Why was I apologising? Shes just a Keidran, just some. . . lowely. . . dog doing her masters wishes. . . Why are you still thinking about her?!
I couldn't think straight. I sat at a table along with another ten men who somehow managed to get a barrel of ale into the commissary. This night, the entire mess was in an uproar. While I sat quietly, staring at my stew, others were dancing on tables. May were chanting and shouting while the nurses tried to contain them. It was rather funny, just seeing the psych doctor being helpless among the boys was enough to forgive her. . . inquisitive ways. Though I couldn't help but think. . . the Keidran looked familiar. . . almost like someone I tried to forget.
My thoughts were thrown off as some idiot dancing on the table I was sitting at tripped into my stew and fell off the table. My awareness came back and I looked around to see the chaos increasing, men were carrying more barrels of ale and were ransacking the kitchen bringing out desert cakes sweets.
'Rolland, join the party!' someone shouted, but I couldn't tell who it was.
Someone grabbed me from behind, I turned to see it was the Psych Doctor yelling at me.
'Rolland, you have rank over these men, do something!' she demanded.
'Sorry Doc, I got no rank here, I'm medically unfit remember?' I told her, before she stormed off to some boys that were starting a fire. . . on table.
Things contined to escalate after that, all I could really do was laugh as trouble began brewing in new and exciting ways. Humans: drawn to chaos alright. Among the chaos, something stood out to me. I got flashes from the flames and the fighting. Memories. . . pains. . . all I could feel was a massive headache at the time, all thought was thrown off.
'Yipp!' a voice caught my attention, like an animal in pain.
A moment later there was another yelp, then another. I searched for the source, to no avail.
'Come on, I want a piece of that dog bitch too.' I saw a soldier pulling along another soldier.
I followed them through the crowd out the commissary, I followed them through the hospital and found they were leading me beneath the baths, into the furnace room. We were far beneath the hospital, a large dark space illuminated by a centre fire pit. Above it, extending through the roof, was a metallic chimney, supported with chains haphazardly strung up to the roof. The very sight of the furnace was sinister, and this didn't include what these men were doing. A group of them had the Keidran I saw in the baths, with a collar forced on, chained to the ground by the fire, she was struggling to distance herself from the flame.
'Get the poker!' one of them shouted.
One of them marched up with a black rod with a hook and point, he put the point into the fire and as the others restrained the Keidran.
'Too many lives were taken at in defence of the wolf pens, so many names. . .' the one holding the poker pulled it from the fire, 'I don't want you to know every name. . . I want you to feel every name, etched into your hide before you even get the luxury of death. Hold her down.'
The group each took a limb, forcing her body to the ground, but she resisted all of their attempts biting and kicking.
'The bitch is tough-argh!' one said, before he got bite.
'Just hit the damn thing!' the would be leaded ordered, and one of them walked up and thrashed the back of its head.
Do something. . . do something! My mind was throbbing, torn between fear and regret. I was sad, my heart was beating and I felt anger, fear and nausea building. My thoughts were. . . not right, they were twisting, NaShing. . . BiTINg!
'-Its all I have-'
'-defended yourself-'
'-Take Command-'
Mother.
Murderer! Monster! Killer!
'I Wont. . . I cant!'
I could see glances. . . what was missing. . . and among it all I saw. . . her.
A Mother. . .
The leader had the poker in hand, ready to strike.
. . . Saviour. . .
I leapt into action, I jumped between them, knocking the poker back.
'Rolland!?' he yelled.
'She is a healer in a house of the Templar, you have no right to do this!' I barked at him.
'This. . . dog doesn't deserve mercy, or respite! She will pay blood for blood!' he barked back, 'Rolland. . . walk away. . .'
I hesitated. I could see the drunk fatigue in this mans face, the rabid. . . look of him. I looked behind me, the wolf was looking at me. Pleading. I tensed, makings fists.
'No. . .' I whispered, I owe her!
I hit the two who were holding her down, one of them bumped into the guy holding her legs down. I turned around and the leader forced the poker into my left shoulder. I grabbed it with my right hand and forced him back. He stumbled over his feet and I had the poked in my complete control. I spun it around, frightening some off, but I turned to the wolf and began striking the chain. As I broke it, I was grabbed from behind and cast to the ground. As I was on my hands and knees, my left arm was seized and pulled up as I felt someone's knee driving into my left shoulder.
'You should have walked away while you could. . .' he said as he pulled tighter, 'now those names. . . all of them, will be etched ONTO YOUR SKIN TOO-GAH!'
My arm fell at my side as I felt his weight come off me. I rolled to my side to see the Keidran standing there with the poker in hand, she dropped it and pulled my arm over her shoulder.
'Don't worry. . . safe. . .' she told me, as she helped me out of the furnace room.
She brought me into one of the private healing ward rooms. She set me down in a chair before she went through the cupboards in the room, pulling out cloths and a small bottle alcohol. She pulled out a needle and thread and brought the assorted items to me.
'Templar lock away the crystals, cannot get them, they cannot help.' she ripped off the fabric of my shirt, exposing my shoulder, 'new techniques for healing though.'
First, she poured the bottle of alcohol over my shoulder, I flinched slightly, but she held me firmly in place. She brought up a cloth and began whipping away the blood and liquid. She brought up a pair of tweezers and began tugging away at my flesh, I had no idea what she was doing, until she pulled out what appeared to be the tip of the poker in my shoulder. She discarded it, added alcohol and got to threading my wound, the entire time I stared at her work.
This cant be her I thought, She knows way to much for wild Keidran.
'My mind is. . . clouded, I can't remember. . .' she kept at work while I began, 'I think I know you. . . or you know me. . .'
Her work with the needle was careful and precise, she had skill, but I had no idea where she was taught this, but she was very skilled.
'. . . Mind broken. . . its missing pieces. . .' I continued, 'But I think I know you. . . and. . . do you have a pup-argh!'
At the mention of that word, she applied pressure to my shoulder, making me struggle a bit.
'You will not talk about my son!' she growled, quietly at me, 'Not here.'
'It is you. . . I wont. . . but you came. . . to the wrong place. . .' I told her, 'You shouldn't be here. . . you need to get far away-'
'That coin you gave me bought me papers, legal entitlements and documents. I am now a resident here.' she told me 'You gave me this chance.'
'You'll get hurt here. . .' I began, I grabbed her hand and rubbed it, 'I. . . don't want to see you get hurt. . .'
'. . . Your people here can be kind. . . they taught me, and I learned from them, I can't just leave it behind-' she started.
'For your son,' she applied pressure to my shoulder as I said, 'Go home. . . to your people.'
She finished her stitching, she dressed my wound and I left her in silence. I don't want her getting hurt. . . I don't want her to die. . . I want her to be free.
'My people are hunted as animals. . . I don't know where they are, but if the Keidran like me go wondering. . . we will fade. . .' she began, she finished her work and cleaned the work station.
'Why risk it?' I asked, 'here they will mock, threat and hurt you. I don't. . . want any more blood.'
She reached out and help a cloth over my shoulder.
'You killed my kind to save your own. . . but you shed blood of your kind to help me. . .' she began, 'Why even bother, you will go back to fighting us after this, won't you?'
'Yeah. . .' I told her, as I saw her tugging at the collar, 'but I may not have to.'
She looked up at me.
'. . . Come here, I'll get it off ya.' I said, I took a look at the collar as she edged closer, 'pass the tweezers, please.'
She handed them to me and I snapped them in two. I began picking the lock in the collar, but she kept moving.
'Lean in close, and please stop shaking.' I asked, eventually she leaned in, and our heads were beside one another.
Working with one hand was hard enough, her shaking was making it difficult, but I persevered. With a click and a clank, it fell from her neck. I turned to the side and placed the tweezers on a bench, when I turned back she licked me.
'Thank you. . . she said, 'come, need to get to barracks.'
'. . . ok. . .' was all I could say, whipping the slobber off my face, 'why don't you have a restraint collar?'
'They want to see what I do. . . tests all she does' she told me.
'One thing, what is your name?' I asked, as she helped me to my feet.
'Numa.' She told me.
'"Tests all she does?"'
I opened the door to the doctors office and she told me to take a seat. The paper work on her desk seemed overflowing today, she was standing as she went over all of it.
'Welcome Sucre, I'm glad you could make it.' She said as I took a seat.
'Sucre. . . doesn't roll off the tongue the same way.' I commented.
'The other night, I understand what you meant, I approached another officer but they weren't responding to rank in the situation.' She said, 'but you could have been a little cooperative.'
'Sorry Doctor.' I said, she picked up a few papers and threw them aside.
'Well Rolland, at times when they don't cooperate, things turn out more. . . interesting.' She said, she pulled out a few more parchments and threw them off the desk, 'sixty four men and women are in our care here, we found fifty two in the eating hall, twelve were found scattered around the furnace room and the living quarters. One was seen in the healing ward in escourted by a Keidran doctor.'
'I was stabbed by some drunk swordsman, she helped me.' I told her.
'Yes, but no one saw you go in there, I found you there looking for more patients.' She leaned in close, 'What went on between you two?'
'Nothing!' I shouted back, not realising how I said it.
'You can speak Keidran.' I covered my mouth in shock, 'something was up from the start sugar, but now I have proof. Guards!'
The door behind me opened and two guards came in, the rushed me over and held me down on her desk. She stood up, looking over me.
'Ok, I think even you know the cost of treason, as well as fraternising with the enemy, well deal with her too eventually. Take him away.' She ordered.
'Wait no! She isn't one of them, she's a civilian! She has done nothing wrong! You can't do this!' I screamed, fighting them off, but they dragged me away and tossed me into a holding cell.
I got up and ran at the gate, but there was no use. I grasped the bars and shook them, the gate rattled but it wasn't moving. After minutes of shaking, I turned to look at the cell. Four walls, three are all thick stone walls, the final was the stone wall with the bar door in its centre. I began kicking at sections of the wall, pushing obscure stones thinking there may be some secret passage or at the very least a loose rock. . . but there was nothing. . . she is in danger now, and its my fault. . . Damnit!
I ran into the door one last time, but standing there was a guard watching me.
'Ouch, you'll need some ice.' He commented.
'The wolf, what. . . are you going to do to her?!' I asked.
'The same we do with all bad dogs, take her out back and but a knife in her neck.' I thrashed the bars one last time.
'what. . . would it take for me to fix this. . . I'll trade places with her!' I suggested.
'Yeah, except your gonna get the same treatment in a bit. . .' he commented, crossing his arms.
'Please. . . what will it cost. . . for you to free me?' I pleaded.
'Well your pockets are empty and. . . your not a girl so. . .'
'Sick. . .' I whispered.
'But I guess. . . there is one thing. . .' he leaned towards my face.
'Anything!' I pleaded.
'I want you. . . to get down on all fours, and beg like a dog, for a dog.' I hesitated, 'don't be bashful, you have no pride or honour left. . . so get on your knees and beg like a-!'
His head slammed forward into the bars, he slumped to the ground and standing behind him was a man in ruffled and damaged Templar robes. He leaned forward and pointed to me.
'If you beg, I will leave you in here.' He threatened, he searched the fallen guards armour, looking for something, 'no keys. . . alright, stand aside!'
He raised his arm, as he did a glowing blue light shone before him, I jumped to the side of my cell before the door was blasted to the rear wall of my cell. I stepped into the doorway to see him ripping off his cloaks.
'I hate tunics. . .' he commented, throwing the cloths to the ground revealing light leather armour underneath, 'your wolf companion is being moved, get to the northern entrance, you should find her there.'
He started walking away, towards the southern entrance.
'How can I trust your word?!' I demanded an answer as he walked away.
'Because I let you out, gave you a hint and you're the one of four people who know that I'm here and is awake.' He said as he walked away, when he finished her turned to me, '. . . From someone whose made mistakes. . . fix your problems while you can.'
He walked on, out of the detainment area.
'Who are you!?' I yelled out, but I received no response.
I ran out the north entrance, in the distance on a far hill: two guards and Numa. I ran out to them, the strong with blowing the grass around us and the distant tree, masking my approach. I tackled one of the guards to the ground, seizing his sword and taking it to the other. I battered his armour, butchered his hand, but he was alive, helping the other to his feet before they both took off to the healers. I ran up to Numa, prying at the lock on the collar. Eventually it came off and she slapped me, making me fall to the ground.
'No more!' she screamed, 'no matter good, or bad. . . always pain. . . always hurt. . . no good we do helps. . . I help you and I get punished for it. . .'
'Numa, run. . . run, more will come!' I told her.
'No use. . . Keidran all die, that's what you want. . .humans take, they don't care for the life around them, it's all they want!' she contested.
'It's not what want!' I shouted back, 'they will kill me. . . now more then ever, get you pup and run while you can, trust me please. . . and I can cover for you. . .'
'. . . no trust. . . I can't trust anyone' she fell to her knees, submitting.
'No. . . no, go, while you can't!' I pleaded, but she didn't move, I looked at the collar in my hand and had a. . . terrible idea, 'Trust. . . the one who can't lie then.'
I brought the collar around my neck and clasped it shut. Things went dumb, all feelings of pain, memories and. . . everything. . . just slur of meaningless noises, everything except. . . right now. Numa ran to my, trying to take it off, but I held her hands back.
'No, Numa! Please just. . . walk away. . .' I asked her, 'please just walk away and tell me to look away. . .'
She stared at me, confused.
'Tell me. . . to be blind. . .' I asked her.
'Why. . . they will kill you. . .' she told me.
'They were going to. . . run. . . Numa, live for your child. . . please. . .' I asked her, 'tell me to look away and. . . run. . .'
She hesitated, but she just hugged me.
'Stupid. . . very stupid. . .' she told me.
'Numa run. . .' I told her.
'. . . look away. . . look at the sunset.' I did as ordered, and stared at the setting sun, 'Thank you. . . goodbye. . .'
The last thing she said, before she disappeared from me. . . I guess I did something right. . . for my last moments. As the Sun set, the doctor and a few guards came up.
'Where is she?' she demanded.
'I don't know. . . she didn't say. . . and she told me to look away. . .' I answered, smiling.
'. . . were one body short, well make do,' she turned to the others, 'soldier, hand me your knife.'
'Ma'am.' I heard the clinking of armour, and the doctor stepped in front of me.
'Any last words traitor?' she asked.
'. . . a few . . . go to hell. . .' I smiled, before she plunged the knife into my chest.
'I'll see you there. . .' the last thing I heard as I fell into the grass, as the last light fled the sky, embracing me into a final night.