His wounds hurt like hell. The large slash across his side still bled and had a green hue from the poison. He knew he’d recover, but it was taking longer than normal. Whatever was in the concoction they covered their arrows and blades with, hindered his healing ability. The hunters kept returning no matter how much he had whittled down those who came. He knew he could handle them with ease, but after being attacked for several fortnights wore down on his strength. Especially when he couldn’t get much sustenance besides random mountain creatures or the horses of his attackers. He could not dare risk going to a village in this state.
Something changed, he was not alone in the cavern system anymore. Sniffing at the air to find out how many this time. He grunted in surprise that there only seemed to be one female and her horse mount. At least he’d have the element of surprise this time. In the blink of an eye, his long blue scaled body transformed as he moved into the shadows to investigate.
He found her in the room, not too far away. She must either be naïve or stupidly brave to sleep almost with no known protection besides the sword at her side. Though the look of her made him curious. The woman, from what he could see by the faint firelight, looked different from the ones that went after him before. She must have been some warrior with that armor and not some hunter or bandit looking for some foolish glory. Except he didn’t dismiss the thought that she’d still be going for the bounty.
With a small hiss, he looked at the horse. The smell of the animal made his stomach growl. If he was careful, both of them would be his meal and his wounds might recover enough to leave. The man crept over, but as soon as he was close enough to attack, there was a blade at this throat.
“Not another step. Who are you? Explain yourself.” Brigitte said to assess the situation. Noticing that a strange man stood almost completely over her. Snö had awoken too, with a loud neigh that echoed across the rocky room.
The woman wasn’t as asleep as he would have liked. So he had to make an excuse for her to remove the sword from its place at his neck. Though on closer inspection of her face, his eyes went wide and a single name escaped his lips.
“Yua.” The name slipped out subconsciously. It couldn’t be the lover he once knew, for she died long ago. Except, this woman before him looked almost exactly like her besides the red hair and more warrior build.
“That is not my name.” Brigitte said, lowering her sword in slight confusion, but kept her guard.
He took a breath, figuring that wouldn’t go anywhere. “My name is Hanzo. Bandits attacked me on my way through the mountains. They left me here to die, but I patched up my wounds except the poison refuses to let them close. I have had little water or food for two days.”
Brigitte squinted at Hanzo. His accent was strange, and she had never heard it before, but he spoke her language near perfectly. Maybe he was just an unfortunate traveler. Though on hearing about his wounds, glanced down to his side that had a sickly green mixed with partial scabs. At least the part about being attacked by bandits was true. Luckily, she kept the antidote with her.
“I can help heal the poison, but no sudden moves, Hanzo.” Brigitte said, reached into her bag, still monitoring him. Then tossed a bottle, which he caught. “Rub it into the wound. It will burn but repair the infection.”
Hanzo stared between her and the vial, wondering if it was another trick, but he could sense her honesty, albeit caution filled honesty. “Thank you.”
Hanzo did as she instructed, and she was correct. The burning made him growl, his fang nearly going through his lip as he bit down to stifle it. Hanzo despised the state of his weakened body. Normally, something like this would have been nothing.
“Sit. You need it to settle. I can share some of my water and rations with you.” Brigitte said, grabbing yet more stuff from her travel pouch. She was still on the defensive, but the tension in her muscles calmed. Though her horse gave Hanzo a glare as if the creature suspected something.
“Why would you let your guard down even a little in front of a stranger?” Hanzo asked bluntly, trying to ignore the pain.
“Do not think that I have let my guard down. Besides that, poison renders its victims near useless the more they fight because it moves through the blood.” Brigitte said, placing some dried meat and a water skin near him. “I can at least speculate that you aren’t a bandit from around here, since they never use their own poisons on each other. They would rather just slice the betrayers open and leave them to bleed out. Plus, I’d like to think you wouldn’t just stab me in the back for saving your life.”
Hanzo squinted at this strange woman and grudgingly sat across from her as she stoked the fire to be strong again. They did not taint food since she ate from the same bunch she offered him, and there weren’t any weird smells besides spice. So he ate, but still stared at Brigitte. Why did she look so much like Yua? Even the attitude she gave reminded him of her. Though if one thing was correct, he would owe her a debt if she saved his life and could not harm her.
“Staring at me will change nothing.”
A small growl escaped his throat, and he stopped looking at her.
Several minutes passed by in silence between them.
Brigitte sighed. The awkwardness was getting too much for her. Maybe she could learn something from this man. “Where are you from? I’ve seen no one that had your features or your accent before.”
“A land very far from here, not one you would know of.”
Brigitte wondered why a foreigner would just randomly pass through these paths. The only thing on this part were the farms and mining towns. If he told the truth, this ‘Hanzo’ should have come from the eastern roads to the lands away from Alemania. Most traders from other nations never dared to chance the mountains and preferred the main roads.
It seemed Brigitte would not get much out of that, so she tried another angle to get any information. “Fine, then why are you out here on your own. Not only is it dangerous to travel these roads alone because of bandits, but there is a strange creature attacking and killing the people around here.”
Hanzo wanted to laugh. If only she knew she was speaking to the very creature she just mentioned. He knew of the rumors well enough. Except he had attacked no one besides the fools who hunted him down. Stupid humans and their rumors about things they never understand. “If you are going to warn me, shouldn’t you be following your own advice?”
“I am a knight and swore to protect the people. So I came to investigate and stop this beast if I must.” Brigitte said proudly, a serious look shown in her eyes.
He had to admit, the loyalty in her words was slightly admirable, but if unchecked would end in her death. “Even if it means could you die? Alone out here. For people that would forget you by the next season. Shouldn’t someone like you stay at home?”
Brigitte frowned at that, feeling like he said that just because she was a woman. “Sometimes you have to look in the face of death and do the right thing. No matter who you are. I can not stand idly while I might be able to do something.”
“You remind me of someone.”
“That Yua person?” Brigitte asked, struggling to repeat the name.
Hanzo nodded slightly. He didn’t trust her enough to divulge too much.
“By first light, I’ll take you down to the village just south of the mountain pass. Then you can see a proper physician. That ointment only stops the worst of the effects and will make you tired.” Brigitte stated, poking at the fire. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep watch.”
Looking at Brigitte, Hanzo felt sleepiness take hold as his body tried to take in whatever was in the stuff she gave. Lack of proper sleep as well did not help, so eventually darkness took him.
She stood up and made it so he wouldn’t rest in such an uncomfortable position. Whoever this man was, she’d help him, then go back to hunt for the creature. Though, she wondered how he was out here alone if such a brutal monster was out here, weakened prey usually would be the first thing it would hunt. Grabbing some linen, she wrapped his wound, not noticing the faint glint of scales on his skin.
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