The wound didn't look good, but Tal was made of sturdier stuff than his Dagger could take out in one hit, at least. He ground his teeth together against the pain, but he was, sadly, getting used to the experience. And at least it didn't come with the soul-sucking despair that the Voidshade Ursur's roar had carried with it the last time he'd been hit so hard.
He relinquished his arm to Zavien's care with relief even if it meant some extra pain from the binding of the wound, wincing a little but managing to find a weak smile - or at least, faintly upward twitch of his lips - at his friend's assurances. "No worries. Not goin' - hsst - anywhere," he reassured him in return. Boreal, just as surprised as Zavien at her bonded's sudden pain, snorted angrily but snuggled tight against him as her tail lashed behind them, sweeping through the sand in a display of high emotion she didn't dare vent in any other way.
Before Tal could answer his friend's very reasonable question or do more than drop the Dagger so he could reach awkwardly over to pat Boreal with his uninjured hand, Zavien had done the math and joined the dragon in being pissed off. Which... yeah, Tal winced but didn't argue. It wasn't his brightest impulse, and he was going to have a lot of apologizing to do. Especially when those big, sad, puppydog eyes were turned on him, piercing right to his grouchy little heart.
"Ah... fuck, I'm sorry, Zav. Really I am. I was afraid if I thought about it too hard I'd chicken out, an' if I didn't have someone around t'help I'd have a hail of a time bindin' th'hole up afore I could Heal it," he admitted with yet another wince. "I know it wasn't fair, springin' this on you." And hooo boy did he owe the Dragoon an explanation now. And maybe he was babbling a bit to try and distract himself from the pain. "It's th'price o' makin' my Dagger stronger. Well, th'poison on it, leastwise. Ludo wanted me t'know what I was - fuckin' ow - inflictin' on others with it, if It was gonna make it stronger." And at least this time he only had to stab himself once? ...But maybe telling Zavien that wasn't the best idea right now.
"Believe me, I wouldn't be doin' this without good reason. But th'last Voidmonster I fought..." He trailed off, jaw tensing as his eyes went momentarily distant. The pain brought him back before he could get lost in the memory, and he drew a sharp breath and activated the Ring again, his brow easing as the wound finally closed and the gauze stopped turning red. "That stuff isn't fuckin' around. An' th'only thing I can do against 'em is t'stab 'em. An' th'more damage I can do in one hit, th'faster they go down, an' th'less they hurt me an' my friends."
He relinquished his arm to Zavien's care with relief even if it meant some extra pain from the binding of the wound, wincing a little but managing to find a weak smile - or at least, faintly upward twitch of his lips - at his friend's assurances. "No worries. Not goin' - hsst - anywhere," he reassured him in return. Boreal, just as surprised as Zavien at her bonded's sudden pain, snorted angrily but snuggled tight against him as her tail lashed behind them, sweeping through the sand in a display of high emotion she didn't dare vent in any other way.
Before Tal could answer his friend's very reasonable question or do more than drop the Dagger so he could reach awkwardly over to pat Boreal with his uninjured hand, Zavien had done the math and joined the dragon in being pissed off. Which... yeah, Tal winced but didn't argue. It wasn't his brightest impulse, and he was going to have a lot of apologizing to do. Especially when those big, sad, puppydog eyes were turned on him, piercing right to his grouchy little heart.
"Ah... fuck, I'm sorry, Zav. Really I am. I was afraid if I thought about it too hard I'd chicken out, an' if I didn't have someone around t'help I'd have a hail of a time bindin' th'hole up afore I could Heal it," he admitted with yet another wince. "I know it wasn't fair, springin' this on you." And hooo boy did he owe the Dragoon an explanation now. And maybe he was babbling a bit to try and distract himself from the pain. "It's th'price o' makin' my Dagger stronger. Well, th'poison on it, leastwise. Ludo wanted me t'know what I was - fuckin' ow - inflictin' on others with it, if It was gonna make it stronger." And at least this time he only had to stab himself once? ...But maybe telling Zavien that wasn't the best idea right now.
"Believe me, I wouldn't be doin' this without good reason. But th'last Voidmonster I fought..." He trailed off, jaw tensing as his eyes went momentarily distant. The pain brought him back before he could get lost in the memory, and he drew a sharp breath and activated the Ring again, his brow easing as the wound finally closed and the gauze stopped turning red. "That stuff isn't fuckin' around. An' th'only thing I can do against 'em is t'stab 'em. An' th'more damage I can do in one hit, th'faster they go down, an' th'less they hurt me an' my friends."
