Ashlands

"Now is really not the time, master," he growled, trying to stay respectful and polite while bringing out the sense of urgency he was feeling. His wounds were the least of their concern right now. When they got to the top of the hill, he was breathing heavy. Usually he had better stamina than this, but the injuries were slowing him down. He didn't stop though, running back down the hill and dodging between ash covered trees. He wanted to put as much distance between them and that thing as possible.

Enethar was not slowing down by choice. He had the unsettling feeling that they had not seen the last of that... thing. He could still taste blood in his mouth and it made him sick. But eventually, they ahd to slow down. His body was burning and screaming at him in violent protest, and he could hear the strain in Alice's breathing. They had crossed another hill by the time he slowed to a stop and fell back against the support of a tree. He didn't even ask to stop or suggest they stop, he just did.

"Not now," he insisted, refraining from making any outward appearance of his pain. They were not safe yet. This was no place to start checking injuries and bandaging them up. His wounds would need serious treatment. Later. "We need to keep going... In a minute."

"We can shift now, master," he said, also feeling alarm at the rising stench of , possibly, another abomination. Why couldn't those things have stayed stories and rumor, he thought, agitated.

Two in one day, he thought, eyes wide in alarm as it came from nowhere and assaulted his master. Gritting his teeth, he charged back to her and sprang at the thing, twisting around to kick it right in the face. He landed next to her side and back a ways in a crouch, springing to his feet right away to prepare for any sort of retaliation. His side was on fire, the blood flowing hot and warm. Without even trying, he let himself go back to phoenix form. But I’ll be useless unless I fly! he realized with a surge of panic. He beat the air with his wings and lifted off in a clumsy manner, catching some draft and picking up some speed enough to really get up. He spun about to face the beast, body afire now. Why wasn’t Alice shifting? She was a dragon, wasn’t she? Of course, that was a dumb question. She could easily clamp this thing in her jaws if she was big enough. He had seen were-dragons before. It was no wonder they were the most beloved and craved Satellites in the world next to several other mythical Weres. Their power and ferocity were ungodly sights to behold. Surely she had more free reign of her awesome power as there were no orders or masters to limit her will. She could smite this thing if only she would have the chance to try. I must give her that chance, Enethar resolved, tucking his wings to dive at the abomination for another strike.

Enethar crashed into the ground, skidded several yards, and slid to a stop under a dark tree where he lay there in a crumpled heap. Not out of any fault but his body's, which had given up somewhere in the middle of his haphazard dive down to earth. He didn't bother moving, just focused on moving air into his lungs. A very weak purr seemed to brim from his throat, along with blood. His body slowly shifted back to human form, painfully slow. If the injuries weren't enough to incapacitate him, this surely was. He bit back screams as his bones shattered and reformed, his limbs lengthened, organs rearranged, air sacs vanished, bones became solid, face became human. His wings were the last to go: feathers wilted and sank into his skin, the fingers shortened and elongated as needed and became human. He lay there panting and struggling to stay awake and to breathe, choking as ash and blood mingled in his throat, and when he coughed, it was black liquid like ink that came out. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the sky. Is this far enough? I think so... tired...

Darkness settled over his vision, and it took a while to be able to focus on her face. He was breathing heavy, and for a little while, that was all he could focus on: the sound of air moving in and out of his lungs. She cried, and it hurt. He didn’t know why. Was he feeling what she was feeling? It hurt a lot, then. Her words fell on somewhat deaf ears. She could never be at fault. She was master. She was perfect. In her own special way. He hadn’t known her long, but that was all he knew. Deserve this..? he thought quietly, wondering what she was going on about. Help me? He was the last person who needed help. She was master. She needed helping. Saving. He couldn’t. He could try, but it would be useless. He couldn’t help her anymore. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but… you need to go… master. You need to fly to… to Elector. Closest… I can’t… protect you anymore.” It was hard just to say those few words. No chance he could get up and fly with her. He doubted he was going to get anywhere after this at all. Maybe this was what it was like to know death was near.