Flames [Slow Updates]

Chapter Nineteen

"And there.” Hallah backed away, carefully, as if my hair was going to fall off if she made a sudden movement. Ever since I had smashed her cup, she had become like the servers, treating me with a mixture of fear and respect. It was actually really annoying, now. That ensured that I didn’t have anyone normal to talk to.

My face felt weird as I tried to smile at her. It was too wide and stretched my cheeks until they hurt. “Thank you.”

She picked up the last of her things- the pitcher, the ladle, and the cup (which Alabaster actually replaced). “It was nothing. It’s my job.” She attempted a fake smile as well. Her eyes said, And I wouldn’t have helped you if it weren’t for my job. She didn’t like me anymore, after my visit from Eva. She didn’t like me one bit.

“Goodbye, Dragon,” said Dr. Scrutrez, coming in from one of the adjoining rooms carrying a bag. “Don’t eat a desur again. We might not be able to save you next time.”  And we might not want to. I could almost hear the tangible words, but all he had done was thought them, maybe. Or perhaps I had imagined it. He turned to his assistant. “Are you ready, Hallah?”

She nodded, buttoning her own bag shut. They walked out the door together without as much as a second glance back at me.

I was sick of being left behind.

After a few minutes, waiting just long enough so that they wouldn’t see me, I slipped out. I had regained the ability to walk only a day before, so I was a bit clumsy, but the hallways were thickly carpeted and that would disguise the sound of my footsteps.

They were a few corridors away, but I caught up soon enough. They were being escorted by a guard. I only managed to catch the end of his sentence. “- this case?”

Dr.Scrutrez shrugged and paused in his walk. I unconsciously mirrored his step, coming to rest in a deep pocket of shadow. It seemed to be close to dawn, the torches were dying out and it was easier to hide. “Not that bad, really.”

Hallah laughed. “Oh, she is a queer creature. Perfectly polite to the doctor and me, but you should have seen her with the lady! She threw my grandmother’s chinez cup at her. She does dislike them, doesn’t she? She actually blamed them for the poisoning.”

The soldier shook his head. “Maybe. But Gerick, he was there, he said that it was strange that, even if he hadn’t pulled Lady Eva out of the way, it wouldn’t have hit her.”

Hallah started walking again. “Really? That’s quite strange. I would’ve thought…” Her words blurred as they moved away.

I had to listen to their conversation. What did the soldier mean when he said the cup wouldn’t have hit Eva? I ran after them as lightly as I could, not at all graceful. It took me a few minutes to catch up with them. By then, they were talking about something else.

“When will we reach the village?” This was Hallah. Presumably, about the next place they had to be.

“Half a day’s travel,” the soldier answered. “If you don’t make any stops, you’ll reach Felzeg by lunch time.” He shook his head. “Strange things are resurfacing. Ancient things. It isn’t right.”

The doctor sighed. “All the Dragons were supposed to be locked up. And lutocosis went extinct centuries back. Soon after the downfall of FirespellIsland, actually. With no one to support it, the magic died out. I have no idea where this new strain came from.”

“All the same, I hope they find the cure quickly this time. My grandmother was Rainfreeze. I could get it. How long did it take last time?”

I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell that Dr. Scrutrez was grim by his voice.. “They didn’t. The disease died out on its on last time.”