Chapter III: The Yellow Rose
The sun was quickly setting and it was steadily getting dark. Very soon darkness would blanket the sky to prevent him from seeing where he was going. Knowing she was still warm was all it took for him to run as he had never run before. Devlin knew she was still alive, but she won't be for much longer unless he was able to get help. He saw nothing but the path ahead of him, stumbling at a time like this would mean the life of his young friend. His nimbleness helped him avoid most of the obstacles blocking his way as he jumped over rocks and creatures alike.
He felt the wetness in his arm grow moister, she was bleeding very badly. This was not good. He would have to get her to the Sanctuary as soon as possible for treatment. She might just have that chance if he could make it. He happened to see her eyes open just slightly; he was relieved to see she was still hanging on. "Cleo, Cleo," he whispered as he continued for Prontera. "Don't sleep on me. Stay up that way we can go on that adventure you wanted. Please stay awake for me."
"Devlin," was all she managed to say. Devlin looked down at her and told her not to speak. He was almost there. He could see the lights of the city; it was the greatest sight he's seen the whole day. He finally arrived in the Sanctuary and laid her body down on one of the benches as other acolytes scrambled to find a Cleric within the sanctuary who was capable of treating her injury. He entrusted her care to an acolyte named Rosenkreuz as he left for the Knights' recruitment office to inform her uncle of what has happened.
"She was what?" he asked horror-stricken. He heard every word but couldn't believe it. His beautiful niece was struck by the Orc Hero's axe in the back. But judging from the way the young knight looked, he must have been telling the truth. They both rushed back to the Sanctuary to check up on what has happened to her. It appears several of the elders were struggling to keep her alive; apparently, the impact on her body injured a lot of her internal organs and she also lost a lot of blood.
Cleo's uncle was, by now, kneeling by the altar praying for his niece's life. Devlin also said a little prayer for his friend and left. He went to the yard behind the Sanctuary to sit under the moonlight. He hadn't really thought about the blood he was covered in until now. He reeked of the smell of sweat and blood. He was tired, but he still could not sleep because he wanted to stay awake to support Cleo. He wanted to help out with anything they needed, but for now he just needed to sit down.
What was it about this young acolyte that endeared her to him? Was it her cheerfulness? He really didn't know, but he was glad. He never before cared so much for a person. Maybe she was like his mother, that's probably why he felt endeared to her. He could not think of any other explanation since he never really had female friends, or any friend for that matter.
After some time has passed an acolyte came to him, it was the guy he left responsible for Cleo. Rosenkreuz was approaching him slowly preparing to wake him up, but he got up and asked what happened. "Oh, you were awake," he said quite relieved. "I was afraid you might have died out here without us taking a look at any of your injuries. You were covered in blood; I thought you might have had an injury too."
"Nope," he said while staring at the moon. "What happened? Is she alright? Tell me."
"She is still at the verge of death," he answered quietly. "The elders are doing their best to keep her alive. And everyone in the Sanctuary is praying for her. I think she will make it. If you want to see her I can take you to her, but you'll need to have a bath first. After all, it's useless if she just died because of an infection."
Devlin took a bath, after all, he didn't want to smell like a rotting Orc, he then was given a change of clothes appropriate for the operation room where the elders where trying so desperately to save her life. He saw the pools of blood in the floor and noticed some tubes leading from her back to two small jars on the floor that was slowly filling with her blood. "She was poisoned," Rosenkreuz explained when he saw Devlin looking at one of the jars. "That's where the poisoned blood would go; the rest of it will be returned to her body."
Devlin couldn't bear to see his friend in such a tortured state. Even though he knew and understood the importance of what the elders where doing, to him, it just seemed like controlled torture. But it was necessary, if she was to get better. He left for the Orc Village very early the next day to reclaim his sword and bounty.
He got there with no incident. It was a total wasteland, now that he could see it clearly because of the bright sunlight. He found the Orc Hero's dead body lying where it had died; he approached it and stepped on its chest as he drew his sword from its head. As he pulled it out shattered skull fragments and blood gushed out and some splashed onto his new uniform, much to his annoyance. Even in death this Orc had victory over him.
Less than a week ago, this very same Orc robbed him of his revenge and made him run for his life. Yesterday, it yet again stole his victory by nearly killing his new friend. Now it showed him just how little it thought of him, even after death, by soiling his new uniform to further mock him. And he would only find out later if this huge corpse won over him yet again by actually succeeding in killing his now helpless friend. Then what was the point of his revenge if he still lost in the end? He thought about what he has done and realized it would have been all for nothing if Cleo died. The Orcs already won. He really despised them, he thought to himself. He would not burn it, the Orc Hero's corpse. It would only be adding insult to injury. He took his bounty and sword and headed back to Prontera.
When he returned to the Sanctuary he solemnly approached the altar to pay his respects to his friend, his first friend. He slowly walked away and as he reached the door was stopped by Rosenkreuz. "I have something to tell you," he said. "It's about Cleo."
"Oh, but before you say anything," he handed him his sword and the sack of bounty he got from slaying the Orcs, "put these in here grave. It's my tribute to our short friendship."
Rosenkreuz responded, "I won't put those in her grave." He paused only for a moment before continuing. "She's alive!" he said trying to stifle a laugh. "Look at you! Go see her; she's been waiting for you."
Devlin knocked on the door and waited for someone to tell him to come in. As he waited Cleo opened the door and was so glad to see him she gave him a big hug. "You came back!" she said.
"Well I guess we're going on that adventure after all," Devlin said reassuringly. I guess she must have been like my mother in some way for me to take to her like this, he thought. "I guess I have to burn him too."
The sun was quickly setting and it was steadily getting dark. Very soon darkness would blanket the sky to prevent him from seeing where he was going. Knowing she was still warm was all it took for him to run as he had never run before. Devlin knew she was still alive, but she won't be for much longer unless he was able to get help. He saw nothing but the path ahead of him, stumbling at a time like this would mean the life of his young friend. His nimbleness helped him avoid most of the obstacles blocking his way as he jumped over rocks and creatures alike.
He felt the wetness in his arm grow moister, she was bleeding very badly. This was not good. He would have to get her to the Sanctuary as soon as possible for treatment. She might just have that chance if he could make it. He happened to see her eyes open just slightly; he was relieved to see she was still hanging on. "Cleo, Cleo," he whispered as he continued for Prontera. "Don't sleep on me. Stay up that way we can go on that adventure you wanted. Please stay awake for me."
"Devlin," was all she managed to say. Devlin looked down at her and told her not to speak. He was almost there. He could see the lights of the city; it was the greatest sight he's seen the whole day. He finally arrived in the Sanctuary and laid her body down on one of the benches as other acolytes scrambled to find a Cleric within the sanctuary who was capable of treating her injury. He entrusted her care to an acolyte named Rosenkreuz as he left for the Knights' recruitment office to inform her uncle of what has happened.
"She was what?" he asked horror-stricken. He heard every word but couldn't believe it. His beautiful niece was struck by the Orc Hero's axe in the back. But judging from the way the young knight looked, he must have been telling the truth. They both rushed back to the Sanctuary to check up on what has happened to her. It appears several of the elders were struggling to keep her alive; apparently, the impact on her body injured a lot of her internal organs and she also lost a lot of blood.
Cleo's uncle was, by now, kneeling by the altar praying for his niece's life. Devlin also said a little prayer for his friend and left. He went to the yard behind the Sanctuary to sit under the moonlight. He hadn't really thought about the blood he was covered in until now. He reeked of the smell of sweat and blood. He was tired, but he still could not sleep because he wanted to stay awake to support Cleo. He wanted to help out with anything they needed, but for now he just needed to sit down.
What was it about this young acolyte that endeared her to him? Was it her cheerfulness? He really didn't know, but he was glad. He never before cared so much for a person. Maybe she was like his mother, that's probably why he felt endeared to her. He could not think of any other explanation since he never really had female friends, or any friend for that matter.
After some time has passed an acolyte came to him, it was the guy he left responsible for Cleo. Rosenkreuz was approaching him slowly preparing to wake him up, but he got up and asked what happened. "Oh, you were awake," he said quite relieved. "I was afraid you might have died out here without us taking a look at any of your injuries. You were covered in blood; I thought you might have had an injury too."
"Nope," he said while staring at the moon. "What happened? Is she alright? Tell me."
"She is still at the verge of death," he answered quietly. "The elders are doing their best to keep her alive. And everyone in the Sanctuary is praying for her. I think she will make it. If you want to see her I can take you to her, but you'll need to have a bath first. After all, it's useless if she just died because of an infection."
Devlin took a bath, after all, he didn't want to smell like a rotting Orc, he then was given a change of clothes appropriate for the operation room where the elders where trying so desperately to save her life. He saw the pools of blood in the floor and noticed some tubes leading from her back to two small jars on the floor that was slowly filling with her blood. "She was poisoned," Rosenkreuz explained when he saw Devlin looking at one of the jars. "That's where the poisoned blood would go; the rest of it will be returned to her body."
Devlin couldn't bear to see his friend in such a tortured state. Even though he knew and understood the importance of what the elders where doing, to him, it just seemed like controlled torture. But it was necessary, if she was to get better. He left for the Orc Village very early the next day to reclaim his sword and bounty.
He got there with no incident. It was a total wasteland, now that he could see it clearly because of the bright sunlight. He found the Orc Hero's dead body lying where it had died; he approached it and stepped on its chest as he drew his sword from its head. As he pulled it out shattered skull fragments and blood gushed out and some splashed onto his new uniform, much to his annoyance. Even in death this Orc had victory over him.
Less than a week ago, this very same Orc robbed him of his revenge and made him run for his life. Yesterday, it yet again stole his victory by nearly killing his new friend. Now it showed him just how little it thought of him, even after death, by soiling his new uniform to further mock him. And he would only find out later if this huge corpse won over him yet again by actually succeeding in killing his now helpless friend. Then what was the point of his revenge if he still lost in the end? He thought about what he has done and realized it would have been all for nothing if Cleo died. The Orcs already won. He really despised them, he thought to himself. He would not burn it, the Orc Hero's corpse. It would only be adding insult to injury. He took his bounty and sword and headed back to Prontera.
When he returned to the Sanctuary he solemnly approached the altar to pay his respects to his friend, his first friend. He slowly walked away and as he reached the door was stopped by Rosenkreuz. "I have something to tell you," he said. "It's about Cleo."
"Oh, but before you say anything," he handed him his sword and the sack of bounty he got from slaying the Orcs, "put these in here grave. It's my tribute to our short friendship."
Rosenkreuz responded, "I won't put those in her grave." He paused only for a moment before continuing. "She's alive!" he said trying to stifle a laugh. "Look at you! Go see her; she's been waiting for you."
Devlin knocked on the door and waited for someone to tell him to come in. As he waited Cleo opened the door and was so glad to see him she gave him a big hug. "You came back!" she said.
"Well I guess we're going on that adventure after all," Devlin said reassuringly. I guess she must have been like my mother in some way for me to take to her like this, he thought. "I guess I have to burn him too."