The Tragic and the Pure - DreamNotFound

Chapter 13

George POV

Thunder burst in a battle of gods, dragging the prince from his much-needed slumber. He shifted amongst warm blankets, sensitive to the slight chill in the air. He cracked open his eyes to gentle firelight, staring at the bed's canopy alit in flickering amber.

His body ached in memory of his adventure, chapped lips parted in a deep breath. How long had he slept? He couldn't tell with the way bad weather cast the room in lingering gloom.

George groggily sat up, the fog clearing from his brain as he deciphered the distant howl of wind between trees.

"Sleep well?" The question fell softly, pulling his attention to where emerald luster trailed worn pages.

Dream lifted his gaze from the book, candlelight dancing on his cheeks and fusing with his golden dipped hair. He sat at the table, elbow propped and head leaning comfortably on his palm.

"Yeah... what are you doing?" George balled the blanket in his bandaged fists, mulling over a torpedo of thoughts in his still sleep-heavy brain.

"Studying the effects of herbal plants on dragon mutation." Those alluring eyes blinked, wandering the prince's face before adding, "In terms of what I'm doing here, I didn't want you to be alone should you wake with a nightmare."

"Did you..." George fumbled for a non-awkward way to ask what happened after he fell asleep to the words of a storybook. "... did you stay here last night or...?"

Dream hesitated, allowing several seconds to slip by before tilting his chin toward the bedside. "I slept on the floor so you wouldn't be uncomfortable."

The prince glanced at the gestured area, a foreign emotion wriggling in his chest when he spotted a pillow and blanket discarded on the carpet.

"The bed's big enough..." He hadn't meant to voice his thought aloud, wanting to suck the words back in as he mentally slapped himself.

A tiny smile graced Dream's lips. "Duly noted."

The dragon watched him for a moment more before he returned to studying. His actions weren't rude nor dismissive, rather the opposite. A treatment similar to how one might approach a stray cat, giving him space and removing the pressure to interact.

George slung his legs over the mattress edge, skirting around the makeshift bed on the floor. He stopped near Dream's shoulder, not quite close enough to touch but where he could see the book's contents.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a paper covered in chicken scratch beside the book. After translating Dream's godawful handwriting in his mind, he recognized a detailed list of herbs and the corresponding side effects.

"You're searching for a cure to the drug?" He guessed.

The dragon hummed in affirmation. "Something like that. I can't determine an antidote without knowing the contents of the drug, but I can find ways to lighten the symptoms one by one."

George stared at him blankly. "Don't make me sound stupid by asking how."

"Alright, then I'll just tell you." Dream's lips twitched, clearly holding back a smile. "Take golden flower for example, a heavy dose can cause migraines. If a victim of the drug has a migraine, we can safely guess a migraine-inducing herb was used in the drug and test the remedy for golden flower."

"And from there it's the process of elimination." The information clicked into place. "You can't reverse the drug entirely, but you can find a cure by removing each symptom one at a time."

"It's complicated and time-consuming, but worth a try." Dream tapped his notes, forehead stitched in thought. "Any dragon left alive in that dungeon deserves hope of a life free from suffering."