James's voice was steady, though he sounds relieved to finally hear from Arthur again after days of searching. "I thought you were a goner."
"Well I somehow managed to survive, haha," Arthur responds, wavering a bit and trying to keep his composure.
James continues in his usual calm tone. "Where are you? I've looked everywhere and couldn't find a trace of you. Are you okay?"
"Me and mom are currently in a cave at Aspen woods. We came here when all the chaos started." He tells James, looking back at the cave. "We're fine. Mom's even asleep right now. What about you?"
"I'm at the Saddledome, the military set up a camp and they gathered everyone here. The government gave out an order for everyone to stay put as they try to sort out the situation." He responds, making his way into the camp.
"That's a relief then, I was contemplating on where to go from here because everywhere seemed to be a danger zone. But I think coming to where you are is our best option now," Arthur says. "Although I'm not sure how I'm gonna pull that off because everywhere is currently riddled with monsters." He adds, scratching his head.
"No," James exclaims, expressing his disagreement with this plan. "It's a 20 kilometer walk, and in this situation there's no way you'll make it. I'll come to you instead."
They argue back and forth, about who gets to meet up with the other.
"I'm the most suitable for this, and you know that too Arthur," Expresses James, standing firmly on his decision to be the one going. "I'm physically more capable for it, and have a better chance against these monsters."
"I'm not the same person I used to be," Arthur claims, in a mellow tone. "I've got powers now and I've been training to hone them. A lot has happened to me these past few days, I can fight too."
James pauses for a moment with a more serious look on his face now, before he asks. "You got the mark too?"
"I did," He replies, "But mine is a lot more different than everyone else's." His tone suddenly becoming serious.
"What do you mean different?" James asks, trying to make sense of what he just heard.
"Listen James, there's a lot I have to tell you. But I can't do it right now." He replies, "I promise you I'll explain everything when we meet up, but for now I'm gonna need you to please trust me and believe in me."
"Ok, one week. We'll meet up at Westbrook Mall, since it's not too far from both of us. A week should be enough to make the trip with all variables considered," James proposes, finally taking a seat in his tent. "Just please be safe."
Arthur ponders for a bit, then responds in an unsure yet determined tone. "Alright, a week it is. And I promise to stay safe."
They both agree on the plan, and say their goodbyes as Arthur needed to switch off his phone to preserve the battery.
James hangs up the phone, slumping over seconds later due to excessive exhaustion, after fighting and rescuing people nonstop for days. "It seems I burnt myself out," He says, in a soft tone. "Maybe resting a bit won't hurt," He adds, closing his eyes.
Back in the forest after James hangs up.
Arthur stares at his phone, letting out a deep sigh. "It sucks that I have to turn it off, but I have no choice considering there're no outlets in the wilderness," He says, sliding it back into his pocket and making his way back into the cave.
He sees Jane standing at the entrance, waiting for him to finally notice her presence. "How long have you been standing there for?" He asks, walking towards her.
"Long enough to over hear the both of you arguing. You still argue like kids to this day," She replies, leaning against the cave entrance. "How is he doing?"
"He seems to be okay," He says, with a slight change in his demeanor. "But you know James, he always puts others before himself. I'm worried he's not taking care of himself enough."
She pushes off the wall, her face softening with concern as she walks towards Arthur extending her arms and hugging him. "It's all gonna be okay," She says, with a gentle and soothing tone. "You've known James for years, and you know he always pulls through no matter what. That's just the kind of person he is."
"I guess you're right. He's the most capable person I know, and I have full faith in him." He responds, as she carefully lets go of him. "I need to get back to my training now. We will be leaving this place in 3 days."
They both agree and she makes her way back to the cave. He follows behind her seconds after, picking up the two blades he got in his previous battle against the goblins and preparing for his next hunt.
He hands her one blade, and tells her to keep it just in case, as he doesn't want to leave her without anything to protect herself with.
They say their goodbyes and he turns around, facing the entrance as he makes his way to the entrance. Each step exuding confidence and determination to get stronger in the next three days.
He comes to a stop after completely exiting the cave, gripping his blade before calling out to Rex. "Do you think I'll be able to get strong enough to make this journey in three days?"
[If you keep on fighting and absorbing nonstop, I believe you'll be able to pull it off. But are you sure you're ready for this intense challenge? It could be risky if you fail.]
"I'm ready," He's replies, will resolve in every word he spoke. "I can't keep taking it easy forever. I need to be strong enough to protect them. I can't keep relying on others."
He steels himself and walks off into the woods, determined to get stronger.
[END]
To be continued…