The fight continues

If there was one thing he could be relieved about, it was the fact that Jami was alive. This was only a brief happiness, thanks to the realisation that they were probably never going to escape from here. Groaning anxiously, he watched her move to the other side, still feeling responsible for her. He hated seeing her that way, and he still couldn't help but feel that it was his fault. If I'd just stopped... he thought.

Now was not the time for regrets, however. Owen wouldn't have minded if Jami had just left him to his fate, but he certainly wasn't going to take her down with him. He eyed the rock platforms, trying to assess whether he could reach them or not. Shuffling closer, he reached out an arm carefully to latch onto with one hand. He could reach. At first, he was reluctant to let go of the one he had already been on, worried that he might fall. Nevertheless, he attempted to latch onto the new levelled rock. It was a struggle to pull himself up, however - both of his arms were tired and the coldness was still slowing him, despite the fire. After summoning all his remaining strength to hoist his good leg up on top of it, he finally managed to lie down on top of the rock, exhausted, finally glad to be back on land.

It was then he noticed his injured food... or at least, what was left of it. At first, all he saw as a bloody red mess at the bottom of his leg, before he saw a shape vaguely resembling his foot. His toes were barely hanging on - only thin strands of flesh and bone kept them attatched - no wonder he couldn't feel them. A brutal, ugly hole was seen all the way through his foot where it had been impaled. He let out a ragged gape of horror. "Oh-oh my god..!" He couldn't bring himself look at it any longer, and he turned his head away to look back at Jami.

Holding out an arm towards her to pull her up, a worried look crossed his face. "What's the plan?" he croaked. "More of these rocks..?" He looked outwards, frowning. He wouldn't expect Jami to explode all of them, it would probably take her a lot of effort. "This'd be so much easier if I was human..." he mumbled, feeling this form would be an inconvenience. His mirror was back at the dorm room, and there didn't seem to be an easy way of reaching it. He wasn't even sure if Jami could fly. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes with his hands tiredly, trying to avoid looking at his foot at all.

Owen had made his way to one of the rock. She was filled with some happiness knowing she could still help her friend. Jami back she was sure looked terrible. It was probably blisteed and bleading. At Owen's yeall she turned her neck to see a foot. A foot that had been riped apart. Horrified her eyes opened wided. "Owen..." Her hand went towards his and held onto it. the rock was large enough for the both of them, even with him in this form.

"I can try to blow some more up but, Let me do something first." Her back would need some more rest but she would try to heal it a bit. Her body started to glow a bit. She felt better but she knew her back was probably still messed up. She looked at it with an aguished face. Before he could object she went right up to him and gave him as much of a hug she could give to the lizard. (sorry for the control O.O she would keep trying to hug him till he gave in anyway.)

"I'm just glad your alive. A foot can be healed. I couldn't have brought you back from..." The thought was to dark for her. Tears ran down her cheeks and she pulled back to see the lizards eyes. Jami shifted her wings and winced at the painshe was still feeling. She started to pull herself together. "So uh, I cant fix it all right now... just like my back, it will take time. But I can cover it for the moment so you don't have to see it. But it will still be the way you see it now..." After she rant she turned to the left over rocks. They would take a lot of power. "I know you have a bad foot, but you think you could carry me to shore? you could sling me over your shoulder or what ever you must do, use some rock fragments as a cane if you need to. Lets just get to land."

Owen waited patiently as Jami would try to heal herself. He couldn't stop looking at his foot. It was a horrifying sight, and he more he stared, the more he couldn't bring himself to look away. He could see the bone. He could see everything in gruesome, horrid detail and it wouldn't go away. Despite this, he knew that this foot had saved his life. If it hadn't been caught on the rock, he would've went straight into the water and drowned. It was the price he had to pay to live.

He shuddered, shutting his eyes, which failed to do anything to hide the image still fresh in his mind. It was around this time that Jami wrapped her arms around him, and he let out choked cry. The hug was returned, stiffly at first, before he relaxed in her arms. He was speechless, but he was almost certain that he wouldn't know what to say anyway. The gratitude was overwhelming.

After listening to her, he tried to reply, but all that came out was a rasping grunt. He nodded instead. At least his foot would be covered - he couldn't stand looking at it anymore. He looked unsure about carrying her, but then again, he wasn't about to leave her behind, not after she'd just saved him. He twisted around so he was positioned on his stomach instead, then pushed himself into a low kneeling position using his good foot. Gesturing to his back for Jami to climb on, he readied himself to lead the way out of the cave.

Jami had felt comfort in his return of her hug. Hopefully he had too. She saw him gesture to get on his back. This would help her, but what about him? She hoped he would be okay. Jami was shivering from the cold night and she was soaked. Something she didn't eallylike when dressed up. The dress would be ruined anyway and her make up was probably running from getting wet.

SHe climbed up on his back and wrapped her legs as far around him as she could to hold herself up, he would need his arm with one less foot. She pointed her arm towards the rocks planning once again to just hit a spesified section of rocks. Instead most of them out to shore blew up. Jami was frustrated. "Damn it!" she muttered This is what got her banished in the first place and it still wasnt working right. At least he could choose the easist passage for him now.

Suddenly she felt a drain. She knew using that much energy would bring this. Her grip on him loosened so she wrapped her arms around his neck as well. her legs were getting limpp and the only reasons she wasnt falling off him now was because her arms were twisted in a way to stay locked. Her eyes started drooping. "Hurry," The ball of light from earlier still shone. To was still in the comand of assisting Owen so it went ahead abit to help find the way. Jami passed out.

A shiver crept up his spine as Jami climbed upon his back, and he immediately tensed. There was no denying that there were more important things to focus on rather than his own social awkwardness, but it wasn't anything he could help.

Regardless, when Jami tightened her hold, he leaned forward to press his hands against the cold, hard rock. He was anxious about stepping forward, but knew knew there was no time to wait and ponder. Besides, Jami was hurrying him now. He noticed how she felt limp on his back, and his concerned was briefly expressed through a quiet groan. He would get the pair of them out before inspecting.

Such a task was a lot easier said than done. After scuring his hold on the rock, he pulled himself forwards, his knees shuffling against the ground with each slide. It took a lot of effort to drag his heavy, ruckarl body onto other rocks, and when he managed it, he had to pause to catch him breath in ragged gasps. "Jami..?" he asked, unsure if she was even concious. "When I said I was... s-sorry... I really meant it... I'm so sorry..." He couldn't be sure if Jami even heard his barely audible mumbles, but it didn't matter, he wanted to let it out of his system before the worst happened. He managed to drag himself a few feet forward. The shore was almost within reach, but he wasn't sure if he could push himself that bit further.

Jami didn't like being conconscience for the second time...third time that evening. She tried to get through it but was only able to barely come conscience. She heard Owen start to mumble after alot of moving. Sorry? What did he have to be sorry about. She was the one that started all of this. If only she haddn't told Lartia se had a crush. She faintly tried to repl to him. "You ....have nothing to.... be sorry about. My..fault..." She tried to pull her self up a bit to peer past Owen's shoulder. They were almost there and she could feel his force going.

"I..believe you...can make it..." She turned her head and kissed where she thought his cheek was in this form. She was sneaky though, a faint white light passed onto owen for that quick moment her lip had touched his scaly skin. Just enough to help clear ones mental fatigue for a breif moment. She rested her head on the crook of his neck. She was so tired. She started to drift a bit again but her tight hold would let go. Her feet had seemed to get looser from his first leap onto the rocks.

She thought in her head that she should stay awake but the extreme fatigue she had now was threatening to pull her under once again. The feeling of helplessness got to her again. She hated it. She struggled to keep her eyes open. She would attepmt her healing on herself but she was just to worn out. Any type of magic at this point would make her pass out again. All she could do was cling tight onto Owen and keep down the blush she had from realising she just kissed him, even if it wasn't an intamite one.

Owen didn't reply when Jami deflected his apology - he knew for a fact that if he'd just calmed down and allow Leon to escape, then they could've avoided this. He was barely aware of how it would have been Jami's fault anyway - what had happened between her and Leon anyway? He reminded himself to ask later - if there was a later.

He felt the touch of skin lightly on his cheekbone - and although it did not register as a kiss, the sensation was peculiar all the same. Strangely enough, he felt a determination to continue onwards, despite how his body shrieked with protest. He struck out his arms, grabbing onto any ledge or nook of rock that he could use to heave himself forwards. Managing to worm himself across the rocky floor, the exit seemed to finally be approaching. Soon enough, the rocks beneath his hands slowly turned to sand, and the alcove of the cliff was behind him.

It seemed dreamlike, and he almost refused to believe that he'd actually made it away from the underside of the cliff. His head was spinning, thanks to the blood loss, and the dizziness may have affected his perception on reality somehow. However, being on the shoreline, he could not deny the feeling of damp, slushy sand between his claws nor the water that occaisionally lapped at his sides. "...Ha.." he gasped, allowing his limbs to give way under him to collapse onto the soft, comfortable sand. Considering he'd spent the past while clawing around the dank, uncomfortable stones, these tiny grains seemed inviting, and he could almost feel himself slipping away into a blissful sleep. His eyes closed and his jaw hung open to take in large, deep breaths, seemingly unaware of whether or not Jami was still on him.

Jami gave a small smile as Owen started forward again. She was so proud of him. They edged closer until they made it to the sandy shore. Thats when Owen seemed to give in. Jami rolledoff his back, being careful not to touch her blisters to anything. Her wings flapped to help her ballance. She sleepily made her way to Owen injurd foot. Closing it would stop the bleeding. She looked back along thier path and there was a trail of bood. To much, Jami knew from he medical knowledge this was way to much.

She lazily raised her hand over his foot and there was a white flash. His blood vessels and natural body healing funtions should start the healing prosess. She tore some of the end of her dress of and wrapped it around his foot in an attempt to cover it up. Water rushed by her and pulled the blood away out of the sand around them. It soaked her legs with fresh water. She needed to clean her wound a little. The salt hopefully would kill the bacteria, she wasn't sure though, her mind was shutting down. She had forced her self awake when she wasn't soposed to be and now she had no choice. The salt did burn her back as the water ran down it.

Jami crawled her way back up to the side of the ruckarl and collapsed next to him. She looked at his face. His eyes closed and his jaw was loose. Almost asleep it seemed. Hopefully they were safe there. She doubted she could wake up if there was an attack. She had strained herself to much this evening. In her mind as she drifted off to sleep, she thought of Karma. It was definatly biting her in the butt. Night Owen, night Jamesy. she thought, using her old nickname her father had givin her, as she feel asleep. The cold water washing over the both of them in high tide.

(time skip with permission!)

His eyes blearily opened, squinting. The morning light shone in, temporarily blinding before they half-focused - enough to see and recognise his surroundings, but still a mass of blur. Why was he on a beach? He wanted to turn his head to see in a different direction, but he couldn't bring his body to follow through with the command.

For a moment, he considered that he had been washed up on a deserted island, but a northern glance revealled that a large, brownish structure stood in the distance - he was still on Lillegard. He opened his mouth to call for someone, but the noise that came from his mouth sounded like he hadn't spoken in years. He shivered mentally. It had probably been a bad idea to spend the night outside in the cold, Scottish weather, not to mention next to the water, which was lazily lapping at his sides. It slowed down his body and his mind more than he preferred.

It was around this time he noticed Jami by his side, and he groaned woozily, wondering if she was awake. Seeing as his voice refused to work, he nudged her softly with his elbow - the closest thing within range of her. Was she even alive? His teeth gritted with worry as he waited for a response.

Jami had no dreams while she slept, it was a rather sad sleep. When she had slightly woken sometime in the night, she was freezing, but she didn't want to get too close to Owen incase he was upset about it when he woke. So instead she delt with it and endured the freezing water aroud her. She had went back to sleep in hopes to esacpe the chill.

Not to long after it seemed for her though she was being woken. After being nudged she didn't respond for a minute or to, trying to figure out what to do. She groand and rolled onto her back. Imidiatly she regretted the action and sat up in pain. Last night came back to her. Her morning grogginess had made her thinking slow. She looked at her dress and saw it was more bloodstained then last night. She must have started bleeding in her sleep again. She remembered Owen and looked next to her.

She was trembling in her cold and wet state, she bet her lips were blue. She unlike the lizard didn't have thinker skin to protect her. She reached out a shakey hand towards his. "O-owen, it's s-so c-cold." Jami scanned her self. hypothermia. Stupidstupidstupid! You know not to sleep in water you dumb girl! she thought. But she was sick and injured, nothing could change that now, it was done. She had a quick glance at owens foot to see if she indeed had done something with it it last night. She had. At least she was good for something.

Seeing as Jami didn't immediately repond, his heart raced, genuinely thinking her to be dead. The seconds stretched long, and he would nudge her again, just to be certain. He opened his mouth again. "Aaa.... aa..." Nope, his voice still failed on him. There didn't seem to be much else he was able to do, and he defeatedly closed his eyes again, waiting for sleep to grasp him again.

It was around this time Jami sat up next to him, remarking about her coldness. As his hand was touched, he let out a groan to signal that he'd heard her. He was desperately relieved that at least she was alive, but felt no happiness, considering their situation was rather hopeless. But he didn't plan on sticking around waiting for help to come by - besides, the academy almost seemed within reach whenever he looked.

Using both of his hands, he pressed down on the sand, trembling as he tried to push himself up onto his knees. However, when his foot brushed against the sand, the intense stinging sensation was enough to send him collapsing onto the beach again. Through gritted teeth, he dared to glance down at is foot again, gasping in horror from relieving the memories of its grotesque appearance. He had forgotten.

Glancing up at Jami again, he tried to smile. However, his worry didn't fail to show through his grin. Simply put, he was lost on what to do. For now, he supposed the best thing to do was to stick with Jami, and they'd hopefully be able to figure something out.

Jami watched as Owen tried to change his location. He must have forgotten he was immobile, until he took a look at his foot. His worried expression made her want to try. She moved her wings furiously trying to get some air, instead gasping in pain when her back burned and quickly dropping from any air she had gotten. Jami then just lay there shivering. She looked over at Owen with a sad look. Maybe she should check her wound. It could be bleeding again.

The action was quite hard since it was her back but she found a way. He fingers gently glided over the ruined fabric and she felt in between her wings was hot and sticky. She was partly glad she couldn't see it. She wanted to make her wings disappear but the action would cause her dress to fall. Her wings where the only thing keeping it up. The points in not doing that were that she would have a harder time keeping warm and another was she would not be in her undies around Owen.

Instead she crawled over to Owen and tried to lay against his side hoping it would be warm. Her cold fingers made the way up to his skin and she pressed her face into it. It was enough to help a little. "P-please, it's s-so c-cold O-owen." she beg him to let her stay. She needed something, hypothermia was horrible left unattended. Her shaking had never stopped. It was involuntary. Hopefully someone would come find them. Ms. Everly must have sensed some one was missing. If not. Jami was afraid they'd be stuck here a long time, getting sick as the seconds past. Then she remembered something, "I t-tried helping y-your f-foot last n-night."

Owen didn't particularly enjoy watching her struggle to fly nor did he like seeing her in pain. Alas, he was forced to watch the ordeal anyway, unable to do much else. He didn't move as Jami lay next to him - officially through with putting in effort into anything. Whilst he didn't mind her closeness (he presumed it was for comfort), what really struck a nerve was her begging.

He'd recently found that there was nothing quite as awful as witnessing someone he cared for in pain and not being able to do a thing about it, no matter how much he wanted to. What was she begging him for? What did she expect him to do, pull a miracle from his sleeves? Aggravated briefly, he let out a low, unsatisfied groan. He hated his helplessness, he just wanted to go back to his dorm, sleep forever and forget anything had happened.

At the mention of his foot, he refused to look down again. He'd noticed some sort of cloth wrapped around it the first time, but he'd never throught to ask what it was. Was it her dress? He hadn't noticed it was ripped before, but another glance confirmed his suspicions true. The selfless action was appreciated, but he doubted that the material would be strong enough to hold.

Raising an arm slowly, he aimed to numbly brush Jami's hair with his scaly, claw-like fingers. He couldn't offer much in terms of warmth - ruckarls generally did not produce their own heat. He desperately wanted to switch back to his human form - not only would the journey back be easier, but he wouldn't have to be so reliant on warmth either. The mirror, unfortunately, was still lingering in his dorm room - it was a shame he could not use it from a distance.

On silent wings the harpy descended down to the beach from the top of the cliffs. The only thing that may have given her approach away was the shadow that steadily grew bigger in front of the two prone students. She swung her legs down and beat her wings against the wind, the sand swirled around her calves as she came to a landing. Talons sank into the soft and shifty ground and the woman turned, wings folding neatly behind her back. With deliberate steps, she strolled towards them, hips rolling languidly, bird-like feet splaying over the light sand. She came to a stop just a foot away from them, crossing her arms. Kale studied the pair on the ground with her unscathed sharp ebony eye.

It was not with a worried or sympathetic gaze that she looked over them, but with something much colder and uncaring. She did not flinch or coo over their injuries but took them in with a passive glance, eyebrows smooth with chilled indifference and lips settled in to the slightest of downturns at the corners.

"Are you dead?" Her light tone was just as passive as her body language, giving off the impression that she was only asking because she had to, not because she really cared.

Jami shuddered a little when Owen started to brush her hair. The claws lightly glided across and in a way it felt nice. It was also very comforting. She stayed there, just enjoying the little moment while it was there. Wither it ends from a rescue or ... not. "Owen, t-thank y-you, for b-being a g-great fr-iend. I am g-glad I m-met y-you." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, yet she stayed right next to him, using him to block the wind from chilling her further, also to be close in general. She shaking seemed to increase in speed and she was starting to get very worried. Tears started down her face and some froze on the way down, and some stayed, hot enough to do so.

But a shadow got in the way,

'Are you dead.' a flat woman's voice toned. Jami twisted a bit to see who had come. Hopefully to save them from freezing. "Y-y-yes, YES! P-please H-help !" Jami didn't care for the odd woman's bored and uncaring looks. Jami would repay her in the future most definetly if she helped them. Jami was that type of person. It was the same for silly things... like shirts.

"Hng.." One eye stared in her direction, seemingly tracing over her shape rather than focusing on any direct point. His eyebrows were furrowed, and they didn't seem to give away much of what he was thinking. He wanted to feel flattered, but he could only feel dread. Why was she telling him this? Only because she thought they weren't going to survive. Owen didn't anticipate death - at the very least, he didn't feel like he was dying. But how was he to know what it felt like? The negative thoughts flooded his mind, and he shut his eyes to rid of them. It didn't work.

He heard a voice that wasn't Jami's, and he reluctantly opened his eyes to peer up at the dark shape looming over them. Wings? Leon... he inwardly groaned, before realising the voice belonged to something more feminine. Kale? Why was she here...? He wasn't in her class, but he was aware the harpy didn't have a reputation for being a kind and caring professor. Then again, this may have been a good thing - the last thing he wanted was pity.

He allowed Jami to answer for him, looking to the sand. That 'useless' feeling was creeping up again, and he didn't like it. How ridiculous he must've looked, lying like some sort of beached whale on the water's edge. Despite his situation, he didn't want to believe that he was completely helpless. Raising his arms, he pressed down on the sand to push himself up. He was aware that his foot would sting again, but this time, he could at least brace himself for it. The process was slow, and his face was scrunched in pain, but he finally managed to heave himself into a sitting position with his legs splayed out to one side while he leaned heavily on one arm. He panted, looking up to Kale with a steady gaze, wondering how she would act.

Kale narrowed her eye, locking her cold gaze with Jami's as the girl looked up.

"Yes? Yes, you are dead?" She scoffed, obviously thinking little of the girl's intelligence disregarding her state of being, as worn and as tired she must be. The harpy didn't care, you should always have wit about you, but her expectations sometimes went above what a body could endure. Her wings flicked indignantly and she observed coolly Owen's attempts to rise. With a critical eye she studied his stiff movements, he was in obvious discomfort and it appeared that they had been out in the cold for quite awhile. When Owen looked up at her, Kale hummed a moment in thought and her wings flicked indignantly. A wave of warmth billowed out from her from the action, rolling to ghost around the pair. Her energy continued to flicker about them, maybe in reward for Owen's show of rising, showing her approval of sitting up despite his ails.

"Why should I? You look perfectly fine to move on your own." Casting an unimpressed look over them both, she continued after a moment. "To help you would be an offer that I would get nothing in return for, there would be no personal gain. I was wondering who you were and why you were on the beach. I see now that you are students and you are here because you are injured. You have assured me you are in fact still alive and so now my curiosity is sated." She inclined her head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do that are worth my time." The harpy professor started to turn away from the pair, her energy and the wave of warm, dry air seeping back to go with her.

Jami had realized her mistake. Yes? why would she says yes to being dead? Her mind may have been to exhausted to register the sentence correctly. Jami lifted herself up a bit to pull her knees under her. She winced at bending her back but sat on them anyways. The attempt Owen made was obviously painful, which made Jami frown. She looked back at the professor. "I c-can rep-pay y-you. P-please help! D-don't go!" Worriedly Jami put her hand out to the ground next to Owen and faced it palm up. She needed something and her face showed it. The woman was very intimidating.

Jami wasn't sure why the woman was so hostile. What ever happened yo make her so hard? She must have been in many fights, seeing one eye socket was stitched closed with a scar. Jami, moved her hand away and tried to stand up from there but on the way up she quickly fall from her legs giving out. Her head was hurting and she felt sick, A tear or two of pain fell down her cheeks and her arms rushed up to her nose. She pulled them away to see blood. Great another thing wrong. "L-lost to much b-blood. That's w-why we n-need help."

Jami just wanted to go back to the dorm and sleep. Possibly even cry on her own a little. Jami didn't bother to look up at the woman for the moment. Her face was directed towards Owen, who couldn't seem to speak at the time. It wasn't a good thing to start let alone this situation. Jami always said the wrong thing.

The wave of warmth washed over him like a breath of fresh air, and he sighed, absorbing the heat. It was an almost sensational feeling, and he could feel his joints start to loosen up. He blinked in gratitude at Kale - he didn't really expect her to help at all. Perhaps she wasn't as heartless as he'd assumed her to be.

His thoughts were almost immediately proven wrong when she began to turn away, the warm air slipping away from him. He gasped, reaching out an arm as if to beckon her back, yet knowing it was uselss. Worth... her time? He gaped, almost as if he'd just been on the receiving end of the biggest slap in the face ever. Letting out a choke of disbelief, he looked to Jami. She was just going to leave them there and not tell anyone? She couldn't get away with it could she?

He watched Jami as she begged the dean, grovelling, and Owen's heart wrenched painfully. He didn't expect the harpy to take pity on her now, not when she'd already refused them. Jami was looking at him, and he was unsure if she was expecting him to do something. "'Ess... n-noh... wurh...." It's not worth it! he tried to mouth, his voice only coming through in barely comprehendable rasps. If Jami planned on 'repaying' her for his sake, then he wasn't sure if he could allow that.

Kale stopped walked at Jami's call. There was a pause. The girl would repay her....Kale quickly thought it over. She did not expect the girl to have a tremendous amount of power, after all, look at the situation she was in. However, she was a student, and one that would probably not usually be of her concern. This, in some ways, could be beneficial to the harpy. The woman turned her shoulders sharply to her left, wing flipping out of the way as she narrowed an eye on the girl. It was hard to tell the exact emotions in the solid ebony eye, though cold and calculating were definitely on the forefront of her expression. She lifted an eyebrow and tilted her chin up, looking down on the pair in consideration.

Seemingly coming to a decision, Kale turned fully and strode purposefully directly towards Jami, ignoring Owen's mumbling for now. She came to stand in front of the girl and leaned down, wings opening partly in a predatory and intimidating fashion over her. The owl brought a hand up to try and lift Jami's chin with deceivingly soft gentleness, smooth skin rather icy, but emitting a ghosting of dry warmth that falsely promised safety and comfort.

"You will repay me." It wasn't a question, but rather a clarifying statement. The woman's light tones were strong but pretty. Her gaze flicked to Owen briefly before looking back at the girl. "I can help you both, but tell me, what is he worth?"

Jami was good at reading lips, and what Owen said waryed her. She had to though, to save him and herself. The woman was soon in front of her and raising her head. A warm sensation surrounded Jami and her mind sharpened now it wasn't fading in the cold. The only thing keeping her from feeling completly comfortable with the heat was the womans intimidating wings.

She felt her self start to stop shaking. "I will repay you...for saving him as well." Jami looked over to Owen and hoped he wouldn't try and stop her. Jami, now having better mobility moed back to Owen. She had only moved a little though when this professor had arrived, so not much space had to be closed.

Her back flared at the movements and she dropped to the ground againwincing in pain. Jami took a moment to breath and put her hand to her nose hoping to place it correctly to heal properly. "I would do another favor if you helped him as well. His injuries are worse then mine, I should preform for him." She said solidifing what shad had said. She placed her bloodied hand over him, in a comforting but also protective way. Jami hoped he wouldn't suddenly get his voice back and protest to do his part, or worse...stay here.

Speak, damnit! The more Owen forced his voice to go through, it seemed, the more difficult it was to make any sort of coherent noise. What would've been yells of fury had been reduced to garbled rasps, barely loud enough to be heard over the calm lapping of the waves. Clearing his throat and swallowing failed to aid it any more, and he eventually gave up, defeatedly clawing the sand between his fists and watching the grains spill from between his fingers.

He watched Kale return her attention to Jami, and her desire for a repayment was affirmed. Don't, he furiously thought. Just don't. He didn't know what the bargain would be, but if anything, he knew it wouldn't be a light one. He was motionless at the hand that seemed to patronize him, staring with a vague expression of shock and exhaustion. If Kale helped of her own free will, he would be able to manage that. But if Jami was left to clean up the grisly remains of his biggest mistake, then every scrap of his will and dignity could never allow her to do that.

But there was literally nothing, nothing that his body would allow him to do. He'd been tempted to find some rocks to toss at Kale as some sort of distraction, but there was nothing within reach. There was nothing he could do or say that would change either of their minds, and there was most certainly nothing he could do as a means of getting back ot the academy by himself. He bowed his head, scowling darkly at the empty space before him. There was nothing else to do.

Kale watched them with a passive expression.

"I never announced that I needed something from Owen. He has not asked for anything, he shall repay nothing." It may have sounded noble, but the truth was that Jami had done all the asking, and would therefore be doing all the repaying. The immediate area around the harpy grew frigid very quickly, and Kale could see her own breath. She walked towards Owen and Jami, small trails of ice crackled out from around her feet and growing in thin sheets on the outer feathers of her wings.

Looking down on the two, she held out a hand to each of them and nodded for them to grab hold. Upon doing so, all the energy she had just leeched from the environment directly around her would be transferred to them. Her skin would be an almost uncomfortably hot to the touch, but the warmth would spread as she tunneled the energy to their bodies, revitalizing.

"My type of healing will not be beneficial to you in the long run, I am not a doctor." Kale tossed her head in a flicking motion to cast her hair away from the large scar that rendered her right eye useless. "However, I can give you enough of a boost to take care of your body's physical needs for a very short while, but long enough to get you to the castle."

She mentioned nothing of the debt she would request.

Jami slowly realised what she had done in her panic. She had basically signed herself away to this horrible woman to save their lives. The woman seemed to freeze and Jami was getting confused but as soon as she said it was a healing tenique she had Jami felt a little safer. But the woman was still threatening.

Jami cauciously placed her hand one the harpy's and a sudden wave of heat felt like her hand was scalling. The rest of her body slowly heated up and Jami was amazed with the feeling. She felt so much better. It was almost as if you had been in the desert and had finally found an AC, but in reverse. Jami turnered her head to look at Owen and colour returned to her cheeks and her blush started to show from her remember how close she had been with him, even if it was just to use him to block the wind.

Jami's thoughts went back to her debt. The woman was helping but Jami had a feeling this debt she had to pay wasn't going to be pleasant.

((spelling.............))

The look that Owen was giving Kale was filled with mistrust. She said he'd repay nothing, but she didn't seem like the kind who'd do something without any kind of payment. Heck, the sole reason she'd came trailing back was because Jami brought the subject up.

He was almost certain that it would be his friend who would be serving the sentence of their bargain. The hand that Kale offered was tempting, but it would also secure their deal. But what other option did he have? The soreness radiating from his foot was almost enough to make him give in. The indecision hurt his head.

Finally, he sighed defeatedly. If he didn't take up this offer now, it would only make Jami's current job of getting back more difficult. Her hand was grabbed with his claw. His half drooping eyelids snapped wide open as the sudden warmth entered his system. His fingers flexed before him, finally able to move more freely. The newfound energy was enough to put a temporary grin on his face, and he shifted his legs to try and get into a position to stand.

The happiness lasted around 3 seconds. As soon as his foot was moved, the pain shot up his leg again, and he paused to wince. "..." Energised or not, his foot was still busted, and his voice was still gone with the wind. He looked down at the thing now, bracing himself for the sight. He could hardly call it a foot anymore. The cloth from Jami's dress was completely sodden, leaving some of his flesh still exposed to the elements. Toes were missing, the remaining barely clinging onto shredded flaps of skin and bone. He wanted to retch, but held it in. His hand was raised towards Jami, wanting her to help lift him. He would attempt to walk - the back of his hell was still intact. He could only give Kale a stare, not angry, bitter, or even gratitude. A simple stare without emotion, there was none that he could express right now.