He's still alive

"He's still alive!" The emotion in her voice is overpowering, clearly this is someone that Cassia cares for deeply. "Adonis! I need your help!" Some dark part of your heart resents the presence of this new person. Shaking away the ridiculous feeling you take one more look around and then hurry to Cassia's side.

The man is lying on his side curled into a fetal position. His face and hair are covered with blood from a deep gash on his scalp, and the man's right arm is clearly twisted completely out of its socket. But in the stillness of the square you can hear the steady gurgle of his breath as he breaths through his bloody lips.

You saw a man once who had been gored by the estate's prize bull, he took nearly a day and a half to die as his lungs filled slowly with more and more blood. This man looks like he is in even worse shape than that man and you doubt he will last the night.

"Adonis" Cassia looks up at you and you can see the tears streaking her face in the moonlight. "I can help him, but not here. Can you help me carry him to that building?" She says pointing to the far side of the square.

The man looks heavy, easily outweighing you by at least half your weight - maybe even more in your emaciated condition. It would take both of you to drag him the thirty or so paces to the building and it would take you dangerously close to where you first saw the gang leave the shadows. Still one look at Cassia's face and you know you are going to agree to help even against your better judgment. Risking your life to drag a dying man to his house. Cassia sees the hesitation in your face.

"Please Adonis, I know you have done so much already, but I'd rather die here in the square than leave him like this." She loved this man, that much is as clear as day. Taking the heavy canvas wrap you spread it out on the smooth cobblestones by his side.

"Just my luck" you mutter under your breath as you bend down to reach his belt. "Try to hold his head and shoulder from hitting the ground as I move him." Cassia sees what you intend to do and kneels by the man's head as you lift his thick torso onto the wrap. A loud moan is more evidence that the man is still alive and you look around in alarm expecting to be spotted either by the gang that had assaulted these people before or by any of the thousands of soldiers that were flooding into the city in search of plunder. Swinging his legs as gently as possible you centered the man on the wrap.

It takes several minutes to drag the man the short distance to the far building. Cassia is not much help so it is up to you to drag the man over the paved courtyard. His moans got louder and louder with each jerk of the thick canvas but you did not have the strength to pull him smoothly. As you got about ten feet away from the entryway you felt a hand on your shoulder and saw several people moving past you to help move the man the rest of the way into the main entryway.

"Thank the gods you live lass," Exclaims a man in his fifties leaning on a crutch and watching with approval. "We thought you be dead, or worse."

"Then thank Adonis as well as the gods; were it not for him, it would have been as you feared." The man straightens with a slight grimace and strikes his left shoulder firmly with his right fist. It was clearly a military salute of some kind, but different from any that you had seen used by other soldiers. Nodding your head nervously you point to the man at you feet and shake your head as subtly as you can trying to let this old soldier know that the injured man wasn't going to make it without further distressing Cassia.

The man grunted indicating he understood but then added "Wait and see lad, ye might be surprised."