Cassidy's Point of View

The Island

Credo and Pestilence moved beside Ziah and I. “Can you handle things from here?” Credo inquired.

“We’ll take care of him. Thanks.” I told them softly as Ziah and I hoisted him to his feet.

“Then we’ll take our leave after you teleport away. Pestilence and I will stay close until you’re all clear.” Another roar and scream shook the Island, but one of them sounded like they were in pain. “Things are getting too dangerous even for us to linger much longer.”

They moved off The Island and flew off into the air. “Let’s get him moved over.” Ziah stated as the two Demons began to get some distance but were still in our sightlines. “Arthur! Can you hear us!?” She called to him as we put an arm over each of our shoulders.

He scoffed weakly. “You’re screaming in my ear.” Arthur replied, annoyed. “Of course, I can fucking hear you.”

I chuckled at that. “If ya can joke in this here predicament, yer fine.”

As we closed in on the Priestesses and the others, a whistling caught out attention. Arthur stumbled, and we moved to adjust him. Stepping in front of him, we wanted to help lift him up, but Arthur shoved us both to the ground and off to the side violently. Landing in the sand, I rolled for a moment before twisting back over in confusion.

However, Ziah gasped in horror as I lay on my belly looking at her. The Zugal’s eyes were on Arthur, and I saw a spear of some manner sticking out of the sand where Ziah and I had moved to support him. He had shoved us out of the way so we wouldn’t be hurt or killed. Instead, Arthur’s arm was hanging limply by his side as his shoulder had a large gash through most of it.

My lip quivered as I lay there frozen while Ziah moved to help him. “Ayda-“ I shouted but stopped when I saw she was collapsed in the sand.

Moving to help Ziah, we carefully moved Arthur as his eyes reverted back to their silver hue. Arthur moved with purpose now as his body reacted almost instinctively as we neared everyone else. However, I noticed his eyes had glossed over. When we finally got close enough, Arthur used his good arm to push Ziah and I both towards the center of the group to make sure we were indeed safe.

A teleportation went off in my ears before I stumbled to the floor. Looking up, I saw we were in the Helmsforth Temple surrounded by very surprised but welcome faces. My head whipped to Arthur, who was still standing as blood seemed to flow down his entire body.

Ziah and I rushed to our feet as Arthur stumbled forward with his body hunched over. We wanted to help him, but I’m not sure how coherent he actually was.

Lucia was the first to act. “Secure the Priestesses!” She bellowed across the room. “Alwin, retrieve every doctor and healer available! Inform them of the situation! Make sure they know Sir Arthur is in critical condition!” Alwin likely teleported away to do as ordered.

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“Arthur!” Ziah shouted. “Don’t move! You’re gravely injured!”

We finally steadied him as Kheri started issuing out orders as well. “Secure the Elves and students! Make sure everyone is checked over!” To my surprise, she pointed at Arthur. “Sir Arthur Pendragon is our top priority, so make sure he is stabilized first!”

“Hold!” Arthur’s voice cut in. “Belay that! Arceana and Elincia, along with the others, are low on magic!” He said in a choppy voice. “They might need magic transfers! I’ll be fine!”

“Arthur, yer covered in blood! Let us help ya!” I cried out to him.

In response, he once again pushed Ziah and I away as Lucia screamed, “Stop him!”

We were too late. Arthur fell over after shoving us and finally collapsed. In my attempt to help him… I grabbed his bad arm. His body fell face-first into the stone as blood shot from where his arm used to be. With wide eyes, I stood frozen, holding Arthur’s severed arm.

“Oh gods!”

Lucia's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

Arceana and Elincia were both unconscious. If Arthur was right, they were dangerously low on magic reserves, and many of the others appeared to be in a similar way. Ayda and most of the guards were all in the same state as well. The only ones still moving about were Kine, Floyd, Typhon, Cassidy, Ziah, and Kheri. All of which were checking on different individuals.

Typhon and Floyd yelled in horror. “His arm!” Cassidy held it as she stood there froze, but I couldn’t worry about her right now.

However, like Cassidy said, Arthur was in the gravest of states. “Put his arm in stasis!” I ordered as I used my magic to suspend Arthur and act as a tourniquet for his wound. “Ignore Arthur’s ravings! He needs medical attention now! Where are those healers!”

To my surprise, Arthur struggled in my magical grasp. “Let me down.” He wheezed as Ziah stayed close to my side and kept a close eye on him.

“You’re going to kill yourself!” I shouted at him in disbelief. “Stay still and let us help you!”

“It’s my fault.” Arthur whispered. “It almost happened again.” He was becoming delirious. “What am I going to do, Mara?”

Alwin returned as many of the healers rushed to their positions. Once Cassidy handed off the arm to someone, she moved to Arthur and put her hands on him to comfort him. She was whispering something to him, but it didn’t appear that he could hear her.

Arthur’s body began to shake as he continued to mumble off and on. “Help me, Mara…”

“Get him stabilized!” I ordered before using my magic to push Cassidy and Ziah away from him as the doctors rushed over.

They put padding down and the healer quickly gestured down. “Lay him down gently!” He ordered and I did so. “Step back! We need room to work!”

Stepping away myself as the entire room was doctors and Elven healers yelling out conditions and other orders. My day went from me dealing with a few guards and Nobles to the throne room coated in Arthur’s blood with almost everyone on the verge of dying. A few tears came to my eyes as I saw Arthur’s body thrash about violently.

“He’s going into shock! We need blood to-“ One of the doctors shouted, but Cassidy cut them off.

“Just seal the wound!” The outburst from Cassidy surprised the doctors.

One of the healers huffed. “It’s not that simple, Ms. Reed.”

Cassidy started to storm forward, and I quickly put my arm out to stop her. “You need to calm down and let the doctors do their jobs.”

To my surprise, she pushed my arm out of the way. “You calm down!” Cassidy shouted at me, which caused Alwin to step between us, but I gently got him to stand down when I saw the tears in his eyes. “Arthur’s gonna be fine!”

“You don’t know that!” Typhon cut in with his voice raised angrily before stepping between Arthur and Cassidy. “Let the professionals do their job! Not like any of us were any help!”

“Arthur will pull through like he always does, Typhon! Just you watch!”

“Yes.” I confirmed with a sad smile. “He will.” Putting a hand on each of their shoulders, I gave them an understanding squeeze. “But right now, we need to be strong for him.” Kheri moved over to us, and I sighed. “I also need to know what happened.” Many of the group looked at each other unsurely.

“We need to move him now, or he might not make it!” The healer shouted before lifting Arthur’s body up and turning to another healer. “Teleport ahead to the medical wing! Tell them that Sir Arthur is in critical condition and to prep for surgery!”

Cassidy, and Typhon, both moved to follow, but everyone present stopped them. “Do not get in the way.” I ordered them. “You may put Arthur at risk if you do.”

Typhon pointed at the doctors. “We should at least follow them! Arceana, Elincia, and Ayda will all be there too!”

Grabbing both his shoulders, I shook him. “Not right now.”

“Hurry!” A healer shouted. “Sir Arthur is fading!”

At those words, I gritted my teeth as I did my best to hide my tears. “They’ll save him.” After all, we’d grown rather close over the course of our interactions, and I looked up to him. “They have to.” Arthur was important to me…