A medical emergency

[fadingworld]

A deep navy cloak hides his features and the more ornate tunic the courtesan usually wears to greet his clients. Mal hunches his shoulders and slides through the crowds hoping to avoid notice. He keeps his head down until he reaches the home of the doctor and wraps smartly on the door. "Open up," he calls in a voice that expects to be listened to.

How much time did he have? He could not have a client bleeding out. Not this one. Not one who had come to him for help, to be treated privately.

Comments

[mandragoraspiritus]

"No, every time I have come by it it has stood empty so I have started to make use of. Though I do make a point of leaving it in the same state I find it, replacing any firewood I use and so on." It seems only fair to him to do that, and to perhaps make any some small repairs that needs doing.

[fadingworld]

"I wonder if others do the same," Mal's imagination is fired thinking of those who flit in and out of the cabin like ghosts.


"Does this mean I will learn how to split firewood?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Perhaps. Unless roaming the woods end up wearing you out." He grins back over his shoulder.

"I have seen signs of other people being at the cabin so I suppose it isn't unlikely that others treat it as a temporary camp of sorts, the way I do."

[fadingworld]

Mal gives a clear ringing laugh. "I am sure I could go many more miles without this pack and perhaps more padding around my feet!

He looks eagerly around as they reach the tree line. "There is something a little romantic about thinking we will be alone for a fair distance."

[mandragoraspiritus]

The cabin isn't much; just a single, small room with a fireplace in the middle and a simple hole in the ceiling to let out the smoke. Crude benches and tables stands pushes to the walls. Between the far wall and the fireplace stands a single, narrow bed. There are no windows but the days are still warm enough that they can leave the door open to let the light in.

"It rather is, isn't it?" Regis agrees with a smile as he sets his pack down on a table.

[fadingworld]

Mal plonks his back down besides Regis' and rolls his shoulders. Oh that was a relief! He slides an arm around Regis' waist. "This is charming." Mal has had enough of luxuries and drapes. This was cosy.

His eyes dance. "It is a good thing neither of us is too fat to share the bed."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Hah, no, it will be a rather tight fit as it is." Luckily they have gotten quite used to sharing a bed by now, sleeping close together. While this bed is more narrow than any they have at home, it should still serve then just fine for a couple of nights.

He claims a quick kiss from Mal. "We should see to it that there is firewood enough before we go about doing anything else. Nights are starting to become cold now." Cold doesn't bother him much, but he will want the warmth of a good fire for Mal's sake.

[fadingworld]

Mal certainly prefers warmth to the cold. In winters he does wrap himself up warmly in blankets.

"Can I bring in twigs for kindling?" Mal has done some reading before they set out so that he is not entirely useless.

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Yes, please do," Regis agrees. "Meanwhile I will take a look in the shed to see if it is much like how I last left it."

[fadingworld]

Mal takes a gulp of water before he sets out. He's got no fear of getting lost, he's pretty sure Regis could find him almost anywhere.

Humming to himself, he takes the path at the back of the cabin and heads a little deeper into the woods. There are plenty of loose twigs around and he's seen using his cloak to gather them up.

[mandragoraspiritus]

With an easy spirit, REgis sets about looking aorund teh cabin, puttinmg teh bedding out to air before he goes to check on the wood stores. He's pleased to see that there is more than enough for their needs, and there are dry logs in the back for them to cut up before they leave. All in all, he hopes they will have a pleasant stay.

What neither of them knows, is that something else is prowling the woods today, something that has caught Mal's scent.

[fadingworld]

Mal has no real sense of danger. He's only heard the stories of other things out there in the woods. It is only when the noises die away that Mal looks up puzzled.


It comes from behind. Mal turns at the rustling leaves and in his words looks into a face of death. Backing away a step, he does the only practical thing, he screams Regis' name. Another step. Mal's heart beats wildly.

He turns to run. It's on him, faster than he could have thought possible. One swipe lifts him off his head and hurls him into a trunk of a tree with a sickening thud.

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis was carrying in a last armful of wood into the cabin when Mal's scream reaches him. He drops the wood and even before the logs have thumped to the ground he's flying, flowing as smoke through the trees. Even without a nose he smells the heavy animal stink as he drawn nearer. And, blood. He smells blood.

Then he sees it, a big, hulking form like an unholy crossing between a bear and a ram, snarling as it draws nearer a crumpled shape on the ground. Mal. Oh no, Mal!

Fear fuels rage. When Regis retakes solid form again, placing himself between Mal and the beast, he is ready to fight, in a shape that Mal has only seen just vaguely, just seen those foot-long claws of. In this Regis is much more bestial, with his mouth full of long, sharp teeth, his nose flattened in like a bat's snout, his ears long and pointed. He stands there, hunched and ready to spring forth, snarling. Many beasts would back away from an enraged higher vampire. But this one? This one doesn't.

[fadingworld]

Mal's head is spinning as he recovers from the stun. Pain floods through his body and only years of training to withstand pain keeps him from crying out.

He blinks his eyes into focus to crawl backwards into some sort of hopeful safety. For a second he thinks he is in even more trouble, seeing two monsters. Then he recognises the claws and clothes.

Regis.


Mal breathes a sigh of relief and drags himself backwards a little. The looks do not disturb him, they are associated with warmth and safety.


He is so very lucky that Regis came.

[mandragoraspiritus]

It seems like a dumb thing to do, to charge straight ahead at a hulking beast like this. Still, Regis does have a plan when he does so. When the expected swipe of a claw comes it passes through a cloud of smoke. It flows around the beast in the blink fo an eye, taking shape again where Regis can slash his claws at an exposed flank before the monster can turn. It happens again and again, vanishing into smoke only to materialize and attack.

It is a good tactic. But, this is a chort. Its hide is thick and though Regis is certainly drawing blood it isn't a monster quick to go down. It is also full of rage and for its great size it is incredibly fast. It takes just one miscalculation on Regis' part and the beast has him, the long, sharp claws of one massive paw slashing across his body, tearing skin as well as clothes. The next paw slams into him and sends him flying, much like it had Mal earlier. Branches crack under the force until he's finally on the ground again, gasping, clutching a hand to his belly where blood runs freely.

[fadingworld]

Regis told him that only another Higher Vampire could kill him. It was one thing to be told it and quite another to see him bleeding in front of him. The monster was advancing and he couldn't stop himself, "Regis!"

What he could do against the monster nothing. But perhaps with that enraged focus on him, he could give Regis a chance to breathe, or get out of there.

[mandragoraspiritus]

"No!" Despite the anguished roar from the vampire, the chort does turn towards Mal, snarling and lowering its massive, horned head, looking much like a bull about to charge. There is no way Mal would be able to survive a full assault lie that, there simply isn't.

Regis forces himself up. The wounds are already healing but they do hurt. It is true, that only another higher vampire could kill him, but if the chort does enough damage quick enough - which it's certainly able to do - the Regis could still very much be rendered into a state it would take him a long time to regenerate from. A very long time. Too long, far too long to save Mal.

As before fear fuels rage, a bestial, animal rage. Regis' groan of pain turns into a snarl that blessedly stops the chort from charging at Mal. The change comes quickly but it still feels like an eternity, where bones crack and reform, muscles grow and warp, clothes split and rip at the seams to reveal skin darkening and becoming covered in coarse fur. Soon there's no sign of the friendly barber-surgeon. In his place stands a monstrous bat, nearly as large as the chort.

[fadingworld]

Mal feels a strange sense of peace in the seconds he stares death down. His head turns with the beast's as the roar takes on a different quality. His jaw drops as he watches the bat form emerge. It's...stunning.

It should have been terrifying but Mal sees it as Regis' greatest form of protection of him. "Beautiful," he says softy, hoping Regis will catch it and understand it.

[mandragoraspiritus]

If he hears it he doesn't show it. There's nothing but animal rage as he stares the chort down. Then.. IT'¨s not a roar. It's a shriek, deafening even to human earns but in such a high pitch that Mal couldn't ever hear the full range of it. The chort, however, can. It recoils, stumbling backwards, grinding its head down against the ground as if it could grind the noise away.

The bat lunges. There's no room in the woods to fly, but it doesn't need to. It's on the chort in no more than a second. What follows is a bloodbath. It tears into the beast, piercing that thick hide with both claws and fangs, tearing and ripping, never once letting go, never letting up in its savagery. Even after the chort has fallen, dead, does it keep on tearing it apart, soaked in its blood.

Until finally it looks up, vicious blood red eyes fixing on Mal.

[fadingworld]

It is savage. Mal's heart stops beating once or twice. It's Regis, he reminds himself, it's Regis. He wonders if Regis is thinking though at the minute.


He gulps and pulls himself up a little holding his hand out palm upwards. His voice is soothing, "Hi. Thank you for saving my life."

[mandragoraspiritus]

There's a low rumble from the bat, its eyes tracking Mal's movements from where it stands hunched over the carcass of the chort, supporting itself with the knuckles of its massive wings. The gore is all around it, clinging to it; rips and pieces of flesh stuck in both teeth and claws.

[fadingworld]

"You need to clean up a little," Mal says softly. "You've got ….it on your teeth and claws." With an effort, he pushes himself to his feet, keeping a hand over his wound, he walks towards the bat. The ground isn't completely steady but that is okay.

"Do you mind if I help you clean up a little to say thank you?" Is it shock that makes him so calm? Or complete faith in Regis. He thinks and hopes it is the latter.

[mandragoraspiritus]

The bat stands still as Mal approaches, like a predator standing guard over its prey, observing a mouse coming closer. Then it sniffs the air, lowering its great, shaggy head, seeming to zero in on the wound Mal is covering with his hand. For a moment a long, red tongue laps out to lick over that flat snout. In anticipation?

Then it suddenly rears up, throwing itself backwards, away from Mal. Stumbling over the carcass it falls and clumsily crawls away. As it does it shrinks, its shape warping and twisting in an obscene rewind of the first transformation, until Regis is there again, if as a crumpled and heaving shape on the forest floor, gasping for breath, naked and covered head to toe in blood and gore.

[fadingworld]

Mal's heart hammers as he comes unsteadily over to Regis and kneels down beside him. It is definitely easier to see him in his human form.

With his non bloody hand he reaches out and cups Regis' cheek. "Thank you," he says, "For saving my life. You may," there is a shaky laugh, "need a bath."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Please..." It's a hoarse croak that comes from him as he takes Mal's wrist in his hand and gently draws it away from himself. He's trembling. "Give me a moment." Even through the stink of the chort, of its clawed-out and ruptured innards, he can smell Mal's blood, the sweet lure of it. It floods his mouth with saliva and makes his teeth ache.

But this should not be about him, it is not about him. He can smell Mal's blood because he is injured. He must control himself.

"Are you badly hurt?"