Chương 87: The First Loop

Whether because of the times being what they were or perhaps because this version of her didn't have so many secrets to keep, Canyon had done away with the dark-gray-everything getup. Her eyes were therefore framed, not by an ascetic rectangle, but by her whole lively person. Her raven-black hair was done up into braids, with two tails hanging on either side of her porcelain face. She wore a simple tunic and trousers dyed teal to complement the wooded backdrop.

A shortbow slung over one shoulder completed the 'forest ranger on horseback' look. If this were a spot-the-differences game, Zaul could be here all day. Yet by far Canyon's most recognizable and familiar feature were her eyes: serene and a little overserious even on this more 'open' version of her. Presently, said eyes took on a slight frown as she studied Zaul's expression in turn." Why are you so surprised to see me?" she asked as she dismounted.

"Weren't you the one who sent me the missive for us to meet here?" Zaul took one more second to stare in dumb amazement. He then quickly composed his face into something that barely passed for nonchalance." Yes. Of course. Uh, thanks for coming, I guess." Canyon joined him by the pondside, still frowning as she peered up at him." Are you quite well?" she asked with apparently genuine concern.

"I'm of course accustomed to your erratic manners of speech. But this… new accent you seem to have put on… I'm unsure what to make of it."" What, this?" Zaul tried his darnedest to sound casual. A tall order when his heart was thumping at a mile a minute.

"I'm trying it on for size, you know? Don't even know if I'll stick with it. Forget about me, let's talk about you! How have you been?" Even as the words left his mouth, he knew the folly of what he was getting himself into. This isn't your Canyon, a clearer-headed Zaul might have told himself. Besides which, not even your Canyon is actually your Canyon. She left, remember? Didn't want anything to do with you. But the Zaul in the current [Loop] was anything but clear-headed.

He'd already forgotten his reason for being here in the first place, forgotten his overarching mission. All he wanted in the moment was to, well, stay in this moment. One in which he and Canyon were back on talking—and apparently adventuring —terms. But alas. Just because they were talking again, it didn't mean they were on the same page." How have I been?" Canyon's frown took on a hint of irritation.

"Do you ask this in jest? You and I have a job to do, Zaul. I suggest we proceed without delay."" Y—yes. Of course." Sheesh, she's just as no-nonsense as the Canyon I know. At least we're on a first-name basis in this scenario too. But what is this 'job' we're on? Am I supposed to know about it? Zaul cast a searching look at his surroundings. As if the lotus leaves or the rippling sunlight might hold the answers. When they gave none, he turned back to an increasingly irritated Canyon."

Um," he asked sheepishly, "remind me what we're doing?" Canyon drew back and gasped as though she'd been slapped. She looked for a second as though she might say something, but instead spun and walked off in a huff." Wait!" Zaul reached for Canyon's shoulder. The latter slapped his hand away with a deft parry." I should've known," she also muttered under her breath.

"Should've known this to be one of your idiotic japes. Well, if you won't take this seriously, then I have no reason to play along."" No, please, Canyon, I can explain!" Even though I can't, really.

"Can you just… can we talk about this? Don't leave! Don't leave me—" Canyon had walked off in a huff. She now hopped onto her horse in one angrily lithe motion before riding off, also in a huff.

"— again…" A clearer-headed and stouter-hearted Zaul might have turned around and grabbed his own horse. Rode after Canyon and persuaded her to stay with words of conviction rather than pitiful pleading. But the Zaul in the current [Loop] was crestfallen. Too much so to rouse himself into action. As the sound of hoofbeats faded, so too did Zaul's vision. His world appeared to turn black, starting from the sun above, to the trees all around, and finally to the pond beside him. A bit overdramatic, don't you think?

He asked himself wryly, more or less as a defense mechanism. Here you are, a 32-year-old soon-to-be conqueror of the known world, and you're going to black out over some girl? By the time Jordan realized what the blackout represented, it was too late to change the outcome. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. Everything went black. Followed by the faintest glow of rosy iridescence. Then Jordan heard it.

That familiar chittering susurrus inviting him to try again.

[Between Two Lives]: Time remaining: 92 days, 4 hours, 15 minutes Zaul found himself on horseback. Athletics DC 8: success Acrobatics DC 8: success Nature DC 8: success Animal Handling DC 8: success Performance DC 8: success New Feat unlocked. [Fake It'til You Make It]: A rolling list of skills you picked up by embodying someone who actually learned said skills the hard way. Lucky you!

The list: basic horseback riding The feat description dripped with contemptuous sarcasm, and frankly, Jordan—or rather Zaul again — could well sympathize with the system. He supposed this would be the last time he would need passive checks on horseback… as long as he didn't try to do anything too crazy. After acknowledging the system, Zaul's thoughts went right back to the [Loop] —the abrupt ending to the previous iteration as well as what he could change to make this one last longer.

He liked to believe that the surprises were out of the way at this point. It was time for a calmer, more analytical Zaul to kick himself into high gear—stop that good-for-nothing sniveler from the first loop from ever showing up again. To that end, he seated himself in the gazebo and waited patiently. The lotus leaves and the rippling sunlight might not help him solve any riddles, but they certainly made for pleasant company while waiting for…" You're here," Canyon of Amber Lake said as she emerged from the woods.

This time, she didn't bother dismounting.

"Shall we?" Zaul had obviously done a good job of not looking like anything was out of the ordinary. He hopped back on his horse, settled in the saddle after a slight wobble or two ([Fake It'til You Make It] to the rescue!), then sidled up to Canyon." Lead the way," he said as naturally as possible, praying that Canyon in this scenario indeed knew where they were going. As a matter of fact, she did. She only gave the briefest of sidelong glances before urging her horse on.

Zaul followed close but not too close—leaving just enough distance to stay out of small-talk-on-horseback range. And it all seemed to be going according to plan. Canyon leading the way. Zaul never letting her out of his sights, while also never risking a word or an action that might drive her away. The loop continued, long past the failure point from the previous loop and deep into the woods. Until the woods ended. Or rather, broke off into two sides divided by a rushing river.

A rickety old bridge connected one bank to the other. Even to Zaul's untrained eyes, said bridge hadn't passed an inspection in decades if not centuries. Imagine his dread, then, to see Canyon trot onto the bridge without a second thought. And imagine his dismay after that… as the bridge sagged, swayed, and snapped under the stress!" Canyon!" Zaul broke his personal vow of silence, only to shout powerlessly from the near side of the river.

To his massive relief, Canyon had the sense to speed her horse up to a gallop as soon as the bridge had begun to fail. She made it safely onto the far side, but only just. As for the bridge, it was no longer a bridge but a mess of frayed ropes and rotted planks that disappeared downstream in the blink of an eye." Hang on a second!" Zaul shouted toward the figure on the other side, barely able to hear himself over the rushing water.

"Let me try to figure out a way to get across! Maybe there's another bridge somewhere, or…" But even as Zaul's throat strained with the effort, Canyon (across on the other side of the canyon, as it were) was saying something to him in turn. Her eyes were as serene and earnest as always, and it was still a trip to see her lips move so freely without the cover of a scarf or a cloak collar. But her words were nothing more than air, lost amidst the sprays and torrents that divided the two adventurers."

I can't hear you!" Zaul cried, now putting both hands up in the Earthling signal for: stop.

"Just wait, okay? It'll only take me a moment to—" It was no use. With one last look across the river, Canyon turned and rode off. Disappeared into the woods on the other shore, with Zaul powerless to reach her." No! Don't go! Don't leave me ag—" The world went black.

Zaul urged his horse to a gallop, ignoring the branches that whipped him as he rode through them. ZAUL WREATHWORN lost: 1 HP, 1 HP, 1 HP, … He didn't know why he was in such a hurry. Not like he had anything to chase. Not like Canyon would show up for at least the first few minutes of the loop. But he had to do something. Such powerlessness he hadn't felt since… since… well, maybe not since before he'd arrived in Stormvast.

Not since he'd been a self-proclaimed failed Earthling, rudderless and anchorless in the great wide world. What can I do? He asked himself. What can I do to just make Canyon … stay by my side? Somewhere, another voice inside him raised an entirely different question. He chose to ignore it. Then came the system message, reminding him that: [Between Two Lives]: Time remaining: 91 da— He ignored that too.