'First these damn Trogs and now undead?! What the hell is going on?'
Sir Christian slashed at another walking skeleton and kicked a Trog off one of his soldiers as he advanced towards Cuthbert's cell.
The Trogs didn't seem surprised by the skeletons' arrival, but showed no sign of cooperating with them either. That confused Sir Christian even more.
The troglodytes chewed the limbs off both the living and the walking dead.
He decided to disregard the reason they were there and focused his energy on making sure Cuthbert stayed safe through all this. 'Why else would we be attacked by undead if not for him?'
As he ran to his destination, he snatched a horse running in circles as his dead rider was dragged behind it. He sheathed his sword and took the bow from the recently departed before cutting him from the reins. He calmed the beast and spurred it toward the cell at full gallop. A mounted unit was already there, but the guard on duty was nowhere in sight.
'Damn, looks like they already made it to him.' Christian didn't take the chance to find out whether the unknown rider was friend or foe. Taking aim he let loose an arrow towards the mysterious rider. He quickly dropped the bow and unsheathed his sword to prepare for the follow up. There was no time for another shot. The arrow seemed to have landed its target, but the rider didn't respond at all to it. As he got closer, he noticed the arrow shot was protruding through the rider's right shoulder. Yet there was no attempt at trying to remove it.
'Whatever they're doing must be important if that arrow can wait.'
Christian didn't hesitate. He drove his sword cleanly through the rider's side. A screech pierced through the night as the unknown rider fell to the floor rolling in pain.
"You shouldn't have done that child, I wasn't finished yet!", hissed the rider as he began to take note of the harm on his side and right shoulder.
"Like hell if I'd let you finish whatever you were doing!" Christian circled back to the fallen enemy and galloped over the body before it had time to get back up. As soon as the horse finished his task, he leaped off to deliver the final blow with his sword. He flipped his sword to an underhand grip and raised his sword above his head with both hands gripping the handle but stopped short of his attack as he realized there was also a muffled bone chilling screech coming from inside the cell as well.
"It seems like I had enough time after all. Shishishishi", The rider's skin was pale as tallow, his eyes burning with sickly green light, it struggled to laugh but didn't show any signs of stopping. The wounds on his body were hissed with a glowing green fog.
Sir Christian slammed his sword into the rider's chest, "What did you do to Cuth–", but before he could interrogate him, the side of the cell erupted in an explosion, hurling them both into the dirt. A high-pitched ringing swallowed the world as Sir Christian ignored the splinters and cuts from the small explosion while getting back on his feet. A surge of pain ran down his left leg as blood ran warm down his thigh but he did his best to stand regardless.
The ringing in his ears and the cloud of dust that formed from the explosion made it hard for Christian to orientate himself.
"Help!" Cuthbert's terrified voice penetrated the thick cloud of dust.
"*Cough…cough* Cuthbert! Are you okay? Where are you?" Christian tried to make his way towards Cuthbert's voice but found that his left leg was giving him trouble. From a quick glance over he could see a huge piece of splintered wood lodged itself in his thigh. He did his best to inch his way forward without removing the wood. He wouldn't bleed out before finding his friend.
"Arrrggg… Stop it. Leave me alone!" Cuthbert yelled. Christian hesitated for a second as he imagined he heard Cuthbert's voice with a grating undertone under his actual voice. He chalked it up to the explosion causing more damage to his hearing than just the ringing.
"This is no time to still be angry with me, Cuth. We need to get you to safety." The cloud started to thin out and Christian could start to see the silhouette of Cuthbert a few feet in front of him grabbing his head writhing in pain while shrouded with the Void tarp that was used to cover his cell. Christian grabbed Cuthbert by the shoulder and spun him around. Cuthbert was terrified with tears rolling down his face.
" Please Christian. Kill me. Kill me now!", Cuthbert continued to writhe in pain before fainting in Sir Christians arms.
"Don't be ridiculous, friend, I never planned to let you die." Sir Christian whistled twice before he could hear the horse that he came on, galloping back to him. He did his best to walk towards it before it stationed itself in front of him. Every movement sent a jolt through his thigh. He gritted his teeth and dragged Cuthbert over the saddle. It took him a while to adjust his friend with his leg pulsing, but he managed before climbing on as well. Blood smeared the gray coat of the mare with his thigh resting against the horse's chest.
The chaos was his chance. He wouldn't let them execute Cuthbert.
"At least I won't have to come up with my own escape plan."
Sir Christian stared out at the ongoing battle. He felt guilty leaving his men behind but knew they'd be able to manage this little scrimmage that unfolded tonight. It already looked like the surprise element of the attack didn't hold the advantage for too long. His men were already in formation and pushing back both enemies.
Blood slicked his grip, but he didn't let go as he pressed the horse forward and moved away from the conflict occurring nearby. As the horse started to move, he could feel Cuthbert waking up behind him. A few grating and groaning coming from Cuthbert concerned him a bit. "Hey Cuth, are you alright? That guy didn't hurt you did--- " Christian coughed up blood before he could finish asking. Pain lanced through his side, hot and sharp.
He looked down. Cuthbert's trembling hand was buried in his ribs. He gazed at Cuthbert in disbelief but only found darkness veiling his friends face as the poor man whimpered underneath the shadows for what he did.
"Kill him.Gahhhh! Run Chri-- AARRGH!"
Self-preservation kicked in. Agony lanced up his thigh as he rolled from the saddle, hitting the ground hard. The startled horse galloped off into the nearby woods with Cuthbert still mounted.
Staring up at the moon Christian could hear another horse galloping in the direction that Cuthbert was heading.
"It seems like my make-shift escape wouldn't have been as easy as he thought."
He didn't have enough energy to pursue it as he seethed from his injured leg. So he quietly recited a verse from The Divine Text to distract him from the pain.
"The path of the just is shadowed on every side
by the greed of the corrupt and the cruelty of wicked creatures.
Blessed is the one who, with courage and compassion,
guides the fragile through fields of despair,
for they are the guardian of their kin,
and the light for those who wander lost.
And I shall bring down upon them
a storm of reckoning and a fire unbridled,
to smite those who dare to sow ruin
upon my brothers and sisters.
And in that hour, they will understand
that justice does not sleep,
and mercy is not owed to the merciless."
He laid on the grass staring at the clouds passing over the moon, listening to the wind blow as the noise of the fading battle subsided in the distance.
He prayed for the salvation of his kin.