The sun shines, birds chirp, and the trees slowly succumb to destruction deep within the forest on this beautiful day.
"HA!!"
The ground shook as two individuals duel as if their lives depends on the possibility of winning, each throwing attacks one after another, each colliding with so much force that it can create large puffs of wind pushing trees back and uprooting some.
"You've grown weak over the month of traveling!!" yelled a young man as his silky blond hair glimmered under the sunlight, his ear pointed, twitching with every movement. He was beautiful, much more beautiful than an average woman in their prime.
"You're one to talk, you old coot!" yelled back a woman; she was young and radiant with hair as dark as a raven's feather. Her eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.
The collision of their swords and staff echoed throughout the forest; both were backed up with a vast distance from one another. The woman smirked and held her sword forward before charging at full force; the man held his staff and charged towards the woman. Their weapons clash against one another, generating a loud impact, resulting in creating a giant crater below and blowing off plenty of trees nearby.
"And they say I'm the rogue one," a cold voice rang out in the air. A man stood just a few feet away from a fallen-down tree, skin as white as the first fallen snow, eyes red as blood, and a smile worn with such warmth.
"And where have you been? You missed all the fun of me beating her flat butt," the man laughed at his own remark as he dusted himself.
With an annoyed look, the woman gave a hard smack on the teasing man's head; he groaned and hissed as he gently rubbed his head to ease the stinging pain.
"For a human, you sure have the strength of a gorilla," he said once more with a grunt.
"What did you just call me?!" the woman growled and started yanking on the man's long and flowy hair.
The two began bickering and ended with them brawling across the crater they had created earlier; the other man facepalmed, witnessing this childish behavior, although this always happens on a daily basis.
"Okay, quit playing around, you two. We need to get back in town," the red-eyed man said and scoffed as he started walking away.
The two stood up from the ground and followed him; they kept quarrelling as they walked like a bunch of children fighting over a piece of candy.
~
"Morning, sleepyhead."
The warm greeting along with a sweet morning smile from Abby woke her messy-haired sister from bed, groaning as she stood up, rubbing her eyes and stretching her hands like a cat waking from an afternoon nap.
"It's an important day," Abby giggled as she placed a pair of training clothes for Shaine on her messy bed.
"What?" Her voice was hoarse, and a yawn left her mouth. "It's just another day,"
Abby pouted and made her sister's bed, while Shaine proceeded to wash her face to wake herself up.
"Waidan," with a 'hmp,' Abby pushed her sister towards the washroom.
'Waidan??' In the foggy mirror, she stared back at herself, her bangs slightly wet from the basin earlier.
Her eyes squinted, and with a questionable look, she asked herself, 'What's that?'
Without a second thought she washed up; relaxed in the warmth of the water, she slowly slid down enough that her eyes were the only part above the water. The warmth of the water swayed her back to her drowsy state until a loud knock on the door snapped her back to reality.
"I know what you're doing in there," with a slight irritation in her voice, Abby banged her fist onto the wooden door of the washroom.
Shaine let out a giggle and finished up. Her hair dripping as she walked out with a towel around her body, "I'll see you downstairs," she said as she dried her hair with another towel.
With a sigh, Abby complied, smiling as she patted down the comforter of Shaine's bed. "Don't be too long; Elly's probably downstairs already," she said, leaving the door open behind her.
Shaine watched the door swing gently on its hinges, the soft click of Abby's footsteps fading down the hallway. The morning sun filtered through the window, catching the steam still rolling off her skin. She didn't have much time; Elly was notoriously punctual, and a "waiting Elly" usually meant a "lecturing Elly."
She swapped her towel for her working clothes hanging by the door, moving with a bit more pep now that the adrenaline of the day was kicking in. As she wrestled with a stubborn knot in her damp hair, she caught her reflection in the vanity mirror. The drowsiness in her eyes was a lingering fog, but beneath it, the familiar glint of her usual mischievousness hovered.
She jogged down the stairs, her boots making no sound on the wooden steps. Abby and Elly were already by the front door, although compared to her, they were wearing their usual training attire. Both stared down at her apron dress and sighed, Elly facepalming in the process.
"Shaine, didn't I tell you that it was Waidan?" Abby scoffed, folding her arms across her breastplate.
Shaine, still a little confused, tilted her head. "What was that again?" Her question made the two once more sigh, surrendering to her absentminded nature.
"I'll wait outside," Elly stated, and without saying another word nor waiting for their response, he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.
Abby's gaze lingered on the door Elly had just disappeared through before turning back to Shaine with a look that was half-motherly concern and half-exasperated trainer.
"Waidan," Abby repeated, emphasizing the word as if it were a prayer. "Ancient tongue, Shaine. It means 'The Great External Alchemy'—but to us? It's the Hunting. It's the day we don't just track; we eradicate. Remember?"
She reached out, plucking a stray thread from Shaine's apron dress. "You're dressed for our Sunday rush hour, and we're heading into a hunting spree. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get slime out of linen?"
Shaine looked down at her dress, a frown forming on her brow. "I suppose I'll have to be extra careful today then," she replied, a hint of apprehension in her voice as she thought about the challenges ahead.
"Are you serious?" Abby asked in disbelief.
Shaine laughed and patted her sister's back. "I'm kidding; I'll change real quick. Be right back," she said, sprinting up the stairs to her room.
"I placed your clothes in the dresser!" Abby yelled as her sister disappeared from her sight. Sighing, she patted her clothes down. "Seriously, this girl," she mumbled to herself.
As she waited, Abby couldn't shake the feeling that this adventure would be more complicated than they anticipated. The thought of what lay beyond their familiar surroundings filled her with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
The possibilities seemed endless, but so did the challenges. With a deep breath, she steeled herself for whatever awaited them, determined to face it head-on alongside her sister and cousin.
After a few minutes, Shaine's boots slowly echoed down the staircase; her outfit was carefully chosen for both comfort and style; like Abby's outfit, hers also bears a breastplate covering her tight shirt underneath. And for comfort and moveability, she has on shorts and boots. On her back is her bow and arrows inside a sleek, durable quiver. And around her waist is a leather belt adorned with various pouches and a short blade that glinted subtly in the dim light of the corridor.
Abby stared at her sister and smiled, "Now that's more like it."
With a smile, Shaine put her arm around her sister and pulled her along, "Let's go then."
Abby let out a small laugh, "You didn't listen to your mentor, did you?" she asked, raising a brow.
"I listened!" Shaine protested, though her nervous laugh gave her away as they stepped onto the porch. "I just... filtered the boring parts. Besides, you know I can't focus on an empty stomach. That day I was only running on a piece of bread and water, Abby."
Elly, who was waiting on the porch, stood gracefully by the stairs, focused on a piece of old paper, a map. "Let's get going," he said, looking back at the girls. Smiling, he chuckled, "That's more like it, Shaine." The sound of surrender lingered in his voice; it was too early to lecture someone with little sleep.
Shaine, sticking her tongue out, skipped up and down the steps to join Elly. She leaned over his shoulder, her hair brushing against his vest. "So, Mr. Navigator, where are we heading?"
E
Elly tapped a specific spot on the yellowed parchment, his eyes reflecting the soft morning light. "Master Verg gave me this. It's a map of the lower boundary, where the nearest forest lies. He mentioned a clearing where we would meet up with Juruh and Selviah."
"Just them?" Abby asked, her brow furrowing as she adjusted the satchel on her shoulder. "What about Zecla?"
"Master Verg said she had a mission to attend to," Elly said, his voice dropping an octave as he adjusted his tone down. He folded the map with a soft snap. "She was sent to another surveying mission over at a different part of the kingdom."
The atmosphere on the porch shifted instantly. The playful banter slowly grew. For a moment, they weren't just three teenagers working at a magical inn; they were three orphans of a different reality, clinging to a piece of paper that may lead them to control or disaster.
Shaine's hand went instinctively to the hilt of the short blade at her waist. "Looks like you're about to witness the cruelty of those two, huh?" She let out a breath, her gaze teasing. Gone was the girl who forgot an important day. In her place stood the cheeky girl who is fully awake, ready for the unknown path they will walk onto. "Well, what are we waiting for?"
"Then let's go," Elly said, stepping off the porch first. "And Shaine?"
"Yeah?"
He glanced back with a smirk. "Try not to be so absentminded. I'd like to get home in one piece."
Abby laughed softly, linking arms with Shaine as they followed him. "Don't worry, Elly. If she gets lost, I'll be there to pull her back."
As they walked toward the treeline, the village of Eden began to shrink behind them. The morning sun was high, but as they approached the forest, the shadows of the tall, ancient trees seemed to reach out to meet them, whispering secrets they weren't quite ready to hear.