A Court of Trickery and Salvation

Chapter Four

All three of us takes off in the direction of the village, cresting the hill that overlooks it to be met with pure carnage that almost makes me throw up. Hawke growls and quickly unsheathes his bloodstone sword before unsheathing an identical dagger strapped on his hip opposite to the sword. "Take this and stay close to Jaye. Get anyone you can to safety." I start to leave but Hawke grabs my wrist, a silent plea in his eyes before he shakes his head. "Be careful and stay alert." A command, sometimes it's hard to remember that Hawke technically is one of my superiors.

"I will. You do the same." I tell him before pulling away from him and tugging Jaye along with me into the heart of the village. My heart races against my chest and it's a battle in of itself to keep from throwing up as we pass shredded bodies. Jaye stays tucked close to my side, never once breaking contact with me. Keeping us both at ease that the other is unharmed.

"I didn't even notice it got dark! It's the middle of the day! How is this possible!" Jaye yells above the screaming that stings my ears. I can't answer, I've heard of High Lords with the power of controlling darkness but they're in Pyrthian. It has to be the Atlantian's... it has to be. It can't be them. My heart races in my chest as my panic builds into an impending panic attack. "Kayla!" Jaye's terrified voice pulls me from my spiraling, making me look up to see a Craven rushing towards us. Jaye tugs me back behind him in an instant, tearing the bloodstone dagger from my hand. Then the air is filled with the smell of blood and the sound of flesh ripping as the Craven's claws slice through Jaye's side.

"Jaye!" I scream before finally jumping back into the fight, kicking the Craven in the stomach and away from my friend. Jaye still has the bloodstone dagger so all I can do is keep them back and away from him until I get enough space to grab it. I can't look back at him, I'll panic again and it won't end well for either Jaye or I but then I feel the cool metal of the dagger in my hand. The Craven lurches forward again but this time I'm able to stab the damn thing in its head. Jaye's groan of pain snaps my attention back to him, my eyes immediately filling with tears at the sight. His side and part of his torso is torn open, blood pouring from the massive wounds. I tear off my soldier's jacket and press it to his injury, eliciting a shout of pain. More screams echo around us but I focus on pressing my jacket firmly in place, keeping the blood loss to a minimum.

"Go.. Kayla." Jaye pants out, his eyes screwed shut in pain as he weakly pushes on my arm but I shake my head. His blood has seeped through my jacket, coating my hands in the warm sticky substance. Craven snarl around me, louder than the screams as my own death seems to loom closer with every step they take.

"Kayla!!!" Hawke's panic filled roar comes from some direction I can't place, not with my head spinning from the smell of Jaye's blood filling my nose. I feel Jaye weakly push on my arm again but I shake my head then I feel something splash on the back of my hand. Is it raining? I look up at the darkened sky but see no clouds signifying rain so what... Again something splashes on my hand but this time I reach up and feel my face wet with tears. I'm crying. "Kayla!! Jaye!!" Hawke keeps yelling, the panic turning to pure terror in his voice. My attention snaps back to Jaye when I don't feel him push against my arm anymore, his breathing turning to slow rasps.

"No! No, no, no! Jaye!" I desperately chant the word, as if my command alone will stave off my friends death. The snarling gets louder but I hyper focus on the blood trailing from the side of Jaye's mouth, the color now draining from his skin. "Stay with me! Jaye!" He tilts his head slightly to the side, his brown eyes dull as he stares up at me. His hand shakily finds it's way to my cheek and I lean into it, trying to keep my sobs quiet.

"I-I... l-love.. y-you." He chokes out before he weakly pulls on the back of my head, guiding my forehead to his lips before pressing a soft kiss there. "A-and... I-I'm s-sorry... f-for not pro-protecting you from... h-him."  Fresh tears burn my eyes, the warring emotions making my chest feel like it's going to crack. The grief of losing Jaye and the embarrassment of him knowing about Crighton. I push all that away and shake my head, my forehead still resting against his as I clutch at the hand on my cheek.

"Don't apologize. Don't talk. You're going to be fine." I choke out the words through the sobs as more and more tears fall from my face, landing on his cheek. Where the hell is Hawke? Jaye's eyes flutter close and I press harder against the gaping wound, trying to will the blood to stop. "Please Jaye. Please don't leave me." I sob and keep pressing harder even as I can now feel the breath of the Craven around me. Then Jaye's breathing stops, his chest doesn't rise again and I let out a wail of pure grief and agony from the loss of my friend and the claws that shred my back. I don't move from my place huddled over Jaye, protecting his body from the teeth of the monsters around us. The sound of metal cutting through flesh rings out then I jump when I feel a pair of hands on my upper back.

"Shh Kayla." Hawke says firmly in my ear and I realize I must've been wailing that whole time from how sore my throat is and the horror in Hawke's voice. "Come on, we need to go." He chokes out when seeing Jaye's lifeless body hidden protectively under mine.

"No! I can't leave him!" I cry out, eliciting a small groan from him before he lifts me into his arms and holds on tight. "No! Stop! We can't leave him! Hawke!" I scream and thrash in his arms but he only holds me tighter, whispering what seems to be his attempt at soothing words in my ear. Soon all the fight leaves my body as the bloodloss from the huge scratches on my back takes hold and I pass out.