Alex had stopped Acentia from rushing head long into the forest at the boarder. "Acentia, Kasai says that the trail heads that direction." He spoke firmly more willing to believe Kas's abilities over Acentia's.
"I'm telling you, there isss sssomething right thisss way, multiple huntersss with their daemonsss and one unbound daemon." The hissing Lamia sounded frustrated, both at being stopped and having the Kitsune's senses be more trusted than hers.
"And how can you tell that one is unbound?"
"They sssmell different, he is fresssh from hell, yet to sssmell of the human world."
"You're fresh from Hell too, couldn't you just be smelling someone who just summoned their own Daemons?" He retorted.
Kas spoke up in his mind, It is true that unbound daemons smell... Different. Even daemons freshly summoned, they have more... Humanity to their scent.
"So wait, is there a daemon in the forest?"
After a moments thought Kas's reply came slowly, he was clearly thinking something through. Yes, there is a strong scent of an unbound daemon emanating from the forest.
"But you said there was the strong scent of an unbound... Daemon." The realization was a little jarring for Alex, as to his knowledge this didn't seem to have happened before, at least not from what he could remember while attending. "There is more than one daemon on campus."
So it would appear.
"Ssso I wasss right, there isss a daemon in the woodsss." Acentia preened and if Alex didn't know better he would have thought she was a bird, not a snake.
"Yeah, you were, but which one is closer?" He asked quickly. He would go after the closer one, and if it was taken care of fast enough they could head to the second one after.
"Thisss one isss!" Acentia said gesturing towards the forest with her blade.
"Kas?" Alex asked turning towards his companion.
I agree with the serpent, the one in the woods is closer. Kas seemed almost bitter, to have to concede that the Lamia was correct.
"Alright, Kas on my shoulder," As Alex spoke Kasai's size morphed, from the size of a wolf into a compact enough size to clamber up, and perch himself across Alex's shoulders, "Ace on my left, when we come up on the daemon we take opposite sides and assess the situation there." As he spoke he placed his hand on his katana's hilt, then after the last word left his mouth he began running towards where Kas had indicated the daemons scent led.

Little Feather glanced around the trees as Lion darted between them; despite his bulky size the Ewah was incredibly light on his feet. Two scent paths Cub, which one should we follow left or right? Lion grumbled between breaths. Little Feather chewed her lip indecisively for a moment, she wasn’t entirely sure what scent paths the beast was talking about, she lifted her flute and tapped his left shoulder as he ran. If she’d have spoken the chances were she would have lost her voice to the wind anyway with the speed Lion was travelling at, she inhaled sharply as he tossed in a sharp turn to the left she felt herself lurch to the side though she did a good job at keeping her seat, riding an Ewah wasn’t quite the same as riding a horse but in fairness it wasn’t all that different either.

Little Feather’s eyes scanned the blurry forest around her as they moved, her ashen hair waved wildly behind her as Lion’s movements seemed to part the air before them. Lion slowed his pace after a few minutes, his ears flickering as he caught the sound of voices close by his breathing caused his entire body to move as he padded forward at a slower pace. “What is it?” Little feather murmured leaning forward so she was lying across his back with her head between his horns. Other students I think Was Lion’s rumbling response, Little Feather pushed herself back up looking around for somewhere to place her flute, she was regretting not wearing a belt...why had she thought wearing a dress at this school was a good idea? “Go to them hunting is far more interesting with others” She grinned at the Ewah as he looked over his shoulder at her, he grumbled his disapproval but obediently moved off in their direction.

Finding nowhere to rest her flute Little Feather did the next best thing and promptly shoved the instrument down the front of her dress, reaching over to her right side she pulled her dress up to reveal more of her thigh, more to the point the dagger that she had secured to her leg in case of emergencies. Having opted to leave her tomahawk in her room in a moment of madness this was the best she had to protect herself with...should she need to, pulling her dress up she gripped the hem in her mouth, letting go of Lion now he was moving at a slower pace she reached around to untie the sheath deciding she could probably get away with wearing it around her neck now. Lion’s ears flickered as he heard the familiar voice of Cash questioning another who’s scent the Ewah didn’t recognize, he padded through the trees into the groups view forgetting to warn his rider he had done so. He lifted his head high, trotting after the group if they were still moving or standing next to them if they weren’t he deliberately puffing his chest out and announced his presence with a low grumble.

Little Feather turned her head slightly blinking in surprise as her eyes fell on the group, she released the hem of her dress, smiling nervously and lifting her hand in greeting. “Hey!” She greeted her smile sliding to that of friendly warmth, the young Lakota recognized at least 3 of the students before her the fourth she was sure she hadn’t encountered before. Ask them if we can join them then Lion grumbled at her impatiently. “I was just going to, give me a chance” Little Feather murmured in response poking the beast beneath her with the tip of the sheath in her hand. “Room for one more?” She asked hopefully feeling a little unsure as to whether the other second years would remember her or not, her strange ways were bound to be remembered...right? She unfurled the string attached to the knife sheath, pulling it over her head as she awaited an answer she ran her finger over the quill-work decorating the sheath her mother had purposefully put the symbol of a wolf on it...the pathfinder. Realizing her flute was still stuffed down the front of her dress she hastily pulled it out, her cheeks tinting pink beneath her face paint obviously feeling a little embarrassed, she really wasn’t giving out a very competent vibe...still she hoped they’d still give her a chance

The ground in the small clearing shook beneath their feet under the weight of the Hellhound as its massive paws came into contact with the earth its deep snarls & growls filling the air causing a shiver to make its way down the spines of all who heard it, crouching down defensively it snapped its large jaws long sharp canines stained with blood & bits of flesh showing as it slowly moved forward weary of those around it though it was no use; they weren’t going to survive this one, ”Back!” The daemons muzzle seemed to pull up in a twisted smirk as the deep rumble of what could only be taken as chuckling escaped through its lips the smell of death & decay filling the air around them being enough to make anyone hurl, ”Pathetic little boy… Trying to be brave for your friends; sacrificing yourself to keep them alive… No matter, I’ll be sure to bring your death quickly before I play…” Lifting its head it tilted it slightly its bright orange orbs slowly moving from the boy who stood before him, to the one resting in the tree, before finally coming to rest on the young girl who now held both the bucket in one hand & an axe in the other; for hunters they seemed a strange bunch however for lunch, they seemed perfect.

”It seems your little friends don’t want to listen to your words of warning… This will be fun…” Not even giving them a chance to respond or react the hound lunged forward its powerful legs causing the earth to quiver with every bound it took towards them its large frame towering over the two young hunters on the ground, sliding in between the two of them it turned its head looking back behind him at the boy who had stood before him with nothing but confidence, ”I think I’ll start with you..!” Barring its fangs once more it shot its head around snarling & snapping its jaws at the female that it now stood before separating her from the rest of the group, not wanting to take anything to chance it swung its long powerful tail around the sheer force causing the air to rush past as it came swooping towards the cleric boy though there was no way of knowing if he had caught him in the action as he continued to move it across slamming it hard into the trunk of the tree the third member of the group had perched himself in; there was no letting these three get away. He had to protect them at any cost… There was no knowing how many hunters there were in this place; even if he ended up dying here, he at least had to give them a fighting chance for survival…

---

”I was ok, I wasn’t going to get hurt or anything.” She nodded softly into his neck as she spoke knowing that he would have been fine on his own, “I know you would have been fine; but what would you rather? Me helping you out like this, or Dark giving you a long ass lecture later on about how reckless you were being?” She glanced around the clearing as they came to land on the ground before she let her arms slide from around him to lift up above her head stretching as she took a couple of steps away giving Cash plenty of space to move about, “Still no sign of the daemon, huh? Oh well, thanks for finding the clearing for us; I don’t think I ever got your name though.” Dropping her arms back to her side she moved over to where Ed stood ignoring the look that Ariana was giving her from a far, ”You are the one with a contract to the Erin girl, yes? I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other.” Ariana turned her head nodding in reply to his question as an exasperated sigh slipped through her lips, “You are correct; and yes, I have that feeling as well. She likes to make new friends & is quite loyal to them.” Turning her head she looked back at Cash as he began to speak out to the forest calling for whoever it was who had been following them to join the group.

“We have another member in our little hunting party-…” Her words were cut off as she heard the ruffling of leaves close to where the group stood causing her head to turn sharply her hands moving instantly to her thighs; one resting on the black typhoon dagger she had pressed against her left leg, while the other came to rest on the holster carrying Trinity, her handgun, on her right leg, ”Hey! …I was just going to, give me a chance… Room for one more?” Closing her dark brown eyes she let out a relieved sigh before she relaxed her stance taking a few steps closer to the group that was growing by the minute, “Of course, what fun is a hunt if you can’t go with friends?” Her words were drowned out as a loud rumbling howl filled the air causing her to once more become defensive her guard automatically thrown up as she let her dark brown orbs scan the area around them, “Be on guard! That was really close; whatever it is could attack at any-…” Her words slowly trailed off her cheeks turning a bright red out of embarrassment as two young pups came stumbling out of the bushes into the clearing, each growling at the other as they moved about playing. “They are so cute..!” Aria frowned her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she watched her hunter move forward towards the young pups, “Erin; that’s not a good idea. They are wild and could be dangerous…”

Rolling her eyes Erin ignored her familiar’s warnings as she crouched down picking them both up before she moved back towards the group coming to a stop beside Cash and Feather, “I’m going to keep you; Milah won’t like it, but I don’t care.” Ariana’s eyes flashed dangerously as she snapped at her hunter watching as she lent in nuzzling & cuddling up to the small black one while the grey one reached over pawing at Feather’s arm, Ariana’s anger obvious in her words and tone of voice, “You moron, those are daemons & they reek of death! Think about it… If this is where the children are; mother will not be too far behind!” The sound of a tree trunk snapping before slamming against the ground sounded out behind them as she spoke a large demonic hound making her way into the clearing her teeth barred in a warning, ”Hunters… Watch closely my children, mama is going to teach you how to kill your prey…” Turning around Erin shoved the two pups into Cash’s arms, “Take the others, stay back & stay safe; at least until we figure out how to take this thing down… And don’t lose my puppies!” She pulled her blade & her handgun from their holsters her wrists crossing as she slid her right foot back placing herself between the Hellhound & her friends, “Time for some fun; let’s hunt.”

Ed Looked over the new group member. Man, this group is getting bigger by the minute. He counted five people now.
Ed, The knight, with his Wooden Daemon.
Erin, the Headmasters daughter, and the harpy Daemon
Cash and the Phoenix
This new Boy and the native girl he knew nothing about, but despite the teams size, he had a feeling they would be just as efficient as any 3-man team.
Her words were drowned out as a loud rumbling howl filled the air causing her to once more become defensive her guard automatically thrown up as she let her dark brown orbs scan the area around them Ed jumped to attention, quickly pulling his sword from its sheath, pulling his foot back to point the sword at the sound. He quickly relaxed once he saw what it actually was. Ed still felt a bit uneasy. He had never liked dogs. He remembered when his dad was attacked by one. He still has a few scars left.

“Erin; that’s not a good idea. They are wild and could be dangerous…” Ed frowned. "They are pretty damn cute, but why would a punch of pups be in the forest?" Ed scratched one behind the ear. "You know, i was always more of a cat person, but these guys are really cute." Chariot walked up behind ed to see the pups. "These are not simple animals." Ed turned his head back to give him a quizzical look. “You moron, those are daemons & they reek of death! Think about it… If this is where the children are; mother will not be too far behind!” "Exactly!" Chariot said loudly. The snapping of the tree sent chariot jumping to eds side, Ed quickly flipped around, leaving the puppies behind him. Ed swung out his sword, a glimmering silver, it was a slim but decently lengthen sword, something clearly meant more for stabbing then slicing.

Ed took steps up to Erins side. "If you think." He said defiantly, "That i am letting you fight this thing alone, i'm going to have to teach you the meaning of 'teamwork'" Ed took a battle stance, chariot striking a menacing pose beside him, small winds gathering at the horses feet. Ed lifts up his sword, pointing it angrily at the Daemon dog now before them. "Bring it on, mutt. you got more then one threat to worry about." He turns to give Erin a smile. "Good hunting."

Time seemed to slow as the hellhound charged between her and the priest, and Heidi felt her body lock up entirely. Her mind told her she was dreaming and none of this could be real, and another part of it screamed at her to run. No matter what she tried to do, however, her frozen body refused to comply. She felt an overall sense of utter hopelessness and helplessness as she stared at the creature, all confidence and excitement seeming to begin to drain from her the longer she looked at it. When it finally turned it's hellish red gaze towards her, she felt time almost stop around her. Any thoughts of fighting instantaneously vanished were overwhelmed and smothered by the overpowering size and stench of the thing. The rancid odor of burning corpses and blood flooded her nostrils and threatened to bring up what little breakfast she had managed to eat that morning. Her mind told her to run, to run as fast as she possibly could, but her feet were rooted into place.

She stared down the beast, her mind grasping at any hope for survival. She thought back to when she had hunted wolves over the Finnish-Russian border near Murmansk, and how she had brought down a huge black alpha with her hunting rifle. But she didn't have a rifle with her now, and she wasn't nestled safely on a cliff a hundred yards away. And this wasn't just any old wolf. She was staring down a hound from the depths of hell, and it was napping and snarling in her face. Its breath was hot on her face, and it stank of... herbal bath oils?

The bucket! Heidi had a chance yet. She adjusted her grip on her bucket and suddenly threw it out in front of her, sending a hissing spray of boiling water and hot steam straight at the beast's face. She knew nothing of hellhounds, if they were resistant to heat or if water weakened them, but she knew at least the thick, sweet aroma of the oils would confuse the beast's nose. After it was free, she took her axe into her dominant right and after bringing it far back in a powerful backswing, sent it hurtling towards the beast's left shoulder.

The group of hunters Benjamin was following entered a small clearing in the forest. The woods were quiet except for the chatter of the hunters and their daemons. Velvelia moved forward silently and stood at the edge of the clearing with Benjamin on her back. hidden in the shadows, there was no way anyone would notice them. I think we should introduce ourselves to the group. It might be good to get to know older students. Having connections is always good. Benjamin thought about Velvelia's words. She was probably right, and anyway, he would get more hunting experience hunting with them, than from just following them. Alright. Let's go meet our fellow hunters.

Velvelia strode slowly towards the group. The first to notice them was the boy who seemed to be contracted with the phoenix daemon and the dark fairy priestess.
"If you want to join us on this hunt, you have to be careful, this is your first year, day, and hunt, so whatever we tell you, you have to promise to listen to us, and not get hurt. By the way I'm Cash, this is Erin, that's Ed, and these are, our daemons, mine Darkness, and Hell, Erin's Aria, and Ed's Chariot. So who are you?"

Benjamin looked around at everyone. They all seemed to be nice people. "Haha! It is the daemons that should be careful of me! Anyway, I'm Benjamin, and this here is Velvelia." Benjamin patted Velvelia on the back. Suddenly, there was a noise of rustling leaves, and a small girl appeared from behind the bushes. “Room for one more?” she asked.

A howl broke out from beyond the clearing. Benjamin took his crossbow off his back, and loaded a poison-tipped arrow. Finally, his first hunt. But the excitement he was feeling was quickly replaced with disappointment as two puppies came rolling out of the bushes. Benjamin's shoulders fell, But Velvelia stayed tense. Keep your guard up Ben! These are not normal dogs. They are daemon spawn!
Benjamin always had a soft spot for canines, and he couldn't help falling in love with them. They can't harm anyone! Look at them! Benjamin thought to Velvelia. Velvelia growled. Do not be so sure of that. Daemons come in all shapes and sizes.
All of a sudden, a large crack, like a tree snapping, erupted from the woods ahead of them. A huge dog-looking Daemon stepped into the clearing. Benjamin couldn't help but feel scared. The huge teeth, claws, and tail, the stench that came from it, and its terrifying voice that said "Hunters… Watch closely my children, mama is going to teach you how to kill your prey…". Benjamin stared in shock for a few seconds, until Velvelia snapped at him Reinforce yourself! Your first battle is about to begin. You wouldn't want to miss it.

Benjamin shook himself and lifted his crossbow once more. He will kill this daemon. He will be brave. For his grandfather.

Velvelia flapped her large wings, rising to the air. Benjamin aimed his crossbow at the hounds neck, took a deep breath, and fired.

Little Feather couldn't hide her relief as Erin didn't attack her, her smile grew as she accepted her into the group though it fell from her face as a howl drowned out the other girls words. Little Feather shifted her position so she was crouched on Lions back one knee lower then the other, her hand seeking out the hilt of her dagger. Oh I really wish I'd brought my tomahawk... she thought to herself, feeling Lion tense beneath her as he spread his paws and lowered his head looking in the direction of the noise. He deflated completely as two of the cutest little cubs rolled out of the bush. "Oh my...they're adorable!" The young Lakota almost squeaked remaining crouched on Lion, she leant forward as Erin picked the pair up barely able to contain herself despite Lion's agreement with Aria he wrinkled his nose at the pups as Erin scooped them up and walked towards Cash and Feather.

Little Feather giggled lightly as the little grey pup pawed her, she reached over to scratch it behind the ear with one hand allowing it to nibble on her other hand. "Aww, please let me come visit them some time" She grinned at Erin, leaning forward and nudging the little grey wolfs nose with her own as it leant out to paw her and gnaw on her finger. She glanced over at Erin's daemon Aria as she protested her hunters announcement, she couldn't see how something so small and impressionable could be dangerous yet...besides they could be orphans....right?Listen to her Cub... Lion rumbled his disapproval instantly tensing as he heard the tree trunk snap he lowered his head pulling his lip back in a snarl as Little Feather withdrew from Erin and the pups, watching the hell hound pad its way into the clearing. "I think we found mum..." She murmured to the others just before the demonic hound spoke.

Little Feather raised an eyebrow at Erin as she shoved the two pups at Cash telling him and effectively them to stay back, it was very typical of the other girl. It brought a faint smile to her lips as Erin put herself between the threat and them, it was admirable but...she positioned herself into a better crouch before pushing off of Lion's back she flipped over in the air landing on Erin's other side with a slight bend in her knee. She stood up to her full height, pulling her knife from its sheath before she tucked it into the front of her dress. "Agreed...you're not doing this alone" Little Feather told Erin after agreeing with the knightly fellow. "If you can be a moving target so can I" She stated, she had that stubborn look about her. "Just give me the heads up if you get a plan" She flashed Erin and Sir Knight a quick grin, holding her knife hilt with the blade pressed back against her lower arm as she turned her attention to the hell hound, positioning her left foot slightly back from her right leaning back slightly, she was already studying the beast before them having already determined a vague idea of places to dodge to should she need too. Lion blew small plumes of flame out of his nostrils clearly fuming with his hunter for leaving his side, his hackles stood on end and he snarled at the beast stood in front of them, lowering his head as he stood a little behind Little Feather.

From his perch in the tree, Kinny got a better view of their attacker, What an intimidating beast... "Pathetic little boy… Trying to be brave for your friends; sacrificing yourself to keep them alive… No matter, I’ll be sure to bring your death quickly before I play..." ...and an attitude to match. he thought to himself. It directed its glowing orange gaze towards him peeking out from the tree. Any chance at taking a shot at it from a stealthy location had just changed, were they really the hunters now? Or the hunted? Still, there was something strange about the creature, from the way it talked, it seemed as if it possessed a good bit of intelligence, so why was it recklessly attacking a group of hunters with uncertainty towards their numbers? Could this not be a suicide attack? Perhaps there are more of them?

"It seems your little friends don’t want to listen to your words of warning… This will be fun…" after speaking and before Kinny could continue analyzing its strange behavior, It attacked. As its tail slammed into the tree, Kinny could feel the force of the impact shake the tree down to its roots. With his center of gravity thrown off balance, Kinny felt the threat of falling and reacted quickly, leaping backwards as he nearly fell, grabbing onto a branch on another tree. Pulling himself up, and standing on the branch hands free, he re-nocked his arrow. Swiftly, he drew back the string and let the arrow fly aimed for the hound's neck. Kinny doubted that would kill the beast but his special anti-Daemon coating mixed from an assortment of materials. It would definitely hurt. Before seeing whether he hit his mark or not. Kinny let out a soft whistle, signaling Go to attack. Reappearing from thin air behind the beast, Go spun his staff above his head before swinging it down, aimed at the creature's leg, as quickly as he appeared he vanished into invisibility and jumped away towards the brush.

The smug air that the daemon exuded almost made Cyril wretch, the beast narrating like it were a villain ported into life directly from James Bond. Cyril had began to grow an inkling of a suspicion that there was something this daemon was attempting to do. If it were trying to distract them, then it was doing a wonderful job. But if so, why? The secondary group of hunters would be on them by now and Cyril was sure Erin was among them. They were more than capable, so he could only wonder. What was this hound's endgame? Time to think was running short though, as it was moving in on the first year, a lust for blood so thick that Cyril could practically taste copper. His eyes snapped over toward his daemons giving them a sharp nod as he did so, the two of them acknowledging his call to action. Cyril's feet moved softly along the ground, his knees bent ever so slightly, ready to jump, his eyes fixated solely on the beast before him, everything else becoming an irrelevant blur.

The moment the beast's maw ripped open, snapping at the first year, Cyril moved, leaping toward the back of the beast as it's tail shot toward him. The rushing wind made contact with his right ankle, practically tearing off his shoe as he sailed over it, falling onto the back of the beast. If he had been unfortunate enough to have been hit directly, his ankle would've been shattered, along with a decent amount of bone in his foot. Luck had always been half of the hunt though. Cyirl clung to the beast's fur, pulling himself more onto the back of the beast when a sudden burst of scalding water and steam splashed the face of the wolf, as well as his left arm. It burned like a sonuvabitch, but Cyril could manage for the time being. The rosaries tied around his hands should've grabbed some of the hound's attention, the holy symbols particularly good at searing the flesh of daemons.

Set had began to move toward the first year, the burning orbs within its pale skull glowing with rage. As the daemon reached the first year, it spun on its heels, facing the hound, letting lose a horrific screech that sounded like metal scraping against metal, the scream meant to drag forth the memories of hell, when the daemon it screamed at was first twisted from its human form into its current shape. It was for more powerful daemons a device meant to weaken their concentration, though for weak daemons, daemons of the D and E class, the scream could easily put them into a near catatonic state. Cyril took the moment that Set let lose one of his few powers to bring his hand down onto the scalding water that soaked the fur of the beast. Cyril could hear the sound of an arrow cutting through the air at the beast as he dug his fingers into the beast's fur, gripping tightly to it with his legs, repeating as quickly as his lips would allow him, "That this water may be unto the healing of souls and bodies, and unto the banishing of every hostile power, let us pray to the Lord." His prayers would bring purify and bless the water that coated the hound. If this didn't drop the Hound, Cyril dreaded fighting the enraged beast.

Alexander and Acentia rushed through the forest, Acentia being guided by her senses, was gracefully dodging trees in smooth motions, never faltering from her break neck pace. Alex on the other hand was relying on Kas's guidance and every so often would have to scramble, jumping to the side to narrowly avoid colliding with a tree, and it was this that led to Acentia arriving in the clearing moments before Alex, right as a hunter, the competitive one with the Scholars, leaping onto the back of an enormous hell hound. She had never particularly liked Scholars, in her opinion they were a bit creepy, even for daemons, and when the smaller one started shrieking she suddenly remembered why exactly she didn't like them. At least they were on the same side for now.

Alex entered the clearing just in time to see as an arrow went flying. He called out the Acentia, "Take the hound's left side, Kas and I will take the right. When you're ready Kas light me up." As he spoke he drew the katana and wakazashi, getting into a ready stance as Kas blew small globes of flame onto each of them, causing them to erupt with ethereal holy fire. To a human the flames seemed warm and inviting, but Alex knew from experience a daemon burnt with it took days to recover.

Once his blades were lit Alex took another moment to survey the situation, archer in the trees, check. First year with a bucket(why on earth a bucket of all things?), check. Set standing beside the first year, check. Cyril clinging to the daemons back, check. "Hey Cyril," Alex called out, "Looks like we made it just in time to join the part!" Truth be told it looked liked this chunk of the hunt was pretty much a wrap, the beast was drenched in water, and Cyril was a darn good hunter, and that much water, once it was turned into holy water, was sure to send the beast straight back to Hell. That is to say, unless it was much stronger than anticipated.

The deep rumbling growl turned to one of more annoyance than amusement as the water splashed down upon the hound the strong herbal aromas filling the air causing the daemon to sneer in disgust, ”You dare throw that foul stuff upon me child..!” A anger filled howl escaped through its muzzle as pain began to shoot through its body emanating from its left shoulder and the back of his neck, the soft sound of sizzling and the smell of burning fur adding to the already feral scent that was filling the small clearing in which they had found themselves in as the water which was once normal began to burn and sear the skin that covered the beast. A sharp pain shot through its left hind leg causing it to buckle under the pressure it’s foot slipping backwards over the ground as it shot its head around its bright orange orbs bearing down into the young hunter that was clinging to its back causing it so much pain, ”You fools..!” Its deep voice was cut off as the shrill sound of a horrific screech began to echo around the area forcing its way through its ears and into its very being flashes of its time within the depths of hell making their way through its mind and before its eyes.

The sound of a whip cracking reverberated off the cavern walls adding to the already horrific screams that could be heard within the depths of hell itself “Get a move on..! Don’t make me come back there you worthless excuse for a human..!” The sound of his scream joined that of the others as they filled the area they were hold up in each moment bringing them closer and closer to the gates of hell where Cerberus stood surrounded by daemons feasting on the souls of humans that tried to get out far before their time, the smell of burning flesh filled the air causing stomachs to churn violently threatening to let itself go, "I said move it..!" A sharp pain spread through his body as the skin on his back split open trickles of blood slowly dripping down him before dropping to the hot molten ground with a soft sizzle the smell of copper adding to the already foul mix, stumbling slightly his legs buckled giving way underneath him as he went crashing towards the ground the rocks and dirt scraping across his skin sending more pain shooting through him, "Eloise... N-No..." His eyes shot open his breathing heavy as he tried to shove the memories he had worked so hard to repress back into the depths of his mind where they would never be seen or thought of again, "No..! Pushing away from the ground the hound reared itself on its back legs stepping slightly as though it were trying to get away from something that none could see, continuing on its path it fell back its back crashing down upon the ground causing a deep rumble to sound out through the clearing as the earth beneath them began to shake.

---

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she calmed her breathing her finger pressed gently on the side of her gun gently itching back and forth from the trigger she was so good at using her other hand firmly gripping the hilt of her dagger, her lips parted slightly as she drew in a deep breath letting it out slowly as she focussed on her aim the sound of familiar voices tearing her attention away for a few moments before she once more tried to refocus herself, "If you think... That I am letting you fight this thing alone, I'm going to have to teach you the meaning of 'teamwork'..." Erin gritted her teeth slightly her trigger finger getting itchier by the minute, [i]"Agreed...you're not doing this alone. If you can be a moving target so can I... Just give me the heads up if you get a plan." Her jaw was still tense as her eye twitched slightly clear that signs that she was getting annoyed though the young hunter kept her calm her aim still holding steady as she waited for the right moment to fire off, "Your not going to fight that beast by yourself, let's go!" Narrowing her eyes she turned her head glaring at the three who stood around her and the one who hovered about in the air the look in her eyes showing that she was really getting annoyed, "Don't you guys listen? I said: stay back and stay safe, at least until we figure out how to take this thing down. That is the damn plan!"

Her finger slid into place resting gently on the trigger the tone in her voice oozing with her annoyance though she tried to keep it back, "What's the use of fighting this damn thing if you all make a stand with me and get killed! Get the hell back, let me take the blows, and you all take it down. I won't let any of you get hurt on your first day; I can afford it, you all can't." Her expression softened slightly as she gave them a small smile and a nod letting them know that she had thought this through and was willing to take the hits while they took it down together, "Please guys, I know what I'm doing. I'll be a target for the thing and distract it, you guys hit it from all sides and bring it down." Her smile twisted slightly an ammused smirk crossing over her lips as her gaze turned back to the beast that was looming over them getting closer with each step while snapping its large jaws at the group, "Good hunting." She turned her head chuckling softly as she took a few steps forward, "Happy hunting indeed..." Pushing away from them she ran forward her finger pressing down on the trigger allowing a few loud gunshots to be heard throughout the eechoing through the clearing causing birds to fly up into the air scattering in fright.

The hellhound seemed to react very severely to Set's scream, reacting wildly, fighting invisible figures, calling out names of the dead. Cyril held on to the beast's mane tightly, his legs clamping down on either side of the beast, his head pressed against the hound's spine. Trying to dismount now would guarantee his being trampled, so now the best he could hope for was that the hound would drop back down onto its paws. The hound roared out "No!", sending a spike of pain through his head, rousing a rather sharp headache along the crown of his skull. Cyril closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as the beast reared up onto its back legs. The wind ripped from his lungs as the beast fell backwards, Cyril's eyes opening wide as he tried to lunge off of the beast, not wanting to be crushed by it.

The ground reached up to embrace him, a dull pan surging through his body. The sudden sound of a branch snapping by Cyril's head, drew his attention, a strange feeling of numbness coursing through his body. His head turned to catch sight of the hellhound's back, the beast in a hellish state, quite possibly on its last legs. "Thane," Cyril nearly screamed, "Bind it now!" His voice cracked as he screamed, his head roaring with pain. Cyril's eyes scoured the surrounding as he tried to stand, a twang like burning fire rippling through him as he found the source of the earlier sound of a snapping branch. His arm had been pinned beneath the beast. "Christ," he growled, punching the beast with his free hand, infuriated with his mistake.

Thane glided forward toward the beast, holding his tome with a single hand while his other reached out toward the beast, the ethereal hand pressing down onto the stomach of the beast, slowly melding into the skin. Ancient runes of languages long dead began to form on the belly of the beast, a white glow emanating from the runes as Thane began to softly whisper words unintelligible to even Cyril and Set. The binding would only work if the hound remained in the throes of death, which it very well seemed to. Once the binding was complete, the beast's body would turn to ash as Thane rends its soul and binds it to Thane's ancient tome.

---

She growled as the young woman made her approach, wielding a gun and a dagger. The young woman was no threat to the hellhound mother, though she was the one to taint her pups with the filthy scent of a hunter. She was clearly the most experience, the lingering scent of death most prevalent on her, the other hunters being almost nonexistent to her sharp senses. As the hunters began to rally behind the girl hunter, the hellhound's chest shook, a soft laugh emanating from her gaping maw, the laughter growing from a soft chuckle to a roaring cackle as the female hunter seemed to be frustrated by the other hunters stepping forth to join her. She began to move closer to the humans as they gathered around her, snapping her jaws tightly together, the gnashing of her teeth carrying through the forest.

The lead huntress said something that seemed to mimic another human's comment, aiming her gun at the hellhound mother before taking a few shots. The hound roared, jumping to the side, breaking into its charge, feeling a warm feeling flood through her tail and back left thigh, reminding her of a dulled hellfire from the depths of hell. "Let them fight, girl!" The hound screamed, closing the distance swiftly, he flaming orbs locked onto the lead huntress, "Let them die with you!" A crossbow bolt sunk into the ground past her head, the hound taking note of a human in the skies, one that reeked of human, typical of a fresh hunter. That one she would savor after the others, enjoying its soft meat like humans enjoy veal. The hound leaped forward now, practically on top of its hunters, her massive paws outstretched toward the humans, curved obsidian claws like sickles reaching out to them. She will stain the forest red before the humans touch her pups again.

Heidi felt her hair stand up on end and her stomach churn as her axe met its mark, its sharp head biting into flesh and what felt like bone. She felt terribly for the poor thing, daemon or no daemon. She felt herself staring into its eyes as she yanked the ax back out, trying to find something -- anything -- behind those soulless eyes. And then, quite suddenly, she did. A piercing scream tore through the air, and it seemed to tear away and ultimately dissolve whatever terribleness and ferocity the beast had put up to protect itself, and suddenly those eyes were sad and all too human. Heidi felt herself staring long and hard into those eyes for a split second, feeling her own soul seem to ache along with it. It was almost as if something inside of her was pushing out, threatening to explode. And then she realized it wasn't her soul, it was her head. Her head hurt like hell, and the world spun around her.

Flashes of something sparked and fizzled before her eyes, coming into and out of existence in small snatches. A young man, trapped in an endless void, letting out an agonized wail as the fog of broiling hot steam around him boiled the flesh right off his bones. A moment passed and she too felt the steam on her skin, warm and pleasant at first but then growing hotter and hotter until it was searing her shoulder. Heidi let out a gasp and dropped her axe, grasping at her shoulder. Her hand met Bannik, still perched on her shoulder, who was swathed in clouds of steam hotter than anything she had ever felt him emit before. He was burning her! Not even thinking, she batted him off of her shoulder and grasped her now blistering shoulder, as the daemon had burned straight through her jacket and her t-shirt and deep into her skin. She glared down at Bannik through her blurry, teary vision and let out a gasping cry when she saw he wasn't moving. She reached down to pick him up but recoiled when a puff of steam seared her fingers.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Whatever had caused the hound to go into this state had definitely affected the weaker Bannik as well, sending him into what appeared to be a near catatonic state. Evidently, Bannik's intervention with her tumors had instilled something daemonic in her as well, and that scream had some effect on her as well. Bannik was the only thing keeping her alive, and without him, who knows how quickly her tumors would start growing again? She whirled around and struggled to keep her balance, and squinted, searching the swimming world around her for the perpetrator of her misery. Her head seared with the pain of every emergency surgery, of an agony that had no remedy. Unable to stand for the pain, she fell to her knees.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop make it stop make it stop makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitSTOP.

Through sheer willpower she grasped her axe and stood, teetering dangerously on her feet. Somehow, her cloudy eyes found those of the daemon Set's. With tears streaming down her face and an agonized scream erupting from her lips, she bull-rushed the thing and completely passed by the hound, her ax held high over her head.

Ed decided that arguing with her would be pointless and quickly strafed to the daemons side, hopping onto Chariots back. Chariot slowly took cautious steps to the beasts right side, Ed put his sword away, opting for his spear, as this daemon could definitely cause some damage to him if he got too close. Ed took deep breaths, calculating what the best course of action would be. Taking into account his knowledge of this hounds anatomy, he decided that the claws would be the first thing to eliminate. Specifically the front ones. The back legs wouldn't be of concern, he decided. Considering every Hunter here had some form of mount they could easily catch up, heck, they might be even more effective if they were mounted.
Chariot shook his body, getting himself in a running position. Ed carefully played out the path for chariot to take, giving Ed an opportunity to slash at the beasts front leg. Chariot breathed deeply, causing leaves to bat around his legs. He pushes his hooves back, propelling him forward towards the beast, quickly turning his body mid-run to allow ed to reach over and slash at the Daemons leg. Ed had miscalculated, however, and managed to completely miss the beasts leg, instead managing to cut along its side, and chariot kept along the beast, spinning back around to land behind the beast, leaving ed to pull himself back into position on top of Chariot.

The situation was going but fine. Sure Alex was a but disappointed not getting to add a contract with a new daemon, but it was alright with him. Cyril had done most of the work anyways, and Alex was again reminded never to cross the guy. Even Set, the daemon who's rank was equal to Acentia and Kas, could easily outclass the both of them, not to mention Thane. According to rumors around campus Thane was a bona fide class B daemon.

Alex had just started to relax his guard and was about to slide his katana and wakizashi into their sheaths when the first year totally freaked, flinging a steaming daemon from her shoulder. Alex's first thought was that the second unbound daemon must have somehow circled around to catch them from behind, but Kas immediately dismissed that thought. No, there is no other daemon scents. All are accounted for in the forest.

"So then wha-" His question caught in his throat as the first year, now officially insane in Alex's mind, began to sprint towards Set with an axe.

"Acentia!" Alex called to the Lamia, he gestured with his wakizashi towards the young girl with an axe, "Stop her!"

Acentia turned from watching Thane's power in grim fascination, first to Alex, then following the direction he had gestured she saw a girl about to attack Set. She hurled herself into motion, but doubted she would reach them in time.