#amputee lance

Before Lance blacked out, there was a second of bright and blinding light that came through cracks in the window. Blue and scorching, some of it landing on Lance’s face so gently that it felt like a paintbrush against his skin…

After Lance slipped under, however, the light returned. This time it poured outward. Thick and thin tendrils that caused fissures in the glass and piece by piece tore it apart. The light poured out on the dark floor of the unknown planet and roiled on the ground like vines come to life. The vines gathered, changed and shifted their forms until a skeletal structure formed.

All at once, standing before her own carcass was the blue lion. As real and visceral as the tall trees of their crash zone. She was larger than an earth lion, and her fur was a delicate shade of cornflower until it came to her muzzle where it became darker like the tuft on her tail and behind her fore legs.

Her eyes scanned the surrounding with a piercing yellow gaze, quickly adjusting to being tangible for the first time in eons.

The sacrifice. The purest form of honor and dignity. When the body is mangled and the blood is spilled that releases the spirit from its core...then that spirit may wish to return the grace of mortality.

Blood was spilled all across her past control panel.

The hull had gone dark. The sparking metal and bearings gone cold and silent.

As well as her cub…

Azul forced her way into the heart of her body- the cockpit had been placed at an angle that made the floor slope upwards. She stepped over pools of blood and stained her paws crimson. Her cub hung limp from the harness system that had stalled- a pesky problem that she dealt with with a swiped of large and endlessly sharp claws. She caught the boy against her back, fear and concern washing across her in a tremor through her muscles. He was bleeding out quickly, and she had no way to know if there was help on the way...but she would not leave him here to die.

Again she left her body, careful to keep the paladin on her back and to not disturb his leg to much. She must be swift...this terrain was a mystery but she must be swift.

Let the wind guide me...she thought before trotting off down a clearer part of the forest floor.

The trees rose tall and mighty here. Sparse, similar to the Earth trees that she had seen when she studied the humans archival systems. Sequoias...ancient giants that watched vigil over sacred land for centuries...sentinels.

The soil was packed, cold to the touch due to the temperature of what seemed to be the entire planet.Sparse vegetation other than shrubbery and moss. An endless mass of trees….

Something came through though. A subtle wind that ruffled her fur into a new direction.The wind felt thicker as she followed. Like a being had answered her prayer and had sent her a herald. She followed dutifully, careful to not jostle her precious cargo but still maintain speed. She didn’t have enough time…

The trees were thinning out though. Grass began to brush her paws and then her underbelly as she found herself lead into a small niche of the forest. Here the typical blue flora gave in to bright yellow flowers and white moss. The air was a constant motion here too, moving through the grass in circles and rustling the flowers as she walked past. Some petals moved and emitted a faint glowing dust.

She stopped halfway through the circle, ears straining to hear the footsteps getting closer.

The wind settled, steeling her resolve to wait...no matter how badly she wanted to rush forward. He is dying.There is no time for this pleasantry.

Through the grass, a small creature appeared. Almost canine like, like a larger strain of fox- the fur was mottled greys and blacks and some flecked white.

Eyes as sharp and inquisitive as her own, it paused to study the much larger predator and her passenger.

Step forward children...time slips through your grasp like stars through the sky

The wind had warbled through the grass. A voice not real but not simply imagined filled both minds and at once the two creatures stepped forward to meet each other.

The native one studied them both once more, sniffing at the injured paladin leg before snarling with disgust and a whine of sympathy.They turned towards Azul and motioned with a swept tail to follow, barking harshly a few times.

You will be met- go swift paragon

Without pause both took off. Leaving in their wake a diluted cloud of twinkling dust.

The fox creature was faster, but pulled its strides to keep the lioness in sight. They ran till the ground became a well tread footpath, and the sky became clearer as trees became sparser.

They ran for perhaps two miles before the trees ahead gave way completely.

The creature slowed, ears perked high and eyes alert. Coming to a stop at the very brink of the woods, they listened to the sound of rapid foot fall across the low grassland and watched a small mounted party crest a hill before them.

The creature lead on, both parties meeting at the foot of the hill.

The aliens were also eerily canine like, with distinctly dog like noses and fur coverage. Each had a distinct set of painted markings- but two had similar fur and form. Their mounts were large as well, and oddly bear like? Massive paws with outstretched caws that looked blunt and optimal for digging. Each one lumbered and carried its rider with dedication.

The largest had mostly grey fur, but their was distinct grey forming around the muzzle and flattened ears. Bright amber eyes that matched Azul’s for wit and might…

They spoke, but she couldn’t translate their language now- it only sounded like harsh barks and trills. The aliens seem to accept that, attention now solely focused on her cargo. One of the more lithe aines dismounted and approached cautiously.

Azul stood patiently, willing to trust this beings only so they could save Lance’s life…

The alien stooped and examined his leg, making the same face as the small creature who had placed itself at the leader’s feet.

Another series of noises, two aliens going back and forth while the one examined the human more closely before ushering everyone back over the hill.

All nodded and she remounted her beast, aligning herself with Azul and watching with a worried face. The combined party set out quickly, unrest clearly pushing their feet faster.

Azul hastened herself, her form already exhausted from the animation the travel that she was unfamiliar with- but for her cub she would stride this planet ten times. These people would aid them, they could do something . She anticipated what though…

Paragon. Your lives are in capable hands.

The voice returned with another brush of wind that was now obviously warmer than their surroundings. It’s presence was felt by the aliens as well, who each began a series of complicated verbal chants. One word repeating over and over…

Specata…

His life bleeds into my land...I will not waste such precious life.

Azul was being hurled back and forth by whatever disintegrating current was left in the wormhole. All at once it felt like Lance was being lifted up and thrown back down.

Once, when he was a kid, he’d gotten caught out in a riptide.

He remembers his feet getting swept out from under him. The immediate sensation of something just went wrong flooding his mind. He remembers vividly the way the waves spun im around carelessly.

This is that, but a hundred times worse. It’s being thrown into the wash cycle at 0g.

His head is whipped forward and back, his shoulders sting from where the harness digs into the already bruised skin. He knows he hit his head at some point but every other problem is being overshadowed by the most important issue.

Someone just burnt a hole through his leg.

It was earned in the fight, one that felt like it’d happened years ago. Before the escape, before the wormhole was obliterated by the planet's explosion…

A soldier had caught him with his back turned. It was a stupid mistake. He didn’t recognize the weapon, only had a little time to deflect from the blow aimed at his heart. The thing had pierced his leg and immediately it lit up like a molten rod. He’d screamed, cursing and screaming until his voice cracked. He shot a hole through the head plate and stumbled towards his awaiting lion.

He doesn’t remember the words, just the order to take off. He doesn’t remember a lot between moments. The searing burn became this ripping feeling and the embers were crawling across his skin like the faint line of burning on a piece of tissue. It was growing slowly but each inch the pain became more and more unbearable.

And now he’s being volleyed around the cockpit chair and his leg is being ripped apart even further.

The sound is like glass being dragged across a chalk board. Time and space is ripping itself apart around him and he can’t see straight to decipher the alarms through it all.

It’s all too much, and the pain is picking up...and he can’t breathe. He can’t breathe and his lungs are screaming and...he’s screaming. He’s been screaming this whole time and he just wasn’t hearing it…

Everything is swirling together so quickly, he may throw up but he wouldn’t be able to tell. Maybe he’s crying (of course he is, he’s sobbing) maybe he’s begging (God? Anyone? Mamma? Please someone…)

It’s all crowding together and it feels like his heart is about to come tumbling out of his chest…

Cub...my cub...my blue paladin..

Her voice comes across like a wave. A solid sweeping motion that suddenly cuts off everything. The tinnitus doesn’t come, just a steady thump-thump-thump

Lance...mijo...cub..it’s okay...I have you my cub…