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The sands of Plegia scoured exposed skin and left the combatants rasping for breath, but the Dragon's Table was nigh and Say'ri knew they could not relent. They could not fall back, no matter the cost, for the price of failure was the future and the world entire.
Her blades sliced cleanly through enemies as they approached through the swirling sands, but always she kept her lady within sight. Tiki's brilliant white scales gleamed even through the dusty, and the screams of her foes pierced the air as she swept them away with her talons or snapped their bones in her jaws. The wonder at her lady's form never left Say'ri, and she felt privileged to be one of the few permitted to touch those glittering scales outside of battle.
After a time, the fighting seemed to die down, but so, too, did the wind pick up, whipping sand around the ruins and sweeping across the desert floor. It felt as if every grain of sand had taken to the air and wished to spite them. Say'ri raised an arm to protect her eyes as she tried to get her bearings, but soon the only thing she could see was the looming shape of her lady. And then even that disappeared, sending Say'ri's heart into her throat.
"My lady!" she called and forced herself forward against the driving wind. The sand scraped at her face and the wailing wind stole away her words, but soon she found herself in the spot where she'd last seen Tiki. In place of the massive draconic form there remained only a slight woman, bent over and coughing, no longer a mass of steely scales but soft flesh, rubbed raw by the scouring wind.
Say'ri reached to pull her up—just in time to see the flash of a blade, one more enemy, cloaked by the wind's fury. She pulled Tiki to her, shielding her from the blow without hesitation. The blade met its mark, but so did hers.
The Plegian assassin slid off her katana. She turned her eyes to Tiki who stared up at her, eyes wide. She looked unharmed, no wound marring her pale skin. But Tiki's eyes slid down to the open wound where the knife blade had buried itself between Say'ri's ribs before dropping to the ground. "Say'ri, what have you done?"
"Saved you, milady. As is my duty." She tasted blood on her tongue as she spoke. Her knees wobbled and suddenly it was Tiki holding her rather than the other way around.
Tiki eased Say'ri down onto the desert sands, back against a ruined pillar, partially shielding them from the wind. "We must find you a healer."
Say'ri shook her head. "Nay, my lady. Not until this wind dies down." The wound was a lancing fire in her side, but she gritted her teeth against it. "I shan't risk your safety for my sake alone."
"Well I will," Tiki said straightening as if to rise.
Say'ri clutched her garments. "By Naga's mercy, no!" Blood spattered the ground as she spoke.
Tiki froze, looking stricken. She returned her attention to the wound, her fingers darting down to the black fabric and coming away scarlet. She tore her cloak from her shoulders and pressed it against the gash. "This wound is grave." She spoke so quietly that the wind almost snatched the words away before Say'ri could make them out.
"T'would have been graver still had the Plegian struck you instead, my lady. I would much prefer to lose my life than yours."
Say'ri grunted as Tiki shifted to press her weight against the wound. "Stop speaking such nonsense. Our companions will be here soon."
"Fie, my lady. Our companions must fight at the Dragon's Table. With all the world in peril they cannot wait on us."
Tiki's hands shook as she untied the silken band around her waist and wound it instead around Say'ri's ribs, holding the bunched-up cloak in place against her wound. She gave a sharp tug as she tightened it. Say'ri bit back a cry that escaped as a gasp. "You cannot die, Say'ri. Not so soon as this." Tiki's voice trembled. She looked so distraught, so unlike her usual composed self.
Say'ri had nothing to offer as comfort, only a watery smile. "You cannot command life and death, my lady."
Tiki reached out, palm coming to rest against Say'ri's cheek. "Will you not call me by name even now?"
The wound had gone from flames to icy cold, chilling her blood, turning her body to ice. As her eyelids grew heavy, she leaned into the warmth of Tiki's palm like a flower seeking the sun. If she was to meet her fate like this, far from her homeland, at least she had the comfort of being with the one she treasured most in all the world. Her lady. Her love.
"Say'ri! Please!"
Say'ri's eyelids opened just enough to see the trail of teardrops washing away the dirt from Tiki's cheeks. When had she begun crying? "Fie, my love," she murmured. "Save your tears."
Her eyes slid shut again and she felt herself begin to drift away. The desert sands had been replaced by a chill breeze, sapping her warmth, her strength, her thoughts.
Until searing pain shot through her in a violent burst.
Her eyes sprang open only to see a pair of great white wings spread out above her. Something gripped her around the middle, drawing a cry of pain from her that she couldn't stifle… And then darkness.
#
When Say'ri woke, she was pleasantly surprised by several things. Firstly, contrary to her expectations, she was alive. Secondly, she was no longer in blinding pain, left only with a dull ache as she drew in a breath. Thirdly, she could feel a warm hand wrapped around her own, its slight fingers impossible to confuse with any others. "My lady?" she whispered as she finally opened her eyes and found herself in the camp infirmary.
"Say'ri!" There was no mistaking the relief in Tiki's voice. Her grasp tightened around Say'ri's fingers and her free hand came down to stroke her cheek.
"Oh, you're awake. Thank goodness!" Say'ri tore her eyes away from Tiki to find Lissa leaning over the cot to peer at her.
"Pray, what… happened?" Say'ri asked, suddenly quite confused. The last thing she remembered they were still in the Plegian desert.
Lissa's smile spread into a broad grin. "Tiki swooped in and got you to me right in time to heal you. You've been out for a while though. A lot's happened… but don't worry about that for now. Everything's good."
Say'ri's brow furrowed as she tried to parse Lissa's words. "You mean she carried me all the way to our allies?"
"Lissa…" Tiki began, a note of warning in her voice—one which Lissa was completely oblivious to.
"No, she carried you in her dragon form. It was amazing! I didn't know she could do that, did you?"
"I—" Say'ri looked from Lissa to Tiki, whose face was suddenly quite flushed. "Nay, I did not. Normally my lady requires all four limbs to take to the air and land again."
"I know!" Lissa nodded enthusiastically. "But she managed to carry you in her front… Foot? Hand?" she said tilting her head uncertainly.
"Talon," Tiki provided, her face still scarlet.
"Talon! Right! Well, she managed to land with you in her front talon, and we got you healed up. You should be more careful, Say'ri. Tiki was so worried about you."
"And for good reason," Tiki said calmly. "You were near death."
Say'ri bowed her head. "Allow me to extend my thanks to you both."
Lissa beamed. "We're just glad you're okay. You need to get lots of rest now, but I'll go and tell everyone you're awake. And Tiki will take extra good care of you too."
Say'ri waited until Lissa had left the infirmary to turn her attention back to Tiki. "You carried me in your talon?" She shook her head in utter bewilderment. "How you managed that is beyond my ken."
"I practiced."
Say'ri's eyebrows shot up. "Practiced?"
"Yes. Long ago, when I was much younger, I thought 'wouldn't it be useful if I could carry one of my human friends?'. So I practiced taking off and landing with something in one talon."
"I've never seen you perform this feat."
The blush had spread up to the tips of Tiki's pointed ears. "That's because it is very difficult and often leads to… unfortunate results."
"Crushing your charge?"
"Yes," Tiki admitted. "So I've never chanced it. But you would have died either way, so it seemed worth the risk. And I could not leave you to die, Say'ri. If I must outlive you, so be it, but I will not so easily relinquish all the decades before us."
"My lady…"
Tiki's eyes fixed on her and there was something fiercely determined in that gaze. "You called me something else in the desert."
"Did I?"
"Will you tell me now that it was the delirium of your wound?"
Say'ri let out a long breath. "No, my lady, I would not dishonour myself by uttering that falsehood, yet…"
"Then speak from your heart, Say'ri," Tiki said, a note of pleading in her voice as she reached down to brush a stray lock of hair from Say'ri face. "Pray, do not deny me if you feel as I do. I asked once before to hear the contents of your heart. That wish has not changed."
Her heart thudded against her aching ribs, but it was a traitorous thing anyway and she ignored its cowardly protests. If her lady wished the truth, she would offer it, unworthy as she was. "What more is there say that has not already been said? You are what lies in my heart, my lady. I told you I would gladly trade my life for yours. But not solely for duty any longer, but for a more selfish reason: I do not wish to tread this world without you by my side."
The happiness writ on Tiki's face was impossible to mistake, her eyes bright, her lips parted in a soft smile. "Then call me as you did before."
And in the barest of whispers, Say'ri did. "My love."
And then Tiki leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips—gentle since Say'ri was still injured, but her soft warmth was a balm to Say'ri's aching body.
"If you would have me, Tiki, then I am yours, for as long as you'll have me."
"Then I shall have you for as long as you live. And you must make that as long as can be."
Say'ri dared to reach out and let her hand trail through Tiki's hair. "There remains one thing I must ask…" Tiki raised an eyebrow even as Say'ri lips quirked into the tiniest smile. "Pray, tell me, this technique of yours, have you only avoided using it for so long because of the danger or because…"
Tiki sighed. "It looks very silly."
"I thought as much," Say'ri said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.
"I overbalanced on my landing and had to catch myself on my snout. I succeeded in rescuing you at the cost of my dignity."
"Fie! To have the image of the Voice of Naga forever sullied so." But the impish smile on her face gave her amusement away.
"Your life is worth more to me than my good image, Dear One."
She took Tiki's hand in hers and held it to her heart. "And yours is worth more to me than every grain of sand in Plegia's desert were they made of silver and gold."
And what could Tiki do but kiss her once again.
The End