His head slumped to his pillow in utter exhaustion, and he had to fight to keep himself from immediately sinking into the warm comforting caress of soothing sleep once more.
"For remember this truth, cousins, and remember it well. Though our shapes are different, our psyches, our souls, our ability to feel laughter, joy, and love for our parents and children, that is the same. To destroy them is near as monstrous a crime as were some berserk male to attempt to smash to death every wyrmling in our clan. Not that such could ever happen, of course," Sorn said placatingly to his cousin's outraged gasps and draconic hisses, their passions sending them to an instinctive boil at the very thought.
"But just as you would hate such monsters who would destroy those we love in our own clan, so too you should realize the monstrous horror of our people devastating the lands of, and burning alive, the women and children of this world. Our shapes are different, but our souls are the same." Sorn's eyes were filled with tears with these aching thoughts, and he could feel his mind drift away with exhaustion. "Our souls are the same."
His final words a whisper, he slipped away once again to the land of nod, leaving his three shaken cousins promising themselves they would not ever seek to open any arcane door that would allow such terror to come to this land.
With that, the first glimmers of sunlight hit their cabin window, and soon all four young dragons found themselves deep in sleep, for the moment free of all cares or worry as to what their future held.
Sorn made himself one promise as he woke up again mid-morning, once again needing to relieve himself with the assistance of his cousins. He would return. Whether it was weeks or months from now, as soon as he was strong enough, however long that took, he would return. For Caverenoc held a jewel more precious to him than any ruby or sapphire could ever be. Even now he could visualize Elissa's deep green eyes gazing gently down upon him, filled with a tenderness that touched his very soul.
So many days he had been near delirious with his wounds and his body's desperate drive to repair and sustain itself. Yet one of the few clear recollections he had was the memory of her soothing touch, like a cool balm that had eased his terrible restless pain. So vividly he could recall her gentle smile, filling his heart with sweetest warmth, igniting a craving fiercer than even his hunger for gold.
Whether he recovered before the city was overrun or no, one day he would return, and nothing would keep him from claiming the girl who had touched his heart. Even if he had to wage war against the Empire all by himself.
And he would win.
With those fierce thoughts for comfort, he drifted off once more into deepest slumber, dreaming of adventures to come.
Thank You
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