#denofmonstrum

“Quit digging at it then!” He snapped, twisting around to fix her with a foul glare. Only to pull at the gash in along his ribs, fresh blood pouring out that doubled him over. Every muscle in his back flexing as he ground his teeth, hissing obscenities through them.

Down in that tunnel beneath what they thought had been an abandoned keep, Nicholai hadn’t had time to think. A flash of light and he was shoving Setsuka out of the way. His body reacting before his mind could catch up. Ending up with rent flesh all the way up his left side, from flayed hip all way up to the beginnings of armpit hair. The shock of having actually been cut had been far more disturbing the blood gushing out of him, or the agony that rushed in alongside the adrenaline.

Fresh sweat beaded across his forehead as he raised his arm over his head again. Snarling low, flinching occasionally as she started to pick at him again. Digging out the debris that had lodged in the meat of his muscles. His pelt and jacket having been tossed aside, pants wrung low in order to let her work. He should have vetted the passage first, made sure there weren’t any traps. Especially the kind that could break through his once-believed-impenetrable skin.

Another bark of pain. That fast he was in her face, looming over her an inch from her nose. Ragged breath coming in puffs in the icy outside air. The rubble of what was left of the keep casting its long shadow over them. Pain and fury melding white hot on his savage visage. “Fuck. Off.” At this rate, he’d rather let himself heal naturally and risk the infection. Rather than let her keep going like this, being scraped raw.

She should had known better than to let her guard down on any place empty. She was just a bit further ahead, observing eyes looking and investigating the area when a flash of light blinded her. The next thing she knew, she was thrown. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t handle it. She was small, fragile, like glass, but like water, it was never going to do more than make her take another shape. That being said, it would have still been painful. She still would have had time to recover. But even still, she was protected, and in her frustration, she kept trying to take care of him.

“I’ll stop digging when it’s clean!” she repeated for the fifth time. In order for her to heal anything, there must not be anything in the way of her healing. Rubble, debris, poison and everything else must be cleared before she can use her magic, at least enough to stop the bleeding, but this man was making everything difficult. The more annoyed he got, the higher his temper flared and the higher hers went as well. “So quit moving or I’ll make you quit moving!” 

She kept huffing, trying to keep him still while removing any excess particle that wasn’t originally in his body. “You brought me along because I was useful, yet you won’t make use of my abilities. The more you go against this, the longer and more painful this will take!” As a healer, she was more than capable of taking care of his festering wounds, but not unless he cooperates. 

“Fuck. Off.” That irritated her the more he said it. But she stood firm, having dealt with too many idiots and short tempered assholes to be intimidated by someone who was blasted and severely injured. She already knew she was limited in her magic currently, unable to call enough to simply make him good as new. She did not need him being threatening again.

               "I know I’m supposed to be this ‘holy pious’ whatever it is that people regard clerics to be, but sometimes I just want to punch some people in the face, you know? Salt their crops and burn their lands. I get it Susan, your child has a cough, sometimes that just means he needs some water and a lemon, not divine interference. I spent a majority of my mortal life studying the divine and unholy magics so that I could do freaky stuff in my free time, not advise you to go take a nap.” 

😳

☠——[  

   “I do apologise,” Guts huffs, a hint of his own contempt revealing the apology was not an honest one. He was all too used to this snake’s attitude; it was how they greeted one another. 

         Not only that—they share the same thought.

“I mean you no harm.” The man said as calmly as he could in the situation, falling to his knees on... Nothing. His body felt as if it was being ripped apart little by little, but he hadn’t been killed outright which was a small blessing when dealing with these higher entities. Slowly he managed to drag a breath into his burning lungs and exhale raggedly.

   Once, what seems like ages ago, traveling alone was nothing more than another part of the day, the ‘need’ for allies being taken as weakness, each threat and challenge upon the open roads welcomed with fury and glee. 

   Yet as time went on, others gathered around, and he found himself..adjusting and growing fond of having someone else to watch his back for him. Though even temporarily, all good things must end...and that unshakably prideful view was now shrouded in caution and paranoia as he traveled alone once more.

   “Hrmm..” A faint growl escaping as sharp eyes now lock upon a faintly shadowed figure farther down the dirt path, it was..rare to come upon another traveler on this road, even more so one who wasn’t after your gold..or your life. Bandit, Monster, or simple merchant..the tiefling’s presence would be made known, and his claws ready.