Suprisingly enough the night passed without incident. Kael and Gerald walked through the woods together, it was early dawn but anyone could tell that the two had been at it for a while. They had to get out of the Despair as soon possible and since they could only travel during the day, they were determined to make use of every moment they could get.

The incident with the horse had shaken both of them up, but in a good way, they were vigilant and cautious. 

“Is there an animal near those bushes?” asked Gerald. 

“There is a serpent close enough, why do you ask?” 

“It may not be corrupted but its leaves have pain numbing properties. We should grab some.” 

Kael nodded immediately, his ribs were still sore from the dammed bird’s assault. Injuries meant death out here, pain would cost him valuable reaction time. Numbing his injuries might go so far as to save his life. Then there were his feet, the plant seemed like a godsend. 

“Well… point it out then” 

Kael indicated the rock the serpent was lazing underneath. Gerald gave him a nod and triggered his deviation. His pale blue pupils turning crimson red as the power of his deviation washed over him. He strode over to the snakes hiding place with a fair bit of confidence for someone who wasn’t sure he would live to see the next day and dangled his fingers in the serpent’s line of sight. The serpent took the bait, it struck for his arm with a burst of speed but Gerald was faster. He caught the snake by the head with the very fingers it attacked and crushed its skull between his palms. 

“Showoff!” Kael snorted. 

“I was faster you know, than the freaky kid I mean” Gerald said bending down to pluck some leaves

“I don't see how that matters anymore…” Kael wasn’t in the mood to listen to Gerald’s bragging 

“You don't get it, it scares me how easily he dodged the strike, it was like he saw it coming before I threw the punch” 

“Experience maybe” 

“Experience my ass, he was a kid… probably younger than both of us and don’t give me no shit about him being young in appearance or something, he wouldn’t have messed up by trying to take on both of us if he was experienced, he would have just done whatever it was he wanted to do whilst we were knocked out. He had crazy skillset and a crazier teacher, no doubt.” Gerald shivered. 

They were both quiet for a while then, Gerald focused on gathering leaves and Kael, he was left with his thoughts.

"The kid had a master, maybe not someone he served but an instructor and that name Crow. I know I have read it somewhere before, whoever they are they aren't light weights. In the end he was reckless and we got away. Thinking about it his whole was reckless, if he had failed to take the Demolition site he would have been left without a defensible base, open. He is definitely young, too much of a risk taker"

“Sit down on that rock over there and let me get your ribs for you, oh and do you want this?” Gerald asked holding up the dead snake. 

For a second Kael was taken back by the offer, Gerald wasn't a nice guy, he was the bully. 

'Do I even want Gerald applying some plant I don't know to my wounds? What am I even thinking? Gerald needs me and I him, until we get back to civilisation I need to trust him... a little'

Gerald was making 'let's hurry this up' motions now, Kael sat down and pulled off his grimy shirt so Gerald could get to work.

Gerald worked silently, chewing up leaves and smearing the resulting juice on Kael's wounds, it felt... good. Nice and cold. When Kael grabbed some leaves for his feet, Gerald grabbed them from him and took a look at Kael's feet himself. He let out a low whistle at the sight of them.

'It's not that bad!' Kael thought indignantly.

"Some jerk stole my favourite boots whilst we were imprisoned" Kael muttered, cross with the bastard for causing this and with himself for not asking for a pair during their hostage situation.

Gerald stopped working looked up at Kael's upset face and then burst into laughter. Before he knew it Kael was laughing too. It wasn't even that funny, yet Gerald almost choked on some of the juice in his mouth. It didn't take long to be done was and when it was there was still enough left for three maybe four uses, if no one got injured.

"The snake?"

Kael shook his head. It wasn’t a corrupted beast just an animal, he didn’t have the desire to drain blood with animals, just beasts and sometimes Gerald, only sometimes. 

The duo had been walking for almost fifteen minutes after the bush incident when Kael broke the silence. 

“We are being followed”

“Followed?” 

“By some large hairy thing” 

“Great! What do we do?” 

“I don’t think we can fight it, its stench alone has triggered more bloodlust from me than any other beast I have come across” 

“So?” 

“Remember how normal animals don’t trigger any bloodlust, well I figured it’s because of the lack of concentrated Despair found in beasts and if that’s right then the higher the concentration of Despair…” 

“The higher the bloodlust… oh, and you say it’s large” 

“Large enough, why?” 

“I think I might have a solution for that. Run!” 

Gerald burst forward with the full power of his deviation immediately after saying that, leaving Kael cursing behind him. A feral roar ripped through the air and Kael doubled his efforts. 

'You don’t have to run faster than the beast just faster than your companions- oh shut up mind!'

The beast was gaining on Kael and way too easily at that, he had never stood a chance but maybe somehow he could beat it. After all save the golem he had won every fight till now, with a sparrow and a rabbit, besides he wasn’t even sure if the beast was a match for the golem. 

Kael could feel the beast’s hot breath on his back, it was freaky the way he was aware of little things like that at time like this. The beast gave a throaty growl and leapt at him but he was expecting it, he rolled out of the way and managed to avoid getting maimed. Kael scrambled to his feet the moment he hit the ground, his movements were clumsy but he couldn’t care less. 

Kael finally had a clear view of the beast, it looked as if it couldn’t decide whether it was feline or reptilian. It held itself with the grace of a feline and had dusty brown fur with black spots to match but its head shape although covered in hair was strangely reptilian. That, the scales that marred its lips, its lizard like eyes and the blade like horn upon its head dispelled the big cat illusion that its structure and fur created.

Deviant and beast circled each other warily, the slow start to a traditional death dance.