The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 34 - Burden

"Rep!" Zalan jumped up and rushed over to him, looking over the wound spilling freely on the floor. "Stop the bleeding! That's a bad cut!"

Yelsa hopped up and poured water over the wound as Rep bit his lip and winced in pain. Zalan took his sword and cut off the lower end of his tunic to cover Rep's wound while Yelsa went through Rep's things to pull out proper bandages.

"I am fine. We should continue," Rep said as Yelsa began dressing the wound.

"You're not fine," Zalan said immediately.

"But we should keep moving," Rep said, then heard the sound of the Razortongues scratching against the door behind him. "We want to make distance between us and them," he added.

"Fine, but only after we stop the bleeding," Zalan said quickly.

"They may be able to smell the blood through the door," Rep mentioned.

"Whatever! Rep, you're bleeding! We don't have a place to heal nearby, why are you being so weird about just closing your wound?" Zalan asked.

Rep continued to bite the inside of his mouth and didn't reply. Once Yelsa had put a tight bandage on the wound, it changed color to a deep red. Then, Rep stood up and they made their way across the room and away from the frenzy of monsters at the door. They didn't go into the next room, instead crossing to the wall next to the door on the other side of the large, empty room. Fran stopped and sat down against the wall, Gorb following suit and Rep stood looking at both of them in confusion.

"Why are we stopping?" Rep asked.

"There may be any manner of monsters on the other side of that door," Fran flicked her head up to the next chamber. "I presume it would be safer if we waited for you to heal some before charging forward."

"I said I am fine. We should continue moving," Rep said.

The others watched Rep uncertainly, not sure how to respond to that.

"Rep, you were bleeding pretty bad. It's worth getting some rest," Zalan said.

"I assure you that will not be necessary," Rep said, his face inscrutable.

"It is necessary! What are you saying?" Zalan asked.

"We should not stop our progress on my account," Rep replied.

"Rep, your injury may make it difficult to hold a sword, or perhaps use your fire," Yelsa chimed in.

"Not a concern for us," Rep shook his head.

"Do you have some Artifact of healing that you have neglected to mention to us?" Gorb asked.

"I do not want to be the reason we delay, is all," Rep said firmly. The blood pooling in his bandages began to make it to the surface, a slight sheen of red was now visible atop the covering.

"What is going on with you?" Zalan asked, looking at him in confusion. "If Fran was hurt like this, would you still want to push forward? Or if I was bleeding out like that, would you insist that we move forward?"

"That question is irrelevant," Rep dismissed.

"Why?" Zalan demanded.

"Because neither of you are so seriously wounded," Rep replied.

"But you are!" Zalan's voice was rising.

"That does not matter!" Rep claimed, matching Zalan's increasing volume.

"Why not? You're hurt!" Zalan practically screamed.

"Because I do not matter!" Rep shouted.

The response would have been met with shocked silence, had the room not echoed Rep's outburst. Zalan's face went from upset to deeply confused and a little stunned. He'd flipped in and out of the sentiment of believing he didn't matter back when he was in the real world. His thoughts were in a deep turmoil that sent him away from wanting to communicate with anyone. He never expected to hear the words said out loud, especially not from Rep.