Coye Vol 3 Ch 11

"Fuuuuuck thiiiiis," Byng gasped for air, sweaty and tired, as she collapsed against the dirty forest floor and tossed her wooden bow away to the side. "Fuck this stupid fucking bird, fuck this stupid fucking Zurgarrah, and fuck everything else that deserves to be fucked!!"

Coye, who was already sprawled out on the grass a few feet away, nodded his head and raised a defiant fist. "Y-Yeah... same..."

'Truly, this was a team-up for the ages...' Shayla sighed as she recalled the last hour's events and just how embarrassingly bad things had gone.

As made evident by the very much still alive Woodtreader staring off into the middle distance, things hadn't gone according to plan.

Everything Coye and Byng could think of throwing at their opponent, they did. Byng unleashed an entire quiver's worth of arrows while Coye stayed on the Woodtreader's tail, slashing and pursuing it every way he could. They tried leading it into ambushes and sneak attacks, they tried overwhelming it with speed on two fronts, and they even attempted to fake it out and pretend to give up more than a few times. Nothing came out of it beyond increased frustration, tears, and exhaustion.

Shayla helped here and there, too, but she mainly stayed out of it on account of trying to recover some mana. Manipulating luck was a costly affair for her and was typically an ultimatum she saved only for do or die scenarios. It did lend itself to some absolutely epic pranks, though, but Shayla wasn't strong enough to use it recreationally like others of her species. Even if she had it in her to contribute more than the bare minimum, she had the impression it wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

After a certain point, Coye was starting to suspect that this monster might've had the ability to see a few seconds into the future. He couldn't comprehend how else it could so perfectly dodge each and every oncoming threat, but even then, he wasn't sure since that wouldn't explain the Woodtreader's absurd reflexes and speed.

Perhaps the only positive outcome from this futile endeavor was Coye and Byng learning about their natural affinity for working together. At every moment of the battle, they had each other's backs, and they were able to create opportunities for their partner seemingly left and right. Given that they both considered themselves lone wolves at fighting, this came as a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

When the time finally came to throw in the towel there were plenty of valid reasons to be so upset, but a lack of teamwork was not one of them. They had to cut their losses at some point, however. Both had wasted most of their energy on Arts, and Byng's quiver was almost devoid of arrows- trick or otherwise.

Thus, they ended up where they were now, defeated in body and mind.

"So... what are we gonna do about round two, then...?" Coye turned to face Byng, wasting no time asking the question they both dreaded the answer to.

"Don't make me say it," Byng whined. If she had the energy to do so, Coye felt like she'd be thrashing around on the grass like a little girl.

"We don't have to give up. We could go rest for a bit, have lunch, get you some more arrows and then come back and pick up where we left off if you want..." Coye suggested even as his soul raged against him for remotely implying they could have another go at the vile Woodtreader.

"Is that what you want...?" Byng looked at him skeptically.

"Gods, no..." Coye whimpered and resumed looking at the dark forest canopy over him. "Whatever the case, we should really get out of here for a while... we must look like an all-you-can-eat feast right now, sprawled out on the ground like this..."

"Don't go giving me any ideas, short-stuff..." Byng cackled weakly and licked her lips.

Coye didn't have it in him to respond to the teasing, so he just laughed half-heartedly instead.

"Much as it pains me to say it, you're right, though..." the Gengaggi groaned as she burned through even more of her remaining strength to force herself to sit up. "I think we gotta call this round a draw, too."

'She really should've thought this through better,' Shayla sighed and shook her head back and forth, feeling sympathy for the girl to an extent while knowing it was her own fault for choosing a target Byng already knew she had trouble with.

"Couldn't we just scratch it from the record and try a different challenge for round two instead?" Coye suggested, wanting to exhaust all possibilities to make Byng feel better that he could think of.

"Nah. We did the thing, and we failed. Simple as that. There weren't any distractions or creepy monsters showing up to fucking things up, so we have no one to blame but ourselves..." Byng grumbled and folded her arms over her chest. "Gah, this sucks..."

Coye frowned upon seeing the cheerful girl falling into a fit of self-pity. He wished he could do something to improve her mood, but his mind was too exhausted to devise the obvious solution. Luckily, his wingman was there to point it out for him.

'You know, baby... I bet a nice present would perk Byng up right about now... hint, hint,' Shayla nudged him in the right direction, making Coye remember the bag of Owlbear feathers tied to his belt.

Byng noticed Coye's sudden realization, and she tilted her head. "Huh? Something up?"

"Yeah, come here for a second," Coye said as he untied the bag, Byng scooching closer like a curious cat. "I, um, I told you about the Owlbears I hunted yesterday, right?"

"Uh-huh...?" Byng blinked in anticipation.

"I've been trying to save up some more gold recently, so, um..." Coye stumbled as he held the bag idly. He'd never given a girl a gift before, especially not while on a date with one he maybe was starting to develop feelings for.

However, Shayla expected a little bit of hesitation and was quick to ease his concerns. 'C'mon, c'mon. Nice and slow, baby. She's gonna love it!'

Coye looked into Byng's face, seeing her bright amber eyes, her parted lips, and the general interest she had in wherever he was going with this. What was there to be afraid of? Byng wouldn't reject him or make fun of him. She liked him, which both calmed him and excited him to consider.

"Well, I didn't have a good enough hunting knife to strip their pelts, so I settled on filling up a bag of feathers, right? I thought I'd, um, you know... sell them for a little extra cash. A-Anyway-" he almost bit his tongue now that he was at the part of the story that actually concerned Byng and would require him to give her the damn present already. Coye powered through it, though, and continued, "I ended up finding a fletcher... and he told me how Owlbear feathers make for really good arrow material and u-um, since I had plans with you the next day, I thought that maybe you would l-like it if-"

"Coye," Byng interrupted. "Are you trying to give me a present?"

"YesbutI'mreallybadatitsohere," Coye slurred his words together into an incoherent jumble and thrust the bag of feathers into Byng's expecting hand, his face red and his brow covered in sweat, caused not by exhaustion but from his own nerves.

'Smooth,' Shayla giggled to herself, knowing full well that Coye's awkwardness was that special kind that certain girls fell head over heels for. Girls like herself, Suzette, and now Byng.

The huntress looked at the bag in her hand for a few seconds before returning her gaze to Coye. On her lips was a catlike smile, and on her cheeks, a thick blush. There was a sparkle in her big, round eyes that shimmered and shined.

Then, she started to vibrate, and the next thing he knew, Coye was tackled to the ground. Byng pounced on him and wrapped her arms around Coye in the most vigorous hug he'd ever experienced. She didn't give a rat's ass about his smell fetish, not now. Byng was acting on pure impulse, and impulse told her to glomp.

"C'mere, you adorable little fucker, you!" She squealed amid copious amounts of laughter.

"Ah!" Coye shouted in shock, his hat falling off his head in the heat of the moment.

Shayla made sure it landed the correct way to hide her presence, so there was nothing to worry about. She simply watched with a smile as Byng started to roll around on the grass with Coye back and forth, thrusting her body against him with greater and greater intensity. Luckily, he was too exhausted to get aroused at the moment, but Gods, the temptation was there.

Byng had half a mind to kiss him then and there, but she regained control of herself and peeled her sweaty body from Coye's. She left a thick Gengaggi residue on his clothes in her wake, and she laughed after seeing a wet imprint of her belly button on his tunic.

"Thank you so much for these, short-stuff," Byng cooed, clutching the bag of Owlbear feathers to her chest. "I can't wait to try 'em out!"

"Y-Yeah? Good, that's... good... very... good..." Coye mumbled, his mind addled not from Byng's smell but from her affection. Shayla and Suzette expressed their feelings in a much more reserved way compared to the adorable Outrealmer, and he wasn't used to it quite yet.

'There you go. That wasn't too hard, was it?' Shayla congratulated him as he picked up his cap and donned it again, pulling the visor over his eyes to hide his embarrassment a little better.

Byng laughed at Coye's dorky shyness, but her temper returned after receiving an unexpected "Kwahhh!" of approval from the Woodtreader, who approached the duo and seemed to be genuinely happy for them.

"I don't need your blessing!" Byng screeched at the bird, picking up a nearby rock and throwing it at the Woodtreader. It pecked the stone out of the air and redirected it right at the Gengaggi's forehead to show its dominance. "Ow, fuck!"

Now it was Coye who was laughing as he stood up. He extended a hand, helped Byng up, and then turned to face their undefeated foe. "You know, It's kind of cute when it's not pissing me off, I think..." he mused.

"Kwah," it said, and if birds could smile, Coye assumed it would be doing so.

"No way, there's nothing cute about this thing at all! I mean, the dumbass can't even fly!" Byng insisted as her face burned bright red, a red that only deepened when Coye reached out and started petting the Woodtreader. "H-H-How dare you to get all cozy with the enemy, short-stuff?! Pet ME if you need to pet something, you traitorous fargarhk!"

"Come on, he's not that bad..." Coye laughed, scratching the Woodtreader's head as it made a bizarre sound that he assumed was the bird equivalent of purring.

"I can't even look at you right now," Byng fumed.

Shayla snorted to herself. 'And here I thought Byng had said that the Gengaggi weren't a jealous race? I guess that doesn't extend to pets...'

Coye had a laugh at that, too, causing Byng to look at him with comical rage. "You think this is funny, do you? Huh? Huh?!"

"I-I didn't say anything," Coye smiled and ignored the fury directed at him. "Anyway, we should really get going now. I'm starting to get hungry, and-"

After hearing Coye's intention to leave the forest, the Woodtreader performed a most unexpected action. It turned around and bent over, craning its neck at its back as if to say, 'hop on.'

'Holy shit,' Shayla slapped her knee.

"Um..." Coye looked at Byng.

"Oh hell no," she responded, trembling with frustration. "There is no way you're getting me to ride that thing! NO. WAY. I may be tired, but I'd sooner crawl out of the forest myself than accept charity from my prey! And as for you..." Byng thrust her pointer finger at the beast which had brought her so much humiliation. "Have you no shame? Getting all cozy with your hunters... what kind of a joke even is this?!"

Shayla suggested an idea to Coye covertly, and although it made him blush, he brought it up all the same since he wanted to save some time and make it out of the forest as quickly as possible.

"Hey, you know that if we rode it t-then... we'd have to hold onto each other the whole time, right...?"

Byng froze. She weighed what was more important- her pride or having an excuse to hug Coye for an extended period of time.

"Let's get our shit, then..." she grumbled as she started walking the battlefield to salvage as many of her arrows as she could. "You're in front."

Coye knew better than to laugh, but he smiled a broad smile nonetheless as he picked up his shield and strapped it to his back.

"Nope, gimme that," Byng scowled and pointed at his bandolier.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want me to squish my tits against your cold, metal shield, or do you want to feel them on your back while we ride this stupid thing?"

"Kwah?" It asked.

"Yes, you!" Byng snapped.

"Er-" after a moment of deliberation, Coye handed Byng his bandolier.

'Perv,' Shayla smirked. 'Good answer, though.'

Coye sighed and helped Byng gather her scattered arrows until they'd gotten as many as they could find. After that, it was time to mount up. The Woodtreader still waited patiently on its back for the adventurers, and Coye was the first to swing his legs around it and saddle up. The bird held up its little wings for Coye to grasp, almost like a pair of handlebars. Coye laughed at how far the bird thought ahead, but Byng was less enthused.

"Let it be known that I am only doing this for the hugs!" She made sure to stress as she sat down behind Coye and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It is known," Coye gave her the validation she was seeking for. It was the least he could do in exchange for the wonderful, soft, squishy feeling pushing against him from behind.

"Kwah!" The Woodtreader spoke up and stood, startling both adventurers as it kicked off and began running at a startling speed.

"GAH-" Byng let out a big, panicked yelp as the entire world around them began to blur. "I changed my mind. Let me off this fucking thing!" She screamed, wrapping her legs around Coye and shoving her face into the crook of his neck.

'Ugh- I thought it'd be a smoother ride than whenever you use Quick Step, but I was wro... wroo... ughhh...!' Shayla clutched tight to Coye, too, pulling his hair for dear life.

Coye wasn't paying much mind to Byng grappling onto him or even the imminent threat of his hair being covered in Pixie puke. Sure, he dreaded that outcome just as much as he enjoyed feeling Byng cuddling up to him in fear, but he was drawn in by the romance of adventure. So often did his job boil down to go here, kill a thing, and get paid that 'adventuring' had lost some of its magic over the last two years. Now, Coye found himself riding on a monster he'd somehow befriended while not one but two cute girls clung to him.

It was a thrill- a true rush. This was the sort of thing they told stories about, and he couldn't believe it was happening to him. Adrenaline surged through his body, and he thirsted for more, regardless of what his companions had to say about it.

"Faster," Coye pulled on the Woodtreader's wings like they were its reins. "Faster!"

"KWAH!" It agreed, leaping dramatically into the air to hop over a fallen tree.

"What? No, no, nononooooo-" Byng cried, her fearful vibrations intensifying. It wasn't the speed that bothered her. It was leaving her fate to what she deemed as prey. Grurguhrohk didn't leave her very accepting of the idea of 'animal companions,' and she wasn't about to get over that mistrust here.

Shayla's reaction was much more straightforward. She had skipped the throwing up stage and blacked out and was now free-falling inside Coye's hat, hitting the sides of the walls every so often. Coye didn't know how close he was to losing his precious partner and was beyond lucky his hat never fell off during his ride.

Although he was having more fun than expected, the magic had to end at some point. Already Coye could see sunlight in the distance, bringing a slight frown to his innocent face as they exited the dreary landscape of the Gnarled Woods. The Woodtreader pulled out all the stops as it skidded to a halt on the dirt road leading to Cransmere. It kicked up some dust with its talons, tilted its head, and knelt down, allowing its passengers to easily disembark.

Byng threw herself off of the Woodtreader at her earliest convenience like she was dodging a bomb, and as Coye hopped off in a more normal way, Shayla stirred back to the world of the living.

'Are we there yet...?' She asked woozily, forgetting that Coye wouldn't be able to answer her.

"Thanks a lot," Coye said to their shared steed, giving it another few head scratches.

"More like thanks for nothing!" Byng reoriented herself upon sitting up, glaring at the beast and hissing at it. "I hope you know that this changes nothing between us, you fargahrk! You hear me?! nothing! This isn't over!"

"Kweh," the bird replied with what could only be described as a sneer, bringing back a great deal of anger to the forefront of Byng's mind.

"What the fuck did you just say to me, you little bitch-" the Gengaggi rose up and was close to pouncing like a feral cat, only for Coye to stand in her way.

"H-Hey, at least the hug was nice," he said, trying to ease the tension.

Byng was quiet for a few moments until she grumbled and crossed her arms. "The hug was nice..." she spat out, like even acknowledging the fact harmed her brittle pride as a huntress. "Now scram!"

The Woodtreader waved with its little wing at Coye, Byng, and then up at Coye's hat, for some reason, before taking off and vanishing into the thicket. Coye hoped he would see it again someday. On the other hand, Byng muttered a silent, guttural prayer to Kuhrkakk, asking the fierce God to lead the Woodtreader into one of the various traps she still had scattered across the forest.

"Well," Coye spoke up during the aftermath. "At least that saved us a lot of time, right?" He said, trying hard not to still sound pleased over their little thrill ride.

Byng ignored him and instead made a demand. "Stamina potion. Now."

'So bossy,' Shayla chimed in without a hint of irony.

Eager to calm her down a bit, Coye took out the potion in question and downed half of it himself before tossing the remainder of the bottle to Byng. He was down to next to nothing with his energy reserves, so he needed the juice if they were planning to have the tie-breaking round today.

Byng noticed how he didn't fuss over the indirect kiss and appreciated the little progress but kept it to herself as she drank the foul, green bile of the vial. Some rather intense vibrations later, and her stamina was restored. Along with it came a portion of her good mood.

Byng was back.

"Thanks, short-stuff. That's a lot better. Sorry that I got all... 'grargh' there for a while. Happens to the best of us, am I right?" She asked as she stood, walking over to the area they relaxed between rounds earlier in the day. Then, the air was filled with the sudden sounds of Byng's rumbling tummy. "Ah- it doesn't help that I'm getting hungry, gahaha!"

"Y-Yeah, stamina potions have that effect. Something about metabolism or... something. I'm not sure."

"Whatever," Byng shrugged. "All I care about right now is lunch! Lunch and plotting my vengeance against that fucking bird, but I can wait on that one... for now..."

Coye was feeling hungry, too, so he was more than alright with a little break right about now. "Lunch sounds good," he nodded. "And then we can talk about the final round."

'Oh, joy...' Shayla wasn't thrilled about sitting through another meal without getting her hands on some food. She sighed, thinking she'd have to start packing herself lunches at this rate.

"Before we take off, I'm gonna have to spend some time fixing up my arrows, though..."

"Do we need to stop by your camp so you can pick up more?" Coye asked, not at all minding the idea of spending yet more time with Byng.

Byng smirked and shook her head. "I always carry the stuff I need to rig up some more. Just you wait! You'll get to see just how handy I can be, gahaha!"

"You built all those traps, right? I can already tell how handy you are, and... well, I'm really impressed."

Although the Gengaggi blushed, it was minor, and she waved him off. "Ok, ok, enough of that cute shit! Tummy says food now, and I ain't about to argue with that bitch! We're, uh, not on speaking terms at the moment..."

Ready for any scenario to crop up at any given moment, Coye reached into one of his belt pouches and extracted what appeared to be an ordinary, folded handkerchief. However, by unfolding it, it revealed itself to be more than just that. The more sections he pulled apart, the larger the cloth became until it had transformed into a full-sized blanket that would suit a picnic perfectly.

He spread it out on the ground for them and presented it to Byng with an expectant smile, like a puppy dog in want of praise.

'Show off,' Shayla rolled her eyes at the admittedly adorable romantic gesture. The boy was trying if nothing else.

"Hey, nice thinking!" Byng collapsed against the blanket, laying down and letting out a sigh as she stretched her sweaty, scantily clad body out. She was conscious of the eyes on her and enjoyed the attention immensely for as long as he could manage. "You pick this thing out from Dotty's catalog thingy, or what?"

"Er, yeah," Coye nodded, then averted his eyes to try and cover up his pervy staring. "It was pretty cheap, so..."

"Cool, cool..." Byng laid out her bow and quiver next to Coye's armaments, then sat up properly. "I swear, if Dotty ain't trying to get me to do more quests, she's trying to get me to buy more crap out of that stupid book. I keep telling her that I'm a crafter, damn it! Anything I need, I make with my own two hands!"

"Can you make a magical, foldable blanket?" Coye questioned as he sat beside her, taking his leftovers from his pouch and unscrewing his canteen.

"No, but why would I need one of these? And for that matter, why do you?"

Coye opened his mouth to say something, but he realized any sentence that led with 'Well, Miss Whittle said,' probably wasn't worth expressing, and he decided that Byng had a point. He hadn't gotten much use out of the blanket, come to think of it, which made him sigh.

Shayla was glad to have made a new potential ally when it came to stopping the boy from buying niche adventuring tools hoping that his precious boss would notice him.

Byng got out her own leftovers to match Coye, and the two began to eat. She noticed that Coye seemed to be short a sandwich, teasing, "Oh, what's this? Looks like someone got a little hungry earlier, huh? Do you need a little something extra, short-stuff? Here-" Byng started to dig out something from one of her pouches, but Coye put his hand out in protest.

"N-No, I'm fine, I-" but it was no use. Byng thrust a handful of thick jerky strips toward him, and he had no choice but to accept the offering.

"Go on, I made 'em myself! It's deer." She beamed, sealing the deal.

"Alright, thanks..." Coye went ahead and started to eat one and found that it was delicious. It was overly salted, the same as her eggs, but the absorbed, savory juices of the dried meat complimented the flavor wonderfully. "Wow..." he remarked, unable to help himself.

'You better save some of that for me,' Shayla grumbled, her mouth watering. Meat wasn't something she had ever eaten while growing up at the Fleeting Bough. Shayla ate fruits, nuts, and vegetables, and she loved sweets most of all, but what was the point of living among humans if she didn't try new things? Besides, the jerky smelled great, even from her hiding spot.

"Glad you like it, gahaha! The Gnarled Woods can be a pretty shitty place, but man, it grows some tasty critters!" Byng grinned, then devoured her first sandwich in only a few bites, following with one of her trademark hearty belches.

"Soooo good," the Gengaggi said as she exaggeratedly rubbed her exposed tummy. "Y'know, cooking with Suz' was a ton of fun. I hope I wasn't too weird or anything cause I'd love to hang out with her some more. I don't got a lot of friends around here..."

"I wouldn't worry about that," he smiled at her, hoping to ease Byng's concerns. "Suzette is really nice. You'll just have to make sure you bathe before you see her next time."

"Gah-" Byng recoiled at the very thought. "Uh, yeah. We'll see... gahaha..."

'Ok, seriously. Is she allergic to water or something?' Shayla wondered, finding Byng's aversion stranger and stranger still.

Coye could tell something was up, too, but he didn't want to put Byng on the spot and grill her when they were just trying to enjoy lunch. However, as he started digging into his sandwich, Byng flipped the table on him and put Coye on the spot.

"Speaking of Suz'... are you gonna tell me how the heck you and a woman like that happened, or do I have to get it outta you the hard way?" Byng smirked as she looked into his eyes, clearly interested in hearing the story and its dirty details. Especially the ones he was too embarrassed to share.

A bright red blush filled Coye's cheeks as he remembered how things played out with his older lover, and he stared at the ground.

"Um..." he paused, trying to think of a way to phrase things that sounded less ridiculous than what had actually happened. It would look bad if he said he was trying to find a quick hook-up because of his recent problems, and yet...

As always, Shayla had her own ideas. She vouched for honesty. 'Now, I know I often advocate for a well-meaning white lie now and again, but Byng already knows you've got some libido issues. This girl is super chill, and I don't think telling the (slightly watered down) truth would be that bad. Might even earn you some sympathy points, who knows?'

Coye gave it some thought, and as usual, he agreed with Shayla. He sure loved having someone do most of his thinking for him. It was like a little voice in his head prevented him from being stupid. Most people didn't need a secret Pixie advisor to accomplish the same effect, but whatever works.

"It's a little embarrassing," Coye mumbled. "Do you promise you won't make fun of me for it...?"

"Depends," Byng cocked her head and smiled a sarcastic smile. "Are you gonna say something that would warrant me making fun of you?" She countered.

"Uh, maybe..." Coye hung his head, only for Byng to reach out to him and pat him on the knee a couple of times.

"I'm just fucking with you again, short-stuff. I'm all ears."

"I-I know," he smiled weakly. "I'm starting to understand that you're always just being playful. It just takes me a while to get used to it, I think..."

"Bad experiences?" Byng looked at him intensely.

Coye heard the clacking of heels and the unbuckling of a belt in his mind. He closed his mind and fought the memory off, then nodded. "Something like that... you're fine, though. I don't mind it when it comes from someone I... well, you know."

"Hm," Byng considered this, and instead of pursuing the blatant setup he gave her for further teasing, she decided to let it go and appreciate the fact that he was growing to trust her. "Thanks, Coye. I won't tease you too hard about whatever you gotta say, so go ahead."

"Ok," Coye said as he smiled warmly. "I appreciate that."

Shayla was pleased with the development he was showing. Byng seemed like precisely the kind of person Coye needed to interact with to get better at dealing with his problems. She was forward, aggressive, and ribbed him nonstop, but she was also patient when she needed to be, and she liked the boy a whole heck of a lot. Byng wouldn't coddle him like Suzette, and even Shayla herself were guilty of, but she also wouldn't ignore his feelings. It was perfect. Although she didn't say it, the Pixie thought Byng was ideal practice for the eventual return of his bullies.

Telling Byng the truth of his condition would only allow them to grow closer, so Shayla was on the edge of her seat to see how it would go down.

"So, you already know how these woods have a weird effect on people... usually it just drives you crazy with hunger, but lately it's... um... h-heightened my libido and... Gods... it's really messing with me..."

Byng narrowed her eyes and leaned in while reaching for her next sandwich. "No shit?"

"Yeah. I wish I was making this up, but..." Coye frowned and pulled down the brim of his cap a bit to hide his face but soon felt it was unnecessary. He didn't need to hide from Byng.

"Oh, I trust you, short-stuff. Relax." Byng couldn't help but laugh. It's not like he would push her down, dry hump her, and almost cry about it if things were hunky-dory.

"Ok. So, Suzette... um... I didn't know what else to do. Things were getting so bad that I couldn't focus on getting any work done, and it just wasn't calming down! I thought about who I could trust and, well... I've known Suzette for around two years now, and-"

"And you find her totally fuckable," Byng interjected.

"Yes, and-" Coye paused, reddened, and shook his head. "T-The point is I told her all about what was wrong with me, and she... took things into her own hands..."

'Twice! And that's not even counting her mouth and her pussy.' Shayla giggled, only for Coye to close his eyes out of frustration and exhale sharply through his nose.

Byng thought about this revelation and cupped her chin. "Huh. So, you really weren't kidding when you said you stayed over at her place so she could take care of you?"

"In a manner of speaking, yeah..."

"Hmm. Well, that all raises an important question, short-stuff. Did you ask me out cause you thought I'd be easy?" The Gengaggi crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a judgmental look. "Because if you're just trying to use and abuse me like a cheap slut, then-"

"W-What? Byng, no! I told you earlier how much fun I've been having, didn't I? I meant every word of it, but I-" Coye was sent into a total panic, which only ended when Byng snorted and rolled her head back.

"You just don't learn, do you?" She said amid sharp cackles. "Gahaha! You're too cute. Seriously!"

'I second that opinion. Also, you really should've seen that one coming, baby.'

Coye's mouth hung open until he forcibly closed it and hunched his back. He huffed and frowned, finishing the rest of his lunch in only a few bites, and washed it all down with a big gulp of water. It didn't help, and he found he was just as annoyed and embarrassed as before.

"C'mon, don't be so gloomy!" Byng scooted closer with a big grin, and she pinched Coye's cheek. "You're way too innocent and pure to treat a girl like that, even one like me!"

"I am not innocent and pure...!" Coye insisted, smacking her hand away.

'Indeed, where would you be without me?' Shayla mused, smiling with an inappropriate amount of pride.

"No?" Byng cocked her head, interested. "Well, maybe I'll find out for myself, gahaha!"

"Maybe you will!" Coye blurted without actually thinking about what he said, but then he hid his face as soon as the realization struck.

Both girls began to laugh uncontrollably.

He pulled up his knees and sulked into them as Shayla and Byng continued to derive amusement from his embarrassed suffering. Even so, he wasn't distraught. Not really. The way that Byng smiled and laughed and found joy in everything he did and said set his heart racing.

As odd as it was, this was the moment where things finally fell into place for him.

This was the same feeling he felt with Shayla, Suzette, and Miss Whittle. It shocked Coye how just a couple of hours spent getting to know Byng was enough for him to fall head over heels for her, but that was precisely what had happened. Maybe he was the easy one?

Whatever the case, Coye was both excited and anxious for whatever lay in store for him at the end of Byng's Zurgarrah. They finished lunch together just as soon as Byng was able to calm down from all the laughing, and it was time to discuss the final round.

"Alright, short-stuff. That was a nice break and all, but I think we're both ready to get going and finish things up for the day. Am I right, or am I right?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm just sorry that things haven't worked out great until now. I know how much this all meant to you, and-"

"Ah-ah-ah," Byng put her finger on Coye's lips, shaking her head. "Don't wanna hear it, or I'll get all pissy thinking about it. I can't let it drag me down because we still got a shot to make things right! Got it?"

Coye nodded, and Byng removed her fingers.

"Good! Now, then..." Byng scrambled and pulled the last poster out of her pouch, unwrapped it, and handed it off the same as all the others. The only difference between then and now was Coye and Shayla's reaction.

'Oh, hell no...' Shayla gulped as she began to sweat profusely.

Coye squinted at it and did a double-take, not that there was any mistaking the hand-drawn illustration as anything other than a Grunwolf. Depicted on the paper was a beast, a bizarre mashup between plant and animal, resembling a wolf made of wood. With a collar of leaves around its neck and a tail made of corded vines, it raised its head and howled proudly at the sky. Below, the staggering reward of 4,800G was printed to reflect the absurd danger one would undertake should one accept.

"Byng, are you serious?" Coye asked as he pulled his attention away from the paper after staring overly long.

Byng blinked and tilted her head. "Yeah, why? We'll split up, and the first one who gets back here-"

"Byng-" Coye interrupted her mid-sentence. "Did you pick the wrong quest by accident, or what? Grunwolves are... well... they're like..."

'They're the worst,' Shayla shivered. 'I watched one eat a couple of my friends once when I was little... all because we sat on the wrong flower bush! Safety in numbers, my tiny ass...'

"Not seeing what the big deal here is, short-stuff. Grunwolves are C-rank, right?"

"Yeah, but they're just about the strongest C-rank monsters you can find in the woods..."

"Oh, I see how it is..." she narrowed her eyes and turned her nose up at him. "If you think I'm too weak, then just say it, Mr. Silver-rank Adventurer!"

"I didn't say that," Coye grimaced as he tried to think of a way to put things in a way that wouldn't upset her. "I just think that if we were to go hunting Grunwolves, we might want to, um... you know, plan things out a bit better?"

"Be real with me, have you fought one of these things or what?" Byng leaned in and gave him a suspicious look.

"...Once, yeah," Coye bit his lip at the memory. "I think it was a little over half a year ago. On my way home from a quest, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a Grunwolf's garden. It didn't go so well, and I barely made it home... that's why I'm so worried about you."

Byng grunted and stood her ground, blaring a deep breath out of her nostrils. "I wouldn't pick a fight I couldn't win."

"Except when it comes to Woodtreaders?"

"That's different!"

Having already learned today that Byng wasn't the best at making compromises, Coye slumped his shoulders and looked away. Thanks to his continual training and combat experience, he knew that facing down a Grunwolf wouldn't be the same challenge as it was all those months ago. Even so, they were tricky opponents. On top of all the natural blessings that come from being a variant of Direwolves, Grunwolves had magical command over all plant life and were fiercely territorial.

The problem wasn't him, however. He was concerned about Byng. At least until he looked into her amber eyes and saw a burning passion that radiated her signature can-do attitude. Even if he was unsure where it came from, he was in awe of her confidence. Maybe she had some other trick up her sleeve to assure her victory? Whatever the case, Coye found it increasingly hard to express concern when he saw just how much she believed in herself.

'Baby, you need to let this go,' Shayla could sense the last bits of doubt lingering in his mind and was compelled to speak her mind. 'It's cute what you're doing, but Byng isn't the kind of girl that wants you to protect her. She's stubborn and can't change her mind once it's made up. Can't you see what all this Zurgarrah crap is about? She wants you to respect her- to see her as an equal. The longer you doubt her, the worse she's gonna take this.'

Coye could see Shayla's point- Byng was positively glaring at him, growing redder and redder in the face as she fumed. He felt a sinking pit in his gut and knew he needed to act.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and smacked his cheeks, startling Byng.

"The fuck?"

"It helps me calm down," he said as he felt his nerves stabilize enough to address her. "I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry, Byng. If you say you can handle a Grunwolf on your own, then I shouldn't disrespect your abilities by doubting you."

Byng's face remained red, but it was now for an entirely different reason. She started scratching the back of her head and pouted her lips. "Yeah? Well... uh... glad you say it my way, short-stuff! I guess I was a bit of a hardass about it, too, since you're probably still worried about that weird thing you saw..."

Coye nodded, "That's part of it, yeah..."

'I've been thinking about that, baby, and I don't think you need to be that concerned...' Shayla spoke up to express her opinion. 'I've lived in the woods my whole life, and I've never seen one of those before today. It was probably a random encounter, a once in a lifetime thing so crazy that it'll never happen again!' She stressed, partially trying to convince herself of it.

That made sense, but Coye wasn't as optimistic. There was a reason he planned for every eventuality, even far-fetched ones. Thus, he proposed a compromise.

"As long as we're out before sundown, I think it should be fine. If we don't find one by then, we can continue tomorrow. Is that alright with you?" Coye asked, still trying to minimize the risks as much as possible.

Byng smiled with relief to see that he was coming around. "Sure, sounds good!" Then, her expression tightened, and she flashed him her pointy teeth in a show of competition. "Don't get your hopes up on stretching this out, though. This Zurgarrah ends today, and it ends with me on top!"

Coye waited for it.

'In more ways than one!' Shayla giggled, amusing herself the only way she could.

He sighed, confusing both girls.

"Nothing, s-sorry," he shook his head, covering up his dismay over Shayla's predictable antics. "You still need to fix up your arrows before we go, right?"

"Yeah. It'll only take a few minutes, though!" Byng said, taking out her quiver and dumping the big load of arrows out onto the blanket. Given how volatile her arsenal was, Coye was surprised that none of them exploded after being jostled.

Once her quiver was empty, Byng reached into it and pulled up a small divider which revealed a false bottom. She tilted the container, dumping out many arrowheads, small bags of various powders, and a load of components for assembling strangely shaped tips. The sheer variety on display showcased that even though he thought he'd seen all of Byng's tricks during their last battle, Coye was oh so wrong.

Byng's hands began to work at an astonishing speed, so much so that her assembly became a blur. After tying a small sack of powder to one arrow that had lost its tip, she pointed it at him and asked, "So... have you thought about what you wanna ask from me if you end up winning, short-stuff? Not that you will. Gahaha! But hey, it doesn't hurt to dream!"

Coye pulled his gaze from her arrow to her expectant eyes that glimmered for attention. His thoughts were clouded over with intrigue, and it was all he could do to nod his head a few times. "Y-Yeah, I have a few ideas I'm toying around with, I guess... um... how about you?"

Byng paused her skilled hands to look up at him as she raised an eyebrow. She didn't even need to say anything to get him to blush harder and hang his head.

"Nevermind, silly question..." Coye admitted. After all the flirting, the handholding, and overall forwardness, it would take a fool not to see where Byng was taking things.

"Yeah, it was," she snorted. "But I got a better one. Are you prepared to give me what I want when I whoop your ass, or are you gonna try and wiggle out of it like a meek, timid little runt?"

Coye's reply came from the heart, and its off-the-cuff earnestness caught Byng more unguarded than she was prepared for. "Of course I will, Byng. Today has been so much fun, and, um... well, I feel like we really connect a whole lot more than I thought we would. So, if you're thinking about asking me for what I think you are... t-then... I would absolutely say yes. Without a doubt."

Byng stared at him in silence before shrinking back, her poor heart on the verge of rupturing. "Gah-" she dropped the arrow she was working on so she could clutch her chest, her freckled face now redder than it was green.

"W-What?" Coye started to panic, only for Byng to snap back at him.

"Go back to doing the whole meek, timid little runt thing! It's weird as heck when you get all romantic and say embarrassing crap!"

'Welcome to my world...' Shayla sighed to herself.

"Sorry," Coye had a few little laughs at Byng's expense, further increasing the girl's grumpiness. "I was just being honest..."

"Grr... well, whatever..." Byng grumbled and went back to work, finishing her last couple of arrows. "Just make sure you put your gold where your mouth is when it's time to pay up, Coye! I'll never forgive you if I win and you chicken out at the last second... not after how crappy my Zurgarrah has turned out so far!"

It seemed to Coye that Byng was more hung up on today's events than she was letting on. He felt a pang of confidence, and although it was difficult, he forced himself to act on it, and he placed his hand on her thigh to reassure him. Even through his thick leather gloves, he could tell how soft they must have been, but he forced such thoughts out of his mind.

"You don't have to be afraid of that. I promise. If you're really so worried, though, you could tell me what you wanted as a reward right now, and I'll give you an answer."

Shayla blew a raspberry. 'Like it even needs to be said at this point...'

"No! I already told you that Kuhrkakk won't bless our hunt if I reveal my wish!" Byng growled at Coye, primarily because of how romantic he was getting again. She noticeably did not remove his hand from her thigh, though.

Coye nodded and asked, "What about if I win? Are you sure you won't chicken out?"

Making a perplexed expression to tease slightly, Byng ultimately shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Depends on what you ask for, I guess. If you did happen to win, then, let's just say that maybe I wouldn't mind being your prey just this once, gahaha!"

"My... my p-prey?" Coye gulped, the idea both intimidating and arousing in equal measure.

'Sounds like you might have to take the lead,' Shayla giggled, knowing full well he hadn't done that yet with a girl his size.

Coye squeezed Byng's thigh on reflex as he started thinking lewder and lewder thoughts. The girl could see the glazed, lusty look on his face, and as much as she adored how it felt being wanted, Byng wouldn't allow herself to bask in it for too long.

"Hey, now! Love the enthusiasm but don't go getting ahead of yourself, you horny vrazzong!" She swatted his hand away, then scooped up all her bits and pieces from the blanket so she could dump them back into her quiver. Next, Byng set the false bottom and then deposited all of her reassembled arrows.

"There we go," Byng said as she jumped to her feet and started to saunter off toward the Gnarled Woods. "Come on and pack up! The sooner we get this settled, the sooner we can move on to the fun part!"

'Don't keep the girl waiting, baby,' Shayla encouraged him, and he blushed as he folded his magic blanket up and returned it to its home.

"Right. Um, before we go... does it matter where I enter the woods this time?" Coye asked.

"If you're asking me if I rigged things again, then the answer is nah. Heck, I didn't even think we'd have to stretch this into round three in the first place. I was planning on beating your ass a whole lot sooner, gahaha!"

"Fair enough," Coye said as he set out to join Byng, fully intent on bringing her down. The two stood on the dirt road leading into the forest and gave each other a respectful nod. The time for words was over. They'd had a long, eventful day thus far, and both were as ready as they'd ever been.

Coye and Byng took off in the same directions as they did earlier in the day, and shortly after she was out of sight, Shayla emerged from Coye's hat. There was much less fanfare this time around, given that she was still running on less than an ideal amount of mana, but she was still eager to help.

"C'mon, we've come too far to give up now," She declared to rouse his spirits. "Let's go win you some Goblin pussy, big guy!"

"Yeah, let's-" Coye stopped himself from pumping his fist in the air dramatically halfway through the motion, realizing what he'd just agreed to. "W-Wait, hold on a second. That's not what I-"

"Too late!" Shayla snickered, taking her seat on his pauldron. "Time's wasting, so I suggest you get yourself a move on and find a Grunwulf. Otherwise, that Goblin pussy is gonna end up winning you!"

Although he blushed as always, Coye decided arguing his level of interest at this point after an entire day of on and off flirting was no use. "Ok, fine. I give up. Time to go... um... do the thing you just said..." he mumbled and rolled his eyes, even though his own words excited him greatly as he set off to acquire the green girlfriend.