Chapter Twenty: Friends

Mali stands up as he looks at a sleeping Iolene. He strokes her face as he looks around her body.

"Silly girl... We need her awake in order for this to work..." Mali says disappointingly. "This is going to be more complicated than we thought."

Stein nods in agreement. "Did you get in contact with Iolene?"

"Just barely... It's clearly a void of space. I can only hear indistinguishable voices. But one is clearly hers..." Mali says as he almost collapses. Aaron runs over and grabs him before he hits the ground. Mali being a Suravi it feels like Aaron is holding a small child.

"Good boy..." Mali says happily as he taps Aaron's hand. "We can't do anything until she is awake... You all might as well rest up. This mansion doesn't have a dungeon. We cannot afford her to run away again." Mali trying to stand up and yawns continuously. He then sees Iymp carrying Beau on his back.

"Iymp... Did you carry Beau here? My goodness place him in front of the mirror!" The small man then points to the spot. As Iymp, Aaron and Lexi help Beau down. His body seizing with cramps as his blood vessels look large like they are going to explode.

"Poor Beau... You are in so much pain." Stein says as he uses his gold energy to try and ease his pain. It wasn't much help as Beau shrieks in agony. Everyone covers their ears as Beau screams as he suffered.

The mirror begins to shake. Aaron gently places Mali down as he stands and holds the mirror in place. His heart beating fearing that will fall and smash into pieces. Iolene will never be saved and live in the world of torment.

Lexi strokes Beau's head trying to calm him. Eventually, the shrieks turn into pup cries.

"He won't be able to continue like this..." Lexi says as she soothes Beau. "What will happen to him Stein? This is so cruel..."

Stein looks at the suffering dragon as he flashes back to his own pain. He winces at the thought of it. He makes Aaron and Lexi listen in closely. Making sure that Beau cannot overhear them "Beau's body will eventually give up on itself... The toxic blood in his body will eventually explode or melt through the veins... The toxic blood that builds inside causes the bones to become pure black draconium as the marrow is tainted. His insides will melt and his skin will peel from his body. I will not say more..." As Stein's face becomes pale as his mind flashes back to when he was a prisoner. Seeing humans and dragons die under such experimentation... The endless suffering... Victims he did not know. Many were slaves who were being punished for the most mundane of things. Or those who wanted extreme power. Little realising of the cost of having such power when the draconium doesn't agree with you.

"Stein..." Aaron whispers softly. He knows that stare anywhere... He is reliving the horrors of his prisoner life. Aaron himself still suffers from the very same thing.

Aaron thinking of how to approach him. But decided to leave it. It is not easy what Stein is going through. It will pass...

After a while when Stein mentally comes back. He leaves Iolene in the servant bedroom next to the storeroom. With a wave of his hand, a gold draconium chain appears connecting her wrist to the bed frame.

It wasn't long after Stein collapses.

"STEIN!" Everyone shouts in unison. Aaron picks up Stein and leans him on the wall.

"Oh, master..." Mali whispers under his breath. He then turns to everyone. "We all need to rest... Including you Aaron. I will ask Tao to organize guards inside and out the door. To keep an eye on her. It looks like Stein did a deep sleep spell on her. She won't move anytime soon..."

It was soon after that when everyone leaves the room except Beau.

Lexi gets a room with other servant ladies. While Lei and Aaron have to share a small guest room. With Tao following in tow asking Lei to have his bedroom.

"Please your highness..." Tao says he bows.

Lei chuckles. "I have slept on the cold, hard ground of the wilderness. A small bedroom will be fine. I am not going to take over your home."

Tao bows and shuffles out of the room facing the floor. Aaron and Lei glance at each other and laugh. They both lie on the bed and stare upwards.

"What a mess Iolene has gotten herself into..." Lei says as he looks up at the plain wooden roof. Nothing like the roof in the palace where there are elaborate paintings of dragons and humans.

"It's my fault..." Aaron replies back. "If only I followed her everywhere..."

Lei quickly replies. "It's my family's fault for having such a dangerous mirror in the library... But we can't keep blaming ourselves. Iolene got herself into trouble. We will just focus on saving her..."

They both lie on the bed in silence as they are deep in thought. Lei wondering the future of his empire. Aaron thinking of ways to save Iolene. But it feels impossible... This nothing he has never seen before.

"Did you talk to your male friend? Zheroh was it?" Aaron blurts out. Lei has been quiet since he has arrived back home. Instead of focusing on giving tours and hiding his emotions. When they were rescuing Iolene he couldn't stop talking about his home. Now that he is home he shied away again.

"Zheroh? Yes, I did... Did not go as I hoped... He used to be my bodyguard and my friend. But he said it couldn't have worked between us... Being close together was bad enough. I caused so much scandal..."

Aaron remains quiet as Lei speaks non-stop.

"I am very lucky to have the loving family that I have... Everyone else is betrothed except me... But yet they don't resent me for it... I feel so guilty..."

Aaron and Lei look at each other on the bed.

"You are lucky... They love you and you are a good guy. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Fuck Sazan Jona and what he thinks." Aaron then looks up at the wooden roof. "In the orange empire men and men with woman and woman. Is common... It's forbidden by punishment of death. But it still happens. Even in the barracks where I lived. In such horrible conditions, love is always there. But you know it'll get easier... Just go with the flow right now."

"Thanks, Aaron." Lei says as he stares at Aaron and smiles. "We are friends right?"

"I hope so..." Aaron says joyfully. He is not used to the idea of having friends. Iolene was his childhood friend and it was only a short period. Kyra was his friend through Dominus Sahara. But there was another friend that Aaron had... A friend he was terrified to talk about. It was never wise to have friends and he learned because of him... Aaron thinks back to Dominus Sahara. There was a couple in the barracks. 120 and 99, previously known by their old owners as Safa and Pavel. Grew up together... Became friends and later more. Everyone in the barracks knew... Trying to keep it a secret. To no avail, they were eventually found out. Execution by hanging, they held their hands all the way up to the point of the drop. Aaron watched as they dropped, hearing their necks snap. Aaron shakes his head to try and take his mind off it...

"You okay? You having another flashback?" Lei gently taps Aaron's shoulder.

"Yer..." Aaron whispers.

"I am so sorry... Here I am talking about my loving family. While you do not even know what a family is..."

"I know what a family is Lei... A mother, a father, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, and cousins. I was born with unlucky circumstances. Can we please talk about something else?" Aaron remained calm, quiet, and collected. But his mind went back to his mother. The only person in the world who truly loved him. She was the only family he ever had.

Pale skin, brown straight hair, bright blue eyes. She was one of the most beautiful and sought-after women in Watersgate. Lord Caspian ruler of Watersgate and her had an affair to remember. Trying his hardest to not think of his past. Aaron remains staring at the roof. Think happy thoughts...

"Do you fear Sazan Jona will do anything?" Aaron asks.

"My whole family does. But we cannot hideaway... Otherwise, that means he has already won. Unmei still under his thumb. A war between us is inevitable..."

He then quickly sits up and stretches. "You know what!? I'll teach you how to play chess. Try to get our minds off things. And hopefully, after we can eat. I feel like pork dumplings with chili sauce. I know for a fact Aaron you would love that. " Lei sounding so excited.

"Sure... I guess. I have no idea what chess is... And you have such an obsession with food." Aaron says with a small smile. "Do you have cakes?"

"Sorry, Aaron cakes are a delicacy we rarely have here..."