Chivalry (Arturia Pendragon x Diarmuid Ua Duibhne)

Ⅰ. Torrent

            Roaring thunder boomed with the downpour. Lightning shook the ground. Torrential amounts of water drenched the blonde who limped across the endless fields. Her entire body battered. Lacerations, shallow and deep cuts, along with bruises scattered all over her petite figure. Open wounds painted her clothes a deep red. Her emerald eyes—once filled with a beautiful shine—turned to a look of sorrow, void of that special gleam and glow. The beautiful golden strands of hair on her head unkempt and disheveled.

            Her breath went unstable; she began to hyperventilate. She was weak, unable to hold back the immense despair and fear that washed over her lovely face. She gazed at her bleeding hands as her vision further went hazy and unfocused. Her stomach turned as she writhed in pain, a familiar metallic taste reached her tongue. A red liquid burst out of her mouth, choking her as she desperately tried to suck in air. The entirety of her body stopped supporting her weight. Her legs collapsed; she lost balance. Everything went black once she hit the ground, leaving her unconscious in the fierce storm.

            "Where am I?" She questioned, intense brightness making her squint.

            "Give up. You can't save anyone. You're worthless, arrogant, useless..." The voice insulted, coming out of nowhere. The harsh comments continued, a face of increasing confusion and fear crept onto the blonde.

            "Quit it with your games! What did I do to deserve this!?" More voices ruthlessly piled insults onto her. They sounded familiar, as if she'd heard them before, yet she couldn't recognise them. It only grew louder with every passing second, soon becoming deafening to the poor girl. 

            She awoke screaming, holding her throbbing head. Her heart beating out of her chest and, strangely, tears ran down her face. What was that nightmare? Where am I? She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears that blurred her vision. Who did this? What happened to me? She questioned, realising that she had been bandaged from head to toe. The moonlight spilled from through the window, barely illuminating the room. She scanned the area, of which weapons and metals filled. An armoury, perhaps? 

            The lights flickered on. A man in forest green attire caught her eye. He was drenched; water dripped from his clothes and hair. He was about a foot taller than her, and very muscular. Messy curls of wavy, jet-black hair on his head. A single curl took place at the forefront of his face, swept slightly to the right. His facial features were perfectly defined. A teardrop mole lied just below his eye, which made her heart race uncontrollably. A slight warmth crept on her cheeks. Sincerity filled his honey-coloured eyes as he walked towards the blonde. She shook her head, jumping to her feet and kicking up the weapon closest to her; a yellow spear. Her arm thrusted the point straight below his chin.

            "Worry not, I'm only here to help," he spoke, lifting his hands to show that he meant no harm.

            "Don't get any closer or I swear you'll be seeing red." She hissed, fear evidently striking her voice. From his steady breathing pattern to the occasional twitch, she wasn't missing any of it.

            "I'm the one who fixed you up. I can assure you I've done nothing to hurt you," he soothed as he inched closer to her. The weapon found its way to his chest, pointing to his heart.

            "I said don't get any close—!!" Her shout was cut off by a terrible shock. She winced in pain. Adrenaline, the only reason she was able to stand, pulled out of her frame. Without any strength left, she plummeted to the ground.

            A strong pair of arms reached under her petite figure, swiftly stopping her descent. "Let go..." Her demeanor quickly changed, barely being able to let out a word. He lifted her onto the mattress that she was resting upon earlier, tucking her snuggly into the grey sheets. The handsome man placed his hand on her head. The blonde was burning up, and quite fast.