Fallen Honor

Disaster Strikes

Hello! Y'all are spoiled! Two different chapters and one is 4080 words?!

Out of my two books, which is your favorite thus far?

Vote, comment, and enjoy!

RECAP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Steve gently moved under his friend's left arm, laying it over his shoulder and supporting Ezan, matching his gait with the other man's. Ezan gave him a shaky grin, "G-good to see you a-again..."

          Steve smiled, "And you, friend."

           Together, they slowly made their way through the steadily rising ravine. Neither man talked, saving their strength and both looking about for any sign of danger.

          Or, more precisely, of him.

END RECAP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later...

          "Ezan, you need to rest. If you push yourself too hard and fall unconscious, I won't be able to move you." Steve let out a small chuckle, "You know me, I'm not strong." The two young men had been walking for at least three hours, stopping to kneel and drink from rapidly drying puddles when their thirst grew too great. The sun was setting, and Ezan was getting heavier as his weakened body succumbed to the bleeding and pain.

            Ezan growled and finally nodded, "V-very...well...we'll rest...h-here..."

          Steve nodded and scanned for a rock that provided a bit of shelter. He spotted a chunk of stone that had fallen against a steep cliff face and began to shuffle towards it, holding Ezan up by this waist and arm. They made it and Ezan slumped gratefully against the stone, Steve settling down beside him. Neither spoke for some time, both too exhausted and emotionally drained to bother conversing.

          After a good while, Steve broke the silence with a quiet voice, "How'd you make it out?"

          Ezan winced and sat up a bit straighter, "I...I really...d-don't know." He shuddered, "He nearly had me...I w-was on the gr-ground...he'd cut open my stomach and...w-was just st-standing over me...grinning like a maniac." Ezan took a shaky breath, "I w-was terrified...but I glared...at him...spat b-blood at his feet... Th-then he ju-just...vanished..."

          Steve's mouth dropped open, "You...you spat blood at him?? And he let you live?"

          Ezan allowed a pained smile to show through, "Heh...I don't kn-know why...but yes...he did appa-apparently..." His smile faded, "He had j-just finished...ki-killing...another soldier...in fr-front o-of me..."

          Steve flinched, "Oh, I'm so sorry Ezan—"

          Ezan growled, "D-don't be. It w-was him and h-him alone...w-who did this...don't bl-blame your...yourself." He used his weakened right elbow to lightly dig into Steve's side, "Now...enough a-about me. How'd you ma-make it...?"

          Steve smiled and shook his head, "I...I just...ran, I guess. I ran for so long, not caring where, just trying to get away." He turned to see Ezan's head begin to droop, "Heh, enough stories, rest for now. You'll need it."