TIMESTAMP: 5th Sun's Zenith year 122
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Finding his focus, Vergil launched himself to his feet and thrust his polearm forward at a sharp, upward angle, lancing the heart of the beast. It screamed and wailed while utterly soaking the man in its blood, but this time it failed to advance. Finally, it was dying– with buckling knees, it collapsed to the ground as blood continued to spray from its major wounds. The vampyre retreated, sprinting as he made his way to Hector's side to the tune of the abomination's unholy death rattle.
Dropping his weapon, it clattered to the ground beside him as Vergil knelt next to the fallen elf as a stream of curses ran from his lips. Bleeding from the mouth and nose, he lay crumpled but smiling up at his mentor.
"Di-...did…you kill it…?" Hector's voice was weak, strained and woven with bright threads of pain, but his tone contained echoes of hope and admiration nonetheless.
"Yes," he answered back right away, his exasperation obvious in that single syllable.
Rolling his injured friend onto his back, Vergil cursed again as he saw the way Hector's flesh stretched unnaturally in various locations. Bones were clearly broken beneath the surface, but nothing was torn. Upon touching him, the older vampyre realized what Hector had done to his skin– it was a smart move, at least, if he was intent on making such a stupid choice. Utilizing his own cast of Vicissitude, he converted the other's skin back to its natural state. To fix him, Vergil would likely need to cut through, something he couldn't easily do when it was that thick.
The first step, indeed, would be to check for and staunch internal bleeding in the torso. He retrieved the bag he had cast down and hurriedly removed what Necromancy tools he assumed he'd need: carving hook, embalmer's tongs, bone needle, and sinew thread. No marrow gum this time– bones were complicated to repair and they simply didn't have the time. Vergil would fix the breaks properly when the two were safe. This triage would be rushed considering the circumstances, but he needed to restore the other's bleeding flesh and set bones at a minimum.
Before he could begin, however, he stripped the elf of his shirt and infused him with Pheromancy to temper what pain he would inflict. It was only then that he was ready to make his first cut.
Placing an ear to both sides of Hector's chest, Vergil determined that both lungs, at least, rose and fell as they should. With that in mind, he readied his carving hook and cut an incision horizontally across the left side of the elf's ribs, intending to perform a thoracotomy. To prevent any of his incisions from bleeding, he used Crystallize to harden Hector's blood as he drew the blade across his flesh. Going deeper, he cut away a section of intercostal muscle and rib bones to grant vision of the organs that lay within. Grabbing the embalmer's tongs, he used them to hold open Hector's chest.
The first cut pulled little reaction from Hector, but the removal of his ribs resulted in a sensory experience that was both violently uncomfortable yet oddly satisfying; it did not hurt in a traditional sense. While the pain itself had been dealt with, there was nothing to block the anxiety induced by fully conscious surgery– his pulse quickened as his heart thrummed within like a bird's. The delirium from the loss of vitality due to heavy bleeding did help somewhat, though.
Pretty immediately, Vergil spotted at least one source of the other's bleeding. The force of the impact must've smashed his heart resulting in a small tear opening in the subclavian artery, resulting in a chest cavity saturated with spilt blood. Using Thaumaturgy, the surgeon began to continuously siphon the excess blood from within, forming a floating crimson orb in the air beside him while he worked. With quick movements, he removed his hands from the site, placed down the carving hook and replaced it with his bone needle and sinew thread. Tools acquired, Vergil went back in to sew in the thread and heal the tear.
From what he could see, there was nothing else major in the chest. Pushing flesh and organs out of his way, he could still see blood pooling around the organs of the abdomen, just not particularly well. Evidently, Hector did not enjoy having his organs repositioned, gritting his teeth and letting a small cry escape him as they were pushed around. The sound alone was enough to make one cringe.
However, the rate of the bleeding was slow enough that Hector would be able to heal on his own due to his vampiric nature. Walking around like that wouldn't exactly be comfortable, but he didn't have time to open up the elf's abdomen and fix a ton of small wounds. This would have to do for now.
Replacing the chunk of ribcage he'd earlier removed, Vergil pulled additional sinew threads and began the process of reattaching it. Each prick of the bone needle resulted in Hector tensing the muscles of his core, breathing becoming somewhat erratic as the older vampire continued. Once done, he softened some of the crystallized blood keeping Hector's skin from bleeding into the laceration and siphoned the blood from the orb he'd collected back into the elf's body. Shortly thereafter, he softened all of the crystallization and closed the incision with more sinew thread.
This whole time, Hector had done his very best not to move, but when somebody is poking around your internal organs it can be somewhat difficult not to twitch as a result of certain unexpected touches. That, and having things pushed around made him severely nauseous, but all things considered, he did manage to keep himself very still. Keeping his discomfort off of his face, however, was not something he was quite capable of doing.
Once the thoracic incision had been closed, Vergil glanced at Hector's strained features and despite the fact that he was pale and slicked with sweat, the younger man just passively smiled back as if to say 'pay me no mind.' Eyes of gold narrowed at this, the older vampyre displeased at what little regard the other appeared to hold for his own safety and comfort.
"Don't do this shit, Hector– never again." The usual softness of his velvety voice had hardened with a mix of frustration and concern, though he did try to curb his irritation for Hector’s sake.
Sighing, Vergil continued, "I'm sure I would have been fine had you not intervened…I…your pain hurts me too, understand?"
This time, however, his frustration broke into pain and then sadness.
Before Hector could reply, Vergil had already begun to move, gently running a hand over the other's left shoulder before popping the dislocated joint back into place. The action elicited a sharp hiss that melted into a whimper from the elf.
"You…would not have. It would've definitely…smashed your head into the ground, don't…don't pretend. I saved you for the very same reason you chastise me now– please, understand that." Hector's reply came from frayed vocal chords, but he needed to get his point across.
He had no intention of letting Vergil kill himself for his sake, and, for the record, his Vicissitude was a well calculated move that kept him alive.
While he was listening, Vergil moved over to Hector's right side. He'd made impact with the wall slab on this side, and despite the skin not having torn from the magic use, it was obvious from the angle at which it lay that it was painfully mangled within.
"I had no intention to die; my magic…it kept me alive and…and now you're here to fix me– we've saved one another, please…stow your anger." The worn suede texture of Hector's voice sounded particularly pitiful this time, diffusing Vergil's anger further.
A short pause elapsed before Vergil would reply. Really, though, Hector was right. How could he be mad? They were both alive.
"I…concede the point. Just…be careful, ok?" More than anything, Vergil's voice read as pleading.
"I'll follow your lead," an exhausted Hector answered back with a soft grin.
He intended to take exactly as many risks as Vergil does– keeping things even.
In response, Vergil simply shook his head and laughed, placing his Necromancy supplies back into his bag at the same time. Next, he withdrew swathes of cloth and a short metal rod he intended to use to splint Hector's arm. Every bone on the right arm was likely damaged, shoulder to hand, split into several different fragments throughout. Such a thing would take time they didn't have to fix properly, so all he could do for now was secure the bones using what supplies he had.
Moving as quickly as he could while maintaining precision, Vergil set the bones to the best of his abilities while Hector struggled not to squirm at the discomfort. Bending it at the elbow, he bound the elf's arm in a sling and then secured it to his chest with one final piece of cloth to ensure as little movement as possible in the interim. It was obvious there was damage to his right leg, too, but he'd have to settle for not putting weight on it for now– Vergil would help him walk to safety. Not wanting to leave Hector half naked, Vergil retrieved the other's shirt and helped him back into it. For what had happened, it was surprisingly intact.
"Lean on me– I'll help you stand but we need to get moving. Might as well feed on the beast's corpse before we leave, though…no need to let it go to waste." Vergil spoke matter of factly and the two of them did just that, up to and including making use of blood magic to wick the life essence off of their attire.
Dropping his weapon, it clattered to the ground beside him as Vergil knelt next to the fallen elf as a stream of curses ran from his lips. Bleeding from the mouth and nose, he lay crumpled but smiling up at his mentor.
"Di-...did…you kill it…?" Hector's voice was weak, strained and woven with bright threads of pain, but his tone contained echoes of hope and admiration nonetheless.
"Yes," he answered back right away, his exasperation obvious in that single syllable.
Rolling his injured friend onto his back, Vergil cursed again as he saw the way Hector's flesh stretched unnaturally in various locations. Bones were clearly broken beneath the surface, but nothing was torn. Upon touching him, the older vampyre realized what Hector had done to his skin– it was a smart move, at least, if he was intent on making such a stupid choice. Utilizing his own cast of Vicissitude, he converted the other's skin back to its natural state. To fix him, Vergil would likely need to cut through, something he couldn't easily do when it was that thick.
The first step, indeed, would be to check for and staunch internal bleeding in the torso. He retrieved the bag he had cast down and hurriedly removed what Necromancy tools he assumed he'd need: carving hook, embalmer's tongs, bone needle, and sinew thread. No marrow gum this time– bones were complicated to repair and they simply didn't have the time. Vergil would fix the breaks properly when the two were safe. This triage would be rushed considering the circumstances, but he needed to restore the other's bleeding flesh and set bones at a minimum.
Before he could begin, however, he stripped the elf of his shirt and infused him with Pheromancy to temper what pain he would inflict. It was only then that he was ready to make his first cut.
Placing an ear to both sides of Hector's chest, Vergil determined that both lungs, at least, rose and fell as they should. With that in mind, he readied his carving hook and cut an incision horizontally across the left side of the elf's ribs, intending to perform a thoracotomy. To prevent any of his incisions from bleeding, he used Crystallize to harden Hector's blood as he drew the blade across his flesh. Going deeper, he cut away a section of intercostal muscle and rib bones to grant vision of the organs that lay within. Grabbing the embalmer's tongs, he used them to hold open Hector's chest.
The first cut pulled little reaction from Hector, but the removal of his ribs resulted in a sensory experience that was both violently uncomfortable yet oddly satisfying; it did not hurt in a traditional sense. While the pain itself had been dealt with, there was nothing to block the anxiety induced by fully conscious surgery– his pulse quickened as his heart thrummed within like a bird's. The delirium from the loss of vitality due to heavy bleeding did help somewhat, though.
Pretty immediately, Vergil spotted at least one source of the other's bleeding. The force of the impact must've smashed his heart resulting in a small tear opening in the subclavian artery, resulting in a chest cavity saturated with spilt blood. Using Thaumaturgy, the surgeon began to continuously siphon the excess blood from within, forming a floating crimson orb in the air beside him while he worked. With quick movements, he removed his hands from the site, placed down the carving hook and replaced it with his bone needle and sinew thread. Tools acquired, Vergil went back in to sew in the thread and heal the tear.
From what he could see, there was nothing else major in the chest. Pushing flesh and organs out of his way, he could still see blood pooling around the organs of the abdomen, just not particularly well. Evidently, Hector did not enjoy having his organs repositioned, gritting his teeth and letting a small cry escape him as they were pushed around. The sound alone was enough to make one cringe.
However, the rate of the bleeding was slow enough that Hector would be able to heal on his own due to his vampiric nature. Walking around like that wouldn't exactly be comfortable, but he didn't have time to open up the elf's abdomen and fix a ton of small wounds. This would have to do for now.
Replacing the chunk of ribcage he'd earlier removed, Vergil pulled additional sinew threads and began the process of reattaching it. Each prick of the bone needle resulted in Hector tensing the muscles of his core, breathing becoming somewhat erratic as the older vampire continued. Once done, he softened some of the crystallized blood keeping Hector's skin from bleeding into the laceration and siphoned the blood from the orb he'd collected back into the elf's body. Shortly thereafter, he softened all of the crystallization and closed the incision with more sinew thread.
This whole time, Hector had done his very best not to move, but when somebody is poking around your internal organs it can be somewhat difficult not to twitch as a result of certain unexpected touches. That, and having things pushed around made him severely nauseous, but all things considered, he did manage to keep himself very still. Keeping his discomfort off of his face, however, was not something he was quite capable of doing.
Once the thoracic incision had been closed, Vergil glanced at Hector's strained features and despite the fact that he was pale and slicked with sweat, the younger man just passively smiled back as if to say 'pay me no mind.' Eyes of gold narrowed at this, the older vampyre displeased at what little regard the other appeared to hold for his own safety and comfort.
"Don't do this shit, Hector– never again." The usual softness of his velvety voice had hardened with a mix of frustration and concern, though he did try to curb his irritation for Hector’s sake.
Sighing, Vergil continued, "I'm sure I would have been fine had you not intervened…I…your pain hurts me too, understand?"
This time, however, his frustration broke into pain and then sadness.
Before Hector could reply, Vergil had already begun to move, gently running a hand over the other's left shoulder before popping the dislocated joint back into place. The action elicited a sharp hiss that melted into a whimper from the elf.
"You…would not have. It would've definitely…smashed your head into the ground, don't…don't pretend. I saved you for the very same reason you chastise me now– please, understand that." Hector's reply came from frayed vocal chords, but he needed to get his point across.
He had no intention of letting Vergil kill himself for his sake, and, for the record, his Vicissitude was a well calculated move that kept him alive.
While he was listening, Vergil moved over to Hector's right side. He'd made impact with the wall slab on this side, and despite the skin not having torn from the magic use, it was obvious from the angle at which it lay that it was painfully mangled within.
"I had no intention to die; my magic…it kept me alive and…and now you're here to fix me– we've saved one another, please…stow your anger." The worn suede texture of Hector's voice sounded particularly pitiful this time, diffusing Vergil's anger further.
A short pause elapsed before Vergil would reply. Really, though, Hector was right. How could he be mad? They were both alive.
"I…concede the point. Just…be careful, ok?" More than anything, Vergil's voice read as pleading.
"I'll follow your lead," an exhausted Hector answered back with a soft grin.
He intended to take exactly as many risks as Vergil does– keeping things even.
In response, Vergil simply shook his head and laughed, placing his Necromancy supplies back into his bag at the same time. Next, he withdrew swathes of cloth and a short metal rod he intended to use to splint Hector's arm. Every bone on the right arm was likely damaged, shoulder to hand, split into several different fragments throughout. Such a thing would take time they didn't have to fix properly, so all he could do for now was secure the bones using what supplies he had.
Moving as quickly as he could while maintaining precision, Vergil set the bones to the best of his abilities while Hector struggled not to squirm at the discomfort. Bending it at the elbow, he bound the elf's arm in a sling and then secured it to his chest with one final piece of cloth to ensure as little movement as possible in the interim. It was obvious there was damage to his right leg, too, but he'd have to settle for not putting weight on it for now– Vergil would help him walk to safety. Not wanting to leave Hector half naked, Vergil retrieved the other's shirt and helped him back into it. For what had happened, it was surprisingly intact.
"Lean on me– I'll help you stand but we need to get moving. Might as well feed on the beast's corpse before we leave, though…no need to let it go to waste." Vergil spoke matter of factly and the two of them did just that, up to and including making use of blood magic to wick the life essence off of their attire.
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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
