The Sage's Vow

2.1 || Soulmerge

DRAGON EXPRESSIONS COULD be hard to read, but Josh had no doubt that creating a portal large enough and stable enough to handle dragon travel exhausted Jodas. Without so much as a word, he peered at Josh and Mateo through half-lidded eyes. 

Josh walked through the portal with one hand on Boomer. A small cloud of wind held the unconscious dragon afloat. He twitched as they stepped through the portal, but nothing more. Being back in the Sanctuary let Josh breathe easier, but he didn't think the weight would leave his chest until Boomer ran around like his usual energetic self.

Mateo stepped through after Josh. He turned and waved to Taji. She flew in the middle of the group on the other side. To her left, Cale watched from atop Ezraim, lips pressed into a thin line and cheeks bright red from the wind. To her right, a brown-skinned woman—Diwa—leaned over the side of her sky-blue, rounded dragon to examine Boomer. Their image blurred, and cracks jutted out everywhere. The edges of the portal sputtered as the veil clung to life.   

Portals really did not like dragon travel.

"See you guys when you get here. Don't let Taji misbehave while I'm away," Mateo said, grinning.

Taji grunted. Diwa patted her on her shoulder. "We will watch over your girl," she assured.

"Josh," Cale said as the portal began to tremble. "Boomer will be fine. Hisato will heal him."

The portal broke apart, and the pressure on Josh's chest grew. Cale wasn't his first choice of companionship, but unlike Mateo, Cale provided a sense of stability and familiarity, which he could really use right then.

Unbidden, his eyes flicked to the entrance to the castle, searching for either of the two he most wanted right then—the one who could ease his worries or the one who could heal his dragon.

"Have you informed Hisato?" Josh asked, looking back at Jodas.

Jodas rumbled deep within his chest and laid his head down. I contacted him before I formed the portal. He should be here shortly. Find a place for your dragonling to rest until he arrives. With that, his eyes closed, cutting off any further conversation.

Josh clamped his mouth shut before he could request Jodas contacted another person. "Thank you," he said.

Jodas' lip curled back, and he gave a contented hum. Hisato's respect is slowly rubbing off on you, child. I contacted your friend as well, at the request of Caleb.

A small grin found its way onto Josh's face. He would need to remember to thank Cale later. He gave Jodas a small bow like he'd seen Hisato do before he and Mateo walked a few yards away to be closer to the Sanctum entrance.

Mateo lowered Boomer to the grassy floor near the trees' edge. The sun glinted off Boomer's blue scales, making the dark blood even more noticeable. Josh pressed his lips together and looked away.

"Join me?" Mateo took a seat near the tree's base.

Josh shifted his weight toward Boomer even as his eyes refused to look back at his dragon. "I don't know."

The grin that never seemed to leave Mateo's face softened. "I get it, but being near him won't make him better faster, and you've just been through a battle yourself. You need rest."

As if to prove Mateo right, Josh's shoulder twinged painfully when he shrugged. He winced and rubbed at it. "Okay, yeah, I guess." He sat. The spot gave him a clear view of Boomer, from the minor scratches to the gaping wounds, even the dislodged shoulder. And here he'd been thinking a little shoulder pain meant anything.

His breathing caught. He placed his elbow on his knee and rested his chin in his palm so he stared determinedly off to the right. It happened to be the same direction as where Mateo sat.