"Come on! Something's up!" The king stumbled sleepily after Harald as they rushed to see what was happening.
Smoke covered them like a soft blanket, intent on choking them to death. The castle was on fire, and Kriel was fuming.
"Who did this?! I'm going to hang them!"
"Kriel! Which way is your room?" Harald wore a panicky expression, and the king recalled that he was not the king, but merely acting as a knight.
"Jarald!" He dashed off, with the twin following close behind.
The door was torn off the hinges, and the room was a mess. Books were scattered along the floor and ink was split on the now darkened rug. Dresser and shelves were toppled over another. But there was no sign of the squire.
"Jarald!" Harald fruitless tried to pick among the wreckage.
"He's not gonna be here." Coughing, tears falling, Kriel covered his mouth and nose from the smoke. "We have to get out, now!"
"But, Jar-"
"We don't know where he is! And if this place falls down on us, what's our death worth to him?" Kriel's heart tore at the thought of abandoning anyone in the castle, and Jarald to an unknown enemy. He scrambled over the bookshelves, grabbed some dusty books from a box, and a scroll from the floor.
"Come on! We have to help anyone who's not awake or left behind!" The heat was rising steadily, and dragged Harald out the door. He first resisted, but grudgingly chased after Kriel, but was on the lookout for anyone who looked like his twin. The two pounded on doors, and helped others carry out the ones unconscious from all the smoke. But pretty soon, rescue would have to halt, for the flames reached the rooms and the hall. It consumed everything in its path, red hot, a hungry beast devouring the remains of a huge prey.
Kriel and Harald were helping two younger squires when one of them tugged on Kriel's shirt.
"The-there's ano-another person stuck-" He broke into a flurry of coughing as he was handed to helping hands. "No, ple-please help- kitchen-" The coughing cut off his words as he struggled. But Kriel had understood and rushed into the flames.
"Kriel!" Others tried to hold back the twin, but he plunged into the fire as well.
"They're done for..." one moaned, everyone watching as the orange flames consumed the door.
Kriel was heaving as he struggled for the kitchen. Harald soon caught up with him, and the two surveyed their surroundings.
But there was no sign of a human presence.
"Kriel! We have to go back." Harald's words were choked off as he inhaled the smoky air. Coughing, he tried to drag the king back.
"Look! There's-" Kriel too started to wheeze and cough, but he jogged towards the small figure. A servant girl huddled near the stone oven, choking on the deadly air. She let herself get picked up without resistance.
Kriel crawled back to Harald, who barely hung on. The king covered the other two's mouths as he drew out the scroll, yet to be burned by the fire.
"Ra-" and gasped, as the smoke overwhelmed him for a second. "Rafera!"
They were surrounded by a thin bubble of water which held back the hungry flames while purifying the air.
Kriel staggered as he tried to stand up. His energy was low, and it wouldn't be very long until he and the spell both collapsed.
"For the love of Irenavor. Harald. Wake up!"
The twin heaved himself to the feet, and helped carry the kitchen girl back to the door.
The door was just a vortex of flame.
Oh, Irenavor, please left myself have enough...
"Harald. Hold her. On the count of three, run though the flames. You'll be okay. One, two.."
"But-"
"Three!"
Harald left Kriel to the raging flames. There, to the crowd outside's amazement, burst through the door and collapsed.
He tried to tell them that, Kriel was still back there, just outside the door, the king still needed help...
Who was barely conscious on the floor, the stifling air covering him like a hot blanket.
I'm so sorry Marie... And lost that thread of life.
The twin jerked awake from sleep and found himself in a tent.
"Kriel!" was the first thing that tore out of his mouth, the first worry to go through his head.
"Shush, Harald. He's all right." Rough but gentle hands patted his back, and Harald looked up to see Silvyren, burned and blackened, but smiling.
"And Jarald?" Harald hoped, hoped he was all right too, but the hope fled like a fleeing deer and a sickening feeling wrenched his stomach.
Silvyren sighed, unwilling to be the one to pass on the news. "Jarald...well, I looked for him, and there was no sign. He just, vanished. Or maybe even perished.."
"Don't say that."
The Knightmaster looked down in defeat, and saw a calm smile on the squire's face. But his hands were trembling and his voice had a slight edge of hysteria to it.
"There's just no possible way..Jarald wouldn't die without telling me, right? There's no possible way.. Right, Knightmaster? Tell me, am I right?"
All the man could do was sigh. "I guess, there could be a chance..that he's alive.."Silvyren wanted to shake Harald out of his state, tell him that he would need to accept anything that happened, instead of clinging to false hopes...but it had been a long night, and dropping such a burden on someone who didn't want to believe..well, it would produce even more horrid results. But the Knightmaster hated himself more for seeing that look of relief, a look that would turn into despair-and he, a grown man couldn't bear it, never could, see others' pain, had to walk out of the tent and leave Harald alone.
He resolved to be the first to look for the twin. And be either the hero or the hated liar.
Kriel groaned as the world came to -and burning pain. Luckily, they hadn't treated him yet or the burns wouldn't hurt this much, and his clothes were pretty much intact, with a few burnt holes in the sleeves. Carefully, making sure not to attract the nurse's attention, he crawled off the cot Kriel had been on. Every step was agony, and the king had to grit his teeth in order to not let a sound escape. Laboriously, he began crawling towards the tent flap, with an occasional roll under a cot in order to avoid the nurse. The rolls were excruciating pain, with his shirt chafing his raw skin. It took a lot of concentration to not pass out underneath the beds.
Finally though, he reached the cool air of the night. Striving to stand on his feet, Kriel made his way towards the dark, safe forest.
Finally, the weary lad slumped against a tree, then winced and regretted doing so, for his wounds resounded with pain from the collision against the tree's rough bark, and even against the soft, mossy ground. He clenched his teeth and a long, low groan escaped his mouth.
Kriel then proceeded to try to heal the burns on his arms and legs, but the energy escaped him. He had never actually practiced the arts of healing magic, and also seemed did not fit the pattern for it. It took ages just to erase a single wound, and consumed so much of his little remaining energy that he almost passed out again.
Kriel almost nodded off despite the pain, for the forest was a cool, comforting place, even during the night.
He didn't expect anything to find him, much less Sol of all people.
"Kriel!" And Sol had to step back, for him shaking the king caused a wave of torment that passed through Kriel, making him retch.
"So-sorry..."
"Ugh..."
"But-but you have to get away now! With Harald!" But the words were lost on the pained, fuzzy mind of Kriel, so against all warning signs, Sol dragged him upright.
"..Leave me alone.." he moaned, as another wave of fire shook him. But Sol just slung on of his arms over the squire's shoulder, and the two began a laborious walk to the stables.
It wasn't really taken, but Sol began explaining reasons. "Si-silvyren ran into these gu-guards," Sol huffed, "and they were lo-looking for Harald and Ja-jarald, but I think they knew it was you. The-they blamed that the two of you started the fi-fire by blowing up the oven in..the ki-chen. The Kni-master think, think one of your people might behind this so they can take over." Sol finished breathlessly.
Something clicked in Kriel's mind, but the shaking and tremors washed it away.
"Ergh.." was all he could say in reply, as he threw up again, luckily not on his rescuer.
A very weary Sol and a barely conscious Kriel reached the stables, where three others were waiting for them.
"Sol and..is that Kriel? He looks no better from when I left him." Silvyren shook his head. "I don't think we can delay much time though, the guards were extremely menacing. They meant business."
"But what about Jarald?" Harald seemed regretful that he was here, and his mood showed it. "I'm NOT leaving without knowing if he's okay."
The Knightmaster sighed. "Harald, if you're taken prisoner, or maybe even killed, what use will that be to....your brother?"
"..No.. but still, I can't leave him behind!"
"..I'll..look for him, okay?" Silvyren dragged the words out, feeling worse as Harald's face brightened a bit. "We need to get going, Seriya, can you help the lord up on that horse? Oh, and take this make make sure it's securely fastened."
"Okay.." The girl hesitantly made way to the fallen king and lifted him up without a sweat, and placed him on Epona. The animal nickered softly in worry of its master's condition as Seriya also attached the long, lopsided bundle.
"Harald, take the supplies, and Sol, can you mount with Kriel? Seriya, ride with Harald." Even in this situation, the Knightmaster was commanding as always. Sol climbed up on the horse, being careful not to jostle Kriel, and Seriya and Harald mounted the other one.
"What about you, Knightmaster?"
Silvyren smiled and patted Seriya's head. "I'll be fine."
Suddenly, thumping was heard from the stable's doors. "Open up! We know you're in there!"
"Go. Now." Without hesitation, Epona took off, and Silvyren slapped the other horse to make him follow. The man then headed towards the doors without a glance back. That was the last of him they saw for a long while.
And Seriya also tumbled off the horse.
"Seriya!" But the horse wouldn't listen to Harald's panicking jerks. He just sped on.
"I'm okay! I need to be not with you guys! Jarald-" And her words were cut off.
The two beasts thundered into the night, with grim silence and dampened with worry.
Notes: Yeah, I have nothing to say.
Except it sucks a lot.
T.T
No comments:
Post a Comment