"Aagh, are - are you all right?" she gasped, holding her stomach painfully.
Tottering towards the twitching Phoenix, she gave another cough. The crude
movements she made caused a bubble of blood to burst at her shoulder, and
she applied pressure to it, coughing still. She couldn't use her wand; it
had been lost in the mad flight away from there. With her free hand, she
shook the Phoenix gently, lip trembling.
Sythe didn't respond, causing her to take in a shaky breath. Eyes clenched shut; her fingers gripped the blood-covered shaft of the arrow. With one swift jerking motion, the steel arrowhead was ripped free from her flesh. Blood pooled, and then spilled over, staining the ivory blouse. In a frenzied sort of movement, Haruka scuttled over towards Sythe. One hand encircling the arrow, the other placed against his stomach, she sucked in a breath. Closing her eyes, she wrenched it free. The Phoenix gave a cry of anguish, thrashing against her hand. In an attempt to comfort Sythe, she gathered him against her chest, his blood staining the front of her blouse.
She could feel the bird slowly lift his head. Placing it against her chest, the Phoenix gave a soft cry. Haruka blanched. Another arrow had been lodged into her chest. The shaft had snapped off in her tousle, which would explain why she didn't notice. Tears filled the Phoenix's eyes, spilling over and dripping into her wound. She sucked in a sharp breath as the skin began to heal, the arrowhead forced out. She gave a cry of pain, clenching her eyes shut as it finally fell free. Skin closed over and the blood stopped.
"Don't die," she moaned, rocking back and forth. She was panting slightly, still cradling the small bird to her chest. "You can't die." She buried her face in the breast feathers of the Phoenix, feeling the unfamiliar prick of tears against the back of her eyes. What made her lift her head, she'll never know, but lift her head she did. Sythe had gone deathly still, though. It wasn't Sythe at all. At least. Not the Sythe she had thought she had known.
His body had been stretched out into a human form, the feathers quickly melting from his body. It still was a male; that much she could tell. The amber-colored beak soon faded away into a nose, the mask of feathers being molted as his face came into view. She drew a gasp.
Sythe. Of course. Humans. Plural. How stupid could she have been? An animagus.. She was so naïve. Sythe had a strong jaw-line and a straight nose. His complexion matched hers, though a shade darker at the most. His eyes were closed at the moment, but she knew that if they were to be opened, they'd have the same hazel hue as the Phoenix had. She felt herself begin to tremble as she continued to cradle his head in her arms. Fingers gently brushed through pearl-colored locks.
"Sythe," she whispered, voice wavering. Blood caked the stomach of his clothes. Apparently, when he morphed, he still bore the same wounds as he had in his animal form. "Sythe," she repeated voice clearer and steadier. She felt him stir, and her heart soar. She swallowed nervously as she continued to murmur his name.
Sythe gave a moan, eyes fluttering open. A wince made its way across his face as a hand clasped his wounded stomach. Hazel-eyed gaze was soon directed towards Haruka. She was pale and shaking, worry and concern apparent on her face.
"Haruka," he began, his voice husky with pain.
Haruka let out a strangled sob. Or a sound that could've been mistaken for one. Head was buried in his chest, arms wrapping around his neck tightly. "You... Saved me. And I thought you had left me. But really. And now-"
She was cut off as Sythe lifted his head, gently pressing his lips against hers in a sweet, lingering kiss.
Sythe didn't respond, causing her to take in a shaky breath. Eyes clenched shut; her fingers gripped the blood-covered shaft of the arrow. With one swift jerking motion, the steel arrowhead was ripped free from her flesh. Blood pooled, and then spilled over, staining the ivory blouse. In a frenzied sort of movement, Haruka scuttled over towards Sythe. One hand encircling the arrow, the other placed against his stomach, she sucked in a breath. Closing her eyes, she wrenched it free. The Phoenix gave a cry of anguish, thrashing against her hand. In an attempt to comfort Sythe, she gathered him against her chest, his blood staining the front of her blouse.
She could feel the bird slowly lift his head. Placing it against her chest, the Phoenix gave a soft cry. Haruka blanched. Another arrow had been lodged into her chest. The shaft had snapped off in her tousle, which would explain why she didn't notice. Tears filled the Phoenix's eyes, spilling over and dripping into her wound. She sucked in a sharp breath as the skin began to heal, the arrowhead forced out. She gave a cry of pain, clenching her eyes shut as it finally fell free. Skin closed over and the blood stopped.
"Don't die," she moaned, rocking back and forth. She was panting slightly, still cradling the small bird to her chest. "You can't die." She buried her face in the breast feathers of the Phoenix, feeling the unfamiliar prick of tears against the back of her eyes. What made her lift her head, she'll never know, but lift her head she did. Sythe had gone deathly still, though. It wasn't Sythe at all. At least. Not the Sythe she had thought she had known.
His body had been stretched out into a human form, the feathers quickly melting from his body. It still was a male; that much she could tell. The amber-colored beak soon faded away into a nose, the mask of feathers being molted as his face came into view. She drew a gasp.
Sythe. Of course. Humans. Plural. How stupid could she have been? An animagus.. She was so naïve. Sythe had a strong jaw-line and a straight nose. His complexion matched hers, though a shade darker at the most. His eyes were closed at the moment, but she knew that if they were to be opened, they'd have the same hazel hue as the Phoenix had. She felt herself begin to tremble as she continued to cradle his head in her arms. Fingers gently brushed through pearl-colored locks.
"Sythe," she whispered, voice wavering. Blood caked the stomach of his clothes. Apparently, when he morphed, he still bore the same wounds as he had in his animal form. "Sythe," she repeated voice clearer and steadier. She felt him stir, and her heart soar. She swallowed nervously as she continued to murmur his name.
Sythe gave a moan, eyes fluttering open. A wince made its way across his face as a hand clasped his wounded stomach. Hazel-eyed gaze was soon directed towards Haruka. She was pale and shaking, worry and concern apparent on her face.
"Haruka," he began, his voice husky with pain.
Haruka let out a strangled sob. Or a sound that could've been mistaken for one. Head was buried in his chest, arms wrapping around his neck tightly. "You... Saved me. And I thought you had left me. But really. And now-"
She was cut off as Sythe lifted his head, gently pressing his lips against hers in a sweet, lingering kiss.
