August forcefully grinded his feet to a halt, his worn out shoes finally giving out.
Staring at the body leaned agaist the tree, he was at a loss for words.
It was a girl with red hair, she had fair skin that was covered in both fresh and dried blood.
Her once white crop top had been ripped to shreds, repurposed into various bandages and splints around her left arm and leg, supplemented with pieces of tree bark. Leaving her in a black sports bra.
Her previously long baggy jeans had been ripped for the same purpose, now turned into knee length shorts to become a tight bandage for her bleeding head.
August kept staring in complete silence. So many feelings were bubbling inside of him, so many different emotions were fighting for superiority in his heart.
Alia then turned her head and looked at him, smiling hopelessly.
"Bloody hell, I must really be dying if I'm hallucinating you." She chuckled to herself, then coughed. "Did you make it out of this damned forest?"
August let out a long sigh.
Of course he had known the red haired girl was attempting to protect him, and he had known that she was a genuinely kind person until the very end.
But that was the very end, even the worst of people could show kindness when there was nothing left to display.
Even then, August would not have held anything against her if she had harbored resentment against him. He was fully prepared to earn the trust he ran away from.
He returned a small smile, filled with his own false confidence.
"No, but I did become something of an ecologist"
The red haired girl's eyes widened and she coughed up some blood, turning her head away from him and closing her eyes.
"Are you an idiot? I told you to get lost back there." She spat.
"I have an exceptional internal compass."
The redhead grumbled something unintelligible, then sighed, turning to look at him.
"I'm going to die."
August continued to smile, whilst internally he felt his heart drop.
"And why the hell is that?"
Alia looked back at him, and the expression she wore made August feel like he was about to be called an idiot.
"I'm gravely injured, out of aura and haven't eaten in almost a month August."
There was a small hint of what August could only describe as "Duhh" in her voice. But he simply waved his hand, summoning quite a few berries.
"Eat your fill, and then when you're done, try and keep your blood inside."
She moved her arm, scattering the tennis ball sized fruits.
"If you're giving me all the food you have, i don't want it."
August couldn't help but be a bit shocked at her response.
As she said, Alia had not eaten in almost a month, twenty eight days if he wanted to be specific. Yet the redhead has refused his offer of food. She even made a point of outright refusing the gift summon, which meant that August could return them to the inventory without wasting time attempting to recollect them.
Most people would have gone rabid, especially someone who was on the brink of death. Yet she still considered him, refusing to eat all he had.
"I have enough of those berries for us both, so instead of being stubborn, eat."
He was doing his best to remain confident and calm, not wanting to relent to his emotions just yet.
Alia looked at him for a second, then began to eat, at first it was slowly, and then faster. Soon she was consuming berries faster than he had when he first ascended the black tree.
Suddenly a familiar thunderous echo came from the cave, the sound of a behemoth's steps.
Alia paused, then placed her arm on the tree and attempted to get to her feet.
"August, that's that rhinoceros' den. We need t-"
"Sit down." He cut her off.
She stared on at him in disbelief, then began to argue.
"If you're thinking of committing suicide, please reconsider, now that I've eaten, my aura will probably start to come b-"
"Calm down, I've got this one."
He was not simply attempting to look confident, he followed the rhinoceros here fully intending to kill it. The damned thing had gotten away with more than August was willing to tolerate.
From separating him and Alia, to driving them both from the safety of their clearing. The beast had even slain the white lion, a creature August had developed quite the one sided respect for.
He could understand the redhead's dismay however, he certainly did not look up to the fight. He was cut and bruised— some of the former had even begun to become infected and turn discolored.
His left eye was seared shut in the flame, almost every inch of his body was embraced by the burns of the blue flame. He was also barely standing, even if you didn't consider the other glaring issues, August did not look capable of doing battle with anything.
"This isn't the time for jokes, we need to go!"
He stared back at her in silence.
"August, seriously! If you let it get out here we'll die! You'll die!"
His small smile turned into a wide grin.
"Then I simply have to meet it inside don't I?"
Alia attempted to walk towards him, only getting a few steps in before collapsing.
August caught her, and every muscle in his body screamed at him for it. He walked her back to the tree and leaned her against it, attempting to hide his discomfort.
"The lion from before, it clashed with the rhinoceros, it's lost the plates, I can beat it."
She scowled, then grabbed what was left of his tank top.
"if you get yourself killed, I'm picking better friends next time."
August paused for a second, then chuckled. It was funny, the way she called him friend after only a few short interactions, even after what he'd done. He looked at her once more, staring into her eyes.
"And if I come back?"
She let him go.
"You might find me in a food coma." She picked up another handful of berries.
August turned away from her, and walked towards the cave, clenching his shaking hands into fists to quell the trembling.
"I'll be right back"