A Pet for the Dragons

177.

RADROX

... 2 weeks later...

It's been two weeks since our return to the Gallow castle... yet it doesn't feel like home. I stare out in the dark, snowy night, searching for hints of anything unfamiliar, like one of the Cardinal Dragons lingering in the storm, keeping a watch on us.

These days, I do this a lot. Whenever I'm not out patrolling or keeping an eye on Arika's health, I stare out of the windows, keeping a watch. Even walking in the castle, it felt like someone was following me.

It had been two weeks since we finally returned home, yet... nothing feels the same anymore. While nothing feels the same anymore, I anticipated that this place would still offer the warmth it once did. Yet each second, it felt like we were under watch. It has been mentally fucking with me.

Not to mention that Arika hasn't opened her eyes since that day. She had been asleep and bleeding a lot. It kept the three of us awake all night until one of us passed out due to exhaustion.

Ivret had been hard at work trying to make medicines to heal her, but so far, nothing had worked. I guess it had something to do with her being human. It... complicated things as always.

I dared to tear my eyes off the window and glance at Arika in the bed behind me. She looked so... lifeless that it hurt. It hurt watching her like this. It reminded me of the time when I thought I hurt her. I wasn't mad at her anymore, but I remember back then how scared I was, but I was relieved upon finding out that her wound wasn't fatal.

However, this situation was far different from that. Now, her wound seemed to be fatal. With each day she slept, Ivret feared that her consciousness was drifting farther and farther away from her body. We must wake her soon, or her consciousness may slip into the other realm... and we would lose her forever... NO!

I couldn't allow that to happen, which was why I had been thinking of the witches for a while now. Last time, they had been able to help me out. Even though Ivret and Zorge told me to be wary of them for good reasons, the witches were too resourceful to ignore.

I'd hinted at getting a Witch to look after Arika to Ivret and Zorge, but they had been passive to the idea. But I was sure that they would soon give up. We were willing to do anything and everything to get Arika back.

Oh... I would let another kraken swallow me alive if it meant Arika would finally wake up from her deep slumber and look at me in disdain and lust with her beautiful, vibrant blue eyes. I was desperate enough to do anything right now, and I could sense the same growing in Ivret and Zorge.

I sat beside her, tracing her features for the millionth time. They were so perfect... too perfect. I'd hated them so much when I saw her first, but she grew on me. She grew too much on me. She almost destroyed me and... I'd let her destroy me again if it meant she would live.

I brushed my fingers on her cheekbones, afraid to touch her more than this. She was growing fragile the more she remained unconscious. Yesterday, when the three of us were cleaning her, we noticed her back was slowly starting to turn red, and her muscles looked weak.

Whoever was present at the moment— either Zorge or I would hold her upright while Ivret would slowly feed her and ensure that she swallowed the food. It was a painful process each time. It felt like... she was dead. Her pulse seemed to grow fainter each day, pushing us closer and closer to madness. I'd nearly lost my sanity when one morning Ivret couldn't find a pulse on her for almost half an hour.

However, we were sure that she was with us only when her pupils reacted to light. That was a tough day for all of us. Each day was tough, filled with uncertainty and a lingering heaviness of death in this room. I tried to ignore it at all times.

I snapped out of my gloomy thoughts when Ivret entered the room, carrying an apparatus for blood transfusion. It was another of the things that had somehow managed to keep her alive till now.

Human and dragon blood weren't naturally compatible. Still, somehow Ivret had managed to enchant Arika's body into believing that the blood being given to her was human blood and for now, it seemed to be working. But with each enchantment, there was always a side effect. It was only a matter of time before the side effect came to light. I didn't want that day to come.

"We should approach the witches," I announced as Ivret instantly got busy setting up the apparatus for her third blood transfusion of the day. "They can help us."

"How are you so sure?" Ivret asked, but he himself seemed to be doubting his skills these days. He was a silge healer... yet his skills somehow weren't working on Arika. I remembered Arika telling me that she had been experimented on as a child because of this quality. I was sure that the same thing was happening with her now.

"I'm not, but we need to take chances now. We can't wait any longer. It's been 2 weeks already," I reasoned, and Ivret remained quiet while working, but I knew that he was considering the idea in his head.

"What do you say?" I asked after his prolonged silence. "You've done everything you could, but she's not a dragon. She needs... someone of her own to help her," I managed to speak while not trying to sound like I was questioning his capabilities. I fully trusted his capabilities, but... Arika needed someone who knew how to heal humans, especially females.

"I... I don't know," He answered, staring listlessly at Arika.

"No, you do know, but you're afraid to admit it," I stated boldly this time. Ivret had been dragging his feet on this for a while. I could easily convince Zorge, but it was Ivret who needed convincing the most. Not that he was not willing to do anything to save Arika— it was just that he was willing to do too much to save Arika. He was afraid that asking for help in the domain he mastered would mean that he was incapable... which was not true.

"You're very capable, but... she needs someone else, Ivret, and you have to admit it," I pressed, crossing my arms and piercing him with my eyes. Ivret had a grand sense of honour and pride in his skills, and often they got in his way.

"What if... what if... the witches aren't able to help her?" Ivret questioned, his voice shaking from rage and frustration. "What if we end up wasting even more time?" He demanded.

"What if it doesn't happen?" I asked. "We have to gamble on it—"

"GAMBLE! I'm not gambling with her life!" He roared. I clenched my jaw and stared at him. His eyes were red, and there were dark bags under them. His cheeks looked hollow. He almost seemed to be in the same state as Arika. The only difference was that he was still awake. He'd been the one giving most of his blood and mana to her, yet nothing seemed to be working, and I could tell that it was about to break him.

All this frustration and tiredness had somewhat clouded his vision and reason.

"We need to do something, Ivret," I told him calmly.

"Tell me exactly what you would do if the witches are unable to help us," He demanded. "Don't just throw out suggestions without a proper plan or a backup!"

"I'll take her to the human hospital, and even if that doesn't work, I will seek help from the elves, the mer-people, the wolves, whoever it is that can help her, I'm willing to go to them. But we need to make a decision now, Ivret. We're losing time," I reminded him.

His silence was all I got.

~

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