With her new friend.

King was certainly useful, but Johanna didn’t want to become too dependent on the man long-term. And, of course, the masked woman seemed much more enthusiastic about spending time with her.

“Well, King, if you have no further use for me, I don’t see a reason not to spend time with my new friend.”

King’s expression was impossible to read, but he gave a curt nod before turning away and disappearing back into the jungle.

Despite her mask, it was easy to tell that Johanna’s new friend was very excited. She grabbed Johanna’s hand and eagerly pulled her along into a sprint.

“Where are we going?” Asked Johanna, struggling to keep pace as they made their way through the trees.

The masked woman turned back, joy in her eyes, and gave a short peal of laughter before letting go of Johanna’s hand. “Right here!”

Johanna turned away from her to look around. As best she could tell, there wasn’t anything special or unique about this patch of jungle. She turned back around to say as much, but in the short moment where she had been looking away, the masked woman had vanished.

Surprised, Johanna stepped forward, rapidly swiveling her head to search for her friend. “Hello?” She called out, trying not to sound worried. The sound of movement behind her caused her to whirl in place, but again, she saw nothing but trees. “Friend?” She asked the trees, suddenly feeling very cold despite the jungle’s intense heat.

A twig snapped, and Johanna whirled around again, finding nothing. Leaves rustled, but the captain failed to find the source. Bare feet pounded against the forest floor, but Johanna always seemed to turn towards the noises a moment too late. It was getting harder to hear anything over the sound of her rapidly beating heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and when she opened them again, she let out a girlish scream when a familiar wooden mask popped up into view.

“You’re not very good at this game,” Complained her new friend, “Your ears are slow, and you seem as if you’ve never seen trees before.”

Johanna’s heart was still racing, but she found it difficult to be upset with her new friend, “My apologies. It is not a game I’m familiar with, and you seem very good at it.”

The masked woman took Johanna’s hand in hers again, and set off once more, this time at a more relaxed pace. “It is the oldest game. If you wish to succeed, you will need to practice.” After a couple minutes of walking, the jungle gave way to a rock face, and set in the stone was a round wooden door.

“There are other games, though,” Suggested the masked woman, before opening the door, “We will find one you like...”