Chapter 24; Beware of flying spectacles.

                                    

                                          
The rules of the scavenger hunt were strait-forward; find the items on your list, bring them back, and don't get mauled to death by the hungry Monsters that were most active this time of year.
                          
Simple, really. 
                          
They were allowed to bring Mystics for protection, since this scavenger hunt WAS rather dangerous, but Asta was sure that Alphonse would be more likely to sleep through a battle than actually fight. Still, all the boys agreed that the dangling light on the fox's head was quite useful.
                          
Despite that, they still brought Adar's dragon, Onyx, as well and the scaly creature seemed content to perch on Jin's head the whole night.
                          
 "Is there any way you can get him off?" the boy grumbled, while Asta wished he had his sketchbook with him to draw the funny sight.
                          
 "Oh, do settle down," Adar replied, deadpan.
                          
 "I would, if there wasn't some SCALY BEAST ON MY HEAD!"
                          
 "It just means he likes you."
                          
 "Well, I wish he'd stop liking me with his talons so much. My owl is gentler than this!"
                          
 Shaking his head, Asta continued to scan the trees of the forest that they were tramping through, keeping an eye out for anything that happened to be on their list.
                          
Their first item was a pine cone; simple to find if there whad been ACTUAL pine trees in the vicinity. But Blue had told them that the only pine trees on campus were in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, mostly likely surrounded by monsters.
                          
 Thus, it was definitely the LAST place they wanted to go, but Adar, who had asserted himself as leader, had insisted that winning the scavenger hunt was necessary. To which Jin had responded with, "Necessary to fuel your ego." and Adar had promptly biffed him over the ear.
                          
 So here they were, tramping blindly through the thick foliage of the Forbidden Forest, simply asking to be some Monster's dinner appetizer. To be fair, the other Guilds probably were doing the same thing, so at least it wasn't just the Iron Guild.
                          
Yet as they continued down the overgrown trail, dark trees looming on both sides of them like ominous guardians, Asta could not hear any signs of other boys in the forest besides themselves. 
                          
There was no shouting, no distant sound of a twig or branch snapping, no laughter. Just plain, grisly silence.
                          
For a moment, Asta thought about mentioning this to Adar, but he did not want to be a bother. On the OTHER hand, however, if this was some sort of trap set up by the Headmaster and the Iron Guild was slowly walking toward their demise, then perhaps it would be best if he DID say something.
                          
Well, there was no going back now.
                          
"Um, Adar?"
                          
"Asta, if you are going to tell me that we are lost, I should let you know that you're not the first to say so and it's bloody well getting on my nerves —"
                          
Asta stopped walking and the others turned to stare at him as he said quietly, "I can't hear the other Guilds."
                          
There was a pause as Adar listened. Finally, he crossed his arms and huffed. "Well, you're not WRONG..."
                          
"Maybe we're just ahead of everyone? " Jin suggested. 
                          
But Nico was already shaking her head, "To be sure, we never actually compared scavenger hunt lists with anyone. And I don't remember anyone else heading to the Forbidden Forest."
                          
"Maybe it's because they aren't as brave—"
                          
"Or stupid —" Adar butted in.
                          
"As we are." Jin finished, glaring at the prince.