Captive - 5

"Makes me wonder why that random goblin's spear was so much better than theirs." He turned his head over to look at me.

I shrugged.

There was no explanation for that, not one that I was willing to give at the very least.

"Not gonna say anything huh…" He whispered under his breath.

But I could hear it as clear as day. And because of that I could only sigh.

Here it comes, the suspicion, the distrust and ultimately a falling out. It was how all of my friendships went.

I would meet someone that I thought I might be able to be friends with, even hit it off for some time.

But then something would come up, they would be excited about something and I being me, was apathetic as always. 

I could not muster the enthusiasm most of the time, and from there we would drift. Or sometimes they would question me.

On why I was disliked, or why I was hated. And because it was irrational, that there was no reason, it was for that, for those reasons that they could not trust me.

Even just a hint that someone had a reason to hate was surety that there was something. And my honest truth was never enough.

But by now I was used to it and so, as we walked to the metal door, I prepared myself for failure once again.

It was nice to be in the company of one for a while. But after this it would end.

And so I pushed the door open. Only to be stopped by a lock.

I quickly turned it over in my hand. Trying for any solution.

Before I could even try one of them though it was taken from my hand.

It met with the business end of a spear and with it, opened.

I gave Alex a deadpan look and just pushed the door open. 

…

…

…

Treasures, gathered from erstwhile adventurers, from people who had become too overconfident.

But most likely, given willingly to the goblins, here. By the proctors as a bonus that they had expected only the elite to find.

Yet that was wrong, as it was us that found it. And I could call neither of us particularly competent. 

I was average and Alex, I could not tell.

He was… what was the word… above average. Yeah, that was the right word for him. He had the talent, more than me at least.

But that was all, he worked hard judging by his posture and skills, but that was all. He did not train past failure, I could tell.

Yet still, he was stronger than I was.

And all for that tiny thing called talent.

I could curse it for ages.

But there was this weird glint.

When I looked into the stacks of crates. Holding with it food and weapons. Yet there was more than that. The weapons and food was nothing special. Even if it would be quite useful.

But there was something else.

It was shiny and had a crystalline structure to it. A goblin core.

Hundreds, all shining in the open air. I could practically feel my heart beat as I thought of the profit I could make from this.

Of the score I could take. 

With this it would not be a dream to make the top hundred. I might be able to evade disownment.

I smirked and walked closer.

"What?" It was sudden, but I was stopped by a hand.

Alex looked unexpectedly serious. His eyes filled with mana as he gazed around the room.

He threw a rock and upon impacting a certain place it exploded.

I flinched back but before I could take another step he took my hand and placed me behind him.

I scowled but before I could once again protest another trap went off. It was like hell. A vision of death by burn.

But that was all it was, a vision.

And so, with a calming breath I once again took my vision back and looked to the true place.

It could be nothing further from a treasury. It was a prison cell. It held dead corpses. Goblins flayed from their skin to their bones.

Another breath.

Once more I took another look and this time my vision swam. My head fell to the ground, and without my realization I found myself on the ground.

The same hand that had held mine placed itself next to me. His face was up in my face, and because of which, I could see the flicker in his eyes.

To the spear he held and to the illusory jewels he had seen.

I could tell, just by that, not even his words were clearer.

It was greed. He wanted that which would have been ours.

All because of greed.

I smiled sardonically. My eyes drooped and with a glare I smiled. It was not one of resignation, nor one of happiness.

It was filled with bloodlust.

I would find the fucker, once I had recovered, once I was able to kill him I would.

There was nothing that could stop me.

And so I went limp.

All as he muttered something, a "I'm sorry" as he chopped the back of my neck in the precisely right place.

A moment passed, one after the next.

Then after another I could hear one last voice.

"This is too much, I need it… I truly am sorry."

In that moment I felt true fury. I had trusted someone.

In this frozen black heart of mine. I had trusted someone with my back, and in the heat of the moment he betrayed me.

I grit my teeth and drew blood.

All as he walked away without another word.

He did not even look back, and so could not see me seething at the moment. As I simmered in rage.

Not even the black at the edge of my vision could break me.

No, not even that could take my consciousness.

I had rage, and I would vent it.