There were 12 soldiers in total. Damyan crept up behind 11 of the soldiers and sliced their throats with ease. The last one, obviously the captain, was more aware of his surroundings in the sandstorm. Damyan found it very impressive being as the captain had not trained with the Shadow Clan.
Ignoring the stinging and burning of the sand, Damyan lunged and parried. "Where's the sorceress bitch?" the captain growled. An unfamiliar rage built in Damyan as he sped up his attack. The captain blocked Damyan's every swing, but Damyan could sense the captain's strength lessening. Falling to his knees, the captain blocked in overhand strike the same time Damyan felt a sharp pain in his thigh. Backing up to create space between him and his attacker, Damyan looked down. An arrow protruded from his thigh. Damyan's vision swam as the world began to tilt. A strange heat filled his body. He looked down again to see a green fluid flowing from his wound. The arrow had been dipped in poison. "I got you, you little demon spawn," the captain stood.
Damyan realized he didn't have a lot of time left. This was no time to play it safe. He needed to protect Raven. Summoning what was left of his strength, Damyan launched a vicious attack, an attack the captain didn't see coming. The captain only blocked two blows before Damyan's sword pierced his stomach. The captain fell to his knees. Damyan pulled his sword from out of the captain, placed his foot on the captain's shoulder, and shoved him with his foot.
Sighing with relief, Damyan turned and began to limp to where his friends were. He made it three steps before he too fell to the ground.
Raven didn't know how long she sat in the sand with her eyes clenched shut and knees pulled to her chest. "It's over," Jhon breathed.
"Really?" Raven opened one eye.
"Yep," Jhon answered, sticking his head out of their makeshift fortress. "Let's go find Damyan," he said. Raven silently agreed and crawled through the tent's small opening.
Raven looked around as she stretched. Their sandy world appeared terraformed. What was once a fat desert was now riddled with dunes. "Damyan?" Raven whispered.
"Damyan!" Jhon called out desperately, while walking around. "Damyan! Here! I found him!"
Raven sprinted to him. The young man was on his hands and knees, digging around a human hand. "No!" Raven gasped. "Jhon, that's one of Slaede's men. See the S?" she pointed to the S branded on the wrist.
Jhon immediately backed away and looked around. "If Damyan is alive, we'll never find him in time," he frowned. "Is there anything you can do?"
Raven opened her mouth to say she didn't have access to her powers, but then she paused. Jhon didn't have any iolite on his person, and the scraps of clothing barely covering her body didn't have a single speck on them. "Maybe I can," Raven muttered. Closing her eyes, Raven reached deep into her core for her powers. She was extremely depleted due to her lack of meditation, but she had to try. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She muttered her mantra. Her powers sparked at her fingertips as the sand in the surrounding area dispersed revealing multiple dead bodies and cacti.
"Wow," Jhon breathed. "That's amazing." Raven blushed. Before she could respond, a coughing and sputtering reached both their ears. "Damyan," Raven whispered as Jhon screamed, "Damyan!" The two ran to a figure who was shakily attempting to stand on his feet.
"Woah," Jhon said once he reached Damyan. He threw an arm around Damyan's waist and supported his body weight. "I can't believe you're alive!" he exclaimed.
"Where's…Aelfred?" Damyan coughed.
"She's around here somewhere, Damyan," Jhon answered. "Don't worry, we'll find her."
"You killed them all?" Raven asked, looking around at the lifeless bodies of Slaede's armed guards.
"Yeah," Damyan gasped. "I wanted…to protect…you," he replied before his legs gave out.
"Damyan!" Jhon exclaimed as he slowly lowered Damyan's body to the ground. "What's wrong?" he asked. Damyan didn't answer as he was now unconscious. "What's wrong with him?" Jhon looked up at Raven.
Raven took as step closer to the comatose warrior. A wave of nausea immediately hit her. Her eyes zoned in on the purple gem dangling on a string around Damyan's neck. She needed to be careful. Squatting, she allowed her violet eyes to slowly scan Damyan's muscular body. Blushing, her eyes settled on his thigh. "There," she pointed at a small wound oozing green and yellow puss. "Scorpion venom."
"Well, what do we do?" Jhon asked, his eyes full of worry.
"I can heal him," Raven said.
"You can?"
Raven nodded. "But I need you to remove the jewel from his neck. My powers won't work if that-"
"Say no more," Jhon interrupted her, not giving it a second thought. He tore the necklace from Damyan's neck. "Just heal my friend."
"Okay," Raven whispered. With her powers almost depleted, this would have to be a close, personal, and potentially life-threatening healing. Ignoring the watchful eyes of Jhon, Raven straddled Damyan. Closing her eyes, inhaling deeply, she reached even deeper for her powers. Once she felt them welling in her, she gently pried Damyan's jaw opened. Then, with one hand on his chest, she willed the poison out of his body and into hers.
Jhon could only stare in awe as a vibrant green tendril emerged from Damyan's mouth before flowing into Raven's. Raven then placed her mouth over Damyan's, and Jhon's eyes only grew wider. A bright light shone from where their lips connected. Jhon wanted to look away, but he couldn't. Color was returning to Damyan's skin.
Raven then sat straight up. "Did it work?" Jhon asked desperately. Raven didn't answer. Instead, her body slid off Damyan's and hit the ground. Jhon scurried over to her. Placing a finger beneath her nostril, he sighed in relief when he felt air on his finger. She was alive, and so was Damyan. "Oh, thank the gods," Jhon breathed as he saw Damyan's chest rise and fall with every breath. Jhon looked between the two unconscious bodies. What am I supposed to do now?