Archive of Our Own

It is getting messy. Phil sighs. This was supposed to be an ambush. He and Dan wouldn't have come by themselves if they thought there was going to be this much fight back.

But there was a rare miss from Dan of the alarm at the edge of the site, and their enemies had awoken. Dan had seen them first, Tiefling eyes piercing the dark, and called out numbers and positions, three total, clustered together. Already up and looming towards them.

They move quickly, they have the element of surprise and are able to act first. Dan pulls his bow, thump, hiss—a groan from the enemy and a shake as it hits the ground. That is enough to take their first opponent down.

The enemy Phil can see yields a giant sword, and has turned towards them, looking to charge. Phil casts at it: Hold. The creature does not move.

Dan again, an arrow at the third and final enemy, it hits. There's a shout from the enemy but Phil hears it turn to an angry screech, they are still up.

In response, Phil sees a blaze of light, shooting at him in a line across the ground. Just as he processes the sight a weight slams into his side, pushing him out of the path. As he falls he sees the light slam into Dan, who is now in the place Phil just was.

Dan falls, collapsing like a ragdoll. Shit. No way that hasn't killed him. That had been enough damage to take down a chimera, let alone a rouge who has gone a night without rest.

Phil has to do something, and fast, he is on his own now. The two enemies are in close proximity now, the caster has positioned herself behind the sword bearer. Simple then; he casts again, and a column of radiant light slams down from the sky. As the light fades away he blinks, eyes adjusting, bracing for the next hit, trying to see through the dark. But it's quiet in the clearing, that has been enough to take down both enemies.

Phil rushes to Dan's side. He is warm, still soft, but so so quiet. Not a flinch of his brick red skin, no movement in his chest, no flicker of the eyes. A dead man.

Phil pulls out his bag, supplies tumbling out as he overturns it, but he finds the thing he needs. Clutching the gem, a touch to Dan's chest, and for half a moment fear that this time it will not work—and then Dan coughs.

Phil smiles. "Up you get, Danny boy! You're not leaving me here without you yet."

Dan coughs again and rolls to his side, groaning. "This is not any more fun than it was the last 12 times."

"This is the 14th one, you rat."

"No it is not! You gaslighter, you don't get to tell me how many times I've died." Dan lets Phil hoist him to his feet.

"You always forget the one where you fell out of the tower. You don't get to discount it just because it happened because you were clumsy and not because someone stabbed you."

Dan grumbles as he brushes the dirt off his trousers. "Yeah, well, bite me elf boy."

Phil grins. "Gladly, but later. Come on, we'll need to find a new manor for you to lift some more diamonds from. It's getting very expensive keeping you alive."

Dan's eyebrows arch, outraged and dramatic. "I'm getting expensive?! If you could help me kill them a little faster, or maybe invest in some better protection I wouldn't be dying all the time."

Phil leans over to kiss Dan's filthy cheek, "I don't need better protection silly, that's what you're here for."