"How come you're blessed in particular?" Abigail inquired. "Is there some sort of un-blessed guard? What did they do to deserve that?" She peered down at the bloodied gauntlet held out towards her, tentatively pinched one of the fingers and wiggled it a bit before quickly wiping her hands on her tunic. In fact, taking in Abigail's appearance...she looked altogether grimy and unwashed herself, even though there was a distinct lack of blood and fish guys on her person.

Abigail giggled when Anastasia mentioned her mentor, but whilst laughing she shot the huntress a dark look and firmly said "he's not my master. And uh, I'm...not sure I'm allowed to go along with strangers. Then again, I'm hungry. You're not gonna bless me if I go in, right?" She looked nervous again. "Goes against my religion. Beliefs. Or, no, wait - is it only the guard that's blessed? Is that some sort of requirement?"

Abigail kept going like this all the way to the compound. Upon entering, her topic of conversation switched to pointing out all the things she thought were pretty and going on about how she had never been somewhere so fancy before. She gave a cheery thanks once Anastasia dropped her off in the quarters and, upon spying a quill, immediately set to work on her diary.

Anastasia blinked at her strange inquiries and burst into a chortle of laughter, walking with her back to the compound, wiping her gauntlets with a cloth, "No, no, of course not, it's a title dignifing our piety.

Hm, I'm guessing you havn't heard of us then? We are a group of specialists hired by the Ballanger Family to protect their estates from creatures of the night, primarily vampires, and to aid in enforcement of law and order.

We are called Blessed for the faith with which we carry ourselves, which distinguish us from the commmon mercenaries that ply the hunter trade. I personally hope to change that and make good piety and discipline a necessary cultural item of being a hunter.

As you witnessed back there, we're currently... over-stocked on less savory types.

He's not your master? Well, you did claim to be an apprentice, so I presume he would be your mentor then, no? In anycase, my name carries weight in this city and I can advertise for his whereabouts if you tell me more of him.

Ah, no, no, we do not force our faith except by example. You'll be unharressed. Come, we're all in need of rest."

They passed through the gates of the compound without difficulty, the regular guards merely nodding to her and clearing the path immediately. She welcomed her to her dwellings in the humble, but decorated guest room above the servant quarters, a pale young blonde maid greeting them with a startle, bowing to Anastasia and following Abigail to her room, getting her acustomed.

---

She went into her own barracks beside, a large mess hall equipped like a tavern with rooms, a kitchen, and a dinning table in the center, accommadating all her group's needs. She had paid for half of it herself.

Upon entering a black haired boy in fine clothing greeted her awkwardly, rushing over to help her undo her cloak and carry her hat.

He followed after her, trying desperately to tell her of the recent events with the novices assigned for training, cut off as they entered the degenerate pandamonium that was the mess hall.

Three of her gang sat somberly at the table, a bowl of seasoned animal blood in front of them: Feodore quietly reading a prayer book, Fanya staring intensely at the table as she sipped, lost in her fantasies, and Irina furiously writing with ink and quill, crossing out versions of the story of their hunt that she and Daniel planned to distirbute throughout the city, pausing briefly to take a large gulp from her bowel then returning to work.

They were the only quiet ones.

Alosha and Alina were fighting over a pretty blood servant, a red headed farm girl they had seduced on their first week in the city, luring her in with wealth and beauty and the promise of adventure, now being tugged and gropped like their personal doll. Alina nibbled on her ear and promised a romantic evening with theatre and pretty dresses, Alosha promised a rowdy evening of song and drink and horse riding, and a hunt just for them, no more animal blood. The servant girl seemed sheepish, hesitant to upset either one, several bloody feeding marks already on her neck.

The only other shared servant was being snuggled by Clara and Ivanchka on a furnished couch, an older man reading a story to them as they peppered him with kisses and giggled like school girls, their chins bloody, drunk on fresh blood.

The remaining vampires were either audibly with their personal servants in their rooms or having drinks and conversation around the table.

Anastasia sighed heavily and pressed her nose. She wasn't going to be a hypocrite and say she was above the perverted degeneracy on display, but at least she kept private about it.

She always hated that about the old gang.

"ALOSHA. ALINA. What the hell happened to the recruits?! Why are twelve of them resigning?"

Alina giggled like a harpy, hugging the servant close as she won her over, nuzzling her, shouting over her shoulder, "Ten! Two collapsed!"

"WHY!?"

"Tei dal nas cyki (You gave us bitches)." Alosha nodded in agreement, giving Alina a venomous look.

Normally this would be the part where she beat the shit out of them for the hundreth time, but she was tired.

Not physically.

Although she was no God fearing woman, she did want to leave her old life behind, a life of criminal childishness and barbarism that amounted to nothing.

She wanted to get away from him.

Seems many of them didn't.

Oh, they followed her well enough, despite their petulence, and put on the piety act in public, but still most of them carried that reckless abandon.

Alosha spat at Alina and their blood servant that she cuddled in her arms, kicking over a chair, "Poshal von! I'll go for my own bloody hunt."

"Like hell you are." Anastasia grabbed his arm as he passed, pulling him back. He hissed and twisted it out of her grasp.

"I am not a fucking child! I know well enough to hide my tracks, quit dotting on me, on us!"

"Oh really, then explain-"

"ONE TIME! IT WAS ONE TIME! I GOT BETTER! For god's sake mom!"

He stormed out the door, and she sighed again, giving the silent group a weary, vile look that dared them to push her further. No one spoke and soon returned to their own.

She walked up to her room with her servant and sat on the bed, undressing her armor. The boy rushed over and started to help her. She looked at him a moment, then swept him into her arms and hugged him tight, breathing in the scent of his hair. He froze and went rigid, closing his eyes as she cooed to him and then pressed into his small neck, draining him.

She let go of him once she finished feeding, giving the quiet boy a soft kiss and taking off the rest of her outfit, sending him off with the a dirty pile to give to the other servants to clean tonight. He left with his eyes downcast.

She looked over the reports on her desk, running a hand through her hair. She fell asleep on top of it some time after.

---

@LordLinguinie

In the the early morning hours of the day, the upper class shopping district is often only peppered with foot traffic, as most who can afford to shop in the district, can afford to sleep in. At the intersection in front of the tailor, across from the bakery and bank, there lies a small fountain often filled with coins and wishes. As the elderly woman who worked as a teller walked at the Rothenburg bank walked past the fountain, she unleashed an unholy wail that woke everyone in the near vicinity. The water in the fountain was a deep crimson with three floating bodies in their own viscera. The large bearded man lay floating in the fountain, with two very distinguishable holes in his neck.

She was awoken to the news by her boy servant only an hour after the incident. As if dropped in cold water, fueled by rage, she got dressed in her newly cleaned armour and outfit within minutes, stomping down the staircase.

Almost all of them gathered around the table, already dressed, Alosha trying to hide behind Boris or Daniel, eyes darting around frantically.

"ALOSHA. GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!"

She pushed past them, nobody stopping her, and grabbed the young man by his neck. He tried to grip her arm and scramble off, but she was stronger.

"I didn't do it I swear to God! Mom, stop!"

"NO OTHER VAMPIRE HAS THE NERVE TO MAKE A PUBLIC KILLING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CITY!"

Just as she was about to smash his face into the table, Alina burst through the door, her evening outfit rough and well worn.

"Wait! He didn't do it! I saw them!"

"Who!?" She dropped him, letting him stumble into the table face first.

---

She paced the long, empty dining hall of the Ballanger house, having requested Lord Dromeus' presence immediately, declaring emergency, clenching her teeth as she waited. Sometimes the man was understanding, other times...

Finances and politics, they were always stressful.

After he had settled things with the guard and the newly met huntress, Drystan let to clean himself. He laid his armor out and ordered a lower-ranked guard to take care of the damage the fish creatures had done to it. He took great care to clean all of the fish guts, blood and various other bodily fluids off his person before donning a new set of clean clothes. He tended his wounds, most only needing a light cleaning, a few, like the ones on his torso, needed a few stitches. After some time, he left for the tavern.

It was a fairly uneventful evening for them. He paid for a few rounds of drinks, got himself dinner and mostly spent the night watching and studying the other hunters. He had gotten a good idea of their skills on the island, but he needed more information on them to act as a good leader.

---

Drystan slept in his own private quarters in the guard barracks. As the Hunter's Guild was still new, the Guild Hall hadn't yet been fully renovated with sleeping quarters. That was a project that was underway and would, hopefully, be completed soon. The King wanted the hunters to have their own place for those who had traveled from other towns.

He had been awake for some time when Commander Grux burst into the guard barracks. He could tell right away that something was wrong.

"Captain. The King requests your presence at once. There has been an incident. A few Filtiarn soldier's have been found dead in the fountain located in the upper class district, not far from the Ogre's Teat. They've been drained of blood with bite marks on their necks."

Drystain grunted his understanding and followed the Commander immediately. It had been some time since such a blatant attack. And in the middle of the city, no less. Their pace was brisk as they made their way to the castle to meet with the King. No doubt this would provide another job for the new hunters.

---

Villiame came bursting through the doors of the dinning hall, making a dramatic entrance fitting the exasperated look on his face.

"Anastasia!" He practically yelled as he spotted her. "My apologies, I know you wanted to speak to father but he has been summoned by the King."

The young Ballanger boy was visibly worried, approaching Anastasia with a quick hug. He was handsome, albeit much younger than she was. Despite their ages, he had taken quite an interest in their Blessed Guardian. It was a known fact that he loved beauty, especially in women. Unlike Luther Filtiarn, however, his love was not fleeting. He was known to latch on to an individual and pour his heart out to her, speaking of soulful devotion, only to be heartbroken when something inevitably went wrong. He was a Ballanger, after all, and did his best to put on a strong face and pretend nothing was wrong.

"Unfortunately, I don't know all the details of what happened. But here is what I do know:" As he spoke, he glided over and took a seat at the dinning table. "There was a fight last night between some guards at the Ogres Teat. From what I've heard, it was between some Filtiarn and Ballanger guards. That is nothing new, our families have been feuding for years. But this morning the bodies of the Filtiarn guards were found in the fountain. Father is furious. I'm not sure what he's going to do. I'm afraid the guilt will fall on us and that is something father simply will not stand for..."

@Nymeria

Villiame came bursting through the doors of the dinning hall, making a dramatic entrance fitting the exasperated look on his face.

"Anastasia!" He practically yelled as he spotted her. "My apologies, I know you wanted to speak to father but he has been summoned by the King."

The young Ballanger boy was visibly worried, approaching Anastasia with a quick hug. He was handsome, albeit much younger than she was. Despite their ages, he had taken quite an interest in their Blessed Guardian. It was a known fact that he loved beauty, especially in women. Unlike Luther Filtiarn, however, his love was not fleeting. He was known to latch on to an individual and pour his heart out to her, speaking of soulful devotion, only to be heartbroken when something inevitably went wrong. He was a Ballanger, after all, and did his best to put on a strong face and pretend nothing was wrong.

"Unfortunately, I don't know all the details of what happened. But here is what I do know:" As he spoke, he glided over and took a seat at the dinning table. "There was a fight last night between some guards at the Ogres Teat. From what I've heard, it was between some Filtiarn and Ballanger guards. That is nothing new, our families have been feuding for years. But this morning the bodies of the Filtiarn guards were found in the fountain. Father is furious. I'm not sure what he's going to do. I'm afraid the guilt will fall on us and that is something father simply will not stand for..."

Anastasia looked up with a fright, coming to sharp attention, expecting Dromeus to come barging through.

She was immediately filled with relief when she saw Villiame instead.

She smiled warmly, and held him tight when they embraced, taking in his scent and ruffling his hair briefly.

"Oh, my cherub..."

She had given him such a nickname for his youthful complexion, even for his age, and the deep sincerity with which he carried himself, that poet's soul that enticed her to approach him in secret that one fateful night so long ago in the gardens.

She joined him at the table, cupping her hands and listening in earnest. She grinned once he finished, placing a hand on his, "Ah, but that is why I wished to meet your father, my dear. I bear twice the good news. Not only did I wish to cheer him with the tale of yesturday's successful hunt, but also that I already know the culprits and their whereabouts. However, I wish to speak to your father first before I devulge the information unto others. It is his family name in jepordy after all. He will know best how to handle this."

The tension was palpable in the small council chambers. The group sat in silence waiting for the last of their members to arrive. Lucian sat, glaring darkly at Dromeus across the table. Dromeus held his glare, his usual stoic expression held on his face, only a faint twitching of his eyebrows to show his irritation. Lady Rosaline, Lady Thackery, and, of course, King Gustavo were all seated around the great table.

The doors flew open as Commander Grux and Captain Drystan entered. Gustavo grunted audibly. "Take a seat and we can begin." He slammed his hands down on the table, quickly getting everyone's attention. He cleared his throat loudly as Drystan and Grux took their seats. "By now you have all heard. There have been a blatant attack in MY city. We've long known of the vampire problem but never have they so brazenly killed. And guards no less! This is an insult to everything we have worked so hard for. And I will not stand for it!" He pounded his fists once again against the table, causing an empty mug to jump and clatter against the hardwood.

"I completely agree," Lucian snarled, his eyes still boring into Dromeus. "My guards take their duty very seriously. They have families in the city and now what am I to tell them? That their fathers were eaten alive by blood suckers? And how are we to know it wasn't the Ballanger scum that initiated the fight the night before?"

"Come now, Lucian, we all know you're guards are not faultless in this matter. And no one knows who started the fight so keep your accusations to yourself. Your guards threw just as many punches as mine did. And I am just as appalled as you!" Dromeus grunted, crossing his arms tightly against his chest.

"Enough!" Gustov bellowed. "This isn't about whose house guards did what. Men are dead and I have no doubt that one or more vampires are behind it. We must address this issue before any more of my citizens, who I SWORE to protect, get hurt. Grux! Haalard! Why did I agree to starting a Hunter's Guild if not for this reason?"

"Sir," Grux nodded at his King. "The Hunters were hard at work yesterday and, while this new development is a tragedy, I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that they were successful in their first hunt."

Gustov glanced over at Drystan who nodded. "It was, sir. We came across the beast on the Trieste isle and it's four offspring. We managed to dispatch of them as well as destroy it's nest. It's still a work in progress, but I can see real potential in the men and women who made it back."

"Well there's the answer!" Dromeus chimed in. "We all agree these filthy creatures need to be eradicated, so why not have our new guild exterminate this pest! The Guild gets to build a much needed reputation and the kingdom has one less problem to worry about.”

“If I may interrupt.” squeaked the Matilda, the from the other end of the table. “I mean no disrespect my lord, but I spent the better part of this morning studying those bodies, and I can tell you that those men were dead long before their necks were bitten.” she spoke with confidence, clearly and concisely, as her politician sister had taught her.

“So what, you’re saying my men were killed by something other than Vampires? I thought the bite marks on the side of the neck were clear indicators…” Lucian was about start one of his famous tirades before he was silenced by Gustavo. Nodding to his trusted advisor, Gustavo listened with intent at what the young alchemist had to say.

“From what I can tell, those men were viciously beaten before they were killed. We know that these men were in a bar fight, but these men look like they were trampled by two stampedes. What I’m trying to get at here, is that what or whoever did this to your men Lord Lucian, is far stronger than any man in this room.” she said, looking stern and trying to convey the severity of the situation.

Surprisingly, it was Lady Rosaline who spoke up next, normally a shadow in the council meetings, she spoke with a quiet grace. “I think there is one thing everyone here has to think about. We don’t know who it was who did this or where they are hiding now? Other than question the barkeep again, what can the hunters really do for the situation?” she questioned.

“I think I may have some information regarding that. I’ve caught wind that some of my personal guard have been involved with some shady underground cult of sorts. I haven't looked into it much as I thought it was nothing, but I’m afraid it looks as though I’ve overlooked a serious issue.” Dromeus explained, with a pained and sorrowful look on his face.

“Wouldn’t be the first time you we’re blind to the obvious.” Lucian mumbled into his pipe with a quiet snicker.The two once again locked glares and the tension mounted, only to be broken by the King.

“I’ve had damn near enough of you two old crones bickering in my council room.” The king spat angrily. “Let us all not forget, this is YOUR family rivalry now costing lives. You both act as though you are the elites of this kingdom, but in all actuality you’re no more mature than my prepubescent boy. This rivalry ends now, or I’ll see to it both your families are exiled after I have the both of you hung.” Gustavo spoke with venom and disgust in his voice.

"I apologize, your grace." Dromeus shot one last look at Lucian before addressing the King in a much more agreeable manor. "You are absolutely right. I will seek out my guards who got into the tavern brawl and they will be let go immediately. I shall make it clear that these drunken fist fights are unacceptable and a fire-able offense." He cleared his throat then addressed the rest of the room. "I would also like the names of the families of the men who were killed. I want to send them my condolences. And for the time being, Haalard, send word to your hunters that a new hunt will take place soon. I will send you the details as soon as I confer with my guard captain. These murderers will not escape the King's justice, that I assure you."

After the hunt with the giant fish monster, Donnel didn't exactly spend his money "wisely". Having finally cleared his name to become an honest hunter, Donnel had no need to hide himself from the public eye. Even though the captain had offered to pay for drinks Donnel had cashed in his plunder. He prowled various bars and taverns throughout the city, attempted to woo many women, and got into many more brawls. At some point he met a physician who treated his injuries during the hunt, saying that despite the pain Donnel suffered no worse than a bruising. Some rest, a bit of poultice, and a good meal and he should be back in action in no time. So of course Donnel continued his pub crawl, but with less fights this time

Eventually he would return to the hunter’s hall utterly plastered and very talkative. Granted he didn’t say anything anyone would understand, but he seemed like a boisterous fellow. Occasionally he’d be able to string together a sentence where he told the other hunters of the hunt. ”Oh aye! I was there alright! Boots on the ground, on the prowl! One big fishie, big as a man with claws as sharp as knives he was! But no knives could break my skin, no sir! Bash em flat and cut off his head I did, one chop!” To emphasis the point Donnel drew his axe and slashed his blade clean through a table, laughing heartily while sheathing the weapon. ”Aye but that was just a baby! I took on the big one head on I did, with no backup to boot! Charged right at em, bam! My shield into his arm, paralyzing it! Ha ha ha ha!”

At some point night turned into day. Donnel awoke in the Hunter’s Lodge in a bed, partially stripped of his armor and weapons. Fortunately they were just at the foot of his bed so he didn’t have to hunt down a thief. Seemed like he managed to find his way here on his own though from the putrid smell emanating from the chamber pot he wasn’t able to bring company. “Pew! Argh…. I need to find some food.” Walking to the main hall Donnel made a beeline straight to wherever cooking could be done. There were a few people making a simple stew but Donnel moved them out of the way. He was gruff and aggressive as he made himself breakfast using the finest ingredients available, mostly just bread and meat. But damn if it wasn’t the best he’s made so far. He devoured the meal with vigor as he wondered what the next job was going to be.

Abigail couldn’t sleep. That wasn’t much of a surprise; she was in unfamiliar surroundings and had a lot on her mind at the moment. Her evening was, in itself, fairly uneventful too; bunched shoulder-to-shoulder with rowdy hunters who were slowly getting shitfaced, Abigail awkwardly joined in conversation once or twice, gave a couple glances to Dysten and then vanished from the tavern entirely. Were it not for the aforementioned pale blonde maid who spotted her, Abigail could’ve crept back into her quarters in the Ballanger Household almost completely undetected. “Yeah, I get it; servants see everything, don’t they? I used to be a farmgirl.” Abigail smiled amicably at the other girl and seemed a little off-put by the way she seemed to avoid her gaze.

Abigail spent the night drawing fishpeople and a crude portrait of Anastasia from memory into her diary, writing down as much as she knew about both. She especially wrote down the name of the household, the name of her guard and the fact that her name ‘carried weight’ - whatever that could mean. The fishmonster was easier to write about since she had a hands-on experience with the beast and then spied on it for the better part of a day. A few hours after dawn, there came a knocking on her door.

It was the maid again. Abigail beamed over at her new friend who, in return, gave a quiet nod and went to clean up the ruckus that Abigail left when she bounced on and slept in the bed. “How come you don’t say much?” she asked the maid, and obviously received no reply. “Is it against your religion?” The maid pondered over this and nodded tentatively. Abigail slowly nodded in understanding. “Where do I go now? Do I go eat breakfast?” she asked uncertainly, and the maid ushered her up and down a series of corridors. As she crossed the courtyard, she spotted the barracks. “Is that where Anastasia is? Can I go see her?” She was met with a gentle shove and a furious head-shake.

Abigail eventually found herself in the dining quarters with a bowl of fruit, some bread and a tall glass of milk. She nibbled away but people weren’t too keen on sitting down to eat - there appeared to be some sort of commotion. This was not the family’s eating quarters, obviously, but it looked like the servants and some of the guardsmen were hurrying about on official business. Abigail leant over to her newest friend, who was silently chewing on some dried jerky and a bit of toast. “What’s happened?”

“Deaths in the city. Vampire marks on them,” whispered the maid conspiratorially. Abigail perked a brow and nodded thoughtfully. She drank some more milk, set the glass aside, and murmured:

“Is that why I couldn’t see Anastasia? She’s already out trying to fix this?”
“Mhm.”
“D’you think I can go help her?”

The maid squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, drumming her fingers on the table as her mind raced. “I could-...ask,” she ventured. Abigail peered at her friend with concern, a little frown gracing her features.

“You’re gonna get in trouble if you ask though, aren’t you?” Abigail guessed - judging by the way the maid averted her eyes, she assumed this to be the case. It wasn’t too surprising to find serving staff who get reprimanded for being a bother to their masters. Since Abigail couldn’t see anything untoward in Anastasia’s behaviour besides an apparent lack of personal space boundaries and a distinct concern in the dental hygiene of strangers, she couldn’t figure out why this pale young girl seemed so scared of seeing the huntress.

Nevertheless, the maid was persuaded by Abigail to go and seek out Anastasia. Unsurprisingly, she found the huntress in the dining room with Villiame and hovered somewhat near the doorway, doing her best to avoid being in the way. “M-madam,” she stammered, “the girl from your latest hunt would like to help you. She is in the dining quarters…” she trailed off, intensely aware of the stares upon her. Her eyes became locked to the floorboards.

After the small council meeting adjourned, Dromeus said his farewells and quickly left the room. He hurried out the castle halls and set a brisk pace walking down the paths to his manor. His stoic demeanor was slightly more rigid, his brows furrowed and his lips down-turned in an apparent scowl. Thoughts raced through his mind as he entered the manor gates. The guards stiffened as they spotted Dromeus, giving a quick greeting. Dromeus ignored them and continued on to the main house.

He burst through the doors into the main hall and spotted the three standing there. "Anastasia. We need to talk." He paused and glanced at Villiame and the small servant girl. "Alone."

"But father..." Villiame began to argue before being cut off by an intense glare. He nodded his head briefly and hurried out of the room, the servant girl not far behind.

His attention turned back to Anastasia. "I'm sure you've heard by now of the reckless actions of those under my house banner.
There is no doubt in my mind that the vampires in question are some of my own guards. I need you to find them and execute them immediately." His voice was unwavering as he spoke. He had dealt with difficult situations in the past, that was nothing new. But this specific situation presented an entirely new problem. He would do anything to keep his family's secrets.

"I don't care what you do to them as long as it is quick and it is quiet. I will not tolerate such reckless behavior. I hold my guards to a higher standard than this." He paused and took a seat at the head of the table. He rested his elbows against the table's surface and placed his forehead in his hands. He let out a loud sigh as he sat, considering his options. "We need to make it clear to all of the other guards that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Any more of my men caught getting in bar fights will be punished severely."

"In the meantime, we need to place the blame elsewhere. What of that vampire community you caught wind of recently? Is it feasible that they could be our scapegoats?" He sat up and turned to face Anastasia.

Nevertheless, the maid was persuaded by Abigail to go and seek out Anastasia. Unsurprisingly, she found the huntress in the dining room with Villiame and hovered somewhat near the doorway, doing her best to avoid being in the way. “M-madam,” she stammered, “the girl from your latest hunt would like to help you. She is in the dining quarters…” she trailed off, intensely aware of the stares upon her. Her eyes became locked to the floorboards.

Anastasia glanced back as the other set of doors opened slowly, creaking through the empty hall. She tilted her head as one of the blood servant girls, Annie, poked her head through and made her announcement. Anastasia leaned her chin on a knuckle, humming...

Hmmm... that girl, Abigail was it? Strange creature. She still wasn't certain whether to consider her a simple ditzy girl or some strange spy or creature in disguise. She had spied on her briefly during the night with a spyglass through the window, watching her bouncing on her bed, concluding she was nothing but a lucky idiot. But now, blindly offering aid after her traumatic ordeal, hmmm... well, she did say she was a Hunter's apprentice.

"Annie, darling, don't be so meek. Although, I suppose that is part of your charm.

Hm.

Escort her to my barracks and tell Daniel to test her skills, see where she is capable. Of course, be sure to knock first."

His attention turned back to Anastasia. "I'm sure you've heard by now of the reckless actions of those under my house banner.
There is no doubt in my mind that the vampires in question are some of my own guards. I need you to find them and execute them immediately." His voice was unwavering as he spoke. He had dealt with difficult situations in the past, that was nothing new. But this specific situation presented an entirely new problem. He would do anything to keep his family's secrets.

"I don't care what you do to them as long as it is quick and it is quiet. I will not tolerate such reckless behavior. I hold my guards to a higher standard than this." He paused and took a seat at the head of the table. He rested his elbows against the table's surface and placed his forehead in his hands. He let out a loud sigh as he sat, considering his options. "We need to make it clear to all of the other guards that this behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Any more of my men caught getting in bar fights will be punished severely."

"In the meantime, we need to place the blame elsewhere. What of that vampire community you caught wind of recently? Is it feasible that they could be our scapegoats?" He sat up and turned to face Anastasia.

Dromeus burst in as she finished her instruction. She rose out of her seat immediatly and came to attention.

She listened devoutly, not taking her gaze off him, even when Villiame left, sitting down as he did.

She smiled like a clever fox, proudly announcing, "Oh do not worry my Lord, I am fully aware of the situation. In fact, one of my girls spotted them in the act and followed them to their lodgings, and my hunters are taking care of the problem as we speak."

---

Near a quiant, simple house, pressed tightly in between others on a crocked road in one of the upper middle class districts, Boris and Freya, fully armed and outfitted in their masks and in simple brown armor, ran along the back of rooftops like wolves, staying out of street view. As they spotted their destination, they slid down behind the house and carefully descended the tight alley unto a balcony.

Boris smashed in the window with his poleaxe and Freya threw in a smoke bomb, bolting in as female screams and coughing responded. She tackled the first male figure she saw, pressing the handle of her weapon into his hissing, fanged mouth as he struggled to smash the pommel of his sword into her. She pressed down, then brought up and smashed the handle in, breaking the back of his jaw. She lifted and thrust the bottom silver spike into his chest with a resounding crack.

Boris followed just as a second male assailant rushed in through the smoke for Freya's kneeling form, calmly and briskly walking up, drawing out, and cleaving his poleaxe through the middle of his head, knocking aside his blade, burying his body in cracked wood. He dug the axe out and stabbed him through the chest just as he began to regenerate.

He went down and opened the back door, letting in Clara and Ivanchka from the alley, dressed in hunting gear.

They rushed upstairs with cleavers and bags, beginning to hack apart the bodies, wrapping them tightly in parchments used for fresh market meat, the blood seeping through a common sight, then returning downstairs and immediately securing their 'kills' on their mounts and riding off, splitting in different directions.

Freya approached the still wailing women and children huddled in the bedroom, who went deathly quiet as the smoke cleared and they saw her, dragging her boots through the gore stained on the floorboards. She stared down at them, poleaxe dripping, then dropped a sack full of coins.

"They went to visit family in another city. Someone will come to help you clean."

She kneeled down and brushed the hair out of a child's face.

"One wrong word, we will kill you. We are watching."

They left through the same window, dropping in another alley not far off and riding away.

---

"As for making an example... Well, I do believe one of the guilty may be at the barracks at the moment. I can have Alosha and Alina make an example of him right there and now.

Ah, I see we are of the same mind, my Lord. I was actually planning to speak to you of how to handle that matter before the Hunter Guild arose. That said, they are a perfect candidate for dealing with this.

This... mmm, commune we have been observing, I can confirm it is definitly responsible for the string of livestock deaths over in the northern farmlands of late. We followed some culprits to them one night.

The commune seems to be roughly 30 individuals strong, though a fair amount of them are children. I was not sure at the time whether it was simply a few vampires hiding out among them or if all of them were involved, and, frankly, I'm still not sure.

However, a recent agent reported in my absence during the Guild hunt that we do know of at least 12 adult vampires traced back to that community.

It's your call how we may approach this my Lord, but I can arrange for them to take the fall, so long as every individual is wiped out to keep the story clean. I'm sure we could rile the Hunter guild into leading the charge, and if they do so then the story will be easily eaten up by the Kingdom.

After all, it's their duty to hunt monsters, sanctioned by the King himself."

She grinned, leaning her chin down on her interlaced fingers.

---

@Stitches

The maid rushed back to Abigail in the common dining hall, stammering softly as she rubbed her hands, "M-my lady has requested for you to be escorted to her personal barracks. One of her h-hunters will... test you." She took a few steps back towards the exit, turning somewhat towards it, looking at her with nervous expectation.

Dromeus listened intently as Anastasia spoke of the commune. He nodded slowly, thinking, before lifting his head from his hands. "That should work perfectly," he said with an air of confidence. "I will put together a bounty for the commune. I need you to plant someone in the commune before then. We need to make sure they leave none alive. If, for whatever reason, they are reluctant to attack the creatures, I need your plant to start things by attacking first."

He paused again to go through things in his mind. He got to his feet. "Yes that should work. Anastasia, listen to me." He turned and got closer to the huntress, narrowing his eyes. "Word of this never leaves this room, understand?"

He straightened up, putting some distance between the two. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have much to attend to." With that he left the room, walking to his study.

---

Drystan made his way back to the guild hall and collected some parchment and ink. He scratched out a quick notice to all the Guild's Hunters telling them to meet at the guild hall. It gave a brief statement of a vague job, higher payment than the last, and high danger. Finishing it up, he shoved the parchment into a nearby guardsman.

"Make copies of this, enough to place around the city, and disperse them. Make sure the town crier gets word as well. We need all of the hunters we can get back on this job."

"Yes sir. Any word on what the job is, exactly?" the guard inquired.

"No details just yet," Drystan replied, disconcerted. "I'll know more by the time the others arrive. In the meantime...." he looked to another guard cleaning up a broken table. "How are the rooming arrangements coming along?"

The guard looked up, realizing he was being spoke to, and immediately straightened up. "Um, we are not finished just yet, sir. Things are coming along, though. We have a number of beds finished and ready but..."

"Well put more men on it. The hunters from other towns need a place to sleep. If they are assigned their own bunks, they are more likely to stay and continue to work."

Iva spent the rest of her time outside of the city. She just couldn't get used to it; everything was too tight. Too many people, no where for her to just be by herself, and everything just felt so artificial. Not that it was any different at Witchata, but this place wasn't nearly as familiar. So Iva spent her night out in the forests outside of the city. She looked for herbs and ingredients, finding much that she'd try to experiment with. Some basic poultices to numb pain and simple toxins to make her prey sick and sluggish. No where near as potent as her Addle Poison, but since she was so far from home she'd needed to learn how to make more with local ingredients.

As she spent the night resting Iva also did some more research on the monsters they may face. While she did visit the Hunter's Guild to eat, she didn't stay to party. Instead she grabbed whatever books they had and returned to her camp outside of the city. She'd never actually faced off against these monsters before, and she felt that the fact she didn't know anything about the Tristine aside from it's name reflected badly on her as a hunter. Iva couldn't allow herself to be inexperienced in handling the sort of threats they'd be expected to fight at the guild. At the very least she could try to know their names.

When the day broke Iva was laying underneath her fur blanket, the guild books stacked neatly near her bedroll. It was still early morning and she had simply awoken out of habit. Yawning and making herself a simple breakfast of bread and tea, Iva gathered her things and went back to the Hunter's Guild. She needed a new book to read. Masking her body with her fur cloak Iva walked through the city streets, fortunately devoided of most people since it was very early in the morning. She reached the Hunter's Guild in no time, and even there were very few people active at the time. Iva just sat down and read through the tomes she had borrowed again. When activity picked up Iva didn't move from her spot, almost entirely absorbed by her books. The only time she looked away was when Captain Drystan entered the room. He seemed busy, which meant there was a job to do. Iva walked over to him and cleared her throat to get his attention, letting him know silently that Iva was ready for work.

There are reports of a vampire colony in the wilderness in between Rothenburg and Augsburg, on the edge of the Ondorro Forest. Reports are varied, but there appears to be around thirty vampires who live in an underground facility. There is a mixture of men, women and children who all live together. For the most part, they appear to be semi-peaceful, mainly feeding on local livestock. This has created it's own problems, as many of the nearby farmers have lost much of their income because of them.

Not much is known about the lair itself as it seems to be mostly underground. There is a small cave that leads to the entrance with doors and stairs leading farther down into the earth. The Hunters are charged with eliminating the entire colony with no prisoners. This may prove difficult, both because of the shear numbers and the small population of children. The vampire threat is a growing one, however, and the king wishes to get rid of any and all possible future "problems".






Drystan led the hunters who chose to follow through the wilderness, searching for the supposed commune. With the help of the some of the skilled trackers, they were able to find the cave that lead to the compound. It was still daylight out when they arrived, they kept to the treeline in an attempt to stay hidden. Vampires were known for their heightened perception, so it would be difficult hiding from them if they were out. Luck favored the hunters, however, as the colony kept to themselves as much as possible, especially during the day.

Before they moved towards the cave, Drystan paused and addressed the group. "What we know here is limited," he began. "We'll have to approach cautiously. We need to try to keep the element of surprise, but that will be difficult. We are entering their home. We'll be on their turf and we don't know how many we are up against. No matter what happens, we need to remember our job. We are here to annihilate every last one of them. We do this for our King and our city. Don't let them down."

With that, he gave them a nod before turning back to face the cave entrance. He grabbed a small tincture out of a pack attached to his belt. He popped the cork off and quickly downed the green liquid inside in one gulp.

Rothenburg's Streets

Falling down from the sidewalk's border she had been busy balancing on, Juniper held her stomach with both hands. The strange feeling of uneasiness was still very present in her, and it showed no sign of receding. It was far form the only thing upsetting her stomach, though. Hunger, she was used to.

She looked up at the plaza she had just arrived in. In the middle of the day, it was so full of life. People of different social classes were just walking around, minding their own business. The richer were shopping for quality fabric, others for food. It was as if everything was normal, probably as it used to be before.

By this time, everyone knew of the city's 'scourge'. Early in the evening, streets were emptied almost completely. Only a few souls walked the streets at night, and those were mostly her own people - those with nowhere to call home but the street - guards, a few souls braver than most and drunkards. Also, Hunters. As far as Juniper understood, they had been appointed by the King to see to the problem they had. No one knew exactly what was going on, but the small people were not blind. Rumours circulated. Vile things stalked the nights, killing loved ones, abducting children and all manner of evil deeds. Such were the rumours, anyway.

As the day went by, she kept wandering the streets of the city seeking anyone willing to let her give them a hand in exchange for food, clothing or anything of the sort. Since heavy manual labours were too much for her, she usually received most of her stuff from people pitying her and gifting the child with what few they could dispossess themselves. It did not sit well with Juniper, but it was better than stealing - which she refused to do.

At some point in the late afternoon, as she was sitting down at the entrance of an alley close to the street, she witnessed a group of uncommon looking persons walking towards one of the gate of the city. By the look of the populace who witnessed the same thing, she guessed as to who it might have been - especially since they left as the sun was setting. Hunters, most likely.

Her eyes fell upon their attire and weapons, and the feeling within her suddenly doubled. It felt as a needle in her body, but it couldn't be described as painful. A sort of Phantom Feeling, something she could not describe. The macabre scenery of a few days ago resurfaced in her mind, and she brought her knees up upon her chest in an subconscious effort to hide from it.

Just what had happened that night?

”Hah! About fucking time!” Donnel slammed a flagging into the table as the call for another hunt was made. They’d be seeking out bloodsuckers this time. Apparently they had attacked some people in the city. Details were vague, but Donnel heard enough at the guildhall to feel confident for this one. Vampires, though imbue with profane powers, were still human in shape and form. They’ll die just as easily as any other person he’s killed, he figured. Though he’ll have to keep an eye out for any that try to go for his neck. Assuming they didn’t tear out his throat, he’d rather not become a vamp himself. Not yet anyways.

”Alright lads and lassie, I’ll rally ya this time. We got a job, we got our blades, and next time we come back here we’ll have a tale to tell. Now let’s head out!” Not the best rally Donnel ever lead, but as long as everyone could share his bravado he didn’t care for the quality of his wordplay. He grabbed another drink and a few snacks for the trip. He was joined by a few more hunters, familiar faces from yesterday, as well as a couple of new ones. Despite his rally no one really followed him and instead went with Captain Drystan. Fine with him: Donnel goes at his own pace.

As he continued ever onward Donnel noticed a vagrant on the side of the street. Normally he’d ignore them like all people do, but this one appeared to be a rather pretty little moppet. He has no love for the dissitute and as a professional murader he has both worked alongside and slain many in his life. But he couldn’t resist a pretty face, and that beside, he could use a lass that owes him a favor. So he walked to this girl, dropping half a loaf of bread and even a still warm and greasy leg of chicken into her lap. He looked down to the girl and made his intentions clear. ”Follow me and do as I say, and you’ll get more from me.” Always a charmer, Donnel didn’t really bother to make his case as he went to catch up with the rest of the hunters.

---

Not much longer and the hunters were at the lair. They had the advantage of striking during the day, and thus the enemy likely didn’t know they were coming. But the possibility that perhaps they had animal spies or thralls, or whatever other magical trickery a vampire could muster, did not elude Donnel. Nor the possibility that perhaps this colony was not just made up of ruthless bloodsucking monsters of the night, but families who were simply living with the curse that afflicted them. If they were anything like the bandit camps he worked in before, there would be all manner of women, children, sickly, and innocents inside.

Donnel never saved them before and he wasn’t going to start now.

Donnel choose to enter first. He had bundled some wood together to make a torch and kicked in the door. The first thing he did was throw said torch to the closest, most flammable thing he could see. In this instance it was a pile of mysterious green grass. Perhaps it was some herb or weed, but either way it lit up the room very well, not only illuminating the room inside but surprising any vampire here. Donnel could plainly see about seven total, all of whom appeared to be grown men. He saw one just go down the stairs. ”Let the hunt begin!”

To the nearest man Donnel grabbed the hook off his belt and hurled it to an unfortunate sod. He barely knew what was happening when he felt the piercing pain of a hook dig into his spine and drag him forward right into Donnel’s shield spike. The vampire was hardy however, and while this alone would’ve killed a normal man it only made the vampire angry. He pushed Donnel away a fair distance, but he still kept onto his feet. The vampire however had a gaping chest wound. By the time he registered what was happening, he couldn’t even get a scream out as Donnel’s axe severed his skull in twain. The rest of the vampires quickly realized what was happening however and armed themselves. Most had swords, though two who were working the mysterious grass piles used the pitchforks they were holding to attack the hunters.

Underneath his helmet Donnel merely smiled. Though these vampires were stronger than the usual peasant, he was no greenhorn to a raid. They’ll need more than monstrous strength to survive this battle. Putting his axe away Donnel pulled out his hook from the vampire corpse, spinning it through the air as he approached his next enemy.

@ScorpionFlower

---

@Nymeria

---

Lia showed up to the gate, as arranged prior. She waited for a moment and closed her eyes. It became more symbolic to her now as she sits by the grass that outlined the castle's gate. The girl rubbed her palm against the dirt and swayed with the wind on her cheek. Merchant carts passed by her, followed by the clunking of the city gates to welcome the commerce. She could also hear the subtle ruffling of the woods: some creatures who would chirp or run about under the sun. The hunter stood at the meridian of nature and civilization.

Her brief commune was then interrupted by the familiar voice, one she'd gotten to know after a night of storytelling. To say the least, Irelia could already determine the accents and tones of Captrain Drystan. Among the inconceivable throng, he stood out as a ray of familiarity. It comforted her to have someone she knew.

She goes up and follows suit: towards the arranged meetup. Lia could have easily gone there herself, but it also helped to have someone be her guide. It would be a waste of time and energy to navigate alone. With some effort, she could follow his steps, listening to every footfall he made until they reached the den.

Lia stood center as he spoke, trying to take in and remember what detail the captain my offer. "No matter what happens, we need to remember our job. We are here to annihilate every last one of them. We do this for our King and our city. Don't let them down"

She nodded in response, for whatever it was worth. Lia quietly stood near the entrance to have a preliminary check of the area. Given, the area was dark. However, the small sounds and scents that the other hunters were nary able to pick up were given due notice by the blind hunter.

Libe has awnsered the call for Hunters as she was resting at her family estate. Unlike the other hunters yesterday, she did not partake in the revelry of drink and feasting. She didn’t consider yesterday’s work worthy of any celebration. All they did was lose a handful of misguided fools and overwhelmed some brute of a fishman, hardly a battle worthy of a swordswoman like herself. Hopefully this new hunt would provide a better challenge.

From what Libe gathered they would be hunting vampires. She knew a little of the beasts, though admittedly most of what she knew just came from tales. Their weakness for garlic, silver weapons, holy water, sunlight, holy symbols, running water, stakes in the heart, and decapitation. And Libe was fairly certain just about any creature could be killed by the last two. Still it paid to be prepared. So before she left for the hunt she visited another home near her family estate. It was the private home of the La’Spada family blacksmith, the very same one who crafted her blade. She came with a simple request.

”I am going to hunt vampires. I need you to silver my weapons.”

“Silver? Lass I hope you know that makes for a poor blade. You’re be better off swinging a broom at a vampire.”

Unlike the rest of the family servants, the family smith spoke candidly with the La’Spada family. It was his unique permission. Still Libe brushed off his concerns as she presented the daggers she usually had hidden in her sleeves. She left her sword sheathed on her back.

”If I had to I could slay a man with a spoon. But I will be facing vampires, which are creatures who are vastly different than your average man. Thus I need a weapon vastly different. I only need my daggers silvered. My sword, in my hands, is fine as is.”

The gruff smith chuckled but did as requested. He coated Libe’s daggers with silver, doing his best to ensure that the coating didn’t dull their cutting edge. Before she left he also presented her something else that may help her: a silver flask. Apparently it contained holy water from the temple. From the smell however Libe could tell it was alcohol.

“Aye. Holy Spirit!”

Libe met up with the other hunters and traveled to the location of their lair. It seemed unassuming at first, but Libe knew better than to underestimate her enemy. Like the fish monster, vampires were thinking creatures. Even if they had the element of surprise now, the vampires would quickly learn and adapt. Libe needed to do the same. When the door was kicked down Libe charged in and attacked. Seven enemies as far as she could see, not including one that was quickly dispatched by the marauder. Most had swords but a few had pitchforks. Even if they were farmer tools, they were still dangerous and long.

Libe charged at one of the vampires armed with a sword. It was more of a machete really, perhaps a falchion if one was generous about sword descriptions. One thing was for certain, they were designed for a chilling motion, which would make their techniques easier for Libe to counter. Sure enough her opponent opened with an overhead chop at Libe, taking a step back expecting her to run into the blade. Slightly better than novice in technique but not enough to defeat Libe. She simply ducked off to the side and let the vampire’s swing overshoot, causing him to open himself to Libe’s slash.

In one swift motion she drew her sword from her sheath and brought the blade across the man shoulder, going from his neck down to his hip. Unlike yesterday when she fought the smaller fishman, Libe didn’t make the mistake of underestimating her opponent’s toughness. She put her full body into this slice and ensures that her blade first cleaved through the vampire’s shoulder before she sliced the rest of her blade through his body. The only thing Libe had to avoid then was the shower of blood.

”So they bleed. Just like… Us.”

Libe had no time to contemplate what she just did as the other vampires began their attack. Bursting out from a room behind her was another, much larger and burlier vampire. His eyes glowed in the darkness, and he wielded two wood cutting axes in his hands with ease. Libe was certain that even if he wasn’t a vampire, his sheer strength would’ve allowed him to do this. Libe simply swiped the blood off her blade and deftly avoided a pitchfork as it was thrusted at her, as well as an axe swing as it whiffed through the air over her head. As both attacks missed Libe sundered the shaft of the pitchfork with a slash of her sword. After destroying the weapon Libe quickly pulled a dagger from her sleeve and stabbed the large vampire in a knee, causing him great pain as making him lose his footing. All Libe had to do then was sweep the foot and cause him to tumble to the ground.

With those two temporary neutralized Libe took a step back and looked at her opponents. Still more enemies to deal with, and likely more hidden within this complex. Libe could let herself be slowed down by mere fodder. Chances are there was a leader here, someone who was a cut above the regular vampires. Slaying my him would surely cement Libe’s skills as a swordswoman. But for now she needed to deal with his underlings first. Their leader will come in due time.

@Lucius Cypher

The trapper had been silent since the fish monster had met its end. After the others had departed, long after, Davos had remained. On that island this creature had dwelled with superiority yet sheer numbers, not truly the skill of the hunters, had brought it and its children down for good. Its lair was razed, eggs smashed, and likely someone had taken care of the rotting corpses no doubt within the center of the caverns. Fish monster was dragging people here to feed so there would be a fair bit of them.

Davos had spent the better part of a day ritualistically cutting the scaled flesh from the fallen adversary, if possible they would be peeled off the skin and used to provide light weight protection on an article of armor at his discretion. A splash of its blood had been added to the red cloth about his face to honor the beasts passing as a worthy challenger. The difficult part had been collecting the sharp fins.
They held their edge remarkably and while nothing came to mind right now he believed they could be of use somewhere else.

Perhaps they could line a bracer, caught by surprise it could easily cut open someones throat..

"You will be remembered, creature. Your death will be honored with proper reverence befitting your strength."

Davos dug into the sand of the beach bare handed, a trough to place the body in before covering it back up.

A small rowboat had come to retrieve him at his request, starting the journey back 'home' where his new partner was no doubt drinking away his earnings. In a perfect world this fellow would be the same stock as himself, tenacious and clever, but a brute had his uses. Strong bodies did not break when put to the test and under the Hunters guildwork they would be coming across some of the strongest in time.

---

The Wilderness of Belvoir

---

Davos was the next inside, his curved dagger in his right hand, following Marauder closely to protect his flank. Vampires were not always cowards but even they had an amount of intelligence to ambush. To the shadows the trapper looked for signs of movement. The fluttering of cloth, the shine of eyes, anything that would give away a position.

Juniper clutched harder at her stomach. Not only was her phantom pain acting up, but she was hungry as all hells. Just as a growl escaped from her small body did some bread and cooked meat fell down from the skies onto her lap. For a moment she remained in silent, staring at the food in disbelief. For half a second, she really did think it fell from the sky. A quick look up revealed that it was not divine providence that assured her next meal, but a fully armoured man staring down at her very menacingly. At least he seemed menacing, but it might have been due to his helmet and generally tough looking apparel.

The multiple weapons on his person, among which a very vile looking hook, did not help his appearance.

Him speaking up destroyed the remaining hopes that a kind hearted man hid under such garments. His voice was deep, and his ordering tone did not exude any friendly warmth. A hunter, to be sure. Perhaps a killer, too? Juniper had heard nasty rumours from the folks about what kind of people had joined the King's newly appointed Hunters.

As he stopped, his group did not really wait for him. Nor did he wait for her answer: after dropping the food, he ordered her to follow and basically just took off with his group. Left on the spot, Juniper quickly took the food and jumped up, looked around as if there would be some sort of answer to her predicament in her immediate surroundings, and dashed off to keep up with the armoured figure.

Now, she did not do so to follow orders, but she was put on the spot and did not have time to think her decision. The man had given her food - she owed him. In the late weeks, she managed to stay clear of being in anyone's debts, as she hated not being to repay them. How the hell was she supposed to repay someone who was among the richer group of folks in the city?

Strangely enough, no one seemed to matter that she tagged alone even once outside city gates. She remained in the man's shadow, silent as a lamb. It happened to her often enough - that none even acknowledged her presence. They either did not even see her, or did not care the slightest.

---

It wasn't until they reach a wooded area that she truly began wondering why she actually followed them, and how the hell she got from her usual wandering of the city to prowling in the woods with a group of hunters.

Moments later, they were before a cavern entrance. Everything happened ridiculously fast:

Armoured man kicked down the door. Same man threw a torch in and charged inside like a mad man. Some shadowy hooded man also charged in, albeit with less murderous intent, or not as clear. Quickly enough, she was alone outside. Afeared, she took refuge by the cavern's entrance until the noise of fighting got deeper and deeper into the cavern.

It was only then that she dared to step - very slowly - toward the entrance. As soon as she turned the corner she came face to face with a kid about her age. A very pale boy faced her, looking just as surprised as her to see a child there. It took her a moment to realize she blocked his way. Surely he had managed to hide and sneak his way past the moving onslaught.

he took a step toward her, glaring his fangs at her, but stopped dead in his track, confusion in his eyes. He looked at her from top to bottom. It was as if he smelled something.

Juniper simply stepped aside, motioning him to leave. "Go...quick!" she whispered.

After one last glance at her, he was gone.

A quick glance at the massacre inside quickly brought back bad memories and made her decide to remain outside and wait for the hunters to reappear. After which she will follow them back to the city and do her very best to never get in such a situation ever again.

She clutched at her stomach stronger than before. The phantom pain was back in full.

A sickly smile spread across Drystan's face as he watched the other hunters burst in to attack. He held back a moment, reveling in the sounds of chaos and bloodshed. His blood pulsed quicker as the draught he had recently ingested began to take effect. He could feel his strength building as he flexed his fists, reaching for his sword.

He charged into the lair, drawing his sword from it's scabbard as he flew through the doorway. He went for the first creature he came to, a young adult male, inexperienced at fighting. The poor creature only had a rake in hand, most likely one of the younger workers in the group. He swung his would-be weapon at Drystan uselessly as the captain quickly jumped out of the way. He swung his sword down and sliced right into the vampire's shoulder, cleaving a great gash and opening up veins. Blood spurted and the creature screamed in pain. He had clearly never experienced a silver weapon before. Caught off guard by the pain, he dropped his rake and grasped at his new wound. Taking advantage of the moment, Drystan drew back his sword and swung with all his strength, slicing sideways and cleaving the creature's head clear off it's shoulders. It flew across the room and rolled along the floor between another creatures legs.

The body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. Drystan turned his attention as another creature came barreling towards him, this one with an actual weapon. Dagger in hand and much more experienced than the first, he lunged at the captain, narrowly missing his waist. Drystan twisted out of the way and brought his elbow down sharply to the back of his opponent's head, knocking him to his knees. He went to swing his sword for the kill but the creature was too fast. He rolled out of the way and Drystan's sword clanged loudly against the hard ground. Both recovered their footing and weapons and went in for the attack. Drystan blocked the vampire's dagger with his sword, letting it slide down into the hand guard. He swung in a wide circle, loosening the dagger's hold against his sword and swung into the creatures arm. It sliced down to the bone but was stopped there. The man snarled in pain, but recovered faster than his counterpart. He went in for another attack, swinging the dagger this time, trying to slash at Drystan's chest. Moving out of range, Drystan turned his eyes to the burning pile of brush in the center of the room. He swiftly reached for the dead man's rake and used it to fling some burning debris at his opponent. Covering his eyes from the falling ashes, the creature was momentarily defenseless. Drystan took advantage of his open chest, and stabbed inward, turning his sword sideways to fit between the rib cage. Piercing through the creatures heart, there was a gasp before he fell limp to the ground.

Drystan retrieved his sword and turned to look at the room. There were three doorways he could see. One lead back in the direction of the entrance, one open leading to a dark stairway, and another with a wooden gate. He chose quickly, moving to the nearest door, heading down an empty set of stairs. He moved quickly down the steps, his eyes scanning, making sure there were no creatures hiding in the shadows. At the bottom, he found himself in another doorway, this one with curtains leading to a room with three pillars. He slunk quietly to the side, trying to remain hidden to gather some intel before moving forward. He could see shadows moving in the room but it was impossible to tell how many...

So far, the killings were going well. The element of surprise allowed the hunters to get a few solid kills on the vampires before their own warriors could muster a defense. And while they did have a few heavy hitters here, the vampires were no doubt still confused and uncertain what they faced. Such as the nature of an ambush.

Donnel was ready to move ever onwards when one of the vampires, thought to be dead, made a run for it. He was no fool, and would rather risk burning in the bright morning sun then to face the hunters in his own. But he also knew that he could not escape easily during the day. With his injuries and his weakness, he needed a prisoner.

So he grabbed the first defenseless looking person he say, Juniper. Poor girl was just trying to avoid the mayhem, only to be dragged to it. The vampire lunged at Juniper, his mind still racing between taking her as a human shield to fend off against those paranoid humans, or a margining chip to make his escape. Unfortunately for him but fortunately m for everyone else, Donnel has different plans. When the vampire put his hands in Juniper a single axe cleave decapitated the head of the man in one clean blow. It was no silver weapon, but a steel blade could do as well as a silver weapon if you need it to cut off heads.

”Careful kid. Don’t need you Dead.” Donnel extended a hand to pick Juniper up. But as luck would have it, a one of the corpses was not quite yet dead. The vampire Donnel has faced and split his skull had just recovered from the otherwise fatal and life ending injury. While Donnel had his back turned the vampire whelp picks up the pitchfork he was using for baling hay and threw it at the back of an otherwise distracted or uninterested Donnel.

---

Lia wanted a silent approach, a calculated entry to map out just what they were up against. A coven could span from a small group to a literal army equaling that of a king. Even then, experience would play a vital role. An undead creature could easily accumulate generations of knowledge, know the workings and inhibitions of man, as they, too, were once mortal. Time was not against these creatures, maybe even for them.

With how small their hunting group was, Lia hoped for the former.

What little Lia had gathered before, she spoke to the group. "We must think of our strategy properly." She whispered. "We are better off to think carefully before we--"

Ha! About fucking time!

Lia's solemn warning was ignored. Completely. The hunter couldn't work with chaos; she wasn't able to perceive threats as easily as others, and the crashing of a wooden door, followed by the immediate clanging of metal, shouting and gashing was a sensory overload.

(You rash creature!!!!!!) A passing, annoyed thought. However, now was not the time to sulk at the circumstances. This mission would have to lack the finesse of a clean hunt, so Lia nocks a silver-tipped arrow: an untested (for her) method to eliminate a vampire.

She walked in and tried to make sense of everything. Everything was just an approximate location. This skirmish was too risky to go making blind shots, and her arrows were limited. When enemy and ally were so interlaced in sound and scent, Lia feared to take a shot. This was also considering her arrows could be retrieved after, a wrong shot against a wall or through bone would easily break her arrows, rendering the rare metal at the tip useless.

Lia was useless in a group fight, and decided not to intervene.

"May fortune favor the fools.." She whispered, now trying to go deeper. She does so by following the path close to a wall, until she felt the feel of a door and the metal knob. The hunter tread carefully, turning her ears towards the little disruptions along the corridor. A creature that equals man's thinking would also know how to slink; they would know how to use stealth, as she did.

Her adrenaline spiked, her heart was leaping. This dulled her ears as every beat rushed to her hearing. However, every bump, every drip and footfall didn't go unnoticed as the fighting above dwindled. Until there was silence again. Perfect. Lia breathed slowly to calm herself, bow and dagger clutched on her right hand, ready to strike anything that passed her. Her blade was wrapped in thin cloth, an attempt to hide its glinting. The soft light of the wall scones already gave her away: an advantage for the blood-addled monsters.

Still, she pursues forward, watching her steps: a light tap on the ground, followed by a footfall on solid ground. As she enters the next room (Area 4), the unmistakable sound of presence filled her ears. It was a resounding sulk-like sound. Almost crying. Then, rattling of chains.

"What are you doing here?" Calmly, she asked the caged... human(?) Lia was well aware what this being could be, and chose to keep distance.

No response, however the sulking stopped. "Please.. h--help me. I don't want to--" The being growled like an animal, a guttural sound from his throat, immediately followed by snapping of the teeth. "I can-- I can feel myself turning... Please."

"..." There was a shared moment of quiet. Each passing second affirmed her suspicion, and she just nodded. "I understand."

"There should be a key by the table th---thh---grrrrrr--there!" There was a slight gurgle in his words, a viscous liquid spurted from his mouth by the sound of it.

Lia nodded again, extending her hand to find a wall. She made careful stride as to not knock anything over. This little fumbling, and her ever unchanging gaze gave it off. "Y--you.

you're.." The captive rattled his cage, incredulously pointing out the now-obvious

"blind? I know." Lia interjected. "am I near the table or not?" Sharply, she followed up. Her mercy was well above her patience, so she continued to 'help' this prisoner avoid turning.

Finally, she reaches the table, now feeling the surface. She tried to make her search quick, as any moment a fully-turned vampire could swoop in and catch her unaware, with only a dagger to protect herself. This would spell the end of her quest, and probably life. After some light taps, a small piece of metal touched her fingertip. Lia picked it up and studied the form. The ridges at the end only confirmed what the object was. She crept over to the cage and lay her hand on the lock, feeling the keyhole to open the cage. She held the dagger tightly with her other hand.

"You will be free soon.."

Everything happened so fast. "I--I'm so sorry..."

As soon as she turned the key, the creature pushed at the small door and burst out of the cage. It kicked strongly, the brunt of it felt almost like a horse's kick! This caught Lia off as she stumbled back briefly, rolling on the dirt. "I'm really-- really...s---sorry."

A weight fell on top of her chest as cold hands cradled her head and shoulder, then pulling the two apart to reveal Lia's exposed neck. She tried to buck him off, thrashing now and fighting against the firm grip on her form. This clash went on for some few seconds until Lia surrendered her fate. She clenched her jaw and prepared for the inevitable. Even with the dagger in her hand, the creature could easily make use of what little life it still had left.

"I can't help it. I'm just so hungry and you looked so delicious. Your blood.. your.." He said nothing else, now plunging his barely-sharp fangs against the hunter. Lia made a last effort to push him off, having the vampire miss her vein completely, instead biting at the muscle near her collar bone. He gulped and slurped hastily, messily, unconcerned as the life from his prey dwindled with every intake. And in turn, Lia, too, thrust her dagger at the creature. The vampire wouldn't relent as Lia fought back.

It was able to take two gulps before its end came. She stabbed him over and over and over, each one weaker than the last. Until the vampire stopped feeding and fell to the floor, stiff.

Her fate has been sealed as she rolled forward to prop herself against the table. She fumbled, disoriented by the blood that spurted from her side. Lia was somewhat drenched in her own blood as she now pressed her palm against the bite wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.