Chapter Twenty-Six

Mavie flew into the burnt forest. What trees were standing was blackened and bare of all foliage. Many of the trees lay on the ground sideways. The ash was nearly ankle deep. Arabella scooped up Stig when he started sneezing. Gray powder swirled around in tiny eddies. The moon lit the scene making the forest even more ghostly. Long shadows fell across the landscape. Arabella had to watch her step very carefully. Mavie circled around a log she looked like she was trying to land but she did not want to touch the charred wood. Arabella put Stig down and ran forward.

Denrisi lay broken across of large log. His body was halfway off of the log. His head was thrown back. He lay naked and exposed to the night sky. Arabella let out a sob and untied her cape. She threw it onto the other side of the log. Denrisi’s chest barely moved with his shallow breathing. Arabella pulled his feet and legs off the log. He moaned loudly with pain.

“I am so sorry,” Arabella whispered next to his ear. She straightened his arms and head so that he was leaning against the log instead of across it. She was thankful that he had not been impaled on one of the upright trees. As it was he lay in a puddle of blood.

“Denrisi,” she said. “I do not know how to help you.” His old chest wound oozed blood and smelled of burned flesh.

“You can not,” he whispered. His eyes were still shut. “Arabella, I am so cold.” She took her cape and covered him with it. She knelt beside him and gently touched his face. The cut were deep along his brow and along his jaw. He let out a long sigh and opened his eyes.

“I am sorry,” he said as he gazed into her eyes.

“Shhh, you will heal. Once the night is over, you will change back into a dragon,” Arabella touched his blood soaked hair. She gently searched for wounds on his scalp.

“No,” he croaked. “I will not heal this time.” He reached up and clasped her hand. He brought it down to his lips.

“Of course you will,” she said. “You are a dragon. You survived when Koaner stabbed you through the heart last time.” She felt tears choked her.

“He burnt my heart this time,” he said. “That fire lance did more damage to my dragon body then the knife did.” He brushed his lips against her hand.

“Denrisi,” she said. “Do not talk that way. I have my magic back; I should be able to heal you.” He shook his head.

“I am sorry,” he said again. “I do not think I will survive this time. I can feel my body dying around me.”

“No, I will not let you die,” she said. “Please, Denrisi you have to live.” He closed his eyes and concentrated just on breathing. “What am I going to do without you?” She sounded desperate even to herself. “Denrisi, please look at me.”

He made the effort to open his eyes. The blue in his eyes looked faded. Arabella watched the colors in his eyes flicker. It looked like a flame ready to go out.

“Oh Mavie,” she cried. “Stig, what should I do?” Tears began to stream down her face. Both creatures shook their heads. They looked incredibly sad. “Oh Denrisi,” she put her head down on his chest. His heartbeat was slow and labored. He ran his fingers through her hair. He played in her curls then rested his hand on top of her head.

“Stig will watch over you,” Denrisi whispered. “He is a brave magical spirit who will always be there when you need him.”

“But what about you?” she asked. “I need you, are you going to be there?” her voice had grown louder. She raised her head and stared at him. “What about Koaner? How can I protect myself from him? Everywhere I go, he tracks me down.” She took a deep breath to calm down.

“He would not dare touch you,” rage made Denrisi’s voice shake.

“He will,” she said. “You know he will.”

Denrisi made a restless shifting motion. He shook his head.

“I will go after him when you are dead,” Arabella said. “I will kill him with my own magic.”

“No,” Denrisi grabbed her shoulders with both hands. He arched his back and let his hands fall. He gritted his teeth against the pain. “I can not protect you any more.” Tears ran down his face. “Oh Arabella, I can not.” A coughing spasm wracked his body. He turned his head and spit out blood. Arabella sat quietly and let her tears fall. “I wanted to live in my mountain with you.” His voice was muted as he choked on more blood.

Arabella just stared at him. She felt her heart breaking. She thought that the last time she had lost him was bad because she had not been able to say good bye to him. This time she had a chance to say good bye, and it hurt worse. Why was she not destined to have a happy life? Why did she have to loose him? She made no noise as she wept but Denrisi must have sensed it. He opened his eyes and stared up at her.

“Oh sweetheart,” he reached a hand up to her cheek. “I wanted to spend the rest of my life telling you that I love you.” She began to cry harder. “Please, do not cry. I am an old dragon; older than Koaner. It is time I passed.”

Sobs shook her but she still did not make a sound. Denrisi began to look distressed. He carefully and slowly propped himself up higher on the log. He wrapped his arms around Arabella and pulled her close. He laid his head on top of hers and just held her close.

“Oh what am I going to do,” he sighed. “I love you more than my life.” Arabella wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest.

“Please don’t leave me,” she said brokenly. “I can not bear to be without you.”

She looked up into his scratched and bloody face. She leaned up and placed her lips on top of his. She held still just feeling his breath caressing her lips. She closed her eyes and willed him to be better. She could picture him standing before her with his crooked smile and shinning blue eyes. She kept her mouth on his and softly licked his lips. He tasted salty from tears and blood. Denrisi moaned and ran his hands down to her waist.

Arabella brought he hand up to his face and licked his mouth again. This time Denrisi surprised her by licking her back. She gasped when his tongue touched hers. Her eyes flew open and she leaned slightly away from him. He was staring into her eyes intently. He raised a hand and brushed her hair out of her face.

“You just will not let me die in peace, will you?” he said. He pulled Arabella back to him and kissed her firmly on the mouth. He teased her lips open with his tongue and then explored her mouth. Arabella held herself stiffly for a moment, and then she melted in his embrace. Denrisi sensed her surrender and put even more passion into the kiss. When he released her, she came up panting. She was a bit dizzy but it was a good kind of dizziness.

“I am feeling better,” Denrisi stated. Arabella looked at his face closely. All but the deepest gashes had closed up. She could still see where they were, but they were healing. She pulled the cape down his chest. His heart wound still bled and looked infected. The other wounds had healed. They did not bleed. She touched one and Denrisi jumped in pain.

“You are healing,” she said. She threw herself at him. “You will live now, won’t you?”

“Yes,” he said. “It looks that way. That was quite a spell you cast.”

“What?” she said confused. “I do not remember casting any kind of spell.”

“You are a most powerful fairy,” he laughed. “To be able to heal a dragon and not realize it.”  He coughed and spit up blood again. “I think that we need to get out of this ash field,” he said as Stig began to sneeze again.

“I agree with that,” Stig said then teleported away.

“Where is he going?” Mavie asked.

“Back to the cave,” Arabella said. “We left the food bag and sword there.” Mavie bobbed her head and flew away in the direction of the cave.

Denrisi sat up. Arabella jumped to her feet and grasped Denrisi around the chest. It was awkward trying to avoid his soar spots, and still get him on his feet. Denrisi staggered and leaned heavily on Arabella. She picked up her cape and wrapped it around his shoulders. He held it closed in front of him. Slowly they shuffled towards to edge of the burned forest.

“Arabella,” he said softly. “I love you.”

“I love you as well,” she said happily. He nodded.

“You do realize that I have to take care of Koaner,” he said.

“Yes I know,” she said. “I wish it could be otherwise.”

“He will not leave you alone if I let him roam free,” he said. “I can not have him endangering you even again.”

Arabella sighed and helped him down the slope of a valley. He stumbled again.

“I need to rest,” he panted. Together they sat on a rock out of the ash debris. Denrisi put his head on Arabella’s shoulder. She could tell that he still did not feel well. “When this is over, will you come and live with me?” he asked. Arabella froze. Denrisi sat up and looked at her. He had his worried expression on again. “Please, I would like for us to be together. I,” he paused trying to put words to his thoughts. “I will not force you.”

“I know,” she said. “Denrisi, I think that what you are trying to ask is that I marry you.” He looked at her oddly. “You know what marriage is, right?” He shook his head. “It is where two people swear their love to each other in a ceremony in front of others.”

“Oh,” he said. “Dragons do not have that kind of ceremony. Our ceremony is very quiet and private.”

“Oh,” Arabella said blushing. After that last kiss, she had a good idea what the dragon ceremony consisted of. “How about if we do it both way?”

“Sounds okay,” he said. “We could swear our love in front of Stig and Mavie. Would that work for a marriage ceremony?”

“Not really,” she said placing a hand lovingly along his jaw. “I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. I would also like that to be a very peaceful time.”

“I wish that as well,” he sighed heavily. “Help me up; it is almost too much effort to stand.” Arabella took his hand and helped him. Once he was on his feet, he did not let go of her hand. They walked up the last hill hand in hand. Stig was waiting for them at the top near they cave. He was walking stiffly. Arabella was about to ask him if he were hurt, but then she spotted Mavie curled up in his fur. She was asleep with her head under her wing.

“Oh Stig,” Arabella stroked his fur. “This is so sweet.”  He looked embarrassed.

“Well she did good,” he said, “and she was so tired. This place is torn up so badly that there isn’t a proper roost anywhere.”

“I know,” Arabella said. She helped Denrisi sit down just outside the reach of the sulfur fumes. “I am frightened.”

“What are you frightened of?” he said tiredly. Exhaustion filled his voice and he slumped forward. He had to brace his hands on his knees to keep himself from falling over.

“I have never seen you with your magic whole,” she said. “What if you change?” He looked at her like she had said something amazing.

“Arabella,” he said. “No matter what happens, feel content in your heart that I will love you. The love of a dragon is something that last for an eternity. I swear to you, in front of Stig and Mavie,” he looked at the sleeping bird and shook his head. “In front of Stig then. I will love you and protect you beyond the day I die.” Arabella smiled at Stig’s shocked look.

“I swear in front of Stig as well,” she answered back. “I will love you and stay loyal to only you forever and forever.”

“Now what?” Denrisi looked at her hopefully. She knew what he wanted. It was the same thing she wanted right then too. She leaned down to him and accepted his kiss. It was a light warm kiss. It was an innocent kiss that held a promise that Denrisi intended to fulfill later in private.

Arabella covered her nose and mouth as she approached the cave. She held her breath as she ducked inside. The sword lay there glimmering where she left it. She did not wonder about it too much, but she thought that it might be glowing in the dark. She carried it out and held it out to Denrisi. He stood up and let the cape fall. He stood naked in the moonlight.

He grasped the sword in both hands. It glowed then Arabella thought she could see through it. Denrisi pointed the tip towards his chest. He placed the tip to his wound.

“Arabella, help me,” he said. “I am too weak to do this.” She nodded. She knew what to do, but it scared her to do it.

“Will it hurt you?” she asked. She placed her hand on the hilt of the sword while Denrisi balanced the blade.

“Yes,” he said. “It will probably feel the same as when Koaner took it from me. Ready?” Arabella nodded then shoved the sword into Denrisi’s wound. He screamed as the sword pierced his heart. She kept pushing until the handle disappeared from her hands. Both her hands were laying flat over his heart. Nothing happened, and then Denrisi took a deep breath. She glanced up at him. He smiled at her and she felt herself melting. He scooped her into his arms and spun her around.

“I worked,” he grinned crookedly. “I can heal again.” Arabella looked at him and every scrape, scratch, and cut was gone. The only thing to mar his skin was a scar over his heart. Arabella thought that he would have that forever. She pulled his face down to hers and gave him a happy kiss.

“You know sweetheart,” he said seriously. “I think that it is time that we finish this. I am not weakened by Koaner’s magic any more. He does not have a chance.”

Denrisi looked defiantly at the moon filling the night sky and willed himself to change into his real form. He stood magnificently in front of Arabella. She threw her arms around his neck. She examined him in this shape as well. Even though it was hard to see in the moonlight, she thought she saw the scar over his heart. It looked as if the scales had been split and then fused closed again. Arabella folded her cape and placed it between Denrisi’s wings. She mounted Denrisi. Stig jumped up in front of her. Mavie she placed gently in the sack. She chirped sleepily as Arabella tied it closed. Arabella cast a simple spell that prevented her and Stig from falling.

“Ready,” she called to Denrisi.

“Very well,” he boomed. He leaped into the air and flew off into the west.