Chapter 2: Angell

Sigh.
I loosen the bindings of my armor, remove my shield, and drop my breast plate.
Today was a disaster. We should have never thought a frontal assault would work. We lost far to many soldiers and there was to much confusion.
After lighting a nearby candle. I plop onto my cot. Cupping my face with my hands I groan loudly. My muscles are screaming. My wings ache. I must have over exerted myself fighting, or maybe my fatigue is from carrying that idiot.
I look over at him.
He laid on the ground opposite of me, near my tents entrance. I kind of just dropped him there as I came in. I made sure his head landed on a something soft, seeing as he's probably suffering from a concussion.
I remove the rest of my armor as I think about what happened earlier.

In the mitts of battle as I was flying towards an advantageous position. I heard an abnormal cry from a Changeling below. It was attacking some unicorn to dumbstruck to react. I dove down to protect him, crushed the changeling under my boots. The sheer pressure from my dive threw the unicorn off his feet. He hit his head and had been unconscious ever since.
It was strange, from that first changelings screech on, all the changelings in the vicinity focused on that naked idiot. There was no way I could defend him from the sheer amount of changelings targeting him, so after shield bashing a couple I grabbed him and retreated. The changelings gave chase but I managed to fly to safety before they could catch up.

From that point on, I dragged him back to my tent so I could relieve myself of my heavy armor before finding a cleric to treat him.
I sigh again. Looking at him is just plain embarrassing. I don't know why, nor do I want to but, for some reason he is completely bare. No armor or cloths. Losing parts of ones armor during combat is understandable, but how did he end up as bare as the day he was born?!

After dressings more comfortably, I leave to get food or a cleric, which ever one comes first. I leave the idiot behind, because carrying him around would be tiring and embarrassing.

I retrieved more rations than I normally did; extra for the idiot back at my tent.
I take a bite of an apple as I strolled through camp. Twisting and turning through narrow gaps, I make my way to the medical tent. It was marked by a large red flag fluttering at the tents peak.

Entering the tent, I was greeted by the moans and groans of the injured. There were dozens. Some had flesh wounds, others were more deadly. I block them out. Ignore them. The entire tent is a strain on my mind. I sympathize for the clerics having to constantly bear this burden, fighting off death in and out of battle.
I advance towards the back of the pavilion. I look for Angell, the Head Cleric, a personal friend of mine.
In the back of the pavilion laid those with the heaviest injuries; missing limbs and other similar mortal wounds.
Clerics are rushing between patients, treating those they know they can save or comforting those they know they cant.

"GET ME CLEAN BANDAGES! WHERES THE HOT WATER I ASKED FOR?!"
It was Angell. She barked orders, as she treated wounds. Her manner during these situations were sharp and direct. I always found it ironic she was called Wars Angel, considering her personality was nearly opposite of angelic.
I stood off to the side and waited. I waited for things cool down, for live to no longer be at risk.
I approach Angell, calling for her.

"One second" she replied. She was holding a wounded soldiers hand praying.

"May the divines bless you" She finished her prayer. The soldier fell asleep, his face no longer contorting in pain.

"Silver, I'm fairly busy. What do you want?" Angell ask in a sharp tone.

"There is and injured man in my tent. I need you to check him out" I say in a flatly.

"Why didn't you bring him here? Why couldn't you fetch one of junior Cleric? Is he critically injured?" She barraged me with questions.

I sigh.
"He isn't in a condition suited to transport around camp."

"Is he dying?! Why can't you bring him here? Why did you wait til now to say something?"
Another barrage of questions.

I sigh again.
Leaning in closer, I mutter to her in a volume only heard by the two of us.
"He is not decent"

"What are you talking about?" She said obliviously.

"I said he is not decent, and your the only one I know enough to ask" I spoke again in a hushed tone.

"What?"

"He's unclothed!" I spoke aggravated by her density, still in a hushed tone.

"OH! He's Naked" Angell exclaimed. Drawing the attention of many within the tent. Opposite of what I wanted.

I grab Angell by her wrist and leave the pavilion. I am sure the other clerics can handle her absence.
We exchange words as we walk briskly back to my tent.

"Why is he naked? Did you strip him?" Angell asked, completely oblivious to our surroundings.

"No, of course not!" I answered. "He was like that when I found him"

"Do you know why he was naked?" She asked.

"No and I kind of don't want to" I say curtly, ending that part of our conversation.

"What's wrong with him? Where are his injuries?"
Angell finally started the business end our encounter.

"He has a concussion but as far as that, I really don't know. You can just find out when you see him"

"Did you not inspect him before coming to get me?" Angell asked somewhat baffled.

"No. I just can't look at him." I answered.
"I Didn't want to. I was tired and hungry." I motion towards the bag of food in my hand as I say this.

"What if he died because of your knock on the head?" Angell said mockingly

"I'm sure he'd be fi-" I pause. "Wait. How would you know I was the cause?"

"It was a guess. BUT, now I know for sure." Angell said in a whimsical tone. "You should really watch where you land."

"But-" Before I could retort, Angell enters my tent. I hate it when she does that. Always the one to get the last word.

Entering the tent, I see Angell already starting to nursing the still unconscious man. Angell took a knee next to him and began to check his condition.
I walk to my cot, take a seat, and begin eating food from the pouch I was carrying.

"Where did you say he was hurt?" Angell asked.

"A little bit all over. He was scuffed up pretty bad. Oh! Also check the back of his head, he hit it pretty hard earlier."

"Silver, when was it that you picked him up?" she asked my while inspecting his wounds.

"No more than an hour or two ago, just before sunset" I replied while chewing a bite of dried meat.

"That can't be right. The wounds are closed" She stated, "If anything, I would say he got them no less than two days ago."

"Are you saying I lied?" I questioned her half-heartily, seeing as I was more interested in the food present.

"No...." Angell begins to mutter. It's a habit she has does when treating.
"hmmmmm"
"but how could..."
"...oh my"
"but how?"

I finished the meat and had started on what fruits where left in the bag. Angell continued to mutter.

"Oh! He's awake." Angell proclaimed, sounding slightly disappointed.

What? No way. That is much to early. I am the one who knocked him out. ME. He shouldn't wake till the next day at least. I walk over to check.

"Wait. No. Don't get up." Angell pressed him.
He stood up regardless.

"Hmmpf, if he's already standing, then I guess he's fine then." I puff with some irritation.

"Silver. Don't be like that." Angell whipped. She turned to the unicorn and began to ask of his health.

"How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Any pains?" She asked in a nurturing tone as she seated him.

He looked at her saying nothing. Nearly a minute has passed.
"Well? Say something!" I erupt.

"Silver!" Angell cautions me. She turns back to him and ask again.
"Are you ok? Do you understand me?"

"e...e...et#i*@m"

What?

"umm, can you say again?" Angell asked confused.

"e*ti(am^, int()g0"

Gibberish again.

"I'm sorry. I'm not quite understanding you." Angell says frankly.

"P#eti*tis, si( intelli%gatu*r. Ego re)spo(n^di , quo*d s#ic" He speaks with a confused expression.

"Soooo......You do know what we're saying?" I ask more confused then he.

"Et%iam(" He speaks while nodding.

"Are... are you hurt anywhere? Pains, aches, discomfort?" Angell asked. She was the only one still on track.

He shakes his head as he answers, though what he spoke was unrecognizable.

Angell begins to question him.
"Can you say your name?"
He shakes his head.
"Why is that? Do you not remember?"
He shakes his head.
"Do you remember anything?"
Again, he shakes his head.

This goes on for some time. I stop paying attention soon after it began.

After it concluded Angell make the unicorn rest. She took me outside.

"From what I could gather, he is healthy physically. Or at least he will me with some rest." Angell spoke frankly.
"Mentally......well, you must have jarred his head quite hard."

"What are you implying?" I spoke defensively.

"He is at the thought level of a child."

"Mmhmm" I nod.

"Honestly I don't know how long he will survive on his own."

"Right" I acknowledge.

"I want you to take custody of him. Watch over him"

"Oka-" I catch myself mid word. "what do you mean watch over him?"

"You caused this, you need to accept the repercussions of your actions" Angell speak with authority.

"What actions? You mean saving his LIFE?!"

"Yes, but that is not the only reason."

"What? what else could I have done to him?" I argued. We began to speak simultaneously, each trying to speak above the other.

"It is not what you did, but what he is" Angell explains. "When I inspected his body, I noticed something odd."
"Does it even matter?"

"You should know everyone has a mark. Yours a shooting star, mine a red crescent."
"There's no way I'm babysitting him"

"We all gain a mark to symbolize our path in life. Our dream. Our skills. Our Jobs."
"I can't share my tent with him-"

"What I noticed was that he had no mark"
"he is a man! And I-"

"If becomes the church will KILL HIM!"
"AM A WOMAN!"

We both are panting.

Angel takes a deep breath before calmly saying.
"The Clergy labels the mark-less as harbingers of the coming apocalypse. Though I am a cleric, I am first and foremost a medical practitioner. I can't let him be killed because of some baseless myth. If anything He must be studied."

I breath heavy. She continues.
"You brought him in. And though I can not fault you for helping someone in need, I can not trust anyone else with him for now."

"Do I have any real choice in this matter?" I ask rhetorically.

"Please."

"Fine....." I conceded, "but he sleeps outside!"

Author's Note

This chapter is written from the POV of the Shiney Man from chapter 1. Sorry for the grammatical errors. Just tell me, and I will fix it.....maybekindofprobablynot.
I hope you can understand that I don't plan to write in a very orthodox manner. Everything I write was intended to have illustrations to elaborate details. Hope to put those up soon