Garet hoped to see the Stone Groug who stole the bracelet from the top, but not to encounter the girl who killed a bull several times larger than she was. Moreover, it was not a difficult battle, as the monster ran away from her in fear, trying to save its life.
But here he was, and now Garet was about to face this fierce maiden.
Or not?
The crackling of the burning fire spread through the cold night when a pile of dry branches fell directly onto the coals, causing a new burst of sparks.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's eat!" She said and sat down opposite Garet, skewering meat on a stick.
Garet blinked several times, wanting to get a good look at his unusual companion. Her athletic body was covered in dark leather armor, leaving many parts open for free movement, which was so necessary for her fighting style.
The sharp tips of her black hair touched her shoulders, while her blue eyes reflected her work both now and years before. Her paired blades hanging from her waist deserved special attention - they were a Blank like Garet's sword, split in two but sharing a common origin.
Her blades were black, with an edge on only one side and a wide, round hilt, like two blades of scissors, but Garet did not see any way for her to join them, although perhaps he simply did not know where to look.
From her hands, feet, and heavy boots, Garet's gaze stopped at her chest since he had nowhere else to look.
"Arh?" She growled. "What are you looking at, pervert?"
"At your chest," Garet replied carelessly, seeing no other meaning in her words than a direct question.
Her quick blush at his bluntness quickly turned to irritation.
"Tsk, you better help me cook, or are you going to starve?"
Garet didn't understand how it had come to this, but he was in no position to refuse. The girl in front of him was not only dangerous but also seemed to be much more experienced than he was. Possibly, she might know about the Bloom Forest something that he didn't, and thus help him find the Stone Groug.
'Konrad always said that you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. Well, it's worth the risk, even if she is a little strange.'
While preparing meat for the fire, Garet finally decided to ask:
"What's your name? My name is Garet, nice to meet you."
Plain, but it should work.
The girl peered at him through her eyebrows and snorted.
"Korona, are you satisfied?"
"Yeah, so..." Garet muttered, watching the fresh monster meat roast. He hoped it would taste good, he remembered Xir's warning.
"What did you mean when you said this was your spot, and what's the deal with that bull?"
His gaze fell on the already severed horn hanging from Korona's belt. It no longer glowed brightly, but it flashed from time to time, showing its uniqueness.
"This? Hah, I knew you were a complete novice. Although I shouldn't have doubted it, it's written all over your face."
Despite her mockery, Korona nodded toward the bull.
"This is the Azure Bull, not the strongest monster, only the First Order, but very rare. They live in the Bloom Forest, the Ragged Plain, and several other areas around here. I think you already understand that their main value lies in their glowing horn, which only begins to glow on a cloudless night when it comes into contact with moonlight."
Garet glanced at the monster again.
"I understand that if you cut off the horn during the day or without moonlight, it would not retain its properties, right?"
Korona grinned and tore off the top piece of meat with her teeth, the one that was well done.
"Hell, you may be a rookie, but you don't seem too stupid. Yeah, that's why I was hunting the Azure Bull at this time, and I often come to this peak because I can see if the monsters I'm looking for have appeared. You can get good money for them, as you understand."
In silence, Garet nodded and took a piece of meat, tasting the monster for the first time.
His jaw tensed as he frowned, struggling to tear apart the small piece of meat.
"Damn it! How can anyone eat this? It's even tougher than stale bread!"
"Hahaha!" Korona laughed, expecting exactly that reaction from him. "What did you expect? Be thankful that it smells normal and doesn't reek, which is often the case. What's more, I cut out the most tender and fatty part, so don't be a crybaby!"
Garet shrugged.
"I'm just giving my opinion. I'm sure I'll have to try a lot more meat on my journey. So, I need to know which one was the best and which one was the worst."
Korona narrowed her eyes.
"Garet, you're new here, but how long have you been an Awakened, and which Thornspire are you from?"
In response, Garet nodded toward the Iron Gate rising in the distance between the gorge. The great city was clearly visible even from such a distance.
"Last night. Consider me Awakened for one full day."
"Oh." Korona gasped. "And you've already gone on a mission? Usually, after awakening at the Thornspire, newcomers need several days or even weeks to recover."
Garet knew what Korona was talking about, the pain and fear that were the main urges at the Thornspire, and he also remembered not to mention how he actually became an Awakened.
"Yeah, it was pretty rough, but I decided to go straight into battle, to carry out missions." He shrugged.
Korona smiled faintly, lowering her gaze.
"Awakening at the Thornspire is..." Her lips trembled as she caught herself in time. "It's something we all go through. Definitely."
Without saying anything, Garet chewed his second piece of meat, staring at Korona.
"Khm." She coughed. "So, why did you come here? What is your mission?"
'Here it is.' Garet thought.
"Stone Groug. One of them stole a valuable artifact, so I have to find it and bring it back. I decided to look at the forest from above, but instead of the Stone Groug, I only saw a girl on a bull."
"Hey! I didn't know anyone was here! I was hunting while no one was doing anything!" Korona exclaimed and angrily tore a piece of meat off the stick.
"However."
She nodded.
"I think I can help you. If I understand the situation correctly, then most likely the Stone Groug is moving towards one of my targets. I have a lot of them, you know, I have to live on something."
Garet smiled and closed his eyes.
'Great, it looks like I'll complete my first mission and not fail. And this girl...'
He opened his eyes with a sharp gleam.
'Korona, are you hiding something? Maybe even the same thing as me, right?'