Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad laughed, and it sounded so awful that he broke himself off abruptly. Tears stung at his eyes as he tried to sound normal. "I should go. I'll be waiting in my tower, my prince," he joked weakly. Truthfully, it was no joke.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled, even if he sounded terrible. She was so happy to hear his voice. "I'll be scaling the tower any day. Then, I'll whisk you off your feet," she announced with a smile. "I love you, Vlad. Good night."

[Soran Nightblade]

"I'll warm you up when you get here," he promised her with a smile, so stay safe until then." He took a deep breath and passed the stone back to Talon. "How is this going to work, Talon? She thinks she's going to scale the wall. How are you going to get her in?"

[Emora Deen]

Talon frowned. "I haven't figured that out. But, I see no problem with her scaling the wall... I mean, the wall keeps us in, but what's to stop people from climbing over? You can't teleport out, but maybe Atul can teleport in? We'll find a way. I'm going to talk with Sho and see if I can find an alternate entrance in. They have to have a way of getting in an out easily. They have to get something to fuel the fire... I haven't figured out whether Maxwell has this place warded to sense intruders. That's why the timing has to be damn near perfect."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad shook his head. "They're going to get themselves killed. And then I'm going to kill you... again," he grumbled dizzily.

[Emora Deen]

Talon smiled. "Have faith," Talon murmured. "They'll be fine. Atul's a demi-god. He should be able to hold his own against Maxwell should he make a move... and if I remove the fire then it should keep him from being able to recharge or... whatever it is he does."

Talon glanced back to the house. He had expected Maxwell to come storming out to try and take the communicator because he'd let Vlad use it. His nerves were still on edge just encase the monster popped in.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad rubbed his hair back from his sweaty forehead and slumped into the snow. If he'd had the brainpower to be worried or angry, he probably would have been. Instead, he fueled himself with the residual high of hearing Tenele's voice. "Talon," he murmured. "I'm dying."

[Emora Deen]

Talon paused, glancing down at Vlad. "Don't say something like that... Once we get you out of here and away from that bastard everything will leave your system. You aren't dying. You can't die. Think of Tenara... You have to live to see your daughter grow."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad swallowed, too exhausted to argue. Maybe it was selfish to expose the bloodling to what was happening so soon. "You're a fine vampire, Talon. And a good man. You'll make a good uncle."

[Emora Deen]

Talon stared at Vlad. That sounded very much like good bye to him. "How much longer do you have?" he asked slowly, staring at the ice wall. For Tenele and Atul to come all this way... and Vlad die...

[Soran Nightblade]

"Yesterday, I was sure it would be today. Today, it feels like tomorrow," Vlad said. "I can't see. I can't think anymore. I haven't been able to draw my claws in weeks. He thinks I'm healing." He winced and stopped to catch his breath.

[Emora Deen]

"You aren't," Talon agreed. "But, if you weren't taking that stuff anymore, you would heal right? You would revert back to your original state? It can't be permanent damage?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad closed his eyes and barely shook his head. This felt like the longest conversation of his life. It had probably been less than a minute. Humiliating. Time stretched on and on as he tried to respond. Nothing ever made it to his throat. He lost consciousness and slowly melted the snow around him as the fever raged.

[Emora Deen]

Talon frowned, pressing a hand to the top of Vlad's head. "Hold on," he whispered.

Talon headed back inside. It wasn't safe to venture down into the chamber now that Maxwell wasn't busy torturing Vlad. If the demon figured out what they were doing... it would ruin the plan all together.

He was thankful that the man hadn't stolen pendant. But, he had to understand that if he wanted Vlad to focus, Tenele was the way to get it. Tenele was his fire.

* * *

"How's your waist," Atul asked as he knelt down to light the fire. He glanced up to Tenele as she shoved her coat off her shoulders and laid it on the stone. The cave offered them plenty of heat, as it seemed to have a dark cavernous put that led straight to a pool of magma. The heat wafted up to the point that they almost didn't need the fire, if not for light and food.

Tenele cupped a hand over her side, taking a deep breath. It hurt, but she managed to keep it from her face. "Its not so bad," Tenele smiled. "I'm just going to be really stiff tomorrow."

"I'm surprised you held me and didn't get pulled off too," Atul whispered in disbelief. "It was... so close. We were so close."

Tenele nodded. "I just grabbed hold of whatever I could and I held as hard as I could. If you hadn't woken when you did..."

"Will you bring me our kitchen?" Atul asked, pointing to the bag on their travel weary horse.

"Sure," Tenele replied, swallowing. She went up to creature and tugged the bag down. The strain of holding the bag pulled on her chest. "Ah!" she gasped, and dropped the bag. The metal pan rolled out and bumped Atul's shoe.

He stood right next to her, moving in the blink of an eye. "What's wrong."

"Nothing, just a little sore..."

Atul's brow furrowed and he bent to lift the pack. He didn't argue, which was unusual, and instead he went back to the fire.

They ate a dinner of root and water, since they were out of actual food. Tenele had lost her share of weight, not that she needed to lose anymore, and Atul had too. He'd also given up on shaving completely, and was sporting a nice short beard. It still took getting used too.

He laid down to sleep, but Tenele feard curling up next to him. She feared laying down. She'd had cracked ribs before. She knew how hard it would be breathe once she laid down, and Atul liked to cuddle.

"You should sleep," he murmured, his eyes closed.

Tenele frowned. Yes, she should sleep. She let herself down slowly, inch by inch until she lay flat on her back. Atul was still, and then he rolled over. He cupped a hand around her waist and squeezed.

Tenele screamed and shoved him away.

"I knew it," Atul growled. "You lied to-"

SMACK.

Atul's head cocked sideways, and Tenele's hand stung.

Her eyes watered to the point of tears and she pushed herself away from Atul. She paced the floor furiously while the King took in what happened.

His brow furrowed. "Tenele..."

Tenele put her hand up, and kept pacing, while tears fell down her cheeks. "Don't. Don't argue with me. I'm tired. I'm in pain. It hurts to breathe, much less argue."

Atul swallowed. "I shouldn't have done that," he whispered, glancing away.

"I'm not resting," Tenele told him quickly. "I'm not putting off another day. You can't stop me, and if you try I won't forgive you. I won't. My husband is being tortured and I promised him I was coming... and I'm late. I'm late because I'm weak and I'm useless. So, please, don't stop me. Don't scold me. I already feel terrible as it is."

Atul's blue eyes watered. "Tenele..."

Tenele covered her eyes with her hands and started sobbing. But, sobbing hurt. So, she sobbed harder.

Atul's arm arms wrapped around her, but gentle enough so it didn't hurt her more. "You aren't weak," he whispered into her hair. "I was wrong to tell you such a thing. I'm sorry, Tenele."

[Soran Nightblade]

Maxwell came out the next morning to find Vlad hadn't roused at all. "Sleeping in?" he asked the vampire stiffly. Vlad's clouded eyes looked up at him blindly, but he didn't move or talk. The doctor crossed his arms. "We'll be behind schedule," he warned.