The Sorcerer's Gate

twenty-seven

Aster ran over the him. Alyx was huffing loudly in his dragon form. She saw that his wings that been slightly burnt. His wide eyes blinked at her in recognition. She held onto him.

"What's happened? Alyx!" She seemed to cry out in fear. "What do I do?!"

Alyx breathed heavily and she leaned her body into him. "Alyx, I don't know how to help you," Aster said, she was panicking now. His wings were burnt. What had happened? Was someone coming to finish him off? "I'll go wake Jean and Elouise, they'll know what to do."

Alyx seemed to growl in disagreement with that statement. He was breathing harsh and rough. Aster's eyes were panicky, searching around him, unsure of how to act. She heard him groan as he slowly lifted his wing and wrapped it enough to hold around her.

"I'm here. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. Stay with me. Please, Alyx," Aster said pleading with him. She felt the shaking of his wings and body transforming very slowly. Excruciatingly slow. It had to be killing him to shift back into his human form. The Firebird groaned and winced in pain as he shifted slowly. Before her eyes, once a giant beast now an injured man with his arm wrapped around her, holding onto her for dear life. He was naked and shaking slightly, blowing out breaths.

She brushed his hair back and took off her satin robe to wrap it on top of him for some privacy. She held onto his face with both of her hands, intense worry in her eyes. He looked up at her and struggled to get breath in like he had just swam up a river. Or in this case, flown all the way home. His palm grasped in a tight hold around her arm.

"Come on. We've got to get you inside," Aster spoke to him softly.

She tried to help him stand and he first brought himself into a kneel. Then she helped him stand up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she walked him slowly into the house. It was then that she could smell something strange on his breath. As they made their way into the foyer, Aster realized stairs were definitely out of the question. She walked him into the Library on the first floor and carefully laid him on the couch. Zahra flapped her wings viciously and huddled in a circle in the air above him in worry and fright.

Zahra let out little noises of panic. "I'm alright, girl," Alyx spoke softly to the dragon. His first words.

Aster grabbed the blankets in the chest near the couch and wrapped them around him.

"I'll be right back," Aster spoke firmly. He watched her disappear with great attention from his eye contact.

She ran into the Kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She found the first aid kit and held both in her hands as she rushed back into the Library.

Zahra was trying to sit down on Alyx's body but at every wince he made, she flew upwards and finally decided on sitting at the couch's end handle, beside his head.

Aster inspected his body as she held the cup of water up to his mouth and he drank from it softly. His eyes never left his. "These are burns, Alyx. What happened?"

"I was burnt," Alyx said, forcing a smile with a straight row of teeth. He coughed dramatically quickly after and Aster gave him a warning glare.

She looked to him with nothing but a great worry in her eyes and brushed his hair back with her fingers. He shut his eyes and leaned into her touch, humming at the sensation.

He opened his eyes and Aster could see the flick of The Firebird's flame. "Come here," he ordered low and serious.

"Alyx, I have to take care of your wounds."

"At least come closer," Alyx whined reaching his hands out to her. He grasped at her arms pulling her forward onto him with all his might. He tried to hide the way he winced slightly.