Kouen's New Pet

Saved by a Prince

      I can't believe this is happening to me. I had been so careful when I was preparing for this trip; adequate provisions, camouflaged caravan, and I had even made sure I left a full day ahead of schedule just to throw off anyone tracking us. I hadn't, however, been fully informed on just how bad all the bandit attacks had been since the recent fall of the Magnostadt Academy. When our caravan was overturned in what could only be described as a magical explosion, I only had enough time to grab my talon short spear and wrestle myself out of the wreckage before it went up in flames. When I emerged, right shoulder dislocated and body covered in gashes, I was confronted with nearly a dozen large, filthy, and heavily armed bandits.
     While I am royalty trained in four types of combat as well as years of living on the streets,  I also know when to cut my losses and run when I recognize an uneven match up. And that's how I discovered myself bloody, bruised, and running for my life through unknown forests with only my skills to defend myself. As I was reaching a clearing, I took a chance and dropped into a dead sprint to try and add distance between myself and the bandits. I had nearly crossed the clearing when a loud *thud* and a hard hit on my right calf caused me to cry out and fall to the ground.
     Looking down at my leg, I saw a long arrow shaft protruding from my calf, blood steadily beginning to flow from the wound. In a rage from taking such a dumb risk, I cursed loudly as I used my spear blades sharp edge to slice the shaft three inches from the wound. Biting back the searing pain in my leg, I hauled myself back up and began limping as fast as I could back into the cover of trees.
     I ran as fast as I could, vision beginning to blacken around the edges from blood loss. Then, as I was looking back to check the location of my pursuers, I slammed front first into a solid, tree width object. As I began to fall backwards from the collision, I felt two large, strong hands gently but firmly catch my frame by the waist and hold my exhausted body up with little effort. In my daze, my vision swept across my captor, catching the sight of fiery red hair and a broad, masculine physique, unlike any of the bandits who were chasing me.
     Without thinking, and with my wounded body screaming at my mind to find help, all my lungs could muster out was a weak, "bandits...please!" The man, seeming to understand my weak statement, simply nodded in silence, gently turned to place me behind his body, and turned back to the now growing pack of bandits in front of us.
     "So, it seems it wasn't a total waste of my time to scout out the camp ground ahead of the rest of the champaign." The mystery man stated slyly in a deep voice that exuded both power and something else, something... different. The man let out a short chuckle and lifted his now smirking face at the group. "I can't wait to show Judar the remains of this hunt."
     These words, and the sudden gust of fiery wind that came off the man after he said this struck fear not only into the bandits, but to myself as well. With the lift of his sword, the man said strange words in another language that created a ball of fire at the top of the sword and shoot towards the bandits. In a bright flash of light the bandits disappeared, weapons and all, and only a large pile of ash was left behind.
     "Damn!" Yelled the large man as he looked upon the remains. "Now what and I supposed to show Judar if they only left me ashes!?" The man sighed heavily and turned towards me with a look of triumph in his face. "Well,"he said with a slight grin, "I guess you'll have to be my trophy instead." A mocking look began to spread on his face, but it was quickly replaced with one of concern when he got a closer look at my state. Seeing the arrow head still stuck in my leg, he knealt down and gently placed a hand slightly below the wound. This sudden intrusive touch on the sensitive area caused a sharp, pained hiss to slip through my gritted teeth. The man looked down into my eyes with glistening red eyes that, in my dazed state, looked like a crackling fire.
     "I know you must be in pain already miss, but I have to remove this before I heal you. I won't lie to you, this is going to hurt, a lot, but it's the only way." As he unblinkingly gave me the facts, I took a deep breath, met his gaze and shakily asked, "Do I have your permission to squeeze your arm if I need to?" I tried to come across as unfazed, but I could to he easily saw through my act, because he gently moved my body so I was slightly laid across his lap as to allow for easier access to my leg. While doing this, he softly responded "Grab whatever you need to as hard as necessary. I know from experience how bad this is." I took another deep breath, placed my hand on either sides of the mans large left knee, and shakily said, "Okay...I..I'm ready."
     With a swift jerk of his arm, the man made short work of the arrow head. The shot of pain that surged through my leg felt as though my calf was being torn off of my leg. Out of impulse, not only did this action bring out a loud "FUCK!" from escaping my lips, but my amulet sensed my jolt in heart rate and caused a surge of magic to turn the tips of my fingers and made my claws dig into the mans knee. I had been keeping a handle on controlling the amulets power during my flee, but now that pain was taking over my mind, all my instincts were screaming at me. As quickly as he pulled out the arrowhead, the man flipped my body over so I was cradled in his lap, brought the scabbard of his sword around to face me, and said another word in his magical language.
     As a soft purple haze began to surround us, I could see my wounds beginning to heal right before my eyes as my pain disappeared. When the haze cleared, not only were my own wounds healed, but the claw wounds I inflicted upon the stranger had healed as well. Shocked and in awe, I looked up at my rescuer and saw a mixture of relief, content, and a slight hint of interest in his face as he accessed my condition, happy with the results of his work. "Well, your body is healed, but judging by the look on your face and your pale skin, I'd have to guess that you've lost quite a bit of blood, am I right?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow. Unsure exactly what to say, I simply nodded weakly, feeling the darkness of exhaustion creeping into my head.
     "Well, I can't leave you here, you are my trophy after all. I guess I'll just bring you back to the campaign. Maybe Judar can do something to help you." The man stately plainly as he grabbed my short spear and, with no visible effort, he stood up with my weight held in his free arm.
     "Can't leave this behind either. A fine weapon like this can't be separated from its master." He said as he began to carry me deeper into the forest. As a large congregation of soldiers became visible, my vision began to start fading as exhaustion took over. I struggled to maintain consciousness as the soldiers parted and bowed to the man as he carried me towards a large moving structure in the middle of the soldiers. The large man chuckled lightly and ducked his head down to my ear, slightly grazing my face with his amber goatee and mane as he spoke, "I know you might not trust me, but it's okay if you don't have enough strength. I promise you as a prince of the Kou Empire, I will not allow any harm to come to you as long as you are under my protection."
     I tiredly looked into his burning eyes and saw nothing but the truth there, so as I allowed sleep to take hold of me, I softly asked, "Prince of the Kou Empire?" as my eyes began to shut. Just before the numb grip of sleep dragged my mind into the darkness, I heard the mans' soft chuckle and reply, "How rude of me, saving you without even telling you my name. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ren Kouen, first prince of the Kou Empire." As I vaguely wondered what the Kou Empire was, my eyes shut for a final time and I was thrown into a dark, dreamless, exhausted sleep.