Unravelled - Desert Duo Fic

Chapter 20

Grian had no clue what he was doing, where he was going, why he had left so impulsively. This was the worst thing he'd ever done. Everything was going horribly wrong. Each decision he made he just ended up regretting.

Above everything, he was just tired.

Physically tired from the lack of sleep he'd been getting, from when he'd literally almost drowned. Physically tired from flying, flying endlessly and blindly without any knowledge. His arms ached from carrying the shulker box so far, his legs itched restlessly with his lack of movement. His eyes stung against the harsh wind resistance that bit back at him as he flew. On top of it all, he was just emotionally tired. Everything just felt like too much. The sounds, the sights, the smells, the sensations: they all just built up inside him. The distant smell of smoke from where a lava pool had likely splattered a little too much, the constant sound of the wind against his ears. He just wanted some peace.

He wished a friend were here (that was, if he even had any friends left, after everything). It was so cold and lonely, and he knew that he'd screwed everything up, but he honestly just wanted some company. If everything was normal, Mumbo would probably be making jokes at him, Scar would be—

Grian preferred not to think about Scar, right now.

Scar wasn't his friend anymore. Scar was probably infuriated. If he ever came face to face with Scar again, he'd probably end up getting hurt. No, scratch that, that was a complete understatement: he'd end up bruised and beaten. Scar wasn't an angry person, but Grian could tell that he was past him limit with everything Grian had put him through.

Suddenly, Grian lost his momentum. He yelped with surprise as his flight became jolted and uneven, hurtling towards the ground as he tried desperately to regain control of his elytra. Crap, no no no no. The ground grew closer and closer and his fear grew along with it. Trees. He needed to find some trees, maybe the branches would slow his descent and maybe he'd stand a chance. A fall from this height was sure to put him in a world of pain, and in his fatigue, he honestly couldn't remember whether he'd packed any kind of medical supplies. Stupid. He was so stupid.

The impact hit him before he could brace himself. He groaned as he tumbled across the earth, grass and flower petals getting stuck in his jumper and in his hair. A nauseating feeling festered in his stomach as his world twisted around and his view flipped upside down. He needed to stop tumbling. Was he on a hill? Try as he might, he couldn't distinguish what was around him. He stuck out his arms to try and grab into something, only to have them twist at odd angles. He gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply at the pain, quickly bringing them back to his sides as he continued rolling.

And then he stopped.

How injured was he? The first thing he did was glance down to assess the damage. Sticks and other miscellaneous items coated the wool on his sweater, and he ruffled his hair to find a few fall out. His knuckles had a few scratches that were slowly letting out blood, but they could be patched up easily enough. The most concerning matters were his arms and legs, though, which had taken most of the impact upon his fall. They weren't broken - he was sure of that - but they sure as hell hurt.

Shakily, he planted his arms on the ground and tried to push himself up, only for his legs to buckle beneath him. Great. Amazing. This was just what he wanted. Frustrated tears built at the back of his eyes, but he didn't let them spill. He was weak, he was pathetic, he couldn't even do this right. Even though there was no chance anyone else was nearby, he still found himself constantly scanning the area. What if someone saw him like this? They'd think he was vulnerable and take it as the perfect time to, t-to—

Deep breaths.

In.

Out.

Why not set up camp here? Build a cute little shack, live out the rest of his days on the side of a hill. He could see the edge of the forest, from here. How lovely. It would be easy to make a quaint little home in this area, for sure.