What Lies Within

"Dig deep, dig deep, dig deep"

 Well if there was one good thing about long weapons, it was that one could keep the enemy at range, especially an enemy who believed they could just wait for you to tire out and die.

 At this time, Randy's blood loss was quite critical, he could feel the strength in his muscles rapidly dropping, his eyes getting heavy, and yet all he could do was let out heavy breaths as he held his staff by one end and went swinging it left and right.

 "This is embarrassing" was the thought that would have gone through Randy's head were he in good condition, but at the moment the only thing he could think about was the energy Linda had told him to find while also trying not to succumb to the feeling of death that was spreading through his body.

 There was once a time when Randy asked and pleaded for death, but now there was hope, there was a light at the end of the tunnel and he wanted to reach it.

 As Randy's energy tapered out, and his arms fell to the side too weak to swing his staff, he made one last ditch effort to find the warm energy that Linda had talked about, and when that failed, the images of Miriam and his mother filled his mind.

 "I don't want to die," Randy thought, "I want to walk."

 Standing there with his arms to his side and defenceless, it was only a matter of time before one of Randy's opponents grew some balls, and in no time, Randy found a spear shoot towards him, though funnily enough it instead attacked his right chest and worst of all barely went halfway into him with its blade

 "I've never felt this one" Randy thought looking down at the cold steel that was now in him and tracing its shaft back to its owner.

 "You guys are shitty fighters" Randy gritted a smile coming to his face, but before he could chuckle Linda fizzled into existence beside him.

 " Randy what the hell are you doing," Linda screamed and this time, the calm and smirk she liked to keep on her face was gone, fear and panic taking its place.

 "This isn't the dream world Randy, this is a world different from Earth, one which is very real I assure you, If you die here, your soul will die and that means your body on Earth will never wake up."

 Though it took him some seconds, in the end, Randy understood Linda's words.

 "I'm trying" Randy frustratingly said as he held the shaft of the spear which was now embedded in him, the new hole in his body helping to leak out more of his blood.

 "Look Randy, if you think I expected this to happen, then you are right, but the part of you truthfully dying is very real and something I can't control.

 I'm going to further dull the minds of these two for two minutes, and within that time you have to find the warmth within you."

 "Can't you just take me from here" Randy croaked out not hiding the fear that he was currently feeling.

 "With how important you are to me, do you think I wouldn't have done that if I could?" Linda barked back in frustration.

 "If I was so important, then why did you send me here in the first place."

 "Because I expected too much from you, now stop talking and save yourself, I'll try to keep your body alive as much as I can."

 Understanding the futility of arguing at the moment, Randy kept silent and did as he was told.

 Randy wasn't sure how exactly Linda had done it, but seeing the two men opposite to him just dumbly looking at each other and conversing while pointing their weapons at him, Randy dropped to his knees, and sitting on his heels, he closed his eyes and went to find the warm feeling hiding in him.

At first, Randy was nervous with the two men just being right in front of him but then as seconds passed and they paid his existence absolutely no mind, his body relaxed and he focused.

 While Randy went on the energy-searching mission to save his life, Linda who was to the side couldn't help but bite her lips and want to punch something to smithers.

 Linda had watched Randy since he came to the dream world and she had watched him grow, she had washed Randy leave from the depressed person he was to a sick laughing pervert, she had watched him grow stronger and smarter with each battle he partook in, she knew just how tolerant he was to pain, she knew the unbounded energy that lay within Randy just waiting to be unleashed.

 With all this knowledge, the woman had been more than sure that leaving Randy in battle was the fastest way to get him to awaken the energy within him and she had been sure that he would be able to do it, but unfortunately, reality was serving her a cold dish.

 Just when her plans were beginning to leave its passive stage and become active, it was now running the chance of total annihilation.

 Linda wanted to be bitter at Randy, but for now, she could only hope that he pulled through while she exhausted all her strength in keeping his two opponents at bay.

 .....

 Randy didn't know for how long he had been silent, his eyes closed as he tried to feel for something warm in himself, but after several minutes, what he did know was that there was nothing.

 It wasn't that he was giving up or being lazy, but that he couldn't feel it.

 Randy could feel the emptiness within himself, he wasn't sure what Linda wanted him to find and why she was so sure he would find it, but the truth was that there was nothing.

 Randt remained kneeling, searching in vain until he heard Linda's lifeless voice in his ear, it has been 5 minutes I can't help you any more, open your eyes.

 The spirit of defeat filled Linda's voice and as Randy opened his eyes, looking to the side, he was greeted with the image of the downcast woman looking at him in disappointment and shockingly tears.

 "Almost feels like mom is looking at me" Randy thought and that was all that could go through his mind before there was a loud cry and a spear went shooting through his heart and out the back.

 Subconsciously Randy thought about how violent his opponents had suddenly become, while his mind was occupied with the image of his mother which overlapped Linda.

 "I don't want to die" Randy muttered as his eyes closed against his will.

 With all his might, Randy tried to fight the feeling of death that was swallowing him, he wanted to open his eyes and move his body but it was to no avail.

 All he could see was darkness and all he could feel was emptiness, but just as consciousness was about to be snuffed by the darkness he felt warmth.

 "No this isn't warmth, this is lava." Randy thought and then there was a sudden surge of energy within him and then out of nowhere he found himself snapping his eyes open and with horror letting out a high-pitched scream of pain as his body was engulfed by an energy that was surely hotter than the flames of hell.

 "Ahhhhhhhhh"