CHAPTER 21: INCENTIVES MATTER (NSFW)

Mason took Haley’s hand and stepped out of the dungeon. The same, strange, disorienting effect seized him, then he was back standing in the same forest he’d left. Afternoon light flickered through the foliage, and a gentle breeze blew through the trees. Mason let go of Haley and summoned his Claw when he saw two gnolls just ahead.

“Oh God,” Haley clung to his back. But the gnolls turned to Mason, then lowered their heads, paws held up in what he assumed was some kind of submission.

“I think it’s alright,” he said. “I don’t think they want to fight.” Something like comfort surged through his body as his feet touched the forest floor. It was strange, but almost familiar, like it knew who he was and welcomed him. It felt like he’d come home.

“There’s a large body of water to the East of my brother,” Mason said to himself as much as the girl. “The trees they described are right, so it’s possible he’s in the same forest we are. Therefore we go East until we hit water and hope it’s the right place. Then we decide if we go North or South, and look for landmarks.”

“OK.” Haley hadn’t stopped eyeing the gnolls, and Mason supposed he couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t seen anything of this world except that tree prison and the foul, violent creatures.

He took her hand, and moved East. After maybe an hour of walking, the air shimmered with some kind of blueish tinged aura, and ghostly text appeared in Mason’s vision.

[Tutorial completed. Tutorial activity: maximally successful. Completion reward: random power enhancement. Trapmaking.]

[Title gained: Hit the ground running. +1 to a random statistic. Did not die once in the tutorial.]

“You see that?” Mason stopped and turned to Haley.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “I got a reward, too, for finding a tier 1 patron.”

Mason quirked a brow, pulling up his powers as they talked to see he could now drop three traps instead of two. “Tier 1 patron?”

She nodded. “In the top 10% of power.” She looked slightly at her shoes. “A bonded contract, with someone like you, is pretty much the peak of what I could have done. Because I benefit with your success.”

“How so?”

“Civilians get experience too, and another thing just for civilians. I can take a new power, actually, you can decide if you want. There’s…first aid, negotiate, or identify. And my inventory expanded a little. I can hold more stuff, if it comes up.”

“Identify,” Mason said without hesitation. “I’m going to start moving faster now. Ready to run?”

Haley nodded, and he smiled slightly at the determination in her eyes.

“Alright. Here we go.”

He led the way and took it easy for about an hour. Before the apocalypse he’d worked every day on cardio, usually running in loops around the park. He ran with the track team and competed a little, but never actually cared about that. He knew he could jog for hours, if he needed to, but by the end he’d pay for it. Today, though, his legs felt incredible. They were like steel pistons pumping him forward, his breaths clear and easy, his heart hardly working. He picked up his pace, faster and faster until the sounds of the forest changed, almost crystallized, like he could hear the life of the forest all around him, and somehow discern. He wanted to shout, to cheer, to howl.

“Wait! Stop!”

Mason blinked and came to a halt. Haley was racing behind him, covered in sweat, her eyes filled with shame. “I’m sorry. You’re too fast…I didn’t know…that was…insane.”

Finally Mason felt his heart rate increased, the beat throbbing in his ears, in his hands, urging him to run on, to hunt. His eyes roamed Haley’s body. Her skintight workout tights clung to her skin, sweat dripped down her neck and the cleavage of her sports bra. She watched his eyes, and his expression, and it was clear he wasn’t remotely subtle.

“Sorry,” he cleared his throat. “I’ll slow down.”

“OK.” Haley leaned against a tree. “Can we take a little rest? Just two minutes.”

Mason frowned, wondering if he could make some kind of cart for her. But the forest floor was uneven and filled with roots and broken branches. He knew it wouldn’t work. Then he turned and ran his eyes up and down the petite frame of the civilian, and held out his compound bow. “Can you put this in your storage, please?”

“Oh. Sure.” She took it, and it vanished. Them Mason knelt down and turned his back to her.

“Um, what are you doing?”

“Climb up,” he said. “I’m going to carry you.”

* * *

Branches whipped at Mason’s face and shoulders as he raced through the trees. He held one of Haley’s legs over each arm as he ran, and he could hardly believe his own strength and endurance. Clearly the robot god had enhanced players physically, and he expected his Aspect of the Cheetah and maybe even Regeneration were keeping his muscles from exhausting. It was still painful, of course, but pain was nothing. All that mattered was finding Blake.

“Mason?”

“Yeah?” he called over his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry,” the girl sounded close to tears. “But I think if I stay on your back much longer, I’m not going to be able to walk.”

“Oh.” Mason stopped and eased the girl to the ground. She groaned, and he had to catch her, her arms wrapping around his chest. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d last, you know, that there was no way you’d last longer than me, since you were carrying me. But, um, yeah.”

“It’s alright,” Mason glanced around the trees, which were getting darker by the moment as the sun clearly reached the horizon. “I think we’ve been going all day. It’ll be dark soon. It’s a good time to stop. Can you bring out some food and water? Truth is, with your supplies meaning I don’t have to hunt or find water, and the fact I can apparently just carry you…well, I don’t think you’ll be slowing me down. I’ll gather some firewood. I don’t even know what season it is, but it seems to get cold at night.

Haley’s eyes were a little watery again after his speech, her radiant smile wide. “Of course. Um. Would you like a bath?”

Mason snorted. “Sure. If you can find a lake, or a river.”

“Well…” Haley rubbed her sore legs and her eyes focused like she was reading something he couldn’t see. “I actually have a hygiene kit. And it includes a portable tub.”

Mason blinked. “You are carrying a bathtub?”

“Yeah.” Haley grinned. “It even comes with a little gas flame to heat itself. So we can probably use that to start a fire?”

“I’m…” Mason shrugged helplessly. “I’m at a loss for words. Please set it up.”

“OK!” Haley grinned. “And I can wash your clothes, too…you know, what’s left of them. I think later I get some wardrobe function for you, too, just not yet.” She reached out a hand, and a single-person sized, ceramic-looking tub appeared on the forest floor, already full of clear water.

“Well.” Mason shrugged. “That is something. I’ll get in, so…”

“Oh sure, I’ll just…get some firewood, and, cook something.”

Mason nodded, too tired and sore to care much if the girl saw him naked. He stripped off his bloodstained, tattered shorts and shoes, and climbed into the tub. He groaned at the feel, even before it started to warm. His arms and shoulders ached, and he hadn’t slept well in days. He closed his eyes, then nearly leapt and pulled his sword when something soft touched his shoulders. “It’s just me,” said Haley. “I figured…maybe you could use a massage? After all that running, and carrying. And, you know, fighting to the death.”

“I…” Mason’s instinct was to say no to everything and everyone. But actually he’d sure as hell love a massage. “Sure.”

Author's Note:

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Enjoy!

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