Going Down? [Metro]

[Nala]

Having grown up in such a huggy touchi environment, Nala couldn't help but giggle at Metro's reaction to being hugged. Mostly it was him just holding his arms out like a snowman's, not hugging her back for the moment. She couldn't help but flash back to when something similar had happened to her, her mind imagining that this was how that other pink-haired Fox Tail felt when she was snuggling on her. It had make Nala blush just as bad as Metro since she wasn't really use to too many hugs from other females either; it was a silly feeling. Enjoying the moment while she could, she made a side note to see how long it would take him to get use to her antics.

As cheerful as she felt at the thought of waltzing around a ballroom, when she suddenly felt Metro go ridged, she glanced sideways at him curiously, wondering what the problem with her question was. It hadn't been a really personal one had it? All she really wanted was a yes or no answer, if he didn't want an answer that would be fine with her. Sure, it would kill her with the curiosity several times over, but she wouldn't invade his space when he minded her doing so, not wanting to do anything to upset him, even though she seemed to have done so just now.

Squeaking quietly at the tight hug from the shy elf, Nala gently ran her hand along his back to try and comfort his suddenly damp mood. Her ear twitched at the whisper, just barely able to catch the words he gave her, "Okay... I promise not to.." Yeap, that was going to gnaw at her mind so much. She'd deal with it though, she wasn't one to trade in curiosity at the cost of a good friendship. When he pulled away from her to walk off toward the door, she couldn't help but question whether or not she should still follow him or not to give him his space. However, at the simple wave of a hand, she hurried forward to follow after Metro, locking the door behind them as they left the building together.

As they passed various buildings and walked through alleys, she couldn't help but continue to worry about Metro. She kept up a pleasant enough smile to cover it, but her mind wouldn't leave her alone when it came to wondering about what he was feeling or thinking about at the moment. If he was still unhappy with her asking about the box, or was already thinking about something else she shouldn't have done or talked about before. She didn't have to worry about it long though, her question being answered when he told her not to listen to what would be said when they went in. That kind of caught her off guard though, while she did nod, she thought that this guy was suppose to be one of Metro's friends if they were going to lend them a cage. What he was getting at made a whole lot more sense once things picked up inside the crafting store. It was pretty cool on the inside. Leaving Metro to handle the first leg of their trip, Nala wandered over to one of the walls to observe the intricate weapons placed along the walls.

Just the answer to the small bell ringing alone caused her to think that some sort of mountain man were coming down to serve them, not being disappointed when the man pushed past the glass beads... aaand went straight to yelling at Metro. Flinching at what he accused him of, Nala couldn't really believe what she was hearing even if Metro hadn't told her not to believe everything that was going to be said. When she was addressed directly, her ears laid back flat, making her just want to hide without being noticed, but there was no place to go.

Left to sit back and listen to the two, suddenly fleeing was something she considered, but she would't leave him alone here. When the two had finally settled after an exchange of some sort of necklace and she was called upon, Nala paused for a minute before inching her way over to the two, looking back at Metro before she followed the man to the back to pick out a cage. She wasn't exactly fond of being taken back alone with someone she wasn't exactly familiar with, but as long as Metro found him trustworthy so would she.

Gazing at the different cages, she grimaced at almost all of them. In truth she didn't want to pick out a single one, but there was already an expectation on her to do so. Making a face, she spent a good while in there before finally pointing to a spring door cage, thinking it would be one of the easier ones to set up. Thanking the man for his time and for helping them with the cage, Nala wheeled the thing out with a descent amount of difficulty. Even if it was on wheels, she really wasn't all that strong. Looking around until she spotted Metro, she headed on over to find him curled up against an alley wall. Leaving the cage a few feet away, she came over to sit next to him, bringing her knees up to her chest as well, but instead she leaned over to lay her head on his shoulder, hoping her fuzzy fox ears didn't tickle him or anything. "I wouldn't believe anyone who said you left someone behind, you're too nice to do such a thing..."

Word Count: 944

[metroexibit]

Metro chuckled at her statement. He leaned back against the wall he was sitting on. No he thought its not right to laugh at her she doesn’t know. He looked at her a gave a quick smile before tilting his head up he sighed. “You would think so, but he is right I left him. I left that child alone and scared and never looked back.” He looked back down at the grown and said “no im sorry that’s not true that’s just my self pitty talking, it was three months after we got pulled into this game. I was alone and scared like any other child but I was used to the feeling. It gave me a sense of familiarity that I had in the real world and so I was able to cope fast but apparently, not fast enough. I got pulled into a bad crowd really early on. I got an invite to one of the-“ he pulled his hands up and made air quotes with his fingers and continued “dark guilds, I didn’t really think anything of it until it was too late. I met that old man in there not long after and he sort became like a father to me. He cared about me and gave me advice and even put me up when I couldn’t go home. His kids name was kenchi, he was such a little thing but had the curiosity of a cat. But you know what they say about curiosity and cats, it just gets them killed. My initiation to the guild was held in a town of people of the land. I had to kill one of them to join. It was to prove I had no remorse and that I truly believed in the cause. It was a mother and child. They sicked me on her like a dog and I…went.” He dropped his face even lower. “I was about to, back then I didn’t understand. I didn’t know, I believed I was strong but in the end I was still just a foolish kid. I went to bring my sword down when I heard kenchi’s voice. He came running out of the woods with tears in his eyes screaming don’t do it metro, don’t do it. My heart shattered when I saw him run up and cling to me repeating those words. I took a good look at the person I was becoming and realized that that’s not the person I want to be. I looked down at kenchi and petted his head and thanked him for stopping me. However, the guild didn't appreciate my new change of heart. Player after player came at me, by sheer luck I managed to keep on breathing. But there was just to many of them. I turned to tell kenchi to run but I saw him being dragged off by a pair of rough looking players. I tried to run after him nala, I tried but my feet wouldn’t move. I was terrified even though I know you respawn in this game. I was still scared, I was only able to watch as they took him away. They beat me until I nearly prayed my health would hit zero. Something must have got to them because they just left me there. I was nearly crawling back to town after all that went down. I had to look his father in his eyes and tell him I let his kid be taken because of me. Ever since then iv been searching, looking, fighting trying to find him.” He lifted his hands and cover his face with them. After minute he got up and grabbed cart the cage was one and started to push it out of the ally and past the buildings to the outer edge of the city. He knew he had told her too much. He knew bringing her to the shop was a mistake and that if he hadn’t brought her he wouldn’t have told her anything in the heat of the moment. He also knew she wouldn’t have minded waiting while he got the cage but for some reason he took her like somewhere deep down he wanted her to know. He smirked at the thought of actually wanting her to know this. Like he was looking for someone to justify his actions for him, he was still a kid after all. 

They got to the edge of the city and kept walking until they reached the edge of the forest. He looked at nala as if to wait for her to say something, anything that would ether brighten the mood or change the subject.

---

word count: 778

[Nala]

Feeling Metro's words tug at the strings of her heart, Nala reached out to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. Before she could, however, it looked like the poor boy was already standing up. It was difficult to know what to say after hearing such a tragic tale, she wanted to comfort him, tell him it was alright, that he would find kenchi one day and rescue the boy from wherever he was trapped. The words just couldn't find the right way out of her mouth. Looking down towards the ground, the fox-tail slowly brought herself back up, brushing off any stay dirt from her dress and knees. Moving over, she helped him to push the cart out.

Quietly thinking until they got to the forest, she offered him a small smile when he gave her his attention. "After going through something like that... I don't think I would even have the strength to go back and face that man, I'd be terrified of going to him." Pausing in her pushing, she leaned over to hug the boy, "You're already so strong and still getting stronger, I'm sure you'll find Kenchi before you know it and you have me to help you out if you ever need it, alright?"
Word count: 212

[metroexibit]

The hug was sudden, warm and surprising but not unwelcome. Like metro had done earlier that day he found himself allow for this girl to wash away the pain and sadness that clouded his mind. He never knew how but this girl always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better. He wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. “Thank you Nala, I am so lucky to have found a friend such as you.” He said, his voice cracking a little as he felt chocked up by the touching moment. Then doing his best to hide the fact that he was on the verge of tears he grabbed the cart and started to push it along.



After a while of walking they reached the tree line of a familiar forest. He looked off into the distance away from Nala and asked “do you think we will be able to find grapes out here? I think wine would go wonderfully with fresh meat, don’t you think so?

---

word count: 170

[Nala]

Smiling brightly, Nala was more than happy to see that she was able to ease Metro out of that sad look he had given her. She never did like to see her friends with such a face. "Anytime~" It was actually a little funny when he mentioned finding a friend like her since he literally had found her struggling down in that sewer. Thinking about it, it was lucky that she had found him as well or those gators might have been the end of her. Sure, she would have respawned like Metro would have in his story, but it was the experience of being attacked and killed by the monsters that would haunt her memories; another reason why she could understand his fear of the moment.

She though she heard the boy's voice crack, feeling that she would start to bawl if he shed even a single tear, but before anything could be seen Metro had taken the cart and was pushing it along the road once more. Knowing why he may be in such a hurry to go, she couldn't help the growing smile on her face, hurrying forward to help him push it along. He was incredibly sweet, and as she was finding out, a man of pride.

"Grapes?" She questioned back to him once they reached the forest's edge. Taking a look around, she shook her head, "They don't usually grow in forests, plus I don't think I've ever seen wild grapes growing here" She had been to the forest multiple times both when this was just a game, and after she found herself stuck here. Yet she had never laid eyes on any sort of fruit growing out here before, though she had seen some monster that had fruits coming out of their very bodies. "We.. um.. might be able to catch some grapes though?" That sentence sounded less crazy in her head.
Word Count: 322

[metroexibit]

Thinking back he had never seen any ether. When this was a game he spent only a short amount of time on it before he got sucked in. So his experience with the forest was only limited to the first area. Not that he was ever particularly looking for grapes then though. Besides that and the fact it’s not just a game anymore, “must keep that in mind” he thought to himself. He figured maybe since this virtual space is reality now then it would have to have a sustainable echo system. From which could include the appearance of foreign plants which could make grapes, so many theories and speculations with so little proof to work from. “I haven’t seen any grapes ether but be honest when have you really looked for grapes before? They could be just starting to grow somewhere and we would just have to search for em.” He said as he pushed the cart along the gravel path as they entered the forest. “Catch them? You mean like a monster that grows them? Or like the fruits going to give us trouble when we find it?”

---

word count: 190

[Nala]

This was very true. Nala had never really thought about going out to pick grapes before, so she may have just looked right over them without even realizing it. Maybe she would even be able to grow some herself if Metro didn't mind her keeping some sort of sky garden in the windowsill! That would save them a little money here and there as well as be just that more delicious since they were grown themselves. Well, they probably wouldn't really be better than any other grapes, but its the fact that they were raised from the ground up that would make them feel that way. Why hadn't she thought to do something like that when she was with her brothers? That question was pretty easy; they would likely wreck it with how much they roughhoused inside. It wouldn't be on purpose, but accidents never were.

When she was questioned about the meaning behind her words, she mentally slapped her forehead for not elaborating. "I guess it could be both," That would be awkward facing down some sort of tiny grape monsters who likely shot seeds out at them, especially if they were super strong and sent them running, "but I meant a monster that grows them." Keeping it as a pet wasn't her intention, but it sounded fun to try keeping some sort of docile monster around for company when Metro disappears early in the morning at times as well as for the food it would produce. Hopefully it would regrow if picked...
Word Count: 254

[metroexibit]

Metro figured it could be possible for a plant like monster to grow grapes. After thinking about it for a bit however he smiled. The thought of a giant flower with grapes around it like a necklace or something of the like seemed like a funny idea. As they got deeper into the forest metro heard a sound off to the side of the path. A sound of ruffling leaves, he thought it was the wind but it wasn’t blowing. He stopped the cart and tapped on Nala’s arm as he nodded to the right off the path. The trees and undergrowth covered the ground well enough so that a small person could hide there. He backed away from the cart and walked around Nala so he was standing between her and what might be hiding among the trees. He reached down and grabbed a twig and threw it into the nearest bush. Nothing happened so he did it to the next one. To his satisfaction this time he heard it hit something and heard something squeal like a pig. After a moment three boars wondered out behind the bush one of them looking rather disoriented. Metro assumed it was from the blow of the twig. The other too were shaking there heads and snorting. They were all probably napping over there and the twig he threw had awoken them. “Nala it seems like we found dinner for tonight.” He smiled as he pulled out his bow and knocked an arrow and activated his <Fatal Ambush> skill. His perception started to focus and hone in on one of the sleepy pigs. He saw the pig and noticed everything from the movement of its joints to its chest moving as it breathed. He noticed a spot of flesh that connected its leg to its chest and aimed for that. From this angle it would shoot directly into the heart or whatever it had at its center. These low level creatures would be easy if they worked together, Nala and him. He waited on her to make the first move. The cage wouldn't fit all three of them and hell maybe not even two of them. Taking out one now wouldn't be to much of an issue.

---

word count: 375

[Nala]

Nala wondered to herself just what sort of monster would be able to grow food on its body. Most likely it would indeed be a plant type creature, but if the rumors she heard were anything to go by there were boars going around with various fruits attacked to their backs instead of quills. Now that was a sight she would like to see! The image in her mind would have caused her to giggle if it hadn't been for the sudden hand Metro put on her arm. They weren't in town anymore, the forest was much more dangerous with it's monsters so she tried to be more cautious here; if he found danger nearby, she wanted to be ready too! After all, if she wasn't ready then how could she fight along side Metro?

Watching him move was probably one of the most exciting things she had witnessed. While Nala usually fought in a group with her brothers, she hadn't gotten to join up with anyone else to see how they fought. Metro used a bow so... an assassin, certainly. There had only been one other assassin she knew of that she had met out in the woods one day, they were dangerous to say the least, but she could appreciate how well that would work with her own enchanter class. "R-Right.. dinner!" she was excited, but still nervous about taking a monster back home.

Holding up a hand for Metro to wait a moment longer, she cast Keen Edge, allowing their weapons to deal a little more physical damage. It looked like she was to make the first move, which made her nervous, but she wanted more than anything to do a good job here for her companion and earn his praise. 'The main goal is to capture at least one..' she thought to herself, looking over at the cage that would likely hold just one of the beasts. As a dancer she was confident she could mesmerize one or two of the boars for a few second to give metro enough time to get them in the cage, but it didn't last long. For now she would start the attack and see how many he took out before distracting them. "Alright, here I go..!" Making sure to keep tabs on them, she leaped out of the hiding spot to confront the boars, casting Electrical Fuzz to deal minor damage as the small lights attached themselves one to each boar.
Word Count: 412

[metroexibit]

He was anxious. Combat, no matter how trivial, always left him with a sense of wariness. There was always so many variables, so many scenarios with different outcomes. His fingers tightened around the knocked arrow. He slowed his breathing, his peripheral vision becoming nothing but a haze. The pain in his head and eyes started to slowly creep up on him. This is usually a last resort skill, causing deadly accuracy and precision in a single strike. As powerful it may be, the mental recoil is rather harsh. Though, he had very little choice in using it at the time. If they couldn't take out the other two, they'll scatter. Chasing down a frightened pig might very well take up most of the morning. At first, he didn't notice her movements in the slightest. It was only when his arrow started to shimmer that he realized she was making her move. "That's my Nala, I almost feel sorry for these unsuspecting things." he remarked to himself before releasing the grip on the bow string. There seemed to be a neon green light trail, guiding the arrow to its intending target. The pig started to squirm as spectral lights started to cover its hide. "A little too late my friend, it's been over for a while now." metro commented, his arrow sinking into flesh. The boar jerked in what looked like pain, before dispersing into spectral dust. The scene burst back into vision in an instant. It knocked him off balance for a moment, clutching his head with his off hand. He blinked a few times before centering himself once more. The pain in both his eyes and head started to throb. Metro narrowed his eyes, the pigs started to turn and run. He quickly cast <Shadow Bind> on the boar closest to him, about four feet away. Black tendrils snaked out of the darkness, squirming toward the beast. They began to wrap themselves around its shadow, pinning it to the floor. Its legs halted in an instant as it squealed in fear. Metro unequipped his bow and unsheathed his long sword; he burst into a full sprint. The last boar wouldn't get far.

---

Word count: 363

[Nala]

It was amazing to see Metro's arrow soar by and one shot one of the poor boars they had targeted. It was clear that they were much higher than the other animals and both parties seemed aware of this fact as the other two tried to turn tail and get the heck out of there. If the boy had anything to say about it however, it didn't look like they were going to get far. While Nala wasn't very knowledgeable about the various skills of the assassin, she figured it was Metro who stopped one of them in their tracks. She didn't understand it, but it was an interesting skill.

Since there was only one left now, Nala was more than happy to focus her attention on this boar, but Metro had other plans. "D-Don't go too far!" She called after him. It was going to take her a little bit of time to get the boar he left behind into the cage. She really wanted to follow after her eccentric companion, but she didn't want to chance it when whatever he used wore off, this boar might escape!

As it turned out, as soon as Metro left the area, the creature was up and moving again, about to make a break for it. "Oh no you don't!" She told it firmly, moving just quick enough to run in front of it. The boar squealed and changed direction immediately. It was going for the cage, but it was a little off so she tried to run beside it to get it to turn slightly. It demanded to run in a straight line, but with a hard shove she was just barely able to get it into the cage. The spring door sprung shut, locking it firmly in its place. The creature was mad as hell and slamming against the sides of the cage. As firm as it was in there, she didn't want to take any chances of the enraged creature getting out. Plus, she did sort of want to practice this skill in front of someone who wouldn't judge her too harshly, or use any words period.

Starting into a simple dance, she made it up as she went casting her Pacifying Dance. It wasn't terribly good, but she had a little practice with using it on her own out in this very forest. She'd probably die of embarrassment if Metro came back too soon and laughed at her for her silly movements.
Word Count: 414

[metroexibit]

He had to run pretty hard to finally catch up to the thing. It didn't get very far before it stopped and started to wonder about once more. His body was starting to feel the full effect of his haste. His breathing was heavier; he felt the fatigue at the center of every muscle in his body. He was really regretting using that skill now. Not missing a beat, he leaped over a fallen tree and activated his skill. It felt as though his body moved on his own. He moved at superhuman speed, ending up right next to the pig now frightened swine. He brought his sword down and leaving a gash wound on the boar’s side. He then spun around, delivering another slash at the creatures hide. It squealed and yelled before beginning to run off once more. Metro reached down and grabbed the beast’s hind leg. He pulled the creature back into the fight before thrusting downward with his blade into the boar’s skulls. He heard the crack of bone as well as felt his body fall limp. The creature burst into spectral dust like the last pig he had slain. He looked into the foliage above him and sighed. "All this work just for lunch, huh?" he chuckled to himself. He sheathed his sword and headed off back toward the cart. He was wondering how Nala was handling the boar he left behind. It all happened so fast he didn't even think about how well she would be able to do against one. He made a mental note to be more mindful of his companions in the future.



As he approached something stopped him. He felt as though all the strength in his body had left him after that fight. But, something told him to activate his skill. Light started to bend and twist around his body, rendering him partially invisible. His legs almost gave out underneath his weight. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to use any of his skills for a while. He started through the trees around to the cart and nearly lost his balance. Nala was standing next to a cage harboring a very angry pig. "Good job Nala, you got him!" he thought, but he still did not move. He waited and watched an instinctual action on his part. He couldn't realize why, until she started to dance. She seemed nervous, but it didn't seem to affect her movements in the slightest. She moved with the grace of a queen in ballroom. Metro noticed how the sunlight flickered and skipped through the canopy above. It shone spot lights across her stage, the star of the show. It twinkled off her flowing hair and caused her eyes to sparkle like kindling of a winter fire. Her cloths flowing in the slight breeze of morning, it reminded him of a flower blooming in spring. He was enchanted by her, to the point he wished this time would last forever. As her performance came to a close, the pig now calm and resting, he walked out from the forest edge while canceling . "That was beautiful." he said in a tone of disbelief. Suddenly metro blushed and started to look around nervously. He cleared his thought before speaking again. "Oh. Um, yeah I see you got the boar? Good, great job. I guess we can hurry on our way now?" He quickly retreated to the front of the cart, ready to leave.

---

word count: 579

[Nala]

Twirling slowly once more under the light of the sun, Nala smiled as the angry boar calmed down. It appeared to be resting now after a tiring rampage and that was just what she wanted. What she didn't expect, though probably should have, was Metro coming back to what she could only hope was the end of the dance instead of having seen the whole thing. His words made her blush horribly, but his compliment did at least boost her confidence at least a little bit. Only a select few people -mainly her brothers- had witnessed her dance, and of course they had all teased and snickered at her. She knew they were just trying to out man one another by not admitting how they might actually like it, but it had still hurt her feelings that they laughed.

Bashful, she did her best to keep her color under control, there was the problem with how happy Metro made her though, that wasn't helping keep it down. She even had the praise she had been hoping to obtain for a job well done. It hadn't been that she was so bold as to expect the praise, in fact, it wouldn't have been too hard on her if he just ignored her completion. He didn't though, he even seemed a little nervous or embarrassed himself when he came forward; it was adorable. Not to mention it put her a little more at ease too.

Patting the cage, Nala gave him a shy smile, "Right. Can you help me push it back? It's a little bit heavier now." Shoo, she had been having trouble with it before there was a boar taking up all the space in there, she wasn't eager to push the tired looking Metro too hard after he had to run down that other boar. Getting in position herself, she have her best effort towards shoving the wheeled cage. It did move a little bit, but she would certainly need a little more man power to get it going at a comfortable rate. "How come you didn't just let the other one go though? We only needed one?" It was that she was upset or anything that he left her alone with the monster, but simply curious if he was looking for a certain item from the lower level creatures. If so she would love to search for it was well and maybe even surprise him by handing it over sometime.
Word Count: 412

[metroexibit]

"of course ill give you a hand." Metro lifted the front of the cart. He knew it was heavy before he even picked it up, but with his current state he doubted he could brush his own teeth. Exhausted, they started their way back to town.



"Oh, I went after it mainly because I didn't want it starting any trouble down the road. It might have aggroed something and ran back with it. That and every ounce of experience in the field counts." He said, trying to keep the anxiousness out of his speech. Although not entirely a lie, there was something else worrying him. For little over a week, he had heard stories of a giant tusked boar roaming around. People were saying that he comes to the aid of the smaller creatures if in trouble. He wasn't entirely sure where they said he was last spotted however. So to be safe, its best to have killed the pig before it alerted it. "You can never be too cautious out here." he remarked.



They had barely even lifted the cart and started moving before something interested metro's senses. The same feeling he had earlier came back, fiercer now. He didn't have to think on that very long however. The first sign was the pig in the cage. Although Nala had calmed it, the boar was now rowdy and smashing against the cage. The second was when the ground started to shake. He looked around and dropped the cart. Pulling out his sword and readying him for battle. "Nala! Get next to me, we might have just jumped out the frying pan and into the fire!" the ground started to shake more violently now. The trees themselves started to move. Then in a flash, they parted and snapped. A boar the size of a building came charging out of the forest and crashed into the cart. The wooden vessel shattered into splinters as well as sending the cage flying and tumbling across the ground. It had gigantic tusks, rock like spines on its back with a killer look in its crimson eyes. Metro suddenly felt stupid for not conserving his strength. He was barely managing to hold his sword upright, let alone himself. He moved between Nala and the beast and started to back away. Plan A through Z were running through his mind as fast as he could shoot them down. They could run, but they couldn't out run it. They might be able to fight it, but he was so weak it would be a gamble. Hiding was a good option, for him. Nala however, might not have the tools to do so effectively. Then the boar ducked its head so that his tusks almost touched the ground, and charged them "Nala, run!"

---

Word count: 465

[Nala]

'Poor Metro' Nala thought as she gave him a cheerful smile, hoping it would at least let him know she appreciated the help. Once they got started though, she was able to take on most of the task as long as they didn't hit any holes or bumps. The little boar seemed to have accepted his fate for now too because it didn't look to have a care in the world. "Oooh!" She was surprised her young friend thought so far ahead. Usually she had a hard enough time dealing with the constantly changing present, while she enjoyed multitasking, she wasn't so enthusiastic about it in the battle field, so many things could go wrong. "I'm very happy you're here with me Metro, I wouldn't have thought it would bring even more boars back with it!" The short Fox Tail had a bleeding heart that had secretly been hoping for the boars escape from its hunter, but what he did was for the better so they could survive. Sighing, she still wished they didn't have to be so calculating and blood thirsty in this game of survival.

Tail swishing happily, Nala had started humming softly to herself just a few moments into their haul when the boar suddenly slammed itself against the cage. Yelping at the sudden violence, she wondered what in the world had caused it to turn aggressive once more. There wasn't long to wait for that answer though, as the very earth trembled beneath her. Obeying the order to get over to Metro, she made haste, looking around frantically for the cause of such a tremor. Not many things surprised her in this game, and somewhere deep, deeeep down, she actually wasn't too shocked when the largest, most massive, king sized boar she had ever lain eyes on, put its tusks to the ground and charged towards them at a break neck pace. Probably literally AND figuratively.

Shaking her head fiercely, there wasn't a chance that Nala was going anywhere without the exhausted Metro in her sights. Crowd control was her specialty, and if running needed to be done, they would do it together. Holding a hand out towards the beast, she took a precious second to cast Inversion. As soon as the white light shot from her hand and hit the building-sized boar, it was spun straight around and left to finish its charge in the opposite direction. At least that should buy them a little time before the creature re-orientated itself. Grabbing onto Metro's hand, she would run for the both of them all the way back to town if she had too. "Don't you ever imply that I leave without you!" She nearly shouted at him, scared not just of the boar, but that he might have tried to get her to run so he could hold it off for her.
Word Count: 477

[metroexibit]

One second, he was about to throw down with this monster. Then after a small flash of light the massive swine spun around and sprinted off back into the woods. Metro couldn't decide what astonished him more. The fact there was a building sized boar suddenly chasing the wind back into the woods, or that Nala grabbed his hand. She ran, nearly dragging him, through the woods and off into the distance. He tried in vain to keep up, to lessen the struggles of her nearly carrying his weight. He simply couldn't will his body to move any faster than a slow jog. The pangs of fatigue embedded itself into every cell throughout his limbs. However, the only thing on his thoughts wasn't the exhaustion or the death machine behind them. It was the simply extraordinary fox girl leading him. He felt her hand in his, trying to memorize every detail. Yeah, they have hugged in the past and sure they live together. They have even slept in the same bed, but none of it had the sheer impact this one had. Such an innocent gesture but it implied so much more to metro. Accompanied by her worried tone of voice, it drove the point home. He had to travel into a universe unlike any other, one far from anything he ever knew, Just to find someone who cared.



His face started to feel really warm as he blushed. All the blood rushing to his head was starting to make him dizzy. He started to look anywhere but at her then after a moment, suddenly felt extremely silly. Laughing, a little louder then intended, he suddenly began to realize something else that day. Even in the face of death, this girl got to him. A boar unlike anything he had ever seen was angry, rampaging through the woods to find them. Yet, he is over here worrying about a girl holding his hand. Metro wondered if she ever felt the way he did around her. Metro started to wonder if he ever made her smile when the situation called for everything, any other emotion. He hoped that was the case, she deserved to smile. Also, he secretly wished that he was the reason.



In the back of his subconscious he felt the rumbling of the earth get heavier. He started to think that the beast is closing in on them. It would not have surprised him that it found them so easily. It was not like it was hard, it wasn't like they were hiding there tracks or moving relatively fast. Luckily, the fatigue in his muscles started to loosen its iron grip on his body. The laughter seemed to act as a form of pain-killer. It must have started to get to his head because he stupidly began to open his mouth as they fled. "Hey Nala, do you ever feel like smiling just for happiness sake?" he yelled out, slightly laughing. Even then, the words seemed to flow straight from thought to speech. "Because honestly, I never have before I met you!" He yelled, giving the biggest involuntary smile.



He turned his head around, maintaining his happy persona, and saw it; the massive creature charging ahead toward them. It thrashed its head about, using its massive tusks, cutting a clear path through the brush. the giant swine sliced through trees like fish through water. It squealed a mighty battle cry that reverberated through the forest. Metro simply laughed at him, he really is going crazy.

---

Word count: 587

[Nala]

Running as fast as she was able to go with Metro in tow, Nala was doing her very best not to trip over anything in her haste to get them out of the forest. Sure, it had taken them forever to get here, but it seemed that it was taking twice as long as it had to walk here rather than jog out. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest at the flight, and it barely registered when Metro started laughing out of no where. Looking back at him, she raised a confused eyebrow at the hysterical Assassin before breaking out into a small smile just for him. The first thing that came into her head was that he was actually laughing at their situation and how unusual it was. Really, they were running from a boar of all things. Just the other day they had been running from a horde of crocodiles, you would think that would seem far more dangerous than what they were facing now but no, she hadn't felt the rush she was feeling now. Maybe it was because she was trying to protect him this time instead of the other way around? That he was the one tired and in more danger than her. It was something to think about: later, not now. Now was scary time.

Seeing Metro's face turn a shade of red, Nala hoped she wasn't pushing him too hard, but she didn't want to stop or slow down to give them as much time as possible to get away. No matter how much they ran though, she could still feel the vibrations of the earth, as if the thing were constantly on their heel, which she wouldn't doubt at this point. In fact, she was sort of afraid to look back any further than at Metro in fear she would see those raging eyes. "Of course, everyday!" She started to answer, then frowned a little bit when he went on. Never smiled just because he was happy before? Now that couldn't be, that would be such a sad way to wander through life. Though she couldn't imagine what his life outside of this.. wherever they were was like, she hoped one day he would share a few stories with her.

In the meantime, she would just have to make him smile as much as she could from now on. "We'll just have to share even more happy smile together after this then! I've never had so much excitement before meeting you either, this is kinda fun!" Fun in a run for your life sort of way, but still fun all the same despite the dangers. It was her mistake that she looked back to see Metro's laughing smile, because right behind him she managed to spot the boar charging them at full speed. It was going to come barging through and run them both over if she didn't do something quickly.

Nala's smile turned a little shaky as she looked Metro dead in the eye for a moment. "You trust me, right Metro? You'll believe me when I say it's gonna be okay right? Cause it will, I promise, I really do want to see you smile more, I really love it when you do." It was sort of like she was saying a goodbye, but she really did think it was going to be okay, that was just if it didn't turn out so great. Feeling the danger so close, she gave Metro a hard shove to the side into some bushes before the enraged boar caught her out before she could pick up speed again. Time almost when into slow motion as she was knocked up into the air with a sudden scream. She wasn't a fighter, her health took a large drop as she herself fell and landed behind the monster as it continued to run past. Shaking slightly from the shock alone, she hadn't expected to take so much damage from a single charge, then again she half expected to shatter just as easily as they had killed those other little boars. Hopefully Metro could hide out either until she could try and kill the thing or.. it... well, she would rather not think of any alternatives, she would engage it first so he could gather his strength back up a little more before they might run again!
Word Count: 733

[metroexibit]

His laughter turned to concern, she wouldn’t would she? After all that crap about me leaving her earlier? "Of course we will! Both of us, together!" he yelled, putting emphasis on the words both, we and together. He was feeling his strength slowly return but it was still no where near what he needed. Metro was about to continue on before she threw him into the brush. He tried to catch himself, hold on to her, and not fall on his face. Nevertheless, he couldn't manage any of that. He rolled off until he struck a tree. He slammed both legs down on top of exposed roots; he swore he heard something snap. Hoping it was the branches, he tried to stand while rubbing his head. Nala darted off while being chased by a moving building, "dammit all women!" He suddenly went to leap to his feet, his leg buckled under the sudden shift in weight. He fell once more flat on his face. He mumbled a curse under his breath before trying once more. He reached for the tree that had bruised his skull earlier, using it as support for his assent. The pain was duller now, though he was still very much conscious of the fact, he lifted his head to witness the chase. He hoped by some miracle that she could escape, out run the towering monstrosity before it reached her. His world came crashing down as the blow connected, sending her flying. He cried out for her, taking a step forward. He gritted his teeth, the shock from his foot to hip sent his head reeling. "If I had been more cautious, we wouldn’t be in this mess." He grumbled, he took another step forward. One foot in front of the other he staggered slowly through the trees. Then she struck ground, the air left his lungs. Her health bar dropped into dangerous levels of red, her body crumpled. "Nala!" he cried out with a soundless scream. He watched as the boar rushed past her into the woods, about to prepare for another charge. He willed his legs to move, his arms to propel himself off the nearby tree trunks. He finally made it out into the flattened clearing before dropping to one knee. He pushed up with both arms into an almost crawl like posture. Lifting his body up, using pure upper body strength just to set his stance upright. "Nala!" he screamed, this time with depth. Using emotion on par with a thousand worlds shattering streamed through his lips. Slightly slumped over one side, arms dangling at both sides, he screamed. "Nala! You idiot, if I can’t die then neither can you!" he gasped at the effort of speaking so loudly. He watched the boar rear its body around and steady itself. The beast stopped the ground while huffing out a long stream of smoke from its nostrils. Its eyes, red as scarlet on a white canvas. Metro reached for the sheath strapped to his back, drawing his sword. He stumbled back due to the sudden shift in his body’s weight. He straightened back to his unsteady stance before yelling once more. "I've never understood the concept of putting another life before your own." He started to slow his breathing, calm himself down. His lost strength was returning to him, he just needed time.







The boar kicked one leg after another, treading up shifted dirt. "But, I guess in life you experience new things everyday. You gain these new and exciting shifts in perspective due to even the tiniest of ripple in our lives." He willed his body to stand firm, straight and unyielding. "A small fire can melt an iceberg with enough time and water wears down mountains to mere pebbles if you wait long enough." He yelled, watching the boar intently. It then ducked its massive head, and charged once more. "Then again, I never was a very patient person." His body’s strength had returned enough for him to move on his own now. It pained him to run, needles shot up both legs, and he gritted his teeth as he ran for the trees. The massive beast shifted its course to follow the weakened assassin, but he jumped and grabbed on top of a hanging branch. Yanking up while kicking his legs and swinging himself up into the tree, then he started to ascend the bark tower. It was hard to keep a decent grip of a vibrating tree, harder with how he was still rather weak. Although, he nearly reached the top before it drew close. It sliced the trunk clean in half before knocking it away. Though, not before Metro could leap on to the things massive back. The stone spikes protruding from his spine gave him ample hand holds. The sharp rocked cutting into his hands as he gripped them till his knuckled turned white. The speed and size of this beast was creating such a blast of wind it nearly ripped him of his grip multiple times. He held his sword firmly in his right hand.



Now, to do some damage.

---

word count: 854

[Nala]

Ears tilting back as Metro yelled at her, Nala did her best to ignore it when he called out her name. She was doing her best to stay alive for the both of them, really she was, but no matter what, she knew that boar was going to catch up to them and they shouldn't both have to take the hit! A little voice in the back of her head was scolding her for making him fear for her though, for making have to watch her flashing health bar from the side. What else could she have done? Perhaps it was a little selfish of her, but she hadn't wanted to see what might have happened to Metro's either if they were both hit.

"D-Don't call me an idiot, I-I'm not going to!" She ended up yelling back at him a bit desperately. It was a strange thing to think at the time, but how dare he call her an idiot! Just because she may have shoved him a little roughly to keep him a smidgen safer at risk of her own safety, that didn't make her an idiot! It made her... er, a hero! Yeah, a hero, saving the day at risk to her own life, performing heroic deeds; sure she didn't go around wearing spandex or underwear over her pants, but did the attire really matter that much? "Well you should! You almost did it, besides, I'm not putting my life on the line, just.. giving you a little more time for you to do something spectacular!" There was a bit of truth in both of their statements, she had put a little risk in for him, but it really was just to give him some time. Nala was positive that Metro could pull off something spectacular here like he did before- Shoving her out of the croc infested sewers and talking down her brother who demanded her kidnapped were two of the most spectacular things she had witnessed. To say the least, she believed in the Assassin.

But still... She would be lying if she didn't say her heart didn't skip a beat when the boar changed its course slightly to go after Metro instead of her now. A little wobbly after her flying act, Nala stood as she figured out what she should do next. She shouldn't get too close to the creature in fear of taking another hit that would surely end in her demise, but she want -needed- to help her companion. Trying to stay at the boars side or rear, anywhere but the front, she ran, stumbled really, as fast as she could to try and keep up with them into the trees. After the end of his insightful words, she could only hope the elf wasn't planning anything too rash. Of course, he wouldn't be very Metro if he wasn't at least a little rash, she thought with a slight smile. Perhaps she was starting to become hysterical too though. When she nearly fainted at the sight of the tree he climbed into being cut clean to pieces, the sight of him clinging to the back like a rider on a bull nearly had her laughing.

That was more than a little dangerous, she was sure, if he slipped or was bucked off, but it would also be her best chance to help Metro take the beast down before he could be in serious trouble. There weren't too many damaging spells at her disposal yet, most of them being for crowd control, but she could stack up something for damaging it over time. Shooting out a bolt of indigo light, a link of nearly transparent chains wrapped around the huge beast, their size being adjusted to that of the monsters. While it wouldn't cause any movement penalties or anything like that, it would slowly take damage as long as they were on it. And she would keep stacking on links every five seconds until five different chain links would wrap around it. "Don't worry about falling when we beat it!" She called out to the rodeo master, "I'll make sure you're safe!" Luckily, she had a spell for just the occasion, but it was on a three minute cool down so she would have to use it for an emergency if he did actually fall off or slip so she could stop him from taking fall damage.
Word Count: 740