Nothing.
That day? Well...
Maybe. Maybe it could have been different. But it wasn't. It wasn't meant to be.
"Where...am...I...?"
Daniel opens his eyes. He was in a white space, as far as the eyes could see. And also nowhere. He tried to move, but his body always returned to the same place. Tried to breathe, couldn't, but also didn't need to. Mud covered his body, it bothered him, but he felt he needed it, like it was keeping him from vanishing. He felt one with everything and everyone and at the same time nothing in the vastness that is reality.
The mud began to descend and that white space became a void, dark as an endless abyss. Felt warmth, cold, pain, relief. Nothing made sense. Voices spoke in his head. Did he understand? No. Confusion?
Yes.
Daniel felt gentle and light wet strokes on his face. It was as if they were licks, which left him confused. The pain had disappeared, and he was in one warm and... Comfortable surface? A while ago, he was angry, in pain, cold, and with a burning sensation in his throat. But now he's... Light? Alive? Free? It was something that didn't make sense no matter how much he thought, and the lickings weren't helping.
Until the lick turned into a bite on the nose.
"AHHH!!!"
Daniel jumps in pain, so strong that he ends up hitting his head on a tree.
"How? A tree? Wasn't I on the ground?"
Finally opening his eyes, he saw that he was in a forest. Stretching as far as the eyes could see. It was like paradisiacal forests seen in very successful movies. Waterfalls with numerous animals and fish jumping from one segment of the river to another.
He scratched his head and was confused. Well, confused would be an understatement; he had a complete question mark floating in his head. He looked down to see where he was lying. It was a log covered with moss from the same tree he was now standing on. The creature that bit him was... A rabbit. Which was far away now. How high did it jump?
Wait, one thing at a time. He saw his body. It was still Black-ish, almost like a tam version of his old self. He is more muscular for some reason, and not as thin. His hair is smoother than he would like, and his ears are very sensitive. He also noticed that he was wearing pants made of a material that seemed more like a floorcloth than fabric for clothing. Did his skin also have scales? He found answers, but that led to even more questions.
That didn't make sense.
But he couldn't stand still admiring his body; he had to understand where he was and why he was different. He decided to climb the tree. He was surprised at how easy it was to climb the tree, both because of the little effort he made to climb and because his hands easily found cracks and edges that he could use as a base for his climb. It was familiar to climb trees, like he did it on a daily basis.
The tree itself was about 110 meters tall. A normal person would take around half an hour to climb the tree without getting hurt, even using equipment for such an act. Daniel climbed it in a few seconds. He surveyed his surroundings. Nothing different from what he had seen from his "moss bed". He decided to go down to the ground. With a small leap, he jumped much higher than expected, then falling to the ground.
A fall of 110 meters.
After recovering, he realized that despite the dense forest, the trees had spacious gaps, allowing him to see in all directions. He decided to move forward. After walking for 5 minutes, he decided to run. He wasn't finding any animal life except for that rabbit that bit his face. As he ran, he realized he was running much faster than he was used to. When he ran for real, he was so surprised by his speed that he almost fell off a cliff. He managed to stop before falling. He analyzed the cliff. It wasn't the same height as the tree, but it was a considerable drop.
Okay, up to this point, he realized that he would have to find some point of reference for civilization or he would just be walking aimlessly, falling off cliffs or trees. Not pleasant.
He thought, what must a city have to function so deep in the interior like this?
"A river."
The answer came very quickly.
...
"How do I know this?"
Really, he never had thought about these things. Never studied how the structure of villages and cities was made. However, the answer to your problem came in a matter of seconds. It was confusing, but if he knew, it must be because of some civilization game or a cultural documentary about human history. If that was the case, then he was very happy to remember, as hunger was setting in.
He decided to look for the damn river, lake, stream, or whatever that had water. After a good 20 minutes, he found a small river... At the bottom of the cliff...
Seriously? Did it have to be right on the cliff? Of all the places this spring had to emerge, it had to be on a damn cliff?
Daniel had to go down. He couldn't complain or he would wither away from lack of food.
After putting his buttocks on the ground to start descending, the stone gave way.
He fell.
"What do I do? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"
"Close your arms, stretch your legs and body, and point to the water."
That's what he did, and miraculously, he didn't hit the rocks at the bottom of the water, surviving a deadly fall. After getting out of the water and going to the shore, once again the question came to mind.
"How do I know this?"
This was something he had truly never heard of. How was it possible? He knew exactly that it was a high-altitude diving technique and that it had helped many cartographers and explorers in their lives by preventing major tragedies and unnecessary injuries. But he had never even had that knowledge.
Not to mention how familiar it felt for him to travel in this forest. Like he was connected with it somehow. He could tell he was far away from civilization, not because of obvious observations, but it was based on the vegetation nearby.
He stood up and surveyed the area. More trees, but there was a river. And the cliff... Well, Daniel couldn't expect his answers to fall from the sky, so he decided to put an end to his food dilemma and look for something to eat.
The question is:
What can one eat?
This was something he had "studied" in his life. Mushrooms, for the most part, are poisonous, so that's out of the question. Unknown fruits weren't a good option either, although Daniel knew quite a bit about fruits.
Although there were no signs of fruit-bearing trees so far.
His solution was one he had never tried in his forest visits.
Fish.
He would have to find something to catch the fish, if there were any fish in the river. He decided to check, and indeed, there were fish in the lake. There were also many ways to catch a fish. With a shirt, with a rod, with hands, with the body...
He needed a quick way to catch a fish. While pondering the best and most efficient way to catch a fish, a doubt arose:
"How am I going to cook this? Do I eat it raw? Will it taste good? Am I going to vomit?"
Questions he didn't want to think about at the moment.
He concluded that the best way to catch a fish would be using his pants. He would use the mesh pants and fish for whatever he could. Before taking off his pants, he picked up a pebble. He had to kill the fish, which is quite difficult to do with bare hands.
He put his plan into action. It took a few tries before he caught something. Tying the ends of his pants' legs, Daniel managed to catch a reasonably sized fish. Without wasting time, he threw the stone at his pants, thus killing the fish.
And losing his pants in the process.
He was naked, lost, confused, and hungry. At least there's something to eat!
He grabbed the fish and threw his pants away. He forgot to think about how he would open the fish since the scales could cut the skin.
Scales...
He looked at his arm and compared the fish scales. They weren't the same. His scales were much stiffer and more resistant. He decided to open the fish with his fingers, which was... easy? Was it supposed to be like this? His surprise was silenced by the sound of his stomach. He began devouring his small aquatic prey.
He had to admit something his grandfather always said.
"The best sauce is hunger."
He couldn't agree more with the phrase. The fish was raw, full of bones, and tasted horrible. But it must be the most delicious thing he had eaten so far.
After eating and letting out a little burp, Daniel realizes that...
Well... CARLOS SHOT HIM!
And now he's in the middle of nowhere?!?! What the heck is happening? Why did he get shot? Did he want to do this for a long time? And Serenity? And the house? And... And…?
"What the hell is happening?"
There were too many doubts and a lot of shouting to himself. If someone saw him now, they would think he's some lunatic who escaped from the asylum and for some reason likes to scream while naked. It wasn't the best scenario he'd like to present to anyone. Actually, to no one.
First: He cooled his head by diving into the river.
Second: He had to organize the facts and apply Occam's Razor.
Third: If wherever he is turns out to be real (if it isn't already, after all, he caught a fish that satisfied his hunger), he would have to live somewhere. Shelter is his priority.
Starting from the beginning, Daniel thought:
"I agreed to the Telemarketing fight, slept, woke up the next day to work, got fired, visited Grandpa, then I went to Terris' bar, the fight happened, and I lost..."
He didn't like admitting the last part.
"... After that, I went to have a drink in the alley, Carlos came and said he set up the fight for me, that I was really supposed to lose, I got mad and tried to strangle him, he shot me, and..."
His reasoning stopped at that moment. He was afraid to conclude. Did he die? Was that really what happened? Then how was he here and now? Was it an illusion? Or that "near-death experience" or something?
He put his hand where he got shot. That sensation was too real to be a dream. And where he is now is also too real. Eating this fish must have been the most abnormal thing he did, considering the situation, but it also wasn't a lie. Daniel died.
Shook his head. It's absurd and at the same time an irrefutable fact. If there's such a thing as refuting a fact. This dilemma in his head is like a trench warfare, where each side has its arguments and points to mention, but none of them can win.
"Huh."
Daniel turned in the direction of the sound.
"A gorilla/monkey/primate."
"Why are you naked there?", The creature asked.
"He speaks."
"Can you hear me?"
Daniel didn't answer.
"Hey! Are you deaf? Can't you speak?"
"You SPEAK?!?", Daniel screamed.
"Of course, you animal.", The primate said calmly.
"YOU'RE THE ANIMAL, YOU... YOU...!"
Daniel couldn't believe it. He was going crazy. It had to be that. He was yelling at a talking monkey/primate/gorilla in the middle of a forest, naked, with fish scraps in his mouth.
"You...?"
The primate in question was impatient with the naked man's smile in front of him. It was patrolling the cliff area in search of something to hunt and found this crazy guy. He seemed to have eaten, but he was alone.
"I'm not hallucinating, right?" Daniel finally asks.
The primate furrowed its brow. It didn't understand what that sentence was supposed to mean. Hallucinating? What's the reason?
"Are you okay?" It asked, ignoring its critical side and calling on its empathetic side.
"I don't know...", Was the answer given, "Do I look okay?"
"You seem to have escaped from your keepers to be naked in the forest while shouting at anything that appears."
Daniel started laughing, which didn't help improve the primate's assessment of him. After wiping his tears of happiness, Daniel began to explain his situation.
"Look... See, I'm lost, without clothes, and with very little or no knowledge about the flora, fauna, and terrain for me to move wherever I should be going." He said, finally accepting his situation.
That felt like a lie and he couldn't tell why. The forest seemed so nice to him.
"Uh-huh...", The primate replied, still hesitant to prolong the conversation.
"What happened to me is not exactly a happy story. But I won't bother you because everyone has a sad story to tell."
"Okay..."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"I was with an acquaintance of mine; we organized an illegal fight where I lost. I got shot by this acquaintance, woke up in a giant tree, and now I'm here.", He summarized poorly.
The primate put its hand on its chin, assimilating everything this man said. As it seems, this person was betrayed by his friend, a business partner, or something similar. Probably, he was also discarded for being useless or knowing too much. If his story is as honest and straightforward as he told, this man also misjudged the methods used for his disposal.
In summary: He was betrayed for reasons greater than he may not even know.
What doesn't make much sense is how he managed to descend an 80-meter cliff. Being wet hints that he might have jumped, but he also has fish scraps in his mouth, which doesn't give much credence to that assumption.
Ultimately, this man will be dead if he stays alone, something the Primate has no obligation to help with. It's not his problem.
"What's your name?" The primate asked.
Daniel stood up; he wanted to say his name in a dignified manner. As dignified as he could be while naked, at least. When he stood up, however, he realized that his interlocutor was tall. Very tall. About 1.90 meters and something tall.
He also realized that if he used his real name, he might not get the answers he needs.
His biggest doubts at the moment are:
The reason for his death by Carlos.
Where the fuck he is.
What he should do.
With all this in mind, Daniel makes a decision.
"Connor."
"Connor?"
"Connor" nods in confirmation.
"My name is Abe. Nice to meet you, Connor."
They both shake hands as a sign of mutual respect. Until they both realize that it's a naked man and a primate greeting each other.
----------------------------------------
Walking for a while, a conversation could be heard in the forest.
"So that's what we're going to do. Got it?"
"So, you're going to teach me the basics so I can fend for myself, and in return, you want me to help you with your tribe's food problem?" Connor summarized, hoping that's all Abe would ask.
"You don't need to explain it to me as if I weren't the person who offered you this deal."
Connor rolls his eyes. This primate really didn't understand what he meant, but he also wasn't going to explain. Other people's foolishness tends to spread like wildfire in dry grass. A spark is enough to cause new formations of geography.
"Anyway... How are we going to do this?"
"Until we reach my tribe, we have a few days of travel, so I'll teach you some things. The first one is..."
Connor waited in anticipation for the lesson. He found it strange to be eager for a lesson from what would technically be the inferior form of his own species. But he decided to keep quiet for his own good.
"Sewing."
"Sewing?" He questioned.
"Sewing." Abe reaffirmed.
"Sewing?" Mockingly.
"Sewing." Annoyed.
"Sewing..." Defeated at last, he gave in.
"Don't want to learn?"
"It's just that I thought I was going to learn something more..."
"Important?"
It wasn't what he meant, but it also wasn't what he wasn't thinking. Really, of all the knowledge he could receive, the prospect of sewing wasn't the most captivating thing. He thought he would learn to make bows and arrows and hunt the most ferocious creatures to understand how it would work before hunting bears, lions, and horses.
Horses have a lot of meat.
"Don't get me wrong, but I don't want to teach someone who's going to be naked during other lessons."
"Fair point."
"So, let's begin."
They stopped walking. Abe started assembling something with some wooden stakes and stones. Connor watched, waiting for the moment the words would reach him.
"First of all...", Abe began explaining, still in his craft, "...you should gather leaves or strips of straw."
"And?"
"Bring them here."
Connor did as instructed. He looked for leaves and strips of straw. He reasoned the basics of what he thought sewing would be and concluded that he would make... Well... Clothes. Leaves would serve as fabric, and strips of straw would be the thread to tie it all together.
Upon returning, Abe already had a small fire and a tent.
"Okay, and now, what do I do?"
"Pants."
"How?"
"With your hands."
Connor realized he wouldn't get much information with one-word answers from Abe. Clearly, he wanted him to try to assess his knowledge of sewing. However, Connor couldn't care less about what Abe wanted.
"Tell me how the fuck do I do it."
The aggressive tone in Connor's voice was noticed. Not only aggressive but also impatient. Abe began to reconsider whether it would be worth teaching the equivalent of a Barbarian the delicate acts of sewing. But also, walking with someone naked all the time isn't the best view his mind was producing.
With a sigh, Abe began explaining how to use the strips of straw and the leaves Connor had collected to make a simple pair of pants.
The result was a disaster. It couldn't be called pants. It looked much more like underwear. After several attempts, Connor managed to create pants that seemed decent. Emphasis on "seemed."
Abe felt much more comfortable with his student having garments for his lower body. Even though his facial expression hadn't changed since they met.
"Very good." Was Abe's final assessment.
"But that wasn't sewing. It was just tying some leaves with some strings."
"Yes, but this experience wasn't for your knowledge of sewing."
"Huh?"
"This was for you to get used to the process of making clothes. Knowing exactly where each piece should fit and what should be discarded."
"But that's knowledge of sewing..."
With Connor being ignored, Abe continued his reasoning;
"With sewing, beginners tend to use all the fabric, making their first pieces unnecessarily large and with many extra lines that don't provide the necessary strength for the garment. Doing it manually, you learn these details much faster."
"Ah." A reaction from a student finally understanding what his teacher is trying to teach.
"Now make footwear. You need it."
----------------------------------------
Fully clothed, Connor was waiting for a new lesson from his primate companion, something he was eager to expedite. The satisfaction of producing his own clothes was quite rewarding. Even if they were made of leaves, it's still much better than being naked.
"What do I do now?" He said as he put on his shirt.
"I'll teach you how to make a fire."
"But we already have one." He pointed to the flames that were now quite visible as it was getting dark.
"Ah."
Abe gets up, grabs a piece of coconut, goes to a lake, fetches water, and throws it on the fire.
"Now we don't have one anymore."
Connor was very pissed off with the turn of events. This primate really knew how to irritate someone. Connor didn't need any study to understand that the night is DAMN COLD. The morning breeze was no longer warm; imagine now that it's getting dark in the middle of the forest?
"Get dry wood and sharp stones. You have 10 minutes before it gets completely dark. 30 minutes before you freeze."
Connor ran. He wasn't going to spend the first night wherever he was cuddling with a primate just because he couldn't make a fire. This line of reasoning reminded him of a type of people who live on the internet.
"Furries."
Just thinking about it made him shudder.
Thanks to his daydreaming, it took him longer to find the necessary wood and stones. However, it wasn't getting darker. Sure, he could see that it was getting dark, but it wasn't as dark as it should be. It was somewhat weird, but also very useful. His eyes adapted very quickly to the darkness of the night.
He returned with the materials.
"You have 15 minutes until we're freezing."
Abe's comments weren't helpful. Honestly, he could be less of a jerk and help, right?
"What do I do?"
"Do you still have those strips of straw?"
"Yeah."
"Use them as wicks, hit the sharp part of the stones on the straw. Once they start smoking, blow on them lightly so they start burning, throw them on the wood, but don't throw all the wood at once, or there won't be any fire."
Connor did as instructed, and in a few moments, there was a small, simple fire.
"Great."
An assessment that didn't make Connor any calmer. But he didn't want to complain; the cold was already coming, and he just wanted to have a fire all night.
"Now, come here. I'll teach you how to cook something over the fire."
----------------------------------------
The three days that passed were quite interesting for Connor and very irritating for Abe. For some reason, Connor always complained about the lessons he learned and always acted ignorantly and stupidly. Each class was a test of patience that he wasn't in the mood to participate in.
Connor was also starting to get impatient with the monotonous routine of his teachings. He learned how to make clothes, fires, cook, differentiate something poisonous from something safe, how to make a small shelter and beds, how to turn coconuts into cups or canteens to store water...
They were undoubtedly useful things to know. Connor was grateful for learning things that made him increasingly independent of Abe, but it was more than time to learn combat, hunting, and stealth.
There were just over 5 days of travel ahead. So Abe thought that maybe it's time to really take some action. And not just about the teachings.
"Let's stop here." Enunciated the primate.
"Do you want me to set up the shelter?"
"Let me do that. For now, grab a stone about this size." He said while gesturing with his hands, indicating the size of the object.
Connor didn't take long to find the stone. It looked like a knife. He wondered why Abe wanted something like that.
"Must be to make a knife."
That was his own answer. Something that wouldn't be absurd by any means.
After returning, Abe had some strips of straw and resin in his hands. Or what Connor thought was resin.
"Give me the stone."
Connor handed it over without questioning. He witnessed his companion wrap the strips with resin, hardening them in the fire of the newly made campfire. After dipping the object in the earth several times, he picked up any random stone from the ground and began sharpening the longest part of the stone. It didn't take long for Connor to realize that he was crafting a knife.
After a few minutes of the stone being dragged, Abe handed the freshly made knife to Connor.
"Take it."
"A knife."
"Your description of the object is amazing." The primate mocked.
"What am I going to do with this?"
"What do you do with a knife?"
"Cut things?" He answered without much certainty. Not about what the knife did, but about what the primate was trying to say.
"And why would you cut things?"
"For various reasons. Whether to collect something, use it as an improvised hammer, remove the seeds from a fruit, or cut the fruit itself."
Abe became interested in Connor's reasoning. Of all the things that crossed his mind, he didn't think of the most obvious.
"Hunt." He said in a tone that completed a sentence.
"Yes, hunt—"
"..."
"And to defend myself or attack."
Abe nodded approvingly. It was about time his companion had the discernment to know that his wait for combat lessons was over.
—"Okay, what am I going to learn with this knife? Besides the obvious."
Abe threw a surprise punch at Connor, who was looking at the knife while talking. The impact of the punch was like hitting a brick wall with a car. He was thrown backward, both due to having a low guard and the supernatural strength of the primate. Despite the sudden attack, Connor didn't fall to the ground or lose his balance. Also, for some reason, the primate felt as if he had punched a tree trunk. Strange...
After recovering from the attack and spitting out a bit of blood, Connor looked at the person who attacked him, contemplating his fist.
"I guess now my training should begin, right?"
Connor asked in a threatening tone. He was angry and excited. Angry about the punch and excited to finally be learning something he wanted. Actually, he just wanted to punch something. It was more than time to burn some calories in a fight. His experience so far had been peaceful and pleasant, but man... How he loved to fight.
Abe nodded, not giving a clear answer on how Connor should approach the fight. He wanted to know if his scaly companion had any knowledge of combat. Even a little would help eliminate some tedious lessons like "how to position your feet" or "where your arms should be." That part is always the most boring and tiring, as it should be a natural for a fighter.
The primate, however, was quite surprised by the fact that Connor had assumed a solid and unusual stance. It seemed to be the posture of any drunkard, but the way he positioned his feet, arms, and torso made it clear that it wasn't quite like that.
"Great."
That was the only thing Abe thought. After staring at each other for a few seconds, Connor took the initiative. Throwing the knife in his hand towards Abe, he ran the moment the Primate dodged, surprised to see that the only thing he did to dodge was tilt his head slightly to the side, letting the knife embed itself into a tree.
Connor was surprised by two things. The first was that he managed to throw a knife perfectly, something he had never done before. The second was how Abe easily avoided his attack. Putting these thoughts aside, he continued his assault. Some punches were executed, not with much force, just focusing on technique rather than strength.
Abe dodged some and took the trouble to block others but didn't seem to be putting much effort into his defense. While Connor contemplated his opponent, Abe took the luxury of delivering a counterattack brutally and directly. A left hook would meet his jaw if his body hadn't acted on instinct. There was no time to think because the blows never stopped at the first one. Connor had to block these since the speed his primitive opponent was showing was much higher than his.
He couldn't hide his frustration when comparing Abe to Telemarketing.
His little distraction proved to be his most fatal mistake when a straight right hit his nose head-on. Despite the impact of the blow being much stronger than the last one he took to the face, he still stood. This only earned him approving looks from Abe. The primate itself was still thinking about how Connor's skin is much tougher than that of other people and how he must have experience in combat. Not only in the way he fights but also because even after taking two blows that would normally leave a regular person sipping through a straw. Although Connor was not a regular person, at least not in Abe's eyes.
The fight continued for a few more minutes, with Abe dominating his opponent effortlessly. He deduced that what Connor lacked was not experience, technique, or strength. But rather, discipline and calm. His frustration was visible with every blow he couldn't land or every kick or punch he received. This made him make more mistakes, which earned him more accurate blows to the face. And yet, Connor never fell to the ground or gave up attacking the Primate. Something that did not go unnoticed.
He has a lot of dedication and determination. Or he's stubborn. Either way, he needed to be polished urgently or he'd lose any tough fight that came his way. His mental state, as far as Abe can tell, is that Connor has lost few times in his life, if any.
Recalling his words, "we all have a sad story to tell", made the primate wonder if what he said was just a joke or if there was more behind his arrogant and immature attitude. Regardless, it didn't matter at the moment. He needed to make his student understand the meaning of humility, even if it's through pain.
With a finishing punch (which, in Abe's opinion, was his strongest), Connor finally fell to the ground. He was exhausted and panting. Despite having craved a fight for so long, he was already thinking about learning to make cotton with pieces of wood and vine.
"You are unruly, undisciplined, and arrogant. You think you can take on everything and everyone. Despite having a great fighting style that suits your physique and mentality, making it your strength, it's also your weakness", Abe began, pointing out what was wrong with his disciple as he sat near the dying campfire, thanks to the time spent in the fight.
Connor listened to every word, feeling both anger and shame. Anger for losing the fight and shame because everything said was true.
"Not only that, but you abandoned the only thing that could give you a chance to win this fight."
Now Connor was confused. How did he abandon it? He used everything he knew for hours! He was doing quite well against this gorilla! Tilting his head slightly to the side, he had an expression of "I'm pissed off and understanding nothing".
"The knife", The primate finally said, seeing that his disciple wouldn't understand no matter how hard he tried.
"Huh?"
"Have you ever fought someone who used a knife?"
Connor searched his memories for a similar situation, but was unsuccessful. Reasoning on his own, he tried to find a reason why his simian companion was placing so much emphasis on a knife. As far as he knew, a knife had three purposes: cutting things, piercing things, and defending oneself from others with a knife. Besides serving as an improvised tool for other services. Since he had never used a knife in a fight, he thought the best thing to do was to get rid of it to avoid some stupid mistake, like falling on his own knife.
Abe stared at Connor's dumbfounded face for a good few minutes, hoping he would come to a conclusion. If his reasoning was exactly like his behavior, he was starting to think that training the young man might not have been the smartest idea.
"Let me explain it to you in a better way," said Abe, picking up the knife that was left on the tree trunk.
Connor stood up and prepared for what he thought would be a more intense training session. Abe also took a combat stance, but he left his left hand slightly more advanced than before.
At that moment, the primate attacked with the knife, trying to cut his student, something the said student didn't want to happen. Despite blocking the attack almost perfectly, he still got cut, even if only grazed. Connor jumped back, creating some distance.
He looked at where he received the cut. He wasn't actually cut, but the skin was getting slightly irritated and a bit red. Wide-eyed, Connor understood what Abe meant.
"Is it impossible not to get hurt in a knife fight?"
"Not exactly. It's possible to come out unscathed from a slashing attack, but even the most experienced fighters can't avoid cuts from a blade, especially without armor," explained the primate, using the knife to indicate how the wounds would be.
"So, you wanted to see if I would use the knife to give myself an advantage?"
"Precisely."
"Huh..."
A brief silence fell over the area, with Connor admiring the lesson, and Abe feeding the fire with some strips of wood. Who would have thought you'd learn something after dying? Certainly not him, but he wasn't going to complain.