FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 14

He was the leader of their duo, burning his happiness away in front of his petite companion, but not moving far away as to not lose her from his sight. Their pace generally was really slow, Coriza walk didn't really look like a standard walk of a dragoness, or anyone else for that.

She was shuffling her paws across the ground than actually lifting them to make a step. He didn't understand it, maybe it had something to do with her hanging low head, she looked as if she would be paying close attention where exactly she is putting those legs.

He didn't mind, she wasn't talking a lot, but he didn't mind that also. All he cared about was her safety and the fact that he can spend the time with his friend.

They were making their way through a bustling alley, all due to the fact that the morning was still young and all the merchants and specialists were just opening their stalls and stores. Not to mention all those carts moving around, unloading their goods to the said stores.

"Flare wait"

There was a lot of noise here, yet however at the sound of the soft, melodic plea that many would miss his fiery mane literally stood on the end. He turned around immediately, aiming his yellow gaze at his friend.

Coriza nodded to the side, silver clip holding her mane reflected a ray of the waking up sun that for less than a second blinded her fiery companion.

The store was in the process of opening, yet the owner put some of her stock on the stall ahead until the moles behind the cheetah storekeeper put her place of income in a working order. There was nothing on the stall besides all sorts of flasks, all corked, yet differing in size and construction in general. Many were made of glass and there was some sort of a liquid inside.

Flare had no idea what it was, whatever it was though it couldn't be bad since the moment he turned his head in that direction his nose was invaded by waves of different smells.

His nose kept on sniffing, bouncing like that of a rabbit, inhaling every bit of sweet scent. The fragrance wasn't strong, but ultimately pleasant, slightly faded due all the people and their fur around, but it was there. So very pleasant.

He had no idea what it was.

Coriza moved towards the stall and he observed her as if enchanted, wondering what she will do in this world of shy, wonderful smells.

"Ancestors guide you priestess" the female cheetah whispered reverently, bowing her head and flattening her ears

"Ancestors guide you" Coriza replied back

"How may I be of assistance today?"

Flare observed as the gold eyes of his friend scanned the many flasks on the market stall, every now and then blowing the tip of her mane dangling above her eyes up.

"Mandarins please... just a small pinch to dip my claws in" she reached under her robe, feeling small stash of gems hidden in her special pocket

"Please priestess" the cheetah rose her hands defensively "Trials are free of charge"

Coriza's lips stretched into a sad smile "Samples are everything for me" her paw returned to the surface, tugging meaningfully at the sleeve of her robe"

"I understand" the owner smiled kindly. Nevertheless a sample is a sample, besides I would never dare to charge the servant of the divine"

"I insist, please"

The feline sighed, looking around before leaning in to whisper something to Coriza's earhole.

Flare noticed his friend reaching under her robe. He leaned forward, watching with great attention her every move. Many people would miss this, if they wouldn't know for what to watch out for. He wasn't one of them however, he spotted as Coriza passed the cheetah two small shards of a red crystal.

The storekeeper momentarily pressed the filled with gems hand to her chest where it inconspicuously slid into a front pocket. She then retreated behind her stall, ducked down and with something in her hands leaned over again.

He saw Coriza dipping her claws in that object, from this angle he couldn't tell what it was exactly. Her natural blades didn't remain long there however, immediately landing on her neck, which she stretched by tilting her head and rubbing the wet claws gently against both sides.

"Thank you. Discretion included"

The cheetah smiled brightly.

"It is always a pleasure to be of service to those devoted to faith"

His friend bowed politely and said something that only the storekeeper could hear. She then turned around and walked towards him.

His tail immediately began wagging happily.

"We can continue"

He opened his mouth, ready to voice his agreement, yet he was silenced by the sudden, sweet scent wafting from his friend. It was subtle and seemed to shy away from all the other smells, undetectable for everyone else.

He however paid attention and the scent couldn't escape him. The scent was so wonderful that he simply must know what it is.

"Flare?"

"What is that?" he asked, nose sniffing at the air

Coriza cocked her head.

"What is what?"

"That smell you are giving away, it's so pretty. What is it?"

"Perfume. I'm surprised that among all these extravagant fragrances you sense the shy graze of mine "

He sniffed the air once again. The smells she was talking about were vanishing, his nose becoming adjusted to them. The depressing thought was that his friend's scent was also disappearing, no matter how hard he tried to cling to it.

"Can I smell it?"

Coriza frowned, taken aback by his question, she should probably get used to it by now, nonsensical questions are a part of Flare's charm. He is the only one capable of asking to sniff something while already sensing the scent he was looking for. She didn't see any harm in agreement, she felt like she had no right to question his behavior, essential part of his personality"

"Of course" she nodded with her typical, warm, toothless smile

The other thing she should probably get used to is the fact that Flare acts unpredictable. His next action wouldn't surprise her that seriously like it did now.

His eyes flared up with excitement as he titled his head and cranes his neck forward swiftly.

She gasped, at first thinking that he is moving to rip her throat out with his teeth.

The gasp turned into a soft, wavering whimper when that thought was discarded as quickly as a paper turns to crisp under fire.

Her golden eyes widened, they became so huge that they threatened to pop out of their sockets. Her tail stood on end, straightening so strongly that her tailbone froze in place with a rumbling ping like in some fairytale. Hairs on her head followed suit, no longer desiring to flop down to her eyes, but now reaching up, towards the sky, she could feel her mane pulling at her skull as if it wanted to hurl itself into the sky.

Her wings flared open, knees buckled, the only way she remained standing is perhaps of will only.

Those were not teeth that touched her neck, but a warm nose and lips of a red snout. The nose inhaled deeply, the hot breath sending tingles down her neckline, spine and probably every other piece and bone in her body she didn't even know existed.

It became hot instantly, she had no idea if it was because of the burning mane on her jaw, or maybe the sun simply put more effort into its daily duty, or there was something else going on. All she knew that she was about to melt down right here and now.

"F-Flare w-w-"

Another deep whiff, the snouts breath once more on her neck scales. Her stammer ended abruptly, turning into a whine.

"So sweet" he grumbled into her neck

Despite the heat that seemed like it would set her robe on fire a cold shiver ran through her whole body, she quaked so badly as if every scale of her body wanted to run in a different direction.

"What is that?" Flare blurt out with cheerful excitement, pushing his head back and with youthful, full of childish curiosity eyes stared right at her

There was hardly any space in between their noses.

"It's so nice! What kind of smell is that?"

Coriza swallowed deeply, not entirely sure where she was right now, all she heard were the questions.

"M-mandarin"

"What's that?"

"A-A sweet fruit"

"Oh! Oh! Fruits like those tasty things I sometimes got in the dining room! I could taste that mandarin thing on your neck. I swear I could just lick it!"

Something snapped, her whole body convulsed sharply, images of the world started to whirl back into her brain in nauseating waves. The only clear picture she could discern from all those bright, chaotic mess of colors was the picture of a red tongue sliding across her neck. Right above the collar of her holy robe.

The perspective was horrifying.

"No!" She blurted out, jumping back, away from the red snout

Noise of the marketplace filled her head.

Marketplace.

They were in the middle of it, whoever wanted could see them easily, especially when she wears a robe that is standing out like a torch during nightfall.

She looked around, she felt her heart skipping a beat.

Her worst nightmares came true.

The positive side of this however was that she could understand why, right now, she is getting hot. Her blue cheeks and nose were blazing with embarrassment.

They were looking her way, all of these people, even if a part of her brain, the still thinking coherently piece, told her that it is impossible that her affairs were interesting for everybody. She didn't listen, for her it was the whole city.

No.

The whole world of those living and not staring right at her.

There was no support there, but disgust and disappointment. They have seen her for what she truly is, they cast away the purity and honesty her robe represented and drilled deep inside her soul. Finding only filth and dirt inside, lack of respect for her calling.

The nose of the creature that they consider vile has left a mark on her neck, branding her.

But it was not burning.

The mark was natural.

As natural and normal as her despise for faith.

She was revealed.

She was one of the people in the night.

"No licking!" she squealed, pushing her fiery companion forward "Just go!"

She rammed into him, for her petite form she packed quite a punch, he had no other option but to listen to her urgent plea.

"What's going on?!" he blurt out, jumping and jumping, being pushed by blue head and paw

"In the alley here" she shoved him to the side

It turned out to be a stairy alley, luck wanted that it would be a descending type of stairs. Flare with a yelp tried to burrow his claws into the stone floor of the city, but all he managed to do was to send sparks in the air.

Coriza on the other paw appreciated the unexpected descent, she wanted to crumble to dust in that marketplace anyway. Something quickening that desire was a welcoming change, even despite her rather brittle bones.

"Coriza wait!" Flare jumped forward, away from the uncontrollable push of the blue head and down what to be a staircase into oblivion

Survival instincts kicked in, he didn't even notice it. This was as natural reaction for him as blinking.

His whole body turned into fire, literally, adopting the burning structure of his wings. A fiery dash shot from the nape of his neck, as if a part of his burning self would detach from his body. The dash shot upwards, in an arc above his friend, just to touch the ground right behind her.

His burning body shrunk, turning into the same dash in the end, as if his silhouette would be sucked by it like through a straw.

Coriza hardly recorded what happened, all she knew is that, of course, she tripped and the incoming fall will turn her into a scaly boulder rolling down the stairs like in some adventure book. The exception was that the things that will get hurt are not in the way of the boulder, but ARE the boulder.

She felt a warm body pressing against her back and similarly heated paws wrapping around the underside of her body and locking themselves on her underbelly. She looked down, eyes widened even further, the legs were literal fire, burning wildly yet only a pleasant, comforting warmth emanated from them.

She blinked and the legs were normal. Red, draconic scale covered them.

Flare grunted, throwing himself to the side with all the strength he could muster, dragging his friend with him. Her feminine form, despite its cute charm, was surprisingly heavy.

Of course whoever projected and built this city didn't forget about safety measures. This alley only seemed like an unending descent full of stairs to whatever dark pits one can imagine. Something they didn't notice due to all this chaos and panic.

Something he however spotted.

There were platforms every twenty or thirty steps, small parks of sorts, with a small statue representing a dragon, some benches and canals with water. Even in the corner of some was stuffed a small patch of soft grass with flowers thriving under the sun, rays of which were ingeniously caught in between expertly carved spaces through the buildings. Allowing sunlight to enter no matter where the sun was right now.

Whoever constructed this alley had in mind that descending all these stairs in one run can be exhausting for some. Not to mention that if an accident happened it would undoubtedly be fatal without anything halting the fall.

During their chaos run they already had beaten some of the steps, it was still quite a fall towards the nearest platform, yet Flare decided to act. Evaluating that the risk was higher when nothing would be done.

As he jerked, he made sure to roll in the air, making sure that his friend is on top, pressing her back tightly against his chest. Luckily she didn't thrash, she barely moved at all, transfixed by something or simply paralyzed by fear.

Maybe the outside life is less dangerous, yet the habits of prison and slavery are prominent everywhere. Fear and all sorts of charms is something he understood well, being responsible and a witness for this kind of behavior taught him to read such body language.

It was the survival instinct again, honed to perfection.

The only difference between then and now is that now he wanted to share the power of that instinct with someone else, instead of directing it against them.

His clench around his friend's body tightened.

He coughed up a grunt when his back slammed into what seemed to be an edge of some stair or couple of them, it was a natural reaction of the body when it receives a strike when it was full of breath, he couldn't do anything about it. He remained silent during the next impacts, at some point he pretty badly had to scrape his shoulder on the nearest wall since the familiar noise of snapping scale and flesh filled his head, not to mention the characteristic, thick smell of blood.

Many screamed their throats hoarse during less pain. He never saw it before, only now when the scales on his head cracked slightly after hitting something really sharp and rough that many in his place would cry by now. Only now he truly saw that being raised in violence, especially being the victim to it, greatly enhanced his resistance to pain.

What many would consider serious, for him was merely a scratch.

There was another important lesson he learned about violence. The less you think about pain, stop imagining the next agonizing result of another torture, the quicker the pain fades away and the whole ordeal is done even before it truly began.

The things we enjoy end quickly.

The same rule applies to the things we are indifferent about also it seems.

A sharp bolt of ache shot through the back of his thigh, it forced a quenched hiss out of him. Even resistant to pain bodies cannot fight off the organism natural weak spots. From the way his back leg numbly kicked and the sound of ripping scales he could already tell it was a laceration reaching at least to the knee.

And then, as if in a blink of an eye the fall was over, he was on his back, head on grass, rump on stone, below his spine the combination of the two and a slit of the water canal. Water which now drank his blood.

Throughout this whole painful and uncomfortable adventure his paws didn't lose their clench, not even for a bit.

It could have tightened, right now for example when he was on his back, his friend on top of him in his protective embrace. His mouth was full of her hair and he could barely see anything due to the back of her head pressing against his nose that tears wailed up in the corners of his eyes.

While they laid like this he listened to her quick breathing and the racing beating of her heart, the form of which he could almost feel even through the material of her robe.

People started to scream.

Or perhaps they screamed all the time, he had no idea really. He is used to screaming, for him it doesn't differ much from a wind gust.

He flicked his tongue around the hair, freeing his mouth to the best of his ability.

"Are you..." he gently spat out the strands of the silver mane that got uncomfortably deep into his maw "... alright?"

"Someone call a healer!"

"Guards! Guards!"

Coriza's eyes widened, or at least it felt like that, she had no idea if her eyes can grow any bigger than they already are. People were coming and when they see her in her working outfit and in the arms of the creature they consider to be Cynder's lackey.

It would be over.

It didn't matter what specifically.

She just felt that the chance to live a good life, the chance to give people Good would be over.

She placed her paws on top of the red ones, slipping her claws in between male toes, using her pitiful strength to pry them open. She began to wiggle on top of him, increasing her chances of breaking free.

The paws however didn't take her for a prisoner.

The grip relaxed the moment she showed the first sign of the intention to leave.

She rolled onto her belly while still being on Flare's body, she put both her forelegs on his chest and pulled herself up, turning her head as to avoid eye contact as she rose up. If her push against his chest made him uncomfortable he made no sign of it.

With a defeated sigh she looked herself over, expecting to see a depressing mess of cloth and scale. Falls always ended this way.

She gasped faintly when she noticed that the front of her robe is intact. Head started to spin around in every possible direction, paws raising and falling in an unmoving dance as she examined them carefully, three times each.

Not even a scratch.

Her body, as well as her robe, minus the small unevenness, were in perfect condition. It looked more as if she would sleep with her clothes on than actually fall down a long staircase.

Same thing couldn't be said about her savior however.

Despite the warning signals her brain was sending she couldn't silence the impulse, the instinct, that told her, ordered her, to look at her partner.

Her stomach already grumbled, giving a clear signal what it thinks about this idea.

She noticed a streak of blood on the wall ahead, it was fresh and thick, sliding down the wall lazily like mud from an outcropping.

She swallowed hard, there was hardly any movement in her throat, the bulge of saliva that was supposed to move down her throat never happened since she felt as if it got stuck right at the canal that led to her throat.

And as common, undefeatable sense dictates, when something is not right and makes you want to vomit, you just keep on swallowing.

Her gold eyes landed finally on her companion and her paw immediately slapped against her mouth, holding back a vicious retch. World started to swirl, sounds became distant and she felt as if she was in a dream, constantly falling into nothingness.

He was bleeding, she didn't see everything. A small streak on his head was all, she would probably tolerate that with some difficulties, yet there was no chance to tolerate that pool of blood forming below him, especially under his legs.

So much blood.

The world shattered in pieces, she felt sick and was at the brink of losing her consciousness.

She had to get out of here.

She swiftly spun around, the quick turn was a mistake, the pressure on her throat broke through whatever barrier and was seeking a release from its oppression.

The shattered world couldn't keep up with her sharp jerk, in this chaotic twirl of colors she didn't know where to put her paws and ended intertwining them with, something that forced her fall.

"Coriza!"

She didn't know what it was, whether it was her last ounces of strength, or the worried blare that put a speck of coherent sensibility into her. Whatever it was it allowed her to gain control of her legs, allowing her to keep her head aloft before it crashed with the ground.

It also prevented her from drowning in her own vomit, something that found the way out from its prison the moment her legs touched the ground.

She felt a gentle, supporting touch of a paw on her back.

"Are you better now?" through the blurry, swirling with all the colors in known existence world, she noticed the worried snout of Flare forming next to her

Vomiting has its own way of making you feel at least a bit better.

Coriza nodded slightly, panting from her unpleasant ordeal.

"Get away from her you freak!"

The warm image of Flare's eyes disappeared when his snout jerked up, he didn't leave her side however, in fact he made sure that a thought about him leaving never crosses her mind. The supporting clench changed, becoming protective, possessive even. He was careful not to ruin her robe, probably aware how important it is for her, if not for that she was certain that those claws would sink into her flesh, gripping her like a backpack.

"Leave the priestess alone!"

"What's h-happening?" Coriza mumbled weakly, everything was so distant and incoherent, all she recognized was an inconsistent, thudding noise

She wasn't sure if it was just a trick of light due to her uncomfortable state, but she could swear she saw a flick of light, like a spark of recently ignited fire.

"Worms want to drag you away. I won't let them touch my friend"

Flare's snout was the only thing she saw rather clearly, she could see his mouth moving, he was talking, but the voice coming out of his maw was completely unfamiliar.

Sharp stabs of fear attacked her heart.

She wasn't sure, it might also have something to do with her ill state, but it seemed like it got suddenly hotter here.

People began to flock towards the center of all this noise.

A hand reached forward, Flare snapped at it, chasing it away.

"He attacked me!"

There were enough people here to form a small adventuring band, all of them were screaming exactly like a fresh adventuring band would.

"What is going on here!" a blare echoed throughout the sky, followed by a rumbling thud when two massive draconic city guards landed directly in the center of the group of people, separating them from between each other and the duo they were harassing

The powerful slaps of wings sent gusts so strong that the ones in the first row had no other choice but to run away, eventually ending on the last one. Taught by experience both guards knew that the first line is almost always the most troubling one.

After fighting off the initial shock people began yelling again.

"Silence!" a small tremor ran across the ground as one of the guards, an earth dragon, stomped his paw

"Get away from here people! Wait for us at the upper level, if we'll have questions we'll get to you. Leave this instant, this is a city matter right now, disobeying means facing the law"

"Is there a healer on the way?" the other guard called out the moment he spotted blood on the wall

"Yes!" someone from the crowd called back

"Are you serious?" the earth dragon, who was clearly the officer, shook his head in disbelief "Why when there are troubles, one of those time dragons is involved? I don't know how it was in your time boy, but today we follow law and luckily for you we represent it, otherwise you would be scalped by now. You really don't want to be seen around a representative of clergy this close. Aren't you aware of your reputation and the overall tension?"

The guard eyed the blood and the mess all around, with practiced eye and years of experience determining the probable chain of events leading to this situation.

"This was an accident as I presume? Or where you involved in a physical conflict with the population?"

Neither of the young drakes answered, the girl was still panting, fighting with her slowly returning strength to not fall into the pool of vomit below here. The other stared at them, tensed and ready to fight back, looking like a feral animal protecting its last bone which meant life or death for him"

"Silence and that wild look don't serve your cause boy" the other guard commented, eyeing the young drake with wafting from his nose sparks of electricity

"I'm going to ask again and for the last time" the big earth dragon craned his neck forward, closer towards the two young dragons

"Was this an accident? Because I have witnesses that certainly have a different opinion on that matter. Which might not be fair and I seriously disapprove of injustice. Which unfortunately is a common sight in this sad times. It's all in your paws priestess, do you press charges of assault or not? Speak now, we don't have all day"

"Don't order her around!" Flare growled, his fiery body was pulsing, as if his burning body parts had their own hearts "She will tell you when she'll be ready worm!"

Both guards looked at each other in confusion, at least at first, then their expressions shifted to that of controlled, held back wrath.

"What did you say kid?" the electric dragon hissed, a tongue of lightening slipped past his fangs, looking like a cracking with electricity tongue of a snake

"Accident" Coriza mumbled, her head remaining low, she was too afraid and embarrassed to look the guards in the eyes.

"There is no valid reason why we shouldn't believe the servant of the Ancestors" captain commented icily "However I have my doubts, a small concern that would be resolved if your friend just stepped to the side"

Flare showed no intention of moving, neither did he give any sign that he actually listened.

"Flare, please" his friend whined softly "I don't want more trouble"

In any other situation he wouldn't understand her, yet right now, her plea was like a clarity potion, the pain in her voice a slap to the snout.

He jumped to the side momentarily, now, away from her he felt lost and confused .

"Accident" Coriza stated, answering an obvious, yet still not asked question

"Anybody called for a healer?" a shout came from somewhere above, on the upper level

"Over here! Down the stairs!" the electrical dragon blared

Fast thudding of boots was heard, becoming louder and louder as the healer conquered step after step.

"Not good" he mumbled in concern when he spotted blood on the wall, even before noticing the victims and guards directing him in the right direction

He gasped when he found out that one of the victims is, or might be the servant of the temple. He immediately rushed to the bent dragoness side.

"Where are you hurt cleric?" he dropped his bag, momentarily rummaging through it in accordance to the sound of many clicks and clanks from within

"This is not my..." Coriza gagged, covering her mouth "...blood"

The healer nodded, yet even despite her words he began examining the young priestess carefully.

She didn't feel comfortable with all this attention, today was enough for the whole lifetime.

"This awkwardness is my only responsibility" she nodded at the pool of vomit on the ground, averting her eyes from it since she doubted her stomach could withstand the double assault from the sight below and thoughts of blood.

"I... don't tolerate the sight of blood very well. Not a proud characteristic for a predator I'm aware"

"I'm not here to judge priestess, but to help. Please visit the hospital, we can offer some remedies that would assist you in fighting through this discomfort if it occurs"

Coriza nodded.

The cheetah turned around, scratching his ears in confusion as he looked around the stairs and walls, specks of blood dotting the raw stone.

"It's hard for me to believe that during such a fall you didn't receive any wounds, accidents are full of chaos and pain. It would take someone... I don't know... immune to pain I suppose to be able to control what is happening"

"Please look at my..." Coriza gulped "... friend over there. He protected me and is the one who's bleeding"

"Can you stand boy?"

Flare nodded, immediately getting up on all fours and standing still.

"Yep!"

The healer winced at the sight of the curtain of blood on the dragon's shoulder, he hardly saw any wound due to it. His red head was also wounded, but that seemed like a harmless scratch compared to what injuries such a fall could cause.

"I'm going to see how bad your wounds are, try to stay still and be brave ok? I promise I'm not going to do anything without your consent. First I just need to take a look, whatever wounds you have might be serious"

Flare shook his head lively.

"Nah. They aren't so bad"

The healer smiled weakly, supporting the youthful optimism yet giving in to the pessimistic years of his medical experience. The young never truly realize how truly serious the situation is until it is too late.

He couldn't see anything due to all this blood, he however spotted another injury on the dragon's leg, judging from the amount of blood on the leg, this wound was no joke either.

"I'm going to grab a tissue and gently clean the wound ok? I can't see anything"

Flare shrugged.

"OK"

He swiftly returned to his patient, he dipped the tissue in the common medical concoction that could be found in every respecting himself healer's bag before that. His hand moved slowly, expecting the dragon to hiss and grunt, it's the most normal thing, touching a wound, especially this serious, would put the less resilient in a state of shock.

He touched the shoulder and was surprised that the dragon didn't wince, nor he let out any sound of displeasure. He was standing perfectly still as he was told to do, eyes aimed at the cute, young priestess.

He continued working on the blood until he could finally get a glance at the injury. He eventually did.

This was the moment when the tension was broken, a gasp was heard. It didn't come from the dragon however.

It came from his own throat.

"What is going on doc?" the captain of the guard asked worriedly

"By the Ancestors!" the cheetah exclaimed, not believing his own eyes

The wound was a deep one, a serious one, you didn't have to be an expert to tell that, all this blood around this place was enough to jump to such conclusion. This serious wound however was sealed, not by natural means of draconic regenerative process, not even by Spirit Gems.

It was sealed by fire.

"It...It is cauterized"

He immediately crouched behind the dragon, without any care for tenderness this time he examined the wound on his thigh.

It looked exactly the same.

"This one also!" he exclaimed in horror, jumping back and dropping the now bloodied tissue on the ground

"How...how is this possible?" with ears flattened on the skull and eyes so huge that they threatened to pop out from their sockets, he looked once again at the wounded shoulder, making sure he isn't seeing things

He wasn't, to make things worse he noticed that the blood on the shoulder was tinted bright red.

A vein snapped in his right eye.

"We must take this boy to the hospital this instant!" the healer roared, his blare was so strong that it would put many dragons to shame

Flare balked, the perspective of leaving his friend gripped his heart so strong that he nearly fainted. He couldn't leave his friend, he promised.

"No! I don't want to!"

"Calm down healer" the earth dragon rumbled calmly

"Calm down?!" he screamed, slapping both his hands on top of his head "This boy is probably a walking corpse and you tell me to calm down?"

"He looks perfectly fine to me"

"Yes! I feel super fine!" Flare blurted out automatically, feeling his chances of staying by his friend increasing

"Fine?!" the cheetah's hand stretched to the side, finger pointing at the red shoulder "This is bright blood! Do you know what that means?"

The guard opened his mouth and that was all he managed to do since seconds later the cheetah answered his own question.

"This means severed artery! You cannot cauterize a wound like that effectively without ruining the tissues nearby! This is a death sentence. Tissues aside, you know how easily cauterized wounds get infected?!"

"I'm a dragon, nothing is going to happen. I already tested it"

"As a dragon you are more resistant, not immortal!" the cheetah shouted at the boy, how someone can be so oblivious to own health was beyond him

"I don't know how is it possible that you are still standing! Wounds like this and the process you undertook to heal them should put even a dragon down. You severed an artery for Ancestor's horns! Fuck that, pain alone after such ordeal should put you down and you are standing here, smiling, acting as if you bumped your knee!"

Flare rubbed his leg bashfully.

"This is not a bad wound"

The healer laughed hysterically, clapping his hands.

"Do you hear yourself boy? You should be convulsing on the ground from pain and blood loss! What you did to yourself is agony plain and clear. How are you standing?"

Flare shrugged.

"I have a high threshold and tolerance for pain. That's what I heard at least"

"This has nothing to do with tolerance! You shouldn't be able to cauterize wounds like this without any effect on you. I don't how is this possible, you should burn all relevant tissue and only bring yourself closer to your death bed. Either your body raises like a phoenix from ashes or I have no idea"

"Listen here doc, we don't have all day" the captain of the guard yawned in annoyance "For me the kid looks fine, he says he's fine. What are we still doing here?"

"Can't you see?!" the cheetah roared, pointing with both hands at the fiery drake "He can't be fine! This breaks every rule of medicine!"

"But he is fine, I really don't care how, maybe he got lucky, who knows. Give him something for infection just in case and let's be done with it"

"You can't simply let an injured boy leave! This is preposterous! His case needs to be examined!"

"I can't force anyone to take medical help. Do you want to go to the hospital kid?"

"No!" Flare protested lively

"See? This is his coherent choice, if he dies because of this that's his problem, yes?"

"But-"

"No" the earth dragon snarled, rising his paw in the air to silence every sign of protest "This is final, get him some infection mitigation and we go our separate ways"

The healer complied, rummaging in his bag, grumbling something vile under his nose.

"You boy will be traveling through the air right now, you're going to find a bath here in the city or a river outside. Clean yourself do you hear? I won't have you running around through the city with a bloody ass. Fail and the next couple of days you will spend cleaning mine and I'm very messy. Do we understand each other?"

Flare cocked his head, at first he thought that he understood what this was all about, but now, when the talk about butt cleaning came, he had no idea what to make out of it anymore.

"We understand" Coriza's melodic voice resounded in its full glory, she had finally regained her bearings

Everyone was drawn to that voice, even the arrogant captain who was reminded the moment he laid eyes on the priestess of his lack of respect and utter boorishness. Arrogant captain that in shame averted his eyes from the graceful young cleric.

Coriza extended her paw, opening her draconic palm, directing her claws at the healer.

With a devoted bow he placed a small bag on the scaly palm.

"Thank you. We won't be causing any more trouble I swear"

"Just stay safe cleric" the earth dragon said, his voice soft, eyes looking around the sky above

"Please travel by air and find a place to clean yourself. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it is necessary unfortunately"

Coriza bowed in polite response, wrapping her tail around her companion's back leg and nudging it gently.

"May Ancestors guide you for the rest of the day"

She leapt into the air, putting the bag in her mouth as she raised. She flapped her wings hectically and without any order, the current was tilting her from side to side. The embarrassing ascent however wasn't long, after a while she found the strength and proper balance and continued on her way up uninterrupted.

Flare immediately flew after his friend, if the wind wouldn't be flinging his tail already he would make sure to do it himself. He would fling it so strongly that his rump would jerk from side to side.

"Flare?" Coriza's melodic voice sang in the wind current, bag landing in one of her paws

His eyes widened, he momentarily gave chase and lined up with his friend.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for protecting me and I'm sorry"

"Sorry for what?"

"For all this pain you had to go through on my behalf... I'm excruciatingly happy though that you are feeling good"

"This was nothing!"

"I feel terrible about it"

"Hey! Cheer up!" he began circling his friend, his burning body sending fiery sparks flying that immediately drawn her attention

He didn't know what was in the light he emanates so interesting, but people always seem to forget about everything when they watch this natural light show.

A trick he learned from Sparx.

"it is really nothing"

"Your prowess is very impressive. Especially for someone as frail as me. It is bewildering that you managed to stop the bleeding in such a raw manner without a wince. I would cry my eyes out and scream my lungs out if I was in your place, if I wouldn't die of shock first. A very probable scenario in my case"

"I promised to watch over you" Flare once more took his friend's side

She shivered when his natural heat intertwined with the wind current, enveloping her in a warm cocoon.

"There is no amount of pain that will stop me from doing that. This is my promise"

She should have been flattered, how many clerics find their knights and let alone receive open declarations of loyal service in the first place. Perhaps she was flattered to some degree, yet there was again that coward soul of her stabbing at her essence.

As she looked ahead, into the swirling current of wind and fiery sparks, she couldn't help herself but to follow those small, burning leaves. Their glow, their warmth, it was hypnotizing, beautiful and utterly dangerous.

It was fire, a force that can warm you when needed, just to torch you hours later. As she flew forward, surrounded by the whirling sparks she noticed them flicker and change colors. It was the wind current most likely responsible for this illusion, if that thought wouldn't cross her mind she would swear that those sparks were winking at her.

They were flashing and shifting colors, disappearing and then appearing a second later.

Uncontrollable fire is chaos.

And hence the chaotic illusion most likely, it was impossible for those sparks to be alive and cause this mindgame on purpose. Fire is a magical force, element that infuses the temper, it can't have reptilian eyes and rough features.

Because this is exactly what she saw in some of those sparks.

What she didn't imagine however was the smell of ash. It was tugging at the nerves in her nose, it was real and never before so disgusting.

She felt dirty all of a sudden and it wasn't the funny way of dirty she sometimes likes to commit herself to. It had nothing to do with the physical touch of ash either.

Her whole being felt dirty and there was no way to wash it away.

With the corner of her eye she caught one of the sparks shifting its burning surface into goggles.

They were very familiar.