The morning mist clung to the forest floor like a drunk noble to their dignity—barely there and not fooling anyone.
Aegis adjusted her grip on Ruby & Sapphire, watching Scarlett stretch beside her. They'd left the academy before dawn, telling the gate guards they were going for "training purposes." Which was technically true. They were training to get rich.
"So remind me why we're hunting Moss Lurkers?" Scarlett asked, rolling her shoulders. "They're basically just angry bushes."
"Angry bushes that drop Verdant Cores."
"Which are worth?"
"Fifty gold each to the right alchemist."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "For something I could kill with a strong sneeze?"
"That's the point."
[The beautiful, profitable point.]
