95 The Recrui (1/2)

The iron scent of blood permeated the surrounding air. It assaulted my sense of smell and forced my nose to cringe. I never liked the smell of blood. That might be another reason why I wasn't entirely suited to the battlefield.

The noise was deafening. The onlookers were screaming now. Mostly curses directed at me. Words like, ”Mud-bastard”! and ”Kill the pipsqueak!”

That last one made my brows furrow. Unfortunately, I couldn't react to any of it. Not even from Xanthor's, ”Save the boss man,” although I appreciated that my guys were looking out for me. I certainly couldn't.

All I could see was a pitch blackness that sent a chill creeping slowly up my spine. I'd never gone blind after using Fool's Insight before, but it seemed like I overdid it.

The sound of clashing steel and enraged voices reached my ears. They were much closer now than the thirty-foot distance everyone had maintained during the duel.

I raised my falchion in front of me, not knowing when the strike would come but believing that even blind I'd manage somehow. This wasn't cockiness, but winning a deathmatch really made a guy more confident in himself.

Only a few seconds had ticked by when I felt someone close the distance to me. I swung my sword, but then I heard a familiar voice scream, ”Dean! Stop, it's me!”

”Luca?” I asked for confirmation.

”Yeah, it's me… so put down the sword nice and slowly,” he answered.

I dropped my sword arm to my side and let out a relieved sigh.

A long-fingered hand grasped each of my shoulders. ”What's wrong with your eyes… why are they all glassy?”

Instead of explaining to Luca that I'd been de-buffed with blindness—not really knowing if the condition was permanent—I asked him if he still had a healing potion left.

”Y-yeah… hold on,” he said.

I heard my little brother rummage through his clothes, heard a bottle being uncorked, then felt the smooth exterior of something glassy in my palm as Luca dropped the minor potion of healing into it.

”Thanks,” I said gratefully. Then I raised the vial in my hand and tipped its liquid content into my mouth.

Healing potions had the strange property of tasting vaguely like one's favorite drink. Most of the time, its flavor was a bit like Coke Zero to me. Tonight, however, the taste in my mouth was undoubtedly that of freshwater. It had that same tasteless yet cool to the touch and refreshing on the lips kind of relish.

Seconds after I drank the potion, my sight came back to me. Although still hazy at the edges like I was looking through an unfocused camera lens.

I blinked. Then I blinked some more until my eyes could adjust to this new sight.

”At least I can see again,” I sighed.

Although it was a relief that my vision returned, the scene happening around me almost made me wish everything was still black. At least then, I wouldn't feel like I'd just survived my fight with Azuma only to die at the hands of some random mob unit.

It was madness, mayhem, pandemonium, and every other word used to describe chaos.

The onlookers had devolved into a frenzied skirmish of hobgoblin, elf, visere, centaur, dwarf, and one very surly half-ogre who'd made it his duty to prevent anyone from getting within ten feet of me, Luca, and the exquisite-looking golden-haired elf who was kneeling on the ground a foot away from me. She had a hand resting on the bloodied, black-clad chest of the man lying on the grass.

Azuma's face was pale as death. He wasn't moving.

”Is he alive, Aura?” I asked.

It took her another second or two to nod her head. ”It's faint but there's certainly a heartbeat, Dean…”

Relief flooded into my system. It wouldn't do to kill the guy I made a bet I'd save. Otherwise, how was I going to cash in on my winnings? And I had huge plans for Azuma.

”Can you wake him up?” I asked Aura.

”I can give him a potion…” Aura glanced uncertainly at me. ”Are you sure that's what you want?”

I closed my eyes as they already felt strained just from those few seconds they were open. I took this time to really think about what I wanted. Nevermind that the battle continued around us. This was an important decision and a rather risky one to boot.

After half a minute of arguing the pros and cons in my head, I opened my eyes and gave Aura my consent.

She shrugged. Then she did what I asked and poured a small vial of healing potion into Azuma's pale lips.

”Are you sure about this?” Luca asked worriedly. ”This might bite us back in the butt…”

”Yeah… well, I'm glad you're here to pick up the slack.” I patted his shoulder. ”Took you long enough.”

”You serious?” Luca gave me an incredulous look. ”I was up to my knees in enemies! You only had to deal with one.”

I sent him back his incredulous look. ”Excuse me? Are you actually comparing your mobs to my guy?”

Our argument over who had it rougher lasted until we heard Aura suddenly clear her throat. What followed was a series of coughing fits coming from the man who, until a second ago, was on his way to the river Styx.

”Dean…” Luca began, but I cut him off with, ”It'll be fine. Say what you like about the guy, but we both know he's a warrior of honor. Right, Azuma?”

Aura stepped back and allowed Azuma to sit up. As close as she was to him, seeing her looking less tense than my brother beside me only increased my respect for Aura. She really was something.

Shut up, hormones! My rational brain screamed in my head. Focus!

Azuma continued his coughing fit for a few more seconds before his breathing finally calmed and he was able to look up at me.

”Why didn't you kill me?” he asked in a raspy voice.

”Because we,” I pointed my right thumb on myself then pointed my index finger at Aura, ”promised to free you.”

Azuma glanced at me and then at Aura. Luckily, it didn't seem like there was any malice in his eyes. Just confusion.