Chapter 110: Palpitations
"Could this actually work...?" Aileen, a large, somewhat pear-shaped Black Dragon with a slightly paler underbelly, webbed wings separated by three digits, and a notably thick tail periodically covered in spines, asked herself while staring at Vahn's Panacea. Her pale blue eyes, set in a head flanked by curved, lightning-bolt-shaped horns that flowed away from her slightly tapered snout, exuded intelligence, but that made her even more cautious of the mysterious, unidentifiable liquid.
"He and Grayfia have always been really nice to me..." Aileen reminded herself, recalling the many chats and extraordinary dishes she had shared with Vahn and Grayfia. They answered virtually every question she asked them, provided her with all kinds of treats, and the latter even frequently gave her advice. Aileen wanted to believe she could trust them, but if she consumed the Panacea and it turned out to be poison...that was it. If she didn't die, the odds of her recovering decreased considerably...
With such thoughts plaguing her mind, Aileen peeked into her crystal ball to find Vahn and Grayfia sharing a tame but protracted kiss. Aileen's face immediately warmed at the sight, her cheeks gaining a slightly dark rather than pink hue, but as she frequently witnessed the couple doing far more intimate things, she didn't panic or get flustered like she used to. Instead, she spent several minutes watching them, her large and curious blue eyes glued to the crystal ball before eventually shifting to the Panacea.
"I want to believe in them..." muttered Aileen, swallowing audibly before using two of her four flexible claws, one of which functioned as a thumb, to very carefully remove the Panacea's crystal stopper. With her superior senses, she immediately became aware of a sweet smell emanating from the bottle, compelling her to draw her nose closer and sniff it.
'It doesn't smell bad...let's hope the taste is just as pleasant...' thought Aileen, feeling anxious but carefully biting the thin neck of the bottle with her somewhat hooked snout and tilting her head back. A faint taste of iron filled her mouth, but it was overshadowed by a pleasant sweetness and a warm sensation permeating her gums, throat, and chest as it flowed down her esophagus.
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"Huh...?"
Feeling a prominent pulsation in her chest, Aileen placed her left hand over where her heart was located. It had been decades since she last felt her heart palpitate, and never on its own.
"I definitely didn't imagine it..." muttered Aileen, her expression serious as she focused on the warmth spreading throughout her body.
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Feeling her heart produce another powerful pulse, confirming she hadn't been imagining things, Ailen's pale blue eyes shimmered with intrigue and excitement.