In The Lair of the Draca (Book 2)

In the Lair of the Draca (Book 2) Chapter 53: Aftermath

Trembling like a wet puppy, Luka stepped into the clearing.

Before him sat the western end of Haven's Creek, complete with the u-shaped dip which nestled securely among a smattering of bolberry shrubs. From there, the waters continued on until they shot through the Ice-Capped mountains toward Dragura's Fortress...but here, all was as still and tranquil as in a master artist's sketch-book.

Fruit birds, out of hiding once again, trilled their lonesome songs from the highest boughs as they celebrated the arrival of new hatchlings; it was spring-time, and a fat mother wood-rat waddled through the grasses in front of Luka with all five of her speckled offspring (they would not acquire their stripes until reaching adulthood at five months). Star-light dappled and fish leaped from the creek waters once more, quietly celebrating the return of their crystal clear waters to peace and harmony.

And there, on the muddy creek bank, lay Ziuta's sprawled figure.

"Darling!" Luka whispered, trying to still the tightness that crept into his wind-pipe. His love was stretched out in the damp grasses no more than fifty yards away, hair splayed out on the ground like a  bucket of spilled brick-color. From where he stood, her skin looked entirely too pale, and he was too far away to see whether her chest rose and fell. Her legs were stretched widely apart-- the ankles had been freed from their manacles, although her wrists (raised high above her head) were still bound. Luka wasn't positive, but he thought the tips of her toes had a blueish sheen. This was not a good sign; he had seen a drowned child once in his seventh year, and remembered the shrieking mourners who tore at their clothing and doused themselves with ashes as the still little body was carried through the courtyard.

Luka could not bear to have to endure the same if Ziuta were dead.

There was, however, a problem: he could not simply approach the bank and gather the body into his arms.

The water-dragon lay on top of her, with half its blubbery body in the creek and the other half lazily reclining in the mud beside Ziuta's form. He could see a thick, sinewy neck of about four feet in length, a serpentine head with jade-colored eyes at the top of the skull, and canoe-sized flippers that had dug deep grooves into the soft mud. The fat body heaved in and out with the stress of supporting so much weight out of the water, but the water-dragon refused to budge. She had sensed Luka's presence and now eyed him suspiciously, lifting her lips in a silent snarl to display dagger-sharp teeth whenever he made a move to step beyond the shrubbery.

Curses and gem-stones! How am I supposed to bring Ziuta to proper treatment if this animal refuses to leave her alone?

There was a sharp slap, and Luka jumped, quickly melting back into the bushes. Parting the brambles so that he could see through them without provoking the animal's ire, he observed with surprise that the creature had slammed a paddle down onto Ziuta's stomach. Her body jerked so violently that it rose up off the ground, and her fists clenched involuntarily.

Good Moons, what on Weema's soil is that beast doing? I need to kill it-- and in less than no time!

Another smack as a paddle whacked Ziuta in the belly. There came the sound of ribs popping; Luka had deftly managed to remove an arrow from his quiver and string it into a bow before he realized what the dragon was actually doing. Mouthfuls of bubbling, slimy water suddenly splurted from Ziuta's mouth, and the water dragon dipped its head into her face until its snout nearly touched her nose. The offending flipper was used to roughly turn her to one side, and more water poured.

Well, I'll be damned twice to the Afterworld, thought Luka with absolute wonder. The beast wasn't trying to assault Ziuta after all. It was actually trying to save her!