Morning settled over the camp like a hangover. Most people looked miserable from a night on cold, unforgiving ground. A few worked half-awake to coax the fire back to life while others cleaned and portioned the fish the old man had caught.

  Across the clearing, Barrett spotted Tanya, Rei, and Fred talking quietly around their own fire. The sight hit him harder than he expected, just like high school all over again. His jaw tightened. He turned away, scanning the handful of people on his side of camp.

  Little Red was still asleep in the tent, and Granny was bossing a couple of young guys around as they prepped breakfast with military precision.

  He shook his head. No time for clique nonsense. He had work to do, and he was already behind.

  “I’ll be back later,” Barrett muttered, slinging his pack over one shoulder.

  Granny glanced up. “Don’t you want to wait for breakfast?”

  Barrett flashed her a grin. “Sorry, Granny. Chalk it up to intermittent fasting.”

  She sighed and shook her head, and Barrett headed off into the dense morning forest, shadows and beams of sunlight shifting around him as the camp faded behind the trees.

  —

  Barrett hiked for half an hour, pushing deeper into the forest until he reached a small clearing on a hillside. A broad stone jutted from the ground like a natural seat, and from here he had a sweeping view of the valley, the river snaking below, the forest stretching out, and the lone mountain watching over it all like a sentinel.

  It was perfect.

  Quiet and away from prying eyes.

  He dropped his pack onto the rock and sat. The morning air carried a clean chill, the twin suns just high enough to spill warm light across the clearing. This was exactly what he needed: space to think, plan, and strategize. He had fallen behind yesterday. Time to catch up.

  After one last glance around to make sure no one was watching, he reached into his pack and pulled out The Calvin and Hobbes Essentials.

  His real playbook.

  He cracked it open to a worn spread marked with faint pencil notes. A rough map covered the margins with key areas circled and landmarks annotated with detail.

  He held the book close, hiding it like precious contraband.

  If anyone saw this, suspicion would turn to accusation.

  Barrett traced one of the circled ridgelines with his thumb, compared it to the distant mountain, then stood and began pacing the clearing. He lifted the comic, surveyed the tree line, checked angles, compared sketches. Slowly and satisfyingly, the pieces aligned.

  A grin spread across his face.

  Got it.

  He knew exactly where they were.

  He was mid–victory strut when a voice cut through the clearing.

  “You’re really enjoying that comic.”

  Barrett nearly jumped out of his coat.

  He spun. Tanya stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

  “How—how did you sneak up on me?” he barked.

  She shrugged. “I walk quietly.”

  “I’d be enjoying it more if I had some peace,” Barrett grumbled, snapping the book shut. “Why do you think I came up here?”

  He mentally added: Damn, it’s hard being mean to someone with quads like that…

  If she heard the edge in his voice, she didn’t react. She stepped closer, her face still as calm and serious as always.

  “I came to apologize about last night,” she said.

  Barrett blinked. The blunt delivery caught him off guard. She wasn’t playing. Tanya didn’t seem like the kind who wasted energy on games.

  “That’s why you followed me up here?” he asked.

  “Partly,” she admitted. Then, with zero hesitation: “Fred also asked me to keep an eye on you.”

  Barrett stared at her, stunned.

  Then the anger hit.

  “That bastard.”

  She didn’t flinch. “Can you blame him?”

  “Hell yes, I can!” Barrett snapped. “He’s been nothing but a pain in my ass since we got here!”

  “He means well,” Tanya said, voice even. “Everyone’s scared and lost. You’re the only one who seems to know anything. That makes you…important.”

  Barrett scoffed. “I told you, I’m just as—”

  She raised a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.

  “I’m not here to interrogate you,” she said. “Keep your secrets.”

  Barrett’s jaw clenched. He studied her a moment. “Then what are you here for?”

  Tanya met his eyes directly. “Like I said, I wanted to apologize. What Fred did last night was…dishonorable. I should’ve stopped it.”

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Barrett didn’t know what to do with sincerity, so he just grunted.

  She took a breath. “And…I wanted to ask if you could show me a few moves.”

  Barrett froze.

  His cheeks went hot.

  “A-a few moves?” he repeated, voice cracking. His eyes flicked down to her carved, tan quads.

  Tanya lifted the goblin knife between them.

  “Combat moves.”

  Barrett’s eyes snapped back up. “O–of course! Obviously! Yeah.”

  —

  They trained for the better part of the day.

  Hard.

  Barrett had known disciplined people before—gym rats, martial arts hobbyists, weekend warriors—but Tanya was cut from something else entirely. She moved with a calm, deadly focus that didn’t waver even as the twin suns climbed overhead. And when she pushed off the ground, her speed snapped like a whipcrack. Definitely stat-boosted, he thought.

  They started with simple footwork drills. Tanya mirrored every stance he demonstrated, correcting herself mid-motion with razor precision. Her balance was nearly perfect from the start; the small mistakes she did have were fixed immediately, like she was downloading corrections straight into her muscles.

  She listened to every word he said.

  Really listened.

  Barrett wasn’t used to anyone taking him seriously like that. He’d expected an eye-roll, a sarcastic jab, something. Instead, Tanya met his instructions with quiet nods and intent focus.

  He found himself…liking it.

  Soon, they moved to light sparring. The first exchange nearly knocked the breath out of him. Tanya’s arm shot forward faster than he anticipated, stopping just short of his ribs. A warning tap, but a damn fast one.

  He grinned through the sting.

  “Oh, it’s like that, eh?”

  She gave a small shrug. “You said light.”

  For over an hour they traded offense and defense. Barrett worked her through angles, counters, and pressure. She absorbed it all like a sponge and returned it with terrifying efficiency. Sweat dripped into his eyes, the suns dipped lower, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what kind of monster she’d become by level ten.

  Eventually, he called a break.

  They staggered apart, both breathing hard, both slick with sweat and dust.

  “Damn,” Barrett finally managed. His whole body hummed with exhaustion, the good kind, the kind that cleared the mind and emptied the world.

  Tanya wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist. “Yeah.”

  “Let’s sit,” he muttered, already lowering himself onto the nearest patch of shade.

  She sank down beside him, equally drained, equally silent.

  And for a long moment, they just breathed.

  —

  Barrett handed her his water bottle.

  Tanya glanced up with a faint grin. “Do I wanna know where your mouth has been?”

  He snorted. “Don’t worry. It’s not as well-traveled as you’d think.”

  “I figured.” She tipped the bottle back and drank, throat working as she swallowed. Then she passed it back.

  He lifted it for his own swig—

  “Was that your first kiss last night?”

  Barrett inhaled the water wrong and nearly sprayed it across the forest floor.

  “What!?”

  Tanya’s smile widened, subtle but unmistakably teasing. “Girl talk.”

  Barrett wiped his mouth, muttering, “Damn…” and pretended the burning in his cheeks was just from training.

  He dug into his pack, pulled out a protein meal bar, snapped it cleanly in half, and handed her a piece. They ate in companionable silence as the twin suns sagged lower, turning the clearing a warm orange. A breeze cut through the trees, brushing cool air over their sweat, raising goosebumps along Barrett’s arms.

  Tanya spoke between bites. “You really like her?”

  Barrett chewed, considering. Then he shot her a sideways smirk. “Why? You trying to put in a competing bid?”

  She laughed short, genuine. “Nothing against you, but—”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Barrett waved it off dramatically. “I’m not your type.”

  “More like… my gender,” she corrected calmly.

  “Oh.” Barrett stared blankly.

  “Yeah,” she repeated with a slight shrug.

  He blinked. “But if I were?”

  Tanya looked up at him with a small, amused tilt of her head. “Oh, then totally.”

  For a moment, they held the silence. Then both broke into tired, breathless laughter, the kind that slipped easily between comrades.

  Finally, when they had rested enough, and no one said anything, Tanya stood up.

  “Shall we?” she asked.

  “Let’s go.”

  —

  The walk back was silent. They moved quietly so they could hear if any monsters were following them. Barrett kicked himself for not heading back sooner, it was already getting difficult to see and he felt like he was being watched.

  They moved as fast as they could, but in nighttime it was dangerous and easy to step somewhere and break an ankle.

  “Tanya.” Barrett said silently.

  “I know.” She replied.

  Minutes later they reached an area with more room to navigate and both stopped.

  Barrett slid his machete out of its holster and Tanya gripped her knife.

  “Come on out fellas.” Barrett said looking around.

  It wasn’t long before four of the green freaks exited the forest with evil smiles. Barrett had known they’d been following them and rather than let them have the initiative he decided to take it.

  [Goblin Grunt — Level 2]

  [Goblin Grunt — Level 2]

  [Goblin Grunt — Level 2]

  [Goblin Grunt — Level 2]

  “Yo Barrett,” Tanya said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you mind if I—?”

  Barrett grinned and walked over to a nearby tree, leaning against it, “Hell no.”

  Show me what you got.

  He laughed to himself when he realized he was still wearing his shades and quickly removed them to watch the upcoming battle.

  Tanya got into a stance just like he’d shown her, the four goblins ignored Barrett entirely and moved in on her slowly. Barrett watched with anticipation. A part of him remembered the feeling of watching his younger cousin play video games. He recalled how frustrating it was watching someone do something he knew he could do better, but over the years that feeling had left him and in it’s place he felt a sense of pride at watching someone he’d trained show their stuff. Even if it was just a single day of training.

  Tanya didn’t wait for the attack and dashed forward quickly knocking aside the weapon of the first and going for the stab.

  He didn’t need to see the notification to know it was lights out.

  She expertly dodged the others swings that went wide and came around delivering shallow slices that made them scream. She weaved and dodged at those speeds he’d seen. At this point Barrett knew she had some speed abilities. There was no way a normal human could move like that.

  Patiently, she dodged and parried waiting for the right moment. Barrett was clenched watching it. She was so patient, he could never be like that, he thought. He always wanted to end a battle as quickly as possible.

  Finally one came down when she feigned a light attack and went heavier, jamming the blade deep.

  Now there were two left.

  A moment of distraction was all it took though and she got kicked from behind, the force slamming her into a tree.

  Barrett took a step forward, but she held up her hand.

  Slowly she got up, blood was visible seeping off her now, he couldn’t tell the source.

  The last two goblins moved closer and she got into a deeper stance, one he hadn’t seen. And suddenly dashed.

  Barrett barely had time to register but she was now across the other side of the clearing and the other goblins took a pause, then fell, again he didn’t need to see the notifications to know what had happened.

  “You’ve been holding out on me.” Barrett grinned.

  She was breathing heavy, “can’t give you the monopoly of secrets can I?”

  Barrett sheathed his machete and stepped forward to grab her before she fell from exhaustion.

  “Let’s go home.”

  He looked at her and realized she’d already passed out. He lifted her up and carried her back home.

  —

  They arrived as the suns had completely set. Thankfully Tanya had woken up right before returning. Barrett breathed a sigh of relief at not having to explain to the group why he was carrying her back unconcious.

  “Thanks again for the lessons.”

  Barrett grunted, “all good.”

  She looked at him again in a renewed light.

  “You’re not as big of an asshole as I thought.”

  Barrett laughed at that.

  “Get some rest soldier.”

  She nodded and walked back slowly to her side of the camp. Barrett watched her go then headed back to his side with granny and the kids. There wasn’t much room for conversation tonight and he passed out as soon as he got comfortable, skipping dinner entirely.