Darkness and Hellfire

Chapter 24 Then Rise Lady V’Nova.

Lenna dropped to her knees next to her savior. She quickly undid the straps holding her left gauntlet on, it was covered in blood and insides from at least one of the wolves, and frantically looked around for her backpack. “Use my shirt.” The man said weakly.

Lenna started ripping his armor off as quickly and gently as she could. Once the top half of it was off she tore his shirt open, from the armpit on the wounded side to where it was cut open and then again from the bottom of that opening, to its bottom end. The entire time making sure not to make him move his hand that was sealing most of his blood inside.

She took off his shirt and tore some strips off of it. She tied the strips into a rope. She took the rest of the cloth and folded it into a square pad. She gently moved the pad under his hand. He winced but didn’t otherwise react. Lenna tied the padding in place with the shirt-rope.

—

Isaac was barely coherent at this point. He wanted to sleep but he knew instinctively that it would be a bad idea. The knight had just finished tying a makeshift bandage on. His hand was still loosely pressing on his wound. Then he heard something that brought some clarity to his mind for a moment.

A voice. To Isaac it was the greatest thing he’d ever heard. Maybe it was the three or so days of solitude and his current state at the brink of losing consciousness, probably forever, but he felt as if a goddess was speaking to him. “Don’t move.” She ordered.

Her voice was unlike anything he had ever heard. It was smooth and deep. Rich and sweet. It reminded him of honeyed mead. Like syrup or maybe hazelnut chocolate. He hadn’t even had any of those things since coming to this world but those were the thoughts running through his mildly delirious mind.

She left him for a little while. He couldn’t tell how long but he was struggling to stay awake. If one could even call what he was at that moment awake.

—

Lenna found her backpack and pulled out a blanket. She wrapped his cloak around him tightly and then wrapped her blanket around that. “Lay down.” She ordered and helped him lay on his back. “Keep pressure on it. I need to meditate to get enough mana to heal you.”

She closed her eyes and began taking in as much mana as she could. It was a slow process but she didn’t need much. Just enough to keep him from bleeding to death would be fine for now.

A few minutes later she opened her eyes and checked on him. What she saw didn’t make any sense. The darkness itself had almost solidified around his side. It seeped through the blanket, cloak, and bandage. She moved the blanket and cloak out of the way so she could get her bare hand as close to the wound as possible. He had stopped bleeding. He was also unconscious which wasn’t a good sign.

She sent a light pulse of mana into him and felt for his injury. His kidney had the slightest scratch on it but nothing worse. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and poured healing into him towards the open wound. It sealed, not well, and not quite completely but it was as much as she could do for now.

Lenna covered him again in the cloak and blanket. He stirred. “Backpack. Came from.” He whispered. She went towards where she had seen him come from and sure enough on the ground was a mostly empty backpack. He was out of water and low on food from the looks of it.

She was looking for a healing potion or something that could actually help him but she found nothing. She brought it back with her and laid out his bedroll. She meditated for a bit longer and then healed the injury again.

Feeling his wound was closed completely, she gently picked him up and put him on his bedroll. He needed to be off the cold ground. She felt his head. He was cold and clammy but breathing. ‘He’s in shock’ She thought. She raised his legs and put their backpacks under them to increase the blood going to vital organs.

With the wound closed all she could do was pray to Lua that he would survive. She closed her eyes and sent a quick prayer. Then she sat next to him and meditated to recover as much of her strength as possible. There was no telling when something might smell the blood and come looking for dinner.

—

Isaac was cold. And damp. But mostly cold. He opened his eyes and felt the world start spinning. “Bad idea.” He whispered. He heard movement and then felt a hand under his head. It raised his head and then a waterskin was pressed to his lips.

He heard that lovely voice again say to him: “Drink. Only a sip.” He did as she instructed and took a sip. Once he swallowed she laid him back down. “How do you feel?” She asked.

“Like I’m, spinning.” He replied wistfully.

“I’ll keep giving you water every few minutes. Food as well in an hour.” She replied curtly. He nodded weakly and drifted off.

—

Lenna woke him to give him water every ten minutes or as close as she could without a timekeeper. She gave him some of her military rations she had saved. They tasted bland and they were dry as hell but they were full of nutrients and iron which he desperately needed.

A few hours in and she was starting to lose a battle. This battle was her battle of consciousness. She had been awake for days and even though elves didn’t ‘need’ to sleep they still needed proper rest and that was something she hadn’t had in over a week. She left a waterskin and some of her rations next to him and set her back against the wall. Sleep was going to take her sooner or later and she would prefer it was now than when a monster had shown up.

—

Isaac finally had his head back on his shoulders. He was starting to get hot which he hoped was a good sign. He opened his eyes and much to his surprise he could see. His darkvision was still active. He decided to think more about that later. He tried to sit up but the best he could do was get his elbows under him. His feet were up on a pair of backpacks and the knight was sleeping against the wall. He looked to his side and saw the food and water.

He slowly turned and carefully took a drink of water. He was shaky but at least he was alive. His wound was gone but a ton of blood had dried on his side and it itched. He slowly got the meal, which tasted like saw dust and rust, down and then laid back down. He let out a sigh.

The knight stirred and looked around scanning the cavern then looked at him. He gave her a weak smile. “Help me sit up? If I lay down any longer I’m gonna fuse with the ground.” He joked. She got up and helped him sit up and lean against the wall. His cloak and her blanket between him and the stone. He left the front open so he could cool off.

“Thanks. For saving me.” He said to her and turned to gaze into her sharp silver eyes.

She shook her head. “No.” She searched his eyes for a moment. “Thank you for saving me.”

He smiled and replied: “Then you saved me so we are even.”

“No.” She took a breath. “You were injured while saving me. That makes my debt to you even greater.”

“It’s my fault I got hit. I didn’t think wolves could react that fast. Most of them are kinda dumb.” He replied while weakly waving her off.

She got to her feet and walked around to stand in front of him. She knelt down.

—

Lenna knew in her heart that this man was the reason Lua had sent her here. She didn’t know why or how he would be the key to her better life but she knew he was the start. The timing was too perfect. If he had been a minute slower or if she would have been ten minutes slower than they would have missed each other.

As she knelt down in front of him she knew that what she was doing was a risk. A risk that she was sure her goddess would want her to take. She bowed her head towards him. “I, Lenna V’Nova, of house V’Nova. Heiress to the title of Guardian of Contantis. Oath of… Oathbreaker Paladin. Servant of Lua. Swear to protect you and yours until my debt is paid. A debt of two lives, mine that was saved and yours that was almost lost in the process, or the end of your natural life.”

—

Isaac just stared at her. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure what would happen after he went to help her but this was certainly not anywhere near what he thought might happen. “I… Um…” His mind was racing, or at least trying to, but coming up blank. “I didn’t help you because I thought this would happen. I don’t know how to respond.” He replied honestly. Her forwardness had caught him completely off guard.

“All the more reason than. I shall be your sword and your shield. If you would have me. I am a knight, and know not another way to repay this debt.” She replied.

“Alright. You don’t even know my name though. What if I’m some crazy person who… I don’t know, it doesn’t matter. What if I’m gonna sacrifice you or something?” Isaac replied, still trying to process what was happening. ‘Well I guess I am a noble right? Maybe I should have a guard.’ He thought.

“Are you?” She asked without looking up.

“No, but it’s still something you should have thought about.” He took a deep breath and gathered his strength. He used the wall to slowly help him stand. Once mostly upright and on his feet he looked down at her. She hadn’t moved the entire time.

“I, Lord Isaac Wexler, exiled noble, dark mage, accept your service under one condition.” He told her while matching her formal declaration.

“Of course my Lord.” She replied immediately.

“Everything pertaining to my abilities and magics must remain a secret. Any secrets I tell you or you discover on your own that pertain to me will go with you to the grave. You shall tell no being, living, dead, or otherwise these things.” He commanded.

“It is my honor to serve, Lord Wexler.” She responded.

“Then rise Lady V’Nova.” She did as he said and rose to her full height. Isaac figured she was about his height if they were both standing straight. He, however, was having trouble staying standing at all. He felt the strength in his knees wavering. His face softened and then turned to a grimace as he struggled to stay standing. “Alright help me sit back down.”

She took a quick step forward and then her solid form lowered him slowly to the ground. “Thanks.” He said. She just nodded then looked around.

“Finish this.” She told him and handed him another ration. “Then half of this.” She handed him her last bit of water. He nodded and started to eat. “That’s the last of the water. Where were you going that you were traveling so light?”

“There’s a town a few hours that way.” Isaac told her and gestured down a tunnel.

“A human town?” She asked.

“Yeah.” He mumbled with a full mouth.

“I see. I will take you there then.” She responded.