Chapter 57 LEAVING TIR'NAREL
(HAVEN)
" You shouldn't be worried, Little Flame. We're going to find a cure for your sister,” Auren's voice breaks through my hazy mind as his hands wrap around my waist from behind, his fingers fiddling with the belt of the bathrobe.
My mind hasn't been at peace since we left Drakotath, we've only been at Tir'Narel for a day, but somehow it feels like an entire year since I've been away from my sister. Especially with the condition she's in.
Imogen reassured me that they had given her a potion to help her body keep it's energy. But what if it's not enough? What if it's power fades away right before we arrive? What if there's nothing I can do to protect my baby sister?
" What are you thinking?” Auren asks, turning me around. He's been asking me that a lot since he woke up and for some reason my heart wrenches in two whenever he does that. He's gotten so weak that he can't break through my shield anymore.
Mental note to keep it down.
" Get dressed,” he says moving away and throwing a dress at me. " We're leaving in a few moments. Amelyn just reached out to me that they're waiting for us out at the gates.”
I nod and put on the dress and coat. He grabs my hand and puts on a black pair of mittens.
" Now listen to me,” he begins, turning me around and braiding my hair. “The Alchemy mountains is an extremely dangerous place. The creatures there will do everything to stop us from getting to the mountains. I know you are all strong, but don't you go claiming all powerful and putting yourself in unnecessary danger."
I don't know which part of his lecture is funny, but I burst out laughing anyway. " You sound like a father lecturing his daughter on how to behave at school.”
He covers my head with the hood of my cloak and turns me around just in time for me to see him roll his eyes. " Don't make me repeat myself, Haven. Now let's go.”
In a few minutes we are at the gate, a huge envoy of elves waiting there, King Tyren included. The wyverns are already waiting to take off.
" Finally, the love birds are here!” Step– Nara says, rolling her eyes. "Were you planning to postpone the trip by a day?"
Auren wraps a hand around my waist, and pulls me to his side. “Can't blame me. I'd rather stay in bed with my wife than face your bullshits."
" Someone's going soft,” Tyren mocks. He walks towards me with an open arm. I step forward into the hug before Auren has a chance to stop me. " Take care of yourself, kid. I don't want your mother to shred me into little pieces.”
" Auren, you'll fly Lyle with Haven, right?” Imogen asks, preparing his own wyvern as Amelyn does the same to hers. “Please don't tell me you don't intend to do so. You don't have enough energy to shift and cover that amount of distance in the air.”
Auren wordlessly moved to Lyle who's quietly laying down beside the gates of the palace, her tail swaying gently behind her. She leans down the moment he approaches and nuzzles his palm. He holds her head with both hands and plants a kiss on where I presume should be her nose, before whispering something in her ear.
"Come on Little flame, we better get going.”
I turn around and stare at Tyren one last time, my eyes carrying a silent question. He gives me a soft nod and waves me off with a smile.
" Auren, I really don't think you should be flying…”
" And I really don't think you're in a position to give me orders, Amelyn,” he cuts his sister off without bothering to spare her a glance, as he picks me up and places me gently on Lyle. " Last I checked, I am your king and your older brother so I make the decisions and not the other way round.”
In a gust of wind, he transforms into his magnificent dragon and takes off from the grounds of the elvish palace, the rest of us following behind.
" That's his inferiority complex speaking,” Lyle’s familiar voice fills my head. " He's well aware that flying is going to be a big hassle for him and will take up a great amount of his strength, but he also knows that as a King he must lead his people from the air. Weakness is something he can not afford to show."
“Even if he's dying, and the so called people know it already?”
She chuckles, if that's what you'll call the sound she makes. " A King can't show weakness to anyone, especially one who he is supposed to lead. His people depend on him so he can't make them believe otherwise .”
I shake my head, not okay with the wyverns point of view. " Imogen and Amelyn know about his condition and…"
Before I can finish whatever it is that I had in mind, a loud ear piercing scream echoes from afar, causing the wyverns to freeze and my blood to do the same as well.
Another comes again, louder this time, then….
BANG!