---

For Yao! <3

Somehow, his feet led him towards the wrong path.

He’d stumbled right back into westmoor with his shit excuse for a scent trail – or was it that he was too unwell to understand his sense of direction? Hunger had caused a migraine to ripple through his psyche, making it difficult to think properly. He could forget making it to the ocean tonight – the man felt drunk on an emptiness that ate his stomach from the inside out. A tall pillar – then a couple more in the distance. Mateo had ended up in this all too familiar, god-forsaken place somehow.

If he wasn’t about to faint, he might’ve even found it humorous

--and faint he did. Thankfully he had half the mind to lower himself to the ground before he did, yet his knees buckled beneath him before he could fully lie down.

---

Healing from his concussion had mostly been sitting still, the worst thing in the world. But he's better enough to travel back now, and not throwing up or feeling dizzy upon walking for too long. He's even managed to survive off a diet of muddy river fish, and he's sure everyone's going to want to know about his brave adventure. Of course, he's coming back to Yuelin empty-handed, without a healer like he promised. But uh, that's for next adventure, maybe?

It seems he's not alone. He can see another man ahead, and Yaojie perks up a bit, ready to greet him when-- oh no! Down the other man goes, looking just as bad as Yaojie did a few weeks ago. "Āi!" Feeling his fur fluff out, he rushes to the pale man's side. "Oh good, you're not dead." There's a bit of panic in Yaojie's eyes. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Do you need something cool for your head or something?"