Chapter 14 - Buffalo Hunting Gone Wrong

A small altar lies on the outskirts of Bulgar.

This ancient temple, sacred to the people of Sacae, has long been known for its powerful bond to the world of spirits.

Before starting their journey, our travelers come here tool pray for their well-being.

At this altar, Lyn's hand is directed to a grand Inheritance.

As they make their way through the verdant forest, the quartet enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and the gentle rays of sunlight that filter through the canopy. Lyn is the only one who seems alert and vigilant, scanning the surroundings for any sign of what she is looking for.

Astrid noticed that Lyn had been quiet for a long time. He could see that Lyn was constantly looking around the forest, as if searching for something. He wondered what was on her mind.

"Lyn, is there something you need?" Astrid asked with a charming smile.

Lyn turned to him and blushed slightly. She realized that she had been too absorbed in her own thoughts and had neglected to talk to her companions.

"Oh Astrid, It's nothing." Lyn said, trying to sound casual.

"I'm just enjoying the scenery."

Astrid nodded, but he was not convinced. He sensed that Lyn was hiding something from him. He decided not to press her further, but to offer her support instead.

"No worries. If you need something, don't hesitate to ask." Astrid said kindly.

"We're here to help you, you know." He flashed her another smile, hoping to lighten up the mood.

But he also couldn't resist teasing Lyn a little bit. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.

"Or maybe you're just daydreaming about someone special?" He said with a playful wink.

He saw Lyn's face turn even redder and heard her gasp softly. He chuckled and moved away, pretending to be innocent.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." He said with a shrug.

"You looked so cute and lost in your own world."

Astrid then rejoined the two knights who were following them. He could hear the serious one lecturing the roguish one about his behavior.

"Sain, could you please try to lessen your flirtatious antics?" Kent asked Sain in a stern voice.

"Why Kent? Doesn't everybody loves a good ol' charming knight? Including you?" Sain said with a cheeky grin.

"Well the animals surely doesn't." Kent reminded Sain.

Astrid now understood what they were talking about.

He remembered the incident that happened earlier that morning. They had been looking for something to eat for breakfast. Lyn had volunteered to hunt for their meal. She was an expert archer and could easily bring down a deer or a rabbit.

But as they were walking through the forest, they spotted a herd of healthy wild buffalos grazing on the grass. It was a rare sight and a tempting opportunity.

But Sain, wanting to impress his Lady decided to show off his skills. He stepped forward and declared in a loud voice.

"Milady, you shouldn't dirty your hands with such a mundane task. Leave it to me. I'll bring you the finest of buffalos for your breakfast." Sain said with confidence.

"Sain..." Kent said in a low tone, sensing trouble.

Lyn was surprised by Sain's offer. She had never seen him hunt before. She wondered if he was any good at it. She thought for a moment and decided to give him a chance. She wanted to see what he could do.

"Sure, go ahead. I'll watch you hunt." Lyn said with curiosity.

"I won't let you down, Milady!" Sain happily said.

The trio then made their way to Astrid to inform him of their hunting plan.

They stepped into the spacious tent that Astrid had somehow managed to lug around with him. It was so big that it could easily accommodate an entire platoon of soldiers, and it even had its own kitchen area with all the appliances and utensils one could ever need.

The tent was divided into three sections: a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen.

The bedroom had a large bed with soft pillows and blankets, a wardrobe with clothes and accessories, a desk with books and papers.

The living room had a fireplace with a rug and cushions, a sofa with a table and chairs, a shelf with book, and a chest with treasures and trinkets.

The kitchen had a stove with pots and pans, a sink with water and soap, a cupboard with plates and cups, and a pantry with food and spices.

The trio saw Astrid in the kitchen, busy preparing the ingredients for their breakfast meal. He was wearing an apron over his armor and a chef's hat on his head.

"Oh? You're back already? That was quick." Astrid said, surprised by their arrival.

"We haven't started hunting yet. Sain wanted to hunt today and we agreed to watch him. So we'll be gone for a while." Lyn said in a polite tone.

"Don't worry, Astrid. I'll bring you the finest of meats that even the gods will be envious of." Sain boasted, holding his lance proudly.

Astrid chuckled and shook his head. He was amused by Sain's enthusiasm and confidence. He hoped that he would succeed in his hunt and not cause any trouble.

"I see… I see… Sure, go ahead. But make sure to make it quick, because I think everyone's stomachs are empty." Astrid said, gesturing to the pot on the fire.

Just as Astrid finished his sentence, the quartet's stomachs started grumbling loudly. It was a chorus of hunger that echoed through the tent. They were starving for food.

The trio looked embarrassed and sheepish. They realized that they had been neglecting their hunger for too long. They felt their faces turn red as Astrid looked at them with amusement.

"Wow, you guys sound like a pack of hungry wolves." Astrid said with a laugh.

"Sorry, Astrid. We'll be back soon." Lyn said apologetically.

"Yeah, sorry. We'll make it up to you." Kent said sincerely.

"No need to apologize. Just be careful out there." Astrid said kindly.

He gave them a warm smile and waved them goodbye.

"Then we'll be going, Astrid." Lyn said as they left the tent.

As they were walking away, they heard Astrid shout from behind.

"And don't forget to make a clean cut! I want edible food, not a bloody mess." Astrid shouted, half-jokingly.

"Trust me!" Sain shouted back, confidently.

He spurred his horse and led the way towards the buffalos, followed by Lyn and Kent.

He was confident that he could catch one of them with his lance and bring it back to the camp. He wanted to impress Lyn with his hunting prowess and make her fall for him.

Lyn and Kent watched from behind the bushes as Sain approached the herd. They hoped that he would be careful and not scare them away.

But Sain was too eager and reckless. He charged towards the buffalos without any stealth or strategy. He shouted and waved his lance, hoping to impress Lyn with his bravery and skill.

The buffalos noticed him and panicked. They saw him as a threat and decided to fight back. They turned around and ran towards him, forming a wall of horns and hooves.

Sain realized his mistake too late. He saw the buffalos coming at him and felt a surge of fear. He tried to turn his horse around and flee, but it was too late. The buffalos were faster and stronger than him. They chased him across the field, making loud noises and kicking up dust.

"Help! Help! Someone save me!" Sain screamed as he ran for his life.

Lyn and Kent watched the scene with disbelief and amusement. They couldn't believe that Sain had gotten himself into such a mess. They also couldn't help but laugh at his comical expressions and cries.

"Should we help him?" Lyn asked Kent, feeling a bit sorry for him.

"Leave him be. He can handle himself." Kent said, shaking his head.

"He brought this upon himself. He needs to learn his lesson."

They decided to stay put and watch how Sain would get out of this situation.

He knew that Sain was a capable knight and a good friend, but he also thought that he deserved a lesson for his foolishness and arrogance. He hoped that Sain would learn from this experience and be more careful next time.

Sain kept running for a while, hoping to lose the buffalos or find a safe place to hide. He looked around and saw a narrow gap between two rocks. He thought that it might be a good spot to fight the buffalos one by one. He steered his horse towards the gap and managed to squeeze through it.

He charged towards the buffalos, waving his lance and shouting his battle cry. The buffalos, however, were not impressed. They saw him as a puny knight trying to take on a herd of giant beasts.

Sain didn't let that discourage him, though. He lunged at the nearest buffalo and managed to land a hit on its side. The buffalo let out a loud groan and charged towards him, but Sain was quick to dodge and stab it again.

The other buffalos saw what was happening and decided to join in the fight. Sain was surrounded by a wall of horns and hooves, but he wasn't afraid. He was determined to take them all down.

He fought valiantly, stabbing and dodging, but the buffalos were too many. After a few minutes of intense battle, Sain was left standing in a field full of dead buffalos, with very little edible meat.

Lyn and Kent arrived just in time to witness the aftermath of the massacre. They looked at Sain with disbelief and amusement, wondering how he managed to get himself into yet another ridiculous situation.

"Well, I guess we won't be running out of leather anytime soon." Sain said, trying to make light of the situation.

"Or edible meat." Lyn replied, trying to hold back her laughter.

Kent just shook his head and muttered something about Sain never learning his lesson.

After a few hours of hunting, the trio returned to the tent, but something was off...

Astrid was busy strategizing his next move for their journey and was deep in thought, but he quickly put on his charismatic and chivalrous persona as he greeted them with a smooth and suave voice.

"Ah, welcome back, my dear companions." He said, standing up and bowing slightly.

"I trust your hunt was fruitful and that you have brought enough meat to satisfy a god's appetite."

Lyn and Kent laughed at Astrid's flair, but Sain remained silent. He felt ashamed of his poor performance. He had not only failed to catch any game, but he had also ruined most of the meat they had managed to get.

Astrid noticed Sain's gloomy expression and his eyes widened as he saw his appearance.

"You guys took longer than expected. And...what happened to your clothes?!" Astrid exclaimed, pointing at Sain's stained and tattered outfits.

The trio looked at Sain and realized that he was covered in dirt, leaves, and blood. His clothes were ripped and torn, and there were even a few feathers sticking out of Sain's hair.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. We couldn't bring back any meat. Sain here somehow managed to slaughter all the buffalo we found, but most of the meat was spoiled or contaminated." Lyn explained.

Astrid's face fell for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and his sarcastic side came out.

"Well, that's just wonderful. I was hoping for a feast worthy of a god, but I guess I'll have to make do with gruel like a peasant." Astrid said with a smirk.

Sain looked dejected, but Astrid's humorous side soon came out, and he patted Sain on the back.

"Don't worry, Sain. I'm sure you did your best. We'll just have to make do with what we have. Maybe we can try fishing tomorrow." Astrid said, trying to lift Sain's spirits.

Astrid couldn't help but shake his head as the memory of the disastrous hunting trip flashed in his mind. He smiled as he heard his friends talking about it. He decided to join in the conversation and poke some fun at Sain.

"We should have just let Lyn hunt." Astrid said, looking at Sain with a mock glare.

"Agreed." Kent said, nodding his head.

Sain just smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, I tried, okay? It's not my fault the buffalo were so tough and stubborn." Sain said, trying to defend himself.

"Sure, sure. And I suppose it's not your fault that you scared away all the other animals with your loud and clumsy movements." Astrid said, raising his eyebrows sarcastically.

Sain rolled his eyes and sighed. He knew they were just joking, but he still felt embarrassed by his blunders.

"Alright, alright. Enough already. Can we please change the subject?" Sain said, hoping to end the mockery.

They continued their peaceful walk through the forest, enjoying the fresh air and the birdsong. Then Lyn called out to Astrid.

"Astrid, hold a moment, and allow me a short detour." Lyn said.

Astrid was surprised that Lyn had spoken up. She was busy scanning her surroundings earlier.

"Sure, where do you want to go?" Astrid asked.

"There is a sacred sword enshrined in an altar east of here." Lyn said, pointing to the direction of the altar.

"The people of Sacae go there for safety at the onset of a long journey." Lyn explained her reason.

"I see…" Astrid said, understanding her request.

"Oh! How quaint!" Sain said, sounding intrigued.

"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe." Kent said, showing his knowledge.

"It is nice to see that, here at least, the ancient customs are still observed." Kent said, sounding respectful.

"Well, then, let's go and see this sacred sword." Astrid said, feeling curious.

"Thank you, Astrid." Lyn said, smiling gratefully.

They made their way towards the temple where the sacred sword was enshrined, following the path that Lyn had indicated.

As they got closer, they saw an old woman running towards them from the opposite direction. She looked terrified and weary, and she was breathing heavily. She had gray hair, wrinkled skin, and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

"I beg your pardon, milady." The old woman said, stopping in front of Lyn. She bowed her head respectfully.

"Are you headed east? To the altar?" The old woman asked, her voice trembling with urgency.

"Yes, we are indeed." Lyn nodded, wondering why she was asking.

"You seem troubled, madam. Is something wrong?" Astrid asked, sensing her distress.

The old woman sighed in relief and clasped her hands together. She begged for their help.

"Then you must hurry and help the priest there. I saw a band of local ruffians head in there not long ago." The old woman said, sounding worried.

"They seemed intent on stealing the altar's sacred sword!" The old woman exclaimed, sounding horrified by their intentions.