush's head appeared some idea.
"I'm leaving in that case." He quickly stood up from bed and walked to the window, ready to leave.
"What?!" The ice guardian watched him, completely dumbstruck.
"Where are Dusty and Sylvia?" Flush asked.
"They wanted to stay here, but they had to go back to their house and..."
"Thanks, Tremor." The fire breather interrupted him. "Could you tell Ivy that I have no time to see with her at this moment? I have several things to do in city. Apologize her from me and tell her, to be at the field one kilometer at the east from city, one hour after the sunset, right? She'll know the place." The fire breather watched Tremor carefully, hoping that he remembered everything.
"Wait, Flush..." The earth guardian tried to stop him.
"Thanks." Flush jumped through window and flew away, before Tremor said anything more.

"How is that even possible?!" Brute watched carefully Octava. He was mad like never before. "How's that possible that your poison didn't kill him?" He repeated his question, doubting Octava's intelligence. "You decided to kill dragon and he's still alive! Do you realize what our situation is? What will happen, if..."
"Nothing will happen." Octava remained calm. "Flush won't tell anyone word. He knows the rules of this game. As long as he doesn't collect all pieces of this puzzle, he won't have us. And he doesn't even know my name or face."
"Anyway, how did he manage to be still alive?" Brute asked angrily.
"Well, I have no idea. Poison started working and when it starts working, no medicine can neutralize it." Then to room entered Decimo.
"I can explain it." The newcomer said and both his teammates watched him curiously. "I watched how medics tried to heal him. They had no idea, what to do, but then, some young white dragoness went to him and healed him using a magic."
"Magic? My poison was defeated by a magic?" Octava couldn't believe that news. "Impossible. In the whole world, there's no healing magic that could..."
"It wasn't healing magic, but simply brutal strength. She literally made poison float from his body and concentrate into a little sphere. I've never heard about something like that."
"Me neither." Brute admitted. Then, he cursed silently. "Damn, I wish, Sable was with us. Since he's medic, whole that mess would be less problematic with him here."
"Yeah, Cuarto would appear to be useful in fight as well. What will we do about that dragoness, Sexto, Decimo? As long, as she's alive, all my poisons are useless." Octava watched his friends expecting answer. Brute smiled devilishly.
"She gave us no choice. We'll kill that medic brat." He decided. Decimo rolled his eyes.
"Brute, you said that unnecessary victim..." He started.
"Since she interferes in the assassination, we have to kill her." Brute said with ordering voice. After all, he had higher rank than they did. And besides that was his favorite part of all missions. Killing time.
"Brute hit a point, you know it, Decimo." Octava tried to persuade his partner.
"Alright, alright, let's kill her." He agreed, shrugging. After all, one dead dragon more didn't make even slightest difference for him.
"Tell us, Decimo, what do we know about her." Brute asked him.
"I've been following her for a while, so I figured out quite a lot about her. Her name's Ivory, she's about twenty-five years old white dragoness, Wings partly grey and black, especially the endings. I've been watching her earlier, when I followed guardians or Flush, so I know that she wears no jewelry, even in time of banquet. She uses two kinds of magic. One of them is medical and another is fighting. She can create around her an invisible shield and hit enemy with blows of pure energy."
"You mean fire?" Octava asked.
"No. Pure, invisible energy. As if she was throwing walls at you. Literally. One strong hit is enough to crush your body."
"So who will kill her?" Brute asked. He wished, he could do it, but he couldn't appear in city. Everyone would recognize that he wasn't dragon.
"I." Octava said. "I look like a dragon, so there will be no problem in the assassination. And since she neutral..."
"No. I spied on her. I'll kill her. For too long time, my paws aren't wet from blood." Decimo said. He and Octava turned at Brute. At this situation, decision was his.
"Decimo will do it." Brute quickly decided. Octava glanced at him with pleasing sight.
"Brute..."
"No objections. Decimo knows her well enough to kill her."

Flush was running across the city. He had whole day, so he didn't have to hurry up, but he was afraid, that he could meet Ivory and then, whole plan would get ruined. After several minutes, he reached the building, he was looking for. He knocked at the door and after several seconds he heard male voice.
"Come in!" He went to the house and saw young yellow dragoness and white dragon playing in living room.
"Hi, Amy, Frost. Where's your dad?"
"He's working in his room, Mr. Flush." Amy interrupted their game and answered.
"Thanks, kids." Flush quickly went to Dusty's room. "Dusty!"
"Flush?" The earth dragon watched him surprised. "I thought that you're in the hospital."
"Morning, Dusty. You work so early?" The fire breather pointed tools laying everywhere in the room. Not stepping at any of them was a real challenge.
"Yeah. I would spend time with you in the hospital, but I have to finish my work in two days."
"No problem. Where's Sylvia?"
"She had to leave city." Dusty said sadly.
"Job?" The earth dragon nodded. "Damn, when I heard several years ago, what are you two planning to do, I thought that you're kidding me, that no one needs your service. And now you have so much customers that I don't know, how you find time for anything else than doing it."
"Flush, it's not that much, as you think." Dusty refused.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" The fire breather gave him a begging sight.
"Sure, what is it?" Dante agreed, even if he had really bad feelings about it. Flush explained what he needed and Dusty just laughed. "Are you kidding? I can't do it just in one day. Last your order I've been doing for several weeks. I know that this one is rather trivial, but still, it's too complicated to do it until the evening."
"Please, that's really important for me. You need to repair them." Flush begged him.
"Yeah, I already guessed, how you will use them, but can't you give me more time?" Dusty pleased his friend.
"I'm afraid not." Flush refused. The earth dragon sighed deeply. If he had to do that, he would have to work without any pause and still he wasn't sure, that he'd make it in time.
"Fine, I'll do it, come after them at the sunset." The detective grinned.
"Thanks, Dusty. I owe you a favor." He smiled thankfully and started running to exit.
"A big one, Flush!" Dusty shouted to him and heard loud laugh.
"Of course! See you!" The door closed behind the detective.

For an unknown reason, Tremor and Candice were watching window, which through Flush had left a moment earlier. They were staying there, as if they expected some miracle to happen. Tremor glanced at his mate, who was watching window. Next, he turned head to follow her sight. After several seconds, his eyes came back at his mate. He shook his head.
"Why are we still sitting here?" He asked slowly. Both dragons burst out with silent laugh. That situation was ridiculous.
"I have no idea." Candice admitted.
"Maybe let's deliver a message to Ivory." The earth guardian suggested. Both dragons were about to leave, when in the door appeared Ivory.
"Where's Flush?" His missing was the first thing, which the white dragoness noticed.
"He left five minutes ago." Tremor explained.
"What? Where? Why did you let him go?" She asked resentfully.
"He said he has something to do, so we didn't stop him. He wanted to apologize you for that and asked, if could you come at the field one kilometer at east from the city one hour after the sunset. He said you'd know which one he meant." Candice's explanation calmed Ivory down a bit.
"It's going to be your first date, huh?" Tremor asked, smirking. Ivory's scales immediately turned red.
"Well, we have to go by now." Candice stated. "Sierra and Tundra are surely already worrying, where are we." They bid Ivory goodbye and left. Though the white dragoness had nothing more to do there, she remained in the room, lost in thoughts.
"Is that actually a date?" She asked herself with disbelief. "Is he planning..." She smiled slightly and blushed. Her heart rate rapidly spiked. "Well… Time will show."

It was already evening. Ivory was flying quickly above the forest. She felt, how strongly and quickly was her heart beating. Excitement was abounding at her so much, that she had lost her way twice and she could swear, she was late. When she landed at last, Flush was already waiting there. The fire breather was lying on the ground and watching stars.
"Am...Am I late?" The white dragoness asked, blushing with an embarrassment.
"Of course, not, Ivy. I just came earlier, not to make you wait for me." He lied to avoid abashing her completely. The white dragoness laid next to him and started watching the starry sky too.
"Beautiful view, huh?" She noticed, trying to stop blushing. Flush just nodded.
"Thanks for saving my tail." The detective whispered, turning his head to her.
"I'm doing this all the time since I finished the academy." She replied and watched him. Their sights met. Ivory's cheeks turned crimson.
"Nope, you're doing that for much longer." The detective replied. Both dragons laughed quietly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She admitted. "You should be more careful. I wouldn't stare thought… that something happened to you."
"I'll be fine. And even, if I fall in troubles, you'll save me. Like always."
"I'm scared to leave you alone for even a second. Once Tremor and Candice will come back to Warfang, I'll make you move in to my house and I'll be looking after you all the time in day and night." She said firmly, or at least tried to.
"Make me?" Flush smiled silently. "How could I refuse to such beautiful eyes?" He asked and it wasn't helping Ivory at all in slowing down her heart rate.
"Why did you disappear today? I was worried about you." She changed the subject of their conversation. With her words began fifth, the last stanza of the ballade.
"Sorry for that, but I had several things to do in city. I had to get ready." The fire breather explained. The white dragoness jerked her head curiously.
"Get ready? For what?" She watched him suspiciously, but he just smiled mysteriously. That kind of his smile meant that something serious was about to happen.
"Show me your paw, please." He asked her. Medic looked at him surprised, but obediently filled his request. Looking deeply in his eyes, she felt cold of steel at one of her fingers. She watched her right paw, which he was still holding. At her forefinger he put a silver ring with two gems. Those were ruby and pearl, they looked, as if they were partly mixed, connected with each other, in such way that they could be beautiful only together. The white dragoness watched her friend, unable to say a word.
"You…mean…" She stumbled. Well, almost unable.
"Shhh…" He pressed his finger to her lips. "There's something I have to tell you." Flush interrupted her, whispering. The dragoness watched him, fascinated. "I promise to be there when you need me, I promise to hug you tight when you're lonely." The fire breather started. Ivory didn't know, what to say, how to react. "I promise to wipe your tears when they fall and I promise to keep you, not for the rest of my life, but for the rest of yours." The white dragoness watched her friend and felt that he was kissing her. Her heart rate spiked suddenly, even if it had already been getting crazy. It was a soft, gentle kiss that remained for only two or three seconds. "I love you." She heard. At first, she felt shock. She never expected those words from him. Then, joy overwhelmed her. The dragoness glared deeply into his eyes and kissed him passionately. They hugged each other and laid on the ground. "I love you too." The white dragoness whispered and her lover smiled.
"I thought, you'll never say that." He said, finishing the last stanza of the ballade. Flush and Ivory were laying on the ground and kissing and hugging passionately, lost in a joy. That is, how started the most beautiful night of their life.