"Where are we heading?"Liam asked while pushing Leo away."Get off me! Geez...We seemed to walk astray from our path..."
"Run astray, you mean."Leo corrected him as he walked back to get his bag then followed Liam."Do you remember where the path at?"
"How should I know? You were the one dragging me around!"
Leo sighed.
"True...Let me check the map."
Leo reached his hand to his backpack but for some reason, his hand seemed to blindly touch the pocket area.
"That's strange...I remember I placed it here..."He mumbled as he took off his bag from his back."Here, help me hold onto it."
Liam held out his hand while Leo placed it on his arms. Leo stumbled a bit by the sudden weight.
"That's damn heavy! How do you even manage to bring it around without pressure?"
Leo chuckled.
"Got used to it! You got to carry a lot of stuff while traveling!"
He opened his bag and rummaged, looking for the map.
"Where is it? It's already strange when it is not on the side..."
"Please hurry up! My arms are weak...I can't hold on much longer..."Liam said as his arm slowly lowered.
"Hold on a little longer! Just give me a little time...Wait..."He suddenly said while his eyes widened with shock."Did it fall off of my bag when we were running away?"
"I don't know! Just take it away already!"
"Right, right!Thanks for the help!"
"No problem...But why not place it on the ground? It's not that dirty."
"Well..."He said as he held his bag in one hand which amazed Liam while his other pointed to some black ink on the ground."You know their poison, right? So I don't want them on my bag."
"Oh, alright...But why though? It won't hurt it like acid."
"What if I accidentally touch it?"
"True...So? Where's the map?"
"I don't know...But my guess is it fell out when we were running away from the slime."Leo said with a sigh.
"What?!"Liam yelled, couldn't believe what he was hearing."Doesn't that mean we are lost in this forest?!"
"Calm down and let's try retracing our footsteps..."
"Alright...it's going to be alright...We'll manage to find a way out..."
Liam breathed in and out heavily while calming his beating heart down.
"I remembered I dashed straight the moment it evolved ...And then...I don't remember we turned right or left when there wasn't a path ahead of us..."
"Then I remembered you pushed me to the side when you make the turning..."
"No...not so quick, I remembered running a little further before doing so..."
"How can you not remember? Don't you deal with this all the time?"
"Well true but I just suddenly panicked. I didn't want my new partner, getting injured and postpone the trip just because we need to go back and get you heal."
Liam turned silent for some time before he spoke again.
"I'm sorry...For being a burden to you..."
"Hey! Quit it! It's not like it's the end of the world or anything, we won't die in this forest!"
"I hope so..." He said while he heard Leo yell, "Hey! Stop thinking like that!"."Thanks!"
Liam smiled gently while Leo returned it.
"It's getting dark..."Leo said while he glanced up to the sky."Let's stay here for the night."
"Sure..."
"Come on stop being so upset like I say is not your fault!"
"I know but..."Liam said while his eyes were on the ground like a kid who was being scolded by his parents.
Leo sighed but then suddenly thought of something.
"Do you know how to light a fire?"
"Well...yes...I cooked for my mom anyway...Why?"
"You go do your job, I'm going to go hunt for food."
Leo said while he walked away into the woods and soon the sound of footsteps disappeared. Liam was now alone in the forest with no one.
Ah...I'm alone in this forest...Is he going to leave me? He thought as he walked around the place to get branches to start the fire.No...no!He's not that kind of person...at least to me, he's not...
After collecting a bunch, he squatted on the ground and began his process. He turned around when he heard bushes rustling. The bushes were moving as if something was in it. Liam hastily reached for his bow and held it in his hands.
He took an arrow and aim it at the unknown creature inside the bushes. He was sure it was something as it had no wind blowing in his direction. He slowly approached it while still on guard. As he was just a few steps away from the bushes, it stopped, not a single sound could be heard.
What? What was that? He thought as his heart beating was the only sound he could hear. Should...should I check on it? His face became much paler while he shook his head.No!No! Let's wait until Leo came back...Will he actually come back? He must think I'm a troublemaker to him...He sadly stared at the nonmovement bushes. Come on! Man up a bit! He slapped himself with both his hands.
He walked to it as his whole body trembling slightly. He prepared his heart for the worse and used his bow to poke it, no movement. He then pushed it open with both his hands and found nothing. He sighed a breath of relief.
Maybe it's just some rodents.
He sat on the ground and noticed something next to the tree which Leo used to hide from the slime. He looked at it for some time and noticed something covered by some leaves and grass.
He approached and saw the bottle, which he poured on his sword, the fire potion. He looked into the bottle and noticed there was still little left inside of it.
He took it to the branches. I hope it works. He prayed as he poured it on top. The drip of shining red dropped onto the braches and set it ablaze. Liam fell backward, shocked by the sudden reaction.
It...It works!
He smiled brightly and saw a silhouette approach him. He raised his bow and arrow at it but soon lower it when he heard a familiar voice.
"It's me! Don't shoot!"
The silhouette soon revealed itself and it was Leo.
"I didn't expect you to start a fire so quick!"He said, impressed. "And looked what I got!"
He grabbed something in his hand and pulled it in front to let Liam see. It was a deer.
"Wow! Did you catch that by yourself?"Liam asked in disbelief.
"Yup! Like how can I get support in the middle of the forest? You have to learn how to depend on yourself in the wild."
"And I only just know how to lit a fire..."Liam looked down sadly and thought. Not only is that it is not even me who start it...I just use a potion...
"Come on don't be sad! See now is much easier, we can just cook it without spending time creating fire. Stop it! Just be happy with yourself for once!"
Liam went silent and the silence was starting to get awkward.
"You know what! Help me cook it!Here!"He requested while giving Liam a knife."I'm going to go get some logs."
Liam held the knife in his hands and nodded while Leo left him again. He stared at the lifeless deer with pity but he still needed to do what he must. But how was he going to do that? He has no experience of this kind of survival at all.
How am I going to do this?
Sweat was dripping down his face as he took the knife in his hand.
Should I cut here?
He pointed the knife at its limb and then sank the knife into it. Fresh blood began to pour out of the wound while Liam panicked.
Am I doing it right?
He looked around, hoping to see Leo but didn't, which made him panic even more. His hands were still holding onto the knife, which was still inside the dead animal.
I might as well continue...I guess...
He dug the knife deeper into its limb as more blood became to pour out onto his hands. His hands were trembling and sweaty, refusing to let him cut in deeper. He didn't want to be a let down to Leo and stabbed it in with all his strength while some blood splashed his cheek.
Rustling sounds could be heard from his behind. He turned around and saw Leo standing there, holding two huge logs in his arms.
"Liam? The hell are you doing?!"He said with shock."You looked like a fricking murderer right now with its blood on your face! Geez...I almost thought you were someone else!"
"Sorry...I just want to help..."Liam said while looking depressingly at the ground.
"Like I said quit it! Come on go sit near the fire. I got these two logs for us to sit on."
Liam silently sat on the log after Leo placed it down. He sat there while staring at Leo cutting the deer, swiftly.
I'm so useless...I can't even help him out with simple tasks. He thought as he looked to the ground. Thoughts were flowing in his mind but suddenly a sound snapped him out of it.
"Hey! What's making you deeply in your thoughts?"
Liam looked up and stared into Leo's eyes.
"Thinking of your girlfriend?"
"What?! No, No!Definitely not!"
Leo laughed while Liam's face flushed bright red.
"Just joking! Don't take it seriously!"He laughed as he handed him a piece of meat on a stick.
They silently sat there in the night while cooking the meat. The fire was their only source of light in the dark surroundings of the forest. Liam was still upset about all of it, it was so obvious that even Leo noticed.
"Hey..."Leo spoke in a low tone."You know you don't have to worry about being a trouble to anyone...I get it, you want to help but you don't know anything about the outside world. I know your feelings, the feeling of being useless, I got those thoughts too when I first stepped into this new life. Letting my teammates down was all I could think of...But look at me now! Do I look like I have regrets in keeping you? No! So why not just get over it and just enjoy your new life starting right now!"
Liam stared at him, stunned, not knowing what to say as his eyes slowly blinded by tears. He immediately looked away and Leo tilted his head, confused.
Did I go too far...Leo thought but soon Liam spoke.
"Thanks..."He said while Leo saw him, rubbing his eyes.
Leo smiled.
"No prob!"
After that both of them finished their dinner, they fell into deep slumber while planning what they would do tomorrow.