Dragon Dance

chapter 5: blood do stain

Lusty looked around him. It wasn't the place he wanted to go but this would do. Trees sorounded him like tall thin figures studying his every move. 

He started moving, His heart still pounding. He owe reema so much. Is she hurt that bad?  No, she's not. That's her father ,he won't do anything to seriously harm his own child. 

Lusty spotted a familiar view. A small Brook that babbles silently. He ran to the water and kneeled down. He washed his face with the cool water. Lusty sighed as the water drips down from his chin into his chest. 

He pulled himself up and started moving again. Following the small Brook. He was panting, his breathing became laboured and hard. A sigh of happiness came out from him , his hut was now visible at the distance. It merely blended in with the green and brown colours of the forest. Sunlight poured down on it, low wooden fences bordered his small garden. He ran towards it's direction, relaxed finally, finally he reached home. 

Lusty dropped down his rucksack as he reached his hut, he stood in front of the wall his door was hidden in. 

Door lock, lock of door, 
Return to what you  are before, 
Show me the entrance, I'm am your owner, 
Open the gates, open the door, 

Lusty chanted as he draw strange symbols on the ground. He pointed his wand on the ground, light swelled from the symbols and gathered to his wandtip, he flicked the gathered light into the spot where his door is hidden. A silver lock manifested before a wooden door. The lock was warm to the touch as Lusty reach it. He pulled out an old key from his waist pocket and pushed it through the lock's keyhole. The lock snapped open. 

Lusty pushed his door and allowed himself in . He blindly closed the door and threw everything on the ground. He took off his shirt and shoes. He collapsed on his bed, it welcomed him with a soft embrace  ,the smell of lemons reached his nose, he sniffed contentedly. Lusty let out his last yawn and fall into a fast sleep. 

*****

Lusty was awoken by a large crash like someone or something had fallen from a high place. He bolted up, eyes widened. He breathe fast ,looking around as his heart pounded inside his chest. 

Lusty slid down his bed, his soles touch the cold floor that sent him shivers. With heavy eyes he ran outside to see what happened. 

Lusty gasped as his eye caught a figure from a distance laying on the grass meadow not so far away. He ran towards the figure jumping on the tall grass barefooted. Small insects fled as he swept pass them. 

"Are-are you okay? " he asked as soon as he reached the figure. He knew immediately the figure was a girl, judging by her dirty dress. Lusty crouched down, he noticed her back was bleeding. The blood seemed fresh, the cut must have been major for the blood stain still slowly grows by every passing moment. He turned her around and his eyes turned even wider. 

"Reema!  What happened? " he asked patting her blood stained cheek. 

Reema grunted, her hair lost it's silvery hue and now turned completely white except for a few parts that had turned red by blood. She was breathing heavy, her chest rised and fell in a fast pace. 

Lusty reached his hand in the air and summoned his wand. He tapped Reema's forehead with his wandtip. Reema levitated in mid air like an invisible force was pushing her upward. 

"Hold on there, Reema! " Lusty shouted as he run back to his hut, Reema floating behind him. He opened the door widely and pulled her into the bed. Lusty snapped his fingers and Reema fell softly on the bed, weightless as a feather. He turned her to her side and ripped off the back of her dress, two large wounds are carved on her shoulder blades, blood slowly dripping down her skin. 

Lusty rushed to the kitchen. He rummaged through the cupboard with shaking hands, looking for a basin ,he grabbed it haistely, not caring that the other utensils fell down. 

He pulled out a fresh towel from his basket and three small red Stones from a jar. 

Lusty ran back to the bed and placed the basin beside Reema, he ran back to the kitchen and pulled out a pale of water. 

Pouring it on the basin, he consequently dropped the stones too. The water turned pink, smoke started to rise from the water. Lusty dunked the clean towel on the basin . Sweat now forming on his forehead like miniscule pearls . He squeezed the towel to get rid of the excess water and pressed it on her wound. 

Reema screamed, agony present on her voice. 

"I'm sorry, but the bloodstones will help the bleeding" he said with trembling lips. He pulled the towel back and repeated his process. Everytime he did Reema's voice became weaker. 

When the bleeding finally seemed to stop, Lusty rosed from his seat to pick up one of his shirts, he teared it by hand making long thin strips. Carefully, he wrapped the strips around Reema's torso. The first layers turned red at the first seconds ,but as the layers started to thicken, the blood seemed to be stopped. 

Reema's breathing started to slow down and grow steady. He pulled her back, turning her to face the ceiling. Tears sparkled at the tip of her eyelashes while others dripped down her cheek. 

"Get well soon Reema" he whispered to her hair, the smell of iron in her blood touched Lusty's nose. 

Lusty pulled out an old looking handkerchief and wiped Reema's tears with it. He carried the handkerchief to the kitchen and pulled out a large wooden pail of water. He dumped the handkerchief in it, and stirred the water with his fingers. 

what's hidden from sight, 

With the eyes of others shall come to light, 

the water,moved and wiggled, small figures erected from it. There was Reema ,kneeling in front of her father, tied in chains. 

"Father!, don't make me do this" Reema cried. 

"No!  Pick! A dragon and a puny human should never establish any connection" Her father roared. 

Reema sniffed, "I-I'll pick him" 

"Fine!  Cut her wings off and throw her out" her father waved his hand in a dismissing manner. 

"Father no! " Reema's brothers pleaded, but the King acted as if he heared nothing. 

A guard ran his palm down Reema's back and her wings sprouted.  The guard raised his sword in the air and slashed it down quickly, so quick that air itself might have ripped. Her wing fell off. Reema screamed and fell on the ground. But there's one more wing. The guard slowly walked towards the other wing and cutted her other wing just as fast. Remma let out an ear deafening screech, and with her last screech her hair slowly drained colour, the silver hue seemed to melt into thin air. 

The water figures melted, the water surface flattened, Lusty was left shock owned. 

"Th-they disowned her" he whispered, a tear formed at one of his eyes, the one eye that can't see. 

He stood up and laid a glance at her, he heared fast footsteps, and low clucking. He saw white feathers that reflected light perfectly, a serpentine tail slithered on the floor. 

"Come here" he whispered to the chicken-like creatures, waving them to get nearer. 

The creatures clustered, as they approached him, suspiciously eyeing Reema on the bed. 

"We have a visitor, she is badly injured " he pointed at Reema. 

The creature looked at Reema, although they could only see her breast that rises and falls in every breath. The most slender of them all hopped up the bed and investigated Reema, it pecked her cheek softly. 

"I need to go out, take care of her " he whispered. 

The creatures stared at him unmoving. He knodded to the creatures and pointed at his basket that immediately floated to his direction. 

He took the basket and ran through the door intending to gather herbs to help Reema's wounds .