Reign of Discord

13

The calamity of that evening had faded from his mind. He couldn't seem to recall how he had gotten where he was, how all that time passed and he couldn't remember a thing. But slowly he came into consciousness and he could hear his dull surroundings, feel the presence of the man on the ground beside him, and he didn't have time to spare in naivety.

"What- what happened?" Jayce asked, out of breath after attempting to stand up too quick and panic in the air around him.

"Shh, stay down. We're not out of danger yet," Alek replied, his tone deathly low.

"But...what-"

"You almost died back there, buddy. And it's not going to happen again," He said, one hand on Jayce's chest and another on gripping his sword terribly tight. Flashes of the battle came to Jayce momentarily, and his head ached. He remembered seeing dead bodies lying on the ground. He remembered freezing up.

"Your injured," Alek motioned, and Jayce had a moment to acknowledge the pain on his arm. Looking over at it, covered in blood and ragged pieces of skin, he wondered how it was still even attached.

"Alek...you are too..." Jayce tried, seeing at last the large gash on his side, still fresh with blood.

"It's fine, we'll be fine," He responded, shaking his head and blinking away tears that had just started to form. Jayce sat up quickly, wondering what was the matter. Alek had never broke down before. But another flash of memories brought him to see something else.

There was so many bodies already dead by the time the line of fire had approached them. Alek fought with ease, taking down those that dared challenge him. But Jayce couldn't say the same for himself.

He fought hard with his first opponent, swinging his long sword roughly and barely able to dodge responding attacks. They came at him too fast and he couldn't seem to react fast enough to keep up. An elbow to the chin and a slice at the knee later, he wasn't able to stand upright.

And in the middle of the battlefield, Alek hadn't taken his eyes away from Jayce. Seeing him falling was the perfect distraction for the crowd of other soldiers in line for him. They attacked him so viciously but he kept his head up. Struggling to catch up to Jayce, he kept being interrupted. Two more soldiers had teamed up on Jayce, enjoying the ferocity they could showcase on the weak young soldier.

But seeing his blood created a fury in Alek that couldn't be withheld. He called out of others to help but they laughed, Jayce distinctly remembered hearing their laughs, so clear, so sinister. They mocked him and walked on, searching coldly for other enemies to strike down.

Alek and Jayce were so helpless. Jayce was on the ground, being sliced at effortlessly before Alek pushed his way through to get to him. Then Jayce had returned to the present.

Tears were running down Alek's face, his previously calm figure fading.

"We'll be fine. We're going to make it," He kept saying, covering his mouth as he sobbed. Jayce, grunting, sat up.

"Those bastards," Jayce spat, forcing himself up and reaching to grasp the handle of his sword before realizing it was no longer strapped to his hip. Alek, on his knees, looked up hopelessly at Jayce, begging him to stay with his only one look. His face was covered in tears and blood and his body shook. Jayce held his injured arm to his chest, and fell to his knees beside Alek, knowing there was nothing more he could do in the fight.

Looking off over the hill they rested on, Jayce saw the battle continue. There was yelling and screaming and so much bloodshed. But Jayce had too many questions and they couldn't wait.