Chapter 84: Licking The Wounds
Tom covered the stairs with the revolver while Jacky reloaded again. She only had two reloads left, and that wasn’t counting the rounds she had dropped. There was still fighting coming from upstairs, which meant they still had a job to do. Tom just hoped he didn't need to explain the concept of friendly fire to a deaf Jackalope.
As the two of them moved up the stairs, stepping over the bodies, Tom looked at the bastard to blame for this shit show. His eye caught something on the A-holes belt. He grabbed Jacky by the shoulder, she looked at him a tad confused but stopped as Tom bent, examining the dagger at the Knight’s waist. “That can’t be good.”
“Hey, I remember that!” Jackalope went, entirely too loudly. Tom held up a finger before his mouth. “That’s the one Vulzan had, right?” she continued, whispering also entirely too loudly.
Tom nodded in response. That indeed looked exactly like the dagger Vulzan had brought. Whatever that meant, it likely wasn’t good. Tom unbuckled the knife, shoving it in an empty pocket. He didn't want something snatching that thing, that was for certain. Then he nodded, pointing up the stairs. Jackalope nodded a reply then continued to move up.
As soon as the landing came in view she began firing, clearly switching targets between shots. Tom brought up his revolver, holding the rifle with his left, and when she ran out, they quickly switched places as he popped up. The scene that greeted him was a large kitchen with what looked like a dining table over to one side with quite a few seats. The end of the room being dominated by a set of double doors, which he guessed led to some kind of large hall. Strewn around the room were wounded or dead darklings, some of them with fresh bullet holes in them.
Most of them were at the door, some trying to construct a barricade from the furniture of the room. Others holding the door shut themselves. Another crash rang out as the door threatened to give way, more splintering wood betraying that the door wouldn’t hold much longer. There were a lot of darklings though, and he certainly had their attention as those not currently on door duty were either turning towards him or already sprinting for him.
“Fuck me,” Tom let out as he brought up the gun, firing away. He got four rounds off before a crossbow bolt took him in the neck right above his left collarbone as he failed to duck in time. He stumbled back against the wall behind him, firing off two more shots. Then looking down towards Jackalope who was busy reloading, seemingly none the wiser to what had just happened. As he went to go down the stairs he slipped on the blood-soaked steps causing him to tumble down the stairs, landing in the pile of bodies.
“NOO!” Jackalope screamed out in panic. She ran down the stairs after him and hoisted him the ground half draggin him behind her as she backed down the hallway.
“I’m fine Jacky I just slipped” Tom protested, cursing the fact she couldn't hear him.
Then she let out a rasping gasp. Tom felt her stumble for a split second before she turned around and kicked off hard, throwing herself into one of the open rooms, clutching Tom tight as they sailed through the air, landing on their side.
“Jacky!?” Tom shouted out in alarm, desperately squirming to get a look at her.
“They fucking shot me!” She replied, clearly in pain and seemingly struggling for breath, finally letting go.
Tom got free and sat up, looking back at her. There was almost no light in the room but the dim glow of torchlight coming from the doorway revealed a crossbow bolt embedded in her back, apparently having pierced the flat back of her chest plate. It almost dawned on him too late that he needed to watch the door as he brought up the rifle, fighting the immense pain from his neck. A darkling wielding only a sword came into view not a second later. Tom fired one-handed as he sat on the floor, the shot landing in the darkling’s hip and sending it sprawling to the ground. Tom fumbled with the action, holding the rifle with his left hand despite the protests of the bolt wound, putting a second round in its head as it tried to crawl towards him.
Jackalope got up onto her knees, wheezing, as she reached for her empty holster. “I dropped it. I’m so sorry!” She let out as if he would be mad at her right now. Tom didn’t take his eyes off the door as he pulled his revolver free of its holster, handing it to her. Then he pointed to the bullets on his belt. She couldn't have many left by now.
She grabbed it, frantically reloading hands shaky as she worked. She sounded almost like she was hyperventilating though she was clearly struggling to breathe at all. Another darkling eventually wandered into view, though its attention was focused on the stairs. A mistake it did not get to correct as Tom blew a hole in its head, replacing the spent round right away. He was pretty much out of rifle rounds now too. Though he didn’t dare take his eyes off the door to count what he had left.
Jackalope finally finished her reload, then grabbed him by the shoulders dragging the both of them into a corner of the room. Raising her new gun, she pointed it towards the door. The next one to come into view clearly knew they were in here, as it came crouching down behind its shield.
Jackalope fired twice at the thing, putting holes in the shield but not causing it to drop. despite some disturbing sounds coming from it. Tom brought up the rifle center mass and put it on its arse, Jackalope finishing it off with another round before it could get back up.
Tom was starting to feel a little light-headed though and his chest was rather warm. As he touched the cloth near the wound, he could feel the wetness even through the leather gloves of his gauntlets. Tom tapped Jacky on the side with the rifle butt. It was too dark to see anything but he tried to gesture to the wound. She reached over, touching it, letting out a gasp. She moved to his side then laid him down. Tom did his best to keep the rifle pointed at the doorway as Jackalope used her off hand to try and apply pressure while still pointing her gun at the door.
She tried to say something, but instead ending up coughing up blood, spattering it onto Tom as he lay there. ‘Please hurry the fuck up,’ Tom thought to himself. He could still hear the fighting going on upstairs. They better fucking win.
“What’s happening down there!?” An exhausted sounding voice shouted out from above. Tom could understand the confusion on their part, all things considered. But damn, he was happy to hear something that wasn't a scream or roar of pain.
“We got our asses kicked instead. Please help,” He responded, his neck protesting the shout vehemently. He couldn't wait for this to all be over. The pain was killing him and Jacky was clearly not in a good way either; she was struggling more and more to breathe, lungs likely filling with blood.
He eventually heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He readied himself to blow any retreating darklings to hell. It was hard to make out much in the dark room and his vision was definitely beginning to tunnel, that became clear when fresh torchlight lit up the doorway. A nice white, if very bloody, male dragonette in rather shabby looking guard armor entered the doorway, sword and shield held high others at his back.
“Holy shit?!” He exclaimed, taking a step back as he saw them. Tom lowered the rifle.
“Glad to see you too.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
“They did What?!” Colonel Victoria Hashaw was most definitely not pleased with the day so far, though she had at least been relieved to see them. When she had been woken up early by a servant this morning she had been told the two guards had failed to return last night. As a result, she was currently standing in the tavern kitted out for battle with several guards and what Sapphire assumed to be family members at her back. Much to the amazement of the people currently enjoying their breakfast “My opinion of those people has been dropping lately, but this is unheard of,” she continued, looking to Dakota.
“I must admit Colonel, I am unsure of what to do in this situation,” Dakota replied. She and Sapphire hadn't gotten much sleep that night, even if they doubted anyone would go to such lengths to ‘Warn them’ only to attack the same night.
Hashaw paced back and forth for a bit, looking like she was both pondering the situation and blowing off a bit of steam.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“We cannot retaliate, they will obviously deny this was them.”
“Are we sure it’s the Flaxens?” Ulrik questioned from behind his wife.
“Of course it’s them, the only question is was this the family or the lady herself. She’s being held in custody, but she could have talked to someone.”
“Can’t you just tell the mercenaries: no, that's illegal?” Balethon questioned. The colonel looked at him for a second, Sapphire trying to make out her expression beneath the helmet, which she still hasn't taken off.
“No… you can't. Most of them live off illegal things.”
“That sounds more like bandits to me,” Balethon replied. That received some grunts of approval and nods from Colonel Hashaw’s entourage, even if there were a few disgruntled murmurs coming from the patrons.
“We need somewhere more private to discuss this,” Dakota then spoke up.
“Agreed, follow me,” Colonel Hashaw responded, turning to walk out of the tavern.
Flying in daylight and as a part of a formation with enough arms and armor to worry a keep did ease Sapphire's mind a bit, even as she was still scanning around for targets. The swarm of people crisscrossing the sky made it damn near impossible. It wasn’t like they would be hard to follow flying like this anyway.
They had ended up in some kind of meeting room at the Hashaw estate with, to Sapphire's astonishment, both Lord and Lady Hashaw present.
“Why is it we can't retaliate?” Sapphire questioned, as that seemed more than fair to her even if it was against the law.
“We don’t use such underhanded tactics, Sapphire,” Colonel Hashaw responded very pointedly.
“But Tom is damn near a specialist at that sort of thing, just tell them that if they do something stupid the demon warrior will come and wipe them out.”
“You honestly think this single weird warrior would scare them?” Lady Hashaw questioned, looking at the two of them.
“They should be,” Sapphire responded. “He doesn't fight fair, he just fights to win, and he’s as smart as he’s deadly.”
“No, I will have no part in any such action,” Lady Hashaw protested from her raised seat. “Though this behavior is unacceptable. They have insulted not only our name but threatened our guests in addition to betraying the trust of my eldest daughter and sullying her reputation. This cannot stand. But they must be dealt with properly.”
“How do you propose we proceed then, Mother?” Victoria questioned.
“First off, we make it very clear to the Flaxens that we do not buy the fact that they are not involved and that we will retaliate if they do attack us. Secondly, I want our guests escorted at all times. Victoria, I believe you have a crew with little to do at the moment; just send someone with them. An attack on your crew is an attack on you, so use that.”
“Yes mother,” Victoria responded with a polite nod.
“Thirdly, I want to know who they hired. If they strike at us we will rip them apart. Make that very clear to them. Yilditz, that’s your job.”
“With pleasure, ma’am,” the younger man who had joined them last night replied.
“Must say I appreciate your help deeply, Lady Hashaw. I know not how we may repay you,” Dakota went, bowing deeply to the lady. She was indeed doing them one hell of a service, Sapphire thought.
“I am defending my family's name. As you would yours. If you want to repay me, give Tom my thanks for the new bows he so graciously provided us with.”
“I will be sure to do that.”
“Oh, and do tell him to drop by some time, I would love to meet this strange being. Do you think he likes wine?” Lord Hashaw added, earning him a sigh from his wife.
__________________________________________________________________________________
“He’s bleeding badly… No, I don't know what he is, but he killed three of the black bastards so don’t kill him… no let her, she can’t hear you… I’m guessing one of those huge explosions, dumbass. Just let her follow him.”
Tom wanted to make some kind of snarky remark as he was carried up into the hall by his new best friends. He had tried to get up himself to greet his rescuer but fainted on the spot. He had mostly woken up by now, though his head was still spinning wildly.
“Right we need to get it out so we can seal it,” a new voice went. The voice was female, and it sounded older and more authoritative. ‘Hey, it’s another Nunuk,’ Tom thought to himself with a chuckle. They fumbled around a bit with his things for a bit. Eventually they figured it out, getting off his vest and backpack and laid him down on a table. Someone pressed down hard on the wound, which definitely brought him back to consciousness as the pain shot through him.
“Goddammit, that hurts!”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t care what you are, bleeding this much isn't healthy.”
Tom had to agree. If he had lost enough blood to faint from standing up in about a minute, then this was bad. Another dragonette came over standing looking down at him with an odd expression.
“You are without a doubt the strangest thing I have ever worked on… Right, cut it out, we need to stop this.”
Then Jackalope moved into view above him. The hall was well lit so he could see the blue blood coming out the side of her mouth and running down her neck, being joined by the trickle from her ears. She looked terrible. Her expression one of pain and worry.
“He’s fine. He’s gonna... be fine?” She questioned, sputtering and coughing. Spitting out blood on the floor before turning back to who Tom assumed to be a healer. The healer responded with a smile and a nod pointing over to some bench or something, Tom guessed.
“You need to go lie down on your side now. Luke, please get her to lie down. I will be with her in a moment.”
Tom nodded at Jackalope, trying to smile. She gave him a nuzzle, smiling a bit bringing up the revolver. “Found it,” she went coughing up more blood. Tom couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of that. Even if he was now also smeared in her blood.
The dragonette Tom assumed to be Luke took her by the arm and led her away, leaving Tom with the healer. She looked to be closer to Dakota's age now that he got a better look at her, perhaps a bit older. So there he was, covered in a mix of blue and red blood and his neck hurting like a mother fucker, being worked on by people he didn’t know in a place he had never been. ‘This didn’t quite go according to plan,’ he concluded, staring up into the ceiling.
“I thought you'd be tougher,” Jarix then taunted, though the dragon's voice was weak and weary. Gone was the brash confidence, at least for the time being. Tom sighed a bit. It was good to hear the dragon wasn’t completely out of it, despite taking a vicious beating. Still, perhaps Jarix had the right idea. A joke might be the way to go after that shit show.
“I’m not the one who crashed and fucked the plan up,” Tom strained to respond, soon regretting it as the one putting pressure on his wound began to cut the bolt out. Tom screamed in pain, wishing he could have had just a few painkillers before this.
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the scream… Auu!” It would seem whoever was working on Jarix either had an excellent sense of humor or really didn’t give a shit. If not for the pain Tom might have chuckled at that.
“Quiet, and lay still, no screaming” the healer woman ordered as she continued to work her magic. He did as he was told for a bit until he heard Jackalope cursing loudly.
“How’s Jacky?” he asked, trying not to move too much.
“Lay still! She will be fine, it’s just a puncture wound.”
She better not be fucking lying, Tom thought to himself as he obeyed, not moving a muscle.
“How the hell did you fight your way through that but your neck isn’t even protected? Are you insane? Don't answer that yet by the way,” she went as she worked.
“His blood burns with fury,” someone replied, off by where Jackalope was, nearly getting a chuckle out of Tom.
“No, he’s hot-blooded like a deer you muppet,” the guy who had found Tom replied. Then it hit Tom there was still someone missing.
“What about Zarko?” The healer looked ready to protest, she stayed her tongue though.
“I’m fine you damn lunatic,” Zarko responded, walking up next to him. “Though Jarix is definitely not.”
“Good to see one of us made it through okay,” Tom replied, looking up at her. She actually looked mostly fine incredibly.
“We found this Tom. On one of the big abominations,” Zarko held up a fine looking case of some kind. It looked like something you would keep a fine sword in or something. As she opened that wasn’t too far from the truth.
“Think Kalestine is gonna want it back?” Tom questioned, winching a bit at the pain of speaking.
“Lay still dammit, you’re gonna kill yourself.” The healer protested. The troubled look on Zarko’s face betrayed that she might have a point. So Tom once again did his best to stay as still as possible.
“I honestly have no idea,” Zarko replied, looking down at him. “On that point, Lady Deriva?”
“Yes dear, what is it?” Tom couldn’t see her, but she sounded ancient.
“We came here from Hylsdal. As did your attackers. I’m deeply sorry to report that Hylsdal is but a ruin now.” There was silence in the hall as that news was processed. It was pierced by Jarix's whimper of pain as an arrow was removed. “Fortunately though, we were able to rescue some survivors. They are currently hiding in the forest with the, as you can tell, wounded Kalestine.”
“How many, dear?” The old lady questioned in the softness of an old nanny, her voice heavy with worry.
“Five children, ma’am.”
“Oh good heavens. We must retrieve them. Luke, how many do we have that can still fly?”
Tom heard the voice of the man who had found him and Jackalope answer from somewhere to his right.
“For that long of a distance not many… Maybe six, myself included. They aren't gonna go away though mum. Their leaders are dead, but that doesn't mean they will run and there were still quite a few left out there. We are building fresh barricades below to keep them out.”
“We wounded a lot of them, many will die during the night. I say we rest 'till morning then see how bad it is. Will Tom be on his feet by then?” Zarko questioned, looking at the healer.
“I have no idea, what even is he?”
“I’m human,” Tom responded, slightly irritated at being referred to in the third person.
“I’m sorry… Tom… But I have no idea how you work.”
“Stop my bleeding, give me water and I’ll be walking tomorrow… I think.” Tom didn’t have a clue if that was true or not, but he was sure as hell gonna try and help out if he could. For now though, he could use a rest and a pain killer. “Am I allowed to move now?” Tom questioned, the healer seemingly finished with her task.
“Just be gentle okay, it’s not my best work. They will bandage you shortly” She replied, moving to Jackalope who had been laid down on the next table over.
“That’s reassuring,” Tom responded as he glanced around. It looked most of all like a triage station in here. Many of the ones who were walking had bandaged limbs and faces, or just generally looked terrible. “I’m gonna grab a few painkillers. Jacky, you want one?... Oh... Right”