Chapter 21 Epilogue - Petty Kingdom Dragarth

"The Cyclops's great strides have delivered him afar. Despite his distance, we must abide The King for his eternal seer knows naught the concept of 'hide.' Should we treason, the Lord of Fort Dragarth has been given authority to slide us into a horrible pit of demise."

Two guards wore helmets of peculiar design. Three obtuse triangles descended the center of their helmet, growing larger the closer they were to the center point where a single eye had been carved. It was crossed over with an "X". The guards of the grand gate nodded and raised their left arm. The portcullis groaned as its gate sank between a slim metallic space built into the ground. As her hooves crossed the descended barrier, Mary no longer trotted on dirt. Instead, her horseshoes clopped on a yellow-brick road as she boldly strutted past each tenement. Finally, near the northmost walls of Dragarth, she arrived in front of a large infirmary. The old man dropped off the horse and rushed inside, limping every other step. "I'heve one!" He shouted, "I'heve one!"

The many pauper inhabitants and caretakers eyed him first. A nurse looking through papers at the front desk shook her head at the man. "Gregory, please quiet yourself and slow your utterance. The day is young and you're making a ruckus."

"Eh?! Dem's bleedin'! Man don't have a leg 'ner an arm! And the elf boy looks like he got socked by a boulder!"

"I said slow done and lower your volume, man."

"They're bleeding!" He shouted, catching himself and taking a breath. "They're bleeding, Wilma! The elf looks bad and I think his guard is dead!"

"On with the elf tales again… Did you have too much rum again, Gregory? You know you're too old to be swallowing bottle after bottle still."

The old man kicked the air and stomped outside. Wilma shook her head and sucked her teeth as she followed. As she exited, she got the full view of Gregory trying to pull the man of missing limbs who was nearly twice his size. She hurried off back into the infirmary and returned with four other nurses carrying a stretcher. They put their strength together to set Yujo onto the cloth and metal pole contraption before rushing in. Gregory took Hielo in and moved quickly as he was allowed. Hielo's eyes opened shambolically - his left before the right at varied speeds.With a simple of the sun's light, he suffered an intense headache.

"Oye, elf boy! You seeing all things good, eh?" Gregory questioned.

Hielo heard the voice clearly, but he could not see where it came from. He knew it was close, but all he could see was a painful glare. He began to breathe hard as face, as if each breath were trying to best the other. It continued until his mind could no longer take it and shut down, locking him in a deep state of unconsciousness.

'"Gregory, what did you do?!" Nurse Wilma exclaimed.

"I en't do nuffin! I saw a big mooshrum down by Feen so I went to envestigate, ye I did! Found the elf battered, bruised, face down and the big fella bloody bloody! Leg n' arm gone, n' all!"

"Feen? You mean fiend? What fien- oh, oh Fayeign! A mushroom you say? Oh heavens! Is that what that loud clap was?!"

Gregory flailed and gestured upwards. "Yeah! Don't know why it 'appunned! What can you der for dem?"

"The 'elf,' as you say, should heal fine. As for the man… a missing leg, half of an arm, broken bones… only by the Cyclops's blessing will he survive…"

The nurses set Yujo on a bed in a distant room. There were several other beds, but they were free of bodies or much noise since it was the furthest room. Only one other bed was taken by Hielo. He rested on the one beside Yujo. The nurses hauled in a keg of rumb, two buckets, and two large, circular wooden containers - one beneath Yujo's blood-pouring leg and the other beneath his dripping arm.

"There should be enough for maybe two and a half buckets, but fill them halfway for now," Nurse Wilma ordered, "We don't want to run out."

As directed, they scooped the alcohol with the bucket to about halfway and poured it on the wounds. The strong and clear liquid turned red as it rushed over flesh before spilling into the containers. They repeated the action once more before the keg was emptied. With some cloth and adhesives, the edges of the wounds were carefully wrapped but the larger section left open.

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"Why ern't you covering that?" Gregory asked with bewilderment driving his words.

"It has to be granulated," said Nurse Clara, "It's the best way for it to heal."

She turned to the other bed where Hielo was laid upon, mimicking death. She took a lit candle from the bedside table and held it steadily in front of Hielo's left eye as her finger carefully raised his limb. Although she seemed to have expected it, disappointment drove Clara's dome east to west. "Maybe this will trigger a response…" she mumbled as her fingers pinched Hielo's skin. The effort proved meaningless for it was to no avail.

"Wilma, I believe the elf has suffered a coma," Clara informed dreadfully.

Wilma scoffed. "...We'll discuss this 'elf' business later. For now he'll just have to remain here. Go grab a barrel of water and some spices. That will be his diet until he awakens. I believe the man will recover soon enough to at least be able to consume food."

"Ye calling me a deesfoonctinul?" Gregory spat, widening his right eye as his left struggled to copy.

Nurse Wilma sighed. "Good work, Gregory… odd to utter those words together, but you saved these two. They're fine here now," she said, gesturing to the door.

"Aaaiee! Aie! Ah, I'enderstan! Don't want me 'round, aye?!"

"Precisely. You're making a ruckus."

"Fine, den! I know when my presence ain't wanted!" Gregory growled, creating cold echoes in the hall as he stomped off. He grumbled and grunted all the way down with his, "To hell with them all!" and "Don't need me?! No, I'on need'yer!" until he finally exited.

As he went to board Mary, he discovered a very vibrant thing sitting in his wagon. It was a basket covered with some fine colored wrapping paper. As he took it apart, his sour scowl melted into a shining grin. Reflecting in his tearful eyes from the basket were two large bottles labeled, "White" and "Red" and a fruitcake. "My efforts, finally rewarded!" He exclaimed. Mary neighed exasperatedly at Gregory's commotions and followed with a stomp of her front left hoof. "I'm not letting you sour this old man's joy right now, girl!" He exclaimed.

He pulled himself aboard Mary achingly and double tapped her right shoulder. "Now you can move as slow as you want… as if you don't do that when you want anyways."

She quivered her head and proceeded to trot off slowly. They moved beyond the gate to the eastern side. Outside of the entrance gate were a pair of individuals, fitted in both similar and familiar attire - white tees, a cap with "GN", and jeans where the only difference between them being colored black and blue.

"This is urgent," the one with the ponytail says, although it was clear that she was agitated judging by the thin patience in her words. The guards' helmets did not move, not even slightly. They faced the two as if attempting to pierce through them through the sheer force of their vision.

The west tower guard with a silver and white schemed mask began to speak. "Mother kingdom Dargus has declared independence from the Grand Navy and steps have been taken to make that clear, long ago. Seeing as we, petty kingdom Dragarth, are under the rule of Dargus - and thus its territory - the declaration applies."

It seemed to be a phrase uttered numerous times due to the ever-growing agitation on the two newcomer's faces. “With all due respect," began the second one who took off her cap and revealed very short hair, "dangerous criminals are on the loose and are wreaking havoc. They were slowed dramatically on this island and must be in one of Valtrice's populated areas. We must locate and capture them to move us closer to peaceful seas - something far more important than your insecurities when it comes to the Grand Navy.”

The guard kept his face forward on the girl. "Mother kingdom Dargus has declared independence from the Grand Navy and steps have been taken to make that clear, long ago. Seeing as we, petty kingdom Dragarth, are under the rule of Dargus - and thus its territory - the declaration applies," he repeated.

"Thank you, we'll be on our way," the ponytailed girl uttered painfully as if frequently applying medicore adhesives to prevent her snapping. They footed back to the main dirt road and met a sign pointing in two directions - the left going to Fayeign and the right to the northern part of Valtrice. "You handled that surprisingly well, Tanya," said the girl who was exposing her head, "You didn't blow up when even I was getting annoyed."

"Harley, I don't know how much longer I can keep this facade up. This Grand Navy is too generous," Tanya spat, "We need to be way more aggressive. These selfish people have no care for interests other than their own! Two monsters could tear this world apart, yet they just don't care?!"

Harley shrugged. "If we knew their little code we could've investigated the interior, but it's fine, don't let it get to you. I know it feels like things aren't able to be done, frankly unnecessarily, at times. But keeping a pacifist approach to those who don't pose a threat is best so the navy can have some sort of general trust. Besides, if it was that bad I'm sure the admirals would handle them."

"Oh yeah, cause the admirals can handle two people with some mystical, nightmare-born magic when two of them have already gotten killed by that one son of bitch with Gold."

"Well, he is pretty strong."

"Sure, I get that, he wouldn't be the most wanted in the seas if he weren't. But TWO admirals? He has Gold! It's the slowest magic!"

"And among the most destructive while being the most durable. You're really underestimating Blassadahl, Tanya. What if he can send it off faster than the typical Gold user? Clearly, he has mastered the magic."

"More like our admirals aren't as powerful as they claim to be. Whatever, I'm tired - and angry. We need to report this disappointment to the base."

"Like you being both those things is news. We'll tell the sailor to send the message back, there's still one more town we need to search before we head back."

"The only one left is Dynex, where they were first found. Why would they run back there?" Tanya spoke with growing agitation.

"Just to say we covered almost all of the island," beamed Harley. "It's not far, come on. You need some more fresh air anyways."