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Greetings all! This week has definitely started on a better foot! Feeling much better, after the weekend, and mostly just feel tired. Nothing major to report as of today, other than the weather is doing the weirdest stuff with it hitting 30 Degrees C yesterday in May...odd, but anyway.
Thanks for following so far. The first book of Fell Dragon is about half way now. I have started working on Book 4 in earnest now. It has been a process, but I am enjoying it.
But enough about that. It's time for Tuesday's update! Enjoy
With everyone preoccupied with what had happened no one noticed the cowled figure moving through the hospital. Handmaidens and an occasional Butcher would bump into the figure, but it was quickly dismissed with an apology as they scurried off. It became painfully clear to the figure that there had been several attacks in and around the area where the ceremony was to take place this morning. Hundreds were injured and many were maimed or dead. He had not expected this. This was not an assassination; this was terrorism and slaughter.
He growled under his breath as his eyes quickly sought out the names he was looking for. Each of the royal family members was under guard and he nodded his head when he noted the guards in civilian clothing, nothing was going to get through here. He himself had made sure of that.
Six. That was the total of people who were behind the planting of the bombs. Eight was the total of assassins who would try to get into the hospital. He had dispatched all fourteen before coming here. All fourteen were humans, greedy, selfish humans. All of them took the blood-soaked money of the Lizard Lords who coveted the rich planets the humans owned. He had tried to find out who the mediators and brokers were for these people, but he had been unable to find the information he needed. He had been so sure of himself, making promises he was sure he could keep. He scanned the board, two royal names were not there, at least not on this floor.
“The King and the girl.” He muttered under his breath. “Were they killed?”
For the first time in many years, there was a twinge of guilt. He was actually surprised at feeling it. He cared not for the stupid human king but for the girl, she had been kind and thought of a future where they could be at peace. Though naive the sentiment had meant a lot. He turned and made his way to the basement. He knew humans liked to keep the dead as far away from the living as possible, this was likely where the bodies would be.
No one asked any questions as he made his way down to the morgue, people were too busy with crying families, while others were trying to offer condolences or information. He knew, from the moment he walked past the morgue door, that the missing royals were not there. No guards were posted. If their bodies were there they would have been under lock and key with at least one guard.
“Were they not found?” he continued his walk, making himself seem lost.
He even asked a few questions to the people buzzing around to make himself look lost and he got himself directed back to the floor where he had come from. He was risking much by being here, he should have left on the freighter this morning. However, he had heard a whisper of another attempt on the lives of the royals, and he had rather risked his one way out to send those stupid letters and now his subconscious would not let him even think of leaving now. Not that he could. Every single mode of transport out of the city had stopped and everything was being policed. He had given up his one chance to escape and for what? A possibly dead child? He swore under his breath and looked to the screen hanging in the waiting room of this wing.
It was playing the footage of the explosion again and again. This was the first time he felt compelled to look at the screen. When he noticed Saita, a close-up shot of her face; the visage left him shuddering. How had she survived that injury? The blood loss alone from the shrapnel that tore her right cheek open must have been staggering, not to mention the debris which seemed to be lodged in her eye socket.
“So, she was conscious but where is she?” he hissed under his breath.
“The Butchers have her under their knives. It has been difficult.”
The voice was in his ear, and he had to use all his training not to jump or turn.
“What are you doing here, Saseric? You were almost free and now here you are, stuck on a planet which is furious with your kind. Why?”
The Lizard turned his head ever so slightly and felt the blood run to his feet when he noticed the gold robes.
“A Heavenly?” he gasped, barely above a whisper. “You ask me what I am doing here but it should, in fact, be the other way around.”
“Guilt? From a Lizard? Getting soft, assassin?” mocked the Heavenly.
To a casual viewer, it would appear that the two of them were watching the news report and not the battle of minds it actually was. The Heavenly crossed his arms and viewed the Lizard out the corner of his eye. He was as tall as the lizard with long black hair that was plaited all the way down to his bare feet. His face contained several nicks and stern features.
“Perhaps.” admitted the lizard. “Perhaps I am getting old, and karma is catching up to me.”
“Was this your doing?”
“I don’t slaughter women and children.” he hissed. “This was all planned from within the human’s own population.”
“And the bodies?”
“You clearly know me and my work, but I am afraid I am at a loss for your name.”
The Heavenly chuckled and said. “We do not dispense out names like you dispense justice.”
The man turned his gaze to the screen and frowned. “The girl should have been knocked unconscious with those injuries yet look at her helping those around her.”
Saseric couldn’t help but smile. He genuinely liked Saita. “You mentioned she is with some butchers?”
“Butchers, doctors that still use knives to operate on people instead of using their life force to heal them. The girl cannot be healed unless it is through these barbaric means.”
“Did you try?”
“The one I am protecting tried.”
With the silence that followed Saseric knew the implication was not a good one.
“And of the King?”
“He will not leave her side.” the Heavenly turned to him once more and asked. “Why are you here?”
If Saseric could blush he would have but instead, he said. “I believe that she is key to stopping this senseless war.”
Instead of laughing at him the Heavenly sighed heavily and said. “My charge said the same thing.”
With another sigh, he set a hand on the lizard’s shoulder and said. “Come, you are under my protection until you can speak to her parents. It is time you stop hiding in the shadows and do the true duty you were meant to do, Prince Saseric.”
The Butchers had tried three times to have him removed from the surgical ward, in fact, begged him the last time due to his own injuries but he would not move. Karesh knew his wife and son were in no danger, but Saita was badly hurt and he could not bring himself to leave her side.
“Your Majesty please, see reason.” Shouted Jarah, finally losing his temper. “We cannot work with you clutching at her hand like that. Time is of the essence and if we are to trip over you as we work…”
“I am King!” he roared.
“And I am her doctor!” Jarah shouted back.
Karesh clenched his teeth and said softer. “I could do nothing.”
“I know.”
“I couldn’t even protect a child I chose as a daughter.”
“I know.” Jarah placed a hand on his hand, which held hers. “Right now, my priority is to save her life and you are getting in the way of that. Hang me if you want after this, but if you do not leave this room, I will throw you from it myself. Please.”
“Jarah…”
“I know, now leave.”
Karesh nearly vomited when he let go of her hand and some of the skin from her burned fingers followed.
“Take him to be treated.” Said Jarah to another Butcher. “Then come back as soon as you can.”
It was as he was being escorted from the room when he noticed his own spinning head and each jar to his left leg nearly caused him to collapse from the pain. He was rather unceremoniously handed over to some handmaidens before the Butcher bowed and returned to the surgical ward. He was told to lie on a bed while several handmaidens attended to him.
“Doran?” he asked one.
“Critical but stable.”
“Furor?”
“He will live but is hurting.”
“His children?”
“Bumps and scrapes for the younger two, the elder one had more serious injuries and we are letting him sleep deeply for a few days.”
“Has Myla woken yet?”
“Her Majesty is with Doran’s wife, Darla, and your son. She insisted on not being healed but she is in pain.”
“Brace!” ordered one handmaiden.
Karesh was about to ask for what when a crack sounded, and a fresh wave of pain echoed in his body. It didn’t last long but it was long enough for him to roll and vomit.
“You will need to lie still for a few days to allow the muscles and tendons to return to their correct sizes, but this was nothing more than a dislocation of the leg from your hip.” said the one handmaiden. “Vomiting is quite normal for this level of pain.”
“Very lucky.” said another as she grabbed onto Karesh’s head to look him in the eyes. “No sign of a concussion either. Internal bleeding?”
A third ran a hand over his torso and chest and shook her head. “Bruised here and there but no internal bleeding. I’d say you were the least injured of all of your family.”
“Damn it.” He growled under his breath and rolled back onto his back. “Damn it.”
“Shall we take you to your family?” asked one woman.
“No, I will stay here to wait for Saita.”
“She isn’t likely to be out for a few hours. Shall we give you something for the pain?”
“I’m fine.” he tried to sit up but one woman held him down.
“No sitting for a few days. We will prepare everything that you may need but you cannot sit up.”
“Damn it.” he slammed a fist down onto the bed. “Damn it all to hell.”
The handmaidens went about their business and eventually, Karesh bullied them into pushing the bed to the viewing window of the surgical room. He couldn’t see anything from where he lay and when he sat up his hip and leg reminded him quickly that moving was not a good idea. Some kind handmaiden had raised the bed slightly so that he could just see what was happening but with the way, the Butchers were moving he couldn’t see too much.
He still felt Saita’s weight in his arms after she had collapsed. She had had nothing left as she had stood before him. She had used her last scrap of strength to try and dig him and Furor out of the rubble. She had been smiling or at least trying with damage done to her face.
“How long has it been?”
Karesh rolled his head to his left and saw the old Heavenly walking into the room. No one had dared to stop him. Looking up at the clock on the opposite wall Karesh said. “Two hours, I think.”
The Heavenly nodded his head and stood together with Karesh for a few minutes before saying. “They are struggling to keep her unconscious now that she is getting a fresh supply of blood. She is trying to wake for you Karesh.”
“I would be there if I could.” He sat up and regretted it immediately as he felt bone grind in his hip.
“Here.” The Heavenly waved his hand. “She will sleep for a few more hours but then she will fight again to surface.”
“What…?”
“We are the Heavenly, Karesh. We are beyond your understanding.” smiled the old man.
Frustrated in not being able to do anything Karesh once more slammed a fist into the bed. “Damn it!”
“Tell me Karesh, where did you find this one? She is human, yet not.” The old man’s face pulled in confusion. “She is beyond me.”
“Thought you said you were beyond our understanding.”
“I did, and she is beyond mine, so what do you think that means?”
Karesh retold the story of finding the child as he watched the time slowly tick by. Every now and again the Heavenly would stop him to ask some questions or to concentrate on what he saw beyond the window.
“I see.” Said the old man.
“No, no you don’t.” Karesh shook his head.
“That is true.” laughed the old man. “No memory? That too is interesting, I sense nothing. She did not come here by accident, Great Karesh. You did the right thing.”
“Did I? Look at her! This was a plot to kill my family by the Lizards.”
“Not completely true.” Came another voice from behind them.
Karesh was not able to turn but as the Heavenly didn’t seem concerned he did not show any concern. That was until he noticed a scaly, black hand reach for the glass before him and a voice hissed. “Damn it!”
He looked up to see the cowl was now thrown back to reveal Saseric’s face. The Lizard did not miss the scowl and simply said. “Hang me later if you wish but I too am concerned for the girl.”
The two Heavenly seemed to whisper to each other before the elder of the two said to Karesh. “Fourteen humans planned this attack, Karesh. Humans.”
Karesh did not know what to say. Next to him was the creature sent to kill him and his son, and now to hear that humans were the reason for this attack was just too much.
“You will find the corpses at these locations.” Saseric handed him a note that had small splatters of red on it. “Any other information I have is yours.”
Warily the King took the note, read it, and then bellowed. “Guards!”
Saseric flinched when he heard the guards enter the room behind him, but he did not tear his eyes away from the surgery room. To act now when he was surrounded by enemies was not something he could risk.
“Leave the Lizard, he is my guest.” snapped Karesh as the guards moved to attack Saseric. “Follow these instructions, collect the bodies, and collect evidence. Don’t ask questions, just do it.”
“Your Majesty, are you sure?” asked one particularly brave guard.
“We are fine, just go.” Karesh rubbed his eyes. “And send word to my wife that I am fine.”
“The Lizard poses no threat.” said the younger Heavenly. “If it were not for him there would be eight assassins that were not as clear as him in this hospital. Now, do as your King has asked of you.”
The guards reluctantly left the room and Saseric sighed. “Thank you.”
“It was not done for your benefit. I did it for her because she was stupid enough to trust you.” hissed Karesh.
“I need to go in now.” said the older Heavenly. “She is fighting too hard for them to work efficiently on her.”
“But Master…”
“If I don’t, she will fight them until she has nothing left and she will die.” the Heavenly made his way to the doors that separated the area they were currently in from that on the other side. “I will return soon.”
No one stopped the Heavenly as he slowly walked into the next room. He ignored the stares of those that surrounded the injured child and focused on the single, grey eye that stared at him. Jarah squatted next to Saita trying to get her to calm down as two other Butchers were holding her arms in place. Her legs were already secured but she was trying to kick.
“Saita, you need to relax and sleep.” Said Jarah softly. “I am trying to help you.”
The girl looked furious, then surprised when she saw the Heavenly. It was only then that her movements stopped. Jarah turned and immediately paled when he saw who was behind him.
“You cannot be here. This area is meant to be sterile and…” he started as he got to his feet.
“Could I talk to her?”
“Look, I understand that you are a Heavenly and all that, but this child; she cannot be healed by the handmaidens and few medicines actually work on her. As she is lying there now her body has already metabolised all the pain meds and she is feeling every burn, cut and…”
“It will take a few minutes; Jarah and I think I can help.” the Heavenly came to stand behind Saita’s head and looked down at her. “Remember me?”
Though the shrapnel had been removed from her eye it had yet to be cleaned properly and blood ran like tears. It looked like a gaping hole in her face. Though anger still flared in her grey eye there was also concern and pain, so much pain. Her hand once more tried to reach for the pipe in her mouth but the Butchers stopped her
“I can hear your thoughts; you do not have to speak.”
It wasn’t words he heard first but rather screaming. Jarah had spoken the truth. Nothing was keeping the pain from her; she had felt everything for the last hour even though her muscles had mostly been paralysed.
“Why would someone make something like you if trying to fix you would be nothing short of torture?”
“Heavenly please! These levels of pain will cause brain bleeds and possible strokes.” started Jarah.
“Sit her up, let her see her father. She is worried about him, she doesn't know his condition, that is why she is fighting so hard.”
“Fine.”
With the help of two other Butchers, they sat her up to look at the window where Karesh, Saseric and the other Heavenly were. If they were shocked, they didn’t show it.
“See? He is fine. Your family is fine. Listen to me and sleep.” begged Jarah as they lay her down once more. “Please!”
“Allow me to stand here.” the Heavenly gently gripped the girl’s head and he added. “If these barbaric chemicals do nothing for her pain, then I can try to break her connection to the conscious world.”
“She will still be in pain.”
“But she will at least not remember it. Monitor where you can and work at the best possible speed.”
The Heavenly then ignored Jarah and set his hands on either side of Saita’s ears while his thumbs rested on her forehead. “Now you will listen to my voice and only my voice.”
Even with the knowledge of her family’s well-being she still fought. Terror, blinding terror, of being held in place while the only other feeling was agony. Those were all the memories that surfaced as she fought against his voice. Yet, he continued to speak, softly, so as not to distract the Butchers around him. He almost had her calmed until a Butcher made to cover her only seeing eye. Fear came to her again and she almost rolled herself but the Heavenly held firmly and continued to whisper to her.
“This is less scary. I know it hurts but you will not remember this when you wake.” He promised. “Let me tell you a story.”
Story?
“Yes, of a great warrior queen you will meet in the future.”
There are no warrior queens.
“None that are human true, but I never said this one is human.”
Jarah was surprised to feel Saita’s muscles relax as they worked on her facial injuries. Even the Butcher in charge of the administration of all the medicines, who had been in a panic when Saita awoke despite the medicines still moving through her blood, noted the lowered heart rate and blood pressure.
“I don’t know what you are doing Heavenly but for the love of you and your God please continue to do it.” He whispered.
The Heavenly continue to talk to Saita, distracting her mentally and physically from what was happening around her. He knew this was nothing but a stopgap and as soon as he released his hold on her the pain would come flooding back and the agony would not be such a distant memory to her. He looked to his left hand and noticed that her blood had run over it. A lot could be told from blood, and he caught glimpses of faces and people but they held no meaning to him.
“It is true then.” He said softly. “You are a biological construct.”
Tell me more of the Queen who fights.
“She is strong, like you. Quite a bit older but very much like you.” He whispered.
Is she nice?
“She can be.”
When will I meet her?
Here the Heavenly paused. The future was always in flux, always, but there were set points in time, and she was at all of them. Her future was already written in stone and there was no escape from what was to come. He was glad that her seeing eye was closed so she could not see his gathering tears.
“When you are older.” Was all he could choke out.
“The wound will need to be packed but that is all we can do until we have a specialist look at the damage done.” Said Jarah as he inspected the eye socket. “She is lucky the shrapnel didn’t lodge in her brain.”
“Luck? No dear boy, luck had nothing to do with it. She moved at the right moment, and it prevented her death. She knew she would be scarred but at least alive.” Said the Heavenly. “What of her other wounds?”
A different Butcher looked up and said. “She has lost a few teeth, possibly swallowed, but except for her eye and cheek, she is just very battered, bruised and severely burned in her hands.”
“Sleepy Saita?” asked the Heavenly when he felt the girl relax under his fingers.
Very tired.
“Then you will sleep. I will grant you sleep to help with the pain.”
Will I remember your story?
“You will sleep.” he had no wish to lie to her. “You will sleep for a long time but when you wake you will be with your family again.”
He felt her grasp on consciousness start to slip and he let her fall from his hold. Once he was sure she was securely in the depths of unconsciousness he whispered something no one in the room understood. Once he was done with his whispering, he released her head and said. “Continue with her lesser injuries, she will not wake now. If she feels threatened, she will wake up. Speak to her as you work or get someone to sit with her. My spell will last about a week and with luck, she will not remember that any of this happened.”
Jarah clenched his jaw but mumbled. “Thank you.”
“This,” the Heavenly pointed to the child. “Is a keystone. Treat her as such.”
I believe only one of my fans will know who the warrior queen is. @pixelhuntersam remember who?
Anyway, I hope all of you have a wonderful week and I will see you all again on Friday! Remember to opt in (or out) of the reader's list if you are are so inclined. You can even drop a message or add me if you want to read more of what I am writing.
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If you have missed any of the parts, you can find them here:
Fell Dragon Parts
| by @lex-zaiya |
| Part 1| Part 2|
| Part 3| Part 4|
| Part 5| Part 6|
| Part 7| Part 8|
| Part 9| Part 10|
|Part 11||Part 12 - You Are Here|
|Part 13 - Updated Friday|