8/4/2024, 11:41 PM
Francis! The words filter to Francis' ears slowly, through water though only smoke and ash stand separating the two as the Prince stares at the flame.
Behind her form, standing tall and invigorated, the tree crumbles and the burnt branch collapses on itself with a groan and a crash. A spray of sparks rise on the breeze, and Francis blinks to shed the dizzying array of worst-case-scenarios that spin before his eyes.
Kairos is fine, shockingly, beyond a cough.
Even so, even the mild cough and the slight singe to her pelt's edges make Francis feel as though a porcupine made its way inside his chest. He is torn apart, yet so relieved it hurts that the Parthenon is fine.
He is not there. He is here.
Run, jump, leap, whatever you so wish. His expression softened considerably, his shoulders loosening some of their tension. Enough for him to move again, at least, as the world comes into sharper, clearer focus around him again.
She's fine.
She's fine, he repeats to himself, knowing he doesn't believe it. A sensation like a bison sitting on his ribcage makes him almost dizzy, frantic yet he does his best to mask it.
Just walking is fine by me, my lady, but we can go for a trot if you wish to stretch your legs.Francis chuckled tiredly.
Kairos was close, now, close enough to touch her nose to his chin before Francis could realize what was happening. His paw flexed into the earth, the urge to set his paws on her body to make absolutely certain she wasn't harmed overwhelming. To make absolutely certain she was here, and well and real - and so was he.
The moment passed, and regret stung within his heart before he disregarded the feeling, following the soft beckon of her feathery tail. He trailed close by her, forgoing a need for polite distance in favor of a worried hover and his head on a swivel, trying to ensure they didn't walk into a new danger. If they were running from the flames, surely prey and predators of other species would be too.
He did not miss her slight cough, a muscle in Francis' jaw flexing. He should have gotten here faster, he determined.
If no one at the Concord knows how to treat your lungs, I will go to the Odyssey, our neighbors. I believe they also have healers, or will know of them.That pack was more established, and may have other connections. Francis expression was, perhaps thankfully, no longer the blank, shell-shocked husk it had been - but his demeanor had been replaced with a stormy expression, a furrowed brow and a stiff posture.
