Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons

by Lhaisa Andria

  The last thing she saw was Dul'Maojin shouting something and then her body sank.

  And it all went dark.

  Chapter 6 – Real Dragon

  — Incredible!

  Garo-lin heard the voice that seemed to come from far away and it was difficult to understand and connect that accent with Kidari's.

  — What part exactly was incredible? – the Lighting Dragon asked in his arrogant manner, as if she had spoken a foolishness.

  — The part she stupidly tried to run away with the mombelula, the part of the acrobatics, the part where she hung, the one she fell into the lake or the one she almost drowned? – Sfairul clarified the options.

  Kidari took a moment to respond, as if she were choosing, and then she spoke, with Gran'Otto chanting her:

  — Everything!

  That quick dialogue made Garo-lin remember what had happened.

  By some miracle, she was alive. And something told her that she should not open her eyes now if she wanted to go on like this.

  She felt her whole body aching, especially her hands, arms and legs, and her robes were soaked. A sharp sensation bothered her head and seemed to traverse her whole body in small pulsations, causing a slight numbness. As she felt every part of herself clearly, she realized that the pain diminished with each heartbeat, as if something were putting everything in order, and that could only indicate one thing.

  She covertly opened a little of one eye and managed to distinguish a scene: Zawhart had one hand extended in front of her face, and Kidari was at her side, paying attention to everything he did.

  — Lucky that Kris jumped after her – the Metal Dragon commented. – If he and Nu'lian had not acted fast, only Vin wouldn't be able to heal her.

  Had she heard right? Had the Fire Dragon leapt behind her in the lake? Of the one who'd punched him and then tried to run away stealing his mombelula? An insignificant vilashi who dared to face him?

  — It was pure extinct! – Dul'Maojin spoke, as if defending himself.

  — Yes, species like you are even in extinction, Kris – Sieful laughed, and was accompanied by the others.

  — You understood what I meant! Ouch! Be more careful, Sumer!

  — Sorry – she hummed, not sounding like anyone worried about whatever she had done with the integrity of the dragon.

  Unable to avoid the curiosity to see what was happening, Garo-lin opened her eyes a little more, and it was when she realized that someone had noticed that she was already awake and faced her:

  — Morning – the Royal Dragon greeted her, startled her.

  — Ready! She is alive and pretending – Zawhart stopped using his healing almaki and made it clear that she did not deserve him anymore.

  She arose with difficulty, and from what little she could understand in a moment, she observed that they were all gathered on the shores of the lake. Gillion and Kidari beside her, Sfairul along with the mombelula inn, holding their harnesses. Gran'Otto was with Dul'Maojin, who was now being examined by the Lighting Dragon. However, she could not see more than that, since Kidari hugged her so tightly that she could barely gather enough air to ask her to let her go:

  — Garo! Kidari worried!

  — If you keep squeezing her like that, she's going to faint again – Zawhart warned, and got Kodorin to free her, exchanging her happy expression for an alarmed.

  As soon as she could breathe again, Garo-lin looked at the one she did not want to see, but who could not help it.

  Krission Dul'Maojin was sitting on the lawn a little ahead, without the top of his robes, wearing the sleeves of his shirt to try to staunch the bleeding from his nose, while her friend kneeling beside her was bandaging her shoulder. If it were not for the whole context of the situation, it would even be comical to see him in that state, dripping water, with his pompous hair that always stood proudly bounded on all sides reduced to layers drained and glued to his forehead, partially covering his vision. The wound probably happened the moment he fell and hit the cabin, and he also had several scratches on his arms and face caused by the branches of the forest. Adding all this to what had happened, Garo-lin was sure that would be the last day of her life.

  However, instead of pulverizing her with his first-rate almaki as she expected, the Fire Dragon only pretended that he was not paying attention to her and again complained about something that the Metal Dragon was doing wrong with his shoulder.

  — Don’t worry – she heard the calm voice of the Royal Dragon by her side and saw that he held out his hand to her. – It's all right.

  That dragon was also wet, confirming what he had heard that he had aided in his rescue from the lake, but not soaked as she was. Probably he had handled his almaki beyond his possibilities, not being able to contain all the water. If this were a test inside the Institute, she probably would not have been able to impress their masters, since one of the most basic conditions of being a good manager is to never have remnants of the managed element. Garo-lin knew this very well, and being an almakin with third-order power, she could not always handle fire without searing her hair or any part of her clothing.

  The Water Dragon did something that did not match his title was not what caught her attention. The hand stretched out in front of him, clearly offering her help, was something totally out of the ordinary. Not knowing what reaction to have, and mostly not knowing what would happen from then on, she looked at Kidari, who smiled, as if to confirm that she did not have to worry. Then, induced by this, she accepted the offer and, with the help of Gillion and Kidari, she rose from the ground and was carried back to the main house.

  Even knowing she should not, she could not resist looking back halfway and again saw Dul'Maojin pretending he had not been watching her walk away.

  ***

  — Did you run up to the edge of the lake and watch the mombelula go up in the sky in the distance? – Garo-lin asked, checking to see if she had understood all that Kidari was trying to tell her as clearly as possible, connecting with what she knew had happened.

  — De – Kidari confirmed.

  — Then, before she hit the lake, did she change direction and return to the fortress?

  — De.

  — When I was almost close to you, I fell into the water and sank.

  — De.

  — And then?

  She thought a little, arranging the words she should use, and counted on much effort and gestures to help:

  — Garo sank. Krission jumped sank as well. Nu'lian ran used almaki. Water made it open like this – she mimicked the movement the waters made, which to Garo-lin seemed the same thing he had done the first night in the fortress, but in a greater proportion. – From there, Garo Krission appeared. Garo was not awake, Krission carried Garo to the grass. Benar made mombelula come back. Sumerin Vinshu help.

  Even Garo-lin knowing that it was easier for Kidari to call people by their names, especially when she needed to concentrate on explaining, to hear her pronounce the names of the Dragons was strange.

  First, because they had unique titles and all who were below them should refer to them in this form, a fact which applied to the whole of Almakia. Second, because the only ones who called them by names were themselves and their families. Third, that hearing her calling them by name gave the idea that she was part of the Dragons, and this could not be considered as the best thing in the world. But that was not an ideal time to explain formalities to her friend. Garo-lin had much more worrying things to occupy her mind..

  After being able to wash, put on dry clothes and see that her injuries were minimal, since the worst of it had been healed by the Lighting Dragon, Garo-lin needed to know the details of what had happened while she was out of breath. It was not possible, after everything she had done, things to look as if nothing had happened. After all, she had kicked the Fire Dragon and tried to escape. She had almost drowned in the lake and been rescued by him and his friends. Something was very wrong with that reality and had to find out what.

  �
� How... how did I get out of the lake?

  — Krission caught Garo like that and brought.

  Garo-lin wanted to be able to sink into bed and never have to leave. Pelos gestos de Kidari, she had been carried by the Fire Dragon, something that could be confirmed, since her robes were stained with blood that could only have come from his nose.

  Ashamed at the mere sight of the scene, the hole in which she felt herself fall further increased with the thought of having to admit that Krission Dul'Maojin had saved her life. And there was a way out of the situation, since it all away caused by herself. She would have to bear the consequences. Now, more than having an almaki oath with the Fire Dragon, she was doomed for owing life to him according to the very values of her people. For vilashis, promises were very important, and in this case, more important than anything.

  — Kidari, why didn't you just let me sink into that lake?

  — Ani! – she exclaimed, frightened in her language. – No, Garo-lin! Look... – she tried to think of something that might cheer her up in some way. – Krission sent servants back! No more eating potatoes! Garo does not clean anymore! Kidari can stay with Garo now! Shion also!

  The cat, who until now had been lying at the window, not at all worried about what was happening in there, turned his ears to them when he heard his name being pronounced.

  — Nu'lian said he'll be fine – she added, almost crying. – Nu'lian good dragon. Garo will not sink in the lake.

  Garo-lin heaved a weary sigh and turned to the side, covering her head with the covers.

  She did not want to see Kidari cry. A part of her was happy to realize how much the girl cared about her and was worried. Since helping the disoriented Kidari Chanboni on her first day at the Institute so far, she finally felt that she could consider her not only as a colleague, but as a friend. But she could not accept her by saying that the Dragons were good people when she knew they were not... even if they had saved her life.

  ***

  Garo-lin had been lying down all day.

  At first she slept for real, as her body demanded. But as soon as she felt recovered, she pretended to be asleep, wanting to put off having to leave the shelter of that bed and face the Dragons. She had not touched anything Kidari had brought to her to eat – though it smelled deliciously good after a season of potatoes – and stubbornly did not heed her calls.

  But at dawn, when she was sure that her friend was asleep, Garo-lin stood up silently and tiptoed to the door. When she opened it, Shion turned his bright eyes to her, but he did not say anything and then leaned his head back on his paws. If what happened around him had no direct influence on Kidari, he did not seem to care.

  Likewise, in silence, she walked through the corridors.

  After walking through them for so long cleaning and tidying up, they did not need light to orient themselves. But to prevent it, she decided to do something she had never done before: she used her almaki without permission. With only one finger, she handled a small flame with enough light for her to distinguish what was in front of her. She would not need it more than that.

  Her intention was to go to the kitchen and look for something to eat. Going out like that at night would be no danger of being spotted by a servant or even a dragon. It was only -

  — Are you better?

  Garo-lin's heart almost came out of her mouth, but she had enough sense to cover it before making any noise. Frightened, she turned and faced the Royal Dragon standing behind her, as if it were perfectly normal to wander through the house in the middle of the night and sneak around other people doing the same.

  — Don't you sleep? – she asked rudely, both for the shock and the relief of not being the Fire Dragon, and she regretted right away.

  In response, he just smiled and Garo-lin blinked before him, not realizing that she had let her mouth open, since she could not define a reaction to have.

  That's okay that he had told her that afternoon snorted in her mind, along with the Nu'lian, the Kidari's good dragon.

  Actually, out of the five, Gillion did not fit right into the dragon idea that Garo-lin had. Zawhart was arrogant and did not care about anyone he thought did not deserve his attention. Sfairul did not show much of his opinions and always agreed that his friends were doing. Gran'Otto lived in her world, being protected and spoiled by others, having all her requests promptly attended. Dul'Maojin was a complete idiot, the worst kind of person she knew. The Royal Dragon always seemed to have his head elsewhere, being part of the Dragons, but at the same time belonging to a parallel world without any relationship with that.

  As soon as she had known the Dragons, Garo-lin had classified him as sad, for she rarely saw him laughing with others, whether it was a healthy diversion or mistreating someone... not that she really cared whether he smiled or not.

  But now, with him standing in front of her, after having helped her and reassured her that afternoon, there was a whole new picture connected with the person of Nu'lian Gillion. And for the first time she could see beyond the dragon title and note that this was not a sad smile, but a smile from someone who seemed to be still learning to smile.

  — Are you hungry? – he asked, ripping her out of her thoughts.

  As if it were a living being roaring with joy at having noticed it, Garo-lin's stomach responded with a loud snort.

  Embarrassed, she grabbed her belly and could not pretend it had not happened:

  — A little.

  — Let's go. I will repay for the potatoes of the last days.

  ***

  As soon as the dragon had deposited a dish with a good smell in front of her, Garo-lin had to swallow all the disbelief she had when he told her that he would cook. Surely it was not a plate that reflected the level of the almakin heir of the Royal Family who prepares him and who had used the remains of food that the servants had prepared that day, but... she was hungry and that mix could enter her rating as the best she had ever tasted in life.

  In the beginning, she tried to eat in the moderate and educated way of an almakin, as she had been conditioned in the Institute. But soon hunger overcame discipline and she returned to her old vilashi habits, and the dragon did not seem to mind that. On the contrary, sitting in front of her, he even had fun observing the way she practically filled her mouth until she could no longer, and then decided to chew something.

  — No need to go out at night to eat hidden – he said. – Your friend took food to you in the room.

  She looked at him, still chewing and unable to respond. Even so, she thought of something to say that did not sound like a I'm being stubborn because I can't remember what happened without wanting to throw me off a giant tree. She swallowed what was in her mouth and then began to turn her fork in her fingers, trying to start saying something.

  — About... – she started by choosing the words. – About today... thanks for helping me... and thanks for the food... even I...

  — Even you being a vilashi – he completed.

  — Yeah.

  — Do you really think all this is because you are a vilashi?

  Garo-lin stared at him, not understanding the question.

  That night when she had run to the lake, she had realized that the Royal Dragon did not speak things in a direct way. And that question seemed to have a much broader meaning than the apparent. But the only answer she could get was another question:

  — And would it be for something else?

  He pondered for some time and then came to a conclusion:

  — You were a brave vilashi.

  — I wouldn't call it exactly bravery what I did – she released with an unbelieving sigh.

  He leaned back in his chair and began to count, as if he were talking about something simple, like the time out there:

  — Sumerin thinks you did well, although you exaggerated trying to escape. Benar said that someone finally managed to answer Krission. Vinshu thinks they'll kick you out of the Institute as soon as they know what happened... I think you were
brave. From what Kris told you about the Institute's trip so far, you're afraid of heights, aren't you?

  — Hum – she did, agreeing, though she was not exactly sure of it, since there were several factors on that day that might have contributed to making that bad trip.

  — Besides the courage to face the Fire Dragon, you faced a fear overcame and to get away... I call it bravery.

  And again he smiled. This time Garo-lin could not look directly at him and turned her attention to the plate of food, pretending that the comment had not reached her at all.

  — Well, unfortunately bravery doesn't last forever – she came back to eat, trying to break that feeling. – Mine was exchanged for fear in the second the mombelula began to fly.

  — Fear is also a good thing – he said thoughtfully, and then stood up, placing the chair carefully in the same place he was before he sat down. He walked quietly toward the door, but stopped before leaving, saying:

  — You're not the only one to be afraid after what happened today... good night, Garo-lin.

  And he left, as if he had just come over to talk to her and now he had to go back on his way.

  Even after having finished eating and being satisfied, Garo-lin still stood for a moment staring at the small flame she had made before finding the dragon in the hallway and placing it inside a glass in front of her. Great things happened to her in that small period of time, but the only really good thing was the conversation with the Royal Dragon. Now she felt more calm and confident in sleeping well the rest of the night and waking up the other day to face whatever was going to happen. She could not help but smile at the fact that, for the first time in years, someone other than Kidari called her by name. Maybe she had to agree with her friend: Nu'lian Gillion could be a good dragon...

  ***

  Although she had gone to sleep more excitedly, thinking that the worst had passed, the fact that she was calmer was what made her realize one thing: she was sick.

  Exhausted by the days of work, not feeding properly, with the nerves provoked by the fight the day before and the extra dip in the frozen waters of the lake, that was enough reason for her to feel the typical symptoms of a cold as she woke up. Her nose was irritated and an uncomfortable pain pressed the middle of her face, not allowing her to think straight. Even the Lighting Dragon having dealt with his bruises, not even he could foresee a cold in the face of all the commotion of the previous day. However, she did not want to resort to the help of the dragon healer again, she could well take care of herself, as her mother had taught her and how she had taken care of herself and her brothers when they were sick. She knew what had in the kitchen cupboard and she just had to go there to prepare the syrup recipe. Taking that combination of ingredients, drinking plenty of water and resting for a while, would soon be good enough to get off the covers without hurting anyone. She had already done this at the Institute and when she still lived in Godan and it was not as difficult as when she was a child.