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It had not been Uzumati's intention to get into a fight with a dage. The giant bear like creature had startled him while he was roaming the nearby trails, the man feeling restless and too bored to sit still while the rest of the family rested inside the little weekend cottage. Honestly he still felt out of place with the Belrean family, their cities intimidating, their formal speech frustrating and their layers of belts and buckled clothing restrictive and very unusual to the bulky man who was accustomed to simple leathers and furs. Still they were Padma's family and he did his best to tolerate them, even the uppity lightning woman who was like a tiny pole of anger with sharp features and an even sharper tongue, and for the most part the trip hadn't been too terrible. It was strange though to not be constantly working or hunting as Uzumati was so used to preparing for winter in Tale rather than simply vacationing during the summer months. Perhaps that attributed a bit to his fidgety behavior which had resulted in this afternoon walk and brawl with the giant creature.

At first he had been worried about survival but once the dage had run off, Uzumati mourning the chance to bring back a nice hide for his family, the man realized that it was fairly late and his worry turned into concern for his family. While he was known for roaming away and coming back at random hours the man understood he was in a foreign country and hoped that he hadn't made Padma upset by being late. He had started rushing home, the moon rising higher and higher in the sky, and Uzumati's steps only slowed once he saw the lake. Battered, bruised and bleeding the leafling decided it would not do anyone good for him to return in such a state. So Uzumati quickly removed what remained of his tattered shirt before walking towards the shore and only stumbling once he realized that he was not quite alone. "Ah." He mumbled as he recognized one of his....sister-in-laws (strange as that was) and Uzumati managed a half hearted wave before starting towards the water so that he could begin rinsing off some of the blood that oozed from one of several deep scratches cutting across his chest.

[Uzu 1]

A low snarl left Uzumati's lips at the painful stinging of the water in the wounds. He was determined to rinse his body off though so that he could probably wrap them up in bandages when he returned, hopefully away from everyone's notice, but even he was confused about how to do that especially since he had already been caught by one of Padma's relatives. His gaze shifted though when the young woman approached and after a thoughtful moment he found himself nodding. "Bandages?" He asked in his gruff voice as he turned to face Zadia, the full extent of the wounds from the dage showing. The great bear had gotten a good shot at his chest, her claws ripping down the outer flesh there with only one thankfully snagging deeply in his shoulder going down towards his navel. The rest were somewhat shallow since he had managed to step backwards right before she really ripped into him. If he hadn't been protecting the stranger then perhaps he would have gotten away with far less injuries but running away would have only enticed the beast to chase after them both. Uzumati liked to believe he was bored anyway and needed a good fight even if the injuries had him looking like a mess, his hair tangled and his body flushed from the exertion and his wounds oozing a mixture of blood and dirt from his tumble in the mountains.

At least he had saved his bag, right? The satchel rested nearby the bag bulging with all of the fruits and nuts he had gathered in the wilderness. Hopefully that was good enough a reward for his efforts today. He winced as he glanced back towards Zadia, some guilt crossing his expression at the fact that he was asking for help from Padma's relatives. So much for behaving this trip.

[Uzu 2]

Ah, magic. Uzumati frowned at the sight of the glowing fingers before nodding his acceptance. It most definitely would be better than bandages even if he was still adjusting to the concept of magic. Padma had patched him up a few times but before she had come into his life the man had simply done what he could to keep his body together after nastier fights, only ending up in the village once or twice whenever his wounds were too severe to handle on his own. It would make sense that Padma's younger half-sister would have healing magic considering their father....Uzumati should have realized.

As he followed Zadia into the water the man couldn't help the hiss of pain that escaped his lips. The wound was deeper than he realized and the water around him instantly darkened as blood and dirt floated out of the injury. The questions caused him to stumble, his gaze narrowing thoughtfully before he started tracing a hand down his chest as if to inspect for any other injuries. A few winces here and there revealed some bruised ribs, potentially a couple that were truly cracked but the minor scratches Uzumati mostly ignored as he turned back towards Zadia. His gaze was wary as he watched the hybrid, curious to see how she would do her healing.

[Uzu 3]

Uzumati's lips pressed into a tight line but he nodded. Not because Zadia had demanded his silence but because the man also didn't want to worry his wife. What had happened had happened and he had survived it so there was no need to bring the issue up again. He would just do his best to keep a shirt on, thankfully something he had been doing since arriving in Belrea anyways, and that should hide any new scars or bruising. His stance shifted to a more defensive position out of habit as Zadia approached him and it was hard not to wince whenever she touched his chest. At first it started like a simple warmth before the process started burning his chest like frostbite the magic biting painfully into his flesh as it knitted back together.

Still, Uzumati gritted his teeth and bore the pain. He did his best to be as stoic as possible even though his fingers were curled up tightly into fists, his nails biting into his palms as the healing continued. All he could do was try to keep his ragged breathing from getting out of hand as Zadia finished up. Calm and even breaths with a slight wince of pain here and there were the only sounds he ended up making towards the end even though his body threatened to sway, the water of the lake almost taking away his balance.

[Uzu 4]

Uzumati simply nodded, not having much in him for words especially with his wounds screaming at him during this whole process. This was why he didn't like magic as much as natural healing. It all happened so quickly but felt like the actual process of healing happening at the same time. Whereas naturally healing would mean he didn't move a lot for the next few days as the wounds took care of themselves this process slammed into him with the intensity of a few days into a few moments. His eyes closed until more words brought him back, his green gaze peering at Zadia as he tried to understand her words. Marks...ribs. Ah. Uzumati grunted quietly before Zadia took his arm and started leading him out of the water. At first he almost protested, his body's reaction to pull away from anyone touching him but then he slowly trudged forward through the water towards the shore.

Upon arrival he pulled away from Zadia and simply plopped down along the sand. Water dripped from his body and he barely managed a glance towards his ruined shirt, a frown crossing his features as another sigh escaped him. "Thanks." It was barely a murmur but it was something at least. He was grateful that Zadia had helped him even if it was not the best healing experience of his life. His body still ached and everything screamed as if it were on fire, more so than he believed was usual but surely it would fade with time. He just needed a moment.

[Uzu 5]

Uzumati blinked and blinked again as he tried to focus on the question. It was hard enough keeping up with conversations as it was and being exhausted both mentally and physically did not help with that. "Angry dage." He managed after a moment. "Protecting someone." He didn't even know the stranger's name but at least they had made it out. The confession made him frown though as he glanced towards Zadia thoughtfully. She had already asked him to not say anything to anyone about this so did he have to worry about her talking? The last thing he wanted to do was worry his family. Uzumati's thoughts trailed off as another wave of pain hit him, the man wincing as he shifted from his position. His fingers dug into the warm sandy ground for a moment as if seeking support before he finally struggled back to his feet. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to think that he couldn't walk or take care of himself after a fight.

Of course that thought was also interrupted as he felt woozy and the world blurred around him, Uzumati stumbling before righting himself again. "You okay?" He found himself asking after a moment as the world around him calmed down enough so that he could stare at Zadia who had also fallen to the ground.

[Uzu 6]

Uzumati nodded at the question. "They're home." He managed before the next exclamation made him blink in surprise. What had he done wrong this time?! The man nearly stumbled before holding his own and waited for Zadia to join him. Her question had him pausing, his expression shifting as he glanced about them. Did he want help? Not really. Did he need it? Possibly. Would he admit to it? That was the hard question. Still, Uzumati couldn't help reflecting on today's earlier events and the dangers that apparently lurked in Belrea. Was it even safe to leave Zadia out here alone? What had she even been up to in the middle of the night? He was so accustomed to everyone preparing for sleep at this point...before his injuries hadn't allowed the chance for curiosity but not he found himself glancing about.

"You?" He asked quietly as he studied her. What was she doing? If she was going to stay out longer then he would keep her company, whether she liked it or not. The last thing Uzumati needed was for Padma to lose a relative because some wild creature snatched them away in the middle of the night! His appreciation for the countryside was still there but now his wariness was back to full alert. He had learned that there were dangerous creatures nearby the hard way and he refused to let anyone else get injured.

[Uzu 7]