I have never written any stories about my other Kade character, Renly, so this was a first time experiment trying to write with a dumbed down style to emulate his mental processes, given that Renly is somewhat of a simpleton compared to the rest of his social groups and family. Tagging @Muffins, @MantaRey, @BillyTheScroofy, @TheBioverse, @Tiber, @Lumiess, @LadyTeddington @PonyoWantHam because relevant or family related.
It all went so fast that it was hard for Renly to even remember what exactly happened. All he remembered was Rodderick's blood curling scream, just when Renly wasn't watching. Something had cleaved into his leg with suck force that the bone was broken and some flesh was just peeling off. Renly couldn't even make out who the culprit was in the middle of battle, though it likely didn't matter as much. Rodderick collapsed virtually instantly, partly on account of his leg now being smashed, but also from shock due to the intense pain. Renly pressed his way through the crowd which was now storming the palace itself to reach Rodderick.
Unsure of what to do, he tried to just sort of put the leg back together, only to have it splurt out a spray of blood all over his face. Renly's mind wasn't quite attuned to the idea of medical aid, so it was almost like a child had just broken a toy and hoped it would fix itself if he just put it back together. Renly was kind of simple like that. It obviously wasn't working however, so he quickly picked up Rodderick's limp body and ran in the vaguely northern direction. He figured that the rebel army was likely more in control of the northern part of the city so he hoped to find some aid there.
Street after street he paced through, barricades were everywhere. He passed by the Merrit apothecary but it was being looted by thieves and scoundrels. He had half a mind to accost them, however he would have to obviously leave Rodderick bleeding out on the pavement, so that was a less than fortunate choice. He ran further again, past the crying children of the tavern and up past Celine Anahera's grave which was very unfortunately defaced with obscene graffiti. The scenes in the streets were almost absurd, Drunkards were partying the liberation movement, yet here Renly was desperately trying to find his way to the nearest medical camp. He overheard some soldiers talking about William Coen leading a charge two streets over. He looked down at Rodderick in his arms, his face was whitening, but he almost looked peacefully passed out, if it weren't for the half twisted leg just flopping about spraying and leaking blood all over the place. Better not go to his father. That would be a bad idea.
Eventually he managed to reach a forward medical camp just set up in the shade of a bastion wall that was half breached. It was obvious the people here were from the assault outside since many of them had arrow wounds. Renly ran in and barked something to the effect of being the Prince Marshal's son and that the Lord Coen's son should receive priority treatment. The near doctors asked what happened, after which Renly explained how the injury occurred. Incredulously the doctors asked if he had really just ran two miles in less than fifteen minutes with a wounded person in his arm. The feat didn't even really seem to amaze him, he just wanted Rudd getting taken care of and quickly.
Rodderick was eventually put on a table and the doctors started inspecting his leg. Renly looked around the tent and vaguely just spotted Kaja Santorski on a table further in covered in what he assumed damp cloth. Parts of her body were just blown off and she was covered in singe marks. Renly thought about going to her for a moment, but then shut his mind off to focus on Rodderick. Rudd only. One track mind like dad said, and he returned back to Rodderick. The doctors meanwhile informed Renly that they had to proceed with an amputation of the leg otherwise they might risk Rodderick dying of blood loss or later flesh rot. Renly protested loudly and roughly, some of the nurses attempting to restrain him, though eventually he relented. The doctors convinced him that his leg was unsaveable, even without an amputation, and that an amputation would save his life, though the doctors could not make that decision as they had no power over Lord heirs. Renly eventually acceded and gave formal permission as Lord heir of Anglia, thus giving the doctors the green light to attempt to amputate part of Rodderick's leg to save his life.
It was only in this moment that Renly realized he was covered in blood, yet not his own. There was sprays all over his face, his entire right side was drenched in it, and his hands were covered also. This feeling of being dirty just swept over him, causing him to quickly try and pat it away or shake it off his body, but the more he ran his hand over his face, the further it spread until even his vision was red. Rodderick's blood was all over his face, and it was a bit too much for him to handle in that moment. He felt like crying, or calling out to his fathers, but none would be able to help him in this field. This was worse than the battle of the Curag fields, and he had only just turned eighteen too. When the adrenaline of the battle and trying to save Rodderick had worn off, pure panic just set in.
Where was dad. Where was other dad and his real father. Where was Astrid, Philip, Cecile, Eirik, Rodolphe, Rosalina, and even shitting Tommen. Where was Kaja's mother, where was Lord Commander William. But above all, where was dad.
Kaja was a few dozen meters away screaming as doctors tried to save her life, her mother likely still fighting elsewhere. Rodderick was on the table here getting his lower leg cut off and with it likely his entire military career on Renly's admission. His father was imprisoned after turning into some monster, and his other father was apparently nearly killed by him. All of Renly's friends were bleeding, dying, hurting, and it hurt him even more with guilt that he somehow wasn't experiencing these feelings with them. He had not a scratch or a bruise, sailed right through the battles without a dent on him. It made him feel guilty, powerless, like he could have done more to prepare Rodderick or push Kaja less to become stronger to stop being the dwarf of the crew. Even among his family nothing was certain. His favorite uncle was now a demon, his aunt imprisoned on suspicion of being complicit. His two siblings forced into an incestuous marriage Emperor know where, and his Ravenstad siblings nowhere to be seen, with Cecile Durant likely to be arrested for treason or killed in the palace assault. Renly's world had always been cautiously set up around his close personal contacts, but in the span of less than a week, they had all been severely injured on the brink of death or imprisoned.
Renly was still idly trying to rub away the blood from his face and hands, failing to do so, he could only hear the bone sawing noises in the background as he began to sob gently, rocking back and forth on a stool near the table where Rodderick was being operated on.
How was this ever possibly going to return to normal.
