Chapter 59: Eyes on the Dragon
–Chapter 59–
Title>>> Eyes on the Dragon
At the eastern edge of the fairy village, Fiona stood before one of the enormous barrier trees with her emerald eyes fixed on the protective lattice woven in and around its branches.
The structure was doing its best and holding, but the strain was visible as well.
Some sections of the lattice flickered faintly whenever the wind passed through the canopy, the green hexagonal patterns becoming visible for a brief moment before disappearing again.
Fiona’s gaze wandered across the barrier, following the weak points from one section to another. Trailing and counting them internally.
"You’re still thinking about it?" Freya’s voice came from beside her.
Fiona glanced left, toward the heavily pregnant fairy before returning her attention to the barrier.
"Of course I am."
Freya rested one hand against the root while the other moved absentmindedly over her stomach. Her pregnancy had become impossible to overlook now. The weight beneath her loose clothing was considerable, and even the way she shifted her stance came with minor gasps.
"The eastern section is holding," Freya continued. "It might not be comfortable if the corruption pushes from two directions at the same time."
" I know...this becomes the weakest point," Fiona croaked with narrowed eyes.
"Do you think we can reinforce it without drawing from the western line, Master?"
"We can’t do much without drawing from somewhere," Freya exclaimed.
"Then we’ll pull from the southern section. The corruption hasn’t touched the south."
"Not yet," a smaller and yet sharper voice cut in without invitation.
Fiona’s head turned toward the smallest fairy of them all, Skylar.
Skylar hovered effortlessly a short distance away, her attention moving between the barrier and the two larger fairies.
Fiona’s stern eyes didn’t let out even after Skylar smiled sheepishly.
"I am not disagreeing with you," she unknowingly began explaining herself. "I’m pointing out that not yet is different from not likely."
Fiona’s razor sharp stare stayed on her for a moment before looking back at the barrier.
She had to admit,.that was the problem.
Every section they strengthened meant asking another section to endure with less.
The village had been living on that calculation for the past few days, constantly shifting what little strength remained in the barrier while the corruption continued pressing against them and allowing foreign creatures inside the concealment.
Before Xavier arrived, Fiona had barely been capable of standing long enough to make those decisions herself.
Now she could after his touch. And that changed more than she wanted to admit.
Freya moved from side to side beside her. Trying to get the most comfortable stance. Whether to lay on a tree or use her hand as leverage.
Fiona noticed her discomfort and her gaze dropped briefly toward her master’s stomach. This was the Fairy warriors first child after years of waiting.
"How close?"
Freya’s hand stopped moving between poses. She looked down at herself before giving Fiona a thoughtful expression.
"Soon."
Fiona rolled her eyes but made sure Freya didn’t catch her doing it. "I mean, how soon?"
Master Freya cleared her throat. "I’m not fully sure but my body has been very clear with me that it was close since the past three mornings."
Fiona’s brows drew together but she tried her best not to act how she felt.
Freya smiled faintly. "I know that isn’t the answer you wanted."
"No. It isn’t," Freya gave a quiet laugh before rubbing her stomach again.
"Near the Grand tree," she said. "That’s where I want to be when it happens. Close to the barrier source."
"I wouldn’t want it any other way," Fiona nodded.
Finally she turned fully toward the unusually silent Skylar.
"I want two people with her at all times. She would pick who she wants."
Skylar nodded at the order and jokingly saluted with a broad smile."I’ll handle it ma."
Freya’s fingers continued moving slowly across her stomach affectionately even while Fiona still studied the problem with the barrier closely.
The wind passed through the canopy again, and the lattice briefly revealed itself in the filtered sunlight again.
She sighed still doing her best to keep her expectations positive.
"You know dragon has been moving through the village."
Fiona didn’t turn and actually didn’t need to. "I know," she answered.
"He also helped Buttallo," Skylar shot another shot to maybe break her stern expression.
"I know that too."
After the snappy responses, Skylar just stayed quiet and waited.
It was one of her habits. She rarely asked another question directly when she could simply leave enough silence for Fiona to figure out what she was trying to point to and answer it herself.
Fiona raised her arms and folded them under her firm breasts.
"He healed me. And he’s helping Buttallo. He’s also made himself so useful since he arrived."
She paused. A taste of irritation mixed with approve fight behind her pacing emerald eyes. "None of that still tells me what he wants."
"He hasn’t demanded anything," Skylar chipped in.
"He hasn’t demanded anything yet..." Fiona snapped.
"Fiona...?" Skylar stressed.
With hands still folded, the Fairy chief faced her companion completely.
"I’m not accusing him of planning anything. I’m just saying that if someone as formidable as he is, moves through a place like ours, learning our people and getting to know our culture while making himself useful..."
She stopped for a moment. "I don’t know what it’s leading toward."
The silence stretched between them. Fiona did have a point. It wasn’t necessarily something to easily wrap a tiny Fairy’s head around and both Skylar and Freya knew that.
But Skylar also knew more than that. Skylar puckled her lips softly before speaking.
"I watched him. You know."
The words immediately pulled Fiona’s attention completely back to her.
"Are we still talking about Buttallo?"
"Yes," Skylar replied quickly.
"So you were watching them?"
"I was."
Skylar’s gaze moved toward the southern side of the village.
"The Root Rats. The ones that have been disturbing the Green Solace for almost two weeks. I watched him deal with them."
Fiona’s expression tightened slightly. Her jaws pushed upwards.
"What exactly did her do?"
"Everything," Skylar answered vaguely before going on to tell her about the nest.
About the way Xavier had found it rather than simply killing the rats that came into his path. And how quickly he had dealt with the creatures once he had trapped them.
"And killed them?" Fiona raised a brow.
"Everyone I saw."
"Hmm..." Fiona grew quiet in response to everything.
Skylar’s expression remained calm.
"I told you I was going to watch him."
All she heard was enough for Fiona’s thoughts to wander again. She had been following him through her general sense of the village.
But she didn’t know Skylar was doing the same at an even more intimate range than she ever could.
"He saved your life," Skylar continued, disturbing Fiona’s brooding. "Which means he saved mine."
Skylar paused. "You know that affects how I see him even without having the bounds of debt like you."
"I know," Fiona’s voice suddenly became deeper and thoughtful.
"I’m also aware that you’re right to watch him carefully."
Skylar’s gaze remained focused on Fiona.
"But there’s a difference between watching someone carefully and assuming the worst of them when everything they’ve done so far has helped us."
The words had cut deep into one of Fiona’s larger injuries but she said nothing because Skylar was right.
Instead of trying to get the final say against her Companion.
Her eyes mellowed into the barrier that continued humming beneath the roots.
Whatever Xavier wanted, he had not wasted a single hour since arriving. That much was clear.
"Whatever he wants," Fiona finally said, "he hasn’t wasted a single hour since he arrived."
She turned away from the barrier.
"Just make sure someone is always near him."
Skylar raised a brow. "Near him?"
"Yes..Not stalking him."
A faint smile touched Skylar’s lips as she rolled her tiny eyes. "Is that a compliment?"
"No...it is a precaution," Fiona clasps her hand together.
–End of Chapter–