Author Games Compilation [Cycle 1]

Task 3 - Vulnerability (CC)

A/N: Okay! Finally finished this, went through hours of cutting pieces out, and now I'm here. Slightly more proud of this one than the last task. Feedback is always appreciated and encouraged! (Be as harsh as you please, it will only help. I can take it B) ).

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The jungle was filled with arguments, snarky remarks, and above all, the terrible feeling known as stress. It affected everyone, and the insurmountable heat certainly wasn't helping. But no one would deny that Corradhin had caught the worse end of the stick. By this point, his hands were entangled in the mess atop his head, and he'd resolved to pacing, teeth grit in worry and annoyance.

Amelia just kept going on and on about how "Corr" should just give up his worries over Amani, how she was the most disposable of the lot. At first, he'd argued back with fervor, but now he kept his mouth shut. She's pushing me. She's pushing me and I don't like it. A shaky breath escaped him, trembling with anger. Amani is ten times the fighter you are, Amelia, I know that as a fact.

There came a point where her voice faded into the cacophony of squawking birds, and he let his eyes fall to the ground where one of his supposed allies lay, unconscious. Guilt flushed through him at the sight of Danelieux knocked out on the ground, a steady trickle of blood travelling through his hair, into his ear. Corradhin chewed his lip. That's my fault.

Maybe I should do something about that cut? He shook his head rapidly. No, I'll be seen as weak.

Still, he couldn't fight the urge to fix his mistake; he hated this feeling settling in his gut, this guilt. This vulnerability. He'd felt it at its worst before, and had no intention of feeling it again. He was compelled to fall to his knees and bring Danel's head onto his lap, to wipe away the blood and fix what he'd broken. So that's what he did. Amelia snickered, but it faded into the sounds of wildlife. Corradhin focused solely on tending to the wound and the regret draining from his system.

At least it passes time, he thought. Amani will be back soon. He ground his teeth. She better, oh man, she better. 

He let his thoughts thin into an inkling of what he should've been concerned about: victory. But, his brain never made things easy, and he kept drifting off to Amani's location. Each thought twisted the tourniquet around his heart. Captured. Lost. Trapped in vulnerability. His medical treatment grew lethargic, his touch ginger against Danelieux's temple.

A scream cut through his ignorance and chopped his thoughts into pieces. Immediately he threw Danel's head to the side, wincing when his head made contact with an inconvenient rock. But he knew exactly who'd made the sound, already marching into the depths of the jungle.

Amelia's calls were futile and he tuned her out, focused solely on navigating vegetation. Right, left, nothing but veils of lush green and bright colors. It's misleading, he thought harshly, how cheery it all is. They're taking advantage of us - of our judgment. Of Amani's judgment....

As if on cue, another scream sounded, this time clear. Corradhin's stomach lurched. His breaths were already ragged, but not from exhaustion. She's in trouble and it's my fault, it's my damn fault-

Something crunched under his foot, like the breaking of celery. He would've ignored it had a certain voice not called out for him to stop, to refrain for just a moment. And when he saw why, he was beyond grateful for Amelia's efforts at keeping him alive - for whatever forsaken reason.

She huffed as she slowly made her away around vegetation until she caught up, reaching out to skim his chest with her fingers. "You totally need to pay attention," she said, something malicious beneath her flirtatious tone.