The King of The Night

1 - The Highwayman

What was he doing here? I thought as I darted over to the fallen man. His dark clothes felt heavy in my hands, I noted. Rolling him onto his back wasn't a feat since I have had to move logs that weighed more than him. He looked to be about twenty-five rings old. There was some scaring on him. It reminded me of hills and valleys that are near where I watch over.

Based on what the Royal officials say, the man who had fallen was a highwayman. Potentially dangerous but still needed help. After doing a quick check, I figured that he wasn't armed and relatively harmless.

I knew that I needed to get him out from under the sun. It was hotter than usual and the air wouldn't let any moisture stay very long. It was a miracle that he made it as far as he did under the hot late afternoon sun.

How was I going to do this? It wasn't the physical part of moving him that was the problem, no. It was how to move him without possibly hurting even more. I am a Vita mage! Not a restoration mage or anything medic! I only knew the basics when it came to people - their skin was softer than bark, they needed water like plants, they needed to eat, and sleep. Not much else other than that!

"Do you need help?" a kind nymph from a saguaro cactus asked as he appeared at my side. He was tall and boney, like a saguaro cactus, and his voice was soft and kind like all older gentlemen that I've had the pleasure of meeting. The top of his head was covered in spines while his skin held some of the green of his plant.

"How do I move him without knowing his condition and not risking him getting caught on rocks, bones, or anything sharp?" My eyes focused on the fallen highwayman before me. For all I knew, he was dying.

"Well," he started as he fiddled with something behind me, "you do have a cape."

How could I have forgotten that I owned one? It was a recent trade with a Terra mage that I often worked with.

I giggled in delight as I kissed his forehead, mindful of the spines, and told him, "You are brilliant! Thank you!"

"You're welcome but you might want to hurry and help him. He's not going to last long in this heat." In an instant, the cape was on the ground and ready to be a makeshift sled.

It dawned on me as I started to get him on my cape, "How do I take care of him once I get to the forested area?"

"Get him to a shaded area. Check to see if he has a temperature, if he does, put a cloth with cool water on his forehead to try to bring it back down. You'll probably have to keep the water cool. He passed out. He's going to need water in his system to help him wake up. After that, have food ready for him and he should probably not do anything too extreme like try to travel cross-country."

"What do I do if I can't keep from doing something that can hurt him?" The man was on my cape and I was ready to go at any moment. "Also, why does he need water in him? You guys are doing just fine."

"First, go with him. You're the only one who knows his current condition and something might flare up later and who knows when he'll meet another good-natured soul. Second, his blood went from being like forest soil to desert soil. Help him back to the forest. Now go."

With a thank you called over my shoulder, I was well on my way.

I guess he's lucky since I found him on my way back and so close to the edge of the desert. Just a little longer and we'll be back in the grove.

By sundown, I could see the edge of the woods. Elation bloomed through me when I caught sight of it. I just hoped that I made it back in time. Something gnawed and growled in the back of my mind that this man cannot die under my watch.