ORP - Hunted

[Wandress]

A crossbow bolt sprouted from the bole of the tree beside her, and she ducked behind the tree as another soared through the space where she stood a moment before. Her heart thudded in her chest as the wood at her back vibrated with the impact of one more bolt, making her pause another moment before peeking out from behind the trunk of the tree.

Retaking her spot on the bough, her heart lept in triumph as Hephastion latched onto Valerion, bringing the man to his knees. Her excitement was shortlived as one of the hunters a dozen paces aimed his crossbow at Hephastion. She hastily drew on the Light and hurled flames at the hunter, catching the man square in the chest and engulfing him in fire. A second weave was cut short as she exhaled sharply, a punch in her side forcing the air from her lungs. Eyes wide in shock, her fingers gingerly touched the bolt protruding from her stomach, fire creeping across her torso. A moment later, pain bloomed in her shoulder, pushing her from her perch.

[Hephastion]

As he watches Valerion, his attention is grabbed by movement in the tree Wandress was hiding, the hunters began to focus their firing into the tree, before he can react he sees her fall, his body freezes for a moment "NO, No, No!" shouting as he moves forward.

Grabbing Valerion by the scruff of the neck, he drags him towards the tree, slamming him into the trunk as a bolt glances off his shoulder, he turns quickly facing the man who seemed to grow in confidence after hitting Wandress, Hephastions eyes shine as he stalks the man, moving around him slowly, the mans crossbow aimed at his stomach.

Hephastion spins quickly smashing his fist into another mans face, his footfalls had given him away, twisting back he lunges at the man in front of him, his hand grasping his thoat, Valerions blood had given him renewed strenght and his anger was beyond control, the man begins to scream as Hephastion concentrates, tightening his skin, the tearing sound ending the mans screams, only letting him go when another bolt thuds into his back.

Turning on the last handfull of them they stand off, their weapons aimed at him, he flashes a wicked grin at them "I dare you to pull the trigger, I'll have your head off before the bolt moves" his anger raging through him, he had all but forgotten about Wandress until he heard her cry out, looking at the men in front of him "Its over" turning his back to them he walks to the base of the tree, grabbing Valerion again he hold him over Wandress "See what you game has brought" his features showing only hate, he drives Valerions head into the trunk of the tree, the mans scream cut short.

Kneeling over Wandress, he takes her head in his hand, the two bolts protruding from her he focuses himself for a moment.

[Wandress]

Wandress had hardly noticed as she slammed into the ground, gasping for breath that would not fill her lungs. Blood stained the ground beneath her as it pulsed from her wounds, smeared across her claws and stomach as she gripped the crossbow bolt. A cry ripped from her throat as soon as she caught her breath, baring her teeth at the sky as she tipped her head back, her body twisting of its own accord, trying to cast off the pain. Her eyes widened as the bloodstreaked face of Valerion hovered above hers a moment, turning her face away and feebly swiping her claws at him, trying to pull herself away from the hunters' leader. Hephastion had had him, how was he not dead?

Valerion's face disappered from her vision, slipping behind the dark mist around the edges. A moment later it was replaced by Hephastion's, safe and calm, his hands slipping under her head. Weakly digging her heels into the earth she gasped for ragged breath, her stomach and shoulder wracked with fire that was overtaking her body. Pleadingly, she touched his wrist lightly before slipping into the darkness.

[Hephastion]

Watching her struggle, he looks at the bolts again, his fingers gently touching one he draws his hand back as she winces. Not knowing what he can do for her, moving her would only make matters worse but staying here was certainly not helping. As she struggles for breath, his heart begins to beat harder in his chest, but it wasnt fear or anger, he couldnt tell her now, her hand touches him lightly, bringing him back. Closing his eyes as she watches her fade he raises his wrist to his arm, feeling the needle like pinch on his skin, pausing for a moment unsure if he should do this he looks at her.

Moving his wrist over her mouth he lets a few drops fall onto her lips, watching as the crimson liquid runs into her mouth slowly, this time he leaned closer, holding her to him, not sure which way this would go he looks into her eyes as they fade I love you Wandress he closes his eyes as the words he wanted to say ran through his head, ringing in his ears, he was sure she would have heard.

[Wandress]

She gasped and jerked as though ice water was splashed over her, her back arching off the ground. Eyes wide and round, her legs kicked out as she grabbed his arm, her claws digging into him as his blood fused with hers, rushing through her every vein. Her limbs felt alien as they thrashed on their own before she could call them back to her power, quieting them with the rest of her body as she somwhat relaxed again. The shock of his blood ebbed, replaced by the searing pain in her abdomen and shoulder, grimacing at the pain emanating from her wounds.

Gripping the bolt at her side, a groan of pain quickly turned into a cry as she failed at pulling it out, flinging her hands away as from a hot coal and panting with the effort. "Get it out," she pleaded, "get it out! Hephastion, please..." His blood had strengthened her, reinforcing her heart so she would not die of exsanguination, but the pain still wracked her every nerve, unbearable yet maddeningly sharp.

[Hephastion]

Smiling at her as she wakens, now he wasnt sure how far she had turned, she was all but dead, but she still had enough of her own blood in her system, he would soon find out if the hunger took hold, but he would help her through this first. Moving his fingers to the bolt in her shoulder, it was slick with her blood and he found it hard to grip. The bolts werent barbed, he tugged, feeling it drag in her flesh, his hand jerks back as he pulls it free, watching her face contort with the pain

"Are you ready, this one will hurt" trying to relax her, he moves his hand down her body, this one was embedded deeper, there was more blood coming from the wound, and he could only guess the damage inside, he could heal both wounds, but was also curious if she could heal herself, deciding this one would be better to push through, he holds her, pinning her arms to her sides, pushing the bolt through he closes his eyes as she screams in pain, the sound cutting him "I am so sorry" his voice soft. As the head appears at the other side he pulls it away from her, dropping it to the ground, her blood still running freely from the wound, he sits her up in his arms and holds her, waiting to see if he needed to close the wounds or not.

[Wandress]

Biting off her scream as Hephastion pulls the bolt through her, she whimpers softly laying her head on his shoulder, slowly extracting her claws from his arms where she had dug in. Laying limp against him, she panted softly as the lessened by comparaison, a glowing coal after a raging inferno. Blood still leaked over her chest and down her hip from her torn flesh, soaking her clothing and his as she recuperated against Hephastion. "Sorry," she murmured against his shoulder, shifting as she tried to sit on her own, pressing her palm against her side to staunch the flow.

"We should get moving," she said quietly, swaying slightly as she tried regaining some semblance of composure, though she could not erase the exhausted grimace from her face. "It will be dawn before we know it, and I need...to do...something with this," She lifted her fingers slightly with a wince at the pulse of blood that accompanied it. "I need...bandages...and my herbs...at my cottage," she panted, struggling to pull herself to her feet. On anyone else, she could try to heal anything short of death, but for some reason the gods only knew, all her talents would not work on herself. She would have to do it the human way.

[Hephastion]

Relief washed over him as she spoke, he hadnt turned her, as he had been worried before non-human Vampyr were hard to predict, how quickly the beast would take control, what power they would gain from the Vitae, and more importantly how much Vitae they needed, she already had natural ability which would more likely be enhanced, more so than it was.

These were open wounds, the blood still free flowing he would be able to deal with them "Lay back and relax" even though he could heal them, they were deep wounds and this would take even more out of her. Pushing vitae to his hands he moves his hand slowly over the wound in her stomach, it took a few moments to knit the wound shut, but once he was done all that was left was her thickening blood, watching her he moves his hand to her shoulder, this wound healed quicker, but was no less draining on her. His eyes looked over her, her features softening as the pain lifted, she would still be stiff and tender and might still need 'human' remedies to help. As he relaxed himself his arm gave him a painful reminder of what Valerion had done, looking at the mans broken body his eyes flash for a moment.

[Wandress]

Her head lolled forward as he withdrew his hands from her, pulling the last of her strength with him. The same tingling he had left on her cheek resounded in her shoulder and side, but intensified near to a burn, as skin left by a glowing coal too long for comfort. It was all catching up at her at once; the searching for Hephastion, and the running once she found him, the dizzying flights between the treetops, the final stand by the ravine, the intolerable pain of dying and the exhaustion of being hauled back from the brink. She drew long, deep breaths as she sat in the dirt, trying to pull herself together.

After a few moments her lead lifted slowly, resting her hand on his arm to pull herself to her feet. She withdrew it hastily at his hiss of pain, the film of exhaustion over her eyes falling away as she fixed them on the deep burn. Breathing in deeply she reached for the Light, but failing in her exhaustion to grasp her power. Twice more she tried, before her eyes glazed in silver, filling her with rapture and banishing any pain or fear or exhaustion she may have had. Gingerly she reached out for Hephastion again, drawing on the five elements for her delicate weaving. Her silver eyes latched onto his as her claws hovered over his arm. "May I?" she asked huskily, tense near to trembling with the Light running through her.

[Hephastion]

His eyes moving over her as she stands, wincing in pain as her hand holds the wound on his arm. As she offers to help him he is stuck for a moment, he had seen how weak it could make her, and this wound would take him days to heal using his own energy, compared to the moments it had taken to heal her near mortal wounds.

"It will take a lot out of you Wandress, but im happy to let you try" he was willing to let her try, she obviously wanted to help him, allowing her to help him would maybe help her to trust him more, let her know he needed her help now and again.

Holding out his arm for her, he smiles softly, then closes his eyes not sure what to expect, no one had ever healed him before, or at least not in this way and certainly not in the last thirty years.