“Go the hell away, Ode!” Alister snapped, power walking out of the mansion with Odelline’s long white braid and fierce blue eyes trailing right behind him.

“No can do, kid,” Ode said with a shrug, tucking her hands into her coat. It wasn’t particularly cold, but she was still chilly this close to the foothills. She was built for warm climates. Oh, how she missed the capital already…

“Fuck off!”

“Mmmyeah no. Fuck you too. Make me.“

Alister shot her a glare, “I could probably have you whipped or something for talking that way to me!”

“I thought you were supposed to be all adult and stuff inside. You sound pretty childish giving a threat like that.”

“Oh coming from you!! You’re as childish as they come! Don’t come around picking on me and badgering me for some response. I’m already bothered enough!”

Ode rolled her eyes, “I can back my behavior up with power. Doesn’t matter when you have the strength to tell people off. All bark and no bite.”

Alister huffed and continued walking down the driveway and out through the manor’s gate. Ode followed along, quiet until they got through to town, “Soooo… whatcha gonna try to kill?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far.”

“Greeeeat job, controlling your childish emotions and all that.”

“I told you both I’m having trouble with that! Your bedside manner is terrible.”

“Would you prefer I treat you like a snot-nosed brat?” Ode scoffed, “I’m treating you like I treat most people.”

“That… doesn’t say good things about your social life,” Alister grumbled, slowing, “But… no. I… yes. Please don’t treat me like a baby or whatever.” He hadn’t thought about it… but, yeah. Not only was Ode not treating him like a little kid, she wasn’t even treating him like a noble, really. He glanced at her, “So… are you… not gonna try to stop me?”

“I was told to keep you safe, not stop you. I think that it’ll make teaching you more fun if you unlock your system,” she shrugged and walked faster so she caught up to his side, looking down to him as they went, “So. The bigger better thing you kill, the better your bonus when it unlocks.”

He stared, “You are a terrible role model. Thank you.”

“Weird way to compliment a girl. You’re welcome. I still gotta make sure you don’t get killed, of course… but yeah. Watching you go hunting could be fun. It’s definitely more fun than sitting around waiting for your parents to say something.”

Alister took a left turn and headed to the edge of the town, where the cobblestone wall kept them safe from the outside world. He sized up the stone structure before casting a couple of spells on his feet. Feather Fall. Jump. Nothing complicated, but he still felt the groan of his core as the magic took hold. Ow. He couldn’t wait to not be sore. Alister took a few steps forward, then jumped over the wall. Ode followed suit, opting to float instead, and just got over the top when she could see Alister’s less than stellar landing.

The small boy didn’t have the greatest balance with this form still, and so he stumbled, flailed, and ate dirt when his feet hit the ground with momentum. Ode snickered as she stepped down beside him, and offered him a hand. He didn’t take it, instead angrily patting off the dirt and dust from his clothes as he shuffled to his feet.

He gave her a glare, “Why are you so aloof?”

“Well the other option is depressed as fuck,” she replied, matter of fact, “I have respect for authority… when in front of authority. What I do when they’re not looking is none of their business. I get my job done.”

His glare turned into a small grimace of mixed concern and annoyance, “That doesn’t sound healthy.”

“Says the boy who ran off after a small argument with his parents. The picture of mental health.”

Alister rolled his eyes, saying nothing, and continued on into the dense forest in front of him. Light saw itself swallowed in the canopy of the trees in short order, turning the midday sun into soft smatterings of dancing light and shadow in the underbrush. Birds and insects chirped in a noisy cacophony, mixed with the rustling of leaves as the noble boy trudged his way deeper.

Ode was kind of annoying. She hummed to herself as they walked, not to mention how she had a quip for everything snarky he had to say. In a way, though, it was good to have someone hold him accountable for his behavior. She clearly recognized that he couldn’t help it, but she didn’t really… prescribe expectations to him. She had things that she wanted him to do, or be… in most cases, that seemed to be “interesting”. Ode desired things to hold her interest.

In his past, he had seen many mages that yearned for similar. Some scholars were eternally bored. It was a dangerous sort of curse that could lead one to do irrational or rash things. He hoped she wasn’t like that.

That said… what was he doing? Wasn’t this rash? Wasn’t this incredibly stupid? If he knew all of that, why couldn’t he bear to stop himself? Patience was a virtue, damn it. But his little heart was beating out of its chest with excitement. When was the last time he felt real excitement? Not fear for his life, but excitement for adventure. Just… how childish was he? Was it a bad thing, though? What mindset was healthier? Past or present?

Alister groaned and rubbed his face. There was no use in overthinking things. This was his life now, and he was unwilling to go back empty-handed. Call it pride, curiosity, adventure, whatever it was. He was going to get this stupid system today!

Now… what was he supposed to hunt? He didn’t want to go for something as common as a deer, but what could he reasonably handle right now? If there was a bonus to be had, he couldn’t take the easy way out. Plus… he kind of wanted to take down something big, to show his parents he could handle himself!