A Bit Unconventional

12

Cole paced the small cave watching Finn's still body. "Do you think he's going to be okay?"

Natasha had led the group to a cave where there was a glowing pool of water. Apparently the algae that many aquatics and amphibians ate helped them gain their healing abilities.

Inside this particular pool was an older amphibian who initially swam away from the group.

But Natasha brought him back explaining the urgency in a language none of them understood.

"Let Maz work." Natasha whispered still holding Finn's hand.

The injuries were bad. They had to remove Finn's leather under-armour and his shirt just to see what they were dealing with.

Three deep scratches across his chest, deep tears on his forearm which looked like teethmarks, several holes in his shoulder where something had been stabbed in and the cauterised wound on his side.

Blaze had opted to remain at the caves entrance, he had been deadly silent since he had closed the wound and refused to answer Clara's worried questions.

Currently Finn was laying at the edge off the pool, green seaweed and kelp leaves wrapped around the deepest wounds.

They could all see the shallow rise and fall of Finn's chest. He was alive but he looked too pale still.

"We move him." Maz explained meeting Natasha's gaze. "He come into the water."

Cole stepped closer. "Can I?" He asked kneeling next to Finn.

Maz nodded and between the three of them they carefully laid Finn in the water.

Natasha got in helping to keep Finn's head above the water while his chest and shoulders were submerged.

"How long will he have to stay like this?" Clara asked watching carefully, she wasn't certain she trusted this Maz yet.

Not until she saw Finn alive and well.

"Day or two." Maz informed. "Your dragon friend healed worst wound well."

Clara nodded. She glanced to the entrance where Blaze was sat. She couldn't imagine what he was going through, even after knowing him for however many years.

Finn had woken up when they had started, he tried to thrash around with a scream but in the end he had fallen back into unconsciousness with a heaving sob.

"Princess?"

Clara flinched to see Lorcan, the man they found in the woods, fidgeting nervously just behind her.

"What is it?" She asked tilting her head.

The stranger who had found Finn wasn't human, they could all tell, but she had yet to ask what he might be.

She didn't feel that it was the time.

"I have something to confess." He admitted his gaze fluttering to Finn every once in a while.

"What's going on?" She encouraged patting the rock she was sat on.

Lorcan carefully sat down. "In Durmount they have a... A man who builds contraptions, things to trap mythical like us."

"You mean like the cages and ropes?" Clara frowned.

Lorcan nodded, his wild hair shifting as if it had a life of its own. "They um... they caught me and my pack a while back. To keep us under their control they made these bands that locked around our heads. It made shifting impossible."

"You're a shapeshifter?" Clara nodded. "I see."

"Yes... I was trapped but now I am free because of your friend." Lorcan explained gesturing to Finn.

And it occurred to Clara that he sounded so unsure and that set her on edge. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I have been under their control for so long. Then I ran into your friend." Lorcan gestured to Finn. "I believe that I am the one who harmed him."

Clara flinched looking at him wide eyed. "You what?"

"I don't remember it, I remember a sharp pain here." He lifted his hand to where there was a dark bruise visible beneath the messy mane of hair. "Then I woke up to find your friend bleeding out."

Clara nodded. "But you don't remember doing it?"

Lorcan shook his head. "No, but I have a feeling that someone in Durmount will be very angry when I do not return."

Finn then flinched head tossing against Natasha's shoulders as a cough tore from his throat. Splatters of red burst from his lips a small amount dribbling down his chin.

"Not good." Maz frowned before he vanished beneath the surface.

When he returned he held a strange sponge like item, he looked distressed.

"Out water." Maz instructed quickly. "Now, now, now."

"Cole a little help." Natasha asked hastily.

Cole carefully lifted Finn out cautious of his wounds before settling him on the ground.

Finn's features were pinched, his mouth open in a grimace but his eyes remained closed.

"Maz," Natasha said quietly, "can you do anything?"

"Take time." Maz nodded as he ripped the sponge open. He clawed into it his orange spines bristling before settling again. "Poison."

"Poison?!" Clara deamnded rising to her feat.

"Hand on." Natasha snapped, lifting her hand to stop Clara while she turned her attention to a hiding Maz. "What do you mean poison?"

"Stop pain, help him." Maz answered as he reached over he gripped Finn's chin and forced a piece of the sponge into his mouth. "Drink."

Cole hauled Finn more upright as Natasha scooped water into her hand. She gently poured it past his lips and the sponge disappeared with a fizz.

"Do I have to?" Natasha asked softly.

"Best help."

Natasha groaned and looked irritated, she held Finn's chin in her hand her eyes glowing as her claws elongated. A bead of poison dropped from the tip of her finger and into his open mouth.

She gave him three drops before pulling away.

"He rest." Maz said dipping more and more beneath the water. "I back tomorrow."

With a ripple in the water he was gone from view and the cave was silent.

"What does the poison do?" Cole whispered.

"It's not a poison, it will numb him." Natasha explained. "Maz can't talk your language well, but it will in effect help Finn to recover with less pain."

"I'm going to talk to Blaze." Clara whispered as she moved away from Finn's unconscious body.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Cole asked as he lowered Finn back onto the soft surface of moss.

"He's annoying enough." Natasha shrugged.

"I hope he does." Cole admitted. "I don't want him to die."