A few days had passed since the duo's rather interesting meeting with Warden.
The plan was in motion, and they were both excited and terrified to see it through; maybe somewhere out there, the answers to their questions lay in wait for them after all.
However, before they could begin to ponder the mysteries that plagued them, they had to prepare themselves. They had to make sure that they were in the best possible condition before they left Bastion in search of Awakened Nightwalker.
They would have regularly filled their days much like many of the others who made Bastion their home away from home. Helping to secure the citadel against the Nightmare Creatures, which still roamed the streets and the forests just beyond the walls.
That secondary mission had become more tiresome as of late, it seemed that the defeat of the Dragon gave room for a far more terrifying threat to rear its hideous head, Tanglewood.
This creature was the same one which had attacked their camp so long ago on their early nights of Bastion. Its tendrils of wood and vines still gave many nightmares to this very day. Every day, it and the other plant like nightmare creatures grew more prosperous and aggressive, as if the forest itself were alive.
They had failed to identify its Class but were rather confident that it was of the awakened rank, giving the humans at least a fighting chance to survive against it.
Yet here they were, bored out of their minds as they sat safely in their home at the direct order of Warden himself. To prevent any injuries before the long journey ahead.
They had rarely needed to venture far from the relative safety of the walls of Bastion, so it would be a strange yet welcome change from what their lives had become over the last seven or so months.
They both sat idly in their living spaces, unsure how to fill their time. Jasper was studying a small pendant in the light of the window whilst Damian simply watched as the fireplace roared with fury.
The light of the flames reflecting in his amber eyes made them look like flowing rivers of gold.
Jasper dropped the pendant on the table and let out a bored moan as he stared at the ceiling and spoke;
"I'm so booooored! Who knew sitting around at home all day would be such a drag? If only Jest and Taisiya could have kept us company a bit longer, who knew I would miss hearing Jest's jokes someday."
Damian turned his head towards Jasper as a strange look of pity spread across his face. He knew Jasper had been going mad slowly since their forced downtime came into effect. They had seen the two lovebirds just yesterday, and at that time, it seemed that Jasper had completely lost his mind. What a shame.
Letting out a sigh, Damian rose as he approached the stairs,
"Wait, there a moment. Warden gave me some things to pass the time on our travels. I'll go grab them."
Going to his room quickly, he grabbed a few items Warden had given him just before he left the other night.
////
Late into the night, many hours after they had started, the two men stared at each other with serious expressions on their faces. Both of them, it turned out, were sore losers and had decided to take their current game a little too seriously.
Holding their cards close, the two of them locked eyes as Jasper threw his chips to the centre of the table. He was never too lucky with poker before his First Nightmare, but he trusted in the power of the [Fool] to make him win big in the end.
He had decided to wear his trusty goggles after Damian admitted to cheating by watching the reflection of his eyes.
The younger man would not allow himself to lose here as the cards flipped and Damian threw his own chips onto the table to call Jasper's bluff.
The cards themselves were pieces of art crafted by Warden in his free time. They had not been turned into a memory, so they had to be careful not to damage them.
They mirrored a normal set of fifty two cards in terms of function, yet their designs were all custom made by the man himself.
The Aces up until the tens were simple enough, just some simple yet beautiful pattern work made them look incredible, but it was the Jack, queen and king which really made them stand out.
Each suit had its own theme; one was based on the Abominations of Bastion, with the Dragon being the symbol for the king, and another was based on the Abominations of the forests, with the Tanglewood as its king.
Whilst the other two suits were based on the Awakened of Bastion, with one suit featuring Warden as the king and the other featuring Damian. The Jacks and queens all followed their respective sides, with Jest and Taisiya in Warden's suit, whilst Jasper and Jackie were on Damian's side.
Holding the equivalent of a straight flush, Jasper was sure he was going to win this time.
///
After his humiliating defeat, Jasper found himself tired of the game and decided to start making dinner, while Damian greedily and silently counted his winnings from the night.
Of course, the chips they used were not real money, but they were made of real metal, which made them at least worth something.
It was a nice change of pace for them; they had become so used to surviving all the time that they had forgotten simply how to live, but by playing a few simple games together, they had brought themselves just a little bit closer than they had been before.
If it was one good thing the Spell had done for them, it was drawing them closer together, if it wasn't for the end of the world they would have never have met each other. That was something Jasper was truly grateful for, for what he always needed the most in his life was a friend who would stay by his side.
They enjoyed a nice meal of roasted monster meat and boiled vegetables, which were regularly foraged from the forests just beyond the gates, and just like that, the days until their departure seemed to pass just a little bit quicker.