LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22: Slow Down
“I’m sorry about my friend,” Clara said, “He’s a bit eccentric.”
Jasson and Clara sat on a bench built into the tower, surrounding Ellie who had grown faint.
“No, I figured that out,” Ellie fanned herself, “I’m sorry. I’ve never heard a laugh like that before.”
“It took a lot of work,” Jasson puffed out his chest, “I earned an honorable mention on an ‘evil laugh’ competition on TikTik last year.”
“I see,” Ellie blinked, “And…why would you like to laugh evilly?”
“Because it’s cool.” Jasson said, “Don’t tell me you’ve never tried.”
Ellie and Clara shook their heads and Jasson frowned. It wasn’t that niche, was it? Or…well, evil laughs were a result of Saturday morning cartoons, right? They wouldn’t have that in a world without TV, would they?
“It’s part of my culture,” Jasson caught their expressions and said, “But I promise, it’s just for fun.”
“There are many definitions of fun,” Clara said, darkly.
Ellie said, “Are your people descendants of the dark lord?”
“What?” Jasson said, “No.”
“Are they…” Ellie looked around and shuddered, then said, “Slavers?”
“NO!” Jasson said, “Slavery was abolished like, a hundred and fifty years ago? And everyone thinks it’s evil. Anyone with half an ounce of decency or self-preservation at least.”
Clara shifted beside Jasson and Ellie raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, that's wonderful.” Ellie paused then said, “Are your people-”
“No, just no.” Jasson said, “They’re normal people. We just grew up with…plays of great heroes and villains. Those villains had villainous laughs that were cool, so we sometimes compete with who could do the most evil laugh.”
Ellie relaxed and said, “Oh good. I-I’ve never met evil before, so I was a bit nervous.”
Jasson said, “Have you met Lord Ippoph?”
“He’s not evil,” Ellie waved her hand, giggling, “He’s just a miserly cheapskate that gets greedy sometimes.”
Jasson opened his mouth, then shut it. This didn’t feel like the time to teach Ellie about grey morality.
Clara seemed to be thinking along the same lines and said, “So, Ellie. You’re a local here. What’s a good place to get a view of the valley? I’m looking to climb one of the mountains around here and get the lay of the land.”
“Ooh,” Ellie said, “I love hiking. I’d go with you except I have to go report to Lord Ippoph on the condition of the device. Let’s see…how challenging do you want it to be?”
“Not very, please.” Jasson said, “I’m not that sturdy.”
“Okay,” Ellie clapped her hand, “Ooh, the Lover- uh…the lovely hike you want is to that mountain. Over there.”
Ellie pointed to a mountain out the window that looked relatively assailable, “There’s a trail on the south side of that mountain that leads to a small spring at the top. You can rest and refresh yourselves there. There is a smaller trail that leads to a scenic vantage where you should be able to get a feel for the area.”
“Thank you,” Clara said, “By the way, have you always lived in- what was this town’s name again?”
“Smill,” Ellie said, “And yes. We have a-”
“Come on,” Jasson tugged on Clara’s arm, “we need to get there today.”
“We will,” Clara said, “I just want to say a couple things before we go.”
Jasson nodded and stood by the ladder. It wasn’t even ten yet. They had time.
“Before you go,” Ellie said, “You do need to know something. The sun sets really early around here at around 5. And don’t go out of town without something to defend yourself, especially after dark. There aren’t as many monsters around since the wyverns started swarming, but a lot of creatures use the creek from the spring to drink. Be careful.”
Dang. Jasson thought. So that’s what Petra was talking about. That’s fine, we’ll be back before 1 pm. Or 2 pm with a short dip in the water.
“We will,” Clara said, “Now I know you’ve always lived here but have you ever heard of…”
Jasson stood as the girls chatted away, and it dawned on him that this might not be the best idea.
Ah well. Jasson thought as he opened TikTik. I’ve got a charger.
****
Mankind's ability to get bored of anything is truly stunning. Even Jasson, doom scrolling through TikTik as he waits for Clara, gets tired of his phone. Of nothing better to do.
“Four hours!” Jasson repeated for the tenth time, “We could have been done by now!”
The two of them finally arrived at the trailhead, marked by a sign and a cheery stream.
“Relax!” Clara said, “It’s only, what? 1? 2? We’ll be home by 7.”
“Night falls at 5,” Jasson said, “And you need light to see far, right?”
“True,” Clara sighed, “Plus, Petra will start to worry if we come back after dark. All right, follow me.”
“Lead away,” Jasson waved his phone, “I haven’t walked up a mountain since yesterday.”
“That barely counts,” Clara took a bite, “Our place may be a couple hundred feet up, but it’s all a low-gradient road. No switchbacks or hard climbing. Are you gonna be okay?”
“Yeah,” Jasson said. Then paused and opened up FITbyte, squinting at the putrid yellow graphics.
****Jasson’s Status****
| Strength | 106
| Agility | 133
| Intelligence | 156
| Wisdom | 98
| Charisma | 97
| Magic | 75
| Stamina | 118
| Luck | 165
“Yeah…I’m good.” Jasson eyed his stamina score, “I doubt that I’m better than you, or much of anyone, but I can’t be that bad. It’s one of the things I’m best at.”
“All right,” Clara said, “We’ll take it easy and go your pace. After all, we’re not in a rush.”
“No,” Jasson said, “We are.”
Clara just smiled and sprung ahead, waving for Jasson to follow.
****
Jasson didn't like hiking. With where the Twins lived, he'd been walking up a mountain almost every day. It didn't get more fun the fifth time, just easier. But this hike had a stream and, most importantly, a really cute girl. Even cuter than Jasson had thought.
Maybe it was the bounce as Clara led the way or maybe it was how she kept encouraging Jasson during their breaks. Maybe it was how Jasson felt free to lower his guard without Petra’s judging eyes around. Either way, Jasson found himself edging closer to the blonde in light blue, quickening his step to talk by her side.
And then his legs started to give out.
“Hold on,” Jasson groaned, “I need a breather.”
Jasson nearly limped to the side of the trail and sat on a log as he tried to calm his heart. Jasson massaged his legs as Clara skipped beside him, humming brightly.
“Have a seat,” Jasson said, patting the log beside him, “Why don’t you take a break? I'm gonna need a few minutes.”
“No thanks.” Clara said, “Whenever I do, it’s harder to get started again. So I prefer to just keep going.”
“Harder to get started?” Jasson said, “I mean, if it’s mental then I get it. But what’s harder about letting your muscles rejuvenate as you rest.”
Clara shrugged and said “My muscles don’t get sore until I stop. They haven’t for years now. It’s probably a result of my training.”
“Huh,” Jasson said, “I’m not sure if I should be jealous of that or not. If you don’t feel yourself getting sore until after the fact, then how do you pace yourself?”
“I don’t really,” Clara said, “As long as it’s not a lethal wound, then there’s no harm to pushing through. After all, Petra can just heal me. And if she can’t it’s not much to hire a doctor to heal me up. Soreness isn’t a real wound and takes very little energy to heal. At least, I did before we lost our crystal. It would probably take a couple of silvers to heal what I’m used to.”
“Dang,” Jasson said, “I guess healing crystals change what people’s limits are. Do you at least feel the pain from injury?”
“Of course,” Clara said, “But I usually just push through it. No suffer, no buffer.”
Jasson shook his head. Somehow this dainty girl in a summer dress could wield a huge sword and supposedly took hits as the tank. Clara might not be as tiny as he originally thought, but Jasson doubted that he’d ever get over that.
Jasson leaned back and enjoyed the sound of the stream burbling nearby. It ran along the trail and added to the melody of birds and rustling trees. Jasson shifted into a denser shade and flicked an ant off his jeans.
I’ve been getting a lot of nature in this world. Jasson thought. It can’t be healthy to touch this much grass. Feels good though. I barely have any trouble waking up anymore.
“I think I’m okay with hiking,” Jasson groaned as he forced himself to his feet, “This one at least. Ellie said that there’s a spring, right?”
“Yup,” Clara said, hiking ahead, “Ellie told me that it’s ‘The perfect place for you two to go.’”
Jasson felt a tingle at the way Clara said ‘you two’, a tinge of eager embarrassment behind his ears. It was just the two of them now. It might not be hanging out and watching TV, but surely this could be considered a ‘date’, right?
Calm down, Jasson thought, don’t be weird.
Jasson shrugged and said “All right. Fair enough.”
The sun leaned heavily on their backs in radiant discouragement by the time they saw the sign. A checkpoint. It was nailed against a tree by a grotto, a recliner-sized split in the mountain which had a merry creek spilling forth.
Jasson tried to recognize the words on the sign, then sighed and said “What does it say?”
“It says ‘Twain Spring’,” Clara thumped Jasson on the back, “Congratulations! You made it. To the spring at least, not the peak.”
Jasson pursed his lips and said “I didn’t doubt that I would. I just needed to take a couple of breaks along the way.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Clara said, “Come on. We can at least dip our feet in before we continue.”
Jasson followed Clara but paused and dipped his finger in the creek.
“Hey Clara,” Jasson said, “The water’s warm. Did Ellie say anything about this being a hot spring?”
“Yes!” Clara said, “I was trying to make it a surprise though. Come on!”
Jasson hesitated. He was hot and sticky and didn’t feel like popping into what was essentially a hot tub. Even if it was just his feet, Jasson had wanted to cool off.
Jasson groaned and followed Clara into the grotto. Maybe it would feel good on his cramping foot muscles, but then he’d have to take off his socks and they’d be all crusty when he put them back on...
I’ll just splash my face. Jasson thought. Then leave before it gets too tempting.
The entrance was humid, like a greenhouse, and the crisp mountain air turned sticky with moisture. The walls were covered in thick moss which felt soft to the touch, and everything dripped with condensation.
“Wow,” Jasson got out his phone and snapped a few pictures, “Okay, this is beautiful. Kinda feels like a cave, even though the top is open. I can see why people come here.”
“I know, right?” Clara bounced giddily, “Come on! It gets even cooler inside!”
Jasson followed and they emerged into a large opening, noonday sun streaming and glinting off of-
“Is that water orange?” Jasson said, squinting, “Like, slightly orange or maybe on orange rocks?”
“Yes!” Clara said, “Apparently this water washes through a cave containing fire crystals. Little bits of the crystals get turned to dust and wash out, turning this place orange. It also makes this half a hot spring!”
“That’s so cool!” Jasson took some pictures, then said “Half? How is it half hot?”
“Mhm!” Clara said, “Come on! You need to check out the other half.”
Jasson followed and saw the other half of the pool, a spring bubbling up clear as crystal (Or rather clear as no crystals).
“This side of the pool has clean water coming out,” Clara said, “Which is-”
Clara reached down and scooped out some water, then flung it at Jasson who flinched.
“OH!” Jasson said, “That’s cold!”
“Yup!” Clara said, “Natural mountain spring water. Nearly as cold as glacier melt, fresher than a morning breeze. These combine to make the Twain spring. If you’re coming to swim, you rinse off and then hop in the middle, then find where you’re most comfortable. I’m glad I brought my swimsuit.”
Clara then reached into the air beside her and pulled apart reality, utilizing her locker.
“Woah,” Jasson said, looking around, “I thought you said that we’d just dip our toes in. Besides, I don’t see anywhere to change. I don’t have a swimsuit either.”
Clara pointed to a particularly moss-covered area and said “That’s a changing hut. It’s hard to spot with all the moss. And no one’s here so it’s the best time for us to swim. What do you say.”
Jasson looked at the water and felt pulled. It was only 2 pm, the perfect time for a swim but…they should work first. The sun would be setting in a few hours.
“Clara,” Jasson said, “We need to get a feeling for the area before the shadows get too strong.”
“Fine,” Clara said, “But we’ll stop on our way back down. I have my heart set on taking a dip. You’ll have to stay or leave at that point, but I’m not getting off this mountain without a refreshing soak for at least an hour.”
Jasson nodded and said, “Sounds like a compromise. Let’s keep going. After I splash my face.”
Jasson went to the cool side of the pool and dipped a finger in, then shivered and moved closer to the warm side. Scooping up water, Jasson washed his face and soaked his hair.
“Oh,” Jasson said as his hair dropped onto his back, “that's still cold!”
Jasson wiped his eyes clear and looked around, spotting Clara in knee-deep water. She'd kicked off her shoes and gathered her dress up, exposing her sports shorts beneath.
Is that made out of spandex or something? Jasson thought. Do they have that material in this world?
Clara glanced his way and Jasson tore his eyes away, blushing. She'd caught him staring.
“Hey,” Clara said, “why don't we just start swimming? I'm sure we have time.”
“No,” Jasson said, pointedly walking to the exit, “We should prioritize-”
“Come on!” Clara said, “You were the one taking all the breaks on the way up here! Let's just swim for a bit.”
It looked nice, and Jasson considered jumping in with his jeans on. It was so hot! And Clara looked so hot with-
“Clara, please.” Jasson said, “I’m trying to be more responsible here. It's not something that comes naturally to me. Please stop trying to distract me.”
Clara stared at Jasson for a second, then pressed her lips together and slumped her shoulders.
“Oh,” Clara said, “I…yeah. Sorry. Give me a minute to dry off and we'll go.”
****
The day waned late as Jasson stood on top of the mountain, taking in the view around them.
“You know,” Jasson said, “As a kid, I always thought that a mountain would be sharp on top. I know that they aren’t, but it didn’t hit me until now. There is a bunch of space on top of a mountain.”
“If it helps,” Clara called from above, “The top of this tree is pretty pointy. You could try and stand here.”
“Hah,” Jasson said, “I think that I’ll stick with this view.”
Clara laughed above and said “Nice one.”
Jasson grinned, pleased even though it wasn’t very good. Clara seemed to enjoy it though, so Jasson enjoyed her laughs. Jasson looked out at the view as the sun neared the mountains across from them and took out his phone.
“You know,” Jasson took a picture, “I don’t know how much we need to do this. I have Peach Maps now.”
“Does Peach Maps tell you where you are?” Clara said.
“Yes, actually.” Jasson said, “And where you need to go.”
“Really? Wow.” Clara said.
Jasson took another picture, trying to capture the view to show Petra. The town was situated in a lovely valley tucked between sharp mountain peaks on the east and west. Jasson could see several streams of water join into the mountain lake the town was built on. A road followed the river from the lake deeper into the mountains, and a road cut north through stratified stone. Jasson blinked. The road leading north looked cut from the stone as if by modern dynamite methods, straight sheer walls forming a steep pass. What could have carved through the mountain like that? Could Earth magic level the mountains?
THUD!
Clara landed directly beside Jasson and stood, dusting off her hands as she said “There. I have a good feeling for this area. Not enough to get around, so I’ll probably need your maps, but it should be enough. Now, let’s head to the hot springs.”
“Are you sure?” Jasson said, following Clara, “This took longer than we thought, and the days are short here. Petra might be expecting us back earlier than expected so we-”
“Jasson,” Clara said, “I understand that you’re under the impression that you have to obey all of Petra’s wishes. You’re taking your life debt seriously, which is good. But the thing is that Petra doesn’t want to manage everything, and you need to manage yourself. You need to remember-”
“I know!” Jasson said, “Let me finish. I was going to say that we should swim for only an hour or so.”
They made their way back down, by which time twilight was ebbing from the world. They stepped into the grotto, welcomed by steam, Clara froze. Then she unfroze and frowned.
“Aw, there’s someone else here.” Clara looked at Jasson and hesitated, then smiled widely, “That’s great. Don’t worry, they’re a friend. Let’s go.”