Chapter 291 CHAPTER 291

Chapter 291 CHAPTER 291
FLORIAN'S POV

None of us wants to be here.

The King is handing out laurels, praising commanders, awarding lands and domains to his Lords...

It's the aftermath of war, dividing the spoils but it's cloaked as a celebration of victory.

All while the sacrifice lies in a healing chamber, covered in healing water that is fighting with her body.

She's not getting worse, that's the good thing but the frustration on Eruwan's face every day is leaking into our souls, draining us.

Fear is my friend now.

I'm more scared than sad, because she assures us every day that there's hope but she doesn't look like she believes it.

I still think our presence there is supposed to be of help but she insists her soul can't figure out anything right now.

It's dealing with that poison first.

Nothing else matters until it's out of her system.

We've thought about cutting her up, removing the affected parts but it's too close to her heart.

Dangerously so.

"The men I'm about to call now, they're the most deserving of every praise, every award and more riches than we can give them."

I looked up at the King, he was dressed in royal finery, his eyes shining with relief.

He's never been happier, this war was taking so much from everyone and now that it's ended, it's like a boulder has been lifted off their chest.

And placed on our necks.

"Please stand up on your feet and welcome the Ties of our hero, Alira Sky Zharion. Draco! Florian! Zade!"

We exchanged a tired look but stood up from the arena and walked towards the centre where the King was waiting for us with a beaming smile.

There's nothing to smile about but we'll have to keep playing this damn role he put us in.

My fingers curled around my sword hung on my waist, itching to hold onto reality.

We stood on the podium and I could swear none of us heard a single thing the King was talking about.

Probably boasting about the victory in different fonts.

My mind was on Alira.
It's always on her.
How beautiful she looked this morning, sleeping perfectly, without feeling the pain her body was in.

I thought about the first time she'll wake up after this ordeal, how we'll never let her play this ridiculous game with the god of death again.

Then I thought about solutions and just like always, I'll remember we've tried everything.

Her mother has been running around the freaking planet, searching for herbs.

Looking for ways to make the power in her wake up.

Her chi had completely given up.

Draco's stone was pointless, Zade's mother and sister had done every damn thing.

And we were still in this cesspool of hopelessness.

But at least she's not feeling this pain, were the ones terrified to the damn bone marrow that this might be it.

That she might not win this time.

Her dragons have been in a constant state of mourning, even the new hatchling was somehow attached to her.

Always jumping around in Eruwan's healing chamber.

Nothing was working.

Only the consistent breath she was taking twice every minute.

I've counted that for four days in a row now and I can literally count it even as the King droned on.

Suddenly people started clapping and I blinked.

"The school is now yours to run, to own, to supervise! All three of you have proved to be worth the leadership roles you've occupied and you deserve to have absolute control of that institution. I'm sure now that the war is over, you can refine it into something wonderful."

I frowned. Is he gifting us the academy?

My eyes caught Zade's glazed ones, he didn't hear shit.

But Draco did and I could tell he wasn't happy about it, not just through the bond that kept forming and growing through our grief, but the snarl on his face.

"Zephyr, please tell ShadowRider to repair his Rider's face. We don't want to anger the King today. We need to get out of here very soon."

"Draco?" The King called, turning to us, "Do you have anything to say to the people?"

It seemed my message hadn't been delivered because he snarled and was about to snap, but right in the nick of time, he got a character correction.

"Thank you Your Majesty for this wonderful gift and the recognition. We'll remain loyal to you for as long as we live. Thank you to everyone gathered here who survived the harrowing century we just did. Although we'll have to leave now, our Tie needs us."

Professional, smart, and enough to make the King smile again.

"Give them a resounding applause and howl as they go back to save our hero's life! Make sure you bring her over for a proper recognition ceremony when she wakes up!"

If.
I shook my head, I have to stop being such a freaking pessimist.

Draco grabbed the files a little too harshly and we headed back to our dragons.

The flight was longer than usual, not because of any interruptions but the longer we spent away from her, the harder everything was.

Breathing, thinking, waiting.

Wondering what ifs.

When we finally arrived at the Academy, everywhere was silent.

"Now that there's nothing to fight for, he hands it over to us. What the heck for?" Draco grumbled as he stepped down from his dragon.

"You're thinking in small letters," Zade sighed.

"How? How can you see a silver lining in this? It's an insult!"

"People will always feel weak, powerless and much like Alira did when she came here. That's the only way to keep people coming back. Besides, did you forget the most important part?"

"What's that?" He paused at the entrance of the healing house.

"Dragons! Who wouldn't want one?"

His face brightened up again, "You're right. You're actually right, I'm just being a prick for no reason. Pardon me."

"It's not your fault," I told him, "this entire situation is making things difficult for everyone."

He sent me a nod and then turned around.

We both expressed a shocked face right at the same time but it was Zade who spoke up.

More like yelled.

"What's going on? Where are you carrying her to? Do you want the poison to spread?!"

"I'm her mother, you buffoon. Do you think I'll do anything to hurt her?" Ma Laura snapped as she directed the boys carrying Alira in a glass case forward.

"I understand you're her mother but she's tied to us as well. The least you could do was inform us. If we hadn't come back this early, you would have –"

"I wouldn't have done anything. I've been waiting for you all since morning and I need to get her set up in the healing chamber before midnight. Get on your dragon, Florian. She'll be riding with you."

Her dragons, including the small baby crowded us as we parted ways for them.

Then I remembered I'd been given instructions and I rushed off to Zephyr.

"You won't explain what's happening?" Zade asked in a smaller voice.

"Oh I will, but we're dragon kin. We can discuss this in the sky, we don't have time. Vespera! Let's go!"

As the casing was dropped on my lap, I reached around and held really tight.

"Don't block her air vents, Florian," Madam Vespera commanded as she climbed Ma Laura's dragon.

"This is insane," Draco grumbled but he got on his dragon as well.

Soon, we were off.

Hope was blooming in my chest and I was letting it.

What a dangerous thing.