“You heard her, go and save that girl!” Natacia heard the gentle half of the creature spoke but the gruff half rebuked it.  “Shut up!  If I do that I’ll be giving her the chance to try and kill me again!”  The calm voice responded, offering a compromise.  “Then make sure she isn’t able to while preserving her life.  It’s that simple.”  The harsh persona bit back.  “Don’t you go on lecturing me, you!  Besides, why would I want her still alive when I’ll eventually feast on her tender flesh?”  There was silence for a few moments, and then the benign guise spoke up.  “I believe it would be more enjoyable for you, if she were to be conscious and aware when her body is being rended and feasted upon, don’t you think?”<br/><br/>To Natacia, the way the discussion was going offered little appeasement to their grim situation, but hopefully it would buy them some time to somehow turn the table around, or at the very least find an opportunity for escape.<br/><br/>“Oh, very well!  I see your point! But-“  The bird woman roughly pulled back Natacia head again, letting its feral visage lean close to hers once more. “If this is some kind of trick I promise you, I’ll make you watch as I eat her, alive or dead!”  Letting go of the slayer, the bird woman proceeded to rummage through Natacia’s pack which was discarded nearby.  It pulled out things and tossed those that did not seem to look like the item in question around.  “Is this it?” She asked the bound girl, showing her the bottle engraved with the image of Aphrodite, the one given to her by the villagers back at Aliya which contained some healing salves.  Getting some kind of confirmation from the slayer, the bird creature then paced towards the lying Airi, who was already nearing death, while her wings flapped occasionally to stir dirt and litter around.  After kneeling down beside the dying girl the bird creature opened up the bottle and poured some the healing fluid onto her palms and then applied them to Airi’s wounds, the very same wounds no less caused by her.<br/><br/>Airi began to stir more vibrantly before, a sign that she is out of danger of dying for now.  She still lay sprawled on the ground however, too weak to considerably move which suited fine for the bird creature when it leaned close to the prone girl’s ear and whisper to her.   “Be thankful for your friend that I allowed to spare your life.  If you want to stay that way for a bit longer, it is best that you do nothing but lie still.  In the meantime, you may watch as I punish your friend for having the gall to try and hurt me.  And don’t you worry, you’ll have your turn very soon…”<br/><br/>The bird woman left Airi where she laid, and went back for Natacia.  She faced the chained up slayer up front, bringing up her spiked club and prodded it by the bound girl’s navel, raising it up slowly and letting its sharp protrusions graze her skin until it reaches the tip of her chin, letting her know how powerless she was.<br/><br/>“Are you ready for your punishment, harlot?” the bird creature smirked.  It seems that there is no kindly side of the bird woman going to save Natacia now.<br/>