[Winter – Parso]

“Anette! We're so glad you made it back!” exclaimed Penny from the bedside of Jennings' resting spot, sitting on the very edge of her simple wooden seat. The soft cushion slipped out from under her with exclamation.

“So who's this fellow?” asked Jennings, leaning back into a groan as he resettled himself comfortably in his bed. Gun holstered.

Anette was going to respond immediately, looking to inquire about his well-being, but instead was interrupted by the baritone voice at her side.

“I am Wolf Skyrunner, and have been sent along with. . .-Anette, to aid in your current struggle.”

The Native man with conspicuous masculine features described in overwhelming detail by his stoic stare. The outlaw theatrically exasperated and responded. Lifting his full cup of coffee from his nearby nightstand, he exclaimed.

“So my gut was right once again! It was a friendly. Good, good because I don't know if I'm back in my prime just yet for battle with a man of your stature.”

He winced on cue. Anette regained the attention of the conversation participants.

“That's what I'm concerned about- You're really alright after what you all went through?”

“Alright might be a bit of a' stretch. But, yeah. For the most part, I guess my body just needed some beauty sleep. At least from what nurse Penny and Dr. Poni outside tell me.”

“- the horse?” asked the baffled Wolf.

With a dead-eyed, jaded look, Jennings mumbled back to Wolf explaining.

“It was a joke...So tell me, Mr. Skyrunner, what exactly you offerin' as help nowadays?”

The room seemed to grow dimmer just by the sudden change in demeanor. Jennings used his experience as a veteran of the Wild West. Even in a resting state, he still had enough of an unspoken presence to scare off a feisty pack of wolves. He listened thoughtfully.

Wolf cleared his throat and walked to his left to get a clearer assessment of Jennings with very obvious intentions of sizing him up as a partner.

“We, meaning the Spiri, will guide you. Show how to deal with these creatures of Agi creation. We call them Ageasts, and they are an omen of unrest. They have been around forever, yet very few have the skills needed to create, which is a worrisome fact. Someone is dangerous enough to not only create one, but create a beastly horror to tear apart our sacred farmland? Then you have a threat that needs to be dealt with for the betterment of all souls.”

Jennings sat back up with a still skeptical face being worn for the occasion. Although he didn't like to admit it, he knew that they may need any help they could muster. With limited resources at their disposal and Shark brethren returning to Boythe for reinforcements, Jennings was open to conversation.

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“I already lost some-... a bunch to this mess. My job is to protect Anette and carry out redemption for her pal that bit the dust too early in life. So you say you'll join in on this nasty rodeo? Well then, welcome aboard Wolf.”

Jennings weakly extended his open palm to give Wolf a handshake. The much bigger hand of Wolf grasped back as if suffocating the smaller counterpart, shaking to reassure his sentiment.

[Winter – Parso – Later that day]

Penny looked down at her open right hand, palm facing the dreary sky, just a docile step away from the backdoor of their hideout. She was shocked to see the already half-empty sack of rat jerky remained resting on it.

“Hey! Don't forget your jerky J.J.”

She had caught him just as he followed Anette and their Native companion, Wolf, out the same door of their residence. He popped his upper-half back through the door in time to look back at her once he heard what he had forgotten inside.

Jennings paced over and sneakily slipped another piece into his mouth before retrieving the sack back into his right jacket pocket. He had gotten within an arm's reach of Penny and while doing so, capitalized on the lack of distance between them by pulling her in for an unannounced hug. Speaking from behind her ear, the meaningful words still found their way home.

“I came back. I'll do it again.”

He muttered while he spoke, limping between being paused and simply standing aloof.

She embraced the rare warmth from the renegade. Just as quickly as he had caught her off-guard, he stepped back and turned towards the door where Wolf now stood. The Native’s large frame blocked the entirety of the doorway to the point where light struggled to find a clean path into the residence.

The trio approached their rides. Poni's ears flicked away from Jennings' fingers scratching their backside. Poni couldn’t tell the difference between J.J.’s jagged fingers and the pestering of buzzing flies.

“I don't like where you're going J.J.,” admitted the horse.

The scratching did not stop.

“It's not my party,” smiled back the outlaw.

As he withdrew another slice of rat jerky from his hidden pouch, he let go of what was previously withheld in his thoughts. A sleight facial gesture was the goodbye sent back by the duo to Penny and Anette. Anette had changed her mind, wanting to stay back and help Penny, Jennings wouldn’t protest.

“You lead the way Wolf. You say we have to go through that place right?”

Jennings slumped his head forward in a direct fashion the moment he affirmed his question, noticing Wolf nod his head. Kicking at Poni's side, they increase their speed on their respective horses and head towards Clear Mind, rumored to live in Red Canyon.

[Winter - Outskirts of Boythe]

After a harsh, windy first leg of the journey, the mountains forming a ravine were visible on the horizon. Jennings couldn't contain his diminished professionalism much longer, he hesitated before blurting out his thoughts into the darkening, desolate desert. The torch in his right hand released enough light to make short distances ahead of them visible along the trail. They had to be aware of the nocturnal creatures bustling activities, but of course the biggest threat of the night was those unforeseen. He aimed his words at Wolf who followed closely behind.

“So the rumors of this place, true? They really do to us what, well you know, what they shouldn't do.” asked the outlaw.

Wolf remained silent at first, only tightening the reins on his horse. He spoke soft, yet stern and replied.

“Well, they may yet have reasons for their atrocities, you of all should understand.”

Jennings stopped himself from responding too quickly.

“Guess folks can justify anything right?”

“Yes, they do.”