The hunting camps were bustling with people from the six different houses. Noble ladies who flapped their fans at their faces, while children who ran along the fields chasing one another. It was a pretty sight for the guest side of the camp.
Meanwhile, the hunters' side was mostly dull. People sharpening their swords and adjusting their attires—some practicing with wooden weapons.There weren't many woman, including Aefia there was only ten or so between thirty men. Afterall, the Smod empire was cornered by stereotypes even after having a reigning Empress.
Since Elanor had assigned Aefia as the captain, she dragged her to the guest camp for a while. Double checking the situation before the main hunt could begin. It was to introduce her to other members and remind her of a few things.
"Firstly, avoid interacting with other houses as soon as you go out on a hunt. It is the best thing if you don't want to get caught with a hunt that would target our house for theives." The woman explained. Her platinum blonde hair was tied back in a sleek braid while she herself wore a formal outfit almost similar to Aefia's. Just a little more elaborate, in terms of the structure of course.
While Aefia preferred a flock to pair along with long black straight-leg trousers, Elanor went with a white shirt, green vest and trousers, and a coat with a velvet green cape at her shoulders—covering half her torso from front and her entire back. Maybe if she hadn't become the captain, Elanor herself would have joined in.
However, because Aefia had a heist of her own that involved Lake Erie, she as a Countess stepped back to accommodate the search of an artifact.
The part that was not to her liking, was that Elanor had selected all of her house's best knights to be members in the hunting competition besides her. Who, in return, already started complaining about how she was very young and didn't even know how to use a wooden dagger. This was pissing her off... But there was nothing that could be done about this.
If it were one or two, it was considerable. However, all of them were onto her. Expect the one other woman who was in this team. She respected her captain, even when she showed concern over how young she was.
As the last bit of the checking was completed, she stood up and stretched her arms above her.
"Alright! I have to get going—"
"No no no! Not so fast!" Nada came sprinting forward, adjusting even the tiniest details on her clothing.
It was a hassle until there. The cool autumn air outside the tents was so soothing, Aefia could lean against the tree and sleep her day away under the shades of yellow leaves.
Not long later, while she was heading towards collecting a map from the free table, a woman with light-pink, greying hair approached from behind.
"Oh dear! Aefia!" She smiled while reaching out to hook her arms around her neck. "I am so excited to see you! I see you are joining the hunt too!"
"Yes. How are you doing, Your Majesty? Is Prince Cedric joining as well?" Aefia asked while pulling back, smiling at the woman with a calm face. Her hair, that Nada has placed in a high ponytail with her bangs framing the sides of her face, suddenly lost its shape from the sudden motion. The rubber didn't snap, but it loosened.
"Ah yes! I am doing just fine... And about Cedric, he is joining besides his brother of course."
Wait... That guy is still not captured yet?!
An anger rose within her that was more frustruation then anything else.
"Uh—huh! That is good t—to know...!" She gripped her map so tightly, it crippled at the edges until it tore. "Alright. I have to go before the hunt begins. It was nice meeting you again. Good luck!" She leaped away, waving backwards before turning a corner and dissapearing into the woods.
Her eyes fell on the map more clearly this time. Somethings will never be the way I want it to... But it isn't my matter anymore. Cedric will deal with him however he sees fit.
She let out a huff of breathe, reading her destination on the map and how to get there. Lake Erie was southwest to where she was currently standing, but she wasn't going to go right away. First things first... Her team members were quite the trouble she didn't want to carry along with her.
A moment of brief silence and peace settled onto her face as she stood in the middle of the woods, looking straight ahead to the citadel where the bell was about to go off any time soon. Tangled at her fingers, was a pocket watch, which she was listening to the tick of the second hand.
Then, at exactly twelve-thirty, she started walking towards the arena. Where the team splitting would begin. It just meant the captains decide a starting point that would then become their territory for exactly three days starting this very second.
For particular reasons, she chose to select the northeast of the map. Direct opposite to where she was going to head next.
Her team members eyes all fell on her as she strode to their place. However, when they were expecting her to interact with them, she completely by-passed their standings to head over to the registration table by herself.
"Under the house of Countess Elanor, we choose Northeast." She declared carefully, without a stutter.
"Alright. And are you the captain?"
"Yes."
He checked off a part of the paper before handing her a bag of swords and a folder to sort their hunting records. Alongside, he handed a small pouch of tiny green flags, to mark the hunts of course. In case they wanted to leave it and come over with a helping hand to carry it over to their camp. And sometimes to identify the stolen hunts.
Without a delay, she asked the nearest member to lead the rest of them towards the northeast.
"Exactly, at the most dry land." She ordered with a stern tone of voice. "Once there, I will continue the distribution and briefing."
With that, she walked away without a single glance backwards. In her mind, she was busy calculating what the other teams were going to attempt at Elanor's house. Luckily, she had read enough fantasy-action novels describing exactly what hunting competitions might result in.
She was going to take the worst case scenarios she had read about, and prepare for the recovery if that ever happened to them. Problems can only be solved if a good amount of mind had been given to it.
***
Within the next thirty minutes, the team members approached.
"Took you long enough. This is a hunting competition, not a leisurely gossip session." Aefia spoke while folding her arms in front of her. The swords had been laid out and each of them paired with a respective amount of only one flag, alongside a piece of record each.
"As you can see, I have split whatever is necessary. I will simply assign roles of each respective one of you right now." She pointed at the most muscular guy all the way back. "You will be the defender heading southwest from this place. So you will be facing the ducal house."
Before she could continue, he let out a scoff.
"Oh really?! After distributing only one flag to each of us, you give the most strongest one in this team a role of the defender?! You are running us to the ground already!" He shouted, stepping forward, wanting to put fear at her. But she didn't even blink at him. He grew more irritated.
"Lower your eyes on people older then you." He commanded with a grit of his teeth.
Aefia let out a smirk. "Why? Do you find it annoying that I am used to people like you?" She asked with the tilt of her head. "Besides... The last time I checked, a defender listens to the captain. Not the opposite way. So its either you do as I say, or you leave this team.
"About the flag... Don't tell me you were even thinking about hunting. You want the others to do the work for you while you wait for the third day to enjoy the fear you emit on the other houses... Truely, I should be thinking about giving you the role of a sweeper."
The remaining team members let out a low laugh, watching the one who bragged the most, get instantly deflated.
He looked down at the unbreakable kid standing without a flinch of a reaction. "You are lucky I can't hit you for still being a kid. But once you grow up, I will not leave your parents alone either."
"Oh don't worry! You will never be able to do that!"
"What did you just say?!"
"I am an orphan, you dumb*ss." She shrugged at him, watching as he crouched down silently to pick up his items and leave silently. He stood at the farthest side of the team. Where she won't be able to see his face.
Hahahah! Oh, it always works!
"Anyways, there will be exactly four defenders, and one all-rounder, one back-up with no role who will immediately take whatever position is not available for the time-being. It also includes the role of the captain. Since there is no more north left to defend, you will be the defender for the east." She continued while writing onto her own list the names and their roles.
She continued the assigning for each individual role. Then, her eyes fell on the last two people.
A slender boy, the back-up.
Cassandra—the only woman after Aefia—all-rounder.
"Alright! That is all. Now I have a final announcement." Aefia declared while throwing the paper into the air, which immediately dissappeared without a trace.
"Since the roles have been given out, I decided that a few of your demands be fulfilled. Like a proper land, a proper distribution quantity. Alright! I will grant your wishes one by one." She clapped her hands, seeing the sightly elevated muscular man, who was smiling at her remark.
"The first and most request..."
Her hands reached to her Captain's coat, and she non-hesitantly ripped it off her arms. Then, she flung it to the slender boy. He was at his eighteenth year as Elanor had explained. And he had a determination to survive. That is all she needed to carry on with her plan.
"As of right this second, I drop my role as the captain. Since he is the back-up, he is now the captain. Based on rules, whatever rules the former captain says, is what stays remained and untouched. So... You can't change a single thing I have done." She dusted her hand while stepping back to claim her portion of the items. "As always, I won't leave the team.
"As for the rest of your wishes... I am not the captian anymore so... Bye!" Aefia dismissively wiped her hands in the air and walked away. "Reach out to me during an emergency. Otherwise, I am not going to help out." She added.
"Wait! I wanted to become the back-up!" The muscular shouted while stepping forward.
"Why? Because you just found out I was going to eventually leave the team like you wished. Sorry... But I am not the one who orders you around anymore." Aefia replied while walking backwards. "Go seek justice from the new captain. But don't break any rules!"
"Speak about being a grown *ss man and still being immature." She clicked her tongue in irritation as she walked away.
The entire team went silent. Cassandra stared with disbelieve, but didn't say anything. Elanor had warned her not to reject whatever Aefia had said, so she didn't dare to step up. At the same time, she didn't want to be kicked out from the team, so she decided to tape her mouth before spitting the wrong direction.
As for Aefia... She was on cruise mode. Like this was a vacation and she was on a break. Her steps turned into fierce stomps which then turned into skips. The weight of the coat was not going to pin her down in a role like that forever... And she did have a plan with this situation. All she needed... Was to focus on her own work right now.
Her main plan executes at night. Maybe during dinner if the timing didn't turn out not by her side.
Funny, how the team members instantly showed me another face of themselves. Ah! I love whenever this happens!
She laughed to herself while running towards no end. Mid-stride, she leaped and immediately skidded to a stop near the lake. The dimensions had changed. Because there were certain teleportation points in this area that allowed for the movements to be easier. Even if she didn't give a shit to hunting.
Her eyes immediately fixated towards the long stretch of water. It wasn't large. She could already see the end of the water body at the still very far distance. Aefia walked towards the edge of the water, it was clear, but was dim because of the shade of the tree.
It was not that deep. As it seemed.
Her hands flew to her heavy accessories which she immediately placed carefully inside her inventory to keep them safe. Her shoes too, in the invisible space in the air.
With slow deliberate steps, she walked into the water. The dark navy blue water felt like she stepped into an ocean. Until—
Something dragged her downwards into the depths. Whatever air she had managed to gulp into her lungs, was the last bits that determined whether she lived or drowned. Because of her fire powers, she could keep her body temperature regulated for the time being.
As she stared carefully, her legs were actually free. Not only that, her vision that was supposed to be blurry... Was extremely clear.
Lake Erie... Is—no wonder it is was said to be dangerous! No that doesn't matter! I can't see the end of this lake!
The depth and water surface... It all felt like she was on the middle of the pacific ocean. There was no ground visible. Panic striking her across her mind, making her let out a bubble of air from her mouth.
Maybe this is karma for what I did...
Realizing what she did, she immediately shut her mouth and looked towards the ghost who swum freely beside her.
So?! Where is that godd*mn artifact?!
The ghost looked at deeply into her eyes in response. "It is... At the base of the ocean floor."
There is 'no' ocean floor!
"There is... It is just... Too deep."