[Blade makes a little noise of surprise when Dan Heng takes his hand, but he doesn't resist. If anything, his fists relax immediately, and he turns his hand so he can clasp Dan Heng's fingers in return. He'll happily twine them too, if asked, but this... this is enough. More than enough.

(His tail swishes furiously against the couch cushion, giving him away.)]

We didn't have any real weapons on us, and none of our abilities worked. When night fell... That was when all hell broke loose.

There were monsters. Hundreds of them. They tore at the cabin to get to us, and they were stronger than anything I've ever seen. [He grits his teeth for a moment.] I hacked at one with a machete maybe ten or fifteen times, and I couldn't even draw blood. All we could do was run.

And they were hungry. [His red eyes peer up at Dan Heng through his bangs.] ... Like the borisin.

There was something else. Something making us act strangely. Even the beast couldn't overcome it.

I tried to hold the monsters off with fire and buy some time for the others to hide... That was how they got to me.

[He takes in a deep breath, closes his eyes.]

I remembered how he died, the first time. [His voice drops to a whisper.] I felt it all. His anguish. His peace. His... love.

[The last thing he thought of, after all, was...]