Floral Stripes [DragonSong]

[Juno]

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."

[DragonSong]

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."

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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.

[Juno]

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?"

[DragonSong]

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?

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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?"

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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.

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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.

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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.

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

"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.

[Juno]

"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."

[DragonSong]

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?

[Juno]

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.

[DragonSong]

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.