Chapter 279: Dropped On The Head As A Baby

Cassius, finding their reactions to be quite funny, strolled over, his voice a warm current as he rested a hand on Aisha’s shoulder, a relaxed grin painting his face.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He asked, his tone teasing as he looked at the towering tent, its angled roof and clear panels now fully formed. "It’s an inflatable tent I made myself. Think of it like a big balloon house filled with air."

His hands gracefully illustrated the structure, his eyes gleaming with pride as he continued, his voice light.

"The leather’s from a dusk elk. It’s super elastic, so it won’t tear no matter how much you stretch it. I thought that if I were to go out camping I’d be all cramped in a normal tenst, so I made this."

"...It’s way more convenient and comfy." His grin widened, his hands resting on his hips as he admired the tent.

Aisha didn’t flinch at his hand on her shoulder, her voice awestruck as she stared up at the tent, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Wow. A dusk elk?...Aren’t those creatures super expensive because of how rare they are? And to make an entire house out of it, you surely do belong to the Holyfield family."

She said, her tone soft as she touched the tent again, her fingers tracing its sturdy surface.

"It’ also so soft but strong at the same time. And it turned from such a tiny package into something so towering...How’d you even think of this?" Her voice rose, her posture buzzing with excitement as she glanced at Cassius, her admiration clear.

Julie, also stepped closer, her voice curious as she hefted the now, empty bundle wrapper.

"Wait a minute Cassius...If it’s made with air and this elk leather, what happens if you don’t have a wind mage like me to inflate it?" She asked, her tone probing as she raised an eyebrow, her hands resting on the wrapper. "Seems like that’s a pretty key part of the process...What do you do then?"

Cassius chuckled, his voice casual as he returned to the hog, basting it with more butter, the meat sizzling on the spit.

"Good question." He said, his tone light as he glanced at her, his hands steady. "I’ve got a machine back at my workshop that can pump air in, no problem. But if I don’t have that..."

He paused, his voice turning awkward as he rubbed his neck, his posture sheepish.

"Well, I guess we’d all take turns blowing into the hole like a bunch of idiots. Probably take a week to fill it up that way." His eyes twinkled, his tone teasing as he grinned at Julie.

Julie laughed, her voice bright as she shook her head. "A week? Just breathing into it?" She asked, her tone incredulous as she clutched the wrapper, her eyes sparkling. "You’d have us all passing out from huffing and puffing! That’s ridiculous!" Her voice bubbled with laughter.

Cassius shrugged, his voice nonchalant as he turned the hog, the flames crackling beneath it.

"Yeah, well, we don’t have to worry about that now, do we? We’ve got a wind mage right here." He said, his tone teasing as he winked at Julie, his hands steady on the spit. "You did good, Julie. Look at that tent, fits twenty people easy. Nice work."

"Okay, but it’s just air and leather, right? Isn’t it gonna, like, float away if a strong wind comes?" Aisha, still touching the tent asked, her tone skeptical as she glanced at Cassius, her eyes narrowing. "It feels sturdy, but it’s so light. What’s keeping it down?"

Cassius waved a hand, his voice confident as he pointed to the ground beneath the tent.

"I thought of that already." He said, his tone smug as he grinned. "I wove earth-infused pearls into the base. They connect to the soil, anchor it like it’s part of the ground."

"...A tornado could roll through, and this tent’s not budging as long as the earth’s solid."

Aisha nodded, her voice soft with admiration as she looked at the tent, her fingers tapping the wall thoughtfully.

"Earth pearls? You really thought of everything, didn’t you?" She said, her tone impressed as she glanced at Cassius, her posture softening. "This is...honestly, kind of genius. I’m starting to think you’re too smart for your own good." Her voice was teasing, her eyes sparkling as she leaned against the tent, her admiration evident.

"A genius? Well, that I most definitely am. But speaking of smart, where’s Skadi?" He asked, his tone puzzled as he scanned the campsite. "She was just here, bouncing around the tent like a kid. Where’d she go?"

Julie frowned, her voice thoughtful as she looked around. "She was circling the tent a second ago, all excited." She said, her tone confused as she glanced at Aisha. "She was right here, wasn’t she?"

Aisha nodded, her voice uncertain as she scanned the area, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, she was practically climbing the walls." She said, her tone dry as she stepped away from the tent. "Where’d that mutt run off to now?"

And just as they were wondering where the puppy of the group went, a sudden series of loud thumps echoed from behind the tent, like something heavy bouncing off a springy surface, and all three froze, their voices silent as they exchanged glances.

"What the hell is that?" Julie asked, her tone cautious as she set the wrapper down, her posture alert as she moved toward the sound.

Cassius tilted his head, his voice curious as he stepped away from the hog, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Sounds like...bouncing?" He said, his tone puzzled as he led the way around the tent, his steps quick. "Let’s check it out."

As they rounded the circular tent, both Julie and Aisha froze in their tracks, their eyes going wide as they took in the utterly absurd scene in front of them.

Skadi came barreling toward the tent wall at full speed, her hair flying like a wild banner behind her.

WHAM!

Her body slammed into the bouncy fabric, which absorbed the impact and promptly launched her backward with a loud boing!

She went tumbling onto the grass, limbs flailing before she popped back up to her feet with a grin so wide it nearly split her face.

"This is amazing!" Skadi yelled, her voice cracking with joy. "It’s like fighting an enemy that actually fights back! Best wall ever!"

Aisha’s jaw dropped so hard it was a miracle it didn’t hit the dirt. Her tail lashed behind her as she threw her hands in the air.

"Skadi! What the hell are you doing?!" She shouted, her voice dripping with disbelief. "You’re just...ramming your head into a tent wall?! Are you trying to knock what’s left of your brain loose?!"

But Skadi was already charging forward again.

WHAM!

BOING!

She bounced off the wall like a ragdoll, landing flat on her back with a delighted shriek.

"You don’t get it, Aisha! The wall’s got moves! I attack, it counters...I love it!!!"

Julie let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shook her head.

"Skadi, you’re going to give yourself a concussion at this rate." She said dryly, though her lips were twitching as she fought back a grin. "I mean...it does look kind of fun, though."

Aisha spun on her so fast her boots skidded in the grass.

"Captain, don’t you even think about it!" She yelled, flailing her arms like she was trying to physically block Julie’s path. "One idiot throwing herself at the tent is bad enough! I’m not babysitting two of you while you bounce around like lunatics!"

Julie raised her eyebrows at Aisha’s outburst, her calm cracking just a little as she glanced back at Skadi, still rolling on the grass with laughter.

"I wasn’t going to." She said smoothly, though her voice had a curious edge. "...But I admit, the rebound does look oddly satisfying."

"Oh no. No, no, no. She’s thinking about it. I can see it in her eyes!" Aisha groaned so loud it sounded like her soul was leaving her body.

Meanwhile, Skadi jumped to her feet, pointing at the tent wall like it was her greatest rival.

"Captain, you have to try it!" She cried out, practically vibrating with excitement. "It’ll change your whole life, I swear!"

Julie chuckled softly, shaking her head as her composure returned.

"Change my life, huh?...It does look fun but I think I’ll pass since I want to keep my skull intact."

She sighed inwardly, recalling how so many people over the years had joked that her little sister must have been dropped on her head as a baby, that it would explain why Skadi could be so incredibly dumb sometimes.

Yet watching her now, slamming into the ground and bouncing right back up as if her skull was forged from steel, Julie found herself almost amused.

Even if Skadi had been dropped as a baby, it clearly wouldn’t have made a difference.

Her head was too damn tough for that.

Which only left her with one nagging question:

’If it wasn’t because of a head injury, then why on earth is my little sister so stupid?