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Allura did not curse often. She considered herself a well cultured and refined individual and such vulgar words were beneath her.
But right now she felt like unleashing every swear she knew in the universe to such an extent that it would make her one and only solo tirade at the palace — when her father had suggested that she take up some more “ladylike” activities instead of her staff training and her subsequent outburst had made the ladies of the court let out scandalized gasps and one had fainted in horror — look like afternoon tea.
Jewel eyes narrowed at the creature that loomed above her, pincers clicking and numerous bulbous eyes fixed with delight upon her, its next meal.
And she could do nothing.
The beast had gotten her with some sort of stinger and the paralysis had still yet to wear off, so despite the fact she was unbound her limbs were locked at her sides and she could not even lift a finger to fend off the one of the very creatures the Paladins had arrived to exterminate.
It was not a very fitting end for a princess.
Allura supposed she did not have much longer at least to reflect upon it.. The universe may be on the right path once more with Lotor seated upon the Galra throne and making strides towards peace but there was still so much to do.
So much she wanted to do.
Her tear ducts had been as paralyzed as the rest of her save for some reason her eyelids and eyeballs, but she could feel the sting.
The creature let out a sound that was a cross between a gurgle and a growl of hunger.
Allura prayed it killed her before it began feasting.
She had a terrible feeling the paralysis would not eliminate the sensation of pain.
Oh, Alaaran.
Hot, rancid breath wafted across her face and she squeezed her eyes closed. This was it. Any tick now and it would descend and—
“Allura! Princess, are you here?”
Lance.
If she’d been capable she’d have let out a sob of absolute relief at both the rescue and the fact the creature had paused, cocking its head towards the new sound and not biting into her.
But then…
Allura swore it smirked.
Oh no.
It left her, scuttling up the large tree that it had launched itself from to immobilize her below.
Allura’s heart clenched.
Lance was going to walk right into its trap, no doubt distracted when he found her. He would be caught too. He would di—
“Allura!”
He had found her.
Allura could not see him, gaze directed up and he too far out of her peripheral, but she heard his run, bayard clacking against his armored leg.
“Allura! Oh Dios. Dios, Allura!”
She saw him kneel next to her, his bayard dropped by his side.
She silently cursed, almost hearing the excited click of pincers.
Hands descended on Allura’s shoulders, pulling her up from the ground where leaves had gotten matted in her hair, fallen loose when her helmet was knocked off.
Allura felt her head tip back uncomfortably as her neck refused to support it.
“Oh Dios, Allura! Please… please don’t be…” One hand descended behind the back of her head and she found her face smushed against Lance’s chestplate. “ Por favor, don’t be…”
‘Don’t be dead,’ echoed in the silent stillness.
The pain in his voice physically hurt her.
He sounded so scared.
She was tilted forward more and hands were patting against her back, no doubt seeking some wound that had not been visible from the front.
Allura felt the moment he encountered the spot where the stinger had gotten her, the flesh swollen beneath the suit.
It hurt. If she’d been capable she’d have groaned but the sound remained locked in her chest.
Being eaten alive would be agony indeed.
“What?” Lance muttered to himself and Allura’s eyes squeezed shut tight as he prodded at it again.
She found herself being lowered onto her side and she cast her eyes up towards his face, willing him with all her might to look at her face.
He did.
Watching his ocean eyes widen and mouth drop open as she blinked rapidly at him may have been amusing at another time but right now Allura’s priority was alerting him to the creature that was no doubt about to strike.
“Allura!” His eyes welled with tears. “You’re…”
She narrowed her gaze as best she could, feeling the muscles resist.
“You’re… mad?” Lance hedged, looking crestfallen.
She flicked her eyes toward the top of her head, trying to signify up.
They widened as with her head tilted back she could see the creature inching down the trunk beyond Lance’s head.
He was oblivious.
Oh Alaraan.
They were both going to die.
“You… got stung,” Lance said slowly. “That’s what that bump is.” His breath hitched. “Oh Dios. You’re paralyzed. Like Frodo! And I… I’m Sam. And that means there’s…”
Allura had no idea who these individuals were but she was morbidly grateful for their own painful experiences at the hands (pincers? stinger?) of a similar creature as Lance leapt to his feet with his bayard back in hand, trusty blaster a welcome sight.
“Don’t you worry, Princess,” he gave her a tight smile. “I’ll protect y—”
The creature slammed into him.
Lance hit the ground with a yelp, but the fact he was able to do so was a relief to Allura as she had found her own movement and sound cut off the instant she had been struck as the stinger stabbed into her back not protected by her armor.
It apparently had missed Lance on the first strike.
Lance’s muffled shouts were sounding then and she could see the barest indication of movement as Lance freed himself from the creature’s bulk. “—oh Dios you stink that is so disgusting you are disgusting your teeth —”
Lance’s tirade cut off as he dove to the side as the creature swung pincers at him and the sound of blaster fire lit up the area a moment later.
Based upon Lance’s soft “holy crow!” it had not been very successful.
Allura’s heart thudded. If Lance’s blaster was unable to pierce the creature’s skin… perhaps his sniper rifle but the beast was giving him no time to set up, coming in once more.
Allura found herself tumbling head over heels then as a furry leg crashed into her.
“Sorry, Princess!” she heard Lance call before there was the sound of more blaster fire.
She was on her side now, facing the very one-sided battle as Lance continued to fire his bayard; hitting the creature’s legs, chest, even at one point to Allura’s fright ducking beneath the creature and going for its underside.
It was not working.
“Okay,” Lance panted, stumbling towards her side and raising his blaster. “Time… time for plan B.”
His bayard shimmered with a soft blue light…
And morphed into a broadsword.
“Okay,” he pep talked to himself. “You’ve… you’ve got this. Just like practice.”
Practice that had been a total of two sessions Allura knew because she had overseen them. The blade was an entirely different weapon than Lance’s blaster and up until this point his only targets had been the droids and one time the low-level gladiator.
All metal. All robots.
Allura’s stomach clenched. A beast this may be but it was still a living creature and its death would not be clean.
Lance charged with a loud yell, sword swinging.
His form was good, she vaguely noted, as she had talked to him about his run before and the risk he posed to cutting his own leg, and his grip was solid, if a little higher than it should be.
He could do this, she knew.
She just…
Just wished he didn’t have to.
She strained to move her fingers, to move anything, but her body remained uselessly locked.
And she could only watch as Lance engaged, dodging nimbly around the creature’s bulk, evading the pincers that went for his head.
He struck.
Allura internally winced as the blade took out the creature’s front right leg, bright orange ichor spraying the air and Lance’s chest and visor.
She saw his step falter.
Heard his choked gasp.
But he was pivoting a tick later, sword arcing through the air again and towards the creature’s other leg as his other hand reached up and yanked off his now vision-obscured helmet.
It landed a few feet from Allura, dripping blood.
The creature’s second front leg was removed in the same fashion and it shrieked, rising up on its back hind legs.
Lance sunk the sword into his chest, dragging it down and ripping the creature apart.
Orange blood spurted.
The creature’s scream cut off abruptly.
Lance staggered back, withdrawing his sword, and the creature collapsed with an earth-shattering thump.
Quiet reigned save for Lance’s heavy breaths. He brought a shaking right hand up to his face, gingerly touching upon the substance that the death strike had coated him in.
And then he vomited.
Allura hated that she could do nothing but watch, heart breaking as he dropped to his knees, bracing equally blood-splattered hands on the ground as shudders ran through him.
Pride welled though as within the minute he was back on his feet, eyes flicking up and checking for any other creatures. Seeing none he made his way slowly back to Allura, a weak smile wavering on his face.
She met his eyes, trying to channel that pride, her thanks, to him and his smile pulled up just a hair more.
“Hey, um,” he knelt at her side. “I’ve gotta get you back to the castle. I’m sure Coran can figure this all out, right? I just, um,” his gaze slid past her towards his bloodied helmet. “Just… just give me a tick, okay? I’m sorry. I just have to…”
He retrieved his helmet and remaining in Allura’s vision she watched as he grabbed a handful of the long grasses and scrubbed at it and his hands and then moved to his face, more gingerly wiping there. The blood smeared some and Allura heard him quietly gag although he did not lose any more of his stomach’s contents.
He wiped down his chest plate and arms as best he could and then popped the streaked helmet back on. He tapped the comms then. “Guys?” A pause. “I’ve… I found Allura. She’s okay, I think. Paralysis, maybe, from the poison.” Another pause. “Okay fine, Pidge, venom. Sheesh. I’m taking her back to the castle. Um, and Shiro? I think teams might be a good idea; those things got the jump on both of us.” Another pause. “Okay, great. See you soon.”
His voice was even during the entire exchange but as soon as he keyed off he let out a shaky sounding breath.
Allura had never been prouder. Lance had come a long, long way from the cocky boy who had first boarded her castle.
She felt her lips twitch as she tried to smile and her eyes widened. The paralysis was beginning to wear off!
Not enough though, not yet, as Lance came back to her.
“I, um, have to pick you up,” he said and there was a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks below the visor and smeared blood. “Um, I think a fireman’s carry would be best. I, I promise I’m not doing anything improper, okay?” His cheeks were heating up even further and Allura’s lips twitched more. “Just, uh, don’t hit me later if I um, accidentally, uh…”
He trailed off. “Yeah. That. Okay. Up we go.”
Allura found herself rotated onto her front and then Lance’s hands were pressing along her sides from the front and wrapping tightly about her back. She was being lifted up then to her knees and Lance let out a small grunt. She’d have been offended if she didn’t know how heavy the armor was and the fact she was dead-weight at the moment.
He pulled her then to standing, all of her weight leaning on him and her head bent over his shoulder when one of his hands interlocked with her own and was stretched above her head.
The world turned then as Lance bent down and she found herself splayed across his shoulders, captured arm dragged across his chest and legs dangling down his arm. He let out another grunt and stood then, shifting her slightly and transferring her one hand into the grip of his right which was also holding her legs tight. There was a shimmer of light by his left hand and she realized he had just summoned his sword back.
He was going to both carry her and protect her.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile.
“Shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes,” Lance told her, already beginning his walk. “Just hold tight. Or, uh, I’ll hold tight. You just… enjoy the… ride.”
He sounded so flustered and she felt a small giggle bubbling up, the sensation expanding her chest and the barest blip passing her lips.
“Are you laughing at me?” he demanded without any heat. She could almost hear his realization. “The poison, er, venom! It’s wearing off! Oh, gracias a Dios. It’s not that I doubted it would or anything, but, well,” he trailed off with a weak laugh.
Allura tried to speak then, lips brushing against one another.
She made a hissing noise on the second part of his name. Lance did not interrupt her attempt although she felt him stiffen with surprise.
“Laaaanssse,” she finally was able to sound out.
He let out a low chuckle. “That sounds absolutely nothing like your rich person accent. But,” his hand squeezed her legs. “I’m always happy to hear you say my name, Princess. Er…oh Dios, that came out wrong. I… I’m gonna shut up now.”
“Lance,” she sounded out more carefully, feeling her lips beginning to move the way she wanted them to even as the rest of her body remained unresponsive. “Thaa… Thank… you.”
Allura could feel his quiet smile as he whispered, “You’re welcome, Allura.”
Lance moved then into chatter of no particular topic and Allura closed her eyes, comforted by the familiar tones that even while relaxed she knew he was on guard, protecting them.
Protecting her.
Her smile widened.
Despite the situation, despite her own still leaden limbs and the strange carrying hold…
Allura had never felt safer.