Homestead Survival

<09 August 2024, THE VALLEYS OF AR'HA'NURA , A->
[Theo and Julia]

Theo was gently woken up by Julia after letting her take over roughly four hours ago. She smiled at him as she handed him a meat stick. "Sorry, but it's time."

"I know, though I reserve the right to sleep a full night's sleep back in the cabin," Theo said groggily.

"Amen to that." Julia said. "so, are we going to push hard?"

"I think we can take our time," Theo said, moving to stretch for a moment. "You know what I could kill for?"

"A bath," Julia said wistfully.

"Oh my god, that would be so much better than what I was going to say," Theo agreed. "Do you want to try and find a stream or a lake or something? It has been a hot minute since we bathed properly."

They talked back and forth while they prepared to leave. They determined that while it would be nice to bathe, they had other priorities they needed to focus on. They set off at a brisk pace as the sun started to crest over the horizon.

"Okay, so when we get back, I think we should work on getting a plan for building together," Theo said as they moved at a brisk pace through the Mesa top. "But I think we should..."

Theo trailed off as a message appeared that they had not seen in a while.

>Local Message: Combat System Engaged.

Theo and Julia looked around, desperate to find what was attacking them. Finally, text appeared.

{Theodore Oskar Sorrenson, Level 05, B}
{Julia Brahmin, Level 05, B}

They looked around and to the side of them saw three tags hovering over a massive tree and what had to be two ents.

{King of Summer, Level 13, A+}
{Crown Prince of Summer, Level 10, A-}
{Barron of North Lake, Level 08, A-}

As they saw these three tags, the tree seemed to shimmer for a moment, and then a wooden spear materialized and shot toward them. It missed, but neither Julia nor Theo wanted to tangle with the trio of monsters. Theo pushed Julia ahead, "Run!"

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They took off running and dodging as more and more spears of wood slammed into the dirt around them.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Julia cried out as she ran as hard as she could.

"No clue!" Theo responded as they continued pushing on.

They ran flat out for almost seven minutes before the spear stopped. After another two, a new message appeared.

>Local Message: Combat System Disabled.

They stopped and sat down, breathing heavily for a few minutes. Julia finally looked over at Theo, "A damn tree just tried to shish-kabob us."

"Yup," Theo responded, "and it nearly succeeded."

"Why were we attacked? They were pretty far off, and we didn't get attacked last time?"

"I don't know," Theo said, standing up and looking back to where the massive tree labeled as the King of Summer stood. "I also don't remember that tree being there before."

"Could it be a part of the System stabilization that is happening?" Julia asked.

Theo shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, now that we got our cardio for the day, I think we should get a move on back to the cabin and make sure that all is well there."

"Okay, then let's go!" Julia offered her hand up, and Theo pulled her to her feet. They turned and started off to the Overlook.

It was roughly three hours before sunset when they reached the top of the path up to the Overlook. They felt the familiar sense of the effects of the claimed land, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"It feels like home," Theo muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? What was that?" Julia asked as they walked the final distance to the cabin.

"I said it feels like home." Theo answered, "I know that it has only been ours for a little bit, but I do like it more than anywhere I have lived before."

Julia was silent for a minute. "I miss my dad's house, but I think that's mostly because I miss my dad. Other than his house, though, I think this is the place I like most."

"It's weird, isn't it?" Theo said, "We were complete strangers a short time ago, but in all honesty, I have been enjoying these past couple of weeks with you more than almost any in my life."

Julia laughed, "I don't know how much that has to do with me. I think you were made for a life like this. The propensity you have for throwing yourself in front of danger is a little wild."

"You might be right," Theo said thoughtfully, "but I am serious; these past twelve days, sixteen if you count the time in the dungeon, have been some of the best in my life. I'm glad that you were here."

Theo then surprised Julia by leaning down and kissing her gently on the cheek. He pulled back and smiled, "Thank you for choosing to stay."

Theo turned and left a slightly shocked Julia, blushing where she had stopped. Then she hurried and ran up to him. Theo stopped and turned to Julia, who pulled him down by the collar of his shirt and kissed him shyly.

It was not lustful, nor was it the kiss of someone who was sure of their actions. Their lips met and Theo knew that Julia was being very spontaneous from how she felt as if she was seeking permission. So he gently wrapped his arms around her, leaning into the kiss. After a moment, he unwrapped his arms from around her, and they both stepped back.

"I'm glad that you stayed as well," Julia said, a blush rising on her face as she turned and started off towards the cabin once more.

"Me too," Theo said, butterflies in his stomach as he tasted the kiss lingering on his lips.