Game of DIcE

The Return of The Bullies I

Exhaustion was an understatement for what her current stare at the moment. She felt like she was burnt out, burnt out from everything from this never-ending escape room that she was now through, the longing for her family, everything, and if the world could only read her mind or some people could read her face, they would probably hear her cursing the world—especially the Asovine's government and the Game of Dice itself.

She was right when she said that this level was a never-ending escape room, it took her almost thirty-three days to reach the last room and finally found the familiar white cube with golden dots, being firmly hidden and exceptionally secured with a lot of traps and daggers flying to her that she got cuts and blood every part of her body, it was awfully an experience.

Currently, she was in the same elevator-like square, the same thing that she took in arriving at the very first room, but the difference was this square was in the last room and it was moving sideward, and the same on what she was seeing on her ride at this kind of thing for the first time, the surrounding was also black. Not until of course when the sight of the same room she went in, the extremely bright room with patches of black and gray square.

She's back.

Clutching the palm-size die on her hand and the bag and spear on the other, she jumped out of the square when the square came to a halt. She was making sure no square on her feet, she didn't want to repeat a never-ending escape room and waste another plenty of hours with exhaustion and headaches for solving the puzzles and avoid the traps. She had to move.

She was limping, her leg had a long cut from her ankle to the half of her leg, and it was slightly deep but still bearable. She had also cut her leggings up to her knees and used the cloth on pressing it to her wound, so the length of her leggings on each leg wasn't even. She hooked the strap of her bag on her shoulder and carefully walked out, using the spear as a cane to balance herself.

The metal door that had vanished back then was now there again. When she shifted the knob, she was welcomed with the same igloo-like surroundings and also people going out of the doors they took successfully with the dice on their hands and wearing the same expression as hers—weary, exhausted, burnt out.

She sighed, and with gritted teeth, she came out of level twenty-seven, but not without eyeing the congratulatory note that was now above the same door that she went in for the whole igloo. She looked around, blinking her eyes because of the sudden natural light from the sun, she bet the time was in at least eleven to twelve, her stomach growling was sure given her the certainty that it was now lunch, and she had skipped at least two meals in her stay inside the level. She didn't really think she could eat in that situation.

At first, she didn't know where she would go and she was just resting outside the level, it was always what she does every after the end of the levels she finished but then she remembered that she was not alone anymore, and there were people who were possibly waiting for her or she would have to wait for them, but one thing was for sure— she was with people next to her, companions that she longed for days to move to the next level. And that thought alone sort of warm her up inside, it somehow felt like she was going home to a family waiting for her or her family going to her, though a little different since they hadn't gone closer yet.

She walked for a little more on the place they had agreed to meet, it took her more time since she couldn't help but wince every step she takes, and every time her leg would come into the forceful lift, but only resorted it on basically dragging her foot.

"Riley!"

From looking at her bleeding leg, she looked up. There she saw Shone raising his arm and waving his hand slightly, smile wide but instantly fade upon seeing how she walked and the tore on her leggings, and the dried blood and shallow cuts on her jacket uniform were certainly unpleasing and not too much of a sight.

"What happened to you? Let me carry you." He offered, crouching in front of her immediately without hesitation.

"No, Shone. I can manage, no need for that." She answered, firmly shaking her head. She was flushed, to say truthfully, she was not used to being worried about, and most of all, being cared of. She was used to giving them to her parents.

"No, I insist. Your ankle is swelling. We have to tend to your wounds properly." He said and scooted closer to her so she was left with no other choice but to hop on his back because he didn't seem the one who takes no for an answer.

"I hope I am not heavy." She shyly said as soon as she gets on his back and Shone took his steps.

"No, you're not. Don't worry." He simply answered with a light smile, "How was level twenty-seven?"

"Frustratingly exhausting." She answered, sighing loudly, "I thought I would never get out of those never-ending escape rooms."

Shone put her down and made her sit beside the enormous roots of one tree, his bag and cutlass weapon were also there, by the empty plastic of biscuits beside the bag, he had been there for a while now.

"I bet there were mind-blowing solving and questions there too?" He took her injured leg and examined it, "How many hours has this been?"

"Yes, there were a lot. Questions that were so hard to answer and every answer there were shooting of sharp things, which caused these wounds. This wound I think, approximately twelve. I overlooked the hole on the floor and stepped on it, so a sharp metal burst out and got me hard." She explained, watching as Shone took off the cloth that was barely covering her wound and found a lot of dried blood around it. She heard him clicked his tongue, the cut was indeed deeper than he expected it to be.

"I can't risk our bottled water to clean your wound," He started, gazing at her apologetically, "I'll have to carry you again to the river nearby, is that okay?"

"More than okay. In fact, that is too much." She answered with a frown, "I don't really want to burden any of you."

Shone waved his hand dismissively and turned his back again, looking over his shoulder with an amused chuckle, "You are not a burden. This is normal in the group, you have to get used to this. Hop on."

Riley hopped on his back again, the guy circling his arms securely around her thigh with close fists so she wouldn't be uncomfortable which she really appreciated. They went to the river not too far from their spot, they had walked in the forest but it was not too much of a hassle, at least not for her.

"Berd!" Riley exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she moved slightly on Shone's back to wave to the berdock that was now looking back at her.

"Woah, wait," Shone said with a giggle as he crouched back and let Riley get off of his back and sat her on the big stone next to the water. "Berd, come here!"

"He didn't go out. I wasn't expecting him still to be here." Riley said as Berd duck in front of her and allowed her to rub his beak affectionately, "Have you eaten? What did you eat?"

Shone walked for a while to look for something and went back with an empty coconut, he used it to scoop water to clean her wound. "You might want to take off your clothes, do you have spare clothes with you?"

"Yes, I do have." She simply answered.

"I think Xion will be with us anytime soon, the two, however, I don't really know, maybe we would have to stay for a day, hope not days." He explained while still busy and too focused on cleaning her wound, she could see how he tried to be gentle so she wouldn't be hurt with every scratch of dried blood and surge of water.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this is a battle of mind and wit," He started looking up at her, "Among the four of us, I am the smartest, not to be conceited but it's true, then Xion's also smart, but I think you are smarter since you manage to finish within a day and a half considering you have the hardest level among us, but here comes this two who I think brains combine nothing near Xion's. So, of course, we would be delayed."

"I see," Riley answered with an understanding nod, "It's okay, though. Though I am probably starting my venture to the next level but I don't mind having company now."

"I'm glad," He answered with a smile, "If you are still doubtful of us, it's okay. But we always got your back."

"I'm not used on having frie-... company ever since, even the day I was born, all I have is my family, so all this is new to me." She looked away, resting her head on the beak of the berdock.

"All blame to the hierarchy rules."

All blame to the parliament. Everything was caused by them, they were selfish, they were the biggest bully, they were the real enemy. And Riley still wonder when would this parliament change, and by that, she meant the people, the country needs to have a change of people in power. They were just a bunch of tyrants who think of money, power, and glory.

After a while, Shone had cleaned her every wound, he wanted to carry her on his back again but she just suggested to be on Berd's back so she could also lie down and rest because truthfully, she didn't sleep those hours she was in the igloo. She changed her clothes, she was now using the vest-like uniform while the jacket was wet and being dried under the sun, Shone also suggested her leggings to cut into knee-level both side so it wouldn't be weird to look at which she just let him while he also patched up her wound to avoid inspections.

"I suggest you leave us alone. We do not want a fight."

"Well, too bad! We're looking for one." The loud fit of laughter echoed in the whole area followed by more men laughing at the same time.

Riley stirred in her sleep, and slowly cracked her eyes open, adjusting her eyes to the black surrounding but she realized that it was already dark and was nighttime because of the moon right above her eyes. She didn't realize that she had slept while on the back of the berdock, and by the clear zone, without any trees hindering her sight and the crunching of the foliage by the bonfire on her side, they were by the river bank.

With uninvited guests.

"You must be too eager to die, then?"

Everyone froze.

It was Xion who spoke. He arrived around the afternoon without even a scratch, though a little looking like bored. He saw Riley resting and the wounds on her body, he thought she was the first one to arrive but then Shone arrived bearing the dried small branches thinking of having a bonfire at night.

"That applied to you too, don't you think?" It was Sho, just by the mocking tone in his voice and the laugh, it was certainly him and his companions. "We just want to have the loser with us. Come on, it's no one's loss, instead, it's everyone's advantage if we eliminate one."

Riley gritted her teeth, she really didn't know where did they get that idea from—eliminating someone for their advantage, fewer people, less opponent. It really was nonsense, as many winners as possible, as long as they survive, and there would be no need to kill each other because just the opponents in the level could be hard to win over. They really just wanted to look for a fight instead of saving their energy.

And Riley's considering herself as luckless because the fifth division was so wide but they always found her.

She slowly sat up, came eye to eye with her bullies who smirked upon seeing her already awake. Her desperate and tired eyes were back, "Please, just leave me alone."

"Oh, you begging to live, is the new music to my ear," Sho answered with a smug expression, "I'm just helping you to be at peace now, loser. Come on, you'll just be dead in the nearest future, don't exhaust yourself more."

"Shut your mouth, empty head." Shone barked, glaring at Sho as he stood up and walked in front of the berdock as if protecting them. He took his dagger, "

"Knight in shining armor tragic plot? I love it." The other man beside Sho remarked, chuckling as he also took out his whip.

"Actually," Xion said, standing up as well, "How about four idiots tragic death? I like how that sounds. What do you think, Shone?"

"Sound interesting. Let's make it true."

Riley then realized that she chose the right thing to be with them. Not to have someone to protect her in times like this, but a new family she could trust.