☣Ɯ α я☣ {1x1 with Alpha*}

[koi97]

Pantera watches the embers carefully. He looks up at the sky, watching as the sun sets. He hums softly, trying to plan the best course of action. "We should travel in short burst. A couple of hours at time and then rest while it's dark. Put some more space between us and them," he mumbles.

-----

Michael frowns, glancing up. "I know. I've done what I can to keep to the kids out of the war. However, I feel like this is about to become a war that is going to involve all the kingdoms with the way my brother is going," he whispers, a dark look in his eyes at the idea of innocent people being dragged into this petty war.

---
Toshiro hums, enjoying the warmth. He is almost under the water, nose barely above the warm water. He raises himself up a bit in order to respond. "I believe so. We easily could've been kicked out," he replies, sharp gaze easily finding Ammonia. He watches her, making sure she stays safe. He doesn't even bother to start cleaning, just enjoying the warmth. It feels nice on his wary muscles after being attacked and flying.

[Alpha*]

Max sighs again, because while his legs don't hurt he is tired. "Pantera, remind me what they said - in your head." Because while he's no longer focusing on maintaining a form he doesn't remember and is trying to stay awake. "And I'm not sure how fast I could be." Just the admittance alone is enough to prove how tired he is. He wonders briefly if the Elf would hold his weakness against him.

--

"And... I'll weaken faster here." He grimaces. The angel carefully toes off his boots, they land with a pair of thunks on the rough cut stone floor.

--

The girl is finally done cleaning and sits on the bench that's in the water next to him. "It's nice to have a hot bath." She says quietly, "I can honestly say it's a first for me." She blushes, "since Samuel didn't allow women to join, just guys, and um I never used their bath. I'd bathe in the river, back when I could change forms."

[koi97]

Pantera stares at Max in worry. "King Vincent with the Vikanthe Kingdom is where Michael and Morag are staying. It's going to be about a week of travel on foot. Maybe longer until you've recovered. Speed isn't a concern right now. You got us out pretty far, we just need to keep moving," he says, glancing around.

---

Michael frowns. "That's not good. What can we do to stop you from growing weak?" He asks, watching the angel.

---
Toshiro stares at her. He hums softly, now back to basically being almost completely underwater. He closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth. It takes about 5 minutes before he moves, grabbing the soap to start scrubbing himself down. "Hopefully you'll never have to bath like that again once everything is over," he says, working on scrubbing the dirt and grim from his arms. He winces as the harsh lye soap seeps into the many scrabs and cuts along his arms from the escape. That's where most of the wounds appeared when he shifted back.

[Alpha*]

Ammonia holds out the soft washcloth shed used to wash her face, "here, you should use this." Her face - pale as it is - flushes at his comment, "I don't want Samuel to win, I want to go home." After laying the cloth over his hand she pulls her knees to her chest. She picks at her fingernails, worried.

--

"I'll recover -" he says, just a tad grimly, "I just wasn't used to... taking forms is supposed to be easy okay? But the longer its been since ive touched whomever it is, the harder it is to use. The... memory, becomes muddied. I try not to use the forms of those I know, it gets messy. I took the 'griff because a dragon wouldn't have fit through that window. But it's been.... oh... eighty years since I've seen one, and longer since I touched one." He frowns again to himself- not sure why he's defending himself when there's no attack. His eyes glare into the darkness, and definitely not at Pantera. "Pretending to be you, all that time ago, it's simpler than explaining. " The creature finishes the bread clutched in his hand and cautiously stands up - he then goes towards the bags. He reaches out to pick up his own, and stops - crying out softly when his back spasms. On his knees he pants, hands on the hard packed soil - or is it roots? - as he regains his breath when the spasm ends. "Flying isn't usually hard... if I have the time to take to take a form that's newer. Its..." He again moves to stand up, and this time succeeds in shouldering his backpack.

--

Morag is avoiding the eye contact the other is trying to maintain: there's only one thing for it that he would do. The other is.. he doesn't want to think about it. "Just forget about it. We don't have the resources here we had before, prince."

[koi97]

Toshiro hums as he scrubs his face. He drops the cloth at the edge of the pool. He looks at Ammonia and frowns in worry. He reaches out and rests a hand over her arms. "We'll make it home," he promises her.

---

Pantera just continues to stare in concern. "We should be careful about what forms you use then. Especially if she decides to use her allies to help her hunt us down," he mumbles. He is quick to rush over to the shifter once he crumbles. Pantera stares at Max in concern. "Please don't over do it," he says in concern.

---

Michael sighs and nods. "Alright, you're right," he says, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. So much has gone wrong and he hates it.

[Alpha*]

She sighs again, resting her chin on her knees; "Do you really believe that?" Is asked, not moving away from his hand. Truthfully, she's never known a home. Where would it be? "I just want this whole war over."

--

Morag is quiet, "I'm sorry. " Is spoken at last, "I just know there's not much we can do about it. Hunting is out of the question, and isn't it more than enough that this king is allowing us to stay?" How could he ever imagine asking for blood ?

--

Max stares at the other, a certain sadness lingering in his eyes; Why couldn't he love him? Why can't that concern be because of love? The shifter is quiet, "I'm sore." Is admitted, "I hurt. But it's better I carry our things than you, incase something happens." Max bends again, just to secure a strap on the full bags. "We have to move."

[koi97]

Toshiro smiles warmly at her. "I'll make sure it happens," he promises her. The love he feels for her is almost constricting with its intensity. He lightly squeezes her arm. "You and I feel the same way. I also wish this war would end," he whispers sadly, eyes staring at the water now.

---

Michael looks back at the angel. "A hunt? Is there something specific you need from a hunt?" He asks, staring at the angel, completely curious.

---

Pantera nods, still worried. "Please don't push yourself. If you need to rest, let me know ok?" He says. He grows a little confused at the sadness in the shifters eyes. Something stirs slightly in his chest. He shifts, grabbing his sword from on of the bags. He secures it to his waist, making sure his armor is secure and ready in case they run into trouble.

[Alpha*]

The girl surprises herself by moving closer to the dragon-child and laying her cool palm against his cheek comfortingly; "thank you Toshiro -" is murmured. The water is still quite warm - as natural hot springs are, and mage pools. But she's sleepy, so she quietly rises and heads back to the section where she'd left the clothing before. When Ammonia is done dressing it's in a soft tunic and sweater and a pair of pants that are full of fur. Her feet are bare but she's carrying socks, and her shoes. "I don't want to get them wet," is explained quickly, wondering where in the dark cavern he is. Because the girl can't see like she could when she could change forms.

--

He muses about the merrits of telling his *bondmate* and frowns a minute when he remembers his own words of caution. "Well.. blood." Is responded slowly, though he doesn't want to reply at all, "in essence, it's life."

--

The creature hums a low note of affirmation and kills the fire. But how can he not push himself? Max nods to himself, he wouldn't push himself *too* much. And he starts walking, a slow, shuffling pace.

[koi97]

Toshiro is frozen in place. Warmth floods his cheeks as she walks away. He climbs out after her and is also quick to get dressed. He Ambleside over to her barefoot, eyes gleaming slightly in the dark. "That's ok. We can back. I'm finished as well," he tells her, carefully standing by her.

---

Michael nods. "You know, makes sense," he mumbles. He stares at the angel. "This just may sound dumb, but I can donate some of my blood. Would that work?" He asks. It's the only option he can really think of.

--

Pantera stays right beside Max, carefully watching the shifter and their surroundings. Pantera matches Max's pace, not wanting him to feel pressured into going faster. As long as they are the move, they should be fine.

[Alpha*]

The girl startles just a bit when he appears at her arm, but she lets out a small laugh at herself and reaches out to take his hand. Her hair is up in a messy bun but she's grinning as she walks with him back to the room they share with the prince named Michael. As they get closer her openness becomes smaller and smaller until she's a shadow again. "Are you hungry Toshiro?" Is asked in a small voice, sitting on the bed and putting on her socks.

--

Morag is quiet, shoulders tense, head ducked at the question; he exhales a shakey breath and then nods slowly. "Yes. It would." Probably better than animal blood would work - even in such small quantities. The angel doesn't like to think about it, so he closes his eyes and says, "get some sleep Michael. " How many centuries has it been since he'd preyed on humans and humanoids?

--
Max quietly walks - walks through the night. But after an hour or so, he speaks again, "Break." Is called, taking a few more tired steps - but he sets first one bag down, and then the other, before sitting on a fallen log with a sigh.