Page 51 of Primal Call

And through it all, Kree had been there to swat his hands away when he was about to do something stupid, or to grumble at him when he asked the same question for the third time.

Jasper had never had more fun in his life.

Underneath the teasing, Kree clearly enjoyed having someone appreciate her craft. And Borraq medicine was a fascinating puzzle for Jasper to solve, a whole new way of thinking about the body and how to heal it. As someone who had always loved his job, he was in heaven.

Or maybe that was just the jungle, with its thick air and its promise of adventure.

Kree finished mixing the herbs and slapped Jasper on the back. "Good work," she said. "You can do it now. Don't mess it up next time, or I'll have to beat some sense into that soft human skull of yours."

Jasper laughed. "You know, if you ever give up medicine, you'd make a good drill sergeant."

At the end of the day, Jasper waved goodbye to Kree and headed out of the small hut that served as the village's clinic. The warm jungle air enveloped him, heavy with the scents of damp earth and exotic flowers.

Elian was sitting on a low bench under the shade of a massive tree, whittling away at a piece of wood with a small knife. As Jasper approached, Elian looked up and greeted him with a warm smile.

"There you are! I was wondering when you'd get free from Kree's clutches." The cheerful human set aside his project. "What's up, doc? How're the old bones holding up today?"

Jasper laughed and plopped down next to his friend. "Well, I've got some new bruises, but nothing's broken." He stretched, his joints popping from a long day spent hunched over mortars and pestles. "I'm looking forward to a nap."

Elian groaned. "That sounds pretty good to me. I didn't sleep at all last night."

Jasper had his suspicions as to the cause of that. But before he could ask how Rael was, a voice rang out. "Jeez, you two sound like a couple of old geezers."

They both glanced up to see Rhys perched on a high branch, balanced precariously as he looked down at them with a cheeky grin.

"Get down from there before you hurt yourself," Elian chided without any real heat. "You'll break your neck."

"Like hell I will," Rhys protested, but he nimbly dropped from the branch all the same, landing in a crouch in front of them. "You're just jealous that I'm not all creaky and arthritic yet, like you two."

Jasper shook his head in amusement. Despite their differences, the three of them had formed a quick bond, united by being the only humans living amongst the Borraq.

While Elian tended towards a more polite, easygoing manner, Rhys had a scrappy, playful energy. Jasper found himself looking forward to these little moments of friendship amid the daily routine of the village.

"So, did I miss anything exciting while I was slaving away over a hot cauldron?" he asked, stretching out his legs.

Rhys flopped down on the ground, grinning up at them. "Nah, just the usual. A couple of the warriors got into it over who's got the bigger horns, Korr threatened to poison someone's meal again..."

"That's just a misunderstanding," Elian said mildly, picking his whittling back up. "He's got a unique sense of humor."

The three friends dissolved into laughter, drawing curious looks from a group of passing Borraq. Jasper didn't care – he was too busy basking in the simple joy of belonging.

For the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.

A familiar figure approached them. Taryn's muscular form exuded an easy confidence as he strode over. The second-in-command to Rael moved with a feline grace, his golden skin gleaming in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above.

"Elian, Jasper," he greeted with a respectful nod. His deep voice held a gentle rumble that Jasper had grown fond of. Despite his imposing stature, Taryn's demeanor was always polite.

Rhys, however, earned a different reaction. As soon as Taryn's piercing eyes landed on the younger human, the air seemed to crackle with unspoken tension. "Rhys," he continued, the name rolling off his tongue like a caress.

Jasper watched, fascinated, as Rhys visibly flushed under the weight of Taryn's smoldering gaze. The cocky grin slipped from Rhys' face, replaced by something almost shy. "Y-yeah?"

"Come with me," Taryn interrupted, the words both a command and an invitation.

"Later, guys." Rhys pushed himself to his feet and followed after the Borraq warrior, their bodies moving in unconscious synchronicity. As they disappeared down the path, Jasper couldn't help but marvel at the sheer tension sparking between them, unspoken.

He exchanged a glance with Elian, who simply shrugged and grinned. "Young love."

Jasper snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'll never understand how Borraq do it," he admitted freely. "That level of... intensity, all the time? It's exhausting."

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