by Logan Jacobs
“Kas,” I said, and my eyes widened as I reached out to put my hands on her shoulders. “Talk to me.”
“I-I can’t do it. My powers aren’t strong enough… I… her arm is nearly torn off, and I… I can’t put it back on.” She looked at me with panicked violet eyes. “She’s going to die, Rath. She’s going to die, and I can’t save her.”
I gulped hard as my eyes began to prick with emotion, and then I glanced over to the bloody nub below Kas’ fingers. The sorceress had stopped the blood from flowing, but there was already so much on the ground below it was hard to imagine she had much more to lose.
There wasn’t much time left, and my healer was unable to mend the wound.
We had to do something, anything.
I wasn’t going to let this mother die.
Chapter 9
My mind raced as I tried to think of what we could do. I could feel the dragon’s energy, and I knew we didn’t have much time at all.
She was dying, and if we didn’t do something quickly, the little dragon in the egg was going to die, too. He wouldn’t come out without his mother, and if he stayed in his egg, he’d die from starvation eventually.
Even if I could convince the little dragon to come out, he’d be an orphan, and though I was always willing to take one in, I didn’t want it to wind up that way. This little boy had a mother who loved him, and I wasn’t going to let him lose her.
“What’s going on?” Asta asked as she and Eira came over to us.
The redhead’s eyes landed on the wound, and her hand instinctively came up to cover her mouth as she gasped.
Asta’s mouth fell open when she saw the mother’s arm, and she closed her eyes and turned her head as tears started to trail down her cheeks.
“Is she going to be okay?” Eira asked, and she licked her lips and looked everywhere but at the wound.
“I-I can’t heal her,” Kas sniffled.
“What?” Asta asked as she knelt down by Kas. “Will my magic help?”
“What can we do?” Eira asked, and she knelt down, too.
“I was already pulling from your magic,” Kas said as tears continued to run down her cheeks. “All I can do is lessen the bleeding. I can’t close the wound at the same time, and if I let go, then she’s going to bleed out too quickly for my healing to work.”
I’d thought Kas was unable to heal the dragon because her power wasn’t enough to fix such a large wound, but in actuality, she was doing all she could to simply keep the mother alive right then. We needed another sorcerer.
“Preyna,” I said, almost to myself.
“Preyna?” Kas asked, but then her violet eyes widened with realization. “Preyna!”
“Yes.” Asta nodded fervently. “Call her to us!”
“If anybody can help, it’s her,” Eira added.
“Blar!” I called, and the little blue dragon appeared a second later. He looked at the mother’s wound and then at me with huge blue eyes full of concern. “She’s going to be okay, but I need a portal to Preyna.”
Blar nodded and closed his eyes to call forth a portal while I gripped the amulet on my neck. The stone started to glow, and I knew Preyna had gotten the message.
When we’d left the sorceress, she was headed to see Odin about a matter with the castle, and as much as I didn’t want to interrupt her business, this was urgent.
It’d been less than an hour since we’d said goodbye to her, and she had to know I wouldn’t call her so quickly unless it was absolutely necessary.
The portal was ready, and Blar hopped on my shoulder as I stood up.
“I’ll be right back,” I told the girls. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Kas kept her hands pressed against the dragon, and tears continued to run down her cheeks, but she nodded, and her violet eyes were determined.
I took a deep breath and stepped through the portal.
Blar had brought us to the same place behind the castle he usually did, and I immediately took off running toward the council building.
It was nearly dark in Asgard since the days were the same as they were in Alfheim, and the realm grew darker with each step I took.
Just as I made it to the stairs in front of the council building, Preyna barged out of the double doors and stopped in her tracks when she saw me.
“Rath,” she breathed, and she lifted her dress with one hand and rushed down the steps. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“We need your help,” I told her, and I grabbed her hand and pulled her back the way I’d just come from.
“I knew it had to be urgent when you contacted me so soon,” she breathed as she ran next to me.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything with Odin,” I said. “But it’s an emergency.”
“Oh, no, our meeting is over,” she assured me. “But regardless, I would have come anyway.”
“I know you would have,” I said as I cast her a small, grateful smile.
“This should be far enough,” the sorceress said, and she grabbed my hand to stop me.
We were in the middle of the street, but there was nobody around, and we were far enough away from the castle we wouldn’t easily be seen.
“Blar,” I said, and the little dragon nodded his head and closed his eyes.
A portal appeared in front of us, and Preyna and I stepped through into the clearing where I’d left the girls with the injured mother.
We came out near the large green male dragon, and I glanced over to see Uffe, Inger, and Svass were all curled up between his front paws. The little dragons were clearly upset about what was going on, and I made a mental note to thank the male for watching them during this stressful time.
“Oh, this isn’t good,” Preyna muttered before she rushed toward the nest.
The female didn’t even lift her head as Preyna approached her. She was reunited with her baby, but her injury was severe, and it would kill her if Preyna couldn’t do something to stop it.
I sensed the little dragon in the egg was upset, but his mother’s presence was calming him to some degree, and she was making sure to remain as tranquil as possible so she didn’t worry him even more.
The mother had her neck wrapped around the egg, and she nuzzled it softly with her nose as she sighed deeply and tried to ignore the pain in her arm.
I realized she’d sustained the injury because she’d fought so hard to try and keep her baby safe, and it made my blood boil with rage. Whoever the man was who’d come to try and take the egg, he must not have used the same method as the other dealers who used herbs to put the mothers to sleep before they stole the eggs.
No, this man had stormed in here and tried to steal the baby right out from under her. He was lucky he hadn’t been killed right then, but he had to have some sort of skills in order to injure the female so badly and also gain custody of her egg.
I followed Preyna over to the dragon, and the blonde sorceress crouched down and inspected the wound.
“I can’t heal her…” Kas said. “She’s bleeding out too quickly, and if I stop keeping her blood in, she’ll be gone before I can cast the spell.”
“I understand.” Preyna put her hand on the strawberry-blonde’s shoulder. “You’ve done very well, Kaspyr. I’m going to help, and we’re going to save her together.”
Kas gulped and nodded her agreement.
“What can we do?” Asta asked.
“Yeah,” Eira added. “We’ll do whatever we can to help.”
“I’m afraid there’s not much you can do,” Preyna said. “Please, give Kas and me some space to work.”
The girls nodded, but they seemed to be stuck where they were, so I carefully grabbed each of their hands and pulled them to their feet. They allowed me to guide them backward, and then Asta turned and put her head against my chest.
“Oh, Rath,” she breathed. “I’m so very worried for her.”
“I know.” I gently stroked the elf girl’s back. “Preyna’s here to help, it will be okay.”
My eyes never left the two sorceresses as they worked, and even though my words assured Asta the mother would live, I wasn’t sure I believed them myself.
The female’s injuries were so incredibly extensive, and I couldn’t imagine the work the two women would have to do in order to reattach her leg. I knew healers were powerful, but I’d never heard of one having to reattach a limb before. Luckily, Preyna was the most powerful sorceress I knew, and between her and Kas, the mother dragon was in the best hands possible.
If Kas and Preyna couldn’t save her, then nobody could.
I pulled Asta and Eira over to the large male dragon. The two women seemed to be in a state of shock, which was surprising to me considering Eira’s background in battle. This was new to her, though, and I thought she was having some difficulty processing what was going on with the mother dragon. Eira was used to dismembering opponents, but this was an innocent creature who’d been trying to protect her child. I’d never seen the redhead even come close to crying, but I could tell by her ragged breaths that she was near tears.
I carefully set the girls down on the ground near the large male dragon, and I nodded a thank you to him before I slowly walked back over to the mother dragon.
She opened one ruby red eye to look at me but then closed it and let out a deep sigh.
I crouched down next to her monstrous head and leaned my side against her brow while I used both hands to stroke her face gently. She didn’t make a noise, but I could feel her emotions, and I knew she appreciated my calming touch.
I closed my eyes and shared my feelings with her. I allowed my positivity and happiness to flow through my fingertips in the hopes it would give her the drive she needed to fight for her life. I knew she wanted to live for her child, but she was so weak she was having a hard time holding on.
“Your baby is quite strong-willed,” I whispered to her. “He’s ready to come out of his shell, but he refused to do so without you there. Now, I think he’s refusing because he’s waiting for you to be healed. He doesn’t understand exactly what’s going on, but I can feel how happy he is to be here with you… You have to hold on for him.”
I pressed my forehead against the silver female’s and just breathed with her.
I allowed her feelings to rush through me, and I sensed her willingness to fight to stay with her baby. She was still weak, but she wanted to be strong for her child.
I held myself against her and continued to stroke her head, but after a moment, her energy level shifted. Suddenly, her breaths became more even, and I could feel her consciousness come back to life. She was more aware of what was going on, and her first thought was of her baby.
The little boy inside the egg got excited when he felt his mother’s presence brighten, and I heard a small cracking sound.
I looked over the mother’s neck to see the small white egg start to crack open. The egg shook slightly, and after a few seconds, a small silver dragon popped his head up.
A little piece of shell sat on top of his head like a tiny hat, and he looked around with large dark-blue eyes. The little boy let out a high-pitched squeal before he scurried around to his mother’s face, climbed on top of her nose, and nuzzled his face against her.
The mother dragon let out a low, happy groan as she moved her head back and forth against her child.
I smiled and stood up to give the mother and baby a few moments to themselves, but as I stepped back, Preyna and Kas walked over to me.
“You did it?” I asked, and my eyes widened as I regarded the bloody women.
Kas and Preyna each had huge stains on their tunics, and Kas’ arms were covered in blood up to her elbows while Preyna’s hands were stained red.
“We did.” Preyna nodded. “She will need to stay here and rest for a significant amount of time, but as long as she stays off the limb for a week or so, it should heal nicely.”
“Preyna made her a brace and everything,” Kas said with a tired smile.
“It would not have been possible if you hadn’t stopped her bleeding.” Preyna put her bloody hand on Kas’ shoulder. “You should be proud of your efforts today.”
“Thank you.” Kas smiled softly and looked over at the mother and new baby. “I’m just happy she’s okay.”
“Me, too,” Eira said, and I turned to see her and Asta coming up behind us.
“Yes,” Asta agreed as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I was so scared for her.”
“She’s going to be just fine.” Preyna smiled. “We may need to check in on her daily to make sure she’s eating, though. We’ll probably have to find her some food.”
The male dragon let out a deep breath then, and he took a step toward us.
I narrowed my eyes and took in his feelings, and I was surprised to find he was offering to take care of the female while she healed.
“Are you sure?” I asked him. “Don’t you have a family of your own to tend to?”
The male’s eyes closed, and I felt a deep sadness emanate from him. I got the sense his babies had been taken from him, which was just another reason he’d been so determined to help us today. He knew firsthand how terrible the dragon trade was, and he refused to let it claim another dragon.
“I understand.” I nodded and pressed my palm against his massive muzzle. “Thank you. We’ll come to check on you in a few days.”
The male nodded, and I turned to the women next to me before I looked back at the mother and baby in the nest. The silver infant was curled up against his mother’s head, and she nuzzled him lightly and then licked his face as he slept. The little boy was finally completely at ease, and all I could feel from him was comfort and happiness to be back with his mother.
The female looked up at me with ruby-red eyes filled with gratitude, and I smiled at the warmth and relief I felt radiate from her. She was telling us thank you.
I smiled at the mother, and she laid her head down and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, but at least I knew she’d be looked after by the male who brought us here. Besides, I thought she could use a while to herself. She needed to spend time with her baby and heal.
“We should go,” I told the girls. “Let’s give them some time.”
“Of course.” Preyna nodded.
“Blar, are you up for making one last portal for the day?” I asked the little blue dragon.
He sighed and rolled his eyes, but then he closed them, and a few seconds later a portal appeared in front of us. I grabbed the girls’ hands, and for the first time that evening, I really felt Preyna’s skin against mine. The feeling of her soft hand in mine sent a jolt of electricity down my spine, and my heart rate accelerated in response.
We stepped through the portal and immediately found ourselves in my courtyard, and the first thing I did was walk into the small cottage and pour four pints of mead. I also grabbed a pumpkin from the garden and cut it up into small pieces.
When I came back outside, Kas had gotten a fire going, so I took a seat next to the roaring flames and handed each of the girls their glass.
Preyna sat on the log next to me, and Eira, Kas, and Asta sat across the fire from us.
“Your home is lovely,” Preyna said as she looked around. It was dark out, but with the light of the fire, I was sure she could make out the courtyard and cottage pretty well. “The girls told me how you built this all yourself. They say you’re quite the carpenter, as well as an excellent cook.”
“I suppose I’m pretty good,” I chuckled and gestured to the mead in her hand. “I did make the mead after all. I figured we could all use a drink after what just happened.”
“You got that right,” Eira muttered, and she took a long pull from the pint glass and wiped her mouth on the back of her arm. The warband leader wasn’t exactly the most delicate of the women around, but I found her disregard for manners utterly adorable.
“I could definitely use a drink after that,” Kas chuckled. “That was probably the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done.”
“You should really be proud of yourself,” Preyna told her. “Without you there to quell her blood flow, the poor mother would’ve been dead long before I was able to get to her. And stopping her from bleeding out was not an easy thing to do, especially with your bare hands as you did. Most sorcerers require a spell for that, but you were able to do it on your own. That is the mark of a master sorceress.”
“Yeah, but you’re the one who really saved the day.” Kas smiled. “She owes her life to you.”
“To both of us,” Preyna corrected, and she looked around at all of us. “To all of you. If you hadn’t gotten to her when you did, she wouldn’t have made it.”
“Either way, I’m just glad she’s alright,” Eira said, and she took another gulp of mead. “Is this how it is for you guys all the time? That was stressful as fuck.”
“I’m afraid that’s how it is most of the time,” I chuckled. “Are you sure you still want to stick around?”
“Definitely,” Eira said with a fervent nod. “I’m eager to deal every single dragon enslaving bastard a bloody justice. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried at this point.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or if she’s threatening us,” Kas joked.
“I’m sure it’s a wonderful thing,” Preyna said with a smile. “I wish I could be with you all more, but I’m glad I was able to be with you today.”
“So are we,” Asta told the beautiful blonde sorceress.
Blar came over and put his front paws on my leg, and I looked down and nodded at him.
“You’re right,” I said, and I grabbed the pumpkin from the tray I’d brought out and dished it up for the little dragons.
“Good idea,” Kas said when she saw me making the bowls. “They deserve a treat.”
“I thought so, too,” I agreed.
“Especially Blar,” the strawberry-blonde said. “He did so much today.”
The Valkyrie smiled at the little blue dragon as he began to devour the pumpkin in his bowl with terrible smacking sounds.
“The dragon who gave us a ride to the nest was incredibly kind,” Asta said. “He looked after the babies when we went to see if you and Kas needed assistance.”
