Viliant and Fia set a new course following the giant animal tracks. Their talons scratched a smaller trail alongside the bigger one. The leftmost set of claw marks from Fia dragged from one footprint into the next. As she stumbled forth with the support of Viliant, her feet hardly lifted from the ground.

The terrain did not particularly change. No rocks appeared underfoot to trip them nor did they pass through any scraggly grass to snag their claws. Nevertheless, Fia's legs gave out from under her. Viliant glanced to his side, trying to hold back his misgivings as he stared at Fia collapsed in a heap.

I don't think I can go on any further…. Fia voiced the same cynicism which constantly dominated Viliant's thoughts. Right now, the situation demanded something else of him. He needed to exude positivity and encouragement where Fia's natural disposition had failed.

We're almost there, he urged. Water.

Fia's bleary eyes flickered open, expecting the promised water to appear right in front of her. Where? she croaked.

Just a little farther. Viliant did not wholly lie. Based on how fresh the large tracks looked and smelled, they would encounter the animal soon. Fia and Viliant moved too slowly to gain on anything faster than a tortoise, so the other creature must have stopped—hopefully for water.

Okay. Fia moved her legs in an attempt to continue their journey. She even let out a pained grunt from the effort, but she could not get her feet under herself. Her claws swiped uselessly across the ground.

We'll take a break for now. Viliant retreated from the immediate area to seek reprieve from her fever's heat. Once he lay a fair distance away, he tried to regather his thoughts and reassess their options.

Hopefully after a quick break, Fia could resume limping while leaning heavily on him again. In the event that her condition stayed as bad as it looked right now, then Viliant would need another solution. I could drag her, he figured, but that was a last resort which would be hard on both their bodies. Maybe I can get to the water and bring some back for her while she rests up.

Viliant's gaze bore into the heap of pale pink scales, assessing her chances of survival like a vulture. The buzzards had largely learned to stop following them after he kept killing them for blood and meat around dusk. However, he doubted that would last long if he left Fia alone in her current state.

They had already resumed their slow, steady circles at a higher altitude around the unmoving dragoness. They judged her helpless and Viliant inattentive who lay a ways off. One brave bird descended to the ground and approached Fia in lurching steps.

Perfect, Viliant thought. At least she works as bait. Even though he could not leave her unattended for any length of time, she still attracted her own source of food to replenish them. The shadow dragon could not pluck the vultures from the sky in the middle of the day like this, but he would gladly rip them to shreds on the ground.

Viliant rose to his feet and charged at full speed with his horns lowered. The vulture turned its white, featherless head and realized the trap too late. The sizable bird could not lift off quickly despite its flapping wings. This allowed Viliant the time to cover the ground that he needed.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

His horns collided with the avian body, impaling it at multiple points. Viliant ripped the bird away from his head with a savage claw and sunk his teeth into its neck. The vulture writhed for a second longer before it died between his jaws. Drink this for now. He casually flung the corpse inches from Fia's nose.

Her nostrils twitched and her tongue flicked from her mouth to confirm that something bloody and delicious had just landed in front of her. Still laying sideways across the ground, Fia crawled forward to latch onto bites of meat and suck at the blood.

Is that good? Viliant asked.

"Mhm," she moaned pleasurably in confirmation. Thank you.

Once you finish, let's see if you have the strength to stand.

Fia did not acknowledge him right away. She wanted to drink forever, unthinking of their need to travel again. At last, Fia lifted her blood-drenched nose from the vulture and blinked at him a few times. Okay. Ready. She placed the claw of her good foreleg against the ground. Over the course of their stay in the coliseum and their desperate escape, her whole body had leaned out. The scrawny muscle already shook even before she had lifted herself off the ground. Fia's neck and chest landed back down with a grunt. "Ugh." Can't.

Come on. You can do better than that.

Though she suspended herself in the air for a few seconds this time, she gave up as decisively as before. I said I can't!

Try again. Viliant beckoned her onto her feet after each repeated failure. Even when he helped lift her by shouldering the majority of her weight, she could not stay up for long.

I'm sorry… I really… don't think I can anymore. Her head drooped towards the ground out of shame and exhaustion. The dragoness lacked the energy to open her eyes much less stay upright.

Viliant crouched to ease her back down. It's fine. He had already expected this, and offered the more strenuous option for him. I'll carry you. The older dragon pressed his belly flat across the dirt to make it easier for Fia to balance herself over his shoulder. Put your neck over mine.

The light, burning body of Fia squirmed against his scales as she tried to reposition herself. The smaller dragoness propped her head perfectly between his horns. Her good leg wrapped around his far shoulder along with a wing. Viliant gently mouthed the tip of her wing to secure her in place. Most of her body had to drape against his side due to his large back spines which he laid as flat as possible. Her hind legs and tail raked the ground as Viliant kept walking—half carrying her, half dragging her. Hang in there, he told Fia, gritting his fangs together from the exertion.

The childish sentimentality and irrationality which Fia always exhibited had ultimately rubbed off on him. Viliant knew that Fia was dying, yet he refused to break his promise, abandon her, and leave her to die alone. He told himself a foolhardy, optimistic lie which was uncharacteristic of his usual, cynical attitude. She'll get better once we reach the oasis. She'll be fine….

This was the disorder that their friendship had on his mind. This is what friends do, Viliant assumed. Refusing to give up on his only friend so easily, he trudged onward as the sun sank into the afternoon. Like this, some tedious hours passed. Viliant peered past his heavy eyelids at the horizon. Some leafy treetops came into view, the first sign of water in the distance.

We did it, Fia. Water! Viliant lifted his head higher and summoned the strength to haul her body across the final stretch. After today, the dragoness could have as many days as she needed to rest.