Chapter 3:
Healing a Hero
Nothing...
He felt nothing, could see nothing, he could hear nothing. Blackness enveloped him and he could not think. He could only breathe...
He was in this darkness for gods know how long until a twinge of pain settled on his arm. It was followed closely by a similar feeling in his chest. He regained his senses of hearing and feeling, but could still not see.
"Well, it's a good thing I still know how to use this." A feminine voice said over Priam. He started to gather his thoughts as he had come to the realization that his eyes had been tightly closed. As he did open his eyes, his vision was slightly blurred.
"Behold, the hero stirs!" said a slightly more masculine voice. He could only make out two figures through his fog, a woman with long pink hair holding a staff, and a light-blue haired man with a bib (at least, it looked like a bib).
Priam started to sit up and tried to assess the situation, but was forced down by the gentle, yet firm hand of a black haired woman next to him. "Pray rest, sir. The last thing you need is to pass out again."
"Wha... Where..." Priam was confused, vision still blurred. He had never been on this side of a hospital bed, and was wondering how he got there. He didn't like all of this unnecessary attention.
"I must say, I'm impressed, lad." a voice commented, "If not for your recklessness, my sister would resemble a pin cushion. I am in your debt"
Priam's vision completely cleared, as well as his thoughts. He could now see Cherche holding a healing staff, Virion in his normal pose with one hand on his hip, Yen'fay holding his arms behind his back out of respect with a smile on his face, and Say'ri holding him down with a worried look in her eye.
He then began to remember how it all had come about... The ships were closing in as the group of former Shepherds and sailors awoke and assembled topside, one by one. Virion noticed the ships were gaining and commented on it, "I wonder if they are using the same wind we are using." he pondered, but Priam shot him a serious look to tell him that it didn't matter. Walhart had just fallen to sleep when the ship's alarm was sounded, so he became infuriated with the matter, "BRING ME THE MEN WHO WISH TO DISTURB THE SLUMBER OF THE MIGHTY WALHART" he bellowed, still in his red, silk pajamas. Priam pointed toward the two ships in the distance to signify the enemy in Walhart's eyes.
Cherche decided to scout the ships as close as she could, she returned to reveal the news that all, except Priam, were dreading, "They're enemies, all right. They shot arrows at my dear Minerva as we grew close." She patted her trusty mount and it replied with a screech. "And this is the real shocker, they are flying a flag with a symbol of the Grimleal!"
Priam became excited at the news, he wanted more than anyone to put those sick dastards ten feet under the ground (if not more). Yen'fay appeared topside as well. He was searching for Say'ri to make sure she was alright, not knowing she was also topside. After seeing her safe with other comrades, he sighed out of relief and asked Priam, "What is the current situation? Why have we assembled topside?"
"We've run into a snag," Priam answered, pointing towards the ships dotting the horizon. "The Grimleal have been chasing us and they appear to be catching up. They most likely plan for battle."
"Then we must ready ourselves." Yen'fay replied as he ran back down the stairs to retrieve Amatsu, his famous throwing blade.
The sailors scrambled to grab all the weapons they owned and readied themselves for battle, most had cutlasses, some had spears, and two of them had wind tomes. Over all, they had a number of about 50 people, while it appeared the Grimleal had more.
The ships were less than a mile away from their small transport galley, and the sun was just coming up, but the Grimleal were eager to start. They sent several wyvern riders using them as transports to get their soldiers across the ocean to the other ship. Virion noted this and asked the two wind mages to assist in, as he put it, "a fun day of shooting wild game." The mages nodded and followed him to the front of the ship, readying their tomes. The mages were successful, but not as much as Virion, who was already a skilled sniper. Using one arrow, he fell 3 wyverns that were in a straight line, causing six troops to cascade into the water below. The man was accurate and deadly with a bow, as Priam had known watching Lon'qu try to evade several shots from him at the Hotrealms for practice.
When some troops landed, Priam, who was slightly good at tactics from talking to Robin, began barking out orders. Walhart did not listen to a single one as he ran his mighty Wolf Berg axe through every Grimleal it found. "YOU SHALL FALL TO THE WAYSIDE!" he heard him yell as he killed three dark mages with one swing.
Everyone fought bravely. Cherche watched the skies and gave aerial support when needed, Yen'fay fought most of the swordsman and kept the sailors who could not fight safe, and Say'ri fought next to Priam and watched his back, not that he needed it.
"You shall all pay for sealing master Grima away!" Priam heard a hoarse voice yell over the dim of battle. The sorcerer had just landed with three archers and all four were taking aim at Priam. Priam chuckled to himself at their bad choice, as he threw his last tomahawk at the sorcerer, nailing him in the chest with one hit.
"arrrggh!" the sorcerer screamed in pain as he stumbled backward and off the boat. With the splash heard, the Grimleal became infuriated and the three archers shot at Priam. He skillfully avoided every shot toward him and yelled back, "Is that the best you've got?" They were angry, to say the least, but they knew that attacking him would do no good. So they took aim at Say'ri who, to Priam's surprise, had moved to a different side of the boat to combat some wyvern riders. His thoughts scrambled as to what he could do to save her. Throwing a tomahawk to block the arrows was out of the question as his last one was at the bottom of the ocean stuck in that sorcerer. Throwing Ragnell would do no good because that would only block two of the arrows. As the arrows became airborne, Priam realized he had no choice but to take the hits for her. Her armor was light and it would most likely give way to the three projectiles streaking toward her, but his armor was tougher and he would most likely survive the ordeal. He jumped just in time to stop them...
THWAP the first arrow pierced his arm badly, THWOMP the second arrow nailed him in the side of his chest , TWANG the third arrow, to his relief, ricocheted off of his arm shield.
"Argh." He muttered to himself as he continued the fight, with two arrows in his body. He remembered killing the archers, and a couple mercenaries, but beyond that, nothi-ARGH, GODS! The pain of the healing staff doing it's job sank into Priam's body, snapping him out of his recollection. He groaned a little as Cherche was finishing up healing his more serious wounds and recovering them in the bandages.
"You are fortunate I saw what happened, sir Priam, because after you were shot on my behalf, you continued to fight." Say'ri gave him a look of concern and continued, "No one noticed blood pouring out of your body until you passed out."
"If Say'ri hadn't told me about your injuries, you would have been in a critical condition." Cherche said with a smile of relief, patting her staff, "We watched your back for the rest of the battle, making sure that the moment you stopped fighting, we would take you to the infirmary here in the ship."
Virion then put a hand on Priam's other shoulder, "If it were not for my darling wife learning to be a cleric at such an early age, you would be dead, mon ami!" he said with a prideful chuckle.
"did we repel them?" Priam asked as if he didn't hear a word they said.
"Ah, is the hero awake?" said Walhart's unmistakable voice as he entered the room. "There he is, the craven that ran from battle!" He let out a laugh that shook the room. Priam knew he was joking, but he didn't want Walhart to have the upper hand.
"You know me well, Walhart, and you know that there are only two ways I get off of a battlefield: By winning, or by my comrades dragging my carcass off."
"It matters not," Walhart said seriously, "You defeated their commander, in record time I might add, you took care of most the strong units so that once you had been pulled off of the battlefield, we had won. A few of them retreated back to one of their boats and left the other to drift aimlessly."
"Virion, Minerva, and I took some sailors over to the forgotten vessel to collect supplies and to control the ship. We gave most of the excess space to Minerva. I think she deserved it after that hectic battle." Cherche said with a smile on her face. Virion's face showed that he did not like this idea, but didn't want to make her upset. "Say'ri has volunteered to stay by your bedside if you need anything. And she will notify us if there is a change in your healing." Cherche said. Say'ri blushed even more and confirmed her words.
"They require me to watch over you as your wounds heal, to make sure the healing staffs and elixirs do their job. But that requires you to rest, sir Priam, because-"
He held up a hand, "-Please, just call me Priam. No need for 'sir'."
"Still," she continued lightly pushing his hand out of the way, "we do not wish for you to become unconscious again. You've been out for three days."
"Three days?!" Priam said startled, "I've missed out on three days of training?! I need to get topside!" he tried sitting up, but between the pains he felt in his arm and chest, and the gentle push Say'ri was giving to his shoulder, he fell back down against his pillow, groaning.
"HAHAHAHA! Stated like a true warrior!" Walhart stated, "But there is truth in their words, Priam. I do not want you dead because you didn't have the willpower to rest, I want you dead after a glorious battle between our blades!" He grabbed Priam's hand and shook it hard. "Get better soon, because when you are done in here, I'll send you back after we spar! HAHAHA" Walhart then removed himself from the room, his laughter still audible from yards away.
"He is going to regret saying that" Priam said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "The strong are drawn to the strong..."
"With that, I'll leave you two in here alone." Yen'fay said with a smirk barely visible on his face. Priam shot him a confused glanced and Say'ri blushed.
"There are four of us in here, 'Fay (Gaius took up the habit of calling Yen'fay, ' 'Fay.' Priam thought it was a great nick-name and took up the habit too). Did you skip math in Chon'sin's school or something?"
Yen'fay chuckled to himself, glanced at Say'ri and Priam and left. Virion bowed, wished Priam good health, and also exited the room.
"Remember, if you need me," Cherche reminded Priam, "I'm just one wyvern ride away from here on the other boat. Ta-ta, and feel better soon, Priam."
Cherche then left the room, and it hit Priam again; he was in a hospital bed. Sighing at realizing the fact he could do nothing but breath, eat, and talk. He laid completely flat and began to relax when a cough at his side startled him. He had completely forgot that Say'ri was in there.
"Sir Pria- Er.. Priam? I wish to have words with you about the battle three nights ago."
"Yeah? What about it?" he said in a casual tone.
Shocked that he was so calm about it, she continued.
"You- you saved my life! And you could have been killed! At yet you lie here, acting so calm about it. It make not sense."
Seeing that she was clearly worried, he calmly said, "It is all part of the job. I expect every battle to be my last, so I never have long-term plans. I would much rather die on a battlefield knowing I gave it my all to protect those that I love, than die of old age in a cottage ."
"But still, why protect me? Why would you stick your neck out for me?"
"Because we're friends, Say'ri. And as I've said, I protect those who I care about."
That statement made her blush again and she calmed down, "Fie, but you did not need to harm yourself to save me. Promise me, Priam, that you shall take no action that risky again for my life, or anyone's for that matter. For just as you care for me," she took both of his hands into hers and leaned closer to him, "I care just as much for you."
They sat there staring into each others eyes. Hers were a beautiful light-brown, almost hazel, color; it made him feel..uneasy. His stomach did back-flips. He wanted to say something, anything, but couldn't find the words to say. Priam's heart rate increased, his head felt like it was spinning, and his cheeks felt like they would catch on fire. She HAS to dabble in hexes, there is no way anyone could affect my emotions this much. Did she learn from that crazy lady, Tharja? His thoughts ran all over the place, he had to end this soon.
"*cough* could you please get me a glass of water, I haven't had anything to drink three in days."
"Fie, of course." she said with a smile. That smile sent a warm feeling through his entire body. She stood and left to retrieve him a glass of water.
"maybe I'm coming down with something..." he muttered as she left the room. He then lay back against the pillows and rested.
HEY!... So my summer break is ending pretty soon so I'm trying to get as much done as fast as possible to prepare for my senior year. It has been so much fun writing this. I would love to hear your thoughts on this new chapter, positive/negative. I also what to hear ideas for other parent-gen relationships, so I can get started on something else to distract myself when I'm bored. As always, I appreciate the reviews left by everyone. And I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this new chapter in this story. Chapter 4 will be the last chapter with the standard characters before I introduce the newbies.
Once again, thanks a billion!
-TheSearcherer