Chapter 21: The Moon and Sun

Saei comes to understand truly who he is and trusts are reforming along with drunk antics.

Chapter 21: The Moon and Sun

 

                 Snow…it was everywhere…blowing from every direction and made it impossible to see a few feet forward. It was a storm, one that had been raging for hours and didn’t seem to be showing signs of stopping. The cold made his skin feel numb but besides such a small nuisance, Saei wasn’t bothered. He stood in the midst of the storm, not caring which direction he faced, as he allowed the wind to pick up his long locks to pull them out of their confines. Flakes of snow landed on the grooves of his horns and pelted his scales, challenging him to go deeper into what he knew was a loss cause…but he remained.

If this storm wanted him dead, it would have to kill him where he stood for he wasn’t about to move for it.

As if reading his thoughts, the storm roared with the wind pushing against his body. Saei dug his clawed feet into the soft snow beneath him and gritted his teeth through the pain of his knee.

His silver eyes looked forward as if he could see the heart of the storm but he glared when he saw a glowing figure slowly making their way toward him. Whoever they were…they were tall…taller than even himself. Were they responsible for this? Trapping him here? His lips raised in a snarl as he growled lowly when another harsh gust of wind plowed into his chest to try and knock him over. His feet remained firm with his tail also helping to anchor.

He was prepared to face this new opponent head on…but it seemed this being knew better. They slowly raised their hand to point it at him, sending harsh gusts his way. Saei gasped and felt his hair whipping behind him. The snow stung his eyes with wave after wave of gusts knocking into his body. One of them though found his weakness and collided into his injured knee. With a small growl of pain, Saei finally caved and fell onto his hands and knees…but as soon as he did…the snow storm slowly died…to only have a few flakes falling around him.

“You have strength…there is no denying that…” Said a soft yet deep voice from above him. His long ears flicked as he raised his gaze up to see who it was that had possibly attacked him…

A man…

A normal…looking man…with long flowing white hair that glowed with each touch of snow. His eyes were completely white with no pupils present. For being out in the frigid storm, this man showed no signs that it affected him…which was odd…for all he wore was a long white kilt that circled his waist and flowed behind him a few feet and a white thread weaved around his chest and arms to float around him as if it was alive.

This…was no normal man…or even feral. Saei narrowed his eyes slightly.

“…who are you…?” He asked the stranger.

The man folded his arms across his chest with the cloth still slowly weaving around him.

“Bold…and a bit rude. Asking for one’s name before introducing yourself.”

A snowflake landed on Saei’s hand as he pushed himself to stand, keeping most of his weight off his knee.

“I do not take kindly to strangers who pose a threat…”

The man raised an eyebrow before smiling softly.

“…you are just like your father…” The man whispered and lowered his arms but his words made Saei narrow his eyes more.

“…what do you know?”

“Again…rude…demanding answers and still haven’t given a proper greeting.”

Growing irritated by the second with this…strange being, Saei sprung forward which kicked up snow behind him but when he attempted to land a blow, his hand stopped right before the man’s face.

The pure white eyes stared back at him with slight annoyance but Saei found himself staggering back with a growl.

“Speak your name…” The man ordered and since he had no idea what this stranger could do…Saei could only obey.

“…Saei…”

“…what are you…?”

“I gave my name! Who are you?!” He slammed his foot down a step closer, barring his fangs at the man…but he had yet to move.

“…answer me…”

“I am a feral…why do you wish to know…?”

“I did not ask what you were…I asked…WHAT…are you…?”

Saei didn’t understand, his eyes straining a bit when the wind started to pick up only slightly. His skin started to shiver but he brushed off the oncoming snow.

“…I am what you see!”

The man lowered his eyes with a knowing smile and slowly turned with his long fabric following behind like a blanket.

“…if you cannot even admit to what you are…how do you hope to help your mender?” The man asked but when he spoke of Fey, Saei’s eyes widened a bit before glaring harshly at him.

“What do you know of her?!”

“…more than you,” the man turned his head back to look at him, the winds picking up to collide into Saei once more who stood his ground, growling lowly. “You are weak…pathetic…” The man taunted, standing perfectly still within the growing storm. Even the fabric around him remained calm. “You believe yourself to be strong…yet you cannot even overcome yourself…”

Saei raised his eyes to glare at the man and fought against the harsh winds to take a steady step forward which made the stranger smile and face him fully which only made the wind stronger.

“A feral…will die on this journey you take…whether it be by beasts…the cold…or even yourself…you will fail…”

Gritting his teeth, Saei covered his eyes from the wind and willed his injured leg to move but the pain was so great, he couldn’t.

“…do you really have any hope in reaching your destination? Or are you too crippled…brittle…like some twig…?”

Saei clenched his eyes shut and forced his knee to move his leg, taking a step forward in pain and he cried out in agony when the winds nearly pushed him back but he held firm.

“Do you hold any hope that the mender will reach her home…? She will become lost…and die to the storm…” It seemed mentioning Fey made Saei’s muscles tense and to the man’s surprise, Saei was taking more steps while biting back his need to roar out in pain.

“Hmmm…let’s see how far you will go,” the man told him and with a slow sweep of his hand, he vanished from Saei’s sight only to be replaced by a shivering Fey. Her white hair blew all over the place as well as her dress. Manifesting before her was a vicious beast that resembled a canine that was larger than she was but thin with bones pressing against the skin. Its jaws were longer as its gangly body slowly inched toward her.

“FEY!” He shouted at the top of his lungs when the massive dog broke into a breakneck run toward her, saliva dripping onto the snow…but she was frozen in place. Ignoring his pain, Saei pushed through the storm and the snow building up to rush toward her. His body already felt on fire from pushing it past its limit but Fey was his top priority, not his exhaustion.

The hound leapt into the air, ready to sink its fangs into her but Saei managed to stand before her in time. He guarded her from the blow by catching the dog as it landed on him and sunk his fangs and claws deep into the dog’s thin hide. Out of anger, he ripped out the dog’s throat with his own fangs and tossed the body to the side while panting.

“I’m impressed…” The man’s voice returned and Saei spun around to see that Fey had vanished only to be replaced with the culprit to all of this madness. Saei backed up to put some space between them with low growls.

“…what do you want from me?”

“…what are you?” The man repeated with a tilt of his head.

“…what am I?” Saei asked himself, calming his breathing down as the man waited for answer. “I am still uncertain what answer you are looking for…”

The stranger slowly inhaled and raised his hand again to sweep it before him…but this time the manifestation was much worse. Fey was sitting in the snow at his feet…shivering…and bleeding heavily. Her gown was barely hanging onto her body, gripping only onto her arms and bosom as she looked up to him with pleading eyes.

The blood dripped down her arms…turning the snow red…

“…you can smell it…” The man taunted, taking a step back to watch as Fey raised a shaky hand toward Saei, begging for help. “…the scent of a mender’s blood…”

Saei’s eyes widened a bit when the sweet yet savory scent assaulted his senses and he could feel the tingling in his fangs, wanting to take a bite out of her soft skin.

“To drain such a power…is a sweet taste indeed…” The man whispered…but even though Saei’s body could easily give into that need to end Fey’s life, he shook his head with clenched eyes to take a step back with a growl. He couldn’t…

He didn’t want it…

As more blood was spilled, it only became stronger.

“This is what your body craves…savor it…”

Saei growled louder and bit down on his tongue when he opened his eyes to see Fey’s eyes shimmering with tears. Her body still shivered, both from fear and the cold. She might as well be a lamb to him…but he slowly removed his vest and inched closer. The fear in her eyes increased as did the scent but he tasted his own blood on his tongue as he draped the vest over her shivering body to glare over at the man.

“…I will not…fall for this. Fey may be a mender…but I will not have her blood.”

“…so, it seems…” the man whispered and with a slow sweep of his hand, Fey vanished before Saei, becoming nothing more than a pile of snow at his feet for his vest to lay on. He retrieved his clothing to keep himself warm but the snow died down to how it was with a few flakes falling around them.

“…what are you…?” The man asked again and Saei raised his gaze to him, his tail curling behind him.

“A drysiohn…”

“Good…now that you can finally admit to who you are and more importantly, what you are…I will reveal myself.” The man took a step forward with a small smile on his face. “…My name…is Luenin…and I am the spirit of the moon.”

Saei’s eyes widened only just slightly in disbelief and at first…thought maybe it was just some prank…but…after thinking back to all the things that had been happening…the proof that he was the spirit only grew.

“You doubt me?” Luenin asked with his hands behind his back.

“…why would the moon spirit visit me?” Saei threw back at him. The spirit inhaled deeply and looked up to the sky with his long hair swaying behind him.

“I breathed life into drysiohns…I wanted them to hold power…as I did. What I did not expect…was my jealousy turning into thirst,” his eyes turned back to Saei. “…but you have proven…that perhaps the thirst is not so strong…and I am curious to know why. What makes you special…to go against a need so great?”

“I do not need mender blood to become strong,” he told him with his head held high but Luenin chuckled.

“Actually…you would…in a sense. You were not present after a blood ritual…in fact…you were not present during anything that involved a drysiohn…”

“…I grew up somewhere else…”

“Of course, you did…you never knew your father…or mother…would you care to see…?” Luenin offered, smiling over at him. At first, Saei would had jumped on the offer without a second thought…but…did he really…want to see the family he never knew? To yearn for something he would never have?

“My offer only stands for a few seconds…”

“…fine,” Saei caved and came up to stand by the spirit cautiously. With a slow sweep of his hand, the snow before them melted away to be replaced by beautiful plains of grass with small flowers sprouting everywhere. Soon, a man formed…

Seeing him…made Saei’s heart swell…

He was a mirror image…except for the fact that he had far more scales along his arms and his horns were much deadlier looking.

“…your father’s name was Ayterus…he was brave…strong…undefeated by any opponent…”

Feeling the swell in his heart grow, Saei took a step forward to be closer to his father. The taller man turned his gaze down onto his son…but Saei knew…this was just a hallucination…an image forged by the spirit. He wouldn’t be able to talk to him…or touch him…which only made the swell that much more painful.

“…your mother…” Luenin pointed his palm to the spot beside his father and a beautiful figure started to form from thin air. It was a smaller woman, a bit shorter than Saei himself…but she seemed…human…

She had no feral features…but she had the most beautiful silver eyes and her hair was silky and dark, like his.

“…she was…?”

“Human? Yes,” Luenin came up beside him. “Your mother’s name was Yulein…and she was just a mere human.”

“…how did my parents meet? If they were so different…”

With a small smile, Luenin raised his hand again to sweep across the field to raise up a small village but the houses were engulfed in flames. The heat felt real as it tore down one of the small buildings. Saei could hear screams of fear and death coming from the village but Luenin motioned him to follow. Cautiously, Saei had no other choice but to obey.

His eyes caught the sight of movement and watched as helpless human villagers were slaughtered before his eyes by ferals that resembled him.

“Your father was in a clan that only cared to have powerful fighters in their ranks…and they sought to burn those weaker to the ground…except…for him.”

On que. Ayterus strolled through the fire unharmed with his black scales gleaming in the glow. Another house to his left crumbled but he watched his father’s ears twitch at a sound. He heard the same noise…it sounded like someone struggling. Luenin led Saei into a nearby house that was on fire but still had a few moments before it would be engulfed completely. In the corner with their foot stuck under some rubble…was his mother. Soot covered her beautiful face and messed up her hair but he froze when Ayterus entered, his eyes shining through the smoke. Yulein glared over at him, daring him to come over or else she’d only try and scratch his eyes out…but he noticed his father didn’t move.

“…at the first sight…your father was attracted to her,” Luenin explained and Saei watched his father turn a bit when he was called.

“Ayterus! Anyone else alive?!” Yelled one of his clan members.

His father looked back to his mother who tried to yank her foot free.

“No!” He replied which shocked Yulein as he entered the house further, a bit of fire falling behind him but did not affect him. With a whimper, Yulein did her best to get away from heim but with her foot trapped…it was impossible…until Ayterus knelt before her to lift off the rubble easily with his strength and tossed it to the side.

“Run…” he whispered to her and stood once more. “There is another village southwest of here that we will not attack…now go…” Ayterus slowly turned to head out but Yulein rose slowly.

“Why?” She asked, making his father stop but he didn’t look back.

“…for I wish to see you again,” he answered and disappeared into the smoke.

“Since that day,” Luenin started and swept his hand for the village to vanish and showed a new village that was better built than the last. “They met in secret.” One of the houses still had a fire going even in the darkest of night and Saei noticed Ayterus sticking to the shadows until he easily slipped into the house like a spirit.

“Sadly though…” Luenin frowned, removing the image from their view to show his mother and father again…but this time…his mother was heavily pregnant and his father’s eyes were turned into slits.

“…your father was given my gift…which in turn…passed down to you. With their relationship being forbidden…Ayterus could only visit you once when you were born…”

The images before them were snuffed out and blown away in a small breeze. A small clearing of a forest surrounded them and Saei saw his mother standing near one of the trees…with a crying infant wrapped in her arms. Curious, Saei walked over with his lips parting, wanting to say anything to her but knew it would be fruitless. Yulein turned around to look straight at him…or so he thought…but she looked through him with a smile.

“You can try and sneak up on me, Ayterus…but it won’t work,” she teased and Saei turned to see his father approaching with a knowing smile.

“You know me far too well,” he replied and came closer to look down at the bundle in her arms. Saei also kept close and felt his heart stop for a moment to see a tiny infant with a head filled with black hair and two bumps where horns were growing. The infant whined slightly but Ayterus smiled while reaching down with his deadly claws to touch the child’s face.

“Already growing horns? Tis my son, indeed.”

“He’s going to be such a handful and strong,” Yulein spoke fondly but blushed when his father wrapped them in his embrace, his arms going through Saei due to merely being an image.

“Our family…will be strong…together…”

Before his eyes, the hallucination melted away…and once again…they were in the snow field, surrounded by nothing but blankets of white. Saei looked back to Luenin who stood patiently.

“…what happened to them…? How did I end up at my brother’s castle…?”

“…are you certain you wish to see? You may not wish to.”

Saei exhaled deeply and looked down at his claws, feeling a small ache of never knowing his parents who seemed to be loving people but clenched his fingers into a fist.

“…yes…I wish to know everything.”

With a small frown, Luenin backed up a bit as stone walkways formed under their feet and pillars erected themselves around them. Saei watched as a small city was formed before his own eyes. It looked…rugged…almost like ruins. Torn fabric flew in the breeze from the pillars. There were a few stone houses that were on the outskirts of the center pavilion area.

“…this is where Ayterus and his clan lived…all of them…being drysiohn. This…is Drysiohl…during your mother’s pregnancy, it became inhabited by more and more drysiohn as the months passed…making it a bustling city…with all having a common desire.”

A scream was heard behind him and Saei spun around in shock to see two large males dragging a helpless woman by her arms toward the center pavilion. Jutting up from the center…was an altar.

Saei spotted his father in the corner, frowning at having to witness this event…and Saei had never seen it before. He only read stories about what took place…and told Fey what he knew…but they held her down on the altar with her eyes facing the sky.

“Please! I beg of you! Don’t do this!” He heard her yell and watched as his father turned his eyes away from the scene, clearly disgusted. The clan leader stepped forward as others seemed to join him.

“This mender is before us, offering their blood to quench our ever-lasting thirst.”

“NO! PLEASE! I have kids!” She yelled with tears streaming down her face. Saei felt his heart faltering when the clan leader forced her head back to expose her throat…and bit roughly into her jugular to end her screams. It wasn’t soon…that many drysiohns came closer to act like rabid dogs…tearing off flesh…drinking blood…breaking bones…

Saei forced his eyes away with a growl…

Now he saw what Fey was so frightened of with his own eyes…she honestly thought he would lose control and do…these unspeakable acts…

Ayterus pushed away from the wall to walk toward Saei, his nose wrinkled at the smell but he didn’t get too far when the clan leader called his name.

“Ayterus!” His father stopped and glanced back at him. “Why do you not feast with us?”

“…I do not perform in such barbaric acts like a mutt. If you wish to roll around in filth like swine…then I hereby leave the clan…” he announced proudly but it seemed…they weren’t too happy with the insults. Most of the drysiohns turned to face him, blood dripping down their chins as the leader stepped forward.

“…is that what you really think…Ayterus…?”

Time slowed as the leader raced toward his father but before Saei could even follow his movements, his father had sent the leader flying back to land hard on the stone pavement.

“They attacked your father…” Luenin stated, showing as more and more drysiohns rushed forward to try and take him down. “And no matter how strong he was…he was still outnumbered…” The scene shifted, away from the ruins to show Ayterus running as fast as he could toward the human village where his mother lived with blood pouring from every limb. His mother waited for him outside but at seeing how badly injured he was, she rushed forward with the infant in her arms who was crying.

“Ayterus! What happe-“

“There is no time to explain. They are coming for this village! We must flee!” He ordered and grabbed her hand to run away…just as Saei saw the village beginning to burn.

“They hounded your father…day…and night…until he was spent…” Luenin took a step back when the images of his father and mother stopped before him, a trail of blood being left behind in the snow. Ayterus panted heavily as he rested his hands on his knees while Yulein looked behind them worriedly with infant Saei still crying.

“Ayterus…you need to rest…” She pleaded but he shook his head and straightened his back.

“I cannot…until my family is safe…” he told her and started to move forward. It was clear that his injuries would soon cause him terrible complications or even his life but Yulein helped stabilize him as they trudged through the snow until shadowy forms started to manifest within the storm. Ayterus halted his advancement, shielding his wife behind him as his clan members slowly walked toward him…circling him. There was no escape…

The clan leader stepped forward with wounds of his own from Ayterus’ attack.

“…how dare you turn your back on your clan…we could had made it grow…to become a force to be reckoned with…but you go…toss it all away…for what…?” He sneered and pointed a clawed finger at the woman behind him. “For that…?”

Ayterus growled lowly and glanced back at Yulein. “…I will clear a path…you need to run as far as you can…”

“…but…” She whispered, her eyes filled with fear as his clan drew closer to make the circle smaller.

“We could had ruled these winter wastelands together, Ayterus…” The leader spoke. “But you turn your back on your own kind…?”

“My kind are not blood driven savages!” Ayterus yelled into the growing storm, sounding more like a roar. The leader bared his fangs before rushing forward. Time slowed once more as Luenin only showed images of the battle. Saei watched his father fighting valiantly…blood smearing the snow…

“Your father was a force to be feared…and he achieved something…only a rare few have done in the past…” The moon spirit pointed at the image of his father. Ayterus reared his head back with a mighty roar that shook the ground beneath his attackers…and his skin started to become encased in scales. His horns grew larger…

His muscles became bulkier…

His father…was becoming a true beast…

“…Ayterus attained a dragon form…a gift of his clan…but also a curse…”

“…curse?” Saei asked, watching as his father fought on his hands and knees now…like some rabid wyrm.

“Your father…would remain like this…a beast…and lose all sense of himself…of reasoning…the anger driving him mad…”

Luenin shifted the images to show his mother, fleeing for her life but a few of his father’s clan had broken free from wanting to end his life to seek her out. A human…being hunted by ferals…

She did the best that she could…with him hidden in her arms to try and keep him warm…but Saei’s heart sunk to see blood gushing from her back from a swift attack by claws, sending her lifeless body into the snow…and little Saei was hidden beneath her body with his cries muffled.

“…your mother…died in the snow that day…and your father…couldn’t manage to save even his own life…the last of his clan fell…but the fact remained…that he would no longer be a feral…but a beast…”

Saei turned his eyes onto his father…to see a large hulking dragon…with his mouth dripping with his own blood and that of his victims…but Ayterus raised his scaled head to limp in the snow toward where his mother had fallen.

It was a hard scene to watch…

Seeing his father coming upon his deceased mother…

His throat tightened when he watched his father gently nudging his mother’s side, begging her to rise but she fell limply back onto the snow. He tried again, this time, holding up steady with his snout…but there was no life to her. The dragon that was his father made a soft whimper like growl at the loss and reached forth with his claws to brush against her cold face but when he did, there was a soft cry. Ayterus took a step back in confusion but carefully moved Yulein to the side to reveal that Saei was still alive, freezing cold and crying weakly.

“Your father still had some sense in him…enough to save you…” The spirit whispered but Saei could only watch. His father, though some large beast that could crush him easily, gently grasped him between his fangs to keep the bitter cold away from him and warm within his jaws. His father growled lowly, looking one last time to his mother before running off into the storm and his blood was the only indication he had been there.

“Where do you think you ended up?” Luenin asked with a knowing smile.

“…I grew up with my brot-…with Basil…” He whispered and the scene shifted to show his father running as fast as he could through the snow…until a large castle came into view with the snow dying away that Saei remembered from his childhood.

“Castle Phayr…the land belonging to the fire felines…they were peaceful people…”

His home…it was standing…and not burnt to the ground…

Everything was still intact…

Slowly, his father started to lose his speed…and become sluggish. He breathed heavily and managed to be near the castle gardens, collapsing onto his belly. Ayterus parted his jaws to gently use his tongue to set the crying Saei onto the soft grass and nudged him forward weakly. The crying only seemed to draw attention and Saei’s eyes widened to see Basil’s mother…or…his adoptive mother coming out from the gardens curiously at hearing the noise.

She was as beautiful as he remembered…with her fiery red hair pulled back and feline attributes showing. Her stomach was a little plump…obviously carrying Basil at the time…but she looked shocked to see the freezing infant who whined and cried for help. Ayterus closed his eyes and pushed him a bit further in, hoping the feline would understand what he wanted.

Cautiously, Basil’s mother came closer to lift Saei into her arms to keep him warm.

“…you would be safe there…your father knew that…” Luenin said as they both watched Ayterus slowly pushing himself to his feet with a small whimper of having to leave his son behind but his father had to turn away…and leave.

“…it wasn’t long though…until your father succumbed to his injuries…and passed away within the snow fields…leaving you in the king’s care…”

The last image he was shown…was Basil’s mother smiling down on him as if he was her own son before Luenin returned him to the snow fields with the bitter wind hitting his skin.

“…THAT…is who you are…” The spirit came to stand beside him, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. “Are you proud of what you saw?”

Saei lowered his eyes, deep in thought and slowly exhaled.

“…I never pondered where I came from…”

“Only where you are going?” Luenin asked, turning to face him. “…and where is that?”

His first answer was to take Fey back to her home…but past that point…he did not know. Now though since things had changed…he wasn’t quite sure IF he was even going down that path.

The spirit smiled with a soft chuckle.

“You are worrying far too much…” He started taking a step into the snow away from him. “…do you wish to know why I always follow the sun?” Luenin looked back at him curiously which gained Saei’s attention. “…because even though I have faults…and though she may hate me…she is still MY sun…nothing in this world can change that fact. Perhaps…you need to start looking at YOUR sun…and not at your own faults…” Luenin smiled and slowly started to vanish within the snow.

“What do you mean by my sun?”

“…not just any drysiohn can overcome their blood thirst…I am amazed you have…if that is so…you have a sun…” The snow picked up even more to force Saei’s hair to tangle around him and blinding him with the harsh winds. “Always follow your sun…”

 

 

“Would that be all, ma’am?” asked the humble store clerk. Fey was about to nod but looked around one last time at the items the rest area had to offer and her eyes lit up when she spotted something. “Can I have that as well?” She pointed at a small plush lizard that had very large eyes and a cute forked tongue sticking out. It was no dragon…but it’d do for now. The clerk smiled and placed it with her other purchases.

“Ten gold coins, please.”

The mender dug into the money pouch she took from one of the satchels and handed over the exact amount.

“Thank you!” She gathered up her purchases as the clerk bowed her head to her.

“Safe travels.”

Safe travels, indeed. They were in a bit of a hassle at the moment. The cable car had reached the summit and usually gave the passengers thirty minutes to stop and rest before it finished its crawl back down to the other side…but…since Saei was still recovering…they had to miss the car’s descent. They would have to wait for the next one and hopefully by then Saei would be better. Frowning with worry, Fey left the small store to enter a rest area where benches and tables were set up to give weary travelers a place to rest and currently, her friends claimed one of the tables as their own. The satchels rested at their feet and they were looking over the map provided for them.

“What about here?” She heard Basil ask as she got closer.

“Hmmm…seems a bit too rocky…seems these lands will be hard to traverse. Open fields are bandit territory…but we don’t know what else is present up this way,” Sid sighed and placed his chin in his hands but looked up to see her next to their table.

“So…what did you buy?”

“Well…since I know you can handle your alcohol…” Fey smiled sweetly and handed Sid a small bottle of red liquid that had some sort of teardrop labeled on the bottle.

“My my…you want me drunk?” He teased and uncorked the bottle to take a small sniff, his eyes closing with a moan. “This smells wonderful. Certainly will have some when we find a town to rest in. You can share with me.”

“I don’t drink,” she giggled and looked to Basil to hand over a small jeweled bracelet that had white stones lodged around it. “I wanted to get you some new gloves…since yours seem to be a bit old…but they don’t carry clothing here. This is a good luck charm though,” she told him, hoping he would like the gift but Basil smiled up at her and placed it over his wrist to be a snug fit.

“What’s with these gifts though?”

A faint blush came over her face as she held onto the plush lizard.

“…I’ve been thinking a bit ever since we stopped here…this journey is all for me…and…I never did come out to thank you all for protecting me…and helping me. It’s not as if you gain anything so I felt terrible…I don’t know how to make it up to you…”

Both Sid and Basil exchanged looks and the hare parted his lips but Fey sent him a glare.

“Don’t even say anything…” she threatened and Basil just laughed lightly to see the shot down look on Sid’s face. He sighed and held up his hand in a good will gesture.

“…on a serious note,” Sid looked up at her. “You don’t need to thank us. We’re comrades…friends…if you’re safer back home…then we’ll do everything we can to get you there.”

“I’m really grateful,” she blushed more but smiled at the both of them. “So, you two were looking at the map?”

“We think we found a small route we can take,” Basil told her and tapped his claw on the map, making a path from the mountain range to go around the swamp and to the coast of the continent where a small house rested. “Why rush the journey?” He asked with a sweet smile. “…we did promise to take you to the sea one day and this is apparently a small coastal town. Before we head further north, we can stop by here and rest up.”

“You mean it?” She questioned, her hands resting over her chest with her tail swaying happily since she had always wanted to visit the beach but never could.

“Of course! We did promise you after all,” Basil tilted his head with his ears flicking cutely. “This is our journey…let’s enjoy it while we can.”

“You’re right!” She smiled wider and both male ferals seemed content that their mender was happy and calm once more but she looked back to the spare rooms where travelers could rest, knowing Saei was in one of them. “I’m going to check on Saei. I’ll be right back,” she told them and hurried off quickly to leave the males alone.

“Alone again…just us two…” Sid sighed but uncorked his gift of wine. “How about we pass the time?” He offered but Basil huffed.

“And be teased for unable to hold it like last time? No thanks.”

“Light weight.”

“Stupid rabbit.”

“…flea ridden cat.”

 

 

It had been nearly an hour since they had stopped…and ever since Saei was unloaded from the cable car to be placed in a room to rest, Fey had been emotionally worried. It was nice of Basil and Sid to help clean up the car for what had happened and the attacker was to be taken to the nearest holding cell to pay for his crimes.

A crime that nearly killed Saei…

If he was stabbed in the heart, she wasn’t sure if she could do anything. If they were alone, she could…but with so many people around…it would be impossible. Thankfully, her small amount of energy did the trick for him.

Quietly, Fey slipped into the room to shut the door behind her and frowned to see Saei the same way she had left him. He rested on a plush bed with the blanket stopping at his stomach. The wound over his chest was bandaged…but he remained asleep. She really wished he was awake…to be able to talk to him.

There was still that small bit of fear within her…but at seeing his peaceful face, it only made it grow weaker. Her feet carried her over to sit on the side of his bed near his head and held onto the plush lizard.

“…Saei…I don’t know if you can hear me…” She frowned and placed the lizard beside him. “…but this is an easier way to talk to you,” she admitted and shyly looked down to his large hand. With a small blush, she took his claws into her hands. “…I know I was the one who asked what had been bothering you. I…didn’t expect to hear what I heard…I was scared…terrified of you…that…you would be like them…” She sighed and lowered her eyes, closing them to feel her heart clenching but didn’t see his ears twitch at hearing her voice.

“I didn’t know what do…so I ran. I’ve been hunted all my life…and I guess my body told me to get away from you out of fear of you hunting me now…one of my own friends…but the more I thought on it…if you truly were like them, you could had taken your chances so many times…but you didn’t. You’ve been protecting me…watching over me…taking care of me for so long and I didn’t even know.” She exhaled deeply and closed her hands more around his.

“I’m…really glad you told me…I’m still a bit nervous, I won’t lie…but I think we can work this out together. I won’t tell Basil or Sid. They don’t need to know since it’s between us…a-and…” She could feel her cheeks warming even more. “…I c-can’t even say it now even though back then I’ve been dying to,” she lightly laughed at herself. “…I wanted to tell you just how glad I am that you’re with me on this journey…a-and…well…that I…” Her throat choked on her words before she could bring them up and she sighed pitifully. Feeling she had outstayed her welcome, Fey opened her eyes to leave but audibly gasped with a beat red face to see Saei looking up at her with his brilliant silver eyes which were softened.

“…h-h-how long…have you…?”

“Around where you stated you feared me…” he answered and she looked away nervously.

“I’m such an idiot…I s-should leave…” Her nervousness grew as she tried to stand but his hand tightened around hers to keep her still. Her eyes were drawn back to his face with his eyes holding understanding.

“…you know now…but this changes nothing…” he whispered. “…I am still Saei…who you’ve known all this time. I do not blame you if you still hold fright for me…but as you said…we will conquer this…”

“Y-yeah…it’s just…a bit new to know…”

“I know…but it changes nothing…” he repeated and touched his wound with his free hand to slowly sit up, wincing a bit. Fey’s ears folded back, cautious as to what he was doing but he rested his cheek against hers which only made her heart pick up its pace.

“…this…hasn’t changed…and will not…”

Fey slowly swallowed and felt his fingers intertwine with hers.

“I will get you home…I promise…when we do…I will speak. For now, I need to work on reforming your trust,” he whispered and pulled his head away from hers to smile softly down at her, only making her cheeks redder as she looked away.

“S-sounds good…oh!” She quickly tried to change the subject and grabbed his plush lizard to hold it up for him to see. Saei just blinked in confusion, removing his hand from hers to poke at it.

“…what is this?”

“A get-well gift. They didn’t have dragons…so I got the closest thing,” she smiled sweetly, hoping he would accept it but Saei raised an eyebrow before laughing behind his hand.

“…you hate it, don’t you?!” Fey frowned and was about to toss it away but Saei grasped the plush before she could.

“I adore it…thank you, Fey,” he softly spoke and rested his hand on her head to smooth her hair back. She smiled with closed eyes, feeling the last bits of fear falling away.

“…though…I do feel insulted since I’m not a lizard.”

“I didn’t m-mean to though.”

“Here I am, bedridden…and you think I have a forked tongue?”

“N-no!” Fey’s blush only grew worse with his teasing since he was never the one to do so…but…it felt almost…natural.

Their alone time was interrupted sadly when his room door swung wide open. Fey quickly pulled away from Saei shyly only to be in shock to see Basil staggering in with rosy cheeks.

“Oh…my…gods…” His voice slurred and he hiccupped with his tail curling happily. “Brother!” He rushed forward to hug Saei tight, forgetting about his wound since he was obviously drunk and the dragon winced while pushing him away with a growl.

“Get off me, you idiot.”

“But brother, I was so worried!” Basil whined and tried to embrace his kin again but Saei moved to the other side of the bed.

“You reek of wine…”

“Guilty,” Sid poked his head in while swaying the bottle in his hand. It was half empty.

“I thought you said you would wait!” Fey looked over to him accusingly but the hare chuckled.

“Oh, come on…we have a cable car to wait for so enjoy the show,” he pointed to Basil who was looking more and more of a fool each passing second.

“Sid…Sid is…a good bunny…he got me a nice drink…” Basil stood on wobbly legs, looking proud. “He…allowed me to drink…thiiiiiissss much!” He stretched his arms out as far as they could go and Fey sighed while rubbing the sides of her head.

“This can’t be happening…” she whispered and paled when Basil started to take his vest off.

“I’m gonna run around naked!” He yelled and Fey was sure the people waiting outside for the next cable car heard.

“Don’t even think about it!” Saei growled and forced himself to where he was resting to softly smack Basil on the head to stop him. “You’re drunk. Go. Sit. Now.” He ordered, pointing his finger to the corner. Basil hiccupped again and looked to the corner.

“Fine! But I want to! Not cause you said so!” His voice was becoming worse but before he reached the corner, he fell onto his side to pass out.

“…and that was the end of our show,” Sid clapped softly but Fey whined and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“…why…? Why does my journey have to be like this…?” She asked but inwardly, she was glad that everyone was now with her once more and hopefully, the road was only going to get easier from here on.