Chapter 73: - The Race
The Post was crowded, far more than Lia had seen during her arrival that very morning. To those working the Post, it seemed like normal rush hour, just with a twist.
Nearly a city threatening disaster waiting beyond the walls, and everyone wanted a piece of the fame.
But the Rian and Lukali, who could only look at the scene in marvel and surprise, found it somewhat frightening.
'What's going on?'
'Is there danger?'
'Will we still have to find someplace else to stay?'
Their minds were flooded with thoughts, questions and concerns, as they shuffled through the squished bodies and crowds of people, they came to find themselves before the same table Lia had been at moments before, Carlena struggling to carry on all the orders alone.
Randolph and Lia were nowhere to be found.
"Watch the things."
Rian said as he dropped his bag full of important items, only small amounts of clothing, books, and tools. As well as his gauntlets, which he made carefully sure to keep hidden from the naked eye.
Arriving before Carlena, who was shuffling nearly a dozen papers in her hands, several people reached out their hands waiting for their notices, some more impatient than others.
Shoving a few hands aside, Rain turned to the group of large Hunters, nearly matching his large physique, and addressed them calmly.
"Please people, please. You're giving this lady a stroke here. Calm down, and order yourselves accordingly, please."
One of the Hunters took notice of Rian, and spoke up.
"Stay out of this, we're here to collect bounty!"
Again, Rian spoke calmly, his voice quiet and smooth, as he kept himself between the Hunters and Carlena.
"I understand, but please. This would go by much faster if you would all be patient. You're driving this woman mad with your demands, so let her take a breath."
"Why should we listen to you?"
Another Hunter called out from the group, attracting more eyes and ears from different parts of the building.
"Yeah, you only want to take those noises for yourself!"
"Yeah!"
One by one, the Hunters raised their fists high, yelling out in protest against Rian, who still calmly stood there motionless.
He knew he wasn't getting to them, especially as one man's paranoia became the crowd's paranoia. It was a fight he knew he couldn't talk his way out of.
"I understand your worries, but I'm not here for that reason. Please, this is a woman I know, and I can tell you all are driving her to exhaustion."
But Rian persisted, his voice calm and frail as it appeared, however his stature and stance suggested otherwise. He was ready for a fight, and he knew it would come eventually.
Time was the only question.
"And why should we believe you?!"
"Yeah, what if there is no truth in your words?!"
"Yeah!"
Again the voices rose, bodies pushing against bodies, and the crowd seemed even more rowdy than it had been before.
However, this time Rian was with them in their anger, but directed it to them.
"Quiet down all of you!"
But before he could speak, or turn to check on Carlena - before Lukali had a chance to jump into the potential fight and help them both, a voice struck their ears like a bounding boom bouncing off the walls.
"It's Randolph!"
"Randolph, what's he doing here?"
"I thought he was dealing with someone else?"
Those who had caused the commotion were silently lowering their heads, whispering amongst one another about Randolph's sudden appearance, as he made his way from the back of the crowd, and soothingly placed his hand on Carlena's shoulder, checking to see if she was alright.
After making sure this was the case, and she wasn't over exhausted, or harmed by the Hunter's rash set of thinking, he silently nodded to Rian in thanks, who nodded back in acknowledgement.
Turning to face the crowd, Randolph realized that he had attracted the attention of most of the Hunter's present in the Post, as well as those who weren't Hunters and were simply stopping by.
Clearing his throat, he addressed them with a stern voice - the voice of a leader.
"Pipe down all of you! The next person I hear yelling their heads off won't get another notice for a whole month."
He leaned closer to the group, who instinctively leaned back, their caution getting the better of them.
"And I'll make sure this person or group of people who decide to cause trouble here, will find my own hand tossing their buts out the door. Am I clear?!"
The Post was silent, not a voice was heard other than the fading remnants of his echoing voice.
Some Hunter's had their heads down, while others avoided his gaze. And those who had the gall to look him in the eye, were cautious for the words he just said.
No notice meant no money, and for a Hunter, this was all they could do to earn it.
Losing both would mean they had nothing, and so, everyone was naturally on their guards.
"I have an announcement to make, then after that you can get your notices."
"Wait-"
One of the Hunters in the front raised his hand, obviously afraid and scared, though he did do well hiding many parts of it. Instead, it looked limply like arrogance replaced fear here, as the man no doubt had no other emotion to fall back on.
But, no matter how well found this man's words may have been, Randolph shut him up with a silent and cold gaze filled with warning and threats.
As if he was saying,
'Don't even think about speaking.'
Naturally, his Hunter backed down, his eyes on the floor in embarrassment and regret.
Fear works wonders on the human mind, but so does respect. So, in the case of Randolph, it was both.
Seeing everyone calming down, slowly but surely, Randolph continued, speaking loud enough to where everyone could hear him, including those who were outside, training their ears towards the commotion.
"As I said before, I have an announcement, however, this is for someone else. This announcement will reflect the notices for now, and until it is all over. I ask everyone to give their undivided attention to Lia, an ally of mine."
With that, much to Rian and Lukali's surprised, Lia stepped out from behind him, a stack of papers in her hands.
"Good morning. I know everyone here probably wants their notices and wants to make their money, however I ask you to humor me for a moment, if you don't mind."
When she heard nothing, she unrolled a scroll tucked between her side and her arm, setting the stack of papers down on the desk for everyone to see.
"Due to the large number of Hunters requesting for notices currently, we're faced with a unique opportunity. For that matter, the Post would like to try a little competition of sorts."
"A competition? What for?"
A Hunter's voice rose from the crowd, sending whispers amongst the other Hunter's present, like a chain reaction forming before their eyes.
"Are you telling us you don't have enough notices available?"
"What about us then? When will we get ours?"
"Yeah! What about the rest of us?"
Seeing that the situation was tilting out of her favor, Lia remained calm, knowing that the scale was tilting towards fear, and so long as she kept it from tilting towards anger, she would be ok.
So, knowing this, she calmly gestured to Randolph, who was about to intervene.
"It's fine. I have this."
He was hesitant, but nodded, finding himself trusting her more and more after the course of their meeting and battles.
Turning back to the crowd, Lia was calm - stoic - as to not reveal anything to the Hunter's before her, seeing them as merely rats, all waiting to get a bite at the food waiting for them.
"I believe there is some misunderstanding here. We do have enough notices to accommodate everyone, however, we would also like to put this option forward for anyone who is willing to partake in our little experiment."
Her calm expression soothed many of those whose fear seems to be getting the better of them, as their expressions soon matched her's.
Seeing this, she thanked them for their understanding before moving back to her original topic.
"Now, what we're proposing is a competition as I've said. Though, in the case that you aren't interested, perhaps the idea of 250 gold pieces would interest you."
Instantly, dozens and dozens of Hunters paid far more attention than they originally had, even Rain and Lukali seemed shocked.
Sure Lia had received nearly a thousand from Wallace back in Neverdark, however, that was a private contract. And private contracts weren't for the faint of heart. Only those who were famous, or incredibly strong could hope in obtaining one.
Which made Lia all that more grateful Wallace was willing to work with them then, though he was at his wits end having hired nearly a dozen before her.
Either way, for a Hunter who was used to working the Posts, they would know 250 gold pieces was something to marvel at.
Even Carlena, who trusted Randolph with his own judgment, grabbed his shelf and whispered in his ear.
"Do we really have enough for this?"
"Just watch."
True it had taken Randolph a bit of time and convincing for him to agree to this plan of Lia's, however, when she took the time to explain it to him, he knew it was worth it.
He just hoped the other Hunter's wouldn't realize it too soon.
As if on cue, a Hunter from the front raised his hand, a question already coming from his mouth.
"What's this competition about then?"
Lia smiled, her beauty seemingly captivating a few of the Hunters - newbies who still believed this job got them in with the ladies.
However, as for the more experienced Hunters, their eyes were better trained then their ears, something Lia had been pushing for, and now as her chance.
"I'm glad you asked that. The competition will consist of groups, or individuals. All are welcome - and before anyone complains this is unfair, I'll say this before I begin."
Letting her words sink in, as many of the faces of Hunters changed when they realized they didn't have a party to take on this advantage.
But everyone threw away their comments and concerns from their minds with Lia's next words.
"Experience triumphs over numbers."
Lia had aimed for their pride, and it hit hard, as many began to raise their heads just a little higher, their chests puffing out a little farther.
"The competition will be, and I'll do my best to describe - 'Most kills wins.' Of course these kills will also be ranked. Rank F will be worth five points, Rank D ten, Rank C fifteen and so on. The higher the Rank, the more points. The highest, Rank A being worth twenty five points. As for the possibility of someone finding and somehow slaying a Rank S, those will be worth thirty five. The group or individual with the highest points will win the pot prize of 250 gold pieces."
Taking a moment, Lia let those words sink in, waiting and keeping a close eye on the people present as well as their expressions.
Many were considering, many were cautious, and many looked eager to go.
But Lia wasn't done yet. Now comes the difficult part.
"However, there is a rule to this. You cannot harm each other, you cannot steal or claim another group's kill as yours. These are all to be expected, however, there is another. I'll explain. To keep this competition fair, we have to impose that any and all Hunters who decide to join this competition, are prohibited from taking on any notice for the duration of the event."
To say Lia was expecting a calm and quiet reaction, would be an utter lie.
"What?!"
"How can you say that?"
"That's our job, you can't take that away!"
"Stop with this crap, and give us our notices."
The situation went from calm - leaning towards Lia's favor, to pure chaos in minutes. As Lia looked over the Hunters, some arguing with others in her favor, while some were yelling at her, she calmly closed her eyes and kept her mind clear and calm.
'You would like this, wouldn't you Cain?'
'I won't deny it. Your plan is foolproof - it has great potential. You just need to hammer in the final nail.'
'They won't like it.'
She warned, though it only seemed to spark a smile on Cain's face from wherever he was inside Lia's head.
'They won't, but who cares if the last nail draws blood. It will get hammered in anyhow, so make it quick'
Armed with this new found advice, Lia opened her eyes to a sea of arguing people, her voice like a cold arrow to the air in their lungs.
"Enough."
She didn't raise her voice, nor did she harbor any ill intent in her words. She simply kept her voice calm, and quiet.
Though it could be said the calm is what breaks the chaos, Lia had a new found meaning to that phrase, as she looked at the Hunters before her, who were quietly calming themselves down.
From behind her, Randolph nodded his head in praise. He was shocked, yes, however he was also proud that she was handling this herself.
"This is to make this event fair for all those who participate. Once again, I believe my words were misunderstood by a few Hunters present, and for that, I will explain more in detail."
Those who had voiced their opinions and anger first, lowered their heads silently, out of the eyes of the others present, but not out of the eyes of Randolph, who watched them with disappointment.
"Those who decide to sign up for the competition will be prohibited from taking on any notices. Please, do not get this mistaken for those who still want to Hunt outside the event. If that is your wish, that is fine. However, to ensure that all matters are kept fair for anyone who wants to sign up, they will be prohibited, not anyone else. I hope this is made clear, and we don't have another misunderstanding amongst us."
Her words were like jabs to the Hunters pride, but also a warning - a reminder that they had to be better than greedy men and women. They were seen as heroes to the children, and valued friends to the town.
Most of all, they were seen with respect towards one another.
How can they let greed overcome them?
It was something - a thought that was flying through their minds currently, as one.
When Lia's words had settled deep within their minds, the Hunters present coming to terms with what she said, Lia was met with silence.
Until…
"Where do I sign?"
One Hunter, a tall and burly man with a deep voice walked up to the counter, his voice calm and kind.
One by one, the other Hunters in the building raised their hands, calling out to Randolph, Carlena, and Lia, all asking to be signed up.
"Calm down, calm down."
Lia raised her hands to calm the Hunters as she began to see a repeat of what she just saved Carlena from only moments ago.
"You may sign up here with the receptionists, but please do so in an orderly fashion for the roster."
From her side, four receptionists prepared by Randolph came forward, each carrying a flier and a basket full of small pins.
Their copper wings spread wide across a shield reflecting the Post's crest, hanging above the door.
The crests would mark their participation, and the receptionists would tally up their points, and announce it later on, once the day had ended.
This, Lia made sure to remind them of, as they began lining up before the receptionist, all kindly giving out their names and being extra cautious.
As a final message to the Hunters before they left, Lia bowed thanking them.
"Thank you to all who are participating, and welcome."
The Hunters smiled and thanked her individually, each giving her praise for her speaking skills and ability to round up these rowdy Hunters.
And to them, she said the same thing.
"Thank you, and welcome to the Race of Crests."
And just like that, the race had begun.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone