Legend Of Dragoon Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Dragoon II ❯ Race for Life ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Chapter 7) Race for life

Rashe'm's condition worsened. He remained stretched out on the carrier, being dragged from the forest, where the giant serpent delivered a devastating blow, to the Capital of Mille Seseau. Orrin was taking his turn of taking the ropes of the carrier, even though Aljandro was large and caring, he had his limits. The cold wasn't helping either, making the energies of the two drain faster since neither had their coats anymore. The snowy plain which they crossed benefitted in a way, the snow being slick enough to make dragging their friend easier. Since they had all lost their weapons, all they needed was for an animal to attack, and they were done for.

Not only was an animal attack a problem, when Orrin stopped to pass the rope to Al, he suddenly heard a very faint set of steps from far off. He turned to identify, but the sun came out of the clouds, creating a near white-out with the reflecting sun on the snow. He couldn't identify what was behind him, but he was sure it was coming their way. About to tell Al, he turned and saw that Al had already noticed. Without a word, they were both off and running, attempting to escape their supposed pursuer. Orrin had turned around again while running to see if he could identify what was coming, but he still couldn't. He did note that it had definitely covered some distance between its self and them. He turned around back to the front, towards the direction of his flee, when he suddenly fell and recieved a face full of snow.

Orrin picked himself up off of the ground, face covered in snow. Brushing it away, he saw that Al had stopped, yelling, "Hurry up!" but he decided to see what made him fall. Since his foot had caught on it, he found out what had made him fall, a large rock that had been hidden in the snow. He started to run to catch up with Al, noticing that the pursuer had gained even more ground. As soon as he caught up, he told Al, "Watch your step! I just fell over a rock!" Continuing on the path, away from the thing chasing them, Al and Orrin suddenly saw ahead of them a large area of many rocks like the one Orrin tripped over, only slightly bigger, still listening to the ever growing volume of the footsteps of the pursuer. The rocks were evident because they came out so much from the snow. Al, still holding the rope to the carrier Rashe'm was on, weaved left and right, avoiding the rocks. On one end of a weave, the force of the swing brought the carrier straight over a rock. Rashe'm immidiately came back to consciousness from the pain of the impact. He went over the stone exactly where he had hit the tree back in the forest.

Still half out of awareness, Rashe'm began cursing, loudly. Some of the things he said, Orrin had never heard uttered before. His reaction to Rashe'm's words made it evident that he was from a small town that would never say such things. Rashe'm ceased his utterances, and instead, he began to moan for water. Al kept repeating to him, "We don't have any. The little we had left was destroyed by that damned snake. I don't have time to make more from the snow." But Rashe'm continued to want. "Water. Please...., water. Mouth...., so dry......., please!"

Al continued to weave between the rocks, but he shouted to Orrin, "Put yer hand to his forehead when I stop, quickly. The thing after us is catching up." Al stopped, fortunately, it was just after the area of rocks ended, meaning Al wouldn't have to weave anymore. Orrin quickly put his hand to Rashe'm's forehead, just about recoiling after the contact. Rashe'm's head was really hot, compared to the cold around his hands, magnifying the heat. The contact had also made Rashe'm shudder from the cold. "Go!" Orrin shouted to let him know that he felt Rashe'm's head. Orrin then put his hand to his own head, but with the other hand. He didn't feel the same heat that he felt from Raseh'm, so he told Al, "I think he has a fever, his forehead was really hot." Al quickened in response to that. The cold was now getting to Rashe'm, for he began rambling, "Not now, mom! Five more minutes and I'll get up, I swear." Al realized what was going on, "He's getting delerious, we need to find help soon!"

Orrin turned again, trying to see if he could see what was following them, but he still couldn't see. But the thing had been slowed by the rock field, so that gave them some more time. When Orrin resumed looking forward, the sun was hidden behind some clouds, reducing snow-blindness. He decided not to turn around again, putting his efforts largely towards running. Al began to slow down, he had had enough of pulling Rashe'm for now, he was too tired. He passed the rope over to Orrin, he sturdied himself for the run with the extra weight. Although, when he tried to run, he couldn't muster the energy. He looked at Al, shaking his head that he was getting nowhere.

Orrin dropped to a sit in the snow, as did Al, from fatigue. He began to think that the cold was getting to him, that he was becoming delerious because it seemed that the footsteps behind him were now also in front of him, but with the snow-blindness gone, he saw another figure up ahead. It was a cart being led by horses, a knight atop the seat. Orrin thought for a moment, "But, does that mean that we're being followed by horses?" He turned again to see that horses had indeed been what was following them. He nudged Al, who turned around with some effort, and he said, "Well, I'll be damned! We've been running from help the whole time!"

As the horse cart from behind neared, Al and Orrin began to hear a voice coming from it, most likely the knight steering the cart. They still couldn't understand what was being said, so they waited for it to come closer. When the cart was somwhere near twenty yards away, Orrin stood up to talk to the knight. He saw that the knight was wearing a purple cloak around white armor, topping off with a cone shaped head piece, presumably a hat. The cart came to a halt about ten feet from the three travelers, the knight quickly getting out. Arriving to the scene, he asked, "What in blue blazes were you lot running for?" Orrin managed to pant out, "Not now..... our friend needs help...... in bad shape...... the snake in the forest." At hearing "snake", the knight said, "Say no more, I'll make room for you in the back of the cart."

The knight went into some of the bags residing in the cart, taking out a pillow and three blankets. He shoved the rest of the bags off, and he hailed the cart coming from the direction of the city, also ridden by a knight, to take the bags, and that he would collect them when the other knight returned. Al got up and helped the knight lay Rashe'm in the cart, all the while, Rashe'm muttered something about buttered toast. After placing the injured body in the back of the cart, Al sat in the back with him, to make sure he didn't fall out. The knight took his place back in front of the cart, but he looked at Orrin, patting the seat next to him. Orrin sat where the knight indicated, and after the knight passed out the blankets, he took the reins and started the horses.