Fell Dragon
Greetings Readers!
I hope you have had a wonderful week with not too much strain on you. I am currently working on a wonderful book with is keeping me so busy I don't know which way is up. It's so nice to get a break to write on my own stuff now and again though.
So, without further foot dragging, here is the next chapter of Fell Dragon! Giving #scholarandscribe a try to see if more people will enjoy reading this story.
Kiai had managed to calm Karesh’s anger at the attack by presenting the bodies that had been brought forward, as well as the two that were recovered from the bunker. He hadn’t been pleased at all but after Kiai had promised him that everything was under control, he had relaxed but said that he would be sending more people to protect the site. Though Kiai had managed to prevent Karesh from coming to the planet she was not able to stop his influence from growing. She once more regretted having Saita being on the planet. The girl was barely seen the day after the attack and Kiai did not have the time to follow up on her whereabouts as she would now have to have more barracks built above ground for the new soldiers arriving. Karesh gave her three weeks. She could manage that, but barely.
When she went to find Saita to talk to her about what was discussed she was nowhere to be seen. She asked around and found that no one had seen her during the day. Her room was also empty. Now Kiai was worried. She called what guards she could afford and told them to look for her, but by the time it was the following evening she was nowhere to be found.
“Likely she fled,” said Barik as he settled their son to sleep that night.
“You don’t know her as I do,” Kiai whispered. “She...I asked something of her I shouldn’t have.”
“Trauma needs to be overcome through sheer willpower,” he said softly as he walked out of his son’s room with his wife following him closely. “My Queen did.”
“Did she? Or is that the face she shows all her subjects because she has to be strong for you?”
“Good point,” he grumbled.
“She was the sweetest kid,” Kiai continued. “Stood about this high and stared Viribus down, no fear and now I don’t even know who she is anymore.”
The two of them climbed to the surface and sat in the office to look at a single moon rising. Barik enjoyed the moon, missing the two from his planet. Kiai knew this, so when the moon would show she would risk him coming to the surface to look at it longingly.
“The second moon will be full in a week,” said the Saith as he sipped the coffee before him.
This was not something that was on his planet, and he enjoyed it greatly. His wife stared out into the dark with a look of guilt on her face. She had had that look for the longest time and it broke his heart. She had been so bubbly and happy when he had met her. That happiness had exploded when her pregnancy test changed colour, but then the war descended on them, bringing to light that worried look. But tonight, it wasn’t the worry that shone on her face, it was guilt, guilt at asking her cousin to do what needed to be done.
“She is a fighter,” he said softly. “She will be back. She just needs time.”
“I should have spoken to her first, not expected her to fight for us. For something her father wants. She is confused and so angry. Her family are turning their backs on her one by one or they use her as I have. She deserves better.”
“She is a fighter Kiai, either she will adapt to this new role, or she will crumble under it,” he reached over and held her hand. “She is strong.”
“In body yes but her mind?”
A stirring in the dark caught her attention. Realising that his wife’s attention was elsewhere he looked to where her gaze was. He got up from his seat and made his way to the door. “And she is back. See? You had nothing to worry about. Likely she went for a run this morning and stayed out too late and couldn’t get back to the compound in time.”
Kiai breathed a sigh of relief and joined her husband to welcome the young woman back. Barik was the first to wrinkle his nose when the smell hit him. Kiai looked at him in confusion then she caught a waft of what he smelled. She raised her hand to her nose.
“It’s not mine,” said Saita as she stepped into the light.
She was covered from head to feet in blood and bits of something best left undescribed. She wiped the blood from her eyes and indicated she wanted to move past Barik.
“Shouldn’t we hose you down or something?” he asked.
“I stink, I get it, now get out of my way,” she growled.
Surprised at the venom in her voice Barik moved out of her way. It was then that he realised that she was not as unscathed as she thought she was. As she passed him, he noted that the back of her hoodie was sliced open, and he could see the patterned skin beneath it.
“The blood you are trailing is your own, Princess,” he said softly.
Saita paused in her stride and whispered. “Don’t call me that.”
“Let me see,” said Kiai.
“No! It’s fine, I’ll see to it myself,” snapped Saita.
“How? It is on your back. Looks like three deep claw marks. Likely ruined whatever tattoo you had back there. I heard humans were fond of inking their skins, but I think you went a little overboard.”
Saita sighed and sat down on the ground not saying anything else. Kiai came to sit next to her, trying her best not to gag at the smell that radiated from Saita.
“Saita, what happened?”
“Trying to be like the Vulpine, trying to understand their culture,” she snorted. “Black Beast called it ‘pissing on what is mine.’ Should have realised it was a challenge. It was stupid. I was stupid and now three more are dead. I haven’t stopped killing since I came back. I didn’t want this.”
She rubbed at her eyes and then spat blood from her mouth. “I didn’t want this.”
“Let’s get you into a shower,” said Kiai as she tried to help Saita up.
“Hold on, let me,” Barik scooped Saita up by placing her left hand over his shoulders. “I’ll deal with this.”
“But…”
“I promise I will have my eyes closed. Bring me a suture kit and I will deal with the gashes.”
“But…”
“Whatever towels are in the bathroom when I get there I will be using.”
Then Barik half marched, and half dragged Saita down towards the closest showering area before pushing the door and forcing them both inside.
“I get it,” he whispered.
“You get nothing,” hissed Saita.
“You were trained to be a king’s replacement. You may even have been trained to take lives but have never taken a life before now. I get it. I understand. It sucks and it is difficult and all you want to do is cry and vomit but deep down that training is preventing you from doing it. There is a time to listen and there is a time to push it down deep into yourself.”
He let Saita stand on her own feet as he approached a shower and turned the warm water on. She looked at the man and eventually muttered. “Which time is it now?”
He turned to look at her bloodied face and saw the tears of frustration and pain lighting up her face. He half smiled and said. “Now it is time for you to clean that blood off of yourself so that the gashes on your back don’t infect. Okay?”
“Okay,” she mumbled as she started to pull the clothes from her back.
Politely, Barik turned from the girl and kept his eyes trained on the opposing wall. Once he heard the shower doors close behind her, he quickly looked around the bathroom for some clean towels. Once they were located, he lay a few on the bench and set the rest upon a hook close to the shower. He then went to sit on the bench with his back turned to Saita. Kiai came in with a suturing kit with some of Saita’s meds, and he made her leave again.
“Cover what you don’t want me to see,” he said when he heard the water turn off.
The door opened and he heard the towels being removed. He got to his feet as she stepped forward. “Lie face down on the bench and let your arms rest on either side of you. Kiai brought you something to numb the pain.”
“Not necessary,” muttered Saita as she lay down on the bench.
“Would you prefer a doctor or is it alright that I do this?” he asked.
“It is fine,” she turned her head so that she would not have to look at him.
He turned and made his way to her side. He had been right about the marks on her back being slashed apart but he said nothing as he came to kneel next to her. He also thought it best to remain silent about her half-nakedness and her rejection of pain relief. He simply opened the suture kit and started preparing what was needed.
Saita lay motionless as a near stranger started pulling the gashes in her back closed. She felt everything he did but with her mother’s technique, the pain was manageable. Together they sat in silence as Barik applied the multiple stitches required to stop the bleeding.
“As you walked in here, I can only assume that there was no spinal damage but what do I know?” chuckled Barik. “It isn’t like I am a doctor or anything.”
Saita grunted before taking a deep breath and finally saying. “Ask then.”
“Ask what?”
“About what I normally hide under my clothes.”
“I’m sure you have an excellent figure and have nothing to worry about when it comes to attracting the right partner when you are ready.”
“That is not what I mean, and you know it.”
“There is nothing to ask if you do not want to share with me. Let us leave it at that. We are strangers to one another,” he continued to add more stitches as he spoke. “This will scar. I am no plastic surgeon, but I am sure the doctors will have something to take the worst of it away.”
Once more silence echoed around them until Barik eventually finished. He applied a little more antiseptic wash, and this was when Saita flinched.
“Is your mind power starting to fade with the blood loss?” he asked.
“Hmm.”
“Shall I get Kiai to put a bandage on for you?” he got up to make for the bathroom’s entrance.
Saita grabbed his hand and held onto it as she sat up. “Just put a plaster on and be done with it. There is no need to trouble Kiai.”
“I think it would be more comfortable for you…”
“She wouldn’t treat me like a warrior. Not like you.”
Barik sighed and turned to see a white-faced Saita holding a towel to her chest looking up at him imploringly.
“Please,” she begged.
“There aren't enough plasters in the world to cover up your back,” he said softly.
“Then you put the bandage on. Please,” she begged with her teeth clenched. “You are the only one that doesn’t treat me like I am irreparably broken.”
“Okay.” he nodded his head. “But I will need to get more supplies. Are you managing the shock?”
“I am,” she released his hand.
Without another word, he left the bathroom to find Kiai sitting on the floor waiting for him with some fresh clothes for Saita.
“Is she okay?” she asked, getting to her feet.
“She’ll live. Did you bring any bandages?”
“Some. Should I come…”
“Let me do it,” he held his hand out for everything she had brought. “Make sure there is something hot and sweet in her room because she is going to crash hard when the adrenaline runs out.”
“Barik, have I done something wrong?” asked Kiai as she handed everything over.
“Both yes and no,” he whispered. “Right now, she needs to be thought of as strong and no one is letting her. Everyone and everything are telling her that she needs to slow down and take stock of what happened. That she is meant to be scared. You keep treating her like the little girl that you knew in the past. She is no longer that child and to think of the past is clearly difficult for her. You need to realise that her strength is currently built on a very unstable base. She is trying to be what everyone wants her to be and there is no time to be the scared little girl that by right she should be able to be. But not now. Now she needs to be seen as healing. You need to start treating her like your warrior, and the strength you need for this plan to work.”
“But…”
“Look, battle damage happens and as much as I would like to sit down with her and talk things out, she isn’t interested or ready to do so. Back off and let her come to you when she needs something. You are not her mother.”
Barik knew his words had hurt Kiai, but he needed her to realise that the wounded woman behind him needed time to come to terms with her past on her own. There was no amount of love and care that would move it any faster than it already was.
“I love you and if you love her you need to give her space to breath,” he kissed the top of her head. “Go prepare her something to help with pain, shock, and exhaustion.”
Kiai, somewhat defeated, allowed her husband to close the bathroom door behind him. She was momentarily angry at him but soon realised the only reason she was angry was that he had spoken the truth.
At least Saita is bonding with someone at this point, and it helps that it's another warrior who knows nothing about her past. Next week we get to meet her Vulpine challenger, and he is a jerk! We also have Edzeeker returning to the story. How will Saita handle that?
Also, a shoutout to 
For those of you just joining us, please note that this is the follow on book from Fell Dragon. Follow this link to read it
Fell Dragon Book 1
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
If you want to join the Reader's list, just ask or follow me for updates on this and my other stories.
Reader's List
Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 15>>You are Here>>Part 17