Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 5

FINN

The echoes of the vamp's screech brought the house down. Literally. 

Finn dove under a thick armchair as the floor-to-ceiling mirrors covering all the walls in the chamber loomed over him before deciding to smash directly above him. With that crash, the sound was returned to a room silenced by a monster's cry. Screams and sobs drowned the noise of the other officers, attempting to restore order amongst chaos. 

Crawling out, cursing his luck to be stuck in the Tribunal today, Finn pulled the middle-aged man who, along with being short, had the misfortune to be too large to fit under the armchair, toward the lone tapestry in the rear of the room. Complaining all the way, the esquire's yells were only halted by the shriek he let out when Finn kicked him down the stone staircase. Finn grinned sardonically and he sprinted back to the chaos. The only good part about being a guard was the inevital action.

With that thought, a blow struck his head.

He fell to the ground, clutching at his cereberum. Spewing curses, he whipped his head towards the offender, an immensely obese, elderly man spread eagle on his stomach, wearing a canary-yellow robe and furiously waving a gold-headed cane in drunken circles. He rather looked like a caterpillar.

"Sorry, sir, didn't see you. I'll get you out of here!" Finn spit vengefully at the caterpillar.

The caterpillar seemed affronted. It tried to recoil, then attempted to draw itself up, though it remained horizontal.

"I am not a man, you insufferable idiot, I am Chancellor Gyran!"

Finn awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Yikes. Then he thought, Oh screw it. I'm helping her. And she really does look like a man. 

"Now's not the time to argue semantics, Chancellor. Are you hurt?"

"I don't even look like a man!"

"Are you hurt, Chancellor?"

"At least roll me right side up, if you can even do that correctly."

Finn shrugged. The immediate danger was over. He could see from the corner of his eye that stupid Garrison had gotten the vamp secured, even though he was supposed to be guarding Chancellor Gyran. All injured parties were pushed through the emergency tapestry, promptly sending them to the sterilized hospital wing. It seemed safe enough to right the self-important wheezebags who lay round the room, unhurt yet crying out for assistance. That distracted glance around the room cost him, though. With surprising accuracy, the gold serpent of the Chancellor's cane rapped him sharply again, this time in the nose.

"OWW!"

"While I'm still young, if His Highness pleases?" she ordered frigidly.

Sullenly, Finn hooked his hands beneath the woman's arms and, with difficulty, pulled her upright. She breathed heavily as she stabbed at the ground with her stick, fighting the forces of gravity. Finn felt a large package of guilt: what if the woman really was hurt? He could picture the words of his grandmother when she found out that he had ridiculed a hurt senior; rather, he could picture his grave when she was done with him. Cautiously, well out of range of the venomous cane, he hovered over the Chancellor.

"Chancellor, is there anything I can do for you? Can I fetch anyone for you?" he anxiously asked. Finn righted the overstuffed armchair and deposited Chancellor Gyran in its seat. Her next words rather cancelled out the idea that she was irreparably injured, or even handicapped.

"You detestable nitwit, my coat is crushed! That was a gift from the General."

Finally, the grumbling old virago actually looked at Finn. Finn unconciously stepped back, for the woman's face, ancient though she was, held so much resemblance to a girl he had once known, a girl he swore he had left behind years ago. The old woman, too, looked like she had seen a ghost; rather, a shadow from an unpleasant memory.