Chapter 148 148. Exhaustion Hits
Chapter 148 148. Exhaustion Hits
Drake and Isolde went to their room, both shivering. They needed warm clothes on their bodies, freezing from the wet clothes from the flight on the dragon. Both of them were covered in dirt from wandering around the Whispering Woods for days; they looked right messy, the two of them.
Felix remarked about how they looked like heroes riding up on a dragon the way they did in their messed-up state. Hugo agreed; Lydia had compared the couple to some myth from an old story. It was wild, they thought.
Milicent was just worried they wouldn't return and was so happy they were back safely. She was also grateful the wards would hold up longer now that new keepers would have to come and restart the whole thing.
Malachi was anxious to see what the couple had to say. He wanted to know immediately, but it was clear they needed food and to get clean. Probably eat, and being wherever they had gone apparently had been fruitful. For the first time in his life, Malachi was nervous about failing. Having to fight creatures, a dragon was something he didn't know he could do. Some creatures he could kill, he knew that; others would be harder.
It didn't go unnoticed that Isolde had also gotten her snake back; he hadn't known where or why he had been absent, but now he knew he was. He wanted to know everything. He heard what they knew, but he wasn't an idiot; he knew they needed warmth. Needed food; it was clear they had been in a not-great situation wherever they went. But they came back with a dragon; he couldn't be happier about that.
He had thought that when he sent off Isolde and Drake, they might not come back, and if they did, they would have failed. He assumed she could communicate with creatures that were split-tongued, but he didn't know for sure. He told her a lie, saying she could, but it was a small one, one he thought might be possible. Did it really matter? No, Malachi thought. Regardless, they had succeeded.
Seeing the Dragon was a relief. Malachi was more worried about not living through a war with creatures. If they had died, he would have abandoned them all to save himself. He knew how to live in private; he had done it before. He wanted power, yes, but if they didn't succeed, he would have fled; power was important, but his life was more important. He didn't relay this to his wraiths, though.
Now though, the playing field was leveled. If they won now, he could have the power he wanted to create the world he wanted. With the stupid laws gone, he would have complete control, and Malachi knew he could flee if his life were threatened. He could do that.
Drake and Isolde got to their suit, seeing themselves in the mirror. "We look like fucking shit," Isolde said. Drake nodded, seeing his purple under-eyes. Neither of them had slept well in days; they were more exhausted than they should be. It was unbelievable. The two of them were so fucking tired. "I'll start the shower," Isolde said, stripping and starting the water. Drake stripped too.
He loved seeing her naked. Isolde took out her glass eye; the socket was full of dirt, and it had been rubbing for days. Drake didn't mind; he still thought she was exquisite, but his body was in no mood to ravish her. He was so tired and sore; he saw the blisters on her feet, his own had burst during the fight with the dragon. Neither had really seen the extent of what the few days in the woods had done to them until they looked at one another.
The rain had only made their conditions worse; the dirt was now mud, coating them. Neither must have noticed the small scrapes from the fight with the dragon. Isolde figured it was all adrenaline keeping them together. They showered silently, washing each other. As they dried off, exhaustion was taking root in them.
"Malachi said we need to eat and talk," Isolde said, her one eye drooping and a yawn falling out. "Isolde, we have to go meet him," Drake said, yawning himself. They dressed silently, too tired to really talk. Now that they were safe, their bodies were both crashing. Days of walking, not sleeping well at all, really. Then the fight with a dragon after rain and a long flight in the rain.
They did go to the table. The servants brought soup. Malachi was told, but Isolde and Drake were so fucking tired. They succeeded, unbelievably so. Both of them were young adults in the mundane world but not in the world of craft, and they conquered and claimed a dragon on sheer determination not to die.
When Malachi entered the dining room, he found them both face down on the table. They had fallen asleep, not even able to eat the soup that they had been given. Their hands were joined at the table, but they were out cold from exhaustion. Milicent and Cassius entered the dining room, seeing Malachi watching the pair.
"Oh my," Milicent said, seeing them so tired and clearly snoozing on the table. Cassius looked at Malachi, waiting for him to decide whether to let them sleep or demand they wake and report to him. "Let them sleep; first thing when they wake up, I expect answers." He said, gritting his teeth.
Malachi couldn't very well hear everything with such sleepy wielders. They would probably leave stuff out, not knowing it, too tired to tell they forgot something. He left the room irritated, but he would have to wait. Milicent looked at her husband, who pulled his wooden wand; Milicent did as well, and they levitated Drake and Isolde. They kept them suspended throughout Thorne Castle before depositing them into the bed they shared. Milicent looked at them, and Cassius left the room, his wife following.
Once Milicent shut Drake and Isolde's door, she looked at Cassius. "I thought they might have died." She said, finally letting out her worries. She had not said anything when they were gone, but she had been nervous. Once they left, Malachi told Cassius and Milicent about the errand he sent Drake and Isolde on. Milicent cried, and Cassius hugged her, offering comfort. "I know, but they are home; they are safe." He paused a moment, then added, "And they brought a dragon home."