Through the Crowd - Espresseleine Story

The Hollyberrian Kingdom

(Warning before reading: Fighting, blood, use of the f word, use of the word bastard in a derogatory way)
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"Get the fuck away from him." I call, chest heavy with anger. Who does this idiotic red-haired bastard think he is? I step out into the clearing, making myself a barrier between Grenadine and Espresso, who is laying on the floor with a goddamn sword through his arm. A sword. Through his arm. Pinning him to the ground. What kind of sick man would do that?

Grenadine takes a laboured step towards me. He's pretty badly beat- liquid burns and blunt force injuries run up his entire body, his hair is messed up and damp, and the scar along his face looks like it's been reopened by the bottom, but not completely broken. "Get out of here, Knight Commander." He growls, visibly tightening the weak grip he has on his sword. The crowd watches us in silent awe, and even Hollyberry, who has been standing here almost the entire time and hasn't done anything, is quiet.

Espresso is laying on the ground bleeding out behind me, and I can't stand this guy. Able to feel myself physically shaking, although not in fear or horror, I step forward until I'm within reach of Grenadine and take a breath.

He looks at me with amusement in his beaten bruised eye, in almost a challenging way, but I don't have time to think about what to do before I help Espresso. I punch him in the direct middle of his face, sending him stumbling backwards until he hits the floor with an angry yell that softens and dies down. The crowd erupts again in entertained cheer, and I turn to face Espresso, falling to my knees by his side.

"Are you alright?" I shake my head, my hands wavering over his most major wound awkwardly. "No, obviously not. Will someone come here and heal him already?"

"Otherwise stand around and do nothing as you have been." Says a gentle voice behind me. I turn around to come face-to-face with the ancient blind healer, who moves around me to approach Espresso's limp body.

I shift to the side, giving him room. With almost no hesitation or struggle, Pure Vanilla pulls the sword clean out of Espresso's arm, and somehow it doesn't bleed further. He hovers his hand over his wounds, one by one, closing each one up over itself with no scars to show for it. His clothes remain ripped up along his arms for the most part, but there's absolutely no more jam spewing from Espresso.

Once the ancient king has finished, he turns to look at Hollyberry, who is crouching over Grenadine's angry muttering self giving him hard pats on the back. "Took quite the beating! Congratulations!" She laughs. Pure Vanilla briefly faces me. "Best stay with him until he wakes. It shouldn't be long." He suggests kindly before walking over to the other two- a floaty sort of walk that makes him look as light as a piece of cotton.

The crowd begins to break apart, people chattering excitedly and laughing amongst themselves. I look back at Espresso, whose eyes are closed much more peacefully now, and sit beside him. "I'm glad you're.." I trail off. "..Alright? Relatively." I pick up his hand closest to me and hold it in both of mine, rubbing it as if his fingers are cold. It's covered in red jam, his own, although at the very least he isn't bleeding anymore, and hopefully won't for another long time.

Suddenly, his eyes blink open and he slowly sits up, holding his hand up to his head painfully. "Where's.." He pauses, searching rapidly around the room before his view lands on me and he stares at me blankly for a moment. "You're awake already!" Sounds Hollyberry's loud voice from behind me. "Come with me, dear friend. I'll get you a room to stay in for the night while you fully recover!" She offers happily.

Espresso stands up wobbily, pulling his hand away from my grasp to face Hollyberry. "Of course." He utters, brushing past me with a glance to walk beside her. I turn to watch them leave. Hope mixed with disappointment sparks in my chest. Actually, I just realized, I have no idea where Grenadine has gone. Surely Pure Vanilla's fixed him up, but where exactly did he go afterwards?