Slap! Swish! Slap! Swish! Thump!
Disturbed from sleep by some commotion outside, I lifted my head up to the window, hoping to see what the commotion was. Somewhere below me people were running around and looking out across the city I understood. Orange lights glowed in the predawn light. Fires had sparked in the section of buildings from where Kaelyn and I had entered the city yesterday. But where I would have expected to hear the roar of the flames, I heard the retorts of guns firing.
Before I could go back to bed as the fire and shots were all the way across the city, a loud whistling followed by an explosion shook the building. Knocked to the ground by the explosion, I picked myself up carefully, avoiding the shattered glass from the now broken window. Ignoring the tiny cuts on my face and hands, I stared wide eyed at the rubble across the street that had been a cafe. Never had I seen such destruction before, it was like the building had been knocked apart, like a toddler with building blocks.
Aware of the danger now, I looked around for Kaelyn, we needed to find somewhere safe, and quickly. The blast had woken her up and though wide eyed with panic, Kaelyn had already begun to lace her boots and pack up. Confident that she would be able to manage on her own, I brushed off my arms in case any glass had stuck to my clothing.
Jamming each of my feet into their boots, I made short work of lacing them up. Having slept fully clothed, all I had left was my blanket to pack. Giving it a quick shake in an attempt to remove any glass from it, I folded it up and shoved it into my pack. Checking to make sure we had everything, I pulled open the door. Gabbing Kaelyn's hand in mine so that I did not lose her in our flight, I rushed down the stairs and out the main door of the tavern.
People in various states of dress were moving in the same direction, and without a better idea, I and Kaelyn joined them. While I kept ahold of her with one hand, my other griped one of my pistols tightly. Never in my life had I experienced a fight like this, and instinct told me it was going to get a lot worse before the day was over.
Twice the loud explosions destroyed buildings on the street we and everyone else were following. Each explosion shoved us to the ground, while chunks of the buildings rained down on us. The sound of the explosion was like nothing I had ever heard before, deafening me for a brief span of moments after. I was unable to tell who was hurt in the poor light but from the screams and cries of help, not everyone got up each time.
The third explosion was not as bad as the others as it hit the side of a building, sending a few chunks of stone falling, instead of the whole building. Unfortunately what I did not know was that it was actually two explosions with the second one taking out a building behind me. Kaelyn perhaps caught unaware by the blast thudded into me. Worried for her I grabbed her as I felt her slide down my body. Looking at her face I noticed her closed eyes and peaceful expression.
Ignoring the screams and rumbling booms of more explosions I placed two fingers against her neck. Feeling a pulse, my fast beating heart slowed just a little allowing me to think. Kaelyn needed a hospital as though she was only unconscious, a doctor needed to check for other injuries. Patching bullet wounds and other injuries i could manage, but I had little experince with internal injuries.
Grabbing a nearby person by the arm, I shouted, "Where is the hospital."
Glancing at me with fear filled eyes the young boy pointed towards a building to our left. Thanking him I picked up Kaelyn and her pack in an awkward carry. Setting off down the side road, I listened as the screams from earlier doubled as someone screamed, "They are inside the city..." before being cut off suddenly.
Knowing that I could not protect Kaelyn like this, I forced myself into an unsteady jog. Soon the hospital came into view and grunting in effort I carried Kaelyn to the front door. Ignoring the words that the guards were saying I told the doctor, "She passed out after being struck by a piece of debris. I don't think it cut her much, though I can't see much in this light and was more worried about getting her here."
Nodding her head the doctor called into the gloom of the hospital, "Jeffery, I have an adult female, unconscious possibly struck by debris. Internal damage unknown."
Looming out of the darkness a figure came and asking me to follow led me to an empty bed. Carefully setting Kaelyn on the white sheets I set her pack down on the floor next to her. Jeffery as the doctor had called him touched something on the wall and with a click, a pair of lights on either side of the bed turned on. I had seen electricity before but each time it felt like the first. Due to the difficulty of not only producing the power but getting things like lightbulbs, electricity was a rare thing to see. Each of the small lights produced a sound like a hive of bees buzzing.
Hearing shouts of "Here they come" from outside the hospital I turned and stated, "You keep her alive, and I will do what I can to keep us all alive." Sliding my pack off my back, I quickly grabbed the spare clips for my pistols before running to the front door. Guilt for giving up my rifle which I would have preferred clung to me for a moment as I slipped out of the hospital.
The doctor who had greeted me had disappeared and two men holding staves guarded the door. Taking one look at their trembling fingers I shouted, "Stay behind me." Holding one pistol in each hand, I waited for the men who had already killed so many and had nearly killed Kaelyn to come. I knew they were out there as there footsteps echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings.
Like vultures drawn to a carcass, seven figures appeared out of the gloom. Not giving them the opportunity to shoot first, I fired both pistols. The seven figures scattered, firing shots of their own as they tried to find cover. Blindly firing the shots screamed as they connected with the walls of the hospital, bouncing off the stone.
Without anywhere to go for safety, I stood among the hail of bullets. Never did it occur to me that I was insane, standing in the open firing at seven armed men. All I felt was the overwhelming desire to protect Kaelyn from these men who would kill her or worse if given the chance, along with outrage at these men who had taken it upon themselves to attack a city full of unarmed people. Bandits attacking a caravan was one thing, but between the explosions, the screams, and now these men this was much more than some caravan assault. These people could easily take control of the surrounding towns if they were already causing this much destruction in just a hour or so.
Bam pssh!
Trading shots back and forth I managed to drop two of the men, both falling silently to the ground, weapons clattering on the cobblestones. Gurgling from behind me drew my attention to one of the two guards who I had spoken briefly too. A gaping wound marred his neck as the man clutched it while trying to speak. Just from my quick glance I knew that there was no hope for him.
That glance cost me, as well placed shot scored my thigh, burning like fire as it cut across my flesh before continuing on its path. Unprepared for the pain, my hand spasmed losing grip on my pistol and letting it clatter to the ground.
Clutching my thigh with the now empty hand, I shot three of the men as they came out thinking I could no longer fight. Two dropped like stones in water never uttering a word, joining their fallen. The third I hit in the gut and he screamed in pain at the chunk of metal stuck in him. Two shots later his screams fell silent, bringing an unnatural silence to the area.
Those last two shots forced me to reload. Reloading my pistol proved to be a burden as I ejected the clip with one hand. Taking my hand away from my thigh, my blood covered fingers pushed a full clip into the gun. Returning my hand to clutching my thigh to slow the bleeding, I screamed as a second shot hit me.
This was not like the first, which had cut a groove across my flesh but left the bone intact. Burning like a coal from a smiths forge, the bullet buried itself in my side. Grunting in pain as it hurt far worse than the graze on my thigh, I doubled over. This made my thigh only increase in pain and only clenching my jaw kept me from crying out.
Lying in my blood I listened to the remaining two men creep up the street towards me. I waited until they were within a few steps before flicking my hand out and shooting them both until all I heard was a clicking signaling that the gun was empty.
Feeling a warmth running down my side, I dropped the pistol before clutching my side in an attempt to stem the tide of warm blood. The movement was too much and before I could cry out my vision went black and I lost all sense of time.
Faint noises from an unknown pair of speakers brought me too. Unsure where I was as my eyes fluttered I tried to sit up, stopping as a hand lightly grabbed my shoulder.
Following the hand up to a face, I met the gaze of my brother. Surprise and happiness filled me at the same time. This was a little to soon as I noticed the still healing scar running from his cheek to jaw on the right side of his face. Worried that he had suffered other injuries I cast my eyes around.
My frantic search revealed nothing until I spotted his left hand by his side. Two fingers were missing, his pinky and ring finger. Judging from the bloodstained bandages it had happened recently.
Recently...
Kaelyn!
Worried about my trading partner I looked around the room frantically. Normally I was not so emotional but Kaelyn was my responsibility to keep safe.
My search came to an end as I spotted her sitting in a chair. Unlike my brother, Kaelyn seemed to have escaped the recent fighting with only some bruises.
Bruises!
Wide eyed, I stared at Kaelyn, remembering the chaotic night when she had been knocked out. How long ago had that been if all she had was bruises?
While part of me was relieved that she seemed all right, I wondered how long it had been since that night. The extent of her injuries had never been explained to me since I had been forced to defend the hospital. Judging from the coloration of the bruises the amount of time that had passed would work, if I had previous knowledge of how bad they had been. Without this knowledge I was hesitant to try and guess how long it had been.
A gentle shaking broke my thought pattern as my brother looked at me worriedly. Ezekiel worried to much about me at times, but being the older brother I understood he was looking out for me. His shaking having brought me to the present was followed by him stating in a slow careful manner, "You were shot, twice. The doctor says you will recover with time. He also says that you need to take it slow, which I know is hard for you. I would stay to make sure you listen but Cassiel will be worried by now. I and the others are leaving in the next couple days. Kaelyn has given me her assurance that she will make sure you follow the doctors orders..."
Leaning in closer so that only I could hear he continued, "She is smarter than she looks. Don't underestimate her skills just because she is from Notredram. I like her and she could make an excellent aunt to Jared and Natelie."
Caught off guard by his line of thinking I stared as he gently pushed me back into a lying position. Pulling the blankets back from where they had fallen when I had tried to sit up, he turning to face Kaelyn explained, "Zachariah is a bad patient. I expect that you can take care of him and keep him from moving around."
Opening my mouth to protest this I felt a sharp flare of pain before black clouded my vision.