Leaving A Friend Behind

---Aaron---

I don't know how many enemy soldiers and Evils I cut down. They kept pouring out of the fortress, even though the large granite doors, only a hundred or so meters away, remained firmly shut. All around me, our soldiers clashed courageously with the enemy. The roars of Evils, the clanging of metal, and the screams of dying men surrounded me. The snow that covered the ground was muddy brown and streaked with blood.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Lionel charging fearlessly towards three Evils who were about to attack a small group of his soldiers. I could almost hear his battle cry amidst the chaos as he leapt up and slashed two Evils across their chest, before turning in midair and stabbing the third. To my right, Katherine was locked in battle with six of Lord Victor's soldiers. Her sword, Retribution, flashed in the early morning light. Ribbons of blood arched through the air soon after. Lucian and Rachel were close behind me; I could feel the heat from the fireballs that Lucian summoned and blasted at approaching enemies.

Katherine appeared beside me, her clothes already splattered with blood. "We need to get inside the fortress! We can't be wasting our time out here." She shouted over the din of the battle.

"I know! But how are we going to open those heavy stone doors and the iron portcullis?" I gestured towards the obstacles in question with my chin. An Evil ran towards me from my left. I stabbed it through the chest, and it exploded into monster dust.

"I don't know. Let's get closer first, and then figure it out!" Katherine blocked a volley of arrows with her sword. Slowly, we began fighting our way towards the front.

We were three-quarters of the way there when I noticed that the portcullis was raising. Behind it, the dark stone doors were slowly opening inwards as well. "Kath, look!" I pointed at the entrance. Above me, a cannon fired.

"Be careful!" was her reply. I dove out of the way as the cannonball streaked by and exploded several meters behind where I had stood.

Lionel ran back to us. "The doors are opening, and no additional enemies are coming out. Let's go!"

I relayed the message to Lucian and Rachel, who were a little ways behind us, by gesturing towards the entrance. Lucian gave me a thumb up. Lionel, Katherine, and I began running towards the gate. The elite soldiers that Lionel had picked out flanked us on both sides, helping to fight a way in.

Somewhere, a war horn sounded. We looked back to see fresh batch of soldiers and Evils pour into the clearing from the sides and begin to surround us. Rachel had almost reached us, but Lucian was cut off. I began moving towards where Rachel was struggling to break through a wall of soldiers. Cannon balls and arrows whizzed past.

BOOM! A series of explosions shook the earth. Fire shot up in the direction from which we came, and agonizing screams filled the air. Even from where I was, I felt a wave of blistering heat roll through. Rachel looked back and screamed. "Lucian!" She turned to run back. "Lucian!"

The anguish and despair in her voice was clear. It brought me back to the night we lost Jason, when Ashley screamed his name in the same tone of voice that Rachel now screamed Lucian's. I felt my blood run cold. 'Lucian had gotten caught in the explosion.' I saw soldiers rolling on the ground to put out the flames on their bodies. Charred corpses and bits and pieces of flesh littered the ground. The destructive power of the explosives was clear. Was Lucian—was he—? I didn't dare continue the thought.

I started to fight my way back as well. Lucian was my best friend. We were going to return to the academy and graduate together like we always envisioned. I had to reach him. I can't lose him the way I lost Jason.

Rachel glanced back and saw me trying to follow. She pointed towards the entrance of the fortress and shouted across the swarming soldiers, "Go, Aaron! Go find Indigo! I'll find Lucian!"

I shook my head. "I'm coming with you!"

Somebody grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?" demanded Lionel. "We're almost to the doors; we need to go in!"

I yanked my arm out of his grasp and glared at him. "Lucian is back there! I need to help him!" I started to head back again. Lionel pulled me back.

"You can't, Aaron! Now's not the time!"

"What do you mean 'now's not the time'?!" I was so angry. With this short delay, I had lost sight of Rachel as well. "Lucian is my best friend! You saw that explosion! I can't just leave him!"

Another hand laid on my shoulder. I turned to see Katherine's eyes, shimmering with sadness. "Lionel's right. You can't go back," she said. I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Lucian is still there!" I shouted, pointing my sword towards where the fire from the explosions was still raging.

"I know, Aaron, I know! But—" her words were cut off as a group of Evils and enemy soldiers caught sight of us and attacked. Lionel and Katherine exchanged a quick look before Katherine pulled me to the side and Lionel ran to intercept them.

"Aaron, Lucian is my friend too. I don't want to leave anyone behind. But our army is buying us time to get into the fortress. We've planned for months for this attack. Everything—everything—depends on what happens after we get into the fortress. If you go back now, we risk throwing all that we've worked for away. All of these men will have died for nothing." She gestured at the blood and carnage around us.

Angry tears suddenly stung my eyes. I looked away from Katherine and blinked them back. Deep in my heart, I knew she was right. I knew the entire world depended on the success of our mission. I knew I should focus on the big picture and fight Lord Victor and rescue Indigo. But to not know if my best friend was alive or dead, and to leave him behind when he needed help—that went against everything I believed in. In that moment, I have never felt so helpless.

Lionel came jogging back to us, his sword still dripping blood. "Ready?" He asked Katherine, but his eyes were on me. Katherine nodded. "Let's go." Lionel turned and led the final sprint towards the fortress, beckoning his soldiers to follow. Katherine placed a hand on my arm soothingly.

"Lucian will be okay. Rachel's there." Her tone was soft, and I allowed myself to believe her. She turned and ran after Lionel.

I looked back to where the flames still flickered, straining to see past the swarming soldiers and Evils that fought and fell and died. Then I forced myself to turn away and run after Katherine and Lionel.