The Dragon King

Chapter Fifteen

Meadowpeak

    Levi was jolted awake when someone shook his shoulders. The first thing he felt when his eyes popped open was how much agony he was in.

    He gritted his teeth, and let out a grunt as he lifted his hand that had fallen to his lap during his sleep. His vision was blurred, but he noticed it covered in dried blood.

    He felt something hard pressing against his shoulder. He turned his head to see two hands pressed firmly against his wound. He turned his gaze, and squinted his eyes to see Elyssa's face. Though, she looked worried as she frantically searched from left to right.

    It was at that moment that he felt just how fast his heart was beating, and how badly his head ached. He shook his head trying to chase the fog away and remember what had happened.

    "What..." He tried speaking, but found it complicated as he panted. "Where—"

    "Shh, shh, shh," Elyssa hurriedly shushed.

    A twig breaking in the distance caused him to jerk his head to the right. What was that? What was going on? Why was Elyssa shushing him? He wanted answers, but it was best to wait until Elyssa thought it was safe.

    Minutes passed. Long minutes. He felt himself growing weaker. No doubt from how much blood he had lost. Was he bleeding out all night long? When had he fallen asleep?

    Elyssa cringed as she carefully, and slowly climbed to her feet. She pushed back their leaf canopy barely an inch. Just enough to peek through. What was she looking for?

    She crouched back down, hooked her arm under his bad one along with continuing to apply pressure to his wound. She pulled him upward, and he bit his lip trying his best not to scream out from the pain that recked his body.

    He leaned against the tree as he inched himself upward, his legs shook as he pushed himself higher.

    Elyssa pulled the canopy back an inch one more time, and had a look around. It was a quick peek. She threw the canopy off, and swiftly dragged him along in the opposite direction from the sound he had heard earlier. He couldn't help but realize how hunched over she was making him hunched as well.

    They continued half running half walking for what seemed like a long time. When were they going to stop? When was she going to talk to him and tell him what was happening? What were they running from?

    Levi continued until he could barely feel his legs. They wobbled and buckled underneath him sending him to the forest ground, his bad arm arching as Elyssa tried to hold on.

    It took every last bit of strength within to keep from screaming, but not enough to keep from cringing. He had never experienced pain this bad before, and that was saying a lot coming from a household with Snow who tortured him daily.

    Eventually, Elyssa let go, and crouched beside him. He sat there on his hands and knees, trying not to put much weight on his wounded arm, and breathed in and out rapidly as he tried catching his breathe.

    "Come on, Levi!" Elyssa urged, tugging on his elbow. "We have to hurry!"

    Levi slowly shook his head, his body beginning to shake. "I can't. I don't have any strength left."

    Elyssa knelt lower to his face. "You have to try."

    He turned and looked at her realizing for the first time how pale she looked too. It was then he remembered the beatings she had taken. How, whom he assumed was, Cinderella who had shot him with an arrow.