Dragons of Alaevia

Chapter 24: Kaeirin

Gisaea was lying curled up on her side—her back resting against the foundation of a tree. A stream of blood was slowly trailing down the side of her forehead, bringing about a chilling uneasiness that eerily crawled around inside of Kaeirin. It suddenly seemed difficult to breathe.

She couldn't be...

Cyprian kneeled at her side, pressing his thumb against the base of her wrist. After a moment, he nodded. "She's alive."

Kaeirin released a breath of relief—though his chest still weighed heavy with that anchor-like worry. Gisaea was alive, yes. But how long could she last with an injury like that?

His eyes traveled to the back of Cyprian's head—and suddenly, he found himself wondering how in Alaevia the guy got those blond locks to look so amazingly luscious all of the time. They'd both just been chased by a troll, yet somehow, Cyprian looked ready to get his portrait painted at Halvaara's annual Brumal Ball. Kaeirin, on the other hand, looked like he'd shoved his way through about three miles worth of jungle thickets. It was so unfair, so...so...

Wait—Gisaea was hurt for Alaevia's sake. Cyprian's infuriatingly flawless mane of hair was unquestionably the least of Kaeirin's worries. "She needs a doctor, right?" He wondered aloud.

Cyprian studied the bloody mark imprinted on her head, then brought a finger to the wound. Wincing, he drew his now-bloodied finger away.

"Doesn't look great," He noted.

Kaeirin examined the surrounding forest, but all his eyes found were endless clusters of trees, leaves, and bushes—plus the unsightly image of a giant glitter-bombed troll lying supine beside them. There were most likely no medical stations close by, meaning they would need to fly someplace on their dragons. Somewhere they could find help for Gisaea—and fast.

"So where—gah!" Kaeirin exclaimed as Gisaea's light dragon suddenly shoved past his shoulder—sending him toppling sideways in a frenzied manner. The dragon's luminously large eyes immediately landed on Gisaea's limp form, resulting in a whine drenched with utter despair.

Cyprian let out an irritated sigh as he stood up gently, stepped aside, then allowed the dragon to examine its owner. Kaeirin—after finally stabilizing himself—watched as the big-eared dragon sauntered over to Gisaea, brought its glossy nose to her wound, then softly sniffed her bloodied head. This was, of course, followed by another perturbed whimper, and Cyprian eyed the dragon with impatience.

"Look, dragon, she's not—"

FWOOSH!

A passionate gust of wind nearly catapulted Kaeirin straight to Mars as Gisaea's dragon spread his brilliant wings as far out as they could go. Then, as if the sudden wind storm hadn't been enough, a radiant mound of light instantaneously exploded around the dragon—enveloping him in a shimmering shroud of pure sunlight itself. His wings were sparking, rippling with unalloyed rays of a striking light. A light so radiant that Kaeirin had to shield his eyes just to avoid eternal blindness.

When the dragon's light storm finally faded, Kaeirin risked a peek through his fingers. His mouth gaped open when he saw Gisaea. The bloody mark was gone. Completely gone. She lay peacefully against the tree, uninjured. But how...

Cyprian silently stared at the dragon, his luscious hair wind-whipped and disheveled— finally, for Alaevia's sake!—and his expression intrigued. Gisaea groaned loudly, making Kaeirin flinch as she squeezed her eyelids and yawned. When she finally opened her eyes, she examined Kaeirin and Cyprian in a daze.

"What's going on...?" She wondered.