Mian carefully dragged Dion to a more obscure area where it would be more difficult to spot them. They were surrounded on all sides by thick bushes. Only if an animal got close, would it then be able to sniff them out. Either that, or a demi-human that had a good nose.

With a pained, split mind, Mian stood up. He needed to check if there was a river somewhere close by. If there was, then it would be best to drag Dion there so that he could wash out the blood caked in his fur. Its presence increased the chances that they would be found by predators.

Hesitantly, he crawled out from underneath the bushes. His eyes darted left and right as his ears swiveled in all directions.

The coast was clear!

He darted out of the undergrowth, and began his search for a stream. Time passed as he combed the surrounding area. An increasingly large bubble of frustration began building up within Mian's chest before he finally heard the sound of running water.

Yes!

He made for the path where the sound came from. Peeking through the bushes at the edge of the tree line, he spotted that this stream looked much more normal than the one that was created from an abundance of natural energy.

He stepped out of the shadows and shuffled to the bank of the river. A dip of his fingers was all he needed to know that the water was ordinary. Quickly he stood up and hurried back to where Dion was hidden. Upon getting there, he breathed a sigh of relief. The younger dominant was still unconscious.

He didn't need to be awake, because Mian was sure that the trip to the river wouldn't be comfortable at all. Taking a deep breath, Mian bent down and hefted Dion's heavy body over his shoulder, his doubled strength working double time to support the weight. Quickly, he hobbled through the forest and to the river he had checked out earlier.

Easing Dion into the water, Mian noted the sigh that escaped the larger boy's lips. He smiled slightly, glad he could be of help. He dutifully ran his fingers through the fur that was matted with blood, working away at the dirt that had caked beneath. The water around them turned red, making Mian twist his mouth. The blood was so much.

His worry built up as he worked his way through the matted fur. Although Hana had told him that Dion's healing abilities would be multiplied threefold, he still worried. That Dion's healing ability had been boosted didn't mean that he was immediately okay. All that dirt and blood that had dried between the cuts would remain as a hindrance to his healing for as long as they were there.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

After fifteen long minutes of sifting through Dion's fur, Mian had gotten through it all. By now, Dion had begun to shiver softly in Mian's arms. Mian lifted him out of the water and laid him down on a rock that was right under the sun, but a bit of a distance from the stream.

Mian decided to use this moment to wash up as well, his lean fingers also sifting through light fur. A few minutes later, he walked out of the river and sat down beside Dion. His fur was lighter than the dominant's, so within a couple of minutes, he was completely dry.

He glanced over at Dion to see the larger boy laying on his side. He shuffled over to the dark haired demi-human's side and pushed aside the fur on his side.

Hiss!

He drew in a sharp breath upon seeing the deep gashes that were surrounded by pink flesh. He could see the tissues and flesh knitting together at a visible pace to the naked eye.

"Oh God." Mian gasped as he saw the injuries. Three deep gashes that dug deep beneath Dion's ribs and into the flesh. It was bad. Really bad. But the good thing was that it was healing. Quickly. Washing out the dried blood from the wound had helped out a ton and all they just needed now was time.

*Rustle!*

The sound of bushes parting startled Mian to his feet. He turned, facing the tree line, just as humans came out, their swords held before them and firm looks plastered over their faces.

At the forefront of the humans, a man garbed in a deep red coat stood, his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. He was fairly young, with firm but soft features.

"Capture them. I don't want them too badly hurt." He spoke with a firm, no nonsense tone. The men around him responded to his command, moving forward at once.

Mian watched them with frantic gazes, unsure of what to do.

[The System senses increasing distress from the Host. It has been determined that the Host is in a dire situation. Self defense protocols activated. Forceful takeover of Host's body has been carried out.] Hana's voice recited in Mian's head, but unlike the usual soft voice, she sounded so stiff that even Mian feared what she meant by all what she said.

A strange feeling overcame Mian as he felt his control over his body be taken away from him. He felt as though he was only just a passenger in his body. A strange calm came over his mind as he watched the humans come closer.

Closer... Closer... Clo-

He moved!

He dashed at one of the humans, his blunt claws bared. The human jerked back, surprised that such a small statured demi-human would make a move against him. His shock didn't last long though, as he quickly held up his sword to block the strike from Mian's claws. He pushed back, throwing Mian a couple meters back, but wasn't given any reprieve as Mian kept on coming, over and over again.

"Hold on, Rick, I've got the black one. Mare's coming!" A voice yelled over Mian's shoulder. He risked a glance backwards to see a man lugging Dion over his shoulder, and immediately, that calm that surrounded his mind was gone. He lunged at the man, only to receive a solid hit at the back of his head.

"No-" He fell to the floor, his vision black, with a human standing over his body.