Well, came the sarcastic drawl, Save me from needing to heal you later.
She hissed a little with distaste and cradled her injured hand with her well one, eyes dark and irritated. As true as the alchemist had said her hand was stinging harshly now, as if small insects bit her flesh.
“I do not need paste, Nevin, you don't need to worry about me,” she growled, moving her hand close to her body. “I knew I was endangering my hand.”
If you were here I would punish you for your idiocy.
You're going to have to wait until later aren't you, she spat back.
Then I will, a wicked but sour grin appeared in her mind.
And she growled back - and then she paused. Suddenly the stinging was gone.
She realised her hand was actually not hurting any more. At all. Blinking, the anger faded out of her eyes, and she tilted her head as relief swept over her.
“Oh.” It was better. She paused and glanced up at Nevin. “Thank you …”
Nevin nodded slightly, one eyebrow raised. Even if she thought she didn’t need tending to, the relaxing of her facial features as the analgesic settled in was evident. A slight shake of his head and he rubbed some of the paste on, then stood back up straighter. “That isn’t the issue here, my friend. The problem is, we’re in a jungle and there are potent threats here. That thing - I called it my responsibility because… well. I’ve killed one of them before, actually more than one. That thing was a part of something else, and they are a threat that hunt me - or are tied to the divine power that I have. I don’t know why they’re here - but it may be that the same thing that draws me here, drew them here as well.” He coughed and shook his head.
“In any case. We need you in top shape - even if I am far more capable of fighting than I once was, if these things are roaming the forest it will be dangerous. Now then.” He tucked the burn paste away, rolling his shoulders as he looked around. Now that they were in the forest, and the blood mage was aware of it, he could feel the taint of perverted blood magic in the air. It was thicker in one direction, and he settled his face into a grim expression.
“I can’t ask you to join me in hunting these things - they’re a personal threat, not something I expected. I would of course appreciate it, but I know that you’ve dangers of your own to deal with.” He sighed and shook his head. “But either way, I need to press on and find out just what these nightmares are doing here.” The alchemist gripped his whip tight in one hand and sighed. “It is your decision.”
Stare blinked at him once and then replied in a firm voice. “We split and both of us die. The plan to kill that creature worked, and that is all.” She shrugged. “I'm not leaving you alone. I came here to help you.”
