"Come on, I said I was sorry!"
Alexa crossed her arms, huffed, and turned away.
"Come ooooon!" Jason insisted, sneaking back into her field of vision, only to earn a glare and another huff, "You can't stay mad at me forever..."
"Watch me."
"I can watch you all day," he said with a dreamy smile.
She wrinkled her nose, "You're lying, which makes me even more upset."
He rolled his eyes, "Everything turned out good, didn't it?"
"That's no reason for you to take such foolish risks, or make me take them!" Alexa blanched at the thought of that waxworm wiggling in front of her face.
"You're just pissy because you're terrified of bugs."
"And you because you made me eat one of them!" Alexa corrected, glare fixed in place.
"It was for your own good," Jason shrugged, "Besides, if I didn't do it, you'd have been a baby and refused to eat it. Now everyone's well and happy. No need to thank me."
"Ugh..." Alexa grunted, seeing no purpose in arguing any longer.
Jason reached for another Crystal Worm and popped it in his mouth as if it were a skittle, "Do you want another?"
She frowned, shaking her head as she averted her gaze, "No..."
"So picky."
"I'll eat..." she pursed her lips, "... them, but later. I'm fine for now."
"Uh-huh," a laugh slipped out, "How's your magic—mana, was it?"
"Yes, mana," Alexa released a soft sigh, "And it's a bit more potent now. I really can't gauge the difference since I have nothing to compare it to."
"So the system chooses a random stat to boost or does it have some criteria?"
"I don't think it's a coincidence it chose 'Reflexes' for you, and 'Mana' for me."
"So the fact that I picked up a sword, and you a book, influenced its decision?" Jason wondered.
She nodded, "It makes sense, doesn't it?"
"It does, but even if it weren't like that, it wouldn't matter. Not now anyway. Figuring out how the system behaves is at the bottom of the list," Jason stood up, hand easily finding the handle of his sword, "For now, let's go back to the shelter."
A bush rustled.
As if they had choreographed it beforehand, Jason immediately took the vanguard while Alexa easily stepped back. He aimed his sword in the direction the ominous rustling was coming from. His stance was a bit rough, but it was not as awkward as it had been one thousand swings ago.
The tension was palpable.
The bush rustled again, this time in a more determined fashion.
Jason narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening.
Alexa clutched her magic book, holding it up like a makeshift shield.
If something hostile was about to jump out, he prayed that it was not on a heavier weight class.
"Ah, man, this ain't right... not fair at all, damn," an exasperated voice cut through the tension, "Treatin' me like that. Tch! I'll show 'em."
Jason's sword lowered a little, to match the creature's height. Except that it didn't seem to be just any 'creature'. The moment it knuckle-walked out of the bush, he could clearly recognize the species. It was quite short, furry, with a prominent mouth and long arms that went beyond its knees. The skin on its face was bare, as it was on its hands and feet.
It was a chimpanzee. A fucking, talking chimpanzee. A male one too, if the pitch of its voice was anything to go by.
There was a brief moment where they made eye contact.
"Oh shit, humans!" his eyes went a little wider.
"You can talk?" Jason's mouth hung open in disbelief. His sword tilted a little to the side, but he immediately corrected its aim and held it aloft, ready to stab at the slightest aggression, "You can actually talk?"
The chimpanzee threw him a skeptical look, "Ya, you're a little slow, aren't you? Everyone knows we can talk!"
"We who?" Alexa probed, edging a little closer to Jason.
"We who what?"
"Chimpanzees don't talk," Jason clarified, more to himself than the primate in front of him, "What are you?"
"Cheempa-what now?" the chimpanzee raised his long arms up, in a defensive stance, "Yo, put that sword down, human. I mean no harm, honest to God!"
Once Jason acquiesced, he went on in a chipper tone, "And I'm a Mempa. A handsome one, too. Yea, and not to toot my own horn or anythin', but back in the days, heh, let me tell ya, Mempees would wet their fur whenever they looked at me."
Alexa traded an odd look with Jason.
The Mempa squeaked out a laugh, exposing his pink gums in the process, "Ah yes, good ol' days," he brought one hand up and scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner, "But yea, that's all in the past now. I lost all of my glory. Mempees don't even look at me anymo'!"
His wide mouth puckered into a pout.
Jason looked at Alexa, who looked back at him, befuddled. He lowered his sword all the way down, releasing the tension with a sigh, "You look a bit roughed up, little guy," he said, noticing patches of fur matted with blood, and a couple of bruises on his sides. The chimpa — Mempa — didn't look threatening. Definitely not with the bruises and the dried blood. Honestly, it was crazy enough that he was having a conversation with an animal, but crazier still was the fact that, for some reason, he decided to approach him.
Alexa's reminder about 'risks' and whatnot blared in his head, but he ignored it.
He crouched down, sword resting on his side, just as a precaution. The Mempa slid one foot back, looking at him cautiously, "Look, I know I look fetching, b-but ya not female enough fo me."
"What happened to you?"
The question came with a pointed look at a particularly nasty gash on the Mempa's femur.
"Oh," he looked down at himself, "T-That ain't anythin'. I'll survive."
"Really?"
"Y-Yeah, it's no biggie. I'm quite strong, you know?"
He certainly didn't look like a strong creature.
"Wouldn't you like to be healed?" Jason asked, tapping his chin in thought, "Maybe some food too?"
A pang of hunger made itself known in the Mempa's stomach, and the human's proposal was quite attractive. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could survive in that condition, not with a wound that hindered its agility.
"I have nothin' to give to ya though..."
"Are you acquainted with this place?" Jason gestured at their surroundings.
The Mempa's eyes lit up, "Ah, of course, of course! I know everythin' about it!"
The expression of excitement was equally shared in Jason and Alexa's eyes. One of their flaring weaknesses, at the moment, was their lack of geographic understanding. Exploration was not safe; just today, they almost met a gruesome end. The problem was that there was no choice. To survive, they had to hunt for food. To fulfill Raven's request, they had to find the Traplings' Village.
And to accomplish either, they had to grow powerful, or find their way around.
Now, if the Mempa was being truthful, and if he really could work as their personal guide, their lives would become considerably easier. Hopefully.
"Alexa," Jason gestured with his head, and she immediately knew what she had to do.
Frankly, it was the Mempa's non-threatening and homely look that had her feel more at ease. If it were one of those crimson, winged things, she'd probably chuck her book at it.
"Relax," Alexa assured in a soft voice, a tired smile on her face, "You won't feel a thing."
The Mempa nodded, letting the knot of tension come undone. Her hands hovered over his body, a warm glow bathing his wounds as she chanted in a low voice. She didn't need to speak out the entire verse anymore. She could cut off a couple of words here and there, enough so that her 'intention' could carry out the spell even when shortened. Such were the boons of constant use and proficiency.
"Oh, damn, this feels good, like being scratched in the back of your ears," he said, smile wide enough that its gums were exposed, "Do that again..."
"But I'm done..." Alexa blinked, slowly paddling back once she ensured the little creature's wounds had mended back, "You're all patched up!"
Jason nodded along with her words. The Mempa looked fine, a bit roughed up still, but at least the surface wounds had been completely healed. Magic was truly a wondrous thing.
The Mempa bounced up and down, hooting madly. If it were a dog, its tail would be wagging to match its enthusiasm.
Jason and Alexa couldn't help but flash a smile at the sight.
"Thank you, female-male thing!"
And then Alexa's smile faded.
----
"We should have left him there to rot in his own filth."
Jason didn't expect any less to come out of Alexa's mouth. She was still in a sour mood, it seemed. And because he depended on her to fix him up, he wisely decided not to take sides. It was for the betterment of the team. The sun was high up in the sky now, beating down on them with its sizzling glare. Jason had the barkful of waxworms secured in his hands as they treaded back to their shelter.
Behind them, the Mempa knuckle-walked excitedly, "So you're looking for the Village of Traplings?"
"Yes, that's the plan," Jason confirmed, sparing one glance at the creature, "You know where it is?" hope clung tightly to his voice.
"But of course!" he bumped his chest proudly, "I ain't the strongest around here, but I sure am the most knowledgable!"
Well, wasn't that handy?
"Your help is appreciated, umh... what's your name again?"
"I'm Master Buttscratch!"
Alexa did a double-take at that, while Jason frowned thoughtfully.
"Does it have... a special meaning perhaps?"
Buttscratch laughed, "Yea, in my village, a name identifies what you do best."
Jason didn't want to follow that trail of thought, but the decision had been stolen away from him.
"And I'm goooooood at scratching butts. Wanna see?"
Alexa snapped her eyes at the Mempa, "No." the resounding denial dampened Buttscratch's mood. But seeing Alexa's 'don't you dare' look, he decided not to tempt the female-male thing's wrath. Besides, what if she was left stunned at his otherworldly skill and fell in love with him? Too many hearts had been broken already. He was a Mempa. She was a human. Ah, it was forbidden.
Alexa wrinkled her nose at Buttscratch. He flashed his gums at her in return. Jason couldn't help but chuckle at the silent exchange. Their walk back to the shelter was a silent affair — as silent as a forest teeming with dangerous, magical wildlife could be anyway.
Eventually, the last 'marked' tree came into sight, along with the temporary shelter Jason and Alexa had built up. Everything looked the same. Except that this time there was an unexpected visitor. A familiar one too.
Crismon skin. Horns. Wings. And a twig-like body that actually held more power than it looked.
"Aw shit, it's an Imp! Nasty creatures, I tell you," Buttscratch retreated behind Jason's legs, tugging at the fabric of his pants, "Kill it. Squash it. Destroy it. Throw poop at it."
Jason's lips pulled into a smile despite the severity of the situation, "We can't throw poop at it."
"We could try."
Alexa's frown summed up her feelings pretty well, "Can you please take this more seriously? W-We should get out of here before it notices us!" she hissed, keeping her tone low.
Not that it mattered. They had already been noticed.
The now-identified Imp turned around with a snarl, flashing its sharp fangs at them. Jason slid one foot forward, brandishing his sword at the fiend. Unlike last time, he was not caught unprepared. This time, he held his blade with confidence.
Buttscratch detached himself from Jason's leg and knuckle-walked back, at a safe distance from the fight about to ensue. Alexa was about to speak up, but her instincts screamed at her.
The Imp turned into a crimson blur.
She yelped, and, not managing to find balance during her hasty retreat, she fell down. Fortunately, Jason's sword came to her rescue, drawing a beautiful downward arch.
Alexa gritted her teeth and screwed her eyes shut, like a little girl hoping that the nightmares would go away if she just closed her eyes and hid underneath the blanket. That was how it used to work.
But she was not little anymore.
A shriek of pain rang out, followed by a sticky, copperish... warmth. Slowly, in a scared flutter of eyelashes, she cracked her eyes open. In front of her, between her legs, lay an arm, still sputtering blood.
The same blood that stained her face.
She looked up, just in time to see the tip of Jason's sword sticking through the Imp's chest. The creature's grotesque face was twisted into pain, fear, and anger. It thrashed around, growling, clawing at the air like the cornered monster it was. In its skewered state, it didn't look threatening.
Jason twisted the blade a bit and pulled it up, through the Imp's ribs, collarbone, and neck. Its entrails slipped out with a sickening slimy sound, its gore soaking the ground around her.
Alexa scurried back, until her back was against a tree.
Her eyes flicked to Jason's.
And while hers wavered, his were calm. Perfectly still, as if no ripple could ever touch the surface of those grey pools. He threw one last glance at the listless stump that was the Imp, and then sidled up to her.
He extended a hand; his clean one, the other was soaked in life juice.
With a shaky sigh, Alexa accepted the help and allowed herself to be pulled up.
"Thank you..."
Jason was oddly silent as he stared at her face. She blinked, confused. He blinked back at her. And just as she was about to break the silence, he lifted one finger up and wiped away the ichor on her left cheek.
The move was swift, gentle and so unexpected that it left her quite a bit stunned.
'I-I-Is he flirting with me?!'
"You're smelly."
"..."
Alexa's flustered face twisted into a frown.
----
"Ay, bro, I think she's mad at you," Buttscratch pointed out as he brought a handful of Crystal Worms to his mouth.
"You have great observation skills," Jason rolled his eyes. Really, maybe he shouldn't have said that. Now Alexa was being moody and avoiding him. 'I wouldn't want to kill with you my smell!' she had said, before she crossed her arms and stormed inside their shelter.
"I guess I should apologize... hm, later," he amended.
"Later? Why not now?"
To the Mempa, the more complex human cues didn't make sense to him. And to be honest, they didn't make much sense to Jason either. Maybe the simplistic worldview of their species was better than the humans'.
After all, who wouldn't want to spend their whole lives scratching butts and throwing poop around?
"I have to swing my sword," he replied, pushing himself to his feet, "Hah, I hope she finds it in herself to patch me up once I'm done."
Earlier, Buttscratch had told him, between one mouthful of worms and another, that to get to the Village of Traplings, they'd have to cross through the Kyos' — the giant, feathery bastards of that morning — hunting grounds.
The only saving grace was that the village was not that far from their current position, or so was what Buttscratch claimed. Now, because of their earlier performance, Jason was not at all convinced that they would survive, should they journey through that part of the forest again.
Therefore, first things first:
1 — Become powerful.
2 — Become even more powerful.
He also hoped Alexa would manage to unlock another couple of spells, because any medical aid during a fight could be the turning point between life and death.
And with Buttscratch as the guide, all they had to do was prepare accordingly and hope everything would turn out for the better.
Jason passed by the shelter, where he could see Alexa reading her magic tome, back against the wooden wall and knees curled up. She briefly glanced up, and just as briefly, held eye contact with him, before she lifted the book a little higher.
He held back a smile; it wouldn't do well to laugh when she was pouting.
Walking back to his usual training spot, he heaved a deep sigh, held his trusty sword up, and began to swing away. Unbeknownst to him, though, Alexa was peering at him from the rim of her book.
With the darkening of the sky came the fire that kept their surroundings alight — courtesy of Alexa. Jason's shadow flickered with each strained swing, slash, stab, and twirl he made.
Sweat poured down his face. Blood coated the skin between his fingers and the creases of his palm. The calluses he had developed across his hands burst open. Pain laced each breath he hauled in, but he soldiered on, because it was that pain that would help him overcome his limits.
He had done one thousand swings on his first try, through sheer will alone. Now that he was stronger, and had seen what awaited the weak should they foolishly tread those dangerous grounds, Jason wanted to get half of the swing count done, at the very least.
Jason's stomach tumbled around. His throat tightened, but he held back the urge to throw up. His muscles, or whatever was left of the broken fibers, ached terribly. He swayed, legs quivering. Even standing there, doing nothing but trying to hold his sword properly, sent burning waves across his joints.
His shoulders, wrists, and feet were hurting so bad he just wanted to fall down and close his eyes. Jason didn't think he had broken bones, but his tendons were most likely damaged.
Even so, he was still one swing away from the 10,000th. And God forbid he gave up right when he was done. That was not how he'd become stronger. One more. Just one more swing. 'Come on, lift your arm... contract your muscles and bring that shit up!'
"J-Jason..." Alexa finally ended the silence game she was playing with him. Was the situation that serious? "I-I think you should stop..."
Buttscratch was uncharacteristically serious, "Y-Yeah, I've got to agree with the male-chick. You're killing yourself, mate. Just put the sword down and rest, yes?"
'Take one step forward. Hurry up. Lift your leg and push it forward.'
"He ain't listening to us..."
Alexa knew better than to interrupt him. That didn't mean she was not worried sick, because she was. She was one grunt of pain away from rushing to him. As soon as Jason showed signs that he was about to crumble, Alexa would be there, to cushion the fall, to stitch him back up.
'Now bend it. Not too much. Don't put too much pressure on it. Good. Now guide the sword down. Let gravity help you, but make sure you don't lose your grip.'
Jason breathed in and out, his sword cutting through the air with a rustling sound. As soon as the process was completed, his fingers relinquished their hold on the hilt. The sword thudded down, Jason not too far behind.
Alexa, just as she had mentally promised, was there before he hit the ground, arms wrapped around him. She cooed in a soft voice, "It's fine. I'll make you feel better in an instant."
"That sounds dirty," he chuckled weakly, gasping for breath.
She managed a bitter smile, "Shush, don't talk," she repositioned him on the ground, briefly assessing the damage. Wasn't he supposed to be stronger? How did he tear himself apart like that?
Her heart lurched at the sight of him, so battered up and bloodied. She felt resentment towards Raven, for dragging them there, for letting Alexa see her friend in so much pain, burdened with two lives, because she couldn't protect her own.
She locked those thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. She brought her hands over his body and slowly chanted, chipping away some of the words that she felt were unneeded, "[Healing]!"
With the characteristic warm glow that came with it, Jason allowed himself a soft smile as a wave of euphoria washed over him. The throbbing pain abated, the wounds disappeared, as if time was rewound, and all that was left of their existence was the blotches of blood.
Jason looked up at Alexa's concerned expression. Sweat rolled down her temples. The fool had probably gone overboard with the spell. He couldn't help but smile — it really felt amazing knowing there was someone who cared about you, even if only a bit.
He brought one hand up and pinched her nose, "I got your nose."
She wrinkled her nose at him, swatting his hand away — no, more like 'failing' to swat it away. He smirked at her frown, "Not funny, Jason. You're supposed to rest, so stop fooling around."
She said so, but her lips were pulled ever so slightly upward.
Buttscratch, the third furry wheel that he was, butted in. Literally, "Yo, bro, smell this," he knuckle-walked to Jason's prone form, turned around, and tried to slam his filthy butt into the human's face.
Jason hastily scrambled up and away from the abyss between pink, smooth cheeks, "What the fuck!"
"See? It worked. You're up and shit!" Buttscratch exposed his gums as he hooted a laugh at Jason's incredulous expression, "I can teach ya my secret techniques if ya want."
Jason turned to a stunned Alexa and asked eerily, "Alexa, you ever had a monkey for dinner before?"
She blinked, still in a daze, but managed to shake her head.
Buttscratch laughed awkwardly, "Ayo, you ain't really thinking of eating me... right?"
Jason smiled, "Try me, you poor excuse of a failed evolution."
"That ain't nice... you can't even swing a sword properly. Homo Retardus."
That particular comment sparked a whole argument about respect and the superiority of the human species on the evolution scale. Not that Buttscratch really cared about that nonsense.
Alexa sighed, shaking her head as she retreated back inside the shelter, doing her best to ignore the bickering duo. Now that tension had left her body, she could finally catch some well-needed shut-eye.
Try as she might, though, she couldn't hold back the smile that flashed across her face.