Save the guard

I know they are getting away, but I can’t just leave this guard here to die. I wasn’t very efficient with using the light to heal, but I should at least be able to get him out of critical condition.

I kneel down next to the guard who had an ever growing pool of blood growing around him and focused. Some light started to envelop him, but he was still barely breathing. I feel desperation come over me as I lay my hands on him and pumped as much light as I could manage into him. Bright white light surges around him and it looks as though he’s glowing as I see his eyes open and he gasps for air as if breathing for the first time.

“Wha...how...you...you saved me.” He looks at me as I see genuine gratitude creep into a smile on his face.

I smile back, but feel myself weaken from using almost all of my mana saving him. I slump back to the ground as I try to recover when I hear footsteps coming up towards us. I see a guard see the two of us on the ground surrounded by rubble. He charges past us and into the room to see it aside for the unconious guard.

“What happened?” He demands looking specifically at me. “What did you do to the guard and the priestess?” He says as he draws his sword followed by the rest of the guards on the stairs.

“Wha.. ME!? I tried to stop them. Some goblins took her and the guard attacked me. We might still be able to catch them.” I counter.

“He’s a sworn guard of this village. You on the other hand. You and all the other “heroes” I don’t know and don’t trust any further than I can throw you…” He narrows his eyes at me.

“Then believe me. She’s telling the truth.” The guard I had just saved speaks up. He gets to his feet and moves between me and the guards aiming their blades at me. “When we arrived the guard was helping load the priestess into a blimp with some goblins. They set a trap for us that would have killed me if not for her.”

Slowly they all lowered their blades finally accepting that I had been telling the truth. I want to yell at all of them, but it wasn’t the time.

“Look. The blimp didn’t have a motor on it. It was quiet. We might be able to catch them if we grab some horses and leave right now.”

“Very well. You heard her. To the stables. Grab some rope and some arrows on the way. MOVE! NOW!” The head guard commanded and we all made our way out.

I was still feeling tired, but I couldn’t stop to rest knowing there was a chance of turning this around. We mounted up and charged through the front gates, weaving behind the front lines of the raging battle with the horde, with me leading the pack towards the direction I saw them heading in. It’s hard to tell where they are through all of the trees, but we climb a small hill that leads to a small clearing.

“There!” A rogue calls out and we spot the balloon drifting north towards some taller hills.

“We have to catch it before it clears the hill. MOVE!” The guard orders again and we take off.

We catch up with it easily, but we don’t have many options for taking it down or stopping it outside of the ropes and arrows. We didn’t have much time to decide.