God of Discovery [high fantasy, slow build, mlm]

Sky Mountain - part 8

D'Argen could not just leave Abbot and Yaling as they were. Who knew when they would wake from whatever had caused them both to pass out. D'Argen coughed from a dry throat and felt his gag reflex activate, trying to push something out. The mist around him was heavy enough to be felt on his skin and the sound of fighting faded away.

D'Argen patted Yaling's hand where he crouched over her then muttered another swear under his breath. Even though Yaling was unconscious and could not give consent, D'Argen reached for her neck. He felt disgusted with himself for touching such an intimate place, but he had to check. The moment his fingers touched skin, he reached for Yaling's mahee with his own. It was different than feeling it out from a distance with such an intimate touch. By reaching through her throat for her core, he could better tell if whatever damage she had was physical or on her mahee.

With the woman unconscious, the mahee naturally protected Yaling's body and fought him. That was a good sign. He pulled back before the touch became more intrusive. Yaling's mahee seemed to follow him for a moment, touching him in a tangle of a thousand twinkling instruments, then disengaged. He touched Yaling's forehead and used that to guide his lips down to kiss her softly there. He breathed out an apology for invading her mahee and reminded himself he would tell her one out loud as soon as she was awake.

She was fine. A few minor scratches and cuts on her body and her mahee churning. He was no expert in the healing arts so he could not find out what caused her to pass out but to him, it felt like she was asleep. He tried to rouse her with a gentle shake to her shoulders. Nothing happened. He snapped his fingers near her ear. Nothing. Finally, he touched her with his mahee. She was fine. Just... not waking up.

Without being able to see, there was nothing much D'Argen could do except shuffle across the snow and back to Abbot. Another muttered apology and he checked first that Abbot's body was breathing and then reached to feel the artist's mahee. It was moving much slower than Yaling's but that was normal with the oil scent that reminded him of a sweet meal.

A scream in the trees.

A yelp.

D'Argen stood up quickly and faced the direction of the yelp. He opened his mahee as wide as he could though it was slow. It was fighting him, like a tired muscle. It hurt. The scent of the ocean was faint and it mixed with the sweet undertone he had been scenting since he came to his companions.

He needed to get to the others as fast as possible.

Abbot and Yaling were safe.

They were.

Even if unconscious.

The shadow demon had... disappeared? Left? Started reforming into a new shape? D'Argen was not sure what exactly happened to those red eyes but he had yet to be attacked again.

There was a crunch of ice right beside him. D'Argen immediately shuffled away and slashed with his sword. It glided through nothing but air. He tried to look around him but still saw nothing but darkness. The scream that tore through the air this time sounded like it was right behind him. D'Argen got up quickly and rushed the sound. The dark grey smudge of a tree got in his way before anything else did and he ran right through it. His speed caused the tree to shatter completely and he slid to a stop into another one before all the pieces fell down.

He wanted to call out someone's name. Thar. Lilian. They were probably not too far. Fear kept him from making a sound until he stepped in crunching ice. He froze and waited. Nothing. He shuffled through snow and roots and rocks. Nothing.

"This way!" Lilian's voice was distant but loud. D'Argen already had his mahee opened so he quickly consumed it, releasing some of the pressure he felt from being so depleted.