Karmin stiffened, just as surprised as I was. "Hang on, Terre. We don't know what's at the tower. You shouldn't go alone."

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. But you are right, we don't know what's over there, so it would be irresponsible to bring Ria with us. Not to mention, Maveric is going crazy with worry. He shouldn't wait longer than he has too."

"And I understand that, but we're so close to the tower." Karmin motioned to the mini home. "Ria could stay in the camper with a barrier around it while we go in. If you and I work together, we'd be done in no time. Maveric wouldn't even know the difference."

I looked back and forth between the two. I had a vague idea what was going on, but still lacked the most important information. I wanted to go home badly, so very badly. But a selfish desire burned in me. Terre had a System, but he wasn't going to talk to me about it. Maybe I could find more clues about it if we stuck together. If he sent me away with Karmin, I could kiss that idea goodbye. I was too busy doing System tasks. When was the next time I’d have time to observe Terre? I needed to figure out what I could now.

"What's the task?" I cut in. "What are you supposed to do?"

Terre shot a sharp look at Karmin, silently expressing his displeasure. Instead of shutting me down like I thought he would, he explained, "The reason I was out here to begin with, before Maveric side tracked me, is because I'm helping reclaim an old military communication tower. It's just on the other side of the mountain." He motioned vaguely out the window. "It's only a couple miles away."

I stiffened. Okay, he revealed a lot more than I thought he would. Hunters could scavenge from houses, hospitals, universities, and stores all they wanted. But they had to have special permission to touch military bases — and communication towers. Sometimes prestigious guilds were sent on military tasks, but not often. Usually, the military Hunters handled it themselves.

"You're trying to repair the communication tower?" I clarified. Terre paused such an important task to go looking for me? If they got that tower up and running, it would greatly help Hunters in the wilds. Cellphones might even work outside of the cities. It was such a big undertaking, I couldn’t believe that so few people were assigned it. "Are you with the military?"

I didn't think the Nobles were connected to the government, but I was far from an expert on them. All I did know was that Terre wasn't in a guild.

Terre shook his head. "No. We aren't part of the US military, but we do work together sometimes."

Karmin shrugged. "Usually when they get in over their head in the wilds."

My brows pinched together sorting through all the vague information. "So the tower..." I took a breath and locked gazes with Terre. "Take me with you."

He paused then shook his head. "No. You need to get home."

"But Karmin said it wasn't safe for you to go alone," I reasoned.

Karmin had a point. If the tower was that easy to fix, it would be done already. Meaning there was a powerful monster — or monsters — close by. Terre was the strongest Hunter I'd ever met, but that didn't mean that he could steamroll over everything that stood in his way. The fight against the wraith made that apparent. If he had someone strong to back him up like Karmin, it wouldn't be so dangerous. And Terre wasn't any old Hunter, he was the only heir to the Noble empire. Him not having a dozen bodyguards blew my mind as it was. Then again, what was the point of having bodyguards that were weaker than you? Maybe Karmin was his bodyguard? No, if she was, she would have been here the whole time. Were they dating? But they didn’t seem to have that chemistry either.

I pulled my thoughts back in order and continued to persuade Terre. "Besides, you stopped the task just to find me. You saved my life and I appreciate it. But I'm safe now, so you should finish your task as soon as possible, especially one this important. I want to help, since it's my fault you aren't done yet." He didn't look all that convinced, so I kept going. "I'm really handy. I could help with things inside the communication tower."

Karmin jumped in. "See? Ria says it's okay. Come on, let's all go together."

I glanced at her. She intended to shut me safely in the camper, but I didn't have any intention of being hidden away. But I'd bring that up when we get there.

Terre folded his arms. "I can't justify bringing Ria somewhere I don't know is safe. Maveric asked me to bring her back safe and sound."

"I let Maveric know that we had her last night when you messaged me and told him we would be home today. I didn't give him a return time, so he won't notice a couple hours delay. Besides," Karmin added slowly, "technically, we don't need your permission." She threw up her hands in a careless shrug. "Ria and I both agree you shouldn't go alone. What's stopping us from following you once we split up?" Terre glared at her as she laughed in his face. "You know I'd do it."

I stared at her, envious of Karmin's devil may care attitude. It was something I could never do, but always wanted to. Suddenly, I knew why she was so familiar. She was in the group of joking Hunters I saw with Terre the day I got my Guide.

Terre gave a long sigh and ran his hands through his blond hair. "Please don't teach Ria bad habits, Karmin."

I tilted my head to the side and impulsively threw my lot in with her, anyway. "You know, she does have a point. We could just follow after you."

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Terre turned his glare in my direction.

My spine stiffened but I didn't let myself flinch back. He wasn't even using his Hunter aura, but his stare was hard enough to handle. Instead, I took a breath and lifted my head, trying to mimic Karmin's air. "It sounds like we're all going together. Let me get changed."

Before he could object again, I turned around and dove into the bathroom. Before the door shut, I heard Terre quietly threaten Karmin. "You're going to do extra training for the next week."

"What!?" Karmin's squawk was cut off when the door locked.

Training? What kind of training? I paused, waiting to hear something else, but there was nothing.

Levi curled up on the counter while I got ready in record time. What if Terre changed his mind while I wasn't there? That would suck. I tossed Levi on my shoulder and hurried outside.

Terre and Karmin were waiting in armor and wearing riding helmets. A tall brown clucktrice stood next to Karmin, preening its wings and wearing a blue saddle and harness. When I stepped out, it blinked its beady eyes at me, and went back to preening. Out of all the colors that clucktrices came in, brown was the most common and bland choice. They were also only a C ranked monster. With Karmin’s vibrant personality, I thought she’d go with something more exotic. I guess I was wrong.

I blinked, realizing this wasn't the first time I saw this clucktrice. Karmin and Terre were part of the group that I passed on the mount path while heading to the fire martin lair.

Next to Terre was an equally recognizable mount — his gorgeous flying white tiger. Yet again, I was taken aback by its sheer size. It was twelve feet long, from its pink nose to the black tip on its tail. The flying tiger shook its head leisurely and looked at me with a challenge.

I stared at the pink nose, trying to decide if it was worth being maimed just to boop it. It was Terre’s mount, so the only person the A ranked monster accepted was Terre. In fact, flying tigers were notoriously temperamental. Thousands of Hunters have died trying to tame them. I didn't even know someone had succeeded until I moved here. Still, when was I going to have another chance to touch that cute triangle nose?

Terre saved me from making a stupid choice. "Are you all ready to go?"

I nodded with determination. "Yes."

He waved his hand and the mini home behind me disappeared, back into his Items Bag. "You'll ride with Karmin," he said and pointed to the brown giant chicken.

"Sure." I hurried over to her.

Pictures of Levi eating birds flashed through my mind like a slideshow, via the familiar bond. Huge birds with bright feathers he liked to gobble up before he shrunk, to the little ones that he chomped on just days ago, and every size between. He was fine eating fish and other reptiles, but birds were his favorite. His smooth skin slid across my neck as he shifted in hunger, his eyes fixated on the clucktrice and teeth aching. Never mind that it was seven feet tall, he wanted a bite. He was still smarting from Terre's order this morning, but that might not be a big enough deterrent.

I paused mid-step. Instantly, my mind started flipping through all the trouble I'd get into if Levi tried to sneak a bite during the ride. You know, given that my neck didn't break when the clucktrice freaked out while running forty miles per hour.

"Can I ride with Terre instead?" I asked.

Karmin looked over from adjusting the straps on her saddle. "Oh sure, I know how this works. He is quite the catch," she said as if she wasn't gorgeous herself.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "No! Absolutely not!" How do I say without sounding crazy or rude, that my snake is debating on turning her mount into a mobile snack? Then I realized I sound like I'm calling him ugly. I turned to Terre. "I mean," I sputtered. "You are handsome. Really. That's just not why..." My voice died as my face went up in flames.

Karmin cackled in delight.

Terre leaned on his right hip and waited for me to finish, a teasing light blazing in his eyes. "Thank you. You're quite the catch too."

I groaned and covered my hot face with my hands. "Stop teasing," I moaned. I was going to need thicker skin to hang out with these two, huh? I collected myself and stopped hiding behind my hands. "Let's go, okay?" Then I stalled, wondering which way to go. I never did get an answer to my question.

"You can ride with me." Terre sat on the flying tiger. The mount's back was long enough that the saddle was stationed behind the wing joints, so Terre's legs rested beneath the wings when he sat on the flying tiger. Instead of a solid structure with saddle horn and raised back, his saddle looked like a racing saddle — flat and longer than normal. He probably chose it to prevent drag, but it almost made it much easier to ride tandem, unlike Karmin's stiff western saddle.

I hurried over and paused at the flying tiger's side. The majestic creature turned its head and stared at me, as if asking if I was worthy. Was I? I didn't actually know. But I would be someday.

"This is Ghost." Terre patted the flying tiger's shoulder just above its large wings. "He'll behave."

Ghost looked away with a snort and shook his head.

"Right," I said, grabbed the back of the saddle and hopped behind Terre. A week ago, I never thought I'd get to ride this amazing mount. Gingerly, I tucked my legs behind Terre's and waited to be flicked off. What if I pulled out a feather … or five? Where do I hold on to? Now that I was up here, I was at a loss of what to do. Would Ghost get mad if I gripped it with my legs? Quickly, I took my riding helmet out and strapped it on.

At least Levi was behaving now. He scrunched up against my neck, hiding from the flying tiger's presence. Even though Ghost wasn't using his aura, as a monster, Levi was still affected by it.

Terre glanced at me over his shoulder. "Hang on."

Cautiously, I grabbed the armor around his waist.

As soon as I did, he nudged Ghost's sides. The flying tiger stood up. I gripped Terre more tightly as we swayed with the motion. Shiva didn't move like this. Her body was much more compact, with less moving skin. I really missed her right now.

Karmin whooped and jumped on her clucktrice.

Ghost lunged forward, running straight towards the edge of the plateau, the clucktrice tight on his tail.

My heart leapt into my throat as I watched the distance shrank at a freakish rate. We were going so fast, it was hard to breathe from the wind blowing in my face. I'd be blinded by dry eyes if it wasn't for my visor. I held on tighter, anticipating Ghost's wings spreading out and taking away the pressure that I used to stabilize myself. Oh god, I was about to fly!

But Ghost never spread his wings.

My eyes widened then the edge of the plateau appeared — and Ghost didn't show any indication of flying.

Ghost planted his feet on the edge and jumped into the open air.

*****