Not Your Damsel in Distress

17

Auberon's head hurt, but what was worse was the feeling in his back. He forced himself to open his eyes and had to put all of his strength into not flinching as it could mean him and Leif falling into their certain deaths. He gently shook unconscious blond. "Leif, wake up."

Leif made a groaning sound, but didn't open his eyes.

"Leif!" yelled Auberon when he saw pieces of the tower next to where they were falling off. "Wake the hell up!"

Leif opened his eyes with a groan. "Where... what..."

"Don't!" Auberon exclaimed when he saw Leif was trying to push himself up with the arm that was hanging from the roof. "Slowly come to me."

"You won't tell me what..." began Leif and wanted to move, but when he felt nothing, his blue eyes snapped open. "Ok, what do I do?"

Auberon gave him a hand and pulled him so the two were sitting with their back to the room. "See that window over there?" he asked and pointed to it with his chin. "We need to get there."

"No way," said Leif and shook his head. "We're going to fall."

This time the whole castle shook.

"We're going to fall if we don't do this," said Auberon and slowly reached his hand towards the edge of the roof and pulled himself there. "Follow me."

"No way, man," said Leif, shaking his head. "No!"

Auberon held out his gloved hand. "I am not leaving you here."

Leif grabbed onto his forearm and slowly made his way to him.

"Don't look down," said Auberon gently as if he was helping a child.

Leif of course had to look down and froze. "No, no way," he repeated.

The castle shook again and the roof under Leif began cracking. "Move, Leif, now!" yelled Auberon and forcefully pulled him towards where he was sitting right when the roof under the heavier man collapsed. "We need to move!"

Leif nodded in horror and slowly crawled after Auberon, who was for once in his life happy to be on a lighter side. He managed to get into the castle through the window and held his hand out for Leif to grab, but right when Leif would jump in as well, the roof cracked and he almost fell through. He managed to grab onto the edge, but that was all he was able to do. Aberon quickly pulled one of the tapestries from a nearby wall and lowered it to Leif. "Grab it," he said and pulled with his whole weight while Leif climbed.

Soon Leif was able to climb in and he pulled Auberon into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed and pressed a huge kiss to Auberon's smooth and a bit stubbled cheek.

"Ok, calm down," said Auberon and pushed Leif away. He looked out and was able to see Emmet. "I have to go," he said and ran down the corridor. He and Emmet were said to meet in the main square where he would give him a few of the crystals as it would hurt him if he had even one on himself the entire time.

Auberon didn't reach the gates of the castle when a goonker attacked him. Without thinking he blasted it away with his magic and continued his way down. He was looking for Emmet as he tried to navigate through the narrow streets. He looked up once the castle began shaking again. His chest felt tight as he thought about Charlene being up there alone as she probably managed to get to Isolde by now. The worst part was that the dark cloud was covering the piece of the castle where the throne room was. Where Charlene was.

His thinking was interrupted by a child's scream. He quickly turned around and saw a kid being cornered by one of the goonkers that was taking up the shape of a lion. He quickly used his magic to destroy it, but as soon as he did, others noticed him and continued to make their ways up to him and the kid.