If Stratagor Ziras doesn't kill me, my training program will!
Every day I wake up and go through the motions, but they've figured out that I'm not a Knight. I can't ride, I can't fight, I can't do magic, and worst of all, I can't see whatever it is...
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Nothing in my body works except my eyes. I stand with feet apart and my arms rigid against my sides. Gore, guts, and blood surround me.
Lenox is bleeding from multiple gashes. The wound on his shoulder is gaping open and oozing a torrent of blood. He's favoring his left leg and his right wing is hanging down.
Take care of the blood. There's a voice in my head. Is it mine? I lift my hand and stare at the blood dripping off my fingers. Is it mine? Take care of the blood.
I stare at the massive flap of muscle and skin dangling from Lenox's shoulder. It takes both hands to lift it back into place in a lame attempt to stem the flow. I watch helplessly as blood pours through my fingers.
Shouts in the distance mean that help is finally on the way.
"Help," I croak. I'm still not breathing so my voice is barely audible. I pull in a large breath and scream, "Help! Please! Hurry!"
Lenox doesn't even twitch an ear at the noise. He should've jumped or at least moved. My panic increases with every pulse of blood that seeps over my fingers. Lenox is in serious trouble.
"Help!" I scream louder and I don't pause until the guards reach us, but they stop short because they're afraid to approach him.
I burst into tears. "Please, you have to help me. I don't know what to do. Please!"
Finally, a woman steps forward, muttering softly in Naga-Nuru. She gently places her hand on my shoulder and pulls me toward her.
I shrug her hand away and beg through fresh tears, "Please! I can't go. You have to help him."
The elf steps closer to Lenox and slowly reaches out to touch him. Lenox makes a soft noise and shuffles away from her.
"Please, Lenox. Let her help. I don't know what to do. Just stay still," I sob.
The elf tries again. She says something to her comrades. They in turn yell back to other elves who are farther away. The woman examines the worst of Lenox's wounds. He stays still until she touches a particularly sensitive area and he swings his head to snap at her. The elf backs off.
A man in the group surrounding us softly speaks to me in Naga-Nuru and waves me toward him in an attempt to coax me into going with them. I shake my head. I refuse to leave Lenox. He's going to bleed to death if we don't do something.
"Someone needs to help me," I plead. But they just wave me to them.
More elves approach on unicorns. "Please let one of them speak English," I whisper.
I almost hug Levise when she pushes her way through the crowd of soldiers, but I don't because I'm holding Lenox's shoulder together. I'm so happy a savior is here that my tears dry up.
Mr. Galnoy, the stable master and Lenox's caretaker, shoves his way through behind her and without a word to me, removes my bloody hands from Lenox's wound. He says something to Levise, who is by Lenox's wing. They're speaking Naga-Nuru so I can't tell what they're saying, but their tones suggest they're concerned.
