"Mythene! Stop!" Caserion was shouting, "You mustn't kill him!"
Zami managed to hear it over the ringing in his ears and his own heavy breathing. He felt like every breath he took was empty, with the air just escaping back out of the hole in his chest. He groaned and shivered slightly as he glanced down at it, gritting his teeth.
Zami had known a lot of injuries throughout his life. Little ones, big ones. But he knew he'd only felt an injury like this once. One that was both hot and cold.
Shutting his eye tightly, he was overwhelmed with a sense of helpless dismay. He knew there was nothing he could do. Last time, he'd only managed to get out of it due to making that deal with Bwonsamdi. And he knew that wouldn't work a second time.
Suddenly he heard the sound of the front door opening. He cracked open his eye, chest still heaving, and saw Jazax in the doorway.
"What the heck is goin' on here?!" He said as he looked around the room.
"Daras was just leaving," Caserion grunted, squeezing tightly onto the panther in his arms as it struggled fiercely against his hold.
Daras held his hand over his bleeding arm and looked up solemnly.
"But I-"
"Daras! Leave!" Caserion barked, his grip on the panther beginning to slip.
The night elf hesitantly moved away from Zami, glancing nervously between the glaring troll and the gnashing panther as he passed. Jazax perked an eyebrow and stepped out of his way, letting Daras scurry out the front door.
Zami coughed as he felt blood begin to pool in his lungs, accidentally spitting some of it out of his mouth. He groaned again, sinking down to the floor, closing his eye once more.
A moment later, he heard a scuffling as Jazax hurried over and knelt in front of him.
"Uh, h-hey, buddy," He began nervously, "You, uh, you okay there?"
Zami looked up at him and tried to respond but just coughed up more blood.
"Hoo boy," Jazax grimaced, wiping some of the blood from his face with his sleeve, "That ain't good…"
The panther in Caserion's arms had stilled and a moment later, shifted back into a night elf. Mythene hastily shoved her father's arms away, running over to Zami's side and crouching down. Her lavender hand held out hesitantly, fingers trembling, as her glowing eyes looked over his body.
"Z-Zami…" She mumbled, voice shaky.
Zami turned his head towards her slightly, his whole body beginning to feel very heavy. Wouldn't be long now, he figured. He cleared his throat several times, trying to say something.
"D-Don't say anything," She said quickly, shaking her head, "J-Just let me heal you."
Mythene took an unsteady breath and put her hands on his bloody chest. Jazax went to say something but just frowned as she closed her eyes and bowed her head. Zami watched her hands glow and then fade, but the wound still didn't heal. Blood continued to pool below him. When Mythene opened her eyes, she furrowed her brow.
"Um, let me… let me try again," She mumbled, bowing her head once more.
Again, her hands lit up and faded. But the wound got no better. She opened her eyes again and sighed in frustration.
"Wh-Why isn't it working?!"
"The arrow," Jazax mumbled, pointing to the arrow sticking out of Zami's chest, "The wound won't heal til that thing is removed."
Mythene scrunched up her brow, looking increasingly distraught.
"B-But if I remove the arrow, his heart will collapse, and he wouldn't survive long enough for me to heal that."
Jazax clenched his jaw uncomfortably, giving a tacit nod of agreement. In the background, Caserion furrowed his brow, watching the scene with a hand over his mouth from where he leaned against the kitchen table.
"Yeah," Jazax finally responded, "And he'll die if we leave the arrow in, too."
Caserion tapped his fingers against his white beard, and Zami noticed a thoughtful glint in his eye. Despite the fact that his vision was starting to blur.
"B-But there must be something I can do…" Mythene muttered, her expression echoing the helplessness that Zami felt.
Jazax furrowed his brow, looking down in thought for a moment.
"Well… maybe…" He mumbled, putting a hand on his chin, "I mean, that MIGHT work, but…?"
"What?" Mythene looked over at him, "What is it?"
"Well, one of us would have to remove the arrow while someone else heals him right away. But then we still need someone to heal the arrow wound itself…"
Mythene furrowed her brow, looking down in thought for a moment.
"Maybe I could run to the Temple of the Moon and get Desana?" She suggested, before shaking her head, "No, no time…"
"Uh, well, maybe he could heal himself?" Jazax suggested, earning him a scowl from Mythene.
"He can barely move, how could he possibly-"
"I'll do it," Caserion said, leaning away from the table.
Mythene looked up to him in surprise, her eyes wide as he approached.
"A-An'da?" She blinked up at him, watching him roll up his sleeves.
"I am a Druid of the Branch," Caserion said firmly, "My own feelings cannot interfere with my duties to the Cenarion Circle."
"An'da…" Mythene whispered, a small smile forming on her lips.
Caserion's expression softened slightly as he knelt down on Zami's other side.
"What shall I do?" Caserion asked, looking between Mythene and Jazax.
"You're probably the most experienced healer of the three of us, right?" Jazax looked over at him, "You'd be the best at removing the arrow safely, then."
"Understood," Caserion nodded.
"I'll heal that once you're done," Jazax nodded, glancing at Mythene, "Which leaves you to take care of…"
"His heart," Mythene nodded back.
Zami would've snorted if he were able. Leave it to Jazax to tease him, even now.
"A'right, everybody in position?" Jazax looked between the group of healers.
Six hands pressed down against his chest and Zami winced from the contact. He couldn't feel much else. The rest of his body was numb, heavy dead weight. Emphasis on dead.
"Whenever you're ready, daddy-o," Jazax nodded to Caserion.
Caserion nodded, and grasped a hold of the arrow. Zami hissed from the pain.
"Hang on, thero'shan," Mythene whispered to him.
Caserion slowly began to tug the shaft of the arrow, and Zami groaned in pain. Which, of course, led to a coughing fit. With each cough, more blood leaked out. The six hands on his chest pressed down, holding him in place.
Caserion pulled at the arrow, a bit more decisively this time. The wound squelched as the arrow slid out, blood frothing at the wound. Once the arrow was free and clear, Jazax pressed down his hands quickly. The wound shrank as he muttered a prayer to the Light under his breath, but Zami felt a deeper, lower pain rise. Like Zeni was hugging its thorns into his heart.
Once his prayer was done, Jazax hurriedly moved his hands out of the way. Then it was Mythene's turn to lean forward. She pressed down against Zami's chest, scowling at it in determination.
"Please, please, please…" She whispered as she furrowed her brow, her hands beginning to glow.
Zami shut his eye from the pain, clenching his jaw. He was feeling too dizzy to keep his eye open, anyway. As the pain in his chest only grew, Zami faintly heard the sound of laughter. A shiver of fear went down his spine, which was quickly replaced by angry determination.
Despite the stabbing pain of movement, his hand rose up to grasp at his chest. His hand slammed over Mythene's, pushing her deeper. The pain from the forceful contact was unspeakable, but it seemed to do the trick, because then the pain began to fade.
When it was finally reduced from agonizing to merely painful, he dared to open his eye. He looked for Mythene's eyes, but they were locked on his chest. He glanced down as well, to see her healing. And, to his surprise, her hand wasn't the only one that was glowing.
