Dragon Dance

chapter 6: without memories

Lusty was out in the woods searching for an elven root, he climbed a steep Cliff hoping to find one.

"There you are" he shouted in accomplishment. The elven root was growing at the edge of the Cliff, it had yellowish palm like leaves. He pulled out the herb exposing it's swollen base and long tentacle like roots.

Lusty had stepped on a loose part of the Cliff, the soil crumpled and fell down, Lusty fell down with it, but was able to grab on a root. He grunted, while he pulls himself up, the fibers of his arm contracting like they never have before. He climbed up and reached for anything he could grab on- a large Woody woodland low Bush. He crawled on all fours, catching his breath, Sweat dripping down his nose.

Lusty laid flat on the ground. "That was a close one" he chuckled and stared at his basket, at least he had the elven root. Lusty stood up. His head was shadowed by a large cloud that passed the sky. He pointed at the basket, it floated in mid air as if weightless. He ran back, the basket following him.

He ran around his hut and into a small greenery. Herbs in Clay pots stacked on top of each other held by ropes. Some were placed on raced platforms. Lusty reached for the pot of the Maynard orchid. An orchid with a single flower. The orchid was pink in colour and appeared to be a beetle with opened wings. The large two petals at the sides being the wings ,the petal on the center being the thorax. It had round dark green leaves that at first sight just seem like flat Stones.

He carried the pot in his hands so dearly.

"It's your time to make them see what can you do" he said caressing the leaves.

He placed the pot inside the basket. The flower swaying at the rim of the grass weaved basket. He kneeled in front of an upraised planting bed. In the planting bed were small thin plants that look like wild flowers, their flowers were dark orange that could pass off as brown. It had thin papery petals, hence it was called paper flowers. Lusty picked some and collected it on his palm. He picked a handful and threw it inside his basket.

Lusty haistely walked around the hut, this time entering through the back door. The door creaked and popped when he closed it.

"Oh you're awake! " he said shocked, Reema was sitting at the bed, the chiken creatures huddled at her lap. Reema stared at him blankly.

"Hi, do you feel better? " he asked as he slowly approach her and sat at the side of the bed.

"Yes" she answered, looking around "who are you?, where am I? Who am I? " she asked her eyes jumping from one spot to another.

"Her memories are gone! " Lusty concluded to his self.

"I'm Lusty, and you're in my hut, I found you at the meadow injured" Lusty said flicking his eye on Reema's back. He moved closer and stared at her, "Your name is Reema"

Reema stared back at him and knodded. "I don't know why, but I trust you fully"

"We need to treat your wound, I could only do so much to stop the bleeding, it needs proper medicine"Lusty said and pulled out the elven root from his basket. He brought it to the sink and peeled the first layers off that has dirt in it. He ran water over it, scrubbing it's surface with his thumb.

Lusty went back to the bed, and took out the flowers too out the basket. He pointed at the mortar, then the pestle. The Clay mortar and pestle softly bumped surfaces, making low clicking noises. It landed slowly at Lusty's lap.

Lusty took the elven root and teared the leaves away, dropping it on the floor, he dropped the plump base of the elven root on the mortar, together with the paper flowers and the single Maynard orchid. He crushed the herbs until it turned into a reddish paste.

"We need to undo your bandages " he whispered, now that he's relaxed he is too shy on the idea of undressing a woman.

Reema knodded and turned her back to Lusty. Lusty swallowed and started to unknot the fabric sheets. He pulled it slowly, especially the ones that had blood in them, too careful to hurt her.

He applied the paste to her wound, Reema sniffed deeply. "I'll try to be fast, but I really need to cover the whole thing"

He smothered her wound with the paste, making sure there's no open skin left uncovered. When he was sure there wasn't any, Lusty covered her back up with fresh clean fabric sheets.

"You can't move a lot, you're wound is still fresh, but you'll need sunlight and warmth to help recover faster" he told her. "What do you think of a picnic for lunch?,I'll carry you"

Reema smiled," I'd love that"

Lusty summoned his wand and tapped Reema's forehead with his wandtip. Lusty reached for her hand, as she started to float.

"This is what i meant, when i said i'll carry you" he shyly said, scratching his head. Reema giggled as she push her hair aside that waves in the air as if sunk on water.

Lusty opened his cupboard and pulled out another basket. It contained bread, he pulled out a jar of jam, a small piece of cheese and another jar of assorted berries, most noticable are the large red strawberries that shine under the faint light that seeped throught the kitchen window.

Lusty pulled Reema by the hand and dragged her out the hut, the chicken creatures tailing them in a lline.

"They're lovely " Reema said observing the creatures March behind them.

"They are " Lusty agreed.

Lusty brought Reema on the top of the low hill. The sun kisses their skin, hugging them with it's warmth, the grass swayed like a green ocean as a breeze greeted them,kissing their cheeks ,ruffling their hair, the clouds hid them from the dazzling light of the sun.Lusty slowly placed Reema under the berry bush.He sat beside her and placed the basket between them. The chiken cretures run around them in circles in a dizzying chase.

Reema giggled as one of them ran across her legs. "What are they? "

"They are called cockatrices" Lusty said, scratching the beak of one of them with his fore finger.

"How long have you been taking care of them? "

"For all my life, they're my mum's" Lusty said, now rubbing the back of his cockatrice that laid on his crotch.

" ohh where's your mom? " Reema asked.

" she was burried here" Lusty pointed at the mossy stump, "long time ago, that stump was still a tree" Lusty smiled but his eye was blank.

Reema noticed it, "what happened to your eye? "

Lusty chuckled, "it's nothing. It's actually like yours"

Reema stared closely at Lusty's eye and saw her reflection. Her eye was same like his, he had a pupil on the right eye but none on the left, she had on the left none on the right.

"Are we supposed to find each other? " Reema asked.

"After all what happened, I think yes, we really are destined to find each other.

Another soft gust on wind blew on them. The fragrance of the berries touched their noses. Lusty picked less than a handfull and gave it to Reema. She chewed on it, the Berry cracked in her mouth, she giggled. "I never had this Berry before"

"Actually, you did, once" Lusty said smiling, and pushed her white hair back up her ear.