And then fell over on his back.. It took a lot to keep himself from passing out and he felt rather sick, but then Ash appeared by his side and he smiled, though his teeth were bloody and he was pretty banged up. Another health drink fixed that up for him and he ate a couple apples that Ash fed him before he was able to get up. Suddenly they both felt a flood of warmth as their levels went up - once, twice. From level fifteen to level seventeen. “Level thirteen - this damn thing appeared when we were thirteen!” Heart hissed as they moved forward now - though then Ash’s eyes popped out of his head. Gold - there was gold on the ground. Heart watched him eagerly gathering it all up but something else caught it eye and he moved over to it, finding when seemed like a bracelet and a house plate on the ground. What was this supposed to be? But when he picked it up he suddenly knew - a fast travel plate and bracelet. All he had to do was keep the bracelet on and have the plate somewhere, and then holding his party members hands he could then travel to wherever the plate was. He figured something like this had to be worth a shit ton so he wisely pocketed it. Going inside the boss’ cave they also found three other chests, giving them silver and a piece of armor. Neither of them knew what kind of armor it was so they took it with them. They also found animal hides and bones.

All in all, maybe it was worth it and maybe it wasn’t - though for Ash the gold was sure as shit worth it. “You know,” Heart said as they watched a piece of the cove crumble away to show a path out now. “I think I figured out why apples don’t have seeds in this dream.. It’s so you can suck them down in the middle of battle..” He looked at Ash in amusement now. “And we also learned, the fucking boss’ quests are a trap. We’d have come here at thirteen and faced something seven levels above us. That’s bullshit.”

Ash smiled as he moved and gave him his last two poor health potions, rounding off his health off completely now. “...We would have been massacred.” he hummed with a frown. “I think that the next boss quest we make sure we’re at least five levels than when it appears. Maybe six or seven if we want it to be easier than today..” he said thoughtfully before grinning. “But we did it.. We’re amazing.” the male grinned happily. “I beat we could go to the next town now.. Though, I’m almost sad to leave.” he said as they hit forest, walking back out through it all. There were some howlers that popped up, but held back from attacking them. Even as some other monsters popped up, they didn’t attack. Heart didn’t feel like they were scared, but rather.. respect for the moment? He was sure when they walked back through the forest, they would attack normally, even if they were far above them now.

“...This is so weird.” Ash smiled softly as it seemed like they were almost walking through a path of monsters that were congratulating them in their own way. “I wonder why they’re doing that..” he hummed softly but shook his head as they broke through now out the forest. The sunlight hitting them as he said “Wow.. what should we do? Turn in the quest already or go home and rest? Or maybe just head out to the new town already.” he said excitedly at the idea. Though they both knew that in a new place they would have to stay in inns now. Their stamina was gone though, and exhaustion was still haunting until they took something to refill it, and maybe a nap at least before heading out.

“Stay or go…” Heart hummed as he looked up at the sun and smirked at Ash. “...Let’s toss for it.” he said as he pulled out a single gold coin.

“Eh? Why?” that was a strange way to make decisions after all. It was like letting fate take the wheel in their choices. In a way, Ash could felt it was almost librating in a way. “Sure.” he grinned. Heart smirked softly. Flipping the gold coin now, the sun shining on it too before he caught and flipped it over the back of his hand. Tails, which meant staying for a bit. Perhaps restock before heading out. “What’s that mean?” he blinked as Heart nudged him playfully.

“Means nap time at home.” he said as Ash blinked before nodding. More than happy to sleep in his own bed before heading out.

Returning home Ash smiled and said “I think that I figured out a new recipe for potions. I was thinking about the thing you said about apples, and I think that’s the needed ingredient that I’ve been looking for to upgrade my potions.” Sure he had asked his mothers for her recipes… but the woman had been dead set on him learning on how to make his own potions. Maybe it was like a rite of passage or something for mages, but still, Heart knew the times his new ingredient inventions sometimes caused the potion shop explode. Needing a cooldown of a few hours before they could even enter it again.

“Is it.. Is it weird how relaxed we are after what we had just done?” He asked with a smirk, looking at Ash. “We just killed a boss, leveled up a couple times and now we’re acting like we’re still planning to still go confront it.” Heart laughed now as he looked forward again. Only the state of his clothes really told how hard of a battle it had been. During the battle it had been insane, the sight of an ‘auto save’ had knocked his focus for a moment - that could have killed them. He needed to learn to focus better, to not let his mind wonder in the middle of battle. No doubt when they leave the town the monsters were going to become stronger. “Leaf, we’re home.” He called as he opened the front door to the house, smiling at the fairy who darted around. He was becoming use to roaming outside his lamp now, if only just a little.

Leaf smiled and said, “Hello Master! How are you?” the little fairy moved now to sit on his shoulder. Circling Heart happily, before slipping into his hair now. It was fluffy and Leaf seemed really fond of hiding in it. “You’re almost naked again Master.” he giggled as he popped out from a couple of strands of hair at the top of his head. He was weightless but sometimes tickled in there.

“We killed the boss. It was fun, when it was over and we weren’t on the verge of dying anymore.” He said as he walked over to the mantle and pulled out the plate he had found from the site, placing it on display there. “And we got a fast forward travel point. So many sure you don’t break this Leaf, otherwise we’ll have to travel back home the long way around.”

“Ooh.. okay Master.” the male giggled looking at it curiously as he flew out his hair. Leaf moved over to Ash now as the male pulled out some clothes from the home chest. “You should shower and change first Heart, I’ll get started on some howler meat.” he smiled softly.

“No, it’s fine.. You bathe first.” He told him as he waved his hand a little. “I’m going to check on what town or place we’ve unlocked next. I’ll use the water afterward.” He told him as he turned to head into the library, removing his shirt now to toss it onto the desk nearby. Heart didn’t think it could be saved though. Opening the door he headed inside and moved around to sit behind the desk, taking a deep breath as he leaned back on the cool chair. When he leaned forward however to look at the map he bulked. “Wh.. what the hell?!”

It took a second but the door opened with Leaf. “What’s wrong Master?” the fairy squeaked. Flying over now to his shoulder to nuzzle up against him, as if he had a negative status effect.

Heart looked bewildered down at the map. Other than what they had explored today in the deep forest nothing else had happened. There was no new town or no new clear path on where they should be going. Had he been wrong then? Perhaps this place wouldn’t stop him from leaving after all, or maybe he could simply leave but would only update the map in doing so. “Tsk.” He said as he leaned back down, looking a little ticked. He would have to go to the edge of town to find out if he could leave or not, and if he couldn’t then they were missing something. Well, at least Leaf snuggling up to him was making him calmer. “I should do something for you Leaf..” He said as he leaned forward now, opening up the build menu for the house.

“What do you mean Master?” the fairy cooed happily. “I’m happy here with you and Master Ash~” he giggled. Moving to hide in his hair again.

“Yeah but we’re going to be traveling a lot, we might not come home very often. Or maybe we will. But we won’t know until we set out.” He said as he moved slowly through all the labels until he found custom build. “And this town doesn’t sell fairy lamps so I can’t leave you with a friend until I do. So I want to leave you with something that you can enjoy in the meanwhile since you can’t go outside.”

“Oh? What Master?” he asked eagerly, popping out once more to paw at one of his curls.

Heart thought for a few minutes, toying around with a couple of things. After several minutes, long enough for Ash to finish with his bath and start on dinner - peering into the library to see Leaf holding onto two strands of Heart’s hair to keep himself from fluttering upwards into the ceiling, he had finished the design for two things. “There.” He confirmed, the money disappeared and Ash turned his head to see the window by Leaf’s lamp was suddenly closed up tightly with a timer of thirty minutes on it. Heart got up now and stepped out the library. “So.. The new area hasn’t unlocked.” He told Ash, rubbing the back of his neck a bit with a frown and still shirtless.

“Eh? How? I mean.. Did it say why?” he asked, but was resisting blushing as he looked away. “And.. what did you add to the window?”

“No.. Tomorrow I’m going to go to the edge of town and see if it’ll let us pass or not. If it doesn’t then we might have overlooked something back at the boss’ cave or something here in town.” Heart said before looking toward the window. “Oh, well I wanted to leave Leaf with something in case we’re able to leave and start traveling. It’s a little safety spot with some plants and stuff, so he can be outside with a protective cage around him. Enjoy the breeze and the sun.”

“Oh that’s thoughtful.” he smiled softly. Though cleared his voice now and said “Well um, I think you could go shower now. Change clothes and stuff..” he swallowed the last word least his voice squeaked.

Heart swatted away Leaf as he headed into the bathroom now, Leaf darting over to the window but the curtains wouldn’t open for him. So he just had to sit there and wait, like a little green bug. After several minutes Heart came out from the bathroom, fully clean and now dressed in an evening robe made of thinned Howler hide. He could say this after a full month of training, the town had lots of seeds, wood and hides now. When he sat down at the table he pulled his own cookbook toward him, having been steadily adding and improving recipes from a couple of other cookbooks they had brought and from his own dreams - memories. Ash was eager to try them out but his favorite appeared to be the first dish he had ever made for him. “What do you think it could be though?” He asked softly. “Could it just be.. That the map won’t tell us what’s out there?”

“...I don’t know, I think that we need to find something then to progress.” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe an item, or a quest out..” he hummed softly. All their quests had been in the same town, or rather related to the same town. Ash moved now to use his favorite recipe from Heart. The first dish he had ever made for him. It seemed fitting as their last meal in their hometown. “We’ll figure it out, but tonight we relax.. And enjoy the evening.” he smiled. Some of that pre-boss adrenaline had worn off after all, and the sun was beginning to set.

“Maybe.. Maybe I just over thought it.” He said softly as he watched Ash work the dough. “You know, someone else we haven’t encountered was that high level woman again, even when we traveled at night. We never saw her in town or in the forest again, surely she must have left by now.”

“Well.. I mean, as a pet, she’s different than a normal party member you know.” he hummed as his fingers worked on their meal. Making a bit more than normal so they could have servings for travel. “A team is three people, and a team can only have two pets at a time so.. I’m not sure where her team was.” he explained. Maybe she had just been by herself. “Though she could have just been sent out on a mission by herself-” he added, echoing his thoughts. “It isn’t that uncommon, but still, it was strange.” he muttered. He didn’t see a reason to return to old towns after all, perhaps for materials or something but even then.

Five party members in all. Heart hummed softly as he leaned on his arm. “You’ve worked the dough enough. Now form the oval shape and add the fillings.” He told him off handedly. “Is there any place out to get quests? Sometimes people don’t put them on the guild. How many people have we talked too by now.. Feels like we know just about everyone by this point.”

“Ah, right.” he said, having been lost in his own thoughts before he moved to do just that. Making multiple ones, the max their stove could cook really at a time as he looked thoughtful. “Maybe? I mean, I’ve heard that Spice has its’ own quest board, but those quests are.. Not pleasant.” he wrinkled his nose at the thought.

“Spice? The whorehouse?” Heart looked a little dismayed now. “But.. Why.. What could they possibly need?”

“...I don’t know. I’ve never been in one.” he muttered softly. “I mean.. Any business needs stuff I suppose.” They had done quests for the taverns, the shops and everything. Though they both felt like this would be much different.

Heart looked even more dismayed now. “I.. I guess..” Though he hoped that whatever it was meant keeping his pants on. Most people would jump at the chance to go into one, but Heart felt a deep embarrassment at the very idea of doing so. Did it make him less of a man? He felt pretty sure he had kissed both a man and woman before, but maybe it had more to do with the idea of he didn’t want to see himself what was going on with the whores. But then they were people too. “Alright.. We’ll test the edge and if it doesn’t work we’ll go to Spice.”

Ash hummed softly but nodded. Taking the servings now and sliding them into the stove’s oven once it was all prepared and seasoned. Closing it now as a timer appeared on the stove once he closed it, forty-five minutes until it was done. He moved now to sit at the table with him as he said “..Hey, it’ll be okay, I’m sure it won’t be as bad as a boss.” he smiled a little. Then why did Heart want to go fight a boss again instead?

xXx