Salazar was now at the front of the pack, behind the watcher. He noticed they were walking their way back. What was coming next ? He was thinking about asking when he felt someone approaching.
"Do ya feel pumped up, crybaby ? At least now you'll die knowing a woman's caress." said Bully boy in a low voice. He came to the front too.
"I told you already, I won't die." sighed Salazar.
Bully boy laughed.
"That's what they all think now."
He looked back at the others boys. Salazar looked too. And it was hard to deny. This bath, despite its implications, had a positive effect on the group. They seemed hopeful. He too, felt better.
"But you heard the mage, most will die." Bully boy shrugged.
Why was he acting like we were friends now ?
"You could be one of them." told him Salazar.
"Nah, I'd live."
Salazar was the one shrugging now. You'll live if you're not an NPC, jerk.
"By the way, sorry for the knee man."
Salazar raised an eyebrow and looked at him. That was unexpected.
"But you threw first, ya know."
He was right. But he must have forgot he insulted him before that… Salazar looked at his broken hand. He tittered.
"It was all a warm up for the mutations I guess…" he finally answered, with a slight smile.
Bully boy laughed.
"But what was that thing, in the cart ? You went crazy, I had to stop it ya know."
"It… It wasn't me…"
Bully boy looked skeptical.
"It was like… I… I had an… existential crisis…"
"An what ?…"
Salazar shook his head.
"No, nothing, nothing, just forget it…"
"You're weird man…"
I am stupid… The hell would this medieval street boy know what an existential crisis is…
"What's your name anyway ?"
"Salazar… Salazar Stormcloak."
"Stormcloak ? What thaa fuck man. Your dad is a king and shit or what ?"
Was it that cringe ?… He felt embarrassed with the name.
"No… not at all. I am a bastard anyway, so…"
"Huh, we are all bastards here man, I'll tell you that."
"And you, what's your name ?"
"Dario. Just Dario." he answered with a confident smile.
Holographic letters appeared above Dario's brown head. His name. Salazar blinked rapidly. The letters disappeared. It was disconcerting every time. But a welcome call back, so he didn't forget where he was.
"What, you saw a ghost ?"
"No, hum, sorry. Nice to meet you Dario." he collected himself.
"Nice to meet you too, Salazar. I hope you'll survive."
He put a hand on his shoulder, Salazar felt awkward. Like a child again. Well, he was, but...
"Yeah… I hope you will too…"
He had no reason to keep hating him now… Except if his injuries end up penalizing him for the Mutations.
Out of the blue, they heard a high pitched voice screaming.
"Master ! Master ! Master !"
It was a boy with long tied red hair, the face a little round, running towards them from the back. He ran past Salazar and Dario, and stopped next to the watcher, his hands on his crotch.
"I am not your master, yet… What is it ?" answered the man.
"Mast… Hum. I want to pee. Can I pee before the mutations please ? I don't want to pee all over myself while the mages work on me !"
Everybody laughed, except the watcher who remained serious.
"Why didn't you pee in the bath ?" intervened Dario, amused.
"Are you stupid ?" answered the red haired. "I won't pee in front of ladies."
What about just not peeing in our bath ?
"Who are you calling stupid, fatty ?" answered Dario, stepping forward.
Salazar hesitated to hold him back. The red haired frowned but didn't move.
"I am not fat." he declared in a soft indignation.
The watcher stepped in.
"Now now, you better calm down, boys." he adviced with a scary serenity.
"I am calm mmm…ister." said the red haired.
"I was just sayin'… All good." sighed Dario before turning away.
The red haired looked at Dario, then at the watcher again.
"So, my pee ?"
The boys laughed again.
"Don't worry about that…"
"But I want to now ?…" interrupted the boy.
Salazar was astonished by the audacity of this ginger. Did he realise where he was ? But at the same time… What was the watcher even going to do ? It's not like any of them had much to lose here…
"You will. Just wait a bit more, we are almost there."
"There where ? To the toilets ?" he answered with enthusiasm.
The boys loudly laughed once more.
The watcher passed a hand on his face, and sighed. His patience was even more astonishing than this ginger's folly, thought Salazar. But was it reaching its limit ?
"There is a last thing you all deserve before the mutations. But it's a surprise. You will see. Come now."
This man, obviously, had empathy towards them. And all these gentle ceremonies must serve to alleviate the guild's and its members guilt… Were the mutations that bad ?
"Alright mmm…ister…" said the boy, disappointed.
Another thought came to Salazar's mind. Even if someone like this stupid ginger survived the mutations, how would he survive in the world?
Right after, they heard fast footsteps. At the corner of the corridor, a blonde girl with short hair appeared, she looked at the boys and laughed.
"Who is Peepee boy ?" she asked, strongly amused.
"Hey, I am not Peepee boy. I am Lynos !" shouted back the red haired.
She bursted in laughter, as did the other boys. Salazar felt sorry for him.
"That's not good Ange, be kind to each other." softly scolded the sorceress, appearing slightly after the blondie.
"Sorry miss! I'm just teasing him. We all pee and poop after all, don't we ? Hihihi!"
"You do ?!" asked Lynos, shocked.
Damn… The mood has really shifted, huh ? It was like they were not going to nearly all die soon, thought Salazar while he observed the girls appearing. Cleaned and in white dresses. His inner sexism made him feel bad for them a bit more. It shouldn't be a place for girls… Nor for the stupid brats actually. Except if the mutations made them more intelligent too, who knows.
"Are we ready Jorah ?" asked the sorceress to the watcher.
"Yep…" he sighed before pressing his lips together.
As they gathered, the last girl appeared. She instantly snatched Salazar's attention. She was taller than the others, and looked a little older. She had long snow-white hair and a moonlit pale visage. Her eyes were down as she slowly followed the flock of doves. She bore the tragic sadness of a fallen angel. A celestial elf.
She... She didn't belong in this wretched fortress. In fact, she was the last person that should be called to this cursed dungeon. Salazar was mesmerized, and furious. His fists clenched despite the pain. How dare they put up all this facade of compassion for them ? When they are ready to sacrifice an angel from heaven ?
Salazar shook his head. It happened again… It was like his character's feelings poured into his "real" mind. And he didn't want to lose himself. Did he really write himself so chivalrous ? He slowly unclenched his right fist, grimacing in the process. She has nothing special, just a cliche anime white hair. Don't simp her like that, idiot!
Their eyes met. Hers were cerulean, ethereal, void… He missed a heartbeat. She looked away, unfazed. And another eyes appeared in front of Salazar, another whole head actually, and more in the low front. It was the short blondie. She had freckles around the nose.
"Hey, what's up with the dark gaze dude ?"
"Huh ?" Salazar was confused.
"Don't look at girls like that, 'tis rude."
"What ?" he frowned, lips parted.
She smiled.
"I'm kidding." she said before closing his mouth with her hand. "You'll swallow a fly."
A girl touched him again. He touched his own chin, still confused.
"Get going you two." said the deep voice of the watcher.
Salazar snapped back to reality. The group was on its way already.
"Yeah, wake up dude ! If you're too late, they'll refuse you for the mutations !"
Ange sighed.
"Maybe the mutations is this never ending walk ?"
Salazar heard, but he didn't answer. Because he didn't feel comfortable with girls, although this one was more like a boy to him. Also, he kept looking at this white haired girl. Even her walk was out of this world. She didn't walk. She glided.
"You think they cleaned us, and dressed us in white so the funerals are easier ?"
So we are not too ugly next to her…
"Hey, are you listening to me ?" she leaned towards him.
Salazar gave her this confused look of "Do we know eachother ?"
"Are you still staring at her ?"
"Hum. On that… Was my stare that bad, I mean earlier ?"
She lifted an eyebrow.
"Dude, did you fall in love with her or what ?"
"What ?" he answered after a short pause. "No!"
Was she crazy ? I'm not a pedo !
"Yeah ? Then stop looking at her like a weirdo !"
He got a mental whiplash.
"What ? What do you want, I don't even know you ?!"
"Who wants to know you anyway ?" she answered, furious. Then hastened her steps to get away from him.
Salazar watched her leave, appalled. The hell was that ? His eyes met with the red haired a few feet away, looking at him, intrigued apparently. His eyebrows frowned in an admonishing grimace. Salazar squinted.
"Why did you shout at her man, don't you have manners ?" said Lynos with indignation.
Salazar clenched his left fist. He was about to snap. Why the hell was he reborn in a damned fucking school ? They were about to become monster hunters, slaying legendary beasts and chasing glory, and these stupid kids were making him relive high school dramas.
"Get lost, fucking NPC."
He snapped. Out of character.
Immediately, an eerie feeling took at his guts. He felt like the world warping around him.
"What did you say, boy ?"
Asked the deep voice of the watcher. He was just next to him. He naturally towered him, but at this instant, he looked like a giant, growing by the seconds. Salazar looked at him, horrified. Shivers and cold sweat ran down his spine. He felt crushed. He felt like he was falling in a deep precipice.
That's bad. That's bad…
Salazar mustered all the strength he could and shook his head.
"No… nothing… nothing…"
He said with what felt like his last breath.
In an instant, the world came back to normal. He swallowed. And breathed heavily.
"Be careful with your tongue. Don't forget we must all be brothers in the Watch."
What was that just there, man ? Where the hell did I fall ? Damn it !Was it a warning ?! Can't break out of character ?!
Salazar barely got the time to recover. Looking around, he saw the large columns. They came back to the entrance hall.
The sorceress stood in front of big double doors, carved from a dark black wood, bound with straps of unadorned iron. They were smaller than the entry gates. Jorah the watcher, joined her.
"Sons and daughters of Nosgard…" she said. "See this, as our token of gratitude for your sacrifice. It is not much… But better than nothing, we hope…"
Jorah nodded, and they pushed the doors together.
The great doors swung inward and a wall of warmth and scent slammed into them.