Chapter Thirty-Six: Drun zey Key

The dragoness glanced forlorn at the prince as Hart rocked uneasily on the balls of his feet eager to pivot away from the pair towards their injured comrade.

"C'mon he needs our help" Hart hissed spinning on his heels and hurrying across the destroyed campsite.

The prince groaned in agony as he moved his stiff and shredded body away from the safety of the dragoness's warm hands, and attempted to stand up, the palms of his hands digging into the soil wet with his blood as he tried to balance himself. Shyvana gently placed her palm on his shoulder and pushed him downward, huffing in irritation as bloody slowly trickled from the wounds she just finished cleaning.

"Please be still, you are injured. You can't walk to him" She said standing from her kneeling position at his side, her hand lingering upon his skin.

"You heard Hart, Connors needs us and ill be damned if I sit here and do nothing" he growled out, his eyes alight with anger that she would even suggest that he didn't go to his fallen comrade immediately.

Shyvana huffed annoyed blowing a billow of smoke around the Princes face. He was damn stubborn, and it would get him killed.

"Fine if you insist, don't say I didn't warn you" she said bending down and scooping him into her arms, his face flushing with embarrassment being carried like a damsel in distress. The dragoness rolled her eyes at his blushing face, assuming his male pride was being damaged at her carrying him like a child. Her draconian strength allowed her to carry much heavier objects and he was certainly not the heaviest thing she had ever carried. She was very tired at this precise moment after spending so much of her energy early and her arms quivered, sweat pooling at the nap of her neck as she concentrated at getting across the encampment, her bare feet sinking into the bloodied ground, squishing uncomfortably between her toes.

She could see her comrades surrounding a bundle on the ground and suddenly the sent of human blood reached her nose and she sprinted towards them not even paying attention to the sudden smirks on Dagonett's and Garretts faces. She gently placed Jarvan down on the ground beside the shredded sleeping sack that currently housed Connors body inside it. It was splattered with remnants of blood and dirt.

"Connors" Jarvan groaned reaching a handout to touch the material of the sleeping sack. Pulling on it gently he attempted to move his friend towards them to see his face. His muscles screamed in protest, but he eventually was able to move him to lie on his back. The larger man was covered in scratches and blood was oozing from a wound on his neck. Jarvan waited for an answer but nothing came, he began to panic, and his grip tightened as he fisted the material and pulled himself towards him cursing his injuries leaving him weakened, he couldn't see to his men and now one was injured.

"Connors wake up" he shook him harder, and still no sound passed from his lips. Jarvan felt dread pool in the pit of his stomach, he clenched his teeth and looked away as his eyes began to moisten.

"Let him go lad" Dagonett said sadly, placing a hand on his captains' shoulder and trying to pull him away from their fallen comrade.

Jarvan swatted his hand away "No… he's not he can't be" he cried. Not another man fallen due to his stupid quest for glory and salvation. He couldn't face it again, he couldn't burry another friend and watch the earth swallow him in some deserted forest far away from their homeland.

Shyvana was silent trying to focus the last of her energy on what her companions couldn't possibly hear. The faint but very much there beat of the heart, the very thing keeping Connors alive. She kneeled on the opposite side of Jarvan, he knees hitting the ground painfully as she collapsed. "Move" she whispered placing her hands atop Connors chest.

"Shy, what are you doing" Jarvan said, letting go to wipe his eye forcefully watching the look of determination on the dragoness's face.

"Shh, quiet please" she said closing her eyes and drawing out the strength of the dragon blood that flowed through her veins.

"Can dragons bring back the dead?" Garrett whispered to Dagonett, wincing as the older man slapped him on the chest.

Shyvana released a billow of smoke from her nostrils and rolled her eyes "He's not dead, he's dying if you don't shut up, I won't be able to heal him"

"You can heal?" Garrett whispered ducking as another meaty fist was aimed for his chest as the lieutenant went to smack him again.

"Not everything a dragon does is destructive" Jarvan said casting his ranger a firm glare.

Shyvana nodded a brief smile gracing her face at the prince's compliment and went back to focusing her energy into the palms of her hands. Slowly they began to heat and glow, dimly at first before her skin cracked and split giving way to darkened dragon scales and her fingers elongated into sharp talons. Her head was beginning to spin at the unfamiliar sensation of exhaustion, it had been many years since she had felt the power, she wielded take a toll on her. She began to chant in her native tongue willing the magic to work, to heal his wounds and bring him back from the brink of death much like she had done with Jarvan. The scent of blood in the air fueled the inner dragon and she was having a hard time concentrating on her words. She pinched her eyes shut tightly and sang to her brethren in the sky the words of her ancestors, the guttural dragon speech grating on the ears of her mortal companions.

"Vahraan, daar joor shun oc sos, drun mok laas" her palms glowed brightly as heat poured from them into the wounded flesh of his body. The smell of burnt meat wafted into the night air and she could hear the gaging of the mortals. She could detect the increase in Connors heart rate as her breathing began to waver and her world began to spin. She was almost finished a few moments more and he would be fine, out of immediate danger. She felt something trickle from her nose warm and sticky, past her lips and down her chin, and her muscles quiver at her extreme exhaustion. She began to teeter and sway as she used more and more of her energy the ancient tongue of the dragon feeling like lead in her mouth as she struggled to speak.

She could vaguely make out someone shouting her name as she kneeled closer to Connors body as she tried to will him to life before darkness overtook her and she felt nothing.

Jarvan watched in awe and amazement as the dragoness kneeled before their friend and tried to save him. Her face was so concentrated her eyes shut tightly her mouth a thin line as the summoned her draconian strength. It was slightly disturbing however when the smooth porcelain skin of her forearms split and tore Infront of his eyes to make way for the dragon scales that covered her body when she transformed. He supposed this was what a partial transformation looked like, her long slender fingers elongating as talons erupted from her nail beds and a warm glow began to spark in her palms pressed into his dying friends' flesh. He grimaced as he remembered the pain that overcame him when the dragoness did the very same thing to him, his flesh stitching itself back together crude and painful then blissfully comfortable in the next second. He grew worried though as her muscles twitched and spasmed and her breathing became difficult. He hissed as he dragged his injured leg towards himself to better be able to pivot towards the dragoness. He wanted to touch her and make sure she was alright, but he didn't want to stop her from healing his companion either. She was in distress, but her bloodline was strong she wasn't even mortal and his friend was neither, he felt himself being torn.

"Is she alright" Hart asked much to everyone's amazement.

Dagonett raised a brow looking at his comrade "didn't think you much care for er"

Hart growled under his breath, it was true he wasn't fond of dragons after everything that happened to them, but watching this half-breed that his captain was clearly enamoured with swoop down in a mass of claws and blood to save them on multiple occasions and now watching her kill herself to save someone she barely knew he was softening towards her. He rubbed a hand across his bald head and sighed "Perhaps I am to hard on her, I know but I don't want her to die"

Jarvan snapped his head towards his friend and narrowed his eyes "She wont die"

Hart raised a hand in surrender "Cap, look at her"

Jarvan turned his attention back towards Shyvana who was muttering that foreign dragon speech under her breath, she was glowing like a star in the night sky it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Her palms that lay on Connors chest glowed an unearthly purple and her chest glowed much the same he sworn he could see the heart that lie beneath her ribs beating at every breath she took, suddenly her eyes flew open as she chanted a deep guttural sound. Her eyes burned like the sun, glowing brightly almost as If the were also aflame. So much power she was using so much of her strength to save his companion a mere mortal that he knew without a doubt she was as loyal and trustworthy as any Demacian to lay down her life for that of another.

It began slowly and rose to an inferno of sound, the same words over and over grating on his sensitive ears, he wanted to know what she was saying he wanted to know that she was alright as she began to shake and her teeth began to piece through her plump lips, blood trickled from her nose down her chin and the smell of burnt meat made him start to gag. The awful sound of popping noises and the squelch of flesh made him gag and turn away from the scene.

"Cap look" Garrett said his voice wavering as he pointed towards Connors chest that slowly began to rise and fall beneath the hands of the dragoness.

Jarvan turned and watched in amazement, before his expression changed to one of horror as the dragoness collapsed onto Connors chest, splattering her blood across his chest as she fell.

"Shyvana" he shouted moving as best as he could to her side, his bad leg dragging pathetically behind him he managed to pull her off Connors whose breath was sputtering from his open mouth.

She was warm almost unbearably so, as the blood of a dragon pumped through her veins, her breathing sporadic and Jarvan held her tightly resting her head on his chest.

"C'mon Shyvana, you're okay wake up" he said his voice steady and calm as his blue eyes stared down at her surreal face, calm and at peace now that she was unconscious.

She could feel warmth upon her skin, it was rubbing small circles on her forearms as she slowly regained her senses. It was slightly rough on her smooth skin, and she felt enveloped in an embrace, strong arms were squeezing her and the smell of blood and something else tickled her sensitive sense of smell. It was comforting and she instantly recognized its source, her eyes fluttered open to stare into the depths of blue she would never grow tired of seeing.

"Jarvan" she groaned moving to sit up and rolling her eyes when he wouldn't let go of her "How is Connors" she said turning towards her companions surprised to see them watching her intently a look of worry quickly passing their faces to be replaced with happiness.

Dagonett cleared his throat and averted his gaze "He's in rough shape but I think he will live"

"What" Shyvana questioned at the pink cheeks of her companions and no one looking her in the eye.

"Yer still naked" Hart snorted turning his back towards her.

Shyvana laughed a full belly laugh happy that her comrades were all alive and as bashful as ever "Oh I apologize, sometimes I forget that I'm surrounded by mortals, nudity is nothing to dragons or any animal really"

"Uhh, remember you are in the company of a bunch of men shy" Jarvan whispered in her ear.

Shyvana snorted and nudged him to release her "I recall, don't see you complaining"

He blushed and looked away as she stood on shaking legs and grabbed the furs of one of the wolves, she had killed grimacing when the flesh touched her naked skin although she supposed it was better than running around in the nude.

She moved towards Connors who was now resting quietly after she healed him to the best of her ability. He was alive and she was happy for that fact, but she frowned when she inspected him further realizing that he would not fully recover out in the wilds.

"He needs medicine, proper medicine and a healer I can't provide that for him" she said turning towards her companions pulling the thick pelt of the wolf around her shoulders. "Where is the nearest town?"

Garrett scratched at his ruined eye and sighed "Bout a two days ride from here, its rough area tho miss, full of barbarians and noxians alike"

Shyvana nodded "Two days is too long, I mended his wounds as much as I could but he will never survive the journey there on horse back"

She stood and faced her companions "I will take him there" a determination set deep in her bones that she would not fail him like she failed to protect her father.

"How r ya gunna do that miss" Garett questioned "Ya just said horseback would take to long"

Shyvana snorted throwing off the wolf pelt and allowing the transformation take place the familiar burn of it bringing a smile to her face as she stretched her enormous wings, her voice lowering to a deep timber

"I need no horse"