I couldn’t get an exact estimate on how long the python Ren was fighting was, since it had curled a few times on the ground, but it had to have been at least five meters in length, and its body was about as thick as my torso. Ren faced down the snake with his dagger out, purple smoke curling in the air as it rose off of him. He was already breathing hard, and the charred lines of grass drawn all over the clearing told me the fight had already been going on for a while.

As I watched, the python opened its jaws slightly and breathed out a stream of flames, in a manner similar to the flaming breath I’d used on the goblins. But, unlike the mass expulsion of ignited Flux that I’d done, the python did it in a much more controlled, forced way. As a result, the stream was faster and hotter, and easier to aim.

The flames struck the ground at Ren’s feet just as he rolled forward, bringing himself closer to the python and just under the stream coming from its mouth. Before the python could adjust its aim and scorch Ren, he lunged forward and served the snake a hard uppercut that shut off the stream of flames. With his dagger-wielding hand, Ren made to stab down at the thick body of the python at the same time, but before he could, the python whipped out its tail at Ren.

The python's tail was the last thing that Ren wanted to be hit by, since the last foot of it was constantly raging with flame. So, abandoning his attack, Ren ducked and rolled away just a second before the flaming tail of the python struck the ground.

I wondered if I should help out as I hunkered hidden near the edge of the small clearing they fought in. Eventually, I decided against doing anything for the moment, since I didn’t want to risk throwing Ren off with my flames. Ren didn’t seem like he needed much help anyway, at least for now, and I didn’t think my flames would be particularly helpful against the fire-wielding python.

Instead, I settled down in the thicket, content to watch the show unfold. I’d step in if Ren were in any danger, but so long as he seemed fine, I’d focus instead on trying to learn from Ren’s moves. My flames had given me a great boost in strength, enough that I was now confident in facing Ren, but he was still a far greater fighter than I.

Well, for now, anyway, I thought to myself, trying to lessen the blow to my ego the admission had made.

Ren only served to prove me right over the course of the fight. Not once did he falter or slip up, a calm smile plastered on his face the entire time. As if the fight was always under his control. The python was a tough opponent, quick but brutally powerful with its body alone, and the flames only made it far more dangerous. But Ren dealt with every trick it threw at him gracefully, his incredible spatial awareness and reaction speed taking center stage as they saved his life more times than I could keep track of.

Watching him made me realize again how incredible of a skill his Flux Sense was. It gave him ample time to react to any attack, from any angle. The little, half-a-meter of Flux that I could sense around me made dodging so much easier, but I could only imagine how much of an advantage having a range of three meters would give.

Ren used that advantage, coupled with his nimble form, to slip through every attack of the python, only occasionally getting close enough to the flame to suffer a few minor burns; nothing a Revive wouldn’t take care of.

The python, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. Ren’s dagger painted countless bloody trails on the snake’s skin, and its scarlet blood dripped down from each of them, coloring its scales a dark red. The scales were thick enough to prevent any of Ren’s attacks from cutting too deep, but with Ren’s speed, the python could do little to prevent him from constantly peppering it with wounds.

Eventually, the python began to slow noticeably, as more and more of its blood painted the ground beneath it. The battle between man and snake had always been one of speed, and slowing down a little for either of them would spell the end. Unfortunately for Ren, however, the python had also managed to light much of the ground on fire, which prevented him from moving as freely as he needed to fully take advantage of the python's slowed movements.

The fight quickly settled into a game of time, but it was apparent that the python was on the losing side. The wounds it had sustained were too many for it to keep fighting for long, and if it didn't find a way to disengage and heal somehow, it would die long before the fire in the clearing could kill Ren. The pair understood this, but Ren was in no position to stop the snake from slithering away if it decided to.

The python understood the same, and with one last breath of fire that sealed Ren away, it turned around and darted into the thicket as quickly as it could. For a second, it seemed to Ren that the python would successfully escape, and his hard work would all be for nothing. But, just as the python burst into the leaves, Ren saw a bright flash of orange as I finally revealed myself.

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Stepping into the path of a massive, speeding python was something I’d never imagined I’d have to do in my life, but it was a thrilling experience. The python, upon seeing another human in its path, opened its jaws and let out a stream of flames at me in the hopes that it could deal with me quickly.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t so easily defeated.

Propelling myself up in the air by blasting out fire from my feet, I grabbed onto a branch above me with one hand and shot down my own stream of fire with the other. The python, moving too quickly to slow down in time, ran straight through my flames. The bright orange engulfed the python's body, making it writhe in pain. However, unlike other animals, it wasn’t immobilized by the pain, and managed to counter while being cooked alive. Its massive head shot out at me like a loaded spring erupting, its jaws opened wide as it made to bite down on me.

I immediately let go of the branch I was hanging on and dropped to the ground, landing in a low crouch and rolling backward not a second before the flaming tail of the python crashed onto the ground I’d landed on. As I did, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the python’s ability. The two-pronged attack required more intellect than I had given the snake credit for, and the speed at which the animal pulled it off, given how injured it was, was impressive.

With its second attack failing, the python lowered its head back to the ground and surveyed me again, its tongue flickering out for a second before it burst forward again, moving with lightning speed.

But, before I could decide how to dodge, Ren exploded out of the undergrowth to my left, pouncing on the python’s head like a tiger with a lock on its prey. The timing of his attack was impeccable, and the arm holding his dagger swung down just as the top of the python’s skull appeared in his path. Ren put all the force he had into the attack, and it showed as the blade buried itself hilt deep into the python’s skull, skewering through the thick scales and bone.

The python came to a violent stop barely a meter from where I stood, the light in its eyes snuffed out almost instantly. For a second, Ren and I stayed where we were, not moving a muscle as the adrenaline of the fight drained from our bodies.

Finally, Ren broke our silence with a chuckle. “Tryna steal my kill there, were you?”

I grinned at him. “I only stepped in ‘cause I had to, since it looked to me like you couldn’t finish the job yourself.”

Ren chuckled again in response, trying to find an argument but coming up empty. After all, I was right. The python would have escaped had I not stepped in, but Ren wouldn’t ever admit that, so I took his silence as admission enough and gave him my most smug smile.

Shaking his head, Ren wordlessly wrenched the dagger out of the python’s skull and, after making sure that the fight was truly over, sprawled down on the ground near the base of a tree. His hood had fallen off, letting his hair fall freely to his shoulders, and the fight had left his clothes and hair dirty and disheveled, but I was in no position to criticize, since I was surely in no better a state.

I made my way over to where he lay as well with a wide smile on my face, wanting to savor the rare peaceful moment. Despite the dirt and exhaustion, I couldn’t have been happier then. I felt free in a way I hadn’t in a long, long time; maybe not in my entire life. Not even the peaceful days I had spent in the community I had built with Rosefire compared. Those days had been exciting and fun, but there had always been a prevailing burden of responsibility on my shoulders, one that I hadn’t even noticed until it was gone.

But now, none of that mattered. I had responsibilities to no one but myself – and maybe Ren, though he didn’t really ask for much beyond entertainment. And unlike my days in Toronto, before I’d met Ren, I was under the foot of no one either. There were no gang territories I had to watch out for, no debt collectors always a step behind me. My life was entirely mine, and whether I thrived or died depended entirely on how I did.

I understood that the future would be perilous, and the chances of both of us – or worse, one of us – dying were high, but the prospect wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I’d imagined it would be. I was at peace with what I had at the moment, and I would savor every second of freedom that I had.

The peaceful moment stretched on as we basked in the rays of the sun, the golden beams dripping through the gaps in the canopy overhead. Neither of us spoke for a while, content in the embrace of the wind and sun and grass – the cradle of the earth.

But of course, the peace could never last long in a jungle like this. Before long, the wind started picking up around us, slow at first but quickly getting violent enough that we both knew it couldn’t be natural.

Ren and I looked at each other for a moment before I heaved a sigh. All this fighting is fun, but I really wouldn’t mind a break at this point, I thought to myself. A little rest would do wonders at the moment, for both my Flux reserve and my mind. And I would have liked to grab my pole again, and take the rewards of my fights too. At this point, it was more than likely that another animal had already taken the water panther I’d stupidly left lying there.

But, unfortunately, the massive bird that swooped down on us, breaking through the overhead canopy with a crash, seemed to have other ideas.