Dragons and Guardians

Sixth Chapter. Shorter than the others but I\'ll make it up.

Disclaimer: I don\'t own the characters or anything to do with them. Well except for the plot to this story and my OC.

\"Talking\"
\'Thinking\'
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Chapter 6
Together Again

The two frightened apprentices watched, in silence, to tired and injured to move from their current position, even to defend themselves. The rustling and crunching sound was getting louder and louder as whatever it was approached fast.
It wasn\'t long before they could see a large black shape darting through the trees toward them. The rain making it hard to keeack ack of it as it blurred in and out of vision.

Suddenly Orphen burst forth from the tree line.

\"Master!\" the two apprentices cried out both in annoyance, for scaring the life out of them, and joy, for having found them.
\"Are you two okay?\" Orphen asked running over and kneeling at their side.
\"Yeah just peachy,\" Shamira said sarcastically, looking and meeting Majic\'s eye, \"How about you Majic? How are you feeling?\"
\"Perfect. Never felt better,\" Majic replied sarcastically.
The two looked at Orphen like he was an idiot and in unison said, \"What kind of question is that? Do we look alright?\"
\"Okay, okay,\" Orphen said holding his hands up in surrender but grinning, \"Maybe it was a stupid question huh?\"
\"You think?\" they cried.

Orphen looked at his two apprentices and took in their current position and state.
Shamira lay on her back, hair splayed out above her head in a river of black, that shone in the rain and moonlight. A large gash adorned her right cheek, from where the tree branch had caught her earlier that night, her neck and the tops of her shoulders were grazed and scratched. Her arms, which were wrapped around Majic, were also cut and grazed all over. Her clothes were ripped in places and the amulet she had retrieved from the Tower of Fang earlier was in a puddle of water beside them, the chain broken.
Majic lay on top of Shamira, his pants were ripped, his shirt was missing and various cuts, grazes, and scrat dec decorated his body. His skin was lighter than it usually was and his shining golden locks were plastered to his head from the rain.
Both their eyes were dull with pain and exhaustion.
All in all, they were in bad shape, covered in mud and soaking wet.

\"Can you move?\" Orphen asked seriously bending down and picking up Shamira\'s amulet and putting it in his pant\'s pocket.
\"I feel sick when I do but I think I can,\" Majic whispered shifting to a kneeling position before stopping to settle his stomach.
\"What about you?\" Orphen asked Shamira.
\"My back is scratched to shreds,\" Shamira said plainly trying not to reveal how much pain she was in, \"We took a tumble down there.\"
Orphen looked at the ravine and nodded, \"Okay.\"
\"Majic had a large gash on his stomach,\" Shamira said, \"I did what I could.\"
\"That\'s okay I\'ll check it over,\" Orphen said standing then leaning down he lifted Majic off Shamira.

Majic stood shakily next to Orphen and looked down at Shamira.
Shamira had pushed herself onto her elbows but it was hurting so much and she felt so tired she just wanted to lie back down again.
Orphen lent down and grabbed Shamira\'s arm and hefted her up.
Shamira gave a small cry of pain and bit her lip. She stumbled and fell into Orphen who caught her.

\"Did I mention we were going at about thirty to forty kilometers an hour when we crashed into the bottom of the ravine,\" Shamira growled at Orphen.
\"No. You failed to mention that bit,\" Orphen said simply.
\"Well there you go. Now I have,\" Shamira stated then in a whisper she said, \"My wings didn\'t fair to well either.\"
\"I\'ll heal them later,\" Orphen whispered back then out loud he said, \"Turn around.\"

When Orphen and Majic caught sight of the state Shamira\'s back was in they cringed.
It was scratched raw, some places had deep cuts that were still bleeding sending little rivulets of crimson water down her back, other places had deep grazes that still had bits of rock and gravel in it.

\"Where is Cleao?\" Shamira asked noticing that the group was one short.
\"I sent her back to the village to see if you two had made it back there,\" Orphen explained reaching out and touching Shamira\'s back, \"She\'d just left when I saw your signal.\"
Shamira cringed under the touch but didn\'t move out of his reach, instead saying, \"Heal Majic first. He\'s the hero.\"
\"Speaking of which,\" Orphen said hitting Majic in the back of the head, \"What were you thinking? You could have died.\" orryorry Master,\" Majic whispered looking at the ground and shuffling his feet, \"There was just so many people dying and I couldn\'t find you anywhere.\"
Majic looked up at Orphen, who smiled and threw his arm around Majic\'s neck, pulling his head close and ruffling the golden locks with his knuckles, \"You did great Majic. I\'m very proud of whau diu did. Just don\'t do it again or I\'ll kill you. Got it?\"
Majic grinned at Orphen and said, \"Got it.\"
\"Let\'s head back to the village and see if we can get some shelter from this rain,\" Shamira said starting to walk towards the trees.
\"Let\'s just heal you and the hero first,\" Orphen said grabbing the back of what was left of Shamira\'s shirt and holding her back.

Placing a hand in the center of Shamira\'s back he started to heal all the grazes, scratches and cuts.
Shamira shivered when the magic ran through her and when she was healed she ro her her shoulders and stretched her back.

\"Much better,\" Shamira said as she straightened up.
\"You next hero,\" Orphen said turning to his blonde apprentice.

Orphen saw the remains of a large gash on Majic stomach and immediately knew that was what Shamira had been referring to.
Placing his hand on Majic\'s stomach he healed what was left.

\"Well lets get back before Cleao decides to try annd und us,\" Orphen said and headed for the trees.
Majic and Shamira followed.
They walked in silence until they saw the town.
Cleao was standing there under an outcrop of what was once a building. She had four blankets with her and had a fire started in the crust of a building.
Cleao wrapped one of the blankets around Majic while Orphen and Shamira grabbed their own.

\"I wasn\'t able to find the supply bag. It was to dark,\" Cleao said, \"So I thought we could stay here and deal with everything tomorrow. There is some food I found scattered around. Everyone that is left is scared and preparing to leave. You wouldn\'t believe it but I overheard them saying that the building with the sticks around it is still standing, untouched.\"
\"Really?\" Majic asked sleepily.
\"Yeah that\'s where everyone is staying until they can leave. I thought it best if we stayed clear. Being outsiders and all,\" Cleao replied handing Orphen an apple.

Shamira, from her seat leaning against a wall, yawned and stretched her eyes half closed. Majic who had only eaten a small amount was asleep with his head in Shamira\'s lap.
Cleao and Orphen watched as Shamira\'s eyes slowly closed and her breathing even out. Her wings decided it was time to appear, waking her back gaingain.
Orphen walked over and took a look at them running his hands over them.

\"They\'re so soft, as if water was running over your fingers,\" Orphen said.
Cleao came over and touched them and said, \"You\'re right.\"
\"It\'s very painful Master could you please heal them?\" Shamira asked softly.

Orphen nodded and healed the silky wings until they almost shone.
Shamira retracted them back into hiding and smiled her thanks at Orphen.

\"Get some rest we have to get moving in the morning,\" Orphen said.

Shamira didn\'t have to be told twice as her eyes slid shut.

\"So did it work?\" Cleao asked, \"With Hartia I mean.\"
\"Yes,\" Orphen said, \"I\'m glad Majic and you didn\'t get seriously hurt.\"
\"Hey you know us Orphen. Try as you might you\'ll never get rid of us,\" Cleao said grinning at the sorceror.
\"You\'re right Cleao. What was I thinking worrying about you two? I should have worrying about the dragon instead,\" Orphen said smirking.
\"You better believe it. That big brute didn\'t know what hit him,\" Cleao said.

Cleao looked over at the younger two of the group.
Shamira looked about ready to slide down the wall.
Orphen stood up and rearranged his apprentices so they lay side by side with a small gap in the middle.
Cleao yawned as she watched Orphen.

\"Get some sleep Cleao I\'ll watch out for a little while longer,\" Orphen said.
\"Okay Orphen. See you in the morning,\" Cleao said as she lay down and pulled a blanket over her.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Orphen sitting down between the sleeping forms of Majic and Shamira.
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Like I said it was shorter than usual but I\'m hoping the next chapter will be long. I\'m all for suggestions for pairings.