Oak’s stomach lurched as he barreled through the sky, the turbulent wind slowly spinning his sphere faster and faster and he tumbled within. The initial acceleration had nearly sent his brains out his backend and the gradual acceleration of gravity put his stomach halfway up his esophagus. Still, none of this could hold a candle to the disorienting and jolting forces he experienced when the sphere finally landed.

Oak’s sphere plummeted from the sky and crashed into the forest below. His world became surrounded by massive trees with branches wide enough for a car to drive on. He slammed into the bark of a tree with the velocity of an airliner and ricocheted off. His sphere bounced and rolled down a branch and tumbled over the edge. He fell another fifty feet before bouncing off another branch and pinballing between multiple trees. He finally hit the forest floor and bounced off a root, sending his velocity into a horizontal trajectory and causing the sphere to spin rapidly.

Oak’s eyes couldn’t keep up with the motion around him and he shut them hard, praying for an end to this torture. He tried to throw up but the motion kept jostling his body so violently he could hardly find a moment to heave anything out. His bladder was far less patient with him, and he thanked his lucky stars for taking care of his other business earlier that day.

The sphere bounced around the forest and slowed its roll. It banked up the curved root of a tree and rolled slowly through the forest. Oak was still tumbling inside only less violently now. The ball rolled into a clearing and slowed as it rolled over a small tree, its trunk snapping and branches encompassing the sphere. Oak finally got a handle on his surroundings as it rolled to a halt atop the half-broken tree. His stomach lurched again as he looked down and saw the tree holding him haphazardly over a several hundred-foot drop and his body began to shake.

Oak’s stomach finally decided to release its stored contents all over the interior of the sphere and he tried desperately to not shake the sphere too much as he emptied his lunch and the cake from the party all over himself. A voice chimed in his head, that same melodic, robotic voice from before, “No momentum detected, disabling shield.”

Oak shook his head in panic but couldn’t get a single word out before the ground gave out and branches snapped into place around him. The crackling of snapping wood sounded from the base of the tree and he scrambled down the trunk. His weapon, the flail whip thing, bumped his arm as he did and sent small shoots of pain up it. He tried to push it aside but just as his hand moved down the tree snapped and he felt the trunk give way to open air. His hands clenched for anything they could find purchase on when his right hand jerked upward. Chain snapped tight around his hand and he yelped in pain. The several-hundred-foot drop hung below him as the tree cracked and thumped against the rocky ground.

Oak’s whole body trembled and sweat covered his body. He looked up to see the ball of the flail lodged firmly in a crevice of a rock. About twelve feet of chain extended down and wrapped the remaining three feet around his hand. One of the fingers was bent back and red with blood. The rest of the hand was growing purple from the pressure and he winced as white-hot pain shot up his arm.

Oak reached his other hand up and grasped the chain, pulling his weight up and planting his feet on the cliff wall. As pressure eased in his hand, the pain redoubled. Oak gasped from the pain and clenched his teeth. He looked back down and took in a shaky breath. He pulled himself up with his left arm and pushed with his legs, each time he progressed he wrapped the chain around his right arm and pulled with the left.

It took him longer than it should have to reach the top and he swung his leg over the lip of the cliff and rolled onto the rocky surface on top. Gravel dug into his skin but he paid it little attention. The chain loosened on his right arm and he slowly began to unravel it. Bruises and cuts riddled his arm where the chain had dug in and pinched skin together. He reached the section that had wrapped his mangled hand and reached a shaky hand over to unravel it. Each movement of the chain sent another wave of pain up his arm but he grit his teeth and continued unraveling.

Beneath the chain, the hand looked even worse. His thumb and pinky had been broken and bent at odd angles and the bones in his palm were shattered. Skin had been peeled up in several areas and had nearly degloved his hand. Three of his five nails were cracked and splintered, two of them missing chunks of the nail. At the sight and resulting pain, Oak doubled over and vomited again, managing only a small amount of bile this time. He rocked back and forth on the ground and tried desperately to breathe through the pain.

On his HUD, a blue silhouette of a human body was shown next to his MogMog and Grum wheels. One of the arms was blinking in a deep red color, his other hand was slightly lighter blue while other sections of his body flashed with small orange light.

A massage had been blinking in the corner of his HUD and he just now came to notice it. He focused as much as he could on it as he winced through the pain in his body. A screen popped up and read Tutorial Inventory: A temporary pocket space where a few provisions are given. Only Official Tutorial items can be placed in the space. Once an item is removed it cannot return to the inventory.

Oak felt a twinge of hope in his heart as he opened it up and let out a gasp of relief when he saw what was inside. The third thing down on the small list read Basic Healing Potion x3: Heals non-fatal injuries over 10 seconds.

Oak gave the mental command to pull out the potion but a portal opened in front of him instead. A shelf sat in front of him with three bottles sitting on it labeled: Health Potions. He reached his good hand in and grabbed one of the vials of clear liquid. The round, oblong bottle seemed to be made of crystal and had a glass stopper on top which Oak quickly flicked off with his thumb. He tipped the flask up and let the contents pour into his throat. The taste of bitter herbs flooded his mouth and the burn of alcohol chased the liquid down his throat. It was all he could do to not spit it back out. He swallowed its contents and sat for a moment as he waited for the effects.

He felt the cool liquid settle into his stomach and then a blinking countdown appeared next to the silhouette on his HUD. As it began the countdown, Oak winced and grit his teeth. His arm had begun to mend and bone shifted back into place. Two pops sounded in unison as the broken fingers snapped back, Oak stifled a cry and doubled over again, tears pushing the edges of his eyes. The skin began to mend itself and a strong burning pain accompanied an irresistible itchiness. Oak writhed under the intolerable sensations and resisted the urge to scratch the skin back off. The rest of his body experienced similar sensations as the potion healed all of his cuts and bruises.

He held his hand up, shaking violently, as he examined it. He took several calming breaths and the shaking slowed to a tremble. He sat there, at the edge of the cliff, his body shaking and cold, and let out several heaving breaths, the tension of the last couple minutes releasing from his body. He crawled over slumped against a tree and let the tears that had built in his eyes slowly trickle down his cheeks. He had never felt pain like that before and his body still tensed at the thought. He gathered himself and stood up, looking around the forest for any signs of where he might be or where he should go.

A crackling whistle sounded from behind him, just over the cliff, and a light shot up into the sky. A few moments later, another light shot up, accompanied by another whistle. He looked down into the section of the forest it had come from and hoped that was one of the skills his friends had picked up. Oak grabbed his flail off the ground and started to fasten it back to his belt when something else caught his attention.

Distantly, Oak heard another sound, a voice from behind him and up the hill, it was Ashley’s voice, “Grey! Mia! Oak! Anyone!” she called out, continuing to cycle through their names as she cried out.

Oak opened his mouth to reply when something large and furry knocked him aside. The air was driven from his lungs and he raised the chain of his weapon just in time to catch the snarling maw of a massive wolf. The jaws of the wolf gnashed against the chain which drove further into its mouth. The wolf fought between gnashing its teeth and gagging on the chain. It made a guttural growling sound and coughed over Oak’s face. Warm, sticky fluid splashed his face and he winced.

The wolf’s paws scratched at him making it difficult to hold up the chain. Oak let a small length of chain slide out of his left hand and quickly wrapped it behind the wolf’s head. He let another couple of feet out and wrapped it around the neck of the beast. The wolf thrashed and struggled, tightening the chain around its throat. Its paw came up and pressed on the chain but this only added to the growing tension. It reeled back and tried desperately to free itself. Oak redoubled his efforts and wrapped another loop around its neck. He grabbed the handle and shoved it between two chains against the wolf’s fur. They pulled tight against the hilt and he grabbed the chain nearest to the ball of the flail.

Oak tugged hard on the chain and yanked the beast toward him. He looked around frantically for a way to finish the beast off. An idea popped into his head and he yanked violently on the remaining nine feet of chain. The wolf coughed and struggled but couldn't manage to free itself. Oak wrapped the ball around the base of a sturdy branch and locked the chain in place. The spikes dug into the bark as the wolf struggled and secured the chain further into place.

Oak ran into the brush and grabbed a large, broken branch, a product of his abrupt entry into this world. He hefted it up at chest level and charged the struggling wolf that was trying to lower its head beneath the chain's pull. He slammed into the beast with as much force as he could muster and prayed he hit it at just the right angle. The wolf stumbled to the side and snarled. Its paws slipped out and Oak caught a glimpse of its panicked look as it tumbled over the edge of the cliff. The chain went slack for only a moment then snapped itself taught again, the links singing out as they clanged together.

Oak heard a stifled yelp from over the side and heard claws scramble on stone as the wolf thrashed about. Gargled grunts and growls escaped its maw but the struggle slowed as the beast was robbed of air. The chain went still and a low gurgling sounded as the last breath of the beast escaped through its collapsed throat.

Oak shut his eyes and lay at the edge of the cliff, waiting far longer than necessary to pull the wolf back up and retrieve his weapon. As the stillness settled over him once again, he heard the shouts of Ashley return. They sounded closer and more panicked now. He scrambled to the chain and pulled on it. It moved slightly but resisted his pull. He pulled off the leather belt he was given and slid the thickest part of it between the chain and the rock of the cliff. He jammed the metal loop of the belt into a crack and moved back to pull on the chain again. It moved more smoothly now and he was able to pull harder and faster.

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Ashley’s cries became more clear helping to motivate him. If she needed help, he would need every weapon he had to help her, which currently was limited to the flail that was tied around a dead wolf’s throat. The hide of the wolf peaked up over the edge and Oak moved down to grasp the chain around it and the fur of its neck. Oak’s face turned several shades of red as he hoisted the wolf up over the edge. He stumbled back as its corpse collapsed onto him. He shoved it off and quickly undid the chain around its neck.

Part of the chain had dug into flesh and Oak had to rip it free. Once finished, he scrambled to the tree to release the ball and finally free his chained scourge. He wasted no more time with the dead wolf and ran toward Ashley’s voice. As he ran, he tried to coil up the chain and, in doing so, created a knotted mess at his hip.

The dense brush whipped him in the face and snagged on his clothes. He followed the sound of Ashley’s voice which had devolved into screams and grunting. He charged through the brush, ignoring the sharp protests of thorns and broken branches. He tumbled out into a clear space between trees and paused. Her voice had disappeared leaving him glancing about in the darkness.

Oak heard a rough growl followed by the scream of a feminine voice, Only this didn’t sound like a scream of fear. Oak was close, he could hear Ashley and whoever was with her, he assumed not someone friendly. Oak ran through the bushes and burst out into a clearing. In the dim light, he saw Ashley waving her large ax at a pair of wolves who were trying desperately to corner her. Her eyes flashed with red light and she leaped forward, slashing at the wolves. The blade of her ax grazed the shoulder of one wolf and it yelped. The small wound served only to fuel its fury and it jumped around with erratic and disorienting movements.

Ashley swiped at the wolf again, missing this time, and the other one took the opportunity to pounce on her. The wolf leaped through the air and nearly connected with Ashley if not for the dark mass that connected with it mid-air. Oak fell on top of the beast and felt the wind of Ashley’s clumsy swing fly overhead.

Oak felt proud of himself for a moment until Ashley cried out, this time in pain. The other wolf had leapt onto her and dug its teeth into her shoulder.

Oak tried to look back but the beast beneath him snarled and struggled violently under his hold. His weight wouldn’t be enough to hold the wolf down and he quickly worked his flail-whip free. He tried to wrap the chains around the wolf’s neck, like the previous one, but the chain was tied up in knots and had pieces of broken underbrush jammed in the links. At best, it extended into a couple of feet of clumpy metal. Oak’s confusion and hesitation afforded the wolf a chance to free itself and jump back.

Behind him, Ashley struggled with her own beast. The wolf bit down harder into her left shoulder and ripped its head back and forth. She gripped her ax close to the head and bashed at the face of the wolf, trying desperately to free herself of its vicious maw but her blade was dull and its hide was thick.

Her eyes glowed red again, for only a brief moment, and she smashed its skull with tremendous force. A crack sounded out in the clearing and both the snout and jaw of the wolf, along with her collar bone beneath, shattered under the blow. The wolf fell free and she cried out as the pain in her shoulder made itself known.

Oak flailed his weapon around wildly, warding off the wolf he faced and beginning to understand where his weapon had gained its name, or at least he assumed it was some kind of flail. The messy conglomeration of chain links and a metallic ball clinked and whipped about in the air clumsily. The wolf danced around furiously, looking for an opening to charge him. Oak could see that the instincts of this beast far exceeded his own and knew he stood little chance against the primal fury of a beast.

Oak swung too wide and the momentum carried his body. The wolf leapt for him and dull claws scratched at his chest as a gnashing maw lunged for his throat. He brought his free arm up in time to catch it between the jaws of the canid beast. Hot, piercing pain echoed up his arm but he barely felt it past his adrenaline and panic. He bashed the head of the wolf with the hilt of the flail and jabbed at its eyes. A small voice in the back of his mind spoke against his instincts to pull away and he pushed his arm deeper into the wolf’s mouth, hoping to drive it deep enough to trigger its gag reflex or at least strain its jaw.

The wolf’s paws clawed at him and dug viciously into his skin. The wolf tried whipping its head around, sending jolts of pain up Oak’s arm. He stabbed the base of his hilt into the wolf’s eye and it growled with pain. Still, it dug its teeth further into his arm. Oak pushed harder into its eye but could barely see any longer past the blood and saliva flowing down onto his face, he could only hope some of the blood came from the wolf.

A force lifted the weight of the wolf off him and tore it away, along with a chunk of his flesh from his arm. The wolf scrambled but stayed on its feet. Ashley screamed at it and gnashed her teeth like an animal. Oak scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain as he placed weight on his injured arm. The wolf took a defensive position, facing its two opponents with a primal and scornful look. It bared its teeth at them and growled.

Oak and Ashley charged at once, lifting their weapons to strike.. Oak swung back his flail and whipped it forward. The head of it cracked on the wolf’s shoulder and it yelped.

Oak had less than a moment to revel in his successful blow before the flail rebounded and slammed his shin, drawing blood. Oak stumbled and fell in the way of Ashley’s charge. She tried to swerve but was still unused to the weight of her ax, she stumbled and missed the wolf.

Oak quickly rose to his feet and Ashley spun to face the wolf. Oak grabbed his flail from the ground and finally spoke up, “I’ll go first again, this time, wait until I can get it tied up, then you can finish it with that thing.”

“Just do it already!” Ashley snapped at him with a hoarse voice. Oak could hear the pain in her voice and noticed her left arm hanging loosely at her side. His own wounds started to voice their protests as well and he gritted his teeth, shoving the feeling back.

Oak looked up at his MogMog briefly and saw it was more than half full. Inside, he chastised himself briefly for forgetting about his skill. He charged and swung the flail for the wolf’s neck this time. The wolf moved but he used his skill to move the ball with the wolf. The middle of the chain slammed into the back of its neck and swung the ball around to thud into the side of the neck.

Oak slammed his left hand onto the ball and gripped it tightly, causing the chain to tighten around the wolf’s neck. He threw his body over the top of the wolf, just barely clearing its shoulders, and used his momentum to jerk the beast to the ground. His hand struggled to hold the ball due to his injuries but he only needed to hold it in place.

Oak was shocked at the strength of the beast as it struggled against him and he pulled it halfway over his body. The wolf thrashed and smashed its head into Oak’s jaw, causing Oak to see stars for a moment. A second later, Ashley stood over them, ax held high, eyes aglow once more.

Her swing looked like it would land short but she allowed her hand to slide down the handle mid-swing and the blade slammed down into the chest of the wolf. Blood sprayed out and then gushed down onto Oak. She wrestled the ax free from the wolf, who was still struggling and making gargled, panicked sounds now. She let the ax fall again, spraying up more blood and viscera. The wolf’s body convulsed for a couple of seconds more and then fell still, its weight fully resting on the blood-drenched Oak.

Oak struggled to pull himself out from under it and Ashley offered him a hand to help him up. Now on his feet, Oak got a good look at Ashley’s wound. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely and nearly doubling over in pain.

Oak’s own arm howled with pain and he quickly summoned his inventory to pull out a healing potion. He paused before bringing it to his lips, considering it for a moment and looking at the one remaining potion. He drank half the bottle and pulled it away from his lips.

The timer next to his silhouette read “5 s” and counted down. The familiar burning and itching caused his left hand to clench. The wound began to mend and close then paused, leaving small, scabbed-over teeth marks on his arm and several bruises and abrasions on his body.

Ashley stared at him incredulously, “What is that?”

“Healing potion,” Oak said, “You should have some too, in your inventory. Just focus on it and it should pull up. You only get three though so be careful. You don't have to drink it all for it to work.” He said, glancing at her shoulder which had large chunks of flesh removed and visible bone underneath. The rest of her body was riddled with gashes and bites. “Although… you may want to drink the whole thing this time.”

Ashley followed his instructions and pulled out the clear vial. She uncapped it and lifted it to her mouth.

“Wait!” Oak exclaimed, she paused and glared at him, “First, it tastes awful but you have to swallow it all. Also, it's going to hurt a little and itch like crazy.”

Ashley looked back at the bottle with more trepidation now. She shrugged her shoulders and promptly downed its contents. Her face contorted in disgust and she swallowed reluctantly, coughing a little once it was down.

“Okay, now what? Nothing’s happening,” she said with disappointment. Then her body twisted as pain erupted in her shoulder again. Oak heard a bone snap back into place and cringed as he remembered his first experience with the potion. Ashley let out a strained cry of pain and then bit her lip, holding her breath.

Oak gave an awkward, sympathetic smile and said, “And here comes the itching.”

Ashley gave him a glare that was both angry and afraid as if to say, There’s more? How could you do this to me?

Oak rubbed the back of his neck and only wished he could help her. She began to breathe in and out through her teeth and clutched her shirt tightly with her good hand. Her body shook and she wriggled under the uncomfortable sensation. The healing subsided as her wounds closed and the time ran out. Ashley stilled a little, her hands still trembling and she just stared up at Oak.

Ashley had fallen to one knee and Oak helped her up. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace.

“Thank you,” she said softly, “I don’t think I would have made it if you hadn’t shown up.”

She pulled away and their blood-stained shirts stuck together for a moment. Oak cringed at the gory image of the two of them but Ashley just broke out in laughter. Oak watched the tension leave her body and couldn’t help but laugh a little himself.

“What’s so funny?” He asked with a chuckle, finding it hard to see the humor in this situation.

“It’s just that, earlier today, I was in math class. Math class!” She said, her laughter returning. Oak shook his head with confusion, she laughed and spoke again through her laughter, “I was crying over logarithms earlier and now I’m holding an ax, drenched in blood, in the middle of some crazy forest with my friend from anime club,” she said, laughing softer now.

Her laughs turned into sobs and Oak felt it appropriate to embrace her again, “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay,” he said reassuringly.

“How?” she asked, her voice cracking, “What the hell are we supposed to do? Where the hell even are we?”

Oak searched for the right words to say, for any sort of answer, but he let his shoulders fall, “I… don't know. I don’t know.” He said, feeling tears tempt the corners of his eyes as well.

Ashley stumbled and he guided her to the trunk of the closest tree. They sat down together and leaned back into the tree, allowing their heads to fall back and gaze up into the sky. Two of the three moons were visible through the canopy.

Ashley took in a deep, calming breath, “Yeah, I don’t know either.”