"You don't know."
Nodding back at balrow, stealing his own style of answers, I confirm that yes.
YES I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!
My voice doesn't scream that though.
"Yes I don't"
He look at me for one second before he nod.
That's all? No more question?
...uh...man, can you say something here? I'm feeling really dumb because of my blunder and my whole thinking like a rabid dog under meth.
I even licked my lips and shit, so...yeah. It would be great if you talked, you know? Ask me questions and all.
Just so I can take care of all those thoughts and explain them out loud? It helps me, talking out loud, or in my mind really. Just doing a debriefing.
So...yeah, can you do that?
He stare at me.
I stare at him.
He just stare. Big eyes open, right on mine. No question, nothing. Pure stoicness. Nothing but stoicness.
No talking, no asking.
Just staring at me.
Alright that won't do it, I want a debrief and I'm taking it.
By force if necessary.
"Balrow"
He nod at me, probably saying I have his attention. I get it, you know, I don't need his nod to answer, he's staring really hard.
Like really damn hard. Just like he was against the sun. Probably trying to win one player game of the first who blink lose.
"Aren't you curious about why I don't know?"
He stop, HE DIDN'T BLINKED YET! he shake his head.
Huh, he, he doesn't care "You sure you don't?"
He look at me, just look, just look. Then his lips move "do you want me to be curious?"
And boum! He got it! Clapping my hands, I continue "yeah!"
He hum something and nod. "Why don't you know?"
My hands push close to his head. Both palms up in a stop motion to block him from talking more.
"GREAT QUESTION BALROW!" He doesn't react much at my scream.
He's disentitized, I'm sure of it.
Turning around to stare at the wall, I start walking around, like some kind of genius character in a random show.
PS: it's the moment where he's explaining something.
"It's because I don't have anything to compare yourself too!" I stop and just stare at the wall, head tilted up, perfect position for a thinker.
I rest like that for a second or two before my hand come up to do gestures of help at balrow.
Realizing he need to continue, his voice reach my ears. "You don't have what?"
My feet slam the ground, making me turn on myself so fast my impression of a mad scientist is spot on. "Nothing to compare yourself too!"
Stretching my arms to wide my sides, I show off the room. "Look at it balrow"
He look at it.
At the room. All of it.
My hands come to hit my chest, just for more IMPACT "look at it balrow! I don't know how strong you were"
"I don't have any comparison"
My steps lead me closer to balrow, slowly walking toward him as I explain "none, none at all! This was bound to failure! It always was."
I let my head fall down in depression and turn until my side is in in front of balrow.
I sniff, way too hard. Acting like I'm sad as fuck.
"I don't have anything balrow. Nothing. Nothing at all! We only sparred one time before you got your skill. The only RECORDS of strength I have for you are"
Why did I screamed records? Fuck if I know.
My hand come up, my thumb first "the first spar"
My index finger "your fights!"
My index finger come back down "but I was busy fighting too, while you were fighting! So the information on those fights are poor!"
Disqualified!
My head turn to him. He's still staring.
"My only reference is a random joking spar we did. That's all, I cannot, with any confidence prove that you're stronger, weaker, or anything."
Shaking my head and giving the most theatrical sigh ever, I keep talking "I just can't"
Balrow look at me, before he slowly raise his hand and clap for my performance "Thanks you. I understand n-!" I SHUT HIM UP!
"BUT JENNA!" My hands come up to stop him, grabbing his clapping hands and keeping them close, keeping them close and still. "But jenna you'll ask!"
He take a deep breath before talking "But jenna."
YES!
Freeing his hands, I twirl like a disney princess and jump like a ballerina "but jeeeenna, is different! I knew you would say that!"
I knew it!
My hand come on my chest, praising my prediction.
It's a prediction, even if I forced it out.
"Her, it was different!"
My hand point forward, I let it move to the right, still and stable "she went from not being able to shoot an arrow to" my hand come up violently, EXPONTIONALLY! "To sticking her shot!"
Putting my hand on my waist, I lazily look back at balrow.
"Her level was strange. Her progression distinct. And most importantly. Obvious"
That's the special word.
Snap of my fingers, a stare. "She went from being nothing, to showing a level of skill that's impressive. But maybe you did too"
My eyes come on balrow "maybe you did. But maybe your progress is different or not clear compared to the shine and sparkle of jenna!"
He blink at me.
I ignore him.
My hands come up to point at....the ceiling? I think? "Maybe! Maybe! But I cannot be sure. Never, because I don't have enough information balrow"
"I don't, I just don't."
One shake of my head.
Two shake of my head.
"That's why I don't know"
It takes three second before he get his hands up and applaud me "Wow. Thanks you Ludger. You answered all my questions"
My hand come on my chest and I do some sort of theater bow "thank you thank you, now, let's get the fuck out of here"
He turn around and start leaving even before me "Yes. Let's leave."
I follow him.
Did he slept with his eyes open while I did my explanation? I'm sure he have the skill. He must have it
My feet come down on the piece of cloth under my feet and make it dissapear in my inventory.
ANYWAY! Do you understand why I'm feeling dumb about being excited as fuck? Because it was for nothing.
I kinda hoped he would be ridiculously more powerful, so much that I could see a clear difference but....those skills looks to be as similar as those stats.
Useless....at least when it's not magic related.
My step freeze as we get closer to the T interception.
A second later I continue my way, following balrow, even as I noticed something odd.
Turning my head to look behind, I see the dark of the hallway.
It's dark.
We're in the light right now, but then, to go to the watchtower we'll need to pass the dark, and then reach the sun.
That's weird. Something rise up on my skin, goosebumps. Really weird.
My head move around, turning and watching the walls with more care than before.
That's pretty damn weird.
When we reach the T intersection, I look at the other part of the hallway. Toward the hulk.
It start with light. Then there is a part with darkness, and then there is the hatch....
What the?
I look at barlow, as he walk toward the safe zone. we're in the light right now.
In the safe zone, it's still light. Because of the sun.
The sun there don't reach the inside of the hole, where we are. It just don't. A memory of when I left to the goblin camp during the dark spark in my mind.
Even when the sun, the fake one, was down. The corridor. The exact place I'm standing on, was still lightened up.
Stopping my steps, I look at the walls around again, there's something really odd here.
Balrow stop "Ludger?"
I look at him "huh, I'm coming" he look at me, waiting for me. Giving a last glance behind, I walk forward.
What is lighting the hallways?