Chapter 3 Boss

The little girl isn’t hiding from me anymore. Though she has been a bit more annoying now, with all her skipping and singing. I’d tell her to shut up but I feel that I am responsible for her safety; now that I’ve killed two more idiots, protecting her. If she were to run away and get herself killed, it would upset me, only a bit though.

It has been about two hours since that incident with the thugs.

The girl’s bravery surprises me. The first time I saw a corpse was probably around her age but even I can’t say I was calm during that time. Though perhaps the child has seen more death in her short life than I have seen in the entirety of mine. That would make the most sense. Even if this a fantasy world, it is still a world; and where there is people there is murder, rape, and many horrible atrocities. That is just human nature.

The world is surely terrible, ain’t that right Hope? I whisper to myself. She would probably tell me something like “Even if it is terrible we can make it at least a bit better for those around us.” Her un-ending optimism was always contiguous. So, perhaps I can make this world a bit brighter by helping this kid get home safely.

Distracted by my thoughts. I didn’t realize that we have already reached some stairs, stairs that the lead upwards to another floor. Hmm I hadn’t thought about whether I should go up or down. The little girl brushes passed me and commences her climb upward, with a walk reminiscent of the little engine that could, if that makes any sense. I suppose this is as good an answer as I am going to get. I follow the child up the spiral stairs, As she sings her hymn and prances up the stone stairs.

Odd? These stairs feel and look manmade. Though I suppose this is a dungeon. Those things have magical properties, if I know my Rpgs.

We reach the top after a short climb. What lay before us was an empty stone room filled with torches lighting the walls. All of them leading to the stairs we found ourselves climbing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is a boss room. But where is the boss? Perhaps it hasn’t respawned yet. Do monsters respawn in this world?

The little girl tugs at the branches, that function as my legs, almost as if she felt uncomfortable in this room.

Very well child. I won’t stay here any longer than I need too. I want to leave this place, it is too dark for my taste anyways.

What is supposed to be a small walk to one end of the room to other, felt strangely wrong. A slight chill ran up my spine, if I have one, and the girl griped my leg tightly, refusing to let go. She would even open her eyes, she just followed my lead only taking caution to not trip on uneven ground.

*Silence*

We get to the other side soon enough. The mood becomes lighter and the child opens her eyes, loosening her grip on me. It seems that we were worrying for nothing, I say as I am about to cross the small opening in the cave and out of the square room. While the room looks manmade; once past the door, it looks like an ordinary cave again. Then I heard a strange rickety sound coming from the walls. With my new vison, I am able to see ever so small movements that the small door-like l opening was making. It is going to slam Shut!!! I thought to myself as, The girl gleefully skipped towards the door.

If I don’t do anything she will be crushed. I extend my wooden tendrils and surround the girl’s body, she lets of a small scream. As soon as I get a good grip I push her back into the boss room. A mere second after the Stone opening shuts closed. With the closing door came a strange gnarling sound behind us. The boss.

Before I can even turn around by body, branches and all is slammed against the wall, the child getting pushed out of my grip in the process. Luckily she was outside this monsters range when it attacked, though I fear I may have injured her.

“Goh”

The little girl screams and summons a fireball. The flame danced across, what I could now see was a golem. The flame raged but it didn’t do a thing, no instead the red flames crawled off its stone body and onto mine. My body quickly began to glow red and grow hot, from the flames, that I can only describe as the feeling of freezing in the middle of winter, It is not exactly pain but I can’t say it is not pain. Strange, is one of the ways You can describe the feeling of freezing.

“Soi! Soi!! Soi!!” At the corner of my eye I can see the little girl crying. She screamed words I did not understand, even so her feelings is well heard.

"Do not fret child. I hold no anger towards you. Humans fear death, you did what you thought would increase you chance to live. You acted out of fear.” I know she doesn’t understand me. Why am trying to comfort her when I am the one dying? I try to pierce the golems body with my burning branches to little avail. Hmm I haven’t tried that have I? I say to myself as I think of the items I have with me.

After eating rabbit after rabbit, I realized that their bones were not leaving my body. Yes, while the meat was somehow digested, the rabbits bones teeth and all still remain lodged all around my body, perhaps I can forge teeth from the dead rabbits corpse, to chomp on this golem.

I quickly retrieve the rabbits carcasses, scattered all across my body, and tear them apart, the golem slams me against the wall once more,” GUHH!!” I let a small yell escape me, though it’s origin I cannot determine. The construction is already underway. I know exactly where to aim. At the center of the golem lay a Glowing red crystal if I can just destroy that, I am sure this thing will collapse!!

I place all the bones and line them up like teeth on four limbs I create by separating the wood in my body the end result is Sharp vines with thorn like teeth spread across the wood-vines. Or even better like four snakes with thorns looking at its prey. I fling my vine like branches at the golem, hitting it from sides.

The flames on my body subsided and my Flurry of attacks is begin to chip away at the golem. The golem once again it slams me against the wall. This time he lets me fall to the ground.

It stands there for a moment. Is this it. Instead of finishing me off it starts to walk towards the girl. Her expression can only be described as complete terror, as if she saw Death himself walking towards her.

Damn. Deal with me first!!! I say as I get up. No, what? I can’t get up, I look to my limbs, only to find that each and every one of my limbs starts to blacken and fly into the air like dust. My body, it is disappearing and I can’t control it anymore. I can’t save the girl. Damn it why am I thinking about a strange girl at a time like this. Humans are supposed to put their own lives first and foremost. Why am I going to die for a girl who will only become a terrible person in the first place!! I yell out all my frustrations and mere moments after my heart calms and I think of the situation more calmly.

I have always wanted to die, since the moment I was born, but Hope made me want to at least die a hero. I am sorry kid, even with my best effort I can’t save you.

“Don’t give up Edward.” The voice of a long dead friend calls out to me. Damn. I can’t Do anything HOPE!! I have done all I can. I yell at the imaginary voice in my head. I don’t want you to be disappointed in me, I don’t want you to say I didn’t try…. but Please just let me die!! Please Hope, don’t make me fight any longer. Being alive has been nothing but hell for me.

“Didn’t you promise me. ” her haunting voice calls out to me once more, echoing in my mind. My promise?

A resurgence of long dead memories begin to rise out of the depths of my mind.

I remember what she once asked of me “Promise me. Even if I die. You won’t give up.”(Hope)

“Please don’t die Hope. You are the only person in the world who cares about me!! Please.. please don’t die” I pleaded her, my cheeks filled with her blood mixed with my tears.

I remember it clearly. The gentle smile she gave me, her final smile.

“There will always be someone who cares about you, you just have to look for them.”(Hope) She said closing her eyes for the last time. I shook her dead corpse in my arms hoping she would wake up; but I knew that it was too late, she had died and there was nothing I could ever do. Nothing except.

“I promise!! I promise!!” I promise hope, that I won’t die until I make this world just a bit brighter.

I can’t die here, not until I have fulfilled her final wish!! I won’t die. Even though I say that, I can’t even muster the strength to open my eyes anymore. My consciousness is fading. I need too…

Just as my consciousness was about to disappear, it returned with such a vigor that it astounded me, I feel as if I have been given a new body, one that doesn’t feel fatigue.

“Well who do we have here?”(???) an unfamiliar voice calls out to me.

Huh? I open my eye to see a young man sitting on a cloud.

“Hello mortal.”(Man) he says with a glowing, happy go lucky, grin.

Where am I?