Chapter 58-In the Dark

The soothing smell of lavender from the body of his fiancee calmed Dhran as he snuggled against her, having woken from a restful night's sleep. Aurelia was still asleep but he enjoyed getting to watch her sleep peacefully. Kissing her cheek lovingly, he untangled himself from her and got up, opening his mental connection with Seraphina as he tossed on a white t-shirt to go along with the black shorts he had worn to bed.

Good morning, partner of my mind, he muttered as he cast a longing look at Aurelia before leaving the room and going to find his dragon.

You're up early, Seraphina commented as she asked that he meet her outside to discuss something that had been bothering her as of late.

I always have been an early riser, Airu teased back as he stepped out into the tiny meadow that connected to the underground chambers by a narrow pathway that could not be seen from the outside.

The space was two feet long and bordered by medium-sized trees on all sides, save for the large tree trunk that formed the main structure for much of the upper layers of the Compound. White lilacs dotted the field but, for the most part, green grass covered the peaceful connection to the world they had once roamed throughout before Arxa's reign of terror started. In the very center of the area lay Seraphina, her black scales alight with the sun's radiant glow that made her body seem as if it was a living mass of coal.

How's Aurelia? Seraphina asked as Dhran joined her, sitting down beside his dragon and letting out a tense sigh.

Fine but I'm worried about the baby . . .

Emerald irises narrowed and Dhran shrunk back under the she-dragon's intense glare. What is wrong with the child? Is it in danger?

Aurelia has complained about pain in her abdomen for the last few days but I'm sire it's nothing to worry over, Dhran scoffed, placing a hand on her glistening scales.

How far along is she? Worry crept into her tone and Airu swallowed, fearing the wraith of his dragon if he didn't tell her the truth.

Six and a half months, he admitted quietly, turning his gaze to the grass beside him.

A low snort from Seraphina echoed into the stillness that enfolded them for several minutes, leading to Dhran becoming concerned about his dragon. She was unnaturally reserved about this, even for how she usually behaved. It seemed, at times, like she was almost bonded to the child as well due to the amount of interest she expressed in it.

Aurelia should be awake by now. Go to her, Dhran. I suspect the child is not long to be due.

But Seraphina-

Soft growling from his bonded mind partner silenced his thoughts on the subject. I can't explain it but I feel today is when the child will meet the light of dawn. Trust my instincts, master, please.

Unwilling to argue with his dragon when it was probably right, Airu sighed and got to his feet, glancing over at Seraphina to see if she would follow. A light nudge from her snout informed him she would be staying where she was and he chuckled softly in amusement before heading off to rejoin Aurelia.

Dry leaves crunched under Ladetis's claws as he moved through the dense underbrush, keeping his senses alert for any sign of danger while Nethial rested on his back. They had been through much the last few days, although seeing his future come true had certainty startled him as he had put the vision out of his mind after leaving Tel-var and returning to the mainland. He had never been able to explain the poison 'touch' he had used to kill Jhira and Attor with, something he hoped Nethial would forgive him for as he had only fought back in self-defense.

Leaping over a fallen tree, he slowly came to a stop and glanced behind him at the former-rider on his back. Several strands of her long hair had fallen into her face, obscuring much of the natural beauty of her lightly tanned skin from his immediate sight. The soft rise and fall of her chest told him she was asleep, having been as alert as him until an hour ago when she submitted to the exhaustion of her body from the recent stress lately. A soft growl rose from his throat and he turned, ready to guard Nethial as he heard the sound of bushes shaking only a few feet away.

Curious, he walked over to where he had heard the sound, brushing a large bush apart with his snout as his gaze fell onto two dragons, both nearly his own size. The one farthest from him was a white dragon with teal irises, although it was missing a claw from one of its back legs and the area around the wounded area looked unwell and possibly infected. Allowing his gaze to travel to the other dragon, Ladetis noticed it was female with grey scales and blue irises and attempted to move towards them, only to get hissed at by the dragoness as she shrunk back to the injured one's side.

I mean you no harm, young ones, Ladetis hummed, respectively bowing his head in submission.

You're like he was, gentle as first, the male spoke up, his voice soft and slurring slightly, leaving Ladetis convinced the dragon was indeed battling an infection in the leg missing a claw. We trusted him, but he betrayed us and slaughtered our parents.

Brother, the dragoness hissed sharply, glaring at him for a moment before her gaze returned to Ladetis. Leave, outsider. We will be fine and have no need of your help.

Ladetis snorted in amusement, growling deep in his throat as he stepped through the bush and moved to get a better view of the two dragons. On the contrary, younglings, you need my help. That wound is infected and, without medical attention, your brother could lose his leg and possibly his life.

I said we don't need your help. A snarl rippled from her jaws in protest and his gaze turned to the male as it lay there in silence, eyes half-closed and breathing slightly shallow.

Flaring his wings out, hoping to awaken Nethial by any means other than mental contact with her, Ladetis snarled at the female's stubbornness to accept help. Her brother was sick, couldn't she see that? A small gasp of breath from his back signaled to him that the former rider was awake and could finally help him get the two dragons to see reason before the infection got worse in the male's leg.

"What is going on, Ladetis?" Nethial whispered, still half-asleep as the slurring of her words indicated. "Why have we stopped moving? You know the plan is to follow the hybrid back to where the other dragons are and make allies with them until we've given Tanui enough time to come to his senses . . ."

A human? You have a human partner?

Ladetis sighed, warmed by the respect he sensed from the male as its words seemed stronger and its gaze met his own. She and I are outcasts, he admitted after a moment, trying to judge how they would take the information once he presented it to them. My rider broke his bond with me and left us, leaving me to care for her as we wandered aimlessly through this forest . . .

Nethial slid off his back, the movement so similar to how Tanui had once done it that Ladetis almost wanted to communicate with her but knew it was better not to and save her the knowledge of knowing how much he was hurting from the lack of a mind-connection with another living being. The she-dragon's low growl of warning brought his attention back to her and watched as Nethial removed her sheath and placed it on the ground before her, kneeling before the two out of respect. He suspected she was relying on her memories of how to approach an unknown dragon as she had been lost in her madness when they first met, something that made him wonder just how she had survived the long years of silence by her down in the dark tunnels all alone.

"Peace, dragoni, we bring you no harm. I can see Ladetis has already tried to interact with you but you have forbid him to come closer . . . thus meaning I must submit myself before your mighty power and ask that we communicate with you and your brother as friends. We are after the same thing and could be powerful allies, if you allow it."

Blinking, Ladetis growled softly as he heard her accidentally slip into her ancestral language to address the dragoness, a sign of deep respect and honor for any dragon to hear the former tongue they had once been so used to speaking during the years spent in Paradise. It pleased him to know Nethial's recovery in Tel-var had restored the powerful rider that stood before him back to her pre-Corruption state. The she-dragon considered the offering of peace for a moment before humming and moving away so Nethial could walk over to her brother to see his condition.

Thank you, Nethial, Ladetis growled softly as he watched her tenderly reach out to the hatchling and examine its infected leg.

"Unnaturally high temperature for just a simple claw missing . . . How long ago has it been since the wound first occurred?"

Five days. Adrenaline kept me going for the first two but after that . . . my strength started to fade and I became sluggish, almost feverish at times, the white dragonet admitted as he exchanged a glance with his sister before hissing in pain and jerking his leg away from Nethial.

Nethial sighed, lowering her hands back to her side as she stood. "Almost feverish, as you put it, is confessing what I discovered upon touching your scales. You're racked with a fever, quite possibly caused by the infection in your leg. We were going to get help ourselves but I insist you come along, else your condition may deteriorate even further."

We will come only for medical treatment. Do not expect our cooperation to last any longer than it must, the dragoness snapped, shoving Nethial back and going over to help her sibling get to his feet.

"That is fine. Tell me, what are your names?"

Malie is my sister and my name is Tyst, the dragon commented as he struggled to stand up, his legs trembling as Ladetis could see that exhaustion and the infection had taken a toll on the hatchling's body.

Very well. Follow us then, Ladetis growled, allowing Nethial to get on his back before he turned and moved back out onto the main path, continuing the way he had originally come from as they had decided to trust his memory of how he left the place to ultimately return to it.