Racing the Storm

Chapter 14

Thalia looked to Noah, then looked to Devon. Tatsu could only carry so much. The closest place with an antidote was the city they flew by. Thalia didn't like the idea of dropping the poisoned dragon in the street and rushing to find the cure any more than she liked the idea of leaving her here while wild dragons roamed the area.

"I'll stay with her. Take Tatsu and get Devon to a hospital," Noah said, "You know what the antidote would be anyway."

Thalia bit her lip and nodded, silently agreeing. She rose to her feet and wrapped her slender arms under Devon's arms. Nuri watched her with judgmental eyes as the girl attempted to pull Devon towards Tatsu. She struggled greatly as the boy weighed a bit more than her and his lower body dragged out below him.

Noah walked over and lifted Devon's ankles. Thalia smiled thankfully towards him and the two carried their unconscious classmate to the red ravager waiting at the mouth of the cave. The pair heaved and managed to sling Devon over Tatsu's back.

"Do you think he'll stay like that," Thalia asked, looking to the blond boy beside her.

Noah bit his lip, assessing the scene in front of him. Devon's chest slowly rose and fell. It was the only indication the two even had that their classmate was even alive. Tatsu was a big dragon but still from the knee down Devon's legs dangled off the side of the red dragon. His neck was bent backward at a weird angle as it had no support.

"Have him like.....lean against you or something like..." Noah tried to motion the way he was envisioning but it seemed more like an interpretive dance displaying him offering his body to a stranger. Thalia tried really hard not to laugh. Once he noticed the girl was about to explode with laughter he stopped, "You know what I mean." Thalia silently nodded, squeezing her eyes shut so she could hold in the laughter for a few seconds longer.

Noah huffed, "hurry up before he dies of infection."

"Yes sir," Thalia laughed. She climbed up on Tatsu, perching on his shoulder so she could effectively roll Devon forward towards the dragons neck. Thalia took his spot, settling at the point of Tatsu's back where his wings met his spine. She grabbed Devon and hauled him back towards her. She set him in a sitting position and let his right shoulder lean against her left. Devon slumped against her. Thalia could feel his soft breaths coming from his nose against her neck.

She suppressed the shiver and held on to her classmate, ordering Tatsu to fly. Surprisingly he listened, leaving his real rider to sit with the poisoned tail whip in the cave. They turned and flew back towards the city. Tatsu flew fast as to hopefully increase Devon's chances of surviving.

The red brick buildings came back in to view. Tatsu slowed, allowing Thalia time to search for the hospital building. Her brown eyes scanned the town below them and she quickly spotted the exact building they needed.

In front was a pathway that formed out to a semi-circle, allowing people to split off from the main road and walk to the grand doors. Many windows lined the walls even as they went higher and higher. Tatsu landed in the middle of the semi circle and crouched, hoping to help Thalia get down easier. 

She moved her left leg so it joined her right and then paused. She looked down at the ground below, then to Devon, then back to the ground. It wasn't a very far fall by any means but the added factor of the heavier, very injured boy made Thalia hesitate.

"By the seven dragons...is he dead?!" Someone shouted. Thalia's head whipped to see who it was. The main doors were closing as a man wearing a hospital uniform and a small name tag rushed out.

"He's breathing. He had a run in with some Henbit Zinnia though," Thalia answered as the man got closer. She could see the tag read Dr. Foley in thick lettering.