Golden Promise

A dangerous bounty

"Nyla." 

"Nyla." 

"NYLA!" The young jolted awake as Morana peered over her body. Her amber eyes were wide and alert, quickly taking in her surroundings. "It's 3 hours before dawn. Let's get you ready for the journey. The young minister has already beaten you in that task." A small chuckle escaped her lips. Nyla tiredly glared at her before getting up and leaving for the bathroom. A warm bath was waiting for her and she quickly slipped into, moaning in bliss as the warmth caressed her into being. This was early morning heaven. Morana quickly took to removing Nyla's butterfly locs. The princess grabbed a washing cloth and some soap and started scrubbing her body, moving as gently as possible to make sure she wasn't making Morana's job difficult. An hour and a half passed, and due to Morana's quick hands, the locs were now gone and the hair was washed. Nyla was now left with voluminous and extremely curly hair that reached just at the start of her back. 

Another half an hour passed and Nyla was fully dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a long-sleeved, beige dress that reached her angles. A brown hooded robe, paired with the most polished brown boots. Her other clothing was packed and in the wagon with the rest of the luggage. A pair of gold crescent earrings were present. The princess hugged Morana tightly, both swaying from side to side. "I'm going to miss you." Nyla emotionally muttered. Small tears making their way through to the front of her eyes. She quickly wiped it with her brown, leather-gloved hand and started into the lavender ocean. Morana then sported a grin before gently pushing Nyla towards the door. 

"You wouldn't want to keep a hot-blooded minister waiting, now would you?" The princess groaned before making it down the palace stairs and towards the exit. As she stood outside, a shiver ran through her body. The day had now warmed up yet and she was currently regretting not saying yes to the fur coat Morana had offered. Before her amber eyes, a large wagon filled with luggage and essentials stood in the middle. Around the wagon were royal guards dressed in gold and red military uniform, seated on top of white horses. 

At the very front of the line was Lyon, wearing a massive, long white fur coat. Underneath it was a white and gold royal minister uniform. Nyla's cheeks heated at how handsome he looked before shaking her head and scowling. His white-gloved hand was holding the reins of her horse. A black stallion matching his one. She quickly walked down the stairs and independently got on top of the horse, getting comfortable and sending a condescending smirk at Lyon. "Bet you need help with that." She mockingly said. A smile appeared on the white-haired male's face and he looked ahead. 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." 

                      ~~~~~~~~~

It was the middle of a cold night and the solemn town was now closing up to get a good night's sleep. However, a certain someone had certain plans in motion. A loud, violent crash was heard near one of the town's many dying farms. "f*****g hell. Just how strong is this bloody chimaera?" A deep girl's voice questioned, clearly aggravated. 

The said figure was a tall girl around 5'10, with cocoa skin. She had an amazing lean built figure, however, her standout features were her hip-length white twist and glaring, narrow golden eyes. 

Her ears were decorated in piercing but the eye-catching ones were the gold crescent moons with a line going through them. She had prominent cheekbones with semi-full lips and a button nose with gold snake cuffs on each side. She wore a pair of black leather trousers and black combat boots. A brown leather whip and three daggers were secured on each side of her belt.

She also wore a white linen shirt with a massive black fur coat covering her whole body. She steadily got back up on her feet and glared at the large, hideous creature in front of her. "Had enough of you, you pesky human." The chimaera's snakehead green-scaled stated a sinister grin plastered on its green scaled face.

That had fired the girl up even more. "How f*****g dare you underestimate me." She exclaimed cockily. Kalthona Gargiona was a 20-year-old girl who did bounty hunting for a living. The chimaera's lion shook his head in somewhat embarrassment for the girl. She then brought her tucked away whip and made a whipping motion, a sadistic grin plastered on her face. 

"Time for you to die and for me to collect that sweet bounty" She stated menacingly. The chimaera lunged forward at full speed, Kalthona got out of the way easily before throwing one of her daggers precisely at the beast. Once the dagger pierced through its body, it roared in agony. 

This caused Kalthona to laugh at the chimaera in joy before quickly running towards it and entangling the whip around its legs so she could drag it. Once that move was successful and the chimaera was down, she brought out the golden sword that was strapped on her back and swiftly cut its head off. 

Once the creature was finally dead, she placed the head in the cotton sack and closed it tightly. After she was completely done, she collapsed on the muddy ground and then noticed the whole town surrounding the barn with shocked faces.

She offered them a nervous grin before slowly getting up and bolting for the nearby hill. The townsmen were still there shocked until one of them spoke. "Well...just don't stand there, go after the runt!" An old woman viciously yelled at the young men. "That b***h has to pay for the damages." She continued with the same amount of viciousness. 

The said young men started tailing the running girl with increasing speed. Kalthona looked back perplexed at how quickly they were catching up. One of the men started screaming as they were starting to close in. She, on the other hand, started screaming trying to get further away. 

Her eyes then noticed a torch being swayed by the woods. 'Ah, there they are.' She thought to herself, relieved. She then crouched down a bit, confusing the men, before going back to running and practically speeding off at lightning speed. The men stood there dismayed. In no time, Kalthona reached the torch and there stood a short girl and a very tall boy. "Looks like you two were relaxed and convivial." She bitterly stated. 

"Oh come on Kalthona, next time we'll take on the bounty, but remember you're still on punishment." The short girl started smugly. The 5'1, slender 19-year-old girl was Hanako Yoshimura. She wore the same clothes as Kalthona except for the cloak. She had honey skin with freckles across her cheeks. Her eyes were almond-shaped and dark brown. Her hair was long black and slicked into a ponytail, a hairpiece was placed in there to tie the look together. She had full pouty rouge lips. Her face was sculpted and her jawline was sharp. A crimson sheathed katana with a black dragon was placed gently on her hips.

"Yep, your punishment still stands, Kal." "Not you too Adriel!" Kalthona exclaimed, exasperated. Adriel chuckled, his voice deep and rich. Adriel was a 20 year old, 6'3, lean built man, however, he had more muscle. He had deep tan skin and scars that covered his biceps. His face was what one would describe as "being sculpted by the gods''. He had a straight nose with a high nose bridge. 

His eye is large and a calming amber. He had long dark brown hair that fell over his shoulders. He wore the same trousers as the girls and a pair of black combat boots. However, he wore a white cotton vest underneath a black and gold patterned, long-sleeved jacket. His right wrist had two silver dagger bracelets on them. 

The punishment that Adriel and Hanako were talking about was enforced because, during their last job, Kalthona decided to use them as bait to draw out a wendigo without their knowledge. This helped complete the bounty but it sure did piss them off. After Kalthona stopped her grousing, she lifted the cotton sack that contained the chimaera's head, a silly grin present on her face. Hanako and Adiel smiled and proceeded to give Kalthona her praise and congratulations. "Shall we get going?" Hanako's questioned happily, earning nods for the other two. With that, they started their short journey to their carriage. "We have to stop by a pub before we drop off the bounty." Kalthona declared extravagantly flimsy-looking.

"No!" Adriel and Hanako yelled in horrified unison. 

"Aw, man."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The carriage came to an abrupt halt in front of a creepy-looking mansion. The trio shivered at the ominous feeling they were getting. "Are you sure that this is the place, Hanako?" Adriel questioned nervously. Kalthona had already gotten out of the carriage and walked up to the mansion, causing the other two to stop talking, look at her in disbelief, and quickly follow. 

Kalthona knocked on the door. It was a massive brown door with a rusting snake decor on the front. The surrounding area stunk and was causing them to feel somewhat nauseous. After a couple more knocks, an old, flimsy-looking man walked out. 

He was unkempt and the trio was seconds away from just ignoring the reward to get out there. He wore a ragged black robe. His ivory skin was musty and his already thinning hair looked like it hadn't been washed in months. Kalthona took a massive step back, Adriel then stepped forward with the sack that held the deceased chimaera's head. "The beast's head you wanted," Adriel stated nonchalantly. The man grinned, his teeth various shades of black and yellow. Hanako almost vomited but kept it together. 

"Ah yes." His stated voice was croaky and his breath almost poisonous. The man then scanned the group closely, his eyes then widening at the sight of Kalthona. He started moving in close and Kalthona started moving back. "You're a Gargiona." He creepily stated. Kalthona nodded, placing a hand up to stop him in his tracks. "Yeah buddy I am, and what of it?" She asked, confused. "Give me your hair, I'll increase the reward if you do." He flippantly asked, a lopsided grin present on his rotting face. Adriel and Hanako could feel the tension that was building up. 

Kalthona Gargiona came from a clan of well-known physicians, assassins and executioners. Their signature features of long white hair, that many say had healing properties, and their golden eyes were revered around the Sena. 

Every job they did included people asking her to chop her twists off and sell to them. It was getting boring and old. Some have even tried to assassinate her on the spot just for it. 

"Give us the money and f**k on-off." She calmly stated, however, her eyes showed just how pissed she was. The man's face dropped and he threw the massive bag of money at her, walked into his mansion and closed the door.

Adriel placed a hand on Kalkthona's shoulder calming her down, and Hanako encircled her arms around Kalthona's waist. "I'm fine guys, trust me." She reassured them. "Let's get drunk?" Adriel started happily, following it with a wink and smirk.

Kalthona's eyes sparkled, Hanako and Adriel almost thought they saw stars surrounding the girl. She wasn't an alcoholic, she could promise you that. However, the sweet taste of ale could make anyone addicted. 

"Yeah, let's get drunk."

----------------------

Heavy snow landed on the ground, covering up the footstep of a rather solemn individual. The sun was finally set and the moon looked down upon the dying woods, illuminating the area in such a beautiful light. The individual wore rugged clothing. His beige cotton sweater was torn at the stomach and his chestnut brown cotton pants barely reached his ankles. 

His brown boots were ageing and hardly keeping his feet warm. His eyes were doe-eyed, glaring green. Skin warm beige paled with the harsh weather. He was tall and had long voluminous blonde hair that fell over his shoulder. He had a lean, athletic build. He had a sharp jawline, a straight nose with a high nose bridge. His full lips were now chapped and turning blue. 

His stomach made noises making sure it reminded him that he hadn't eaten in days. By the time he had made it out of the forest, he noticed a small town up ahead lit up, indicating that there were people still awake. He dragged his screaming legs towards the town, almost falling over from the pain that it was giving him. He genuinely wanted to amputate them. Once he reached the entrance of the town, he received odd looks but he couldn't blame them. He looked crazy and he sure was starting to feel crazy.

Mothers ushered their children inside, giving him a disgusted side glance. Others whispered amongst each other whilst staring at him. Paying no mind to the people, he read the sign that stated the town's name. 'Milfon.' So he had made it this far. Milfon was a small rural town located in the western part of Sena. 

Loud chatter and singing reached his reddened ears. Turning his head towards the noise, he started walking in that direction. A bunch of furs coated rugged men, some bald, some with long dreaded hair stood. They didn't pay much mind to the man and moved aside to let him enter. Music was being played by the workers of the tavern and customers. People were dancing stupidly on top of the tables and chugging down their lukewarm ale. 

The smell of alcohol made its way to his nostrils and caused his stomach to howl again. He slipped through the people that were huddled around, clinking glasses and lovingly swearing at each other. He found a secluded table and made himself comfortable. Looking around and taking in the appearance of the tavern. 

It was like any old tavern. Dark, only lit up with candles and small torches. Round wooden tables placed 5 meters away from each other, and enough floor room left to dance your heart out. The alcohol section filled with the finest collection of liver failure from all over Sena and barrels quietly placed on each side of the shelf. 

Whilst he took in the tavern appearance, a waitress came over and stood in front of him. She looked to be in her mid-30s and had long blonde hair that was in dutch braids. She had tanned skin and freckles decorated her chubby cheeks. She was plus size and the dress she wore accentuated her assets. She wore a cloth headband that had a braided straw pattern.

"What can I get you, traveller?" Her voice is high pitched and chipper. She screamed happiness and it was endearing to the man. "An ale and some steak with roasted potatoes would be great." He answered back. Voice deep and rich. 

"Coming right up. For now, enjoy the s**t show that's about to happen." She winked. Before she was about to leave, she asked for his name. He happily replied with, "Leo." She then left and got started on his order. The yelling and drunken singing got worse as time went on. Leo sat there with an amused smile. He could get used to this lifestyle. 

"Ahem, lassies and fellas!" A woman drunkenly yelled. Her jug of ale being swung about. Leo took in the features of the woman. Dark skin with long white twists and golden eyes. Eyes he could get lost in. 

"I've got a little song for ya. Better listen yeah." Kalthona yelled drunkenly again. This was entertaining Leo to no end. His food and drink were quickly placed in front of him and he got to digging. He almost mimicked a savage. Not eating for almost a week could cause anyone to turn into a beast when presented with food. 

He then looked at what seemed to be her companions face palming and shaking their heads, but a gentle smile was placed on their faces. Kalthona then opened her mouth and took a massive swig of her ale. She then jumped on one of the tables, Leo staring at her with half a steak in his mouth. 

She then started her horrible, slurred singing. 

~Little Miss Maggie

Was a young little lassie

Who had every man swoon

Then young pastor Jacob 

Swept off her makeup 

Who was then struck with doom~

The fiddle started playing as the horrible song was being belted out by the whole tavern. Kalthona grabbed a random man and started doing the jig with him. Hanako and Adriel, who now were s**t faced, started doing the jig and everyone joined in. 

The waitress from earlier took a seat next to Leo and laughed at the sight of everyone. "Who is she?" Leo asked gently. "She's Kalthona Gargiona and the other two are Adriel and Hanako Yoshimura." The waitress happily replied. 

"Gargiona! " He repeated to no one in particular. "Yes, my child. She's from the family you're thinking of." The Gargiona were famous throughout eye-catching Leo then stared back at Kalthona and almost smacked himself for how stupid he was. 

Long white twist and golden eyes. Features that belonged to the Gargiona family." What's someone so prestigious doing in a place like this." He asked. "She's long left her family and doesn't relate herself to them. The three are the most sought after bounty hunters." The waitress replied matter of factly.

Leo nodded his head understanding. "The name is Mary-Anne." She quickly introduced herself, a hand out for it to shake. He shook it and smiled, showcasing a set of white, straight teeth. They stopped shaking hands and she returned to serving more alcohol to everyone. 

He then looked back to glimpse at Kalthona who was already staring at him. She offered him a grin to which he returned. 

'SLAM' 

The front door to the tavern was opened with force, allowing three men in armour to enter. Their faces are hidden under masks and weapons secured at their waist. "We're here to announce a bounty! " This grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. The trio in particular. 

"As we've stated, we've got a bounty for you guys. The price is 130 million parshows! " Kalthona was salivating like a dog at the announcement of the money. Hanako and Adiel both swung their arms around Katona and hyped each other up. 

"The reward will be given to whoever can bring the head of the princess of Sena, Nyla Miorna and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lyon Von Stein. We've been informed they are leaving the sun palace of Armaan to head Fiola. We'll provide further information to those who wish to take the task." The guard stopped, took a deep breath then continued." The reward would be given to you by the ruling governors of Enola, Misha Barcroft and Poraad Barcroft. '' Leo and the trio's skin bleached. Both for very different reasons. The princess being a target would cause an all-out war across Sena. Katlhona and the gang didn't know whether they wanted to be part of such a massive event. Killing the princess and minister equated to having 300,000 soldiers aiming an arrow at your back. 

For Leo, however, was the fact that he needed the 130 million parshows but having to present to the people he had run away from would cause him great grief. 

However....... 

"A bounty is a bounty." The four of them thought, determined.