Chapter 20
Random fun fact about me! For the longest time I though P.O.V. (Point of view) stood for "Perspective of Vision"... Which I mean... Kinda still works but WHY did I think it stood for that XD?
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Warnings: Some blood
~Mitch's P.O.V.~
"We're close... Get ready." I state sternly, pulling out my bow.
Luckily we got through the swamp okay, and Preston didn't get wet at all. So now we are trekking through an extreme hills biome, and the feeling is driving me crazy. I glance warily at the sky, noticing the sun is rapidly setting. Is this going to be another night time mutant? I ponder, marching on. It's within the next moment the feeling stops, the sun having just set, and the moon beginning to rise. I hold my hand up in a 'stop' motion and peer wearily at my surroundings. Just as everyone else steps up beside me, I feel a presence behind the cliff in front of us. Well, more so a steep hill... But for the first seven blocks or so the hill drops directly down. Silently reaching for an arrow I take a cautious step forward... Just as the mutant steps out. I freeze up and stare down the mutant, which now is clearly a skeleton. It's over twice the height of Lachlan, with not a normal bow, but instead a huge crossbow attached to its arm. I glare at it when I see the shine of my necklace hanging around its neck. But unlike the previous three mobs, this one seems almost... Intelligent. Not that the other mutants could think or anything, but this mutant skeleton isn't bursting into attack like the others. It's just looming there silently, almost seeming to be sending me a smug smile and challenging me. Oh, so it's gonna be archer vs archer eh? Bring it on skelly.
"Don't you know it's rude..." I begin, notching the arrow and pulling back the string, "TO TAKE SOMETHING THATS NOT YOURS?"
With a twang of the bow my arrow is speeding at the Mutant Skeleton, and lodging itself into a bone with an audible crack. The skeleton rattles its bones in anger, promptly hefting its arm up and shooting an arrow in my direction. I jerk to the side, the arrow head barely skimming my helmet. Everyone else quickly draws their weapons, and Preston loads an arrow into his bow. But before he can release the arrow, before anyone can take a single step, I direct Preston's sim downward and shake my head slowly. The skeleton pauses it's fire.
"This isn't your fight guys, it's mine. Let me handle this one okay?"
"But Mitch, that's a mutant!" Vikk protests, pointing to the skeleton.
"And look, it's not shooting at us. It's challenging me not any of you." I point out.
"Mitch, we are not letting you fight a mutant alone! Every single time that we've fought one someone has gotten seriously hurt! What do you think is going to happen if you do it all by yourself? It's suicide Mitch!" Lachlan exclaims, making wild hand motions.
"He's right Mitch, you are going to die of you do this alone." Rob agrees, Preston nodding along sharply.
"Go get em' Mitch, I know you can do this."
"WHAAAAAAT?!" Everyone, including me, shouts as we snap our heads towards Jerome.
"Jerome, you're kidding, right?" Preston hopes, completely baffled.
"You can't seriously think Mitch is going to survive this." Vikk chimes in.
"Yeah that's right Vikk, I don't think he can. I know he can." Jerome replies cockily. "Before you cut me off again, listen to me. If you haven't noticed the skeleton isn't even attacking us right now, unlike the other mutants." He continues, the skeleton rattling it's bones in content, "So it's obviously different. Not only that, but it's safe to assume that it probably can use a melee attack... But that it's a long ranged attacker. Sound familiar? That's right, it's the same as Mitch. If this skeleton is challenging Mitch to a bow-off, then let him accept it."
We all fall silent, bluntly realizing that although Jerome didn't really say it, he's implying that this battle is for me, and that I should be the one to fight it. The mutant skeleton rattles it's bones impatiently.
"Alright Jerome, I'm trusting you. But if anything bad happens, we are tearing that thing apart." Rob finally states, Jerome grinning widely.
As everyone backs out of my way, I turn to face the mutant who eyes me down as I prepare an arrow. I pull back the string slightly so I can get a shot from it at a moments notice. Let the battle... I raise my bow, full pulling back the string and feeling the familiar strain on my arm. Begin.
Just like that my arrow is sailing through the air, directly towards the skeletons head. But in the blink of an eye the skeleton has leaped into the air, probably about ten blocks high. And while still in the air it loads up its cross bow and shoots six arrow towards me. I roll forwards, just in time to dodge the first arrow, then scrambling to my feet I slip past the next two. The fourth arrow manages to hit me, but thankfully because of my armour the arrow only causes slight pain before bouncing off harmlessly. I duck as the fifth arrow whizzes past my head, and lunge forward as the final arrow passes where I was standing not two seconds before. My turn.
The skeleton, now only about ten blocks away and quickly advancing, gives me just enough time to draw my sword. As soon as it reaches me my sword and its first clash. Needless to say I'm surprised my sword only nicks the bone, and even more surprised when it punches at my chest, sending me flying at least fifteen blocks away. I tuck my head in and cover it with my arms as I go tumbling across the ground. As soon as I stop I can see the skeleton loading up its crossbow yet again.
"Mitch!" Rob calls out, drawing a sword.
"I'm good!" I reassure him, quickly rolling to the side as an arrow pierces the ground.
I spring to my feet, brushing off the slight pain in my leg, and shoot multiple arrows at the skeleton.
Because of its size, it can only dodge a single arrow and the rest successfully find their marks. The skeleton narrows its eyes and jumps up into the air yet again, shooting another six arrows straight towards me. This time, I'm more lucky and manage to avoid every single arrow. But when I look up I don't have time to rest before the fist of the skeleton is ramming into my face, knocking me back about fifteen blocks. I groan in pain on the ground, grabbing at my nose. From the corner of my eye I can see the others about to make a move, so I push through the searing pain to finish the fight. I spit and rise to my feet, quickly noting the large amount of blood on my hand from my nose. My nose can wait for now, I have more important issues to tend to. I tell myself, quickly wiping the blood on my hand with my shirt.
But my reaction time is too slow to block or dodge the next arrow that speeds towards me... And plunges right through my armour and into my side. I shriek in pain, stumbling backwards and dropping my bow. Just like that, my body feels three times as heavy, and accompanied by the fresh pain, I find it almost impossible to move. Wincing I fall to one knee, jerking out the slowness arrow from my side and watching sickly as blood pours out behind it.
"OKAY, THAT WAS UN CALLED FOR." Lachlan fumes, charging towards the skeleton. The mutant seems to smirk, facing him.
"Lachlan, no!" I scream, but it's too late.
As soon as Lachlan is about to lash out with his swords, the mutant skeleton linger forward, it's ribs flying open. Within an instant Lachlan is smashing into the skeleton, and the ribs snap shut behind him. Immobilized, all Lachlan can do is cry out in pain as the ribs crush him, even the armour caving in. The skeleton open its ribs yet again, and drop kicks Lachlan many blocks away to which he limply rolls across the ground.
"LACHLAN!"
He splays out, gasping for air, his chest plate preventing him from properly breathing. While everyone rushes to Lachlan's side to get off his chest plate before he suffocates, I draw the skeletons attention back to me. Of course by this time the slowness has almost faded away, so ignoring the strong pain in my side I shoot and arrow at its head. The skeleton, who was aiming for everyone else, now turns back to me.
"I'm your enemy, not them!" I seethe, spamming arrows at the skeleton.
It glares and charges at me, it's ribcage flying open. Not this time.
Given only a few seconds to prepare my plan, I do not try and dodge the incoming attack. Instead I whip out my sword, holding the handle against my stomach and the point outwards. When the skeleton traps me in its ribcage and tires to crush me, all it ends up doing is plunging my sword through its own spine. It rattles its bones in surprise, immediately releasing me from the crush. While the skeleton tries to pull out my sword, I shoot arrow upon arrow at it. And because of my sword, the mutant can neither dodge or retaliate. Finally with my last arrow I nail the skeleton in the head with a crunch, sending it to the ground. The skeleton lands on its back, too weak to push itself up. I stalk over it it, victoriously climbing on top of its ribcage and pressing it down with one foot. I reach down and rip my necklace form around its neck, clutching it in my hand. And finally without mercy, I step forward and crush its skull under my foot.
I go to turn around and proclaim my victory, but find myself blacking out only a second later.
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