As always Iva remained utterly silent as the hunters moved onto their next objective. However this mission reeked of political intrigue. Decimating a hostile clan of vampires was one thing, but from the Intel they received about this coven stroked Iva as very wasteful. While the guild was meant to hunt monsters, surely it would be in their benefit to have some monsters on their side. After all Iva was all too aware that the good captain himself tries to emulate their vast strength using those Titan Potions. Surely this would be easier if he was, say, a vampire. The Hunter's Guild were little more than a supernatural bounty hunters, and Iva saw no reason why not to take up other monsters and beasts who can be turned to the cause. That being said it wasn't really Iva's business. But she was aware of the true intentions of this mission, and had her own objectives in it.

And so the hunt began. The brutes kicked in the door and immediately started chaotic fighting. Iva couldn't really agree with their methods, or rather, it could've used better execution. She knew the value of stirring confusion among the ranks of enemies but simply kicking down the door and start hacking away would give the enemy a chance to muster up some reinforcements of their own later. They should've tried to sneak in and cut off their escape routes first, to ensure that their attack didn't alert the others. But it was too late for that now. Iva simple took her spear out and readied herself for battle.

While normally Iva would use a bow, battles in this area would be too compact for her to risk shooting into melee. And even if her spear was somewhat cumbersome, as long as she remained mobile she should be fine. She didn't bother to waste time in the first room; the brutes had this place handled. Iva needed to head down deeper and take out their leaders before they could rally a defense. Unlike the others however, Iva still used stealth to bypass her enemies. While everyone was occupied fighting for their lives, Iva slipped by unnoticed, shadowing even her fellow hunters to see what they may come across. It wasn't long before Iva found herself alone in a dark, dimmly lit cave. No doubt vampires were hidden in the shadows. But Iva was no stranger to the dark either; prior to enting this cave she had imbibed a Potion of Night Eye, thus allowing her to see in the shadowy darkness. She had also consumed a Potion of Black Blood. While she hopes that she never gets bit, fortune favors the prepared, and when she inevitably will her foe would not live long enough to regret it.

But perhaps she should have given this potion to others instead. Iva stumbled upon a rather ghastly scene as one of the other hunters knelt near the corpse of a vampire. From the look of things, she had gotten bit. Iva wasted no time ensuring the death of the creature, stabbing her silver-tipped spear into the heart of the monster and giving it a twist. She also impaled the creature through the eye just for good measure, wincing only slightly as she saw the blood and gore at the end of her spear from the vampire's face. Then she turned to the huntress. Her wounds were not lethal, but it was obvious that she was bitten by a vampire. Their curse occasionally transfers through bites, and the possibility that this huntress may turn is very real. But then again, Iva did believe that the guild could use some allies from the dark. Who better than a few loyal hunters already part of the organization?

Iva knelt down to the huntress (Lia) and took out a potion and some bandages. For once in a long while, she spoke. "Let me bandage you. We must be quick, this place is not safe. Drink this potion." Handing the huntress a Blood Tinge, this should help her recover from the blood lost, heal her wounds, and resist the vampire disease. All the while Iva kept her weapon close and her senses sharp for any enemies or even her allies should they reach them. And should the huntress allow Iva to do so, she'll bandage her wounds too, at least enough to make them stop bleeding. That way any other vampire doesn't smell her from a mile off, like a feast on feet.

As he stood in the doorway, Drystan listened intently to the sounds around him. It was hard to pick out exactly what was happening where, as he could still make out sounds from the fight going on upstairs. He could see flickers of movement from the room in front of him, unsure if it was perhaps candle light or if there were actual beings in the room. He guessed the latter.

Unable to gain much more information, he decided to just go for it. Swinging his sword into a ready position, he burst through the curtains that served as the door. He surveyed as he moved, and noticed three large creatures right away. One came lunging at him and he realized this one was female. She wielded a candlestick in her hands and swung it at the captain as he darted through the room. He dodged and swung his sword back behind him, slicing into the creatures back. She screamed in pain and tried to swing once again. Drystan turned on his heel and stabbed his sword straight through her throat and out the back of her neck. She let out a gurgle as blood filled her mouth, the candlestick dropping to the floor. With a swift motion, Drystan swung his sword and freed her head from her shoulders.

He turned and saw two figures crouched in a small corner room. There was another female holding onto what appeared to be a child. This gave him pause as he briefly considered his next move. He knew this was a possibility and he also knew his duty. Unable to go against his King and knowing any children living here must be vampires, he quickly disposed of both of them, leaving their lifeless bodies laying where they sat, huddled together.

As he drew his sword back from slaying the creatures, he heard a noise behind him. He quickly spun around to face his foes, but was taken aback. Three more figures had suddenly appeared behind him as he had been distracted. One woman and three men, all on the larger size, and all carrying real weapons. He braced himself, preparing for the attack. All three rushed him at once, swords poised and ready. He parried one attack, ducking out of the way of the second, and letting his leather armor absorb the blow of the third. He swung towards the center-most assailant and sliced their side, only doing external damage. He went to block an attack from the female vampire when he felt a blunt force against his back. He stumbled forward as one of the creatures slammed their entire body weight into him, knocking him off balance and throwing off his attack. He struggled to regain his footing but was ultimately unable when the second vampire also slammed into him. He fell to the ground, slashing out as he did so. He was able to slice across one of the creatures legs before a sword came hurdling at him. He rolled to the side, able to narrowly avoid a lethal blow. He winced as he felt the stitches in his side from the previous day's fight open up.

He pushed his body forward, using his feet and legs to propel himself towards his back and rolled forward, missing another attack. He got to his feet, steadying himself before swing diagonally across the body of the first male. His sword went through the soft part of the neck, down past the collarbone and out under the armpit. The creature fell over as the other two went in for an attack. He dodged again and went to return a blow when a blood-curdling screech from somewhere deep in the caverns rang in his ears. The two other vampires stopped what they were doing and ran off towards the stairs leading down. Drystan was left along, surrounded by the dead, as blood began to seep through his shirt from his old wounds. He brought his hand up to his side, putting pressure on the injury in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"What the fuck was that....?"

---

@Norschtalen

---

The girl was quick to follow, now pulling off her pauldrons and showing the bite. (..Damn.) Lia took a swig to taste, then hungrily gulped the concoction. The hunter had a collection of remedies and antidotes-- but vampirism? Only tales. Some apothecaries offered silver dust suspended in clove oil, and some would straight out recommend stuffing chopped garlic in the wound. Perhaps now would be the time to test out these curatives? This hunt may just offer her enough gold to purchase the vial of silver. At this point, any recommendation to cure the affliction.

Lia shakily tried to crush the garlic with the flat of her blade and rubbed the mush into the bite as it was being bandaged. She had to exhale slowly, else risk screaming in pain and giving away the two hunters' location.

"You.. must not tell the others." She was gasping, swiping at the air until her hand had something to hold to: Iva's bicep. Even so soon, Lia could get a feel of how warm the other hunter was.. how the fluid within her pumped slowly, pulsating against the turning hunter's cold touch. "You.. must not tell the others." Lia's grip tightened, almost digger her nails at Iva's skin.

Still, the blind hunter had control of her actions-- unlike the creature that lay limp nearby. Would this be her fate, too?

Juniper's mind was still on the 'boy' vampire that just escaped, and to why exactly he did not attack her since she was obviously part of the hunter's group. Somehow.

Though her mind did not wander for long. She had been standing in the doorway of the cavern for too long it seemed since she felt a strong grip takes hold of her arm. A man, no mere child this time, pulled her towards him to use as a shield. Fear took a hold of her, but not for long.

Before she could even fully comprehend what had happened, the same man that was the cause of her presence here, Donnel, had decapitated the new menace with one mighty swing of his ax. Not at all bothered by the bloodied cadaver now falling on the ground right beside the girl, he extended a hand to her.

In doing so, the hunter slightly bent forward allowing Juniper to catch a glimpse of what was behind him. Another vampire seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, but Juniper saw it grab a weapon on the ground and aim it at the hunter. Surprised at her own quickness of mind, she shouted as she pushed the man aside.

"Watch out!"

However, her physical strength was not up to this task, but it had been just enough to make the pitchfork miss it's main target and hit a less vital part of the hunter's body. Blood spattered on Juniper, the thrown weapon only inches from her face.

The girl fell backward, immediately looking around in panic. The vampire did not remain still - he was now advancing towards the pair at a rapid pace. She saw a dagger hanging from the belt of the vampire who had seized her moments ago, and she grabbed it. Standing back up, holding it with both hands, she pointed it towards the still 'living' enemy.

She was shaking. The puny dagger trembling in her hands. To top it all off, a harrowing screech was heard coming from the cavern's belly. No good could come of that, but the present ordeal was too much to allow her mind to wander as to what could have caused it.

@lucius cypher @ScorpionFlower

It all happened quickly. A vampire grabbed the girl tailing the two armed and experienced hunters, hoping for a human shield, was quickly dispatched with a swing of Marauders heavy axe. The strong blade cleaved through flesh and bone with impunity.
A moments unawareness cost them, as a corpse rose from the floor armed with a crude but sharp pitchfork, letting fly the makeshift projectile. Junipers push had given Marauder enough space to avoid a hopefully serious or fatal injury, but a smaller vampire was fleeing put the room while the other was still rising to challenge them.

The Howl, echoing from the walls about them into the very core of his being, brought out the hunger from within. Lung capacity, volume, the power behind the noise! An alpha of some sort?
Adrenaline pumping, Davos broke from his silent watchful nature straight into the hunter.
From his hip came the wrapped cord studded with dozens of sharp pieces of steel, designed to cut into flesh rather than Marauders hook lodging in the soft meat.
A flick of his right hand had the dagger in the injured vampires chest, the whip came across next to wrap about its neck. A heavy yank brought the serrated teeth if the whip to bear as it cut deeper and deeper into the flesh until striking nothing but bloody bone. One more sharp yank seperated the whip from the vampires neck and the vampires head from its shoulders.

The whip fell to the ground as Davos all but ran to Marauder, shoving him forward as he yanked the crude weapon from his back. Out the door he ran, arm back with pithfork in hand. A grunt from outside was the only indiciation something had happened, before a smaller voice cried out in pain.
It carried for a few minutes before being cut off suddenly.

A few moments later Davos returned to the room with thw vampire childs severed head in his hands.

A madness had taken his to his normally calm eyes, the bloodshot orbs stared at Juniper the same way a man looked at an ugly insect.

The concealed wristbands on his left arm was extended and dripping with the childs blood. Its head flopped down at her feet, splashing her boots and pants with its blood as it rolled to reveal the last moments of life still on its face.
Terrified.

"You are in my way, child. Cost me the blood of an ally with your uselessness again and I'll kill you MYSELF." The blade inched closer as he leaned in. "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR."

Shoving her out of the way, Davos retrieved his dagger and whip before looking to Marauder.

"I'm going for whatever made all that noise. You want my share of the coin for killing it, I'd suggest getting your act together."

Pulling his hand away from his side, he saw it covered in blood. Drystan scowled at it but he wouldn't let it slow him down. He whipped the vampire blood off his sword onto his pants and took a moment to survey the now empty room. Littered with bodies and blood, he took a long look at each of the lifeless husks. As all of them appeared to be fully dead, he made his way to the doorway the previous two vampires had disappeared through. He wondered briefly if the hunters above would follow. Not sure how they were faring in their own battles, he decided to move on.

He slowly took each stair one at a time, quietly making his way down the long stairwell. The stone steps were cold under his feet and he could feel the cold air bouncing off the stone walls. He wondered how far down into the earth he was and how the vampires built this system. As he came to a curve in the stairs he paused as he could see the light coming from the next room. He could hear movement and some voices....many voices. Some sounded worried, some angry, while there was one that sent a chill down his spine. He couldn't understand what this one said but it was louder than the rest, a deep, booming voice that carried over the the hard ground. He adjusted his grip on his sword as he began the descent once again.

He came to the doorway (to room 6) and could see the shadows of figures on the far side of the room. There appeared to be some kind of pit in the center of the room surrounded in torches. The flickering light of the fires made it difficult to track the shadows movements. Based on what he could hear, he guessed there were a good number of vampires left in this room. Perhaps that was all that was left of them. Either way, he was vastly outnumbered.

He pushed himself against the wall as a figure ran across the room to the doorway located along the closest wall. He heard footsteps fade into the distance. Must be another staircase... he thought to himself. He took a moment to collect himself, feeling to make sure his dagger was still in it's sheath in case he needed it. Alright, let's do this...'

He lunged into the room, quickly taking in his surroundings. He could see the whole pit he had spotted from the doorway. It took up a good half of the room with raised walls around it. On the far side of the room were somewhere between fifteen to twenty vampires. Of those, around 5 were children, 8 were women and the rest were men. Other than the normal-looking ones was a monster of a creature. A male vampire, upwards of of 7 feet tall, with huge, square shoulders. He appeared older than the others, larger and and more muscular by far. He had a massive battle axe strapped to his back. His red eyes fixated on the new human in the room and he pulled his lips back in what could only be described as a snarl, revealing two massive fangs. A handful of the women pushed the children farther against the wall, placing their bodies between them and the captain. The rest of the women and men stepped forward next to their leader, some with weapons, some merely brandishing fists. They were ready for this fight.

Drystan raised his sword. He let out a battle cry and ran towards the group. There was a great clash of metal against metal as he made contact with the first wave that rushed out to meet him. The room tapered off as the pit came up close to the wall so only two of the vampires were able to fit through at a time. As he fought the two that came first, he could see out of the corner of his eye that two more were rushing around the other side. It wouldn't be long before he was flanked by them. He would have to work quickly.

The massive creature smiled and slowly drew his axe. The blade of the axe was larger than his head and the way he held it was completely effortless. He slowly began stepping forward, making his way to the battle.

All Iva did was make sure that the huntress's wound didn't get further infected nor debilitate her injuries. Aside from the Blood Tinge, Iva had no "cure all" potion, nor any specific cure for vampirism. Chances are the girl was infected. As Iva finished up the huntress grabbed Iva and begged her not to tell anyone. Iva narrowed her eyes at the woman, but realized that would be a meaningless gesture. This woman was blind. So instead Iva just slipped out of Lia's grasp and stood up, picking up her spear with her. "What you do with your life is none of my concern. I suggest you find a cure. Regardless, I'll only warn you now. If you pose any danger to me or others I will not hesitate to cut you down."

A deafening roar echoed throughout the cave complex. From the sound of it, it came from the lower levels. No doubt at this point the vampires had mustered up their defenses and even brought for some terrible monster to war off the hunters. Alas, they must push onwards. If Iva had the time and materials she'd suggest just burying the entire coven underground, but doing so doesn't ensure that they're all dead. Vampires were tricky beings after all, and chances are they had an escape tunnel somewhere down there. Without another word Iva put her spear away to draw her bow, heading down to find what awaits them.

Iva, hidden in the shadow of the doorway, could see that the good captain had already taken the initiative to battle the vampires on his own. He was a brave, foolish man. Iva took out two arrows, one broad and another poisoned. Iva lacked silver arrows and thus she'd have to hope that her shot would simply strike true, which should be fairly easy considering that her foes, while vampires, were still in the shape of men. She had no problems striking them. So she let the arrow fly, where it found it's home in a vampire's eye. It wasn't a deathblow, but it did cause the man to scream in pain and stun him along enough for Drystan or anyone else to pick him off. With a different arrow Iva shot one of the vampires standing near the tall one. The arrow sank into his chest, and even if he was a vampire, Iva's poison can taint the dead. But this poison wasn't her usual Addle; it was the Hallucinogen. She hoped maybe she could trick the vampire into going into a blind fury and attacking his allies, or at least causing a route. Either way, Iva stealthy entered the room, drawing another two arrows in predation.

@Migyudon

Mikhail

-----Midday-----

Mikhail’s breath passed out from between his lips as he walked down the large dirt road. It was strange, no one was on the road, especially during a day like this. Brynhild padded along beside him, her large form coming up to Mikhail’s hips. Solid steel armor covered her body, moving smoothly with the wolf’s muscles. A long, red coat waved in the light breeze, along with Mikhail’s black hair. Two sets of blue eyes scanned the road ahead of them, one canine, the other human. Strong, steel armor adorned Mikhail’s chest and back. His tough boots were caked in dirt. The handle of a fine sword rode just over his right shoulder. His strong jaw was set firmly. The duo had been on the road for over a week now, the Royal Notice sitting, tucked away, within Mikhail’s coat.

In the distance, the midday sun illuminated the castle of Belvoir. Glints of light shone off of the high windows, visible to Mikhail. “Damn, It’s still a day’s travel.” Mumbling to Brynhild, Mikhail stretched his neck as he continued walking.

-----Dusk-----

Mikhail was sitting off to the side of the road, Brynhild curled up beside him. Her red snout, striking compared to the white of her body, was resting on top of Mikhail’s leg. A piece of venison hung out of her mouth as she chomped down on the meal. Sighing, Mikhail’s stomach growled. Reaching into his bag, Mikhail’s hand came back with another day’s worth of venison. Two days if he gave it all to Brynhild. Looking down at the large wolf, Mikhail smiled sadly. Once again, his stomach growled. Patting the wolf’s head, Mikhail put the venison back in the bag.

Looking up, the man could clearly see the moon as it sat high in the sky. The dying lights of the sun just now vanishing over the horizon. Wonder sparked in Mikhail’s mind. What was over there, beyond the horizon? His father had told him that all ended when you reached the horizon, but for some reason, Mikhail just couldn’t believe that. There had to be something, right?

Sighing, Mikhail leaned against the tree that stood behind him. He left his hand on top of Brynhild’s head. Trusting her to guard him, Mikhail quickly fell asleep, the sheath of his blade digging into his back.

-----Morning-----

His eyes opened, Mikhail rouse Brynhild. Apparently the night had been uneventful. Which was a relief. Scratching her on the chin, Mikhail threw another piece of venison at the wolf. Stretching, several pops sounded from his spine. Gasping from the relief that they brought, Mikhail opened his eyes wide. A loud yawn escaped his throat as he tied his bag back up. Hooking it around his waist, the man scratched Brynhild just behind the ear.

“Come on Brynhild, the castle is a half day from here.” Indeed it was. Belvoir castle was astonishingly closer than it had been the day before. Its towers easily seen, their majestic might soaring high. Even the sprawling city that surrounded the castle had come into view. Hundreds of pillars of smoke could be seen. People were most definitely burning wood to cook their breakfasts now.

-----Midday: The City Gates-----

Mikhail stood just outside the city’s gates. Their imposing heights almost dizzying. Mikhail had never seen a structure as tall as this. The greatness of the kingdom’s architects was nothing to scoff at. The man, born and raised in small villages, began to walk towards the gates proper. Several carts, drawn by oxen and horses, sat outside the gates. Merchants and farmers alike stood together. Of course, the merchant’s carts had a number of armed men around them. Plastering a welcoming smile on his face, Mikhail stepped through the throng of people. Finding a lone guard, the young man captured his attention.

“Excuse me sir, May I gain entrance into the city? I wish to apply for the Hunter’s Guild.” Mikhail’s country accent came out thick compared to the city-born voices of the people around him. The sight of Brynhild probably didn’t help. The guard looked astonished, but quickly regained his composure. Turning beat red, the man began to yell in Mikhail’s face, spittle flying everywhere.

“Who the hell do you think you are!?!? Some fucking noble? Get in the goddamned line! I don’t want to see your face till you go through their!” Astonished, Mikhail couldn’t say a thing as the pissed off guard walked away, mumbling about country bumpkins under his breath. Blinking, Mikhail began to walk down the line, until a farmer caught hold of his arm. The old man had a crooked back, and a long beard. Strong horses pulled a cart, heavy with vegetables, behind them.

“Young man, did I hear you correctly? You’re going to join that Hunter’s Guild?” The old farmer’s voice was ragged and scratchy, but their was a depth of wisdom behind it. His eyes did not match his hands. They were clear and bright, a vibrant green. Mikhail stood, taken aback, unable to say anything until the man spoke again. “Come on boy, you’ll go in with me.” The old farmer pulled Mikhail along behind, “The name is Jonathan Salksfoot.”

Mikhail couldn’t help but follow the man. Gulping a little, Mikhail’s facade shattered. This was too much. Getting yelled at for no reason, now getting dragged along by an old man. The people in the city were truely strange. Calming himself, he spoke, “Mikhail, Mikhail Lannyster.” That was all he could get out before the man spoke again.

“Well, Hunter, I have two requests for you.” The old man’s green eyes burrowed into Mikhails, “Don’t die and kill those monsters.” Looking back at the gate, the old man took out a series of papers. Handing them to a guard, Mikhail noticed the guard that had yelled at him earlier. He was scowling from a distance, but didn’t take any action. When Salksfoot returned, the duo entered the city gates, horses and cart trailing behind. “Monsters killed my son, boy. You are going to kill them.” Salksfoot looked into Mikhail’s eyes. There was a strength there, and a ferocity. Both of which are rarely seen in an old man. “You’ll find the guild halls down that way.” The old man pointed straight down the city’s main road. “Keep going until you reach the inner wall. Show them your notice and head right on in.” Pushing Mikhail towards the Guild Halls, Salksfoot continued on his way to the markets. Spinning around, Mikhail immediately lost sight of the old man. Blinking a few times, Mikhail looked down at Brynhild.

“Well, I guess we should go,” Tapping the wolf’s head, Mikhail stopped in his tracks. His hand immediately fell into his pocket. How had that old man known about the notice? Feeling a cold chill run down his spine, Mikhail hurried through the bustle of the city, Brynhild hot on his heels.

A soft breeze rustled her red tresses as Rosaline walked through the manor gates that led from the Weyenberg estates to the northern marketplace. Two large guards walked a few paces behind her, silently watching over her and her two younger siblings. Emmaline and Charillos both ran ahead of her, skipping on the cobblestone. Emmaline grabbed Charillos's hand to try to keep him with her, but he resisted her offer. He pulled away, stuck his tongue out at her, and ran into the crowd.

"Charillos!" Rosaline called after him. She frowned. She had known he was a bit of a trouble-maker in the city streets but she had hoped he would heed her warning and stay with his sisters. Emmaline looked back at her older sister with a sorry look, shrugging her shoulders. Rosaline sighed. "Stay with the guards while I go look for your brother." She said, shooting a glance back at the two guards to make sure they understood. Emmaline nodded in acknowledgement and walked to their side.

With that, Rosaline was off in the crowd. Her younger brother was always slipping off into the city, although he usually did it on his own time and not when his older sister was watching him. With all of the responsibilities pilled on top of her, she was beginning to feel rather frazzled. She rubbed her temples as she walked, searching.

Meanwhile, the boy ran through the streets, ducking in and out of people's ways. His speed was impressive, he clearly had experience in this matter. Charillos loved escaping his family's manor and being in the streets. He loved the sights and sounds of the city, seeing all the different people and the hustle and bustle. He grinned to himself as he ran until something caught his eye. There was a man walking with some kind of dog! He stopped running and watched him for a moment, his smile brightening. It wasn't just any dog, it was a wolf. He began to hop back and forth excitedly before running over to Mikhail.

"Doggy!" He yelled as he approached. He stopped just short of the wolf before looking up at the owner's face. "Can I?" he asked as he held his hand out.

"Charillos!" Rosaline called as she spotted him through the crowd. She ran over to him and grabbed a hold of his hand. "What have I told you about running off? It's dangerous! You could get lost or worse..." She paused before looking up at Mikhail. "I am so sorry. I hope he didn't bother you."

Brynhild jumped as the young boy appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Sniffing, the large wolf backpedaled a few steps, bumping into Mikhail's leg. The man had been reading the notice again, making sure he hadn't missed anything, like directions. Snapped from his thoughts, it took Mikhail a moment to pull himself together. A young woman, maybe two years younger than him stood there. Slightly bent, reprimanding the young boy. However, Mikhail's voice caught in his throat when she looked at him. Vibrant green eyes, bright with life and intelligence, looked out from underneath a few rogue strands of thick red hair. Her skin, pale but not alabaster, glowed beautifully in the sunlight. Blinking, Mikhail responded. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to this." A smile, part facade part true, grew on his face. For the first time in his life, Mikhail was selfconscious about his country accent. With an inner resolve, Mikhail turned to the boy.

Sitting down on his heels, his shoulders on his knees, Mikhail was eye level with the young boy. Just as striking as the woman, Mikhail looked into deep amber eyes, curiosity flowing from them. "Would you like to let her?" Letting the question hang, Mikhail beckoned Brynhild over. With a black-floved hand, the man grabbed her by the scruff, making sure she wouldn't run away. Looking up at the woman, Mikhail truely smiled at her. "If I knew that the commoners in the city were as beautiful as nobles I would have come here long ago." With a joke in his tone, Mikhail waited for Brynhild to get comfortable with the boy. Then, standing up tall, he offered his hand to the woman. "My name's Mikhail, may I ask for your's?"

Rosaline gave a slight smile, glad at least that this stranger was a friendly one. She was about to beckon Charillos to leave with her when Mikhail beckoned him towards his canine. Charillos was, of course, thrilled at the opportunity to pet a wolf. He grinned widely and began to lunge towards the creature before Rosaline grabbed ahold of his shoulders. "Gentle." she said, softly. Glancing up at her, he paused before slowing down and gently reaching towards Brynhild and stroking the top of her head. His smile widened as he continued to run his hand along her fur and slowly along her ear.

Rosaline was taken aback briefly at the flattering comment. "Oh, I'm..." she began before trailing off. She was about to correct him, say that she was a noble. A member of one of the most influential houses in the entire kingdom, in fact. But perhaps it was better he not know. "Thank you."

"Rosaline," she replied, extending her hand gingerly. This was a bit of an unusual situation for her, as she didn't often get out to meet new people anymore. Having recently taken over much of her family's responsibilities, she was often cooped up indoors. When she did get out, it was usually to shop or to attend small council meetings. She took in a deep breath and let out a quick sigh.

"Thank you for letting my brother pet your...wolf? She is very beautiful. But I have to help my sister finish our family's shopping. Charillos, we must go." The boy pouted, looking up at his sister. "Well if you didn't run off like this,
maybe I could take you out more."

Mikhail stood there, watching the exchange between the woman and her brother. Rosaline, a rose the color of her hair. Mikhail didn't want to see her go just yet, so he did something that he would never had thought to do. "Um, Rosaline, if you wouldn't mind, could I tag along?" Nudging Brynhild with his foot,the wolf padded back up to the boy. "You see, I'm new here, and I've found that I've gotten a wee bit lost." Hoping that the plea for mercy would allow him to walk with the woman, Mikhail didn't dare hold his breath. Suddenly, someone rammed into him from behind. Forcing Mikhail to take a step forward, right into the space in front of Rosaline. Immediately, their eyes met. Deep blue against jade green.

Taking a quick step back, like the side step of a dancer or a fighter, Mikhail stammered a little. "Sorry 'bout that." A sad smile spread across his face as Mikhail was convinced that his chances were gone now. "I'm not used to the hustle and bustle of the city, so I really need someone to help me out."

His statements weren't an exaggeration. For a small town boy like him, the roads of the city were like rivers of people. Horses moved up and down the street, soldiers in bright armor riding on top of he rolling steeds. Carts, with large andl loud wheels, travelled through the throngs of people. Then the people themselves. Always in a hurry, pushing and prodding, they travelled. Shopkeepers yelled at passersbys as dogs barked at vagrant cats. Rats and mice scurried in the dark corners of the city, carrying disease. Yes, this was all new to the young man. New, and terrifying.

On the North East road to Overresch
A small caravan of gypsies are making their way to the the Overresch to take a ship across the Trieste sea to a rumored kingdom of gold. Tales of what lay across the sea have always been fantasized about but little fact is known about what is actually out there. Each wagon is lead by four horses and carries 6-12 people each. The wagons follow each other at a steady pace as they approached the most dangerous part of the route. At the midpoint between Rothenburg and Overresch was the least amount of protection from the wild lay, and where the forest grew closest to the road, so close you could see the webs in the branches. The forest looks as though it has a constant lay of frost, an illusion created by the eight legged inhabitants.

Lurking in the treeline, they all skittered behind the trees and shrubs, some climbing up into trees and others shoving themselves in the dirt. They waited, lurking the shadows waiting for the human prey to move just past their location, allowing them to surprise their prey. Quickly crawling out from the shadows they all emerged and moved in on the caravan. The largest one, bigger than the horses and carriages, waited for the initial panic of the humans to send them all running, so it could feast on the horses. The massive swarm engulfed the caravan, feasting on the bodies of the gypsies, and dragging some back into the forest to be eaten or be used as an incubator. After the carnage settled all that remain were the carriages, still filled with the gypsies belongings, and some bloodied remains.

Settlement in the northern clearing Northeast of Augsburg
The houses in the small village settlement are all abandoned, filled with webs and decaying bodies, the houses have become nests, filled massive egg sacs. The settlement was initially started by The Filtiarn company a few months ago, to establish a stronghold against the spider menace. The humans living in the settlement lived long enough to build it, and that’s about it. Most of the houses don’t have furniture as few had actually ever been able to move in. The ground around village is completely white with webbing.

Rothenburg
In the kitchen of a small house on the lower west side of the city, an elderly woman sits down with her husband to enjoy a hot bowl of soup. Unfortunately, when she went to the market earlier and unwanted guest tagged along in the small crate of fresh produce she brought home. It had crawled out of the crate upon arrival and made itself hidden. As they sat blowing on the hot soup and enjoying each other company, it made its way across the floor and crawled up the backside of the old woman’s chair. Making its way to the back of her back, sitting on the edge of chair and her dress, it sunk its poisonous fangs into the old woman.
As her basic motor functions began to fail, and she slowly slumped in her chair much to her husband’s dismay, the spider quickly crawled up into the woman’s ear, hidden by her hair, and began to make its nest. It would nestle its eggs into the ear canal and would slowly begin to eat through the eardrum. It would only be a matter of time until the eggs would hatch releasing hundreds of spiderlings, who would then feast on their host to start their own life cycle.
An often occurrence in the kingdom, the hosts of the spiders often die as they remain in a vegetative state, unable to move due to the constant flow of venom from the spider nibbling its way towards the victim’s brain. When diagnosed, the best course of treatment is a dagger to the heart, and to burn the head of the body.

Rosaline looked at the man who stood in front of her thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if he had ulterior motives or not, but she could tell, if just by his accent alone, that he was new to the city. She had chores to run but she didn't see a problem letting him tag along. She glanced down at her younger brother and squeezed his wrist lightly. He smiled up at her.

She jumped backwards slightly, at the sudden lurch forward. This was not uncommon, as many in the city were too focused on their own tasks to bother looking out for strangers. She gave a quick, albeit a bit embarrassed, smile before nodding her head. "I suppose you can come along. I have to find my sister in the market. We have a list of things to buy for our family. After that, I have some things to attend to at home....But I suppose I could help you find your way around the city. I've lived here my whole life and I know it well."

She tugged lightly on Charillos arm to beckon him to come along. She moved back towards the bustling marketplace, making sure to hold tightly to her younger brother. "This is the northern marketplace, also known as the Weyenberg Marketplace. There are two other marketplaces to the south of here, but they are far smaller. This is the best place to buy most goods. The Weyenberg family funds most of the stalls, providing security to the owners to ensure the safety of peddlers and shoppers, alike." She smiled as she spotted her sister. She waved at Emmaline who spotted her and came skipping over to her. She held a basket in her arms filled with fresh produce. The two large guards accompanied her, both shooting Mikhail wary looks.

"Rosaline! I got the fruits and vegetables for us. They look so fresh today!" Emmaline smiled at her sister before glancing over to the man beside her. She hesitated momentarily before speaking up again. "H-Hello. Who are you?"

Rosaline looked in her sister's basket examining the products she had bought. "Emmaline, you have to buy more than one vegetable." She paused, giving her sister a quick look before motioning to Mikhail. "This is Mikhail. He's new to the city. I'm just helping him get around. Oh...speaking of that...where are you headed, anyway?"

A lot of things happened during the one moment Donnel dropped his guard. He felt a dull thud hit his back. But that thud soon turned into a sharp, searing pain as he felt the pitchfork go a few inches into his back. Three of the point pierced through his scale mail, with the fourth fork cutting his underarm. Donnel grit his teeth and was ready to retaliate when Dravos sprang into action. By the time Donnel turned to cleave the vampire's head off, it was already rolling on the floor, and Donnel only succeeded in chopping down a headless corpse. He didn't seem to notice the lack of a pitchfork in his back as he did so, mainly thanks to Dravos yanking it out of his body before running off to kill another vampire. Again, by the time Donnel turned to see where he had went, Dravos had returned with a small severed head. Donnel didn't remember seeing a kid around here. Unfortunately, Dravos did.

He seemed awfully angry at the girl that Donnel had dragged along, and admittedly it was probably a bad idea to make her come to this bloodbath. Still, someone to pick clean the bodies he supposed. A loud, screeching noise echoed throughout the cave, and Donnel took that as a sign that there was more fighting to be had. He took a step and winced in pain; while the wounds he took weren't lethal, they hurt like hell and he was pretty sure that pitchfork wasn't cleaned. "I'm going to need to see a doctor when this is over..." He muttered as Dravos spoke about heading forward, warning Donnel to do his job. The bandit smirked and gave the hunter a thumb's up. "Right you are boss. I'll get with ya in just a moment." Trying his best to ignore his injuries, he went to look at the girl who was no doubt shocked and horrified at the brutality before her. A normal man may have taken pity on the urchin for having to witness such a horrible thing, including seeing a severed head of a child, but Donnel had no such sympathy. To him, this was life. And chances are this may have been this girl's fate if someone of more monstrous essence had taken pity on her.

"Heh. Don't take it too personally. He's all business. Still he ain't entirely wrong. Make yourself useful. Even if you can't fight, you can grab whatever coin and valuables these creatures had. Weapons, purses, jewelry, anything that catches your eye. Bring it back to me. And don't think you can run off with the loot. We found these vampires easily enough, finding you won't be an issue. But honest work gets you honest pay. Do what I tell you and you'll get your share too, kid." Donnel let out a sinister chuckle as he turned to head downstairs. With a groan he tried to muscle through his injury. He was still combat able, though he should be careful not to let anything else stab him in the back. It wasn't good for his health.

Donnel made his way down to area 6, where the Captain was already fighting off a whole horde of vampires. Not his usual preference for battle, but Donnel supposed that he ought to make up for his shoddy conformance from last time. Charging into the room Donnel hurled a hook onto a vampire who just got an arrow into his eye. His hook wrapped around the poor sod's neck and yanked him over to Donnel's shield. This time he made sure to finish the job and used the hook to tear off the vampire's head. Even without a silver blade, most creatures die to decapitation. But that was just one out of many, and one vampire in particular looked meaner than the rest. Swiping the blood off his hook Donnel smirked and walked towards the horde. He took note of the big guy with an axe. It was bigger and more impressive than Donnel's. Of course that wouldn't be an issue once he took it for himself.

"Nice axe. Shame that you won't be buried with it once I pry it out of your cold, deader hands."

---

@Norschtalen @Nymeria

---

Lia knew there was merit to trusting Iva. It was how the woman spoke so clearly, imperatively. Few people could make such a lasting impression to the otherwise stoic huntress. She, too, understood how dangerous the bite could be, the threat it could pose to the others-- and even if Lia could escape this mission undetected, just how much restraint could she muster? Seeing how the caged thrall changed at a split second planted a seed of worry in her heart. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to end herself there and then-- some sort of disdain from surrendering.

Lia clutched onto her dagger tightly and took a deep breath, exhaling then responding with a quiet but stern whisper. "I understand" Not another word came after as she followed the sound that clanged nearby. Despite her hitched breaths, she managed to come to the room without much trouble. The hunter paused and made a mental map of the area. They were definitely underground-- someone wore armor. There seems to be not much clinking-- was there only one armored person here? The clear sound of cut flesh and groaning permeated. Whoever was fighting the vampires had some heft to him.

This was definitely an armored man-- which meant it was safe to use the bow. Lia shakily grabbed her bow and nocked a wooden arrow. It was more likely that the vampires chose to wore garbs. Having a mail around them would easily give away the subtle clinks: definitely not what a creature of the night would go for.

There was only one way to find out this assumption: she now half-draws an arrow and shoots in between Drystan's blows. A man who fought with weapons had some tells: his footsteps, his breathing.. but once the arms moved, even the most attentive ear would be chopped off, along with the head. All of this seemed much clearer somehow.. Slightly.

As per usual on a normal afternoon, the King sat in his throne accompanied by Grux, a few dozen royal guards, and Hugo, who sat next to him. Before the throne was a long walkway lined with citizens waiting their turn to speak with the king directly. Often the complaints were minor, a shipment had been delayed or harpy attacks on cattle. Sometimes the complaints were more serious such as a guard going against the law, or a gang of thugs reigning terror. Gustavo listened to as many as he could in a day to personally answer the people’s questions. Hugo sat in to help and provide a second opinion and other ideas. The king has made a serious effort to listen to his people and ensure they were satisfied with how things we’re running throughout the kingdom. In return, there has not been a rebellion in the kingdom in his entire four decade reign.

As he listened to the complaints of the people, a young messenger approached from the the crowd, accompanied by guards. Many people in the line behind shouted and yelled complaints and expletives, only to be silenced by a wave of the king’s hand.
“Young man, I assume there is a reason you have cut in front of all these people.” The king spoke gently, calming the situation and easing the tension.
“Yes your majesty. I am here to deliver a letter directly to your hands from Lord Nikias. He specifically stated for your eyes only, my lord may that part very clear.” The young man spoke clearly, tightly gripping a sealed envelope.
“Very well then.” The king spoke quickly holding out his hand, gesturing for the lad to approach. The messenger was quickly ushered out of the throne room by guards to the applause of many in line. Gus put the envelope in his lap and turned his focus back to the peasant in front of him.
“Alright, can you restart friend, I seem to have forgotten what we we’re talking about.” Gustavo spoke in a kind tone.


Sitting at the large table map, Gus stared at the tree’s etched into the stone, representing the location of the ondorro forest. The forest had once covered the eastern half of the kingdom, before the intervention of man. What was left was now a sanctuary for an eight legged army that fed on his citizens, as well as a large population of forest dwelling creatures. Chopping down and removing parts of the forest was not going to be a the solution again, as it would only move the menace, rather than exterminate it, and wreck the local ecosystem. Plus, with the growth of the farming industry, the excess wood would only go to waste or worse, destabilize prices.

On the table sat a letter and the envelope that once contained it. Grux sat next to Gus, mulling over the contents of the letter. Nikias had proposed a solution to the spider infestation north of the city. He proposed a contest, offering a great reward for the hunter could kill the most spiders in the forest during a twelve hour hunt. Lord Nikias would pay for the event, and even put his own men on the line to ensure a decisive winner. Each competitor would be accompanied by a Weyenberg guard to keep the kill count honest, as well as ensure competitor safety. Lord Weyenberg would also reward the top five spider killers greatly.

The plan explained in the letter sounded fantastic, and both Grux and gus wished they had thought of it first, but they also struggled to figure out Lord Weyenberg’s angle. It was not often the high lord’s did something for the people without ‘urging’ from the king.
“Maybe he’s realized his trade empire can never be successful if his caravans keep getting picked off by spiders.” Grux thought aloud.
“That’s plausible, but why not just invest in more caravan guards?” replied Gus
“Why keep paying for more men to fend them off, when you can eliminate problem with one large payoff?” the commander explained confidently.
“But do we allow a man who has not been seen for months to call our citizens to battle against the spider menace, just so he can expand his trade?”
“You’re joking right? We just enlisted an entire guild of bums off the street to help us fight the shit lurking outside the walls. What make this so much worse? It’s still voluntary and they’ll have a guard with them” Grux explained to his friend, honestly confused as to why gus was so hesitant to accept Nikias’ plan.
“You make a lot of valid points.” Gus nodded in agreement. “Send word of my approval to Weyenberg. We will begin posting notices of this competition tomorrow. You are my eyes and ears on this alright? I don’t want to have to burn that forest down.” Gus spoke with a new level of sincerity. Grux only nodded as he exited the room.

Juniper looked down and remained silent at first, but stepped back against the wall of the cavern when Davos' blade was pointed directly at her. Fear was not an easy emotion to control for her and this man inspired just that. A lot of fear. He made himself very clear before dashing off inside the cavern though. Juniper had half a mind to just run away, back towards the city, but it was not to be.

Donnel was the next to speak to her. His wound seemed pretty bad to her - but not to him, apparently. Then again, what did she know about battle. The man ordered her around as if she was his to order. Part of her objected, but the part what hoped to survive this was stronger and caused her to shut up. She was not much of a thief, let alone a looter, but the fact that her would be looting target were all now dead and had previously been Vampires made it somewhat easier. It was a valid excuse, anyway.

She opted for a nod of her head and followed him some way into the cavern. To herself she groaned "What's honest about picking bodies clean..."

--EDITED from this point onward--

They moved fast, Juniper slower than them however. She did as she was asked and looted a few body despite her disgust for it. She hoarded everything in a purse that she found also on a body. The girl figured that if she gave it all to the hunters, they might agree to take her back safe and sound. Slowly but surely, she made her way down until she reached the last staircase leading to the area where the battle was taking place.

Now Juniper had no intention in partaking in any of it, but her curiosity had the better of her. She made her way down half of the stairs and some more, just so she could peek inside. Staying close to the hunters was her best bet. She also figured that, this way, she'd see if danger came her way. Alas, she didn't.

Unknown to her, a survivor from the slaughter of the previous floors crept up behind her. The female vampire was intent on killing her, but Juniper turned back right before she could snap her neck. She lunged, but the girl tripped in the stairs and resulted in the vampire pushing her all the way down. Juniper fell face first in the dust right behind the last hunters who had entered the room: two archers. ( @Norschtalen @Migyudon )

Juniper's assailant jumped down the stairs and took a hold of the girl to use as a sort of human shield or hostage.

Technically, it would have put the hunters at a disadvantage dealing with a hostage situation and most of them being trapped between her and the other group led by the leader. Realistically, judging by the previous massacre, they probably did not care much for the life on one young human child.

The vampire's grip was stronger than regular human, and easily stopped the flow of blood in her arm. The clawed hand grabbing her throat also made breathing harder. All the meanwhile, Juniper's mind went blank.

Her senses dulled. Her frail body could not endure it. She felt only her heart beat. It beat slower, and slower...

As her heart stopped, her eyes became blood injected and her body twitched in unnatural ways. The scream of pain that was supposed to escape her came out as a roar as her whole body grew rapidly in size, as well as changed shape. In nothing but a flash, she easily rivaled the size of a very large bear, but bearing fangs and claws twice the size.

The small hands that were grasping the vampire's arm for air had turned to enormous hands armed with claws like daggers on each fingers. Juniper grabbed the vampire's arm and threw it above herself to the ground before her and lunged at her, clawing at her upper torso until she could feel her claws hit the dirt on the other side of the now severed body. She then chewed on the head as a dog would a toy before she threw it against the nearby wall and looked up in front of her.

There was no fear or thought left - only hunger.
There were no hunter or vampire - only prey.

@Nymeria@Drakey

She had not run away. She had postponed the showdown. It was totally different. The teenager girl told herself as she stomped on the cobblestones of the market, her head lowered to hide the massive pout she was displaying right now. How dare they? Those fattened up priests yelling at her and telling her to knock off the heretic acts! She was only doing some card reading games! Those hurt no one! Besides, it was not like those were actual divinations per se. Well at least they didn't break her cards. Merely chased her off. She still didn't believe someone so fat could run so fast after her. Well, at least for a time, before his face turned a whole shade of red due to the strain and she could slip by. She would turn him into a toad next time! She gritted her teeth.

But the damage was done. Now how would she earn some extra coin to buy herself a sweet treat? The stall with the honey and cinnamon cakes was still fresh in her mind. Her mouth was salivating at the thought, but chances are the cakes probably were long gone by now. The hubbub of the market surrounded her. She still could not get used to it. Too many people and noises. That was the bad part of being in a marker, the former forest dweller thought.

She found a discordant note in all of the noise, a single stimulus that made her rear head. A wolf. In the market. It had been ages since she had seen someone with such a beast as companion. It was not common, but in her old town, sometimes hunters would rear baby animals and turn them into companions. Not pets, though. Pets were wantom and useless. Companions had your back in the dangerous roads. "Ufu." She smirked to herself as she deftly squeezed the way through her crowds to see the scene up close. Apparently she was far from the only one who had noticed the wolf and the boy.

She recognized the appearance, vaguely. Were those two women and the kid part of the noble houses? Aeva frowned, and the gears of her mind turned. Maybe she could get some honey and cinnamon cakes after all! She advanced carefully, trying to not aggravate the wolf. Well, she doubted the creature would find her threatening or startling. Probably, thanks to her father's work in wood and her herb grinding arts still made her smell to most creatures earthen and forest-like. Gently tugging the young man's clothes, she leaned in to whisper.

"Psst, Forest Guy, your wolf is all the rage among these noble daughters. I could sell you a love filter, cheap. It's your lucky day." She addressed Mikhail. If she sold the love filter, even at bargain price, she could probably buy a honeycake or two. It would also lighten her load a bit, given that she couldn't properly set up shop before the priests chased her away.

Drystan was so focused on the fight that he hadn't noticed as the rest of the hunters joined him in the arena level until an arrow came flying in, striking the creature in it's eye. It reeled back in pain and went to grasp at it's wound. Drystan took this opportunity to strike the final blow, cleaving the creature's head clean off it's neck. Given a moment, he turned to survey the room. The two archers, Donnel and....a werewolf? His eyes widened briefly, taken aback by this new combatant. He hadn't seen where it came from or who it was, but suddenly a new creature was in play. He wasn't sure where to turn his attention next. He knew the job was clearly to focus on the vampires but there was a new threat. Gritting his teeth, he decided to deal with the vampires first.

He turned towards those that were left. The large one had taken a few huge steps towards the center of the room and was standing there, a large smirk on his face. Behind him, there was still a group, huddled together, protecting the younger members. He regained his fighting stance and charged the large one. He reeled back with all his strength and swung his sword at the creature's waist.

---

While the other's fought, the massive being watched. He surveyed the group, taking in their tactics, their stances, their strengths...

Standing well above everyone else in the room, the creature was more inhuman than the rest. He wore simple clothing with only a few pieces of leather armor on his shoulders, legs and a small relatively small chest piece. His stance as well as his choice in very little armor showed his confidence. Poking out from around his clothing were countless scars, healed over time from previous battles. One particularly ragged scar ran from his forehead all the way down to his collarbone. His smile showed his sharpened, elongated fangs. His axe, strapped to his back, was larger than anything a normal human could wield. It had dried blood on the handle. The axe head was huge and sharpened to a fine edge.

Drystan's sword swung and dug into the creature's gut. Blood spurted out and splatter against the Captain's face and shoulders. The captain, normally considered tall among other men, only came up to the creatures stomach and had to swing upwards to even reach it's gut. The massive being didn't even flinch at the wound, his smile simply widening as he stopped walking. He raised his arm and brought it swiftly down against Drystan, the force of the blow sending him and his sword flying across the room and against the wall. With how little effort the thing put into this attack, he might as well have been swatting a fly. The nuisance that was the captain gone, he reached slowly behind his back and grabbed a hole of his axe. He pulled it out and held in, single-handed, and took a fighting stance.

Drystan's body hit the wall with a loud thud, his sword clattering to the ground. He took a moment to collect himself, looking up to realize the giant in the room wasn't even paying him any mind. Instead, it was focusing on the newcomers at the door. Drystan scoffed, it's blood still dripping from his sword.