The Celestial Way

Chapter 19.4 - Allies of the Way

Ilsorin, the Radiant Knight's hidden base, Terra Para

Nightsong was still as weak and shivering as when Veralla saw her last.

After returning from the H'raal fleet, the first thing she did was to go to Ilsorin's medical level. Nightsong's room was the same, lacking any furniture save for the nanofabricator. The sick dragonet lay in the healing pool, her wan visage looking almost translucent under the clear midday light streaming from the wall-window. Kiana sprawled beside the healing pool, a simple bedroll placed beneath her. Her face seemed drained of all color, and Veralla could sense she was almost as ill as Nightsong.

"Hey... whipp... kiddo," Kiana greeted, her tongue slurring. She had forsaken clothes completely, and her neon tatoos pulsed in muted, anemic manner.

"Ah... cold..." Nightsong moaned. Kiana reached with a hand and petted her on the head.

"Kiana, is there something I can do to help?" Veralla asked, lashing her tail anxiously. She worried every time she came to visit, fearing either Nightsong or Kiana will not be alive anymore.

"Thanks... for the... offer... but... this is out of... your league, wh... kiddo..."

"But you are so very tired! You should rest and sleep!"

"I'm fine..." Kiana waved feebly. "Sleep's not... a problem... 'cause I'm... a tr... transhuman... you know?..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Trouble... comes... from giving my... life essence... to... to Nightsong..."

Nightsong moaned again, and shuddered. Kiana hauled herself on her knees and embraced the small dragonet.

"Shh... shh... everything's going to be okay, Nightsong," Kiana told her. Her arms trembled and her blue hair hung limply from her head, yet her lavender eyes were bright and filled with love.

"I'm hungry..."

"Okay, I'll get you a snack right away... Veralla... could you please fetch a thing from the 'fabber?..."

She murmured in affirmation and went to the nanofabricator in the corner. Her twin hearts were heavy with misery as she selected a nutrition-rich meal from the interface.

"Cloud, can you not do something to heal Nightsong?" she quietly asked, glancing toward the forlorn pair of soulkin.

A reply blinked on the nanofabricator's HHI screen. "The Æther-restoration fields are working at maximum capacity, and the healing pool is kept at peak efficiency at all times. Anything else is beyond my capabilities. I'm sorry, Veralla."

"What about... Kiana? Can you not make her less tired? If you can help her, she would be better able to help Nightsong."

"Kiana's also under the influence of the restoration fields. If that wasn't the case, she would've been dead by now."

She stared at the screen in mute shock.

"Veralla..."

"Oh, c-coming!"

She took the meal tray in her foreclaws and carefully walked toward the healing pool, still somewhat unaccustomed to holding items even after so much practice. She put the tray on the healing pool's rim, and Kiana took a piece and offered it to Nightsong. Nightsong nibbled at the food, yet her teeth slipped and she cut Kiana's finger.

"Oh!... S-s-sorry!..."

"It's okay, Nightsong... Don't worry..." Kiana took another piece without bothering to tend her wound, still embracing the sick dragonet with her other arm. "You just eat... You can even drink my blood, if you like it... ha-ha..."