Anakis (Part 5)

      I had just finished giving Percy a final examination when I saw a lion behind the boy's tent.   I was quite surprised and almost screamed, but then I realized it was Prid.
      "What's wrong?" I asked.
      He looked at me with big sad eyes.   "Why do think?" he said, in a growling, lion-like voice.
      "Is it because you just found out I was a fairy?" I asked.   He nodded.
      I sighed.   "Prid, I didn't tell you because I wanted to know you better first.   I wanted to make sure that you could keep a secret before I told you anything.   No one really is supposed to know."   I played with my wing, a nervous habit.
      "But I told you everything!   My past, my present, my future!   I escorted you here!    I cried my eyes out  about my uncle to you!   I thought I...loved you.   And, by your lies, I don't think I do anymore!" he shouted.
      My eyes filled with tears.   This couldn't be happening.   He loved me, but not anymore.   I felt my heart break inside me as Kaymele came behind the tent.
      "Prid, there's someone here to see you," she said, not at all startled at his lion form.   "She says she's your sister."
      "My sister?" he said as he transformed back to a human.   "I don't..."
      "Prid!"   I was angry now.   He got mad for me keeping secrets, and now he suddenly has a sister?
      "But I don't have a sister!" he told Kaymele.
      My eyes were so full of tears I could hardly see.     I quickly left before anyone could notice.
      Natia sat on a bench talking with Percy.   "Natia, we need to talk," I told her.   She bid Percy farewell and followed me to the healing tent.   Adonis was in there, but Natia led me to a corner and told me to sit.
      "Now," she said when I was settled, "what's wrong now?"
      I opened my mouth to speak, and burst into tears.   Between sobs, I told her the whole story.   Adonis looked at us funny but said nothing.
      "Let's go see this 'sister'," said Natia.
      We looked around outside.   There was Prid, and a girl who looked nothing like him.   "Maybe he doesn't have a sister," said Natia.
      Just then, Prid and the girl looked towards us.   "Are these your friends, Prid?" asked the girl.
      Prid looked at me.   He sent me a message with his eyes.   I'm sorry, his eyes seemed to say.   I didn't know about her.
      "It's okay," I told him, so quietly only he could hear me.
      "I'm Natia and this is Anakis," said Natia.
      The girl smiled.   She had light brown hair and blue eyes.   "I'm Lani.   I'm Prid's half sister."   Her face became more serious.   "We had the same mother."
      "Would you like to meet the others, Lani?" asked Natia.   Lani nodded, and they left Prid and me alone.
      "I'm so sorry," said Prid.   I shouldn't have reacted that way."
      "It's fine.   Really," I said.
      He smiled.   "So does that mean we're friends again?" he asked.
      I smiled back.   "Of course."   But by the way he looked at me, I had a feeling we were so much more.

Nairi (part 5)

Where am I?  Was it all a dream? It felt so real if it was. But Nuvole was there; it must have been-
"When do you think she will wake up?"
"I don't know, Adonis. It's been a few days. She is in perfect health now, but she might not wake till tomorrow."
I heard Adonis groan, "I'll be right back." I heard him again, this time storming out of the tent.
When I was sure there was no one in the room, I hopped out of bed – which was not a smart idea seeing as I fell over backwards onto the bed. "Ok, bad idea," I mumbled to myself. "Let’s try sitting up first."
I sat up and looked around, tested my injured arm, which was now perfectly fine, and finally eased up. I stood there for a moment before taking a step. I didn't fall over, so that was good. I walked in circles around my room for a minute, and then proceeded to jog in place. "Yeah!" I yelled. "Nairi's back in the game!" I covered my mouth thinking I may have been too loud but still couldn't help but giggle a little.
After I had calmed down, I left my tent and breathed in the fresh air. It filled my lungs until my chest hurt.
Way better than being stuck in a prison. I thought, Wait...prison? How did I get out? I racked my brain trying to remember.  I was unconscious most of the time I was there because I was so sick and then ummm then...NUVOLE. I remembered, He helped me escape and he carried me the whole way here...and he was hurt and the death hounds...Oh no. I ran to the nearest guard.
"Excuse me sir."
He looked down. He didn't have much of a beard, and he had kind blue eyes and disheveled brown hair. He didn't look much older than me."Ah, what might I do for you, young lady?"
I didn't even think about the fact he thought I was little. "Is there a sick area that is keeping a male Ceridwen, about this high?" I stood on my tip toes and showed him about the height. “Black hair, blue eyes, and he would be about in his twenties."
The man looked like he was thinking. "Um, yes. I believe he is in the building just around the corner. It should have a domed ceiling and be the first on your left."
I sighed in relief and thanked the man before bolting towards the building as fast as my bare feet would take me.
I slid to a stop, my black hair tumbling over my shoulders, as I reached the building. I caught my breath and knocked on the door.
Kaymele answered her eyes slightly red like she had been crying, and they got wide when she saw me. "Nairi, you’re awake!"
"Yes...But Kaymele do you have a patient by the name of Nuvole?"
Her look of surprised dimmed and she nodded. "Yes, he was hurt pretty bad. He saved you, you know."
I nodded as we walked in. Kaymele took a sharp breath.
I pushed past her "What?!"
"H-He isn't here...how did I not notice that? He was better but I'm not sure how much.”
 Oh great, now what?
I bolted past Kaymele and started looking around. I checked by the well, by the pond, in the outskirts of the woods, by Beleg's tent, and by the main infirmary. I couldn't find him anywhere. Where could he have gone?
I heard a crash over by the kitchens and went to look. Nuvole was there talking calmly, but I could tell he was angry by the way he was frowning. And when I saw who he was talking to my heart started to race. Adonis was talking, his eyes closed and his fists clenched. To be honest he looked about ready to explode. I caught bits of their conversation.
"You know you are really starting to tick me off!" Adonis complained , not even trying to control the anger in his voice.
"You know I could say the same to you." Nuvole sounded much calmer but had a sharp edge to his voice.
"Shouldn't you be lying down?"
"I'm perfectly fine now thanks. It doesn't take as long for me to heal anymore."
"Who are you anyway? You just show up somehow managing to save Nairi from Felix. How do we know you aren't some spy?"
"Ask anyone; I'm no spy. I would die fighting in this war. Just knowing that I helped in any way to hurt Felix would be fine." Nuvole sounded like he was getting angrier.
What are they fighting about anyway?
Their argument continued for a few more minutes until Adonis's hands burst into flame and Nuvole was prepared to stab him with razor sharp ice.
I jumped in before they could kill each other. I knew it would be over in a matter of seconds, for both of them.
"Stop it!" I blew them both back with a gust of wind "What in Incantevole are you two doing?!"
"Nairi!" They both exclaimed. They both had wide eyes like they just now realized they were about to kill each other.
"I thought you were still asleep?" Adonis mumbled.
"No, I woke up right after you left."
"So you’re feeling better kid?" I looked at Nuvole. All the anger was gone from him and he was smiling.
As much as I wanted to run up and hug him and tell him how much I missed him, I didn't. "Yes, I am feeling better." Okay I couldn't help it. I ran up and hugged him "I missed you, Idiot." I started crying.
"Yeah, I figured. Sorry." He hugged me back.
Adonis cleared his throat and I broke away from Nuvole and wiped my eyes. "Mind telling me what’s going on, Shorty."
"Adonis! Stop calling me that. I'm not short!" I sighed, "He's my brother, Nuvole."
Adonis looked shocked, "Wait, the dead one?"
"That's me, the dead brother of Nairi."
"I thought you said Felix killed him," he replied, totally ignoring Nuvole.
"Yes, well turns out he was made into his personal slave."
"Ah, yes, speaking of which, I need to go tell Beleg some interesting knowledge I stumbled upon." He smiled and ruffled my hair "Bye, Nairi." He glanced at Adonis "See ya, Hot Head." He waved as he left.
"What...did he just call me?" Adonis asked as I burst into laughter. "It is not funny!"
"Yes, it is very funny. I consider it pay back."
"For what?"
"For calling me Shorty."
"Doesn't mean I'll stop.”
I stuck my tongue out at him and left.
I walked around the camp before spotting Kaymele sitting alone on a bench.
"Hey." I said. She didn't look at me. "Hey Kaymele, are you okay?"
"What." She looked up at me. It was obvious she had been crying.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing." She stood up quickly and something fell.
I picked it up."You dropped something-" I stopped mid sentence staring at the familiar stone. "Where did you get this?"
"Huh, oh the boy I was taking care of, Nuvole, had it. I figured you could read it." She seemed like she really wanted to leave.
"It says Bí sábháilte agus do theach a mheabhrú. Meaning, Be safe and remember your home.I made it for Nuvole right before he left." I smiled and a tear ran down my cheek. "He kept it."
"What language is that?" She still seemed like she wanted to leave, but she must have been more curious.
I smiled, "Ceridwen of course."
She looked a bit shocked "But you never spoke your language. I assumed you spoke the language of normal humans."
"No, I speak my native language but there was no reason for me to speak Ceridwen if no one would understand me. So I spoke solely the language everyone would recognize. Like Adonis, he is speaking human but he is half dragon and was raised by them so Dragon would Naturally be his first language. But you don't hear him speaking in low grunts, snorts, and puffs do you?"
"No, well I must be off." She hurried away leaving me standing there with the stone I had given Nuvole before he left. I realized that now that he was back the King would probably be furious. And war was coming fast. I didn't know his plan, and I only vaguely knew ours. But I had a bad feeling a battle was coming. A big battle that will end in either a grand victory or great torment.