A thunderous tearing sound clashed against the roaring waterfall. A crackling white tear appeared in the air hovering a few centimeters above the rocky ground. A gust of wind chased away the lingering mist from the spatial aperture leaving an empty spot for Xander to land. He had barely landed he had his battered sword ready for action. His eyes darted here and there scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. The waterfall was still roaring in the background, but the mist was slowly settling into a miniature storm around the tear. The rocky ground was covered in a thin layer of moss and the air was filled with the smell of wet earth. Spikes of rock seemed to be jutting out of the ground here and there at various angles. Moss and grass were growing on them, giving the impression of a foggy field of living stalagmites. A few large leaved flowers had also found purchases on the rocks, blooming in a variety of colors.

Yet this display of nature wasn't what interested Xander. His grunt was completely muffled by the nearby waterfall, and couldn't hide his dissatisfaction. His role as protector wasn't ever made easy. His friends would be stepping out soon and he needed to vacate the landing zone. He stepped away from the tear, pushing his perception further into the mist. He could barely make out the tall trees that walled this clearing. Clawed ground, burnt grass, and even a few broken branches marked the remnants of a long-finished battle. He couldn't make out any tracks, but he knew that the battle had been fierce.

Where is the welcoming committee? he wondered, frowning at the display. This place is supposed to be a Haven, not a battleground.

Hopefully whatever's done that is long gone, he thought as he turned his back to the tear, scanning the other side of the perimeter. He could barely see the waterfall landing, but looking up he saw where it was coming from, several dozen meters up a densely vegetated cliff. While he wasn't accustomed to jungles, his former Master's teachings gave him enough knowledge to recognize the plants for what they were. He could see a few vines hanging from the cliff, and a few large leaves that were probably part of an even larger tree. The waterfall itself dropped into an impressive pond of unknown depth and breadth but a large outlet was leading away on a slightly downward path, that had probably been carved by the water, bordered by a few large rocks and thickets of reeds.

Jungles means..., he mulled over the situation for a few seconds, thick wood, barely any visibility, and a lot of hiding places. But also stealthy foes, simians, aaaaand of course, poison. He sighed, I'll have to be extra careful.

He barely had the time to wonder why the clearing even existed, as his teacher seemed adamant that jungles were supposed to be dense and hard to navigate when a loud splash echoed from the tear. Connor emerged and dropped heavily to the ground. In his arms, he bore Takeo, still covered in the reddish hue that signified his Ability was still running its course. He quickly deposited the unconscious and rigid young man on the ground and turned to Xander, raising an eyebrow.

"Are we clear?" He asked, his voice barely audible over the waterfall.

The young swordsman nodded, and replied with a bit of hesitation, "I think so... but there is no one. It looks like some old battleground. I didn't see any fresh tracks, but I'm not sure I would have been able to see them anyway," he added, not bothering to whisper. The tear promptly closed itself in another thunderous sound, leaving the three of them alone in the clearing, getting wetter by the second. The young swordsman hoped that the waterfall covered the sounds of their arrival, but somehow felt they wouldn't be that lucky, as their recent trend showed. Still staying there wouldn't help them, barely hidden by the mist. He turned to Connor, "Let's get Takeo out of here, and then we'll see what we find."

His friend ensured his bow was still well-fastened and accessible. He then bent down and lifted Takeo in his arms, before turning to Xander, and indicating he was ready to move. Xander spotted a tall enough rock off to the side. It wouldn't do for a long-term hiding place, but it was enough for now. He started walking towards it, Connor following him closely. He watched warily the surroundings, but also the various plants that had found shelter there, rooted in the huge dark stone. Their recent experience had him extra cautious, but there seemed to be no reaction whatsoever from the large flower, nor from the vines that had crawled from the nearby jungle. His gaze swept around, looking for hidden nooks and sleeping beasts. His feet carefully evaded gravels and molding leaves. The noises of the jungles were barely reaching him. Sharp sounds of birds mostly, cackling and chirping, but also the occasional roar of a beast, or the rustling of leaves. Nothing seemed to be coming their way, but he knew better than to trust his ears. His master had taught them the error of trusting his senses too much.

Still, the boulder gave them a measure of security. It lay in its eternal rest barely two meters from the cliff wall, the smoothened edges seemed to indicate that whatever event that had dislodged it from its previous location had happened long ago. Overhead, tall plants and their large leaves obscured the sky. They were now out of the mist but it also seemed to signify the beginning of the jungle itself, as the plants quickly grew taller. Xander quickly scanned the surroundings, but couldn't see anything that would be a threat. He turned to Connor, who was still holding Takeo in his arms, and nodded. Connor gently deposited Takeo on the ground, before sitting down next to him. As per their previous agreement, the unconscious young man should lift his Ability soon, which would wake him up. Both of them could still see the huge gash that had been carved in his chest, unable to close itself despite his healing Ability. It had been the source of most of their recent trouble. While Takeo hadn't been taught their ways, he had been a quick learner and had adapted to struggles walking the Path required of them. He had been a great help in their recent adventures. And saved their lives once. Something he wouldn't forget anytime soon.

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Hopefully, our sojourn in this Haven will be fruitful enough to see him back on his feet, mused Xander.

Connor was busy assembling the most recent addition to their little group, a wheelbarrow merged with a stretcher. It was made from the remnant of their previous challenges, wheels from a broken cart, branches, cloth, and leather they had salvaged from their foes. It was a bit crude, but it would do the job. He had already assembled the frame and was now busy attaching the wheels to it. But Xander couldn't watch him work, he had a job and that was to ensure nothing happened to them.

The red hue receded into Takeo's lacerated and dirty robes, heralding his waking. His body which had been rigid slowly found its mobility again and slumped on the ground. And his still open wound bled anew. He had somehow regained some colors himself thanks to the curious Ability's healing power, but it wouldn't last. The young man groaned, trying to contain his pain, but it was clear he was in no shape to move. Xander turned to Connor, who was still busy with his contraption and left him at it.

"Any better?" asked tersely Xander. While he was worried about his friend, he knew that they had to move quickly. They were still in the open, and he didn't want to be caught by surprise. Moreover, there should have been people here...

Takeo nodded, "Yes, I think so. I'm still in pain, but it's bearable." He said, his voice still weak. He tried to sit up, but his body refused to obey him. He sighed, "I'm sorry, I can't move yet."

Fool, Xander couldn't help to think, while he did commend his friend's spirit, anybody could see he wouldn't be fit to move anytime soon. "Connor's getting your accommodations ready", he replied with a smile. "We'll get you to a healer in no time."

The bald young man sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just a burden to you," he said, his voice barely audible. Twitches of pain were still visible on his face, but he was trying to hide them.

Xander took his backpack and dug out the last scraps of healing balms they had. He quickly applied them to Takeo's wound and then turned to his friend. "You're not a burden, Takeo. You've been a great help to us, and we're glad to have you with us." He said, his voice firm. "Now, let's get you to Connor's invention, and then we'll see what we can do."

At the mention of invention, he noticed Connor's growl. He wasn't still quite used to his Seal and its base Abilities. While he found it quite interesting, he could relate to what felt his friend. The young man had trained himself to the bone to become a scout and eventually an assassin, or some kind of rogue. Learning the ways to lurk in the shades, playing tricks, laying traps, and striking from the back unexpectedly, only to be gifted the Seal of a crafter, albeit a unique one. Yet, unique didn't mean powerful or useful. Ever since Connor had been grumpy and whining about fate. That was quite contrary to his usual behavior, but he wouldn't get another Seal, and he would have to learn to make the best of it. He is getting better though, observed Xander, Hopefully, we will find some teacher here. If the village is still around.

Connor had finished his work and was now standing next to Takeo. "Care to help?" he asked lowly, almost growling. Xander smiled and bent down to lift Takeo in his arms. Thanks to their increased Strength, his weight barely mattered. The struggle was to lift and carry him to the wheelbarrow without aggravating his already serious injuries. Connor had already prepared a few blankets to cushion the ride and helped him lay Takeo down. The contraption was sturdier than it looked thanks to his Abilities. He had also added a few straps to keep Takeo in place. Xander nodded his approval and turned to his friend.

"You ready buddy?" he asked, his voice low.

Takeo nodded weakly, "Yes, I think so." The young man sighed, weariness that went beyond his injuries seemed to be weighing him down, and he began his strange ritual. "Ten," he whispered, "Nine... Eight..." Before he could finish, his eyes closed and the red hue emerged again, covering his now still body. Neither understood what he was doing, but they didn't care to dig deeper. It was his way of coping with the pain, and it seemed to work.

Something disturbed the gravel behind them. Xander turned around, his sword ready. Connor had already drawn his bow and was scanning the surroundings. The noise was coming from the waterfall direction, and it was getting closer. Xander's eyes searched his friend's. We leave or? he wanted to ask his friend. Connor's eyes were hard, but he nodded. Fight it is.

Xander unsheated his sword again. It wasn't anything special for a weapon. A plain, iron-long sword that had seen more than its share of battle and lacked true repairs. Still, Xander had taken care of it however he could. Dismissing the rebuttal he could hear his Master grumbling about the poor state of the weapon, he caught sight of the interloper. A dog-sized frog had emerged from the pond if he could trust the water dripping from its skin. A thick layer of slime-covered its red-striped skin. Bulbous eyes were taking in its surroundings. A croak loud enough to be heard over the waterfall emerged from the monster as it noticed the swordsman. Its red stripes began to glow and some heat seemed to emerge from its body, pushing the mist away. This isn't what had trashed this place before, noticed Xander, but it's still a threat. Probably manageable, he assessed.

Pushing his doubts aside, Xander quickly dashed at an angle, trusting his friend to watch the surroundings for him. He had already marked a few boulder and rock spikes that could serve as impromptu cover. The frog's throat bulged and a stream of fire emerged from its mouth. Xander had already jumped behind a rock spike, but the heat still reached him and made his wet leather armor steam. As the fire retreated, he peeked from his cover and saw the frog was still there, its throat bulging again. He quickly dashed closer, this time activating his Ability, and Stepped toward the beast. Sadly his long sword wasn't quite adapted for this kind of low-to-the-ground enemy, and he opted to use his unnatural speed to kick the frog hard in the side. The added momentum of his Step sent the frog flying toward a nearby rock spike which grumbled and cracked under the strain. Xander ran at the felled beast and stabbed into the meat of the matter, only to be surprised by another croaking sound that came from behind, quickly interrupted by the wheezing of a speeding arrow sticking into its target.

Turning around, Xander assessed the situation anew. Three more frogs had come out, one of them with an arrow sticking out of its throat. Connor was already nocking another arrow, but the frogs were already spitting fire at him. Holy Robert, please look upon us! he prayed, Stepping once again toward the overlarge beasts.