She had heard the sounds of a scuffle as she was going through the area. It was dusk. The roads and streets were empty. Well, at least around this area for the area was well known for a few gang members and criminals to lurk around. Why Janna was passing through there was beyond her. Her mind was in the clouds again, her feet taking her wherever they felt like it.
A loud thud, a few grunts, a hiss of pain. Those noises bought her back to reality. She looked around, finally recognizing where she was. A small âohâ escaped her lips, a slight look of fear crossed her eyes as she registered the area in her mind. The sounds of a scuffle ensued and she took a step back, ready to flee. She didnât want anything to do with the people in this area.
A voice swore loudly from the corner, edged with pain. Her blue eyes widened. She knew that voice. Instead of running backward, like she was supposed intended to, she ran forward, toward the sound.
Talon was leaning against the wall, body bloody, legs splayed in weird angles. His breathing was heavy, ragged, eyes half closed, still managing to look at his attacker with disdain. His attacker stood above him, body bruised, just as bloody and weak but it was clear who had the upper hand here. A dagger in his right hand, piercing the assassinâs torso, a cruel smile on his face.
"Get away from him," she said coldly, her hands twirling, a spell building up. Before he could react, he was thrown backward violently, the winds billowing wildly around them. Janna then stood in front of Talon, keeping him away from harm, ready to strike again.
Bruised, bloodied and now with a sprained arm due to the violent push, the attacker knew better than to pursue a fight. Especially not with a Wind Mage. He wouldnât be able to touch her.
"He wonât live long," he yelled gleefully as he fled, quickly disappearing into the darkness of the evening.
She quickly turned to Talon, her hands quickly covering his wound, trying to stop the blood from flowing, a small panic rising to her chest. His wounds were bad, very bad. Broken ribs, shattered legs, a deep stab wound, a slash to his cheek that looked like it nearly pierced through into his mouth.
"Please, try to stay awakeâŠ" she mumbled as she looked around, hoping and praying someone would pass by to help. She ripped one of the long pieces of fabric hanging from her skirt, wrapping it tightly around the deep gash on his head, the cloth turning crimson quickly.
A hand gripped her suddenly. The grip was tight. She heard his voice. Soft, but it was there. She relaxed slightly, her eyes met his, there seemed to be some kind of look, almost like he wanted her assurance, a sort of pleading.
"Youâll be okay," she said in a voice that was more confident than how she felt. She raised his hand to her lips, summoning the spell for healing winds.
A soft breeze moved through them, blowing over his body gently, light green sparkles floating about.
"This wonât mend your bones or heal your wounds entirely," she said, "But its enough to stop the bleeding and stop the pain."
He couldn't understand what had gone wrong. He never lost... The only people who had ever defeated him had been the General and Katarina. And now... A random thug comes along and overpowers him? He was losing his touch. And he was ashamed of himself. Knowing Janna was doing her best to help, he suddenly regretted her assistance. His pride had been hurt more than anything else, and he didn't want to face anyone knowing that he had been overcome by a simple grunt off the streets. He was ashamed of himself.
All at once, all the pain in his body disappeared. He inhaled suddenly, surprised. Magic still shocked him, no matter how many times he came to face it. It seemed to do too much, in his opinion. He knew even Katarina utilized her own version of magic... He had no clue how any of it worked. He just throw knives in a fancy way and they came back. It was like boomerangs. That's it. Healing magic was wonderful, yes. The most useful thing that Talon had ever faced. But it still seemed unnatural to him, despite the countless experiences he had where it had saved his life. And the question of where it came from never seemed to leave his head.
The assassin was shaken out of his thoughts when he finally managed to open his eyes enough to see clearly. And he saw her face. Blinking a few times, he didn't speak. It wasn't just because his throat still seemed stuck for some reason. The shame within him was still too strong. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself so that he was sitting up completely against the wall of the building he was leaning on. The effort he put towards it was draining. Once he was there, his breath coming a bit faster, he used his other arm to try to push her back slightly. He could already feel the sharp pains coming back just from doing such, but he didn't stop.
"No," he finally managed to grumble, his teeth gritting as his head throbbed. His muscles stiffened once more in agony. But he wouldn't let her do anything else without a fight. It took him another moment to find his words. When he did speak again, it was hardly above a whisper. "Leave me here." If he was going to get out of this, he would do it himself. It was the only thing his pride would allow willingly. Thus, if he didn't make it, it would be his fault and no one else's.Â
Bracing his hand on the wall behind him, he put all his energy towards attempting to stand up. As unsuccessful as he was, he wouldn't give in until he was dead.