I felt my neck being crushed by the infuriated Jumper's arm. He had dropped his shields and placed his right forearm across my throat with the weight of a falling mountain.
I could hear the cartilage in my throat groaning under the pressure; the air entering my lungs became scarce, turning my vision into a haze of dancing spots.
"Just let me explain," I managed to wheeze out in a hoarse, ragged voice. "I did that... for your own good."
"Stop lying!" he roared, his voice vibrating through my chest. "You almost got me killed! You used me as a meat-shield!"
"It's just... you didn't do anything against the dragons," I choked out, pushing against his arm with every ounce of my strength.
I managed to gain a few inches of breathing room with extreme difficulty, but his eyes—flashing with a dangerous, unstable light—stayed locked on mine. He was truly trying to kill me. The man I had saved twice was now ready to snap my neck out of pure, wounded pride.
