04-10-2017, 08:21 PM
Zack threw up his hands as Gary walked away, leaving Caira lying wounded in a pool of water with a spirit lion standing over her. Fucking really, dude? Just when he had been starting to like the guy.
He turned back to the lion that was glaring at him, and even a little bit over his shoulder. It was a gaze Zack was used to, as most people tended to notice his massive weapon before him. It was sort of hard to miss. Zack still rolled his eyes.
“You eyeballin’ my piece?” he teased the lion, who only returned a slightly aggressive growl.
Zack kept a smile on as he reached down and grabbed a medkit. He then held it up gently, with no sudden movements, allowing the lion to see the giant red cross on the front.
“See?” I’m just trying to help,” Zack explained gently.
The beast didn’t seem to relax in the slightest. With perfect timing, the box popped open and already soaked contents spilled onto the floor and the water. Zack muttered something under his breath as he tossed the case aside.
Zack slid forward just a little bit, scooping up some packaged gauze. The lion adjusted its stance, ready to pounce. Zack responded by holding a single hand out, trying to comfort it somewhat.
“Easy, big guy. Easy,” Zack tried to soothe the creature. “She needs medical attention. Medical. Do you understand that? Probably not because you’re a freaking lion.”
Another step forward, and the lion stood up. Zack was beyond ready to fight it, but didn’t want to maim and murder something that was protecting Caira, and possibly even a part of her spirit. There was no telling what its origins were. Plus, Gary seemed pretty convinced it would mess either of them up. As little as Zack trusted Gary, it was worth noting. He groaned as he made another move towards his fallen friend. That was one step too far, and the beast leaped at Zack, fangs bared.
“Be cool! Be cool!” Zack shouted as he dropped the wrapped gauze and caught lion by the neck.
It’s gnashing teeth were inches away from his face, barely held back by Zack’s own strength. He felt himself losing ground, so he stepped back with one foot and spun his entire body, bringing the lion with him. As a result, he threw the creature over his shoulder and onto its back in the water, putting himself between it and Caira.
No sooner had he suplexed her spirit guardian than it rolled to its feet. It snapped at him again, and Zack jumped backwards to avoid its vicious fangs. He stumbled back, losing his balance. He remembered Caira had to be right behind him, and he didn’t want to hurt her further by tripping over her prone body. He forced himself to awkwardly leap backwards, losing all sense of balance and bearing. He narrowly missed Caira and splashed into the water behind her.
Quickly he scrambled to get his senses back. He was down and that thing was fast and strong. He couldn’t get to the Buster Sword, so he grabbed the Fire Bar Sword from his belt and ignited it, scooting backwards as he tried to get up.
He wiped the water from his eyes with his free hand to get his vision back, and saw the lion standing before him. It could have killed him quite easily, but instead it stood there before him, not moving. Zack looked confused, then saw the discarded gauze package in its mouth. Great, now it trusted him.
Zack deactivated the sword and returned it to his belt, then gently took the plastic wrap from the lion’s mouth. Confused on how to thank it, he gave it a pat on the head, but a quick snarl told him the lion didn’t like that too much. The next best thing was to just get to work on her. That was probably thanks enough.
He scooped Caira up and moved her from the water, setting her down on relatively dry steel. Zack then ripped the packaging open and began to patch up Caira’s headwound first. Looking up, he noticed the lion hovering over them both.
“She’s a trooper. She’ll be alright,” Zack tried to reassure it. “You probably already knew that, though.”
It’s stoic non-reaction wasn’t very helpful, so Zack just resumed patching her head. She didn’t appear to be bleeding her strange blood anymore, but it was a temporary fix. His field medicine skills were only passable, so if natural Omnilium didn’t take over they would have to find some real help soon.
“Zack, we’re almost back at Cinnabar,” Gary’s voice boomed over the intercom. “How is she?”
The ex-SOLDIER looked to the lion, then back down to Caira. Wasn’t that the million dollar question?
He turned back to the lion that was glaring at him, and even a little bit over his shoulder. It was a gaze Zack was used to, as most people tended to notice his massive weapon before him. It was sort of hard to miss. Zack still rolled his eyes.
“You eyeballin’ my piece?” he teased the lion, who only returned a slightly aggressive growl.
Zack kept a smile on as he reached down and grabbed a medkit. He then held it up gently, with no sudden movements, allowing the lion to see the giant red cross on the front.
“See?” I’m just trying to help,” Zack explained gently.
The beast didn’t seem to relax in the slightest. With perfect timing, the box popped open and already soaked contents spilled onto the floor and the water. Zack muttered something under his breath as he tossed the case aside.
Zack slid forward just a little bit, scooping up some packaged gauze. The lion adjusted its stance, ready to pounce. Zack responded by holding a single hand out, trying to comfort it somewhat.
“Easy, big guy. Easy,” Zack tried to soothe the creature. “She needs medical attention. Medical. Do you understand that? Probably not because you’re a freaking lion.”
Another step forward, and the lion stood up. Zack was beyond ready to fight it, but didn’t want to maim and murder something that was protecting Caira, and possibly even a part of her spirit. There was no telling what its origins were. Plus, Gary seemed pretty convinced it would mess either of them up. As little as Zack trusted Gary, it was worth noting. He groaned as he made another move towards his fallen friend. That was one step too far, and the beast leaped at Zack, fangs bared.
“Be cool! Be cool!” Zack shouted as he dropped the wrapped gauze and caught lion by the neck.
It’s gnashing teeth were inches away from his face, barely held back by Zack’s own strength. He felt himself losing ground, so he stepped back with one foot and spun his entire body, bringing the lion with him. As a result, he threw the creature over his shoulder and onto its back in the water, putting himself between it and Caira.
No sooner had he suplexed her spirit guardian than it rolled to its feet. It snapped at him again, and Zack jumped backwards to avoid its vicious fangs. He stumbled back, losing his balance. He remembered Caira had to be right behind him, and he didn’t want to hurt her further by tripping over her prone body. He forced himself to awkwardly leap backwards, losing all sense of balance and bearing. He narrowly missed Caira and splashed into the water behind her.
Quickly he scrambled to get his senses back. He was down and that thing was fast and strong. He couldn’t get to the Buster Sword, so he grabbed the Fire Bar Sword from his belt and ignited it, scooting backwards as he tried to get up.
He wiped the water from his eyes with his free hand to get his vision back, and saw the lion standing before him. It could have killed him quite easily, but instead it stood there before him, not moving. Zack looked confused, then saw the discarded gauze package in its mouth. Great, now it trusted him.
Zack deactivated the sword and returned it to his belt, then gently took the plastic wrap from the lion’s mouth. Confused on how to thank it, he gave it a pat on the head, but a quick snarl told him the lion didn’t like that too much. The next best thing was to just get to work on her. That was probably thanks enough.
He scooped Caira up and moved her from the water, setting her down on relatively dry steel. Zack then ripped the packaging open and began to patch up Caira’s headwound first. Looking up, he noticed the lion hovering over them both.
“She’s a trooper. She’ll be alright,” Zack tried to reassure it. “You probably already knew that, though.”
It’s stoic non-reaction wasn’t very helpful, so Zack just resumed patching her head. She didn’t appear to be bleeding her strange blood anymore, but it was a temporary fix. His field medicine skills were only passable, so if natural Omnilium didn’t take over they would have to find some real help soon.
“Zack, we’re almost back at Cinnabar,” Gary’s voice boomed over the intercom. “How is she?”
The ex-SOLDIER looked to the lion, then back down to Caira. Wasn’t that the million dollar question?