Calamity's Survival

3. Time to Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Amphibia

Week 1…

Jackson just about collapses onto the ground. Sweat is pouring down his face and drips onto the leaves on the ground as he takes in deep ragged breaths. His wounds are still sore but have otherwise healed nicely, minus the scars marring different parts of his body. One thing that is different in Amphibia from Earth is the plant life. Either some of it will kill you, or some of it will help you. Mordan has gathered quite a supply of herbs and remedies that he himself has cultivated and made with his own two hands. Special bandage patches made from unique plants for his wounds that otherwise would have taken longer for him to heal on Earth only took days to heal up to the point he no longer has to worry about splitting the wounds open.

As soon as he could move without the pain debilitating his movements, he was put to the start of his training. Nothing too stressful, just some running… and more running… lots of running.

Jackson growls in frustration as a whistle gets his attention. He looks up at Mordan a little bit aways from him in front, smiling cheekily as he gives Jackson a small wave and continues jogging ahead. The human grunts as he pushes himself onto his feet and moves forward. His breathing may be heavy but damned if he's not going to quit so soon. Light exercise and movements during the day to get his body in shape, when dusk starts to settle is when they work on his knowledge. As much as he can work on the physical conditioning of his body to better maneuver around and fight, it'll be for nothing if he doesn't know the basics of survival, nor the best ways to find, track and identify the different monsters and bugs that live in Amphibia.

A problem that he's noticed though as he trains is he gets the distinct feeling he's being watched from the surrounding forest. His master isn't all that worried about the forest itself, no doubt from having lived in it for quite the long time, but it puts Jackson on edge more times than he can count and only fuels his determination to get moving.

Week 2…

A lot to do in so little time. Mordan proposed for Jackson to take things slow to better absorb the information and less risks in the physical conditioning. Due to the unknown status of his friends, Jackson wants to be done and out as soon as possible, so he can be in the best possible state to find his friends and work to get everyone back home.

It's hell for Jackson because of it. Mordan may have been careful in making sure the training Jackson he is in doesn't exacerbate his wounds nor do more damage than benefit him, but that doesn't mean it's a walk in the park for him. He has to spend a majority of the day doing Mordan's training regiment that leaves him a tired mess by most of the days end. The rest of the time is him pouring over documents of different types of information, books and scrolls ranging from monster info, weapon tactics and moves, the flora and fauna, even a little bit of geography information. All of which just may or may not be of use to him at some point in the future. The saying goes "Better to have and not need it than to need it and not have it." Well if he can learn the habits and tracks of a particularly powerful bug or monster that would spell his death if encountered, then that's something he's willing to learn, even if he gets a bit of headache having to cram god knows how much information. Or the different plant life that may or may not kill him if he doesn't know how to prepare said item, whether as a medicinal item or food to survive on. All he's willing to learn.

The forest continues to watch him. More often than not he's looked out one of the windows and noticed slight movements in the shrubbery surrounding the home. The creatures have most likely adapted to knowing that if they get too close to the home they will surely perish. Of course they know of the fresh meat living there and are still tempted. Jackson is pretty sure he saw glowing red in the forest too.

Week 3...

"Hrah!"

*Clank*

"Watch your spacing! Keep pushing!"

*Clang*Clang*

"Don't let your enemy get a moment to breathe!"

"Hyau!"

*Clang*Cling*Clang*

With his bodies conditioning now up to snuff, it was time to get him into more in-dept combat lessons. Mordan mentioned that there are other sentient creatures outside the forest, some that are good, some that are bad. He'll need to be able to fight properly against better trained people and monsters just in case. Actually Mordan made it clear he will most likely be attacked at some point due to the very different appearance and species he is as theirs never been any recorded sightings of something like him. Some of the locals and common people tend to be superstitious and highly skittish when it comes to things most don't understand.

This only pushed Jackson even more in his training to make sure he's ready to find his friends.

That's how those days go. Everyday he gets up and continues training with a variety of different weapons, learning the different styles, movements and weights of the different weapons in order to get him used to them should he ever need to use a different weapon in a pinch, and make him more adaptable and ready to adjust. It's a grueling process that leaves him bruised and sore on more than one occasion. But regardless he's ready to get back up and keep going until the movements become second-nature to him.

Something big is moving in the forest from what Jackson can tell. His master still isn't worried but Jackson knows as he hears the groans and movements of the forest, as well as the glowing red he's faintly spotted every now an again.

Week 4…

Moving. That's just what the last bit of training he needs now. Moving.

How to move in your environment most of all. A form of parkour basically but it's not just simply to jump and climb from tree to tree, but also to move without stopping in his environment. That's what Mordan is teaching him. To navigate the treacherous swampy forest they are in so he can be in and out of it without breaking a sweat, nor being spotted as easily. To move through the uneven terrain, to be able to move as swiftly through ones environment as if they moved through it a hundred times before. Jumping over puddles of water and muddy patches of ground, maneuvering around trees, avoiding low hanging branches and bushes, being careful of roots jutting out of the ground, large rocks blending in just right in the ground. Being mindful as you move and ready to react to the first sign of change in your path that could result in your salvation, your continued movement, or a world of hurt or death.

It's a painful and hard experience to learn. Constantly slamming into trees, tripping, muddied clothes, which Mordan was able to provide him some modest attire for the times of his training. Jackson still keeps his regular clothes and all spares he has in his bag, along with anything else he brought from Earth, to keep them safe and in good condition for as long as possible. He has to learn fast in his movements otherwise he will continue to gain more sever injury's. Injury's that will impair his ability to keep going at full strength and be done faster. He has become a much calmer person since when he first started, but that doesn't mean he's still going to use what frustration he gets to keep his focus on his training and try to brute force it.

Which leads to one last moment…

Final day…

The clanging sounds of metal can be heard. Jackson and Mordan are in a small clearing in the forest, both swords in hand, trading blows as each one narrowly swipes and thrusts their swords in an effort to do damage to the other. A no-holds-bar fight until one makes the other submit. Jackson does a slash towards Mordan's head. The salamander ducks under the hit and thrusts at Jack. He takes the momentum of his missed attack into a pivoting dodge, making the thrust miss him before coming back around into another slash this time at a lower angle. Mordan's blade comes around and deflects the attack, making Jack's sword go off to the side. Jack flows with the momentum of his sword and side steps away from Mordan, putting distance from them to allow some breathing room.

With the distance set, both fighters take a moment to breathe and catch their breathe, their eyes glazing over one another as they take in their forms. Mordan's look is the same armored gear he had when he and Jackson first met one another.

Jackson however is sporting an entirely new ensemble and gear set than his normal clothing attire. A brown chest piece made from the carapace of a bug covers his chest and back with a grey undershirt. It's lighter and almost as tough as what one would have as metal chest armor so it doesn't weigh Jackson down as much. Metal plates are strapped to his forearms for added protection, and black gloves cover his hands to protect them from the elements and allow for added grip. His shoes remain the same, black with blue stripes hiking shoes to use in his everyday life but also can last in nature itself. He's also wearing dark grey pants with metal kneepads and several thin small plates segmented together as armor for his legs. They both ease their breathing before they tighten the grip on their weapons… and charge.

*CLANG*CLANG*CLANG*

Several sword impacts can be heard between the two of them, very small flashes can be seen as their blades hit one another. Mordan holds his sword in one hand as he blocks the repeated strikes from Jackson. He holds his sword with two hands as he adds force with his hits, attempting to break through Mordan's defense. Jack aims high to go for the head but Mordan deflects it to the side and counters with his own thrust. Jack reorients his blade and allows his opponents weapon to slide along his own blade until it catches onto the guard. The leverage and hold of the blade Jack sweeps the weapon around and forces the weapon up and out of Mordan's hand. Jack's moment of victory at disarming his opponent is cut short as a tail swings around and slams into his stomach. Jack grunts as he slides back a little but he quickly looks up to see Mordan diving for his sword. Jack yells as he rushes forward and jumps into an overhead slash. Mordan just barely manages to grab his sword and pull it up before both blades impact one another. A small moment of them struggling to push onto the other is interrupted as Mordan kicks one of his feet up, slamming it into Jack's stomach and forcing the kid backwards. Mordan rolls backwards until he is on his feet and charges forward, initiating his own means of attacking.

Now its Jack on the defensive as he blocks and deflects the various strikes from his mentor. Jack holds his sword tightly with both hands as he keeps his sword in front of him, deflecting the hits away. Mordan is still much more skilled than him and manages to impact the weapons dangerously closer to the guard of Jack's blade forcing him to let go to only one hand for more freedom of movement for him. Jack's sword movement are wilder now as he mixes in deflecting and blocking with dodging out of the way of the hits.

Jack flips around from one attempted stab, twirling to the side and coming in with a wide slash towards the Mordan's head. The salamander bats the attack to the side, hitting Jack's sword away and leaving the human open.

*Smack*

Before Mordan can try to counterattack a fist comes around impacts him in the face from Jack's free hand. He only grunts at the hit and as Jack's sword comes back around for and overhead attack but Mordan charges forward, making the attack miss as Mordan shoulder charges Jack, carrying him for a second before slamming him into a tree. Jack grunts at the hit, momentarily thankful for his healed injury, and quickly regains his senses as Mordan twists his sword around into a thrust, placing his free hand back onto the pommel and thrusts it forward. Jack drops his legs out from under him, dropping his body under the attack, making the sword thrust halfway deep into the trunk of the tree. Without missing a beat, Jack thrusts his foot up and kicks Mordan's arms, making him lose his grip on his sword as Jack kicks his stomach. Mordan grunts as he stumbles back from the hit but before he can try to get ready to defend himself, Jack rolls forward onto his feet and pushes himself forward in a charge. Mordan grunts as he's taken off the ground for a second before he and Jack roll on the ground for a bit, rolling over one another in a tangled mess until Mordan is on top of Jack, one hand gripping the humans throat, the other holding a rock he picked up off the ground and held high into the air.

"…"

"…"

Neither of them say or do anything for several tense seconds.

"… Ha ha ha ha ha." Mordan begins to laugh his slightly deep laugh. Jackson smirks at the laugh as well. "Haaaaa… well done." Mordan drops the rock and lets go of Jackson. The human though pulls his sword back, taking it away from Mordan's throat that he had placed there just as Mordan was about to cave his skull in with the rock, held in the reverse grip. Mordan gets up and extends a hand to Jackson. He smiles at the offer and take the appendage. He doesn't grunt from being pulled up so roughly, having gotten accustomed to much rougher treatment in the time and tutelage he's done under Mordan. Jackson rolls his shoulders a little before flipping his sword around properly and holding the right way. He then sheathes his sword on his hip before taking it off him along with the scabbard before looking to Mordan. "Ngha!" Who just ripped his sword out of the trunk of the tree. He looks at the sword for a second, examining it before placing it back in its scabbard and taking the whole thing in his hand. He walks over to Jackson, who is still standing where he was pulled up. Mordan gives Jackson a long hard look before holding his free hand out. Jackson hands over the sword to Mordan, the old rusted and chipped blade he was first given when he was brought to the cabin. He looks at the weapon before nodding at Jackson and extending the other weapon towards him.

For a moment, Jackson looks stunned at the offer before composing himself and taking the weapon. Mordan smiles, tapping Jacksons shoulder and walking off towards the cabin. Jackson is still standing there as he stares at the weapon. Unlike the rusted piece he was using before, this one is simpler but of a much more high-quality design.

The handle has a brown strap leather wrapping, a steel metal ball as the pommel, pointed metal prongs for the guard, and a long reflective silver steel blade with a fuller running along the length of the blade to a point.

Jackson runs a finger along the blade, testing its sharpness but not hard enough to do damage to him. He doesn't have to put much effort for him to feel how deadly sharp the weapon is. Even when it just went through a tree, its still deadly sharp.

"So, it's time huh?" Jackson asks.

"It is." Mordan states as he rummages around a dresser.

"Amphibia's a big place. Going to take some time to find my friends." Jackson grimaces, not relishing the thought of going out blindly but still determined regardless to go and look.

"I'm not going to send you out without some sort of direction blind you know? Jeez and I thought you knew me in all this time." Mordan grumbles the last part.

Jackson smirks at the comment as he shakes his head. "Okay old man. I get it. What do you got for me?"

"Ngh! A village a bit ways away from here through the mountains is your first stop. Rumors have been cropping up of a weird spindly and lanky creature hanging around their… which as I thought about it matched your description pretty accurately…" He takes a moment to pause in his rummaging to glance at Jackson before going back in. "Well, before I kicked your ass with all that training."

Jackson chuckles a little. Before he never really exercised all that much so he wasn't exactly showing much in the muscle department. Now though his body has filled out more with leaner muscles on his stature, not body-builder type mind you but just enough to show some effort he's put in. "Yeah yeah." His tone begins to take a subdued more serious tone to it. "So, this rumor… think it might be one of them?" He asks with barely restrained hope in his voice.

"Don't know." Mordan states before pulling something from the dresser and tossing it to Jackson. He easily catches it out of the air before looking at the items. It's a black robe, a cloak to be more precise. Large and thick enough with a hood to cover his body and features so no one would be able to properly see his profile unless looking at his face, which is what the second item is for. The second and last item is a grey featureless mask with two deep set eyeholes. All this combined with his armor, no one would be able to point out his species and most of the locals of Amphibia can just assume Jackson to be a heavily armored mercenary newt, "That's why your going."

Jackson looks up from the items at the salamander. "So… the sword you gave me… and all this… it is time." Mordan had at point mentioned when it comes to the day he starts handing out gifts, it's high time for Jackson to be on his way out.

Mordan smiles and walks up to Jackson and places a hand on his shoulder. "Yes. It's time. I've taught you as much as I can. Theirs still more you can learn… but that's stuff you can learn on your own." He lets his hand fall away from Jackson.

Jackson for his part smiles at the words before placing his hands together, a fist pressed into the palm of his hand, and bows a little. "Thank you… master. For everything."

His master, Mordan, reciprocates the gesture. "The pleasure was all mine." He then chuckles and slaps Jacksons arm, making him grunt at the rough hit. "Now, enough of being sappy. Let's go." Mordan walks past him and heads for the door. Jackson smirks and flips the cloak around and adorns it over his body and clicking it close at the collar. "Don't forget your stuff!" Mordan calls from outside.

Jackson has a moment of realization at the reminder and quickly looks around. He finds his backpack right next to the frame of the front door. Grabbing it, he opens the bag to make sure he has everything he originally came with.

A couple sets of clothes he had in his bag for his school uniform and gym, a small pocket knife, his smart phone which he turned off to conserve the battery for whatever reason he might find it useful later, some of his textbooks, some pens, as well as some of the scrolls and papers that highlight some of the indigenous life and locations of Amphibia. He grabs one particular and unfurls it, revealing it to be a complete map of Amphibia. It doesn't show each and every tiny little detail of the land, as overtime things change for obvious reasons, but the markings of special known locations, cities, capitals and villages are all labeled and accounted for on the map. He rolls it up and places it back in.

He likes to carry everything instead of putting stuff away in his locker, not liking the detour to go to his locker and prefers to just head straight to his next class, so his backpack is much bigger than normal ones so it can hold a lot of stuff, a lot more than he had to be honest back on earth but now, its as helpful as can be for his current state of location. He zips it back up and slings it onto his back. With his new sword strapped to his side, pack on his back, new clothes, he smiles and steps up to the door.

… Then stops. His smiles disappears as he stops just before the open doors frame. The slow ease of movement from the wind making the trees creak around. Mordan is nearby, staring out into the swampy forest as he waits for Jackson.

Jackson though has the realization that he is in fact leaving his safe haven. The ramshackle house he is in may not be the best looking place out there but its been the one safe place he's practically lived in for over a month, slept in, eaten in. The first several days of being in Amphibia were a nightmare, and while he was undoubtedly angry, this grizzled old salamander was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.

He owes his life to him.

He sighs and reaches into his pocket and pulls out the familiar photo. He smiles again as he looks at his friends before pocketing it again.

He needed the reminder.

He takes a deep breath of air and walks forward, feeling the crunch of the ground and dirt beneath his feet as he's hit fully with the rays of the sun. He takes a moment to block the suns rays from his eyes before stepping forward more, going into the shade of the trees and walking up to his master.

Mordan keeps a critical eye focused on the forest around them, particually in small section and path in front of them. He gives a small confirming nod before turning to Jackson as he walks up. "This is the way out for you." He points down the dark path. Even though its day out, the trees around them are still thick and large enough to make a lot of the sections of the swampy forest around them to be very close to pitch black and night time. "This general direction will get you out of the forest and within view of the mountains."

"Mountains?" Jackson mutters in confusion as he adjusts his pack.

"Yeah." Mordan pulls out another scroll. "The main path to the valley and village your looking for has been snowed and iced over, effectively making an impenetrable wall of ice that no one can break through." He hands Jackson the scroll without even looking at him. "And that's why you're going through mountains." Jackson grabs said scroll and opens it up, revealing small map showing a path through the mountain surrounding the valley that has his destination. "Not many Amphibians know it but there are actually a few paths through the mountains someone can take to get through the mountains and circumvent the ice walls."

"Well that's useful." Jackson comments as he studies the routes, more specifically the one he's looking for. "So why aren't they used as often?"

"Ohhhhh, the usual. Cave-ins, collapsed tunnels, impassable drops, too dangerous, some have even been made the homes of certain bugs, monsters and insects that are just teeming with all kinds of nasties. Plus most of the ones traveling these days are merchants or roving bands of soldiers who are using snails or bugs pulling their carts and carriages to get to their destinations. No way anyone can bring a carriage through these tunnels."

"Except since I'm carrying lighter gear than all those and am only one person, I have better chances of making my way through one of these paths than your average Amphibian."

"Correct."

"… Is that why you spent so much time of my training learning how to climb and move more fluently?"

"… Partly." Mordan mumbles as he sighs before leaning on a nearby tree. "When I went to some nearby villages to trade for some supplies, I asked around for any rumors or sightings of strangle creatures that have popped up recently. Creatures that bare a close resemblance to you."

"And that's how you learned of the rumors?"

"Yes, although some of the locals in their villages were a little freaked out at the idea of new creature popping up out of nowhere—"

"Which is why you gave me this disguise." Jackson finishes saying what the salamander was going to say.

"Exactly. While it was simple getting it, I also had to look into finding you a path to get you to the valley without freezing yourself solid." He points to the scroll that Jackson is holding. "I have several maps of Amphibia in my home, all with different paths and different locations of interest. It just took a bit of scrounging to find it. When I did, it was all I could do to prepare you for the treacherous journey ahead."

"Hmhm, even when I'm done with training you're still going to give me hell." Jackson jests a little with a smile.

"You say that a lot so I'll take that as a compliment." They both share a laugh at that for several seconds before they calm down a little. Their moods though takes a turn for the downward variety. Mordan and Jackson both turn to the side and stare at one another. "… Are you ready?"

"…" Jackson stares at him long and hard, thoughts running through his mind till his free hand briefly brushes the edges of the photo in his pocket. "… I don't know." He turns to the path ahead, before turning back to his master. "But I don't have a choice. I have to find them."

"I know you do." Mordan says with finality in his voice, just as Jackson did in his voice. They stand together for a moment or two before Mordan raises his hand. "Take care son."

Jackson stares at him for a moment, very brief moment as he swallows the lump in his throat before grabbing the offered hand. "I will." They nod at one another before they let go and Jackson gives a small bow to him. "Thanks for everything Master."

"The pleasure was all mine. I can safely say, your one of the best people I've trained. Knock 'em dead out there."

Jackson scoffs and pats the salamander's arm on the side. "Oh I will. Take care of yourself old man."

"Don't you worry about me. Now get going." Mordan nods his head towards the path. "Faster you get going, the faster you can start looking for your friends."

Jackson smiles and nods before stepping forward into the path. "I'll be seeing you Master!"

"Hmm, goodbye." Mordan replies and begins making his way back to his home.

As they go though, Jackson is more pumped and ready to go. Doubts he had before lessened to a great degree and allowing him to make his was forward with a renewed conviction in his step.

Mordan however, his smile turns into a frown. Grim and slightly depressing thoughts plague his mind as he trudges his way back to his home… his lonely… home.

He always found it best to keep himself a recluse, a hermit away from any form of civilization, with the only contact he has with other Amphibians is the occasional trade and business dealings he has with the surrounding villages, bartering away the useful parts from bugs he hunts and the plants and herbs he harvests around the forest.

Despite all that though, he would never admit it, but the isolation had felt like it was taking a toll on him, the crippling loneliness starting to wear on him overtime. No sane frog, toad or newt would make their way that deep into his forest. Too dangerous, not enough reward, even for the ones who would want to find him.

The human though… Jackson…

He grabs the handle of the front door of his house before stopping, and then turning around to stare down the path. He watches Jacks back as the boy slowly makes his way through the trees before eventually disappearing altogether.

That human… may have just popped into the middle of his forest, but he survived for a long, long time, more than most would have already perished. He didn't want to see that potential to snuffed out, but its safe to say he wanted at least some company at this point.

And what a company he was.

Mordan smiles before opening the door and stepping. He disappears into his home, the door slowly closing with a loud eerie creek before eventually shutting closed.

With Jackson, he dashes forward, jumping over exposed roots as nimbly runs his way through the dense forest around him, minding the sludgy muddy areas to not get caught in. Several bugs and monsters screech as they chase after him but he's too quick, too fast for them to catch him. Some of them even slam into rocks and tree trunks as they desperately try to get at Jackson. This only serves to chunk up the paths to the human as the ones behind fall over or slam into the stopped forms of their fallen fellows.

Remembering the training he had to take, Jackson continues to juke his way past more trees and over some rocks but a few of the more nimble bugs begin to gain on him. He groans at the development, not liking the idea of having to stop but a plan quickly forms as he spots a few bug creatures up ahead of him. They notice him, a couple that look like cicadas and one that looks like a wasp of some kind. One cicada and the wasp head for him first. Just as the cicada is about to grab him, he grabs his swords handle and swipes it out, cutting a deep and nasty gash into the bug, making it squeal and fall to the side. The wasp goes for its stinger to impale onto his body. He waits at just the right moment before side-stepping out of the way, making the stinger lodge itself into the trunk of a tree. Just before it can try to wrench itself free or grab him with its pincers, he swings his sword into a long arc and slices one of its wings off, making it scream and flail about. He barely manages to duck under one bug from behind as it sails over him and latches onto the wasp. He's not sure what it was but he's taking no chances as he books it some more. The last cicada jumps forward, intent to smother and latch onto him.

*SHINK*

Except he pulled his sword up, making it fall onto his sword and lodge the blade directly through its body. Using the momentum from the jump, Jackson twirls their bodies around so now the cicada, who is flailing and still alive, is between him and his pursuers. He plants his foot on the cicada and pushes it off, tearing his sword out and pushing the bug into what's chasing him.

*SHICK*

He freezes as a giant stinger stabs through the bugs body, instantly killing the cicada as the icky green blood splatters on Jacksons face. He quickly wipes it away as he stares at what almost just killed him. Ever so slowly, the stinger pulls back, taking the cicada body with it before it starts to go higher and higher into the air. Even in the dim light, he just still manages to make out the giant form of a scorpion. Red glowing eyes glare at him as the creature, which he now notes is close to the size of a school bus, menacingly flexes its pincers, right before it jerks its giant stinger to the side, throwing the bug body off it and making it splatter on a nearby tree. Jackson stares at the display for a second before staring right back at the creature. The other bugs chasing him seemed to have stopped and begun either attacking each other for slamming into each other, or started feasting on the quick kills he did just then.

The scorpion ignores the fresh kills though and instead focus all its attention onto Jackson.

The human himself warily moves his body, widening his stance and ready to move at a moments notice.

The moment comes much sooner than he was first expecting. The scorpions stinger strikes almost like a flash of lightning towards him. It's only because of his reflexes that he's not skewered as he just barely manages to dodge to the side. He almost feels the air pass as the stinger comes dangerously closer to hitting him. A loud thunk noise can be heard as Jackson rolls away before seeing that the scorpion stabbed its stinger into the trunk of another tree. It squeals and tries to wrench it free as Jackson quickly turns tail and begins running. He gets some distance but he hears the breaking of a tree, including the sound of said tree falling, and the now resumed skittering sounds of movement behind him as the crowd of bugs chase him yet again. His movements are not focused on putting as much as he can since one creature behind him he's is mostly just barreling through a large number of the trees.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to run long as the light from the outside manages to peer through some trees at the end of the path. Doing some quick calculations and making his very best and most hopeful guess, he should be at the border of the forest. His pursuers don't get any slower as he can hear them get dangerously close to him. With one final burst of speed, he presses as much energy as he can into his legs and finds himself going just a bit faster, just what he needs to make it to safety… hopefully.

"C'mon… C'mon… C'mon!" He growls out to himself as his arms and legs pump rhythmically. A small smirk appears on his face as the suns rays just manage to hit his fac—

"Aaahhh!" He suddenly shouts, something slamming into his back and lifting him off his feet as he's carried out the woods. It takes a second for his eyes to adjust to the sudden bright light but his focus is on the thing that grabbed him is suddenly carrying him high into the air. Not caring what it is, he takes his sword and swings it around above and behind frantically. His sword finds purchase and he cuts something, making the creature squeal and the feeling one falling hits Jackson like a truck. He looks down and sees the ground coming towards him fast. "Oh god!" He shouts before reaching back and grabbing one of the thin legs that grabbed him. He pulls himself around the bug and manages to just in time put the bug between him and the ground.

*SPLAT*

It's not a pretty sound as the insect hits the ground harshly. Jackson quickly takes the opportunity and throws himself forward, taking the stress off his legs at the impact and going into a roll on the ground. He grunts as he rolls a couple times before going into a slide and bringing his sword and ready to go.

…

All is silent for a second as Jackson takes stock of what he is seeing. The bug that grabbed him was a fly, or some kind of fly. Hard to tell with the mashed body he used to break his fall. Past it, at the border forest is several more bugs that hiss at the light before scurrying back into the recesses of the forest. The last thing he sees though, is the large scorpion creature staring at him. He can't see exactly what type of scorpion it is, the darkness obscuring the features from him. He does however, see one thing that shows it's staring at him. It's multiple red eyes glaring at him from the darkness of the forest, slowly and idly pinching its pincers as they both stare at one another.

"…"

"…"

Eventually, the standoff ends as scorpion turns around and treks its way back into its hunting grounds. Jackson doesn't let his guard down however and keeps his stance and grip on his sword. After what feels like minutes with no more movements from the forest, Jackson finally relaxes. A long and loud sigh of relief leaves his mouth as he arms fall to his sides. He takes several gasps of air, relishing the feeling of being out and in the open with nothing chasing him now. He takes a long hard look at the forest he escaped from, remembering the scorpion that was just chasing him.

"… Those eyes… I remember those eyes… it was you wasn't it?" He asks the question under his breath, not really expecting an answer when he already knows it. He shakes his head and sighs. He looks at his sword, noting the splatter of green bug blood on the blade.

*Whoosh*

With one swipe towards the ground to the side, the goo slides right off and hits the ground, cleaning the blade by a large degree. He sheathes his weapon and reaches for his backpack behind him. After pulling it off he quickly checks it over to make sure none of its contents had spilled out. He smiles as he sees its still in working condition. Some knicks here and there but nothing to compromise the zippers and straps. He nods in appreciation before shouldering onto his back again. Casting one last look towards the forest, he then begins making his way as far away from the forest as he can. He pulls out his map and does what he can to start triangulating his position and find out where he needs to go.

"Okay… I might have gotten turned around in my dashing. I probably came out around here… if I go in this general direction… I can come to a road. If I follow this… go there… spot this…" He mutters to himself, mumbling idly as his eyes and finger trace map, looking up and down several times in trying to figure out his next sense of direction. "Just got to keep going Jack…" He mumbles as she steps over a small hill and finds himself at a high point, staring down and around at a massive vista overlooking a large part of Amphibia.

He lowers his map, staring out into land before him. For over a month now, the only part of Amphibia he has seen has just been the inside of a thick, dark, swampy forest and its 'inhabitants'. Now that he's free of his makeshift prison location, he can now finally appreciate the scope of the new world he is on.

'A new world… hehe… that's where I am… where we are.' He comments in his head. From atop his high point, he can see a lot from the place. Flowing plains of green, thick bushy trees aplenty, not the gnarled mishappened ones he's been so used to seeing, tall grey craggily mountains, dirt colored lines running through the green fields and forests, the roads for the people, and he can even spot a small village or two out there. 'It's so different from earth. So good… so beautiful… so…' He takes the opportunity to take in a deep breath. He holds the air for a couple seconds before letting it out in one loud exhale, even laughing a little as he does. 'Clean… so clean.' He smiles as he stares at it all. If one wanted to they could stand there for hours and admire the view non-stop…

But that's something he can't do.

After another small inhale, he schools his features, taking a focused and serious look about him as he looks down, taking note of the incline he can go down fast and safely.

'Still, no matter what, I have a job to do.' He reaches for his side, grabbing the mask hooked to his belt.

'Marcy…' A black-haired peppy Asian girl smiles at him, journal in hand and giving him a wide teeth-filled close eyed smile with a thumbs up.

He pulls his hood back.

'Sasha…' A blond haired girl with crossed arms giving him an amusing smirk.

He places the mask atop his head.

'Anne…' A brown haired happy Thai girl smiles at him, head titled to the side just a little with her hands clasped together and pointed towards the ground.

The strap clicks closed behind his head.

A new wave of determination, confidence, flows through him as he's no longer shackled by the dangers of the forest. Now…

'I'm coming for your girls. And this time…'

With one hand placed onto of the mask, with one smooth ease of motion, the mask slides downwards, covering his face from all who look at him. He grabs his hood and flips it back up. Now his unique features are obscured. No one can see him as a human now.

He inhales and exhales one final time, his blue eyes barely peering through the eyeholes of the mask before a shadow of black covers them. He flexes his fingers and bends his legs.

"I'm ready."

With one jerk movement, he hops forward, hitting the incline of the hill and sending himself skidding downwards towards flat ground. All the while the smirk stays on his face.

'Welcome to Amphibia.'

And just like that folks, there we go. Jackson has made it out of the death forest he was in and is now on his way to find his friends. He's got a lead on where to go, now he just needs to start trekking his way through the new world he's in. He's got a glimpse of how things are from his brief run through the forest and now he needs to see if things are going to be better or worse than what he's already dealt with.

Now though, he's got the skills and equipment ready to get him moving.

ThunderBasilisk: Oh yeah, the anger is something that he'll have to temper for quite awhile. I know your not fond of Jackson using a sword but just bare with it. He's trained in more than one weapon during his training so for now, he's got to use one to keep himself light. But don't worry, I have a plan for his future weapon further down the line.

Thank you for your support. Go ahead and fave, follow, review, whatever you wish. Have fun reading everyone, but most of all, have a great day to each and every one of you.