“No,” whispered Guinevere. She stood up and moved to stand in front of the healer. “Please tell me there is hope. I beg of you.”
“Sweet Guinevere, it is not up to me. Unfortunately, even I have limitations.”
“Please tell me you do not mean to tell me what I am thinking,” Guinevere pleaded, desperation cracking every syllable she spoke.
“I have no doubt you understand the severity of your Elder’s condition, which is why you are so fretful. There is one thing we can attempt to treat or perhaps even achieve a cure, but it requires a dangerous journey on your part.”
“Anything! I will do anything needed for my Elder, I do not care how dangerous,” Guinevere shouted. Adrenaline coursed through her long body.
"Your Elder knew you would say such a thing and for that reason has requested the two of you have a conversation before a decision is made," Althaeda said.
“What is there to be said? If I must do this to help my Elder then there is nothing to discuss,” Guinevere said strongly.
“Your Elder does not feel the same way and respect must be shown,” reminded Althaeda.
Guinevere remained quiet for a moment before walking into the cave. Her Elder sat propped up against the stone of the back wall, heavily hooded eyes drooping but open nonetheless. She wondered if the healer had done something to give the afflicted dragon enough energy for the conversation.
“Guinevere,” the Elder spoke in a feeble voice, “I have heard your cries.”
“My Elder, I wish only to save you. I will be honored to do anything, anything to help you.”
“I appreciate it, my dear Guinevere, but this is not something to be taken lightly. This is not a decision to be made rashly, pushed forward only by emotion.”
“Please tell me what I need to do,” Guinevere pleaded, head bowed in respect.
The Elder drew in a rattling breath and responded, “It is a dangerous journey of the kind you have never taken before, much less alone.”
“I understand.”
“You must venture into the human world and gather some items to bring back for Althaeda to treat me.”
Guinevere looked up at her Elder in shock. Not once in her life had she actually ventured completely out of the forest to interact with humans in their territory. In fact, she knew very little about them. She felt a ball of nervousness in the pit of her stomach, the energy of which radiated to every end of her.
“I knew that would catch your attention. Now do you understand the seriousness of this?”
“My Elder, the seriousness of the entire situation has never been lost on me. It is simply that I never expected to find your cure in the realm of the humans.”
“I see,” the Elder said with a small nod, “But please do not think of it as a cure any longer.”
“Is that not what I will be in search of?”
The Elder breathed out and responded, “No. That is something you need to speak to Althaeda about. Before you do that, however, we need to reach a decision.”
“With all due respect, I reached my decision long before we sought out the renowned healer. I have always known I would do whatever it took to help you and I stand by that.”
“Very well. Speak to Althaeda and then return before your departure.”
Guinevere bowed her head once more and then walked out of the cave to find Althaeda sitting upright in the clearing, face pointing toward the sky. “It is more beautiful out here than where I dwell,” she commented.
“I also find it beautiful here,” Guinevere agreed, “Although I do feel attached to the area.”
"Of course you do," Althaeda said, "This is where you have lived by your Elder's side since you were a small dragon. This is your place of comfort. It is here that you know you are safe. But even to one who does not feel so strongly about this place, it is beautiful."
Guinevere remained quiet. She had never considered how others might feel about where she lived. This was home to her. The two of them sat in silence, side by side, staring up at the night sky. Finally, Guinevere decided she needed to ask the question she most feared getting the answer to. “Now that you have met my Elder, do you believe my mission will result in a cure?”
“That is not something I can guarantee,” Althaeda replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.
“I understand, but is it a possibility?”
“It is a possibility. Though how big of one, I cannot say.”
“If it is not a cure, will it fail completely?”
“Not necessarily. There is always a chance it will be an effective treatment, one that brings some relief and allows for some more time of life.”
“There is no way to know from now which is likelier?”
“Absolutely not.”
Guinevere went silent once more. She spread her wings and moved up above the trees. Now was not the time for a flight but she needed to feel the lightness of her body held up by the wind beneath her gossamer wings. She knew it looked like the stars shined from underneath them, like a part of her twinkled. Usually, it was beautiful. On this night, however, it did not matter. She twirled in the air and then flew down to the mouth of the cave, entering slowly and quietly.
“My Elder, the time has come for me to begin my journey,” Guinevere announced.
“Come closer, my dear Guinevere,” the Elder told her. Guinevere complied and stepped closer. “Before you go, I must remind you of something important. Remember they know not of us nor are they likely to come to understand us should they ever discover we share the Earth with them. If a kind human offers genuine help when you are in need, you may accept so long as you are always wary. Never reveal yourself.”
“Of course, my Elder.”
“And one more thing– never, ever forget everything you mean to me.”
Chapter Four
After Guinevere declared her eternal loyalty and gratitude to her Elder, she went out from the cave feeling more afraid than ever. Althaeda listed everything she needed to retrieve on the journey, letting her know everything was important and would be used for two different treatments. “They are the likes of which I have never made or used before,” the healer had let her know. This was not something that Guinevere felt comforted by; in fact, it was quite the opposite. She thanked Althaeda nonetheless and took off in flight through the night. She knew she could only fly for the first portion of her trip, for there was a certain area by which the humans could spot her.
So she flew freely for as long as she could. She took in the starry night and enjoyed the whistling wind around her body. This was the best she had felt in a long time and knew it could potentially be even longer before she ever felt this way again. Everything had been stress and difficulty since her Elder had taken ill. Even though she was heading to the nearest human village in hopes of acquiring everything needed for two treatments, she resolved to make the most of the flight. The sun had risen and started its passage across the sky but she was still flying, wings flapping harder than usual. She wanted to arrive quickly, especially because no timeline had been given to her. There was no telling how long it would take to gather everything and, even more frightening, how long the Elder could hold on without the help of the treatment. It was only the fact that Althaeda would stay with the Elder until Guinevere’s return that brought some solace.
The sun was just past half its passage across the sky when she neared the area where she needed to dive back into the trees. It was no longer safe to fly, much less in broad daylight. Even humans could spot at this distance. Thankfully, her body was lean and she was agile enough to fly through the trees in this area where there was more space between them. She knew humans did not venture out this far, not even the most daring of them She flew and flew until she finally reached the lined of trees which served as a warning to dragons– human encounters were possible beyond this point. She drew her wings in and stood tall, looking around for any sign of not being alone. Once she was in the clear, it was time to shift into her human form.
/> It was a form she had taken only a handful of times in her life even though she had never made it out this far, not even with her Elder. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling her insides warm up. The warmth spread from the inside out and her body began to lessen in size. Her hind legs became long and lean human legs, her forelegs skinny arms with thin hands at the ends. Her lean body undulated into a small waist and wide hips, set apart just enough so that a gap was left between her thighs. Her chest curved into large, heavy breasts and her gossamer wings seemed to wrap around her body as a covering. The covering thickened and appeared as black leather as if she wore a strapless top connected to shorts that comfortably hugged her figure. The scales of her body had turned into boots for her protection. She opened her icy blue eyes and saw long locks of hair whipping about her. They were of such a light blond that they appeared white or silver in color.
She took a deep breath as if inhaling for the first time and felt the air move through her entire body. She pressed her hand to her chest; she could feel her heart beating underneath the smooth, fair skin. Her hair settled and flowed down over her back and she began to walk forward. With every step she took, she became more and more anxious. She had spotted humans few times before but it had been from a great distance. It was safe, especially because her Elder had been by her side. Now she was not just alone, but she was marching straight into where they all dwelled. As she walked, her mind replayed the words her Elder had spoken before her outset. She knew she had to always be on alert but as she got nearer and nearer to the outskirts of her land, where she had always known safety, she took pause. Not only was she faced with the dangerous journey, but she also had the heavy task of remaining in her human form at all times. That was one aspect of the entire thing she had not considered from the start.
It did not matter anyway. She was determined to do this successfully. If there was even a tiny chance of the treatments helping or even curing her Elder, she was willing to do whatever it took. She walked on faster and faster until she broke into a run. She ran faster than any human possibly could and eventually decided to slow down to a more reasonable speed, on the off chance of a human being nearby. Her heart thumped at the mere thought. The moment she stepped out of the forest and onto a large, open field she felt a terror not known to her before. She had to cross this large piece of land, cautiously, only to finally come in contact with them for the first time in her life. The sun beat down on her but she did not sweat– that was simply not a bodily function of her kind.
When the outskirts of the town came into view, Guinevere slowed to a stop. There was a strong breeze and it made her hair whip about as she stared on. Even from this distance, she could see small figures moving from one place to another every so often and she knew they were humans. Her vision was more acute than theirs and she knew it was something to rely on heavily once walking amongst them. Guinevere drew in a deep breath and gathered courage. Her Elder had always taught her to be strong and confident even in the face of adversity. Even if she had never been faced with a situation such as this one, she knew she could handle it. She had to if she wanted to return with everything that was needed. It was the thought of that alone that could push her forth through anything.
Guinevere walked forward, firm legs taking long strides. She walked more gracefully than she flew, something that was really very interesting to her. There was nothing to see around her, not even a single person or creature of some sort. Then she came to the outskirts of the town. There happened to be nobody there when she arrived. While it calmed her for a moment, Guinevere knew she would encounter a human sooner rather than later. “Be strong,” she muttered under her breath. She felt the energy of her Elder course through her and she walked forward.
The first human she passed was walking with a child and the two of them stared at her. The child looked at her with big, inquisitive eyes. The woman with him, whom Guinevere presumed to be the mother, looked at her with curiosity. Then she passed a group of people, all of whom stopped their chatter in favor of looking at her with awe. Every person or group of people she walked by stopped to look at her. There were admiration and curiosity in the eyes of everyone but not a single person approached her. She doubted there was anything threatening about her appearance; if anything, she must have appeared ethereal to the humans. It was perhaps for that reason that everyone stared but nobody spoke. Truthfully, Guinevere had always felt beautiful as a dragon and even in her rarely adopted human form. But as she continued to walk through the town garnering so much attention, she became concerned. She wondered if all the attention could potentially open up the doors to them discovering her secret.
Guinevere gulped and stopped walking in a circular clearing between buildings. There were a good few people gathered around, all of whom had been going about their day until she appeared in their midst. She felt singled out but knew if she looked afraid or uncertain, that could make her a target. Her head turned slowly from left to right, keenly observing her surroundings. Her eyes took in every detail of the buildings around her and the way every person there looked. Even then nobody moved nearer to her. Some had turned away from her but others were still openly staring, although there was only awe or curiosity in their eyes and nothing threatening. Despite that, a rush of questions came to Guinevere’s mind. What would she do if her secret, her true identity, were to be discovered? Would it be possible for the humans to overpower her in human form? What if it happened before she found what she needed to take back to Althaeda? It was that onslaught of questions that sent her walking quickly away from where she stood. She walked faster and faster until she found a lonely alleyway that was far from the center of town.
She leaned back against a tall wall and shut her eyes for just a second. She placed her hand on her breast and drew in a deep breath. Her plan had never been to run away from the town center but it was all she could think to do at the moment. All Guinevere hoped was that her walk appeared as one of determination and not unease. She closed her eyes once more, wanting just a moment of tranquility in this strange land. That was when she heard the heavy footfalls moving slowly in her direction.
Chapter Five
Guinevere opened her eyes at once and turned to look at where they came from. That was when a young man approached her. Despite the shock she’d felt at his sudden arrival, she did notice he was the most gorgeous human she had ever laid eyes on. The humans she had seen before from afar looked nothing like him. Not even the images shown to her as a young dragon were a match to him. Not a single townsperson she had walked by looked as stunning as the young man walking toward her. Momentarily stricken by his beauty, it was enough time for the young man to get very close to her. She jumped back when his tall figure towered over her. She was shocked to find he was taller than her, especially when every human she had walked past in the town had either been shorter or a match to her height. She looked into his deep brown eyes that stared at her intensely and she instantly worried about what might happen next.
“Why are you out here alone?”
His voice was husky and when he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed attractively in his throat. Guinevere was unsure what it was he was causing within her but she was quite certain it could lead to a dangerous situation for her. Despite that, she looked at him carefully. She recalled her Elder’s advice to take help from a kind human as long as she did so with caution. He seemed harmless as of now and with an open field in front of her, there was an easy escape plan should things turn sour.
“May I at least know your name?”
He softened the tone of his voice when he asked the second question. There was a certain type of warmth he emitted that drew Guinevere to him but even that was not enough for her to let her guard down. She debated on whether or not to give her name to this stranger. She was too unsure to speak and not used to forming words in her human form. She worried if it would be a strange sound or if her face would contort in an odd way. So Guinevere remained silent once again.
Help. The word registered strongly with Guinevere and she finally gave him an answer in the form of a nod. She thought that perhaps having a human like him at her side would help her more easily navigate the streets of the town. He might even serve as a form of protection for her even if he was not necessarily aware of it. Although based on his behavior now, she thought it even possible for him to knowingly come to her rescue while she was in town. Guinevere did not want to expect too much from the young man, however, so she put a stop to her thoughts and decided to take things one step at a time.
“How can I help you?”
Guinevere took a deep breath and cast her gaze out to the field. She did not know what to say to him yet. There had to be a period of them together during which it could be decided if he could be trusted or not. She looked back into his deep brown eyes and then over in the direction of the town. She gave a single nod in that direction and then looked back at him.
“Do you want to walk through town with me? Is that what you are saying?”
Guinevere nodded silently. He motioned for her to follow him and she soon fell into step right beside him. The two of them walked in silence toward the center of town. As they moved along the streets, people turning to look at her just like before, a strange feeling crept down her back. Unsure of what the strange feeling might be, she turned to look at the young man. He looked straight ahead even when she was looking at him and she marveled at his handsome side-profile. He looked like he could have been carved out of stone, a work of such beauty that it could adorn a whole town. How did they look walking down the streets of the town, side by side– she, the ethereal beauty and he, the breathtakingly handsome young man? She turned away from him briefly but soon found she wanted to take in his appearance again. Perhaps it was not safe or smart but she gazed at him again. She glanced over at him from time to time, and each time an entirely new feeling washed over her. It is one she did not recognize but knew she did not want to lose it.
Romance: The Bad Boy Affair: A Second Chance Romance Page 60