I stab in the face of danger - Dragonslayer

Consciousness crept back inside, and Garvin coughed loudly. He tried to get up, but felt too weak to do so. Somehow he was laying on the cobblestones, that felt surprisingly warm. Slowly he started to notice the roaring sounds of.. was it the sea? It sounded like water. But that didn’t explain the heat.

Of a sudden, he was pulled up. The heat started to lessen. The roaring got more quiet.

‘Laddie, are you okay?’ a gravelled voice asked. He sounded like he just smoked a pipe for the first time.

‘I need to go to the Second Wind. Tell Ammelid..’ Garvin muttered. He coughed and all his muscles hurt while he did.

The world bounced in a very weird way. But the air became more easy to breath over time. His teeth rattled at the rhythm of the bouncing. After a while, he realised it was because someone was carrying him.

A door opened.

‘We need to act quick,’ Garvin heard.

When he woke up, Garvin found himself in his bed and not being able to breath nasally. Also, what was even more bizarre, he seemed to be wrapped up in green, slimy stuff. His whole right side, at least. His face felt like they used his head as an anvil. Anvil.. The blacksmith! Garvin tried to recall how he got here.

He tried to get up, but his whole body screamed for him not to move. Then he remembered the fire. The roaring fire that devoured all in its path and send plumes of darkness in the sky. The same darkness that had infiltrated his lungs.

‘Maegis!’ he tried to yell, though it ended up in a hurtful cough.

It was, however, enough to reach him. The large man came in quickly and sat himself on a brown chair Garvin had never seen before.

‘My boy. How my heart broke when I saw you, lying on the street engulfed by flames. I am so grateful you are still with us.’

‘What happened?’ Garvin asked.

‘Ha! What happened you asked?’ Maegis exclaimed as he looked him directly in the eyes. ‘Pure irony.’

Garvin looked at his patron questionably.

‘It was the Dragonslayer! He started the fire, almost laying waste to the city. Almost killing you in the process! When I found you I personally carried you to the local witch, who healed you as good as she could. With a bit of luck, the repercussions shouldn’t be too life-changing. But I wanted to ask you the same question if you feel like answering them, what do you remember?’

Garvin tried to make sense of his thoughts, for a moment. Then he told them everything that happened. About the sword, about the guards and the blacksmith. And about how he got locked up in the backroom. In between him explaining everything, Maegis gave him a glass of water. Garvin coughed.

‘But I don't understand how I ended up on the streets.’

Maegis got up and walked towards the large window. His hands were plied together behind his back as he watched the skyline of Greed.

‘I am afraid I cannot answer that question either.’ Maegis muttered. ‘But I can say, however, that he will be punished for these and previous crimes.’

‘Punished?’ Garvin asked.

‘Yes, his punished shall be death.’

Garvin coughed. ‘When?’ he asked.

‘In three days. But worry not about that. Stay in your bed and slowly recover from your wounds. If it makes you feel better, I will send you his head!’ he said half jokingly.

Garvin asked him if Ammelid was alright, and Maegis said he was.

‘He is devastated of course, for losing his home and all many of his valuables. But I think he will be fine, he still has plenty of recourses left.’

‘Maegis?’

‘Yes, lad?’

‘Thank you for saving me.’

‘Don’t you worry about that, my boy. I haven’t told you this, but you remind me of my boy.’ Without saying more, Maegis shut the door behind him, leaving garvin alone with his sleepy thoughts.

The next day, garvin could finally push himself to get up. The green bandages must have worked like a charm, Garvin thought. He reached for the glass of water sitting on the nightstand next to him. It was still early in the morning as he wondered what to do. He thought of writing in his book, and as he eyed over the furniture he realised it had perished in the fire. His book was gone. Garvin pushed himself off the bed with both hands, trying not to move his back any more than necessary. He walked over to the table and searched his book under a stack of paper. There was nothing but paper. Franticly, now he moved to the shelves. He pulled out almost every book, tossing them on the ground. Nothing. Internally he cursed. Garvin realised that he lost a friend. More like he lost the only friend he had.

There was a knock on the door. Garvin slumped to his bed and sat down.

‘Enter!’

Forth came a lady the like he had never seen before. She was large and carried a long walking cane. She wore many layers of countless shades of green. Her hair was dark grey yet she didn’t look that old. Her eyes were green and bright like sunshine trough new leaves. Somehow, Garvin couldn't make sense of what he saw. But then again, the woman moved in such a natural way that he almost felt weird for thinking that.

All witches

‘How is he feeling?’ she asked. Which stunned him slightly.

‘Better.’

‘Good, good.’ She looked at all the books lying on the floor. ‘So, you can get up already?’

Garvin nodded.

‘What with the long face? Be glad you’re alive!’

Garvin wasn’t interested in small talk. He crossed his arms.

‘I see. Well, I just wanted to check on you, so I did. So I can go now.’

‘But,’ garvin stammered. ‘Don’t you need to check the bandages?’

‘Ah, now he does want help! I only help people who want to be alive, boy. So what’s it gonna be?’

‘Yes, madam. Excuse me.’

‘Seraphine will do.’ With that, she came closer and not before long, she peeled off the green bandages.

‘Your nose will heal faster than your burns. But I am afraid they are both permanent in a way.’

Garvin first smelled this weird mix of salt and fish, then the blisters that came off with the bandage.

‘What is that?’ he yelled.

‘A natural remedy. Very effective against these kinds of wounds. Though, yes, they smell.’

That was an understatement. Garvin looked at his side and saw pink skin, among the blisters.

‘Oh!’ he exclaimed. As he felt his stomach turn.

‘Be happy you survived it!’ she just muttered.

Garvin had never met a witch before, but he didn’t think they would be so bloody positive.

‘Fine, something else?’ he asked after sighing loudly and Seraphine not getting the apparent message.

‘I head they are going to kill the Dragonslayer,’ she said lightly. ‘Chop his head right off.’

‘Yes.’

She looked at him, as if she could read his entire story in his eyes. This time he didn’t look away. He was tired of everyone treating him like a child.

She averted her eyes first. Her eyes fell on a book. Heroes throughout the centuries was the title. It has a black cover and silver letters.

‘You know what? I don't think he deserves to die.’

‘Why not? If everyone unanimously agrees, there must be a point. I’m sure he deserves what he gets,’ Garvin concluded.

‘I believe in second chances.’

‘It doesn't matter. Its not like I can change it anyways.’

‘But what if you could? Would you do it?’

‘Do what?’

‘Save him.’

‘Me? I can’t even walk. By the time I am out of my bed, he will be food for the ravens.’

‘I think you ought to talk to him, in the dungeons,’ she said, looking at him with her bright eyes as if conveying a message. ‘Before the sentence is carried out. You know, when you have still time to thank him.’

‘Thank him? For what?’ Garvin muttered.

‘Is it not obvious? It was he who pulled you out of the building.’

‘Not true,’ Garvin said. ‘Maegis found me laying on the street!’

‘And how did you get there? I understand that memory is still vague for you. It is hidden in the clouds of your mind. But it is clear to me as moonlight.’

‘But why did he save me, then?’

‘That is something you need to ask him,’ she said as she picked up the book and placed it back on the shelve. She stooped so deep, her knuckles becoming white around the cane.

‘You know what? You should try to release him.’

‘Release him? How?’

‘I can help you. But you need to try it the right way first. Go to his trial, and stand up for him.’

What Garvin heard was; go against the whole town. Go and tell the town the man that almost cooked you alive is actually the good guy in all this.

‘If you want to see him freed, do it yourself. You’re a witch, I’m sure you can do better than me.’

She sighed.

‘Tell them you wont heal anyone anymore if they don't let him go.’

‘I can’t mingle in this, boy. I work for the collective. It is always our priority.’

Garvin didn't bother to ask who that “our” might be.

‘Maybe it’s for the best.’

‘Realise that only heroes can stand up for the individual.’ With these words, she left.

Garvin sighed as he looked at his blistering wounds. Then his eyes went over the one book on the shelve. Heroes throughout the ages. He was no hero.