It comes to me like cold water.
Just straight cold water.
As if life itself decided to do an ice bucket challenge with me. Ignoring this 2012 reference, my eyes scan what I see in front of me.
They are far for sure. But I'm sure of it.
4 small shit. The one that fall, sometimes.
5 medium. Aka, normal human sized.
5 big ones. The ones I need to tackle.
And....
My hand get up, finger pointing at the big guy I'm seeing. "Do you see that?"
Malfoy nod beside me. "It is pretty big"
It is.
...well fuck. How do you fight off a...I squint my eyes. His waist wood block reach the big ones head, and the big ones are like a feet taller than me? So like 7 foot....
14 feet tall?
Wow.
That's giant territory. Hell it's even bigger than giant territory, this shit is litterally letting sand coming up at each of his dumb uncoordinated step.
The shield in my left arm feel strangely inadequate. Forget a shield, if this shit hit me. I'm going to end as a red stain on the sand.
Something squirm in my guts. Danger. It wants out. I crush it.
"So? What's the plan?" This dumb fucker voice take me out of my reverie. He's gently shaking his arms at my side, as if he was readying himself for a fight.
Is he retarded or what?
"Same as usual? Should't we change the strategy a little bit for the big guy?"
I'm glad that whatever was happening to me those last few minutes didn't make me utterly uncompetent. I'm not broken at least. Really, I almost forgot the weirdness and shit the second I saw the numbers and the giant.
Worse is, as my mind run like it usually do. The fuckers are still walking toward us.
EVEN WORSE, as my mind run like it usually do. WE are still walking toward them
"Malfoy."
"Yes, that is my name." It's not his name. I fuckin gaslit him.
Looking over my shoulders at the blurry figures of the rest of my party, I start wondering if I should call them here. Would be safer. And like I said, REWARDS, doesn't matter. Again, I'll say it again, it doesn't matter.
"Ludger?"
I look back at malfoy. That's walking beside me, I don't look at my arm. My right arm, holding the dagger. So fucking tight it start hurting. I can control it without what's in my guts. I can.
Instead I look forward at the sight.
They weren't that strong anyway. It's not thaaaaat dangerous to only go together, right? Right?
Urgh, whatever.
Pushing my left hand in my hair, the sight get covered by the shield attached to my forearm. I touch my hair, tight and attached behind my head.
"Yeah yeah whatever, alright, a plan right?"
Malfoy look at me and wait for a while to answer with a nod.
Alright, a plan. A plan. I can do that. It's easy, not like they are suddenly good fighters. I'm just scared cause of that guys size. Fuck....it looks like a small house is walking toward me.
FOCUS, PLAN, A PLAN!
"ALRIGHT!" Malfoy shrink back as I scream, but quickly enough support my enthusiasm with a small smile I can't seem but think of dumb with what he said about power.
"A plan!"
"Yeah a plan!"
"I believe in you, you can plan!"
"I CAN PLAN!"
He slap my shoulder with moderate enthusiasm. He doesn't show as much emotions as annie, but that's fine.
I'M HYPED UP, GIGANTIC ROBOT, HERE I COME!
"Alright! Same base for the plan. Same as before, we'll change some things though"
Our pace increase. It's almost natural. He hum at me, showing he's listening.
"The small ones first. The medium after. We need to improve our strategy a bit more though. Last time, we got seperated a lot"
"This time, trail me. CONSTANTLY"
He nod. "Constantly, I see."
"Yeah constantly!" I don't know why, but he's acting even more friendlier to me than usual after our little spat.
"Like, I shouldn't even need to use my dagger. The strategy is simple. We turn on one side of the guys. In a circle, right side. I rush, push one down, and then you blitz in and end them!"
Waaaaait end them? I retract my statement real quick.
"Actually! No need, just stay back for the small ones, I'll push them all down. You can push some with your kicks if you want. But the small ones can't get back up, we'll abuse it. Just put them down and leave fast"
We're getting closer and closer. And malfoy's hanging to my every word, way more than before. Still with arms crossed and taking big dignified nods. But still, he's listening way more than before. Feel weird, this change feel weird.
But not unwelcome.
"Right. Good point noticing that"
HE'S EVEN CALLING MY PLANS GOOD, WHAT THE FUCK!?
Looks like I'm the only one that want to beat him up.
Ignoring that thought I continue.
"Let's not risk the medium ones. We'll keep turning around, I make them fall. You blitz in. Poke. Dead."
"I go forward in an extremely fast manner and use my sword as a way to end their life." ...I won't even comment on that sentence. "And then I shall come back behind you, retreat. Right?"
At least he payed attention last time.
"Exactly"
"Retreat..." He wait a sec, as if he was chewing his words, then finally get it out. "More important than anything"
FINALLY!
"We can't fight more if we're dead after all" he smile at me. With the most genuine smile I ever saw him do. As if he understood my logic perfectly now.
My own mood crash as his rise up.
Not finally.
"Yeah yeah whatever" brushing the subject off. That's something for future me. I keep up the plan.
"Now! For the big ones. Last time they all followed, so we'll be more careful. We don't know how fast they are at getting up, or if they go up at all. So get their attention"
He nod "just like before."
"Yes. But now, I'll rush from behind and take them out all. One by one. I rush, make one fall. Get up, rush another one."
He finish "and when all our ennemies are at our feet, we shall finish them."
I don't like his wording but..."Yep."
I take a look forward, we're getting closer and closer. "And for the giant....uhhhh, I'll try to tackle him. If it work hooray. If not....let's try to injure the blue thingy and then tackle him"
"I understood everything" he nod "is that all?"
I don't like the plan for the big one but...fuck the closer we get the bigger it gets, but whatever, don't have more time. "Yeah, remember, if anything go wrong rush back."
The sight of the gigantic wooden monster get closer and closer, and the only thing keeping me from using the team in my plan is probably the death grip of my dagger.
Malfoy hand come to slap two times on my own shoulder. He's way more touchy than before.
"Let us show those insects the mistake of their way"
He say that with the straightest voice ever, and the most genuine smile ever.
....forcing a fake smile on my face. I do my best not to push Malfoy hand away from me.
"Yeah, let's go fall some wood."