When Ykril regained his strength a few days ago, just before the village, he could hardly wait to give me a hug, with which he also seemed to have unconsciously healed my internal injuries at the same time. Sadly, it took him so much strength that the healing was interrupted, and he lost consciousness again in my arms. While trying to catch him, I ripped open the wound that Miara had carefully sewed.

In addition to the backbone fractures, the village physician could also detect broken ribs at Ykril, which seemed to heal by themselves. At least, he suspected so due to the soft glow and increased temperature of the injured areas.
»Oh, he's an Aasimar?« he asked Sanise, who just nodded slightly.
»Then he just needs a lot of rest, and if possible, do not move him around so much. He'll heal on his own.« he said calmly and continued rudely, pointing his finger at my stomach wound.
»But I don't serve your type of people here!«
Miara already wanted to storm off with her fist first, but I could just stop her.
»Thank you very much!« I said softly and told the others to get out.
»How can you allow such treatment?« Miara snarled on her way out.
»We're outnumbered and injured. Firing up the crowd now would be a sure death!« I answered reflectively.
»Just keep them coming. I'll smack 'em all!« she growled draconically.
When we were just down the last step of the small stairway to the medic's building, I sank weakly down on my knees, at which point Miara threw Ykril into the mud.
»You've lost too much blood again!« came an immediate concern.
»I'm fine,« I muttered, pulling myself up on Miara.
»We just have to make it to the tavern. Sanise has organized rooms for us.«
Covered, Sanise helped drag me up to our room while Miara carried Ykril as if he was a bag of potatoes. It was still hard for me to imagine the strength Miara must have gained over the last few years, and I regretted every second that I couldn't be with her.
As I fell into the bed, I sighed in relief as I stretched, even though I was still losing blood.
»You can set me down, or do you want me to compliment you again?« Ykril complained to Miara, who set him down beside me unusually gently for her.
»You two snuggle up now!« she ordered harshly in the direction of Ykril, who looked at her with an astonished look I'd never seen on him before. As if she had requested that we have sex right here and now. While I wouldn't have had a problem with this, I know that Ykril would insist on privacy because of his insecurities.
»How are you?« he asked me worriedly after sitting down beside me on the bed and tenderly stroking my cheek.
I pressed my head gently into his hand, enjoying his soft and warm skin, which seemed to transfer a comfortable peace to me with every touch.

A piercing pain snapped me out of my sleep as Ykril turned onto his side, facing me, pressed me firmly against him, and had one of his wings placed over us. Judging by his firm grasp, he seemed to be in severe pain. While his soft feathers fondled my skin, I tenderly caressed his face. He seemed stressed and anxious.
Suddenly he widened his eyes and stared at me. They were glowing towards me in a warm yellow and completely mesmerized me. Deafness pervaded my body, and suddenly I stood alone in a soundless void in which nothing seemed to exist, neither the ground nor the sky. The more unusual I found was that it seemed to me that I had a solid standing. Not far away, someone appeared to be struggling in a very familiar situation to me. But my vision was blurred, and the sounds muffled. As I got closer and the figures slowly became more distinct, I recognized that it was us. The day I placed myself between Ykril and Miara so that her sword was piercing me instead of him. I only now realized how I could move the distance at such a speed to protect him. I was fascinated by how I clearly entered a pure energy form and rematerialized between Miara and Ykril. I always thought that this spell was only good for escape, as I could never control where exactly I came out or how far I was going to move. It was always a gamble with the spell.

Seeing Miara's sword piercing me again caused discomfort, even if it seemed only a phantom, and I grabbed my stomach. The image did not continue and stopped exactly where the sword pierced my body. Carefully I wanted to step around it, but the image followed wherever I turned my eyes.
The illusions grew larger, and the vision focused on my stomach while everything around it lost its clarity. The abdomen of my illusion became glassy and revealed a small body whose fragile structure was shattered by the blade. Intrigued, I stretched my arms towards the obvious fetus, and while the rest faded away like clouds, the little thing remained. Clearly visible with the deadly injury of Miara's blade.
»A boy« I purred.
The illusion was abruptly interrupted when Ykril fell on his back, exhausted. My pain was gone entirely with the wound, and before I snuggled back against him, I wiped away my tears.

For a beaten hour, the bear was lying on me, sleeping deeply and soundly, and gave an almost unbearable warmth from himself. He had rolled over and was lying half on top of me. But I couldn't get a single moment's sleep, and meditation was impossible, although Ykril's massage of my breasts while he slept, was delightful, soothing, but also stimulating.
I pulled Ykril off me with some effort, stood up, and stared out the window.
»What was this illusion that Ykril took me into? Could it have been true?« I asked myself quietly.
A child with Ykril? I hadn't thought about that yet, and as long as we had no permanent residence, I also considered it far too dangerous.
As I placed a hand on my stomach, Miara's voice sounded faint.
»What illusion?« she asked curiously, but I shook it off with a slight wave of my hand.
»You need rest, sweetie. You should lie down again!« she requested as she pressed her body against mine from behind and took me in her arms.