Guards
by Tierra
--Chapter 2--
11:02 a.m.
The dart appeared to grow out of Elendro's neck. He clapped a hand to the point of impact and pulled out the dart. "What the--" Suddenly, his legs gave out from under him and he collapsed heavily to his knees before toppling sideways with a resounding smash of metal on stone. He looked horribly lifeless.
Adryn watched in shock. He wanted his legs to move, so he could help Elendro, but he felt rooted to the spot, his eyes riveted to his friend's still body. His hand and sword seemed frozen in mid-air, motionless. It was as if time itself had just stopped.
And then, time suddenly kicked in. With a strangled cry, Adryn spurred his body forwards, forcing himself past his friend's prone form. He was too close for his opponent to use darts now, and there was a clang of steel on steel as Adryn's blade clashed on the dagger the hooded figure had desperately brought up to defend himself. Technique had gone out the window - repeatedly Adryn smashed his blade down on the man's dagger, relying on brute strength, ignoring the burning in his muscles.
This assault would probably have continued in much the same way were it not for Ratty. The small pack rat had scurried forward after Elendro's fall but lacked Adryn's longer legs. Having finally arrived, the rat leapt into the fray, literally. With a jump he landed on the man's foot and sunk his teeth bone-deep into the man's ankle. "Ow!" The beggar jumped in surprise and dropped his guard for a fateful split-second.
Adryn drove forward, burying his sword up to the hilt in the man's body. It felt like his sword met no resistance as it went straight through his opponent's midriff, protruding from his back. The man's gaze dropped to the steel, watching his own blood run down the bloodchannel before raising his wide-eyed stare to look into Adryn's visor for a split second. He collapsed forward with a low groan. Adryn staggered backwards with the man's sudden deadweight, feeling his gloves getting soaked with the warm blood. He retreated a few steps, twisting the body sideways and pulling his sword free, and stood still, breathing harshly.
A soft patter of paws and an insistent squeak made him glance backwards and his gaze fell upon Elendro's body. He tossed aside his sword and pulled off his helmet, feeling the taut icy grip of panic in his chest as he raced back to Elendro's side. Adryn dropped to his knees and carefully removed Elendro's helmet.
His friend's dark, blue-black hair seemed even darker, strangely, until Adryn realised it was because his skin had gone deathly pale. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and his breathing was harsh and irregular. His eyelids flickered, his eyes rolled and his head lolled around like a stringless marionette. Adryn could tell that he was only semi-conscious. He could also tell that if Elendro slipped into unconsciousness, he would die.
"Don't...don't you dare die on me..." he muttered softly, grabbing his friend's shoulders and shaking him. "Wake up, damn you!" It was to no avail - Elendro's eyes were unfocused and he looked like he was falling asleep. His breath was becoming shallower and less frequent - every breath looked like it required a massive effort.
Adryn dug in the pockets of his belt, searching frantically for a potion that would save his friend's life. Nothing. He had forgotten to bring any...no, he hadn't forgotten, he had assumed he wouldn't need any. Desperately, he searched Elendro's belt, sure that he would find a potion there. Also nothing. In fact, his belt was strangely devoid of anything.
Adryn glanced at his friend's face and terror made his heart skip a beat. Elendro's eyes were shut properly now. Adryn put his ear near Elendro's dry lips and felt a slight glimmer of hope - though shallow and almost nonexistant, his friend was still breathing. There was still time.
Ratty had nosed under Elendro's limp hand and was squeaking insistently, obviously expecting to be scratched. Adryn stared at the rat. The pack rat. Of course! He reached across Elendro's body and dug into the bags that were slung over its back, and was rewarded - a health-restoring potion in a small crystal vial. He should have known that if Elendro bought a pack rat, he would try to get his money's worth out of it and load the poor creature with everything from cookies to money to a flame atronach.
Adryn wrestled with the cork of the vial, keeping a nervous eye on his friend's chest, hoping against hope that the slight up and down movement wouldn't stop. The cork gave suddenly and Adryn almost lost his balance, just managing to keep the vial of precious fluid from spilling.
"'Dro, c'mon, don't die on me..." Adryn muttered, supporting Elendro's head with one hand. He prayed silently that Elendro was still conscious enough to swallow. Gently, he tilted the vial to Elendro's lips, watching closely.
He wasn't swallowing. Adryn began to panic. Elendro's chest was barely even moving now, and he was breathing very slowly. "Please..." Adryn murmured, feeling his eyes beginning to burn with unshed tears. He couldn't imagine life without his best friend beside him. He pulled the soft fabric of the uniform away from Elendro's neck. The puncture wound was almost invisible - only a small red swelling was any indication of the poison that was taking his friend from him slowly. Adryn's hand was trembling as he pressed Elendro's throat gently, trying to convince him to swallow - though it wouldn't cure him, it would buy him some precious time. He cursed as the dead marksman's blood oozed from his gloves onto his friend's neck. In a fit of rage and terror he tore the stained glove off and hurled it with a wet splat against the wall. It didn't help. He touched Elendro's throat again, trying to keep his blood-stained hands from shaking. Under his bare fingers, Elendro's pulse was weak and slow.
Suddenly Elendro coughed and sputtered, his throat bobbing weakly. Adryn felt a rush of relief, which he knew was foolish - he had bought his friend ten minutes of life at most, and there was no way he could get them both out of the sewers in that amount of time. It was simply too far, and he didn't dare attempt to drag Elendro out in his condition. Horrible reality began to sink in and Adryn bowed his head against his friend's armour, feeling his throat and eyes beginning to burn again. He felt so useless. There was no way Elendro would live.
A black swordblade tapped against his shoulder lightly, pinging off his crimson armour, perilously close to his throat. "Sera," came the soft, growling lilt of a female Khajiit. "Friend or foe?"
"F-friend," Adryn stammered, hoping he was telling the truth. He really didn't know why he cared anyway.
The swordblade slid off his armour, and he heard it being sheathed. He turned, scrubbing his eyes hurriedly on his remaining glove before he realised he had probably left a horrible red blood streak across his face. The speaker was indeed a young female Khajiit in tailored green glass armour. She was an intimidating beast, but behind her Adryn could see a young Breton man and a little girl, who was hiding behind the Khajiit's tail and trying to take it with her to the edge of the canal to peer inside. It was a strange sight.
The Khajiit cocked her head to one side, with an enquiring glance at Elendro, whose breathing had steadied a little. "Royal guards should not be in sewers. Can Avery help the good sera?"
Adryn prayed as he voiced his concerns. "Please, sera, m-my partner has fallen victim to the poison of the Black Dart Gang...please, do you have a potion to cure him? If not..." Adryn shot a worried look back at Elendro. He couldn't speak the possibility and choked on his words.
"Sera...Avery is sorry but she has no cure potions."
Adryn felt a leaden weight settle in his stomach, and felt a foolish rage for a second at the idiotic Khajiit who didn't have a potion to save his friend. "Then...all is lost for..."
"He needs temple's healer, sera. No potions can cure him now." Avery searched her belt and pulled out a scroll. "Here, sera. Save your worthy friend. Almsivi will save you both." She thrust the scroll of Almsivi Intervention into Adryn's blood-stained glove.
Adryn could barely voice his thanks. "T-T-Thank you, sera! A thousand blessings! P-Praise Almsivi!"
The Khajiit smiled, baring her sharp teeth. "Then hurry and leave, and perhaps we shall meet again under more appropriate conditions, yes?"
Adryn, who had stooped and looped Elendro's arm about his shoulders, still managed to have time for surprise, looking at the Khajiit. "I hope so, sera."
"Aye, sera. But hurry! Save your friend. Avery must escort this man and his charming daughter" - she smiled at the young girl playing with her tail - "back to Bazaar. Hurry!"
Adryn stood up, supporting Elendro's weight against him, shaking the scroll open with his free hand. "Thank you. I am forever in your debt."
The Khajiit watched them from under her glass helmet. "Luck to you, sera."
Adryn nodded and read the script on the scroll and felt the sudden force of magic envelop them both. There was a brief moment of weightlessness and suddenly their surroundings changed. The huge majestic Temple of Almalexia loomed in front of them in the soft light. Her grounds stretched out behind them, pristine and well-tended.
This was, of course, lost on Adryn. Terribly aware of Elendro's weight, he looked around frantically. The old priestess who gave out blessings at the Temple stairs had already spotted them and was running over, calling out to him. "Mercy me, what happened to him?!"
"He's poisoned! Help me get him inside the temple!"
He moved Elendro as fast as he dared as the priestess ran ahead and held open the Temple doors. Adryn bit his lip, glancing at Elendro's pale face. "Hang on, Elendro..." The old priestess shepherded them to the right into the Infirmary wing. The nurse there was sitting at her desk, writing, when they came in. She pushed back the chair, standing up, her face all business. "What's happened?" She gestured to a bed.
Adryn guided his friend to the bed and lowered him onto it. "Black Dart poison."
The old Dunmer pursed her lips. "I always said they should lock up those damned sewers. Let all those monsters inside die of suffocation." She rummaged in her desk drawer, issuing orders as she did. "Get his armour off, sharpish, let him breathe."
Adryn fiddled with the leather buckles of the crimson breastplate covering his friend's chest and undid them, lifting the front half of the armour off and freeing Elendro's chest. He also undid the large pauldrons and pulled off Elendro's gauntlets. He was terrified at how shallow his friend's breathing was becoming - the potion was obviously wearing off. "Please, hurry!"
"Keep your armour on." The nurse returned, crushing some herbs in a calcinator. "Alright, that's enough, now out you go. I'm sorry," she added, seeing Adryn's pleading, worried look. "Just let me work. I'll call you when he is feeling better."
Adryn stepped out of the Infirmary with a heavy heart, wringing his hands.
- End of Part 2 -
Author's Note: The second part of the trilogy! This one's short but I couldn't fit anything else in without making it...wonky. So, does Elendro make it to Part 3? Who was that mysterious Khajiit? Will Adryn ever wipe the blood off his face? And where, oh where, could Ratty be?
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