Hearing that Cassius had found a potential meal, Aisha's heart buzzed with intrigue as she squinted into the darkness, trying to follow his gaze.
But no matter how she looked, all she saw was a shadowed ridge of trees and hills, no hint of life or movement.
Her voice cut through the chilly air, laced with doubt as she turned to Julie. "Captain, can you see anything out there?"
Julie shook her head, her voice calm but puzzled as she peered past the trees, her heart stirring with curiosity.
"Not a thing." She said, her eyes narrowing. "Just dark forest and hills. Skadi, you've got the best eyes here. Can you spot what he's talking about? If anyone can see something, it's you."
Skadi didn't answer right away, her heart racing with eagerness as she scrambled onto Cassius, climbing up his back until she perched on his shoulders like a lookout on a ship.
Her tail wagged, her eyes scanning the darkness with her night vision, the best in the group until her voice came out pitiful, tinged with frustration as she slumped forward.
"I-I can't see anything, Captain! It's just dark everywhere!" She whined, her heart sinking as she bent down to look at Cassius. "Master, what exactly did you see? I can see in the dark better than anyone, but there's nothing out there except some birds sleeping in their nests...Tell me what you're looking at!"
Cassius's sly smile widened, his voice steady as he pointed forward, his heart brimming with confidence.
"You're probably looking in the wrong direction, puppy. It's night, after all." He said, his tone calm but certain. "About 3000 Leylines that way, right near a big boulder, there's an animal that we can surely eat. It's grazing on some grass, just standing there."
Skadi's eyes widened, her voice erupting in disbelief as she gripped his shoulders, her thighs rubbing against his head.
"Three thousand Leylines? Master, you can see that far?" She gasped, her heart reeling with shock. "That's crazy! Even I can't see that far, and I'm the best at this stuff!" Her tail flicked, her voice trembling with awe. "I can't even smell anything from that distance! How're you doing that with just your eyes?"
Julie stepped closer, her voice sharp with skepticism as she crossed her arms, her heart doubtful.
"No way, Cassius. That's impossible." She said, her tone firm as she shook her head. "You'd need magical equipment or some kind of enchanted lens to see that far in the dark, Bare eyes? Come on. What's the trick?" Her eyes narrowed, her heart searching for an explanation.
Skadi nodded, her voice insistent as she leaned down, her thighs still pressed against Cassius's head.
"Yeah, Master, even I can't do that! I'm the sharpest in the group, and I'm telling you, there's nothing out there but trees and birds!" Her heart buzzed with curiosity, her voice turning eager as she tugged at his hair. "But what did you see, anyway? Is it a rabbit? A bunny? Those are so yummy! Tell me, tell me!"
Cassius chuckled, his voice warm as he gently rubbed Skadi's thighs around his neck, his heart amused by her excitement.
"Sorry, puppy, no rabbits or bunnies." He said, his tone teasing as he shook his head. "It's a hog. A big one, too. Looks like it's got enough meat to feed a whole legion of knights if we butcher it right. Plenty for all of us to eat like kings tonight." His eyes glinted, his heart racing with anticipation.
Then he smirked and added lightly, "Honestly, you girls might want to get your eyes checked. I could see that hog clear as day. Maybe it's not my vision that's special, maybe yours is just getting a little rusty."
Julie huffed, her lips twitching in irritation as her arms crossed tighter. "Very funny."
Aisha rolled her eyes with a soft laugh. "Gods, Cassius. You just love stirring the pot, don't you?"
"Hurray, hurray!" Skadi's face lit up, her voice bursting with glee as she clapped her hands, nearly toppling off his shoulders. "A big hog! We're gonna eat a real meal tonight!"
She cheered, her tail wagging furiously as her heart soared. She then bent down, planting a quick kiss on Cassius's forehead, her voice bubbling with affection.
"I love you so much, Master! You're the best!" Her jiggly breasts pressed against his face as she hugged him, her heart overflowing with joy.
Seeing this act of affection, Aisha's smile faltered, her voice sharp with irritation as she crossed her arms, her heart prickling with jealousy.
"Hey, watch it, Skadi."
She snapped, her eyes narrowing at the display, while Julie, standing nearby, said nothing, her heart heavy with the realization that Aisha was growing closer to Cassius, unbothered by their presence.
Skadi, still perched on Cassius's shoulders, tilted her head, her voice curious as she leaned down again. "What kind of hog is it, Master? Different pigs taste different, you know!" She said, her heart eager as her tail swished. "Is it a juicy one? A fatty one? Tell me what it looks like!"
Cassius laughed, his voice light as he kept his eyes on the horizon, his heart amused by her enthusiasm.
"It's got grey fur with black spots all over." He said, his tone descriptive but playful. "And it's got these big ears, kinda like bunny ears, not hog ears. Looks pretty strange, honestly."
His chuckle echoed, expecting the others to laugh along, but his heart sank as he noticed their sudden silence.
Aisha, Julie, and Skadi's faces fell, their expressions downcast as if they'd been hit with a wave of defeat.
Skadi slumped on Cassius's shoulders, her voice soft and disappointed as her tail drooped. Aisha's eyes flicked to the ground, her heart heavy with resignation, while Julie's shoulders sagged, her heart troubled by the shift in mood.
Cassius's brow furrowed, his voice laced with confusion as he looked at them, his heart puzzled.
"Hey, what's with the long faces? Why's everyone looking like they're ready to give up?" He asked, his tone earnest as he glanced between them. "Did I say something wrong? Is the hog poisonous or something?"
Aisha sighed, her voice self-deprecating as she stirred the pot, her heart weighed down by the truth.
"It's not poisonous, Cassius." She said, her tone heavy as she glanced at him. "That hog you saw? It's a Echohufd Hog. They're common in this region, and yeah, their meat's delicious, sells for a fortune because it's so tasty."
Her voice softened, her heart sinking as she continued,
"But the reason we're all like this is because those hogs are special. They've got this ability, those big ears of theirs can hear you from quite far away."
"The second you get even a little too close, they're gone. Scamper off faster than you can blink...So, that's why it's most likely no one's catching that thing, not at night."
Cassius's brow furrowed, his voice tinged with confusion as he tilted his head, his heart undeterred.
"Wait, so it runs away? Why can't we just chase it down?" He asked, his tone earnest as he glanced at Aisha. "Sounds like a pig's still a pig, right? We track it, we catch it."
Julie sighed, her voice heavy with resignation as she shook her head, her heart burdened by the reality.
"It's not that simple, Cassius." She said, her tone flat as she gestured toward the dark forest. "Echohide hogs don't just run, they burrow. They've got underground lairs, a whole network of tunnels."
"...The second they hear you coming, they're gone, diving into a hole before you can even start chasing. And tracking them down there? It's nearly impossible without serious magic or traps. Normal hunters don't stand a chance."
Her eyes flicked to the ground, her heart sinking at the thought of another night of porridge, while Aisha nodded, her voice subdued as she stirred the pot, her heart echoing Julie's defeat.
"She's right. Those hogs are tricky. The only way people catch them is with traps set out in the open, and even then, it's a long shot...They're too smart, too fast and just a pain in the ass to catch."
Her eyes lingered on the fire, her heart heavy with the lost hope of a good meal.
Skadi's ears drooped as well, her voice breaking into a pitiful whine as she slid off Cassius's shoulders, her heart aching with disappointment.
"So...no dinner?" She asked, her tone trembling as she tugged at Cassius's sleeve, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Master, does that mean we're stuck with that gross slop tonight? I was so excited for real meat, something juicy and good!" Her tail sagged, her heart crushed as she glanced at the kettle, her voice soft and pleading. "I really thought we were gonna eat like fat noble like you said. But now..."
Julie and Aisha exchanged glances, their faces reflecting Skadi's sadness, their hearts quietly yearning for the meal they'd briefly hoped for.
But just as the campsite fell silent, the weight of defeat settling over them like the cold night air, Cassius's smile broke through the gloom, his voice bright and confident as he clapped his hands, his heart unshaken.
"Come on, why's everyone looking so down?" He said, his tone upbeat as he looked at each of them. "It's not like the plan's completely failed. We've just hit a minor snag, that's all. A good team overcomes problems, and that's what we're gonna do."
His eyes sparkled, his heart buzzing with determination as he gestured toward the horizon.
Aisha's eyes narrowed, her voice skeptical as she set the spoon down, her heart stirring with curiosity. "Overcome it? Cassius, how exactly are we supposed to do that?" She asked, her tone sharp as she crossed her arms. "Even with the Captain's speed, catching a Echohide hog is a nightmare."
"...It burrows the second it hears you, and those tunnels are a maze. Digging it out would take forever, and if we make too much noise, we'll just attract demon beasts. That's the last thing we need out here."
Julie nodded, her voice cautious as she stepped closer, her heart wary of false hope.
"She's got a point, Cassius. The ground's soft out there, every step you take sends vibrations those hogs can hear from miles away." She said, her tone practical. "You'd have to be silent as a ghost to get close, and even then, it's probably already gone. What's your plan?"
"That's exactly it, Julie." Cassius's smile widened, his voice brimming with mischief as he shook his head, his heart racing with excitement. "The problem's the ground, right? Every step we take makes noise, alerts the hog, and off it goes."
He said, his tone confident as he then turned to Skadi, his eyes glinting.
"So what if we don't walk?...What if the hunter flies instead?"
Skadi's eyes widened, her voice erupting in a gasp as she clapped her hands, her heart sparking with wonder.
"Flies? Master, you're gonna fly after it?" She asked, her tail wagging furiously as she bounced on her toes. "You mean like...swooping down from the sky? Oh, that's so cool! Are you gonna do it? Are you gonna fly and grab that hog for us?"
Her voice bubbled with excitement, her heart soaring as she stared at him, her eyes wide with admiration.
"F-Fly?" Aisha's jaw dropped, her voice bursting with disbelief as she stepped closer, her heart reeling. "Cassius, what are you talking about?"
She demanded, her tone sharp as she gestured wildly.
"You can't just fly after a hog! What, you got wings hidden somewhere? Or some fancy spell we don't know about?" Her eyes narrowed, her heart buzzing with doubt and intrigue.
Julie's brow furrowed as well, her voice cautious as she tilted her head, her heart stirred by the boldness of his idea.
"Flying's a nice thought, but how's that supposed to work?" She asked, her tone skeptical as she crossed her arms. "Even if you had a way to get up there, those hogs are fast. You'd need to be quick and quiet to catch one before it bolts."
"...You got something up your sleeve, Cassius?"
Cassius's grin turned sly, his voice low and teasing as he looked at Skadi, still bouncing with excitement.
"Oh, I've got something, alright." He said, his tone brimming with confidence as he patted Skadi's head. "And you, puppy, are gonna be a big part of it...Trust me, we're eating that hog tonight and not leave any meat of the bones of that cheeky bastard."
His eyes locked onto hers, his heart pulsing with anticipation as he already imagined sinking his teeth into the juicy meat of that sneaky hog...
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!