Another big fight was soon to go down, as Barry and Wreav stood across from each other in a stand-off. Barry was feeling fully recovered after downing the potion that Wreav had given him, he believed that Wreav would rather want to fight him when he was at his peak condition, especially when he was also given a warm-up after brawling with his crew recently.
Wreav would allow Barry a moments for the potion to kick in before being the first to make the first move, he wanted Barry to still maintain his adrenaline that was flowing. Kicking off the ground, and leaving a big imprint into it, he leaped at Barry with his hammer raised high with such power that the lone adventurer could feel the earth tremble.
Barry dashed forward, dodging Wreav’s earth-shattering attack that would break up the ground he was just standing into chunks. He would then take this opportunity to get back in and take a jab at the Orc with his spear, thrusting his weapon with his back turned, only to countered with a back swing of Wreav’s fist, breaking off the spearhead. ‘Shoot.’ Barry would then drop the spear and hop backwards just in time before Wreav would grab the rest of the spear and pull it towards himself.
Wreav lifted his hammer back up and pushed off the ground again, propelling himself back at his prey. Barry was astonished at how fast, something as big and bulky as he was could move that quick. He evaded another deadly swing from Wreav who missed but still managed to blow off a part of the house that he was standing by.
Again and again, Barry would avoid Wreav’s relentless attacks, keeping watch of Wreav’s Stamina bar, only to realize that he had a fuck ton of energy to expend and would be a very long time till he ran out. Wreav would continue to wreck the buildings that were already in shambles, putting them out of their misery and bringing them down. He couldn’t find an opening within Wreav’s movement patterns, and not only that, Wreav’s fighting style was too aggressive. It was like Barry was fighting the wildest beast known to man, a beast with the ferocity to bulldoze through armies with ease. Between fighting him and the undead king, he wasn’t sure who was worse.
Eventually, it would get to the point where Wreav began taunting Barry. “Barry, is running away the only thing you can do now!? Studying me and trying to wait for the perfect time to strike is pointless if you are dead by the time you slip up. If you won’t fight me, then I’ll go back to finding and skewering those you protect here.” The Orc expected for Barry to show promise, he wanted to feel a sense of thrill for the first time in a long time since his last.
His threat made Barry feel trapped, he could no longer wait like Wreav said, he had to get in there and start making some moves of his own to entertain the blood hungry loving Orc. ‘Fuck it!’
The village was no longer what it was before, now morphed into a battlefield of debris. Wreav slammed his hammer at Barry, causing him to respond by leaping into the air to avoid the devastating attack. Wreav would then let go of his weapon and jump up to grab his ankle with a grin, believing he had him now.
But Barry finally revealed one of his tricks, utilizing his double jump, he managed to escape Wreav’s grasp. This surprised Wreav, Barry would then somersault behind him and delivered multiple jabs with his spear that pierced his vulnerable areas. Barry would be the first to land on the ground and immediately sprint towards Wreav before he landed, taking the advantage of him being in the air.
He would then hurl his spear, targeting Wreav’s exposed side beneath his armpit, unprotected by his armor, and landing a direct hit, applying his passive ‘Kinetic Output’ as bonus damage. The javelin stuck deep into Wreav’s leathery skin, wounding him. Barry may have landed a good few hits, but when he saw how much damage had done to Wreav, he was shocked. ‘What the hell? I was only able to deal roughly 10% of his health as damage? I hit him from the side, which should be where his vital organs are, how is he-’
When Wreav landed, he looked at the javelin that was embedded into his body and back at Barry. He chuckled, grabbed the shaft of the javelin and yanked it out, throwing it aside. “I knew it, you weren’t giving it your all when you were fighting my men. This is what I want to see, so please, use everything you have because I’m about to unveil my own tricks as well…”
Barry watched as Wreav turned around, brandishing his hammer outward, causing it to zap and spark blue electricity. He had already assumed the weapon was capable of using electricity based on the name he read before, ‘Thunder Wyvern’s Wake’ and wondered when he was going to show its power.
Wreav would then smash his hammer downward, sending a wave of electricity crackling towards Barry, forcing him to leap into the air again to avoid it. The Orc would then swing his hammer in his direction, while he was still in the air, launching an arc of electricity. Barry would have to double jump again to dodge it, before being able to land safely on the ground.
The Orc would try to close the gap between them by lunging at him, moments before he landed, weapon aimed at his chest. This sudden situation of vulnerability, would make Barry prove that Wreav was right about him. Mentally pulling out a glaive from his inventory, materializing it into his hands, using it to push back off the ground and instinctively slash at the Orc’s exposed nape. It was a deep clean cut, he knew that for sure.
But once again, when he landed and looked at Wreav’s Health, he was bewildered. ‘HOW! How tough is this guy!?’ Again, he had only managed to deal 10% of Wreav’s Health as damage, and also Wreav had passively recovered almost all of his previous damage from before. Barry knew this guy’s Endurance stat had to be insanely high to be able to tank these lethal attacks and regenerate his Health at a fast pace.
Wreav, touched the back of his neck and rubbed his blood between his fingers with a smile that could tell it all. He was experiencing enjoyment, no one had managed to land two clean hits on him before, let alone any good ones like the ones Barry had struck. His laughs would boom throughout the battlefield and out before turning to face Barry again. “YES! You finally show your hand and prove that you are a part of this silly, yet interesting, game that the gods have placed us in.”
Barry was still not over the fact of how hardy this guy was, how was he ever going to dish out enough damage that would turn his crave for battle, upside down. He saw no other way but to continue dealing consistent damage to the masochistic bastard if he was to defeat his foe. And so he charged at Wreav with a determination to give it his all.
Wreav welcomed the sight of Barry coming to him first, he was thrilled. “That’s it Barry! Fight me with the hope you wish to bring to these people! Show me what you are capable of, warrior!”
The true fight would begin, Barry would rely on his instincts for the entire fight while Wreav began increasing his effort, bit by bit, wanting to push Barry to his limits. This would be one of his most memorable fights, someone who could possibly push Wreav to his own limits.
The fight would rage on for a good while, Barry would try his best to match Wreav’s aggression the best he could, but was clearly lacking consistent fluid movements and technique that Wreav was able to tell from even from the beginning when he fought his warriors. The Orc would throw in comments like about how Barry wasn’t coordinating his body with each attack he tried landing on him, “Your current physical build is not bad Barry, at least for you being a human, but you lack talent to make use of it.”
Barry would wonder why the hell this guy was trying to fucking give him advice in the middle of battle, and even then, Barry was too focused on trying to stay alive because even one clean hit from Wreav’s hammer could spell game over for him. Electricity pulsed around from the Orc’s hammer with each swing, his men watching from a distance in awe as they viewed their leader having the time of their life, motivating them to believe that there were still challenging beings out there to make them want to do better.
Overtime, Barry would feel the same thrill that he would experience when fighting a dangerous foe, slowly becoming more immersed with these sensations till he would shut out the rest of reality that wasn’t important to him. His mind and goal solely focused on anticipating his opponent's next move, utilizing his ‘Eyes of the Scout’ skill to gain insight on Wreav’s form of motion before it happened with clear detail. Yes, Barry may not have any true fighting style that he could call his own, but he allowed this excitement and instinct to consume him; because it without it, he would not have survived this long.
And as the fight raged on, Wreav would eventually decide to amp up the difficulty even more by actually unveiling more of his true strength as a warrior. After another attempted swing with his hammer at Barry’s chest, and expecting for Barry to jump and avoid it, he used the momentum to spin around and materialize a great axe in his other hand to combo into a downward cleave, that could potentially slice Barry in half. The adventurer barely saw it coming and hopped backwards in the air, but still felt what was the force of the cleave coming down, just the wind it’s self cutting Barry’s skin and inflicting damage. He would fall on his back from the wind pressure, but quickly recover.
Looking back at Wreav, his Health was at 70% and his Stamina was at 80%, but also weirdly enough, his Mana was at 60%. Barry wasn’t surprised at his Health and Stamina still being insanely high, but he thought his hammer didn’t use Mana and was just the item effect. ‘Is he the one providing the electricity into the hammer? Or is the hammer using Mana to use its effect?’ He was not sure.
In what seemed like a flash, Wreav darted at Barry with more speed than before, slashing his axe at Barry, who reacted by ducking just in time to avoid getting his body cut in half. ‘He’s getting dangerously faster and stronger as this brawl goes on, while I’m sure to collapse from exhaustion at a certain point. I’d have to use the feather knife from when he least expects it.’
The entire fight from then on would be another game of predator and prey, Wreav was too aggressive to approach with his dual technique, while Barry began getting tricky with his movements. He found different ways to use his double jump instead of blatantly using it to jump high, he would then use it in combination with dashing, almost like he was bunny hopping with small jumps.
Wreav’s excitement could not be contained, as saw how Barry introduced a different form of movement with his double jump. “Ah, that is refreshing to see, Barry. It was getting stale, just watching you leap around in obvious motions. Continue to give it everything you’ve got, boy!”
There would be an opportunity that Barry would take once he felt he got close enough to confirm a hit with one of his feather knife. He was not confident in throwing them from a distance with speed and technique, and so when he got near Wreav’s blind spot, he flung a feather knife at one of his exposed sides. Puncturing the Orc’s skin and applying its effect.
Wreav plucked the knife out from his side with a pinch of his meaty fingers, and felt a sudden pain coursing through his body. A notification window would appear, informing Wreav that he was now poisoned and his Health and Stamina regeneration was reduced by -10% each. Still he laughed painfully, “Another trick I see, that’s what I want!”
With every near death situation that Barry faced, he would barely escape with his life but would pant as his energy to move would soon become empty between 5-10 more minutes.
Continuing to give it everything he had, Barry made one fatal mistake that would give Wreav his first opportunity to deliver a devastating blow that would gravely injure the lone adventurer. Misplacing his footing and tunneling visioning from exhaustion, he tripped on a clump of debris and fell over.
But before even landing, he witnessed Wreav launch himself off and driving his hammer directly into Barry’s body. “Let’s hope you survive.” Wreav mumbled to his prey, just moments before Barry was sent soaring back, having the air knocked out of his lungs even after reacting just in time to cross his arms into an X as the impact of the electrified hammer connected with his guard.
Wreav would watch his prey tumbled back against the battlefield, before coming into contact with a broken wall that still stood tall. Barry coughed up blood, choking on it and gasping for air, sparks of electricity dispersing out from his body. The destructive force of the attack had resulted in him dropping from 90% to 15%, his left arm was also out of commission from being the first to absorb Wreav’s attack. His knees trembled from being overused, his heart racing, trying to continue supplementing adrenaline to keep him focused and awake, his vision rattled from the nasty knock back. ‘This guy is too damn strong, if he so much as breathes on me…I might just die.’
The Orcs in the background would cheer and applaud their leader for landing a hit direct hit, seeing the pitiful state Barry was now in from the attack. Wreav grinned, slowly taking his time as he approached Barry. “I thought you were just a slippery prey, but it seems like you also cared about your fortitude to survive my attack. You continue to impress me, Barry. Ah, how I longed for an opponent like yourself to remind me there’s more like you out there. That’s why I don’t mind about being a part of this tournament or whatever it is meant for, as long as I get to meet challengers like yourself, I am content.”
Barry tried getting up, using his only functioning arm to get up with his glaive. “I’m sure you don’t mind being involved with this fucked up game these gods have assembled, you damn blood hungry brute. But I don’t-” He choked on his blood again. “-I don’t see this as something to enjoy.”
His words intrigued Wreav, causing him to chuckle. “That is not what I see Barry, maybe you don’t want to admit, or perhaps you have realized. But from what I’ve seen as we clashed, you rather enjoy combat as much as I do! Adapting to your opponent's rhythm, utilizing your own skills differently in the heat of the moment, pushing your physical limits, you evolved in a short span of time. Barry, you may lack technique and form, but your instincts and will to fight to the last stand is something truly profound. Those before you were crushed beneath my men before they even had a chance to fight me. So please, give yourself more credit…you lived longer than most from before.”
Barry leaned on his glaive, as he readied himself for another mutilating engagement with the earth-shattering behemoth that was Wreav. His vision would get blurry, beginning to have another flashback episode of his past. ‘Why now of all times…what is it that you have to show me this time?’
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
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There was another vague scene of what could be the same cosplay swordsman that he remembered seeing from his first memory fragment back at the crematorium. The same person he borrowed his name from, Barry.
There, the swordsman seemed to be backed up against, what seemed to be a massive castle gate, surrounded by monstrous creatures of all kinds that wanted to rip and tear the man. It was just him against them, his massive sword drawn out and aimed towards his enemies. There were many that he had slain in front of him already, and from the looks of it, he was trying to prevent his foes from entering past the gate and bringing ruin to all that lived within.
Barry could feel the swordsman’s state of exhaustion from defending against these hordes of enemies, and yet, he heard a laugh seep out of the man. The warrior was not afraid at all Barry felt, in fact, he could feel that he was happy, finding the situation he was in, exciting. “It may look like you all have me cornered, but that’s not the case, fellas. In fact, it’s the other way around. You all came here to give me my warm-up for today’s schedule, so let’s continue this exercise! Shall we?”
Then from above the castle walls appeared someone that stunned Barry to the core, he could tell just who it was despite the memories' distortion of the scene it played. “Puck here, to burn all enemies away!” The little firecracker leaped off the walls, releasing hell upon the monsters below with a massive inferno that was unleashed from him. His flames engulfing everything in its direction, charring and incinerating them all. Puck would then plummet and land on top of the swordsman shoulders, feeling proud of what he had accomplished.
“I was wondering when you would show up, buddy. Ready to get in on the action?” The warrior asked, sounding enthusiastic.
Puck hopped off, his friend’s shoulders in a ready stance. “Yeah Barry, Puck ready to show off!” His words, made the swordsman grin even brighter.
The two would then dash into battle, side by side, with no worries at all. To them, this must have been another Monday for the duo, it looked like. Barry was still not over the sight of Puck fighting alongside the same person he saw before, especially the one he borrowed his name from. He wanted to know who this Barry guy truly was, the mystery bothered him so much.
Eventually the memory would fade away, leaving the mystery for Barry to figure out in his mind. ‘How does he know Puck? And how much of a beast is this guy to smile in front of thousands of enemies? Why am I seeing him again? I have so many questions…but I must live first.’
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Barry’s vision would return, Wreav drawing ever closer to him with his hammer and axe in each hand. “Still in a daze, Barry? Maybe hitting you a second time like before will wake you up, then maybe I’ll see another display of potential from within you.”
With his hammer lifted, ready to bring it down upon the fallen champion of the village, the Orc spoke. “Stand and fight, Bar-”
And like a miracle, out from behind the destroyed wall that Barry was close too, was his saving grace. A huge jet of fire was shot out at the brute, blasting in his face as he backed up from the unsuspecting attack. Barry, knew who it could be that was able to spit out fire, turning his head back, he saw the sight of the goofball he befriended. “Puck?”
Puck continued to amp up the flames as best as he could, pushing the Orc back as far as he could, before setting the ground in front of Wreav ablaze to conceal them. The little Kobold panted from how much energy he had expended on Wreav. “Puck…Puck here to help you…”
Barry, now fully awake, knowing that he had someone to keep safe, endured through the pain and stood back up. “I thought you left! You’re not supposed to be-” He could also feel that Wreav had broken a rib.
Puck saw this and panicked. “No, Puck get you out of here. We leave-”
Barry shook his head, “No, I have to stay and defend these people, Puck. It may seem fucking stupid to stay and fight for something that holds no value to me, but…I get this feeling that tries to tell me to do the right thing. And as dumb as it is, it has brought me closer to seeing memories of what I had lost, and that is what truly drives me to face these challenged head on. Who am I?.”
Puck listened as Barry ranted, he continued. “Puck, what I’m saying may sound confusing to you, but I am not from here, this world I mean. And where ever I go, danger follows, like right now. I am not the mighty adventurer that I told you before, I lied to you again. So please, don’t follow me to die. I appreciate you staying behind to help me, but please, run away and live. My time with you was enjoyable, that much is true. So go and leave this bastard before it's too late.”
Barry began walking towards Wreav, slowly picking up his speed as he ran back to face the battle raging beast. ‘This is for the best Puck, just leave and live-’
He would then feel some weight being put on his shoulders, looking over his shoulder, he couldn’t believe it. “Puck, I told you to-”
Puck bopped him on the head and spoke. “Puck, stay with Barry. Puck no care if you lied to Puck or not from here. All Puck care about, is helping friend and keep you alive. It’s Puck’s turn to help!” The Kobold sounded very firm this time, this would be a first for Puck in his life to be so adamant.
Barry wanted to tell Puck once again to leave, but realized how determined Puck and decided not to argue with him. Instead, he gave a slight grin, “Damn, alright Puck. Way to tell me to shut the fuck up.”
A wave of electricity could be seen through the dancing flames that divided them and Wreav, it crackled towards them, splitting the flames a part and revealing Wreav standing tall and proud. It looked like he was awaiting their return to jump back into the fight. “Let’s give it our all, Puck!”
Encouragement filled within the little guy, Puck pumped up for the intense fight. He was so pepped up with excitement, that the mojo within him, began to emit outwards, covering not only Puck but also Barry. The magic would then reach Barry’s glaive and did something astonishing, flames flickered on his weapon till he witnessed the blade light up with fire. ‘So you’ve learned another unique skill. This should be good.’
Wreav saw Barry’s weapon was now magically enchanted by Puck’s fire affinity and cracked a smile. “So, your pet has joined the fray, I see! I welcome it, I shall take the two of you on together!”
Barry short hops around Wreav with Puck on his back, who fired bursts of flames to blind Wreav’s sight. While Barry attempted to cut at Wreav’s vulnerable sections between the gaps of his armor, not only slashing him but also applying fire damage as well.
The Orc was bothered by the flames that the pet was producing, it did very little damage to him which he didn’t care for, but more importantly, it would block his sight from Barry who was landing a few good hits. He would eventually smash his hammer down, erupted the earth and sending a shockwave around, resulting in Barry having to jump up and land back down.
This continued for some time until Wreav’s Health was at 60%, deciding that it was time to turn the challenge up a notch. “You two are something else when together, I can see the synergy, so how's about I shake things up!”
Barry halted, taking notice that Wreav had just raised his hammer in the air as if he was declaring victory. Then suddenly, the sky would get dark, the clouds turning gray and the sound of a storm being formed was about to happen. Barry had a feeling that more lightning was going to be involved. And he would be right.
A vicious thunderstorm would be created by Wreav, sending flashes of lightning down from the huge cloud, striking the earth. Barry would have to be more careful from now on, he couldn’t predict when and where multiple lightning strikes would occur.
The fight continued for some time, Puck’s mojo would begin to run low, he would no longer be able to block Wreav’s vision for Barry. “Puck’s mojo is almost gone. What now Barry?”
Barry had to think, he was only able to inflict damage on Wreav because Puck had him distracted. Puck would try to produce more flames but fail to, only managing to create a puff of smoke. That was when he had an idea, “Puck, can you make smoke and cover this whole place?”
Puck wondered what his plan was, but nodded. The little guy would release from his maw, a trail of smoke built up from within him.
Wreav was curious what sort of tactic the two were scheming but didn’t mind it, he lusted for a worthy fight and with the introduction of the Kobold, it made everything much more interesting. “What’s wrong Kobold? Out of juice, not enough in the tank to bother me with fire?” He taunted.
After zipping around and avoiding both Wreav’s attacks and the lightning from above, he made managed to cover the field from around them, everyone was now standing in a field of smokescreen with lightning still raining down upon them. Barry would then activate not only his scanning pulse, but also ‘King’s Commanding Presence’ to further enhance his physical prowess. “Hold on and don’t let go, Puck.” He whispered to him.
Highlighting and marking Wreav, he zipped towards him and flung a few feather knifes to ensure one of them would land as he was close enough to hit one of his exposed areas. They would land, along with a couple of slashes from his glaive that connected. ‘Perfect!’
The whole time, Wreav was both confused but amazed at how Barry was able to find him from within the smokescreen. “Another beautiful show of tactic and planning, you must have a strong nose to track my scent, or perhaps trained hears to listen to the slight movements I make? Whatever the case maybe, I am truly thrilled to see such teamwork between you two…”
Barry would then go in for another attack, aiming for his shoulders. “...but now I believe it is time to end this fight.”
It was too late, suddenly the storm cloud from above swirled until it formed a maelstrom cloud in the sky, thundering and raging with intense lighting, till finally it brought forth such force so strong that it blasted away all the smoke, including Barry and Puck. A huge blast of lightning was summoned, centered on Wreav. The two tumbled backwards, Puck being split off from Barry, with the two stopping eventually.
Barry was rattled by the shockwave, slowly lifting his head, he saw Wreav in a different form. Blue electricity sparked all over his body, surging with immense power, his eyes illuminating to blue as he looked back at Barry, then at Puck. The Orc began marching towards the little firecracker, this caused Barry to try and get back up in a hurry.
“You, Kobold, sure gave me quite a bit of trouble during our fight. I’m impressed something so small was able to give me issues, never in my life of battle would I think someone such as you would give me problems. I applaud you for staying to fight with your friend Barry. I promise to give you a swift and painless death, little one.”
Wreav raised his hammer above the defenseless Kobold, ready to squash his life to an end, till he heard the sounds of the person who brought him joy. He then brought his mighty weapon down upon Puck, only for his attack to be blocked by Barry’s glaive, shattering it and causing Barry to shout in pain. Wreav’s attack had broken Barry’s other arm, unable to absorb the impact. “And so comes the champion of this fallen, desolated village. Your act of heroism and valor is much to be commenced for.”
Puck was laid on the ground, weak and dizzy from Wreav’s powerful attack. He could do nothing but watch Barry defend him from Wreav’s wrath.
Barry tried to stand back up on his worn-out legs, collapsing onto his knee but still struggling to get back up, while Wreav watched and did nothing. “Your body is weak and beaten, you can no longer fight back, and yet your will is not broken.”
Wreav would then grasp Barry’s head with his big meaty hands, covering almost his entire face but still able to see a singular eye. He could feel the intense aura of electricity that Wreav had in his new form, it did no harm to him, probably because Wreav willed it not too.
The Orc peered into his eye and saw the burning desire inside him that wanted to get back at Wreav. “You are not afraid of me Barry, rather, you wish to still destroy me. Even with your life in my hand, I see no terror. I’d say you have earned your silly nickname, Bad Blood Barry.”
Barry tried biting at his thick leathery skin, but it only felt like a tickle to Wreav, who laughed. “You tried your best to stop me, Barry, I give you lots of credit for forcing me to bring out this form. You should feel honored, thrilled, in fact! I thank you for putting up a great fight, you are living proof that there are worthy opponents out there. With that said, I will-”
Suddenly, a voice called out that interrupted Wreav’s speech, a voice that Barry thought he would never hear. “WREAV! STOP!”
The Orc boss would turn around with his same smile, still holding onto Barry’s fleeting life. “Ned, so you have finally decided to show your face. How long have you and your people been in hiding since we arrived?”
Ned had his staff raised at Wreav, prepared to stop the Orc from doing any more harm to Barry. “Too long, I should have been up here to help the boy if I knew you would wreck our village into this state, even after the Eviscerators came and done enough damage. Now put him down!”
Wreav looked eyed Ned before looking back at Barry, who still had the same eyes he saw before. He let go, dropping him to the ground in front of Puck. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t really going to kill him. Why would I do such a thing to someone that has so much potential to give me another glorious fight in the future. He is like a pup, still plenty to learn and grow, but with the instincts to become a true force to be reckoned with than the lot that I have faced.” He would then turn away from Barry and Puck, motioning towards Ned and then past him.
Ned could sense that he no longer posed a danger to the village, but had to ask what his true reason was for coming to the village. “Wreav, you still haven’t told me why you came here for. If it was for tax collection, I’m sure Barry would have offered to pay for us, but seeing how you decided to do battle; you refused his offer. Was there any other reason besides your wish to battle him?”
Wreav halted and thought about it for a moment, then realized his reason before responding. “Ah, that’s right, sorry, I had forgotten to tell you while I was having so much fun with your champion. I didn’t come here to raid your village or collect your taxes, but instead to inform you that we will be ending our services to protect your village. The reason why, is because there is no longer anything worthwhile to make us stay here to fight. Wolves, wargs, and other small creatures of those kinds. This area bores us, so we will be back on our journey to find more prey to challenge.”
Ned observed the surrounding area, this village was no longer a home, if they had known that Wreav had only come here to tell them he was done with providing their services, then maybe none of this would have happened. Wreav noticed this and sighed, “I am aware that our duel has destroyed your home, and I apologize. I will remember to pay you and your people back for this in the future if we ever-”
“Just leave Wreav, take your people and go far away. You will repay us by doing that much, I hope we never meet again.” Ned responded in an agitated tone.
Wreav nodded and said one more thing before leaving, “Take care of the cub for me. I hope the two of us meet again in the future when he has grown stronger. Goodbye, Ned.” He would call out to his men in his language, rallying them up to head out, now filled with motivation to seek out challengers of the same caliber as Barry.
Barry was sprawled out on the ground, catching his breath, unable to move at all. Ned rushed to his side, immediately using his magic to mend Barry’s wounds and broken bones. “Barry, I apologize for having you get involved in this-”
“Ned-” He gasped for air, his body feeling the healing magic that was flowing through him. “-don’t apologize. I decided on defending this village. But if you really do feel sorry, then I hope you can provide me with some answers I’ve been wanting to know.”
Ned wasn’t sure what sort of questions he wanted to know, but he would not refuse what he is request, for what he has done for his people. “Sure, my boy, what sort of questions would you wish to know.”
Barry would then ask the first question that was on his mind since his fight with Wreav. “Tell me the truth…are you a contestant as well?”
Ned paused for a moment, shocked to hear what he had just asked, and continued healing Barry with a sigh. “...yes Barry. That I unfortunately am…”
Barry looked up at the sky, feeling like falling asleep after receiving his answer. “I had a hunch after fighting that brute…you have to answer more of my questions later, Ned; because I’m taking a fucking nap from all this bullshit…” He allowed his exhaustion to consume him, falling into a deep sleep, entrusting Ned to take care of him and Puck.
