64. Auslin

Chapter 64

Auslin

H is wound may have healed, but Auslin still felt wretched the next morning. He stirred in Kitaro's arms with a confused noise.

"You are safe, Vanra. Rest." Kitaro kissed the human's temple.

Memories came back to Auslin about the fight. He glanced around the cave, noticing the huge bloodstain across from them. His eyes went wide when he saw how much there was. It must have been awful for Kitaro's strong sense of smell.

"We can go somewhere else," Auslin weakly said. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't cooperate with him.

Kitaro pulled Auslin back against his chest. "No, we are staying here."

"But all that blood." Guilt ate away at Auslin over what he was subjecting Kitaro to it .

"All that matters to me right now is you are safe." Kitaro held Auslin tighter. "We will stay until you have recovered your strength."

"I'm so sorry." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I thought they were all dead, so I was watching your fight. I didn't see him come at me until it was too late. I should have paid more attention?—"

Kitaro shushed Auslin. "I am the one who owes you an apology. It is my job to protect you, but I let you down."

"No, you fighting the leader was keeping me safe!" Auslin didn't want Kitaro to feel bad for what had happened. "Please don't blame yourself. I was stupid and let my guard down."

"Perhaps we should stop trying to blame ourselves. I would rather focus on the fact that you survived."

Auslin snuggled into the embrace. "You're probably right."

"How do you feel?"

"Like shit." Auslin laughed weakly. He had earned the privilege to use a stronger swear than normal.

"We will stay here until you have sufficiently recovered."

Auslin protested. "But we have to keep go?—"

"Nothing is as important as you getting better," Kitaro interrupted him. "My only priority is making sure you are well. Everything else can wait."

"But…" Auslin trailed off because he didn't know what he was trying to say. He shifted positions sl ightly, allowing him to embrace Kitaro around the neck. He hid his face against the shifter's broad shoulder.

Auslin drew strength from their cuddling. But eventually, he said, "If we can't leave for a while, can I at least go somewhere to wash off? I should also eat."

"That is a good idea."

The sight of his blood all over Kitaro's shirt upset Auslin. "Is there a river nearby that we can wash off at soon?"

"I believe there is one not too far from here. We can go as soon as you feel up to it."

"Now is good." Auslin desperately wanted to be clean.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me. Getting clean is exactly what I need to feel better." Auslin stood up, doing his best not to sway and give Kitaro a reason to not believe him.

Kitaro rose with a stretch. "Very well." He swept Auslin into his arms.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking," Auslin told Kitaro while laughing.

"Walking, yes. Flying, no."

"At least I'll actually be able to enjoy it this time." Auslin was excited to see what flying with Kitaro in his partially shifted form was like now that he wasn't in blinding agony.

Joining in Auslin's amusement with a chuckle of his own, Kitaro flew them the short distance to the river he had spotted the previous night.

Auslin's clothes disappeared, compliments of Kitaro's magic. He snickered as he eased himself into the river. The water was frigid, making chills rise on his skin as his nipples pebbled. But it was such a relief to wash the blood off that it was worth freezing.

Kitaro made his own clothes disappear. He joined Auslin in the water, pulling him closer.

"I can take care of it myself," Auslin told him.

He ran his claws along Auslin's skin where he had been cut. It sent a shiver through the human that had nothing to do with the icy river. "Yes, but I wish to help."

Auslin laughed. "Your idea of help will only get me dirtier before I get clean."

The shifter pressed his body close to Auslin's. He asked in a sensuous rumble, "Are you objecting?"

"I didn't say that." Auslin's reward was a passionate kiss. He shivered as Kitaro washed the blood off him, then took advantage of being in the river by wrapping his legs around the dragon prince to hold on to him.

Kitaro caressed Auslin's ass while pulling their bodies closer together for another heated kiss.

Despite the cold water and his exhaustion, Auslin's arousal stirred as Kitaro claimed his mouth. Kitaro teasingly running his claws down Auslin's back made the human ache for far more, but being in the freezing river was not conducive to amorous explorations. His teeth were almost chattering. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I'm about to turn into an icicle."

"My apologies for getting carried away. I forget you do not thrive in the cold the same way I do as an ice dragon." Kitaro gave him an apologetic forehead kiss before focusing on washing off the remaining blood. "Are you ready to head to the cave?"

"Yes, please."

Kitaro flew them back, making the silver fire roar to life upon their return. He summoned clean blankets with his magic to spread out, then laid Auslin down on them in front of the fire. The shifter covered Auslin's body with his larger one. He warmed the mage up through more amorous methods.

Kitaro took his time exploring Auslin, reverently kissing the place where he had been injured. The human shuddered, his body arching up in pleasure as the shifter prince moved on to sucking the mage's cock.

After coming so close to dying, it was amazing to feel so alive. Everything felt more intense.

Kitaro used magic to slick Auslin inside, then slid his fingers into him while still going down on him. As he teased Auslin open, it made him wish they didn't always have to stop there.

Because of his exhaustion, it didn't take long for Auslin to climax. His soft cry of Kitaro's name echoed in the cave. He had just enough energy to stroke Kitaro to completion before passing out from satisfaction.

A uslin still felt sluggish as he waited for Kitaro to come back with dinner. He rotated the ring Kizoshi had given him on his finger. Everything had been such a blur after the attack, but he knew something else had helped heal him.

He poked at it with his aura, trying to encourage the ring to activate once more. It was resistant at first, but eventually a purple fire dragon jumped out of the amethyst to sit in front of Auslin.

Auslin stared at the creature in amazement. "It was you!" It was the same fire dragon Auslin had made in Kizoshi's room that she had turned into the ring.

The dragon's tail flicked in response, but it gave no other outward indication of acknowledgment.

"You were that weird whisper of warning before the attack, weren't you?"

The dragon nodded once in response.

"I'm sorry I didn't understand you." Auslin was frustrated with himself for not paying attention to his instincts. "You also helped heal me, didn't you?"

It nodded again, then climbed into Auslin's lap to curl up in a ball. Although it was made of fire, it didn't burn him. Instead of burning hot, it was a comforting warmth.

Uncertain if he was allowed to, Auslin tentatively petted the dragon's head. It was strange how the fire felt like the softest fur he had ever touched. "Thank you for saving me, Hibiki." Auslin startled at the name he had accidentally said. "Wait, is Hibiki your name?"

The dragon nuzzled against Auslin's hand.

Auslin took it as permission to continue calling it by that name. "I'm grateful for your help. I would have died if you hadn't been there to heal me." No wonder Kizoshi had been so insistent that he never take off the ring. How had she known he would be attacked and would need it?

They continued sitting in silence. Auslin felt himself somehow becoming stronger, making him realize Hibiki's purple aura had linked with his own. It helped restore Auslin to full strength. He scratched Hibiki behind the ears like he had seen Kizoshi do. It was an interesting experience having someone helping heal him for once. Despite how scary the attack had been, Hibiki restored his sense of peace that had been missing during their journey.

Kitaro returned to the cave with his hunt. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of a fire dragon spirit sitting in Auslin's lap. "Vanra?"

"Welcome back," Auslin warmly greeted him.

"It seems you have found a rather unusual friend while I was gone." Kitaro set the food down and came over to crouch down in front of them.

The dragon looked up at Kitaro for a long moment before vanishing back into the amethyst ring.

"Hibiki is the one who healed me last night," Auslin said. He brushed his thumb over the stone, which was warm to the touch because of the fire dragon lying dormant inside it.

"He resides in the ring my sister gave you?"

"Apparently. At least now I understand why Kizoshi was so insistent that I never take the ring off."

Kitaro bowed his head. "I am grateful to them both for helping save you."

"He helped restore my energy while you were out, so we can leave tomorrow after a good night's sleep."

"I am relieved to hear you are feeling better." Kitaro kissed Auslin on the forehead before getting up to prepare dinner.

Auslin went over to help. "How far away do you think we are now?"

"We will reach the base of the mountain by tomorrow night. From there, it is only a few more days until we reach Satsuma." Kitaro used his magic to float the food above the fire to cook on an invisible rotisserie. "I can take us up most of the way, but the last part will be impassable in my shifter form. We will have to walk."

"Have you ever met her before?"

Kitaro nodded. "Once, when I was very young. "

"What's she like?" Auslin worried she would be a fearsome creature with very little empathy toward his situation.

Kitaro checked on the food's progress as he tried to find the right words to express himself. "Speaking with her is like talking to an even more vague version of my sister. There is great wisdom in her words, but you must work hard to find the meaning. Often, it can only be understood in hindsight."

Some of Auslin's fears encroached on the peace Hibiki had imparted to him earlier. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Kitaro reached out to give Auslin's hand a squeeze. "All will be well, Vanra. Whatever she says, we will face it together. I have no intention of losing you."

Auslin tried to make himself believe in Kitaro's confidence. But he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that bad news awaited them at the top of the icy mountain.