Fragments Gallery
To Pass the Test
The man coughed, blood spewing forth from his lips. Slowly he raised a hand and placed it against his chest below the splintered shaft of the arrow. It seemed all he had left to do was wait. He leaned his head against the wall behind him and surveyed his surroundings. He was in a small room, the walls all comprised of heavy granite blocks lit by a single brazier in a corner opposite him. It seemed bleak. He turned his attention to the roof. It was nothing more than planks and beams of old weathered wood, the smoke from the brazier drifted out gaps in the wood. Sections of the roof seemed to be on the verge of collapse. The man allowed his eyes close and he let out a long sigh.
He was motionless when the young man entered the room. With a curse a young man rushed over, sheathing the broad sword at his belt and slinging his shield over a shoulder as he went. His leather armour rustled as he knelt at the other's side. At his arrival the other man made an attempt to sit up but he sank closer to the ground.
"Master, who did this to you. I..." the young man's voice trailed off as he examined the arrow wound. From the amount of blood on the ground the other man didn't have much time left.
"There is no time for that. You ne-" his voice broke as he coughed, spraying blood across the other's armour, "You need to listen to me Calder. We have to stop them. You have to stop them."
"I need to find you a healer. You're dying."
"I know."
"I need to save you."
"No, there's no time. We're isolated. Too far away from any settlements. There's no one around here who can help me. You have to stop them. They're up ahead, three buildings down and on the second floor. You know who did this. Just as you know how to find them. Just follow the light. Succeed where I failed."
A tear slid from the apprentice's eye. He stood and tore a couple strips of fabric from his own cloak. He knelt down and wrapped a portion of the cloth around the arrow shaft. The rest of the cloth he wrapped tightly around his mentor's chest, using it to apply pressure to the wound.
"Just hold on," said the apprentice as he rose, "I'll be back as soon as I can and then we'll both get out of this. When I'm back I'll pull the arrow out bind this properly."
With a final glance over his shoulder he turned and left the room. As his apprentice left the other man sighed. Finally. He was gone.
After a few minutes had passed a young woman entered the room.
"He took the bait," she said, her voice soft, "Well done Yulan, you played your part well."
"Don't I always Kara?" replied the man with an arrogant edge to his voice.
He rose to his feet and stretched, easing the stiffness from his aching muscles. Yulan reached up and pulled the bindings loose and then he removed a patch from his shoulder; with the patch he removed some congealed ‘blood’ and the arrow shaft. Underneath was smooth unblemished skin.
"I almost thought he was going to figure it out there when he went to wrap my wound," Yulan laughed, "How could he not when he pulled off only half an arrow."
"He didn't though, that's the important part," Kara responded, "Maybe they'll catch on someday but not today. Think he'll pass the test?"
"Yes, Calder is the brightest student I've had in quite some time. He should pass."
"Good, we need more survivors."