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Explanations, Explanations and Explanations ~ Chapter 30

(Astrid's P.O.V.)

Hold it right there humans! Who the heck comes to a bunch of strangers looking for the Aceon Gemstone offering help and asking if they could tag along? (and who da hell ends a chapter with "do you accept?")

"First of all," I began. "You're really shady characters uhh....Clint and Tiberius or whatever..."
"Mhm," Kathrine agreed. "Can we really trust you..?" she asked as a malicious smirk curled her lips.
"How wonderful then!" The Hunter clasped his hands together. "You can prove yourselves worthy together!"
"Prove yourselves worthy? What? Can't we just look for it?" Tiberius asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Of course! If you go search for the Gemstone without our approval, something terrible would happen!" The Hunter grinned creepily. I could already visualize the image of all of his clan chasing us and hunting us down ready to be fed to the wolves and whatnot just spiriting away shamelessly from his head.
"Oh..." Clint sighed. "And you said you were the 'genius'!" He gestured with air quotation marks. "How did you not think of this earlier? How did you not even consider the possibility that this would happen?—"
"Hold it! You're one to talk! Heck, we didn't even know that we're meet these people here anyways!" Tiberius intrudes.
"Moron! We would've had to prove ourselves despite not meeting them anyways! We too are searching for the Aceon Gemstone you know!"
"..."
"See!"
"...oh...yeah..."

I facepalmed at their sibling-like antics. Kathrine chuckled next to me and said, "They remind me of another childish duo."
I glared at her intensely. "Shut it, will ya? It's time to, and I quote, 'prove ourselves worthy'. Ughh...how cliche...this sounds so stupid. Can't they just make this some insanely rogue battle that's first come, first serve? Simple, whoever gets the stone first gets it! Not too shabby, ehh?"
"Aho! (T/N: Japanese for idiot or something related) In your supposedly incredibly perfectly logical mind, how did the thought that that would've made our lives harder compared to being one of the only ones allowed to chase the stone!?"
I sighed. "Did it not ever cross your supposedly thoughtful mind that we still would've gone through the trouble of proving ourselves worthy? And that would've been a pain? And that we have no idea who this Hunter is? And that we don't know why they're testing us? And that we could possibly not be the only ones approved or deemed worthy of pursuing the Aceon Gemstone?"
She stared dumbfoundedly at me. "True...true..."

It wandered into my earshot. I swear the Hunter said something like "Like peas in a pod, those four. So similar..."

"So how does this whole 'we are to prove ourselves worthy of going after the Aceon Gemstone' whatnot shtick work? Do we join some annual competition and risk all our lives for the life of none other than Perseus Jackson even though that's not his name?" I asked sarcastically.
"Woah, woah, woah. Did you actually accept? You said 'all our lives'! Are we in the team?" Clint tapped my shoulder repeatedly like some annoying child who wanted ice cream.
"Of course not! We don't know! Don't expect us to make a decision that quickly..." Kathrine replied to the eager dude.
"Please! Please! We'll be of great help! I promise!" Tiberius begged.
"You may have promised, but there's a possibility the other party will not agree. Other than that, there is a great chance that you both will wind up slacking off and dragging us down. Therefore, there actually is a higher chance of success with just Kathrine and I."
"Such a pushover. Fine! You've read Percy Jackson right? Then I, and Clint both swear on the River Styx that we will aid you in your quest for the Aceon Gemstone."
"Aho! Swearing on the Styx here makes no difference! I cannot build a trustworthy bond with you! Heck, we have no idea as to what your motives for the stone are!" I yelled back.

I was taken aback when I saw his mischievous smirk. "Hey Clint, do you recall what we stated when we introduced ourselves?"
Clint smirked too and joined in on the Operation: Annoy Astrid shtick.
"Yeah, I do remember. Want to remind little miss grumpy cat?" Clint turned his gaze to Tiberius as he nodded in return.
I swear Kathrine snickered.
Together, they fancily said, "We, are specialists in potions. We are potion masters beyond all geniuses. Together, we are unstoppable. Together, we are the best in the world- at least this world. How we came to be here, we don't know, but it brought us to our passion and doom both. So do you understand now? Have you deciphered our purpose for pursuing this legendary, mysterious, ancient gemstone?"
I processed what they said. Kathrine stood beside me, speechless without awe.
My reply was: "And so, you are geniuses. Potion masters in this world. You are the best among this fake world, this world of lies." I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as the Hunter's eccentric gaze never left me.