- Tap wake up. I whispered and placed my hand on his shoulder. He stirred immediately going into a sitting position and his hand reaching for the bow , until his eyes registered me.
- Shit. I'm awake sorry boss. You slept? What time it? He questioned and i shushed him , pointing to the still sleeping Hermione.
- I did some . It's early but i wanna head out try and find something to eat. I need you to take watch.
I explained my stomach groaning loudly.
- Food sounds nice. He mumbled making me laugh.
- Yeah don't get your hopes up. It's not gonna be supreme de boeuf.
- Honestly boss, one more day and i will start eating the rocks . Anything at this point. He protested and i zipped up my boots before heading for the entrance.
It was still dark outside i would guess early morning , not that you could tell time down here.
Arranging the bushes behind me i stepped out and began walking.
I had always prized myself with the ability to hunt down about anything.
Gratitude to Cadavier , who took me on regular hunts ever since we met.
Deer, pheasants, moose, wild cats, anything we could find .
He thought me everything . Stalking the prey , herding it my way if i can not , how to set traps. How to skin and prepare the meat after , how to carry it , everything he knew, i did.
And yet looking at my prey now I couldn't help , but think i had downgraded profoundly.
The medium sized lizards , crawling between the rocks were dark grey in colour with yellow eyes. Jaws full of needle like teeth and a long tail with a spike at the end. Not at all appetising, but beggars can't be choosers.
Too fast to be caught on foot . Which i already tried , resulting in nearly smashing my head into the rocks.
Which is why i was currently on a branch , hanging above a small rocky shoreline. These things lived here , coming from crevices in between the rocks and climbing above them fast , before going to hide. I was tracking their pattern movements , trying to figure out where would they come up next. I knew I couldn't catch them , not in a million years, but i had a precise aim and hunger running through me for motivation.
The cave where i left them wasn't too far . Half an hour downhill thank god , cause i will have to carry my catch afterwards. The sun was rising faster than i would have liked , which meant i have to be snappy.
When one of them popped up on the stones above , angling it's head towards the sun i twisted around grabbing the branch with my legs , before letting my body hang loose in the air, my thighs keeping me in place.
I grabbed a a shuriken in my belt and scanned ahead , my vision now upside down.
The lizard didn't acknowledge me at all. The sun rays illuminated it's body and various shades of green and blue shone on it's scales. It wasn't grey, the scales seem to change to blend with the terrain. Quite remarkable really. I thought aiming my blade. I didn't particularly want to kill something that unique ,but hunger was hunger .
So i took a deep breath in , steadying my hand and let the shuriken loose. It hit the side of it's neck and a shallow hiss left the creature , before the body slumped on the rocks, the blood leaking down in a trail.
So i did it again. 3 times to be exact and I hated each time more.
Scaling down the tree walked to the kill spots , surveying the dead creatures.
I had to gut each one , getting rid of the organs and leaving only the casket.
Collecting my knives i cleaned them before sheathing them back . I cut of a vine and used it to tie them together , through their legs and let them hang around my neck.
Not my finest look , wearing dead prey as a garment, I thought as i made my way down hill.
Despite their medium size they we're heavy and as the sun rose up , so did heat . I was grateful I didn't take a jacket , because by the time i made it to the cave i was sweating buckets.
- Oh thank the dark gods boss, i was starting to worry. Mercy said and jumped towards me.
- Uhm what in the Merlin's grace is that? Hermione questioned and her whole face scrunched up.
- That would be breakfast. I said and swinged the lizards of my neck.
- Still better looking then those tramponos ,we had to eat in the moshes boss . Mercy joked reminding me of the gruesome week we spend in the Elendir territory. The swamps there were by far , the worst place on earth. I needed a month after that mission , to just get the smell off me.
- Tap for the love of the gods , do not remind me . The taste of that thing still roils my stomach , till this very day.
These however I don't think are gonna taste bad, it's mostly white meat.
I offered and he laughed , his silver eyes twinkling.
- I can't eat that , i am going to throw up. Hermione said, as i stuck a stick in one of them and placed it above the fire, using rocks to support each end.
- You've been here for what a day? We've been here for at least 3 now . We get no food or water and you can not magic yourself some either. Believe i have tried. So it's either this or you can stay hungry , see how you feel about it 3 days from now. I stated with a calm tone and watched her look back to the now sizzling meat in the fire.
- Boss what's the game plan , cause we can't stay here. Mercy said beside me while i ran the terrain in my head.
- I need to find Matheo champion number 23 . I mumbled his smiling face crossing my head. I lost his track completely after last night . He could be anywhere by now. Worse, he can be in danger. He was alive that's all i knew.
- Wait the one with curly hair? Swears a lot? Mercy asked me and I practically jumped off my spot.
- You saw him? Where? Was he okay?
- Aye , with another wizard , before the ceiling collapsed in the previous chamber. Boss Kayn and his pack were on his trail. Mercy said and my blood chilled in my veins.
- Did you see a fight? Did they get them ?
- No don't think they did. There was a fire and one canon , but it was Argavi , one of Kayn's men . I heard him scream. Mercy replied and i let myself a breath remembering the pictures. He was telling the truth.
- Wait Matheo Riddle? He was with Longbottom i saw it on the game screens , before they threw me in here. Hermione added and i started forming a plan , while i reached for the meat breaking it into pieces.
- As far as I understand this place is in stages. The chamber we are in has to connect to another . I couldn't find it , but i think it's in one of the cave walls. The river leads down , so i say we follow it. Figure it out from there.
- Sound , but no skinny dipping this time ladies . I lost 3 arrows on your last one. Mercy joked easing the tense atmosphere and both me and Hermione laughed.
The meat was chewy , but not bad at all or was it the fact i was starving?
- This is not bad boss , tastes like chicken. Mercy mumbled beside me chewing and it made me snort a laugh.
- Tap what kind of a chicken have you been eating? I questioned and Hermione laughed , while taking a bite. She kept eating, so i took it as a good sign.
I dismbembered the rest and looked around for something to conserve it in.
- Transfigure. Hermione mumbled and her wand shone towards a piece of wood on the ground. It transformed into a box with a long strap , while keeping the same wooden appearance and both me and Mercy stared at her.
- What is this sorcery witch? Mercy asked and used an arrow to push the box in suspicion. The fearless warrior i thought and rolled my eyes.
- Simple transfiguration spell. It changes objects matter into something you can imagine. Works only on lifeless things . You just wave your wand like this and keep it steady. Hermione answered all textbook like and it made me smile.
- Lemme guess you were the straight A student in Hogwarts?
- Well yes i was , but I studied hard for it .
My owls were full points. She replied proudly , but turned bright red.
- Wizards boss. The things they do baffle the mind. I will carry this! Mercy exclaimed and grabbed the box strapping it around himself with a proud look , that send both me and Hermione into a fit of laughter. For a moment we all forgot were we are . Lost in some strange camaraderie, based on our rather dire circumstances.
- Cmon your magnificent fashion icon. Put the meat away and let's go. I joked and stood up gathering my things.
