Chapter 31

•Desolate Lands•

•The abandoned tunnels•

Crunch faded in and out of consciousness for the first day, the armed Elf guards had pronounced him dead without even checking and had been on their merry way with the fancy box.

The arrow hadn't hit any vital organs that he was aware of but he knew that death was inevitable if he remained prone on the ground and as there wasn't any way to get moving, death would still happen, it was a lose-lose situation

He had expected to die by the second day at the very most but it had long ended and he was now well into the third day, his limbs were numb and he felt faint from the lack of food and water or maybe it was just the blood loss.

The injury had congealed within the first hour so he hadn't lost as much blood as he thought, it was annoying not to die when you wanted to, when you were supposed but instead his body refused to go out on him, clinging to life desperately.

Finally, he made efforts to get off the ground, if it was to sit up and try to drink some water from his worn leather flask before his tongue broke off and fell out from how dry and gritty the inside of his mouth felt.

It wasn't as easy as he thought getting off the ground, the tunnel was cool but he could start to make out the unmistakable smell of decay wafting from his former partner.

He knew that it was nothing but sheer luck that saved him from becoming food for the rodents that existed in throngs around the tunnels or another pile of rotting mass, forgotten in the endless tunnels below the desolate lands.

Shifting his weight to both of his feeble arms, he tried to push off the ground and was surprised when his body obeyed his wishes and heaved.

Sitting upright was another delicate and complex matter, he couldn't just haphazardly get up with a wooden arrow stuck halfway through his body.

The guard that had shot him hasn't put much force into the shot, most likely thinking that it wouldn't be necessary, Crunch was grateful to this cold detachment for it was for the very same reason that he was still alive, albeit very thirsty and emaciated.

He shuffled around till he could sit up, his rucksack had been thrown a little ways from him and he hoped that the tiny creatures that infested the tunnels hadn't gotten to it in the time that he had been drifting in and out of consciousness.

He had to slowly move to the rucksack, the arrow had gone through his side and he hoped that it was one of those low-grade arrows that were simply straight rods with a sharpened edge or he was going to be taking a large chunk of his flesh out when he finally decided to take it out.

The movement to the rucksack was slow and gentle, the last thing Crunch needed was making the wrong move and stabbing a vital organ.

He finally grabbed the rucksack and fumbled with it, desperate to get some water, there were flowing streams at some parts of the tunnels so he could always get a refill but that wouldn't happen till he found a way to fix himself.

He ruffled a hand through the ratty leather container, careful not to slice his hand on his dagger because losing more blood wasn't exactly wise.

He finally got the flask out and gratefully took a sip, careful to start off in drops so that the water wouldn't do more harm than good.

It was going to be risky, trying to take out an arrow stuck in his back all by himself but his only options were, take out the arrow and try to make the walk to the City of Mountains or leave the arrow in and die, it didn't leave much room for thought.

He took one last sip of the earthy tasting water for encouragement and gently returned it to his rucksack, luckily everything was intact and if he somehow managed to get the arrow out he wouldn't lack for supplies.

He slipped one arm around himself and gripped the base of the arrow, his breathing becoming unsteady because that gentle nudging of the wooden stake was enough to send pinpoints of pain racking up his body and black dots spotting his vision.

There was also a possibility that he might go into shock from the pain and end up dying but Crunch didn't particularly care anymore, not when most of his choices seemed to end up in death.

It wasn't even an option to wait on someone to come passing by because this was a locked tunnel, no one ever came here which only served to solidify his claims that Scarlett - he had absconded the 'Duke' title, the evil man didn't deserve it - had sent the armed Elf guards that had attacked them.

Even though it felt like he was staking himself afresh, Crunch didn't let his grip around the wooden pole falter.

It was best to rip out the arrow in one fell swoop and be over with it than inch it out slowly even though it was most likely safer because there was the highest chance that Crunch was likely to give up halfway and where would that leave him.

He used his second and free hand to take the edge of his dusty tunic up to his mouth, in the case that he ran the risk of biting his tongue off from the pain.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come, there was no way he could have prepared himself though for the hot searing pain that felt like he was being lit up from the inside.

"Aaaaaaargh!" The Elf let out a cry of pain as the arrow already starting to fuse with his body was forcefully yanked out, he was well prepared for the hush of blood that accompanied this feat.

Tying up a sound from behind was even harder than having to pull an arrow from that same direction but he managed it somehow, a crude bandage quickly made from spare clothes and strips of clothes he had found in his rucksack, luckily there was also a miniature bottle of spirit that Birch had been adamant he take with him.

The spirit stung almost as hard as having to pull the arrow out and by the time he was done trying up the crudely made bandage his eyes were slipping shut again.