TREASURE

It was finally the day, every one of them gathered at the front of the village except Andrew. Michael woke up noticing Andrew was not at home, thought he had gone ahead of him due to excitement but he was still nowhere to be found.

"Tch, he ended up ditching the mission without saying anything. He never really changed after all", George snorts angrily. Even Michael has an obvious frown on his face but doesn't let it gets to his mind since he had been with Andrew and he hasn't once said he would do something and at the last moment gave up, so he chooses to still believe in Andrew.

"Maybe something is holding him up that's why he is late", Joshua said but how he said it is not portraying that even he believes what he has just said and was just saying it to calm George down. "Yeah, maybe he is being held up by something important that's why he hasn't arrived yet", Michael finally says in defence of Andrew, with a smile on his face.

"If we wait for half an hour more and he still hasn't come, we should get going", George says still wanting to give Andrew the benefit of doubt. But even after waiting for half an hour, there was still no sign of Andrew anywhere, even his shadow could not be seen from afar.

"He ran us down at the end", Joshua says. George just snorts and keeps silent while Michael's frown deepens, he was angry at this new development. "Let's go then", Michael couldn't help saying, he didn't want to hold down the task at hand because of Andrew whom he wasn't still sure would be coming.

"Yeah", Joshua replies. They all stood up and were about to move when a shout could be heard from afar, "Hey, sorry I held you guys up. I was busy and didn't expect it to take this long, I am so sorry", it was the voice of Andrew who was running down towards them kicking up a huge amount of dust in the distance.

"See, I said he must have been held up", Joshua says awkwardly with a disbelieving look on his face, he had thought Andrew had abandoned them. Michael just looks at Joshua and snorts before sighing in relief.

Andrew has got all of them riled up after all due to his absence and lateness. George just keeps quiet while staring at the figure running towards them in the distance. When Andrew keeps getting closer and closer to them, the expression of the three hunters turns ugly with that of Michael being the worse, at almost the same time.

They had thought of asking him what had held him up that made him this late but from what he was carrying while running towards them, they were able to discern the reason behind it and almost couldn't help to run towards Andrew and beat him to a pulp.

As Andrew keeps running towards them, there was a gourd tied around his waist and another gourd hung on his shoulders which waved as he ran down.

He got towards them breathing hard, after calming his breath down, he raised his head to the ugly expressions that the three of them were carrying.

Andrew was shocked as he took a step back and couldn't help asking in a tone that displays his fear, "I know I came super late but is that the reason you all have such faces on?". The question which Andrew asked made their faces darker, just one more word from him would make them pounce on him, after all, he had been warned many times to give up his wine-drinking habit for now due to the importance of the task at hand which would need their full attention and him being intoxicated was the last thing they wanted during the mission.

"What's that around your waist and on your shoulder?", even Michael couldn't hold it in as he asks in an annoyed tone. "Oh this", Andrew says while looking towards the gourd like it was his most prized treasure.

"I couldn't help going down to the bar to buy some good wine. These are all the expensive wines available in the bar, I would have taken more but the shop owner only has this quantity, I didn't believe him at first and searched all over thinking that he might be cheating me by hoarding the remainder all to himself but guess he was truthful as I didn't find any left. Tch, he should have stocked up on more", Andrew continued while both explaining and complaining about the shop owner.

He didn't notice that George and Michael had their hand crackling as if holding their urge to punch through his face, only Joshua had his hands on his head while shaking it as if having given up.

"I thought we said no more alcohol until after the mission is completed?", George couldn't help asking fully angry. "Of course, I don't know if this would be my last mission so I had to have my partner with me and it had to be the best of it all", Andrew said as if he was saying something obvious and anyone who doesn't get it should be dumb.

Andrew doesn't notice that Michael was holding onto the helm of George's shirt to prevent him from taking drastic measures. Joshua on noticing the tense atmosphere tries to defuse it by saying, "As long as you won't hold us back, that's fine then. We have taken too much time than we expected just outside the forest, we should start going in".

"You don't have to worry about it holding me back. It would instead make me fight at my best and optimum output", Andrew said with a proud grin on his face which would make anyone want to punch him, George almost escapes the hold of Michael and lands a punch on Andrew but he was held back tightly and Andrew seems to notice that he was moving towards him and stepped back in fear. "What do you want to do?", Andrew couldn't help to ask in a loud voice. It seems like he was trying to annoy everyone present but they were all seasoned hunters present and knew how to control their emotions so everything was quickly in check once again.

George snorts before saying, "You better don't. If not I would kill you before any beast gets to you". "Yeah, I heard you", Andrew answers picking his nose while sipping from the wine gourd which was on his shoulder obviously in full mockery of George's warning like what he was saying didn't matter to him one single bit. He was mocking George, but George just ignores him knowing it would be better if he saved his energy for the battle to come rather than wasting it on a kid who wasn't half his age.

Although he and Andrew have been on various hunting expeditions, they weren't close and usually had several skirmishes. Everyone knew that apart from Michael, Andrew didn't respect any other person in the village, the village head included. "Knock it off Andrew. George is correct, don't hold us back, a minor mistake might lead to the death of us all", Michael says in an admonishing tone. This time around, Andrew takes the warning seriously as if he was a different person as he nods his head gravely while putting on a solemn expression.

"Alright, y'all. Although we have wasted a lot of time, let's get on with the business at hand", Michael pauses to see if he had gathered their attention before continuing, "Watch each other backs closely and if anyone of us is in life-threatening danger, the freest person should try his best to come to his rescue. The mission at hand is important but our lives matter more cause only if we are alive can we enjoy the fruit of our labour".

Everybody was riled up as they nodded their heads, every and all kinds of issues needs to be put behind as they entered the forest no matter how grave the issue was.

Every one of them understood this rule as even Andrew and George although having had their skirmishes, protected each other while in the forest from any kind of harm. They all drew out their weapons with the tips touching each other, they synched their breathing before sheathing their weapons back and walking towards the forest.

The forest at this time was like the jaw of a hungry tiger, who knows if they would all be able to come out alive at the end of it all? A life-changing story is about to occur and no one knew what kind of trick fate has in play.