Broadswords - 27. The Draining

Broadswords

Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Draining

He found Elan's house with ease. It wasn't hard; though all of the houses on the inner streets were large and lavish, only one was flanked with ornate dragons. Kep stopped before the house, looking up at the tall white pillars that bordered the entrance. Its entirety was made of stone, ensuring far more stability than the buildings in his own neighborhood, which were a hodgepodge of wood, stone, metal, and other various materials. The vast difference of the appearances of the houses and buildings in the center of the kingdom made it feel like they were in two separate cities.

It was rare that Kep found himself in the vicinity, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Jhirdyr was a place of acceptance, and caste issues were rare. The rich didn't typically have a distaste for the poor, and vice versa. They really did all coexist. It was one of the greatest things about Jhirdyr, as most other kingdoms and cities across the continents did not have that same mentality. But Kep felt that his appearance made him stick out like a sore thumb. Considering he'd had a history of struggling to interact with others in general, being around people in a different class than his own wasn't something he really knew how to adapt to.

As such, he didn't want to stand on the street any longer than he had to. He stepped up the walkway to Elan's house and studied the doorknocker. The ring itself was a snakelike dragon, coiled in a perfect circle. He wondered if it was Elan's personal taste, or if it was standard for dragonslayer homes to be so themed on the subject. He lifted the knocker and brought it down against the metal plate three times. He wanted to ensure it was heard – who was to tell how large the home was and if the knock would be audible if it wasn't repeated.

While he waited, he let his mind wander. He was nervous for Birten. While the squire had mentioned that the trip could take longer if the slay was a difficult one, Kep had just assumed it would only take the minimum amount of time. Since it was now about three weeks since Birten had departed, Kep had begun to feel concerned. Everything was probably fine, but Birten had been the first person he'd connected to in quite some time. He knew it was natural to worry.

His knocks remained unanswered, so he repeated the action. He couldn't hear any noises from inside, though the thick stone structure probably wouldn't allow for that anyway. Maybe Elan was still asleep. Though it was a few hours past noon, it was possible. He was a bachelor after all, and with a freelance-style job. It wasn't as if he had to follow a strict schedule.

If that was the case, it annoyed Kep. They'd made the plans to meet up. If Elan couldn't ensure that he was ready on time, it didn't sit well either that he was the right man to make plans to tackle the dragons.

Considering that Kep didn't know Elan all that well yet, and also that he didn't want to be seen entering a dragonslayer's home without being granted access, he didn't feel comfortable going inside to see if Elan was indeed sleeping. Plus, houses in this area of the kingdom were likely always locked.

With a heavy sigh, he let his shoulders fall as he turned away and headed toward his side of town. He was disappointed. This whole process, scary as it was, made him feel like he was making a difference for once. He'd been looking forward to this day.

The way Elan acted the other day, he'd thought he was serious about the whole thing. It wouldn't make sense that he'd be able to hold the number one spot in the rankings if he wasn't dedicated. Unless he was just trying to shake Kep off. He stopped walking as the thought hit him. Maybe that's what it was. Elan could have decided he didn't want this random guy tagging along. Kep wasn't a skilled warrior, after all. He barely had any dragonslaying knowledge. From the perspective of someone like Elan, he could be considered a nuisance.

But Kep was the one who made the initial discovery. And it was his cave. And he was serious and devoted. If Elan was indeed trying to exclude him from the process, Kep wasn't going to take it sitting down. He'd spent too long as a passive individual, and he didn't want to let that mentality lead his life anymore. Ever since he'd started changing his outlook, he'd been happier.

He wondered if Elan had decided to head out to the cave. If that was the case, Kep would join him. He changed directions; instead of heading to the inn, he was going to go to the stables.

The stable attendant refused to let Kep know if Elan had taken his horse out of the private stables. He wasn't surprised. But he had a feeling that he was right and that the slayer had indeed made a solo trip to the cave.

Kep knew he shouldn't pay to rent a horse, as it wasn't a business need. It wasn't something that was going to help the inn in any way, and thus it wasn't money he should be spending. But he didn't want to walk all the way to the cave. He was too interested in confronting Elan. Additionally, if he was wrong, he didn't want to have to make the journey back on foot as well. So he rented one, making a mental note to not mention anything to Sal.

When he arrived at his destination, Elan's horse was standing outside of the cave. She looked slightly restless as Kep stationed his rental next to her. How long had Elan been there?

He forged ahead, letting his torch guide him. "Elan?" he called. Though he was mad at him, he also didn't want to sneak up on the slayer. That could end up badly for everyone. Still, his call wasn't reciprocated.

It wasn't long before he found his bag. It was in the middle of the ground and opened. A box lay open atop it, crafted from a form of wood Kep didn't recognize. To the right of the items, the rocks and dirt were shifted aside as if something had been dragged in that direction. Kep aimed his torch that way.

It was then that he saw Elan. He was propped up against the wall, his top half slumped over. His skin was far less pigmented than normal. The Sanguistis was in his hand.

Rushing oved, Kep fell to his knees before the downed slayer and anchored his torch into the ground. "Elan! Elan!" he yelled frantically, shaking the man's shoulders. He remained limp, his head bobbing with each shake.

Kep eyeballed the dagger. Its spike was still impaled into Elan's hand. He assumed it was the cause of this. Tentatively, he wrapped his fingers around the bandaged weapon and pulled it out of Elan's palm. A small glisten of blood freshly shone at the tip. How much of his blood had been absorbed by the thing? He tossed it aside, wanting it to be far away from him.

He shook Elan again. "Hey, are you in there?" All former irritation with Elan was out the window. He was scared for the slayer's life. Kep was no medical expert, but it seemed quite clear that the dagger had drained a lot of blood out of him. He had no idea how long Elan had been there, either, so there was no telling how much.

He put his ear to Elan's chest. Though faint, he could hear his heartbeat. He was alive, but it seemed just barely. He had to get him to an apothecary. There was no time to go back into town and bring one back. He had to find a way to get Elan back to the kingdom.

Though he wasn't anywhere near as in shape as Elan, years of maintaining the inn, carting around heavy boxes of supplies, and working with his hands in general had kept Kep's arms rather muscular. He might have had a little extra weight around his middle, but his upper body strength did exist. Considering how tall and brawny Elan was, it wasn't an easy task, but Kep somehow managed to heft him onto his mare.

Out of breath, Kep mounted his own horse and grabbed the reins of Elan's as well. He wasn't the best at horseback riding, so he hoped he could maintain both horses all the way back. He didn't have much choice. All he had to do was get him to the gates and the guards could assist from there.

The ride back took longer than Kep had hoped. He'd kept the pace brisk; he didn't want to run the risk of Elan falling off the horse if they moved too quickly. But finally, they'd neared the entrance to the kingdom.

The guards typically disregarded passersthrough except for special instances. If royalty was arriving from another kingdom, for example, or when knights or dragonslayers returned from a mission. Other than that, the guards knew who was leaving the kingdom and thus knew who to let back in. They were quite astute when it came to ensuring that they weren't allowing entrance to outsiders. As such, they would have normally let Kep and Elan through without a second glance, since they'd known Elan wasn't on a slay.

Of course, that would be the case if both men were upright. Considering Elan was doubled over, the guards took immediate notice. Kep had been expecting that of course, and needed it to happen. They could get Elan to where he needed to go.

What he hadn't been expecting, however, was their reactions. They didn't begin opening the doors as they normally did. Instead, one of them called out. "Oy, you! Who is that you've got with you?"

Kep called back nervously. "It's Elan, the dragonslayer. He's—"

But he was cut off. "What have you done to him?" The guards looked angry and accusatory. Kep wasn't unaware that their hands were on the hilts of their weapons.

"I found him like this. He's lost blood. H-He's alive, but just barely. He needs medical attention, right away," Kep responded. Finally, the guards began the process of opening the doors. He never realized how painstakingly long the process was. One of the guards took the reins from Kep and began leading the horse into the kingdom. Kep made to follow, but another guard stopped him.

"We've got it from here, kid. Scram," he said, and pointed in the direction of the stables. Hesitantly, Kep obliged. He shouldn't have been surprised, but in a way he was. At the same time, it was probably lucky that the guards let him leave instead of keeping him for questioning. It wasn't every day that a random citizen brought an incapacitated, renowned dragonslayer into the kingdom.

As he returned to the stables, he knew Elan was in the best possible hands. Obviously they would utilize the royal apothecary, who was the best medic the kingdom had.

Remembering his recent dreams, combined with his current mindset focused on apothecaries, Kep couldn't help but think of Jeno. His old friend had begun his apothecary training when they were still teenagers. Now that they hadn't spoken in years, Kep wondered if he had followed through and taken the subject on as a full-time job.

He also remembered that Jeno used to have a fascination with weaponry. Though he had always said he didn't want to be part of the king's guard, a knight, or a slayer, he'd loved weapons. Maybe Jeno could give Kep some insight on the dagger that had almost taken Elan's life.

He swallowed hard at the thought. He missed Jeno, he really did. But their drifting apart had been awkward. How would it be to visit him after all this time?

As he thought about it, he remembered what had run through his head when he was at Elan's doorstep. He needed to avoid the passiveness he was so used to. And it had been Jeno's last words to him that had helped him accept the more positive mentality.

He made his decision. He was ready to patch things up.