Keith summoned his bayard and knocked three galra soldiers of the side of the hill like rag dolls. He stabbed a fourth, then willed his luxite blade back into a sword and hacked through another group of sentries.
Soon no more enemies faced him. The remaining druids began to disappear on their own. Shiro cut down a Galran general, and Keith made the mistake of sheathing his swords.
Pain flared in his lower back-so sharp and cold he thought one of those ice monster aliens he'd fought had touched him.
Next to his ear, a druid snarled, "Born a Galra, die a Galra."
The tip of a sword made entirely of purple electricity jutted through the front of Keith's armor, just below his rib cage.
Keith fell to his knees. Pidge's scream sounded miles away. He felt like he'd been immersed in salty water-his body weightless, his head swaying.
Pidge charged toward him. He watched with detached emotion as her bayard cut through the druid's mask with a metallic ka-chunk.
A burst of energy parted Keith's mullet from behind. Dust settled around him, and broken druid mask skidded across the floor. The evil creature was gone-but it had made a lasting impression.
"Keith!" Pidge grabbed his shoulders as he began to fall sideways. He gasped as she dispersed the violet sword. Then she lowered him to the ground, propping his head against a stone.
Shiro ran to their side. He had a nasty cut on the side of his neck.
"Quiznack." Shiro stared at the wound in Keith's gut. "Oh, quiznack."
"Thanks," Keith groaned. "I was afraid it might be bad."
His arms and legs started to tingle as his body when into crisis mode, sending all the blood to his chest. The pain was dull, which surprised him, but his armor was soaked red. The wound was glowing. He was pretty sure sword wounds weren't supposed to glow.
"You're going to be fine." Pidge spoke the words like an order. Her tone steadied his breathing. "Shiro, Drillknyrf!"
Shiro stirred. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it." He ripped through their supply pouch and unwrapped a piece of the Altean painkiller.
"We have to stop the bleeding." Pidge used her bayard to cut fabric from the bottom of the druid's robe. She ripped the cloth into bandages.
Keith dimly wondered how she knew so much about first aid. She put the wounds on his back and stomach while Shiro pushed tiny bites of drillknyrf into his mouth.
Shiro's flesh fingers shook. After all the things he'd been through, Keith felt it odd that he would freak out now while Pidge acted so calm. Then it occurred to him-Shiro could afford to be scared for him. Pidge couldn't. She was completely focused on trying to save him.