Omega's Rebirth

"I... I saw it..." Menarx stuttered out shakily,

"The beast Kaideon spoke of...it was not in the White Dunes! It is headed here...for Keep Skies!" Menarx forced out urgently, gasping afterwards.

Forcing words out in his state clearly left a strain on him but that did not stop Menarx at all.

"It couldn’t be..." Lord Cassian gasped, exchanging a look with Lords Kirgan and Imagor.

Neveah was not certain why, but the King’s guard did not seem to have expected such danger anywhere close to their terrain.

"I would like to say that...but I fucking saw it! With my own eyes! The damned monster prowls our lands... with no ounce of fear!" Menarx hissed, his tone weakened from the pain but still firm and insistent.

Menarx was agitated, furious at the thought that his people were endangered, he jerked forwards in an attempt to sit up and Neveah held onto his good shoulder to calm him.

"Don’t move... you’ll hurt yourself." Neveah warned in a pained tone.

She wanted more than anything for Menarx to stop talking and save his strength, but Neveah knew Menarx’s duty came first before everything else... even his own life.

Menarx had flown all the way with an injured limb even when flight meant his injury would worsen, it was so that he could arrive in time to give his report.

Neveah did not think she had a justifiable reason to stop him, this was Menarx’s purpose as a protector... what he lived for and would die for.

Menarx had told Neveah so himself, in that moment where he had asked Neveah to take his hand.

And Neveah had taken his offered hand, she had called him her dragon...yet Neveah wondered just what she was doing when her dragon was harmed?

"Narx... please be calm..." Lord Everon began to reason as he tried to tend to Menarx’s injury.

"I am calm! I am calmly telling you... that a beast prowls our lands! Our citadel! We do not have time for this now! We must slay it!" Menarx hissed in annoyance, shrugging away Lord Everon’s touch.

In the process, Menarx moved his injured shoulder too quickly and he groaned in pain.

"Gods! Menarx!" Neveah exclaimed in frustration.

"I’m fine, I’m fine." Menarx assured through gritted teeth, his good hand moving up to rest on Neveah’s waist.

"My Liege...a golem, larger than any I have ever seen... and it is not just any kind of golem, it is of troll kind." Menarx heaved out.

The landing platform fell into complete silence, all the dragon lords present heard Menarx’s words and each took a moment to process it.

Neveah was not sure what Menarx’s words meant but it certainly left an impact.

King Jian was also caught off guard by Menarx’s revelation, he did not respond immediately but his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"First, we see to your injury... Kirgan, take him up to his quarters." King Jian instructed.

"My Liege, listen..." Menarx began to protest as Kirgan leaned down to help him up.

"No, you listen Menarx! You will do as I say because a damned troll is secondary to your well being! And you are of no use to me dead!" King Jian snapped.

Menarx groaned in exasperation at King Jian’s reprimand, his brows furrowing as King Jian stormed over to him.

"Move aside." King Jian ordered Neveah.

Neveah stepped away from Menarx as ordered. King Jian leaned down and helped Menarx up to his feet, slinging his good arm around his shoulder.

"I can walk..." Menarx protested but was ignored by everyone.

"Come, Everon..." King Jian ordered, trailing off as his gaze moved to Neveah for a brief moment.

"And the rest of you too." King Jian added.

Somehow, Neveah knew the ’rest of you’ King Jian spoke of included her.

But even if it did not, Neveah would still go along. She wasted no time hurrying after King Jian, Lord Everon and the King’s guard as they headed back in.

"Nothing that was said here leaves this premises!" King Jian ordered sternly as he stormed past the dragon lords present.

"My Liege...I am fine, I will heal. You must hear me out first...’ Menarx began again.

"Everon, what do you need?" King Jian asked as he lead the way to what Neveah assumed was Menarx’s quarters on the second level.

"I have sent word to the healer’s hall, all is already prepared. I must ascertain the extent of damage done first." Lord Everon replied immediately.

"Jian!" Menarx hissed in annoyance.

"Speak if you must, you can speak while receiving treatment. Best said behind closed doors too, Kaideon’s discovery was never made public knowledge." King Jian reminded.

"I sensed it Jian, just as I departed the academy of magic... it was exactly as Kaideon described..." Menarx forced out in a pained tone.

"A dark, chilling aura that hung in the air... and a terrible, terrible stench. I had to investigate it...to know what it was..." Menarx continued.

Lord Imagor moved ahead, pushing open the door and they all filed in, taking Menarx over to his bed, they laid him down on it and stepped away to let Lord Everon work.

"It has been centuries...since I last set eyes on a troll kind. I was at a great distance yet it sensed me too... I flew for it but I was struck, someone hurled the spear from behind... I could not tell who..."

"I crashed down... barely broke my fall but the beast was far gone before I could stabilize my flight....a beast of so great a size, it was just gone... and whoever had struck me too..." Menarx recounted all that has happened even as Lord Everon heated a brew.

"He’s bleeding out fast Everon!" King Jian snapped urgently.

"Veah! The herb tray!" Lord Everon’s voice shook Neveah to action.

It was then she recalled she also knew a thing or two about healing.

Neveah quickly fetched the herb tray Lord Everon requested and handed it over to him, watching as he tossed in a few more herbs into his brew.

The contents of the pot boiled and bubbled rapidly and the herbs added to the brew soon melted along with it.

"Have him drink some of this." Lord Everon instructed.

Neveah poured out a bowl of the brew and hurried back to the bed, sitting by Menarx’s side.

"It will help with the pain, you have to drink it all up." Neveah said in a shaky tone.

Menarx’s gaze moved to Neveah and his lips stretched into a lazy smile.

"I’ll drink whatever...you give me..." Menarx replied in between pained groans.

Neveah was not certain if she wanted to laugh or cry, even in his condition, Menarx was still just as silly as he always was.

"Just drink it..." Neveah insisted, passing a hand under Menarx’s head to help him lean up and then she placed the bowl by his lip, letting him drink up the brew.

"Horrible... tasting..." Menarx commented, earning himself glares from everyone in the room.

"Death tastes even more horrible Menarx." Lord Everon replied first, heading over with another bowl of brew.

"Oh... I won’t die... I have no reason to..." Menarx groaned out, chuckling hoarsely as he reached for Neveah’s hand with his free hand.

"Is he flirting right now? While soaked up in his own blood and with the shadow dragon lurking around somewhere waiting to snatch his soul? I think I might throw up." Lord Cassian grumbled from somewhere in the room.

"Cassian...can you not make reference to the shadow dragon?!" Kirgan chided with a visible shudder.

"This will hurt." Lord Everon interrupted their bickering with a shake of his head.

Lord Everon was clearly accustomed to this side of the King’s guard, it was only Neveah who found it hard to comprehend anything going on around her.

"I’ve...had worse..." Menarx groaned out.

"Acting all tough..." Lord Cassian scoffed.

Lord Everon ripped off the clothing around Menarx’s wound and poured the brew he had just taken off a heated slab right over it.

"Scales!" Menarx hissed as his back arched slightly, his expression scrunching up in pain.

Neveah winced, her grip on Menarx’s hand tightening unconsciously as the heated brew burned right through Menarx’s skin, creating a sizzling sound.

Lord Everon then went to work cleaning up the injury while Menarx panted audibly, trying to catch his breath.

"I added a pill to your brew, you should feel drowsy. Do not fight it...go to sleep and let your body heal." Lord Everon warned.

"What a fuss. This was not how I envisioned today..." Menarx grumbled between heavy breaths, his gaze fixed on Neveah.

"You heard Lord Everon, go to sleep. You can say all you need to when you awaken." Neveah insisted.

"Jian..." Menarx began.

"I will see to it immediately, thank you for your timely warning brother." King Jian assured Menarx.

Menarx looked like he wanted to say more but the effect of the herbs was potent and his eyes fluttered closed as he drifted off to sleep.