Completed What Will Really Was (Edreina)

[Razkar]

35th Day of Summer
The Great Harbor
14th Bell

He was in a good mood, and if he was a little more knowing of the world he lived in, that would have been the biggest sign his day was about to turn to shit. The sun was out and bright and the humid air reminded him of his home, only with the fierce taste of salt in his mouth as he walked down the pier. A few of the Svefra sailors frowned when they heard the strange, lilting language on the breeze, looked up and saw the singer.

"... and we ran 'til weary,
Hunted 'til hoarse,
But we bought home our prize,
For more than one course..."

The Myrian. That was all most of them knew him as. A few who frequented the Spinning Coin knew him better, and stiffened when he passed, unlike their comrades who just stared in naked curiosity at the tattooed savage. A strange figure he cut that day, walking lightly down the pier with a song on his lips and-

-one of the Svefra gaped as Razkar tossed him a jaunty salute.

"Oh, 'twas a red day we had,
Under canopy's shade,
Gained glory and honor,
On the Great Eqaz Raid..."

He bounded up the wooden plank to the Goldengrotto, one arm loaded with a canvas bag stuffed with vegetables and a smoked ham. Some part of his mind warned him the eerily silent vessel spoke of portent and danger, but the mercenary sensed it through a fog.

Life was good. His work was progressing well, his skills were honing sharper day by day, and he was known within Syliras as a warrior with few equals (with a blade, anyway). But more importantly, for that particular day, he'd literally bought home the bacon, and grinned with sharpened teeth as he imagined the feast he and Edreina would cook tonight.

"Edri!" He called below deck as he started down the stairs, clamoring paranoia growing louder with each step. "Where you? Have got food!"

The white rat was crying, and he heard nothing of his friend. And he smelled...

"... Edri...?"

She was standing in the middle of the hold, the part of the Grotto below decks that served as kitchen, cargo hold, bedroom and everything else. Shadows were deep down there, lit only by a few portholes and the occasional candle. A pale, trembling human stood just within the light of one such candle, and he could see the glistening blood on her cheek from where it had dribbled down from her mouth. But she didn't move, didn't speak, and-

-a gleam from across her throat. A knive, curved and twisted and reeking of amoral use. Razkar knew weapons; he remembered them. He remembered that one... and when he saw the looming form behind his friend, one arm around her waist, the other holding the knife to her throat, his shock was given a new and horrible logic.

"Savage." Ekvan spat from over her shoulder, rough dark beard rustling as his lips curled in distaste. Two more shapes moved from the shadows on either side of the bottom of the stairs, flanking the Myrian as he dropped the bag. "Don't even think about it."

Razkar's hands stilled even as they tensed to reach for his weapons. A pair of flunkies, on Valini's payroll or not it didn't matter, took up positions. Black, calmly furious eyes flicked left... right... he didn't recognize them. But he knew the cold brutality in their faces; men who didn't care who or what they destroyed, as long a the mizas were right.

"Now I know why you're so cocky." Ekvan snarled, grinning like some demon as he held the blade a little tighter, sniffing the shaking woman's hair. "Shacked up with this tight little cunt at night, eh? Bet she bursts your balls every time you shoot it over that bay face."

Wrong words. Well... the right words, in a way, but the wrong time. Razkar could feel the runes on his necklace begin to pulse and heat up and howl in his head, the rage of that dead predator goading his own. A fury the likes of which he hadn't known for seasons, perhaps years threatened to boil over in his soul and he forced it down.

Senseless anger with that knife so close to her would only prompt disaster.

Think... Think! How did this happen?

Razkar did not know, and wasted no time pondering. Wide, pleading, terrified blue eyes stoked his rage and nearly bought him to his knees at the same time. Her face was bruised; they had taken her by force, and surprise, and then just waited.

For you. You did this.

[Edreina]

Less than one chime earlier. "What a fierce little hunter..." Edreina crooned with a small smile, holding little Navis over the edge of Goldengrotto as she removed the last traces of gore from his muzzle and from his paws. Nearly white fur had been stained a deep red as the kit made his first kill, a small mouse who had wandered too close to the boat. Edreina had nearly keeled over of a heart attack when she saw Navis vault himself over the railing to pounce upon the unfortunate rodent. But fear was instantly replaced with pride as she saw that hours of tormenting the little animal with the end of a cloth or a piece of meat on a string had finally taught him the skills he needed to survive. The look on his face as he held the limp carcass aloft in his tiny jaws, brown eyes alight with satisfaction, had filled Edreina with a matronly joy she had previously thought herself incapable of harboring. She had instantly snatched him up from the dock and allowed him to finish his meal in the safety of her hawkish observance. He ate everything down to the brittle bones, going so far as to lick the greasy spot left behind on the deck. Her grin did not fade even as he fought her, yowling with displeasure, as she began to administer the bath that would make him presentable at work again this evening. When she released him upon the deck once again, Edreina laughed aloud as he began to dart about, yipping and growling playfully as he rubbed himself against the warm wood of the deck. The red-maned woman was just about to head below deck to change from her linen breeches into a skirt for her shift at the Herald's Arms when suddenly an outraged yelp followed by a high, warning growl caught her attention. It was odd. She had never heard that series of calls from her companion. Curiosity caused her to whirl about on her heel. On her deck were three lumbering figures. Obviously not sailors by their build, Edreina's blue eyes darted over each in turn as she tried to discern their purpose. What were they doing on her ship, anyway? Didn't they know how rude it was to board someone's vessel without permission? A hard edge crept over the Svefra's features as she prepared to protect her home. "Can I help you?" Normally the question would have been presented with a smile, a tilt of the head. But this time, Edreina did not do so much as cock a brow. A look of confusion flitted over the leader's face. He rested his weight back towards the railing, one hand coming up to stroke his jaw thoughtfully. "This be the Goldengrotto, eh? The Myrian's vessel?" Edreina's eyebrows knitted together, lips pursing as she considered the question. It was not technically Razkar's ship, he only stayed here. But, at the same time, there was an element of truth in his question. With such brutish men before her, it was likely a bad idea to make them seem like fools. "Aye," she acknowledged quietly. But the leader's reaction was not what she had anticipated. Instead of questioning the Myrian's location, she smiled suddenly, and a cruel light gleamed in his eyes. It was as if someone had given him a present. Edreina fought the urge to shiver as a writhing knot of apprehension formed in her gut. "Why do you ask?" She hoped to get more out of the man. The longer he stood in silence, dirt colored eyes raking Edreina in a way that suddenly made her feel unclean, the more nervous she became. He ignored her question, presenting one of his own as he took a step towards her. "Where is the savage?" He caressed each word with his lips, eyes curiously intimate as he took another step towards her. His motions resembled someone testing the waters before them, assuring themselves that they would not be scalded or chilled. Edreina held her stance, refusing to give deck to these strangers. This was her ship. Laviku did not forgive the trespasses of haughty land-goers. "He's out at the moment. But he should be back soon." Edreina had never been a good liar. And even at this moment, she could not stop herself from averting her eyes as the falsehood left her lips. Damnit... Upon raising her eyes again, she found the man suddenly much closer than anticipated. The surprise of it caused Edreina to start backwards, a shout upon her lips. But, before the cry could escape, a thick, meaty hand cracked her across the jaw with enough force for black orbs to claim her vision. The back of her head was quickly acquainted with the deck as her limbs failed her, and all went black. Now. "-ake up soon? Been out awhile... Might have hit her too hard, Ekvan..." The voice was oddly disconnected from body as Edreina floated in a world of darkness, anchored to being only by the sound and the throbbing on either side of her skull. "Nah. She'll wake up soon enough. 'Sides, seeing her sprawled out might make the Myrian a bit more... willing." The tone of this voice would have sent a shiver down Edreina's spine had she been aware of having one. "But what if-..." And then she was lost to the darkness again. When she woke again, there was a cacophony of sounds: Navis's high pitched keening, feet on the deck above, shuffling around her. Must be in the hold, she realized with a silent groan. When she opened her eyes and the bleariness in her vision did not fade, Edreina had a moment of panic. Was she going blind? No. In the wan light of the hold, the red hair fanned over her face appeared to be a layer of fuzziness in her vision itself. Suddenly, feet occupied her vision and she felt herself being hauled upwards by her arm, forced to stand despite the swirling sense of vertigo that weakened her limbs. Her entire head rang with pain, a throb that originated in her jaw, ran through her skull to rebound a the rear and return to her jaw. As she was forced to stand, her hair left her vision and she saw that she was indeed in the hold, apparent as the only source of light was a thick shaft originating from the hatch. Edreina then realized that she was being supported by an arm about her lean waist, sagging against a thickly muscled form behind her. In her delirious state of mind, she turned in the embrace to see who it was, only for a hank of her hair to be yanked and "Be still" to be hissed menacingly in her ear. Everything was brought back into clarity. The strangers on her boat. Their questions about Razkar. Being hit. Waking up below deck. Gods, what was going on? Edreina blinked back her fear, stilling herself as she was commanded. "What are you-?" "Quiet!" Came the growl, and a good wafting of his foul breath. "... Edri...?" That familiar voice. Oh no! Raz! Edriena flinched visibly as the cool blade of a knife was hurriedly pressed against her throat. Petch. They were using her to somehow get to Raz! What did they want? Questions continued to rush through Edreina's mind as her friend took each agonizingly slow step into the darkness. The darkness did not allow Edreina to make out his reaction to this damned situation. "Savage... Don't even think about it." Edreina was forced to watch helplessly as her friend was trapped, and then insulted. Why? Why did she have to be so weak? She knew how to fight. But with a knife at her throat, the desire to do so was blocked out by a flood of fear and confusion. "Now I know why you're so cocky. Shacked up with this tight little cunt at night, eh? Bet she bursts your balls every time you shoot it over that bay face." Fear shook her frame as her knees threatened to give out. She hated the way that his breath danced through her hair, the way that the tendrils of his beard caught hold of her hair and pulled at it as he moved. Even in the lack of light, Edreina saw the way that rage contorted Razkar's features. It was the exact same look that had fallen upon his face the night she had intruded upon his Malediction. Razkar, no! No please... Just go! Get out of here! Edreina begged with her eyes. She just wanted him to get out of here. If he left, they would surely let her go. He did not have to suffer just because she had been too stupid to defend herself. But, from what she could tell, he showed no signs of leaving - as if the two flanking him would even allow it. Whatever was about to happen, they would face it together.

[Razkar]

"Edri, look at me, you will be fine-"

"Not really for you to say, is it, fucking savage?"

Razkar's eyes flashed from focused and dripping with concern to raging enough to burn through a metal girder, jerking up from Edreina's blue orbs to the cruel, dark ones of Ekvan. Very similar to his own in fact. He barely even noticed the two shifting figures at his flanks; they were muscle, monkeys, meat shields. Ekvan was the threat here.

"Why?"

A sneer. One familiar to Razkar by now, but this time it glowed with triumph, with power.

"You know why, Myrian. Fucking savage like you, coming to my city and making me and the lads look bad-"

"Not think you care much about lads, and when was your cit-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Ekvan screeched his hatred and Edreina whimpered despite herself, knees weakened as a tiny red line was pressed to her neck... and blood began to ooze out. Razkar's breath hitched. His heart stopped for a moment and a massive hand squeezed it, crushing his ribs and his teeth pressed together to hard the tips bit into his gums

"Kill her, you die next."

"And you'll just watch her die? I don't fuckin' think so, savage." Ekvan stated simply, holding all the cards and knowing it. "Now you're gonna let the boys take those blades from ya. Hands up... and keep 'em there."

Milking his victory for everything it was worth, a black maw opened in that black mess of a beard and a reddish tongue licked up the side of Edreina's cheek.

Razkar's teeth ground so hard that the two flanking humans both frowned. Ekvan nodded sharply to them.

"Get his weapons."

No time to plan. No time to think. Nothing to do but react, and with only moments. The shadows loomed closer, hands beginning to rise and Razkar knew what he had to do, but that was only half the solution. Without his weapons he could be bound easily, and then Ekvan would truly begin his revenge... but not without reaping unholy pain on Edreina first.

Razkar was no fool, and he'd met many with Ekvan's darkness in their soul before. There was no way the two of them would leave this hold alive. Eventually, they would both die, compliance or no. This, Razkar had to act.

Yeah, and where does that leave her?

His rage came flashing back all over again and his necklace trembled. Red clouded the edges of his vision, tendrils of scarlet threatening to choke his eyes as he imagined his blade hewing Ekvan's head from his shoulders, his heart from his ribs, his genitals from his pelvis, his teeth slicing into-

That's it!

"Hands up, Myrian." Ekvan's brawny arm snaked over Edreina's right shoulder, pressing the blade against her throat from the front, shiny knife glinting before her eyes. "Now!"

Not much of a plan... but what else is there?

"Edri..." He said slowly as his hands started to rise. "Remember what I say about teeth?"

A quizzical expression clouded her face as his eyes darted pointedly to the hairy arm next to her cheek, then he bared his sharp teeth. Ekvan frowned, animal instincts taking over as he realized something at play-

-just as Razkar's hands came up to throat height-

-and his gnosis exploded.

Ekvan blinked and the Myrian's right arm was a blur, hand straight, fingers together, knife edge chopping towards the thug on the right's throat-

Nothing held back, now. Edreina saw her Myrian friend in killing mode, not training. And she heard the wet crunch as the human's Adam's apple was crushed and his eyes popped open in agony.

Razkar's left hand darted to his gladius sheathed on his right side at the same time, grasping around the handle by the time the human on his right was choking to death-

-human on his left reaching inside his coat, cursing in shock-

-and he unsheathed and swung the gleaming blade at the same time, twisting to his left, gladius arcing diagonally upwards and out-

-opening a second gaping, bloody, crimson mouth in the human's chest from left pectoral to right shoulder-

-twisting back to his right and leveling the dripping blade at the first choking, stumbling human, gnosis branding his neck as his Goddess-Queen lent him speed for his murder-make-

-thrusting the gladius in that oh-so-familiar sweet spot, just to the left of the breastbone, between the third and fourth ribs, twisting it as the metal blade pierced and then bisected the heart before ripping it free.

But it was all for naught. Even as Razkar struck and slashed and slaughtered, he knew he had still lost, and death did not equal victory. Not their deaths, anyway. Not unless she acted.

And acted quickly, with all he had taught her.

[Edreina]

"Shut the fuck up!" Edreina whimpered as the ferocity of the sound racked her frame and the hard edge of Ekvan's blade bit into her throat just enough for her neck to tingle with warmth as blood seeped from the wound. She looked again to Razkar, seeking some sort of assurance, finding only a mask of anger. Something warm and wet pressed sickening against Edreina's cheek, causing her to flinch and then go still. In spite of her fear, fury blossomed in her chest. If he did not have that knife... If he was just a bit smaller or she a bit larger... "Edri... Remember what I say about teeth?" She frowned, puzzled for an instant. And then the arm, so curiously within her reach, caught her blue gaze. Her lips pursed in distaste and she looked at Razkar as if to say Really? I have to take a bite out of that? Gross... It was entirely unappealing, but necessary, she realized. And then there was chaos as Razkar seemed to explode with inhuman speed, and efficiency as he dispatched the first thug. Edreina felt Evkan's grip loosen ever so slightly, a sign of his surprise. There was no chance for her to think about it, just do it. Baring her teeth, Edreina growled sharply as she bit into his meaty arm. She bit despite his piercing screams, and the way he attempted to rip his arm away. She bit until her mouth was filled with hot, coppery blood. Despite the immense pain he was certainly in, the mercenary did not relent his grip around Edreina's waist, digging his thick fingers into her hips as he continued to pull his arm away, stretching Edreina's body at an odd angle, causing her jaw to burn as she continued to apply pressure. There was a wet, ripping sound and suddenly Edreina was tumbling backwards with the force of her own exertions as the chunk of raw, human flesh came free. Ekvan yowled louder than ever, shaking his arm so that little flecks of blood and gore coated the wooden surroundings. His preoccupation gave Edreina another chance. Remembering one of the first times she had sparred with Raz, she finally came to the realization that when you were fighting for your life, courtesy really did not matter. She reared back and spat the wad of flesh and hair back at Ekvan and, in his moment of open horror, she was able to turn just enough to cock her knee back and ram it into his manhood. The roar he emitted nearly deafened her. Out of instinct, Ekvan pushed the attacker away, clutching himself with his good hand while the other remained somewhat limp. She tripped over the familiar deck, landing on her rear with a thud that jarred her teeth. Before her, a maelstrom of activity continued with Razkar. He moved in ways that her adrenaline addled mind could not even follow. It was as if the spirit of some strange beast had assumed direct control of her friend and was now using him like some sort of puppet. Each motion was quick and precise, carried out simply for the purpose of ending a life. It gave her courage. This time, when Ekvan went to move towards her, unbridled hate filling his eyes, Edreina bared her bloody teeth like an animal, blue eyes a whirling tempest. The feeling of her demise being pressed against her bare throat had awakened an animal sort of self-preservation. At first, it had goaded her to seek any way of escape. But now, she thought only of removing the threat permanently. The battle-lust which had plagued Edreina during her first lessons with Razkar flared back to life, stilling her trembling limbs and clearing her vision. Her eyes darted about, scanning her surroundings for any sort of weapon. A stone she had collected years earlier, a sharp piece of coral, her whip, anything...

[Razkar]

Razkar's ears filled with the roar of his own heartbeat, his own lust let loose even in these low confines, the joy as men died around him and it was his hands that ushered them unto Dira.

But there was fear behind his sweeping, lethal motions. Fear for his friend and the flash of vision that saw her fall, mouth covered in another's blood, barbarian monster looming over her, eyes thick with agony and outrage and insane lust for revenge-

Fear drove Razkar onward.

Before the second human had even slumped down to the floorboards his right hand snapped down to his hand ax and he jerked it up, gripping it low on the handle-

-seeing Edreina fall back onto her ass, out of his way, clear line from him to Ekvan-

-as he hurled the ax across the narrow distance between them, curved blade and bone handle spinning, spinning-

-only for the barbarian to lurch to one side, faster than he looked-

-but not fast enough.

Ekvan screamed and staggered back as the ax buried itself in his left shoulder instead of his breastbone, the other knife he's grabbed tumbling from nerveless fingers. The Myrian dashed forwards, gladius cocked back to deliver the killing blow even as he started to overtake the prone Edreina-

-but, as it turned out, she could handle herself well enough.

[Edreina]

Something primal in the Svefra grinned at seeing the ax bury itself in Ekvan's shoulder. As he was stumbling backwards, she was rising to her feet. She saw a hole in his defenses as the mangled arm fell. The beat of her heart pounded out a furious tattoo in her ears as she charged the towering man. His eyes widened in the universal expression of shock as his victim became the aggressor, assaulting him in a quick succession of blows across his chest and a knee to the kidney. Each attack was kept carefully different from the last for fear of him discovering a pattern. She moved in a whirl, remembering that to stand still is to die, crossing in front and behind him as she managed to land all but one of her attacks. Perhaps he was just shocked, perhaps the sight of seeing his comrades fall had gotten to him, perhaps he was simply overwhelmed. No matter the cause, there was no reason for Edreina to be landing as many of her jabs as she had intended. It was oddly invigorating to pound her imprint into the flesh of a man who had threatened her with death. With each success, each passing tick, Edreina grew a bit more bold, infusing her blows with more power, taking the time to draw her arm all the way back. She was getting cocky. She was getting foolish. As if he had simply been awaiting the opportunity to do so, Ekvan suddenly reached out and caught hold of the woman's wrist, twisting it abruptly so that Edreina spun in towards him. In the span of an instant, she went from attacker to victim once more. Trapped between her own arm and his massive, gently quivering form, Edreina could do naught but watch as Razkar continued to approach. The single source of light made it impossible to make out his facial expression. But surely anger must be in there again. Her foolishness had brought them back into the same damned position they had started in. "What now, savage?" Ekvan spat, Edreina could only imagine the hate leaving his eyes. He no longer had the ability to use his other arm, but the one he still had use of crushed Edreina against himself with savage force. He no longer had a way to kill her before being killed... But he still had a shield.

[Razkar]

Razkar's world pulsed with red, and only one still small voice was stopping him from frothing and raging beyond the brink of it.

The gladius in his hand had been worked, charmed and cursed (whichever you prefer) with the Power of Bones long ago. It peaked his rage, his battle lust, his warrior fury, but gave him the chance to see clearly through it.

To be in the eye of the storm, as it were.

And through it he saw Edreina pound away at the hulking, bleeding, crippled Ekvvan, but even wounded the human was still far larger, far stronger, soaking up her attacks until-

"Edri, get away-!"

-his blood-soaked hand snapped out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close and spinning her around, red hair a shimmering halo as she slammed back-first into his chest. She struggled and squirmed but even missing a chunk of flesh and muscle, that tree-like limb was still strong enough to-

-Razkar snarled as she gasped, choked, crushed to the human's chest with her arms pinned.

The hulking thug said something, slight sneer on his sweating face. Blood pooled around his feet, shining dully in the half-light. A smaller man might have fainted by now, blood loss or shock robbing him of his fight... but not Ekvan.

Razkar knew a good, healing hatred when he saw it.

The Myrian paused, not even breathing hard, the two peons dispatched providing no sport, and still carved bone and gnosis mark throbbed and undulated on him. The human had his shield, but no exit. No way out but talking, threats... or a suicidal last stand.

"Back off, you fucking bastard," Ekvan snarled, nearly lifting Edri off her feet as he pulled her closer, her head almost tucked under his own chin, so great was the height different. "All the way to the deck and let me go, or I swearFUCK!"

Navis had had enough.

Razkar saw a ball of enraged white fur streak across the deck and throw itself yapping onto Ekvan's ankle. Fear had been eclipsed by sheer territorial anger in the dog-fox's mind, and the harm to his mother was the final straw. Ekvan yelped in surprise, looked down as he shook his foot and saw Navis snarling and biting and twisting, tearing a larger chunk out as he hung on.

"G-Get the-Get-"

The whole surreal assault bought Razkar a moment. A patch of the red mist parted and he saw his opening... and he recoiled. No. He couldn't it. Would kill her-

No. Could kill her. Not would. And what other option do you have?

There could have been some other way. There must have been. Some fantastically creative and cunning maneuver that would have worked... but there was no time. No time and now Razkar's compassion was stripped to its bare bones, where only life and death were left, and a single thread of care for his friend was left.

Victory requires sacrifice.

"Forgive me."

As Navis was finally thrown free, the Svefra and the towering human both froze in confusion, hearing words that had no place in this brawl. They turned just as the Myrian lunged, gladius thrusting forward horizontally, toward Edreina-

A crunch. A gasp. The grinding of bone on iron as the razor-sharp blade punched through her left shoulder-

-and Razkar impaled Ekvan's heart through his friend.

Ekvan's eyes popped open along with his mouth. Wounds and exhaustion crawled up his body like spiders on his skin and just as he was about to spit out some curse, only blood oozed from his lips-

-and Razkar pulled the blade back from the two of them, Edreina collapsing to the deck-

-Ekvan falling back and slamming onto the floorboards like a felled tree. He stared upward at the roof of the hold, breathing coming in gasps, mind trying to work, to think, survival mode failing to fire...

Until a shadow fell over him. A shadow with burning black eyes and a blade wet with the blood of human and Svefra alike. It gleamed and shone above him, raised high... paused.

"Die now, and burn forever."

Razkar slammed the blade down and Edreina heard a wet thunk as the gladius slammed through eye and brain and bone. Ekvan gurgled and twitched once, then lay still. Silence. Eerie and deathly and accusing, then Razkar was over her, scrambling for his healer's kit, blood lust vanishing and replaced by a trembling fear.

"Edri? Edri?! Edri, stay calm... I help... I sorry..."

[Edreina]

There was pain, and then a rush of heat, and then Edreina went numb with a shocked gasp as she looked to the side and saw Razkar's gladius protruding gruesomely from her shoulder. It was shiny despite the liberal coating of blood and core it had accumulated during Razkar's fighting. So shiny... And suddenly Edreina's legs had disappeared and she fell to the deck with a pained grunt. Unable to find the energy to move, to get her arms out of their awkward positions beneath her, something in her shoulder burned, but only vaguely, as if it were so far away. There was a shout, another thud. And then suddenly she was on her back, staring up at the deck. But her eyes were heavy, oh so heavy. It would be nice to rest, just for a minute. "Edri? Edri?! Edri, stay calm... I help... I sorry..." Stay calm? She was positively calm. Floaty even. It was as if she were floating upon the Suvan, warm waves enveloping her... drawing her deeper and deeper... Help? Sorry? For what? Edreina looked up at her friend - Why was he so dark? - and caught a flash of bright, angry red and of panicked white out of the corner of her eye. Oh that's her shoulder... Must have scratched it... No! Razkar's gladius hit it. Hmm. "No worries. Just a scratch. Take a nap, and I'll be fine." Edreina's lips were heavy and numb, like they had been after she was stung by a bee. But that had hurt. This didn't. Actually, she really couldn't feel much at all. Something about that made Edreina want to laugh, to grin. It was an odd feeling, something new. She liked new things. She could dream new things! Surely Razkar wouldn't mind if she took a quick nap before they got rid of the bodies. Oh, the bodies... They had surely left an awful mess. Edreina frowned weakly, wondering how to get a blood stain out of her deck. But that could wait... It could all wait. She just needed a minute or two of sleep. Just a minute or two...

[Razkar]

She was so peaceful. She actually smiled, and he felt a shudder wrack his body as he knew what that listless, carefree calm meant.

The same thing as the red slick that slid and oozed across the floorboards under her shoulder.

"Stay awake!" The Myrian snarled, ripping open his kit and grabbing a handful of gauze. "Edri?! Fuck..."

He didn't hesitate when he realized what had to be done, and with a grit of his teeth-

-punched her in the raw, open, bleeding wound.

Edreina's scream blew through the enclosed hold like a hurricane and all calm and peace vanished from her face. Razkar felt the knife in his gut twist another few degrees as he saw agony replace them, but in this situation, that was good.

She was in pain, and she was awake, and because of the former, she would remain the latter.

"Edri! I am going to stop blood."

She blinked and through her swimming, faltering eyes she saw the pack of gauze unrolled, then something pulled down from one of her shelves. A dress. Bright and summery, a gift from... who was it... she couldn't remember.

Not that it mattered, because the Myrian pressed it against her shoulder, and hard, and before she could worry about getting the stain out-

-the pain hit her.

Another scream that twisted the knife, but Razkar forced himself to think, to act. He was no healer, no scholar of medicine, but he'd been on enough battlefields to know how to handle a stab wound. He'd aimed for the shoulder specifically because there were no organs around it and while it did bleed, it could be stopped... and she wouldn't lose her arm.

Hopefully.

"Must make pressure." He said over her gasping, sobbing whimpers. "Must push, stop bleeding, stop blood pump from heart. I sorry, I sorry, I sorry..."

Now it was a wonder who was sobbing and who was not, but the Myrian's eyes were still hard, cold... ruthless. Before they had been such to slay, now they were to heal. Because he knew what would happen if he failed, and he was not willing to watch the light leave her eyes for the last time.

Edreina struggled but it was pitiful, weak. One hand pressing down on the gauze, Razkar ripped a strip of gauze with his teeth and began winding it around her shoulder. Under her armpit... over her shoulder... pulling it tight even as the dress began to grow swollen and heavy with blood.

But it was stopping, or at least slowing. The Myrian wiped his brow and scuttled on his knees to her side.

"Please, must move." He said into her ear, pants making her whole body shake. "Place bleeding, we put higher on body than heart. Make blood going there pump slow. So... onto side."

And with that - and a grunt - he rolled the Svefra onto her right side, until she was almost in a fetal position, blood trickling down her chest and neck from her bleeding left shoulder. The Myrian whispered and reassured words into her ear, keeping her flaming hair from the blood, as if he could aid her by keeping her hair-

A groan. And not from them.

Instantly Razkar's eyes flashed over to the stairs. That second human, the one he'd slashed open, crawled sluggish and moaning on his belly, leaving a bloody snail trail behind him. One hand reached pitifully for the steps, still sure, still hoping, still begging the light pouring down to save him, if he could just get away.

"Stay on side." Razkar whispered, right hand going to his kukri. "I come back..."

She heard his words, and the strange sigh of iron on leather as a weapon was unsheathed. Footsteps... thunderous as boulders splashing into the ocean... a strange, high, pleading sound... like someone begging-

A thunk. Wet and scraping and final. Then silence.

[Edreina]

There were words spoken from the end of the cave, but she was traveling deeper, seeking the secret that lay beyond. And then suddenly, she was ripped back from the tunnel, back through the murky Suvan, and to the surface with a gasp. No, a scream. Shit, was she still screaming? How did she still have air left in her lungs? Finally, the high, keening sound died with a pained whimper, a struggling breath. Pain lanced through her shoulder with each beat of her heart, causing her to gasp, bare her teeth at the world. This was worse than the time she broke her toe. Much worse. "Edri! I am going to stop blood." Her eyes raised for just a minute, following his motions, blue eyes questioning him. She saw a flash of orange and pink fabric, a dress given to her some years ago by god knows who. Just a flash, just long enough for it to register before she was once again overwhelmed by pain. Another raw scream was ripped from her throat. It would have continued on into eternity had a lack of air not cut it off sharply. As he pressed down on the wound, Edreina felt her entire being focused upon that one burning spot, threatening to send her unconscious again with each rippling wave of pain. Gods she wanted to be unconscious. But the threat of another one of Razkar's rude awakenings kept her away, quivering, whimpering despite herself. "Must make pressure. Must push, stop bleeding, stop blood pump from heart. I sorry, I sorry, I sorry..." His broken repetition managed to drag Edreina from her haze once again. She quieted, seeing the pain that this was causing her friend. He hadn't wanted this. Any of this. But because she had been stupid and weak, they were in this horrid position. She went to grab his arm, to tell him it was ok, that she would be ok. To tell him not to feel bad. There was nothing he could have done better. But her strength failed her and her arm fell back against the deck. Damn this. Damn him, Edreina thought, tilting her head back just so she could glare at the corpse of Ekvan. "Please, must move. Place bleeding, we put higher on body than heart. Make blood going there pump slow. So... onto side." Worrying more about her friend now than herself, Edreina had managed to stifle every whimper that threatened to escape her lips, but her panting shook her frame. Each exhale was followed by a shudder as she struggled to remain conscious. She was rolled onto her shoulder; the only contribution she made was pushing her knees closer to her chest. The disconcerting feeling of warmer-than-skin blood trickling down and across her chest made Edreina want to crawl out of her skin, to bat the blood droplets away before they could continue their agonizingly slow descent. She was not even paying attention to her surroundings anymore, just focusing on one thing, one little thing, at a time as she tried to block the pain from her mind. Her eyes flicked from a strange whorl in the plank before her eyes to a piece of gnarled coral resting atop her bookshelf. Razkar was back before it even registered that she had left. And then he was attending her, fingers moving in ways that Edreina knew were experienced if ill-practiced. It was as if he was trying to undo his art. He wasn't a healer, he was a killer. "Raz," she whimpered, bleary blue eyes trying to find his through the black spots that adorned her vision. His name was not shortened out of familiarity, not this time, but out of ease. "I need a he-," she gasped and her abdomens tightened as she fought the urge to curl in on herself again. "Healer! There is one in the city! The knights will help you find them." Petch! I'm sick and tired of this damsel in distress sharkshyke! So many stories had made this seem beautiful and romantic, to be saved by a noble man. It just hurt. A lot. With a growl, she forced herself into a sitting position. This whole laying on her side, relying upon another, was getting old. In this situation, the Svefra could either lay there in gasping pain or get angry and get something done. Edreina chose the latter. She groaned, swaying drastically as she tried to cope with the lack of blood to her brain. Stupid idea... Something about the way that her left arm hung bothered her. This was more than a flesh wound. The sight of it, even through bindings, made Edreina fear loss of her light breakfast. With a trembling breath, she searched out Razkar again, eyes slow to respond. "C'mon... I can get up if you help me." It was a bull-faced lie, but one she would fight to accomplish.