Fantasy Code FERAL

[Lioness075]

Blinking at Beth, who definitely looked worse off than he was, Falarion was surprised when she began comforting him instead.


Tilting his head at her, Falarion then said with a comically stern look, "Hey, I'm supposed to be comforting you. Not the other way around!"


Rolling his eyes at Falarion's antics, Manjano glanced down in time to meet Beth's gaze, which instantly caused Manjano to subconsciously blush slightly. Luckily it was cold out so perhaps it wouldn't be noticed as blushing.


Glancing at Manjano, Falarion then thought with a grin, 'What? Afraid you'll lose your man card for blushing?'


Scowling at Falarion, Manjano was interrupted before he could respond, as Beth began explaining her own injuries.


Narrowing his eyes at Falarion, Manjano then relaxed his expression and looked down at Beth while listening to her list of injuries. Looking at the nicks all over her face and neck, Manjano frowned slightly, subtly expressing his concern.


Hearing her mention a first aid kit in her bag, Manjano nodded and then was about to stand when Beth moved a bit and then offered to help.


Making a slightly panicked expression, Manjano shook his head and shook both of his hands in a manner of staying, 'don't even try'. She'd only make the injuries worse for herself.


At the mention of helping Falarion, Manjano furrowed his brows upon glancing back at Falarion's shoulder wound, which hadn't stopped bleeding yet. That was definitely a bad sign.


When Alec rejoined the small group, Manjano nodded at Alec's orders to keep Beth still, though she seemed to not be going anywhere at the moment. The way her eyes seemed to focus and then unfocus worried Manjano immensely. Was she concussed or was it something more serious?


When Alec mentioned putting some pressure on Falarion's wound, his eyes widened and his ears pinned against his head before he frantically said, "I-It's fine! Really!" His eyes were wide and panicky, as he knew it was going to hurt a ton to let anyone put pressure on his wound, especially considering how bad it looked.


Hearing the panic in Falarion's voice and seeing it in his eyes, Manjano calmly thought to him, 'Mate, you need to calm down. Alec can help you, but not if you freak out like this.'


Whining, Falarion lowered his head and then said, "Fine...just get it over with."


Staying by Beth's side for now, Manjano remained completely oblivious as to who exactly had fallen over the edge, though he knew it hadn't been his sister. He would've recognized her in a heartbeat, blurry or not. Plus, there was clearly no white hair on whoever had fallen.


Hearing a helicopter approaching in the distance, Manjano frowned and looked up in time to see the helicopter fly in low and then descend past the collapsed cliff. Still clueless as to what was going on, Manjano shook his head and was about to look back at Beth when he began to hear distressful voices from the clearing. It sounded very similar to grieving, though there was clearly anger mixed in.


Shaking his head at what he viewed as utterly ridiculous reactions to the death of someone he'd hardly known, Manjano looked down at Beth in time to hear her mention that Falarion be taken care of first.


Frowning at this, Manjano couldn't understand why she wanted his companion to be taken care of first. Why would someone else care about his companion? Empathy had never been an easy concept for Manjano to understand.


When Beth closed her eyes, Manjano panicked for a second or two before realizing she was still breathing. Sighing in frustration at the annoying, fluctuating feelings he was dealing with currently, Manjano glanced across at Falarion to see how he was faring. He seemed to be in a similar state as Beth, suddenly exhausted.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight


Meanwhile, Luness was still awestruck by the cliff. The helicopter hadn't arrived yet and she could only unsteadily stand on her talons with her injured wing resting on top of a pile of snow beside her. If she didn't have natural body heat that always kept her warm and comfortable, Luness would've loved to have used the snow like ice for her injury, but her body heat kept her wing warm despite it laying on top of snow as it were.


When Bill showed up so suddenly, Luness was taken aback and froze in place before realizing it was just Bill and not another threat.


Sighing, Luness gingerly climbed onto Bill's offered horn and then carefully climbed along it until she was securely on Bill's shoulder and being careful of how tightly she gripped, in fear of digging into Bill's skin with her dangerously sharp talons.


Once she was secured, Luness said to Bill, "Thank you, dear. I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon at that rate."


@SilverFlight


Back with Jimbo, Leandra was full-on panicking, as Jimbo halted the snowmobile and then rushed off while telling Leandra to stay where she was.


Normally, Leandra would've talked back and then charged off anyhow, especially to make sure Luness was okay, but she couldn't leave the injured man alone and she was injured as well. She wouldn't get far on her bad leg.


Seeing something rushing towards her in the distance, Leandra's heart skipped a beat and she almost cried out to Jimbo, fearing a wolf was about to attack her, but then she realized whatever was approaching was way too tall to be a wolf.


Once the snow cleared, Leandra was surprised to see Luness perched on Bill's back...but something was wrong with her left wing. It was limp and looked rather mangled. Blood was clearly mixed in with the feathers, which meant some damage had clearly been done to her wing.


@zCrookedz


Arriving within about ten meters away from Leandra, Luness was able to safely climb off of Bill with his aid and then lit up at the sight of her human companion not too far from her.


"Lea!"


"Lune!"


Leandra's face lit up just like Luness' had and despite her injury, Leandra scrambled to her feet, stumbling about like a drunk in the process, and then eagerly hobbled out to Luness before dropping to her knees and hugging the phoenix tightly, while warily avoiding to hug her injured wing.


"Lune...I thought something horrible had happened to you. I heard your thoughts cut off and then I saw the avalanche. I thought you'd been caught in it!"


When Leandra finally sat back and let Luness breathe again, Luness smiled halfheartedly before responding, "I should've been caught in it. Strong moved back far enough so that I wouldn't be caught in it, but I panicked and flew away from her. My wing was injured at the time already...there was nothing I could do for her."


Tears began to from in Luness' eyes and Leandra smiled sadly at her before saying softly, "You did what you could, Lune. Nobody could ask for more from you."


Suddenly, a helicopter came flying overhead, distracting Leandra immediately from her little reunion.


Watching in quiet awe, Leandra soon watched it disappear over the cliff and could only wonder what was going on when she heard voices of mixed emotions in the distance.


Sighing, Leandra held out her arm so Luness could climb onto her shoulder before she hobbled back to the sled and slumped down near the injured man.


Taking a deep breath, especially as her vision swam a bit from the pain of the serious wound in her leg, Leandra grabbed at her medical supplies and swiftly cleaned Luness' scratched up wing while also feeling along it to make sure nothing serious had been done to it. When she touched the more muscular part of Luness' wing, Luness immediately flinched and glared at Leandra, clearly hinting at something being seriously injured there.


Shrugging innocently at Luness, Leandra then grabbed some gauze pads to cover the cuts in her wing, using some medical tape to keep it on the cuts. Once she was done with that, Leandra looked more closely at the deep wound on the muscular part of Luness' wing and bit her lip when she saw the mangled muscle just inside of the wound. It would heal at a faster rate than normal because she was phoenix, but it'd still take some time.


Cleaning up the wound and wrapping it, Leandra then carefully folded the wing against Luness' body before using a large Ace wrap to essentially tie her wing to her body. It was the best she could do for a bird and it would remind Luness to not use it.


Hearing the helicopter retreating, Leandra glanced skyward once more before wondering what the helicopter had come for and why it'd left so soon.


Just before the helicopter disappeared though, Leandra saw a rather intimidating symbol on its side and could only wonder what it meant before the helicopter disappeared in the distance.


@SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Totus reached the spot the chopper had been just after Simon passed out from the pain. "Simon?" He asked, but received no response. The heartbeat was clear and strong though, so Totus knew he was alive.


His leg was a broken, bleeding mess. There didnt seem to be any other injuries, even though Totus wasn't really a doctor. He didn't want to leave Simon there, even for a moment, so he closed his eyes and tried something that was extremely unfamiliar. He could feel Beth in his mind, mostly her physical pain. He clung to that, traced it back, reaching along it.


Beth.. Beth?


@zCrookedz


Beth stiffened suddenly, even though her eyes stayed shut. Totus's voice was in her mind; they never communicated this way.


Im here. I want to sleep, Totus.


Not yet. Simon needs help at the bottom of the cliff. He jumped too far; his leg is broken, through the skin and everything.


Beth nodded, even though he couldnt see her.


"Totus found Simon. Jumped down the cliff. Broke his leg badly. He needs help." She said quietly, hoping Alec was still close enough to hear. Her connection with Totus wavered.


Beth.. did you hit your head?


I did, but I didnt think it was hard enough to be a problem.


Beth's mind left his completely for a moment, then returned.


Tell someone, Beth. Hang in there, I will come back soon.


With that, he withdrew from her mind to give her a little more peace.


@SilverFlight


"Manjano..?" Beth said uncertainly, "I think I hit my head. When the wolf pinned me. Totus said I should say." Her small hand twitched at her side as her breath hitched in her chest. She blew out slowly, then in. "What's going on? Why did Simon jump to the bottom of the cliff?"


@Lioness075

 

[DawnAntalios]

A dark, infinite void. A blackness unparalleled by anything she had ever known surrounded Zoe as she just sat in the snow with beady eyes, staring at the ground hopelessly. The pain was overwhelming and the bleed was getting worse... but it was not the injury on her legs which made her feel this way... no, it was in her heart. But in reality she knew that it was she who was to blame - she joined in a team mission, she knew the risks of what would happen. Probably the little naive girl deep down within her soul though that nothing bad would happen, that they would have a smooth first mission devoid of any losses.


It seems she was wrong.


Eos watched silently as Zoe raised from the ground, ignoring all her pain in her feet completely. She now just stood there, her hands clenched into fists and she stared at the vast, empty chasm ahead of them. His heart broke when he recognized her facial expression: she was once more stoic, cold and hardened, once again she decided to ignore, suppress her pain, hiding it behind a veil of deception. She now looked left of her, placing her hand on his shoulders and spoke with a harsh voice.


" Shed no tears for her, we could have done nothing. " she spoke " We will find a way through this. They - whoever they were will answer for their crimes. "


She now knelt down next to him, barely whispering.


" Now you know why I did it, don't you? The pain in your heart is the answer you seek. "


With that she rose and turned towards Rin.


" The past is but a tapestry of what lies ahead. " she said " Death was always by the side of those who fight such perilous battles... and so must we all endure the consequences. "


She then bowed before both of them and walked off for a bit. Eos looked at her with sorrow.


" Zoe, I... "


" That is enough. " she silenced him with a wave of her hand " It was folly for us to join. "


And thus she walked to a nearby tree and sat down underneath it, concealing her true feelings as best as she could as she started drawing in the virgin snow. She could have been there... she could have saved her... just like the others...


@SilverFlight @Sleipnir @andujarprime

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec nodded to Beth, his worry growing as Beth told him that Simon was now scaling the cliff.


"Crazy idiot." He mumbled but was clearly impressed with the man's determination.


@Flutterby


He approached Faarion with the cloth. "No need to worry Fal," he said in a calm but confident voice. "I'm a doctor." His touch was amazingly gentle as he pressed the wound in a way that closed the flesh together, sealing it from the cold air. He used another strip of his coat's outer layer to fasten the make-shift bandage.


"I'm going after Simon." He declared, "Duik, stay close by them." Duik was a little ways off, still adamantly sitting by Xiao and that's where Alec left him.


@Flutterby @Lioness075 @crucialstar


Running back to the cliff he found an easier way down, grabbing a medkit of one of the snow mobiles as he went. Through the trees and a longer way around there was a slope shallow enough to climb down without equipment. It took a fair bit of tim but at length he made it to the bottom.


Simon was unconscious by the time he reached him and Alec pulled the emergency blanket out of the pack. The his broken leg looked bad but Alec went through the first responder check just to make sure there were no injuries more serious.


He worked in silence, splinting the leg carefully and staunching as much of the bleeding as he could. The wind howled about them but Alec seemed almost oblivious to its biting force. When the helicopter roared about Alec looked up suspicipously, pulling his gun from its hiding place in his pocket. Perhaps the Rogues had decided to finish them off. But this machine did look familiar, and Alec couldn't see the macabre logo that had decorated the first one.


They came to collect Alec and Simon first, lowering the helicopter within a meter of the ground. Several men jumped out haulign a stretcher and between Alec and them they managed to heft Simon onto it and get him safely inside. Something glinted in the palm of Simon's hand and before it could fall Alec caught it; a gold locket, he could only guess it belonged to Strong. He pocketed the necklace for safe-keeping before climbing in next and the helicopter rose back up to the cliff to pick up the rest of the team.


He couldn't shout over the roar of the blades but as he saw Jimbo he sighed to the gorilla that his partner was safe.


Bill had just made it to the top again and busied himself getting people ready for extraction.


The snow mobiles were of no use to him but the sled ropes were attached to hauling harnesses stored in the vehicle's rear compartment. Bill opened this and slipped the harness carefully over his horns until it fit suggly about his chest, he then went to look for those who couldn't walk.


@zCrookedz @everyone

 

[Lioness075]

Manjano froze when Beth stiffened suddenly, his eyes searching her face for an explanation, but she gave none.


When Beth nodded, Manjano relaxed, as he realized she was most likely speaking mentally with Totus.


Still though, Beth was in a precarious state right now and she needed to rest in a warm environment and probably needed some bandaging around her chest or something.


Hearing what Beth said quietly, Manjano furrowed his brows. Why would Simon jump off a freakin' cliff? Of course he'd break something. What was he thinking?


Hearing Beth addressing him, Manjano refocused on Beth and listened intently to what she said.


At the mention of hitting her head, Manjano sighed. There was nothing he could really do for her, though he already had figured out she'd hit her head. It was clear by the way her eyes focused and unfocused.


Hearing Beth's worried questions, Manjano blinked, as he was wondering the very same thing.


@Flutterby


Falarion whimpered when Alec neared him, but he didn't move, as he let Alec do his job, which surprisingly hurt less than he'd expected, even though it still hurt enough to make him whine.


Once Alec was done bandaging him up, Falarion stayed at Beth's side and listened to her questions before responding for Manjano, "We have no idea, Beth. It makes no sense why Simon would do such a thing. I mean...maybe he was trying to get to Strong? I don't know what that helicopter was doing a few moments ago, but I heard distressed shouting after it flew away."


@SilverFlight @Flutterby


Hearing Alec commanding Duik to stay with them, Falarion glanced over to see that the hyena seemed to be rather dazed or he was just being abnormally quiet for once.


Sitting up on his rump, letting out a small whimper when he put some weight on his shoulder, Falarion then glanced over at Duik and asked him, "Hey, are you okay, mate? You look...distracted."


@SilverFlight


When a second helicopter flew in, Leandra looked up to see it head over to the clearing where most of the people seemed to have gathered.


Glancing back at the injured and unconscious man, Leandra knew she needed to get on the snowmobile and move them over to the clearing so they weren't forgotten by chance.


Leaving Luness to snuggle up against the man and keep him warm with her heat, Leandra then hopped on her good leg around from the back of the snowmobile to the front, where she climbed on and started the vehicle up.


Easing the snowmobile around, Leandra then steadily drove it over to the clearing before she brought the snowmobile to a halt near where the helicopter was.


Stopping the snowmobile and then shutting it off, Leandra hobbled back to the sled before sitting down with Luness and the man. Now that the trio was in clear view of everyone, someone could easily help them along.


@SilverFlight


While waiting, Luness climbed into Leandra's lap before settling down and saying softly with a hurt tone, "I couldn't save her. I tried..."


Luness' heart ached, as she could vividly remember the look on Strong's face just before she disappeared over the cliffside.


Looking sadly down at Luness, Leandra softly pet her on the head and then hugged her gently before whispering, "I know, Lune. I know."

 

[zCrookedz]

Jimbo frozen when he heard Beth relay the information for her partner to the rest of the group. Of all the stupid, idiotic, moronic things he could have done; he decided to go jumping off cliffs in the middle of frozen hell. Jimbo felt his temper rising as he sombered over to the edge of the cliff hopping to see Simon down there sprawled out in the snow, he even throught about tossing a few rocks, maybe knocking some sense into the stupid mans head. But when he couldn't see his partner down there, Jimbos stomach got tide up in knots. No matter how mad Simon made him, he was still worried about him.


When the helicopter soared over head and it was obvious that this was the extraction helicopter and not the one from before, Jimbo turned from the cliff and began to head back towards the snowmobile. He was surprised to see Leandra moving the machine, and felt a built guilty for leaving them behind in his panic. When helicopter was ready and Jimbo looked up to see Alec giving him the sginal, he lumbered over towards Leandra and the unconcious man.


"Hold tight, alright?"


Jimbo reached for the back of the snow mobile and found where the sled was coupled to it. He followed the rams example and attached the rope and harness to the back of it, thought he pulled it with his free hand and not with the harness. He moved slow so as not to jostle the occupants to much as he aproached the helicopter. HE pulled it up beside the vehicle and looked over the sled towards the unconcious man. A gingerly as he could he slipped his arms under the mands neck and knees and lifted him from the sled. Turning back to the copter he laied him down on the ledge so that Alec could get to him. Before he turned back to help Leandra, Jimbo spied SImon laying on the floor of the helicopter. He felt a tinge of pain in his chest to see his brother laying there unconcious. He sighed and shook his head before turning back to help Leandra.


Jimbo didn't wait for permission or even ask it of her, he simply walked over to her and did the same as he had before. Lifting Leandra up with his amrs he walked her and Luness nestled in her arms over and set them down on the edge of the Helicopter before turning back towards the battlefield and searching for anyone else who mich need to be loaded up.


@Lioness075 @anyone else who needs assistance.

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael sat there in the snow, clutching his torn arm as he watched Zoe speak. He still wasn't really comprehending anything; he was still trapped in repeating the same thoughts over and over as he watched her make her way over to sit under a tree. After awhile, Cedar laid down next to him, simply acting as a grounding presence for his friend.


It wasn't until the other helicopter came that Bael snapped out of his stupor. He stared at it for some time, part of him certain it was more of these rogues.


And a tiny part of him, deep down, hoped it was.


But it didn't take long to see it was help that had arrived and he was grateful for it. He sat in the cold for a few minutes longer, finally coming back around to realize two things: His arm stung tremendously and it was freaking cold. He was soaked from sitting there in the snow.


He pet Cedar's head before standing up, surveying everyone and what they were doing for once. He squeezed his eyes shut. He had to keep himself up now. He would be completely worthless if he took to moping and agonizing. He couldn't afford it. No, it was the team that couldn't afford it. Just like the analogy from his conversation with Zoe before, the dark and the ships on the lake, and the lighthouse — in the dark he would try to be the lighthouse. He didn't know if he could succeed, but if just one person could try, surely it could keep the others from sinking so far into their losses that they'd just give up?


Bael took a breath, looking around again, cataloging everyone he could find. The rams, Beth, Falarion, the white-haired Australian boy who's name Bael was yet to learn, Rin, Jimbo, and Simon — who he was grateful to see alive after he had jumped off a friggin' cliff. His gaze wandered toward Zoe once more. Her leg looked really bad. He hesitated at first; would she even want his help? She seemed poorly off after what had happened. He didn't know whether he should leave her or help her. But he couldn't help but worry about her injured leg and he took a breath, making his way back over to her.


"D'you need help up?" He asked tentatively, in a soft voice. Part of him was worried what her response might be, but he didn't want to leave to to stand on her own.


@DawnAntalios


Cedar watched Bael go but decided not to interrupt him. He could handle himself. The cinnamon bear stood up on his back legs a moment to assess the scene before loping to Cerci, looking for some semblance of familiarity. A bear was a good bet. He didn't immediately initiate a conversation; he wondered if the quiet would be a better option at the moment. At a length, he said, "Nice job on that wolf," looking at the bloodied body in the snow, which had a back half that wasn't hardly recognizable.


@Hel

 

[Hel]

Cedar's comment made Cerci smile at him- a gesture that could seem threatening to those who were unfamiliar with bears.


"Thank you, Cedar, yeah?" Cerci asked "I would call it my artwork, but it seems a little gross for that." The bear let out a bit of a chuckle after she spoke, thinking herself a bit funny.


Wednesday finally realized what needed to be done and made her way over to Bael and Zoe before heading for the helicopter. SHe wanted to offer them help, as they seemed to need it.


"Hey, Uh... Zo...e? And Baaaaaael, right?" She asked, a touch awkwardly, wondering if she'd interrupted something. "Do you two need help or... something? I can take care of you once we get somewhere. Actually I guess I shouldn't have offered yet, but when we get in the helicopter I could at least wrap your arm and disinfect it, I'm sure theres a first aid kit up there." Everything about her voice was awkward, but she was trying to make friends.


@DawnAntalios @Sleipnir

 

[Flutterby]

Totus breathed a sigh of relief as Alec appeared. He stayed nearby while he worked, crouching into the snow as the chopper decended. He had to stay grounded until it had gone all the way up, but then he returned quickly to Beth.


"Sorry," He mumbled, rubbing his beak gently on an un-injured part of her cheek.


Beth gave a soft hum, acknowledging both his apology and his affection.


"Theres a chopper here, and the snowmobiles can haul people, we should get you up and back to the group." He said, now loud enough for Manjano to hear him.


Beth slowly opened her eyes with a hesitant nod, reaching up and stroking Totus gently first. Her owl had been so brave, so steady. He was a good companion..


"Focus, dearest." His voice cut through her thoughts, and she nodded more definitively now.


Beth pushed herself up very, very slowly. Her face pulled into a grimace as she moved her torso. Once she was in a sitting position, she took a few deep breaths and looked to Manjano.


"Might need help." She admitted, as Totus looked on nervously. Her head was swimming a little, and she didnt think she could stand on her own without tipping over. She gave her head a small shake. "If you can, its safer to lift from behind. Hooking your arms under mine at the shoulder and lifting straight up probably best." Beth paused, her eyes appraising him intensely for a moment before blinking slowly. When they reopened, they had lost their edge.


Totus looked up at Manjano as well. "Can you do that? Otherwise we would have to wait, and others need the sleds worse."


@Lioness075

 

[DawnAntalios]

It took her all her composure to muster enough strength not to shed tears. Zoe felt miserable - and partly responsible - for what has happened, even if it was clear that it was not her fault. Still, this bothered her very much since she constantly relived the moments of the past.. she saw the flashbacks, she saw the faces - and now she saw death. Although she could not be certain that Strong was gone she was kidnapped and probably tortured indefinitely... sometimes that was a fate worse than death.


" I should have been stronger... I should have been quicker... "


It was then when she felt a warm drop of tear rolling down on her cheeks. It slowly raced down on her soft skin, caressing it with care one last time before it fell into the pure white snow. Soon, more drops of tears followed, the manifestations of misery and anguish flowing from her eyes continuously. There was no point denying them any longer... She just wept silently, letting it all flow out.


She then heard steps closing in and she raised her head, afraid. She saw Bael standing in front of her, seemingly offering help for her. It was too late to do anything about the deception though... she was there, sitting in the snow, her tears still flowing from her eyes, looking at Bael with despair. She looked down to the ground.


" Yes... yes, I need help... just this once. " she said as she forced to stand up, hissing in the process as the pain returned. She looked at the boy, wiping away her tears and spoke with a dead serious tone. " I have to apologize for what is coming next. Know that under normal circumstances I would never ask for such a thing... What happens here must NOT get into the ears of others, understood? "


She stood there for a moment, waiting for her words to sink in... and then she lunged forward, hugging Bael. It was but a brief one, it lasted for mere seconds... but it still felt like a paradise, an unending font of happiness which caressed her soul and body. She let out a brief smile and let go of the -probably- shocked boy and took a few steps back.


" I am not heartless... I am just good at showing that side of mine. " she said with a grin on her expression before she turned all serious again, clearing her throat. " As I said, what has happened here is a secret - no one must know about it. "


Somehow she felt relieved that at least one person saw a softer side of hers, no matter how embarrassing it was. It seemed that sometimes you just needed someone to lean on.


It was then when a girl walked up to them, Wednesday by the looks of it. She seemed to be reserved, just like her but perhaps a little bit more cautious and - based on how she spoke - was a bit awkward. Normally she would have been more cautious when new people approached her but because of the recent events she felt a bit... softer than usual. Still, she looked at her with a serious look and spoke.


" Thank you for your concerns, Wednesday. I can only speak on my behalf but I feel... " she looked at her legs and she glanced back at her, sighing " Actually I would not mind some medical attention. Now that the danger is gone there is no reason to act as a heroic martyr. "


She inspected the girl and she seemed tense so she added.


" Be at ease, if you may. You are among allies, there is no reason to be reserved. " she folded her arms together, nodding " I have seen glimpses of your heroic struggle against the wolves. You and our companion fought valiantly - you should be proud. "


@SilverFlight @Sleipnir @Hel

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael listened closely to Zoe as she spoke, admittedly a bit put off when she insisted that whatever it was she was going to do had to remain completely between them. From someone like her he felt it could mean a variety of things, not all of them necessarily good. But at any rate he intended to speak and began, "Yes, I can keep—" but stopped short when she hugged him.


Zoe hugged him.


Bael stood there and let her, not completely certain what to make of all of this, but through his shock Bael did realize something: this wasn't necessarily bad. It was kind of nice, standing there with her, acting as some sort of comfort. Never would Bael Lake have assumed someone like Zoe — the Ghost! — would go to him for comfort.


When she pulled away, Bael was still stunned and actually a touch disappointed, but he tried to ignore that as well as he could. It would be wrong, he thought, to take advantage of someone else's emotional vulnerability. Zoe had needed someone and in that moment of weakness he had been there; that was all. He pushed all that away from his mind when Zoe addressed him again. He nodded. "It isn't bad," he insisted quietly. "It's okay to be... Be soft sometimes. But yes — I can keep this between us."


He turned to look at Wednesday as she approached, trying to regain his composure and recognizing her as she did. "Yes; I'm Bael. You're the one who criticized my hot chocolate making. Um — yes, I..." He frowned, pausing a moment. "It's alright. My arm does hurt. I imagine it is pretty bad, so when we get out of here we should probably — actually, we should probably get on the helicopter before we get left." He looked between the two women then headed off, suddenly suffocating under the weight of everything that had just occurred in the last few moments.


@DawnAntalios @Hel


Cedar nodded. "Gotta agree with that. Anyway let's get outta here. We probably need to make sure our kids are good."


@Hel

 

[andujarprime]

Rin stood by, awaiting to hear further word from Calista. If she heard him, she didn't show it. In truth, he didn't think she would. He expected the feisty civet to be emotionally torn. And perhaps a little unstable, after all her human was just blown off a cliff, and taken by rogues. She deserved to have time to panic or freak out. He sighed as he watched the medics loaded Simon onto the chopper. He turned to the scattered group, Haku on his shoulder they watched as everyone was rounded up. He looked down at himself and shivered. Blood splattered his sleeves, but it wasn't his own. Everyone seemed to be wrapped up in their own worlds, in their wounds. Maybe it was for the best if they didn't chase the chopper tonight. Although he came out seemingly unscathed, that was far from the truth with the rest of the group. He took a step forward to try and help, but he wasn't sure where he would be of use. He began walking around the battlefield. He crouched down to one of the wolves that lay dead. This one wasn't killed by his poison, this one may very well be useful. He thought to himself as he began dragging the animals body towards his mobile. He placed it on the sled and strapped it down. He turned back to everyone else and a pang of sadness hit him. He wished he could do more to help, to do anything at all really. But realistically, there was nothing he could do here. Maybe once they got back, he might have something to ease their pain, but not now. Not yet.


@SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Seeing the others in different levels of distress around her, Leandra uneasily looked down at her bandaged leg wound to see that it was beginning bleed through. Sucking in her breath sharply, Leandra felt the pain lace through her leg and closed her eyes in a grimace.


Opening her eyes again, Leandra's eyes widened in fear, as she was no longer in Canada or with the team. She was sitting down in the middle of the parking lot...when those kids and their spirit animals attacked her.


Everything was a blur and the scene seemed to fast forward all around her until that wolf was lunging at her again.


Screaming in her flashback, Leandra twisted around to leave her back exposed and protect her vital organs before she felt the claws rake deeply diagonally across her back, skin and muscle tearing simultaneously.


Blinking with tears sliding down her face and fear clearly shown in her expression, Leandra suddenly realized she was staring at the ceiling of a helicopter.


Jimbo had already wandered off and Leandra sat up quickly in alarm, only to instantly regret the move as more pain laced up her leg.


Gritting her teeth, Leandra suddenly wondered why Luness hadn't said anything and she looked down in fear that Luness had gotten injured again...only to see Luness sound asleep in her lap.


Sighing, Leandra dragged herself backwards until her back was against a wall of the helicopter, the injured informant in her full view now while her good leg was bent to help keep Luness in her lap and her injured leg was outstretched in front of her.


Leaning her head back against the wall, Leandra felt the cool metal against her hot and sweaty neck, refreshingly cold.


Only two days into the mission and so much had happened already. How in the world were they going to see all of this through to the end?


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight


Seeing Totus return, Manjano subconsciously took a step back from Beth's side, wanting to give the pair some space.


Hearing Totus mention getting Beth up and to the chopper instantly made him worry, which was clearly expressed by his facial expression. Beth hardly looked like she could take a step without faceplanting or even passing out.


Falarion tentatively got to his paws, favoring his paw that connected up to his injured shoulder. Hobbling along, Falarion then said to the trio, "I'm just going to be useless here with how I am right now. I'll meet you all at the helicopter."


Hobbling away from the trio, Falarion wondered to himself how Manjano was going to help Beth along. He didn't like touching people anymore on top of speaking to them. But he'd no doubt have to touch Beth somehow to help her along.


@Flutterby


Left alone with Beth and Totus, Manjano tried his best to not look as frazzled as he currently felt. He hadn't been alone with anyone without Falarion being with him for a long time. Years, even.


When Beth was able to sit up, albeit shakily and rather dazedly, Manjano was back at her side in an instant, his eyes jerkily looking around, as he thought through the ways he could handle this situation.


Alas, the best and quickest way would be if he picked up Beth bridal style and just carried her to the helicopter himself. Totus would be able to fly on his own.


When Beth paused in her rather meaningless explanation of how he could help her up, Manjano felt her eyes on him and he looked into them before seeing her blink and the edge seemingly vanish from them. She definitely was concussed...or possibly even worse.


Looking over at Totus when he spoke, Manjano only sighed in response. This was definitely going to be awkward for him. If he was lucky though, Beth would be too dazed to fully realize what was happening.


Positioning himself beside Beth's side, Manjano then knelt down in the snow before putting one of his arms underneath her knees and near the base of her neck.


Taking a deep breath to try and quell his racing heart and increasing panic inside, Manjano then stood up, holding Beth close to his chest and making sure her neck had enough support to keep her head from lulling backwards uncomfortably.


Assuming Totus would simply fly after them, Manjano turned away from the owl and then began making his way over to the helicopter with Beth in his arms.


@Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

((Everyone can finish their convos/moments, I'll just put the time skip here.))


"Its ok." Alec knelt beside Leandra as she came to, he put a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Its over."


@Lioness075


The rest of the wolves had scattered once they saw their leader abandon them. No doubt the watch would have to go after them later. Now though, Alec's concern was this team. He watched as Manjano appeared from down the hill and waited until Xiao, Duik and Laohu caught up as well. The helicopter didn't leave until everyone baring Rin (who had already returned to his snowmobile).


The boar sat with his partner against the bulkhead. Alec tried not to look at him, he closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, forcing the memories back for now. There was a lot more to focus on.


The Chalet was still warm from the roaring fire they had set, though not the blaze had died to glowing embers. With the staff manning the helicopter they managed to get the injured inside where Alec had access to many more supplies. Alec began to gather what he needed but paused for just a moment at the small figure still crouched in front of the laptop.


Callista hadn't moved at all, but she had heard them. At length she did turn around, her eyes were flooded with grief and panic.


When she saw Simon being carried in unconscious it did nothing to improve her state. She ran to Jimbo when she saw him.


"Jim..." Her voice was broken with grief. "You have to...you have to tell me she's not gone! Please..." She begged, pressing her small head into the fur of his leg. "Please tell me she's not gone..." She sobbed. Calista the wit, the smart mouth, the genius hacker was only a fragment of what she had been. Now she sat at Jimbo's feet, shivering in grief and terror "I don't know what to do..."


She tried to breathe. It was hard to think. She remembered someone had called out to her over the com, Rin was it? Where was he, she needed to thank him.


@zCrookedz @andujarprime


Alec could do little else but set to work treating what he could. He could stitch Falarion's gash properly now with sterilized equipment and anesthetic. He also used the drugs to numb Simon's leg so he could set it.


"It'll need a real surgeon." Alec said to Jimbo, pulling off blood-stained gloves. The tiredness in his voice was evident.


"Are there any other serious injuries?" He hadn't yet been able to examine everyone but he noticed Zoe's damaged legs and waved her over.


@DawnAntalios @zCrookedz @Lioness075


Duik had remained adamantly by Xiao's side for the entire process, watching Alec move about doing what he was best at.


Overall the team seemed exhausted and disheartened. Alec had busied himself trying to avoid the gaping hole they could all feel, now it was creeping up on him slowly.


Elliot once his partner was tended to and was resting peacefully got up to speak.


"I owe you my life...and Kyle's as well. I...I can't thank you enough."


@everyone

 

[Flutterby]

Beth turned and looked at Falarion as he spoke. "Thanks, Falarion." She said softly, watching him go for a moment.


With her eyes on the wolf, she forgot to pay attention to what Manjano was doing. She felt an arm brush her legs and one touch her back, and she was in the air before she could react. Instinctively, her arms went around his neck as she gave a short squeak of surprise. The girl had tensed, both from the sudden contact and from the movement. But after a moment, she relaxed a little. Totus gave an owlish chuckle, and began flying toward the copter. He looped back a few times to make sure they were still okay, but like Falarion, he knew he would be useless.


Beth whimpered softly. "Please dont drop me." She whispered, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She could feel his heart racing, as if he had just run a marathon, just about as fast as hers was. She blinked slowly, the motion of his steps making her feel even more sleepy.


"My daddy used to carry me to bed like this, when I stayed up late in the backyard and fell asleep in the grass.." She said, her words muffled a little by her cheek resting on him. The association with warmth and safety made her relax even more, as her voice grew quieter. "It makes me feel safe.. I wish you would feel safe.." There was a pause, where she caught sight of Totus looping back toward them, and then she added, "Not when wolves are attacking you, but other times.. with your sister, with Falarion.. they must miss you so.." She took a long breath in and let it out in a short sigh. "I think.. its time for a nap. My brain is.. it doesnt love me right now." Her eyes drifted shut. A long pause followed, before she said in a whisper, "Thank you."


Beth woke up for a few moments on the helicopter ride back to the chalet. She felt warm,and she was comfortably supported. Teammates surrounded her, and Totus was only a few feet away. She went back to sleep, and didnt wake again until they arrived back at their lodging.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

When Alec came over to Leandra's side and reassured her, she quickly tried to wipe away her tears, not entirely comfortable to have been seen crying. Granted, she had a horrid wound on her leg and it was pretty reasonable to be crying, but still.


Uncertain of what Alec meant when he said that it was over, Leandra looked at him quizzically before opening her mouth to respond and explain that what she'd just experienced was something from her past, but she closed her mouth and stayed quiet instead. This was definitely not the place or time to try and discuss scars from her past.


As everyone began to board the helicopter, Leandra could only wonder why Alec had come over to comfort her. Probably because there weren't many of them aboard before everyone else joined them so it was more obvious that she was upset.


Once everyone was aboard, Leandra sneakily glanced over at Alec once more to see him with his eyes closed, clearly trying to ignore something. Looking around the helicopter for the culprit, Leandra's eyes landed on the boar nearby and she suddenly remembered Alec's fear.


Biting her lip, Leandra decided against mentioning anything to him. He probably wouldn't want to be called out on his fear in front of everyone. And again, this was not the place nor the time for such a matter to be discussed.


@SilverFlight


Back at the Chalet, Leandra limped inside with Luness held in her arms. Luness had passed out before the helicopter had even left the ground earlier and still was out cold.


Getting increasingly worried about Luness' wing injuries, Leandra limped over to where Alec was, mindfully waiting until he called out for other injuries.


Carefully setting Luness' limp body down on a table nearby, Leandra could tell that Alec was beyond exhausted right now. Though, everyone probably was by now.


Sighing, Leandra walked up to Alec and tapped him on the shoulder before saying, "Hey, I can help. Seriously. If you can just help me stitch up my wound, then I can take over for now. I can help with Simon's leg, too. I've done it before in med school."


After saying this, Leandra uneasily waited for Alec's response, her eyes looking over Luness again. She was going to have to stitch up Luness' injuries and then tie the wing back to her body once more.


Luckily though, it seemed that stitches were the most common thing needed around here.


Leandra was definitely going to need to double check that no muscles were damaged in Zoe's legs. On top of that, Leandra was going to have to properly fix Simon's leg, which could take up to an hour or longer depending on the severity. Luness' wing wouldn't take long to fix up, but she'd have to be careful with it. While she hadn't gotten a good look at Beth, Leandra could tell the girl had a concussion as well as a few cuts on her face. The informant was going to need stitching as well, though the bandages had at least helped in staunching some of the bleeding.


Unluckily, Leandra was pretty sure that her injury was deep and that a muscle or two had been damaged on top of the fact that it was already a deep wound and the bandaging was stained with her blood now.


Despite the knowledge that someone on their team had died, Leandra seemed hardly affected by it. Mostly, she was just tired, especially from the injury she'd sustained, and she wanted to make sure the rest of the injured, especially Luness, were properly treated before the team tried to get any rest.


@SilverFlight


Manjano jerked slightly when Beth suddenly squealed in surprise, though he was far more surprised when her arms went around his neck for balance. Inhaling deeply and eyes wide, Manjano focused ahead at the helicopter, trying to ignore how terrified he felt in the moment, especially how exposed he felt.


Listening to Beth speaking, Manjano only felt the panic inside him growing worse, as she addressed his fear and how she wished he'd feel safe again, which was impossible for him.


Walking stiffly over to the helicopter, Manjano only finally relaxed a bit once Beth had passed out.


Sighing at the words Beth had said, Manjano got settled in the helicopter, opting to sit on the floor beside Beth and let her head rest on his lap.


Despite how terrified he felt around her, Manjano couldn't resist the desire to keep her safe. They were honestly very, very conflicting feelings.


They also brought back various memories of his, though he quickly pushed the thoughts and memories away, as he glanced down at Beth and focused on making sure she remained safe.


@Flutterby


Once they returned to the Chalet, Manjano carried Beth inside of it and made sure she got a couch to herself so she could rest. He even brought over a pillow for her.


Once Beth was settled, Manjano overheard the discussion beginning about getting everyone taken care of and he stood up to bring someone's attention to Beth.


Just as he stood up, Manjano saw Alec stitch up Falarion's wound and redress it. Relieved that Falarion was taken care of now, Manjano thought out to him, 'Hey, come over here and lay down. You need to rest.'


Limping over to the couch that Beth was resting on, Falarion slumped down on his good side and sleepily thought back, 'No argument here' before he passed out from sheer exhaustion.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Beth's sleep was pretty deep, but she could feel herself being carried again, then laid down gently. There was a soft pillow under her head, even though she was far too sleepy to really notice at first. Totus perched on the back of the couch above her, his own eyes drifting shut as the day caught up to him. It was a while until she woke up all the way. When she did, it was because she was far too hot, still in her outdoor gear.


The girl groaned softly, reaching up and unzipping it as far as she could. Totus stirred, and hopped down to perch on her thigh.


"Dont, Beth. Let someone help you." He instructed, even though he received an ill-tempered look from her. "Once theyre done doing stitches and the like, they will come look at you. Just lie still until then."


"Its hot.." She whined, not unlike a toddler, and moved as if she was going to try to wiggle out of the jacket. Totus darted forward and snapped his beak barely an inch away from her hand. She stopped, frowning at the bird for a moment. But there didnt seem to be any hard feelings, because after her displeasure was clear, she simply sighed and laid back on the pillow. He was right of course; if she moved around she could hurt herself even more. Being a little hot was better than that. Totus moved next to her head and gently fanned her face with his wing, to make her waiting a little more comfortable. Beth glanced around. Lea and Alec were busy working on everyone with large gashes, and everyone else was laying around, looking completely exhausted. Manjano was nearby, and she could just barely see Falarion laying near her. She looked around for the civet, Calista, but didnt see her by the computer equipment she had been using when they had left. Another sigh, and she stared up the ceiling patiently.

 

[Hel]

Wednesday heard both Zoe and bad and gave a small smile at the girls compliment.


"Thanks... Come on, let's get to the helicopter so I can try to help you two out," she said, examining the wound on Baels arm as they walked- well, as much as she could anyway. When they climbed up into the helicopter Wednesday offered her help to Zoe.


Once inside, she found some pain medicine in a first aid kit for Zoe, then turned first to taking care of Bael's arm, as it would be a fairly simply disinfect and wrap, though he may need something more later, helicopters weren't the place for that.


Once finished with Bael she turned to Zoe, to see what she could do with her leg. The whole time she worked she stayed fairly quiet. She wasn't sure what to say, anyway, and didn't want to say something dumb. Of course, when she finished, neither wound was perfect but both were set to heal if all went well.


When they returned to the Chalet, she turned and asked Zoe and Bael- more Zoe than Bael- if they needed any help. She wasn't sure how Zoe's leg was, but she also got the impression that the two had been bonding when she showed up. Maybe Bael would want to help her, anyway.


@DawnAntalios @Sleipnir


Cerci nodded to Cedar and challenged him, saying, "Wanna race? I bet I'll beat you!" As she took off towards the copter.


@Sleipnir

 

[andujarprime]

Rin watched silently as the chopper lifted off. He checked to make sure that the body was secured, and that Haku was snug. "Ready?" He asked her mentally as the mobile hummed to life. She gave him a quick squeeze around the shoulders, he smiled at the bit of comfort she brought him. He brought the mobile around, and headed in the general direction the chopper had taken off in. As it went ahead, he began to recognize the scenery, down to the uncovered mines. He didn't have to be as careful, now that most of them were picked up, so he just went straight on through. It didn't take him long to reach the chalet. The chopper was empty, and everyone seemed to be inside already. He sat atop his mobile for a few minutes, giving everyone inside time for their own selves. He looked back at the wolf's body, it was larger than normal, and the armor it wore was unusual. He only hoped that it would be of some help in their case. He brought himself down and unhooked the sled. With a grunt he heaved it to the side, and managed to push it through the snow, closer to the house. "Let's head inside and warm you up." He said to Haku as the cold really began to seep in. His pants were wet from the snow, clinging to his legs. The ride back wasn't a pleasant one, but he couldn't complain. What was his small discomfort to the pain others had felt. To the pain Calista must be feeling, missing her human. "Yesss, pleass" Haku replied softly, her heartbeat was already slower, her movements and speech were slurred. He nodded as he slowly opened the door and stepped inside. He kept his eyes to himself. He didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. After what they had just been through, with people they had just met that morning, he would imagine they didn't want other strangers looking at them or invading their privacy. He sat down by the fireplace, still warm with glowing embers emanating heat into the room. He sat there for a while waiting for everyone to be treated. Waiting for Haku to warm herself up and get back to normal. He slowly dropped from the chair and sat on the floor on top of his own feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and exhaled. He continued until he was in a meditative state, trying to relax. His other senses were sharper now, he could hear whisperings from farther away, his sense of smell became akin to Haku's if he focused enough. He could feel Haku's heartbeats quickening, returning to normal.

 

[zCrookedz]

Jimbo climbed aboard the helicopter once everyone had been loaded. He sat towards Simon's head glancing over at him every so often. Weather he was thinking scolding thoughts, or wishing he was awake, Jimbo wouldn't say. The real pain he was feeling was knowing that they were returning without Amber. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like had Simon been on the edge of that cliff instead of her, and if he was gone right now and amber was the one laying there.


When the arrived back at the chalet, the mood did not lift, and its heaviness only grew when he walked in to see Calista still sitting right where they had left her. Jimbo didn't know what to do, if he should say something to her or if she needed her space. The little fur ball had always been so hard to read, luckily he was given his answer within seconds of her seeing him. He was shocked to see this side of her, the years of the hardcore attitude had formed a shell over the little creature that Jimbo was sure was some kind of insect trait. Now the shell was falling apart, and Jimbo knew he needed to do something to help his friend. He reached down and placed his hand on Calistas back, trying to be gentle and comforting as he looked down at the little fuzz ball. He wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear, he wanted Amber to walking back in the front door with the others with a big smile on her face and Simon up and moving around. He would gladly give anything he could to make it so he didn't have to tell her the truth. But Jimbo knew better and Calista wouldn't want him to lie to her in any situation.


"Calista......I'm so sorry."


Jimbo didnt know what else to say. He didn't know what happened. Obviously they didn't bring Strong's body back with them, and Simon would know better than he would about what happened afterwards. But until he woke up, he was as much in the dark as Calista. Simon sat down on the floor next to Calista, slowly stroking his back trying to comfort her until Alec came over.


He was great full to hear that the doc might be able to help Simon, even more grateful when Leandra came and said she could fix up his leg after her own injuries were felt with. He nodded to them each, but continued to sit with Calista not really knowing what to do next.


@SilverFlight @Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec complied when Leandra asked for his help. They were still short on supplies fro the more invasive treatments, but he was sable to clean and stitch her leg without much trouble.


"I dunno Leandra, you shouldn't be on that leg, and you might be in shock."


@Lioness075


Callista tried to take a deep breath only to choke on a sob as Jimbo apologized. "I-I can't feel her in my head anymore..Jim.." She paused again, trying to calm her breathing down. "I don't want to go feral...oh Amber!" caught between grief and fear Callista climbed into Jimbo's lap and buried her face in his broad chest.


"I didn't find her body." Alec offered, though that may not have provided much hope. "Simon saw what happened down that cliff. Maybe...there's still a chance."


@zCrookedz


Alec finished with Leandra's injuries and though was reluctant to let her, decided that he couldn't deal with everyone by himself.


"You can treat the boar's partner." He offered, glancing nervously in their direction.


@Lioness075


Then something made him look up. A soft whir and a movement from out the window. Suddenly the strangest aircraft Alec had ever seen appeared in full view and landed in the clearing by their chopper.


It was grey and squarish, about the same size as the helicopter but instead of rotary blades this thing looked more like Callista's drone. Four turbines, one on each corner except they glowed with the energy apparently emitted against the ground. The craft touched down so lightly Alec didn't even hear it and as the door slid open he watched to see who emerged.


The door to the chalet opened and in strode a man with the weight of authority. He was older, in his early forties and his sand-blond hair and short beard already showed flecks of grey. He wore a pristine grey suit and walked with a slight limb, a black cane helping him into the room. In behind him strode an even more intimidating site: A huge prehistoric cat whose head came up to the man's high shoulder, its canine teeth easily the length of Alec's hand. His green-yellow eyes surveyed the seem in a calm appraisal.


"I need to know what happened. Everything. Now." The man said firmly but not unkindly. The saber toothed cat spoke next, his voice a deep rumble in his elegant neck. His accent was exotic and very hard to place. If Alec had to guess he would choose one of the West African countries.


"We will tend to the more complex injuries at our headquarters. For now, continue to treat what you can. We brought personnel to help you."


Three more people came in, two women and a man all carrying medical gear. They set to work without hesitation.


Their superior waited for someone to answer.


((Yus, I managed to get this done before I had to go! You can direct the medical staff however you want.))

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe watched the two of them as they walked towards their aircraft. Some way, somehow she felt at ease - a feeling that did not happen to her in a very long time. She was feeling a strange warmth growing in her stomach, one that she thought to be forgotten a long time ago. She knew not whether this was due to how innocent yet determinate Bael was or was it due to an another reason but she somehow started to feel more alive - the Ghost felt life pouring back into her.


As she walked Eos joined her but said nothing, his wide smile telling her everything she needed to know. Yet this time she felt no regret or remorse for showing her true feelings for it helped her carry a heavy burden. They finally arrived at to the helicopter and boarded it, Zoe inspecting everything in the process. The ones who knew everything about medicine were busy with the wounded and she was impressed how quickly they worked even with limited supplies. She sat on one of the beds and immediately she saw Alec questioning her if she needed help and caught some of Leandra's worried glances towards her. She, however was already treated by Wednesday, the girl working with speed unmatched and precision unlike she had seen before - after making sure that the wounds were not infected they were wrapped in a tight bandage which provided warmth and protection.


With a quick smile on her expression she nodded.


" Thank you. " she whispered, her voice being warm and fuzzy for the first time. She surprised even herself with this... was she becoming something different again? She shook her head - no, this had to be the effect of this battle, no way she was going back on... that path. she just watched as the girl worked and sat back, relaxed.


When they finally arrived to their destination she walked with Wednesday and Bael together. She suddenly stopped and turned to both of them, with a rare expression on her face - a smile.


" We have made it it seems. " she proclaimed, releasing a heavy sigh " This was both a victory and a defeat, about that there can be no doubt. The enemy is more cunning and ruthless than ever before - I have seen many battles but none was as fierce as this one. They have become very powerful and now even I see that alone I could never have succeeded. "


She ushered them into a secluded spot from where they could still see everyone else but they would have their own private zone to rest in. She sat down on a chair and looked at them. Wednesday asked if they needed anything and she nodded.


" Yes, I would require your... company. " she concluded, with a slight blush on her face " I had to realize that our foes have grown ever so powerful, we need to learn about each other should we want to succeed. Your prowess on the battlefield was proven, I have seen that myself but... "


She scratched her head, the red hue on her cheeks turning into a deep crimson one.


" I think that if we want to succeed we need to at least know what we are capable of. " she turned to Bael, once again with a strange smile. She had high hopes for the boy... he was very tenacious and though at first he seemed to be a pacifist deep in her heart she knew that he can easily become a fearsome warrior. But there was something strange about him, something she could not place her mind on...


Shaking her head she leaned forward.


" I think I first have to apologize for my behavior if we are to speak frankly. " she said " What I have done can not be undone - but I had my reasons for that, believe me. However, as the river flows and makes new roads for itself so do I flow and want to change - but first I would beseech you for your apologies, for you were the ones I have wronged in the first place with my... audacity. "


@SilverFlight @Sleipnir @Hel

 

[Sleipnir]

"Oh no you won't!" Cedar took off after her, closing the distance from her head start as they approached the big helicopter.


Bael nodded gratefully to Wednesday when she dealt with his arm; though upon disinfecting it he raised an eyebrow in a skeptical sort of look, asking, "That's what you're going to use on it?" While examining the commercial disinfectant. He didn't say much more on the matter, and turned to look at Zoe when she began speaking to them again. He nodded in agreement to her insistence that they needed to know what they were capable of. Contrary to Zoe's beliefs that Bael could be capable of being a great fighter, he believed he was good for little more than helping tend to battle wounds in the field when only plants were available. When she leaned forward toward him he could feel his face heat ever so slightly, and when she finished her apology he shook his head emphatically. "I don't understand why you act like you did something wrong," he said. "You didn't. People need people. Otherwise they can't... Can't work properly. I won't take your apology because there's nothing for you to give." He glanced at Wednesday after he spoke, at least to break the eye contact between him and Zoe.


He turned sharply when the stranger and his massive prehistoric tiger appeared. He stayed silent. He couldn't have given an adequate answer — Bael couldn't hardly remember anything except the pain in his arm and trying to pry that wolf off of him with the gun, then turning to see agent Strong just — just gone — the returning anguish and rage on behalf of Calista — and the moment under the tree—


There was a little shock of sorts that accompanied the last, but it sank below the anger and the sympathy for the civet. He clenched his jaw, casting a look toward Cedar. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.


@DawnAntalios @Hel @SilverFlight (mentioned somewhat extensively)

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra sighed after Alec was done fixing her up for now. The injury continued to throb and if she put too much weight on it, then sharp pain would lace up her leg.


Hearing Alec's concern, Leandra stubbornly shook her head before shakily standing back up and hobbling over to Simon. She could do this.


Leandra was confident until her vision suddenly blurred. Stumbling sideways, Leandra caught herself on the edge of a table and leaned over it while she caught her breath and her vision slowly returned to normal.


Once she'd recovered, Leandra shakily realized that she definitely was in shock and only making it worse for herself the longer she stood. In fact, it was all too possible that she might end up messing up Alec's stitching job, too.


Overhearing Calista freaking out and falling apart nearby, Leandra closed her eyes and selectively began ignoring Calista, as it brought back memories that Leandra was not at all in the mood to address at the moment.


When Alec mentioned helping the boar's partner, Leandra bit her lip and nodded before hobbling over to two and sitting down carefully with her injured leg stretched out of the way.


Suddenly realizing how nervous Alec had acted, Leandra let out a small sigh before setting her mind on asking him about it the next moment she got with him. She wanted to understand why it was such a deeply embedded fear for him.


Carefully undressing the man's wounds, Leandra then pulled out a stitching kit before cleaning his wounds and then going to work on stitching his leg and arm injuries.


Just as she'd finished the stitching and began wrapping the injuries, Leandra was startled to hear the man and boar both speak up, mentioning their thanks and Kyle's name. While Leandra couldn't remember the boar's name, she nodded at their words and then said in a tired tone, "It's...not a problem. Really."


Pushing her back up against a wall nearby, Leandra rested her head back as she inhaled deeply while trying to ignore the aching pain in her leg.


Realizing with a start that Luness still hadn't been stitched up, Leandra tried to sit up, but ended up slumping back against the wall with a gasp of pain from her leg.


...Perhaps Alec would be able to help Luness...


Leandra suddenly realized how hot she felt, a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. Glancing down with a frown, Leandra sighed at the fact that she had forgotten to take off her coat.


Struggling for a couple seconds, Leandra soon had her coat off and let it slump in a heap beside her before she leaned her head back against the wall and soon nodded off, feeling rather feverish.


@SilverFlight


Manjano started when he overheard hushed voices and even a zipper being undone behind him.


Turning around, Manjano didn't notice when Leandra stumbled or anything else unfolding, as he saw Beth arguing with Totus about taking off her coat.


Raising an eyebrow in an amused manner, despite his overall facial expression remaining neutral, Manjano then walked up to the pair and noted Beth's futile attempt to remove her own coat.


Sighing, Manjano clenched his teeth at the thought of having to touch Beth again, but he sucked it up and unzipped her coat all the way before taking off her closest sleeve and then realizing with a skip of a heartbeat that he now had to lean over her to get the other sleeve off.


Exhaling at the thought, Manjano closed his eyes briefly before forcing himself to lean over her and avoiding her eye contact at all cost, before he successfully got her sleeve off and then quickly retreated.


Kneeling beside her, Manjano then continued to not look at her, as he carefully pulled the coat out from under her and then stood up to hang it on the nearest coat rack he could find.


Just as he took off his own coat and added it to the rack, Manjano jumped slightly when the door suddenly opened and a man walked in with...a saber-tooth tiger? Great, another mythical creature.


Staying where he was, off to the side, Manjano listened to the man demand to know what had happened before three professional medics walked in with supplies.


Ignoring the man's request for information, Manjano quickly strode forward and tapped one of the medics on the shoulder before pointing her towards Beth.


The medic merely nodded in response and then the pair walked over to Beth and Totus.


Kneeling beside Beth, the medic quickly and precisely did some simple examinations to get an idea of what all was wrong with her besides the few cuts on her face and neck.


Without asking a single question, the medic was able to conclude that Beth had a concussion and then proceeded to pull out a stethoscope to listen to Beth's heart rate. Pressing it firmly against Beth's chest, the medic was unaware that any there were any injuries to the chest, as Manjano had of course not told her anything.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight

 

[zCrookedz]

Jimbo watched as Calista climbed into his lap and curled up into a little ball of sadness. He had never seen a creature go feral before, the last thing he wanted was to see a close friend be the first. He continued to stroke Calista trying to be ans comforting as he possibly could, something he wasn't very used to. His hard and sometimes icy exterior made dealing with people a lot easier, but he was willing to break that for the sake of his friend. At the sound of Alec's voice Jimbo tried to feel for the connection to Simon. It was feint, and felt a bit lite watching static on the TV, but he could feel Simon's connection still there.


Jimbo's head jerked up from his chest at the sound of the door being opened. As he turned around he kept Calista close in the crook of his arm as he backed up next to Alec to face whoever was coming in. At the sight of the man, Jimbo's jaw nearly dropped as he saw the man and right behind him was the tiger. Jimbo shifted a bit uncomfortably at the sight of the tiger, and lowered his head so it was closer to Calista.


"Calista, who is that?"


@SilverFlight