Ahhh...
So close...So close...
A bloodied, armoured figure, slowly limped along the stone path. His dented armour slipped from his frame and revealed his torn flesh. With each bloodied step and fractured huff, he forced himself towards an old almost run down stronghold with wooden constructs.
"You! Stop right there." A guard by the side of the door readied his spear forward.
"Who are you and what business do you have here?!" Another guard stepped forward, he raised his own spear slightly higher.
"I-I-I" The bloodied man stuttered as he forwarded his hand, blood dripped to the ground.
"Who are you?!" The guard stared at the man.
"I won't ask again!" His grip tightened on the spear.
The bloodied man, his head wavered as his eyes looked at them, his back slightly hunched over while he moved his hand closer to his chest.
Not enough strength, How would I...
An idea struck his weary neurons.
"H-Here..." He muttered and tapped on his chest. His fingers revealed a symbol behind the dirt and blood.
"What in the world..." The guard squinted his eyes as he moved in closer to the man.
"No! It could be a trap!" The other guard lowered his spear as he reached his free hand towards the guard.
The guard moved forward, ignoring the other guard's warning as he's closed in on the man. The bloodied man, barely able to stand as his body whimpered and a piece of his dented armour fell from his body.
Moving his hand to the man's breastplate, the bloodied man placed his hand on its centre and the guard's eyes focused on the symbol behind the grime.
"No...It can't be..." The guard shocked at what his eyes saw, his voice sounding shaken.
"W-What is it?" The other guard moved closer to the man, with his spear up by his chest.
"No! Wait!" The guard shouted as he put his hand in the other guard's direction.
"We have to let this man through." His face filled with dread as he placed his hand over his mouth.
"But the banquet within..." The other guard questioned as he shook his head to the door.
"Can't you see the state of this man?!" The guard shous as he pointed at the bloodied man while he droppe his spear to the ground.
"..." The other guard's neck elevated up, his lips slightly parted.
"Now come, help me lift him." The guard carried the man's arm, placing it on his shoulders. The other guard just stared at the two of them, his body subtely vibrated.
"No...I don't understand your reasons for helping this random stranger." He clenched his fist as his head faced down.
And I might never.
"You can do it yourself, I--I don't want to be involved, if anything happens." He shuddered.
The guard looked at the other one with the edges of his mouth lowered, nodding his head as he alone carried the bloodied man past the other guard.
"Weak livered boy!" The guard cursed under his breath as he reached the door. The other guard, his head still lowered but not looking back.
...
The heavy doors slowly creaked open as it tore through the idle chatter in the hall with every head turned to the door.
"Sir!" The guard barked at the top of his lungs, as the bloodied man on his body groaned.
"The king was so generous, wasn't he?" A man decorated in badges sipped his wine with his red plumped up cheeks as he spoke to a young woman. The woman he was speaking with, looked past his head at the door.
"Wha..." He turned back in her sight's direction as some of the wine in his goblet spilled onto the stone floor.
In the bloodied man's free hand, his sword dragged against the floor, loose from his grip. The people covered their ears against the screech, their eyes looked at him as if it was horrid monster.
Heh… If they think this is a sight, they should've been there.
The bloodied man thought, as his head slightly jerked up and down.
"Where's the lord?! Or the general?!" The guard shouted as he forced his grip back on the bloodied man, preventing him from slipping off.
"Anyone?!" He let out a strained shout.
---The end of chapter 1---