LORE: Training a Hell Hound (MATURE)

[Emora Deen]

Atul glanced from Tenele to Vlad. She looked as if he were thinking deeply, and then he spoke, "Perhaps the night. I'm not quiet sure, the resident phycisian wasn't allowed much time to look her injury over." He swallowed, trying not to seem as if he were being rude. He wasn't meaning to, he just felt a little put off that they wouldn't get past what Fero had done, even to let Tenele be evaluated.

"We should discuss what information you have... when your ready," Atul told him. "As soon as you are, if possible."

Tenele sighed against Vlad, happy that he was better, and not in so much pain. Her fingers played idly with his shirt, tangling and untangling. "I can't stay awake all night," she told them. "Not this tired."

"You'll have to try. Vlad should have no problem keeping you entertained," Atul told her with a gentle smile.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad didn't argue the point that he could keep Tenele awake. "I am rather entertaining, if I do say so myself," he commented. But his eyes flashed from Tenele to Atul. "Have someone else come to her. Another doctor," he suggested.

[Emora Deen]

Atul sighed. How could he explain to him that Fero was the only one he trusted to examine her. He was the only one that didn't see Fero as a threat, but as someone who had been framed. "I'll see if I can find someone else," he told them. "I'll come to you when I have." Atul turned and left the room, looking every bit as sorry as he felt.

"Well," Tenele sighed softly into his skin. "That went extremely well, don't you think?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked wryly. "Objectively speaking, yes." He stroked her hair back. "You shouldn't have been hurt." That was about all he could say. She'd chosen to be there, and he couldn't regret not stopping her. Her voice had literally saved him from himself, and if she hadn't interrupted his mental chaos when she had, he might have ended the day as charred monster at the center of the priest's holy rune. And that was the best-case scenario. "I'm sure being trapped in my head isn't helping your energy level, but it should fade soon. Then, you may find it easier to stay awake."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled. "What if I don't want to leave your head?" she asked him, pushing back to look at him. Aside from the Verin part, she rather liked knowing what the vampire was thinking and feeling. Though, he might not like having her in his head so much, considering how many people seemed to be occupying it with him.

She sat on her heals, her hands resting on his chest, looking visibly tired, as if she could fall a sleep right then in a second. She shook her head, wincing as it felt her brain was shifting inside her skull. "Well, now that it is over... I think I'm going to go get a bath." She pushed to stand up, but immediatly stumbled and swayed on her feet, falling over into his lap. Her green eyes flickered up at him, and she half smiled. "Does it annoy you when I get hurt? Since I'm so easily hurt that is, fragile. It annoys me." It wasn't exactly the word she'd describe herself as, but it was indeed the right word. Compared to him, she was glass.

She'd forgotten about the priests, who were still in the room watching them with strange disapproviing expressions. They didn't seem to like the idea of Sinead's Queen's Maiden consorting with a demon. They glanced between themselves, scoffing at the concept.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled at her. "You enjoyed that? You are a strange woman," he said, climbing to his feet while lifting her into his arms like she was featherweight. "You can take a bath if it's a cold one. You won't last five seconds in steamy water," he teased her. "And though I don't like you hurt, I do get a captive audience for the evening."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele laughed softly. "Cold water?! That's cruel..." she exclaimed, arching an eyebrow at him. Then, suddenly she remembered the pool outback, the fountains, and the cool water that she'd looked at so longingly before. "Want to go for a swim?" she asked him softly. "There's that place in the garden." She fiddled with the collar of his shirt as she watched him. "And I probably shouldn't be left to bath alone. It could be dangerous for me after all."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's smile widened. "The turncoat demon and the goddess Attara swimming in the moonlight. What will the neighbors think?" he said, clearly pleased by the concept. "When princey comes back with the medic, let him know we got tired of waiting and went for a swim," he instructed the priests, raising an eyebrow that dared them to protest. With that, he nabbed Tenele from the room and made off with her on foot toward the pools. His movements were fluid and strong, so despite the interference of doors and stairs, he jarred the maiden very little as they made their way outside. There was nobody around, which meant the troops had begun to congregate for the banquet Atul had promised them.

The vampire reached the side of the pool. "I suppose I can't dump you in," he acknowledged with some regret.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled as she looked at the cool water, and listened to the sound of the fountains. The bathing pull was long, and had four fountains spewing crystal water. The walls were high around it, so no one would be able to peek over unless they really, really, trying to peek. The only real place they could be seen from was the palace levels as they got towards the top. She brushed her hair from her face as she looked down at the water. "That wouldn't be a good idea at all and I might drag you with me," she told him with a grin. "Its an excuse to be safe from your pranks. At least for a while."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Just don't get used to it," Vlad pointed out as he set her at the edge of the pool so that he could remove his boots and shirt. He really didn't care about getting his pants wet at the moment, so he left them on out of decency and stepped down into the cool chest-deep water. There was a ledge built into the pool wall that was designed as a bench. Vlad lifted Tenele from the edge of the pool, drawing her forward against him and lowering her into the water. Again he felt a pang of regret for involving her in his battle with Verin.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled as she sank into the water. Her thin cotton dress floating in the water around her legs. She resed her hands on the arms that were supporting her. "My head feels like its clearing a bit," she admitted as she enjoyed the serinity of the fountains splashing. Her head was still very sore, but she could see more clearly now and didn't feel as if she were swimming through a bowl of some of the Queen's desert.

She glanced up at him, her green eyes searching his face quietly. "Don't worry about me, okay. I'm fine. Getting knocked on the head isn't anything unusual for me," she admitted with a brilliant smile. "Besides, it means I get to hog all your attention for what could possibly be our last night on this world."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. "Last day? I think not," he scoffed, and his thoughts echoed his words with equal confidence. As much as he'd been through recently, the concept of death still struck him as odd and unlikely when applied to him. "And as for you, well, you never get hurt," he said with a smirk as he lowered her onto the ledge so that the water cam up to her collarbone.

[Emora Deen]

"Maybe you bumped your head too?" she asked him, raising a hand out of the water and flicking some towards his face. Her silver hair floated in the water around her, the dress fabric that wasn't pinned down by her legs drifted around in the water. She twisted to the side and leaned over into the water, letting her head fall back just a bit so that her hair could get wet. She gripped Vlad's arm with one hand and ran her fingers through her silver hair with the other. She stared up at the wonderful sky, a glow with the colors of the setting sun.

"Its beautiful," she whispered as she felt the water splash lightly against her face. She was careful not to brush against the sore spot on the back of her head, though by the stiffness in her neck she could tell that it had a nice bump there. She was sitting up when she'd deemed her hair as sufficently clean as it would get in water without soap when her she grew dizzy. She leaned forward, pressing the side of her face into his chest and resting her warm cheek against his cool skin.

She could here the sound of hurried feet shuffling, and decided she didn't really care who was coming.

Atul was coming across the stone walkway flanked by a conisderably shorter companion, decked to the heals in gold rings and other various forms of jewelry. He had chains dangling from his nose to his ears, and each finger had a long gold finger fixture that turned sharp towards the end. His head was shaven balled, and if anyone had to guess he looked very much like one of the priests from the palace. Atul didn't seem at all pleased, but that was to be expected considering he would have rather had Fero look her over. But, grudges rarely died even in the most extreme circumstances.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad raised his head toward the sound of others approaching them. His garnet eyes fastened on the stranger walking beside Atul. "That's quite a look. Did you drop him into a dragonpile?" he commented as they came closer.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele wrapped her arms around Vlad's waist and pulled herself closer to him as she heard the foot steps grow closer. She didn't want company, honestly. She was fine. Just because she was human that meant she needed someone to look at her?

Atul stopped at the edge of the pull, looking down at them in the water. He wasr regretting bothering them, but his conscience would not leave him be until he'd insured she was alright, or would be alright. "What, this is what you get. There were other choices, but apparently the prospect of attending to a goddess frightened some away. Others..." He muttered glancing to his side at the rather greedy looking little man as he clasped his hands together and krept towards the pool to get a better look. "Seemed all too interested in helping."

The short man made and elaborate bow when Tenele glanced over her shoulder at him. He spoke, but it was at first in a language that Sinead's wizards had not prepared them for. Atul replied to him in a harsh tone, the same language, and then the priest straightened. "Forgive me, I was unaware that her holiness's memory of the ancient tongue was tampered with," he mutterd, ringing his hands together. Eachtime his fingers passed one another soft clanking noises filled the air.

"Oh, Gods," Tenele muttered in dismay. "I am not a goddess! Okay?"

"We understand your trapped in human form," he began but Atul motioned for him to be silent.

"Her holiness is irritable," Atul told him. "Be quick about your assessment, and be careful. I would not want you to inquire the wrath of her watcher." He glanced to Vlad. "He's quite deadly."

"I don't need any assessment," Tenele protested, turning in Vlad's arms to look at them both. "I'm fine, comfortable, and -was- relaxing." She put a hand to her head. "Please, just tell him to go. Her holiness is pissed and healed herself."

Atul smirked and glanced to the man he'd brought with him. "You heard her, if she needs you I'll send for you."

"But... but..." Apparently, he'd been most eager and hopeful to help the Goddess Attara. A little disappointed, and maybe a bit let down, the priest turned on his heal and walked stiffly away from them.