Page 38 of Eluvonia
AERIS
The woman leads us to a dimly lit back room with a sturdy wooden table at its center. Shelves line the walls, crammed with jars of dried herbs and strange powders. She gestures at the table with an impatient flick of her hand. “Put him here,” she orders, tossing her hat onto a nearby cabinet.
Kaida obeys without a word, lowering Declan with surprising gentleness.
The woman leans over Declan, inspecting his wound with quick, practiced movements. “How’d this happen?” she asks, her tone clipped as she pokes at the torn flesh.
“Battle,” Kaida replies curtly.
Her gaze snaps up, sharp and unimpressed. “No shit. What kind of weapon, genius?”
Kaida blinks, momentarily thrown. His mouth opens, but no words come out.
Suppressing a laugh, I step in. “A sword, I think. But wewent over a cliff, so it might’ve been the fall.”
Her eyes lock on mine, and I freeze under her scrutiny as she looks me up and down. After a moment, she snorts. “Interesting.”
Turning away, she busies herself with jars on a nearby shelf, her hands moving quickly and deliberately. She pulls out a handful of herbs, some dried sticks, and other things I don’t recognize. My curiosity piques as I watch her grind the ingredients into a stone bowl. I catch glimpses of familiar plants from my time with Esra— goldenseal, ginkgo, and bromelain— but some of the others are a mystery. Adding water to the mixture, she stirs it into a paste before she spreads the mixture over Declan’s wound, explaining as she goes. “This will help him heal and fight infection. The spider lilies will draw water from the wound so his natural healing can start.”
I murmur my thanks, but she’s already moving toward Kaida, who stiffens as she approaches his injured wing.
“Don’t touch it,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous.
Unfazed, she smirks. “Relax, Dragon. This’ll help.” Before he can protest, she slathers the tincture onto his wing.
Kaida’s lips pull into a scowl, but he doesn’t resist further.
When she’s done, she wipes her hands on a tattered cloth and sets the bowl on a nearby cabinet with a decisive clink. “Name’s Tura. I’m the town’s healer. We don’t have an inn, but I’ve got a couple of spare rooms upstairs. You’re welcome to stay here until your friend’s healed.”
Kaida’s eyes narrow, his shoulders stiffening. “You’re merfolk,” he says bluntly, his voice low and steady, more curious than accusatory.
Tura freezes mid-step, her fingers briefly curling into thefabric of her skirt. Then, she smirks, the corners of her mouth pulling up with sharp amusement. “Well, that didn’t take you long.”
Kaida tilts his head slightly, his gaze sharp and assessing as if dissecting her every move. “Keen sense of smell,” he says with a shrug, his wings shifting slightly behind him as though flexing for emphasis.
Tura’s smirk falters, her expression hardening. She crosses her arms, her stance widening just a fraction, grounding herself. “So what now? Are you going to report us to your father, Kaida Varek?”
The room seems to hold its breath. My own catches in my throat as I glance between them, the weight of unspoken threats thick in the air.
Kaida snorts, the sound dismissive, as he unfolds his arms and rests a hand on his hip. “So, you know who I am?” His tone is even, but there’s a subtle challenge in the tilt of his chin.
Tura arches an eyebrow, her smirk returning with a touch of mockery. “Everyone knows who you are, especially since you’re the only black Dragon in the realm. So I’ll ask again—what are you going to do?”
Kaida’s eyes flick around the room, lingering on the jars of herbs lining the shelves and the weathered furniture, as if searching for something unseen. “I thought the merfolk left Eluvonia centuries ago,” he murmurs, his voice tinged with genuine surprise.
Tura crosses her arms, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Many did leave,” she admits, her tone steady. “But some stayed. For reasons of their own, a few could not leave Eluvonia.”
Kaida hums, the sound low and thoughtful, his eyes narrowing slightly as he transfers his weight. “I’m surprised my father hasn’t found your little town yet,” he muses, the edge of curiosity in his voice sharpening.
Tura barks out a short, sharp laugh, her shoulders shaking with the force of it. “We’re hidden by the water Ymiral herself. She cloaks our town from all outsiders. I only helped you because she allowed you to enter.”
Kaida tilts his head, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Well, I see no reason to report it,” he says, his wings settling close to his back with an elegant shrug. “Besides, I don’t feel like getting on the water Ymiral’s bad side.”
Tura watches him for a long moment, her sharp gaze softening slightly. Her lips quirk into something that isn’t quite a smile but holds a flicker of approval. “Good Dragon,” she says dryly, her voice laced with wry humor.
The tension in the room loosens, like a tightly drawn bowstring finally released. Tura gestures toward the door. “Now, both of you, go rest. Your friend will be better by morning.” she gestures toward the stairs with a quick jerk of her head and strides past us, herding us like errant children. Her steps are firm and unrelenting, leaving no room for argument as she guides us up the stairs and down a narrow hallway lined with doors. She stops in front of two rooms and gestures briskly. “Pick one. Goodnight.”
She doesn’t wait for a reply, turning on her heel and disappearing down the hallway with the same purposeful stride.
