Arrival at Manta Carlos

Oh the weather was just fantastic! Nikkolai loved the sunshine, even if it had proved in the past to be quite unhealthy for his fair skin. Fair skin like his prevented tans, for the most part, and wholeheartedly welcomed burns of all sorts. A little bit of outdoors wouldn't hurt though, and maybe in small doses it could cure the pasty-white, "translucent" skin tone he had acquired during the winter months.

Dressed in sandals, a white T-shirt, and brown shorts that went just past his knees, Nikkolai walked outside. His blonde hair was somewhat tousled and fell over his eyes, impairing his vision slightly but not really enough to make a difference. Still, it was enough to make him doubt himself when he saw something falling from the sky.

... Holy crap, something was falling from the sky!

Nikkolai's blue eyes went wide at the prospect of something so utterly odd, yet it was happening right before his him. He took a step back and moved his hair out of his eyes, blinking at the sight of a girl skidding across the ground. It didn't take him much more incentive to make him start running toward her though, frightened for her well-being. Her form seemed to shift, but that was the least of his concerns as a slew of curses escaped his slender lips. There was blood... he could smell it and see it beginning to stain the garments that adorned her body.

He fell to his knees next to her, not quite noticing the snake yet. Nikki bit his lip, looking around for help. No one, of course, it figured - and he didn't exactly think he was strong enough to lift her and carry her off to the hospital wing. His healing wasn't exactly strong or powerful by any means, but he figured it would have to do for now. He couldn't just leave her there.

He reached out his hands, a soft, white glow emanating from his palms and along his fingers as they hovered just over her stomach. Hopefully the bleeding would at least slow and maybe he'd be able to bring her back to consciousness so she could walk on her own to help. His eyes drifted along her body in search of more wounds, only to finally fix upon the snake.

"Um..." he stuttered, paralyzed by the idea of a dangerous animal right there next to the two of them. Like this made matters any better. "Nice... snakey...?" he tried, lifting his eyebrows.

Nikkolai kept his eyes locked on the snake, made frightened by the hissing. This was just great, this girl was bleeding and now he had a vicious animal to deal with. Relief spread through him as the snake began to move away, causing him to sigh as a method to release his panic. Though still aware and cautious of its presence, it wasn't the most important thing anymore.

He returned his focus to the girl, noting that the bruises, small cuts and other minor injuries were beginning to dissipate. The white glow of his hands intensified around her stomach and he bit his lip in concentration. Healing wounds like this wasn't exactly something he was accustomed to, but there was no other option than this.

In time the bleeding began to slow, which he took as a sign that his abilities were working. Uncertain as to whether it had stopped yet, Nikkolai moved his hand to her shoulder, gently shaking her.

"Hey, can you wake up?" he cooed.

She was awake! Nikkolai breathed a sigh of relief as she opened her eyes, backing away a few inches to give her a little space. Her first words weren't exactly what he expected, however, causing his head to cock to the side. Worry embossed itself within his smooth features and he remained silent for a few moments, contemplating what to say and do. "Everything's fine," he said, although he wasn't sure whether or not it was the truth. "No one's going to punish either of us here, we've done nothing wrong." He offered her one of his warm, charming smiles.

The snake licking her cheek worried him somewhat. "If anything, all you need to be scared of is that snake," he said with a nervous chuckle. She was more afraid of him than that animal; that in and of itself was interesting. "I'm Nikki. Do you think you can stand? I healed you as much as I could but it wasn't enough, you're going to need medical attention. I don't want to just leave you here."

He was her friend? Like a pet? Oh... well that was a relief! Nikkolai nodded his head in understanding, about to open his mouth to say something when the two began to communicate. Out of respect and wonder he remained silent. It wasn't hard to pick up on the fact that she could, apparently, speak with animals. He tried not to listen to what the girl said, not wanting to invade their conversation of eavesdrop despite the fact they were talking right in front of him.

Nikkolai continued to wait patiently while she changed her shape, somewhat wary of the flame that engulfed her. He reached a hand out, relief spreading through him as his flesh wasn't burned. He scooped the bird up into his arms, looking at the snake and figuring he would follow of his own accord.

Once inside the building Nikkolai brought her to the nurse's station, setting her down on one of the various hospital beds that were set up. "You can change back now," he said. "What exactly was that wound on your stomach from?"

Nikkolai's bright blue eyes widened at how many options she seemed to give herself. What had she done — no, that was a horrible thing to ask; there was nothing a person could do to deserve that sort of harsh, brutal punishment. How could she have lived her life surrounded by such sadists? That poor girl... his heart absolutely ached for her.

At the possibility of her parents, his breathing stopped. Her parents... the two people that had created her, that had bore her - how could they hurt her?! His own parents were strict, but they were loving, good people, and there was a difference between strict and abusive. "What?" he croaked, his voice putting a tangibility on his astonishment.

"Why did they...?" he asked, cutting off. He couldn't bring himself to ask the whole question, and he was certain the young woman would be able to figure out what he was about to say. "I mean, how..." He stopped, taking a deep breath. He knew horrible things happened like this everyday, but it was a different thing to deal with it than it was to know about it.

"How deep is it? Do you think you just need to rest for a while or do you want me to go get someone? And what's your name?" he asked.