The Dragon Blood Guardian *COMPLETED*

Assistance

I, however, wasn't going to stop trying just because she slammed a door in my face.

I bided my time, pacing my cell with stiff, agitated steps while I watched the Ravens empty the room. As they cleared, it became more apparent that the tables that served as makeshift beds were typically meant for dining. A door hidden in the back corner must have led to a kitchen which shared the same hearth the bartender used to warm up. It seemed a bit cruel to also have their jail cells there, but as this was likely the general common room for the barracks, it made for easy watching and it seemed I would have a limited window in which so few people were in the room to guard me.

So I waited until the Ravens made their final run to the hospital, leaving only the doctor, Vincent, and myself behind.

"You need to let me out," I demanded of Lord Dillenthal.

"Couldn't if I wanted to," he mumbled as he prepared a small vial. "I just came over from the hospital to attend to the victims of your attack. I'm not a Raven and as such, not privy to a key."

"I didn't..." I squeezed the bars, feeling the rough working of the iron press into my palms. I let the subtle pain burn away my frustration. I took a deep breath and started again. "Please hear me out. I am the captain of Princess Cecily of Drackenridge's guard. She has been kidnapped and I have reason to believe the mages that did do this heinous crime are linked to her disappearance. If they have her and your captain..."

"I'm not a Raven," he said before squeezing Vincent's jaw open, "she's not my captain."

"What are you doing?" I asked, placing my thoughts on hold as he tipped the vial into the pirate's mouth.

"A little elixir to put some life back into him," he answered with a bit more vigor. "Should he slip too far into sleep, I fear he won't be coming out of it."

"Is the elixir safe?"

"Why would you care?" he asked, peering at me from over his pair of wire rimmed glasses.

"Because despite the general displeasure this man has caused me, he has also treated me fairly when others would have seen me dead. I may wish to see him on the judge's stand, but that doesn't mean I want him on Death's chopping block."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have thrown him off the balcony."

"I didn't...okay I did do that one, but it was to save him from the mage's spell!"

"Stop...yelling..." A breathy voice whistled out from between Vincent's slightly parted lips. With a pained flutter, his eyes blinked in the light before wincing and closing again.

"Ah, see, it worked." The doctor spread his hands out to display Vincent's bloodied body, a triumphant smile on his face as the pirate released a terrible moan.

"I didn't dream this. I still have a hole in me." A tentative hand rose up to prod the wound before falling back to the table with a thump.

"No hole anymore. I stitched you up."

"Did you stitch up my organs as well?" Vincent wasn't looking for an answer, instead he turned his head with stiff, slow movements, assessing the room before landing his gaze upon me. "Still a criminal?"

"Says the one who stole my jewels," I replied, though I had some trouble stopping the corners of my mouth from perking up ever so slightly at the sight of his rejuvenated face.

"Well, now they've been stolen from me, so I suppose we're even."

"Not even close."

"How about this then," he said, rotating his head back to the other side of the table where Lord Dillenthal watched over us with a bored glaze to his eyes. "I would like to declare this woman innocent. Her actions were an attempt to save me or really the jewels I had on me..."

"I..." I stuttered, "I cared for your wellbeing..."

"She cared for the jewels." Vincent gave something that might have been intended to be a shrug, but it only translated to something that looked more like a cringe and a shudder. "Doesn't particularly matter, either way she wasn't the one that attacked. I can vouch for her actions."

"So I should believe you?" asked the doctor with a bit of a harrumph as he took a step away from the table.

"You believed everyone else who claimed I was involved," I pointed out.

"No," he said, sticking his finger out to accent his words. "I believed what the Ravens have determined." He then shook his head and waved his hands. "It doesn't matter, as I told her, I have no control over letting you out, I'm not..."

Rustling outside the door halted the doctor's tongue. He sighed, his shoulders sinking and his smile lifting.

"Here, Allan and Devera must be returning from the hospital. You can bring up your account with them."

He glanced at the door from over his shoulder while he continued to clean and dress the wound on Vincent's side. I sighed and leaned back against the wall, uncertain if the Ravens would really listen or if perhaps I'd missed my chance to just knock the doctor out through the bars and then proceed to pick the lock while the coast was clear. I took a breath and said a word of thanks to the gods that Vincent was at least conscious again. Perhaps they would listen to him, perhaps they wouldn't, but, either way, I had a better chance now that he could tell them his side of the story.

However, the Ravens were taking their time with entering the room. The doctor paused in his work, casting a cautious glance towards the entryway. Their shadows played across the floor as booted feet peeked at us through the gap below the door, yet no one turned the handle.

"Perhaps they brought some supplies with them to treat you Mister..."

"Martinell," said Vincent with a pleased smile. He turned his head from the door and looked at me from the corner of his eye before giving me a wink. My face scrunched in confusion, but that only made his smile widen and his chest bounce with a light laugh, one that he seemed to regret instantly when a painful wince followed.

"Well, Mr. Martinell," continued the doctor, oblivious to our exchange, "perhaps some of my colleagues sent some tools, ointments and bandages over. It would allow me to patch you up a bit better. Don't give up hope my boy." He trudged over to the door and placed his hand upon the knob. With his back to us, he pulled it open.

"Allan, Devera, let me help you with..."

"Why thank you kindly sir," cheered a bright and bubbly young woman who pushed the door open with a bandaged hand. "Name's Darla, not Devera. Good guess though!"

"Darla?" I exclaimed.

"Hiya bitch," she said with an effervescent wave. "I'd give you a proper greeting, but I still can't extend some of my fingers."

"You were attacking me, you know?" I replied, though the thought of her yanking her fingers out from the door still made me cringe.

"No, I was catching you. Kent's the one that attacked you."

"Excuse me," said Lord Dillenthal with a furious bluster. "Who are you?"

"Do we need him boss?" asked Darla as a couple of Vincent's pirates filed into the room.

"No," he replied, "but I'm not dead because of him so keep that in mind."

"Aw," said Darla with a gracious grin. "Thanks mister."

"Uh, that's quite all right ma'am, it's my job and my priv..."

With one swift movement, Darla swung her arm around and smashed the side of his head with her fist. His eyes rolled upward and his knees buckled. However, Darla caught him before he hit the ground and rested him against the wall.

"Sleep wellmister," she said, giving him a light pat on the head before turning toface us with a sweet smile upon her youthful face.

***

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