The Heart of A Dragon Rider

Chapter 32: Drugging Thy Tea

Hello, beauties!

So much editing. ;-; Oi vey. It's worth it though!

Enjoy!

MAJOR EDITS AND CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.

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I'm dying. I can feel it, and it hurts like a bitch. I mean, of course dying hurts..you're..dying. Okay, maybe I'm being a tad bit dramatic, but can you blame me? My insides feel like they're on fire, and they don't hold anything down for more than an hour except for tiny sips of water.

"Jackson'll be back soon," Lucy said, her voice laced with worry and concern. She was next to me, but my back was facing her for some reason. "Just hang on."

"I'm dying," I moaned, blinking my burning eyes.

"You're not dying."

"It feels like it."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you're sick," she said, clicking her tongue. "Just take deep breaths and think about something else."

"Like what?" I winced as a sharp pain shot through my stomach again. My throat burned. "It's a bit hard when your insides are toasting."

I watched as Lucy walked around to the side I was facing and sat in front of me, one of her eyebrows raised. Her hair was up in a ponytail, but a few strands of it had gotten out and were sticking to her sweaty forehead. "Well," she mused, tapping her fingers on her knee. "How about you tell me about being a rider? What's it like?"

A hesitation seemed to float around the both of us as I tried to debate on whether it's a good idea for me to talk to Lucy about being a rider, given that she's technically a Slayer. Then again, she did leave that life behind to come and look for me which is probably something that took a lot of courage for her to do.

"It's fun," I finally told her, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "There's just so much you learn, you know? It's a completely different world, a better one I might add."

Lucy tilted her head, indicating she was listening to me as I spoke. I continued, "There's just .. just so much. There's magic, and stories, and dragons.." I closed my eyes and smiled briefly. 

"And that dragon, Leto?" Lucy asked me, a distant interest glimmering in her eyes. "She's powerful, isn't she? She's different from the rest."

"Yes." I didn't elaborate any details. 

Lucy and I talked for what seemed like forever, I told her a lot about what's been going on in my life ever since I've left home. We talked and talked, and she even told me that Manny was still in a happy relationship with Terrance the last time she talked to him. I didn't ask about life as a Slayer, and she didn't offer discussing it with me. I was grateful for that, I wasn't ready to learn about that yet.

Lucy was right when she said that talking would distract me from my pain. During our talk, I had completely forgotten about my burning stomach and my sickness. But it returned when Leto and Jackson did, landing with herbs and books. My heart plummeted when my stomach reminded me that I was still sick. I really needed that tea right about now.

Jackson shot me a soft smile as he slid off of Leto. "Thanks," he told the dragon. She dipped her head before going to her makeshift nest and laying down. Jackson looked back at me, concern dancing on his face. "How're you feeling now?"

"Eh. I've had better days," I replied.

"Don't worry." Jackson gestured to the herbs and the Handbook he had in his hand. "It'll be gone soon."