章節 31: New Life
Nia's eyes opened to see a wooden ceiling. She laid on a simple bed in human form. Although it was unfamiliar to her, the bedding felt soft especially compared to the ground she usually sleep. A wet towel was placed on her forehead. She sat herself up, but as she did a shock went through her leg. She clutched where the pain resonated. Her leg was wrapped in bandages along with her wing. As she moved, the towel fell to the ground. Her entire body had small bandages covering scratches.
She slowly sat on the soft bed, trying not to put any pressure on her leg and looked around. She has never seen a cabin before. There was light protruding from windows and small cracks in the wood.
The door opened and a red-haired woman entered with a basket of plants and berries. She held a sword holstered in a sheath. The woman saw that Nia was awake and pleasantly smiled.
"Ahh. You're awake. I was becoming worried for you."
As Nia saw the sword, she quickly jumped back as it reminded her of the same sword that the dragonslayer held. As she jumped back, she bumped to the back of the wall, hitting the back of her head and injured leg in the process. Nia held her leg in pain, but felt more fear from the human in front of her.
The woman dropped her basket and went over to comfort the little dragon. As she ran over to her, Nia said, "Stay back!"
But as she yelled, the woman gave a comforting hug. Nia froze.
"It's alright. It's alright," the woman said as she rubbed the little dragon's head. Nia couldn't understand what was happening or why this human was caring for her, but tears overflowed. She began to cry into this stranger's arms.
"There, there," the woman said as she comforted the crying dragon. Nia cried and cried.
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As the little dragon settled down, Nera laid her sword on the ground near a cooking pot. She started to make vegetable soup for the little dragon. Nia sat on the bed. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. This was all a dream, she thought. Although she thought it was a pleasant dream, she pinched herself and softly slapped her cheeks to try and wake herself up.
"No. This isn't some dream," she said as the woman looked back with a pleasant smile still preparing the soup.
"What's your name, little one?" the woman inquired casually.
They looked at each other's eyes. Nia believed that the woman was sincere and caring, otherwise her wounds wouldn't have been healed.
"I'm Nia", she replied.
"Nia. What a beautiful name. It's almost the exact same name as my own. I'm Nera."
With that, Nia's eyes sparkled, forgetting about the horrific events that haunted her before.
"Really!? Nera. Nera is such a nice name!" Nia shouted with a big smile. Nera was glad that the little dragon had opened up, but she knew that she had to get Nia back to her family of dragons.
"Nia, do you know where your parents are?" Nera asked and as she did, Nia's memory flooded back. Memories of fire burning through human flesh. Memories of dragons being shot at with arrows. Memories of her friends being slaughtered by that man.
Nia looked down to the wooden floor and Nera noticed immediately that she walked into a landmine.
Nera was about to open her mouth, but Nia replied, "I don't actually know my parents." Nia tried to keep a smile, but it was obvious that she was scared and upset.
She continued trying to maintain her smile, but it was ineffective, "You know, dragons don't usually have last names. I don't even remember how to get back to where the forest dragons were." Her smile faded. "I don't think there is a home to go back to."
Nera was shocked, but tried to keep a calm composure to keep Nia from getting depressed.
"Well, Nia, I actually don't have a last name, either. I never knew my parents. But I'm sure that we can find your home with the rest of the forest dragons," Nera said.
Nia looked at Nera and said, "I'm sorry."
"Oh. Don't be sorry. It's no trouble."
Nia looked away and as she did, Nera began to worry. Nera went back to cooking the soup. Silence across the cabin, but was broken as Nia turned her attention towards the red blade.
"That sword. Where did you get it?" she asked aloud.
"Oh, this thing. It's not actually my own. It belongs to a good friend of mine. I'm just holding onto it, so that he can pick it up when he visits."
"That sword. That red sword. Who did it really belong to, then?"
Nera smiled as her memories of Akai flooded in. She believed that he would come back and still believed it.
"Actually, it belonged to a dragon."
Nia eyes widened in surprise. "Another dragon? A dragon that uses a sword?"
"Yes. He wanted to see the world in human eyes, so he essentially became a monster hunter. He protects other humans from dangerous monsters and he is doing so as we speak."
Nia leaned in wanting to know more about this mysterious dragon.
"A monster hunter?"
Nera smiled while she reminisced at her first window to the outside world, but then also remembered how they never said good-bye to each other. She remembered how she left their relationship off. Nera remembered that he was also with dragonslayers and on a hunt to kill a dragon like himself. Her smile dimmed, but only for a slight moment. She reminded herself that he must have had a reason to be with those people.
"I patched him up after he was wounded from a fight. He was kind and sweet for the short time that I was with him. My first time looking outside of this village. His recovery was extremely fast. I never thought that the healing process would be so quick for a dragon. Even you are healing faster than any human."
Nia looked at her bandaged leg and remembered an arrow piercing through it. She'll never forget that pain, but even though it still hurts, it was nowhere near as painful as before she fell into the river.
"So, that sword belongs to him?" Nia said as she pointed at the red blade.
Nera held the sword up and nodded.
"I know he will return one day, at least to find his old sword. It's still plenty sharp and luckily I have not needed to use it in a while."
Nia shocked at that statement said, "You...you killed with it?"
Nera looked at Nia and said, "Only in self-defense. The occasional monster or beast that strolls by. Without it, I would have died near the bottom of Mt. Geolith."
Nera smiled, but Nia didn't give the same expression. She was in deep thought. She thought that the red sword was very similar to the green sword that that demon was carrying back at the forest. She shook her head. There was no way that whoever this woman was referring to was the same man or monster who killed her friends, she thought. Why would a dragon even consider joining up in a hunt against other dragons, she asked herself in her thoughts. She shook her head once more. It's probably a coincidence or maybe the sword was made at the same blacksmith, she thought trying to make an excuse to explain why the swords were similar.
"Oh, I think that's enough tales from my own. Do you want to talk about what happened to you? " Nera asked compassionately.
Nia shook her head. Nera tried to maintain her pleasant smile for the child, not wanting to worry her.
"I see. Well, I'll give you some soup, and you can rest."
Nia nodded, not wanting to
"And after you're done healing. I'll escort you back to your home," Nera said as she took a bowl of soup out.
Nia's eyes widened.
"I don't even remember where it is," Nia said.
"I'm sure we can find it by retracing your steps. I'm sure that whatever happened, your family - the other forest dragons - would be happy to have you back."
Nia looked down and agreed, not wanting to argue with the person who saved her life. Nera held the hot soup bowl carefully. She took a wooden spoon and picked up some soup with it. She blew on the soup to cool it down and fed it to the little dragon in human form. Nera smiled to keep the little dragon comfortable all while Nia sat on the bed slowly sipping the soup.
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After a few days, Nia's wounds healed to the point where she was able to walk without feeling any pain. The wing that used to have a hole through it was also healed. She was able to move her body much better after a few days' rest. There was only a scar where her leg was pierced through.
Nera walked into the cabin carrying some villager clothes as Nia stretched out her wings and legs.
"I brought you some of my old clothes. I think you are well enough to come walk around the village," Nera said as she tossed the clothes to Nia. The little dragon grabbed the clothes in bewilderment.
"Aren't these the things you wear, Nera?" Nia asked, "How do I put these on?"
Nia attempted to put the small clothes on, but was having trouble going through the right holes. Nera chuckled. "Here. Let me help you."
Nera helped Nia put the simple clothes on.
"These used to belong to me when I was younger. They fit you perfectly, if I do say so myself," Nera said. The clothing hid most of the scales on the young dragon's body, but not the light green scales that showed on her neck and sides of her face nor on her lower legs or wrists.
"Your hair's a bit of a mess. Let me clean that up for you," Nera said as she walked to a drawer and got out a brush.
Nia wondered what that was. Nera came closer to her and brushed Nia's hair. Nia closed her eyes, but the brushing felt nice to her suprise.
"You know what you're like, Nera?"
"Huh? What's that?" Nera asked as she continued to brush Nia's hair.
"You're like a mother," Nia said with a smile.
Nera blushed and felt embarrasment. "I'm not that old. I'm not old enough to be a mother, yet."
"Oh." There was a brief pause. "What about like a big sister, then?"
Nera blushed, again, and Nia continued, "Yeah. Can I call you a big sister? I was the youngest dragon where I was and I called everybody a big brother or sister."
"Well, I don't know. I thought that dragons were supposed to be a lot older than they appear."
"Aww. I'm only 100 years old, silly," Nia pouted.
"Well, wouldn't that make me your younger sister?"
Nera continued to brush the dark brown hair as Nia thought to herself.
"Well, you act more like a big sister than a younger sister. You would either be a mom or a big sister," Nia said with a big smile.
Nera laughed. "Alright. I can be your big sister, then," she said with a smile.
Nia turned around and immediately hugged Nera.
"Alright. Then, from now on, I'll call you big sister Nera," she said with a big smile.
Nera gave a smile back and patted the dragon's head.
"Alright. Alright. But I think it's time that we find your other big brothers and sisters," Nera said.
Nia held back her tears. Deep down, she knew that there was no home there for her.
Nia let go of Nera and nodded with a smile. Even if she thought that her home was destroyed, she believed that maybe there were some other survivors. That the other forest dragons may have survived and fixed the place up. She didn't see what happened at the end of that bloody battle, so all she had was belief.
"Oh. One more thing," Nera said as she walked towards a closet and pulled out some robes with a hood.
"Just in case, I'm going to have to put this on you," Nera said as she put the hooded robes on Nia. The robes were larger than her, but it hid the scales on the lower leg and wrists, as well as covering up the scales on her neck. However, if somebody were to look closely at her face, they may realize that there are some scales on the sides, but nonetheless the shadows from the hood covered it up and Nera didn't have anything else to use.
"Is there a problem outside? Do the villagers not like dragons?" Nia asked.
"No. I'm not worried about villagers or whoever has stayed, anyways. I definetely know that the other villagers would treat you with kindness. It's just that..." Nera paused and looked away.
She looked back and continued, "It's just in case of any dragonslayers."
Nia's eyes widened and shook with fear. "Dragonslayers?"
Nia realized that there may be some more of those people that attacked them still in the forests.
"Don't worry. I saw them leave the forests and pass our village. I doubt that we will run into any... but it's just a precaution," Nera said giving off a reassuring smile. Nia nodded and her fear dissipated.
"Ok, big sister Nera. I'll follow you," Nia said. Nera sheathed the blade in leather around her waist.
"Let's go," Nera said as she opened the cabin doors.
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