Chapter Text
Evbo was getting used to dying. The trek from wood swords to iron swords was not always the nicest, sure, but it gave him some time to think. And to talk. Specifically to his guard friend!
Okay, so maybe they weren’t friends, as the guard had said previously. Evbo didn’t even know his name.
But they were getting there! Evbo was sure.
Evbo welcomed the usually unwelcome cold pool of water with a ka-thunk. It woke him up from his newly-respawned haze, and welcomed him to the very unwelcome grey brick walls of the stone sword level. With a cough and a jump, he slipped out of the pool and sat on the edge for a moment.
The rock beneath his hands was slick and slightly eroded from the movement of water over time. Maybe just from his jumps, though, if erosion worked that quickly, given the fact he was probably the only person who has dived in here in, like, forever. He brought his hands up and tried to wring the water from his hair and headband with little to no avail. That was probably the most unpleasant part of respawning. He moved his hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes. Having to trudge through the hallways and marketplaces sopping wet.
He blew at the damp bangs that fell over his forehead and stood. It would dry out on the walk back to Tabi, he resolved.
As he shuffled over towards the entrance and its doorbell, leaving a watery trail from his clothes behind him, he removed his sword from its sheath and tucked it under his arm by the flat part of the blade. He shook some loose droplets of water from the sheath and dabbed at the inside to get as much moisture out as possible. The few-second walk to the door was quick, and he placed the less-soggy sword back at his hip with its case as he approached.
With a quick knock at the door and a breath, Evbo waited. He and the guard had decided not to use the doorbell anymore in case a different guard happened to open it, which would not be good. The guard had promised Evbo he would be somewhere nearby–so it wasn’t likely he would leave him waiting too long. Evbo hoped. He was honestly half-expecting for him to not show up at all sometimes. If he wanted to betray Evbo, well… it wouldn’t be too hard.
His thoughts were interrupted as the sound of stone grinding together filled the air. Evbo jumped and spun around to find the guard, standing slumped, looking very not-pleased. He was starting to think that's just how he always looked.
Of course, the guard would never betray him! Evbo smiled.
“What is this,” the guard started, adjusting his shield, “the fifth time today? Sixth? How hard is it to land a jump to the gold sword level?”
Evbo chuckled and leaned on the wall. “I already told you, dude, there is no water down there! I would’ve made it already if there was, my water landing skills are the best!” He gestured down at himself, mainly his dripping clothes.
“I can tell. You’re sopping wet. Again.” The guard huffed, standing aside.
Evbo strode into the tighter hallway. He heard stone grinding once again, and all of a sudden it was much darker. A quick flicking noise, the smell of smoke, and the dingy walls were lit once again, albeit much dimmer this time.
Evbo rather liked the smaller passageways like these. It was almost like the opposite of claustrophobia. Having always lived underground, having never seen the sky, if he even knew what that was– it was a comfort. He reached out and trailed his hand along the wall as they started to walk. It was nice to just be here, not out there, or anywhere important.
“Eugh,” The guard half-grunted half-sighed behind him. He held the torch out into the little space between himself and the wall and coughed slightly at the smoke. “I hate these cramped little hallways. I know you suck at PVP, but you should really try dying less.”
“Pfft–I don't suck! Well, actually… maybe I do a little bit, but–you don’t have to be so mean about it!” Evbo turned to walk backward, eyeing the guard's displeased frown as he held the torch.
His brow furrowed a bit as the light glinted uncomfortably off of the guard's sunglasses. “Hey, uh,” Evbo prompted. “Maybe I could hold it?” He flashed a smile. Very convincing.
The guard raised an eyebrow at that. He looked back and forth between Evbo and the torch in his hand. He sucked in a breath. “Sorry not sorry dude, I don't think I trust you with a flaming stick in your hand.” He paused like he was finished, but then added, “I don’t think I’d trust you anywhere near fire in the first place.”
Evbo shrugged and decided to ignore the little cough the guard gave afterward.
“I also don’t think you should be walking backward. You’re gonna slip and fall, and then I’d have to go and open that door all over again.” He pointed out in a slightly worried manner. Worried more about having to walk back to the entrance rather than Evbo, of course.
“I’ll be fine!” Evbo exclaimed, showing how truly fine and stable he was with a quick spin.
Sure, when he landed he almost slipped, which caused the guard to reach out as if to catch him.
But!
He didn’t slip. Evbos’ hand reached out to the wall and he set himself upright with a little laugh. The guard huffed and pulled his arms back to his sides, torch still in hand.
“You should be more careful.” The guard stated as Evbo continued to walk backward toward the other end of the tunnel. “I know you’ve got infinite lives and all, but it's still kind of–” He paused to find the right word, “Freaky. You should be trying to die as little as possible.”
Evbo clicked his tongue. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He hummed back. “But what's the point in being the chosen one if I can’t have a little fun? As long as nobody else but me gets hurt, then–” He attempted a cartwheel, but ended up in more of a handstand slump, “No biggie, yeah?”
He could feel the guards’ glare even from behind the sunglasses as he shuffled back to a stand.
They walked in silence for a few seconds, the guard moving up to be in front of Evbo.
“In case you slip, I’d like to be able to catch you. So you don’t waste any more of my time.” The guard said with a cough.
“Me?” Evbo laughed. “Slip? Never. Some wet clothes would never affect the master of balance.”
The guard snorted, but quickly covered it up with a hand. “The master of balance?” He repeated.
“Yeah! I mean, if you were to rate my balance skills on a scale of leather to, let's say, netherite– I would at least be gold!”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you focused on your PVP skills instead of your balance skills?”
“Err- No! Then I wouldn’t be able to pull off this sick trick!”
As the guard turned to watch, Evbo started to spin. And spin. And spin. And spin, and he had made it through at least three spins before he proceeded to slip on the smooth, stony ground with his wet shoes.
Evbo gasped as he felt the floor slide out from under him. He grasped for something in a panic, fumbling with his arms to reach, and found nothing but polished walls. Oh shit.
Then he felt something catch his wrist. Both of his wrists, actually.
He was pulled up toward something and stopped for a moment, and he dared to open his eyes.
He was suddenly very, very close to the guard. Their faces couldn’t have been more than 2 inches apart, and Evbo yelped in a very, very normal octave.
The guard apparently realized this too as he opened his mouth to apologize, but then their weight shifted, and Evbo felt himself falling forward rather than backward, and Oh shit.
There was a thud.
Both the guard and Evbo were now splayed on the ground, with Evbo haphazardly sprawled on top of the guard, and the still-lit torch laying just a few feet to the side.
They sat in stunned silence for a beat.
And then Evbo squealed, and scrambled off of him.
The guard sat up and adjusted his sunglasses with an awkward breath. He paused again. Before a sharp inhale, and–
A laugh.
“Is that really how you scream?” He wheezed out.
The sudden shift of air snapped Evbo back to the present. “Auh–wuh, hey–” he sputtered out, still at a loss for words. ‘I’ll have you know that's probably the most coolest, awesomest, cool–coolest scream out there.” Okay, maybe not his best comeback.
The guard just kept laughing.
Evbo felt a giggle bubble up in his chest too.
The shrieks and cackles echoed off the cold, grey, uncomfortable walls. It still reeked of smoke, Evbo’s shoes were still soggy, and the torch still lay on the ground next to them. The guard had a clean, pristine, shiny shield and Evbo had a soggy sword. Evbo’s hair was matted and tangled from his respawn, and the guards was hidden under his hat and helmet. The dim light reflected off of the guard’s sunglasses.
Evbo forgot what they were laughing about after a while. He struggled to a stand along with the guard, both still shaking and giggling. They both should’ve probably been worried about whether or not someone could hear—being caught by a different shield would’ve been bad.
But Evbo had forgotten about all of that. This feeling in his chest, in his mind, deep under his skin—it was refreshing.
Sure, he’d laughed. Joked with Tabi. Self-depricated. Smiled.
But this, this, felt so real. So warm. So alive.
He didn’t quite remember when he and the guard stood up.
Eventually, they both trudged their way to the other end of the passageway. Evbo registered they exchanged a few more brief words, but all he really remembered was how much brighter everything was. How much brighter he felt. How much brighter the guard looked.
So he kept laughing. Even after the guard had disappeared into the hallway once again. Even after he’d passed the red wall, and was staring down at the jump to the gold level.
Even as he felt his feet hit the hard floor.