The Crystal Tree

I stop running the moment I see the crystal tree. It’s calming presence makes me feel that I am no longer in danger. I scan my surroundings, noticing no immediate danger I collapse. Back against the tree sitting up.

I am exhausted, hungry, angry, and thirsty. My legs are on fire, and my shoulder still dislocated tortures me with ungodly pain. I want to pass out then and there but the pain won’t let me.

I can’t stay still, I have to keep moving, and hopefully the distraction will elevate some of the pain. So using my staff I push myself up, a very painful endeavor for such a simple task.

I hear a noise then, sounding like grass being crunched under feet. I look up and see nothing, but I feel a punch on my left thigh above my knee, and then I feel cold. I look down and see a goblin, nose upturned bloody and ruined with a few missing teeth. I recognize him as the goblin who I kicked not to long ago. He smiles at me and I notice him holding a stick against my left thigh. He hit me with a stick? I think confused. Then as he removes the broken spear head out of my thigh, time speeds up and all the pain comes in.

I drop to my knees in a puddle of my blood. I am face to face with the goblin he slashes at me with the spear head, I dodge narrowly getting a small cut on my left cheek. I try to stand but due to my wounds and the bloody grass I slip and fall on my chest. The goblin strikes at my downed self but I roll to safety, stabbing the ground I was just over. The goblin tries to pry his weapon out of the dirt but his hand slips free off the bloodied handle. Not waisting the moment I pounce towards the goblin swiping with my talons! He sidesteps and strikes me across the cheek. His punch is stronger than one would expect from such a small creature. Nevertheless I am able to catch him by the neck. Running on rage and adrenaline, I stand the goblin dangling from my good hand. I squeeze chocking the bastard. My talons leaving small cuts on his neck.

“How dare you try to kill me you little green pric-

The goblin interrupts me with a kick to the nose! I drop him he lands hard on his back the wind being knocked out of him, and I am sent on my ass. I kick out with my good leg hitting the goblins already broken nose. He howls in pain covering it with both hands leaving himself open! Surprising myself and him I leap on top of him slashing with my talons and tearing out his throat.

The goblin stares at me with a peculiar look that showed both surprise and confusion. I watched him die falling on his back. Eyes never shut.

I’m tired, lightheaded, and losing a lot of blood. I use my talons to rip a large chunk of my shirt off leaving my belly exposed, and use it to bandage my leg above the stab wound. It hurt like hell, and I almost immediately noticed the bandage being soaked with my still running blood.

I have no idea how to treat any of my wounds.

I will die soon without treatment. I could heal myself with a woman but I am in the middle of the fucking woods!

I sit there bleeding out, with a useless arm, ready to give myself to despair. But a smell comes to me. Strong, feminine… a woman! Somewhere towards the direction me and Varlow came, there is a woman in these woods! Finding my staff dropped during the fight I wobble myself to stand, using it like a crutch. Like a dog I follow my nose in the direction of my salvation.