66 & 67/365
oh my gosh, please forgive me >.< I was so busy at school, and I met up with my childhood friend from 6PM - 11PM, and I lost track of time and completely forgot to update. Dammit. I was hoping to get past at least 3 months without breaking the streak :')
Touma's POV
Run. Faster.
My heart feels like it's in my throat as I strain myself to run faster. My paws are pounding against the dry and cracked ground, my ears flat against my head. My head is tucked low as I race across caked dirt and tree roots, nearly tripping over my own feet. My paw pads are becoming chaffed, I can feel it. My should's burning, the still-healing wound breaking open.
I don't care. I have to get there. Something's wrong.
I shouldn't have gone too far from the den to hunt when he was this sick. The worst thoughts or scenarios begin to flood my mind, and I shake my head violently, as if to ward them off. I can't afford to think of the worst. I'm supposed to always look at the happy side of things. I have to stay strong, stay positive.
I hope I get there in time.
I hear unfamiliar voices up ahead, human voices, and my breath catches. I skid around the base of a large tree, slowing down as I see a group of humans, male and female, crouched before our den. A low growl threatens to tear from my throat. They're murmuring to each other in their own strange language, and there's a weak snarling from the inside.
I pace, anxious, flanks heaving as I try to reign in my anger. The humans don't seem to notice me, more focused on my weak mate inside the den instead. Suddenly, there's movement, and there's a yelp of pain from inside the den, followed by an amused ruckus caused by the humans.
Fury flares through my veins and all I see is red as I lunge forward with an angry snarl, jaws wide and claws ready to tear through flesh. There are screams of terror, and the humans scatter, but I manage to pounce on one. My jaws snap dangerously close to his throat as he struggles beneath me, and my claws pierce his arms. He shouts, and kicks me off, scrambling to his feet before darting away.
I snarl again, angry at myself and the humans, before I shake my pelt, ignoring the slight pain in my abdomen from where he kicked me, before ducking into the cave. My dark-furred mate is curled up in a tight ball, small body shaking and whimpering softly. He flinches when I touch my nose gently to his shoulder.
"I'm back." I whisper. NightHaze's body unfurls, paws reaching for me weakly, and I lay down beside him. He stares up at me with hazy, sleepy and sad silver eyes, before tilting his chin up to lick at my muzzle affectionately. "What happened?"
"They just threw a stone at me." NightHaze whimpers, covering his muzzle with a paw. I nose through his sweaty fur, the stench of sickness is thick in the air. "You'll get sick too." NightHaze says, after a few moments of grooming.
"I'll be fine." I nose his ear, dragging my tongue over it, and he shifts to rest against my chest. I can feel the tremors running through his body - it's taking tremendous effort to move. "I'm sorry for going away for so long. I didn't intend to go that far."
"It's alright." NightHaze gives me a tired smile, ear tips twitching against my chin, tail entwining with mine. We're quiet, before he speaks again, "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." I murmur, burying my nose in the fur of his neck. "It's not your fault that you got sick." NightHaze trembles, and I know he wants to say something, but he stays silent.
You're the one who got shot.
His unsaid words linger in the air, just like the metallic scent of blood.
"Your wound. It's opened up again." NightHaze tilts his head, exhausted, and tries to take a look. I shake my head and butt my muzzle gently against his. He shoots me a weary and unamused look, nose twitching, obviously trying to make a point about the smell of blood in the air.
I lick NightHaze's cheek, before I twist my head and lick at the bleeding wound on my shoulder, ignoring the nasty taste of metal. "I'm fine," I say, putting as much confidence into my voice as possible. The wound hurts, but it hurts more to see NightHaze curled up against me, feeble and frail. It brings a lump of guilt to my throat.
It's my fault for not watching out. It's my fault for going too far in the middle of the night when I was supposed to be watching. It's my fault he was stolen away. It's my fault that a powerful warrior has been succumbed and is starting to disintegrate to nothing to human's filthy tricks.
But, I know of a special lake. It's said that the water has healing properties, and can save someone from the brink of death, returning them to a more youthful and healthier form. However, there's a catch. It's never a free ride.
Whoever drinks from the lake loses all memories of their life, it's almost as if they're reborn. I know that it's risky, but if it's to save the one that I love, I would go through hell to save him.
It's hard. We're still at least a weeks worth of traveling away, and NightHaze is only getting weaker every day. He's only able to eat food in short portions, and even then, he'll occasionally throw it up. It won't be long until his body starts rejecting the food completely. However, with NightHaze's deteriorating health, we're covering less and less distance every day.
I lick the fur at the top of his head, grooming him before lifting a paw and draping it over his shoulder, pulling him close. NightHaze shifts to lay on his side, curling up, frail body wracking with coughs as he tries to fall asleep.
"I love you," I murmur, my voice barely a whisper as I touch our noses together, just as his eyes flutter closed. We'll have to move out soon, before those humans come back with their guns.
~
The next day, I coax NightHaze to his paws, and he stumbles, falling into my side with a thin wail. I shift, and let him crawl over my back, before I stand gently, feeling his claws dig slightly into my shoulders as he clings to me. I can feel his ribs against my spine.
I start off at a brisk trot, trying not to jostle NightHaze too much. My mate whimpers softly, uncomfortable and in pain. I let a low purring-like noise resonate in my chest.
Everything will be alright.
~
Everything was not alright. NightHaze began having worse nightmares, he began throwing up bile and blood, and he was looking more and more like a skeleton each passing hour. He refused to allow me to go out to hunt, terrified that the humans would come back and take him away again.
"You need to eat," I coax him, but NightHaze shakes his head vehemently, and stares at me, silver eyes wide and sad.
"I can't." He whispers. I sigh, and press my nose to his forehead.
"I need to eat as well, so I'm strong enough to carry you."
"I'm sorry." NightHaze whimpers, covering his head with his paws. I fidget, figuring that it was the wrong thing to say.
"I can hunt later," I say, finally, ignoring the grumbling of my stomach. I take NightHaze on my back once again, and we're off, jogging through the woods, winding around trees and shrubs. We don't have much time left. I don't know how much time NightHaze has left.
And that thought terrifies me.
~
He was taken away in the night. I'd been patrolling the area nearby, and I'd heard the snarls of my mate. Of course, I'd immediately run to find him, but he was gone. Only human's footprints were left, along with strangely symmetrical patterns imprinted deep in the mud.
I followed the scent of disgusting fumes, and stayed at the edge of the woods, eyes wide in horror as I saw my mate, trapped in a strange box, laying limply on his side. There was no sign of movement.
I'd let out a snarl of anger, and the humans had turned to me. They shouted, some took NightHaze into the strange human structure, and some came after me, waving things in the air. I knew them. Guns. I was torn.
I wanted desperately to stay with my mate, but these humans were dangerous, and they wanted to kill me as much as I wanted to kill them. I ran. I ran like the coward I was, and got shot in the shoulder.
~
My body takes on a lot of strain as I carry NightHaze, my wounded shoulder screaming in pain as I constantly move and flex it, carrying NightHaze on my back.
We're almost there.
~
We've made it, but NightHaze's breathing has slowed, and it's barely there. I can feel it, just barely tickling my ears. His heartbeat is
Summer 
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