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The gryphon howled in a way that chilled Marek to the bone... it was part pain, part anger, and a great deal of frustration. When would this fool learn?! No she WASNT getting up and NO WAY IN HELL was Aekith going to stand guard over her just so Marek can go off hunting! "Akeith! ... what..?" The human had been completely caught off guard. What the hell was going on?! The howl continued before scraping its way up the vocal cords to a harsh bird-scream. "Okay! Okay we won't leave! We won't!" The howling continued. "I'll stay here and you can keep me safe!" ... The beast paused, then ruffled its feathers as if nothing had happened. What the hell...?! Somewhat shaken, Marek bent down to try another tactic. "Okay so you're not getting up... and it doesn't seem that I can leave..." An idea flitted through his mind, perhaps the once useless... But the almost coughing, a harsh scolding from the gryphon, alerted him to a new problem. That call was... "Kallias! You're hurt..." Not in that sensitive way he'd at least attempted for Melrose, but a matter of fact oh-hell-we-better-fix-it kind of way. He leaned in to the girl for a moment more, "How long do we have before... its too late?" He was referring to the food. How much time did they have?

Kallias swallowed nervously. Melrose was looking around, and he got the impression that the smell of his blood had finally registered. He hesitated, nervous to betray exactly where he was. He doubted that she would honestly eat him, but if that scent got her...roused...again, then he would definitely die, unless Marek or the griffin intervened, and said intervention was about as likely as Melrose's chimera form suddenly turning vegetarian.

He was worried about her, on a purely platonic level, and that overrode his nervousness. "Will you be all right?" A stupid question, especially since it didn't seem like Marek would be joining him, but he couldn't help but blame himself a little. What if the smell of his blood had incensed either of the two without their really noticing, a subconscious influence? He knew that that wasn't very likely, or it probably hadn't happened at all, but still...he couldn't help but feel like it was partly his fault.

Kallias' eyebrows drew together. "Melrose?" How in the seven hells was that an answer to his question? He was torn between taking a step towards her, out of worry, or taking a step back, and his eyes widened as he realized that that was due to nothing other than pure survival instinct.

Logic won out, and he took a step back, desperately trying to calm himself down. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't working very well. He watched as she managed to pull herself a little more out from under the griffin, and walked back, his eyes never leaving Melrose, until he could walk no more. He closed his eyes. He knew there was no way he could win against her when she finally broke free and came after him, and suddenly found a calm...contentment...he'd never felt before as he resolved himself to death.

Melrose growled and snarled, at first pleasantly surprised to feel Aekith's grip diminish, but.. Marek. He seemed desperate to keep her down, and somehow he managed it. With her torso still pinned to the ground by his weight, the best she could do is squirm and claw at the ground. Maybe snap those scary jaws of hers, but as long as Marek kept her effectively down, things would..be.. okay?

"Git..off!" She feverishly clawed, and since she couldn't glare up at Marek himself, she directed her rageful eyes to Kallias, and then to the ground to focus on getting free.

Why couldn't that moron just get out of the way! It was the blood that had sent her crazy again! This time, the gryphon screamed at him in frustration, hoping its own threat might spur him to move. Marek on the other hand was still distracted, "Get control of yourself Melrose! You didn't travel with us this far to just leave two humans in a bloody pile of bones! Please... come on..." What else could he do? As long as Kallias was intent to be an idiot and stay... it was just going to make things worse. Not to mention ... he was losing his grip.

"Okay look you... mph... moron! Get the hell out of here! Now! That wound's just making things worse!" When Kallias hesitated longer, "GO!"

Kallias laughed. To the other three it may have been the most out-of-place sound, but to him it made perfect sense. "Marek, it's a fact that there's nowhere for me to go. If I run, she'll follow, and in that form she's much faster than me." What were they staring at him like that for? "This is hilarious. Don't you see?"

Marek had probably chosen the most opportune moment to secure her, actually. Because, in the moment Melrose heard Kallias laugh, she went still to stare at him. She couldn't comprehend his reasoning behind such humor.

Her struggles resumed when she felt her arms locked into place, wrenching wildly before coming to the realization their use was lost. So, she slumped forward, her breath labored. But despite becoming languid and listless, she purred a threatening growl, like an angry cat telling a dog to eff off.

"You keep doing that, girlie. See that I never let you get back up..." He was getting more and more angry and with it, more stupid. The more she fought the more he seemed to not care that it was Melrose, the more he wanted to break the neck and be done with it. But... she stopped. She was still... perhaps there still was something left of the one he'd known.

Aekith followed the human a little ways, being sure he would remain away until the girl had been subdued before rushing back. He'd heard no trouble that didn't always mean anything.