Dragon Kin - Awakening

A Mind Full of Wonder

Vada walked slowly down the row of beds, looking over the still bodies of the sick children. Ryke had assured her that the children may get worse before they got better but it was still greatly dismaying to see.

The youngest and weakest of the children was a little blond-haired boy. She imaged his face once chubby and full of life, but now it was pale and sunken with dark bruise coloured bags hanging beneath his eyes like hammocks.

Where the necklace touched the skin of his neck, redness spread, bubbling and boiling. Cold compresses would be laid over the area, but too often and Ryke feared the children, who's dragonkin blood was being suppressed, would catch a chill.

In their weakened states, human illness was the biggest danger to them. Family were refused entry into the medical hut and only a hand full of dragonkin were allowed to assist Ryke.

'I know it doesn't look like it, but they are improving,' Ryke assured from his desk by the door. 'We have two already awake and responsive upstairs.'

'What about Dani, how is your research going?'

'It would go faster if I had more resources,' the young man admitted with a look of guilt gleaming in his eyes.

'I'm working on getting access to Chief Tana'ka's temple archive, but with Han'ril out to disparage me and new Kin showing up sick, it's hard to rally trust and understanding-'

'Of course, I understand. Do the Riska princes still support you?'

'Uldrin is persistent in his support, Takashi has a lot on his hands with security,' Vada explained, beginning to pace, 'though he has managed to send me a message about grasslander attacks-'

'But, we have the necklaces and without Dani, Menos can't make the awakening serum!'

'Can he use any Kin's blood to create this serum?' Vada asked.

'I don't know, my knowledge really is limited.'

'That's exactly our problem, we can not act without knowledge,' Vada stopped suddenly mid-stride. 'I have an idea, I'll be back to check on the kids later.'

-

Vada marched through the village towards the gate, but just as she was about to pass through the opening, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned back towards the village.

Aware of how she was berated for leaving the village alone, she decided she would save herself the hassle of a telling off and take a guard.

Scanning the faces of the villagers she noticed Tye in the distance, he was too far away to shout. As she stared at him she wondered, if she could broadcast her emotions, could she broadcast her thoughts the same way the dragons did.

Staring hard at the side of the boys head Vada watched as he laughed and talked animatedly with another boy around his age. It struck her then that it had been a while since she had experienced such a light-hearted moment herself, problems seemed to keep mounting.