Diablo - A Forgotten Feeling

Pain and Words

The portal shifted and sizzled as it opened into the courtyard of the Keep. Tyreal looked at it expectantly, as figures emerged in a fallen heap of blood and gore.

"Nephalem! Bring me the healer!" He shouted as the followers came rushing over to their heaving comrades. Blood soaked and covered in remains of demons, the Nephalem supported the Scoundrel up from stone as the portal blinked shut. Their comrades began lifting them up to help but they collapsed again. The damage was obviously worse than what was seen.

"What happened?!" Erina asked in a frantic attempt as she hastily tried removing health vials from her own supply, "An ambush" Lyndon said but not without coughing up a serious amount of blood. He slumped further down and began violently coughing up even more, Kormac tried to support him as the healer finally appeared with Tyreal beside. The healer gestured for Lyndon to be laid on the floor to be examined better, "Some of his ribs are broken, he needs to be taped up. Give him small doses of healing tonic so the ribs can set properly, now!"

As everyone scrambled to help Lyndon, Tyreal turned his attention to the Nephalem who was in a sitting position, slumped over, breathing in shallow breaths. He knelt down and grabbed them by the shoulders firmly, "Do you have any vials? Speak, my friend!" He studied their reaction, slow and dissociated, a horse response came from their lips, "They came quietly, I didn't even sense them...unusual.." they took a ragged breath "our vials had been broken in the first defense against them...so we retreated for cover...but.." As they took another pause Tyreal lifted a vial given by Erina to their lips, the bright red liquid dripping down their chin and mixing with the drying, rusted, blood.

They coughed as the tonic went down too quickly and breathed a more steady breath, their face mixed with mild relief and anger, "But, they had counted on a retreat so there were more of them...Lyndon had stalled for enough time so I could make a portal but it still wasn't an easy escape." They began trying to stand but even that feat seemed tedious and they stumbled to rise. "My friend, you have to stay still! The more severe the wounds the longer it'll take the tonic!" Tyreal stated as he tried to deter the Nephalem from moving, but to tell a barbarian to stop is a fruitless attempt. They steadily rose up and began limping their way towards where they had taken Lyndon, to the corner of the keep where there was free, open space to treat the wounded. "Lyndon has taken the worst of it. I will stay near him." They didn't get too far before clutching their side in pain at the excessive movement. At a loss of breath they swayed and kneeled. Tyreal supported their side, "I will not deny that but you must take care of yourself if you are to fight Diablo! An ambush is nothing compared to him." He began helping the Nephalem towards the destination. "Which is why his pain will be greater than what these wounds have to offer" They responded with cold malice in their eyes as the two walked. 

I opened my eyes to the light of a flickering candle. 

A wind blew through the tattered tarps of an attempt of cover. One supported above and another lined across the open end of the keeps corner walls. I groaned at the ache of pushing myself up and reached for the candle. The light flicked and pulsed at the movement. I looked around the bare setting, just the stone walls and tarps, some soaked bandages, empty vials, semi dry hay as a bed underneath with stained blankets as a cover, and Lyndon wrapped in numerous blood soaked bandages.

He was on his back. Each breath he took had a shallow wheeze as his bare chest staggered each time. He looked pale, and sweat beaded his brow. I looked around again and noticed the bucket of water set behind me with a clean cloth and a ladle sticking out of it. I grabbed it with a grunt and began taking huge gulps of water. The dryness of my mouth was suddenly noticeable. In my haste water ran down my face making me take note of my new injuries. Wrappings around my shoulders, chest, and back, with cloth patched on my abdomen where stitches had been applied for the deeper gashes, and a split on my right leg to set the bone.