Just Checking Up! Part Fifty-Two: An Unlikely Friendship

Rip:

Silks remained on bed rest with all of her spirit guardians, Sins, and the elementals watching her. Cursing under my breath, that dragon magic had destroyed her from the inside out. The elementals explained that dragon magic would do the same to them, a week of phoenix tears hopefully doing the trick. Guilt ate at me, the silver scales on my palms not feeling so magical anymore.

“Sorry I cursed you.” Kawfton apologized for the millionth time, my fury for him returning. “Feel free to punish me if you desire.” Brushing past him icily with Orchid’s phoenix tear laced tea, no words had passed between us since that day. All fault rested with him and myself, her condition reminding me that I couldn’t move fast enough. Climbing the stairs, a long sigh escaped my lips. Rushing past the army of demons and supernatural demons protecting her, a push of the door revealed a tuckered out Silks. Smiling weakly in my direction, our argument raced through my head. Struggling to sit up, our kids played on the floor.

“Can you give Kawfton a chance?” She requested hoarsely, the dragon magic having torched her throat. “I may not be able to do much but I can insist that you find a nice bond. Lord knows that I miss Flamios and Harebell. Treasure what you have.” Coughing up a storm, fresh organ tissue glistened on her palm. Asking for the tea, a couple of gulps had her curling into a ball while watching the kids play away. Approaching her cautiously, guilt ate at me. Inky tears shimmered in my eyes, her hand curling around mine.

“Rip, listen to me. My heart is broken beyond repair. Too much has been destroyed and taken from me.” She confessed soft enough for only me to hear, the corner of her lips quivering into the saddest smile. “My heart is yours and yours alone, my dear king.” Kissing the blood off of her lips, the regression into severe internal bleeding had occurred too frequently for my opinion. Maybe Kawfton knew of a cure, my dress boots clacking back down to him. Folding my arms across the chest of my simple black t-shirt and my ripped jeans, a bit of hope illuminated his features.

“Cure, what the fuck is it? Nothing we are throwing at the issue is pulling through for her.” I demanded intensely, a quiet fear zapping his hope. Shifting uncomfortably in front of me, my head bowing in shame. Clapping his hand in front of me, my brow cocked in pure frustration. Answers, answers were fucking needed.

“The Golden Phoenix Gardens is all I have left to offer, young master.” He returned nervously, his worn boot beginning to tap incessantly. “There is a fountain that contains the power of a trillion phoenix tears. One vial of that and a cup of Orchid’s tea will fix her in an instance. A major problem is that they hid it from us dragons due to a major argument. Unless you can find a way to picture it, luck isn’t on our hands. In fact, they helped the demons kill most of us.” Mulling over the information, a chew on my bottom lip wasn’t exactly buying time. Placing his finger in the air, he dug around his pocket. Plucking a golden phoenix feather, time had nearly destroyed it. Pressing it into my palms, a couple of clacks granted us more space. Did I look that scary? I should probably fix that, I thought internally.

“It really isn’t like me to not to grab a souvenir from an attack. Forgive me for the condition.” He chuckled anxiously. “Go on and try that door magic of yours. Maybe we can get there. I have faith in you.” Rolling my eyes, frustration brewed in my eyes. His optimism was founded in a decent place, the recent events leading me to think otherwise.

“Turn down the optimism before I throw up.” I shot back venomously, my fingers curling around his feather. “Forgive my attitude but my wife is currently dying upstairs.” Shrinking back with hurt, my scowl softened into a friendly smile. Remembering Silks’ request, being compassionate proved to be more her thing. Flashes of a golden garden played out like a movie, golden phoenixes fluttering away.

Opening my eyes, a golden door popped up in front of me. Hesitation lingered in his eyes, the sleek door swinging open. Crossing over without a second thought, Kawfton made his way through cautiously. Slamming shut behind us, it dissipated into a cloud of golden ash. Dread bubbled in my gut, our fated journey seemed sealed. Coughing up a cloud of smoke, Kawfton cursed under his breath. What was going on inside his head?

“Monsters linger about.” He warned me in an irked tone, gruff groans escaping our lips at the same time. “Let’s save the phoenixes, so we have an ace up our sleeve. Try to deny us then, you bastards.” Crap, I didn’t know I brought Silks alongside me. Parting my lips to speak several times, heavy footfalls ruffled the sea of golden flowers and leaves. Shrinking back, a corrupted soul monster burst from the thickest bushes. Milky eyes blinked rapidly, the shadowy form swelling into a shadowy dragon. Glancing back at Kawfton, an unimpressed smirk twitched on my lips.

“Know anything about this?” I choked out awkwardly, a strained huh escaping his lips. “That isn’t normal. Nothing about that is normal!” Kicking at the golden cobblestone, a throbbing core beat within its chest. Remaining silent, trauma paralyzed him in place. Sniffing the air, they smelled just like him. Realization dawned in my expression, a curse of some sort had woken up the second he crossed the threshold. Summoning my balls of dragon flames, he snapped out of his mental spiral. Closing his eyes, two carved silver dragon horns burned to life in his palms. Tossing them in my direction, my wild flames swirled into dual straight blades. Struggling through a wave of guilt, he had given me a proper weapon. Time to drop my distrust with him, a friendship could be developed. Reminding myself mentally that it wasn’t due to the weapon but his willingness to help in a moment of clear mental strife.

“Your dragon flames found the fire from within.” He stammered anxiously, another cloud of smoke escaping his snout. “Forgive me. Smoke indigestion is my biggest sign of terrible stress.” Pacing back and forth, my soul shattered for him. No one wanted nor deserved to cut down their own. Intense heat threatened to wilt the garden, ice cracking to life at the end of my blades. Slamming the tips of my blade into cobblestone, ice shot out to the beast. Travelling up the monster’s legs, a stomp of my worn boots forcing a sea of black wooden spikes. Sprinting into my battlefield, skidding around spikes prevented those blasted claws from slicing me up.

“Allow me to be your distraction!” Kawfton shouted over a violent roar, a fire glowing underneath his scales. Opening up his snout, silver flames exploded wildly. Putting up a wall of ice, the amount of steam created a thick fog. Motioning for me to move, a run up the ice wall had me inches from the damn thing’s mouth. Flipping over the top, a couple of adjustments had me sliding down an ashy tongue. Slamming my blades into wispy tissue, a push off landed me gracefully on the core. Stabbing it aggressively, the flames from within raged strongly due to my urge to heal my queen.

“Burn what has been twisted, purify the poor dragon souls. Send them home!” I chanted boldly, his encumbering flames dying down. Orange mixed with ice, silver glistened a few times before the core began to decay underneath me. Bearing down, one final wave shifted the monster into a flurry of miniature dragons. Getting lost in the beauty, a cloud of ash smacking me whipped me into my rapid descent. Silver flashed in the corner of my eyes, Kawfton catching me. Silver dragon wings mesmerized me, his boots hitting the cobblestone gingerly. Checking me over for wounds, a sigh of relief slipped off of his smoking tongue. Unsure of what to think about this, his arms setting me down gently didn’t reduce the painful awkwardness.

“Nice moves!” He chirped cheerfully, sorrow hiding underneath his cheesy grin. “Who taught them to you?” Dusting off my shirt, the question rose from a coping mechanism. Hell, Silks attempted this shit all the time.

“Don’t hide your sorrow for my sake, Kaw.” I comforted him kindly, his grin fading away. “I lost a close friend recently, his words meant the world to me. Trust me, this guy gets it. Hell, Silks lost two friends in one day and I feel like a failure for not being able to prevent it. Everyday the cracks spread on her soul, this latest injury feeding her a platter of depression.” Contemplating my words, a coughing fit had us spinning on our heels. A tuckered out Silks limped up to us, cuts covering her skin.

“Something tossed me here.” She wheezed, a coughing fit painting the cobblestone with organ tissue and blood. “Couldn’t fate let me sleep it off?” Breaking down into frustrated sobs, the hem of my black band t-shirt brushed against her trembling knees. Shivering through another fever, her fingernails dug into thighs. Clammy sweat glistened on her skin, a weak hop resulting in her landing on my back. Apologizing groggily into my ear, exhaustion stole her away. Scanning the garden, golden feathers fluttered in the air. Several phoenixes drifted to a stop in front of us, horrid screeches getting directed in Kaw’s direction. Raw fury burned in my veins, a roar exploded from my lips.

“Did you not kill everyone but him!” I blurted out ferociously, all heads tilting in my direction. “Leave him the fuck alone before I slice and dice you! Where is the damn fountain! Silks is dying! Your queen is dying! Are you going to let that happen!” Shaking their golden heads, feathers ruffled as they snapped their heads to a fountain in the far distance. Apparently tough love was the way to go here.

Sprinting towards the fountain, the three golden phoenixes sitting on top of each other stole my breath away. Golden water shimmered in the carved base, phoenixes taking off into the sky pisses me off. Sinking to my knees, the sight of Kaw gathering feathers shut down my anger. What a nice fellow!

“We have to get back at some point, right?” He joked blithely, a tired smirk betraying his tone. Try dunking her in. Maybe that would work faster.” Peeling her off my back, a ginger lower of her into the fountain woke a bit of hope within me. Smoke curled into the air the second my weapons fizzled out. A bright light blinded me, her orange fire lilies blooming around her. Shooting out the water, her breathing settled. Gone were any signs of the poisoning, the dark bags fading away. Sucking in a couple of deep breaths, her fingers ran through her wet strands of hair. Smiling softly to herself, Kaw and I waited with baited breath.

“Damn, it feels nice to not be choking on organ tissue.” She wept openly, her genuine smile never leaving her lips. “Kaw, how are you holding up?” Bewilderment contorted his features, his caws clicking away to a song. Waiting patiently for an answer, her fang hung over her bottom lip adorably.

“Many thanks for reviving me. Time to have a chat with those bratty phoenixes.” She continued freely, Kaw’s mind looking seconds from breaking. “What! Any friend of mine won’t be treated like shit while I bear the crown of Hell.” Climbing out of the fountain, the slight gauntness in her cheeks frightened me to my core. Blasting herself with her flames, any evidence of water curled into a cloud of steam. Whistling sharply, every single phoenix flew down to her bare feet. Tuning out her rant, golden feathers pinned back with every harsh warning. Finishing with a huff, she sank to her knees. A sea of her fire lilies spread out further, a swipe leading to an orange fire dome humming to life. Turning her back to them, her bare feet thudded to a stop in front of Kaw. Checking him over any wounds, his giant hand swallowed hers.

“How can you care about me first?” He queried in a shocked tone, a long sigh drawing from her lips. “You were essentially poisoned and kidnapped by me. Hatred should be coursing through your veins.” Dropping her hands to her side, a sweet smirk twitched on her lips. Fighting another wave of tears, her fingers scratched the back of her neck.

“How could you have known that your dragon environment was so venomous?” She comforted compassionately, any tenseness melting the moment I embraced her from behind. “Friendships are hard to come by in this world, so let’s make that water under the bridge. If I am not wrong, proper relationships haven’t occurred in how long for you? You are more than welcome to join my socialization classes for the elementals. We catch you up on the latest thing and I help them figure out how to talk to humans. I don’t bite, I promise.” Flashing a big grin, light twinkled to life in his eyes. How was she this amazing at disarming most people? Chatting pleasantly, a pleasant warmth returned to my soul.

Scarlet flushed my cheeks, her beauty in that moment knowing no bounds. Mumbling something in my direction, a loud crash interrupted their moment. The Sins lay in a pile, Silks perking right up. Rushing over to them, Kaw hung back awkwardly. Approaching him with precaution, his pointed ears pinned back in response.

“Life gets better, I promise.” I assured him kindly, his head nodding with a sad smirk. “Silks will make that happen. She stole my heart from day one. Forever will it belong to her.” Peeling the Sins off of her, they began to joke like siblings. Leaning against the closest tree at the same time, they deserved a moment.

“A play of evidence is rolling out in front of me.” He mused alongside a hearty chuckle. “Her flames burn stronger than most dragons I had the honor of meeting. Maybe I could help her tame them.” Shooting a warning glare, his hands waved around.

“Nothing too big. I was talking about breathing techniques.” He continued softly, his claws scratching at his snout. “Meditating helped me when I was a young lad. Perhaps we could trade lessons.” Relaxing my frown into my real smile, air flow did aid fires. Running my fingers through my hair, a deep breath drew from my lips.

“Do you think they would help? Chilling out isn’t exactly her strength.” I warned him truthfully, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. “If I could have had her meditating by now, then she would be in a bit of a better head space.” Parting my lips to continue, Silks popping up behind us had both of us leaping into the air. Embarrassment painted my features, a flirtatious smirk meeting my nervous grin.

“Perhaps we should talk a little quieter if you didn’t want to include me.” She teased playfully, a couple of spins bringing her lips inches from mine. “Meditating never worked in therapy. Nice try. Hell, those breathing lessons sound lovely.” Pecking my lips, this level of vibrancy was a far cry from the last month. Kicking the air, her fist hovered inches from a shadow elemental A force held it back, the form glitching.

“This is a mere puppet of my extension, your majesty.” Blabbadon bragged via a twitching malicious smile. “Soon you will be in my grasp once more, fueling the end of everything. No longer will you get to cherish all that earned. God will be the next to fall, all those blasted clan members no longer existing. I don’t play with that crap. Kids with a bit of psychic power is the last thing I need, demons becoming my meal. See you next time, kid!” Clapping his hands, his form decayed to a flurry of dark bats. Landing gracefully a few feet from all of us, her vibrancy faded into a look of deep concern. Chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes flitted across all of us. Her lips pressed into a thin line, an apology lingering on her tongue. Tears welled up in her eyes, fear writing itself in her features.

“Much to my dismay, our new objective has changed. That bastard is our main objective. If he gets close to you, run away if there aren't enough team members. Taking him on would prove to be your death sentence.” She ordered sternly, the corner of her lip quivering. “Lord knows, I can’t lose another one of you. Shit, the world might burn from my fury. Am I understood?” Everyone nodded in solid agreement, the situation sinking in. Truth lay within the world burning statement, her body smashing into mine.

Conversing with themselves, her trembling hands spoke of her true level of panic. Passing out in a flurry of shortened breaths, the day had caught up to her. Scooping her up, a bit of hope woke up the flames in my soul. The paperwork would be a pain in my ass but one goal would be more attainable. Dear Lord, grant us the luck needed to survive this madness.