Dragon Queen: Book One-Scarlet Reign

Chapter Twenty-Five- Death Defied

Many conflicting thoughts swirled through their minds when the group got back, an exhausted Gerel being supported between Kera and Beveri. He hadn't been able to transform back to human, due to the fact that he was in shock. Aelwen trailed behind him, her ears flicked back in concern.

This is unbelievable. How in the world is it possible for Cainen to have possessed him? Can his spirit really be channeled through the golden scales? Delku subdued him for now, but can he come back into Gerel later? God, I only wish I knew...

The encampment was still buzzing with activity in the early evening. Beveri whispered something to Delku and he nodded. Shifting to human form, he clambered onto Beveri's back and raised his hands to the sky. A transparent dome of energy surrounded the group. Kera signaled Aelwen to follow closely behind, whispering that it was an invisibility spell.

Aelwen nodded, and followed the group through the encampment on quiet paws, avoiding groups of people . The invisibility dome followed them, likely because Delku was a more powerful spell caster than Gerel.

After entering the archive tent, Gerel was set gingerly down onto his parent's bed. Delku let the dome disintegrate.

"What are we going to do?" Aelwen whispered. "Can he be possessed again?"

Kera paced the tent in a furious fashion, her paws stomping down on the rug beneath. She cursed under her breath over and over.

"Right now, all we can do is ask Auria for guidance. A serious session of consultation is needed." Delku stated.

Beveri stroked Gerel's head gently, cooing soft words of comfort. She turned her head to Aelwen, eyes blinking slowly. "Please go and rest now, Aelwen. You still have lessons in the morning."

"Lessons? Isn't that the least of our worries right now?" Aelwen stopped herself from raising her voice. "I have to know if Gerel-"

"Aelwen. Please."

Aelwen realized that the family probably just wanted to be alone. She lowered her head, nodded and went out the exit, trotting into her own tent while Shifting back to human.

While her body was exhausted, her mind was swirling with panic and questions. This made it frustratingly difficult to go to sleep. The princess tossed and turned in bed, eventually just casting a small ball of light with magic and reading her books. She couldn't focus on the written words easily, having to force herself to.

The eerie silence was stifling once the late night moon lurked high in the sky. Aelwen tried to sleep again, hoping that the reading had helped her mind to relax. It was not so, and once again she shifted under her sheets in frustration.

A lone phoenix call beckoned from far off, likely originating deep in the woods. Aelwen listened intently as it drew closer. The welcoming, familiar chirps drew her up from her bed. She peeked out into the night from between red canvas flaps. The lone phoenix perched atop the archive tent, looking down at Aelwen as its chest feathers puffed up in preparation for another chirp. It spread its wings and dove downward, pulling up and hovering midair expectantly.

"Hello there," Aelwen whispered with a smile, following the now-moving phoenix on dew-laced toes.

Through the encampment she went, watching for the telltale glow of the phoenix to guide her way. Stars seemed to dim overhead as she passed. Quiet snores from dim tents mixed with cricket chirps and soft footsteps.

Leaving the boundaries of the settlement, Aelwen and the phoenix approached a garden of red and white flowers, their petals wrapped in tight buds as they waited for morning. As the bird flew over them, the bloomed beautifully, a trail of open flowers appearing.