The Mates of Dragons

Beyond Physical Pain

Zani landed on the large outcropping. Snow flurries were battering outside the mouth of the cave, but it wasn't bad yet, and he moved into it. He went as far as he could before he had to set Xerxes down and changed size becoming about the size of an average dog.

He sat there and stared at Xerxes, watching the hole in his chest close. When he was sure that he was going to come back, Zani bolted out of the cave and flew to the nearest human populated area. He landed, found two humans and picked them up on the fly. They gave a scream but it was easy enough to knock them out with a quick slam of their head against a wall as he flew by and took to the sky. The good thing about cities with horrible crime problems and living areas, was that no one looked up. They kept their gaze down and to themselves.

He was back to the cave within ten minutes of flying hard and fast. Zani could feel Xerxes hunger starting to grow. It was a ravenous thing now. He'd lost so much blood and would need this, or he'd start to fade. That was the price though heal amazingly well, but then you had only so much time to gain back what you lost. Zani dropped the humans in a heap on the platform area. Then grabbed one by the shirt with his teeth and dragged him over to where Xerxes was before getting the other.

'I will get more if you need it.' Xerxes's chest was raw and red and looked horribly bruised, like someone had taken a metal pipe to him and beat him with it until every bone in his body broke. It was hard to pull in a breath and more work to open his eyes so he left them closed. Xerxes could hear his bones cracking, like rice krispies, that ridiculous human cereal. The splinters were moving back into place and he had to grow several ribs back yet.

"It...hurts..." He tried.

'Don't talk out loud you idiot. You'll do more damage trying to draw in too much air.'

'Yes mom.' Xerxes said and regretted the feeling of laughing. The moment the bit of laughter hit him, pain racked his body and his back arced. He gave a sound of incredible pain. Zani crouched low and actually felt the pain in his own chest it was that bad. He made a slight whining sound, they were completely connected this way.

Xerxes sat there a moment not moving, not even breathing. When he did manage to finally take a breath he opened his eyes. They were very bright and more elongated like Zani's were. He made a grimace of pain and his teeth were sharper and longer than normal as well.

"I need one." He managed in a rush of breath and winced. He looked at the humans, they were still out, thank the creator. He couldn't deal with shouting right now. Or having to fight his prey.

Zani grabbed one by the arm and pulled him to Xerxes who just sat there for several more minutes before he could muster the will to move. He braced himself for the pain and even the slightest movement sent it through his body in a wave. He felt tears in his eyes at it, thick and wet. He knew that they had to be tears of blood that it was that bad. Human movies were wrong, being near immortal did not mean you did not feel pain.

'I can't, it hurts far to much. Just let me lay here.'

'If you don't, you could start to fade. It is the only time you grow weak and so does the bond.' Xerxes looked at Zani, he knew he was right and he wasn't ready to die yet. The thought of making himself move... He didn't even think he had enough strength at the moment to wake the man and make him do what he wanted. That would cost a lot of energy.

Xerxes moved and let himself slide against the wall and waited for the pain to subside. He was against the man's upper arm and he just needed the major vein that ran through his under arm. Zani already knew what he needed and used his snout to move the man's arm and Xerxes bit down pulling the rich blood into him.

However after a moment he tasted drugs, he ignored it and kept draining the man until he had to stop. The man's heart was laboring and he wasn't long to live now. He couldn't take the last drop killing him, it would make Xerxes mind snap. He didn't know what it was, but some kind of natural warning. He couldn't kill that way.