Cayenne was making her way on her herb run again, because her supplies were never full, and she could always have more. Her satchel was almost bursting to the brim, it was heavy on her shoulder, and she was getting ready to turn back now to Polaris and distribute her wealth into the little glass jars she found in Orion that kept the leaves fresh. She had a shelf of them now, and she felt really proud of it.

She adjusted the satchel on her shoulder, shrugging it to a different spot with a short sigh, and as she turned, she heard something. Something that made her heart stop.

Her mind went blank, and she just ran towards the sound. No matter how many times she heard pain and torment in a ripping scream, she would always be afraid, always run towards the sound. She climbed up the trees, her heart pounding wildly, her claws scrambling in haste to get there faster, faster, to not be too late to save a life. And when she got there, the first thing that hit her was this smell of burned and burning flesh that assaulted her nose. She reeled back from it even as she scrambled towards it, pulling her scarf over her nose and mouth. This....big....sack of burned flesh was still alive??

She fought back the urge to throw up - she'd never thought she'd see something worse than Bog's state, but this - this was so close to death she was too afraid to even touch them.

She almost stepped in this substance, such a pure white that pooled around the creature's flesh, taking it for snow, and if it wasn't for the harsh slap of heat in her face, she wouldn't have a foot left to walk with. It was - some white fire, some substance so hot that she could barely understand how this creature still breathed. It even....came from its mouth.

She shook with fear, her eyes wide, impossibly wide. What caused this? Was this from- from them? or was it from someone else? She raised her hand to try and understand this, her hand feeling like it was touching the steam of a furnace, even a good foot from the creature. It was radiating with it, and she knew for this, she would have to do it from a distance.

Her gem finger flashed in accordance with her fear and her desperation to understand what was going on, and she could see in him, in this jaguar that had once been so proud and full of life. His bones were broken, his sides were ripped open, his skin torn, and his mind was just a riddled mess, and there was this intense fire in him that burned and seeped from him, a last chance to heal what had gone wrong. The fire had consumed him till there was barely anything left, and she was instantly reminded of when Bog's spell had gone horribly wrong, how he screamed and almost died from the bad casting of magic. Now, now she knew just how bad a spell could go.

She shook violently when she saw all this, her breath coming shallowly. Could she fix this? Could she bear to hope? Could she take this broken husk and set it to rights?

She could only try.

With her army of bacteria, she set them all on various tasks all throughout the body, her hands shaking and shaking like the cold was settling in, but she didn't register the snowfall at all, only this pain he was suffering. First and foremost she rid his blood and his body of any and all traces of fire left in him, setting a slow and steady knit of good bacteria to soothe the open wounds. She sent a wave of her army towards his mind to slow it down, relax it, and tell parts of him to send a numbing agent to soothe the pain - there was nowhere in him that didn't hurt. The bones she would save for last - the first thing was for the pain to stop so he could relax.

She wished she could ask him his name, but she could feel the presence of mind-altering substances in his blood, and he should be out of his head by now. She didn't expect anything from him while she worked. When she was done with the first wave of first aid, she let down her arm with a long and tired sigh, and set to work setting a very small fire near the creature for that sweet smoke that would help him drift off and numb the pain. Luckily it was easy - she just threw the sweet herbs onto that white stuff and let it burn. Unluckily, she couldn't use any of her herbs to apply to his skin for the pain or inflammation - she would have to use magic for that.

If she had sleeves, she would've rolled them up. Time to really test her skills here.

Everything was black, an aeonian void. Never ending, it consumed him. He stood there, within the vast emptiness of his own consciousness. He had been ripped away from his burning body. Had he died? No, he could still hear it; his own heart practically caught in his throat. A sporadic thing, struggling through all his body had done to it. He could still feel the aches too, yet it wasn't so bad. He was so distant from himself here. Huh, maybe he was dead...

Taking a few steps into the void he watched the darkness beneath him ripple like a shallow puddle. Perhaps it was just too much for himself to handle...being put through that...he glanced down at the ripples, watching the stark white outlines of his feet. This realm sure was different, not particularly in a good or bad way. If this was the afterlife...then it seemed rather bland... Lifting his head up with an exasperated sigh, it was also pretty lonely...

At least until something caught his attention up ahead. Large ripples seemingly appearing out of thin air!? He followed them, slowly, watching the distance build between himself and these 'tracks'. Curiosity knocking at his door he ran after them. Until finally they stopped, coming to a screeching halt he observed the final ripples fade into nothingness. This was so very confusing, was this a trick? Perhaps he was still hallucinating? He didn't feel dizzy or nauseated, in fact he felt rather rejuvenated! Haha! Wait...maybe he was dead...

A sigh left his maw, only now he felt the hot breathe from another roll across his face. Recoiling in surprise he watched the ripples on the floor appear and run off again. His heart nearly stopped! The struggling muscle beating along to his shaken nerves. He debated if he really should follow this hidden individual. Debated if this would be dangerous in the end. Though, a smile crossed his maw as he took on after them. If he was dead, then he would be perfectly safe!

"Speech"

"Thought"

Bubbling laughter escaped him as he followed the white wavering ripples. Like a moth to a flame he kept at it, oblivious at what was at the other end of this wonder. Except now he noticed they were pulling ahead of him. Whom ever this was they were faster that the young jaguar, which to Vicktor was saying a lot. It didn't stop him from try to catch up, except all his effort was in vain. No sooner than he give it his all, had he watched the ripples grow smaller and smaller until they vanished into the void.

Vicktor cried out to them, asking them to to wait up. Nothing replied, but still he ran. He ran until his heart wavered, the rhythm disrupting his flow as he nearly collapsed to the ground. Barely holding himself up he breathed in. Deep and heavy, that weight of his actions still ache'd this body, yet it felt as if he was growing lighter?

"W̵̪͕̙̹̫̫ͯ̾ͨ͌ͅÃ̧̛̖̮̯͉͉̪͐̆̒͆ͥ̀ͅK̢̙̭ͨ͒̂̊̄ͅẺ͕̘̣̑ͫ̏͞ ̡̖̝̩̝̖͕̰͌̈́̆̆̾̿ͥ̍̎͢͜U̷̘͓͍̓̊̑ͫͥ͝P̢̹̖͙̊̔ͭ͆̄ͧ̂̑"

Vicktor froze, that voice was so foreign and yet it seemed so familiar!? Eyes wide he could see the faint white outline of another in the distance, watching him. "What do you mea-!?" Eyes clenched shut his heart fluttered in pain, sporadically beating hard against his chest. Slowly fading out into a calm but faint rhythm he collapsed. Panting hard, he struggled to look up, yet he saw no sight of the mysterious soul. Dammit why was his heart acting up, why did he feel so weak all of a sudden. Eyes shut he could feel his lungs constricting. Struggling to operate, yet he felt no immediate pain? Instead it all seemed to blur over into nothingness, just like the void.

"I̪̱̲ͣ́ͥͧ͘͝ ̞ͬ̔ͦͮͪ̑̇̉S͆̇̎ͣ͛̽̏͑ͣ҉̨̬̬̫A͓͚̰ͩ̌͑̈́ͦ͛̓͐I̻̙̯̓̾́͜D͈͙̱͇̟̼̠͆́̅̐̂ͨ̐ͬͅ ̡̥̝̩̼͈͉͓̩̋͒Wͯ͊͋͢҉̩̝̱̀A̯̮̥͋̍̃K̸͖̟̱͗ͧ̂͗E̪ͩ͐͜ ̶̨̖͓̭̝͚̐͂͒͆ͤͧ͟U͍͙͙ͨ̊̅ͧ̐̆̈̌͂ͅP̶ͨ҉̝̟̹"

Eyes shooting open Vicktor was only met with the view of vivid red raging flames. Red hot plasma dripping from the mouth of this monstrosity. White teeth spatting at the young jaguar. "W-WHAT DO YOU WANT!? P-please don't hurt me!" Voice wavering as he struggled to find breath.

"I̪͙̔̈́̀͒ͣ̓ ̯͉͎̺̘͉͇͉̊̎̎̔̓͌ͤ̚͟Ẇ̨͔̩͎̯̯̟͘̕Ä̵̧̨͙͇͙̣̮̮̮̿̍Ǹ̸̢̬̰̙̲̽̍͒ͧͧ̆ͧ͞T̵̞̼͓ͨ̿̄̈̾ ͓̥̠̜͖̝͙̜̾̈́ͫ͊Ỳ̜̝̪̥̙̪͛̍̍̋̂͊̎O͌͏̦͖͚U̶̽̑̅͛͏͓̤̳̥ ̴͖̯̯̥̝̬̺͊ͧ͐̀͢ͅͅṮ̢̭̤̖͉̒͛̾͑̂O̺̲ͩͤ͂ͯ̀ ͔̭͖̱̞͉̗̳̺̑̓͑̏ͦ̃ͭ̍̀͠W̦̙͇͇̤ͯ̒͆͝Â̱̹͑͋̌̿̋ͬͅĶ̝͍̳̞̗͚͇͉ͪͯȨ̵̠̩̗̠͉̮̘̈̐̿̇̐̔̓̀̄ ̯̤̤͓̣̪̫͛͐ͯͤ̃̔͐̀͜U͎̘ͥ͘P̧̣̈́ͬͧ̓ͬ̉̅͒̚!͖̈́̀ͨ͌̍̌̌͆͝"

Recoiling back Vicktor locked eyes with the beast, its white orbs sparking yellow until they too were taken by fire. "I-I dont understand! I'm dead! How-how can I wake up!? Why is this happening!? Who are you!?" The beast snarled at the young jaguar's disobedience. Revealing more of its silhouette, long white claws began to reach out to Vicktor. The vivid colors that stood out against the void began to waver, flickering in and out as Vicktor fought consciousness.

"Y͖̝̙̠̱̊̎̆Ȍ̰̞̘ͩṶ̻̮̥̳̗͈'͈̥̹̤̕R̰̞̟̳̙͖͙ͦ̆͂ͦͥ͌͘Eͧͬͮ́͠ ̠̠͎̞̰̗̏͐̍̅̓̋N̢͙̪̙͎̤̮͔ͤO̘̤͉̖̳ͨͣ̄̽T͎̪͕̣̹ͩ͌̽ ̉Ḏ̡E̾͒̈́͑̒͘A̫Ḏ͔͖͙̠͇̈̊̍ͦͨͥ͢.̧͕̟̪͙̩͇̽ͪ̌̒̍ͩ.͕͇̱͚̭̿͒.̹̝͍̫͍̹N̏̆͢Ô̱̖T̢̯ͯ̑̉̐͒͒ ͕̲̖̪̜̈Q̠̱͉͍̹̭ͯ̒̌ͭǗ̻̱͚̹̥͞Ì͙̟̚T̡̻̩̬̣̝̊̆̀̇E͕̹̭̝ͅ.͕̦͇̝͎ͭ̓ͪ̚̚.̮͙̤̗̫ͪ͗̂͑.̟̎̀̌ͨ̚B͈̼̘͕̪̟͋̓̅͋͂̓U̫̙͎̖̖̍͑̌̒ͮͨ̚T͆̀ ̞̀ͫ͌̾ͭ̋̌Y̷̥̳̙̺̊̽O͓̠̔̋́̽̋̀̈́̕U͖̼̝̩͙̠̭̅ͭ'̗̣͔̲̘́ͫ̕Ṛ̟̝̐͌E͉̜̭̠̻͛̏ͮ͂̑ͪ͂͜ ̧̲̈̂Ḏ͈̣̬͕̱Y̡͉̟̼͉̭̋́̄͋I̼̘̹̙̦̖̲ͩ̊̒̀Ń̈̂̉͑̑̆G͚͈̼͕ͣ͜.͒͜.̼̒̚.̧̤̻̯͊̌̈̏̎͒"

Stark white eyes wide Vicktor forced in a deep breath. He was dying!? Right now!? Is that why he didn't hurt? Is that why his heart was fading, why the colors against this void were wavering!? "H-how do you know I'm dying!? Who are you!? Please! Help me!" The monster began cackling, loud uproarious laughter bouncing through the void. Vicktor shut his eyes tight, heart flickering like a candle in the wind. "HELP ME"

The beast's mouth shut into a cruel smile as the flames simmered down leaving nothing but the void in its place. Vicktor could feel their breath on his face, until finally he could feel nothing at all. Opening his eyes slowly he saw no sign of them. Not a glimmer of red or white across the black void. A sigh of relief washed over him, until he locked with two floating white eyes. Materializing before him followed their jaws, long saber fangs that danced with all colors against the void. In a deep booming voice they screamed, engulfing his skull in their jaws, shrieking their final words before they snapped shut around his neck.

"I͏̠͉̻̞̺'̨M҉͔̫͎̘͔ ̀̅͒͒͞Yͨ̈́͒͐͌҉̘͙̝̪͉͕Ȍ̥͈̳̹̳̌U̗͍̥͈͕̩ͭ̋ͅ"

Vicktor could only scream, the void sparking up in a bright white blur as he struggled in fear. Pulling himself up and collapsing just a few feet away blinded by the consuming white. He was panicking, until finally he was met with the cool sensation of snow beneath his aching body. He could feel his heart beating against his chest and rapidly he scanned the area, eyes wide looking for anything else. He was awake, just barely...


"Speech"

"Thought"

@CAYENNE

She was getting to a good start in numbing the pain, and she could see him visibly relax when she let the sweet smoke billow in his face. She walked around him, looking him over, dread in her veins. What should she even work on next? She couldn't sew up his pulsing and puffy wounds with her sewing needle, and she was afraid that even if she did succeed in using her plants to weave his skin together, the fire still left in him would burn it away.

She watched, thinking on her next course of action, when she watched him twitch in his sleep, his eyes roving under his eyelids. It was... a good sign, she thought. Maybe. That he was alive and asleep was a good sign, that he wasn't dying and stock still was a good sign. Was he dreaming about something?

What would she do about those bones? she thought, as she continued her way around him. Would her weave spell be born inside him and snap his bones back into place? She should probably use it to fortify them as well, since the bones would be weak, but that would mean leaving the plant matter there, and she knew it would rot inside him eventually. Would she find him again in time to take it out? Should she even attempt the weaving spell at all?

She was lost in thought when something snapped her out of it, and she saw him start to convulse and thrash and choke like he couldn't breathe, and with her link to him through her small army, she could look into his cardiovascular system and see his sporadic heartrate. "No!" She cried, taking a few steps towards him, mindful of the white fire at her feet, raising her hand. No, he couldn't die! She wouldn't let him!

She reached towards his heart, seeing it in her mind, and MADE it listen to her, MADE it stop for just one second - then she let it restart with a sharp jolt that made its way from her hand to his chest, and she gasped with it once it left, shaking, in shock, stunned with this new thing she'd done.

What- what did she do? That- that wasn't anything remotely related to plants, that was- that was-

"No- NO!" She screamed, her hands covering her eyes. No- this was- this was the magic that hurt Bog! No- this was in her too! It couldn't be- it- "GET OUT! GET OUT!" She punched the ground, her gem hand disappearing in the snow, over and over and over, her hand hitting the cold ground below with softened crunches. "I AM NOT LIKE THEM- I'M NOT!"

She was not like the monster that hurt Bog! She couldn't be!!

@Vicktor

Much to his slight disappointment he hadn't noticed a soul, though truth be told he could hardly see. Could barely open his eyes to look out against the blinding light that danced across the snow. It was empirical that he was alone, which was good; no anxiety over if they would friend or foe. But with how his reputation was going, most would possibly be foe.

Even awake the pain and heat still radiated through him, rattling his skull with a heavy buzz. His throat was slowly draining that thick boiling plasma. It seemed to be absorbing into his flesh, how unusual really. He didn't mind, he could barely feel it anyway. Everything was just white noise, pins and needles vibrating over his inflamed flesh. But he could breathe, inhaling deeply and fighting through the liquid he could feel his lungs rattle against it. He would survive, he had come this far had he not? Either way that wasn't something that was quite the focus of his mind right now. Rather what he had just witnessed, that void with all those stark colors in contrast. And that monstrosity who clamped their jaws around his throat, biting it clean off. Was that really him?

Contemplating on what he only assumed to be a fever dream, he simply laid there. Eyes shut, scrunched up at the fuzzy thoughts he constructed to piece it together.


"Speech"

"Thought"

@CAYENNE

She calmed down quickly after she'd hit a rock hidden under the snow, dancing around, nursing her aching hand, and her distress and panic quickly subsided when she realized how silly she was being. She wasn't a monster, she reasoned with herself, she was a healer, a strong magick caster, a witch to be reckoned with. She only helped - she never hurt. Even if she had a spell like that monster's, it didn't make her like them. And this spell was good, she reasoned. It saved this jaguar's life. Doubtless it would save more.

She gave a long and drawn out sigh, looking over the big cat. Then she frowned. The white substance was gone from around him, and when she looked inside with her working army, she saw that it was almost completely gone inside him, too. He was....drinking it into his flesh. He was eating the fire. And it was helping, too - she saw the rise of healthy antibodies in his blood as he consumed the fire, saw the increase in red blood cells, and she shivered. How eerie it was, to drink deep of what was burning you.

And she saw his eyes flicker open, for just a brief second. She latched onto that, and stepped nearer to him.

"Are you awake? Can you hear me?" She asked, her voice full of concern. She touched his fur, sending another healing wave, a second refreshment of her army to work inside him, to get rid of the last remnants of the fire and numb all of his pain. Where she touched was too hot, burning like the worst fever she'd ever felt, and she snagged her hand back as if touching a red hot iron skillet.

Thoughts fuzzy, haphazardly being shoved together ended up making little sense. Perhaps he had died? That would be the only explanation?...but was that monster really him? Why where there two of him? Why was he so vile, so large, so aggressive!? And his voice!? What had happened!? Was this something he would become? Something that fate already had prescribed him to be!?

"Are you awake? Can you hear me?"

All thoughts came to a stop, that voice? That voice was right next to him. Heart beating against his chest he slowly turned his glance to her. The blinding snow making it rather hard for him to get a good look; she was, glowing!? Blinking once, twice, quite rapidly he focused a little more. Scrunching up his nose until finally the picture went clear. It was Clover! He could see her, right in front of him! What a sight for sore eyes! He was so happy! At least until that twang of reality set in. The stag had said she was dead...his bauble...had been nothing but shadows...how was she here? Unless he had died...she had come to visit him from the other realm. She had been watching over her sweet jaguar. Watching the suffering he went through, the panic that led to terrible accidents. He was so close to death, it only made sense that he would be able to see her.

It hadn't occurred to the jaguar that he was still under the hallucinogenic effects of Booker's mushrooms. He couldn't feel any of the prior ailments, but then again; he didn't feel much right now. It was indeed the kind healing lemur, but his hallucinating psyche twisting her form into that of Clover. Well that was something new all together, yet he believed his eyes. Which soon became red and swollen from tears. His voice caught in his throat as he slowly pulled each word out. Watching her, unable to look away. He wouldn't sob, not yet anyway; he wanted to spill out everything first. Gut his feelings and sorrows to her right here, right now. Even though he knew she would know all that he had done. He would hope she would forgive him, to confessing; to seeing how he never meant any of those things!

"C...c...Clover...I've missed you so much...I-I'm so sorry...I've messed up so bad Clover...I didn't think, I was so sad...panicked...I still am..."


"Speech"
"Thought"

@Cayenne

She frowned when he spoke, keeping silent for a moment, thinking. She had seen the delusion and sickness in his mind and his blood, cause by something strange he inhaled, so it was no wonder he believed her to be someone else. Honestly the idea of this sickness she'd seen where it kept one from seeing the truth of matters frightened her, and she wished deeply she'd never have to suffer from it. So she didn't blame him for his soft, sobbing words.

Besides; there's no way this gem messed up; this sickness came from elsewhere, and he didn't gouge himself or break his own ribs. So she petted his coarse, blood soaked fur and said, "Shhh, it's okay, it's okay," in a soft, comforting voice. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were scared. It's okay."

She thought to his inner fire, and how he tried to heal himself and ended up choking on his own magic, almost dying from it. That was what he meant, right? He was scared and afraid of dying and he was imagining who he knew, who he went to for comfort.

She petted his fur over and over, frowning. Now that he was numb and free of that fire....she should try to look at those bones. Maybe...maybe she could get the spell to work. She was no aficionado with the spell, but she could try.

"Here," She said, holding up a small seed to his mouth. "Swallow this, it will help you."

He looked at her with addled eyes, but he licked the seed from her hand, and swallowed it. She closed her eyes and followed it with her magic, but it was too soon to use the seed to weave his bones together. She had to be patient.

She nuzzled him, his sweet understanding Clover. He could see her tender touch, yet could only cry as he felt not a damn thing. He missed her so much, and here she stood before him, with pity heavy in her heart and a voice that was love itself. She was his angel and he could only stare at her in disbelief. But happy either way, soon she had offered something to him...a small seed? Explaining that it will help, how he wasn't sure.

Vicktor hadn't been healed before in his life...except for what his body had attempted to do moments ago. Though he felt that was more a final scene screaming for the sweet release of death...but maybe in some sick way, he had healed himself...Either way he accepted this small item into his mouth, licking from her and swallowing it as instructed. Trusting her words and knowledge that it would in fact help.

"I've missed you...so much...I...should have tried harder...to keep you safe...I failed Clover...I failed...and you are so loving...to smile at me like this...I've missed your love so much..." Tears began to trickle down his maw as he choked; pushing words out softly towards her. "I only wish I can feel...everything is so numb...i'm so numb Clover..."


"Speech"

"Thought"

@Cayenne

Cayenne grimaced. "Ssh, no, no, the numb is good. I'm healing you. The numbness is on purpose, I promise. I just wanted it to stop hurting for you." She wiped away his tears, hissing, waving her hand to get the dew off - it was scalding hot. She sucked on her finger with a soft sigh, tasting copper and salt. "I just want you to feel better," She said quietly.

Was the seed deep enough down his gullet yet? She closed her eyes and looked, and she nodded to herself, satisfied. It was settled in his stomach now, and she had to work fast before the stomach acid did its job.

With thin, thin tendrils, so thin that they could breach his stomach lining without tearing it open. Like branches digging through the earth, they left no opening, and when the little vines eventually were digested, they would leave such little holes as to not even be noticed. They would heal easily.

And when they made their way past a few inches of abdominal lining and muscles surrounding the ribs, they found the one in particular that was broken in three different places. She winced, seeing it, and she wrapped her tendrils in a skilled and complicated interwoven layer, setting the bone back in place, solidifying it, reinforcing it. And then, when she was done, she broke off the tendrils, snaking off the extra bits and letting them go back to the stomach to be eaten.

She sat down in the snow, her hand still on his fur. She didn't even notice by now that her hand was covered in blood. It was in her mouth, just a little, and she hadn't even noticed.