[Ridge]
Shit, shit shit! I can't move my foot, and the rest of my body is out of commission. Even my mind is barely working!
I have to get away from here, these strange men are talking in Nymour's native tongue. They seem to be concerned as to the size of the fire, and I think I heard something about moving. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but if I don't escape I'm gonna end up as some kind of war prisoner.
I squeeze my eyes shut and dig my fingers into the ash covered soil. I'm willing every muscle in my body to just MOVE, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I can't convince my body to recognize the danger like my brain can.
Instead of moving, I manage a small flinch that causes cramps to spring up throughout my back. The muscles there spasm in response, making me groan a little too loudly.
The conversation behind me goes silent, so the sounds of screaming and chills of the steadily picking up wind engulf my senses for a moment. Then footfalls begin crunching their way across the burnt grass of the garden, heading in my direction. I may not have to worry about becoming a hostage if they decide to kill me first.
They start gibbering in Nymourian again, slowly getting closer. Their words turn from apprehension over the size of the fire, to a discussion of how burdensome an injured soldier will be. I'm tempted to tell them I'm a Knight, not a soldier, but that feels slightly unnecessary right now.
They're probably gonna kill me. There's no point in keeping a dying hostage alive when there are probably many servants and Knights still running around, distracted by the burning Manor. They may even choose to target the Riddotha family themselves, I'm sure they haven't gone far.
Unless the Duke figured out the fire was a distraction too, then they may have fled. I hope that's the case. I can't even begin to consider what might happen if Kadeeth's caught up in all this somewhere. Just like I'm pushing back thoughts of what might have happened to the unnamed Knight and the maid if these two enemy soldiers had found them alive in that passage.
Or maybe they did, and they finished them off while they were trapped under the beam and I was immobile. They could have chosen to save me because I was the least injured?
Well, motive isn't really the most important thing right now. And surprisingly, neither is the Duchy falling around me. All I can feel is that same terrible dread creeping back up inside me like it did while my ankle was being crushed by that beam.
I want to live.
A Knight must make sacrifices.
I WANT to LIVE.
One of the men kneels down next to me while the other secures my arms. It's not like I could move anyway. I'm panting, and losing more water through sweat than I ever did training.
The man by my side presses my shoulder down, and whispers incomprehensible Nymourian words to me. I've stopped filtering the words through my consciousness, so my mind isn't translated anymore. My thoughts are scattered and scared. I'm in so much pain.
Even without comprehending the words, when the reciting continues for longer than it should have, I realize it. He's performing one of Nymour's death rituals. He's gonna fucking kill me.
I should've punched Kadeeth in that stupid grin of his at least once. Now I can't even move my fists, no matter how hard I try. The exhaustion rises like bile, and as it rapidly takes over, the screaming momentarily grows louder.
As if it's right beside me. Then everything goes dark.