Forbidden Chains

By: rainjewel

********************************************************

The next day Chid awoke in the morning to find Lorallee sitting at his bedside. Shail was leaning standing in the doorway watching her.

"Hello. Your friend Akaro went to go get your breakfast. I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Lorallee," she said, extending a long thin white hand. She smiled at him shyly.

"I know. Akaro told me. I'd introduce myself, but I would think you'd know who I am by now," said Chid. He sat up and took her hand and kissed it. She giggled.

"I wanted to thank you for saving me from that big old mean dragon," she said. "You were very brave."

"Yeah well, you pretty brave yourself, jumping off the cliff to save a baby dragon and all."

"Well, I knew it was going to happen," she said with authority. Chid looked at her in confusion. Out of the corner of his eyes he say Shail stiffen in the doorway.

"You knew that it was going to happen?" he asked with wonder.

"LeeLee, it's time for you to get going. Father's going to leave soon, and you don't want to make him wait," said Shail, cutting the conversation short. Chid felt a small surge of annoyance.

"Oh, all right. Thanks again Chid. You're the best!" she said. She threw her arms around Chid's neck and gave him a small, wet kiss on the cheek, then quickly ran out the door. Shail scooped her up in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"Say hi to Mom for me, okay?" asked Shail. He smiled at his little sister.

"Okay Shail," she said. Shail set Lorallee back on the ground, ruffled her hair, and then watched her run out the door.

Chid smiled at the obvious affection Shail had for his little sister.

"Cute little thing, isn't she?" asked Shail, walking towards Chid's bed.

"Yes. How old is she? I would think about 10 or so," said Chid. He looked at Shail and smiled affably. The dark-haired boy sat down on the bed and sighed.

"She's 8 rotations. I suppose you want to know how she knew that the dragon cub was going to fall, don't you?" Shail asked, staring at his boots. Chid was glad that he got right to the point.

"Yes, I would like to know," said Chid. He began staring at his feet too, even though the bed's covers hid them.

"Our mother, Hitomi, used to have visions when she was younger, but I suppose you know that," said Shail. He looked at Chid for affirmation. Chid nodded, and the Prince continued. "Well, it seems that Lorallee sometimes has visions, though it isn't very often. We don't know why she has them, but she's young, so maybe it's a phase and she might grow out of it."

Chid imagined an older Lorallee, long hair and great big green eyes. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The woman in his mind looked suspiciously to Varie. He flinched at the resemblance between the two. He decided to ask Shail about it.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Varie? A small woman with blood red eyes and long raven-black hair?" asked Chid.

"My grandmother's name was Varie Fanel. She fits that description. She was a full-blooded Draconian. Why?" asked Shail guardedly.

"Well, I...well I, I had a dream about her and Folken," said Chid. He fell into the telling of his vision, leaving out the bit with him crying. He didn't want anyone, especially not Shail, thinking he was a weakling, or that dumb dreams effected him. But, for some odd reason, the vision didn't seem stupid when he told it to Shail.

As Chid reached the part where he was "introduced" to Varie and Folken, a dull ache began to throb between his shoulder blades. It was in the same place as in the dream. The Prince stopped the tale.

"Well, what happened?" said Shail, looking quizzically at him. "Is everything alright? You have a very weird look on your face," he said with mild concern.

"No. Nothing's wrong," said Chid. He remembered Folken's hands on his back, and the ache dulled. Chid decided to ignore it for Shail's benefit. He continued with his tale, falling into the rhythm and comfort of discussing his vision. As he reached the part where Varie and Folken had embraced him, the pain in his back throbbed unmercifully. Chid drew his breath in sharply and stopped talking. Suddenly, the pain climaxed and he felt as if his back was ripping open. Chid bit gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly

Chid saw Folken's face again, and relived his vision. He fell against the man again, and Folken soothed his pain with his great hands once more. Chid felt Varie's cool limbs encircle his waist and chest, but then the dream faded. He could feel the sweet numbness of Folken's touch on his back.

Chid opened his eyes to see white feathers falling around him. He looked at Shail, to see if the Draconian had sprouted his wings. He was staring at him, his mouth hanging open, looking slightly to the right of Chid. He looked to his right side.

"Oh sweet Jeture," he said, speaking the name of the great Asturian god. Great white wings were extending from his back.

"The transfusion," Shail said. Chid nodded. He couldn't think. "I'm going to go get Serena," Shail said.

Chid watched him run swiftly out the door. Chid heard Shail shouting Serena's name down the hall. Chid straightened his back and summoned his strength. He flexed the wings. It was as natural as moving an arm. The great feathery appendages flowed like liquid and billowed like sails in the wind. A few objects fell to the ground as a result of the movement of the air. He tried again, feeling more scared and liberated then in all of his life. He was amazed at how easily he was accepting this great power.

"Chid! What happened to you!" yelled a familiar voice. Akaro was standing in the middle of the room, a wide look of terror and shock painted on her features. Oh no. This is not how I would have wanted her to find out, he thought. Chid stopped his experimentation. He let the wings fall, but realized that they still looked horribly intimidating. Chid realized he was shaking dreadfully.

"Akaro, the transfusion did it. It doesn't hurt. Well, it did, but I don't think it will anymore," he said. Chid tried to stop shaking. The room felt so terribly cold all of a sudden. The Prince wrapped his arms around himself in comfort. He realized the wings had involuntarily curled close to his body, warming him up. He felt the heat they were radiating, but he was so cold.

"Oh Chid, you look like a broken angel," said Akaro. Pain showed on her features. She looked paralyzed, but not by fright. Maybe she's afraid of me now, thought Chid. Go away wings...just go away. I don't want you. He felt the blissful numbness in his back, and knew the wings were disappearing into his body. He fell back against the bed exhausted.

"You know Akaro, I'm still human. I'm the same person, except that I'm more scared now then I've ever been in my entire life," he said. He heard his voice shaking as badly as his weakened body.

Her footsteps echoed across the feather-strewn floor. He listened to her climb up on the bed and sit beside him, leaning against the bed's headboard.

"Chid, it doesn't matter to me if you turn into a newt. I know that wings wouldn't change your personality. Just because I happen to be half-cat doesn't make me a different person. I of all people should know that," Chid heard her say. He still had his eyes closed.

"I know. I didn't mean that. I just didn't know what to say," he whispered. He let his exhausted body slide down the headboard. He heard Akaro breathing just above his head.

"Did you mean what you said? That you were, scared?" Akaro asked slowly and softly. She knew how he disliked realizing his weaknesses.

"Yes," he said with defeat, "Shocking, isn't it?" He could tell voice was barely audible, and it was breaking with fear and bitterness. Everything now, he thought, everything is beyond my control. He felt Akaro put her arms around him. She was warm and sturdy, while he was cold with fear and shaking uncontrollably. She put a small, fuzzy hand on his left temple and placed his head on her chest. He didn't resist to the comfort for once. He circled his arms around her small frame, searching for a sense of refuge from this unaccustomed fear.

"Chid, being afraid and being able to admit it that you are afraid makes you more human then ever," Akaro said in a low voice. Chid let the words sink in and they soothed his raw soul. His shaking abated and Akaro's warmth began seeping throughout his limbs, and he realized his full weariness. He was (yet again he thought sourly for a moment) losing his grip on consciousness.

"Thank you," he whispered to Akaro. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now." He slowly sank completely into the pillows; his eyes still lazily shut. Akaro got up and tucked him in like a small child. Don't leave, he thought with surprising passion. He reached his good arm out and latched onto Akaro's wrist with his visor-like grip.

"I'm having a strange feeling of déjà vu," said Akaro with a smile in her voice. Chid finally opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Please, don't leave me," he whispered. He looked at her with huge blue eyes. He felt completely open and vulnerable.

"I wouldn't think of it," she said. She slowly lied down on top of the bed covers and curled up beside Chid. She laid her head on his chest and threw an arm around his waist. Chid fully relaxed and let go of her arm. He heard Serena and Shail's voices echoing down the hallway, but he dropped into a deep sleep before they even reached the door.

*****

Akaro felt Chid suddenly relax and knew that sleep had taken him. She slowly lifted her head to look at the Prince. A troubled yet saintly expression was displayed across his features. She heard peoples' voices down the hall and cautiously picked herself up off the bed and smoothed the covers. She then sat down in the armchair and held Chid's hand in hers.

Serena and Shail came through the door and into the room. Serena's eyes were wide and her face white. The small woman looked at the sleeping boy and her features were soft with fondness. Strands of hair fell around her face, gently framing it, giving her a child-like appearance. She's really a very pretty woman, thought Akaro. She hadn't had time to notice before.

"What happened here, Akaro?" asked Serena, breaking Akaro's thoughts. Akaro gave a quick recount of the events, leaving out Chid's jolting confession of his fear. Serena sighed. "Akaro, did he say anything about experiencing pain?" She looked at Chid's broken left wrist and bandaged leg.

"He said they had hurt, but that was before I had come inside the room. Then he said something really strange, about how it wasn't going to ever hurt again," said Akaro. She looked down at Chid. Serena was undoing the bandage on his leg. The wound looked fine.

"He seemed to be in a lot of pain right before his wings appeared," Shail said, "Which is rather odd, since they usually don't hurt when they appear.

"Akaro, help me turn him over. I want to examine his back," said Serena. The two girls gently turned Chid over onto his back. The Prince uttered a wearied sigh as he was jostled about on the bed, but he didn't wake up. "Well, he certainly is tired," said Serena.

"He all but collapsed after he drew his wings back in," said Akaro. She looked at his back. There was no bruising or discoloration. One couldn't tell that he even had wings, unless they saw the feathers that littered to floor. Shail knelt down to the floor and lifted a few feathers from the ground. He looked at them like a child would an exotic bird.

"Shail, would you please go and get The King? I need to discuss a few things with him," said Serena.

"He's already left for the Mystic Moon, and he took Lorallee with him. You want to know about wings, don't you?" asked Shail. His body tensed as the word "wings" left his lips. He stood up and sat down on Chid's bed.

"Yes," sighed Serena, "You see, I need to know about them in order to take care of Chid and understand him better."

"I'll tell you. I don't mind," said Shail. Akaro could tell he did. "And anyway, I'm temporarily the King of Fanelia, so here I am to do your service," he said with a slight smile.

"Thank you Shail, I know this isn't your favorite subject," said Serena. "Please, tell us everything you know."

"Well, as far as you having to worry about wings, Serena, there's no need. If the wings get dirty, one can just retract them. The next time the wings sprout, they'll return as snow white as before.

Almost no medical treatment is needed for wings. If they happen to get burned, broken, or lacerated, the same rule applies. The wings need to be retracted, and in a moon or two any burns or lacerations will have healed. A broken wing will take 6-8 moons to heal. If ones wings are completely cut off, they will simply grow back, in about the course of 30 moons or so, as long as the wings are never revealed during the course of the healing process," said Shail. He took a deep breath.

"So if your wing was cut by a sword, it wouldn't heal if you unveiled your wings during the healing process?" asked Akaro.

"No, only when the wings are completely cut off does that happen. If my wing was cut with a sword, I could unveil' my wings as you put it...and my wing would probably be in a weakened condition, and there's always the hazard of it reopening.

Anyway, the reason the wings heal so fast is because they have what some people refer to as...superhuman strength," he spat bitterly. Shail paused as if for drama, but Akaro noticed his eyes were full of dark hurt.

"It's all right Shail, you don't have to continue if you don't want too," whispered Serena. Her hand was absently stroking Chid's rumpled blonde hair. Shail grimaced.

"No, it's fine. It's just that, when I discuss my wings, it reminds me of how inhuman' I am. But that's a personal problem of mine. I'll continue. When an individual is born, their wings are, logically, weak. It takes years for wings to become strong enough to lift a person so that they can fly. Chid's wings probably will strengthen far faster then that however, for his wings, judging by his age, are probably close to maturity. The only way a person can strengthen their wings is through time and use," said Shail. He sighed and stood up.

"I'll leave the operating of the wings to Chid's ears only. Usually Draconians don't tell others how their anatomy works. If Chid wants you to know, that'll be fine with me, but I'll withhold the information until that time, if that's alright with you," he said.

"That's perfectly understandable Shail, thank you," said Serena. She looked at Akaro with wearied eyes. She must have been up half the night, Akaro thought, I must have been sleeping.

"Serena, I'm going to watch Chid until he wakes up, okay? Why don't you go and get some sleep, and I'll wake you up when he comes round?" Akaro said. She looked to Serena for a reply.

"That sounds really great Akaro, but someone needs to be here with you in case he wakes up and is totally unmanageable and Gadeth's still sleeping. He's as worn out as all of us are. We need two people here. Who knows what he's going through psychologically?" Serena said.

Well, thought Akaro, I would know for one. She sighed and took Chid's hands in hers, stroking them gently with her thumbs.

"I'll stay Serena," said Shail. He had been standing in the middle of he room, and was fingering the feathers he had picked up earlier.

"Shail, you have a country to run," said Serena, as if dismissing the possibility.

"Anyone who saved my sister is worth it. If anything really bad goes on, someone will come tell me, and Van will be back tomorrow to take care of it," he said coolly. Akaro could see that Serena was weakening.

"Alright. I'll go nap. Thank you two," said Serena. She slowly rose from her seat and walked to the door. Shail opened it and bid her farewell.

The minute Serena was out the door, Akaro stood up and laid herself back down on the bed, laying her head on Chid's chest, hugging his body with one arm. I don't care what Shail thinks. I'm staying here for Chid, she thought. Chid let out a small sigh, and curled his good hand around a few strands of Akaro's hair.

To Akaro's surprise, Shail didn't say anything, only walked over to the couch by the door and pulled it close to the bed. He then lay down, putting his hands behind his head. Akaro felt herself drift off to sleep.