First Aid

Hobnail's last desperate act causes death and destruction in Westmark.

24.

First Aid

 

On the Airship docking platform, Mutt, Tadd and their girlfriends had just reached the top deck when the two airships slammed into each other.

Vellie and Mandy screamed as they saw it, though they were half a mile away.

All of them watched in horror as the ships crumbled and everything fell; the arcane lights of one of the ships still functioning as the debris plummeted to the ground.     But then a cloud appeared just above the ground and the ship wreckage tumbled through it, slowing down quickly as it dropped.

"That was a spell that did that!"  Mutt said, "But there still are going to be a lot of injured people."  

He turned toward Ant, who had already drained the contents of two of the healing potions down Jevon's throat instead of watching the aerial drama.

"These two should be enough; here -- take the others and hurry over there.   They'll need all the healers they can get."

"Is Jevon going to be alright?"   Tadd asked anxiously.

Ant smiled her weird Changeling smile, "He'll live.    Go give assistance; I'll stay here with Jevon."

She handed the Halfling girls the remaining potions and the four of them rushed down the stairs of the platform to get to the accident scene.

Jevon groaned slightly and opened his eyes, blinking twice as he saw Ant before he realized that his eyes weren't foggy; he was staring into her statue-like features.

"What happened?"   He asked and she told him first about Deryck's demise, then about the fate of the two airships.

"We've got to go help them!"  He tried to sit up, but she held him down onto her lap.

"Lay still, Jevon, you were almost killed, you need to rest."

"But-"

"There will be enough people to help.   Whoever cast that spell saved a lot of fatalities from happening."

"I feel so helpless, Ant!   What can we do?"

"Pray; that would be the best thing.   I fear one of those ships held people we know."

"Oh Lord, no!"   Jevon closed his eyes and immediately began beseeching Yesh for mercy.

 

***

 

"Syndi!   Where are you?  Syndi!"  Muld yelled frantically, pushing pieces of wood off of him.    For a terrible moment no-one answered, then an arm emerged from a pile of wood nearby and he rushed to free her.    She was scratched and bruised, but alive and he hugged her fiercely.

Their joy was brief though, for they then remembered all the others aboard the ship.

They were on the roof of a large apartment building and below them on the streets they could hear shouts and calling.

A few feet away from them lay the body of one of the Elven crew of their airship.   A large piece of wood had impaled him.

"Yesh have mercy!   We've got to find my parents!   And Aloea and her baby!   And Lady Sophia, Deborah and Khord!"

There was movement from other piles of debris on the roof.    Aloea was sitting a few feet away from them, covered in dust, cradling her baby.   

Syndi cried out when she saw them, thinking that the baby was too quiet, but as she raced over to them, she saw to her relief that the Lizard-woman was nursing her son, probably to help calm him after all that happened.

Aloea looked up at Syndi and gave her a weak smile.

"Are you both okay?"   The Losasidhe princess asked and Aloea nodded.

"My parents -- have you seen them?"

Aloea shook her head.

"Over here,"  A weak voice called from the other side of the roof.   Syndi recognized the voice.    It was her father.    She and Muld ran over to him, and found him sitting up in a tangled mess of railing and wood, pulling rubble off his wife, who was just regaining consciousness.   A wicked gash in his forearm made his right hand useless.

"Daddy!  Mother!"  Syndi cried and the Queen coughed out some dust from her lungs and sat up, holding her forehead, which had a deep cut across it.

"I'm alright; how did we survive the fall?"  She asked her daughter and Muld weakly.

"Magic,"  Muld answered, "Some sort of cushioning spell."

"How many are dead?"

"So far we've seen one crew member,"  Syndi answered grimly as she examined her father's wound.

"I see Aloea and her baby,"  Her father said, "Thank Yesh they are alright.   What about Sophia, Khord and Deborah?"

"I don't know,"  Muld answered, "It looks like the debris is scattered all over."

People were rushing to the scene from all over the city, creating quite a din of excitement on the streets below.    Muld checked around the roof but found no one else.    Some of the tenants of the building that they had landed on came up on the roof and asked if they needed help.

They declined and the six of them were escorted down the stairs.    Out in the street it was a crazy scene of rescue crews with torches and magic lights running from place to place searching under piles of rubble for survivors.

They saw the corpses of one of Hobnail's wizards and were horrified to see the lifeless body of the captain of the Losasidhe ship being carried by four members of his crew.

King Eiolmoel stopped to console the crew members and to inquire the whereabouts of some of their friends.

"Most of the crew is alive,"   one man told them, "We've only found two of our men dead, other than the captain."

"What about the pirates?"   Syndi asked.

"A lot of them were thrown forward in the impact, I guess, and they fell outside of that magic cloud cushion.    Someone told me that they found Hobnail's body in a tree, two streets over."

"What about Lady Sophia, Khord and Lady Deborah?    Or our friends Rick and Shel?"

"Lady Deborah is helping with the injured, up the street.   She twisted her ankle, but is alright.    She was next to Lady Sophia when the ships hit and she told us that Sophia and Khord vanished in a flash of light when the ship crashed into us.   She said they had on Autocaster Rings."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Hopefully they are alright,"   The King said, "What about Rick and Shel?"

The man shook his head, turned to his companions and they shook their heads as well.

"We've not seen him or the Orc lady."

"Alright; thank you, young man, for your help."

"You are welcome, Your Majesty, I am very glad that all of you are alright."

"We'll be better when we learn what happened to all of those aboard our airship.    We'll keep searching for them."

The six of them did just that; checking with everyone as they slowly walked up the street.

***

 

One street over, Rick walked in a zombie-like daze, watching blankly the two merchant airships pulling alongside the remaining two pirate ships.   Even from below he could hear the pirates throwing down their weapons and surrendering.

They didn't fear the merchant airships, but the rapid approach of two of King Eleazar's new warships that were now coming across the city.

It's over, he thought, looking down at the still body of Shel that he carried against him.    She looked like she was asleep and Rick was so stunned from the crash and fall (which had occurred before they could be fully healed of their wounds from their battle with the wizards) that he wasn't sure if she was dead or alive.

He wasn't even sure if he was alive.    Warm blood rolled down the left side of his head, though he felt no pain, only a weird numbness all over.  

Up the street he carried her, limping on injured legs, lost in shock and wishing he could pray and beg God to spare his new wife.

But he could not remember how to start.     He stumbled over the body of one of Hobnail's wizards that had missed the magic cushion.   It was a gruesome sight, but he just flatly glanced at the corpse and continued on.

 

Approaching him was a large group of people, most of whom were women.    In the middle of the group was the lovely form of Queen Aurei, wearing a cloak over a nightgown with her long white hair whipping around in the wind.    The strong gusts had diminished to just a steady, rather brisk breeze.    Rick just stared at the Queen's hair and walked toward her group, not able to do or say anything else.

She recognized him and ran to him, saying something that Rick couldn't make out in his shocked state.   Her ladies-in-waiting all gasped when they saw the two of them up close.

The Queen said something else, but he only got the general sense that she was asking about Shel.   He held her out slightly and said, "She's...dead."

Aurei leaned over, placing her face close to Shel's lips for a moment, then straightened up with a gleam in her eyes and put a hand on the Orc's forehead.

"In the name of Yesh, be healed!"

Power flowed from her into Shel's still body and as it faded, he felt his wife move just slightly, though she didn't open her eyes.

His knees buckled and the women around him caught him and helped him sit down on the cold wet street.   They lifted Shel off his lap and gently laid her in front of him.    Then Queen Aurei chanted a healing spell and touched Shel again.

More healing power flowed through her; she groaned slightly and moved her head a bit.

"Get some servants to carry her into the palace,"   Aurei ordered one of her ladies, then, turning to him, she said, "She's hurt badly, but she'll live, Rick;    you need assistance as well."

"What about the others?"  Rick asked the Queen as some of Aurei’s attendants uncorked some healing potions and offered them to him.

"That's what I'm hoping to find out,"   She replied, leaving Shel and him to the care of some of her ladies-in-waiting to continue to survey the disaster site.

 

***

 

In a flash of light, Khord and Sophia appeared, standing in their quarters in the palace, both yelling as they materialized.   The last thing they had seen was the prow of the pirate ship crashing through the railing, right at them.

"We're alright, the Autocasters activated,"  Khord said to his terrified wife.

Sophia was doubled over, clutching her pregnant belly, "No...no...I don't think so!"

"Sophie?   What is it?"  Khord was at her side in a moment and as he knelt with her, he saw a pool of water at her feet.   Alarmed, he looked at her questioningly as she gasped and gulped in air.

"Yes,"  She said between gasps, "The babies are coming... go find Mom... quickly!"

"I can't leave you here like that!"

"Go get her!  Hurry, Khord!"

The Drow man paused, unsure what course of action he should take, but seeing her experience another strong contraction made up his mind for him.

He ran out into the empty hallway, yelling for servants.    All the way down the stairs he ran, frustrated that no-one seemed to be in the place.

As he raced around a corner, heading for the main entrance, he nearly collided with Zeatt and Allea, coming the other way.

"Khord!  Thank Yesh!   I thought the Autocasters might have activated.   Where is Sophia?"   The Reverend Mother's face drained of blood upon seeing the stricken look on his face.   Her hands went to her mouth, "Oh no!   Is she-"

"Yes,"  Khord answered, not understanding what she meant, "She's in labor."

"Labor!"  Zeatt and her youngest daughter said in unison.

"Up in our apartment -- the stress of the impact must have brought it on.   Her water has broken... hurry!"

That was all Zeatt had to hear.   They raced back to the bedroom to find the pregnant Sorceress sitting on the edge of the bed, gulping down air in short puffs, looking terrified.

"Momma..." She said upon seeing her mother, sounding like a scared child at that moment.

Zeatt and Allea rushed to her.

"It's alright, sweetheart, we're here!   Your babies want to see their mommy and daddy, don't be scared!"

"What...what do I do...I'm...I'm scared, momma!"

"I'm here, sweetheart, don't worry, I've delivered many babies."

"But... I... haven't!"

"You'll do fine.   Allea, sweetheart, go find us some towels and some basins of water.   If you see any of the servants, have them send a message to your father and to Aurei and Eleazar that Sophia is about to have her babies."

Allea nodded and hurried off to get everything for her Mom.

"What do I do?"  Khord asked, wringing his hands.

"Come here and take her hand, comfort her and keep her focused on breathing."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes, child, she is just in labor."

At that moment a powerful contraction hit the Drow girl and she cried out, grabbing Khord's hand so tightly that he winced in pain.

Khord looked to Zeatt with such a helpless expression that Zeatt laughed.

"Don't worry, child, it is part of life.   She'll do fine and I think it will all be over very quickly."

Sophia screamed out then, another contraction rushing over her.

Khord prayed that it would all quickly pass and vowed that he would never again allow his wife to go through such torment.