"I- I am!" 

Hearing Katherine helped. Alexi wasn't alone here, lost in the woods with a demon behind him. Katherine was nearby, near enough to hear him, near enough for him to hear her approaching footfalls. That was good, very good. He focused on that, tried desperately to push the lights behind far away, to think [i]only[/i] of that. 

Katherine was nearby. His escort was getting closer. Help, was here.

Alexi held on to those thoughts, only those thoughts, and pushed himself forwards. He found the ground dangerously sloped and tangled in roots, but climbable, and so he climbed. What had aimed to trip him while he stood now proved to help him as he lay there, hands and feet finding purchase with each move, crawling ever-closer to the sound of Katherine approaching him.

He didn't turn back to risk those verdant flames, didn't dare let himself be trapped again. He didn't see the leathery face illuminated by those writhing lights before it. Katherine's footsteps were before him, and as he scrambled and crawled back up the way he had fallen, Katherine herself was coming into view. Quick and agile despite the treacherous ground, coming to his aid yet again. Of course, [i]she[/i] was safety, security, companionship. How had some fel embers managed to deceive him so?

Shaking his head at the thought, Alexi pushed himself up to meet Katherine, safe at last. Relief flooded over his features as he moved to stand, eyes only looking forwards... even as the malformed, snakelike [i]thing[/i] surged up behind him.