The Selection: Bride Of The Dark Dragon

MIRA

I check the levels of my magic and it’s all back. We left the dome suppressing our powers. That’s why he flew us away from the mountain!

I look at Derrien’s pale face. He saved me today and I owe him to at least try to save his own life! With one hand on his body, using my water element, I take the b***d flow under my control. With my second hand, I pull out the dagger. It’s longer than I hoped, so this is bad probably. I bring it to my nose and cringe in disappointment as I realize that it was also poisoned. Well, the Invisibles do not leave traces. Well, usually. So, it’s only natural they make sure to do everything to kill their goal.

I wonder what poison it is. Can I detoxify it? Gods, I wish I had my equipment with me, I could test the dagger and find out.

“It’s going to be alright!”, I say, looking at Derrien, but I know I address myself, “Everything is going to be great!”

Can I summon someone? Would that be safe considering we were just attacked by my own people? Probably not…

I could call for Dereck and the guys from the Academy… But what if we are under attack again? Besides, I see no reason for them to help a gerdian… Not to mention the way we all parted last time. They wouldn’t understand my desire to save him…

Damn it! I am on my own here!

House! There was a house in the woods! Not too far from here! If I get him there… But how? He is so heavy! I can hardly lift him up… But I have to find a way! I just have to!

I seal his wound with the water element magic so that he doesn’t lose any. I also stop the flow to try and avoid the poison spreading.

“Air, please”, I beg the element that is my weakest, “Please, I need you now! Help me save him! I owe him my life! Help me to move him to the house in the woods! Please!”

The air comes to my prayer, but as always, not too much and not too strong… I try to lift Derrien up and it gathers under him, lifting the rest of him up in, well, air.

Gods, it’s still far too heavy! But I have no choice! At least now it doable!

I drag him in the direction of the woods. There, it will be easier… Just a bit more…

As soon as we reach the first tree in the woods, I touch its rough bark and call to my Earth element for help. Vines and branches stretch to my overwhelming gerdian load. And then they pass his body from one to another, moving us very slowly in the direction of our goal. After a while, we reach the house and I realize that it’s more of a hut than an actual house. Leaving Derrien with my woody helpers, I go to it and knock on the door. After nobody replies, I open the lock with my magic and enter. It’s very small – just a stone stove, a fireplace, a too big for this room wooden table and a bed at the back with a fireplace around it. All seems clean at first, but a level of dust on the table tells me that no one was here for a while. I summon water from a nearby lake and clean whatever I can quickly, summoning then fire to dry things up, paying special attention to the bed. Then I summon fire and dry things up carefully. The room gets hot and steamy, but I guess it’s not bad since it’ll get dark soon.

I run back to Derrien and for a second he opens his eyes, but then closes them again to my disappointment. The vines cant stretch further to the house and I have to summon water again. Luckily the lake is within the walking distance and I feel it. Water catches Derrien softly and helps me to get him inside. I place him on the table. Because first I need to clean him up and try and detox the poison out of his body.

I don’t have any herbs with me and don’t have time to go and look for it now. I just have to do the extra first help they taught us at the academy.

First thing first! I need to undress him! Well, easy! I can do that! Nothing to be embarrassed about. I pull off his leather boots first. There! Half job done!

It’s worse with his jacket, the fabric is heavy and too strong to pull it off a lifeless body. After about 5 unlucky attempts I give up and just cut it to take it off. And then repeat the same with his shirt which is already soaked with his b***d.

I gulp when I see his naked torso, exactly as in my dreams. And next, I pull off his pants.

Oh, gods! I am so happy that no one is watching me now! Especially my mother! Lady Freyn pulling pants off a half-dead man in some hut in the woods. I feel ashamed. But not too much. I am a battlemage and should be ready for anything. Right? Right!

I try not to look… but gerdian male underwear still catches my eye. Black, of course, no surprises there. It’s some kind of very tight-fitting shorts? And when I say very tight-fitting, I mean VERY TIGHT-FITTING!

Gods, Mira, go back to the wound.

I summon air again to help me lift him as the wound is on his back. Air helps, but not a lot, of course. It is known to be the naughtiest and least obedient element for a reason! But we manage to do it. And we it’s done, I freeze because there is something I did not expect to see. And it’s not the wound from the dagger of the Invisibles. It’s the tattoo I saw in my dreams! Exactly the same! Black dragon in a circle shape with only wings protruding out of it!

Wait, it makes sense now because he is a dragon himself… Or at least can shift into one…

Gods, so much to think about, but now is not the time!

I disinfect the wound with my fire and water elements to the best of my abilities. And then try to get the poison out of the bloodstream with the help of water once again. I definitely get out some but have no idea if this is it. A black drop lands on a white plate I’ve prepared. I’ll examine it and try to find out what kind of poison it is later. If it will still be needed then.

The wound requires sewing, but however much I try to look – a sewing kit is just not here. Bad, this is bad. That leaves me with only one option – seal it with my fire magic. And that hurts like hell…

I look at Derrien’s perfect face and decide that it’s for the best that he is unconscious. And then just do it. Seal the wound, leaving a burn mark on him. Gods, I hope this will help. I am so not great at healing! I barely passed my healing exam back at the academy…

When all is done, I clean him up and summon water again to help me transport the gerdian lord to the bed. I cover him with a clean sheet so that nothing distracts me anymore. And then I look around. There is absolutely no food in here, but bows, crossbows, axes, and daggers are attached to one of the walls. Something tells me that it’s someone’s hunting hut. I find some old clothes in one of the chests, all for males. Then I summon water once again and boil it in one of the pots, then cool it down. At least now we have drinking water. I probably need to go out and look for something suitable to eat, but the sun is almost down. It’ll have to wait until morning now.

I check Derrien and nothing has changed. He isn’t awake, although he is definitely alive. I put my hand to his forehead and it’s hot, so hot. For a human that would be bad. But he is a gerdian. And a dragon. Of sorts. He should pull through. He should…

For a second I want to cry… But I shrug that feeling away. I am not a cryer!

I take some of the water I’ve prepared and decide to clean myself as well. Shame they don’t have a bath here! That’s something I could really use now!

I pull a muslin curtain that separates “the bedroom” from everything else and pull off my dress through my shoulders, staying in just my underwear – a bra and lacy shorts. Also gerdian presents, but I am used to all of that now. I unhook the bra and put it aside. Calling water to wash the dirt of today away. I have a few cuts and bruises and keep the cool liquid longer in those places to soothe the pain. I only start feeling it now. While I was taking care of Derrien I haven’t even realized how much I am hurting myself. I lift up my hair, so that water can wash my back and sense some movement behind me. But when I look back at Derrien he is still in the same position, eyes closed.

I finish off my hygiene procedures faster and clean all the clothes that survived today – my dress and underwear, Derrien’s pants, the clothes that I found in the chest. I pick a white shirt, which probably belongs to one hunk of a man because when I put it on, it almost reaches my knees. I giggle as I remember the time when I was three and tried to put on one of my mum’s beautiful gowns… The sensations are similar now as I roll the way too long sleeves.

Coming back to Derrien, I put some wood into the fireplace and light it up. Then create a barrier around the hut. This is human territory and this should be enough to protect us for now.

I sit in a chair next to the bed and feel again how exhausted I am. My magic is almost drained, I can barely lift a finger in this state. I wouldn’t be able to do anything else today… However, I lift the chair closer to the gerdian, so that I could check his temperature just by stretching my hand to him. Which I do and, to my disappointment, he is still way too hot…

“What do I do with you, Derrien Derwood?”, I sign, taking the hair away from his forehead, “I really need you to live. Can you do that for me?”

I don’t notice how I fall asleep in that position – curled in an armchair with my hand against his cheek…

And I see a dream again… A dream where he touches my face, and strokes my hair and then takes me in his arms and brings me to the bed right next to him…

“Rien”, I smile…