The deserts of Nedline were unforgiving to the unprepared. The sand burnt through boots. The sun drained the water from your body. The dry air cracked your lips. The heat drained your stamina. The scorpions ambushed if the ground was even remotely disturbed. The further south you travelled, the worse these conditions got. A fact which didn't please Johnny or Wu. A fact which didn't bother Zein.
"Mister. Can I swear?" Johnny asked, trudging through the sand.
"Go on." Zein replied, trudging alongside him.
"This freaking sucks! I can't see too well, my stamina keeps falling, and we're moving so slowly!" Johnny complained.
"Oogie oogie!" Wu agreed from within the confines of Zein's scarf.
"We'll be there in a couple of minutes." Zein assured. "In the meantime, there is a way to make it easier for us." Zein pointed to a stationary cactus with his gun.
A Copperton Cactus. She had two stems on either side, one pointing to the sky, the other to the ground, and a pink flower atop her head. Dotted across the cactus' body were thorns. Small yet not to be underestimated; it glowed under the purple sky. Zein clocked his gun and shot her arm, making her stem bleed. The plant turned slow. Ding. You have angered a Copperton Cactus, all cacti within the region will be hostile.
"U-um, mister. What did you do?"
"Trust me, Johnny." Zein smiled.
From a Copperton Cactus to a Hostile Copperton Cactus levelled 30. A screech from no mouth. The cactus swung her stems as she charged the trio.
"Start shooting, Johnny." Zein retrieved his spear. "Parry!" he met the cactus head-on. He deflected the cactus' stem, clocked his gun and shot the cactus' head. Sap leaked from the newly formed crater, yet it didn't stop the hostile plant. She attacked relentlessly, not giving the cat any room to breathe.
"Johnny, you ready?" Zein asked, playing defence against the cactus.
"Ye-yes!" Johnny replied, fumbling his gun as he repositioned a couple of metres from the fight. His hands shook while taking aim, wavering from the cactus to the cat. The night didn't make it any easier for the cowboy. Johnny's breathing fastened by the second as his lips quivered.
"Johnny, shoot!"
BANG! A bullet whizzed past Wu's ear, missing the cactus.
"Oogie!" Wu let out a high-pitched squeal.
"Frick. Sorry!" Johnny apologised on the verge of tears.
"Stab! Mark!" Johnny thrust his spear into the cactus and pushed her. He clocked his gun and shot the cactus in the head once more.
"Focus Johnny! Take a deep breath."
"O-okay, right, deep breaths." Johnny calmed himself down. "Mark." Johnny felt the temperature fall as his breath stabilised. He steadied his gun and unloaded it into the cactus. A hit. A crit. It pierced the centre of the cactus. In a last-ditch effort- it ran towards Zein as her chest bled.
"Wu!"
"Oogie!"
A second buff from Wu encompassed Zein as he ran, dragging the cactus away from Johnny.
"3.2.1. Dash!"
Zein disappeared into a blue flash as the cactus released her thorns, directionless and now purposeless. The plant-like being embraced the sand below, exposing her roots. Roots which twisted to resemble legs. Ding. Zein, walking over from his landing spot and holstering his gun, examined the cactus. Johnny visited the scene of the crime as well.
"What happened?' Johnny touched the thornless skin.
"It tried to take me out with it. But thanks to that, we can slit this open and get us some water and ingredients." Zein stored his spear, holstered his gun and brought out his Upgraded Arian Sword. He slit the cactus in half, revealing its pith and flesh. Zein skinned the cactus with diligence, making sure it didn't bruise any more than it had. He extracted the pith, the roots, and its flower- storing the latter of the two items in his inventory.
Zein split the pith in half and tossed it to Johnny. "Here, squeeze that into your mouth, like a lemon."
Johnny took a closer look, disgust creeping on his face. "Are you sure, Mister?"
"I am, trust me, Johnny." Zein held the pith up to a curious Wu. The little monkey smelt the dew residing inside and jumped for joy.
"Well alright, mister." Johnny squeezed the pith, drinking the water which fell from it. In an instant, the cowboy could feel his stamina returning.
"Woah! It really does work!" Johnny drank some more while Zein shared his with Wu, cutting a bit off his half. The little monkey chewed on it as the cat drank a bit from his own. He glossed over his stats, dumping all his points into luck. Burp. Wu licked his lips and rubbed his belly. Spotting two dropped gems, the little monkey hopped from Zein's scarf and collected their winnings. Wu handed the gems back to Zein and returned to his spot.
"Shall we get going? We are going to be encountering them a lot more now." Zein handed one of the gems to Johnny.
"I'm ready." Johnny stored the gem in his inventory.
"Are you ready to take on some scorpions?" Zein asked, smiling.
"I'm ready!" Johnny karate-chopped the air with his gun.
"Alright! That's what I'm talking about!" Zein slammed his foot into the ground.
"Uh…what?" Johnny said, bewildered and still posed.
The sands shifted beneath them. Harsher and harsher until they appeared, crawling out the ground. The sting of scorpions stared down their prey, wondering who attracted their attention. Leaving no time for Johnny to think, they charged, freezing the cowboy in place.
Zein swiped his spear at the ground, blinding the scorpions. "Johnny! Now is your chance! Show me what you got!" he laughed.
"What I got… What I got…" Johnny mumbled while checking his skills. His eyes lit up. "What I got! Blister shot!"
Johnny's bullet split into seven, piercing the scorpions' mesosmas- health bars dropping to half.
"Oogie!"
"Dash. Slash."
Zein closed in on the scorpions and swiped at the struggling scorpions' median eyes with his sword. It was crits galore and the scorpions were no more, dropping stingers, claws, and gems.
"That was good, Johnny! Nice work." Zein applauded.
"Oogie oogie!" Wu agreed.
"Thanks.." Johnny collapsed to his knees. "Aria was so easy… I don't like these things." he stared at the fallen items with fear and sadness.
"Why was Aria so easy?" Zein sat by his side.
"My brother and his friends were there." Johnny recollected. "And Ren too!" he suddenly remembered. "I wanted him to come with me to Nedline, but he left.." Johnny said sombrely.
"Is this your first time playing a game by yourself?" Zein stared at his sword, staring at the reflection it bore.
"Yeah…"
"Is it tough?"
"A little, but I am a cowboy so I got this." Johnny pumped his fist in an attempt to lift his spirits.
"Is that right?! You are a cowboy!" Zein cheered. "And a cowboy isn't scared of plants!"
"Oogie oogie!"
"That's right."
"Or scorpions."
"Oo-oogie."
"That's right…!"
"Or Dutch."
"Oogieee."
"That's right!"
"Hell yeah!" Zein shot to his feet. "So let's collect these items, keep moving, and take down these monsters, alright?" Zein reached his hand out.
"Yeah!" Johnny grabbed Zein's hand.
The further south the trio traversed, the more cacti and scorpions they slayed. Ding. Ding. Ding. The boys levelled up. Every so often they'd stop to take a break, allowing their stamina bars to refill, and collect their winnings, splitting the loot evenly.
Time passed and the number of monsters started to decrease. A minute would pass before another would reveal itself, usually in their infancy.
"We're close, Johnny. Just a bit further."
"Okay. What do we do about those little scorpions?"
"Let's leave them, they don't pose a threat to anyone."
The sands began to flatten, easing their walk and reducing the toll taken on their stamina. In the distance, nestled within a dune, a cave came into view; its entrance was blocked by rocks, rocks unfound in the neverending desert.
Click. Johnny realised the cave's meaning. He ran towards it brimming with excitement.
"Johnny! Wait!" Zein yelled, but his words were too late. A dagger shot from the ground where Johnny once stood.
"Wu!"
"Oogie"
What should had been fatal was now a reminder of how fickle the life of a cowboy could be. The blade lodged itself into Johnny's leg, thankfully.
Johnny's breathing quickened, still not grasping the reality of his situation. "What… Happened?"
Zein ripped the blade from Johnny's leg. A level 30 Nedline Copper blade, waxed with Snake Venom; its handle was wrapped in scorpion skin.
"You fell for a trap, Johnny. There are traps all around us." Zein stored the blade in his inventory and retrieved his staff.
"I'm-I'm losing health!" Johnny cried as his HP fell.
"Heal: JohnnyTheCowboy. You'll be fine, Johnny, don't worry." Zein calmed him.
"Got it… Sorry." Johnny swallowed his words.
"It's okay," Zein lifted the cowboy to his feet. "Now, you see those little glowing discoloured patches with the bumps?" he directed Johnny's attention to the ground.
"Yeah?" Johnny replied, processing what he was seeing. "Ohh." he understood.
"Aren't you a smart fella." Zein chuckled. "Come on, let's keep moving."
Zein and Johnny walked the plain sands with caution, ensuring they triggered no more traps. A part of Zein was itching to step on them so he could hoard the daggers for later use, but he had to fight those demons, for now wasn't the time. Not yet, at least.
Johnny scanned, rescanned, looked to Zein, and rescanned his surroundings. "Is that the end of them?"
"It is." Zein answered.
"Woohoo!" Johnny sprinted to the cave's entrance, unbothered by the sand blowing into his face. He tapped the lime-grey rocks like buttons.
"Password."
"Password? Um-" Johnny racked his brain. He snapped his fingers. "Open Ses-"
"The Serpents rise when night falls." Zein interrupted.
"Ah." Johnny held his hand against his mouth.
The cave shook as the rocks made a path for the trio to enter. They did not miss their opportunity.
***
Creak.
CREAAAAAAK.
Light shined through the massive double doors, silhouetting an elf who stood in between.
"Yo? Anybody here? Lookin' for a Alfie Stallone?"
JJ walked through the doors, studying the dimly lit warehouse. A couple of punching bags, boxing gloves hanging on the side of the wall, dumbbells strewn across the floor, dusty speed bags at the back, and the centrepiece, a boxing ring, worn down and withered.
"Whaddya want, elf?" A man asked, sat in a cheap plastic chair by a speed bag. He had a bucket hat covering his face.
JJ cracked their neck. "To box."