241 Hope, Despair, and Help

Sael's breath came in loud wheezing gulps.  His nose was broken, the cartilage of it smashed in making it impossible to breathe.  His lips and cheeks had been ground against his teeth leaving them a mangled bloody mess.  Each breath came with the salty coppery taste of blood.  His head was one giant muffled ache, the world around him seemed far too sharp and surreal. He was certain he had a concussion at the very least.  It had been a long time since he tasted blood or suffered the aches of wounds.  The backlash from his merging too often and too long with the Shadow left his body a mess.  Summer's Blessing wasn't working properly, his body barely healing faster than a normal person.