The Walk out of the castle was met with snickers and gloating looks by the guards, stationed at the gates.
For Ray it was nothing of importance, though, even he had to admit, that the heads, of the many people who went against the bright lord were indeed a little intimidating. For normal people, that is.
Finally arriving back on the plateau before the castle, where the slums were situated, Ray just stretched his limbs and looked up into the sky. The castle had most things one could need, it it certainly wasn't very bright in most spots.
It was sufficient though for the life inside the castle. Also, any extra light, that could potentially escape the castle walls at night, would bring forth the dangers of the city.
Most nightmare creatures on the forgotten shore were like moths at night, being lured by the light, like a beacon in the darkness.
Regardless, his next destination was definitely Effie's hut. Ray still knew where it was situated, even if he never actually visited her. So, after having enough of the relaxing beams of the sunlight, he strolled leisurely in the direction, seemingly having no haste at all.
Ray's current destination, Effie's hut, surely stood out. The materials used were by no means special, and the structure itself could also need a lot of work, but the many, many hides and pelts of nightmare creatures that accentuated the walls showed just how special the woman actually was.
Arriving, the first thing Ray did was knock, but he heard nothing inside. After thinking for a second, he continued knocking, but louder this time.
When he nearly bashed the door in, Ray was finally able to hear something inside, a very pissed voice spoke, "Which bastard dares to disturb me this early in the morning, you better be a nightmare creature, because what awaits you will be the same fate."
Then the door opened, and both sides looked on with wide eyes, and gaping mouths, upon laying eyes on the respective person.
Effie was now seeing Ray for the first time with really clean clothing, or rather armor, and face. Even his hair was partially styled. Nothing remarkable of course.
Ray stood there in his full glorious 1,9 meters, which was still shorter than Effie, but with his dark steel like knight armor, his helmet not present. The gray-black hair was held up in a short ponytail, accentuating his face and broad shoulders even more.
Meanwhile, Ray could fully feast his eyes upon the true beauty of nature. Effie was standing in front of him, like how the gods created her.
Fully naked.
As soon as his eyes started to wander, Effie snapped out of it, gave him a canon-like punch, and slammed the door shut.
The punch was completely unexpected, and because he didn't have his helmet materialized, even his armor's effect didn't activate, meaning, Ray was sent flying.
And not just a few meters, he was catapulted nearly a dozen meters away, nearly crashing into the hut on the other side.
Ray groaned from his new position on the dirt road, one hand clutching his aching jaw. "Son of a-!" He cut himself off, spitting out dust as he glared back toward the hut. He'd been punched before, sure. Hell, he'd been hit by creatures far bigger and deadlier than the woman in question, or at least that's how it should've been. But this? This was something else entirely. His head was still ringing.
The door creaked open again, and Ray could hear the heavy sound of boots stepping forward. Slowly, he pushed himself up, still grumbling curses under his breath, only to stop when he got a proper look at Effie.
She was now fully dressed - or at least, dressed in something that looked like it belonged to another era. A full suit of archaic armor adorned her tall, imposing frame, the kind that looked like one would imagine a warrior of old times. The bronze-plated pauldrons gleamed in the daylight, and beneath them, white robes draped over her muscular body. It was completely white, though, very short, practically showing off her toned thighs, but it didn't make her look any less intimidating.
Ray's gaze flicked up to her face, expecting her usual cocky smirk or a snide remark. Instead, she looked… awkward. The woman who had just punched him halfway across the street was now standing there with a slightly stiff posture, her lips pressed into a thin line, and - if Ray wasn't mistaken - a faint pink dusting her sharp cheekbones.
Effie cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, uh… sorry about that."
Ray scoffed, still rubbing his face. "Sorry? I'm pretty sure you just realigned my entire skull structure!"
Effie's lips twitched, like she was trying not to smirk, but she still shifted uncomfortably. "Well, maybe don't show up unannounced when people are-" she gestured vaguely, "-you know. Sleeping."
"Sleeping?!" Ray gestured wildly at the sky. "Effie, it's almost noon!"
"Time is relative," she shot back, before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Listen, let's just pretend that didn't happen, alright?"
Ray raised an eyebrow. "The part where you were naked, or the part where you punched me across the damn place?"
Effie groaned. "Both."
He smirked, finally standing up and dusting himself off. "No promises."
Seeing him more or less fine, she gestured towards her hut, and entered again, leaving the door open for him to follow.
Ray was a bit nervous about entering the tiger's den but eventually followed the woman inside. The house was decorated with a bunch of different things, pelts and hides making up the biggest part of it. Aside from them, Ray could also see some normal things like chairs and a table, probably looted from the dark city.
Effie, upon his entry, sat down on her makeshift bed, which was a gigantic pile of pelts. When he didn't say anything at all, she became slightly agitated and raised an eyebrow while asking, "So, what are you doing here? Kicked out of the castle, or what?"
"Nah, the life in the castle just wasn't for me. There was always that strenuous tension, and everywhere were guards. That's no life, that is an expensive prison, basically. Just that, here on the forgotten shore, such a prison can indeed be called a paradise," Ray responded nonchalantly, while shrugging.
Effie nodded slightly in response.
"Figured, that you would soon leave the castle one way or another. Someone that actually hunts beyond the walls, instead of within, when they already met a qualified guide, must be mad," she added.
"Even then… why are you here now?" Effie took on a more serious tone as she asked, her eyes fixed on him.
Ray locked eyes with her for a moment, before he asked a question of his own, "When do you plan to go for the next hunt?"
Effie exhaled sharply through her nose, arms crossed as she regarded Ray with skepticism. "You really picked a bad time for this, or maybe a good one, depending on your expectations," she muttered, shaking her head.
"Why's that?" Ray asked, sensing there was more to it than just her usual blunt attitude.
Effie sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Because I have to go out tomorrow no matter what. My food stores are almost empty." She leaned back, tilting her head toward the ceiling. "And, unlike most people, I can't just scrape by on half rations for a few days."
Ray frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
Effie gave him a sideways glance, then shrugged. "Eh, no point hiding it. It's not like it's a big secret." She sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "My flaw? My body needs several times more than normal. Food, water, sleep, basically all kinds of bodily needs - if I don't get enough, I start shutting down fast."
Ray's eyebrows lifted slightly. That… explained a lot, actually. Her sheer size and insane stamina, the way she could eat as much as multiple grown man - because she required this amount.
"That's why I hunt alone," Effie continued, narrowing her eyes. "I need every bit of what I bring back. Splitting it with someone else? That just makes my life harder."
Ray leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Yeah, but that's assuming we don't bring back more than you would alone."
Effie scoffed. "You think you can keep up with me?"
"I think two hunters can take down bigger prey than one," Ray countered. "You know it yourself – in the few travels we had, I've proven to be useful – or at least to not be a deadweight. So tell me, how many times have you had to pass on a good kill because you couldn't handle it alone?"
That made her pause. Just for a second, but Ray caught it.
She clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed, but not at him - at the fact that he had a point.
"Fine," she finally relented, standing up. "You can come. But - I call the shots. You listen to what I say, when I say it. No running off, no acting on your own." She stepped forward, looming over him slightly. "If you screw up and cost me my haul, I will make you regret it."
Ray smirked up at her. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Effie rolled her eyes before jerking her chin toward the door. "Alright then. Get out. Be here at dawn."
Ray gave her a lazy salute before turning to leave. "Looking forward to it."