Chapter 15

Evelyn retrieved the leftover potion from her storage ring, taking only a sip for herself and preserving the rest. Overwhelmed by the potion's sedative effects, she nestled under the dragon's wings and fell into a deep slumber.

Upon waking, she found the day had brightened. The rain had ceased, leaving the air fragrant with the scent of damp earth. The dragon, whom she called Mr. Zachary, still slumbered peacefully.

She circled his immense form to inspect his wounds. His exposed belly, claws, spine, tail, and neck bore no visible scars, only a light smattering of mud—his flesh was remarkably unmarred. Yet, his wings and certain unseen injuries were troubling.

His left wing, while mostly intact, featured various-sized holes filled with a mix of blood and leaves. The right wing, however, was severely damaged. A massive hole, large enough for Evelyn to pass through, marred its center, the edges charred, exposing a fractured bone. Flesh hung in tatters, and the sight alone made her wince at the pain he must be enduring.

Evelyn tentatively reached out to touch the damaged wing but quickly recoiled, overcome with guilt. Initially, her remorse had stemmed from her inability to deliver a decisive blow; now, it was compounded by the thought that she might have worsened his condition.

Not only were his wings severely injured, but his breathing was also labored and loud, contrasting sharply with his typically serene demeanor, which was occasionally broken by a deep, rumbling growl.

Unable to merely stand by and wait for him to awaken, Evelyn endured the pain of removing her gloves, which adhered to the scabs on her palms. Motivated by the severity of his wounds, she steeled herself to continue.

After wiping the sweat from her brow, she resecured her dagger and stepped outside. A nearby stream provided water to fill her skins. She first used a towel to roughly clean the mud from around the wing's wounds, then switched to a clean, damp cloth to gently remove the dirt and debris.

The dragon's natural healing abilities were robust; minor cuts on the left wing were already scabbing over, capturing fragments of debris in the drying blood. Evelyn dabbed these areas with medicated ointment using a soft cloth, careful not to touch the wounds directly.

Approaching the more grievous injuries on the right wing required even greater care. She diluted the potion with water and made a small hole in the water skin to create a fine spray, which she used to delicately irrigate the extensive damage.

The task was exhausting. Due to the dragon's colossal size, Evelyn often had to stretch and stand on tiptoes to reach many spots. Fearing she might cause him further pain, she moved with utmost gentleness. Given the limited water supply, she made numerous trips between the stream and the cave.

By the time she finished, night was approaching. Completely drained, Evelyn collapsed at the cave's entrance, her face ashen and her head spinning from low blood sugar.

After a while, she recovered from her dizzy spell and ate some snacks from her storage ring, all the while watching the sleeping dragon with a worried gaze. She had done all she could and earnestly hoped for his swift recovery.

Suddenly, a rustling sound from the nearby woods caught her attention. Frozen by the stare of massive eyes hidden among the trees, a shiver ran down her spine. Instinctively, she gripped her dagger and assumed a defensive stance, prepared to protect Zachary at all costs.

Sweat soaked through Evelyn's clothes, and the labored breathing of Zachary, the black dragon, sent chills down her spine. In the forest, the creature that emerged slightly bowed its head and stepped forward.

Despite the dim light, Evelyn clearly saw that it was a green dragon, slightly smaller than Zachary.

A green dragon!

Memories of their previous encounter with this green dragon flashed through her mind, causing her to tense up even more rather than relax. Evelyn lowered her stance and fixed a wary gaze on the newcomer.

Sensing her distrust, the green dragon halted its advance and, with a soft thud, transformed into a young man with green hair and eyes.

Evelyn gasped involuntarily and straightened up, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"Verde?"

Scratching his head in frustration, Verde raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Don't be alarmed, Evelyn. I'm not a bad dragon."

As Verde took a couple of steps forward, Evelyn, panicking, brandished her bone dagger and hissed, "Step back!"

"Alright, alright," Verde complied, retreating three steps and sitting down on the ground, his tone earnest. "Listen, I'm not here to harm anyone. If I had wanted to do something, I could have easily done so while Zachary was unconscious, and your dagger wouldn't have stopped me, you know?"

Evelyn's trust was solely with Zachary, and despite being shocked by the dragon's transformation into a human and recognizing the truth in Verde's words, she still couldn't fully lower her guard.

"What are you here for?" Evelyn demanded.

Verde sighed, pondering if his proximity to Zachary had made him overly cautious. "I am a green dragon," he explained. "Our kind possesses strong vitality and healing abilities. Our bodies and blood are among the finest healing agents known."

He nodded towards Zachary, "I think he might need my help, which is why I came."

"Did you know? Many healing potions crafted by witches use dragon blood, particularly from green dragons like myself."

Evelyn remained silent.

She knew little about dragons or magical potions. She wanted to believe him, yet she couldn't completely let her guard down.

Realizing Evelyn's hesitation, Verde knew he needed to clarify why Zachary harbored such hostility towards him, or she wouldn't allow him to assist.

Looking back at Zachary, Verde hesitated, feeling it awkward to speak about him as if he were not present. "His past experiences have made him more wary than most," Verde cautiously added. "Sometimes, his thinking is more like that of a beast than a human," he quickly clarified, waving his hands, "I don't mean that negatively. At times, a more primal thought process can simplify complex problems…"

As Verde started to ramble, Evelyn interrupted, "Focus on the main point."

"Right, right. I came because I heard dragon cries and wanted to help. But in his eyes, a fellow dragon approaching while he's injured is seen as a threat, not a friend."

Verde's expression grew somber, "He's never treated me as a friend. Sometimes, I think he sees me merely as territory or... emergency rations…"

As Verde's thoughts spiraled into self-pity, Evelyn cut him off again, "So, how exactly do you plan to help him?"

Verde, lost in his thoughts, lamented, "He doesn't trust me, and neither do you. What did I do wrong? I only wanted to help a friend, even if it's unrequited…"

Evelyn sighed and dropped her dagger, stepping forward to place her hand on Verde's shoulder, "I believe you, Verde."

Looking up, Verde met her serious gaze.

"Please, save him," she implored, "He's my friend."