Chapter 22: The Morning After

Minor

The growing hunger woke me. I slowly stretched and moved, feeling more sore than I expected. Qualin was actually pretty strong, but it was most likely due to the fact that my body wasn't used to...that.

Slipping out from under the blanket, I got to my knees and stretched my lower back. my legs felt weak and my backside was a little tender. Easily fixed. Without thinking, I summoned the healing energy from within me, letting it spread to my sore areas. It only took a moment, but the light made Qualin stir.

I froze, suddenly feeling guilty and hoping I hadn't woken him. I watched his face as he moaned and shifted under the blanket. Then he was quiet again, his eyes still closed. I smiled and gently kissed his brow. I sensed no pain or discomfort in him. Luckily, he just needed rest.

I, however, could use a little something to eat. Not just nuts and fruits. I needed something with a little more substance. Looking around and scenting the air, I was confident that the immediate area was clear. But Dad had brought us here for hunting lessons when we were little, so I knew there were fiendish creatures roaming this particular moon. Nothing too powerful, but enough to help replenish what energy I'd spent recently.

I hated the thought of leaving Qualin, but he didn't need to see me hunt. He probably wouldn't like to see that side of me; he had glimpsed some savagery in my memories and I could tell he found it disconcerting. He would undoubtedly see eventually, and I believed he could accept it, but there was no need to overwhelm him even more. Besides, he needed sleep, and if I hurried, I could be back before he woke.

I wouldn't be gone long, and I wouldn't be too far. There was a sting of loneliness as I broke the mental connection between us so my activity wouldn't disturb him. This would be quick. I teleported away, up into the sky above, and transformed, spreading my dragon wings and relishing the rush or refreshing air.

I beat my wings and put the gentle haze of the sun on my back; the angle and rotation of this moon made this particular region nearly always night. There would only be a few hours of dawn before the sun would sink again. I was heading to the forever-night region and where the most fiends would be. I reached out with all my senses, feeling energized and ready to begin the hunt.

***

Qualin

Something seemed to be missing. That strange, comforting presence of Minor's thoughts and feelings in my mind was gone. I reached out, searching for his body under the blanket but found only moss. My eyes opened and glanced around. I quickly found the energy trail he had left and began to follow it, but it seemed to vanish in a swirling mass.

I got to my feet and scanned the area, a sigh of relief escaping me when I spotted the beautiful trail of golden energy in the sky. I knew it was his. If something had happened...or if he had intended to abandon me... he would have teleported much farther away. I didn't know why he had left, but I was sure he'd be back.

Sitting back down, I pulled the blanket around my shoulders. The scent of it wafted to my nose and I couldn't resist bringing it to my face and breathing in deeply. It was Minor's scent. Not just the scent of him on a fur blanket. There was a subtle difference, but it was definitely a part of him. Such a strange thing, but oddly comforting.

I brushed the soft fur, rubbing it against my face. It was fairly thick and very soft. I hadn't really paid attention before, but the fur was a beautiful magenta color with green rosettes. I wondered what species it was modeled after. maybe something like that large beast that had brought the gourd? Hard to tell since it was perfectly rectangular with no defining shape. However, It seemed to be a similar color scheme and was camouflaged for the area.

I was suddenly excited by the thought of seeing Minor in his many different forms. I wanted to see every shape. I wanted to know him completely. Every face, every detail. Obviously, I liked seeing him as my own species, but I couldn't say it was my favorite. After all, his true form was the most beautiful and mesmerizing. And I was already getting used to recognizing him through the different apoearances. Each one was beautiful and unique, and entirely mine.

The thought made me smile.

I got to my feet, wrapping the blanket around me, and walked to the stream to get a drink of fresh water. It tasted cool and softly minty. Traveling to new and strange places was likely going to be my new normal, based on what Minor had said and the things I had seen in his mind. I needed to get used to it. It was an exciting prospect, but more than anything, I wanted to be involved in his life. Not just a lover he visited in his free time. I wanted to be with him, wherever he went. Even for the dangerous stuff. That meant I needed to get stronger, and to mentally prepare myself as well.

I started to feel a little restless. Getting up, I decided to explore a bit. That was the best way to get comfortable in a new space.

It had to have been several hours since we first arrived, but it seemed like the sun was setting again. How long had I slept? had it even gotten sunny? There was a fair amount of foliage, but the trees weren't too tall and the canopy wasn't too thick, so I should have noticed it get sunny. Ah well, I'd been to enough planets and moons to know that day-night cycles can vary greatly. I wondered if that messed with Minor's sleep patterns, with the way he jumped to far away places all the time?

I dismissed the thought as I jumped down to a lower path, following the flow of water as it spilled from pool to pool. There were dozens, and some streams split off and continued unhindered.

I kept an eye out for the small animals from earlier. A few seemed to be scurrying about. One or two stopped to look at me and even let me approach, but they clearly weren't as comfortable as when I was with Minor.

I walked for several minutes, pretty sure I could find my way back to same pool. But even if I couldn't, Minor would be able to find me, right? I couldn't feel the mental connection at the moment, but we were still linked, right? I reached up and touched my chest were he had left that warm feeling. The feeling was still there, like a part of him really was still with me. That gave me a sense of relief and peace of mind.

Besides, when is I got lost, hadn't the Queen said Minor would be able to find me anywhere? I chuckled a little; my mischievous side was tempted to test that, but maybe not today.

A rustling in the brush pulled me from the thought. I turned toward the sound and braced myself. Something big started charging at me.

Shit! I was ready to run or fight, and was about to do the former when the large beast came to a stop a few body lengths from me, it lifted its head and roared. It looked like the same large beast from earlier, that had brought the gourd. It looked upset but wasn't attacking. If it was the same one, did it recognize me? Could I talk to it?

"Hey, it's me, I was with... the prince, early, remember?" I tried to sound calm and soothing. It continued to roar and grunt and thrash. Then it closed the distance between us.

I jumped back but it quickly moved around me, thrashing it's head and calling out in distress. It charged at me again.

"Hey! knock it off!" i jumped back again, raising a hand, ready to attack.

It roared and whined and swiped at the ground by my feet, pushing me back.

It suddenly occurred to me that it looked frightened. Was it trying to warn me about something?

The thought barely had time to form before a sickening, hissing sound rose from the brush to my right.

My ears swept back against my head and my tail bristled at the sight of a large, dark, leathery skinned head rising up from a pool thick with rotten alga. Black smoke seemed to be emanating from the creature, which was strange enough considering it was emerging from water. It's fangs were also dripping with blue icker and sharp spines around it's head and down it's spine were vibrating and seemed to be the source of the hissing sound.

"Shit!" I started to back away, still taken aback, when the first beast slammed into my side, pushing and shoving me away.

All at once the emerging monster lunged and the beast nearly knocked me down as one massive paw shoved me backwards before it charged forward to meet the monster. The large beast suddenly didn't look as large and formidable, dwarfed by an unnatural monster over twice it's size.

I jumped up the path, trying to find higher ground and plan the best possible escape routes. Unfortunately, my large friend didn't buy me much time. I heard the large crash and knew without looking that it had probably been tossed into the brush like a rag doll.

By the time I turned on my heels, hand already raised, the monster was nearly upon me. It's energy twisted and swirled in an unnatural way, making me feel dizzy and disoriented just looking at it, but I caught a little between my fingers. It stung and sent chills up my arm and into my body. Still, I managed to twist it and ignite a chain reaction just before it's jaws could reach me.

The resulting explosion popped and cracked and seemed to shriek as the energy twisted strangely. But at least the monster seemed hurt and pulled back slightly. I jumped back further and turned to run full speed when another sound stopped me in my tracks.

This one was familiar even though I had never heard anything quite like it. Whipping my head around, I saw Minor's winged form bearing down on the monster. His face was distorted into a vicious snarl and his voice rang out in a piercing shriek.

His body crashed into the monster's head. he looked small and out matched, but that perception was quickly shattered as he tore into the grotesque flesh. The menacing spines broke against his scales and a white light spread out from every bite and slash of his claws, effectively extending his reach through the larger form.

It only took took a few moments for the nightmarish monster to be rend to pieces.

Minor stood on top of it's corpse snarling and growling ferociously. If I didn't know it was him, or if I hadn't seen glimpses of this side of him from his memories, I probably would have been terrified. Nevertheless, I couldn't deny that the energy coming from him was beautiful.

To the contrary, the dead monster's energy was as sickly was ever, and seemed to be drifting into the air and seeping into the ground. It looked like poison spreading.

"What the...?" I instinctively took a step back, then sent a spark to burn the poisonous energy. "Energy usually dissipates harmlessly when something dies... this... this is weird, and freaky!"

"Qualin!" Minor's voice sounded concerned and like he just realized or remembered that I was there. He jumped into the air, beating his wings a few times and rushing to me. It was like everything else had disappeared and he only saw me. And suddenly, all I cared about was how badly I wanted him in my arms again.