EXTERIOR – The Wild, south of Triangle Valley. The sky is clear and blue. Distant animals mind their own business as the trees and grass sway in the wind.

  PRESENT – THE GIRL (same clothes as before) – THE BOY (also same), OTHER PEOPLE (elsewhere), ????? (?????)

  TIME - MID AFTERNOON.

  This was the first time the boy had been beyond the river since his awakening. It was… Truthfully, not all that much different from the other side of the river. The only visible difference is the ck of roads and vilges beyond the river.

  But from what he’d heard, the wilderness far beyond had much more to see. Untamed hills and caverns, groups of trees and shrubbery creating thick overgrowth, camps full of Bandits, Monsters in every shadow, strange beasts, traps, Dungeons, and so much more… He longed to see it. He was especially curious about the far north. He’d heard that’s where the nds are at their most wild.

  Presently, they were heading south and slightly west. Save for certain select areas, the south was significantly safer than the north, or so he’d heard. Less wild, too, and the creatures were notably weaker. Still, there would be much to experience.

  “Good thing that guard was a total creep.” The girl said, cartoonishly stretching her arms behind her head as she led the boy further away from town. “I totally forgot about the inspections, there’s no way a crappy little Bug like you would be allowed to cross normally, and there’s no waaaay you know how to swim.”

  “that is likely true.” While the boy basically knew what swimming entailed, it would be unreasonable to assume he'd be able to get it right without practice.

  “BUT!” The girl very suddenly raised her voice. “Today, we’re gonna make you slightly less crappy, Bug!”

  “are you going to teach me how to swim?” The boy’s eyes lit up as the idea entered his head. Being able to traverse an entirely new medium, being able to sense all the things in and around water, it sounded very good, indeed.

  “No, that’s dumb. We’re fightin’ dudes.” She dismissed with a cold and cruel wave of her hand. “So far, all you’ve done is sucked eggs at your magic training.”

  This was true. Ever since their trip to Suastis, the girl had been trying to teach the boy the basics of magic. Their ck of success Is a combined result of the boy’s innate magical incompetence, and the girl’s teaching strategy involving little more than shouting “THINK IT! DECIDE IT! LOGICALLY! WITH POWER!”

  “So we’re taking a different approach! Practical training! Field testing! Trail by combat! Whatever!”

  “okay.” Although some part of him believed this was an unwise idea, the sensations of field experience would be veeeeery good, indeed. “how so.”

  “Weeee’re going to the dungeon, Bug! More specifically, you’re going in, and I’m gonna be right behind you, watching how HOPEFULLY not make a fool of yourself for once!”

  “do not get your hopes up.”

  “BE MORE CONFIDENT, BUG!”

  “okay. get your hopes up.” He raised his fists with something almost resembling confidence.

  "THAT'S THE SPIRIT! ONWARD, BUG!" She pointed forward, in the direction they were already going.

  "okay, hat." The boy picked up the pace slightly.

  Onward.