"Markius!" Sikah shouted again as she rushed to his side. "Come on, come on, wake up! Markius!" She began shaking his shoulders in earnest, praying to all that would listen that he would be alright while cursing that she not have the slightest knowledge or restoration spell to help him.
Thankfully what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes later, Markius coughed thickly and rolled to his side intermittently coughing, and growling. Now that they were out of the danger Sikah began to notice how sore her own throat was and the numerous scrapes and cuts she had picked up on the crawl to freedom were making their presence known. Before she had to chance to get out more than one cough a wonderful feeling of warmth spread up from her leg sweeping away all her cuts and pains before finally evaporating out of her mouth taking with it the rawness in her throat, glancing down she noticed Markius' hand resting there and glowing slightly before dimming as he moved it away.
"Told you one of these days your stunts is going to get you killed, just didn't know it was going to be today." Markius said calmly as he gracefully got to his feet not a hint of the fire he had survived except for a few smatterings of soot to mar his otherwise solid bronze fur. Sikah ignored his dig as she examined her own appearance, noting her almost cream fur was now a dusty grey. "I'm just glad one of us knows something about healing."
"You can learn too you just have to apply yourself. Though right now what are we going to do? The guards if they think us not dead will be looking."
"I'm thinking we escape town, what with this soot covering us, not even your own mother would know you."
"And go where Sikah? You need to stop and think instead of going off on a plan half-cocked."
"Well we could alwa-"
"Hey you! Over there, wait there, I want to talk to you." Heading in their direction was the captain of the guard and several more guardsmen following shortly behind.
"Um, Markius now might be the time to run instead of think." Sikah quickly turned away from the smouldering wreckage that was her home and raced down to the waterfront docks, Markius by her side and the guards not far behind.
Through the town they raced, dodging people or pushing others out of the way the crowds in the streets were jeering or cheering when they saw the event, Sikah couldn't tell for what side their chants lay and she wasn't going to slow down to find out. Finally the edge of town was in sight and Sikah put on a burst of speed eager to leave this town. Just as they crossed the gates and were home free a group of six guards rushed out of the bushes and blocked the road. In fact it was the same six guards that were responsible for burning down her home; Sikah would recognise their stench anywhere. Bearing her teeth, Sikah hissed at them more than ready to take them on.
Markius suddenly gave a warning growl as the guards that had pursued them finally caught up, their chests heaving from the chase, their looks venomous as they unsheathed their weapons and readied their bows. Sikah and Markius stood back to back each eying the guards that were slowly surrounding them. Suddenly a guard from the right lunged forward his sword gleaming menacingly as it swept a large arc is Sikah's head, acting quickly Sikah rolled into the attack and under the deadly blade to punch the guard in the stomach who instantly doubled over with a pained oomph.
Acting as though that was the starting the bell the other guards began to move in, in twos and threes. Sikah ducked and weaved her way around them disarming their weapons and throwing kicks and claw-prone punches when she had a clearing, Markius for his part kept the guards on their toes throwing small fireballs that stopped them at a safe distance least they get a face full of flames. For all her stamina and battle prowess Sikah knew she couldn't keep this up for ever already she had amassed an assortment of small cuts and bruises where her reflexes had failed her or they got in a chance jab. Suddenly she heard an enraged roar from behind her that sent all her fur standing on end and only the greatest of control kept her from fleeing along with half the guards. Startled she turned around to come face to vacant air with the headless body of one of the guards, the sword that was to have ended her life dropped free of the listless fingers, as blood still pouring profusely from his neck, the legs gave out and collapsed to the ground. Behind the lifeless body stood Markius a bloodied great sword clutched in his hands and murder in his eyes.
"We need to go now Sikah, there will be reinforcements soon and I am unable to cast anymore spells." Markius murmured to her as he took his place at her side while the remaining few guards tried to regroup themselves. Sikah nodded her head in agreement, and quickly scanned their surroundings for any means of escape, there! Lying next to one of the fallen guards was a bow and on his back and almost full quiver of arrows. "Cover me" she whispered back to him. In reply Markius hefted the great sword higher as he stepped forward and in front of Sikah, giving the guards a menacing sneer, he taunted them. "Come on you gutless pigs, is that the best you've got!?" while Markius kept the guards attention Sikah slipped back and picked up the bow, it was a small compact bow the bend good and the line taunt, she could work with this.
Meanwhile Markius eyed the guards looking for anyone on the verge of breaking rank and either charging him or running off, though his limbs burned with the strain of holding the sword at the ready. He trusted Sikah to come through with a plan, she hadn't failed him yet and he doubt she ever would. So he held his ground glaring at the guards, daring them with his dangerous grin to make him pay. Finally one of the Piggies stepped forward, determination written all over his face as he squared his shoulders, ready to take on the huge Khajiit with the wicked blade. Markius shifted his feet and tightened his grip prepared for the blow that never landed, for as the sword went up the guy flew back, the force of the arrow embedded in his eye driving him off his feet. The first guard was quickly followed by the remaining five; none of them lived long enough to figure out what happened. Sikah came to stand beside Markius and survey her work.
“We can’t come back here you know that, right?” Sikah said turning to face Markius a frown marring his features once more. “At least not for a long time, they won't forget in a hurry.”
“I never liked this rat hole of a city anyway” he replied hefting the great sword onto his shoulder. “Come on, we better hit the road before more of the little piggies turn up.”
Final
Comments
yeah I'm really loving Markius I'm thinking of making him a play through of his own sort of like a spell sword. Sikah has a innate ability with archery which comes into play later, She will ultimately become a ranger ch... more