The compound was a magnificent marvel, the entire area was a broad rocky platform, surrounded by a deep crevice, illuminated from beneath, though from what, was hard to determine. The cavern roof was open and a small amount of daylight managed to make its way to the depths. A massive, solid stone bridge was connecting the outcrop they had emerged on, from the tunnels, with the compound proper; sculptures of nyx in dramatic poses, fighting various creatures, adorned the raised sides of the bridge at regular intervals. It seemed everything had been carved into the rock.

The thought that seeing the bridge sculptures was a rare privilege to be savored crossed Saelina's mind but she could not muster more than a passing glance. She was resting her head against Laelith's back, thinking up excuses as to why she would be keeping her eyes closed and stay sitting atop the phu'ria until she could roll onto a sleeping cot. A thin layer of sweat had broken out, all over her body and the pulsating pain behind her eyes was making it hard to form coherent thoughts.

Her companions had offered to check her over, again, that morning but she had rebuffed them, though she was struggling to remember why the pain had seemed preferable.

“Just a little further,” Laelith mumbled, apologetically.

Saelina nodded against her shoulder blades as a wave of guilt washed over her; she had barely said two words to either of them and was finding it harder and harder to talk at all. Ezeas had taken the silence in stride and carried on as he always did. She had no doubt that he enjoyed the reprieve from her constant questions.

She was aware her anger was misdirected but a rather vocal voice was still cautioning her, telling her she was being used. The idea was not new, the high councilor had been candid about her role and that she, as a person, meant nothing to the nyxan people. She had not assumed it meant every nyx. Laelith had never given Saelina reason to doubt her sincerity or affection; the pained expression as her efforts had been rejected would not leave Saelina's mind.

The light changed and Saelina opened one eye to see as they crossed beyond the huge barrier surrounding the entire platform. Guards were observing her with grim faces, probably finding the pathetic bundle clinging to a renowned captain something of a curiosity and a disappointing one at that. She closed her eye and sighed.

They stopped and she heard the clear speech of two people talking in official capacity. Though she did not have the mental stamina to follow the conversation properly, she understood that she and Laelith were being sent somewhere else from Ezeas. There were other noises, yelling from one corner of the compound, groups of voices echoing from the other corner, all floating through the air and pulling at her careful attempts to keep the migraine at bay.

They started moving towards the noisiest part of the compound, and she took a deep breath, readying herself for the inevitable cacophony of sounds; when it hit, the pain behind her eyes exploded and she clenched her teeth, trying to focus on her breathing as the wave of agony crashed through her head and only very slowly abated. There were voices and clangs of weapons colliding, yells from people who fought, people who cheered, commands being shouted from every direction and screeches from phu'rias mixing in with it all.

You had the option of alleviating your pain.

I know. I should have.

Consequence will be your best teacher.

Aren't we optimistic?

Though short, the conversation had been a welcome diversion. Dhíanvhúr had not seemed too upset about the strange occurrence breaking their communication and had resumed talking to her, early in the morning.

You wouldn't happen to know a thing or two about healing magic?

With your current skill level you'd be just as likely to give yourself an aneurysm.

The cynical voice carried an edge of admonishment.

I just figured I should ask.

Having her hope dashed she resigned herself to dealing with the pain for the remainder of the day.

Because you genuinely want to learn or because you don't want to ask the keeper?

Please, don't read my mind.

I've never had to.

But you could?

Somehow, the idea was not as alarming as she thought it should be; perhaps she simply did not have the energy to be concerned.

No.

So, how did you know?

When your feelings are strong, they're easy to sense.

She bit the inside of her cheek.

In other words, I'm too obvious.

If that's how you choose to interpret it.

It was the dragon's typical way of refusing to answer any more questions. Laelith stopped the phu'ria, once again, causing Saelina to sit up, as her companion slid off the raptor.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“We're at the women's barracks.”

Laelith's voice was curt as she started untying their things.

“You can head inside, already.”

Saelina dismounted and stood, holding her hands out, without saying anything. Laelith looked at her with a stubborn expression for a few seconds before shaking her head and heaping their packs into Saelina's arms. Then she led the phu'ria towards, what Saelina assumed to be the stables.

She turned to look at the building, which seemed to have risen from the blueish stone. It was a narrow, two-story building, unremarkable in its appearance, but still detailed enough to be an impressive feat. The smooth walls had simple geometric patterns cut into them, no doubt making them easier to tell from one another. She took a deep breath and headed inside.

Saelina had never been on military grounds before, she had no idea what to expect; the two rows of beds lining the side walls were something of a shock to her. She looked around, but the only other thing of note was the staircase, in the back, leading to the second story. She noticed that each bed had a wooden chest at the end, and most seemed to have a few personal items placed on top of the lids. To her luck, the building seemed empty, for the time being.

She shifted, uneasily, not sure whether to wait for Laelith or take her chances with claiming one of the cots. The lights were less sharp, providing her some relief from the pain.

“Who're you?”

She spun to meet the hard eyes of a nyx, standing in the doorway, looking her up and down. The woman was about half a head shorter than her, with short, curly hair and pale, blue eyes. A hint of lean muscles showed through her gray uniform and her movements were carefully controlled.

“My name's Saelina, I was told to come here.”

“Why?”

“Uh...”

Her mind seemed to lock itself in place and she could think of no suitable answer that would also be satisfactory to this stranger.

“She's with us.”

The woman turned towards Ezeas who was standing behind her, his expression hard, almost as if he was daring her to protest any further. Apparently, his intimidation only worked so far, because she scoffed and cast an annoyed glance at Saelina before she turned her attention back to Ezeas.

“Just make sure she doesn't cause trouble, here,” she sneered and left.

Ezeas turned his gaze towards Saelina and as the tension between them grew she wanted to shrink into the floor, but she took a deep breath instead, and met his eyes.

“I'm sorry.”

“Can I take that to mean you're done sulking?”

She nodded, then winced. His eyes narrowed at her but she quickly gestured behind herself.

“You wouldn't happen to know which beds are free?”

He walked inside, taking a look at the two rows, without stopping; she followed as he made his way to the very back and up the stairs. The upper floor looked near identical to the lower, with the exception of the entrance and the direction of the staircase. He gesture towards the opposite end, where a few beds seemed more untouched than the rest. She hurried over and put the packs down on one of the beds before sitting on another.

“Thank you,” she mumbled as she released a long breath.

“Laelith went to the stables, I'm not sure how long it'll take.”

Ezeas nodded.

“She has some friends here, she's probably catching up with.”

Saelina smiled, trying to keep her tiredness from showing.

“No doubt they'd be better company than I am.”

Ezeas did not gainsay her and sat down on the bed next to hers.

“You'll be expected to participate in chores after the dinner bell. Now, that we're here, don't expect them to treat you any different just because you're human.”

She was about to nod, but thought better of it.

“I understand.”

He did not take his eyes off her and his gaze was filled with scrutiny. She wanted to look away but knew it would make her condition more obvious.

“Will your stubbornness carry you through the rest of the day or will I end up dragging you back here because you fainted?”

She shrugged, though that gave a jolt of pain through her shoulder.

“There's only one way to find out, I suppose,” she muttered, while trying not to hiss.

“Saelina.”

She clenched her teeth. When he used her name, he managed to do it in a way that made it difficult for her to remain resistant. Between their light antagonism, taunting nicknames and constant proximity to one another, there was always a certain distance. But when his voice wrapped itself around the syllables of her real name, it was as if he stepped into her sphere, eradicating the barriers between them.

“I'm in pain,” she admitted.

“And would you like me to help ease that pain?”

“Yes...please.”

He nodded and reached a hand out, first touching her shoulder. She sat still, feeling the soreness fade as a cool sensation from Ezeas' hand started spreading over her skin. It was quickly done, and she moved her arm a bit to confirm the results. Then he moved his hand to rest on her forehead. The coolness seeped into her head, this time, pleasantly soothing the pulsating pain. She closed her eyes, reveling in the lightness which followed the cessation of her agony. Without realizing, she started leaning into the touch. A deep breath escaped her as a refreshed feeling spread throughout her body.

When the hand moved away, she opened her eyes and looked at Ezeas, squashing any hint of regret she felt that the moment was over.

“I thought I shouldn't expect any special treatment?”

“I did say that. What I didn't tell you is that everyone else knows who among them can heal their various ills and ailments, it's something they usually spend the first week figuring out.”

There was a hint of nostalgic humor in his voice and she could imagine he had been overrun with recruits, asking him to take away their pain.

“I suppose healers are in high demand here.”

“Probably one of the reasons my mother insisted I learn.”

He stayed with her, chatting about the past, and for a little while, she forgot her dread.