Ugh. Bangaa Fang at once went straight for your head and your breeches, and you could only relieve one. Pallanza staggered his legs slightly with an irritated hiss and flick of his short tail, trying to focus on the hedge swimming beneath his bleary eyes.
"Kupo! Hold your fire!!!"
The monk jumped and nearly stumbled on the bunched panther hide at his knees, baring many impressive fangs as the hiss rose to a snarl. His now-unoccupied fists tightened threateningly.
"Moogle! You almossst made me sssoak myssself!"
Crozet was struggling his own trousers back as he flapped up, bonbon bobbing wildly as he nodded forward. "There's a BODY, kupopo!"
The Bangaa's smoldering amber eyes blinked cool at the frantic chirping. He crouched to Mog height, ignoring his protesting head to peer past full white flowers and rain-heavy leaves. Another low hiss slid from his throat, and he sobered instantly. A human sprawled tangled among the branches, pale as a mushroom, striped with moon-shadows and dark blood.
Pallanza grunted, wading into the thick foliage. A male....he looked a stripling to the massive monk, but always so hard to tell with humans. Not important....he knew what mattered. "He'sss not a body....yet."
"Kupo....so much blood...." Crozet winced as he flittered over his companion's broad shoulder.
"And nothing but a ssstick to the ssstomach. Poor bassstard'sss been sssquassshed by a ssspell."
"Kupo! Darios!!!"
The little gunner shot off much like one of his own bullets, calling out again.
Pallanza circled his solid arms about the savaged scaleless and lifted him slowly, shaking his head. The Moogle never does ask the right questions. Why was he squashed....and what it might be worth to them.
Ian heard voices up above him and felt himself being lifted. He had no idea what was being said, but he didn't care. He knew that he must have finally come to the end, and that he would see his Creator face-to-face. As his eyes opened to view the deity, they remained half-lidded, broken from pain, tears, and fatigue. Still, he blinked upon seeing the scaled face. A Bangaa. ...so, either he survived... ...or... "...God is a Bangaa?"
Pallanza glanced down in surprise at the faint rasp. "No." He grinned, fangs gleaming slickly against the burnished bronze scales. "Thisss Bangaa isss a god."
His powerful clawhand slid to the back of Ian's neck, snugging him protectively at his chest. The heavens were still spitting down at them, and the human was soaked enough with his own juices.
"Ressst up, ssshortearsss. You can ssspeak all you want after our healer doesss hisss work."
"Riii...ugh." he went out again. This was a hell of thing to wake up to. Near-death and carried by a Bangaa white monk. Life was tolerable.
Darios was already hurrying through the puddled field to meet him, Crozet flickering about him like the windswept rain. Marlette was alongside them, arms loaded with their blankets. Pallanza did not bother to speak, kneeling down to the white mage's gentle outstretched hands as they reached for the unconscious stranger.
Crozet asked all the wrong questions....Darios did not ask questions at all.
* * *
The sun finally protrouded from the clouds by the time day broke. The ground was still wet with dew as well as the previous night's rainfall. However, all that mattered to Ian was getting himself to awaken, to open his eyes, for the first time in what seemed like years. He felt the slight heat radiating from the new sun dashing onto his face. He knew he was awake, conscious. All that was left to do was open his eyes, which he struggled to do for a moment, but slowly managed to do so.
A gentle, silver-furred face smiled down at him with relief this time, and an equally soft paw squeezed his hand.
"He's awake." Darios announced.
"Good!" A female voice, followed soon by a dark, delicate face half-hidden under a scarlet hatbrim, now. "Now YOU can sleep!"
Ian peered at the Nu Mou. A white mage, he assumed. As if the robes weren't any indication. Slowly, his hazel orbs traversed over to the female. Almost immediately, he noted the ears and the scarlet outfit she wore. A Viera Red Mage. As he gazed upon them, he noticed something was missing. The pain. The pain he had felt for what seemed to be an eternity was gone. He was still a bit sore, and understandably so. Still, he felt a hell of a lot better than he did. "...hi." he offered weakly.
"Kupo! Hold your fire!!!"
The monk jumped and nearly stumbled on the bunched panther hide at his knees, baring many impressive fangs as the hiss rose to a snarl. His now-unoccupied fists tightened threateningly.
"Moogle! You almossst made me sssoak myssself!"
Crozet was struggling his own trousers back as he flapped up, bonbon bobbing wildly as he nodded forward. "There's a BODY, kupopo!"
The Bangaa's smoldering amber eyes blinked cool at the frantic chirping. He crouched to Mog height, ignoring his protesting head to peer past full white flowers and rain-heavy leaves. Another low hiss slid from his throat, and he sobered instantly. A human sprawled tangled among the branches, pale as a mushroom, striped with moon-shadows and dark blood.
Pallanza grunted, wading into the thick foliage. A male....he looked a stripling to the massive monk, but always so hard to tell with humans. Not important....he knew what mattered. "He'sss not a body....yet."
"Kupo....so much blood...." Crozet winced as he flittered over his companion's broad shoulder.
"And nothing but a ssstick to the ssstomach. Poor bassstard'sss been sssquassshed by a ssspell."
"Kupo! Darios!!!"
The little gunner shot off much like one of his own bullets, calling out again.
Pallanza circled his solid arms about the savaged scaleless and lifted him slowly, shaking his head. The Moogle never does ask the right questions. Why was he squashed....and what it might be worth to them.
Ian heard voices up above him and felt himself being lifted. He had no idea what was being said, but he didn't care. He knew that he must have finally come to the end, and that he would see his Creator face-to-face. As his eyes opened to view the deity, they remained half-lidded, broken from pain, tears, and fatigue. Still, he blinked upon seeing the scaled face. A Bangaa. ...so, either he survived... ...or... "...God is a Bangaa?"
Pallanza glanced down in surprise at the faint rasp. "No." He grinned, fangs gleaming slickly against the burnished bronze scales. "Thisss Bangaa isss a god."
His powerful clawhand slid to the back of Ian's neck, snugging him protectively at his chest. The heavens were still spitting down at them, and the human was soaked enough with his own juices.
"Ressst up, ssshortearsss. You can ssspeak all you want after our healer doesss hisss work."
"Riii...ugh." he went out again. This was a hell of thing to wake up to. Near-death and carried by a Bangaa white monk. Life was tolerable.
Darios was already hurrying through the puddled field to meet him, Crozet flickering about him like the windswept rain. Marlette was alongside them, arms loaded with their blankets. Pallanza did not bother to speak, kneeling down to the white mage's gentle outstretched hands as they reached for the unconscious stranger.
Crozet asked all the wrong questions....Darios did not ask questions at all.
* * *
The sun finally protrouded from the clouds by the time day broke. The ground was still wet with dew as well as the previous night's rainfall. However, all that mattered to Ian was getting himself to awaken, to open his eyes, for the first time in what seemed like years. He felt the slight heat radiating from the new sun dashing onto his face. He knew he was awake, conscious. All that was left to do was open his eyes, which he struggled to do for a moment, but slowly managed to do so.
A gentle, silver-furred face smiled down at him with relief this time, and an equally soft paw squeezed his hand.
"He's awake." Darios announced.
"Good!" A female voice, followed soon by a dark, delicate face half-hidden under a scarlet hatbrim, now. "Now YOU can sleep!"
Ian peered at the Nu Mou. A white mage, he assumed. As if the robes weren't any indication. Slowly, his hazel orbs traversed over to the female. Almost immediately, he noted the ears and the scarlet outfit she wore. A Viera Red Mage. As he gazed upon them, he noticed something was missing. The pain. The pain he had felt for what seemed to be an eternity was gone. He was still a bit sore, and understandably so. Still, he felt a hell of a lot better than he did. "...hi." he offered weakly.