"You kidding? Save some for me!" Sebastian's ears perked up at the mention of mice, and he could hear them too. His tail curled in the air as he watched the ground for a rustle.

The corner of Ethan's mouth twtitched. "I don't mind as long as you're okay with me eating honey all the time."

"I was joking, but okay." Daya's mouth curled into a small smile. Though, she wasn't entirely joking, as her mouth began to water at the thought of eating a freshly caught mouse.

They'd been walking for a couple hours now, but there hadn't been any signs of the demon yet.

"Wait, there!" She yelled suddenly, seeing a few large spots of dead grass. The plants around them seemed withered as well. Daya sprinted over to the dark spots. They were in the shape of a large paw. "These are old, but still, if we follow them we might catch it!"

Sebastian examined them too. "It's a good start." He checked his map - the tracks led downhill, and if they followed them, they'd soon reach a supply station. It was pretty safe, save for the density of the forest in that area. He changed course so as to follow the tracks.

Daya nodded, feeling proud of herself for finding the first clue of this demon's location. Her feathers bristled when she heard a growling noise, but a few moments later realized it was just her stomach. "Hey, when we get to the uh.. to the place, can we eat? I'm starving."

Sebastian nodded, though remained silent as he tracked the trail. It took them another few hours to reach the outpost, as the brush thickened the farther they walked downhill. The branches above grew closer together, and had begun to weave into a sparse canopy, though a large amount of light from the sinking sun still illuminated the ground.

They had to leave the demon's tracks on their way to the supply station, though Sebastian was confident he'd be able to find his way back. It was a low lean-to against a cluster of trees, willows, that reached over the shelter and provided some concealment. A stream trickled past as a breeze brushed curtain of leaves. "I have to say, this is a nice location," Sebastian remarked. It was pleasant and calming.

"No, it isn't," Ethan immediately disagreed. "It's on a downhill. Water flows downhill, and so that is the way animals would travel if they're looking for water, and, oh, we're right next to a good source of it. If anything stumbled across us, we'd be exposed and vulnerable on lower ground."

"Well, if anything does find us, we'd just chase it off. Or kill it, if it attacks us." A bird flew over them, letting out a loud warble. "Plus, I think Sebastian was just saying that it looks nice."

Daya sat down on the ground outside of the outpost, gnawing on the bone of what used to be the leg of a rabbit, trying to get the rest of the small pieces of meat stuck to it. She also had packed some things she found at the DHHQ, like a few leftover pieces of steak, and some other meat-related items. She didn't like eating plant-related things, as owls don't eat that type of food.

Ethan looked uneasy, but he reluctantly sat beside Daya. He ate a few spoonfuls of honey, then closed his eyes and appeared to meditate, relaxing against the side of a tree.

Briefly scouting the area, Sebastian checked and double-checked to make sure that there were currently no animals in sight. Well, aside from birds. "We're probably safe here for a few hours, but I think Ethan might be right. We pro'ly shouldn't stay through the night."

"Well, that's because we need to hunt it at night, so we'll be moving around anyway." She said after throwing the barren bone out into the forest. She went through her bag and pulled out a cold piece of steak and began eating that, too.

"That's true. Let's rest, for now - the sun won't set for another few hours. I can keep first watch," he offered, munching on a scrap of dried fruit.

Daya lied down on the ground after eating the rest of the steak. Her hands lied on her belly as she closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Man, I haven't eaten that much in years. I'm gonna get fat." She mumbled. Her eyes snapped open when she heard a flock of birds fly off, screeching a warning call.

Sebastian's head swiveled in the direction of the birds. "D'you think that's- should we go-?"

"It's not what we're looking for," Ethan said suddenly, opening his eyes. "But I don't know what it is."

"Maybe it's just a coyote or something. Those live here, right?" She asked, her feathers starting to bristle. That happened whenever she was shocked, angry, etc. "and Ethan, how'd you know what it is?"

"I don't," he answered dully, but didn't offer anything else.

"Hm, well. Though, a whole flock of birds wouldn't normally be scared off like that. Should we go check it out anyway?" wondered Sebastian.

"Yeah, I think so. If it's a big animal it could be a danger to other DH members, so let's go and get it." Daya stood, equipping both of her knives. "Ethan, are you coming too, or are you gonna stay here?" She asked.

Ethan stood unsteadily. "Y-yeah. Yes, I'm coming." He gathered his supplies and followed Sebastian, who was impatient to get moving.

The hybrid made his way through the brush, though spotted nothing remarkable. "Where exactly were the birds?"

She paused for a moment. "Around here. They sounded nearby, so the creature must be near as well." Daya looked around, using her impeccable eyesight to try and find something. "I see another set of tracks." She pointed to the dark paw-prints left in the grass.

Suddenly, she dropped to one knee, her face becoming pained. "The.. the hell?" She growled under her breath. She started feeling weak, her arms and legs starting to shake. "He's close, guys. Be careful." She managed to stand, but her legs were shaky.

Sebastian was squinting at the new set of tracks in the dimming light as Daya collapsed. He felt it too, and offered her support and a flask of water. "We'll be fine, let's all focus." He didn't really know what to say.

Ethan, for one, wasn't surprised. He'd been feeling nauseous for the past few hours, and was carrying around a splitting headache. He wanted to envy the hybrids for their resistance to the demon's aura, but he reminded himself that he was the only one here with the ability to slay a demon without a weapon. If Daya lost her daggers....

"There is a demon that way," the esper pointed northeast. "I can't say for sure, but there might be other demons lurking. Hopefully, we can avoid them."

Daya gratefully accepted his support. "Okay.. I should be fine for now. It just caught me by surprise, is all." She mumbled.

As they trekked along the thick forest, she started feeling a little dizzy. Well, that just means they're getting closer, right? Closer to finding this life-sucker. Daya's fingers were held tightly around the handles of her knives, waiting to strike as soon as she saw this demon.

Ethan, for once, took the lead. He was very accustomed to pain. The effects of a demon this close were equivalent to the sensation of having a stake driven into each joint in his body, but this was only a mild discomfort to him. Usually clumsy, Ethan navigated the tangled forest with surprising grace.

By the time they'd found the demon, his breath was shallow. But he would be all right. "Is it the right one?" he whispered, looking on at the glowing figure from the shelter of a tree.