I sound like a wheezing boar.
I'm so exhausted, I just want to lie down and sleep above the body of my enemy, it doesn't matter that my finger feel like it's gonna pop off, that my side is burning as warm blood seep through my wounds even at this exact moment.
No, the only thing that matter is that I'm coming down from a second adrenaline high today, and I feel like crashing down.
Hard.
I don't feel how my shirt is sticking to my body because of a mix of sweat and blood. I'm just too tired for that, I don't feel the taste of iron in my mouth.
Ah scratch that, I can taste this one.
like I can taste my last meal, I can't help it, I puke on the floor.
Right on the mashed head of my last kill, this feel fucking horrible.
And just to insist about how great of a day today is, I even puke a second time.
A hand come behind my back patting gently my back in the hope of helping me, I think?
Perhaps it's just reassurance, I almost puke a third time but thankfully I just heave like a dying man instead, much better indeed.
I can hear muffled sounds of footsteps and conversation behind me and at my sides, but I'm not in a good mental state to really assimilate the sound around me you see? I wonder why!
Lifting my forearm and wiping my lips in a hurry, on the sleeve, I don't even realise that I made myself even more messy.
At least that's until I lick my lips nervously, and taste the fresh coagulated blood on my lips, I spit the taste of goblin blood out directly after.
Desecrating the corpse below me even more.
Finally, as if I'm getting out of a pool, or getting out of a plane, I feel my ears kind of popping as I hear the voice of a man, the same man that's patting my back "are you fine?" No I'm not malfoy, I'm fucking not, sliding his arm below mine, he help me up, my feet, less than stable on the ground.
Again he repeat, his other hand still patting my back "are you fine?"
How many times do I need to say it, I'm not fucking fine, I answer. "yeah yeah, I'm fine" that's a lie if you didn't got it already.
I try to move my right arm and realise that actually, the one who helped me up wasn't malfoy, no he was too busy patting.
I turn my head and look at the only man able to lift up my strong frame, obviously it's badass grandpa holding me steady. I nod at him, he nod back but doesn't let go.
I allow it, as I see the two girls behind me, they don't look good, at least they didn't puked, I think?
Would have shamed myself for puking, but considering what just happened today, and my contribution in the fight compared to miss unable to use a bow, and shaking overconfident girl, I'd say I deserve it.
Annie smile a bit, it look strained. Again a mouse, should call her mousy or something."you're all fine?" Jenna don't ask but the way her face is contorted indicate she's asking too.
We all answer pretty dryly for a unknown reason.
"I'm fine"
I start first as balrow follow with a simple nod, and Matthew finish up with a "as much as I can with this" he say looking at his limp shoulder.
Door: 1
Matthew: 0
Then I finish up all the answers with a simple "we're fine, you're fine?" the two nod in answer, they better nod I swear, if they dare complain I don't know what I'll do but it would probably put tension in the group.
I pat balrow hand as I recover more, this time he don't object and stop supporting me.
We all stand there, nothing but the occasional twitch, and glances at the carnage around us.
I myself take the time to glance at the goblin I lifted up, his entrails are seeping out of his body, he look lifeless, directly staring at me with empty eyes.
I would say he look like he's sleeping but the way his limbs are positioned doesn't look natural, one hand under his head twisting in a pitful excuse of a normal range.
Any living being would not find that position comfortable, his second arm is pinned under his now heavy body, who knew a small body like that could be that heavy without a life controlling their awkward shaped limb? His legs are crossed as if he fell in a extremely strange way, his whole body is resting in a pool of his own blood, it smell bad.
I close my eyes for a second before taking a deep breath, it smell really bad, taking me out of my thoughts mousy voice bring me back to the important subject at hand.
Should I stop with nicknames?
"so, what do we do now?" her voice is shaky, barealy audible, but with the silence surrounding us it may as well be screaming "don't we need to move to that next room?" Matthew answer.
Well more like ask, his tone a bit unsure, deciding to add myself in the discussion, I speak, with a husk of my original voice "Let's wait for now, if we're not forced to move we can rest a bit" I sound strange.
Balrow and Jenna nod at that.
But to be truthful probably everyone here wish for a rest, that...was intense, fighting to the death I mean.
It looks easy in movies, life is different.
Still deciding to investigate though, I start walking away toward the door, balrow pat my shoulder "Good job"
And just like that the other follow. "Yeah, you were badass!" Mousy go first, her words filled with forced enthusiasm in the hope of bringing the mood up.
"Your help was appreciated indeed, I did not wished to fight against one more of those in that state" malfoy continue with....whatever the fuck this is, rolling his shoulders as he do.
Jenna give me two big thumbs up, apparently out of compliments and just uttering a simple "Yeah good job" she's probably feeling like her words were lame right now. She look like the kind of girl that would. it work all the same.
I just killed four of these fuckers myself, I practically did the fight alone, MUAHAHAHAHAHHA, FEAR ME, I WON ALONE, THEY BETTER THANKS ME EVEN MORE I CARRIED THIS SH-!
Well, thinking rationally, I'm sure matthew could have beat up the last one I took, even injured, same for the old man, he's pretty impressive.
I need to see more but I'm sure those two together alone should have been able to win the fight.
The girls considering how they almost froze probably wouldn't, perhaps they would kill one or two by thrashing around with weapons, but they could not win, I'm pretty sure of it.
Matthew alone, the old man alone? Against six of them? Probably not. Perhaps it's not healthy to compare my strength to them to see how impressive my achievement is, but I don't care.
Me alone, against six of them? I don't know.
And I should know, I need to be able to take all of them without help, the goblins.
And I should know, I need to be able to take all of them without help, this team.
No matter how cool that grandpa can be sometimes.
How funny it was to mess with malfoy snobbishness by acting like I don't get his sarcasm for a second.
How endearing it is to see mousy trying to bring the group together, before she act like a madgirl.
How relatable Jenna is with her constant anxiousness.
I don't know them alright? Even if we fight together, I need to be ready, I don't like this building camaraderie shit here, that's way too dangerous, I need to be ready.
I look at all the little fuckers, not the goblins this time, no, and put on my best smile despite the current circumstances.
"thanks guys, good job killing one while being injured malfoy, that was fire"
I then look at balrow and continue "same for you, don't know how you finished yours but I saw that shield punch that threw the green bastard away, that was badass" oh, is that a small smile I see on this old man face? HA! I BROKE THIS STOIC OLD MAN, SEE THAT!?
I look at the girls and I can see the dissapointment on their features, at themselves. "Good job girls, I saw you tried to attack the goblin?" I ask mousy, but don't wait for her answer, I already know it "it was good, just a bit more confidence and you would have killed him, they are pretty weak after all"
Ignoring the shock in mousy eyes, I continue with jenna.
"And you tried to use the bow, obviously it didn't work, but abandoning it for the dagger mousy give you was a smart move, I also saw you tried to protect her right? Good job"
She look at me with a comfortable smile, soft eyes, shouting that she understand what I'm doing, that she's happy I did that. Why the hell is she looking at me like that?
Damn those fuckers are weird.
Whatever, deciding to go back to my first goal, I turn around after saying those words.
I need to be ready.
But for now, we're cooperating. I guess bonding a bit would make us more performant.
Reaching the open door, I look back into the white room we arrived in and....there's nothing new?
Where is the next room?