Artimer heard her voice, he heard it over the beat of his heart, "Art I'm fine." He shook his head it could not be true, he had not gotten to her in time, the shadow had used her for it's own devises. He was too late. He held her, protecting her, he would not let anything else happen to his Clairissa. 'Your need to calm yourself Artimer," he could feel her reassurance through the bond they had made.<br/><br/>Her fingers were like rain on his scales and frills in the dead of summer. He started to take deeper breaths, his eyes started to focus again. His eyes went from crimson back to violet. He blinked, the light was almost too bright. He looked down in his arms and saw Clairissa, holding him back. He held her tighter to his chest his neck bending over his head rested on her back. Tears had started to stream down his face again. Through their link he kept apologizing for not being there, for not getting to her fast enough, for being so far away when she needed him the most. He did not notice nor hear did he hear the mage walk up behind them.<br/><br/>When the mage rested his hand on Artimer's shoulder, his tail slashed under the feet of the mage and pinned him to the ground. "Oof, Damn it dragon," he said when he got the wind knocked out of his lungs. He had forgotten how well dragons use their tails. Artimer press harder down on the mage's chest, he set Clairissa gently on the ground, but kept a wing over her.<br/><br/>Turning he faced the mage for the first time. His claws were out and his teeth were bared, he would rip this person to shreds if he even looked at Clairissa funny. The only thing keeping him from doing it right away, was Clairissa's gentle hand on his shoulder, and the soft reprimand she sent him. "One wrong move, dirt bag and you'll wish you had never been born," the growl in Artimer's voice only proved how serious he was. He looked down at the mage and saw a half breed. He had most of the features of a human, but he had the longer ears of an elf, larger emerald eyes, and the pale skin that is only ever on an elf. He looked like his human self was trying to fit in the lanky body of an elf. "Dragon, I'm just tryin' ta help ya." He sounded like a fence Artimer once had, someone from the dirtier side of town.