NOVEL WEB Chapter 250: I Can't Be Bought Out!
Aisha flinched under their stares, her voice rising in panic as she took a step back.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? What's with the faces?" She said in a flustered panic, her heart racing as she glanced between them, her body tensing like a cornered cat.
Julie's voice was stunned, her hands dropping from the saddlebag as she turned to Aisha. "It's just...I didn't expect you to step up and offer to ride with Cassius. Like, at all. That's...bold, Aisha." She said in disbelief, her heart surprised by her sister's sudden initiative.
Skadi nodded, her voice echoing Julie's shock as she clasped her hands. "Yeah, I thought I needed to clean my ears out for a second! I never expected you to say that, Aisha. I figured we'd have to beg you or threaten you to carry Master!"
"I'm with them, Aisha." Cassius joined in, his voice tinged with surprise as he leaned forward." I never thought you'd offer. That's why I only mentioned Julie and Skadi, I figured you'd rather let me walk than let me ride with you. What's gotten into you?" His smile curious, his heart warming at her unexpected kindness.
"Sure, Aisha, you'd help in a dire situation, even if you grumbled about it." Julie tilted her head, her voice teasing as she crossed her arms. "But you coming out and offering to ride with Cassius, all on your own? That's new. I totally thought we'd have to beg you, maybe bribe you with something shiny to get you to agree." She said in a playful manner, delighted by Aisha's boldness.
Skadi giggled, her voice chiming in as she nodded.
"That's exactly what I was thinkin'! I figured we'd have to force you, Aisha, maybe threaten to tell everyone about that time you tripped over your own spellbook in training. Didn't expect you to just...offer like that!"
"You guys are the worst!" Aisha's face reddened, her voice sharp as she pointed at them. "I'm trying to be helpful, and you're acting like I've grown a second head! I'm not that selfish, okay?" She said in a flustered manner, her hands waving wildly, her heart racing with irritation.
"Oh, I get it now. It's all those gifts I've been giving you, isn't it?" Cassius's smile turned smug, his voice sly as he leaned toward Aisha. "The wands, the promise of that ring, they've gone straight to your heart. You're all soft for me now, ready to do whatever I need. Guess I should've bribed you sooner!"
"Wait, is that it, Aisha?" Julie jumped in, her voice playful. "If I buy you some gifts, will you stop teasing me and embarrassing me all the time? What's it gonna take, a fancy spellbook? A new cloak? Name your price!"
"Shut up, both of you!" Aisha's voice erupted, her hands throwing up in frustration. "It's nothing like that! I'm not some sellout who's gonna change my whole personality for a few gifts! I'm just trying to help the team, that's all!" She said in a indignant, her glare darting to Cassius. She then pointed at him, her voice loud. "Look, Cassius, I'm letting you ride behind me, okay? Are you good with that or not? Say it quick, 'cause this offer's not gonna last forever!"
Cassius grinned, his voice warm and teasing as he stepped closer. "Of course, Aisha. It'd be my honor to ride behind such a cute little mage like you." He said in a playful manner, his smile softening by her flustered offer.
Aisha's cheeks blazed, her voice faltering as she glanced at his hand, then grabbed it, pulling him toward her horse. "Fine, let's go! We better leave now, or both of them will keep teasing me, and I'm not dealing with that!" She said in a sharp tone, her heart racing as she dragged him along, her boldness catching up to her.
She reached the horse, trying to climb up, but her foot kept slipping on the saddle, her frustration mounting. Normally, she'd swing up easily, but now, flustered by her own daring, offering to ride with a man, grabbing his hand, she couldn't get it right.
"Need a hand, Aisha? I'll help you out." Cassius's voice came from behind, calm and teasing and before she could protest, his arms wrapped around her, lifting her effortlessly onto the saddle, his grip firm but gentle, setting her in place.
"I didn't need your help, Cassius!" Aisha yelped, her voice shrill as she glared down at him, her hands gripping the reins. "I could've done it myself! There was no need for you to...to do that!" She said in a flustered with a blend of embarrassment and giddiness swirling in her chest at how easily he'd lifted her.
"Sure, sure, you had it handled. Just thought I'd speed things up. Don't want you slipping into the mud before we even start."
Aisha huffed, her voice sharp but shaky. "Don't get used to it, Cassius. I'm only letting you ride with me 'cause we're out of options. Don't think this means I'm your personal chauffeur now!"
Cassius chuckled, his voice warm as he stepped toward the horse. "Of course, Aisha. Maybe I should learn to ride myself, save you the trouble next time." He paused, his hand on the saddle, then turned to the trio. "Hold on a second. I've got this storage ring, right? That just means you don't need to lug all those bags, so you can just hand 'em over, and I'll carry everything in here."
Hearing this, Skadi's eyes lit up, and she darted to a large sack by the horse, heaving it over to Cassius with a grin.
Cassius grabbed it, his voice surprised as he hefted its weight. "This thing's huge, Skadi. What's in here? Bricks?" He raised an eyebrow, peering at the bulging bag.
"Nope, it's snacks! All snacks, Master!" Skadi bounced on her toes, her voice goofy and bright. "I packed everything, dried apples, honey cakes, jerky, those spicy nuts from the market, oh, and some chocolate drops I swiped from the kitchen! Gotta stay fueled, right?" She listed them off, her hands gesturing wildly, clearly proud of her haul.
"You weren't kidding. It's a snack mountain in here." Cassius peeked inside, his voice amused as he saw the pile of treats and Skadi, undeterred, rummaged in the bag and pulled out a piece of raw beef wrapped in paper, holding it out with a beaming smile.
"Want a bite, Master? It's so good, I swear!" Skadi's voice was earnest, her offer genuine, her heart eager to share.
Cassius blinked, his voice awkward as he stared at the meat. "You...eat this raw?" He tilted his head, trying to hide his unease, his mind spinning at the idea.
Skadi nodded, her voice cheery. "Oh, yeah! Raw's amazing, tastes super fresh. Cookin' it's fine too, but raw's got this...zing, you know?" She shrugged, oblivious to his hesitation, her tail flicking happily.
Cassius cleared his throat, his voice polite but firm. "That's, uh, generous, Skadi, but you keep it. I don't wanna steal your snacks. You enjoy that...zing." He smiled as he felt warmed by her kindness, though his stomach churned at the thought.
Skadi shrugged, her voice unbothered as she tucked the meat back. "Alright, Master, but if you change your mind, my sack's open anytime! Just grab what you want!" She patted the bag, her grin wide, not taking his refusal to heart.
Cassius nodded, his voice quick as he activated the ring, the sack vanishing into it. "In it goes. Handy, right?" He then turned to Aisha, his smile casual. "What about you, Aisha? Wanna toss your bag in here? Lighten your load."
Aisha hesitated, her voice cautious as she crossed her arms. "Wait, if I put my stuff in there, can you...see what's inside? Like, scan it or whatever?" Her fingers tugged at her sleeve, her heart racing at the thought of her secret makeup kit being exposed.
Cassius nodded, his voice matter-of-fact. "Yeah, I can see everything, even if it's in a bag. The ring shows me what's what."
"Then no thanks." Aisha's eyes darted away, her voice quick. "I'm good carrying my own bag. No need for you to poke around my stuff." She busied herself with the reins, feeling relieved to keep her secret safe.
"Suit yourself. Stubborn as always." He then turned to Julie, his tone friendly. "What about you, Julie? Want me to take your luggage? Plenty of room in here."
Julie paused, her voice calm at first. "I was gonna say yes, but..." She glanced at Aisha, then back at Cassius, her heart skipping as she thought of her personal items that she had brought to pass her free time that she knew that she couldn't share to anyone. "There's no need. I can carry my own. We should get moving anyway."
Cassius shrugged, his voice easy. "Fair enough. Let's hit the road, then."
He swung onto the horse behind Aisha, his presence warm and close, making her stiffen in the saddle. She then spoke, her voice quiet but coy.
"You better behave yourself back there, Cassius. Keep a decent distance, got it? If you get too handsy or try anything inappropriate, I'll toss you off this horse faster than you can blink."
"Of course, Aisha. No way I'd misbehave with my precious rider." Cassius laughed, his voice smooth. "But what if it gets bumpy? What am I supposed to do then?"
Aisha paused, her voice coy but firm. "I-If it's absolutely necessary, and you need something to hold onto, you can grab my shoulders. Just my shoulders, nowhere else, understand?" She snapped the reins lightly, her heart fluttering at her own words, her fingers tight on the leather.
Julie and Skadi, already settled on their horse with Skadi in front and Julie behind, exchanged a knowing glance.
"Well, look at that, Aisha. Letting a man ride behind you, giving him permission to hold on? That's a first."
Skadi giggled, her voice bright. "Yeah, never thought I'd see the day! Aisha's all soft now, lettin' Master get close like that. Bet she's blushin' under all that tough talk!" She nudged Julie, her body rocking in the saddle.
"Shut up, you two! It's not like that!" Aisha glared at them, her voice sharp. "I'm just helping the team, that's all! Stop making it weird!" She snapped the reins harder, her horse lurching forward at full speed, her heart pounding with embarrassment as she led the way.
Julie laughed, her voice warm as she gripped Skadi's waist. "Sure, Aisha, whatever you say. Just don't ride us into a ditch because you're too flustered to see straight!"
Skadi snapped her reins, her voice cheery. "Come on, Captain, let's keep up! First journey with all four of us, Master, you, me, and Aisha! It's gonna be a wild ride!"
Her horse surged forward, her laughter mingling with the clop of hooves as the group rode into the forest, their banter fading into the dusk, the first leg of their journey unfolding under the amber sky.