THUMP!
CRASH!
The adult Jackelope crashes full speed into one of the thin emperor trees. The force of the attack shattering the trunk and creating a gaping wound in the wood. The beasts antlers angled too wide to get stuck in the trunk but just wide enough to get locked around it.
I had leaped upward a split second before it rammed the tree. And now I am hurtling back down with a downward stab. Aiming for the back of its head but the almost bear sized rabbit is thrashing around too much in its effort to get its horns free from around the tree. My stab burying into the small of its back, the blade going in halfway. Unfortunately that has left me hanging over its back end…
The giant rabbit monster raised up its hindquarters and I can feel its muscles tense as it cocked in its back legs.
Fear wracking through my body, but thinking quickly I tuck in my own legs and use my [Leap Stride] to bounce away just in time for the monster to kick backwards. It's feet nearly impact my chest by a hairsbreadth but instead I am only struck by the concussive blast that comes after. The force of which knocks the wind out of me and sends me flying even further up into the canopy above.
I brace myself before my lower back connects with a branch, breaking through it and a couple others before hitting a denser one that halts my ascent. My body wrapping over it and dumping me down to the branch below right onto my stomach. Catching myself before I fall any further.
I try to catch my breath but can't exhale before warmth spreads up my throat and I lurch over the branch to cough up way too much blood for comfort. The warm red liquid splashing through the branches below me.
"LIORE! YOU ALRIGHT!?" Mr. Thorpe yelled out from below. I can see him down there readying his spear while the monster rabbit is violently wrenching its head back and forth to try to get its antlers unstuck. The action causing its antlers to saw through the thin trunk until it cleaves its way through. The Jackelope getting sent onto its back while the tree cracks and tilts before tumbling over with a groan. The tall trees expansive canopy getting tangled with another, halting the trees descent and leaving it slanted harshly.
Groaning in response, my chest flaring with pain as I force out a response. "I'm…okay…I think…" Which comes out pretty quiet but Thorpe manages to catch it.
The old man let's out a sigh of relief before turning his full attention to the massive monster rabbit that has now swiftly rolled back over onto its feet. A snarl escaping from its gnashing teeth as it's eyes lock onto the old man. Heckles raising. It's legs locking in for another pounce.
Old Guard shifts into a readied stance with his spear. The point of the spear blade flashing briefly white just before the adult jackelope bounces with enough force to shake the trees. Bounding towards Thorpe with brutal ramming speed.
For a moment it appears that he won't have time to dodge. But at the last second he strafes off to the monsters side with blinding speed. And in a flash, stabs into its ribs and pulls back out before jumping back away as the monster rams the dirt.
The jackelope raises to its feet, limping with my sword still plunged into its back. It turns to face Old Guard and prepares another leap but suddenly starts to twitch. Huffing while its noses wiggles in confusion. Suddenly unable to get the strength to raise back up.
It's head and ears lower. Body sinking into the dirt until the creature slumps completely.
The old man keeps a readied stance for a few more moments as he watches. But the creature does not get back up.
Old Guard relaxes and then runs off towards me. Stopping beneath the tree I got kicked into just as I am slowly climbing down. My every breath labored and wheezing. My chest and stomach throbbing with a deep pain that feels like it's filled with needles. I get down to the last branch and slip, tumbling over but Thorpe catches me. Although it still makes my body hurt like hell. Crying out loudly.
"S…so…sorry.." I stutter out.
Old Guard gently lays me down and sighs. "Don't start with the apologizing yet…" He grunts, dragging his pack over and rummaging through it before pulling out a green tinted glass bottle with dark liquid inside. He sets the bottle down, along with what looks like a small piece of wood with twine wrapped thickly around it.
"Check your status for me…" Old Guard orders flatly as he starts undoing the ties to the gambeson I've been wearing.
"M…May the blinded…see…" I manage to stammer out through painful breathes.
_________________________________________
[[LEVEL-01]]
//Name: Liore Perro
//Age: 12
//Class: [Farmer]
//Status: [Wounded] [Shattered] [Suffocation Minor]
[[STATS]]
//Strength: 2
//Dexterity: 2
//Intelligence: 2
//Perception: 2
//Stamina: 2
//Resilience: 3
[[PASSIVE]]
[??????????]
[Slayers Aspect]
[Favored]
[Battle Theory]
[[SKILLS]]
[??????-??????]
[Leap Stride]
[[CLASS QUESTS]]
[Plant A Seed]
_________________________________________
I cough hoarsely, blood splattering out. Some of it getting onto Mr. Thorpes sleeve. "S…sorry…" I wheeze out quietly, unable to stop myself.
Old Guard reaches up to lightly flick my forehead, making me flinch. "Shut up. What's your status?"
Groaning, I relay my current status effects to him as he gets my gambeson undone and lifts my tunic up. Thorpe lets out a hiss through his teeth. The grimace on his face apparent. "Ooooooooh yeah. That is broken…"
Looking down to see my upper abdomen covered in a sickly red and purple bruise. "Oooh god…but it didn't even…hit me…"
Mr. Thorpe lowers my tunic back down. "Yep. And you are lucky you were fast enough not to actually get hit. Or else you'd probably be dead…" He says, letting out a notable sigh of relief before he reaches for the bottle he set nearby. "I was hoping to not have to use this so early cause…well…it sucks…" He admits with a slightly apologetic glance to me. "But you are going to have to get used to it soon anyway." Flipping the latch and popping the seal on the bottle.
I watch the bottle warily, my nose already wrinkling as I get a hint of an acrid stench leaking from it. Thorpe gets out a wooden spoon from his pack and pours a small amount into it. The fluid that comes out is dark red, almost like blood. It is thick like a soup and bubbles. "What…is that?"
Old Guard looks over to me as he carefully sits down in front of me. Setting the bottle aside after closing it. He holds the spoon level with his face so he can make sure it's not going to spill. "This…is healers draught." He answers, picking up the piece of wood with the twine around it in his free hand. "There are regular health potions you can get and those are the most common. But they can only heal minor wounds and are pretty slow. Good for pain relief. You've had them a dozen times since you were young." His eyes then looked to the sickly sludge in the spoon. "This tho. Is the same thing. Except that it's been aged like a wine. And over time it's healing capabilities get more and more potent."
The old man grimaces. "But it also gets harder and harder to stomach…"
I definitely do not like the sound of that. I almost want to refuse it but the pain wracking my entire body is more than enough to keep me from trying that. "Ummm…how old is that one?"
Mr. Thorpe thinks for a moment. "I think about 18 years? I got this particular bottle before the end of the war. Have 3 more just like it at home completely unopen." He leans forward and stares me right in the eyes. "You have to swallow this. It is going to taste awful. Do NOT spit it out, this shit is expensive." His eyes narrowing at me.
I nod slowly, flinching as every movement I make now causes pain to shoot through my body. Not even in any shape to quip back or lighten the mood. Although Mr. Thorpes pretty calm demeanor is helping a bit.
The old man moves the wooden spoon towards me. My head recoiling from the powerful stench that gets way too close. Feeling like it's burning the hairs in my nostrils.
But despite fierce apprehension I open my mouth and Old Guard sends the spoon basically as close to the back of my throat as he can before I close down on it. Thorpe yanking the spoon back out.
But his hand drops the spoon and immediately covers my mouth as my instant reaction is to throw up. The taste is nothing if not indescribably vile. Instantly coating and sticking to every surface. My throat burning and my stomach already trying to expel it even before it can get down there.
"Don't let it sit or it's just going to get worse. You have got to swallow it!" Thorpe yells sternly.
It takes every fiber of my being to finally swallow the concoction and gasp for fresh air. Thorpe removes his hand but each breath I take just tastes exactly like it. I can even still smell it through my nasal cavity.
But I don't get to enjoy breathing for very long before Thorpe shoves the piece of wood and twine in between my teeth just as the pain starts.
Getting your ribs broken is certainly incredibly painful. But feeling them get pieced back together is a whole different type of agony. The bones twisting and popping back into place, pieces tearing through displaced flesh to resit where their meant to be, tiny fragments like needles as they refill gaps.
The kick that caused it was swift. The pain came gradually. The healing of it came all at once. Slow and methodical. The pain reaching around places in my body that I didn't even know was damaged.
So blindingly painful I can't even open my eyes. My teeth have pierced through the twine and into the wood chunk. Unable to even scream with my jaw so tightly locked.
I try to fight through as best as I can.
But yet again…I find myself slipping into unconsciousness…