Jackson paced through the forest as the sound of birds chirping and insects buzzing filled the air. In the distance, the soft babbling of a river resonated as he walked.
He moved toward the Kell River, hoping to find what he was looking for.
He held an M90 sniper rifle, barrel down, and adjusted the rifle sling as he scanned the area. Distant snorts and oinks caught his attention, and he began walking over to investigate.
A herd of giant boars drank water at the riverbank. Their snarls and screeches drowned out the babbling river.
—
Time: 10 minutes ago
Jackson rubbed his head in frustration. "But we already caught two Grey Elk!"
Sam pulled his son off to the side to speak privately.
He clasped his hands together, pleading. "Please! We only need one more catch!"
"Isn't what we caught enough to feed the village for four days?! Why would you need more? And why me specifically?"
Sam rubbed the back of his head. "Please just do it. It will make me super happy."
He gave Jackson a wide smile.
—
Jackson rolled his eyes as he hid inside a bush and observed the herd.
'The things I do for that man.'
He knelt on the dirt, adjusted the gun sling, and brought the weapon up to aim.
His breathing slowed as he picked a target and readied his shot.
'What a waste of time.'
Bang
—
"Here's your damn boar!" Jackson threw the carcass at his father, who caught it.
Sam smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, son! We'll definitely enjoy it at our little celebratory barbecue!"
"Whatever."
Sam gave Jackson a thumbs up. "Congratulations on making it halfway through the Kell Forest Trials! Hope you survive the next five weeks."
Jackson smiled as he shook his head slowly. "Thanks. Now, where did the others go?"
"They went east."
Sam turned around and began walking. "Alright, I'm heading back to the village. Love you!"
Jackson turned east and began walking. "Love you too… I guess."
After walking for a little while, Jackson found Omari leaning against a tree. A smirk plastered across his face.
With a mocking tone, he spoke up. "So… you love your father, hmm?"
Jackson rolled his eyes as he walked past him. "Shut up."
—
Green moss grew on a small portion of a mountain and on a few trees nearby. A cave was etched into the rock, and the same moss grew along the entrance.
Savien and Damian sat on logs around a campfire, amidst a conversation. The snapping and crackling of firewood added to the calm atmosphere as the two talked.
"So do you agree?" Savien asked.
Damian nodded slowly, his tone low. "Yeah, that would be the best way to go about it."
He looked up at the sky and shielded his eyes from the sun. "What time is it right now?"
"Around noon."
Savien looked up as well, his gaze fixed on the clear summer sky as a smile formed on his face. "It's pretty nice here… in this world, I mean. Nothing like my old one."
He paused.
"If only it were as peaceful back home."
Damian's expression remained neutral as he poked the fire with a stick. "You sound like an old man."
Savien shot him an irritated look. "I'm tired of this narrative of me being old!"
"But you died at 35."
"So?"
Damian looked up at him blankly. "You have the oldest soul in the group."
Savien groaned and rubbed his face in frustration, clearly not amused. A small smirk appeared on Damian's face, which went unnoticed by Savien.
Damian suddenly heard footsteps approaching their campsite, followed by familiar voices.
"Looks like they're back." He continued poking the fire with the stick.
Jackson and Omari walked closer to the campsite, deep in a rather… interesting conversation.
Jackson raised a brow, intrigue written on his face. "So you're telling me artists regularly contribute art to the website?"
"Well…" Omari placed a hand on his chin. "A lot of the art there is actually reposts of someone else's art. Though there are artists who post on it."
Jackson grimaced at the idea of such a website. "Well, in my world we were taught to never indulge in such things."
Omari just shrugged as he sat down on one of the logs. "I'm just saying—you're missing out on peak. Rule 34 is easily in the top ten greatest websites of all time."
Jackson waved him off dismissively as he sat next to him. "My government wouldn't have allowed that. They were strongly against… any form of unethical behavior."
Omari shook his head, giggling. "Bro lived in a dictatorship. I'm crine😭"
Jackson waved his hands in denial. "No, no! My country had a good government. They weren't perfect, but they definitely tried their best."
Omari shot him a skeptical look. "Yeah, nah. That's too unrealistic for me."
He turned to Savien. "So, unc… what've you decided?"
Savien just gave him a slightly irritated look and shook his head, leaning forward. "Ok, so I've deduced that the most effective way to go about this is to split the work between us."
Omari just stared at him. "No shit, Sherlock."
Savien glanced at him, clearly not amused, then continued:
"Jackson, Damian—you'll be in charge of hunting down dinner. With your long-range weapons and Damian's senses, you should be a very effective duo."
Jackson leaned over the fire and held out his fist. Damian met it with his own, returning the bump.
Savien switched to Omari. "Omari, I assume your mother taught you about the local plant life?"
Omari tapped his head a few times. "All up here, gang."
"Good. That means you're in charge of gathering herbs—and making spices for us."
Omari nudged him on the shoulder, clearly expecting more.
Savien rolled his eyes and stood up. "Yes… You can be in charge of grilling the meat.
Omari shot to his feet, grinning, and headed for the forest. "Say less! Come on, guys, let's get this over with! I'm trying to show off my grill master skills!"
Jackson and Savien rolled their eyes as they followed behind Omari with Damian.
—
The sun was at its apex, and its rays illuminated everything in its summer heat. Omari walked through the forest with a relaxed demeanour as he searched the forest floor. He stopped near a plant and crouched down.
'Damn, this is boring. I thought getting the easiest job meant having a better time, but I guess I was wrong.'
He quickly plucked the plant's leaves and stood.
'I ain't doing this again. Savien's probably chilling back at camp.'
He smiled to himself before continuing to walk.
'What am I saying? He's probably building the grill. Yeah, I'm definitely going crazy on that thing!'
He continued, stopping only when he spotted a herb or plant he could make spices with. His makeshift basket slowly filled up as he continued searching.
'Man, this thing is super useful. Savien, the master craftsman, has done it again.'
Then–
He froze.
He quickly turned and darted his eyes around, scanning the area. A sense of unease took over as he frantically searched.
He was sure of it.
'Something's following me.'