Camping

[arisenfromashes]

Who: Asch, Jay
Where: Middle of the woods
Why: A behemoth has taken up residence near the World Tree, and someone's stupid heroic child has set out to slay it. Now it's up to Asch to rescue the child from this dangerous beast...and hopefully eliminate the threat while he's at it. Meanwhile, Jay has followed him out there to observe his abilities.

Comments

[arisenfromashes]

[Asch watched the behemoth stumble backwards, rearing up on its hindlegs, then swaying due to its injured leg. He inched closer, careful not to get in the way of its flailing and its lashing tail. ]

(It'll be over soon...There's no reason to hold anything back.)

[Asch's pace hastened as he drew closer. Sword raised and pointed at his enemy, he stopped thinking about anything other than beating this annoying monster. He was reaching his limit, as was the beast, and damn it, he would fight his hardest until it was over.]

[Charging ahead, he swung his sword at the behemoth's feet in an attempt to shake its already weak balance. He succeeded at the cost of a swat that knocked him flat on the ground. He landed on his bum arm, but within moments, he was on his feet again, unleashing a barrage of swings and strike artes.]

Rending thrust! [He swapped hands for his sword in order to deliver the uppercut that went along with the attack.]

Light Spear Cannon!

[Before the behemoth recovered from the God-General's knocking it into the air, it roared from additional strikes, then a crash of barrage of stones coming from the ground.]

Slag Assault!

[The behemoth dropped to the ground and tackled its attacker, then turned to face Jay. Asch scoffed.]

Your opponent is over here!

[The behemoth took a peek at the soldier before thrashing at the greater threat, the healthier fighter that had shot those explosions at its already bleeding neck. Asch growled in annoyance at this and continued forward.]

I'm done playing. Now die! Binding--

[One moment, he was about to unleash the last of his energy on the monster in a final Mystic Arte. Then, that axe-like tail shot at him, both knocking him to the ground and digging into his side.]

(How could I...)

[iknowjj]

[Jay gasped as he avoided the behemoth's thrashes with backwards handsprings. He wanted to call out to Asch to stop being so reckless, but doubted that he would actually listen. But then his heart seemed to stop as the monster buried its axe-like tail into Asch's side. The God-General seemed to stop moving at that point.]

Asch!!

(Damn...I should have done something!)

[He didn't have time to think as the behemoth now turned to face him, and then began to advance on him. Jay backed off wearily, feeling fear for one of the few times in battle. Lacking the ability to perform either magic spells or mystic artes, Jay knew that there was not much he could do. His short, swift attacks would do no harm, and it was still going strong, despite the powerful attacks it had already taken from Asch.

Jay continued to back off until his back pressed against a rather thick tree. Now he was stunned; fighting was futile, and he couldn't run and leave Asch there.]

(Think, Jay, think!!)

[The behemoth lashed its tail out at him; Jay quickly leaped to the side, and the tail dug into the tree trunk, slicing about halfway through it. Jay looked up at the tree as it swayed a little bit.]

(That's it! That gives me an idea!)

[Moving a few steps away from both the tree and the beast, Jay began to throw more exploding daggers at the halfway severed trunk. The behemoth began to advance on him once again. Jay didn't budge as he focused on attacking the tree trunk. Then the beast closed in to just a few feet away.]

Come on, just one more! Dagger!!

[With the last dagger, the tree began to fall; Jay quickly ran around it, running up the stump as it fell, directing it to crash directly on top of the monster.]

DIE!!

[The tree crashed on top of the monster's head, breaking its neck, and driving it straight into the ground. Jay leaped off the trunk and observed the beast for a moment. It simply lay there, lifeless. Jay let out a sigh of relief...but then gasped.]

(Uh-oh...I hope that tree didn't hit Asch...)

[But he found Asch's unconscious body somewhere off to the side, out of harm's way. Jay quickly rushed to his side once again. He tried to shake the soldier gently, but there was no response.]

Asch...

[The boy then looked up at the sky, which was beginning to get dark. There was no way he could carry Asch as easily as Asch had carried him...they'd have to camp out here for the night.

Cutting up the fallen tree, Jay used the wood to build a campfire. As the evening turned into night, the boy spent the time, tending to both Asch and the fire...]

[arisenfromashes]

[Asch moaned as he drifted back into consciousness. Either the flickering firelight bothered his eyes or the throbbing right arm or the general ache he felt everywhere disturbed him as he was pried from his thoughtless, dreamless, painless sleep. At first, his grogginess left him to languidly blink away his bout of grogginess. Then, as the haze in his mind cleared, his eyes widened, and he shot up into a sitting position. Bad idea. He grimaced and clutched his side. Once he took in his surrounding area. His eyes widened slightly as they caught sight of the purple-clad boy.]

You...

[Asch might have said more, his mind was drifting...]

(Wait...it's night...I...The quest! I should have reported it by now! And the behemoth!)

Is it dead...? [Second later, he noticed a large furry corpse that disappeared into the shadows whenever the campfire flickered.] Oh. And...how long have I been out?

[Asch could not remember much after trying that second Mystic Arte, but he had to know just how late he was reporting. He dreaded the idea of moving, but it had to be done. He was still working, and it would be unfair to keep his client waiting.]

[iknowjj]

[Jay knelt down by the fire, poking at it with a stick, while trying to shield his face from the burning heat. Then, as he heard the sound of Asch sitting up, he pulled back, coughing the smoke from his lungs and waving it from his face.]

Asch...you're awake.

[He spoke rather softly, but his voice was filled with relief. He went over to the wounded soldier and knelt down beside him.]

How are you feeling?

[arisenfromashes]

I'm fine. [He wasn't. He only knew that if he gave a true answer, he would compromise his pride and, worse yet, be forced to rest.] Now how much time has passed since the battle?

(...It's darker out than it was earlier...I'll have to hurry.)

[Asch moved to stand up, choking back a groan to accompany his wince as his entire body protested the action. This would be harder than he expected, but he had managed to move from the World Tree to Blessenwood with severe stab wounds. This was bad, but at least he was not mortally injured.]

[iknowjj]

[Jay stood up along with Asch and watched as the redhead slowly tried to limp away. His eyes widened, knowing that Asch could not pull off such a stunt.]

I-It's been at least a couple of hours. And what are you doing?!

[arisenfromashes]

D-damn. (I really need to hurry.)

[As if on cue, Asch lost balance and crashed into a heap on the ground. This time, he couldn't stop a startled cry as he landed on his arms.]

(...This is humiliating!)

I'm going back to town. What's it look like? [He hissed as he struggled to sit up again. He would have to wait before trying that stunt again--at least, until his surroundings stopped swaying and blurring.] I just need a couple of gels, and I'll be fine. [With that last comment, he reached for his item pouch and began to search for gels.]

[iknowjj]

[Jay let out a gasp as he watched Asch collapse again. He took a few steps forward toward the former God-General, but still left some space between them.]

Asch, you shouldn't move so much. There's no need to get back to town right now. Not at this hour, and not in your condition. We don't know what kind of nocturnal monsters may lurk out there. [He shot a glance at the dead behemoth.] And if any more of those...things are out there, we wouldn't stand a chance. We'll be safer staying put until morning.

[arisenfromashes]

All the more reason we should get out of here. There could be more of those around. And besides, monsters usually stay in the forest.

(Jay seems to be fine, but there's no way I could fight another one of those.) [He looked down at himself.] (...But I don't know if I'd be able to walk that far like this. I had to wander for a while before I found that kid and the behemoth. How did I get to be so weak? This should be nothing!)

[Asch half-dragged himself closer to the fire, not bothering to look at or speak with his only company. Sitting with someone who had witnessed such a shameful defeat was more of a chore than a pleasure, even if said person had saved him, whether he would admit to it or not.]

[ After a moment of thought, he prodded at his right wrist. It had been bothering him ever since he made a last minute attempt to break the fall with it when the behemoth had knocked him to the ground early in the fight. He finally looked up at Jay.]

Do you have any extra sticks?

[iknowjj]

Oh, sure. [Jay picked up and extra stick and handed it to Asch.]

Yes, returning to town would have been the preferable option, but unfortunately, I lack the strength to carry you...and I couldn't risk leaving you alone out here either. So I set up a camp here for the night.

[Jay smiled as he recalled the time when Asch carried him to his room.]

But if any more of those...things show up, then we may have no choice but to flee. I couldn't defeat one of those things alone. I...I'm not as powerful as you...

[He shot yet another glance at the behemoth.]

What was that thing, anyway?

[arisenfromashes]

[Asch took the stick the sticks without another word on the subject. He wondered how to accomplish this one-handed. Well, there was one other thing he needed first, but then he heard Jay's question.]

It's called a behemoth. Hopefully they're as rare here as they are in Auldrant--there was only one that was known to live in the Inista Marsh, and it's said that a lot of the professionals who set out to kill it never returned.

(What's a swamp monster doing out here? I always thought it lived in marshes because it was too large to be slowed by the mud.)

Oh, and do you have any bandages...? [Asch forced out the last word. The thought of being injured or in need of any sort of first aid bothered him.]

[iknowjj]

A behemoth, huh? And what was that kid doing out here?

[Jay sighed.]

I agree; we'll be in trouble if there are any more of them, or any other equally powerful monsters, residing this close to Blessenwood.

(Perhaps I should warn Yuan or Colonel Jade about it...)

[Without a verbal response to Asch's request about the bandages, Jay picked up his item pack and set it down next to him, pulling out some bandages.]

Um...are you hungry? I have some sandwiches ready.