[The Cure, Other Side] Trepanning

Accepting the guiding kick and the treasured fruit, instinct said there was shortly going to be another echo of the previous booms. With the transfer and preparation of healing, Gavin felt Tanner was immanently anticipating a harmful event that would take away the young man's ability to apply his own healing. Was it the ground? He couldn't know what would be helpful toward or interfere with the Jackelope's plan, but the Wyrd could span that gap.

After being kicked away, there was no way to shelter the other Courser from his initial impact with the canopy so that was a foregone conclusion, but what came after was up for grabs.

In a moment of inspiration as he was calculating his own point of impact he saw among the peaks of the bramble a point of tension between two great stalks. Their circuitous growth had over time plied enormous pressure against the other building up a coiled force that he could put to use if he struck the monumental thorns locking them together just right. His hands full of precious cargo, he would need to use his feet to stand a chance of getting the job done. Sweeping his wings back to reangle and get the necessary momentum, he lined up the seemingly impossible shot.

Feet first he collided with the dueling thorn stalks, stopping flat. A creaking groan rumbled within and quickly ended their struggle with a snap. Both flying free. Their structures were apparently just as vulnerable to perpendicular force to their direction of growth as mundane bushes. One stalk had built up substantially more force than the other and it swung like a massive barb-wire whip against the surface of the other clearing most of the thorns on the uppermost surface while gouging a deep groove in other parts of it.

Beyond all belief, the remaining stalk lofted itself to a new resting position that offered Tanner and Gavin a soft landing into its new shape. Gavin would slide standing up on its transformed structure toward the bottom somehow escaping any harm in the torrent of chaos on the way down using his wings to redirect and correct for momentum around corners. Led by fortune and Gavin's shouted guidance in unfolding calamity, Tanner was given the best shot possible to do what he needed on the way down. The Razorhand had delivered on almost everything Tanner had asked for in his stuttered words. Everything except returning the fruit.

Sliding to the end of the bramble he lofted to a gentle glide to land near Tanner's unconscious form. He didn't look great, but he didn't see any bones protruding through flesh or an awkward bend in the wrong place. It didn't appear to be enough in his view to justify how he landed after the controlled fall Gavin had prepared for him. The Hedge had taken a toll from his mind greater than he'd expected or hoped. Perhaps this was the form the luck he'd arranged for him was taking. He'd have to get him somewhere safe to find out.

Cinder? Chunhua? Saturday? The University? Plenty of options and there were many concerns and variables to consider for where to take him. A coma meant he would need dream assistance. The rage induced by being near Tanner could happen with anyone. Lost who were cleared of infection were still wandering around unaware of their status. Gavin among them. Cinder had been isolated from nearly everyone so she was likely one of the few unaffected. Chunhua commonly holed away in her secluded fortress. Saturday would likely be too powerful and well prepared for something like this to have snuck up on him.

Gavin checked inside the Jackelope's mouth. He might not be a medic, but he did see the Beast occupy his mouth with Amaranthine during the fall. He didn't want him to choke on a healing Goblin Fruit of all things, followed by a once over for any extensive bleeding. With nothing of note found he packed the poor soul onto his back, with arms over his shoulders and his body nestled between his wings. Once stable in that position the Razorhand engaged the Chrysalis, leaning forward, braying and stamping his feet to place himself in the mind of a horse he opened his mouth to devour the dream. Inadvertently with the combination of his contracts he now looked like a mythical Pegasus. The wings would serve a different purpose now, locking them against his body and around Tanner's legs propping him securely in place for the journey.

The journey to where though?

Chunhua's secluded fortress became the end destination. He knew where it was and had been granted access previously. It would not be surprising for him to appear there especially given the circumstances, but the front door would do just fine.

He began wandering a seemingly random weaving path along then off the Trod the two of them had slid down to. The simple demands of powerful magics. The Hedge and Time would heed his call to service. He always found it easier to do his work off the Trods anyway. The Hedge was always happy to oblige such a choice.

Slipping further glamour into his plan he kicked over the remnants of the other stalk where it had come crashing to rest. It slumped into position to be his new temporary road pointed in the right direction. 

Though he felt the Hedge's willingness to bow deeply to his will. The toll would be deeper than he felt like paying in the moment. He accepted its simple guidance instead and traveled its route toward the gate in the area.