𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 - 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘱𝘯

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘟𝘝𝘐𝘐

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐂

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍
___________

"The weather feels nice today, don't you think?" Rebecca comments as you walk through the forest, the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above you. You nod your head in agreement, taking in the sights and sounds of your surroundings.

As you walk, you glance over to the side and notice Salvus and Steven engaged in a sparring duel, their swords clashing in a blur of steel and movement.

It's hard to believe it's been a month since you all came together. So much has happened, and yet it feels like just yesterday that you were all strangers, thrown together by circumstance. But now, as you look around at Rebecca, Jess, Steven, and Max, you feel a sense of belonging that you never thought possible.

They're like family to you now.

Rebecca and Jess kneel down, their hands deftly plucking herbs from the forest floor for tonight's dinner. You wander over to examine the Sea Anemones nearby, their delicate tendrils waving gently in the breeze. You take out your glass jar and knife, slicing open the anemone. Fresh water pours in and you seal the lid tight.

As you stand there, surrounded by the beauty of nature, you can't help but feel grateful for this moment of peace.

It's not often that you get to simply enjoy each other's company without the pressure of danger or urgency hanging over you.

As you turn to face Max, you notice he's just a few feet away, gazing at you intently with his twin swords in hand.

You cautiously approach him, "Something wrong?" But Max remains silent, his eyes fixed on you. You can see the intensity in his gaze, and your heart beats a little faster.

Jess observes the scene and chimes in, "Max really likes you, you know. He's probably grateful for saving us."

You glance back at Max, a slight smile playing on your lips. Max lowers his head, and to your surprise, he takes your hand and places it on top of his head.

'He want's head pats...' You hesitate for a moment but then begin to gently pat his head. Max closes his eyes and lets out a contented sigh.

You can feel the tension in his body slowly easing as you continue to pat his head. After a few moments, Max opens his eyes and looks up at you, a hint of a smile on his face. You smile back, feeling a slight connection with him.

Jess nods in approval, "See, I told you he likes you." You chuckle softly as you let your arm fall back to your side.

"Not bad, Steven." Salvus says with a smirk, his wound rapidly healing from the slash Steven managed to land on his chest. "You and Max are stronger than I expected."

Steven nods, panting slightly as he lowers his sword, his chest heaving with exertion. "We've had our fair share of training, thanks to those experiments at Lambda." he remarks, his breathing slowing as he tries to catch his breath. "I never thought we'd be putting those skills to use in a real-life fight, though."

Salvus nods in agreement, storing his spear away with a fluid motion. "Right. It's a useful skillset in a world like ours." he comments, his eyes scanning the surrounding area.

"You never know when you'll need to defend yourself." He pauses, his gaze flicking back to Steven. "Although I have to say, I'm a bit surprised. You're not exactly the most experienced fighter, are you?"