Chapter 35
Leon woke with a start and sat up. Ava! He looked at his status; full health and no fatigue. He sprinted to the opening and threw open the flap. Seconds later, the wolves sprung toward him. She wasn’t on the table anymore.
His heart thundered as he let go of the flap and spun around to wake Hert, and then he saw her. She’d been lying inches from his back and seemed to be unharmed. Leon breathed out. Hert must have created an opening. No matter how much Hert had changed from what they saw in the memories, glimpses of him came through, acting heroic.
Leon sat on the leather and leaned his head in his hands. He’d brought them all into trouble. There was no use in moaning about it, though. He was alive, and he’d get them out. Somehow. There were eleven monsters out there and twelve in the other chest, unless Hert had beaten one or two before he entered the camp. About ten more than his fatigue could take, unless he could sleep more. He popped open the camp’s info and raised his eyebrows. Seven hours left. They still had a chance, then. Worse than if he could have waited until the last chest to use the camp, but still enough, if he could get through the ones outside.
He looked from Hert to Ava, trying to decide what to do. Both of them had collapsed the previous camps before the time was over, so maybe this time, they’d be more careful. Still, it would be safer to let Hert rest—with two people in the tent, it was less likely that they would accidentally collapse it, and Hert might have gotten further injuries when he rescued Ava and got to the camp himself.
Ava should sleep too. She had lost her staff and been so broken up after seeing her death, and she needed time to cope with that. And she needed to get the MP back. Leon didn’t think he’d be affected in quite the same way with his own memory—he didn’t regret the decision he’d made. It was for the good of his family, and he’d see it through.
Leon let them be, picked up both his weapons from the floor, and opened the flap. He’d do this alone.
*******
Leon woke up to Ava and Hert arguing over him. He’d been fully restored.
“What’s it to you, anyway?” Ava said. “You didn’t like me from the beginning, and you’ve left Leon to fend for himself so many times.”
“What’s it to me? If he hadn’t coddled you as much as he did, you wouldn’t be here, and he wouldn’t have—”
Leon sat up, and both Ava and Hert looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Leon!” Ava threw herself in his arms, hugging him tight. “You’re awake!”
“You’re conscious?” Hert asked and grabbed Leon’s wrist, pressing a thumb on his pulse.
“What do you mean?” Leon asked and gently pushed Ava away. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“We couldn’t wake you up,” Hert said. “You’re painted red as a Christmas ornament, and your pulse basically didn’t exist. You just kept bleeding. I thought you were a goner. I hoped you’d snap out of it, but it surely didn’t look like it. I’ve watched you for like four or five hours.”
Leon frowned. “I must have just fallen asleep, then. You know we heal while we sleep. I had to do something since this is the only camp we have.”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Ava grabbed his arm, felt over his skin, and peeked into the holes of his tattered clothes. “Are you hurt anywhere now? Do I need to heal you?”
Leon started shaking his head as Hert smacked the back of it with his palm. “You went out there alone? Are you suicidal?”
“No, and remember, I’ve done this before. I realized that we needed to take care of as many enemies as possible before the last chest. I took out most of them.”
“Alone. Again. Just a few hours ago, you almost died! How stupid can you be?”
“It was safer—”
“Safer for who? There were eleven monsters out there, and more than half of them had your own level. When you did it before, they were fewer and of lower level.” Hert stood and sighed, pulling the hammer and shield out of his pack. “Go back to sleep and get rid of whatever injuries or fatigue you have left. I’m going to take out the rest.”
“Don’t. I’m full, so let me grab—”
“There!” Hert barked and flung out his arms. “You tell me not to go out there alone, but you have no problem doing the same yourself.” Hert shook his head. “Stupid. How do you think it would make us feel if you died because you wanted to help us? How do you think it would affect us? That we’d shrug and carry on?”
Leon’s voice came out like a whisper. “I made you go into the tower. You got hurt, and I didn’t know how much. Ava is without her staff and also needed to recoup MP. I thought—”
“Oh, that makes it alright, then,” Hert spat.
“Don’t be too hard on him, he’s really trying.” Ava rose and put her hands on her hips. ”I still believe he’s the one who can take us out of here, and he hasn’t given up.”
“He gave up on you,” Hert said.
“I didn’t—” Leon began.
“No, he was wounded. He had no other choice. And I was safe there. The wolves couldn’t reach me.”
A timer popped up in front of Leon. “Ten minutes left of the camp.” He hoped that would end the argument.
Hert clenched his jaw and fists. “Both of you are just too selfish. You only think about what’s good for you, your own solutions, and doing it your own way, with no thought of the consequences. Ava; clinging to Leon like a lifeline, because she believes he’s her ride out of this place.”
“I—” Ava stepped forward, and a blush crept up her throat.
“And Leon; deciding what’s best to do, for himself, without asking others. And when you do ask for opinions, you go ahead and act, anyway.”
“You’re no better yourself!” Ava said. “You gladly let Leon take the fall, every time, instead of helping. Always cowering behind that shield and out of reach, until Leon is so wounded he almost dies. And then you help because you know you can’t beat the floor without him. That makes you the selfish one.”
Hert narrowed his eyes. “I knew people like you when I was alive. They tend to think they’re smarter than anyone else, that everybody loves them. Manipulators, through and through.”
Ava’s lips wobbled. “I’ve changed. I’m not the same person as I was in the memories.” She dug her fingers into her arms and stared at the floor as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I was a Scab for a year. A year! Leon helped me from that.”
“Both of you, stop.” Leon rose as well. “Hert has a point, and I’m sorry. I’ve been selfish.” Leon looked into Hert’s face. “I’ll be careful to listen to you guys from now on.” Leon put his hands on Ava’s shoulders. “And of course you’ve changed. I believe we all have, in one way or another.”
“Good.” Hert nodded to Ava. “Are you going to freeze up on us again? Put Leon and me in danger?”
She gave a curt shake of her head without looking up.
“Alright then.” Hert stretched out his back and rolled his shoulders. “Wow, felt good to have that out. Now, let’s survive these last two chests together. I can’t say how I’ll react to my own scene until we’re there, but I’ll do my best. We’ll get through it.”
“Yeah. There are two wolves left out there, meaning fourteen wolves in total. With my fatigue, I can take down maybe nine or ten of them, but with your and Ava’s help, we can get out of here alive.” Leon looked at the timer. “Before the tent collapses—what do you remember of the place where you died? Is there anywhere we can reach a safe place? We’re likely going in there just after my memory has ended.”
Hert clenched his hammer. “I can’t remember much from that time. It’s dark, and it’s a room with little to no furniture.”
“You can’t remember more than that? Any details would help, especially if you think you’ll space out.”
Hert shook his head. “That time is a blur. I was barely conscious most of the time.”
Leon patted his back. “Alright. We’ll have to take it as we go. Let’s—” He cleared his throat. “Everyone ready?”
Hert nodded, and Ava stepped toward the entrance.
Leon walked between them, pulling out his weapons. Before he could lift the flap, Hert grabbed his shoulder.
“Are you going to be okay? With your death?”
Leon gave him a grim smile. “Yeah. I made my choice, and I don’t regret making it.”
Hert frowned, and Leon walked out, holding his swords to his sides, muscles tight and ready.