The Clan of Outcasts (Seasons 1 and 2)

Part 17: "Potential"

In the White Castle...

The moment Queen Zayra left the room, Aurelle felt her senses return, and she immediately went for the body.

Korsan lay stretched out before her, his robes torn and his sides scraped by the huge claws.

She looked up at the dragon with tears in her eyes.

"You did this!" She snarled at Erlis, choking on her sobs. "How could you?"

Erlis dipped her head in remorse, glittering tears brimming in her own golden eyes. They splashed down onto the wounded wizard, hissing as they made contact with the bleeding skin. A foam built up, and as it dissipated, Aurelle saw that it left behind whole skin. Her claws had damaged him, but now her tears healed him.

Korsan inhaled a long, shaky gasp laced with pain. His hands immediately groped for the glowing blue talisman.

"Korsan!" Aurelle cried, grasping his shoulders.

"Aurelle..." he muttered weakly. "What—" his gaze fell on the dragon in the room. "How—"

"It's Erlis," Aurelle explained. "The mad Queen, Zayra, forced her to propose a blood transfusion, to heal her damaged mind."

Korsan shook his head. "It will take more than Dragon's Blood to cure that one!"

Aurelle scowled. "Yes, we've noticed that. Anyway, the transfusion caused Erlis to become wholly dragon," she glanced up into those eyes. "At least in appearance, anyway."

Korsan met the dragon's gaze as well, peering deeper with the aid of his magic. "True, the Erlis we know is still in there, buried underneath this fearsome appearance." Damaris helped him to his feet as Aurelle asked, "What about you? Last time we were together, you said you had some important business—so how did you end up getting caught by Queen Zayra?"

Korsan sighed heavily and wagged his head. "So much has happened, Aurelle. I fear—"

A commotion in the atrium interrupted his words.

"I must see the Queen!" A female voice declared.

"Not a chance!" Growled a man. "You said if we got to the castle you would heal her, now she's almost dead, so you've got just SECONDS before I crush the life out of you!"

Aurelle, Damaris, and Korsan hastened out of the damaged throne room.

Of the three people standing in the atrium, Aurelle recognized two: Edri, who had been the unwitting bait in a trap laid by Zayra, and the pale, bleeding body laying on the ground.

"Velora!"

"Stand back!" The man stepped in front of her, his hand open toward her. Aurelle felt the push of energy hampering her movements, and she did not resist. The man's eyes lit up when he saw the Mage.

"Korsan!" He cried. "You're alive!"

His hand flew up and the door to the north tower slammed in Edri Rodan's face. Justin switched his concentration to the soldier herself, dragging her slowly to him. Once they stood practically nose to nose, he seethed through clenched teeth, "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Justin!" Korsan stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder. "She isn't doing this on purpose. It is what Zayra did to her. She doesn't know!" He raised his talisman, muttered the words of a spell, and touched Edri's forehead with it.

Her eyes lolled, eyelids fluttering, and finally she took a quick breath. "Wh-wh-what?" Her eyes fixed quickly on Velora. "Oh! That's right, I need to heal her before she dies!"