Jim was singing. Or something close to it. A slow, sad song, "Dee de deedle dee de de de de de, De de Deeddle deedle de de de de, De deedle de de, De deedle de de, Deedle Deedle Deedle Deedle Deedle Deedle de de." "Shutup Jim." It was the tall stupid one, Justin. Nope, perhaps it was the young, pretty Tallis. Or the short one with wings – no, Pandora would never do that (or any of the other things Jim wanted, for that matter). That just left the dead one, Vallana. Pretty too – pretty dead. Jim laughed at his joke. It had to be the dead one, Master would never say that.
"You could try opening your eyes and finding out, Jim..." "Shutup Voice." That was Jim. Stupid Voice, always trying to trick Jim. Always, 'help this,' 'do that,' 'save them.' Never, 'run here,' or, 'take the gold.' Bloody Voice had a death wish. Besides – opening his eyes would kill them. As long as he kept his eyes shut, they were still alive....
Jim pictured the last thing he'd seen. It was hard running up the cliff with his eyes shut. Somehow he'd managed it – with minimal blood loss and no severe injuries. Master was right, those calluses were handy! Master surrounded by the ravenous hordes. Back to the cliff, untouchable, invincible, unedible(?). Jim felt a warm glow. Master and Jim, back to back, fighting together against the tides of darkness in the cause of the righteous, questing for the Heart of the Maiden. If only the others had listened. "There's rather a lot," Jim had ventured. It was all supposed to have been, so very, very different. And would have been – if...
...only Vallana hadn't eaten the heart of the four armed beast, turning it into the whirling dervish of death.
Perhaps if Pandora had turned the ladders into string sooner allowing the mini beasts to fall to their doom.
Maybe if the rest hadn't relied on Pandora so much and thought to smash the ladders as they were raised. At the very least they could have knocked a few off as they climbed up. Whomever decided that the best tactic was to wait until all the Beastmen were up the ladders and then fight them on even terms needed a bloody good thrashing.
And finally – I wish I knew how to climb a rope.
"You know, there's still rather a lot," Jim opined, from above, to the left and what seemed to be further away than before. If only they'd listened.
There wasn't anything he could have done – just bear witness. "Wouldn't you have to have to have watched for that...?" Shutup Voice. Jim sighed. OW. Stop kicking me. It hurts. Jim tightened his foetal ball. Perhaps whoever it was would drop dead. A born optimist, Jim comforted himself with the thought. Ow.... OwOW.. ..OwOwOW. Jim weighed his options, and slowly opened his eyes...
Jim was both wrong and right. Opening his eyes didn't kill them, and it was the dead one.