"Are you injured?" Phillip asked Clay.
"No, I'm not," he replied, his eyes scanning the group of people. "You tore a kingdom apart with only this many people? How?"
Phillip scratched his cheek and laughed sheepishly. "Good planning, I guess. Couldn't have done it without the help of our good leader. Where is she? With David?"
Clay sighed. "You could say that. I believe Lynx pushed Jezzie off the balcony, and David was crushed by the rubble of the towers. I'm sorry."
"No, that's not possible!" Shouted Tommy from the grass. He began scrambling to stand, using his friends as leverage and Clay realized he was missing most of his right leg.
"Tommy, sit." Instructed Phillip, his voice wavering.
"No! That's impossible, David would have never let her die!" He pushed himself up as Tobias handed him a crutch to hobble over. "Did you see their bodies?"
"David saw Jezzie's. I didn't see David's."
Tommy's face scrunched up with disbelief. "I'm going to see for myself."
Phillip caught him by the shoulder before he could go any farther. "I'll go."
.
The dust hadn't even settled yet and Phillip was hopping from pile to pile of rubble. He called out David's name and heard it echo through the clouds.
Nothing.
Phillip circled the area where the tower collapsed like a vulture, calling his flock to feast. Except Phillip was calling his flock to surface.
The bricks began to twitch and move until a hand, bleeding and cut emerged. Phillip swooped down and took it, pulling his friend out with all his strength. David stumbled out of his homemade coffin, coughing and gasping.
"You look the way I remember you," said Phillip. David merely glares in his direction.
"Jezzie?" Phillip asked.
David shook his head.
Phillip's throat clenched. "I suppose we should find her, then."
David lead lead his friend to where he last saw her, which was now covered in rocks and debris. He dropped to his knees and began pawing at the stones weakly. Phillip knelt next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to stop. David looked at him with confused teary eyes.
"You shouldn't have to find her. You can return to the camp if you wish." Phillip continued sifting through the rubble while David sat quietly, unspeaking.
It did not take very long. David eventually started helping again and they soon unearthed a fence that had been used to separate the gardens from the outside. Underneath the fence, Jezzie's body was trapped underneath.
Her back was bent unnaturally, her hair obscured her face, and her hand was wrapped around the handle of Lynx's knife was still buried in her gut.
The sight wretched a pained sob from David's heart. His knees gave out and he landed next to her, reaching for Jezzie's outstretched hand that poked out from the fence. His fingers caressed her palm before intertwining them with her own. Her body was still so warm, almost as if she still had a pulse. His fingers slid to her wrist and to his surprise, he was met with exactly that.
"Phil- Phillip," he stuttered in disbelief. "She's got a pulse."
Phillip hastily wiped his own eyes and lifted the fence from her body. As he threw the fence to the side, they watched in awe as Jezzie inhaled deeply as if she had been holding her breath the entire time.
