DISCLAIMER
GW: I am not technologically advanced to have come up with a game as cool as this…alas…I don't own it or it's characters…
Joshua and Gerik stooped over a young boy who was bleeding from a serious wound in the hip. The boy was whimpering silently, his eyelids flickering open and closed. He had been hit by a bolt of lighting cast by a now mage.
"What do we do with him?" asked Gerik as he stared at the boy.
"The boy doesn't have much luck…I don't think he'll survive being carried to a stave, with all the blood he's lost…and even if he did survive, the chances of that being slim, he'd only live a few days. What he has gone through so far, is nothing to what he'll be in for when he dies…Now he is numb and feels no pain, but in an hour he'll be a screaming bundle of intolerable pain, every day that he lives being a howling torture. It doesn't matter whether he has-"
"Enough! Don't be so pessimistic!" Gerik looked out over the raging battlefield, watching people die in agony.
Ephraim had lanced the mage that had nearly killed the boy, and Ephraim charged forwards relentlessly. Saleh and Knoll worked together to bring down a paladin and his horse, which screamed in pain. The soldiers on horseback trampled over fallen corpses, ready to kill more. Corpses in some places had sunk into the mud, which also brought down noble war horses.
"Even if he survived, I doubt he'd be able to walk…" Joshua scratched his head in thought. "What to do…what to do…"
An arrow whizzed just over head, connecting with a sickening thud as arrow found the target. A swordsman had been sneaking up behind Joshua, ready to cut him down. Innes was standing a couple hundred feet away, bow still in hand. Across the field, where there was little to no action, Colm and Rennac trouped, robbing corpses that had not yet been sucked into the mud. Franz and Kyle raced through the field, lancing all who opposed or tried to stop their parade.
Joshua got out of his stoop and stared at Gerik questioningly. Gerik looked dumbfounded and when Joshua gestured to the boy he said:
"Oh no…don't look at me like that. I don't make life or death decisions!"
"You're a mercenary, bub! I suggest you start making them!"
"What does being a mercenary have anything to do with this?!"
Behind the, the battle was cooling down, Seth had just brought down their leader and the soldiers weren't sure of what to do. Lute quickly found an answer for them. She used her amazing talents with fire to surround the enemy and quickly incinerate them. Their howls and screams filled the air as their skin melted and drooped, then turned to ash.
The boy on the ground moaned and began to ask for his father. He began to twitch his fingers in pain; his eyelids wide open with fear now.
"Stop pushing me, dammit! I'll do something about it, sheesh!" Joshua bent low over the boys face and asked:
"Boy, what's your name?"
The boy stuttered "R-R-Ross…" he let out a gasp of pain. The numbness was passing.
"Hang on, Ross. I'm going to go find someone to help, all right?"
As Joshua rose to leave, Ross tugged onto his long red hair.
"D-don't…leave…me…"
"Don't worry! I'll be back with a stave!" Joshua put Ross's hand over his chest. "I promise."
Joshua left the boy on the ground with Gerik, who said he'd watch after him. He unsheathed one of his countries sacred weapons, Audhulma. His gazed drifted across the field, looking for the nearest healer. He saw Natasha standing frozen to the ground, a headless corpse laid before her. She was pale and shaking, but she would have to do.
"Nat-!" A swordsman attacked Joshua from behind. Joshua whipped around and sliced off the head of the inexperienced man.
"Natasha! Come! Quickly now!"
Natasha hesitated, staring into the blank eyes of the head that Joshua had just severed.
"Natasha! There's no time for this!" Joshua grabbed her hand, pulling her roughly to the spot where Ross lay. His breathing was rough and ragged, barely breathing at all. Gerik was patting his face to keep him from entering an eternal rest.
"Get to work, Natasha! He's going to die, and we can't let the famous Garcia's son die under our watch!"
Slowly, Natasha raised her robbed arms, wielding a staff and a healing light surrounded them.
The sound of hooves beating on the ground advanced quickly upon them. Joshua turned around to attack but was too late. The paladin wielding a lance was attacking Natasha.
An arrow pierced the horse's skin, delving deeply into its shoulder. It whinnied in pain and kicked it's rider off. The rider landed on his neck, making a sickening crunching sound.
Neimi stood on a hill; bow in hand with an arrow ready. Joshua tipped his hat in thanks, and Neimi smiled. She jogged away, into the mist that was slowly spreading.
Joshua redirected his attention to Ross, his wound now sealed, the bleeding had stopped. He was unconscious and laying in a pool of his own blood.
Gerik heaved a sigh of relief as Natasha lowered her staff.
"So…what do we do now?" Joshua asked, shifting his weight to the other foot.
"I suppose he'll have to be taken back to base…but how to get him there…" Gerik rubbed his forehead in miserable thought. "What a headache today has been…"
"Bah. The fighting's almost done anyway, let's just put on him on your back and haul him there ourselves. Or," he added when Gerik shot him a look of distrust, "We could get one of the horse boys to take him." Joshua looked out over the field, looking for Forde's yellow hair.
He found Franz, Forde's younger brother, instead. Gerik gently hefted Ross onto Franz's mount, and tied the small axe to the side of the saddle.
Franz didn't say much, for there wasn't much to say. He merely rode through the thickening mist, away towards their makeshift camp. Gerik got bored, and attacked a nearby archer. Innes lay his bow to rest, to watch the archer try to fend of Gerik's ruthless attacks. Seth's steed trotted around triumphantly, swishing its white mane about as if some in some parade.
Ephraim brought his mount around and raised his Reginleif above his head and declared:
"Noble warriors! Victory is ours! We have won this battle, just as I promised!"
A cheer rose up, echoing off the trees that surrounded them and quickly died down. Then, a scream tore through the air, catching everyone off guard. Joshua turned to look for Natasha, but she was nowhere to be seen.
GW: That's all for now, folks! Until next time!