Chapter Thirty Five : Shik
The scent of blood was heady in the cool night air, clinging aggressively to the sensitive nostrils of the dragoness. Her world was bathed in a deep delicious red, causing her chest to rumble with satisfaction and her leathery tongue to sweep across her long-serrated teeth. The blood of the wolves clung to her scales and splattered across her muzzle, and she looked every bit the dangerous predator she was. She sighed heavily to clear her mind and shook out her short mane of bristling hair causing tiny flecks of blood to decorate the already saturated ground. She moved one massive clawed paw towards her prince and lowered her head, studying the extent of his injuries. He was bleeding profusely that much was certain the perfume of his blood clashing with the dead wolves. It was somewhat sweet to her senses and she felt her pupils dilate at the proximity to his blood. She sat back on her haunches and shook her head vigorously, snorting and growling at herself under her breath, she was not the monster the humans made her out to be and she would not succumb to her dark draconian desires.
"Dagonett" she rumbled sweeping her head to look back at the lieutenant. He was also injured that much she could tell by the way he was holding himself upright, a haunch to the shoulders and a visible wince as he turned to greet her.
"Yes m'lady" he grimaced, his green eyes squinting in pain as he took in her draconian appearance. She was bathed in blood, dark patches clung to her already darkened scales making her look almost demonic, her enormous wings tucked awkwardly at her side as she sat some feet away from Jarvan like some oversized dog watching their master. Her bright purple eyes dilating and retracting as the fading firelight danced between them. She looked tired a slight tremble to her massive body, her head downturned as she breathed deeply, he wasn't sure, but he would imagine the scent of blood would be almost overwhelming to her heightened senses as a predator. He could smell it himself, a metallic tang to the air, that coated the inside of his mouth. The dragoness motioned towards the prince with a flick of her head.
"Please see to his wounds while I secure the area" she said standing on her four legs, the shuddering of muscles more apparent as she moved towards the trees her long slender tail, sweeping across the ground creating a grove in the blood-soaked earth.
"What's wrong wit miss Shyvana" Garrett coughed stumbling up to the lieutenant, holding his shoulder as he moved, a gangly way to his movements as he tried pulling his bow with his injured hand. Dagonett looked over his shoulder at his companion and felt a familiar frown pull his lips downward. Garrett looked awful blood caked his pale blood hair and ran down the side of his face, one pauldron was missing from his right shoulder and the flesh was torn and shredded from the jaws of the wolves who attacked them.
"shes checking the forest for wolves Garrett" he mumbled watching the dark creature move through the trees oddly silent for someone so large. Her dark silhouette floating across the forest floor.
Garrett was confused, he looked around and counted the dead wolves, it numbered about ten a fairly large pack, most had been killed by themselves but the few that were left that the dragoness got a hold of were positively ripped apart, she showed no mercy for the beasts and she cleaved them. He scratched at his matted hair and shrugged wincing "Uhh, did she not kill them all already".
Dagonett snorted and looked down at the ground, the dark soil darker still with blood and sighed moving towards Jarvan. "She did lad, she did". He knelt beside his captain and winced at the sight of his torn and mangled lower leg.
"You alright Cap" he inquired giving his shoulder a small shake, sitting back In a crouch as Jarvans bloodshot eyes flew open, he was dazed from the blood loss and he had several long lacerations across his face and chest.
Jarvan groaned as a reply, his body felt as though he was put threw a butcher's block, all his muscles screamed in protest as he sat himself further upright digging his palms into the wet earth to move up the tree. He tried focusing but his head was pounding, and his hearing was going in and out "huh"
Dagonett frowned again moving his hand towards his comrades injured leg and flipping a wet flap of what he hoped was material from trousers out of the wound. It was bad and he felt dread pool in his stomach that if they didn't receive medical attention immediately Jarvan would likely lose his lower leg. The bone was protruding, and the flesh was mangled and filthy with debris. He looked his captain in the eyes catching his attention for a brief second.
"Listen to me lad, your leg is badly broken and yer a right mess, im going to have to set it Garrett here is going to hold you down while I do, understand"
Jarvan blinked heavily, he felt so tired he just wanted to sleep but his mind keep whispering she was here and he needed to find her. He barely understood what Dagonett was saying, deciding a nod would be enough to get some peace and quiet. He was rudely mistaken as a heavy set of hands pushed down firmly on his shoulders pining him against the tree, the bark digging into his sensitive flesh and a burning like fire itself was being poured upon his leg. The snap echoed through the forest followed by his bellowing and thrashing as he tried to free himself from his captors.
Shyvana heard his screams after slinking away from the blood-soaked camp. Her long powerful body quivering with exhaustion as she finally succumbed to the transformation, slipping back into her human skin. Her muscles screamed in protest as she stood on two legs. She was on a mission she had to find it for her friends they all needed it now or they would fall to festering infections. She learned in all her long time alive that one must never tread lightly when bitten by a predator, the forest was unforgiving in nature and all would fall victim to her deadly diseases if given the chance. Finally, her keen eyesight sought her bounty and she quickly dug up as much as possible and raced towards the camp.
She could see the men struggling with her prince, even when death was closing in around him he was a powerful man and she felt pride surge in her chest to replace the fear that was threatening to drown her earlier. He would not die easily of this she was certain and she chewed the roots carefully as she approached spitting a small amount into her scrubbed palm, the skin slightly pink from washing so vigourously to rid herself of blood.
"Move" she commanded, and all eyes shot towards her widening for a brief moment at her unabashed nudity in front of them. Their cheeks turning pink and gazes instantly lowering
"Uh M'lady…..yer naked" Garrett whispered his face burning at the imagine of her body flashed in his mind. He was sure if his captain was well his face would be sporting a fresh bruise and a busted lip.
The dragoness snorted and rolled her eyes kneeling beside them and ushering them away. Of course, the first thing they would notice is her lack of clothing not that fact that they were all injured and bleeding to death worst of all their captain. "I don't transform with clothing you idiots, now go"
Dagonett cleared his throat uncomfortable with the dragoness looking after the prince with the amount of blood still oozing from his wounds. One glanced from the dragoness cleared his conscience "I would never harm him, or any of you, now please give me space, and Dag go find me something to bind and stitch his wounds"
Dagonett stood ungracefully pain flaring along his side and across his back, as he was reminded that he was indeed injured as well, a slow trickling of blood wetting his tunic and slipping through the cracks of his armor. He nodded at the dragoness and turned towards the saddlebags to rummage through their supplies to find the health potions and the medical kit. He prayed there was enough supplies or rest their souls they would forever shame their nation.
"Garrett" the dragoness sighed as she looked into the eyes of the ranger who was holding down the prince who thrashing stopped and he slumped forward.
The ranger cocked his head to the side "Yes'um?"
"Please go tend to the fire, it needs to be blazing can you do that for me" she asked her keen eyes sweeping towards the pathetic fire that crackled in the middle of the camp, only embers could be it tried to cling to life. He nodded and moved away, and she was glad for the space where she could speak to the prince alone. Hart had already moved away from her towards Connors who was silent still and she felt worry claw its way into her heart for her companion. He turned her head towards her prince and moved to his side, her free palm pressing into his cheek, he leaned into her touch and a small smile graced her face.
"Jarvan, please open your eyes"
The prince was in pain, and so very tired he wanted nothing more than quiet, but the constant throbbing from his leg was reminding him that he was indeed very much alive, the setting of his bone cleared the fog from his mind, and he nuzzled into the warm palm of the dragoness glad she was back. He peeled his eyes open, the lids heavy and burning his blue eyes bloodshot as he peered at her ethereal face. He eyes were bright and focused as she scanned his body for injuries frowning as she looked at his blood-soaked body.
She was not pleased with his injuries and causticized herself for failing her companions so. She should have never left them, and they wouldn't be hurt, her prince would be healthy, and she would be able to sleep at night with that knowledge. She knew he was in pain, the grimace on his face and the depth of emotions he tried to keep hidden in his eyes gave him away. "Please be still, this might burn a bit, but the pain will lessen I promise" he nodded his eyes never wavering from hers. She mumbled under her breath and felt her palm heat as draconian energy flowed through her veins hot and powerful, it began to glow softly as she gently pressed it into the mangled flesh of his leg and she chanted the ancient words of her heritage as the flesh knitted together and the smell of burned meat clung in the surrounding air.
Jarvan wanted to scream it was more than he could bear the pain of his wound causing black spots to dot his vision as she continued to hiss under her breath the words foreign and guttural to his ears. He could faintly hear the others rushing towards them when he thought he was going to black out. Suddenly it was gone, and the constant throbbing pain that was drowning him was a dull ache and he sighed heavily starting at the dragoness. Finally realizing she was very much naked in front of him, he felt his cheeks heat and then anger overtake him that his men were around to see her.
"Move away" he hissed as his blue eyes flashed towards his comrades in anger. They had no right to look at her this way, she was not some piece of meat and the anger flames of jealousy lit his belly.
Dagonett held up his hands in surrender glad some kind of spark flashed in his friends eyes again, even if it was anger and something else entirely "Here Shy, it's the medical bag and some furs and sticks" he said lowering beside her as she panted her long hair billowing around her like a silken curtain. He quickly spun around and motioned everyone to follow him.
"Here boys, half a health pot each its all we have left, strip off yer armor and get to work cleaning yer wounds out by the stream there while the dragoness cleans up cap" he said tossing a couple bright red vials at his friends. Gripping his vial tightly he pulled off the cork and took a few tentative sips, the sweet liquid coating his tongue and mouth as he swallowed it down, shuddering as the unfamiliar tingling sensation washed over his body as he flesh mended leaving smaller cuts and lacerations instead of deep rips of flesh.
Shyvana could smell the unfamiliar scent of the potions the men were passing around, a slight ozone smell and the sweetness of summer berries, the sucking and popping sound of flesh mending sent a shudder down her spine. It was all rather repulsive as she thought about it, however also magical and wonderous in its own right, much like her own draconian magic. She turned her attention back towards the prince who was blushing furiously at her, and she smirked rolling her eyes "Relax, Jarvan its not like you haven't seen me after a transformation before" he went to answer and she placed a finger across his warm lips "Please let me tend to these wounds before infection sets in" he gulped and nodded settling on closing his eyes to distract himself from her presence. The dragoness got to work gently cleaning the wounds of his face and rubbing a pungent gritty substance into his cuts. It burned at first then turned to a pleasant numbness as it dried on his skin.
"What is that" he mumbled as he gingerly moved his hand towards a gash on his forehead, wincing as pain shot up his arm. His fingertips brushing against something wet and mud like.
The dragoness swatted his hand away, and mumbled to herself "Don't touch it, its Valerian root mixture" its to stop the infection and help ease the pain.
He grunted he had never heard of such a plant before "What is it mixed with water?" he asked curiously
She snorted and rolled her eyes although he wasn't watching her as she cleaned several more wounds on his chest and back smearing the mixture over his skin satisfied it would heal nicely "Its mixed with Dragon saliva, not water, I chewed it before applying it to your skin. My saliva has several healing properties if you must know, although Valerian root has a rather unpleasant flavor"
Jarvan opened one eye and stared at her face trying not to crack a smile as she worked her face totally focused and clearly not seeing anything strange about rubbing her spit into his cuts. "So you basically spit on me" he chuckled unable to help himself.
She glared at him as she moved towards his leg and removed the needle and began to stitch his wounds together not as gently as she could have. "Hardly, think of it like licking if you must" she added a mischievous smile on her face. He was about to say something when Hart rushed toward them a grim look on his face, his dark almost black eyes looked sullen and sad.
"Its Connors"