Wotru hurried back to the dragon's lair, not for any grand reason, but simply to feed Anna her medicine.
After being busy outside for so long, he estimated that Anna must have woken up by now. With all the herbs he had collected meticulously sorted and stored in the lair, Anna could easily find them and take them herself.
But if he returned too late, he wouldn't get the chance to personally feed her the medicine—a thought that filled him with regret.
Sure enough, as Wotru entered the lair, he found Anna bent over, rummaging through a pile of herbs with her little backside sticking out.
She was about to gather all the herbs she needed.
Wotru dashed over like the wind to stop her.
"Anna, leave the herb-picking to me. All you need to do is sit tight and let me feed you the medicine, alright~?"
As he gently coaxed Anna, Wotru unceremoniously took the herbs from her hands.
"But... but, Brother Dragon, Anna..."
"Ahem, no buts."
Wotru put on a serious dragon face and patiently explained, "You can't even tell these herbs apart. What if you pick the wrong ones and make yourself sicker? Be good~ You're still young and don't understand these things."
Sitting in Wotru's dragon claws, cradled in his arms, Anna pouted, her big eyes blinking innocently as she looked at her dragon brother, her tone helpless.
"Actually, Anna can tell these herbs apart. This is Bloodgrass Mushroom, this is Starleaf, this is Pinecone Fruit... and this one, Dreamsong Flower. Brother Dragon, this Dreamsong Flower has hallucinogenic effects, and, um, they're that kind of effects..."
"So, why did you pick this flower? To lure magical beasts?"
"Yes, yes, exactly to lure magical beasts, roar roar roar..."
Wotru nodded his dragon head hastily, trying to look serious, but his claws were already scratching at the ground.
No other reason—just itchy claws.
"Also, Brother Dragon, hehe~"
Anna suddenly giggled. She could sense Wotru's awkwardness but chose not to expose him.
She pursed her lips, her face flushing red, and murmured shyly, "Actually, Anna didn't plan to take the medicine herself. Anna just wanted to gather them so that when Brother Dragon came back, he could feed Anna..."
As she spoke, she bit her lower lip, turning her delicate, pale face to the side.
Wotru could see her slender, graceful neck turning visibly red at an astonishing speed.
Even the furry tips of her ears turned pink and twitched nervously.
Anna's words made Wotru's heart bloom with joy.
He couldn't resist scooping Anna up and giving her a dozen affectionate licks until she puffed out her cheeks, pouting in clear annoyance. Only then did he sheepishly stop.
"Brother Dragon! Anna needs to have a very serious talk with you! During the same time each day, you can only lick Anna five times! No more!"
Anna declared righteously, her small face stern as she held Wotru's massive dragon head in her hands.
She tried to make his golden eyes meet hers, but his dragon head was as large as a water barrel, making it quite a struggle for her to hold.
"Alright, slurp~ Anna, slurp~ I'll keep that in mind, slurp~"
"Ahhh~ You're so annoying! If you keep this up, Anna won't talk to you anymore!"
Anna wiped the dragon saliva off her face, her voice soft yet playful. Her peach blossom eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Wotru with a mix of reproach and affection.
What could she do? She had a soft spot for this dragon. No matter what he did, she could never truly dislike him.
"Brother Dragon, weren't you going to feed Anna her medicine? Anna is ready."
Anna murmured softly, lying down obediently in Wotru's dragon claws.
Her head and upper body rested on one claw, while her hips and legs lay on the other.
Her two slender, delicate legs swung leisurely in the air, her snow-white bare feet like two mischievous white butterflies fluttering about.
She tilted her face upward, her eyes closed, and opened her pink lips slightly, letting out a sweet "Ah—" sound.
From Wotru's perspective, he could see Anna's shy, tender tongue, her exquisite nose twitching slightly—whether from nervousness or embarrassment. Her long eyelashes trembled, and her ill-fitting princess dress revealed a small section of her delicate collarbone. The pale skin of her neck showed the faint rhythm of her pulse.
Unfortunately, Wotru was no vampire; he had no interest in her neck.
He was just a compassionate, benevolent black dragon with a heart full of altruism.
So, he quickly chewed up the herbs, rolled them into a ball with his dragon tongue, and gently placed them into Anna's mouth.
With the help of his dragon saliva, the medicinal properties of the herbs were fully blended, enhancing their overall efficacy.
At least, that's what Wotru believed.
After all, the saying "a dragon's body is a treasure trove" wasn't his invention—it was widely acknowledged. So it wasn't surprising that dragon saliva had such special properties. It made perfect sense.
After feeding Anna the medicine, Wotru brought out the food he had prepared in advance.
Ideally, one should eat before taking medicine, but one of the herbs he found was specifically for nourishing the stomach, and its effects were better on an empty stomach.
"Brother Dragon, what is this? It tastes so good, so sweet..."
Anna asked as she ate the food Wotru had exchanged for, licking her pink lips with a smile. Her adorable demeanor made Wotru want to wash her face again.
"This is Eight-Treasure Congee. You've never had it before, have you~?"
Wotru puffed up his chest proudly, holding Anna in his broad dragon claws as he perched on a high rocky platform.
Anna ate with such elegance, taking small, delicate bites that were a pleasure to watch. But as she ate, she suddenly began to sob softly. Crystal-clear tears fell into her bowl, startling Wotru.
"Anna, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did some magical beast bully you? Tell me, and I'll deal with it for you."
"No... no,"
Anna lowered her head, looking at the sweet and fragrant Eight-Treasure Congee in her bowl. She raised her soft hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes, sniffling as she stammered:
"No magical beast bullied... bullied Anna. The kobolds and gnolls are all very kind to Anna. Anna just... misses home..."
"Misses home?"
Wotru smacked his lips, sensing trouble. According to his memories, the Emerald Forest was tens of thousands of miles away, across vast seas.
Right now, he had no way of sending Anna back home. Besides, he had his own selfish reasons—he couldn't bear to part with her.
"Mm..."
Anna nodded, putting down her bowl of Eight-Treasure Congee. She suddenly turned around and gently hugged Wotru's neck, burying her face in his scales as she mumbled indistinctly:
"Anna... Anna's home was taken over by demons... Daddy and Mommy died, and so did Sister. Anna was the only one left. The demons didn't eat Anna for some reason; they just locked her up..."
"Then Anna got sick. It hurt so much... Every night, Anna would wake up from the pain. Until one day, a group of humans broke in. They killed the demons but sold Anna to slave traders..."
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