Anathema, Enemies and Others.

2 Losses and Gains

With the immediate threat to Emplacement Two neutralized and the surviving members of the crew dousing the flames the attack had started, I looked to Emplacement Three.  Trebuchet Three was fully engulfed in flames, heavy smoke pouring into the sky.  I could tell from where I stood that nothing would save the engine for future use.  Even the expensive Iron Wood beams that we kept from engagement to engagement for the stops and throwing arm were burning.  Nevertheless, I started towards Emplacement Three to see what could be done, but stopped when I saw Ensign White and Sgt. Gex approaching with several stretchers being carried by the crew for engine three coming towards my position at Emplacement Two.  A quick glance to Emplacements One and Four showed both continuing their assigned task of making a breach at least sixty feet wide in the city’s wall.  So I returned my attentions to squaring away Emplacement Two.

“Captain, Sky,” the Ensign began her report as Sgt. Gex saw to settling the wounded and crew from Emplacement Three, “we’ve lost Engine Three though the crew and guards are mostly well we only lost three engineers and five guards.  I misread the danger posed by the Dragon-Bloodeds’ attack, Sir.  I assumed the Fire-Aspected one was the greater threat.  My apologies, Sir!”

“No apologies needed Ensign.  I made the same assumption.  That’s why I seconded your orders and chose to face this foe and left the defense of Emplacement Three to you and Gex.  How did the Air-Aspect cause such rapid spread of the flames?  Do you know?”

“Sir, His troops and he were carrying vessels of Ardent Lover’s Embrace Resin (Note: a magical napalm).  After having smashed several vessel of it against the engine’s framing the Dragon-Blood made updrafts of wind to spread the fire quickly to the beams and rigging.  By the time we brought him down with crossbows and arbalests he had the Iron Wood components burning, Sir.”

“So, Plan B worked!  Just not quickly enough to stop his attack; imaginative use of his powers, though; pity you had to kill him, Ensign.”

“Umm . . . he’s still alive, I think, Sir,” she replied and pointed to one to the stretchers her crew had carried over from emplacement three.

The Dragon-Blooded are tough creatures.  The white-haired, young looking man was still breathing, though the red froth coming from his mouth indicated a lung injury that could well be fatal even to one of his kind.  He still had a crossbow bolt in his chest when I examined him.  “I made the decision to leave that bolt in place, Sir.  I remember you once said that an arrow that close to the heart could do more damage being pulled than left in place, Sir,” Ensign White supplied while I looked the Child of Mela over.   “He took two arbalest bolts and a half dozen crossbow bolts to bring down, Sir.  He fought bravely and . . . that is . . . I couldn’t leave him to die on the field unattended, Sir!”

Ensign White was a scion of a Lookshy Gens and her sense of kinship to the Dragon-Blooded showed in her expression, “Of course you couldn’t, Ensign!  Let’s see if we can keep him alive, shall we?”  The Ensign’s face showed a slight relief from her concern, “Find Melaine.  She should be with the Doctors in the Medical tents.  Tell her to fetch me the Satchel of Healing and potions bag from my tent and get it here as fast as possible.  Run, Ensign!  Sgt. Gex,  inside my foot-locker in my tent are several boxes of light colored wood about a foot on a side and two inches deep, bring me two of them.  Go!”

While my two subordinates were off on their tasks I applied my medical skills and healing charms to the injured Prince of the Earth to stabilize his condition and that of the other injured soldiers who were brought to my location.  There were apprentice doctors and thaumaturges arriving on the scene now and they would be able to use some of the potions that Melaine would bring to help the wounded.  Thaumaturgy is too weak a magic to help the Dragon-Blooded, but the Satchel of Healing that Melaine was fetching to me was an artifact of great power and would allow me to heal them much quicker than normal.

It took a bit over a half an hour for Melaine, White and Gex to return with the items I requested.  I set to work immediately on the wounded Air-Aspected Dragon-Blood, now having the tools to remove the crossbow bolt form his chest without killing him in the process.  When I was satisfied that he wouldn’t die, I examined the Fire-Aspected woman.  I’d cracked her sternum and three ribs and given her a mild concussion, but none of her wounds were life threatening.  Though, she would certainly hurt for the next few days.  Now was an ideal time to use the artifacts that I had Gex fetch from my foot locker.  I opened one of the boxes and removed the torque like collar within and placed it on the Fire-Aspected Dragon-Blooded woman.  It took several minutes to attune the device.  But once that was accomplished I knew that she was under my control.  The second collar went on the Air-Aspected Dragon-Blooded man and then I was ready to sleep a while to recover the essence I had spent on the fight and aftermath.  “Sergeant Gex!” I called.

He appeared in seconds, “Sir?”

“Set up two new tents near mine.  Set guards and an attendant inside each  to keep an eye on these two,,” I gestured to the two unconscious Dragon-Blooded prisoners, “and have them wake me the moment either shows signs of waking.  Have her sword carted down and ground it between her tent and mine.  The other one's weapons and their armors an be stored in the ammunition bunker for now.  I’m going to get some sleep Sergeant.  Wake me in nine hours, if neither of these two gives cause to have me woken earlier.”

“Aye-Aye, Sir!”