The Ambush 3/7
"Father!" Jaja nearly shouted as she entered the small living room. Dunol was sitting at the wooden table and stopped sharpening his knives as his daughter entered. She seemed very agitated and the older dwarf knew exactly where she was coming from. There was a bloody dragon upstairs! Everyone not used to deal with dragons would freak out in this awkward situation. Dunol however stayed calm. The girl sat down opposite of him and said a bit softer: "Father, there is a dragon lying in my bed!" The older dwarf nodded and tried to calm her down: "I took precautions. He won't stay long." Jaja shot him a suspicious look and Dunol sighed heavily. His daughter felt obliged to every hurt creature in the vicinity and it looked like dragons were among them. "Jaja, you know we don't have money. You know most of the time I can't even buy enough food for you. I myself keep starving most of the time. We will get lots of gold coins. Really a big amount. Heck, you will even be able to go buy yourself some new cloths! And shoes!" His daughter nodded reluctantly still deep in thoughts, but Dunol knew he would be able to dissipate her doubts.
Korialstrasz felt ill and sick. His wounds still hurt but deep inside he felt strange... uncomfortable would be an understatement. He felt wretched and unwell, like vomiting, spinning and being squashed at the same time. Short: He felt like death. He knew he was hurt but this feeling was simply wrong. He should not feel like this after... after... he was not able to remember. Too much haze covered his thoughts. Time was of essence... but why? Where to should he hurry? There was a face... A beautiful female face... She kept talking to him but Korialstrasz could not hear any words. He tried to look at her eyes, tried to remember but every time he blinked her features changed. This wasn't one face but the sum of all he had ever met. The only thing he knew for sure was that he loved this woman with more than all his heart. Something dangerous was bound to happen. Sooner than later. Because he had not been able to prevent it. But he could not remember any details. There was only this ominous feeling.
"Stay out there, Marelnestras. Keep listening. I know Korialstrasz is in danger. Mayhap he himself hides from our senses. As soon as he chooses to contact us I want you to be with him." The young red dragon bowed deeply before he soared into the air again. He would accomplish his queen's order even if he had to sit in the mountains near Dun Modr until the sea dried over. Shortly after he left the lair a huge green dragon with closed eyes arrived. Alexstrasza had to touch upon an unpleasant issue. Surely Ysera would be less than thrilled...
Jaja was tired. It was dark outside, the night was getting even darker as gathering clouds blocked off the moon. Soon there would be another storm. The girl stifled a yawn and rubbed her tired eyes. An hour ago her father had brought another cup of tea and instructed her to make the elf drink it. But the elf... dragon... whatever was still sleeping uneasily. She simply did not have the heart to wake him. Jaja watched the gaunt man stir as she heard her father's heavy steps on the stairs. The older dwarf entered the room and took an extensive look on the elf before turning to his daughter. "He drank all?" Jaja shook her head. "Not yet. He's still sleeping." Her father shot her a disapproving glance and grumbled: "Well, then make him drink! I'll be back in two hours with another cup. This one better be empty by then." Jaja nodded and started to wake the elf carefully as her father left them again. Normally Dunol was not that jumpy. Perhaps the thought of a dragon under his roof was a bit more disturbing than he dared to share. "Sir... Krasus?" The girl was not sure if she remembered the name properly but the elf did not correct her. "You need to drink this... It will heal you." She helped him lean on the headboard and waited for him to catch his breath again. The elf looked very sick, paler than an hour before and his hands were shaking as he took the cup with her help. Jaja studied each and every of his movements. He seemed much weaker than the first time he regained consciousness. Surely there was some kind of magic involved. She helped him drink the cup - actually it was more like her pouring the brew down his throat. And a few moments she was sure the elf would vomit all over her bed but then he simply closed his eyes breathing heavily with sweat glittering on his forehead. "If a dragon gulps down a whole cow and then morphs into an elf, what happens to the cow?" Jaja shook her head grinning a bit. As soon as her patient would be better she could ask him. A first-hand answer was a lot better than her thinking about it the next hours. The girl helped him lay down again and wondered how she could detect the magical wound. She was no magician and had no idea how spells worked. How was she supposed to find out if any of his injuries were... cursed? She needed help. Perhaps another prayer would prove as successful as the first one.
Dunol knew he had been a bit harsh to his daughter but it was very important to keep the dragon sedated and weak. He really did not want another fight against one of the wyrms and transportation would be easier too. There would be enough money too so he could get over using those rare herbs. He had not lied concerning the money part. They wouldn't need to worry about supplies for a long time. That amount of gold would make him drug and sell even a fellow dwarf. Five more hours then his contact would arrive and then leave with the wyrm. So he had to make sure his daughter would administer the brew two more times without getting too suspicious. He could do that.
Chapter 4
Korialstrasz felt ill and sick. His wounds still hurt but deep inside he felt strange... uncomfortable would be an understatement. He felt wretched and unwell, like vomiting, spinning and being squashed at the same time. Short: He felt like death. He knew he was hurt but this feeling was simply wrong. He should not feel like this after... after... he was not able to remember. Too much haze covered his thoughts. Time was of essence... but why? Where to should he hurry? There was a face... A beautiful female face... She kept talking to him but Korialstrasz could not hear any words. He tried to look at her eyes, tried to remember but every time he blinked her features changed. This wasn't one face but the sum of all he had ever met. The only thing he knew for sure was that he loved this woman with more than all his heart. Something dangerous was bound to happen. Sooner than later. Because he had not been able to prevent it. But he could not remember any details. There was only this ominous feeling.
"Stay out there, Marelnestras. Keep listening. I know Korialstrasz is in danger. Mayhap he himself hides from our senses. As soon as he chooses to contact us I want you to be with him." The young red dragon bowed deeply before he soared into the air again. He would accomplish his queen's order even if he had to sit in the mountains near Dun Modr until the sea dried over. Shortly after he left the lair a huge green dragon with closed eyes arrived. Alexstrasza had to touch upon an unpleasant issue. Surely Ysera would be less than thrilled...
Jaja was tired. It was dark outside, the night was getting even darker as gathering clouds blocked off the moon. Soon there would be another storm. The girl stifled a yawn and rubbed her tired eyes. An hour ago her father had brought another cup of tea and instructed her to make the elf drink it. But the elf... dragon... whatever was still sleeping uneasily. She simply did not have the heart to wake him. Jaja watched the gaunt man stir as she heard her father's heavy steps on the stairs. The older dwarf entered the room and took an extensive look on the elf before turning to his daughter. "He drank all?" Jaja shook her head. "Not yet. He's still sleeping." Her father shot her a disapproving glance and grumbled: "Well, then make him drink! I'll be back in two hours with another cup. This one better be empty by then." Jaja nodded and started to wake the elf carefully as her father left them again. Normally Dunol was not that jumpy. Perhaps the thought of a dragon under his roof was a bit more disturbing than he dared to share. "Sir... Krasus?" The girl was not sure if she remembered the name properly but the elf did not correct her. "You need to drink this... It will heal you." She helped him lean on the headboard and waited for him to catch his breath again. The elf looked very sick, paler than an hour before and his hands were shaking as he took the cup with her help. Jaja studied each and every of his movements. He seemed much weaker than the first time he regained consciousness. Surely there was some kind of magic involved. She helped him drink the cup - actually it was more like her pouring the brew down his throat. And a few moments she was sure the elf would vomit all over her bed but then he simply closed his eyes breathing heavily with sweat glittering on his forehead. "If a dragon gulps down a whole cow and then morphs into an elf, what happens to the cow?" Jaja shook her head grinning a bit. As soon as her patient would be better she could ask him. A first-hand answer was a lot better than her thinking about it the next hours. The girl helped him lay down again and wondered how she could detect the magical wound. She was no magician and had no idea how spells worked. How was she supposed to find out if any of his injuries were... cursed? She needed help. Perhaps another prayer would prove as successful as the first one.
Dunol knew he had been a bit harsh to his daughter but it was very important to keep the dragon sedated and weak. He really did not want another fight against one of the wyrms and transportation would be easier too. There would be enough money too so he could get over using those rare herbs. He had not lied concerning the money part. They wouldn't need to worry about supplies for a long time. That amount of gold would make him drug and sell even a fellow dwarf. Five more hours then his contact would arrive and then leave with the wyrm. So he had to make sure his daughter would administer the brew two more times without getting too suspicious. He could do that.
Chapter 4