Aurelia did not remain unconscious for very long.
It could have been because she had never witnessed the use of willow bark as medicine before, or perhaps her body simply responded differently from most.
Either way, the herbs they had fed her took effect—unnaturally so.
The hot blood which had been boiling in her veins cooled. Her breathing steadied. The fire on her body became tolerable. She was still weak, but her mind slowly returned.
She could move again.
Aurelia awoke slowly, a frown of bewilderment creasing her brow.
The pain that she was going to be turned into ash had disappeared, but her head ached in a dull way. In its place was a steady warmth,
as though it were put in the hands of something huge and cautious.
Something was shielding her.
Her sluggish thoughts took a moment to catch up with her eyes.
And then she saw him.
The dragon.
Aurelia's pupils widened.
She was wrapped
completely
within two massive black wings.
Not trapped. Sheltered. The wings formed a snug, protective cocoon, shutting out the cold wind that whistled through the cave entrance. She felt the warmth of the body of the dragon, which spread into the leathery membrane and made her feel the heat of a fire.
[Favor with the Black Dragon +20. Current Favor: -10]
She could hardly believe it.
She moved a little and a sour flavor in her mouth ascended.
Herbs.
She looked down, and saw some half-eaten berries lying here and there. The same sweeter taste she had gotten in her fever-dream--she now knew whence it sprang.
The dragon lay huddled up with his huge head low against her legs, his breath so soft he hardly made the air stir. She was able to see the mangled remains of herbs and berries near his jaw.
He'd fed her?
The idea came to mind and to her advantage, she was not ashamed. None of pain, none of clumsiness.
It was not a man who had done it after all--it was a dragon.
And in the place of shyness there was something still deeper in her breast. A quiet, wordless awe. Gratitude that tightened her throat.
[Aurelia Hathaway's Favor +20. Current Favor: 10 (Friendly)]
Ding! Favor has achieved the threshold of first.
Host has gained power: Devour (Basic).
You have been made to win: 2,000 Upgrade Points.
Devour (Basic): Quickly eating heals and provides slight regeneration.
Cost: Increased appetite.
Ding! Skill has been locked in.
The system messages reverberated on the consciousness of Logan--yet he was in unconsciousness.
"...Mr. Dragon?"
Aurelia touched the scales of the dragon and showed a sign of reaching. They were cold and solid between her fingers, as smooth as smooth polished obsidian.
No response.
Then she made another attempt, but more loudly. "Mr. Dragon? Wake up?"
Still nothing.
There was a gradual discomfort that was creeping through her.
She pushed herself upright, wincing, and took a closer look at him. And that is when she actually saw the wounds.
Entire areas of scales wrenched off. Crippling gashes that were not quite closed. Cracks ran along his body like shattered glass.
Her chest tightened.
He had so deeply taken care of her when they attacked her by the mages. She was not even a spell-bound woman.
Had he... taken too much damage?
Was that not the reason he was not waking up?
Her breath hitched.
He had appeared alright a few minutes ago. How could he suddenly...
Aurelia could not risk letting the thought come.
She got down, and listened carefully, putting her ear to the prostrate breast of the dragon, as she held her breath.
Thump... thump...
Faint. But still there.
She was not very well versed on the topic of dragons, but she understood how to make comparisons. His pulse had been so great in his breast that he could hear it beating in the cave whenever there happened a silence in the cave.
Now, it was barely a whisper. Such a weak sound that it seemed to be able to disappear at any time.
Worse still, his body was growing cold. She could feel it,
She could feel the warmth slipping away, bit by bit.
If she left him like this...
He might really die.
Before she even knew it her fingers tightened into fists.
However, simultaneously, a terribly utilitarian thought came to mind.
This was her chance to escape.
The dragon was unconscious. The cave entrance lay right there.No one to stop her.
Aurelia didn't even hesitate. She trampled the thought out of existence.
Escape?
Where could she go, even were she desirous to run? The dragon had saved her life. Her limbs were still shackled by heavy iron-cuffs, and her body riddled with Wasting Sickness. She was able to walk with difficulty, not even to run away into the wild.
She would not even get out of the cave, she would fall in the rain even before she could get anywhere.
No. Better to try something. Anything.
At least at that, although she might not survive, she would not die without having done anything.
Aurelia heaved a long sigh and pulled himself up.
Her body temperature was regularized,
close to normal now.
Yet she was still weak, but she could move, barely.
The chains pulled her each step, scraping her joints but she did not stop. Slow, but steady.
She was not able to go out to get food. The forest may even have been exhaustingly a thousand miles distant. She'd never make it.
So she did the only thing she could.
She stooped and started picking up the berries scattered on the ground, one at a time.
Then, with trembling hands, she lifted the dragon's heavy jaw and pressed the berries against his teeth, squeezing until the juice trickled into his mouth.
Each attempt drained her. Her arms shook. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her vision blurred.
This was because her hands would not stop trembling by the time she stopped.
"I'm sorry... Mr. Dragon."
Her voice was no more than the rain that fell upon her.
"This... this is all I can do."
He was colder now.
Even colder than when she had initially woken up.
Aurelia stood undecided, and then gradually leaned forward and brought his huge head into her lap.
It was all she could manage. She was little and he enormous,
more than fifteen feet in length, and its wingspan would take the carriage out of the road.
She could only hold his head.
But perhaps, just perhaps, she might give him some warmth.
"Kh... kh-kh--!"
Suddenly violent cough lacerated her.
The Wasting Sickness broke out once more.
She hacked forward, and could not breathe. Drops of bright red splashed over her skirt.
Like her innermost parts were being pierced with a thousand needles. Her entire body shook, shrinking.
Her lips were turned blue when the fit passed. Her face had gone ghost-pale.
She stared at the dragon that was in her hands.
Her hands caress the horn of his curve.
She gave a prayer to herself.
And then the world went dark.
The poor girl barely stayed conscious for more than a few moments
before slipping back into unconsciousness.
She was simply too weak.
LLogan had been fed those few berries, and the effort had drained the last of her strength,and the push had brought a retaliation of the Wasting Sickness.
By all logic, they should have perished together in that cave.
The berries she had brought him were far from enough to save a dragon in his condition.
But Logan had been careful.
More accurately—he had activated Devour (Basic).
He had stuffed his stomach before the infirmity struck.
And now, the meat still undigested in his gut was the key.
Devour (Basic) kicked into overdrive.
The rate at which energy was broken down and absorbed increased.
His healing instincts surged, rising beyond measure.
Thump... thump...
The heartbeat grew stronger.
Beneath the torn scales, new flesh knitted itself together.
The injuries stabilized, regenerated, and closed.
Until, suddenly, it stopped.
The food was gone.
The healing halted.
But most of the injuries which Logan had sustained were already repaired.
That was enough for a dragon to fight, fly, and live.
And then--
He was struck with a tidal wave of hunger.
Logan came to himself with a jerk of the eyes.
"Holy shit--I'm starving!"
The words came out in a low, guttural growl.
He had just eaten, yet now it felt as though he hadn't had food in days. His stomach thundered. Every cell in his body screamed with hunger.
And right in front of him--
Warm. Soft. Unconscious.
Aurelia, the foxkin girl, was curled around his head like a blanket, utterly defenseless.
...Just a taste?
The hunger whispered. Dragon instincts stirred. The thought of bloodlust toyed with his mind.
But Logan clamped down on it.
Hell no.
She was still holding his head in her hands—by the gods.
And their Favor already stood at 12.
He could eat anything else.
Just--not Aurelia.
...