The Key to the Warriors (completed)

Chapter 44

44Zirlic

I hadn't slept in days. Despite what I told Zyirah, I was indeed worried for my Creator. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the way he'd coughed, and Zak's words echo through my head that Charlie might die. It made it impossible to sleep even when I tried. I sat at the table in the mess hall with Jerry and Leo, picking at the food on my plate. Their eyes watched me with concern, but they didn't question. They were just as worried as I was after I'd filled them in.

Zyirah came in just then, hair hanging wet down her back, smelling of lilac soap, and I smiled at her as she eased into the bench beside Jerry.

"You doing okay this morning?" I asked her, and she nodded as Jerry climbed out of the bench to make her a plate from the available meats and vegetables on the table behind her.

"Don't suppose there's been word...?"

I shook my head, and she sighed heavily as Jerry put the plate in front of her. She had just started to nibble when the wind outside suddenly picked up. Springing to my feet, I clamored out of the bench and ran for the battlefield as Zyirah and the boys followed. Across the way, Kat was emerging from the sleeping dome, her eyes on the skies as well as she slowly approached us.

"Storm?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"Ceribus." As I said it, the dragon appeared through the clouds, and we took several steps back as he carefully lowered to the ground. "Welcome back. Any word from the boys?" I asked, and his head turned to me.

"Now that you mention it...'

He hunkered down and flattened his wings, and my breath caught as Zak's head appeared between his shoulders. He looked filthy and exhausted, with a few weeks of beard covering the lower half of his face. His brows were drawn tight as he slid out of his pack and tossed it over Ceribus's wings to land on the ground beside me. Only one pack, I noticed, making me wonder what happened to the other. Without a word to us, he scrambled backward down the dragon's leg, and I heard Zyirah gasp as Charlie appeared, laying on his stomach against the dragon's neck, asleep.

"Charlie, wake up. We're home." Zak urged.

Charlie's eyes fluttered open, and he raised himself to sit. My Creator looked dreadful. A good bit of beard covered him also, making him appear much older than he was. He seemed like he'd lost weight, there were dark circles beneath his eyes, his face flushed with fever. Zak reached his hands up for him, his lips pressed into a thin line as Charlie looked around, seeming terribly confused.

"Down here, come on." Zak encouraged, and Charlie's eyes finally landed on him.

With a small nod, he slid himself down Ceribus's leg to land with a crumpled groan in Zak's waiting arms. His brother held him upright until he was standing, then took his face in his hands and made Charlie focus.

"Hey, you with me? We're home."

Charlie blinked a moment, then his eyes slowly shifted to find us. "Where's... Zyirah?" His voice was barely a breathy mumble.

"I'm here." I could see her fighting off tears as she stepped away from us to approach him, her hands held out so he could reach for her.

Without prompting, he folded himself into her arms, dragging her down to the ground as his knees sank. She held him tight against her as he breathed heavily, lips parted, eyes closed, but his arms wrapped around her like a buoy in the ocean. She smoothed through his hair as tears filled her eyes, holding him as though he were dying. Which, at that moment, he may have been.

"Zirlic, he's on fire." She mumbled, and a tear slid down her cheek as I nodded.

Zak approached me, his expression wan as he glanced at Charlie. "His fever's only worsened since we left the Cascades. He's been really confused since Ceribus picked us up, like he has no idea what's going on around him."