3 . 6 . 14

Wait- isn't becoming a harem? - Chapter 31

(Kathrine's P.O.V.)

"Do you know what you need to do?" He asked, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Actually, I don't." I sarcastically replied. "What should I do?"
"Why...you have some nerves to talk back to me like that." Mr. HunterxHunter (anime reference...hehe) said. "I'm righthand to the only clan in the area. You better watch it."
"You're the righthand for a reason." I snorted. Astrid nudged me.
"Hey." She glared.
"Whoops."
"Anyways...its a simple test." Hunted begun, ignoring my antics. "But because you pairs have different intentions from one another on why you want our precious gemstone, you'll be taking it separately."

He pointed at Astrid and I then the two other dudes, Clint and Tiberius. "Who wants to go first?"
"Wait, wait, wait." Astrid paused. "What are we doing?"
"You just have to pick up my axe." He simply explained. "Our axes are partly made with Aceon Gemstones. It become impossible to carry for those not born to the Weaver Clan or those who wish to use the gemstone for wrong deeds."
"What is this, Mjolnir?" I thought up. He ignored me.
"If you can lift it, I will allow you to go ahead and try and get the gemstone."
"What if we don't lift it?" Tiberius asked. His partner, Clint, was preoccupied in patting his horse.
"Then you either leave or die." Hunter said. "And you won't be coming back in either choices."
"Harsh." Tiberius mumbled.
"Anyways...any more questions?" Hunter moved on. No hands. "Okay then; who's first?"

An awkward tension stretched across group. Quick glances were tossed around.

"Dibs not." I crossed my fingers, swiftly putting them atop my nose.
"That's childish!" Tiberius argued from across us. His partner was still busy with the mane of their white horse.
"Their going first." Astrid pressed.
"No fair! Clint, help me?" Tiberius nudged the oblivious man.
"Wha-"
"This is getting anywhere!" Hunter irritatedly roared. "Rock-paper-scissors, shoe or something!"
"Go Kathrine." Astrid pushed me from behind, almost making me tumble over. "You're better at this."
"But-..." She pushes me harder. Tiberius and Clint on the other hand were still arguing and did a rock-paper-scissor match themselves. Tiberius won and Clint reluctantly hopped of his horse. As we met in the center, I studied him closely. He wore a white polo along with some khaki jeans. His shoes were a shiny leather one and wore thin, silver-like glasses. He looked bored to hell. His hair honestly looked so fluffy that I just wanted to rub it. Am I weird?

Hunter nodded as if reading my mind and answering my question. "Begin."
"Rock, paper, scissor..." I knew what he would put down. A boy who was bored out of hell would only chose one thing. "Shoe!"

I was paper while he was rock. Clint shrugged without a card as his partner facepalmed. Hunter gestured to me. "And she's our winner."
"Yeah! So we're going second now?" I gleefully asked and smile stretched across my face. Now neither Astrid or I would be all too susceptible to trickery or harm. The other pair was the new sacrificial lamb.
"I never specified that." Hunter slyly grinned. My happy energy quickly morphed into energy enough to kill someone. "I'm in favor of those who don't irritate me so you're going first."
"What?! That's no fair!" Astrid contradicted, just as pissed as I was. "We won!"
"Yeah, and who said that you would go second if you did?" Hunter queried, snickering. "Follow me."

He sent as a look telling us not to fight any further. We were quick to follow as we knew our disadvantages of not knowing where we were other than that we were in the land of our enemy. "Fine.", we begrudgingly muttered.

He led us back into the cavern we were in earlier but rather than going back down into the underground chamber, he led into a small room. It was quite the petite room cramped with objects of the sorts, giving a clear message of 'workshop'. There was a workbench packed saws, hammers, mallets, drivers, and many other things I couldn't name. The shelves were stacked with odd artifacts from potions to rocks and all the way to eerie-looking books. The room was so small that I was barely an inch away from the Tiberius and Clint. The ground was bare dirt and roof was rotting would with cracks. I could see plants growing out of the top and the dirt from above threatening to fall. There was still around 3 feet of open space before us but there was some natural instinct that told me not to go any further. At the side of the room, a part of the wall was caving outwards giving way for a shrine-like podium. Atop that podium was a silver axe- one that had quite the looks. The poll and toe to heel part (front and backside of the axe) of it were lined with a luminescent stone that seemed to radiate a light green. Aceon Gemstone. Probably. The haft was made of a dark wood and the knob was painted black. It screamed 'go away or imma kill you'.