Beauty, in the Beast World

Echoes of the Burning Dream

{The wolf male above is Kael the village healer. Language that looks like this is spoken between males in beast form or when they are thinking. I will also use italics when Lila is remembering things in the dream scape}

{Zache's POV}

Zache paced the room, his mind a tempest of anxiety and frustration as he watched Atlas, who was restlessly moving back and forth. The two males had been seated around the fire earlier, engaged in a seemingly normal conversation between Lila and the snake male, Lyris. The discussion had turned to Lila's snake heritage, but the mood quickly shifted when Lila suddenly felt unwell. She had stood to lay down, only to collapse in front of them. Atlas had swiftly caught her and carried her to the sleeping room, while Zache had rushed to fetch Kael.

Bursting into the healer's hut, Zache howled in anguish, "Kael, come quick! Lila collapsed and has a fever!" Kael, already in his healer's garb, responded without hesitation. He gathered some medicine and hoisted it onto his back. "Carry this and take me to her at once," he instructed.

Zache led the way through the rain-soaked village, his heart heavy with worry. Each step felt like a mile, and the thought of losing Lila weighed on him. He could hardly bear the idea of their cave—once a place of comfort and joy—becoming a place of sorrow and loss.

Arriving at the cave, Zache shifted back into his human form and guided Kael to the sleeping room. Lila lay on a bed of furs, her usually vibrant face now pale and still. To Zache's relief, Lyris was nowhere to be seen. A surge of anger flared within him; he hoped Lyris would not return.

Kael hurried over to Lila, his hands gentle yet urgent as he checked her pulse. He glanced up at Atlas and Zache, his brow furrowing with concern. "I thought you said she had a fever?" Kael asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Zache, bewildered, responded, "She does! Why else would she have collapsed if not due to illness?"

Atlas, his face ashen, added anxiously, "Is she alright? What's happening to her?"

Kael's expression grew more troubled. "She doesn't have a fever," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Her body is ice-cold, and her pulse is barely detectable. Her breathing is slow and steady, but I need to know what happened before she collapsed."

Before either male could reply, a third voice broke the tension. "It was because of me," Lyris said as he emerged from the shadows, drenched from the torrential rain outside. He carried a bundle of skin and a few animal skin bags, his gaze somber.

Kael turned to him with a mix of frustration and curiosity. "And what is it you did to her, feral?" he asked calmly.

Lyris slithered forward in his half-turned state, setting down the bundle of snake skin. "I awakened the inherited memories that she lost. Snake females do not experience fever; they enter a cold sleep that can be fatal if not treated. She needs Rubies to help her through this," Lyris explained, his tone tinged with regret.

He handed one of the animal skin bags to Kael. The healer emptied it, revealing a collection of gleaming gems: Rubies, emeralds, and clear crystals. Zache stared at Lyris, his confusion deepening. 'How could this markless male manage to kill so many Colossals?' he wondered, his mind reeling. 

Kael picked up two of the blood-red Rubies and placed them gently into Lila's mouth, coaxing her to swallow. With each moment, a faint color began to return to her pallid face. Kael observed her pulse, noting the gradual improvement. "Her pulse is steadier now," he said, a note of cautious optimism in his voice. "Continue giving her two Rubies once a day, and she should wake up soon, I hope."