Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

Gunter was theirs. At least the dragon was starting to figure that out.

They were slightly worried about Gunter not being on board with kissing Nikki sober, but—well, really, only slightly. No one could kiss like that and it be a ‘mistake’ the next morning. Nikki refused to believe it.

Preparations ready, they hurried to the courtyard to meet Dimitri, and quickly took flight. Nikki was just glad the flight didn’t take too long and wasn’t difficult for Gunter’s sake. Worry for their dragon kept them occupied until they landed, and then they had other things to worry about.

It was a pleasant enough day with the sun shining brightly overhead in blue, cloudless skies. The birds were chirping and flitting overhead, even if they refused to land one claw in the middle of the former stronghold. The cheerfulness of the day did little to soften the destruction and decimation of the old buildings. Nothing looked as if it had changed since their last visit.

Trash and debris continued to litter the ground. The remains of the building were blackened and crumbling. A bad storm would probably help knock a few of the wobbly walls down. The grassy areas looked a little wilder and more weed infested, but wildlife appeared to be skirting the region, as if they could sense this was a dangerous plot of land.

Nikki glanced over at Gunter to see him glaring and then wincing at the sun overhead. He tenderly rubbed his temple, as if his skull was threatening to crack open with his headache. From what they’d gathered as they’d passed through the dining hall to collect breakfast, Alric was also laying low this morning.

Gunter caught Nikki watching and immediately dropped his hand back to his side. He straightened his back and shoulders while forcing a smile to his lips. Oh, silly dragon. Trying to hide his pain.

Nikki pulled the knapsack they were carrying around and dug inside for a moment. They pulled out a thermos typically used for coffee and held it up to Gunter. “Drink this now to help with your hangover, since you wouldn’t pause long enough to drink it earlier.”

Gunter’s eyes widened. “You went to the spell rooms for supplies?”

Nikki chuckled and shook their head. “No, I didn’t make a spell or use any magic. All the ingredients came from the kitchens.”

Gunter unscrewed the lid and carefully took a sniff, his nose instantly wrinkling before he pulled it away from his face again. “Do I want to ask what’s in it?”

“A bunch of healthy stuff. I put in pickle juice, tomato juice, spinach, a raw egg, tabasco sauce—”

“I take it back. I definitely don’t want to know.”

“I looked online, and humans have figured out a lot of different concoctions for curing hangovers.” They paused, giving Gunter their most stern look as they pointed. “You need to drink that. All of it.”

Gunter took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for battle, and then took a big swig. After managing a couple swallows, he groaned and lowered the thermos again. “Oh lord, that is wretched,” he moaned. He looked at Nikki and winced. “I mean—”

A loud laugh escaped Nikki and they shook their head. “Oh, I bet it tastes horrible. It smells disgusting. Now, finish it.”

Nikki kept their expression stern even as Gunter eyed the thermos as if the ingredients had grown from the depths of hell, absorbing all the ghost peppers it could in its journey to the surface, for the sole purpose of tormenting Gunter in this very moment. But Nikki did not budge. This was for his own good. They would not have a sick dragon.

Gunter swallowed down the last of it and quickly thrust the empty container back at Nikki, unable to have it in his presence a second longer. “Please tell me you were gracious enough to make that for Alric as well.”

“Actually, I ran into Cameron while I was in the dining hall. I made enough for him to give a glass to Alric.”

A wicked grin spread across Gunter’s lips, sending goose bumps across their flesh. They had wondered if their dragon had a naughty or evil side. Apparently so, and it was kind of hot.

“Good.”

“Are you feeling any better?”

Gunter ran his tongue over his teeth as he seemed to think about his answer. He straightened, his eyes widening behind his glasses. “Actually, I think I do. My headache doesn’t seem quite as bad, and I don’t feel nearly as achy as I did. We’ll have to be sure to write down the recipe when we return to the castle. I’m sure there are others who would benefit from this knowledge.”

Nikki felt lighter despite their current location and task. They’d helped their dragon.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew Nikki’s attention away from Gunter and to their other companion, Dimitri.