''I swear...'' The woman lying bent on the ground sobbed, ''I did nothing.''
''Sshh. It is okay.'' Jason tried to comfort the woman who was bent on the floor. ''Did you get injured?'' The skirt of her dress was soaking with dark blood where her upper leg was.
Vivian shook her head. ''Not that bad, I'll be fine in an hour.''
Ah. Right. Jason had forgotten the woman was a shape shifter. He stood up to get his machete, which had fallen to the ground, and check Eve. He picked up his machete and sheathed it, but he didn't need to go to Eve. The little girl had come to him.
Meanwhile, the two guards joined them instead of following the fleeing shape shifters. Eve didn't look hurt, so Jason turned to the temple guards.
One of them was dressed exactly the same as the two who escaped except for the helmet. The crescent, the Goddess Nyx's signature on his forehead, was the proof that he was a true guardian. He was old enough to begin to show white in his hair. The younger one also had a silver crescent on his forehead, but he was wearing nothing but an undershirt down to his thighs.
''I guess the armor worn by one of the attackers actually belongs to you,'' Jason said.
The young guard's cheeks flushed. Maybe because he didn't have pants, but he looked too young. Jason guessed he had just completed his training and joined guards.
It was the elder guard who answered, ''They caught the two newbies off guard. I came to take a look at the injured lady.''
As soon as the man said this, Jason noticed that the little crescent on his chain armor was green, unlike the silver crescent on the other guards' armor. He was a healer gifted by Nyx. Perhaps he was born gifted and joined the temple later. It didn't matter now. The Healer bent down beside Vivian.
''It is okay. I am a shape shifter, and my recovery won't take long.'' The man hesitated. Many people would escape from a bleeding shape shifter as if running from a disease. Actually, they wouldn't be considered wrong. The virus can transmit through blood, after all.
''If I don't help with someone bleeding in front of me, how can I account for my goddess who gave me this gift?'' The Healer sat on his knees. Jason quietly admired the man. ''Would you excuse me?..'' The Healer said.
Jason watched as Vivian let the man peel off her skirt. The smell of blood had awakened his beast, and it was not happy at all. It was still angry for giving the lions information about him, but it didn't like Vivian to being injured. It didn't like a stranger man touching her skin, either.
'He is a healer.' Jason thought, 'The man is just doing his job.' He turned to Eve, who was waiting quietly. ''Are you okay?'' Jason asked. Eve nodded, but she seemed to be in shock. She was not physically injured, but her eyes were staring blankly.
''Are you also a shape shifter?'' Jason turned to the young speaking guard. He had not stepped back, but he seemed to take any moment. Probably the only thing keeping him from running was his pride. Jason could excuse the young man for being attacked by a shape shifter tonight.
Elder Healer glanced at the younger one, ''Do you really think shape shifters carry silver machetes, my child?'' Jason thought that he is a reasonable observer. He was starting to like the man, but the beast didn't agree. The young guard blushed again.
''It won't take long for you to recover at this rate fully, but you still don't need to lose blood during this time.'' The Healer spoke as looking at Vivian's dress. ''Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the color of God Panwa? Would he be angry with us using your dress to make a tourniquet?'' Vivian muttered something that Jason could not hear. Then there was the sound of the dress tearing.
Jason's beast roared in him. Trying to ignore the beast, he asked, ''Who were those guys?''
''I do not know. They attacked while we were patrolling and took our armor and clothes, leaving us tied. I failed my mission.''
''No, my child, you haven't failed yet. '' Elder guard stood up. He was done with Vivian. ''You fail when you admit that you cannot protect what we have to protect, or when you admit that you are not enough to avenge those who suffered. We may not be able to protect this young lady, but that doesn't mean we can't avenge her and your friend's revenge.''
''Yes, elder.'' The young guard held his hand to his heart and saluted. Elder's speech must have touched something within him.
''Is there anything else I can do for you?'' The elder guard was looking at Jason's hand, and he shook his head. He wasn't so hurt. Elder guard nodded and said, ''Do you have any idea why the two shape shifters attacked this lady who served the god Panwa? It doesn't make any sense.''
''If you can catch them I would also like to learn. Here,'' Jason pulled the mark of his communication talisman from his pocket, ''You can call with that, using any communication talisman. You can also call the seashore town police. I am a hunter.''
''I see...'' The old guard's eyes focused on him. ''Do you think this might have something to do with the shape shifter murderer?''
''I'm not sure.''
''I see. If we get them, we'll call you,'' Elder guard said. Jason guessed that the man was a high-ranking person because he promised to call so precisely. ''Now we need to join our troops. Loosen and reattach the lady's tourniquet every fifteen minutes. Otherwise, it may cause gangrene. Take care of yourself, and don't let the lady walk, at least for a while,'' he said that, and two guards left them alone.
When Jason finally looked at Vivian again, the beast he had kept locked somewhere inside him reappeared. At first, he thought it was the smell of blood that attracted the beast, but upon thinking a little more carefully, he realized that the reason might be that Vivian was shape shifter.
He took the hand of Eve, who was waiting quietly by his side. Her silence worried him. He didn't want any trauma to happen to the little girl because of him. However, giving her a hard time and force her to speak to the girl might have made the situation worse. It would be enough for her to know that she is safe for now. Vivian's presence could prevent her from developing a phobia of shape shifters. He approached Vivian while holding Eve's hand.
''How do you feel?'' he asked.
''I want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.'' Vivian was still sitting on the ground; her blood was smeared on the floor and her clothes. Her ripped skirt exposed the flawless skin of her leg. Without blood, it would be a pretty erotic scene. His beast also found the thought of licking blood erotic, but Jason did his best not to think about it.
''You heard the Healer. It would be best if you didn't walk,'' Jason said. Vivian straightened up and tried to stand. As she was about to succeed, her injured leg strained, and she had to lean against Jason. ''I told you, didn't I?'' Jason sighed and took Vivian on his lap like she were a princess. Vivian screamed lightly. ''Did I hurt your wound?''
''No. I wonder if you can put me down now?'' Vivian wasn't looking into his eyes. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Jason had no way to complain.
''You can't walk right now. Just tell me where we're going.'' Jason's hand was on Vivian's back, which her dress had exposed. He could feel the heartbeat in his hand. Jason's other hand was under her thigh, which the ripped skirt couldn't cover. Jason was angry with himself for his way of thinking about a friend.
He sighed and regretted doing it. His breath made him realize that the only blood flowing from Vivian was not from her leg. When he thought consciously, Jason knew the relationship between them and why not to think about her sexually. But it was the beast that smells the scent, and it doesn't care about such civilized things.
In its age, females were only females. Not friends. It used to think much more simply. Menstrual blood means fertility. Fertility means sex. Jason was jealous of other men who didn't have to deal with something that primitive in them. Or maybe they had their own primitive thoughts to contend with. Who knows?