(Starla)
I stepped closer to him. Rubbing his scaly back, letting tiny pockets of my calming energy flow inside him.
"Be a good boy, let the healers examine you." He settled peacefully, placing his large head on the floor as if giving in. He was truly a magnificent creature.
The healers came, and Aksel didn’t rage. Their voices remained hushed and reverent, yet their eyes carried fear of him. Aksel submitted to their examinations with surprising patience, but his golden eyes never left me, as if wanting me to continue stroking him.
I stayed with him, gently grazing my hand over his body, whispering reassurances.
"You are going to come out of this," I told him. "You are going to heal. You are going to shift back, laugh with your brother and fly freely."
The dragon made a soft sound. I could have sworn it was an amusing one.
"We have never seen him this calm," the old healer told me in an astounded voice. The ram horns on his head had deep curls. "He never lets any guide or healer touch him like he is letting you, especially a human."
I softly smiled. "I guess that had to change."
"And the way his body has healed in the last three days is remarkable. Keep doing what you are doing." I nodded at the wise healer before he left with others.
Hours passed. The sun climbed higher, then began its descent. I lost track of hours, lost myself in the rhythm of Aksel’s breathing, the warmth of his scales.
His and my food was brought, and he pushed it in front of me with his gigantic maw, a twinkle settling in his eyes.
"You want me to feed you? Isn’t it?" Placing his big head on his claws, he stared at me, as Doodles did at times.
I couldn’t hide my smile.
I picked up the pieces of meat, leaving my own food and fed him. He devoured it with fervour and then lay down to rest.
The sun was setting when Azkan returned. A relief passed over his face at seeing his brother peacefully resting.
His voice was detached. "You have been here all day. Go rest."
I shook my head. "I am fine. He needs me."
"He will need you tomorrow too." Azkan stepped closer, his sharp eyes searching mine. "You can’t help him if you collapse from exhaustion."
I opened my mouth to argue, but a rumble from the dragon stopped me. Aksel’s head rose, his golden eyes fixed on his brother.
And then he made a sound, low and questioning.
"He is telling you to listen to me," Azkan haughtily said.
"Fine. I will go. Call on me whenever I am needed."
I rose, my legs stiff from sitting so long. I had to check on the Doodles too. As I walked toward the door, I felt a nudge against my back.
Quickly, I turned. Aksel had pushed the tip of his massive wing against my back. My heart melted; every fear I carried for him simply disappeared.
I reached back and stroked his leathery wing, which was surprisingly smooth under my touch.
"I will be back. I promise," I whispered. My eyes rolled towards Azkan. He was watching me with a mixture of surprise and distrust. He still didn’t trust me.
***
The corridor was quiet as I walked back to my chamber. The fortress was settling into its nightly rhythm. Torches flickered in their brackets and the sounds of the day faded into silence.
Doodles came running towards me, his tail high, which he grazed against my legs.
"Hey! Did you eat?" I bent down and rubbed his head, and he let out a satisfied meow.
And then a voice rang out from behind me, loud and cheerful:
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Quickly, I spun around to see who had spoken.
A Beastman stood at the end of the corridor, his silhouette backlit by torchlight. He was tall, lean, with wild silver hair that caught the flames like mercury. His soft blue eyes gleamed with mischief. Blue scales that ran along his jaw and two silver horns on his forehead added to his roguish charm.
He was utterly handsome. In a completely different way from Azkan. Azkan carried that mature, manly vibe. With his ancient and powerful energy. This one had a boyish charm to him. Vibrant and alive, like a wildfire that had never been tamed.
But it was the white and blue armour that had me raising my brows, so provocative that it hardly covered his toned chest, revealing all of his assets, the jeweled belt tied it together just under his neck.
"You must be the human guide," he said, striding toward me. "The one who saved my brother," he added with a flirtatious smile.
I blinked. "Your..."
"Alistair," he introduced himself, bowing with an exaggerated flourish. "Youngest of the three brothers. The handsome one. The funny one. The one who has been away on patrol for the past month and clearly missed all the excitement."
So they had another brother?
He straightened, his oceanic eyes dancing with unbridled mischief.
"And you are Starla. The human woman who performed a miracle." He grinned. "I have heard everything about you."
Everything? He didn’t even know I was a fraud and wasn’t even supposed to be here.
Oh! Well, what could be done?
"I am no miracle worker; my energy simply resonated with Aksel."
"Modest, too." He circled me, his gaze appraising. He was so tall, just like his brother and other Beastmen. The white cape on his shoulder told me he was an SS-Ranked Sentinel.
"I like that. It’s refreshing. Most people would be bragging about saving a dragon after a century of failure."
I opened my mouth to respond, but he wasn’t done.
"So tell me," he asked, leaning in closer and staring directly into my eyes. "How did you do it? How did you reach my brother when no one else could?"
Before I could answer, Doodles purred and pounced at his leg as if it was a roasted leg piece he was dreaming of devouring for long. He let out a surprised whelp and glanced down.