Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
FRID
My scales were continuously pelted with icy cold rain, making me delirious, antsy, ready to peel my own skin off.
The wind went all the way through my flesh, chilling my bones even despite the physical exertion.
I spent hours flying, and the night was almost at its end, when a new intrusive thought imprinted in my mind and I was incapable of shaking it off.
What if Victor was already dead? What if he didn’t make it?
I could not check on him while in the midst of flight.
I frantically searched for a place to land, but then I thought that I would be wasting time, not getting us closer to the temples.
And if I was able to land, I still needed to get him off my back.
And lastly, there was no guarantee I could safely secure him to my back by myself.
I clenched my teeth, continuing my flight.
When the first light of the sun, completely concealed by the clouds, was barely distinguishable on the horizon, I found a spot to land and carefully placed myself on the ground.
I moved my head, trying to see Victor and saw the slight rise and fall of his chest. My body was at its limits, but I could not sleep and I could not use the food that Alina packed for me, not in my dragon form. I looked up at the thick grey clouds.
“Please wait a little longer!” I whispered, lifting myself back up in the air.
I spent the entire day flying, trying to distract myself thinking about the food I would eat when all this was over.
But every time, my mind stubbornly returned to the motionless body on my back.
Nothing would give me pleasure if he was not with me.
Not even the most amazing food, or the most expensive weapons, not if he was gone.
It took me so long to realize how much I needed his unsettling and often irritating presence in my life.
I talked big about being ready to face anything this world threw my way, but deep down it was all a lie.
I was a liar. There was no way I could lose Victor.
He had been a part of my life for so long, that without him, I would not know where I belonged.
My muscles felt weak, my lungs burned. I angled upward and allowed myself to glide in the air, riding a thermal current. A pounding headache squeezed the front of my skull. My body ached for rest and nourishment, but I was not willing to listen to it, pushing myself beyond any known limit.
In the endless struggle to bring Victor to the temples, I went through a lifetime’s worth of thoughts, concerns, and emotions.
At times, I felt like I was dreaming, and nothing that I was experiencing was real.
I closed my eyes, and my mind would disengage for seconds, minutes, or full hours.
There was no way of knowing. The pain in my shoulders and wings subsided, but I stopped feeling my body.
I was sure that during this unprecedented strain on my powers, I severely damaged my muscles and tore my ligaments, but nothing mattered more than giving my all to save him.
Sometimes, I felt like I could hear him inside my head, and he spoke to me in his gentle voice, or turned sarcastic and showered me with jokes.
I kept remembering us playing as kids, and having so many adventures over the years.
Then I thought about the words he said the last time we spoke, and my heart swelled with different emotions.
I did not even know if I liked him that way, but if I could not heal him soon, it would not matter.
The sun started to lower toward the horizon, and then, hours later it was up again.
I realized that I had not been keeping track of how much time had passed while I was in the air.
My overly tired eyes landed on the silhouette of the city that used to be the crown jewel of all the dragon lands.
The city was once famous for its trades and temples.
Many dragonborns made trips to the temples several times a year and the biggest markets were also situated here.
After all these years, I could not even recall its name.
Since I was old enough to remember, this place was the monumental evidence of the collapse of the dragon lands.
Even the temples were abandoned in the end, and the last of the worshipers surrendered to the harsh reality that there were no gods who could save them.
It was ironic that the cure had been concealed deep inside the temples.
The sacred water had been preserved in this forgotten city the whole time.
I drifted down a little bit and turned my head, trying hard to feel the whisper of breath or a heartbeat from the body I carried on my back.
I felt nothing, but I was unwilling to give it any further thought.
He was still alive, he could not die. Not when we were so close to the final destination.
Not when we were nearly to the entrance.
I surveyed the dusty flat roofs of the buildings below. Without people and dragonborns, the city was slowly being claimed by the gritty, gray sand. Dried plants tumbled down the streets, stopped only by the figures of the decaying crawlers.
I remembered that crawler dragons frequented this place. And for a moment, my memories drew pictures of the exposed, swollen organs and the thick black blood. I did not know if the wound on Victor’s neck was properly healed. If I was too late, would that happen to him?
I clenched my teeth and descended toward the cluster of brick buildings. Many windows were bare, some still had soiled blackened glass.
What was it like to be within those walls when the plague came into the city? How terrifying it must have been for all these people who could not simply lift up into the air.
With difficulty, I banished those thoughts, concentrating on finding the exact place.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw the familiar shape in the distance.
The pointy roof of the temple sat at a slight angle and had a design that reminded me of dragon scales.
Many temples were similarly built, but this one had the pool of sacred water.
The temple had been our base when we travelled to Darragh from the capital, and I almost could not believe my luck that I got us here in my desperate state.
I made a circle descending, counting the crawlers in the area. It was bad luck that the sun was going down because they were absolutely unpredictable at night, and I also had Victor to deal with. But, I had no other choice.
Not very softly, I landed in the clearing by the wide ceremonial doors and swiftly transformed, crouching close to the ground. A painful ripple traveled through my muscles as I quickly spun around, attempting to catch Victor who slid down my body, no longer supported by the loosened ropes.
With difficulty, I rolled him on the ground, but before I could examine him, a growl came from behind me.
I struggled to unsheathe my sword. My hands shook and my knees nearly buckled when I straightened.
The crawler had a torn arm and exposed, slimy teeth.
The smell of rot exploded in my head, and I remembered how much I hated crawlers.
Not willing to wait any longer, I darted forward, extending my arm.
My breathing exploded and I whimpered, piercing the crawler's forehead.
My blade stuck in its skull, and only then did I see the second monster right behind the one I just killed.
I was still struggling to free my sword, when a third crawler appeared out of nowhere and moved straight toward Victor.
“Don’t you fucking dare!” I yelled.
With difficulty, I booted the body of the defeated crawler which released my blade and I jumped backward.
“Fuck off!” I yelled again, not fully in control of myself.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, came the sudden thought that my curses would only attract more of them. I gritted my teeth, keeping quiet as I slashed the undead bodies.
When the path to the temple was cleared at last, I picked Victor up by the shoulders and dragged him toward the door.
His head snapped backward and his neck wound was exposed.
The oozing, infected skin extended further from the wound but at least there was no sign of him turning yet.
With a growl, I placed him on my back, holding on to his arms that swung lifelessly on both sides of my body.
I could only pray that no more crawlers would be inside the temple as I stepped toward the torches and carefully blew fire on the oily fabric.
My legs were shaking as I made my way through the endless hall. They built it to lead worshipers toward the sacred pool, but I could not help cursing the long, winding passage. My body was well past its limit, and only the sheer force of my still lingering hope stubbornly pushed me forward.
I coughed and snot came out of my nose, the pressure in my head kept building, threatening to explode inside my skull. I was sure that blood was pouring from my nose because the distinct metallic taste lingered on my tongue becoming more and more distracting.
Every second, my vision turned more distorted and, for a moment, I lost control of both legs.
My knees hit the floor, my hands slammed onto the polished rock.
Sweat dripped down my forehead. I was so close, I made it all the way to the temple and I was only minutes away from entering the chamber, but my body refused to move.
Behind me, I could hear the heavy breathing of a monster that had followed me from outside, probably because the front door was left open.
Tears rolled down my cheeks to my chin and landed on the floor.
The light of the torch had dimmed, partially extinguished when I dropped it. I leaned forward and growled.
I’m not done yet!
I lifted my head and picked up my torch. With every last ounce of energy I had left, I got to my feet.