234 Burn

How could she forget about the last one? 

Seeing as it was about to come up from the underground, Vy instinctively leapt into the air. In the next moment, the last mole burst forth from the ground, covered entirely in burnt marks. The creature's fur was still covered in flames. You could even see its seared flesh in patches as it's fur and skin peels off its body. 

Vy narrowly escaped the clawing of the mole, if she had been hit, she could have been split apart. It was too close for comfort. Vy unleashed a burst of flame from her mouth, burning the creature with her flames. 

Using the momentum of her leapt into the air, she allowed herself to free fall towards the ground. The mole, struggling through the flames, was desperately rolling on the snow in an effort to put out the flames. 

But the flames could never extinguish. Not without Vy's command. The creature was so focused on itself, that it never took notice of the growing shadow looming above it. Vy extended her claws and tore through the creature with force. 

After a few moments, the creature stopped moving. 

Now, she could finally heave a real sigh of relief. The adrenaline had been fueling her the entire battle. Now that it was finally over, its effects were fading fast. What followed was an intense searing pain on her back and face. 

Vy took to her human form as she crumbled onto the carcass of the mole. 

"Vy!" Lycster called out as he ran over to his sister with Aether by his side. 

When Lycster turned his sister's slumped body over, she was barely conscious. The wound over her eye had covered nearly half of her face in blood. The young boy felt his heart sink. He could feel tears brimming at the side of his eyes. 

But now was not the time for tears. It was a matter of survival. Looking overhead, the sky was turning dark and the cold winds were billowing. The haunting whistle of the wind sent shivers down his spine. 

-We need to find shelter fast.- Aether commented. 

In the Bleak Lands, it was best not to stay out in the open when the night sets in. There were no places to hide or cower in fear and you could barely see what was in front of you without a proper light source. 

Yet if you held out a torch, you would attract unwanted attention like a light bulb attracting the attention of moths. Aether scoured the area around them. Just before the sunset, he found them a cave. 

After taking care of its inhabitants, Aether carried Vy and headed to the cave with Lycster. Gathering the necessary supplies, they started a fire and began to access Vy's wounds. Vy's clothes were soaked through with blood and the cold air had caused it to stick to her open wounds. 

He removed her fur coat, revealing the severity of her injuries on her back. He leaned in close to her.

"Vy, this is going to hurt. Bite on this," he warned her as he gave her a roll of cloth to bite down on. 

Vy could barely hear what Aether was saying, but she understood what he meant. Aether cut open her blouse where she could. Without a preemptive warning, he ripped the fabric off her wound. 

The jolt of pain surged through her body as Vy grunted in pain. If she was slipping into unconsciousness before, the pain was more than enough to keep her awake. Aether continued to remove the fabrics until there were none left, revealing the claw wounds that covered her back. 

"How… how bad is it?" Vy asked as she grimaced through the pain. 

As soon as Lycster saw a glimpse of it, he had no words for it. 

"It's worse than you think," Aether said out loud. 

The wounds had not stopped bleeding, this was not a good sign. But above all else, they first needed to clean the wounds to prevent her from getting an infection. Aether brought out a bottle of alcohol and some rags. 

When the water was ready, Lycster brought it over for Aether to use. He mixed it in with some fresh snow to cool the water down a little before soaking the rags into it. Next, he began to clean the wounds. 

Lycster prepared rolls of bandages and ointment that would be used for the wounds. He could not bear to see his sister in so much pain, so he concentrated on the task at hand. The pain Vy felt was intense. Aether could feel it too. 

After cleaning the wounds on her back with warm water, he disinfected the wounds with a round of alcohol. 

"This is going to hurt a lot." 

Vy nodded as she bit down on the roll of cloth, anticipating the pain. He soaked the rags with alcohol before gently cleaning the wounds. But no matter how little strength he applied, the pain was still intense. 

Vy could no longer take the pain anymore and slipped out of consciousness. Lycster was shocked and quickly came over to shake her awake. 

-Don't worry, it's alright.- Aether assured him telepathically. -She's just resting.- 

Only with his assurance, did Lycster heave a sigh of relief. But he no longer wanted to watch on in silence. He wanted to help. 

"Please, let me help. I want to learn," he pleaded Aether. 

Aether nodded and instructed Lycster on how to apply the ointment. Once that was done, they bandaged the wound and moved Vy to her side. Next, they tend to the wound on her face. This time, Aether let Lycster clean the wounds while he guided him from the side. 

By the time they were done, the sun had already set. Aether checked on Vy's vitals to ensure she was alright. They placed a fur coat over her to prevent her from catching a cold and added wood to the fire. 

When Aether looked at the bandaged that covered the wounds on her back, he noticed that they were already stained with blood.