Meals and early birds

-24th day of AC, 24.04.1052-

-Time: 19:20-

Aria's mouth blew some air, getting hair out of her face. Lazily, she stretched her body against a wall, thankful she no longer needed to hold her staff. Her emerald eyes glistened, noticing a glint of light in the corner of her vision. Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

"Haah," she exhaled deeply whilst getting a hand over her head. "Tiring and challenging, but it's definitely an experience. I can't believe I almost leveled up thrice in this short time. Leveling this much near Silvana took me more than a week of searching for monsters."

"The advantages of dungeons," Travis shrugged, checking the state of his armor as he had taken it off. "If you're prepared well, they're not much but a bag of experience waiting to be claimed. And, well, items, too," he added.

"Hmm," she hummed quietly. The happy undertone of her voice was hard to miss, especially to the man who was right next to her. She smiled at him warmly, which the man reciprocated. "Say, what do we eat for dinner?"

"Well, I think hunting some small game won't be difficult. Rabbit?"

Aria nodded approvingly. Taking a few steps toward the exit of the cave, she turned to Travis a little. Seeing him eye her movements, she felt her heart beat with more power.

-About 45 minutes later-

Finding the food wasn't at all challenging. The evening's sky started setting in full with its colorful embrace as Travis brought a rabbit back from the forest. While he was gone, Aria had prepared a place to light the fire. After that, they quickly split up the remaining jobs. Travis skinned the animal while Aria prepared some spices and salt (both came from small jars she packed in her bag), and then she fried it on the frying pan from Rulebreaker. The delicious smell of meat rose in the air almost immediately, bringing saliva onto their tongues. As Aria prepared the main meal, her boyfriend broke down some bread, placing it on small plates they'd eat from.

And now...

*Munch munch*

Aria's teeth clung to the meat. Despite her clear intention of ripping it apart, every move she made had a glint of finesse and delicateness behind it, which was only further emphasized by how slowly she ate. Her small fingers clutched the warm food gently, the fat seeping from it and onto her plate.

It was difficult for her to compare this to any meals she'd had in the past months. Aria was used to food coming from a butcher. She had lived a somewhat comfortable life until just a few days ago. She was unfamiliar either with the process of skinning or how much further processing was required to separate the innards from the muscles. She was thankful that Travis had that kind of knowledge.

The area Aria excelled in, however, was spicing. In her life, she'd tasted many meals, done in many ways. After leaving to live on her own, she had to figure out all the rules one after another. Over time, she had learned every last nuance of all the spices she could get. This was something Travis neither reliably afforded nor realistically cared about.

Taking another tentative bite, Aria felt the rabbit's flesh break apart on her tongue. Its texture was somewhat lacking from what she'd normally eat, but it wasn't bad. The smell and taste were nearly as good as she'd remembered.

Travis, in the meantime, focused on his portion. It didn't compare to Leaf's cooking (who knew how her herbs were that good), but it was certainly better than what he would be able to make on his own. He was thankful for Aria's presence. His lips curved as he ate.

...

Aria exhaled with a satisfied grin which was promptly followed by a hum. As though to emphasize her point, she rubbed her belly covered in a green tunic.

"Nothing like a good meal after an exhausting day," she laughed at her own words, fixing her hair a little. "...I'm honestly quite tired."

"Feeling like you'll go to sleep soon?" Travis asked, his golden eyes scanning her over.

Aria nodded slowly. A short yawn escaped her mouth. "I'm not used to exerting myself like that. My shoulders feel stiff from holding my staff."

"It's alright. Rest all you want. I'll stand guard," he smiled reassuringly, reaching out and rubbing her shoulder.

"Mmm," she hummed in a pleasant tone, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Do that more..." she said.

Travis chuckled, tracing her exposed neck with a finger. The tender contact immediately found purchase in Aria purring lazily. She clearly enjoyed this.

With a gentle touch, the man helped her lay on the duvet comfortably, hands under her chin. Then, he shifted his position to the side slightly.

His hands traveled to her shoulders. Squeezing the muscles a little, he felt her tense up almost involuntarily before relenting slowly. He moved his palms a little, slowly approaching her small shoulder blades hidden underneath her tunic. Aria showed absolutely no resistance to his touch that caressed her back, going down steadily until he reached her middle spine. There, the man stopped his descent, instead taking care to massage her as thoroughly as he could.

"Mmmm... haha," Aria chuckled between her moans of satisfaction. "You didn't have to go that far~,"

"Do you want me to stop that badly?" Travis asked teasingly.

Aria chuckled again but didn't answer. Instead, she moved her hands, pulling at her tunic and exposing her lower back to the man. Her skin glistened in the fire's light.

The man's hands cast shadows over every place he touched. The Mage's body reacted to every last caress he gave it, either as shudders of pleasure or small hiccups that transformed into soft chuckles leaving her mouth now and again.

"Yeah... I could get used to that..." she purred pleasantly. "Where did you learn thaaaat..." she said, prolonging her final word into a moan.

"Tried to be a Healer once," Travis shrugged, moving his hands in a sweeping motion across Aria's lower spine. "Couldn't class as one, so I turned to physicians. They taught me a few tricks."

"So I feel," she replied softly before yawning.

Travis smiled gently, slowing his actions slightly. Spreading his hands over a wider area, he slowly ascended up Aria's back, lifting her tunic with the motion. Her voice was gradually dying off.

...

*Snore*

Travis chuckled silently at the sight, lowering Aria's tunic and covering her with a second duvet. Almost as if in reaction, the woman shifted her position slightly, turning away from the fire in her sleep.

'Tiredness gets to some quick.' the man nodded. 'Well, I still can keep going a little more. There is something I wanted to check.' he got up, fastening Thunder Blade to his side. After ensuring that everything was secured, he stepped into the forest. Shooting one last look back at the woman, he confirmed her safety and went further.

After a dozen or so meters, Travis slowly unsheathed Thunder Blade. Looking at the blade, he saw the violet-pink sky reflected in the otherwise silver sword. A slow exhale ensured as his grip tightened.

'That boss fight showed me something.' Travis took a stance. Spreading his legs slightly, he bent his knees and let one leg step forward. 'My style is far from ideal. It's not even decent.' he grimaced at the thought, stepping forward slowly. Doing his best to study how his body moved, Travis tried to recall every last bit of his days in camp.

An arduous task ensued as he searched through the layers of memories. The faces of people from his unit - Clint, Alkran, Sylvia, and others - flashed together with the remembrances of the days they spent training their weapons of choice.

With a twisting motion of his wrist, he performed a quick horizontal slash. Then, he followed it with a few stabs.

...

'Unrefined is a good way to put it.' he thought mid-slash. 'Captains at the camp used to nag a lot about how much we lacked, as well. But I didn't think it'd be this much an issue. Gah, no wonder it's been so difficult. I never managed to learn Forna's swordsmanship properly in the first place.' he grumbled at himself while stabbing the air deeply.

He took a step forward. Sensing his center of mass shifting, Travis halted further movements. A moment of contemplation ended with him groaning at himself.

'Doing this on my own won't do much good.' he huffed before sheathing the blade. '...I wonder. How will Rulebreaker's Piece teach me...?' he frowned. 'I suppose the best it can do is just wait for tomorrow's piece.'

...

Speaking of.

Travis's eyes bolted toward his backpack near Aria. Rulebreaker's Piece was protruding from beneath the material slightly. Glancing at the time, he noticed that its use would be soon available.

...

[24. Durability is a pain to deal with]

[Have you ever had a weapon break mid-fight? If you did, you probably know how much that sucks. If you didn’t, let me tell you: it sucks.

All gear has durability, and if you can't repair it in time, say goodbye to it. On long travels, you'll feel this pain. Weapons and armor, especially, break easily - use them for a couple of days and you suddenly find them at half durability.

So, what are your options? There are a few ways to go about it.

The first option is to carry a repair kit with you. Despite its weight and being tricky to use effectively, it's a long-lasting solution that will outweigh its costs. More than that, learning to use it proficiently is a good experience that may come in handy elsewhere. However, it is time-consuming.

The second one would be to carry secondary weapons. It's a less elegant solution, but definitely easier to execute than the first. However, do remember that everything has its own volume, and different things will break at varying speeds. Is a single spare good enough? Depends.

The third one is, quite frankly, the easiest one. Simply always have someone who can repair them for you. Usually, that'd mean a blacksmith or fletcher, and that'd mean staying near civilization. Therefore, this option makes your traveling inflexible to an extent.

Take a minute to think this through. Which of the three do you value the most? Independence, time, or money?]

'...Independence, time, money... the answer is obvious. I don't want to be skittering around cities much. Just stopping by and resupplying on food and necessary items, short trips like this. Waiting for an item to be repaired would be too much. Carrying around spares bears a similar issue. Of the three options, getting a repair kit is the best one. I haven't operated one of those myself, but I did use to sharpen scythes back in Holia. Learning this shouldn't be too difficult.'

He glanced at Aria. The peacefully sleeping woman didn't react at all to either the flash of light or his quiet, subconscious humming when he thought. Back still turned to the dying-off campfire, the Mage slept without a care in the world.

Travis put Rulebreaker's Piece away. Glancing around, he did his best to scan the surroundings diligently. Having found nothing out of the ordinary, he slowly extinguished the fire and lay down next to Aria.

-In the morning-

Aria's eyes opened lazily. The stirring of her nose informed her of the somewhat chilly air that enveloped her uncovered head. Immediately after, she closed her eyes and stretched the fingers of her hands clutching the duvet that covered her from her toes to just below her chin. A prolonged yawn left her mouth.

As a few seconds passed, her mind wandered to what was left of her dreamy haze. With a frown, she could only conclude that however pleasant the dream was, she already was forgetting it.

'Another day, hmm.' she thought, shuffling in her spot slightly. Nearly immediately, she felt her bum rub against something. '...?' she turned and was immediately graced with Travis's laying form. Resting on his back and with one hand under his occiput, he breathed steadily, still lost in the world of dreams.

Aria moved slightly away from the man. Still clutching the material to herself, she looked around the place. Then, she slowly uncovered herself, deciding to start the new day.

The sky was only starting to turn red from its indigo-stained flavor. Even by rough estimations, the hour was no later than 7. No, perhaps it wasn't even 6 yet. However, it didn't mean she wasn't rested.

Stretching in her position, she felt her muscles tense up. In several parts of her body, she felt sore sensations. Most of them were concentrated in her hands and legs, with a few near her shoulder blades. She sighed faintly.

Aria stood up. The air's humidity told her clearly that this day was bound to be wet from the very morning. Shimmering dew on grass and moss between the trees around was proof of that. Perhaps it would rain later.

...

What was she to do? Aria put a hand on her chin for a long moment. Normally, she'd go and wash up before preparing to go to work. Now, she felt a little lost. This new routine - or rather, lack thereof - messed with her head.

She yawned in the middle of a heavy sigh. Her hand lazily went to her bag and rummaged inside for a few seconds. At times, Aria was in sheer awe of how voluminous it was. She could stash food for as long as two weeks in there, potions that could last an entire team of Mages a few battles, and still have space for more.

Finally, she got hold of what she wanted. Pulling out the map she grabbed, Aria quietly unfolded it in front of herself. Taking a piece of charcoal from the campfire through a piece of used cloth, she scrubbed its tip a little against a rock to remove residual soot and then scanned the paper.

'Here.' she put a small dot on the paper, and immediately scribbled a small sequence right next to it, signaling to herself that the dungeon was cleared.

Aria put a hand on her chin. Her verdant eyes scanned the map diligently, tracing the lines representing rivers and roads.

'Going like this will let us reach another dungeon probably today still.' she moved her shoulders a little. 'I'm not sure if I'm fit to do one today, but I suppose we'll see. I can't grow stronger without pushing myself a little. Should it come to the worst, we can always spend the night inside... I think?' her expression changed to a thoughtful one. 'I don't know if it won't rain. As long as we secure a good location and clear some monsters from the first two floors, we should be able to rest on the first one. But that's for later to think about.' she swiped a hand dismissively.

Aria folded the map and hid it quickly. Then, deciding that she could still lie down, she slowly moved to Travis's side. Laying on her back, she tried to get comfortable against his arm. Noticing that the man didn't even react to her contact, a ponder entered her mind.

'He seems to be a heavy sleeper.' Aria reached out, a hand near Travis's face almost as though she wanted to cup his cheek. She smiled faintly at the sensation of his stable breath against her fingers. '...what have I gotten myself into...' she turned to the brightening sky.

Letting her mind wander the expanse of the infinite questions, Aria closed her eyes.

What were they to do now? She knew that growth in strength was mandatory given the situation, but... a queasy feeling stirred in her throat. This was only temporary, and she knew it. There was only so much power one could attain by raiding dungeons. More than that, they could only stay hidden for some time. Even with the most optimistic scenarios, Aria had come to the conclusion that it would be two months at most. What then?

More than the issue of just becoming stronger, Aria couldn't help but wonder about the situation as a whole. They were but a single card in this game of life. Fourteen more opponents were also playing it, and it was almost guaranteed that they would form teams as well. That was why another thought appeared.

'Us two will definitely not be enough.' Aria frowned at the thought. 'But... this isn't something we can just recruit people for. We need someone we can put trust in. It's almost certain that...' she didn't finish the thought, feeling her heart skip a beat with sorrow for nobody in particular. 'Even if we end up getting someone on our team... we will have to make a clear divide.'

...

'Gods, what am I thinking?' Aria opened her eyes. 'I've been here for just a day or so, and I'm already considering such things... before I know it, I'll be the brains of this operation.' she chuckled softly to herself.

Aria sat up. Turning her head a little, she looked over Travis's lying form.

'I suppose I'm the one who went to sleep early. He likely stayed up until he got yesterday's piece from Rulebreaker...'

...

'...Rulebreaker.'

Aria frowned. A person who was affiliated with the gods yet wasn't one of them. More than that, they were a referee in the Competition... there was something about this that she found difficult to wrap her mind around.

'If they're not a god, then where did they come from? Were they created by them...? I suppose that's the safest assumption.' she thought. Aria was somewhat knowledgeable about the gods. Immediately, one came to mind. 'Anila... the Goddess of Life. If anyone could create a living being out of nowhere, it would be her.' she frowned before sighing. 'It's best not to ponder uselessly. We can't infer a god's intent. There must be a reason it's like this.'

...

Aria's hands slowly moved to the sides of her hips. Tracing along the hem of her pants, the white-haired woman could not help but feel... something. A warm, stirring sensation slowly filled her abdomen, making her heart pulse more nervously with every passing second. The stare of her emerald eyes didn't focus on any spot on Travis in particular, drinking in the entire image.

Unknowingly to herself, Aria licked her lips gently. The wettening touch of her tongue finally brought her to her senses when she realized the origin of the sensation.

She came closer to Travis. Her lips slowly descended on his.

...

Travis stirred in his sleep. The swirling images of what he could only partially recall to be a conglomeration of his memories of Leaf, Violet, and several other people were dissipating in tandem with a strange sensation nesting itself on his lips. More than that, he sensed something tickle his crotch area, like a small hand caressing his skin through the duvet and pants.

His eyelids parted, albeit a little reluctantly. Aria's closed eyes welcomed him. Flinching with a sharp inhale, Travis raised both hands, getting them on her shoulders.

Visibly startled, the white-haired Mage recoiled slightly at his sudden touch. Her eyes shot open, tangible surprise reflected in her eyes. Her fair cheeks became immediately flushed with red when she realized the situation.

She remained silent for long seconds, a strange apprehension evident.

Travis looked around hastily but immediately assessed that they were not in any danger. Candidly, it was just barely turning morning.

"...uh, good morning?" he started, unsure what to say.

"...g-good morn-ning..." Aria stammered, her face turning even more red.

...

A few long seconds of silence passed. Aria's eyes skittered away in abashment, almost as though she was caught doing something she shouldn't.

Travis's sleepy haze diminished into nothingness as he rubbed one eye tenuously. The exhale of hot air from his lungs was followed by a slow motion of his hand as he grasped the duvet and started uncovering himself.

That was when he felt Aria's hand. Looking at it, he confirmed its placement to be near his crotch.

"...?" he raised an eyebrow, his gaze meeting hers as she sheepily looked away again. Her hand retreated, allowing for the man to get out from under the cover entirely. She moved to the side, turning away slightly.

Travis did a light stretch of his arms, sensing the stiffness of his muscles almost immediately. His eyes bolted down, to his already hard cock straining against his pants. Seemed like the pleasant feeling in the dream had its effect.

As his gaze went around, he stopped on Aria for a few long seconds. Her almost unmoving frame seemed like a stone statue. The sleek back and waist hidden under Aria's long tunic gave way to the wide hips he could not help but wonder how she expected to conceal with the pants she wore. The more he saw that aspect of this woman, the more amazed he was.

Another second or so ticked. Travis's mind, now beginning to work in full swing, started connecting the dots of what just happened. A sly smirk entered his face.

Aria, in the meantime, felt her skin burning. Her heart beat rapidly, embarrassment and heat of the moment still alive within. Her fingers clutched at the rims of her tunic. "W-W-Well," she stammered silently. "I t-think s-since i-it's morning, we can get up and-- huh?" Aria suddenly stopped speaking, feeling Travis's hands get a hold of her waist gently. "W-What are you-- ah!" she yelped as she felt the man pull her to himself.

"Hey there," Travis chuckled, planting a soft kiss on Aria's neck. He felt the beaming heat of her skin. "Got bored, I see?"

"..." Aria didn't answer. The nervous shudder of her body atop his told him all he needed.

"You know, if you really want a repeat, you don't have to go at it when I'm asleep," Travis reached to Aria's ear, gently huffing at it. "You just have to say it."

"I... I-I just..." Aria's voice trailed off into silence as she bashfully looked away. Slowly, she struggled free from the man's hands, deciding to sit just next to him.

Travis stayed silent in response. His hand slowly crept up the woman's back, feeling her shudder at the ticklish sensation. As he reached her shoulders, he slowly approached her.

Aria's gaze unsteadily moved to meet his. Travis easily saw that just beneath her bashfulness lay a need for contact. She wouldn't admit it openly, whatever the reason, but he knew how to bring it out.

He grasped her cheek gently, feeling her give in to his hold almost immediately. Staring deep in her eyes, Travis leaned in to seize the opportunity. He stopped just before their lips would meet. He wanted her to continue of her own accord.

...

Slowly, Aria brought her nose to clash with his. Then, she rotated her head a little, allowing their lips to gently touch. Her hands slowly reached into her clothes, preparing to take them off for what was to come.

---

---

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/meedrowh