He'd fallen into a night terror. Or day terror. Or plagued terror. Demons were surrounding him, his brothers, attacking him. Vicious teeth plucked at his skin so fiery hot, spilling his blood in molten lava down his prone body. He thrashed in his dream but he was too weak to in the waking life.
Then the real fear came.
His brothers, underlings, went as silent as they could manage as beast stalked forward. His voice left him as he struggled to right himself and get away from the cat-like creature. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" He wasn't even sure what he was apologizing for, but in his dream it made perfect sense. It was all his fault and he was apologizing. He was so sorry.
The beast came anyway though, sturdy hooves where its paws would've been. It rose up, watching him with cold eyes, fangs bared, and attacked. The whole powerful body was behind that stike, throwing its weight behind it as it aimed for his chest plate.
He cried out, wavering between awake and delirious, the beast shifting to Zoryn and back again. "No!" His armor cut deeper into him, flooding more of his blood to the diseased earth. He was so damn helpless and his best friend was going to fucking kill him. Zor rose up again, struck him again and this time he heard the violent crack that said the bastard was getting somewhere. He was breaking through Dov's armor so he could kill him.
"Zor," he rasped, tears in his eyes. "Please." He wasn't sure he was even loud enough to be heard, and he probably hadn't been. Zoryn raised himself again, going for another strike, and bore down on him with the force of a damn freight train. His armor cracked loudly again, and he gasped a deep breath he hadn't realized he wasn't able to take until now.
His black eyes were wide as he looked up at him, his chest feeling lighter. He gathered enough energy to prop himself up, gazing down to examine the damage. Or rather the gift. A wide shard of bone was broken off, half of it tipped in his blood where it had been fatally embedded inside him and angled for his heart. He would've had a bit more time, but eventually it would've grown enough to kill him.
But Zoryn saved him.
The rest of the plate still guarded the most vital parts of his chest, leaving the lower half bare and free for movement. Nice. Running would be smoother.
Zor fell and collapsed beside him, and his black bone-covered nose reached out without thought to touch his golden sweat-soaked neck in quiet affection and in thanks. "Fuck. Come on. We. Have to. Get up." But neither seemed to be moving as Zor draped his head and neck over Dov's shoulder. Dovev breathed in his scent and nibbled at the base of his mane. He was right though, they needed to get up.
"I have to find Leliana," he whispered to him, knowing Zor wouldn't like that at all. Not even a little. But he really had to find her. He had to protect her the best he could, so she could likely be stubborn and difficult and exhaust her healing on everyone but herself.
we're slaves to any semblance of touch
Lord, we should quit but we love it too much
