Chapter 312: Time to leave.

Achilles gasped so hard he nearly choked on his tea. "Wait! Five high-grade stones?! I have been selling them for 3!"

The grand elder froze. He looked at the band in his hand, then down at his half empty pouch, and slowly looked up at Zyra.

The realization hit him like a lightning bolt from a heavenly tribulation: He had just been scammed!

Zyra leapt from her chair and immediately took three giant steps backward; her hands raised in fake innocence.

"You little rascal!" the grand elder roared, bouncing out of his chair. "Return my stones! I’m going to paint the rest of your hair bright yellow!"

"No refunds! Sales are final!" Zyra yelled back, bursting into laughter as she turned on her heel and bolted around the big dining table.

"Get back here! I’ll teach you respect for your elders!" the old man shouted, his robes flapping wildly as he gave chase, grabbing a spoon off a plate and wielding it like a weapon.

Zyra darted around chairs, her multi-colored hair flying high, her laughter ringing through the room. Hunter sat back, watching his grandfather chase a laughing Zyra around the table while Achilles tried to save the breakfast dishes from getting knocked over. A soft, unfamiliar sensation bloomed in his chest.

He smiled quietly to himself. So, this was what a real family breakfast felt like. Chaos, scams and bubbling laughter. It was better than what they did at the Kaelion estate.

After breakfast, they all focused on their tasks. Hunter’s mission was supposed to be an easy one, so he didn’t bother mobilizing a grand army. He just picked a small team: Bianca, Tessi, and himself.

They jogged down to the exit gate, where several other teams were already gathered, checking their weapons and packing up supplies before heading out into the wild to hunt.

Just as Hunter was double-checking Tessi’s armor, Zyra came jogging up to them, her newly multi-colored hair still bouncing wildly. She held two small metal boxes in her arms and dumped them straight into Hunter’s hands.

"Here," Zyra panted, wiping her forehead. "Environmental scanners for scanning threats and instant healing capsules, antiviral capsules. Anti venom capsules. Take them."

Hunter popped open one of the boxes. Inside sat a cluster of small vials with different colored pills that looked a bit similar to what the Sanctum sold.

"How do these work?" Bianca asked, peering over Hunter’s shoulder with deep suspicion.

"You swallow it, obviously." Zyra said, rolling her eyes. "Look, I don’t know how well they work on the plague and the hundreds of other diseases out there, but if the absolute worst comes to worst, this should act as a total cure. Or at least stop the disease from getting worse."

Hunter stared down at the smooth blue pill resting in his palm. His mind raced. "If these can cure strange plagues, we could take them to the plague village and see if they actually work."

"Use them as guinea pigs?" Bianca asked.

Hunter shrugged. "You need people with the disease to see if it works."

Zyra’s face brightened up instantly, like a child who had just been offered a mountain of sweet, candied haws. "Wait! Really? I’ll go right now!"

"No," Bullet said, stepping forward out of nowhere with his arms crossed, his voice flat as a wooden board.

Zyra turned around and hit him with a look that screamed: Who gave you permission to speak, and what makes you think you can stop me?

Hunter cleared his throat, pulling her attention back. "I’ll do it when I return. Besides, Kidman, the leader of that plague territory is suspicious. I have a strong feeling he’s been working hand-in-hand with the cannibals all along. It’s way too dangerous for you to just stroll in there."

Zyra waved her hand in the air, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "I can handle a greasy scheming snake with one hand tied behind my back. Don’t worry about it." She could also bond with some mid level beasts in the process.

Hunter scoffed, letting out a short, half-amused laugh. "Right. Because my ’no’ obviously carries so much weight with you these days. My word is basically suggestions at this point."

Zyra gave him a sweet, totally unrepentant smile.

Realizing he wasn’t going to win the argument and knowing her stubbornness could outlast a thousand-year-old mountain, Hunter just sighed and shook his head. He turned toward the nearby guards and gestured sharply.

"Gilby, Taylor, and Daniel," Hunter ordered, picking out a group of seasoned, heavily armed men. "You’re on escort duty. If a single hair on her head gets touched, you’ll answer to me."

"Yes sir!" the guards shouted in unison, saluting nervously.

Hunter turned back to face Zyra. Before she could offer another witty retort, he reached out, grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply right in front of everyone.

Bianca immediately turned around and pretended to be very interested in a nearby rock. Tessi covered her eyes with two fingers, though she left a big gap to peek through.

Hunter pulled back, looking down into Zyra’s slightly dazed eyes with a faint smirk. "Be back before midnight."

"Yes, dad." She replied with a smirk and eye roll, in the tone of a smart ass.

Hunter waved at his grandfather and turned around, grabbed his new gun that she had given him, and led his team out through the portal.

The hunting teams also left, one by one. Four groups, heading in four directions.

The grand elder stepped up to Zyra. Suddenly, his old face scrunched up with dramatic grief. He lunged forward and threw his arms around her in a suffocating, bone-crushing hug, squeezing her like this was the absolute last time they would ever see each other in this life.

​"Grand pa...can’t... breathe..." Zyra wheezed, her hands flailing in the air.

​"My precious rascal! Be safe!" the old man sniffled, actually tearing up as he patted her back with dramatic flair. "If you die out there, who am I going to chase around the dining hall?!" ​He wiped a rogue tear from his eye, turned around, and walked away with giant, tragic strides, looking like a dramatic opera actor leaving the stage.

Claudia opened a portal through which he and Maverick used to travel back to his sanctuary.

​Achilles walked up next, rolling his eyes at the grand elder’s antics. He offered Zyra a smirk, raised his hand, and gave her a solid fist bump.

​"I am not worried about you because I know you are strong and capable." Achilles chuckled, knocking his knuckles against hers. "Stay safe, sis."

​With a wave over his shoulder, Achilles turned and headed towards his eagle, leaving Zyra standing near the gate watching him.

Just like that, everything seemed to be much quieter. Only the chilling shriek of a bird could be heard from afar.