Chapter 2
Demons of the hell all right, right behind her. She sensed its presence, the evil that shrouded it lightly, but there, very close. She spun around and only heard its cackle before something landed on her injured shoulder. White light burst into her head, then darkness claimed her. "Euryleia..."
"Leonard?" ... "Leonard!"
Xavier stepped forward and drove his sword into the small red coward. "Depart," He sheathed his sword, bent down and scooped her up. He picked up her bow and slung it on his shoulder, then set foot towards the Rouge Entercamp. His Prayer Aura kicked up, but only just enough to stop her wounds from bleeding so much.
"Move aside," he barked at the Rouges standing guard at the entrance. "Call Akara!" he ordered some others aside, staring curiously at him, or more precisely, the Amazon in his arms. He pushed into his tent and laid her on his bed, giving only a cursory glance at the blood she was dripping onto his bed, before sweeping out again. "Get A-"
"Shush, I heard." Akara bent down and walked into the small coverage, and pushed her hood back. "Oh my." she examined the shoulder wound. "The rouges are capable of this?"
He let out a short shout of laughter. "Partially." he shot the Amazon a look before continuing, "If she didn't pull it out like that... And yeah, one more blow to the shoulder by a miserable Fallen."
"Leave her to me, I could use your tent for quite a while," Akara pulled her hood over her head once again. "Go out and have a drink with Warriv. Find Paige on our way for me too." the soft-spoken woman had a way with words. Orders veiled behind kind requests.
He exited the tent after setting down her bow and removing some pieces of his heavier armoury. Xavier looked down at the stranger, with her brows knitted together in pain and her shock of what used to be golden blonde, now a dirty brown. "Akara would take care of you; I'll want to know your name by nightfall, Amazon."
"Euryleia..."
"Leonard?" Euryleia's eyes fluttered open. Her mind recognized the brown ceiling as a tent's. She bolted upright then doubled back in pain. Her hand gripped her shoulder instinctively in attempt to subdue the inconvenience.
"Don't touch it," Xavier entered the tent and threw the plate of barbecued quill rats on the table before advancing on her. "Akara spent a long time mending those cracks." He folded his arms proudly.
"Tch-" Euryleia swung her legs on to the ground and gritted her teeth, the movement not lost by the paladin. "Give me my bow and belongings before I kill you," she stood, trying to make her threat look real. But her vision blurred, her arms throbbed and her legs turned wobbly. Xavier reached out and gripped her arm before she could react, dodge and fall.
"You-" was all Euryleia could say before he pushed her back onto the bed not-too-gently and had her turn another shade of white. "You have no rights, Paladin."
Xavier ignored her and pushed the plate of meat into her face. "Eat," then he stalked out to join Warriv beside the fire again.
"What's the matter?" he heard Kashya's usual stern voice shout out.
"A-a scream..." a rouge answered stumblingly. "Ema ran..."
"No one runs! I ordered you all to petrol in pairs!"
"I-I"
"There's no use arguing over it," Xavier interrupted. "Where?" he directed the question towards the panting rouge.
"T-The Cold Plains."
He ran towards the waypoint and teleported there. A scream disrupted the still, cold air. Xavier pushed through the bushes and the leaves. A petite girl stood, staff against her chest, and right in front of her was headless rouge.
"How many more women must I save?"