"When it comes to Demi-Human, they are similar to us but play by different rules. And are a little more....unique," Elizabeth voice trailed off.
9:35 am.
"Whoa," Lucas said as he stared at the mouth of the forest area. He felt a mixture of excitement and his own nervousness kick into overdrive as this was it. He could feel his own feet want to carry him into the forest, and look for the target he and Amay were charged with looking for. He barely lifted up his foot as he heard his mother voice call for him. He quickly turned his head to look towards her. "Yes, ma'am?" He asked.
"Come here," Elizabeth told him with a cheerful voice.
"Okay." He answered back taking his full view off of the forest. There was a rustle in the forest that caused Lucas to stop and for a split second he felt something. Without hesitating, he jerked his head around. His head quickly looked around for an answer for what he just felt and that sound.
Just as he was about to panic, Lucas saw a bird quickly fly out and started to tweet. A sigh of relief left his mouth as he realized what it was. "I'm being paranoid," Lucas told himself as he felt a sudden arm on his shoulder. This caused him to whip around towards the person.
Martha eyes went slightly wide at his sudden jerk from her simple touch. She tilted her head a little at him in surprise and worry. "Are you okay?" She spoke as her hazel eyes began to look him up and down.
"Oh. Sorry about that." Lucas said straightening up and letting out a deep sigh. He couldn't help but the back of his head as he felt ridiculous. "Just a little jumpy. I thought I heard something, but it was just a bird." He confessed to her.
"Oh," Martha said in a monotoned voice as her eyes looked up at the forest behind her brother. "Okay. Mom is ready for you." She told him as she pointed to the camping RV.
"Okay cool."Lucas quickly said as he felt slightly ridiculous for being concerned by a bird. He didn't want to think anything else of it and made his towards his mom.
As she watched her brother walk towards the RV, Martha turned her own head back to look towards the forest. She thought she felt something as well and make her way over to this area. Her eyes moved up, down, right, and then left from what she could see. She then inhaled a little as her eyes turned a solid green. A light green aura poured out off Martha as she released a wave of her energy. This caused birds to fly away from the area and whatever animals that were around to avoid this perimeter.
"That should do it," Martha sharply said as her aura quickly faded. She exhaled a little before turing around, and walked towards the RV her.
Deep in the forest, a pair of four eyes, two big sets with two smaller pair under them, opened up a chuckled a little.
"That was close. Didn't think she could sense me from this far away," The voice said using their long sleeves to cover the smile on their face. "I need to be careful not to set them off. However, that boy sensed me first. This could be interesting." They said while crouching on a tree branch.
A big huff came from Lucas as he placed the backpack his mom prepared on his back. He could feel her pull at it and stuff more things in it as she moved around Lucas like a blur.
"We got you a flashlight, a map, a fire starter, extra food, cooking tools, a thermal blanket, bug spray, bear mace. Wait What if you get attacked by a wolf?" Elizabeth said as she worried looked around before yanking the backpack on his back and opening it. She nearly brought Lucas to the ground with all of this stuff.
"Jesus mom," He let out feeling a little embarrassed from how she was babying him. "Be careful. I might get hurt before I even leave out."
"Are you hurt already? Do we need to stop? Maybe we should try another day?" She began to say out loud as her constant questioning and worry began to grow. She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Martha with a straight face.
Elizabeth let out a sigh as her daughter didn't have to say anything to know she was overwhelming herself. She could see it in Martha's hazel eyes. With another sigh, Elizabeth raised both hands and let Martha take over.
"Thank you, Sis." Lucas said as he felt Martha zip up his backpack.
"Do the shoes feet nicely?" Martha asked remembering her and Elizabeth picking them out together.
"Yea. Just a little heavy. Why did you get these?" He genuinely asked her. He never thought he would have to wear steel toe shoes or even any type like this.
"It will help with not getting bit by a snake when you searching for the target," Martha said examine him for a moment. She slightly smiled a little before bring him in for a hug.
"Martha..I," Lucas said as he never expected her to hug him. This almost freaked him out, but her shushing for a moment caught her off guard.
"We are worried. That is all. Mother and I are proud of you and want you to be careful that is all." She told him actually feeling him go silent to listen to her voice. She then pulled him away. "We packed 3 days worth of supplies for you and Amay."
"Wait..You are letting me and Amay do this alone for 3 days?" He said a little surprised. He then leaned forward to her. "How did you convince her to let us do it for 3 days?" He whispered to Martha. He then felt Martha tap his forehead with her index and middle finger in a way to stop him.
"Don't worry about it." She chuckled with him while her smirk stayed on her face. "Are you ready?"
Seeing his sister smile at him and her actual joking with him, made Lucas's worries fade away and made him excited to do his best. "Yes. I'm ready to show you and mom what I can do." He said smiling back at her.
A soft chuckle came from Martha as she was proud her little brother was pump for his first mission. She hated to admit it but she was nervous for him. But was confident her and Elizabeth made this an easy mission for him. She then turned her attention to their mother and gave her a nod.
Elizabeth took the signal and gave a knock on the RV door. "It's time for you to come out now," Elizabeth told her former friend.
Everyone's face turned towards the RV door opened widely. Everyone's eyes wide as they watched as Amay stepped out of the RV with her face turned slightly red. She was wearing a pink kimono that hard sakura blooms designed on them with a visible white interior. Her obi was a vibrant gold that careful hugged her waist with a white obijime with a small flower in the middle holding it together. While she was stepping out, Lucas noticed that she had pulled her fully red hair back into a bun.
As her sandals touched the ground, she looked away from everyone's gaze as she hated the attention being on her.
"How do I look?" She nervously asked them. "It's been a good while, since I worn something like this."
Lucas kept his mouth shut as his face turned very red.
"You look wonderful," Elizabeth was the first to tell her while pulling out her phone. All of this nearly brought a tear to her eyes as she was overwhelmed with all of this was happening. "Everyone let's take a picture together, before we part ways." Elizabeth said placing her phone on the RV for a moment. She pushed both her children and Amay together and pressed a button on her phone. "Say Cheese."
"Cheese," All of them said in unison as they waited for the click. After a minute or two, they soon realized that Elizabeth didn't hit the right button and took a video of then just standing there.
Again taking another proper photo, Elizabeth and Martha walked Amay and Lucas to the mouth of the forest for a final farewell. Tears of joy and worry filled Elizabeth eyes as she was both proud and unset about them having to head off.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She told them as she tried to get herself together. "I'm just overwhelmed a little," She giggled at them.
"Geez, Lizzy. I haven't seen you like this, since you had to pay back that one king for beating up his son," Amay said poking fun a her former friend.
"You know they cheated me out and he deserved it." She said as her emotions quickly shifted. She giggled a little remembering that moment. She quickly cleared her thought as she tried to stay serious.
"Okay. You both have trained up for this moment. Inside this forest is a creature that is wanted for a minor crime. Your goal is to capture him and bring him back. Either by crystal or peacefully," Elizabeth said in a serious tone. "You have 3 days to do so or Martha and I will step in. That means for 3 days you both will be on your own, so there will be no help until then. If y'all are in a terrible situation there is something in your backpack to signal us. Understand?"
"Yeah. Yeah." Amay said folding her arms.
"Yes ma'am." Lucas said feeling as if he was taking a test in school.
"Good. Be careful and I love you both." Elizabeth said stepping to Amay's side.
Lucas let out a sigh as he took the first step forward. "This is it. Do or die time." He told himself feeling a little anxious.
Amay slightly giggled at his expression as she took a step forward as well, but was stop by Elizabeth for a moment who held her arm. Both of them met eyes for a moment as Lucas had gotten a few feet ahead of her.
"Remember what I told you." Elizabeth said in a low whisper yet held a lot of power behind it. She slightly tighten her grip on Amay's hand as she gave her a stern look.
"Yeah. Yeah. Keep your precious baby safe." Amay said nearly rolling her eyes. She snatched her hand away from Elizabeth and rubbed it a little. "Wish you showed the same care for me as you do for him." She told Elizabeth before walking up to catch up with Lucas.
Elizabeth was left there with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience as she couldn't look at the walk off. She simply rubbed her own face and sighed. Her eyes then met Martha for a moment who shared a worried look towards her brother and Amay as they walked off into the forest.
"Come along, sweetie." Elizabeth said begrudgingly. "Let's eat so breakfast and I will make you some hot chocolate." She said walking back towards the RV.
"Just a few more minutes," Martha spoke up against her. She quickly looked towards Elizabeth with her worry still visible. "Please?"
Elizabeth paused for a moment and sighed. She didn't say anything but raised and open hand towards Martha as a way of giving her the okay. She just continued back towards the RV with a heavy heart.
"Please be safe both of you."