Ashan 2nd, 718
Deeply rooted irritation pulled at the very center of her being. She was, anxious was perhaps the best word to use, and yet it wasn't the anxiety she was accustomed to. It wasn't the aching pain in the pit of her stomach that threatened constantly to pull her into the earth. It wasn't the same pulsing of her heart that quickly became impossible for her wings to match in beats, causing her to feel unsteady even on her veteran winds. No, this kind of anxiety took root in her feet, causing her to bounce around dancing back and forth slightly as her eyes dared to dart everywhere besides where they were supposed to be.
Ashan was the first season of warmth and light to follow up the bitter darkness and cold that came with Cylus. Though there was always a layer of snow and slush lining the less commonly traveled roads, it was an indicator that normal life could resume at least until Saun where the sun wouldn't stop shining for another painful 40 something trials. The thought alone could already start giving her headaches as it was her least favorite time of arc to be a scout. Moving to the topic of scouting, one of the most notable hallmarks of Ashan was that the scouts were sent out in waves. The problem with Cylus was that thanks to the dark and cold it was a death wish to travel and impossible to map. Which meant that the moment Cylus stopped being Cylus and there was light to travel by all the cartographers were sent out in waves to check that all the maps were still exactly precise. It was almost likely they expected the sea to swallow half the continent when they had their eyes closed. Then again, considering Chiren....
Scouting wasn't much of an issue for the half-breed, that wasn't what sent jitters of outright fear lacing down her spine as she continued to spare glances at the early dawn light, its beauty almost radiant against windows that for too long had shown nothing other than darkness. Horrible drowning darkness. "You expect me to do what exactly?" Her tone was incredulous as she finally made eye contact with the man standing in front of her. She'd dared not, wanting to pretend for a little longer this was just some sick joke. The look in his eyes though, it did wonders to confirm it. The insult in his own gaze, like his pride in and of itself was wounded. Perhaps it was all things considered.
"You heard me, Eld. Most of our older scouts have been employed elsewhere, moving on to more profitable jobs. Which means I need you to lead a party. Trust me, neither of us are happy with this, but what needs to be done needs to be done," he growled the scowl on his face only growing wider. The Overlord was not happy with this, but as he said what needed to be done needed to be done. That didn't stop Night from being upset though. She'd literally just earned enough trust to be let out on her own! She could finally soar and work at her own pace, and the last couple seasons had been great because of it! But noooooo, this had to just go and happen. She tried not to let her emotions show to readily on her features but it was hard not to grit her teeth and let her talons dig into the floor.
Her barely contained wrath at least seemed to amuse the Overlord for a minute as he gave a satisfied smirk. He was truly a sadist. This man, this man was the truest embodiment of everything she hated about this job. If she ever, ever got her own business, she would never act like this man. She understood why he needed to ask her to take charge, she was an experienced scout. But by all means, she wasn't good with other people! True, a lot of the other scouts had far less experience, but they had the actual ability to take control of a situation and keep it from completely spiraling out of control. Nightshade, she didn't have that ability. She wasn't suited for this, she didn't know how to lead yet. Heck, she still had issues drawing for Immortal's sake!
Honestly, the most she could do was smile and hope for the best. If she had to deal with a group like her old group, well, there was no telling how badly this would go. The old group she had basically been treated like a lackey and annoyance until she finally convinced upper management to let her work on her own. She'd pitched the idea she'd be able to work more effectively on her own given her wings. Of course, it took some time to actually trust her on that claim considering when she first came strolling in she didn't know anything in the slightest about mapping. Her first thoughts had honestly been why that crazy old man had thought this of all places had been a good pick for her. Apparently, the citizen's committee deserved more credit than she originally gave, as eventually, it turned out to be a good pick.
"Fine, where are they?" She asked with a resigned groan, the sigh heavy on her lips. The Overlord led the way all too happy now that she was suffering. Part of her couldn't help but think he was hoping that she would quit. The bitter old man was likely hoping that she would flop and admit her weaknesses. Maybe she'd admit them to herself, but she sure as hell wasn't admitting them to him! The bitter taste of resent and spite led to a vicious determination taking root in her gut. It was a sour flavor, but it wasn't necessarily a bad one. Certainly, one she could get used to if this situation became routine.
She looked at the group for a moment, silently assessing them. The woman wasn't sure what exactly to make of them all. They looked young, though not childish. Almost into their 20's but not quite. They were all chattering with one another in hushed excited tones. 3 of them were guys and the other 2 were girls. The moment one of the girls let out a squeal the half-breed realized she'd made a mistake. She'd made a mistake in waking up today, in taking The Overlord's dare, in even her career choice. As she looked at the squealing girl, there was a deep sense of regret. She glanced at the Overlord and he just quietly smirked at her as though saying have fun.
He cleared his throat drawing the attention of the scouts. Night wondered how many wanted to stay scouts and how many were in their first could seasons of cartography training. It was a requirement for all the cartographers to spend a year doing scout activities in order to know the layout of the area around Etzos. Of course, they were treated better and in personal experience, most of the cartographers became elitist asses after they stopped doing scouting activities. There were always the few who remained kind to the scouts, and most didn't mess with Nightshade anymore for obvious reasons, but it still irritated her how much scouts were treated like a second class. Heh, funny, hadn't she felt like that before for existing as a half-Avriel?
"This, ladies and gentlemen, will be your party leader, enjoy," The Overlord said. He sounded confident like he expected none of them to like Nightshade let alone respect her. Oh, if only she wasn't a law-abiding citizen! The things she'd have done. That thought was a rather unhealthy and unproductive one so she quickly squashed it down into the darkest parts of her conscious thought. Did she always use to get this irritated by the man? Likely yes, but she was far more distracted by the equal slander against her. Now it was singular concentrated pockets of slander and it was a much sharper thorn to deal with. It was nice having the respect of the guard, but Immortal's she was getting soft when it came to taking insults. Maybe this would actually be a good experience, giving her time to steel her temperament once more. She didn't want to turn into some half-Avriel now did she?
The group looked at her in silence for a couple moments, if unsure of what to think of the creature standing in front of them. That was until a long drawn out inward gasp came from one of them, the noise quickly associated with an event higher pitch squeal than before. "I know you," she said in a hushed voice as her eyes almost seemed to glitter.
"Oh Vir, please make this painless and quick," the half-breed muttered under her breath. There were times in her life when the thought had crossed her mind, but never before did she honestly wish she had a crossbow with which to shoot herself. On the bright side, at least they were likely to listen to her. This was going to be a long season.
