That night, Jack and Nova had dinner in the main hall of the castle with the rest of the citizens of Axiom. It was a rather enjoyable meal consisting of berries and, much to Nova's excitement, fish. Throughout the meal, Jack couldn't help but notice that almost every eye seemed to be glued to Nova and him.

Not that Jack really minded odd looks at this point, and in fact he gave out as good as he got. He made a point of thoroughly examining anything, and everything that was unfamiliar to him; which included the masses of Lucarios who inhabited the city.

"I was pretty much an urban legend back in Sinnoh," Jack told Nova at one point, when she asked if he was alright with everyone staring at him. "So I'm used to people looking at me funny."

"Ah, I see. That makes a lot sense actually. When I was here last time, I got the treatment you are getting now. It was a bit unnerving… I am generally an outgoing person, but having that many people focusing on me…" Nova shuddered as she thought back to it. "Let's just say I am glad you are currently the center of their attention."

Jack grinned impishly. "What you have to remember is that they're just jealous of how awesome you are."

Nova nearly choked on the berry she was eating, having to hit her chest with her paw a few times before dislodging the food and laughing as quiet as she could; so as not to draw more attention to the duo. Although they already had most of the attention in the room.

"Really?" Nova asked sarcastically with smirk.

Jack shrugged. "Hey, whatever works."

"I guess that is true," Nova conceded, a smile still present on her muzzle from Jack's proposal. "I guess I should be used to it as well…"

After they finished dinner the crowd dispersed and went their separate ways. In lieu of anything else to do, Nova and Jack headed back to Nova's room for the night. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, making it feel much later than it actually was.

"Well, I have nothing else in mind for today," Nova said as she entered the room and sat down on the blankets on the floor.

"That makes two of us," Jack replied. "So at this point we have two options. We could either talk about… something or other, I really don't know, or we could just do our own thing until bedtime. What do you feel like doing?"

"I'm fine with either talking or doing our own things," Nova responded with a shrug. "What would we talk about? We kind of covered a lot on the journey here…."

"True…" Jack agreed thoughtfully. "Although there is one thing I've been dying to know for a while now."

"And what would that be?" Nova inquired, looking over at Jack with a curious expression.

Jack scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You wouldn't happen to know where a bathroom is, would you?"


Jack woke up the next morning to the pale grey light of pre-dawn. Knowing he'd regret it later otherwise, he stretched a few times and then hauled himself up out of his makeshift bed with a yawn. He walked over to the solitary window, scratching his head absentmindedly. One upside of having constantly messy hair was that bed-head barely made it look any worse than normal.

Despite barely being able to function this early, Jack loved waking up in time to watch the sun rise. Due to the life he led, he usually didn't wake up in the same place twice; which made each new sunrise a unique experience. He was especially excited for this one, seeing as he'd never seen the sun rise from as high a place as Axiom before.

Leaning his arms on the windowsill, Jack gazed to the east over what was left of the ruined city. It wasn't completely quiet, he could hear the sounds of laughter and light footsteps. He'd seen a handful of young Riolus last night at dinner, and he guessed that they must enjoy watching the sunrise as much as he did. He chuckled slightly as he remembered all the times he'd worried his adoptive parents half to death by going out first thing in the morning to watch the sunrise.

Jack looked on beyond the city walls to the forest and plains through which he and Nova had journeyed the previous day. The sun was just beginning to peek over the trees, lighting up the sky in a blaze of brilliant reds and oranges. As if the clouds of night were being burnt away to reveal the clear blue of morning. As always, it struck Jack anew just how beautiful was the world they'd been given.

Jack didn't realize that Nova was awake until she walked up beside him. A gust of crisp morning air blew through the window, playing with Nova's mane as she looked out at the sunrise as well.

"Quite the view," Jack commented quietly.

"That it is," Nova replied, "It always helped me relax when I woke up."

"No kidding…" Jack said thoughtfully, pausing a moment before continuing. "Back in the forest I grew up in there was this one really tall tree right near my home. Every morning before the sun came up I'd always climb right to the top and watch the sun rise above the forest. It helped me relax too."

"That sounds very nice," Nova responded with a smile. "I have always enjoyed sunsets more than sunrises, but I still enjoy them both. Your home sounds like a lovely place though."

Jack smiled sadly. "Yeah, it was. It's been a long time since I last saw it, but I've never once found a place quite like it; in a lot of ways. This comes pretty close though, I have to admit. I can already hear a few children running around and playing together, just like it was back home."

"Heh heh, yeah. They are a playful, friendly bunch. They were always trying to cheer me up when I first got here. Their auras were so pure it was hard not to be happy around them," Nova answered.

Jack looked out at the sunrise one last time before yawning and turning back into the room.

"Alright," he said, stretching his arms up above his head, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well… I didn't have much planned. Maybe a bit of training and meditation, but I mostly want to relax before we head off north," Nova replied. "Did you have anything you wanted to do?"

Jack fingered his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I do have a few things I'd like to ask that Luke guy. From what I saw at dinner yesterday, he's a pretty important guy around here isn't he?"

"He is the clan leader and one of the most experienced fighters in the clan," Nova said in response. "He helped me the most when I first got here… Well, excluding Lauren."

"And he's the one who taught you to use that spear of yours," Jack continued.

"Verum," Nova nodded, "He did teach me and many others here how to use a Hastae."

"Okay," Jack replied, nodding as well. "That's good. In that case he might be able to help me as well. What do you say we grab some breakfast and go see him?"

"That sounds like a good plan. I am rather hungry right now," Nova said with a sheepish grin.

"Alright then!" Jack exclaimed enthusiastically. "Let's go get something to eat."

The two of them exited the room and went in the direction of the dining hall. This time it was much less crowded as breakfast was more of a come and go buffet than a communal meal. There was a wide range of berries to choose from, though there wasn't any meat or fish. Still, the berries were fresh and filling enough for the both of them. Once they were both done, Nova closed her eyes and searched for Luke's aura. It didn't take her long to find it and the two of them set off towards him.

"Where's Lauren by the way?" Jack asked as they walked down a hallway towards Luke's aura signature. "She's usually never more than two meters from you, but I haven't seen her since yesterday. Then again I never saw her before yesterday..."

"I'm not sure… She disappears quite often. I have asked her what she does then, but she has never given me a direct answer," Nova replied.

"I see," Jack deadpanned. "Have I ever mentioned my policy on cryptic comments?"

"I do not believe you have," Nova said with a small laugh.

Jack sighed. "Oh well. Anyway, are we getting close to Luke? Where is he exactly?"

"He is out in the courtyard," Nova answered as they rounded the final corner before coming to the entrance of the palace.

The sun was shining in through the open arches, illuminating the large room that they were in. They went through the arches and out into the open air. Nova took in a deep breath of the fresh air. While the difference wasn't too big, the air outside was still noticeably less stuffy than it was inside the castle. Luke was out at the edge of the courtyard, which overlooked a sharp cliff face. Jack and Nova waved to him and walked over to where he was standing.

"Good morning, Luke," Nova said in a cheerful voice.

"Good morning, Nova, Jack," Luke replied, turning to look at the two of them.

"You enjoying the view?" Jack asked.

"Yes, despite having lived here all of my life, it never gets old," Luke answered. "So what brings you two out here? I don't imagine it was just the view."

"Actually," Jack replied crossing his arms. "I had a few questions for you. I heard you're the most experienced warrior in the entire clan, is that right?"

"Not to sound boastful, but I believe that would be correct," Luke said, crossing his arms across his chest.

Jack nodded. "In that case, I was wondering if you knew anything about swords. More specifically how to use them."

"Well… I can say that the ancient Azorians did use swords as well. Though sadly none of them appeared to have survived to this day. The old auric vault that was opened a hundred years ago only contained Hastae. So I cannot say that I am well versed in how to use them, though I have done some reading on the matter," Luke responded.

"I see," Jack said, looking slightly disappointed. "Well, in that case have you ever seen or heard of a sword like this?"

Jack held out his hand and started gathering aura into it, forming the distinct shape of his sword. The double-edged blade was about a meter long, and a little more than an inch wide. Both edges were straight as an arrow, only starting to taper inwards about six inches from the tip where they met at a wickedly sharp point.

The handle of the sword was about one and a half hands long and looked to be wrapped in some sort of cloth or leather strips. At the seam between blade and hilt there was a small crossguard which jutted out slightly on either side, and slanted up towards the blade like a set of tiny wings. In all it was a truly beautiful blade, and Jack figured the original must have been the work of a highly skilled craftsman.

Luke and Nova inspected every detail of the auric sword with great care. Luke was the more surprised than Nova as he hadn't seen the sword before. Luke had to admit that it was a beautiful sword and probably even more deadly than it looked.

"I have read stories about very skilled aura knights how could make swords out of pure aura without the need of a special hilt to focus their aura through, but have never seen it," Luke replied, a certain amount of awe in his voice.

Jack blinked. "I thought making things out of aura was a basic technique."

"Making basic items out of aura, yes. And while by today's standards a sword is a simple item, one still has to make sure the blade is sharp and all the details are correct. The amount of detail on that sword is beyond what I would deem necessary," Luke answered.

"Oh… okay then," Jack commented with a shrug; no point being surprised, none of this made sense anyway. "Anyway like I said, have you ever seen anything like it before? Anything that would help me figure out where it might have come from?"

"This design? I have not, it bears practically no resemblance to any Azorian sword nor even the Taldaran swords that were used to conquer this city," Luke replied. "It is quite foreign to me."

"I see," Jack said, his disappointed look returning. "Oh well, thanks anyway."

"You are welcome. I am sorry I could not be of greater help," Luke stated, "Though I am curious of the origins of such a sword."

"Well, that makes two of us," Jack sighed, then he remembered the other reason he wanted to speak with Luke. "Anyway, there was one other thing I wanted to ask you. I'm interested in learning more about those Hastae you use, would you mind teaching me how to use one?"

"Now that is something I am completely capable of accomplishing," Luke said with a smile. "There should still be a few blunted Hastae in the training area."

"Perfect, thanks," Jack replied. "Nova and I had little sparring match one the way here, and ever since then I've wanted to learn how to use a spear like she does."

"Ah, I see," Luke replied. "I trust that one of my best students did her part?"

"I was winning till he cheated with that sword," Nova answered with a sly smirk.

"It was complicated and you know it," Jack shot back with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Nova said, waving one of her paws dismissively in the air.

"You're just sore because my new sword skills outclassed your spear skills," Jack taunted.

"You still cheated, even if it wasn't intentional," Nova countered, her muzzle still turned upwards in a smirk.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Jack said, doing his best to sound condescending while trying not to laugh.

Luke was just shaking his head, smiling as the two of them went back and forth with their battle of wit. It was honestly quite amusing for him while at the same time bringing him a certain level of comfort to see Nova enjoying herself again. It was something that had been quite absent during most of her recent stay at Axiom.

"As much as I enjoy listening to the two of you banter, I do have a class to teach soon. So if Jack wants to learn more about how to use a Hastae, I would recommend we get moving," Luke stated with a laugh.

"Sounds good to me," Jack agreed. "Lead the way."

With that said, the three of them returned back inside the walls of the palace. Luke was at the front of the group as he walked through the winding halls. It didn't take them too long to reach their destination. Luke opened the doors to the room that Jack and Nova had first found him in. True to his word, there were a few blunted Hastae leaning against a rack near the wall on the far side of the room.

If he was honest with himself, Jack had another reason for wanting to learn spearmanship. Aside from it being the next best thing to learning more about his sword, he could still remember a few fragmented images from his latest 'dream'. A few of these images contained spears a lot like Azorian Hastae, and Jack wanted to find out more. He had a feeling that training with a Hastae might just trigger more memories and, despite feeling a certain amount of trepidation about it, he really wanted to find out what these dreams were and why he was having them. It was almost like he'd lived two completely separate lives, and they were starting to collide.

"So what exactly did you want to learn?" Luke inquired as he walked over and grabbed two of the training spears.

"Well," Jack said thoughtfully, "I've trained with a quarterstaff before so I know the basics, stance, blocking, that sort of thing; although it's been a long time since I actually trained. I guess what I want to know is how your technique is different from what I learned. When I was sparring with Nova her form was a lot like the one I was taught, but it was a lot sharper and tighter."

"I see… Nova, what were your observations during your spar?" Luke questioned as he walked back towards the two of them.

"His stance was sloppy and his attacks were mostly predictable," Nova replied with a smirk.

"I just said I haven't trained in a while!" Jack protested.

"Fair enough," Nova continued. "Still doesn't change much in the fact that when using a spear or quarterstaff, you appear to have forgotten most of the training you received."

Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… I can't argue with that. So I guess basically what I'm trying to do here is relearn it a little bit."

"Understandable," Luke said, nodding his head in agreement. "You mind telling me who trained you to use a quarterstaff?"

"My parents," Jack replied, before deciding to clarify. "They were Lucarios."

Luke was a bit taken aback, a confused look springing onto his face as he looked between Nova and Jack. After a few seconds, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"You know, that actually explains a lot…" Luke conceded before holding out one of the Hastae for Jack to grab. "Then again, I should be used to such surprises whenever Nova visits."

Jack took the blunted spear and swung it around a few times to get a feel for the weight.

"It's heavier than I'm used to," he commented. "Then again, the ones I'm used to are weightless."

"That is what most people say whenever they first handle a Hastae. While it has its similarities to the auric staff that Lucarios use with Bone Rush, it also has its differences," Luke explained.

"No kidding," Jack replied wryly, fingering the metal tip. "Little differences like this you mean?"

"The obvious one is as you have said is the weight. The others mostly have to do with this. It is not hard to stop an object that has no weight to it, but an object with mass has momentum," Luke continued, expertly swinging around the ancient spear as he talked.

Jack nodded. "Makes sense. When I was training with auric weapons I was always taught to put as much of my body behind my strikes as possible, because otherwise there'd be no force behind them."

"That is very true. One of the first mistakes trainees make when using a Hastae is putting too much power into their attacks and movements. Mistakes that often leave them open to counterattack as they cannot reposition their weapon in time," Luke elaborated, stopping the spear vertically in front of him with his paw. "With that said, I want you to attack me."

Jack nodded again. "Right."

Jack settled into a combat stance, doing his best to tighten it up. He inched towards Luke slowly, knowing that rushing in recklessly was not a good idea. Jack waited until he was almost within striking range and then he suddenly darted forward, closing the remaining distance between them in a heartbeat, and swept the tip of his Hastae towards Luke's right side.

Luke was more than ready for the attack and spun his spear around. He used the butt of it to redirect Jack's attack up and away from him, leaving Jack completely defenseless right in front of him. He leveled the blunted tip straight at Jack, the metal tip mere inches from his throat.

"Nova was right, a little too predictable," Luke said with a victorious smirk before pulling the Hastae away from Jack.

"So I've been told," Jack replied, his eyes remaining glued to the tip of Luke's spear until it was a safe distance away from him.

"Most people cross over for their first attack. You are right handed and you went for my right side as to get more force behind your attack. Then again, that has to do more with my experience than your predictability," Luke continued.

"So what you're saying is that I should try going for your left side first?" Jack asked.

"You could, but it's more down to not settling into a rhythm for your attacks. If someone has been watching you and you always strike across, then they will know that," Luke explained.

"Alright then," Jack said thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind. Anything else?"

"Quite a bit, however that is all the time I have right now," Luke responded as several other Lucarios entered the room.

"I see, alright then," Jack said. "Actually though, would you mind if I sat in on your class just this once?"

"I don't see a problem with that," Luke answered before looking over at Nova. "You want to join in?"

"I think I will pass, while I am sure there is a lot you could still teach me. I think it is above the level of this class," Nova replied.

"Very well," Luke said, nodding his head in response.

Nova continued to watch from her spot against the wall as the others fell into position. Luke gave Jack a quick introduction and explained his presence before starting the class. Nova watched with mild interest to see how well Jack learned compared to the others.

Jack kept a very close eye not only on Luke, but also on the other students as they trained. He did his best to mimic their technique and as the lesson went on, although he couldn't see himself, he felt like he was improving. After a while the moves started to feel more and more natural and he didn't have to think about them as much. He could've chalked it up to his training with a quarterstaff coming back to him, but he knew that wasn't the whole story. If he had to take a wild guess, maybe swordsmanship wasn't the only skill his latest dream had 'unlocked'.

"This gets more and more weird by the day," he thought to himself as Luke dismissed the class for a short break after around ninety minutes of solid training.

Jack set his training spear down on a rack and walked over to where Nova was sitting.

"So," Jack asked, sitting down beside the blue-furred Zoroark. "Enjoy the show?"

"That I did; you seem to be doing very well," Nova answered with a smile.

"Thanks," Jack replied with a grin, wiping a thin film of sweat from his brow. "I've always been a fast learner. I'll bet I'm still nowhere near your level though."

"True, and I am nowhere near Luke's level," Nova continued before looking down at the ground, a small frown making its way onto her face.

"No?" Jack said curiously. "I'd have thought you and Luke were at least in the same league. But if he's as much better than you as you are than me… uhh, wait a second..."

Nova looked over at Jack in confusion, one of her ears drooping to the side as Jack's train of thought completely derailed.

"Okay, that sentence kinda got away from me," Jack continued, "but oh well. What I meant to say was that it makes sense that he's teaching the class if he's really that good. It just didn't come out quite right…"

"Ah, I see…" Nova stated, nodding her head slowly before bringing her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Jack sighed and rubbed his stomach. "Any idea what time it is? I'm kinda hungry."

"Not in the slightest, cannot see the sun from in here. Last I checked, torches weren't a good way to tell time," Nova responded, her eyes still looking ahead as she leaned forward and rested her head on her knees.

Jack glanced over at her curiously. "Something on your mind?"

Nova was silent for a few seconds before she responded, "Well… When talking how skilled the three of us are… it got me thinking about the one person I know that could beat Luke…"

Jack nodded. "I think I see where this is going. Don't worry, it won't be too much longer. We're going to get him back."

"I know… it still hurts though," Nova replied, a small smile working its way onto her muzzle at Jack's confidence.

"Believe me," Jack said, his eyes narrowing slightly, "I know. If I thought it would actually work, I'd probably be scouring the mountains for the Alpha base right now all by myself. As it stands… I think we should move on as soon as possible."

"I agree," Nova stated, nodding her head, "How does leaving tomorrow morning sound?"

Jack took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I think that would be good, yeah. Even so," he continued, a wry smile returning to his face, "we can still enjoy our stay here while it lasts. And the first place I want to start is getting some food."

"Heh heh," Nova laughed and shook her head some, her mane flowing behind her. "That does sound good."

"Pardon me one moment," Jack said, before disappearing with an electrical crackle and a whoosh of displaced air.

Jack popped back into existence a ways away from Axiom, in the mountains. He could've just teleported onto the roof of the palace, that would've been simpler, but he needed to let off some steam.

With an inarticulate cry of grief and rage, Jack slammed his fist into a nearby boulder with all the force of his anger. The lump of solid rock, several times larger than Jack himself, shattered like a sheet of glass into a thousand shards of stone that shot away from Jack like the blast from a giant blunderbuss. The entire violent event took a fraction of a second, but it helped Jack clear his head. He knew that releasing his anger like this probably wasn't the best approach, but it was far better than bottling it up until it exploded by itself. He'd been there, and he never wanted it to happen again. Even so, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his cool.

The worst part about it though was against whom Jack's anger was directed. He wished he could be angry at Alpha, or J, or anyone else, but the one he was really angry at was himself. He still blamed himself for letting Alpha steal his team in the first place, but his latest offence was in his eyes even more unforgivable. The sad fact was that he was enjoying his time in Axiom; so much that for a brief moment, one terrible moment, he forgot why he was there in the first place.

Ever since he left Sinnoh he had never once wavered in his resolve, never lost sight of his one and only goal in Saldara; to rescue his friends. That is, not until now. It wasn't like he had to have it in the forefront of his mind every waking moment, but he had constantly kept moving forward. Now though, he'd stayed in Axiom for a whole day without once thinking about his friends. He hated himself for it.

Jack took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. He still didn't want Nova to see him like this. She was becoming more cheerful and optimistic by the day, and he knew that he was a large part of the reason. If she knew how he really felt, if she saw his rage, Jack didn't know how she'd react. She was the only reason he hadn't given in to his rage already.

Once he was calm enough that he trusted himself not to let his anger show, Jack took note of the position of the sun and teleported back to where Nova was sitting.

"By my calculations," he told her, "We've still got at least an hour or so before lunch. Maybe more. Fortunately, what this means is that it's snack time."

"I am still mostly good from breakfast, but a snack does sound nice," Nova replied, sitting up a bit straighter.

"What I wouldn't give for a convenient convenience store…" Jack muttered thoughtfully. "Oh well, my luck just isn't that good. What I can do though is see if I can find any mountain-grown berries."

"There are some good berries around here," Nova responded as she thought back to the wide variety that grew in the area.

"Perfect," Jack said with a grin. "I'll go see what I can scrounge up real quick. Be right back."

Jack once again disappeared, teleporting back to the mountainside. He knew he only had a little while before class reconvened, so he made utmost haste in jumping around the mountainside looking for berries. It didn't take him long before he'd collected an armful of delicious, and exotic, looking fruits that he didn't recognise but was sure would taste fine. With his hands full of berries, Jack teleported back to Nova; but when he arrived, all he could see was a semi-transparent blue… something.

"I'm ba- what the…?" he exclaimed in confusion before realising what he was looking at. "Oh, right. It's just you Lauren."

"The one and only," Lauren replied. "Who I remind you that only you and Nova can see."

"Yeah, I remember," Jack deadpanned, glancing surreptitiously around the room at the other students.

"I would be thankful they didn't seem to notice," Nova said with a smirk. "Though it would be ironic after all that time you thought I was just staring off into space."

"As you'll recall," Jack shot back, "it took me about ten seconds to notice her back when I couldn't see her."

"Yeah, I remember, you were freaking out. It was rather funny," Nova countered, both her and Lauren smirking in amusement at the memory.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up," Jack sighed, tossing Nova a handful of berries. "Here, see if these are any good."

"Thanks," Nova said with a smile, tucking into the juicy fruits until only two were left.

"No problem," Jack replied, finishing off the last of his berries in an equally timely fashion. "Anyway, it looks like class is resuming. See ya."

Nova nodded her head as Jack started off towards the others once again. The rest of the training session went fairly quickly with Jack doing quite well. He even managed to win a sparring match against one of the other trainees at the very end of the session. Overall he thoroughly enjoyed the class, and he felt that he'd learned quite a bit as well. Once it was all over the other students exited the room to go get lunch leaving just Jack, Nova and Luke in the room. Lauren was there as well, but of course Luke couldn't see her.

"Well, that was fun," Jack commented with a grin, twirling his training Hastae in one hand as he walked back over to Nova.

"I could tell," Nova replied, smiling at Jack's contagious enthusiasm. "It seemed like you learned quite a bit as well."

"Master Luke certainly seemed to think so," Jack said, motioning with his head toward the Lucario in question.

"He is certainly a quick learner. I can give him that," Luke agreed as he walked up behind him. "If I had the time to train him like I did with you, he could very easily become one of the best students I have ever trained."

"Aw, you're making me blush," Jack replied in mock bashfulness.

"It's a shame that you two will be leaving so soon. If you ever do come back, you are more than welcome here," Luke responded. "Though I am sure this goes without saying, I would ask that you not tell anyone about this place."

Jack nodded understandingly. "Don't worry, I have plenty of experience keeping secrets."

"I figured as much," Luke said, "So when are you two planning on leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," Nova replied. "This was just a quick pit stop so we could rest some and get some supplies."

"What she said," Jack added with a straight face.

"Still, thank you for your hospitality," Nova stated with a smile.

"It's the least I could do," Luke responded, waving on of his paws in the air dismissively.

"So," Jack asked, folding his hands behind his back innocently. "When's lunch?"

"Right now, if you want it," Luke replied, though he already knew the answer.

Jack's stomach growled loudly, effectively saying all that needed to be said.

"Figured as much," Luke said with a laugh as he turned towards the door and started walking out of the room. "I think you are in luck then as the hunters came back with a few deer this morning."

Jack licked his lips. "I can't even remember the last time I had real meat..."

"Same here," Nova agreed as she stood up.

Lauren sighed. "Neither can I…"

Jack and Nova both looked at the ghostly Lucario for a moment, then Jack snickered slightly.

"It's all well and good for you to laugh," Lauren huffed, crossing her arms indignantly. "You've never had to live without a body. I'll have you know it's not all it's cracked up to be."

Jack attempted to keep a straight face, but was unable to. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation caused him to let out a snort of laughter.

"While you two are going at it, I am going to go get food," Nova called back, already at the door and on her way to the dining hall.

"Hey, no fair. Wait up!" Jack exclaimed, turning on his heel and running after Nova.

"You snooze, you lose," Nova countered with a laugh.

"Oh no you don't," Jack said, disappearing in a crackle of electricity.

Nova's ears drooped as Jack teleported to what she guessed was the dining hall. Sure enough, when she entered the large room, Jack was already there with a piece of venison in his mouth.

"Cheater," Nova said, sticking her tongue out as she walked past him.

Jack grinned impishly as he savoured the tender meat. "You should know better than to challenge me to a race," he taunted, talking around the food in his mouth.

It didn't take Nova but a few minutes to get her own plate of red meat and berries before sitting down next to Jack. "Still a cheater."

Jack didn't bother responding, and instead grabbed another piece of venison and began cooking it in his hand. Once he'd heated it through, he started picking smaller lumps off the bigger piece and popping them in his mouth.

"I still think you are destroying all the flavor," Nova stated before biting into a piece of raw meat. Her sharp canines tearing it apart with ease.

"Whatever," Jack mumbled, his mouth half-full. "Thish ish shtill good. I don't think I've ever had venishon before…"

"I would accuse you of being raised by animals, but in a way you were…" Nova deadpanned.

Jack gave her a look of extreme disapproval, and made a point of swallowing his food before replying.

"That's cold," Jack said, in mock-seriousness.

"Cold, maybe. True, yes," Nova retorted before taking another bite.

"Oh, shut up," Jack snorted, admitting defeat.

They finished their meal, Jack making a point not to talk with his mouth full again. Afterwards the two of them spent the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the surrounding forest. Dinner was the same as lunch, consisting of venison and berries. After that, Jack and Nova went back to Nova's room and promptly passed out.

First thing next morning, they set about getting ready to leave Axiom. It didn't take them long to gather the supplies they would need for their journey into Jack's pack as well as another small pack for Nova. Luke gave them a share of the salted venison jerky that was usually used in winter when sources of meat were hard to find. While Nova was disappointed to see that it was cooked, she was glad to have it. Other than the food, Luke provided them with several blankets and two canteens for water.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Jack commented as they loaded up their packs, "But where did you get all this stuff?"

"A few of us here were released by trainers, and even fewer can speak English coherently. Those few will venture out to the nearest human town from time to time and trade for goods such as salt, blankets, and water bottles. Stuff that we would have a hard time getting out here in the wild," Luke replied.

"I see," Jack said. "I guess that makes a certain amount of sense."

"It's a long journey, and given what you have told us, one I don't think we will be doing any time soon…" Luke responded, realizing that if what Nova had told him about the war was accurate, they were effectively cut off from some of the supplies they got from human lands.

Jack shrugged. "Well, that is the main reason we're here; to help end the war. Well… it's one of the reasons anyway," he added, his expression darkening slightly for a moment before he forced it back to normal.

"I wish the two of you the best of luck then," Luke said as Nova and Jack shouldered their respective packs.

"Thanks, the same to you as well," Nova responded.

"Yeah, thanks for putting up with us this long," Jack commented wryly.

Luke shook his head and laughed, a grin working its way onto his muzzle. "Oh please, it was my pleasure. It was certainly nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Jack replied. "And thanks for the spear training too, it was really fun."

"If you ever come back, I will be more than happy to finish teaching you," Luke offered, holding out a paw to the human.

Jack took the proffered appendage and shook it. "I might just take you up on that some time."

"Well, we best be on our way. Our destination is quite a ways from here," Nova said.

"Understandable, it was good to see you again Nova," Luke stated.

"As it was you," Nova responded before turning towards the bottom of the mountain. "Let's go Jack."

Jack nodded and followed her. "Right. Alpha, here we come."