"So how old are you, Meekit?" Hazel asked as we walked.

"I'm ten," Meekit said, "But Lemurea years are different than humaner years. If a humaner is five, a Lemurea will be ten. And please, my friends call me Kit."

"Ok, Kit." Hazel said with a smile.

Kit smiled shyly, "I mean, if you wanna be friends!" He said, "I'm mostly friends with all the things, so yeah!"

Well you seem very friendly," I told him.

"Thanking you," Kit said and twitched his tail self consciously, "Criko said I'm too friendly though. We are actually going to see her now! Criko is my sister and the head healer, she knows eeeeverything about medicine."

"Really?" Hazel asked, intrigued. "Does she speak human? I'd like to talk with her."

Kit shook his head, "Some words, but I can translate! Come on, she's this way!"

He bounded toward an opening in the wall down the tunnel and swung himself inside. We followed him.

We walked into just about the weirdest, coolest hospital I had ever seen.

Beds of woven leaves and grass were lined up on the floor along one of the walls, some of them were occupied. The other wall, to my right, had all the medical equipment the Lemureas used. Most of the light came from a giant hole in the ceiling covered by a thin, woven layer of leaves that kept the wind and rain out, but let the sun in.

Most of the hospital, though, was up. There were ledges and alcoves carved into the walls that went all the way up to the ceiling. Beds lined each one.

On the wall directly to my left, there was a raised stone platform with a bed on it. As I watched, a Lemurea wearing a white shirt rolled a patient on a stretcher made of leaves and twigs up onto the platform and turned. Then, three more Lemurea grabbed a rope attached to some sort of pulley system and pulled with all their might. The platform rose into the air, taking the nurse and the patient with it.

When they got to the level they must have requested, the nurse rolled the stretcher across the room to the patient's bed, 20 feet in the air.

"Wow." Hazel said, craning her neck trying to see everything.

"Wow indeed," I muttered.

Kit all the sudden bounded across the room to where a small Lemurea was rummaging in a hole in the wall to our right.

We followed him and found ourselves facing a smaller, female Lemurea with bright eyes, clean hands, and a white shirt like the rest of the nurses. She looked quite a bit older than Meekit, but not old enough to be an adult.

"Come on, come on!" Kit squealed as we reached him. "Guys, I want you to meet my sister, Criko!"

Criko gave us a confused look and said something to Meekit. He said something back and they had a small conversation.

He turned back to us and pointed at me, "Remi," he said, then pointed at Hazel, "Hazel," then pointed at Nick, "Niklina."

Nick smiled, "Nicholina," She corrected him, "But please, call me Nick."

He nodded, then pointed at her again, "Nick," He said.

Criko said something else to him.

He nodded and spoke in human again, "Criko wonders why you are in the... hmm, there isn't a human word for it. Healing place?" He guesses.

"Hospital?" I suggested.

"Don't know," he said.

"We need healing for our friend," Hazel said and turned around so Criko could see Gen.

"She has been scratched with a venomous spike," Hazel said and turned back around. "Do you have anything called the Anora root?"

Kit relayed her message to Criko, Criko thought for a second, fidgeting with her shirt.

Finally, she shook her head and said something to Meekit.

Meekit said, "She doesn't think she has anything called ahnorah, but she and her healers will do what they can." My heart sank. I didn't really think they would have the root, but it would have been nice if they had.

Criko said something and padded over to a row of stretchers that seemed to be floating at waist level on their own. She grabbed one and pulled it back over to us.

"She said to untie your friend and put her ona here," Meekit said and stepped back to make way for the stretcher.

"Got it," Hazel said and started untying the knots.

I came forward to help and Nick followed. We worked together to get Gen off of Hazel.

Nick caught Gen as she slid off. Hazel immediately sagged sideways, but I caught her. Hazel's head rested on my shoulder, her eyes closed. She had obviously been trying to hide how tired she was. She was smaller than me, carrying Gen couldn't have been an easy task.

Criko gave Hazel a look of concern. She came forward and placed one finger on Hazel's cheek, standing on her back legs to do so.

She spoke to Meekit and he translated: "She said that she will have healers inspect you three and then show you to a place where you can eat and sleep."

"Thank you," Nick said and dragged Gen over to the stretcher, her raven-black hair trailing on the floor.

She attempted to lift her up but her arms shook and gave out. Meekit scampered over to help. Together, they got Gen onto the stretcher. She looked paler and more sickly than ever. We wouldn't be able to accept the luxury of rest again.

Criko stepped to the edge of the stretcher and peeled back the edge of Gen's bandage. She wrinkled her snout and said something to Meekit.

"She can make it a little fixed, but she can't make it all fixed," he said sadly. "She can give you more time before..." he choked up a little. "Before she wont wake up." He said at last.

Nick put a hand on his shoulder, "She will wake up, we will make sure of it," She told him, but it sounded like I was trying to comfort herself.

"Do what you can," I said, still supporting Hazel. "Please."

Criko nodded grimly and let out a screech.

Immediately, several Lemurea nurses rushed to her side.

She chattered what sounded like orders at the other nurses and then pushed the stretcher with Gen on it toward the lift-pulley system. Three of the nurses stayed behind.

Meekit beckoned to them and they cautiously came forward.

"This is Bymo," he said, pointing to a plump, male Lemurea with kind eyes, "This is Hedera," he said and pointed to a skittish looking Lemurea who was fidgeting with a small grass bracelet on her left wrist, "And this is Troph," he said, pointing to a rather bored looking Lemurea.

We introduced ourselves to Bymo, Hedera, and Troph and then we were led to the very back corner of the room where Bymo gestured for us to sit on three of the beds.

Nick sat on the third one, I helped Hazel onto the second, then I sat on my own.

Meekit talked to the three nurses for a minute, then explained to us.

"Hedera will help Remi, she can speak a little human," he said, "Bymo will examine Nick, and I'll help Troph with Hazel. Criko said I need to practice my medical abilities."

Hedera came over to me rather nervously, still fidgeting with her bracelet.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," I said forcing a small smile, "I like your bracelet. Does it mean anything?"

She nodded but didn't elaborate.

"Do you have any hurts?" She asked, almost in a whisper.

I nodded, "Got sliced on my shoulder by an arrow," I said and pointed to the spot, "And I got kicked in the stomach."

She wordlessly rolled up my sleeve with twitchy, thin fingers, and took off Hazel's bandage.

My wound had healed remarkably well, it would probably leave a long scar, but it was mostly scabbed and healed over.

"Wow," Hedera murmured and moved on to my stomach. I grudgingly let her roll my shirt up slightly to see the bruise and do an examination. A deep ache spread through my gut even though Hedera's fingers were expertly careful and gentle.

When she was done, she crossed the room to get medical supplies that she needed. I checked on my friends.

Nick was letting Bymo examine her calf, and Troph was talking with Meekit and Hazel as he puzzled over the leaf shaped choros burn in her arm.

Hedera came back, her arms full of ointments and bandages.

She began working on my shoulder, still silent. I struggled for something to talk about. Anything to break the awkward silence.

"How long have the Lemureas been in Kragon? What forced the Dragons to leave?" I asked. It probably would have been best to ask the King this question but I couldn't push down the curiosity.

She put some ointment on my almost-healed wound that made it feel cool and then a little prickly.

"I was small," Hedera said as she put the cap on the ointment. "We was looking, and we found here. Very smelly, like smokey and burned. We fixed it."

Who burned it? I thought, remembering all the scorch marks everywhere.

"Do you know what happened to the Dragons?" I asked.

She was still for a long moment, fingering her bracelet. I couldn't read her expression. Maybe sadness? Or anger?

Does she know any Dragons? I thought. Or, did she lose anyone because of them?

"They were gone when we camed," She said and picked up a bandage which seemed to be made of leaves.

Interesting, I wonder where they went? Was it the Zorgs fault? What could they have done to this place?

She tied off the bandage on my shoulder and began wrapping my bruised stomach. I was at a loss for anything else to say.

As she did that, I noticed her bracelet again. It had a weird charm on it, kind of like two Dragon wings folded down over a single curved crescent, maybe a talon? It was interestingly embroidered with gold thread and I wanted to say I had seen it before.

"What is that charm?" I asked and pointed at it.

She jerked her hand away. "Sorry, sorry," She said, sounding breathless.

"What is that?" I asked again, "What does it mean?"

"It-" Hedera said, but her voice choked up. "It's a-" she stopped and took a deep breath. "It's a reminding of a friend." She finally choked out. I decided not to pry and let her finish bandaging without asking anything else. The charm still mystified me though. I didn't fully trust the shy, nervous Lemurea.

I pulled my shirt back down and went over to join Hazel. She herself was having her own arm bandaged.

Nick sat down next to me. Hedera and Bymo had disappeared, off to deal with other patients maybe, but I got the feeling Hedera ws trying to get away from me.

Troph finished bandaging Hazel's arm and then gave her other arm a pat. He said something and Meekit translates, "He said it will heal in a couple weeks and he suggests that you not lift heavy things with that arm."

Hazel nodded, "Thank you."

"Now I show you to the food?" Meekit asked hopefully.

We followed Meekit back out the door, thanking the nurses for their help on the way, and out into the tunnel.

He leads us back the way we came, back past the throne room side door and into yet another tunnel. We got wide eyed stares from everyone we passed.

As we followed Meekit, smells of food started wafting through the tunnel.

"Is that, burning bananas?" I asked and wrinkled my nose.

Meekit gave a chattery laugh."Yes!" He said cheerfully, "Humaners have good noses."

Nick smiled, "Mmm, nothing better than burning bananas."

"They are good!" Meekit said and charged ahead.

We reached the end of the tunnel and emerged into a wide chamber. Lemureas were everywhere, eating from the piles of fruit, nuts, and bugs that burdened the tables, drinking from a slow, rambling river at the back of the  room, or talking to each other in lemur-language.

Meekit immediately scampered over to a giant bowl of spiders. He shoved several in his mouth.

I made a fake gagging noise.

"Eat whatever you wants!" Meekit called when we hesitated, his mouth still full of spiders.

I shrugged at my friends and made my way through the crowd of Lenureas to a free bench next to a bowl of perfectly fine, non-spiderey strawberries.

We sat and the others tried the strawberries. I stared at several brown Lemureas who were catching fish in the river. They were using large nets. I couldn't tell what they were made of.

Hazel tapped my shoulder, breaking me from my daze, and gave me a pointed look, "Remi, are you ok?"

I nodded and folded my hands in my lap. "I'm fine, just not hungry. It's weird, I haven't been really hungry since getting kicked."

"I'm worried," Hazel said. "You're just not hungry at all?"

I shrugged, "When you made me eat the granola bar I got hungry but not since."

"Try eating something, you have to have some sort of nutrition," Hazel said and handed me a strawberry. "Just don't force yourself to eat if it makes you feel sick."

I grudgingly ate the strawberry and then got up, "I'm gonna get us a fish or something. I need some sort of meat."

Hazel nodded, "Please."

Finding Meekit was easy. I found him right where the bananas were being burned.

The smell of bananas on fire was surprisingly good, sort of like how a banana cream pie smelled only smokier.

As I watched, an older Leamurea took a torch from its niche and lowered it to a peeled banana on the stone floor. He set it aflame.

Yum.

Meekit was next in the banana-burning line.

I made my way over to him and he jumped slightly as I came up next to him.

"Hi!" He said excitedly, "I am going to set this on fire!" He held up the peeled fruit.

"That's nice, do you know where I can get a fish? Hopefully cooked?" I asked.

He bobbed his head, "Just let me finish this first. Actually, it's my turn now!!"

I smiled as he bounded forward, grabbed the torch and set his banana on fire with altogether too much enthusiasm.

I retreated to the closest bench to watch and delved into a bowl of cashews. I wasn't hungry but I probably needed to listen to Hazel.

Meekit came up to me, fumbling his scorched banana and dancing from foot to foot.

"Careful, I would imagine that's hot," I said, "I can take it for you if you want."

"Yes, thanking you!" Meekit said and passed the scorched banana to me.

"Now you need a fish, a scorched fish?" He asked.

I laughed, "A cooked fish, if possible, please."

"Scorched fish, coming up!" Meekit shouted and scampered into the crowd.

I waded into the crowd and went after him, laughing.

He took me to the river, where two Lemureas were fishing. Four baskets full of cleaned, gutted trout were arrayed around them.

Meekit grabbed one of the trout, slung the fish over his shoulder and charged back over to the scorching station.

We got into the line. I noticed that there weren't as many Lemureas in there as there had been when we first came in. It must have been getting late.

We waited as the Lemurea in front of us burned her banana and trotted off to eat it, then Meekit snatched up the torch.

He offered it to me and I took it.

I held it up to the fish and awkwardly began to cook it. It's a good Nick's dad took us all on so many fishing trips.

After what seemed like absolutely forever and a day, I judged that the fish was done and took it over to where I last saw my friends. Meekit had left, having gone with some friends to eat his burned banana.

I found my friends easily, even though they had switched tables. They stuck out of the crowd like apples in a sea of oranges.

I presented the fish to them. "Dinner is served." I popped an almond in my mouth.

"Someone got her appetite back," Hazel said and elbowed me in the arm.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I said.

"Nothing is wrong with you," Hazel said.

"I beg to differ," I said, but I was grinning. "I'm probably gonna die."

"Not on my watch." Hazel said and elbowed me again, "Now let's eat."

We sat and picked at the fish until it was mostly gone and then threw it in the garbage pile that we found with Meekit's instruction.

We all were tired and full and ready for bed by the time Meekit found us and said, "Ready for sleeping?"

Hazel nodded.

"Follow me!" Meekit said, his enthusiasm completely unwavering.

We followed him back down the tunnel to the door leading to the throne room, leaving the scent of burnt banana behind.

We stepped into the throne room, the King and Queen long gone to bed, and followed Meekit out into the huge main chamber. Few torches flickered at that hour so it was dim and a bit difficult to see.

Meekit seemed to have no trouble seeing, apparently Lemurea night vision was a lot better than Dragons.

He led us to the left, and then suddenly disappeared.

I held out an arm to stop us, "Hold up," I said, "Meekit, where did you go?"

"Up here silly!" Meekits voice called from slightly up and in front of us. I didn't particularly appreciate being called silly, but I stepped forward.

"Staircase right here," I said as my foot hit the bottom step.

We started carefully up it, brushing our hands against the wall to our left to stay oriented.

We followed the sound of Meekits voice until my legs burned, each movement sending pangs of pain through my stomach. All I could hear was the sound of me and my friends panting. Occasionally, there would be a torch on the wall and I was able to see the stairs below me, or a ledge branching off to rooms and caves. The ledges went all the way around the chamber. So far I couldn't see the other side. I told myself not to look down.

At last, Meekit stopped under a torch.

"Almost there!" He said as he watched us catch our breath. I leaned against the wall, holding my stomach and panting harder than was probably necessary. I noticed Hazel gave me a concerned look.

"You ok?" Hazel asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine, just- fine."

Hazel wrapped her arms around me, instantly making me feel better.

"Does the Lemurea civilization go all the way up?" Hazel asked Meekit.

"Nope, only about halfway!" Meekit said. He was grinning and barely even winded. "Come with me!"

He scampered off across the ledge, leaving the stairs behind. The ledge had no railings like there wasn't more than a hundred feet to fall. As far as I could tell, it wrapped around most of the cavern. The stairs kept going up though. I could only imagine how high they went and how the world would look from up there.

I couldn't follow Meekit. I found myself frozen at the edge.

"Remi, what is it?" Nick asked and tapped my shoulder.

"I-I don't," I began.

Hazel squeezed my shoulder. "She, ah, doesn't like heights." She whispered in Nick's ear.

"What?!" Nick whispered back, surprised. I knew she personally had always loved heights so her surprise made sense. "But she's a Dragon, how did she handle flying on you?"

"I was terrified, remember, my dragon is an entirely different being than I am," I explained through clenched teeth.

"I'll go first," Nick volunteered.

Nick stepped around me and followed Meekit, passing multiple cave openings on the way. Hazel took my hand and stood on my right. I pressed myself close to the wall and tried to ignore the height.

We followed him to a small opening with light flickering inside.

"Here we is!" He said and held out an arm to gesture at us inside.

"Thank you, Kit," Nick said with a grateful smile. "We would be much worse off without you and the Lemureas."

He beamed, "You are welcomes! I will find you in the morning. Good nights!"

"Night!" Hazel said as Meekit scampered back along the path and over to the stairs. His tail disappeared into the dark.

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Written by justasnarky_sandwing on WATTPAD