Who Says A God Can't Be A Hunter Too?

Chapter 5

                  

Priya removed a small glass vial from in her bag, the contents murky and white. She stared at the small vial for a moment before taking a deep breath, and clutching the stopper between her thumb and forefinger.

"Come on out – Jōki!" she summoned, pulling the stopper out of the vial. A thick vapor escaped the bottle and swirled around her before it took the solid shape of what seemed to be a cloud. Priya jumped, and what she named Jōki swept under her, and she landed within the white folds. No longer having to run, she let out a deep sigh as the cloud swept up the stairs with ease. 'I should be able to catch up with everyone this way--!'

She passed more and more applicants having given up, and assumed that the examiner had once again picked up the pace. 'This exam is ruthless, that's for sure,' she noted, her cloud effortlessly carrying her weight up the winding stairs. The further up they went, the louder the voices of the other applicants became, and Priya knew she was nearing the exit. "Come on Jōki, just a bit farther now," she said, cheering on her little cloud.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them."

Priya could hear Satotz' voice pretty clearly now, and gave a sigh of relief, knowing she was close. She could even see the light of the exit up ahead.

"Be very careful. If you let them fool you...you're dead."

"...Jōki!!!"

The light was dimming...the exit was being sealed! Priya panicked, and forced some of her Nen into Jōki, which infused the cloud with even more power. It zoomed ahead, Priya yelling encouragement.

'We have to make it...we have too!'

"Come on Jōki, you can do it! Go, go, goooooo!!!"

She zoomed passed a remaining applicant, crying out to wait. She paid no mind, and next thing she knew, she flew through the crowd, the other applicants giving yelps of surprise as they jumped out of the way and the metal wall shutting behind her.

Jōki instantly disappeared, the cloud having run off out energy, and independently flew back into the open vial she left in her pocket. She was dropped on her hands and knees, heavily panting as she looked up at the others who surrounded her, shock registered on each and every face.

"I-I-I made it!" she shouted victoriously.

Almost instantly, someone called out, "What the hell was that?!"

A chorus of voices rose up against her strange entrance, and she tried to block them out as she dusted herself off and stood on her feet.

"It's not like I was cheating...shut up!" she yelled, her crimson locks flaring around her as she yelled at the group. Although most piped down by the small girl's outburst, they all continued to give her suspicious glances and whispered to each other. Sighing in annoyance, Priya whipped out her cloak from her bag and put it back on, the air in the Wetlands being quite damp and chilly. While her gaze did sweep over the other applicants, she locked eyes with Hisoka, standing in a near isolated part of the platform they were on.

He was smiling at her, his arms crossed over his chest, and a playing card held in between his fingers. His eyes were alight with excitement, and with his gaze trained solely on her, he licked his lips.

Priya slightly flinched, not at all comfortable holding eye contact with him when he did something so...perverse and quickly looked away towards the examiner. Even he had his eyes trained on her but made no comment about how she caught up with the rest of them in the last few seconds.