Runner's Start (Private)

Agdrin bristled at that. How dare some boy accuse him of being scared. He curled his lip in distaste and prowled over to Runner, but stopped a good foot away, arms dropped to his sides as his claws flexed. "I am not scared, boy. I needed to know you weren't empty in the mind. You should be honored to be offered a chance to fight for the great being of Chaos." He cut a hateful glance towards Tessa. "You couldn't possibly be satisfied to settle with such an incompetent ally such as the pathetic Vanguard."

"I cannot dictate what decisions Rhianon makes," Agdrin said simply, "It's not my fault she's a terrible mother that does not care for her offspring. But I can have a hand in forging your path to greatness."

By now, Tessa had woken up, possession-demon-free. However, she remained still and kept her breathing even, giving no indication to her conscience state. She was in no condition to interfere, a miserable realization that she reluctantly adhered to.

Runner, don't, Tessa silently pleaded, hearing his footsteps on the sand. Her strength was slowly seeping back into her muscles, but not fast enough—she wouldn't be fast enough. Please, don't.

Agdrin rose an unimpressed brow, but he did take a small step back. "But I digress," he continued as if Runner hadn't said anything, "It's a one-time offer, as I've said. You either take it now, or leave it and make an enemy that you do not want to have."

Agdrin snorted. "Bold words for a boy. Fine, but don't come crawling back to me when you change your mind. You've made an enemy of Chaos, Runner. That is a grave mistake you'll soon regret."

The demon lifted his head, and he left in the same fashion that he showed up.

(sorry. working on a drawing rn)

Tessa opened her eyes and glanced worriedly towards Runner. She couldn't speak as a dragon, so she settled with lifting her head and letting out a small whine in apology.

She winced as she stood up, her crushed wing hanging limp at her side. Once she was on her feet, she shifted back as much as she could—her wings were still there. She managed to come over to Runner, and she unceremoniously lifted his shirt to see the damage.

"Liar. I know how much damage I can inflict." Her eyes and face became cold and unfeeling, masking the worry and guilt.

"I was the weapon." She flicked her fingers and summoned a small ball of sunlight. "Can you make a portal?"

She half-heartedly tossed the ball of sunlight at him, eyes still trained on his blood-soaked shirt.

Tessa didn't outwardly curl into herself, but she wanted to. She gently held onto Runner and guided him into the portal, which led into the house they were staying in.

"Don't worry about it," Tessa said, nudging him towards the bathroom to keep the mess to a minimum. "Worry about you." Her words were firm—though not quite harsh—but her hands were gentle as she urged him through the house.

"Now you're sounding like me," she said, shaking her head and ignoring his insistence. She opened the bathroom door and shooed him through ahead of her. "I know how to bandage wounds like that. I'm a street rat, remember?"

She looked around for the first aid supplies, then came over to him and crooked a finger, indicating for him to take his shirt off. "Kinda need access to it."

Tessa's face twisted as she crouched and got to work on cleaning out the wounds. "I'm sorry," she said after length, her voice a quiet murmur as her brows scrunched in concentration, her eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the unlit room.

"Maybe," she mused, wiping away some blood and dabbing some disinfectant over the wounds, "But I still let myself be controlled so easily."