Spirits of the Earth

Looking out at the vastness around him Irah felt a sudden, overwhelming dread. For some reason he'd forgotten about the rain and was slowly becoming drenched through his thin cloak that wasn't made with volatile island weather in mind.

He began to think he'd really bitten off more than he could chew with his plan as he made his way into Jin'ta from the docks, but it was too late the turn back. His ship had literally sailed and he was not due to return home for weeks even if he was lucky and it returned on time to retrieve him.

The murky puddles along the path required some careful navigation on his part to not be soaked through his boots as well. It really sucked the charm out of his arrival, not even having a moment to appreciate the natural beauty of the rainforests just a little further inland he assumed he'd be spending his every waking moment within as soon as he was settled.

Irah hadn't planned ahead for a place to stay and found himself eagerly ducking into the first inn he found to get out of the rain so at least his bags wouldn't be soaked through or his papers damaged. The warmth inside was welcome and he shivered as it heated the ice in his veins. The rate seemed a little...high. For at least a night or two he would happily pay while he got his bearings, but in his opinion the place wasn't nice enough to command it.

It was homey, cozy and uncluttered, but it seemed just okay compared to some of the grand places of his travels. Perhaps the people of Thanatos were just like that, but time would tell.

Setting his things out to dry and changing into fresh clothes he soon realized that he didn't have quite as much to do as he'd thought he might so early on. The rain would pass, his belongings would dry, and then he would have seemingly endless time to explore.

He'd thought it might have been necessary to arrange for a guide or explore the city more to get his bearings, but the forest was right there like a siren's call for him and all of the rest seemed unimportant. It didn't seem like a difficult thing to navigate to, though getting through it was something he wasn't thinking of just yet, already caught up in all the unknown possibilities.

Before he could even really have a chance to waffle on a decision the young man was hurrying out the door as soon as the sound of heavy raindrops on the roof had stopped. Being out was important, and he didn't even stop to think about whether it was really safe or not to be doing so.

Rain. Perfect.

Akio hated rain with a burning passion. Rivers and ponds were different- water he could swim in was lovely. The kind that fell from the sky made him hiss and give rippling twitches of his hide with every step he took through the dripping foliage of his home.

Unfortunately there was no convenient shelter within reach, so he continued his trek through the trees, tail lashing as he padded on silent paws through the underbrush. Finally, blessedly, the rain began to let up.

The shifter gave a full-body sigh and shook the last of the droplets from his dense fur, ears flicking and mouth opening to taste the freshly cleaned air.

He suddenly paused and his head tilted to the side. Humans. He must have been heading closer to one of their settlements than he'd planned, senses damped by the rain. It had been a while since he'd been so near a village, and he couldn't deny his curiosity was piqued. A good hunter was usually well received, perhaps he could catch some bigger game and bring it into town to trade...

Suddenly a sound near the edges of the trees caught his attention. A low, instinctive growl bubbled up in his throat and he slunk through the shadowed trunks toward where they began to thin, then disappeared entirely. He kept himself back, hidden the in the foliage, and eyed this newcomer to his forest warily.

Oblivious to the fact that he was being watched rather closely by a predator, Irah hurried towards the treeline, trying to slip through the smaller plants that cluttered the underbrush. He wasn't having any success being graceful with it, though, leaves smacking against him and leaving his clothes damp with splashes of collected rainwater.

He didn't mind it much, though, ignoring the slight discomfort as he took a few deep breaths of fresh, jungle air. He could practically feel the earth and life around him and beneath his feet, the scent of so many unfamiliar things hanging heavy in the air.

It was overwhelming yet amazing all at once and Irah couldn't help but let out a small laugh, his eyes twinkling with joy as he turned this way and that. A silly grin was stuck to his face as he took in the sights and smells around him that he hoped to become more familiar with during his stay.

There was something distinctly animal as well that he just couldn't place among the greenery. He didn't let it bother him, though, didn't realize that that something animal was also something predator as he stepped deeper into the jungle, unaware of the potential dangers that might find him being away from the protection of civilization.

Akio suddenly froze. The clueless human wasn't alone- and neither was he. His nostrils flared and a growl rumbled in his throat as he watched the stranger. Stop, stop moving. Turn back, you're going to-.

With a squeal the wild boar he'd scented came charging out of the underbrush. The two-legger had entered his territory and now he was pissed.

Well fuck. Akio snarled and launched himself forward, intercepting the boar moments before it gored the human through. Claws and fangs sank into touch hide and the two animals went rolling over each other, tumbling over the foliage.

The shrill squeal of the boar had his blood running cold. Irah froze, eyes immediately trying to find the source of the sound through the brush. There was hardly any time to react, unfamiliar as he was with jungle life.

As soon as his eyes found the boar, though, it was already being wrestled to the ground by a large, striped cat. A tiger. He'd heard of their existence before but had never seen one in person. His eyes softened some as he observed the rather brutal display.

Oblivious to the danger he'd just been in, the mage stood still and silent to just observe the pair, afraid that movement might turn either or both upon him instead. He thought perhaps he'd stumbled upon a hunt and assumed the tiger would be on his way with his prey shortly if he just left them alone.

The boar was a hard fight- stupid or over-eager hunters lost life and limb to the creatures frequently.

But Akio was neither stupid nor over-eager. He wore the creature out, then went for his throat. The kill was quick and clean, the boar twitching slightly before it finally stilled.

The hunter growled and turned to face the human, tail twitching. He leaned back onto human legs and straightened up. He was suddenly glad that he'd bothered to purchase an enchanted sarong that stayed with him through his shifts, wrapped around his waist.

He huffed and folded his arms. "What kind of idiot are out?" he demanded, wiping some of the boar's blood from his chin.

Irah watched in silence, only wincing at the sound of the bite that caused the boar to still in death. He fully expected to remain where he was until the tiger carried off his kill until he was suddenly stumbling back in surprise at the transformation before his eyes.

Blinking rapidly and holding his hands out in front of himself for some semblance of protection he couldn't help but gawk at the stranger that was now before him in place of the giant cat that had been glowering at him. A conflicting mixture of emotions swirled within him but wonder and recognition quickly won out, his arms slowly lowering since the strange man posed no immediate threat to him.

The sharp contrast of his hair and markings of his face alone had sparked a recognition that calmed him from his initial panic, and as his eyes searched Akio to find even more of his cat-like features he could hardly suppress a giggle knowing that for a moment he'd actually been frightened.

"You're one of those shifting folk, aren't you?" he asked excitedly, Akio's insult completely going over his head. Reaching out to him Irah pointed at the tiger ears upon his head, only barely stopping himself from actually touching the stranger.

Akio flinched back from his finger, a growl starting to rise in his throat as he eyed the stranger warily. "I'm- what? Yes," he snapped, still glaring. "Who are you? What are you doing out here, stumbling around like a child?"

He was perturbed that his cutting tone hadn't seemed to affect the other man, putting perhaps a bit more venom than necessary into his tone now.

Irah's eyes widened at that, surprised that the stranger might have seen enough of his "exploring" at all to be calling it stumbling, but he eventually just shrugged and laughed.

"I was just looking around," he explained, gesturing around them as if that should have been obvious. "I'm Irah Fenech, a visitor from Serendipity. It's my first day here," he announced probably a little too proudly.

His eyes settled upon the boar again, though, and he made a face at the sight of it, sticking out his tongue in mock disgust. "I was just looking around since town is right there. Tell me is it, um... normal for the locals to slaughter the wildlife in this manner?" he wondered, not a drop of sarcasm in his voice as he studied the animal on the ground. "Poor beast."

He snorted and glanced at the boar. "Poor beast my ass," he grumbled. "That thing was going to kill you for trespassing on his territory."

He glanced up at Irah again. "The locals don't do anything of the kind," he growled. Well, it wasn't really a growl- it was just his voice, but it maintained that rumbling sound possessed by the cat. "They know better than to just go...looking around."

Another snort and he shook his head. "You'd better leave these trees, stranger, before some less friendly than me- or the boar- finds you."

The bite to the shifter's tone didn't faze him but it was a little annoying. Who was so sharp-tongued with a stranger? No pleasantries or courtesy politeness. It was a bit odd for him but he didn't put it past being the local norm. Or perhaps the tiger-man had just had a bad day.

"I appreciate the warning and you...dispatching the boar. I'm here with a purpose, though. Studying your local plant-life and such. And see, I can't exactly do that without staying," he chuckled, winking as though it should have been obvious.

"I'm a man of science and magic, I come in peace and I will bring no harm to your forests," he offered, as if that should have been enough to keep trouble away.

Also laughed. "No harm to the forest?" He shook his head. "Boy, it is the forests that will harm you. This is a wild place, and only those who know these trees will survive them for long."

He glanced at the boar. "Even then, it is not a guarantee."

Irah wrinkled his nose at the tiger-man's laughter and odd warning, a little annoyed at the idea that he was putting himself in some great danger simply by choosing to be where he was. It seemed quite ridiculous because any place could be dangerous given time.

"I'll be sticking close to town until I get my bearings, but I assure you I am well-versed with the ways of...nature. Thank you for your concern, though. It's nice to know there are good people around." He gestured at Akio with a wave of his hand before moving to step around the boar and continue his trek through the trees.

He slowed and then completely stopped as he caught sight of his tail, though, eyes flickering to study the stripes upon the man's back. "Huh. Those are quite stunning. Your markings, I mean. Are they...paint? Or natural?" he wondered aloud, hoping his curiosity would not been taken as an insult.

She shifted shook his head. "Foolish boy," he muttered, but madento grab the boar and move away, at least until Irah asked his question.

"What?" He frowned, looking over his shoulder. "Natural. Why do you care?"

Irah stared thoughtfully for a moment before offering a shrug and carefree smile, turning to head deeper into the trees again. "Just thought they looked nice, but I suppose there's no craftsman to compliment. Enjoy the boar!" he bid him, turning his head briefly to wave but not facing forward again quickly enough to avoid a fallen branch.

With his ankle caught in a vine from it it was a small miracle he managed to catch himself from falling flat on his face. Instead he braced awkwardly against the branch's tree, scrambling to pick himself up and be on his way as if nothing had happened at all.

Akio froze, staring at him in silence for a moment. Then he laughed, shaking his head and dropping the boar so he could move forward to disentangle the stranger's foot.

"Fool," he muttered under his breath, still chuckling. "Go back to your huts and villagers. Leave the trees be."

Irah winced at the sound of laughter, stumbling over the vine stuck coiled around his ankle and nearly falling again before he stopped struggling with it, realizing that Akio was coming to help him.

"Thank you. I swear that came out of nowhere," he huffed defensively, kicking his foot out to be sure it was entirely gone once he was finished. "I'm sure the people here are lovely but that would make my entire journey useless. I'm here for research. I assure you I'm well-versed in field safety, I can handle myself...I'll just have to make note of your aggressive attack-plants."

The shifter snorted and rolled his eyes. "Field safety is gonna be worth jack shit out here," he told Irah bluntly. "You can't even walk three feet without tripping over a vine, lad- how do you expect to manage to get anything done."

"I'll manage. I'm a fast learner," he said, tapping his temple with one finger, not really aware of the danger he was putting himself in.

"I've spent years studying plants in nature all over the world. This is just a normal day for me. A...rough start, admittedly, but a normal day," he insisted. "Besides, that was just a small accident, nothing to worry about. Haven't you ever tripped before?"

Another snort. "All over the world is one thing," he growled quietly. "You ever been to Thanatos before, boy?"

"Well, no. This is my first trip but I've read up on what to expect. You know, poisonous plants and the like. I've seen some poor sketches and I'd like to catalog my own," he explained, gesturing around them and not really realizing the shifter was warning him off for other reasons. "Find out how I can use them with my own concoctions and such."

Akio sat back and ran his hand through his hair. Sharp golden eyes swept over Irah and he shook his head.

"You're going to get yourself killed," he muttered, tail lashing in irritation. Then he huffed out a breath and got back to his feet. "Fine. Fine, see if I care." Slipping into Thanati, he muttered something about crazy, stubborn foreigners under his breath.

Irah winced at how obviously irritated the shifter was. Truly he didn't understand why given how honest he'd been, but he didn't have experience to understand that the stories of the dangers lurking among the islands were very real and still concerned him no matter his reason for visiting.

His eyes went wide and he just stared as Akio ranted in Thanati, truly understanding nothing of it himself but a little in awe of his first opportunity to hear the language spoken so fluidly.

"Look, I appreciate your...passion behind this but I really don't think I'll be in any danger. I'm always careful in new places. To be honest I've heard of some pretty frightening things about this place, but-" He gestured around them and shrugged, thinking it all seemed far too calm among the trees for him to fear for his life.

"I'd intended to hire a guide in the village, but I had to come see it for myself," he explained, breathing a tired sigh and feeling a little foolish since this man had such a strong opinion about what he was doing there. "Maybe that wouldn't be the worst idea anyway, get the lay of the land at least from someone who knows it."

He tilted his head slightly, eyeing Akio thoughtfully for a moment. "Could I interest you in the job? I'd pay well for the help."

"Yes, good. Hire a guard, that's an excellent idea-"

His voice choked off when the stranger offered him the job. "I- ah..." He floundered, searching for a reason not to accept that would be more valid than "I don't want to" or "I don't like talking to people."

...Nothing.

Well fuck.

"I...have to get this boar back," he sighed eventually, rubbing his hand down his face. "You're welcome to tag along if you like."

Irah beamed that his offer wasn't immediately rejected, nodding eagerly at the tiger shifter's counter-offer and hurrying to stand right beside him. "Of course I will! But...where is back?" he asked, suddenly a bit timid as he turned his head towards the village he'd come to, or at least he thought so not realizing he was turned around already and he was looking towards open water beyond the dense trees.

He lifted a hand to point out in the same direction. "The village? Or is there another one on this island?"

Akio snorted. He moved forward and took Irah's hand, directing him to point in the right direction. "The village," he confirmed. "There's plenty of settlements, but that one's closest."

He smiled sheepishly, flushing in embarrassment at being proven inexperienced on the island once again. "Right, that one. And what will we do with the boar?" he asked curiously. "Turn it over to the authorities? For attacking?"

Akio blinked at him.

"What crazy ass place are you from that a wild boar can even be turned over to authorities?" He shook his head and bent to grab the animal, hoisting it up with a grunt. "I'm going to sell it, you looney."

"Well it's evidence so I thought-" Irah shook his head, looking away in embarrassment. On such a wild island it probably didn't matter if a few boars were attacking people. It was wild jungle territory after all, not private land.

Shaking his head he stepped off in the correct direction Akio had directed him towards. "The sooner that's done the sooner you can help me... -what was your name?" he questioned hesitantly, realizing he'd never gotten it in the first place.

The shifted snorted and shouldered the boar almost too easily, a subtle hint at how powerful he was under the ornery attitude.

"Akio," he replied bluntly.

Irah paid no mind to his movement of the boar, completely oblivious to his strength as he instead fumbled to grasp his name. "Ack... Akio?" he stumbled through, incredulous and wrinkling his nose at it. "Akio what? Just...Akio? Is that a nickname? Do you have other names? A surname, perhaps? Family name?"

Another snort."Ah-kee-oh," he said slowly, as though talking to a child. "Just Akio." His frown deepened slightly.

He supposed he'd had a family name once. He didn't really see the point in laying claim to it though. "What's it to you, gaijin?" he muttered, quirking an eyebrow.

"Riiiight." Irah shook his head in disbelief, eyeing the shifter up and down like the lack of a surname was more unusual than the cat ears sprouting from his head. "Just never met anyone before with only one name. Seems a little odd. How do you differentiate yourself? You know, from the other Akios wandering about," he pressed, as if his obvious appearance wasn't good enough to do the job.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously? Why would I need to?" It wasn't like he was really in the more populated areas of the island often.

Shaking his head, he muttered, "You done with the questions? C'mon, I'll get you back to town, then you're on your own."

Irah frowned but continued to follow along, wary of fallen branches or snaking vines that might trip him. He wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer but this Akio was a strange man with some obviously strange quirks to him. It didn't feel smart to pressure that in unknown territory if he was content with his one name.

"You mean...we'll be on our way," he offered, not willing to accept that his offer of work to the shifter as his guide was being rejected just like that.

Akio sighed. Damn. He'd sort of hoped the foreigner would have let it go. "We'll see, gaijin. Don't get ahead of yourself," he muttered as he easily navigated the jungle floor. The trees were much further apart this close to civilization- this was like a pleasant stroll for him.

Minus the dead boar over his shoulder.

He said the word again. Irah glowered at him in his ignorance, uncertain what he was being called but certain it couldn't be anything pleasant. He remained quiet the rest of their short walk to the village but it felt like an eternity. Unused to navigating the jungle foliage in such heat the young nobleman was out of breath by the time they were out and had to stop, bracing his hands against his knees for a moment as he regained his composure.

"This place is beautiful but this is definitely going to take some getting used to," he groaned, wiping his forehead on his sleeve and looking to the sky in silent prayer for milder weather.

The tiger glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. "You doing alright there, pretty boy?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "It's still a bit of a hike from the trees into the village proper."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," he grunted, waving his hand dismissively and taking a last gulp of air before righting himself and hurrying to catch up.

"I can do this," he murmured, though more to keep his confidence up than convince Akio he could. "It's just very different."

The shifted snorted again. "What, not the cushy mainland you're used to?" he prodded, one eyebrow quirked.

"Well no," he started, narrowing his eyes a bit in displeasure that this islander seemed under the assumption he couldn't handle roughing it. "It's not like it's hard. It's just different," he balked, his tone far from one of certainty and confidence. "I can handle this."

Akio barked a laugh and muttered something under his breath in Thanati, shaking his head.

This mainlander wouldn't last two days without help.

"Different it is," he chuckled rather scathingly. "C'mon, keep up. I want to unload this boar as quick as I can." His tail flickered back and forth in a hint of irritation.

Irah grumbled under his breath that he was keeping up, but it amazed him to watch the shifter move with such ease while still being weighed down. "I'm here, just keep going," he panted.

He eyed every building and small hut with hope as they came closer to town, uncertain where exactly they were headed but knowing he was quite eager to get there so he could rest already-sore muscles and catch his breath.

The shifter slowed down a bit once they'd reached the outskirts of the small village. "You staying at the inn? Or you have friends or something who're willing to put up with you?"

"Willing to p-?!" Irah sputtered and huffed, startled at the sudden, underhanded insult though he was grateful and taking full advantage of the slightly milder pace.

"I'm stay at the inn, if that really matters," he mumbled, not really knowing how it was his business until a sudden idea struck him. "That is, unless you'd let me stay with you? You know, get a natural experience and all while I'm at it."

"What?!" Akio spun, nearly smacking his talkative companion with the boar. He frowned. "Is that some kind of joke?" Maybe a cultural miscommunication?

He snorted. "I was asking because if you were I can make sure you manage to get there without stepping your foot into a hornets' nest or something. It's on my way," he grumbled, not wanting to admit he'd started to feel a small sense of responsibility for this foreigner.

Irah flinched and ducked slightly to avoid the tusks of the boar nearly connecting with his cheek, eyes narrowed sharply at the shifter for being so careless with such a dangerous weapon, even if it was dead.

"Oh..." He pursed his lips slightly at that, not really liking the idea despite the small kindness expressed in it because if he was left alone how was he to have any guarantee he'd ever come back? The herbalist was still set on getting the shifter on board as his guide for the rest of this island at least.

"Thanks, but that's alright. You wouldn't come back for me and I still need your help," he reminded him matter-of-factly, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I'll just tag along. I promise I won't get into any more trouble if you let me. And you'll be paid well for it, I swear."

The shifter growled, spinning around again. "Come on then," he muttered.

Seemed he wasn't going to loose the foreigner any time soon.

Undeterred by his growling Irah relaxed that he wasn't being sent away already, unfolding his arms and letting them rest at his sides once more. A slow, triumphant smile curled his lips as he followed along after him again. He wasn't sure what it had been but he was certain he'd won over somehow. This time, at least.

"Right with you, just lead the way." He took the time at their slower pace to take in the sights of town a bit more, he hadn't really looked at anything when he'd first arrived so it was truly his first proper time seeing anything that wasn't through a blur of commotion and excitement.

"Hmph." Akio ducked his head slightly and snarled at the ground, ignoring the stares he earned as he walked through town. The villagers knew him, by sight at least, but they never seemed very comfortable around him.

At first Irah didn't even notice the way people quieted and just stared as they went by. He was too busy taking in the sights until he heard a mother abruptly and quite loudly shush her child further up the road, tugging their arm away from pointing at the tiger shifter. That seemed a little odd, he didn't think shifters were all that rare even on the islands.

Then he was noticing every wary sideways glance and the outright stares of some others who were either bold or didn't realize what they were doing. Which prompted him to reach out, tapping at Akio's arm as he whispered, "Why are they looking at you?"

The tiger had to bite back a snarl, jumping at the touch and shooting Irah a glare. "What, the ears and the tail aren't a good enough reason for you?" he grumbled, and hurried along a little faster.

Unfazed by his glaring Irah just shrugged and shook his head, eyes a little wide with interest as Akio certainly seemed to think it was reason enough. "Where I'm from it isn't all that unusual. All kinds of...magical folk on the mainland." He tried to hide how his breathing became a bit more labored as he hustled to keep up. "You walk like this is a race," he complained under his breath.

Ignoring the comment about the mainland, Akio muttered, "Quite your griping, you're not the one carrying the boar."

"It's not griping if it's true," he muttered petulantly, having no idea how he was even managing such a pace while carrying it. He knew it really wasn't his place to push but...he still did it anyway.

Akio huffed and ignored him, making his way to the butcher's shop. He shouldered the door open without much preamble and stalked inside.

"Oi, Kazuka. How much for the boar?" The animal thudded to the floor and the man behind the counter jumped.

"Ah..." His eyes flicked between the two men. "Who is your guest, Akio?"

So happy for a rest at last Irah stumbled in after the shifter and leaned one hand against the wall to get his breath, nevermind the underlying smell of old blood the shop carried. He perked up at the question, though, smirking in amusement that somehow between the tiger man, a dead boar and himself the herbalist had managed to receive the most attention in their short exchange. He supposed he probably looked a bit odd among Thanati even next to Akio.

He straightened up, bouncing forward to stand beside Akio, rocking on his heels slightly for his excitement and not thinking the question out of the ordinary at all. "Irah Fenech, sir, thank you for asking. I've come to do some research on your lovely islands and Akio here has graciously agreed to be my personal guide for the duration. I suppose you could say we're becoming fast friends," he teased, elbowing the shifter lightly.

Akio turned his head to glare at the smaller man. "Do you want me to bite you? Because I will bite you."

"Let me see the boar," the butcher interrupted, moving forward. He paced around the animal, considering.

"Eight silver?"

"Ten."

"Eight and seven coppers."

"Nine."

"Deal." They nodded to each other and Kazuka jerked his head at the animal. "Take it around back and I'll pay you."

Irah just made a face at him, very nearly sticking out his tongue like a child but resisting. Why biting? Why so violent? It seemed like something an animal would do to wrestle him into submission!

He watched the exchange with interest, making a show to step around the boar and crouch down beside it. "Let me help you," he offered, although he was a little more than sure that offer would be turned down flat.

The shifter snorted as he hefted the animal up again. "If you can, you're welcome to try."

He watched as the animal was hoisted up, looking it over to try to find something he could help with. He settled on a single leg, gingerly grasping it by the prickly fetlock to hold it slightly up and away from Akio's shoulder. "This should be fine," he murmured, stepping closer so he could follow him easily with his pathetic attempt at "helping."

A kitten. I've somehow adopted a kitten. Akio bit back a frustrated groan and muttered a few curses to himself in Thanati as he lugged the boar around to the back of the shop.

"Here." He dropped the animal without any preamble and rocked back on his heels, rubbing the back of his neck.

The tiger-man still didn't seem very happy, but Irah was beginning to think he was just like that and there was no pleasing him. Perhaps he would have an easier time in his company if he just accepted the surly attitude. But... No, there must be some way to get through to him. No one could be that moody at all times. Right?

"Good work," he praised with a smile, wiping his hands together and stepping back to look down at the boar as if he'd truly participated and was admiring their handiwork.

"What's my cut?" he teased with a sly smile, elbowing Akio after a pause and chuckling with a shake of his head. Couldn't have the grouch taking him too seriously, after all. "What do you normally do now? I don't want to interrupt your day too much, I did kind of just...spring this on you. I'll just be your shadow."

A growl rumbled in his throat and Akio almost snapped at his hand when he elbowed him.

"Just...keep quiet, will you?" he muttered finally, turning and starting off again. Maybe he could pawn the man off to someone else in town...

Keep quiet?! Irah frowned, following after the taller man but decidedly troubled. Now why would he want to do that? There was so much he wanted to see and discuss and their day had only just begun!

"Do you have a headache?" he finally guessed in a sing-song tone. "Is the sun hurting your eyes?" Or perhaps he was just dehydrated. It was so hot.

"No and no." He shot a glare over his shoulder. "Inima's sake, do you ever stop talking?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully, never having heard Inima spoken aloud though he knew of the Thanati goddess from his reading. So that was how it was pronounced!

"Of course I do!" He did have to sleep, after all. And his studies often took quite a lot of his concentration. Really this was the most he'd spoken to any one person in weeks but he was just bursting at the seams.

"You just seem rather...agitated, if you don't mind my saying," he pointed out with a shrug, unwilling to believe it had anything to do with himself at all. Was there some sort of taboo about speaking in public that he didn't know about?

"I am agitated," Akio growled. The coins he'd obtained from the butcher were burning a hole in his pocket- if he could stock up on some supplies, he wouldn't have to come back to town for a while, he could stay in the forests alone.

Irah sighed, lips tightening into a thoughtful line as he tried to figure out the obvious tension in the shifter beside him. He desperately wanted to ask him why but...he kept quiet, just waiting to see if the silence might let him relax. Instead he eyed the shops and their merchants with unspoken interest, curiosity bubbling within him for everything he didn't recognize from home.

Taking a roundabout path, Akio led him to the only inn in the small village, shouldering his way inside without much preamble. "Come on- find a seat or something," he grumbled over his shoulder.

Finally a building he recognized! He stepped inside after Akio, looking around with interest. He'd been in such a rush the day before he'd hardly seen what the place looked like under the cover of night.

Selecting a seat at a small table he settled himself down, folding his hands together atop it, tangling and untangling his fingers in anxious excitement as he looked around. "So why are we here?" he asked openly, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at him.

To get drunk enough that your yapping is less annoying. Akio managed to bite down on the comment and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"I'm getting a drink. Order what you want."

Irah furrowed his brow at the suggestion. Did that mean he was buying? What a kind gesture, he hadn't expected such a sense of hospitality from what he'd heard about the islanders before.

"I'll have whatever you're having, then. I prefer wine at home, but-" He shrugged, thinking the fact that he was unfamiliar with the offerings of his country was normal, though it was ironic that his favorite type of drink happened to be favored among Akio's people as well.

He eyed the middle-aged woman that approached them with interest, recognizing her as one of the innkeepers from the night before and sitting up a little straighter. She was looking at them...strangely, though, almost wary as her eyes darted between them with unspoken questions.

Not even looking at the woman, Akio leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed, eats pressed close to his skull in a combination of irritation and an attempt to block out all the noise.

"Sake. Two," he grumbled, barely cracking an eye.

The woman nodded with a mumbled, "Of course," before stepping away to prepare their drinks.

Irah watched her go but eyed Akio curiously once she'd disappeared. "You're doing that thing again," he pointed out, holding out a hand in gesture towards the ears upon his head. He seemed so tense. Was it really such a bother to be in town? He'd seemed so angry since they'd left the trees behind. Although...he'd seemed angry about his ineptitude out in the wilds, too.

Before he could ask anything else the woman returned, gently setting down two weird-looking pots and two laughably small cups before she stepped away from them without a word to watch from behind the safety of the inn's bar. He couldn't quite hide a chuckle of surprise. Was he meant to drink out of the larger one? Was the smaller one just decoration? The mage didn't really understand the customs or purpose surrounding the drink.

"What is all this?" he wondered aloud, pulling one of the taller pots closer to peer inside at the clear liquid within.

"Sake." Akio pulled the pot away from him to fill his cup. "Rice wine." He downed the cup in one gulp- not exactly polite, but he didn't really care- and arched an eyebrow as he refilled it. "What thing am I doing?"

"Oh." He watched with interest as the shifter drank before filling his own cup to drink it in cautious, tasting sips. Relieved to find that he liked it he poured another and gestured at the side of his own head in reference. "Your ears are back. You look...tense."

Irah wondered if his tail would be swishing, too, like an irritated cat, and leaned over to peek under the table.

The tail was easier to control than the ears, and Akio had managed to get it down to a twitching tip, foot tapping impatiently as he grumbled something in Thanati and downed his second cup.

"I'm not tense. I'm irritated."

Irah laughed softly at that as he righted himself, not really seeing a difference between the two but still puzzled. "Well why? It's a beautiful day, you're made some coin, and you've found a new friend!" He raised his cup in gesture with a grin. "And we're having this delicious...sake stuff." Considering the circumstances he thought things were going pretty swell!

"Sake," Akio corrected his pronounciation in annoyance. "And I think friend might be a stretch there, mainlander."

Irah pursed his lips slightly, his brow furrowing pointedly. He could see how Akio was dancing around his question, but he just shrugged and decided pressing him probably wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Why's that? We're having a drink together, aren't we?" Irah shrugged, smiling primly and sipping more at the drink once he got comfortable with the taste of it. "Seems pretty normal among friends."

The tiger glowered at him, but didn't bother to argue. He had a feeling it wouldn't haves from any difference anyway.

"Drink your booze," he muttered, flagging down the server with a gesture for another cup of sake.

Gods he needed the drink with this guy around.

The mage watched with interest as Akio ordered more. Was it normal to move onto the next so quickly? His instincts told him it was a drink to be savored with such small and delicate cups. So savor he did, sipping lightly and watching the shifter curiously over the rim of his own cup.

"Well what do you do with your friends, then? Drinking's pretty common where I'm from." Irah set his cup down gently, lightly tappping his fingers against the edge of the table with mild anxiety. It bothered him that Akio seemed upset about something when they'd only just arrived.

Akio grunted at him and downed his second cup. Damn, sake was not meant to be drunk like that, but he really couldn't have cared less.

"I don't have friends," he replied blandly. "I have associates. People who buy the game I hunt."

His answer gave him pause for a moment, eyes widening slightly in disbelief before they softened with a smile. He'd thought Akio's oddly "all business" demeanor was simply impatience to have the boar dealt with before. It was more obvious to him by his answer now that the tiger-man truly preferred to keep people at a distance. Perhaps he was just uncomfortable to be questioned so, but that didn't leave him any less curious.

"Well you've got one now!" Irah crowed, chuckling to himself and picking up his cup to sip at his drink again. "Do you not...live in town, then?"

"Well, aren't you observant," the shifter muttered sourly. "No. I don't." He tried to catch the attention of the server, who was studiously ignoring their table.

Wonderful.

"Look." He huffed and moved to stand. "I have work to do. You shouldn't head out into the jungles on your own anymore, you're going to get yourself killed."

Irah studied him for a moment, wide-eyed in surprise, but his expression quickly shifted to one of patient understanding. Setting his cup down at the table he hurried to stand as well, determined to keep close to this man he'd already made up in his mind to be his guard and guide during his stay.

"Noted. No going alone," he agreed with a firm nod, a small twinkle of hope in his eyes as he looked up at the shifter. "So when can we go back? Later today? Tomorrow morning?"

Akio stared at him, deadpan. Then he sighed and rubbed at his temples with an irritated groan. "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"

You know what, fuck it then. He'd at least get paid for the nuisance.

"We're leaving at first light," he said sharply, tossing a few coins onto the table to pay for the drinks. "Find a place to stay the night and meet me at the edge of town at dawn." He leveled his eyes at the foreigner, a low growl in his chest. "I don't work, cheap, mainlander. But I'll at least make sure you don't die."

He didn't see the problem with his persistence or how it might bother the shifter. It was working, right? That's what really mattered.

Irah nodded eagerly in agreement, choosing to ignore the obvious signs of irritation coming off him in waves. He was excited for the prospect of having someone to share his work with even if Akio was only around for his protection. "Wonderful! I'll certainly make it worth your time!" he chirped, swaying slightly as he stepped towards the door. He knew where his inn was at least, and he could stay well enough out of trouble there.

Still, the mage slept restlessly that night. Once again his proximity to the forests was making it difficult stay away and leave his curiosities unsatisfied.

Well before dawn he rose to ready himself for the day. Shuffling around in the darkness to gather his papers and journals into a small pack along with several empty jars he fully intended on filling with all manner of plant trimmings for his own studies. He filled a water skin from a barrel of rainwater on his way out to fumble around in the darkness, picking his way through to the thicker brush he'd met Akio among the previous day.

Without sunlight to peek through the trees he was blind as anything, fumbling around in a short patrol of the town's perimeter with only his hands to guide him and keep him from crashing into tree after tree. It didn't even cross his mind that he was putting himself through undo hassle and a tiger with superior night vision might have found him quite easily if he'd just sat still in one spot.

He was going to kill him.

That was it, that was just...it. He was going to kill this stupid mainlander and never look back. Gods above, what was he doing.

Man-eating tigers were typically just a folklore, but damn this boy was toeing the line.

Growling to himself, the feline shifter stalked silently through the underbrush until he was just behind Irah. A little vindictively, he settled himself in the shadows of the jungle, then let out a terrifying roar just behind his hopeless employer.

The mage was completely oblivious to the way he was being stalked, too focused on not tripping on anything ahead of him to focus on what might have been lurking behind him. The ear-piercing roar startled him, an undignified yelp escaping him as he jumped and turned quickly to face the sound and the tiger lurking in the shadows.

"Gods, was that really necessary?!" Irah demanded, voice shaky for the adrenaline rushing through him and a hand clutching at his chest for the wild hammering of his heart.

Well. At least he might get a little fun out of this.

Akio didn't bother responding- as much as he could in this form. He just huffed and stalked passed Irah, jerking his head to indicate the young man should follow him into the jungle. His tail flicked back and forth absently as he padded through the underbrush.

Irah jumped again once he caught sight of the tiger's movement through the brush, his eyes straining even to match motion to the sound. Blessedly the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon and cast a faint glow through the trees.

He followed after him as closely as he dared, not wanting such a large cat to turn on him if he tred on any toes or tail. He was uncertain where Akio was leading him but was thrilled that they were going anywhere at all. Even if he was leading him in circles he probably wouldn't have noticed, though.

Akio continued through the jungle, weaving down paths he'd been treading since he was a cub. He kept glancing back at Irah as he walked, a little worried that the klutzy mainlander might wind up on his face.

Where did this kid even want to go? Would he notice if he just dragged him all around the island without ever getting into any of the more dangerous terrain.

Once his nerves were settled Irah gradually began to fall behind from Akio as his eyes wandered more and more, eventually stopping altogether to crouch down and study a particularly fascinating blue flower with all manner of reddish-orange dots along its petals. He dug through his bag to retrieve a notebook, quickly sketching it before he plucked it from its stem to tuck between the pages so he could experiment with it later.

He repeated this process with each new flowering plant he came across, fully engrossed every time his eye caught on something he hadn't seen before and giving no thought to any of them being particularly dangerous for him to handle.

The shifter had to pause what felt like every few minutes for Irah to take his notes. He sighed, rolling his eyes the tenth time this happened. "Would you come on?" he growled. "We're burning daylight."

Irah froze at the sound of his voice, eyes flickering to the shifter as he crouched low to the ground clutching his notebook and another flower. “Well...isn’t that the point? There’s so much here I’ve never seen before, what’s the rush?”

[Whoops, sorry!! I meant to write that he changed back in my last post >.<]

---

"The rush is that you don't wanna be out here without a proper camp once night falls," Akio growled, flicking his tail in irritation. "Just move. You can look at the plants and shit in the morning."

He pursed his lips in thought, squinting at the shifter skeptically. He wanted to trust his guidance, but also wanted to be petulant. Establishing camp was not in his plans, but he supposed it was also necessary to do what he wanted eventually.

Irah sighed, finishing his log on the stem he was holding before tucking everything away back into his pack and jogging to catch up to Akio. "If we needed to make camp first we shouldn't have started so early," he complained, knowing full well it was probably a pointless argument. He tilted his head, eyeing everything he wanted to stop and look at forlornly as he forced himself to just keep walking and pass them by.

The shifted just huffed, rolled his eyes, and dropped forward onto four paws again. Tail twitching in irritation, he stalked away further down the familiar jungle paths, heading toward a grove he thought would be reasonably safe to set up some sort of base camp.

Irah startled slightly to see his transformation again, but it happened so fast he didn't even have time to study the intricacies of it. Trying not to distract himself and anger the tiger again he tried to stare straight forward instead of letting his eyes wander, though he had no idea where they were going or that Akio was even following any particular trail he was accustomed to.

He watched his tail moving erratically, frowning for how it didn't just sway in time with his natural cadence. "You're doing it again," he muttered under his breath.

Akio growled and glanced back over his shoulder, ears flicking. He couldn't speak, but the gesture seemed clear enough: Doing what?

He rolled his eyes for the growling but the pointed stare was enough to get across to him. Walking a little faster to get close enough to gently take hold of the end of his tail he grumbled, "You're batting it all over the place again."

The tiger yowled and leaped away, quickly taking human form. Panting slightly, Akio spun and glared at Irah, wrapping his tail instinctively around his own leg.

"Don't...do...that," he hissed, eyes very wide.

The mage jumped and released him quickly, worried he might have injured him the way he'd reacted. "Sorry... I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No!" He snarled, defensive and offended all at once. "You just-- that was-- you surprised me!" he snapped eventually.

His cheeks were very red, making the black markings of his face stand out starkly against the flush. A shiver still tingled at the base of his spine, making him want to whip his tail-- though he managed to quell the impulse.

"Surprised you," he repeated, studying the agitated tiger curiously. He certainly noticed the change of color to his face, though he half-wondered if it was bubbling rage more than anything. Still, that thought didn't keep him from pushing the shifter further. "I scared you, didn't I?"

"No!"

And that was true, actually. He hadn't been scared. Surprised and annoyed, certainly, but not scared.

It was the...other reaction that had him so livid. The tingle that raced up his spine and had refused to go away, the color in his cheeks that had yet to die down.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Even though he denied it so fiercely Irah just shook his head with a smile, glancing down at the way his tail stayed coiled around his leg so defensively. "You just look so...flustered," he pointed out, eyes settling on the intense color along his cheeks again.

"Can I just check you over quickly? Maybe I pulled something out of alignment...you look a little dazed," he pointed out, stepping closer to crouch down next to him and fully intending on helping if it was something minor his magic could heal.

"No!" Akio backed away so quickly he almost tripped over his own feet. "No no no no no no no. No. No no. No...looking over. I'm fine. It's fine. Just-- no," he stammered quickly, eyes narrowing.

Irah eyed the shifter curiously, hands poised in front of himself suddenly framing nothing as he'd backed away again. "Alright... Tell me if it's hurting later, though? I can help, no need to suffer it."

He picked himself up with a huff, smoothing out his hair and stepping out to follow Akio anyway. "Shall we keep moving? Find a place to camp?"

"Yeah. Sure. Okay." Still desperately trying to figure out just what the hell was going on with him, Akio didn't even bother to shift back to his cat form as he started walking again. "There should be a good place up ahead, it's not that far."

"Good!" Irah chirped, hurrying to keep up with the tall shifter. "You know, it's probably the smart thing to do anyway. The inn here is charging me a small fortune to stay," he scoffed lightly. "I do like my comforts as well as the next man but I'm going to be out here most of the time anyway. It's sensible."

Of course he did.

Akio bit back a sigh and rolled his eyes heavenward. “Right. Well, I guess I’m cheaper than an inn,” he muttered, not really thinking about what he was saying.

The mage paused at that, blinking and then shaking his head after a moment of thought. "They were practically robbing me, but I'll pay you well for your help with all this. Much more worthwhile."

"Yeah, okay." He huffed, and added churlishly, "You'd better."

He snorted, chuckling softly in amusement at the implication hanging in the air with that. "You don't trust that I will?"

Akio just gave him a dry look, then turned and continued walking.

Plenty of people had tried to cheat him out of hard earned pay. This pretty boy wouldn't be the first.

While Irah wasn't fazed by the look Akio gave him for that his lack of words was answer enough for him. "Ah," he'd breathed, immediately slipping his bag down off his shoulder to rummage through it.

Retrieving his coin purse he dug through to pluck a few shining pieces from the pile and hold them to the shifter palm-down. "For yesterday," he insisted with a small smile.

He paused, glanced back, and scowled. "No, keep it." He shook his head— but there was just the tiniest hint of a new softness to his eyes. "You hadn't hired me yesterday. I'm not gonna take money I didn't earn."

"You did save my life," he reminded him with a small shrug, though the shifter had been able to sell the beast that had attempted to gore him. Perhaps they were whole with that.

He slipped the coins back into his bag without a fuss. No sense pushing the issue if he didn't want it yet, but Irah was determined to be decent enough while Akio would be helping him.

"Can you make fire and all that, too? I'm not particularly...good with it," he admitted, not entirely incapable but also not wanting to risk the tiger's wrath if he managed to burn down the whole forest.

The shifter groaned and rolled his eyes heavily. "Yes I can make a fire. Is there anything you can do?" he snipped peevishly, glowering back over his shoulder.

He snorted lightly at the question, shaking his head mildly. "Yes, of course. I can do many things I'm just not particularly good with most of them," Irah explained with a short huff. "Much better with...plants and such. An herbalist and mage...but that is why I'm here anyway, to learn what I can."

"What, can't you just magic up a fire then?" Akio retorted, evidently unconcerned with what the consequences of using elemental magic in Thanatos might be-- even if he was a foreigner.

"Seriously, how did you expect to survive this trip if you can't even set up a decent camp on your own?"

Irah pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at the tiger, shaking his head for his questions. "It's not that I can't I'm just...not the best with these things. There's a difference between completely helpless and uncomfortable, you know. I could survive just fine on my own."

He sighed and glowered at the back of his head. It wasn't his fault he was so ignorant, Irah just had to remember that. "Besides... I'm not good with that sort of magic," he offered with a shrug.

"Yeah, I'm sure. That's why I had to save your life yesterday," Akio grumbled.

Before Irah could respond, he suddenly drew up short. "Here. This is as good a spot as any." He gestured to the small gap in the trees ahead of them. "If you've got your own supplies, start setting up. I'll gather some firewood."

The mage leaned to look around him at the unassuming little clearing just ahead, frowning at his orders and sighing as he nudged his bag off his shoulder. Of course he had no supplies, but he would not suffer a night out in the forests without cover or a soft bed of leaves.

Wandering a little ways off Irah gathered an armload of fronds from the nearby foliage, settling himself down on the ground to neatly knit them together with a little of his magic flowing out through his fingers in a green glow.

Almost despite himself, Akio watched curiously as the mage set about weaving his bed mat.

"What exactly can you do?" he asked gruffly after a few moments. "With magic, I mean."

Irah glanced up from his work, holding it up slightly to show him as the petals kept knitting themselves together automatically. "Things like this, manipulate the plants a little, but- I mostly use it to enhance my medicines, make them stronger... and I work as a healer as well for more serious conditions. It takes a lot out of me, though, I prefer to give slower treatments when I can," he offered in explanation.

"Hm." Akio watched a moment longer, then sighed and got to his feet, crossing to stand just over Irah. "Here." He reached up over their heads and pulled a few thicker fronts down from the trees around them. "Use these. The stalks are stronger, and the leaves are softer."

He'd set his work back down on his lap, completely unfazed by the shifter looming over him. The light snapping of stems got his attention, tilting his head back some to watch what he was doing, perhaps being stubborn and getting his own things ready instead of letting him help... Irah was surprised when the shifter offered them to him instead, mouth curving up at one side in a little half-smile for his explanation.

"Thanks...I'll use these for bedding, then," he agreed, taking them and weaving a little of his magic through the fibers. Once he was done he had a decent bed made up across the ground and was up and trying to secure the larger leaves overhead for some cover for when it might next rain in the jungle.

He just grunted and nodded, then made his way back to the other side of the small clearing, taking tiger form as he did so. With a low rumble, he paced in a small circle, then curled up with his tail over his nose, eyes narrowed to slits.

Irah watched the tiger out of the corner of his eye as he finished up, stepping back from his little shelter once he was satisfied with it.

"I'll be back later, I guess. Still a bit of daylight left," he offered with a little wave to the resting feline. Turning away to head back further into the trees he scooped up his bag off the ground and pulled out his notebook to continue his work.

Whoa whoa whoa.

Hold on.

With a growl Akio surged to his paws, stalking after the mage. What is wrong with this guy? Did he actually have a death wish?!

The low sound made the ground beneath his feet tremble, but Irah only glanced back at him briefly with a blank look as he was followed.

"Doesn't even trust me to find my way back," he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment but continuing onward until he'd found something new to take a sample of.

Akio didn't feel the need to dignify that with a response. He just continued to follow the mage at a safe distance, eyes and ears alert and watchful for any sign of danger in the ever-darkening jungle.

Irah had intended on turning back well before dark. He really wanted to prove Akio wrong, but- He kept finding new things to add to his little journal and before he knew it the ground was covered with far more shadow than light.

Cursing under his breath he grabbed up what he could to finish making his notes at their camp by firelight and turned to find his way back, shoving through the underbrush and determined not to fall on his face anymore. He did stumble a few times, but the mage managed to return unscathed just as the last bit of sunlight was dipping under the horizon.

"See? That wasn't so bad."

The tiger fixed him with the drollest look he could muster in this form and growled. Thoroughly annoyed, he stalked forward and shoved his head into Irah's hip, more or less herding the other man toward his makeshift bed.

"Ouch!" Irah muttered, stumbling forward a bit for the unexpected headbutt. Akio was persistent, though, and he kept moving until he'd plopped down onto his little bed of the large leaves the tiger had brought him before.

"Gods, you're strong. So stubborn," he muttered, shaking his head but reaching out to him anyway to scratch at his neck in an absent attempt at soothing the annoyed cat. "I made it, didn't I?"

Akio tried to growl, but what came out was a purr. He froze, startled by the sound, and reeled back from Irah's scratching fingers.

Without thinking he'd shifted, lunging forward to pin the other man down with his wrists above his head, glaring at him. "Stop. Touching. Me."

Irah had snorted a short bark of laughter at the uncharacteristically gentle sound, shaking his head in amusement for only a moment before he was suddenly flattened onto his back. A pained grunt escaped him, eyes going wide for a moment in disbelief before narrowing to glare up at the tiger shifter. Gods, he was jumpy.

"Yeah, okay," Irah muttered, pulling at his wrists with a scowl and trying to ignore the heat blooming at his cheeks. "Get off me, then. Jumpy cat... You started it anyway," he grumbled petulantly.

Akio growled again, pressing his weight down on Irah fro a moment— then he was gone, on his feet and panting just slightly. “Just...go the fuck to sleep,” he snapped, turning to stalk off with a twitching tail and flattened ears.

What the hell was that about?! Being around this foreigner was slowly driving him crazy, it was official now. He didn’t even seem to have full control of himself half the time around the mage.

He sat up on his elbows to watch him go, frowning thoughtfully for the way his tail twitched about and his ears were flattened like a cornered animal ready to lash out. The mage just shook his head with a ragged sigh and sat up to collect his notebook and scoop up the battered stems that had been knocked from it. Irah was certainly a little shaken but...it wasn't by fear at all. Why was that?

Instead of sleeping as Akio commanded he squinted at his writings by what little moonlight filtered through the canopy, trying to place everything in his living journal back together again and pair the right plants with the right pages. As the moon shifted in the sky to shut him into a near total darkness he just tossed everything down beside himself with a grumble of frustration, cursing the tiger under his breath for never starting the damn fire.

Irah curled himself into a ball on his mat, huffing quietly and doing his best to relax even though he laid there wide awake just listening to the sounds of the forest night around him.

Akio didn't sleep much, though it wasn't obvious. He'd shifted back to his feline form and curled up at the edge of the clearing, eyes open just to the tiniest slits and ears perked as he listened to the jungle, wary of danger.

There didn't seem to be anything amiss, but still he couldn't sleep. He did his best to fake it though, sighed softly and burying his nose in his front paws as the moon crept her way across the sky above them.

It was late when he'd finally managed to get to sleep, the sun beginning to peek over the horizon only an hour or two after. The light of morning spilling through the trees didn't rouse him nor did the first calls of birds and monkeys in the branches above. His body was completely still save the gentle rise and fall of his chest, his head resting at an uncomfortable angle against his shoulder for a makeshift pillow.

The shifter had been up since sunrise, pacing the outskirts of their little camp, scent marking in an effort to keep any "problems" away from the area.

He waited almost an hour, but when the mage didn't seem to be stirring he huffed and padded over to him, jabbing a paw into his shoulder with a low growl in an effort to wake him.

It was the sound of his growl more than anything that woke him. Irah groaned moodily for being disturbed, it was far too early to be getting up with all his missed rest.

He tilted his head groggily to open his eyes to slits and glare up at the tiger standing over him. His whole body ached and his mind was painfully cloudy as he swatted lightly at Akio's paw. "Not yet," he grumbled in complaint.

Akio rolled his eyes, sat back, and swiped a massive paw at the scholar's head-- claws sheathed, of course, but it was still a rather stiff blow.

The dull thump against his head caused the mage to flinch, hissing softly as he curled further in on himself and raised a hand to probe at the spot gently even though it hadn't hurt at all. With a grumble Irah rolled to his back, pinching at the bridge of his nose for a moment before his eyes opened further and he scowled up at the shifter. "You ever heard of a slow morning? What's the hurry?"

Tiger shifted to man and Akio glared down at him, ears pinned back. "Welcome to the jungle. If you want a slow morning, you get eaten. Now get moving." He stood, tail twitching. "You wanted more time yesterday, right? Well then quit burning daylight."

Irah could only roll his eyes at that, not at all taking him seriously. He was there for his protection after all, wasn't he? At least by necessity.

"Not like you'd let us get eaten," he pointed out, sitting himself up with a yawn and taking note of the agitated twitching and tense pinning of his ears again. It was barely morning, what was he so upset about?

He quelled the urge to reach out and smooth his fur and instead bustled about collecting his supplies for the day again, most of which were impractical to his survival. "Is there a river nearby? Or a spring? I need water," he complained mildly, tapping at his empty waterskins with disappointment.

Akio bit down another growl of irritation and rubbed at his shoulder. "Yeah. It's this way, follow me." He started walking, then paused and glanced back at Irah with a glare. "And stay close."

His features softened with relief that he knew of something nearby, nodding eagerly in agreement as he grabbed the rest of his things and hurried to stand. Akio's sharp reminder only had him rolling his eyes once the shifter couldn't see him, though. "It would be easier to if you didn't walk so fast," Irah mumbled quietly. The mage did his best anyway to stay near him, though he lagged several paces behind as he struggled to navigate the still-unfamiliar jungle.

The shifted throttled the air in front of him, but managed to resist the urge to growl. "I swear, I am five seconds away from picking you up and hauling you around like a sack of rice if that'll stop your bitching," he grumbled.

Well. Almost resisted.

Irah lifted his eyes to burn an unamused glare into the back of Akio's head. Gods, this man was so impatient!

"I'm not bitching, I'm pointing out the impracticality of what you're asking for. It's all rush, rush, rush with you! Run, run, run! How am I to get anything done like that? I need to learn everything I can and you can't rush science, this may well be a matter of life or death for some poor soul one day! And I'll be damned if I can't help them because a grumpy tiger couldn't stand being a little patient while I try not to fall on my ass again!" he spewed passionately, his cheeks red and puffing out with an indignant huff.

Alright then.

With a huff, Akio stopped, then abruptly turned and grabbed Irah around the waist, tossing him over his shoulder. "Alright, now you can't wander off, and you don't fall on your ass. Everyone wins," he muttered as he started walking again.

Irah could do nothing but gape his mouth like a fish, completely stunned that the shifter would have the audacity to actually pick him up. He grunted his displeasure, scowling at Akio's shoulder and gently thumping a fist against him as if that alone might convince him as he struggled to find words.

"...This is completely unnecessary and undignified, I can walk just fine. I am not a child, put me down," he muttered, pouting as he twisted as best he could to look at him, though it still left him staring at his hair and ears. Which he very much wanted to tug on.

For the first time in what felt like days, Akio actually smiled. "Judging by your track record, I'd say just fine is being a bit generous, don't you think?" he commented blithely as he picked his way through the underbrush.

"Well I'm not incapable," he sighed defensively, getting the feeling that nothing he could say would really help his case anyway. "I'm just...slower. Can you really fault me for that? I'm not practiced like you."

He supposed his overall safety was a concern, but he also thought the shifter was a touch overreactive whenever things went against his expectations. "Would it actually kill you to be a little patient?" he muttered.

"It might," the shifted replied, apparently in all seriousness. "If I waited for you to finish stumbling your way through the jungle, we might get jumped by another boar or something.

Irah rolled his eyes at that, thankful the shifter couldn't see his face. "And how would that be a bad thing? I'm sure you could take another down, hm? Live bait and free kills for you to sell. Seems like a fine business opportunity. You'd be selling the butcher boars for weeks at least."

Akio didn't bother to answer, as they'd reached the stream he'd been looking for. Without further ceremony, he turned and dumped Irah into the water, then stepped back, out of grabbing range.

"There. Get your bath, and we can get moving."

The sensation of falling didn't alarm him in the least, but the stinging clap of water against his back drew a startled hiss from the mage.

Luckily he was able to keep his pack from being soaked, tossing it to the bank with an exasperated growl as he glared up at Akio. Clothes, coin, and trinkets could all be dried but he'd dumped him in the water clearly without any regard for his precious notes and the samples he'd been gathering.

"I didn't want a bath I wanted a drink," the mage spat at him, muttering irritated curses under his breath as he stared down at himself with his half-soaked clothes. Might as well while he was there, at least.

Irah exhaled a heavy sigh and stripped the clingy fabric from his body, tossing the sopping pile at Akio with a huff though it fell short and rolled to rest beside his pack instead. He wasn't ashamed of his nudity at all but he scrubbed at himself aggressively nonetheless, not at all taking the time to enjoy the warm embrace of the water that flowed around him as he otherwise would have. At least his hair was mostly spared, the ends only a bit damp as he swept it all over one shoulder.

Once he was done he waded closer to the bank, reaching out to rifle through his bag for the water skins. He raised them up towards Akio with an arched brow, shaking his head with another sigh as he turned to refill them from the stream.

The shifted shrugged and settled himself beside the bank, looking at his claws absentmindedly. "Drink, bath, whatever. It's all water--"

He glanced up, and his voice choked off in a rather ungainly squeak. Ducking his eyes again and furiously ignoring the heat in his cheeks. He spared the scholar a grunt when the water skins were hefted in his directions, but didn't risk looking at him again.

Wow, this was a spectacularly bad idea.

Oblivious to the shifter's predicament Irah bowed his head to drink from the stream once he was done filling the skins.  Despite his earlier protests he was at least feeling better for being clean.

Wading his way to the shallows he climbed up onto dry land to stand near his pack, uncaring for the way water sluiced off his body to a puddle around him while he tucked the skins away. Picking up his soaked pile of clothes he narrowed his eyes and tsked softly under his breath, shaking his head. He casually lifted one hand, calling down a bursting torrent of wind from the sky to quickly dry himself and the fabric in the humid jungle air.

Only once they seemed relatively the same as before -if a bit damp- did he dress himself again and cast a sidelong look at Akio. "Do you need a bath before we go?"

Akio had been very studiously staring at his feet as he waited for Irah to finish, and once the other man was dressed he shot to his feet, shifted into tiger form, and jumped into the water without a word.

Gods, what as wrong with him?

Irah eyed the tiger with a curiously arched brow, shaking his head with a smile for his silence as he watched him take to the water with such feline grace. Ah well, he hadn't been the talkative sort for most of their time together anyway.

The mage settled himself to sit cross-legged close to the bank, hauling his bag closer to check one more time that its content were dry and mostly unharmed from being tossed about. Closing it up, though, he set it aside and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Loosely folding his hands he rested his chin on top of them, quietly observing Akio out in the water.

The shifter enjoyed his little bath-turned-swim, taking a bit more time than perhaps he would have normally to cool his head.

It's just a job. Just for a week or so, you can manage that. Maybe if he repeated it enough, it would be true.

A soft sound caught his attention, ears swiveling toward the bank where Irah was lounging back. A flash of color caught his attention and he stiffened.

Then he was human, frozen in the water as he stared the serpent down. "Irah. Don't move. Stay very still, do you hear me?"

With the way the tiger seemed to be taking his leisure Irah had leaned over to lie down instead, using his bag as a pillow while he stared up at the canopy above. He was at peace just taking in the sounds around them from the close, bubbling flow of water to the more distant, unfamiliar calls of the island's fauna hidden from view.

Akio speaking out to warn him brought him back to present space and time, his use of his name so startling he wasn't registering the seriousness of the situation right away and partially misheard him at that. Oblivious to the lurking serpent he turned his head to look out at the shifter with a questioning stare. "Oookay. I'm staying here," he called to him, rolling his eyes as he jerked sharply to turn onto his side instead and patted the ground beside him.

Damnit!

The snake reared back and Akio exploded forward, aiming to grab for its head. He didn't have time though, not even his reflexes were that good.

The most he could manage was shoving his shoulder into Irah's, knocking him out of the way as the animal struck, fangs lodging deep into his calf. A yowl tore out of his through and one leg buckled, but he managed to twist and grab the snake just behind its head, yanking its fangs from his flesh and tossing it as far into the trees as he could manage.

Blood and venom sprayed in an arc behind it.

"Idiot," he hissed, trying to turn and glare at Irah-- but his vision was going a little fuzzy, and suddenly his other leg wasn't holding up so well. He shivered, then sank to his knees.

Irah's eyes widened slightly for the way the shifter was suddenly rushing him, having no idea what was going on until he caught the flash of movement from the striking snake out of the corner of his eye. By then it was too late for him to run but still he was scrambling to his feet when Akio managed to knock him out of the way. Gods, why was he such a magnet for trouble?!

Akio's cry of pain sprung him into action, righting himself with a wince as he watched the snake fly through the air. His heart was pounding with a delayed adrenaline rush, but at least it had a purpose as he watched the shifter buckle before him. The mage stumbled forward, rushing into action and setting his hands at his shoulders to nervously glide over his torso, but- There was no blood or bite there.

"Akio," he muttered worriedly, tilting his head to study him. He finally caught sight of the blood running from the wound at his leg, face falling for the way it was already changing to a rather angry color while the torn flesh was weeping rather spectacularly. He didn't hesitate at all, gently nudging the larger man to lie down.

"I didn't see it, I'm sorry... Thank you," he sighed, shaking his head as he moved down to study the bite without touching it. Gods, it looked painful. He'd spared Irah from being bitten at least, but now he was suffering for it.

The mage tsked softly, brow furrowing in sympathy as he looked him over. "Stay still, I know that must hurt," he murmured, voice calm even as he waffled on whether he should intervene or if it would be safer for them both to just let the bite run its course. He'd heard many rumors, but he had no idea how dangerous or venomous any of the snakes were that called the islands home. Something tugged at Irah, though, the thought of leaving the wound alone for Akio to endure through its entirety simply unacceptable.

There was little he could do for the venom that had already slipped far away into his blood, but Irah settled his fingertips to the shifter's leg with a gentle pressure to try to relieve the worst of it before it had time to fester. Loosely surrounding the bite Irah poured his magic out to him in a bursting pulse of glowing green light that wretched a small gasp of pain from his lips.

He quickly clamped down on it, though, calming the torrential outpouring into faint, curling wisps that lightly licked at his wounds instead. Desperately he tried to will the area purified of venom and begin the delicate process of knitting deeply torn muscle back together again.

It was becoming incredibly difficult to focus. Pain pulsed through his veins with every beat of his heart.

"Venom," he choked out, eyes clenched shut. "Snake...locals call it...Black Star." Gods, he hoped that would be useful information.

If it wasn't, he realized vaguely, he was probably going to die.

Exhaustion tugged at Irah, finally dropping his hands away to stop the outflow when he heard Akio's strangled words.

He furrowed his brow with concern, disappointment hitting him hard to realize he'd been too late to stop it all. Akio was still suffering and he had to help, without question. He had no idea what it was -perhaps a medicine?- but he rushed to grab his pack and scramble to his feet again.

"I'll get it. Stay here, okay? Don't move...you're gonna be okay." Irah turned tail to run as fast as he could through the trees. He had to find the village again, surely someone there could help him.

Akio slumped back against the nearest tree, panting and clenching his eyes shut.

Why the hell wasn't he dead already? Irah had...done something. Healing magic.

Damnit. The stupid foreigner had saved his life.

That was...inconvenient.

What was probably only a couple of hours felt like days. Sweat poured off the mage as he rushed through the trees desperately following the sound of water. There was plenty of stumbling, tripping, and muttered curses every time he banged his shin on a log or the tender flesh of his arms was whipped or snagged as he pushed through vines. He refused to go down, though, determination driving him onward as he clutched the small vial of inky liquid in his hand.

Things started to look familiar just before he broke through the trees to catch sight of the shifter slumped back and...Gods so still. He prayed he wasn't too late.

"A-Akio." Irah's breathing was ragged and his hair wildly disheveled as he approached, but his eyes held a calm kindness and sympathy as he collapsed in a pile of sprawled legs beside the shifter.

His body exhausted from the magic he'd used and his desperate run through the jungle he couldn't help it as a shaky hand uncorked the vial and lifted it to Akio's lips. The other grasped under his chin, steadily tipping his head back as he poured the liquid into his mouth.

"You..."

Struggling to focus through the pain and the leaden feeling that had overtaken his limbs, Akio stared at the mage for a long moment, just panting.

"...you came back..."

Then the vial was pressed to his lips and he choked, then forced himself to swallow.

"Shhh," Irah murmured, waiting patiently as he watched the liquid slowly slip past Akio's lips, the vial gradually emptying while his heart still pounded in his chest and his own breathing came shallowly. It felt like an eternity but when it was finally all gone the mage dropped his hands and tossed the recorked vial to rest on his bag he'd dropped just behind them.

With a heavy sigh and his racing heart finally beginning to calm the mage leaned over to brace his hands to the ground, too tired to sit up straight on his own just yet, and lifted his head to search the shifter's face. "I had to. You were hurt and... I couldn't just let you die."

Akio chuckled hoarsely, than winced. "Don't see...why not. I've been...an ass to you. Woulda cost nothing to just...lemme die..."

The fire in his veins was gradually cooling, but his vision still flickered around the edges. Was that the poison? Or just exhaustion?

Irah narrowed his eyes for that, an argument on his lips for a moment that he managed to swallow back. He didn't exactly blame Akio for his pessimism after standing at death's door. He might not have been entirely in the clear anyway, the medicine he'd brought seemed to be working so slowly to restore his strength. Absently, he decided he'd need to keep careful watch of him. He assumed the shifter would need help in the coming days, or at least support, and his pride probably wouldn't allow him to ask for it on his own.

"You're not all bad, you know... Saved my life again and nobody deserves to die like that," he reminded him quietly, huffing softly as he leaned back on his legs to brush his hair away from his face and attempt to gather it all together again. After a moment's pause he reached out to Akio to pluck stray leaves from his hair, idly smoothing out the two-toned strands as well as the fur of his ears. It was a small improvement at least.

His breathing was evening out at last, but with it came the heavy weight of exhaustion that more insistently tugged on the mage instead. Irah tried to ignore it, though, leaning over the shifter to look at his injured leg again. He felt a small whisper of disappointment to realize he hadn't been able to entirely patch up the deep wounds, but fetching Akio the medicine he'd needed had been far more urgent once he'd cleansed the majority of the venom from his body.

"I'll get you fixed up soon, if you can bear it a few more days," he promised idly, pushing himself to stand on trembling legs so he could snatch up an armful of leathery fronds from the surrounding foliage. Instead of expending more of his magic Irah plopped down next to the shifter again to start weaving them together by hand.

Akio, eyes still closed, allowed his head to lull slightly onto his shoulder. "Yeah... Okay..."

Gods, he was just so tired. He could feel himself starting to slip into sleep. The last coherent thought he managed was, Spirits, I hope this mage can keep us both alive through the night.

The mage was oblivious to Akio drifting off until a few minutes later when he realized he was almost done with his weaving and the shifter had said nothing more. At first he was startled, his heart working up to a frenzied pounding in his chest again as he stared at the still shifter. Cautiously leaning over him allowed Irah to hear the faint whisper of breathing and finally catch sight of the subtle rise and fall of his chest.

With a tired huff he shook his head and doggedly continued his work, only stopping once he was finally able to drape the makeshift blanket over Akio to at least keep his body warm in his weakness. After carefully tucking it around him Irah all but collapsed to curl up beside him. It was easier to remain alert while the sun still peeked through the trees, but as night fell the mage slept in short bursts to keep an eye on him.

By morning it felt like an eternity had passed, exhaustion still hanging on him heavily as he watched over the shifter. His eyes were trained upon his chest, just observing the steady rise and fall while he occasionally brushed his fingers over his wrist to feel the brief reassurance of a pulse.

The shifter was alive, but a fever had taken hold of him, dragging him down into dark, strange dreams that refused to release him back to the light of day. His brow was drawn in a tight frown, lips parted slightly as he panted, skin glistening with sweat in the early sunlight that manged to filter down through the jungle canopy.

Irah watched over him, feeling rather helpless as he observed the shifter's labored panting. The moisture gathering on his skin was a concern, but he couldn't even attribute it to the rising sun as he wasn't sweating buckets himself.

The mage sat up straighter, carefully pulling back the makeshift blanket from Akio's body and narrowed his eyes with concern as he traced his palm over him in absent worry. His skin was hot to the touch, probably dangerously so.

With a muttered curse he rose on shaky legs and snatched an old shirt from his pack. With wary steps he made his way back to the bank, eyes scanning the shallows with caution as he tore at the fabric to split the garment in two. The last thing he needed was to leave them both vulnerable if another of the giant snakes wanted to make a meal out of him.

Crouching down he dipped one half into the water, holding it under for a moment to soak through before he returned to the shifter's side. He carefully wiped away the sweat on his brow with the dry piece of cloth before neatly folding the damp one to place over his forehead. He hoped it might help cool him off but he didn't dwell on it, immediately taking up the dry cloth again to wipe him down and wick away as much of the gathered sweat from his body as he could.

Despite how drained Irah still felt there was a whisper in the back of his mind telling him to use more of his magic, that he could help Akio more if he did. For the moment he was able to resist it, making himself weaker probably wouldn't help them and the shifter seemed relatively stable.

He had no idea how long he drifted in and out of unconsciousness, but when he finally opened his eyes and they stayed that way, he was a cool cloth on his forehead and Iran was...

Still there. Huh.

Thank you.

He tried to say it, really he did. But all that came out of his parched throat was a raspy, "Water..."

With the shifter seeming relatively stable Irah had taken to preparing a salve for Akio's wounded leg from what supplies he had in his pack. It probably wasn't the best idea but he allowed a bit of his magic to flow through his fingers as he worked, weaving it in to enhance the potency of the medicine. It left him exhausted again, his body still not recovered from how much of himself he'd used to cleanse his wounds the previous day. Dark circles had formed his eyes but he remained focused and worked tirelessly until he'd crafted a small jar of the greyish-green mixture.

Pawing through his things in search of his roll of cloth bandaging Akio's sudden, rough voice gave him a bit of a start. His tired face brightened, though, eyes shining with genuine relief as he nodded and hurried to uncork one of the waterskins and shift closer to lift it to Akio's lips so he could drink his fill.

"You're okay," Irah murmured gently, a little amazed that he was conscious enough to speak. That was probably far too low a standard for okay but it was the best indication he'd seen yet. He reached out to adjust the cloth over his forehead, carefully flipping it over to the cool side. He took a moment to study his face, eyes lingering on his own as he set the waterskin aside with a weak chuckle. "You look like shit, is it still hurting badly?"

Akio gulped down as much of the water as he could reasonably manage, sputtered, swallowed, and drained the skin.

"Wow, thanks," he rasped out as Irah pulled the waterskin away and joked. "Not exactly the best way to get on someone's good side, ya know?"

He ignored the question about it hurting. Of course it hurt, but he wasn't about to admit that.

Irah only flashed him a tired smirk for that. He didn't want to be too harsh, Akio had saved his life again after all.

Unwavering in his dedication he kept rummaging through his pack until he finally found the bandaging he'd been looking for. Grabbing it and the jar of salve he scooted himself down to sit beside the shifter's legs, gingerly lifting his injured one to rest over him so he could apply the medicine properly.

He tsked softly under his breath, glancing to the tiger's face as he began applying the ointment in a thin layer over his wounds. "This should help a little," he murmured, setting the jar aside to carefully wrap a few layers of the cloth bandaging over it.

The shifted hissed and clenched his teeth, but otherwise didn't react to Irah's tending. "How long was I out?" he muttered, focusing on breathing.

The mage lifted his head briefly, squinting at the sun through the trees as he tied off the linens around his leg. "A little more than half a day," he decided, gently patting his knee and carefully lifting his leg again to lay the shifter flat. "I should probably get you out of here, huh? Probably not the best place to let that heal."

He had absolutely no idea how he was going to actually manage moving the man, though. Similar in size as they were he knew damn well he didn't possess Akio's strength and even if he did he was still feeling weak from his use of magic. He'd just drop him and probably cause further harm if he tried.

"That long?" Akio sighed and struggled to sit up a little more, gritting his teeth. It hurt, but it was manageable. Probably.

"Look, just...give me a bit of a boost, and I'll manage," he grumbled, hating every second of it. He owed his life to this stupid foreigner twice over now.

He was never going to live this down.

Irah's eyes widened slightly in concern, eyeing Akio warily for his request. "You probably shouldn't walk on it," he warned, clambering to stand up and flick dirt and leaves from his clothes. Perhaps as a shifter he could heal a good bit faster than he was accustomed to seeing, but he was still nervous to let his "patient" up to hurt himself any further. Even so he outstretched an arm to Akio to help him stand.

"You shouldn't just manage. Maybe just- I could probably carry you on my back if you think you can hold on?" he offered, casting a look towards the path he'd followed through the trees the previous day. It would be slow going but he wanted to get him to safety and away from the forests. The local wildlife had already proved themselves to be rather dangerous and unpredictable.

Oh no. Hell no. Hell fucking no.

"Yeah, no. I'm not going to do that." Akio glowered up at him petulantly. "I don't need to be carried, especially not by a scrawny thing like you."

Irah huffed, narrowing his eyes at the shifter for the rejection of his offer. "I'm not scrawny," he muttered. "Gods you're so ungrateful. Do you have any idea what it took from me to keep you alive?" He hated the wounded hiss that came through his voice for that and turned his head to look away and just take a deep breath.

The mage had to remind himself he hadn't explained anything to Akio yet. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know, much as he didn't like his attitude. He was probably in a lot of pain but Irah was certain the shifter's sense of pride wasn't going to do him any favors in that regard.

"Just- Let me help you walk at least," he said grumpily, finally turning to look down at the shifter again with an exasperated sigh and stretching his arm to him a little more. "I don't want to see you hurting any more than it has to."

He actually felt a bit guilty for that, but no way in hell he'd ever admit it. "Uhg. Fine," he grumbled, reaching out with almost a pout curving at his lips. "Help me up then."

The mage shook his head in silent disbelief but his eyes held a warmth of concern and kindness as he reached past the shifter's outstretched hand and hooked smaller arms under the tiger's much larger ones to heft him up to stand. Irah huffed and gritted his teeth, nostrils flaring slightly with the effort but he didn't complain as he got the shifter situated on his feet again.

"Don't be reckless, just lean on me. You'll need it," he warned him, stooping for a moment to snatch up his pack before rising to press close against his side. He slung an arm around Akio's back to try to support him, tilting his chin to study him with a stern eye.

"Mmph." Reluctantly, Akio allowed his weight to rest partially against his companion. He hated every second of it.

"Gods, you should've just let me die," he grumbled petulantly.