mahaziver-nami-yasu-maturity-rite

"Hmm...." Nami looked down at the nightmare again, who seemed to have given up entirely. Well, until they met eyes. That glare was as fierce as ever, making her jump back a little. "Guys.... Do any of you know healing magic?" She wagged her tail. Even if they were initially unwilling to help their opponent (which she certainly couldn't fault them for!), her tail would certainly benefit from some.

Yasu look at Nami but shake her head. "No but we can use the spring to heal you and the nightmare and any wounds we got." She look at the Q'lin then look to Nami. "Maybe when i get home i study magic." she laughs.

Mahaziver looked at the nightmare. "Maybe if possible we can try reattaching the limb." Her ears slightly pulled back.

The nightmare growled under her breath, obviously as untrusting of Mahaziver as she was of her. "And what makes you think I'll accept your help? I actually know magic, and-" She tried to pull herself to her (remaining) feet, tottering a bit and collapsing again quickly.

"Cause you can't afford not to, silly! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Nami nudged her flank with a foot, looking up at Yasu. "We can study later! Maybe.. Studying is pretty boring in comparison to being out in the field like this, haha. Can you lift her and take her closer to the spring?" Another nudge, causing the nightmare to growl again in warning. "She's way too heavy for me."

Yasu laugh as she help the nightmare up. "Have you study at all?" She asked getting the nightmare to lean on her. She look over at Mahaziver and think. "hmm maybe with the spring help we could. That are powerful or that what i heard from others." Yasu smiled at the nightmare. "Some times you just got to let others help you if that are the ones that hurt you."(edited)

Mahaziver twitched her ears. "Spring or not this is my mess. Or mostly my mess."

"Sounds like a way to get hurt more to me." The nightmare huffed in annoyance, breathing hard and leaning up against Yasu more than she would have preferred. "And if you lot hurt me more, you'll never be allowed in here again."

Nami let out a little gasp, excited. "So you'll allow us to come back if we fix you up, then?"

"Urgh. I didn't say that-"

She was interrupted by Nami again, who giggled. "Oh hush, you couldn't hold us back if you tried. And you did! Look where it got you."

"....No sympathy, huh. I'm missing a fucking leg."

"Oh, I feel plenty bad!" She skipped a little, words sincere even if she seemed more cheery than sympathetic. She just didn't like being dragged down, that was all. "Maha... Meh.. M... Bleh, what a long and complicated name!" Sticking out her tongue, she gestured to Mahaziver. "She feels bad too, I'm sure! Right?" She gave the q'lin a nudge with one foot.

"I don't care. As long as you clean up the mess, we can put this all behind us."

"And become friends?"

"Absolutely not."

Yasu look over at Mahaziver. "And we will help you with this mess." She look at the leg. "If you can pick up the leg and come with me to the spring Mahaziver." She give the Q'lin a smile.

Mahaziver placed down her pearl and wrapped her tail around the leg to make her ability to walk easier. With a nod she followed the bantam dracus.

Nami scampered away from the group to roll Mahaziver's pearl over. It was important, after all! Even if she still didn't have a very good idea of what it did. It wasn't like she could help carry the nightmare over, she'd get squashed flat at worst and covered in blood at best. The pearl was huge compared to her, and heavy to boot. Geez, how did Mahaziver carry it around all the time? Magic, maybe. Maybe the pearl itself was magic! That would make sense. "Hey, hey!" She was nearly out of breath, doing her best to keep up. "Dos this thing help with you magic? What do you think would happen if I stuck it in the spring? Can I?"

The nightmare merely gave the others a resigned nod, tuning out Nami's chatter. Helping with the cleanup was the least they could do, and though she hadn't wanted them to stick around in the first place.... Maybe they were worthy. They hadn't held a grudge, after all. They were helping heal the damage they'd done. She was also glad that Mahaziver hadn't grabbed her detached leg with her mouth, but didn't say anything about it aloud. Her leg been damaged enough by those teeth already.

Yasu let out a chuckle at the sprite as she look over at her but then at the Q'lin but her eyes drift over at Nami. "Nami are we moving to fast for you?" she did not to over work the sprite and she was smaller then all of them.

Mahaziver looked at the sprite. "As far as I know it's just for show. I haven't used it for anything else but who knows. I only keep it around because one it's pure gold and two because it's the only gift my father gave me." In the mind of the q'lin she was impressed

"Nope!" She let out a grunt, shoving her shoulder against the pearl. It was nearly as big as she was. And solid gold? Well that explained a lot. "You guys keep going. Nnngfh."

"Don't overwork yourself," the nightmare muttered, leaning against Yasu even more heavily than before. Luckily the spring was close. But without magic soon, she'd soon pass out from blood loss, or worse. "You have a nasty wound too, don't forget that."

"Pssh!" Nami shrugged the warning off, wagging her tail to prove that it was perfectly fine. "Don't flatter yourself too much or we'll have to teach you another lesson. .......Ouch." Her tail went still as the pain settled in quickly. "Whatever! Let's just get this healing stuff or whatever done."

Yasu look at the nightmare but shake her head. "We all had a lesson to learn and no more will happen and no one will be getting hurt ok?" She look at the nightmare. "If you need to i can put you on my back and get to the spring faster?"

Mahaziver looked at the sprite. With little to no no words spoken she picked up the small one by her scruff and grabbed her pearl in one of her clawed hands. It was Smooth and strangely warm

The nightmare hissed, either in pain or reply to Yasu's offer it wasn't entirely clear. Just why the hell was she being so nice now? "No," she grunted stubbornly. The clearing wasn't that big, they'd be right upon it in a few seconds. Yes, it would be faster on Yasu's back.... But the time spent mounting and dismounting would make it pointless.

Nami let out a very undignified squeak as she was plucked up, it coming completely unexpected as all her attention was focused on moving the pearl. "Hey, who is that?!" She wriggled around a bit, then noticed the pearl and the familiar brown hand. Giving up with a huff, she eventually just curled her tail upwards so it didn't drag on the ground.

Yasu laugh a bit but friendly way as she look at the nightmare. She saw the springs and look at the nightmare. "Look i hope you understand that we came here to the spring only and then we where going to leave. We are not evil or rude and just want to drink from the springs and then go back home. There will be others who will come here to do that so we are not the only ones who will be coming." She look at the nightmare before stepping into the springs. She felt a tingle as she did.

Mahaziver looked at the nightmare and the dracus. She could feel the sprite in her mouth slowly relax. Mahaziver could hear the sounds of distance creatures and the incoherent mutterings of the damaged nightmare. With a slight feeling of deep regret and a deep fear that her already weak corruption would worsen as her travels with these two goes on.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever.." Her voice had grown much weaker than before, all the growling and yelling taking their toll on her throat. Without the spring she surely would have collapsed. She stepped forward, dipping her head to take a drink. That helped, but only a little.

Nami watched curiously, seeming to have forgotten that she was stuck in Mahaziver's mouth for the moment. She hadn't felt anything special in the spring, but then again she didn't really know any magic either. If she'd heard right, the nightmare actually did.

She beckoned Mahaziver over with a jerk of her head, not wanting to make the gesture with her scorpion tail lest it be misinterpreted as a threat. "Can't reattach my leg with you holding it all the way over there, now can I? Bring the sprite too."

Nami made an effort to run over, but only swung in the air. Those teeth sure had a firm grip! No wonder the nightmare had lost her leg so easily.

Yasu watch the nightmare and Nami as she then look over at Mahaziver and frown as she saw something deep in the Q'lin eyes.

Mahaziver slowly walked over to the nightmare with the leg. With little warning she placed down nami into the warmish water that seemed to pull at the legs of the q'lin. Mahaziver took more than enough steps closer twords the nightmare before handing over the limb. Her silence a clear sign in her eyes that she was deep in thought or something was very wrong

Neither Nami or the nightmare noticed, both focused on their own injuries.

The sprite pestered her about magic and healing as she performed it, interrupting any answers she actually got. "So where'd you learn magic? Can you teach me? Wait, no, that would be boring, wouldn't it.."

"I wouldn't have taught you anywa-"

"Woah!! Were you always this good at it?" She crouched down, tail wagging as tendons and muscle weaved back together, skin growing back over it. It was still easy to tell that something had happened to her leg, but she would be okay for now.

"Hush up for one second, would you?" The nightmare lifted her front hooves to squeeze Nami's mouth shut, feet easily dwarfing her tiny head. The sprite wriggled unhappily, but stopped as she began to feel that strange tingly feeling. It soothed the pain in her tail, smothering it until it was gone entirely. "There."

"Aw, now my tail fur is all ruined." Nami pouted.

"Be glad you still have a tail. Now then." The nightmare looked over at Yasu and Mahaziver, catching the strange look they shared. She didn't care. It was none of her business. "Do you two know magic? You got scraped up too, I'm sure. I can heal you if you're unable to yourselves."

Yasu snap out of it and look over at the nightmare. "Hmm would like that." she smiled as she walk over to the nightmare but look at Nami. She really like her new found sprite friend. She glance back at Mahaziver. "You ok?" She asked the Q'lin.

Mahaziver looked at the dracus and shook her head. She could barely hear them over the sound of a Unknown screaming in her head. It rung louder than any cry could and yet it hurt at the same time.

"Sorry can't understand. I'm just going to be over there" Mahaziver pointed to a area away from the water that was faintly lit up by small fireflies. Before her companions could even mutter a word she shoved the limb to Yasu and bolted for the area. She only wanted the pain to stop

The nightmare watched her go, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Geez.... Guess she still doesn't trust me?" If only was as simple as that. But whether the q'lin was crazy or not was of no concern to her. It was less healing work in the end, and one less intruder to worry about. Though they were something aside from intruders in her mind now, having proven their right to visit the spring. Yasu hadn't been injured too badly, so it went quickly. "Go find your friend now.. It's none of my business, but something doesn't seem right here."

Nami had left long before, running swiftly to catch up. What she lacked in stride she more than made up for with speed. "What are you doing?" she cried out. "You can't be scared of that dumb old nightmare, can you? C'mon! You really showed her who's boss, so why're you chickening out now?" She was blissfully unaware of any problems not immediately visible but cared deeply for her all the same.

Yasu nodded to the nightmare and ran after both but will Mahaziver. "Hey slow down." she call out to the Q'lin.

Mahaziver had to get out of the water. It burned deep into her flesh. It felt worse than stepping into a pit of pure fire. With a slight wimper of pain Mahaziver dropped the golden orb that was her pearl. Without its weight she promptly almost staggered out of the water. As of by some base idea she Lowered her head.

"Outch" was all Mahaziver managed before feeling small hooves practically jump onto her back

"Oomph!" Nami got a mouthful of mane fur as Mahaziver stopped faster than she'd expected. She hopped off of her as soon as she could reorient herself, jogging over to her front and trying to look into her eyes. Her own gaze was concerned. "Hey.. What's wrong? Are you actually hurt?" Her tail flicked back at forth nervously. "If you'd sit still I'm sure that the nightmare-" She squeaked in surprise as she found said nightmare's tail slapped across her mouth (though luckily she'd taken care to not put the stinger close enough to cause harm).

The nightmare had come out of the spring, carefully so as not to agitate her newly fixed leg. "I don't think that's quite the best idea." She looked at the q'lin carefully. "I get a strange feeling from you. No offense, you have more than proved yourself.... But I do not think you should step foot in my spring again."

"But that's not fair!" Nami looked at the both of them, and when she was ignored, looked up at Yasu. She felt betrayed on her friend's behalf, and was obviously looking for backup. "Don't you think so??"

Yasu look at Nami but sighed. "I have yo agree on the nightmare. Mahaziver are you sure your ok? if not you have to tell us so we can help you." she look at the Q'lin.

"Everything feels like fire." Mahaziver muttered best she could. Her body hurt all over and her mind was a incoherent mess of words and disembodied screams.

"Sorry about that... I'm.. well corrupted. It doesn't show but.. it's there."Mahaziver said between gasps of pain and groans of discomfort

The nightmare stiffened up, letting out a hiss that didn't sound all too friendly. "....I thought that might be the case. You should leave. Not only will this spring harm you.... I don't want to take the chance that you will harm it." Her tail curled up, stinger at the ready.

Nami seemed more confused than surprised, tilting her head. "What does that mean?" She looked at Yasu, as the nightmare seemed to be too focused on Mahaziver to be willing to give her an answer. "Is it bad? Is there anything we can do?"

Yasu look at the nightmare. "Ok ok we will leave." She look at Mahaziver. "Get on my back so you can rest and we would get moving."

Mahaziver looked at the nightmare weakly. A slight growl exited her mouth. It was weak but loud enough to be heard.

"I'm not going anywhere without my pearl. As for getting a ride I'm going to say no to that. I can get a little distance away before I need to stop again." Mahaziver could feel the corruption try to take hold of her just to get at that blasted nightmare once more. If it wasn't for sheer pain and the fear of harming yatsu and nami she would have probably lost control of herself once more

The nightmare let out a snort, turning to find the pearl so she could push it out. "I don't want your stupid pearl anyway. You're lucky that it hasn't tainted the spring on its own." Her stinger kept facing the q'lin though, as if she was guarding her back.

Nami looked between them, ears flattened in tension at seeing just how hostile the two had grown so quickly. She let out a small growl at the nightmare, wanted to defend her friends. "You can't make us leave! We already showed you that! But..." She turned to look at them, gaze softening somewhat. "If the others want to leave... Just let us go."

"Chasing you lot is of no interest to me. I just want to keep this spring pure." With one last shove, the pearl rolled over to Mahaziver. It was still wet with spring water. "Now leave. Surely you have nothing to gain from staying here."

Yasu sighed but dry off the pearl so it would not hurt the Q'lin. "You need to get rid of the corruption you have." She lower her head to her. "I worry you could hurt someone close to you."

"You have any idea how hard it is to remove it. I have tried once before but it hurt. This time it hurt worse than anything I have ever felt. As for hurting anyone there is a reason I hord treasures." Mahaziver sighed as she wrapped her tail around the Smooth surface of her pearl. It was almost soothing to the touch and it helped pull her back from the darkness of her m8nd

Nami gave the nightmare one last frustrated look, sticking out her tongue before wandering back over to her friends. "I still dunno what corruption really is.... But you seem to have a good handle on it! I mean, you haven't hurt me or Yasu, right?" She wagged her tail, as if trying to cheer Mahaziver up. "But we can go back home if you want. After all, you gotta check to be sure no one else has wandered in to get at your stuff! If they have, we'll get em!" She was actually quite worried, but thought that getting her mind off of things might be for the best. She always ignored her own troubles, after all.

"Home sound like good idea. You up for heading home?" She look at the Q'lin.

"Absolutely. To be fair I'm not as corrupted as some might think. I lost control of the corruption when I ripped of that leg. It only really takes hold in high stress environments or high anger. At that time I was both so it lashed out." Mahaziver said trying to act as calm as possible. How could she be calm when the corruption was digging its fangs once more into her mind. It was like a sickness that never let go

"Well I don't blame you for being stressed or angry, I was too!" She tilted her head, trying catch Mahaziver's gaze so she could look into her eyes. "But... You are feeling a little better now, right? Is there anything we can do to....I dunno, unstress you?" Was that even a word? Nami didn't really know, and cared even less.

Yasu nodded to what Nami said as she look at her. "So will you be wanting to leave soon or just rest?"

"Rest please." Mahaziver looked up at the bantam dracus them down to nami. Her large arms weakly moved twords the golden ord. It was cold and yet warm

"I'll keep watch then!" Nami didn't seem tired in the slightest. Whether it was because the forest had her on edge or the nightmare's rejuvenating magic had been put to work on her, it wasn't obvious. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll feel much better when you wake up.." With that said, she paced around the group protectively. Luckily. it seemed that they were close enough to the spring that things were a little calmer. Hopefully the return journey would be easier on them.

Yasu lay down but watch Nami as she let out a chuckle at her going around them. "Don't you want ot rest too?" she asked as she smiles but look over at Mahaziver.

Mahaziver smiled at her two very odd companions. "Sleep sounds like a dream right about now actually." Mahaziver pulled her pearl close to her and held it close to her chest. A low rumble escaped her throat as she got comfortable on the grass below her.

Nami pawed at the ground, prancing in place as she thought about it. She wasn't tired, no, but a little bit of rest certainly wouldn't hurt. But only a little. They had a long walk back after all, and her legs were by far the shortest. But she had to keep watch!! Nami compromised by laying down as well, but kept her head perked up to listen for anything unusual. If anything came by, she was determined her large ears would catch it first. It was the least she could do for her new friends.