Morning. I couldn't stand bright light, I really couldn't. I hesitated to open my eyes until remembering that the tree I was sleeping on was so dense that last night's drizzle barely dampened me.

The bark on the tree was rounded at the edges and was soft, almost like plastic. I was curled up into a small ball, wedged between the tree trunk and a particularly thick branch. A pair of squirrels were sitting near my head, as if waiting for me to wake up. Birds twittered around the tree, acting as guards and messengers for any incoming foes. The instant I had woken up, the instant I regained conscienceless, I felt the familiar link to that other Hunter. I knew about this ability we would have but I never thought it would become this irritating.

Sitting up and leaning against the tree, I closed my eyes again and concentrated on that little tapping at the very back of my head. The squirrels had left, off to find their breakfast, and the birds were now silent as not to draw the attention of any Demons.

This Hunter was a girl. Yes. Well, she wasn't a Hunter quite yet, she had not acquired her abilities. This Hunter was... Well, I couldn't tell much just by this sense. Or maybe I just hadn't learned how yet... I stood up with a slightly annoyed huff. I wish I had more time to practice my... What did Dusk call it? My "Common Sense?" Yeah, that was it. I had been able to practice my powers all my life but only when the Demons came three months ago did I acquire this "Common Sense." Breakfast, I thought, find some food, find the female Hunter.

My navy blue backpack was tied to the branch of the tree. I quickly untied the long black cloth from the pack and retied it around my neck, letting it flow behind me. I had a Cliff Bar that I had snatched from Starr Market that other day... White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. The wrapper made a significant amount of noise as I ripped the bar out and held it in my mouth as I stuffed the wrapper back into my backpack.

My backpack, shiny black zippers jingling, could clip around the chest and waist, making it ideal for the wearer to move practically unhindered. I chewed on the health bar as I leapt from branch to branch, clothed feet silent against the bark of the trees. Orange trees. Avocado trees? California really was the land of the oranges. And avocados. I easily swiped half a dozen oranges and half a dozen avocados without any humans noticing before racing back into the forest. There were already demonic monsters at every corner, I really didn't need humans getting in my way. Plus I looked pretty wild... Branches and leaves in my hair, long, sharp nails, and I'm sure I have plenty of dirt on my face.

The roads seemed pretty clear of humans and the Demons, as far as I could see. Where could you be, Hunter?

((Kinda lame intro, I know. But basically this is a calm first post. No powers, no Demons, no nothing. Introduce where you are, perhaps give some hints on how far/close you are to the other Hunter, etc. Make sure to make it clear whether or not you're traveling with others.))

He took another tired glance at the watch, though it was mostly for the sake of doing something other than placing his foot in front of the other. It had been a while since he actually needed the device to tell the general time, right now he could do as much from the sun’s position; three months’ time was a long time to adjust after all. The road was largely empty as far as he could see, with only the occasional abandoned or crashed vehicle here and there. It had been days since Nathan had last seen an individual, human or demon. As far as he could tell most people and invaders stuck to centers of populations, though he had seen a few roaming bands of Demons; he was never was unlucky or careless enough to actually run into one.

Having been on the walk since he woke up at the crack of dawn after a small breakfast, Nathan decided it was time to take a small break. There was a pileup of cars ahead, the abandoned and broken vehicles would serve better than simply taking a seat out on the open road. A hand raised to adjust the army cap on his head, while the large camp pack was adjusted ever so slightly so it sat on his shoulders comfortably again. With that done, hard boot soles hit the heated asphalt again as he made his way over towards his break point, occasionally sipping from his bag’s water bladder.

The various vehicles were in states of varying damage, but they all seemed to have burned out their alarms at the least. Nevertheless he still chose one with its doors wide open just as a precaution. Unhooking the waist strap, he slid the backpack off and placed it near his feet on the street as he took a seat in the driver’s seat, legs out the door and feet still on the ground. It was a welcome break after several hours of marching, and despite being exposed to the elements, the seat was still comfortable. Slipping a half-eaten energy bar from his pocket, Nathan finished the rest of it off and crammed the wrapper into the seat through where the covering had torn and exposed the stuffing; no sense in leaving any trace he had been here after all. Stretching a bit, it was nice to move around without the heavy pack for a while.

The break would have been perfect if the constant tug to keep moving wasn’t there in his head. Whatever it was had appeared three months ago with the Demons and the urge had only grown as the months passed. Eventually, a week ago, the nagging sensation had simply grown too much to ignore or put off. He left in the middle of the night, knowing those around him would have never let him go alone, but he couldn’t put them in danger; not because of some sensation in his head he just couldn’t ignore. So here he was, on the road, and a fair bit annoyed that this is what it had taken to get a modicum of peace from the urge in his head. Hopefully, whatever it was driving him on towards would be worth it in the end.

Kenneth awoke much the same way he had the past several days, slowly and calmly, a sort of instinctual memory of 'where' he slept keeping him from jolting awake... why? Because he was napping in a terribly precarious position... It hadn't been easy to get onto the roof in the first place, without breaking in or anything, but he loathed the idea of sleeping out in the open... The roof in question had Attic windows, which formed a nice little slope from their out-croppings which, thanks to the level of the early morning sun, Also left that slope nice and shadowed so that he could safely conceal himself there through the night.

Slowly he shifted, eyes slipping open to find a slight glow of the rising sun over the edge of one of the window out-croppings, a signal that his 'concealment' would be gone in a few minutes... So with a practiced motion he spun himself, spreading his legs out to keep himself in place with shoes planted against the edges of the out-croppings and taking a moment to check his surroundings... The Slop between the windows essentially served the purpose of a short-term Sniper's nest, there was even a 'formerly' empty bottle sitting there that he wouldn't be bringing with him... It provided plenty of coverage to browse the street for targets and catch anyone, human or demon, approaching with ample room for error.

He slipped out an Energy bar from on of his Vest pockets, unwrapped, and stuffed one end in his mouth to gnaw on, followed immediately by pulling out The Barret and pushing himself up to peek over the edges of the windows... His family's 'zombie apocalypse' drills, though meant for fun, actually did wonders for giving protective habits, like checking every direction carefully to see if anything was skulking about waiting to spot him... After a few moments of browsing the immediate area, and finding it devoid of life "Hmmm, I'm starting to consider 'Apocalypse Looting Rules'... Haven't seen anyone in a couple of days..." He pulled the Rifle up to peer through the scope, and examine the areas that were further down the road or to check other roof-tops... It took a fair chunk of time to go through the checking enough to make himself feel 'safe' with getting down "God, I don't know what's worse, demons attacking, or the silence making you feel like they're waiting to jump around the next corner..."

After a few more minutes of surveilance... and the sun starting to cream into the side of his vision, he was satisfied enough and returned the rifle to be slung over his back, then bounced slightly, pulling his legs together and letting gravity pull him towards the edge of the roof, kicking one foot down to roll over as he slid past the edge and used one hand to slow the decent, the other to grab the edge in preparation, and then the first as he slid right off, catching himself hanging about a dozen feet off of the ground of a 2 story home... a Short swing of his momentum and letting go let him grab the railing of a small balcony on the second floor, bringing him much closer to the ground before letting go, landing with a thud of boots in the grass of someone abandoned house's front yard... It'd be awesome if he hadn't already screwed that up once by over-estimating himself... luckily there'd been a pool below that time.

Now that he was past his 'wake up preparations', it came back with a vengeance, that nagging pull in the back of his mind, immediately glaring down the road "Yeah yeah, I remember the direction... geez, You'd think mysterious Subconcious Brain jerkers could learn when it's a waste of effort to be so pushy." He got walking... making for the road first so he could follow one abandoned car after another and use them for quick cover in-case suspicious sounds came his way.

Evner came to slowly, blinking lazily as his eyes attempted to adapt to the harsh light of the late morning. The old Ma and Pa diner he'd slept in had some broken blinds that aimed the light perfectly onto his face. With an annoyed groan, he turned sideway in the booth and tried to get back to sleep, only for the tug within his mind to give an insistent pull, demanding his attention. The silence of the diner attempted to lull him back to sleep, but still the tugging won over. It was so annoying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Ah, fine..." Ev grumbled, swinging his legs off the seat and sitting up, one hand rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He dropped his chin into his other hand and looked around. Some of the windows were haphazardly boarded up while others were left completely untouched, nothing but blinds for protection. He wasn't sure when the diner was abandoned, but the broken door hinges and the not so fresh blood smears on the counter showed it was within the past week at least, and that Demons were to blame. That, or there was some psycho running about, and that would just make things more annoying than they had to be.

Stretching, Evner got out of the booth, picked up his dufflebag, and walked out of the diner to his motorcycle. The tug did not relent, even as he pulled out of the parking lot, taking a right and heading down the straight road. He was honestly curious- yet still completely annoyed- as to what he was being pulled towards. Was it a person? A building? Maybe even some demons? He felt like he should know, maybe listen a little harder to the tugging, but he didn't. The growling of the engine calmed his thoughts as he continued down the road, him being the only person for as far as he could see. Maybe it was pulling him towards something that would help him remember his past...

With a stiff shrug, he cranked the throttle, going faster down the road, if only to get the tugging to shut up and leave him alone. Slowly, it became less insistent, only flaring up if he let his mind wander. Soon, he was simply focused on driving, taking turns and side roads without even thinking about it; the tug directing his blank mind towards its destination.

Corey sat on her couch, her two dogs curled up next to her, a Newfoundland dog and germane Shepard. She nervously twiddled with her thumbs and watched the door from where she sat carefully, waiting for her mom and brothers to come through the doors. They had been gone in New York City for three weeks now, and their trip was only supposed to be 8 days.

A few days ago, she had gone into town to see if they were there. She was only a mile away from downtown when she reached a road block. The city was sealed off and she was forced to turn around and head back home, first stocking up on food from the gas station just in case. Once home, she heard on the local news someone downtown gone mad, running around like an animal and attacking whatever was nearby. She'd been hearing similar stories from across the country, and was beginning to get worried. Especially because of her eyes, which drastically from a dark brown to blue over night.

Corey was lucky, her house was up a long, 3 mile long dirt road in the middle of the forest, 10 miles from the city, so she was secluded from the strange happenings. Her only neighbors, they Walkers, who's house was just a little ways down the road, had abandoned their house the other day. Mr. Walker came to her door and told her they were heading up to Canada and staying with their family to be safe, and that she should do the same She couldn't bring herself to leave, not while her mom and brothers were still missing. So, she stayed at home, the doors locked and shades closed with her dogs and bow at her side. She wouldn't keep the lights or television on past sunset, just a flashlight and laptop and lock herself in her room on the second story. She knew what her dad would say, about her just cowering in the house. He would be disappointed, she knew that, but she didn't eve know what to do. She was never taught how to deal on her own after her remaining family disappeared on a trip to New York.

Without a clue what to do, Corey just sat on the couch, staring out the door, waiting for her family, or at least some kind of sign of what to do.

Corey sat on her couch, her two dogs curled up next to her, a Newfoundland dog and germane Shepard. She nervously twiddled with her thumbs and watched the door from where she sat carefully, waiting for her mom and brothers to come through the doors. They had been gone in New York City for three weeks now, and their trip was only supposed to be 8 days.

A few days ago, she had gone into town to see if they were there. She was only a mile away from downtown when she reached a road block. The city was sealed off and she was forced to turn around and head back home, first stocking up on food from the gas station just in case. Once home, she heard on the local news someone downtown gone mad, running around like an animal and attacking whatever was nearby. She'd been hearing similar stories from across the country, and was beginning to get worried.

Corey was lucky, her house was up a long, 3 mile long dirt road in the middle of the forest, 10 miles from the city, so she was secluded from the strange happenings. Her only neighbors, they Walkers, who's house was just a little ways down the road, had abandoned their house the other day. Mr. Walker came to her door and told her they were heading up to Canada and staying with their family to be safe, and that she should do the same She couldn't bring herself to leave, not while her mom and brothers were still missing. So, she stayed at home, the doors locked and shades closed with her dogs and bow at her side. She wouldn't keep the lights or television on past sunset, just a flashlight and laptop and lock herself in her room on the second story. She knew what her dad would say, about her just cowering in the house. He would be disappointed, she knew that, but she didn't eve know what to do. She was never taught how to deal on her own after her remaining family disappeared on a trip to New York.

Without a clue what to do, Corey just sat on the couch, staring out the door, waiting for her family, or at least some kind of sign of what to do.

The depot was still abandoned by the time morning came. As the temperature inside her temporary home started to increase, Della peered out of her hovel at the sun, a groan working its way past dried lips as she brought an arm up to shade her eyes from the glare. A handful of discarded cars met her gaze as she habitually scanned the area, as did one or two of the other buses, none of which had miraculously moved during the night. Too bad none of them were working, or she would have hotwired one of them days ago. A vehicle would have made moving a lot faster, but as things were she was out of a ride, and her sneakers were bearing the brunt of her travels.

Her current home was an old, trashed up school bus, its white paint peeled down to the metallic grey skeleton hidden behind it. Somehow it had been rolled onto its side, cracking or breaking apart most of the glass that lined the windows. Della had managed to rip one of the seats out and place it against one of the holes in the bottom, creating a small nest to sleep in, which she comfortably adorned with her chunky pack and moth ridden blanket. It wasn’t perfect, and though it took her longer to switch off at night than she would have been able to at her previous resting spot, it protected her well, and that was good enough. The other gaps in the metal box had been haphazardly covered by anything that she could find, though she hadn’t been too careful about it. The demons she had seen in the area weren’t too smart, and she doubted that, in such a secluded area, they would come snooping around a vehicle that had already been cleared of any inhabitants.

Her stomach grumbled audibly, and she interrupted her daydreaming to duck back down into the big box. She had already eaten the last of her snacks the day before, having started this length of her journey with only a small amount of sugared goods, which she preferred to eat, as compared to the many food tins that she had also managed to grab. Picking the things she enjoyed eating over the things that were necessary wasn’t exactly forward thinking, not for a good start, anyway, but she supposed if she could die any minute she’d rather waste her time fuelling her body with the crap that she liked instead of the crap that she didn’t. Even if surviving meant that she would get to them eventually.

Sighing, Della pulled out a tall can of corned beef from her canvas pack, nestling the metal cylinder between her knees as she slipped her bowie knife from its sheath under her belt. Checking that she wasn’t about to impale herself in the leg, she held it point down over the tin before jabbing it abruptly downwards, creating a small split in the lid. After working her way around the edge with jagged movements, she peeled the lid off and cast it aside, careful to throw it somewhere that wouldn’t cause too much of a racket. The smell wasn’t entirely pleasant, but it wasn’t strong, and wouldn’t be enough to set off anything but her stomach.. Digging a hand into her jean pocket she pulled out a metal spork, and jabbed tentatively at the pinkish flesh. She sighed again, taking a moment to brace herself, and began to eat.

Breakfast went without much of a hitch, but other than the occasional, still-hungry gurgle from her stomach, it didn’t amount to the itching at the back of her mind and the tingle up her spine. The feeling had been with her for what felt like forever now. It was some sort of sixth sense, like a nervous feeling you get when something bad’s about to happen. But somehow not, at the same time. It was more like her soul was.. tethered, to something. It was hard to shake at times, but she could often distract herself from it when travelling – whatever ‘it’ was. When the sun beat down on her back and the sweat slid down her neck, somehow it didn’t seem so urgent.

Slinging her pack back over her shoulder, Della clambered out of the hole in the side of the bus, sliding off the outer side with her butt until she hit the ground, where she crouched for impact. Righting herself as she stood, she brushed a hand over the back of her wet neck. However much she didn’t want to, she would follow the feeling until her body had found what it was looking for.

So she walked on.

Soon enough, Corey knew she had to leave. She couldn't stay in the old house like a sitting duck, vulnerable without anyone to help her. It was when she started running low on what little food she had when she finally accepted the fact that her family wasn't coming back any time soon, if ever. So, she packed up whatever she could, leaving anything without vital use or of value, such as a couple pictures of her family and closest friends, some books and one or two small trinkets. She packed whatever she could in an old, good size duffle bag, her school bag (after she removed the school stuff, of course) and a white cooler, which mostly just held the food. Anything else was left behind, or, if small enough, thrown into the back seat.

Lucky for her, brothers left their car, an old blue jeep, at the house. She was used to driving it, but not without an adult, since she only has her permit. Corey knew it was going against the law, for her to take the car, but she had no other way or transportation. The buses and cars stopped going down even the main roads long ago, there was no hope of her getting a ride. Her 16th birthday is in February, so close enough, right?

Before leaving, she took one look back through the house, the house she grew up in. Most of her best memories took place here. Her saxophone was sitting out on it's stand, like it had recently been played, when really the last time she touched it was before her mom left. She put it together carefully, feeling tears brink at her eyes just from the memories of this golden interment. It was the last thing her dad gave to her before being deported. Without this saxophone, she wouldn't have some of her greatest memories in marching, jazz and concert band. She walked around the corner and placed the saxophone on her parents bed with a note, just in case her mom came back. She continued throughout the house, fixing a few things out of place and stopping once in a while. Her hockey stick was the hardest to leave behind, it was her life line. She knew she couldn't bring it, it would only take up space. So, she left it in the corner of the basement, by the net and pucks. After that, she finally walked up the stairs and out the brown door.

She slipped on her favorite hockey hoodie and snowboarding jacket over it. After loading the dogs up in the car and the last of the food, she pulled out of the driveway and down the old dirt road for what will most likely be the last time. She knew she wasn't going home any time soon, but maybe she would. She could find her brothers and mom, and they could all go home and live out here, far from the city. However, a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that wasn't going to happen.

It wasn't until she pulled out onto the main road did she see the damage. Smoke was rising from the city in the distance, cars and trucks were over turned and abandoned on the side of the road. What was once a bustling town outside the state capitol of Maine, was now a ghost town. The gas station was abandoned, the shelves stripped clean. She pulled up and started scavenging in the station and around it. She grabbed a couple of gas cans, filling up whatever was left and paying with a credit car she found in a wallet in an abandoned car. She managed to scavenge what little food was left, a granola bar package, a water bottle, 2 cans of pop, plenty of dog food, and a bag of chips. She threw her finds into the white cooler, besides the dog food.

As she drove slowly and cautiously down the road, she couldn't help but wonder where all the everyone had gone. Cars were scattered around the roads, bags and belongings scattered, tattered and broken. Occasionally she would see a children's or dog toy and feel a pain in her heart and reach over, patting on of the dogs for comfort. She could only hope that what or who left the toys and trinkets, were safe and sound. Judging from the damage around her, however, it didn't seem very likely.

After seeing the damaged on the main road, she decided to stick to the back roads. There was less damage there, but every once in a while she would come across an overturned car, bike or even an ATV. Whatever people could get away on. She didn't even know where she was driving, but she just felt like the way she was going was right. She felt some kind of tug in the back of her mind, pulling her towards something, or even someone. All she knew was she was leaving her home of Portland, Maine, for quite possibly the last time, and it was one of the most painful things she has ever done.

The roads seemed pretty clear of humans and the Demons, as far as I can see.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind I felt myself cringe. The smell of Demons was quite putrid, a mix of death, blood, rotting flesh, and burnt skin. I halted immediately, crouching on the tree branch I had just leapt onto and contemplated my options. There were no humans nearby, or these Demons would be making a beeline for them. No, they were... Resting, I suppose was the right term, though I don't believe these creatures needed to "rest" the same way humans do.

No humans nearby meant no danger for the moment. I still needed to eat my fruity breakfast, and that Cliff bar would not be enough fuel for when I take out those Demons. I quickly sniffed the air before holding in a gag and covering my face with the crook of my elbow. Four. I think there are four Demons. If humans could smell Demons to the same extent as I, they'd be running for the hills before the Demons even begin to give chase.

Holding my breath, I crouched down lower, ready to spring to the next one on my left. As I was in human form, this position would look rather awkward to an outsider. I quickly shook that thought out of my mind before pushing off the branch, launching myself silently to the next tree. I landed hands first, as always, and tilted my hips to the left as I dug my crescent-shaped claws into the bark of the tree. The momentum spun my lower body so I landed parallel to the branch, and I landed almost soundlessly on my socked feet. I repeated this process and leapt from tree to tree, pausing every once in a while to listen for humans and check for Demons. There were no animals around.

I finally reached the perimeter of the Demon's stink bubble, meaning it was time to finish my breakfast. I'm getting bored of avocados and oranges.

It was just after Nathan had secured his pack onto his back and was prepared to set off again that a wave of nausea and pain came over him. Dropping to the ground, he took a knee and grabbed his head, eyes clenched shut from the indescribable pain. It wasn’t like anything he had experienced before, and though it wasn’t the worst he had felt, it was certainly the most inexplicable. Gasping as the pain faded as quickly as it had come upon him, Nathan didn’t try to move and stayed as still as he could. The pain had faded to a dull ache that his entire body felt, and when he finally opened his eyes it was to a blurry world. “What the fuck…” he whispered rasply, his throat completely dry despite the fact that he had just taken a break. Shakily, he unhooked his canteen and took a small drink, the cool water soothing as it went down.

As his vision began to return, Nathan finally attempted to stand up and managed to… with some success. He was unsteady on his feet and had to, almost instantly, lean against a nearby car to brace himself. He took a quick glance around him, surveying the area past the piled wrecks. He hadn’t noticed anything among the flat ground that stretched on for kilometers from the road before he had taken a break, and maybe that had given him some hope. Should have known better than to tempt fate like that. It was impossible for him to pick out the details at this distance with how his eyesight had been messed up, but there was a group of four or so individuals about a kilometer away.

“Shit,” he cursed as he dropped back down to the ground quickly. There was a slim chance that those were just friendly travelers and it was just hi-
“!!!!!!!!!!”
The noise reached his ears, even at this distance, and it gave Nathan the chills; not just because it meant he had been spotted, but also because of the unearthliness to it. No animal made a sound like that. He muttered more curses under his breath as he moved towards a car that faced where the four were, all while fumbling with his pistol. Finally managing to slip the firearm free, he poked his head up to the shattered window frame and took a view.

All four of the demons were running at full tilt, bounding across the ground towards him. The things were fast, fast enough that he knew outrunning them would be downright impossible with his pack on. The trembling in his hands also meant he didn’t have a bloody chance to pick the things off at a range. As his eyes strayed to the massive claws on each of the demons, Nathan couldn’t help but feel a sinking feeling in his gut as he pulled his machete from its sheath. A quick glance at his weapons in comparison to the situation and his feelings were summed up in one word.

“Fuck.”

Della bounded across the compact earth, her booted feet scudding the chipped tarmac as she soared over the width of the strip and to the other side. As soon as her feet hit the dirt she vaulted into the bushes, and roughly sailed over the half dead bundles of leaves, leaving half a broken fence and a pile of dead straw behind her. Though the obstacle had interrupted her quick journey she kept her pace regardless, only occasionally flicking her head back to see what was behind, her stomach churning with nerves and half-eaten food.. Fleeing, she thought, distantly. lt was all a matter of one foot in front of the other, then the other, then the other.. Her adrenaline was up, her body locked into the 'flight' mode, but for all of her agility, all of her speed and the distance she covered, it soon became apparent that she didn't know where she was going, or even why, momentarily, and only when her brain had caught up to the actions of her body did she allow herself to stop for a moment, and breathe. And think.

Where the hell am I going?

It had been a single creature, but that usually meant that it was a scout, and more would be around the corner. She had barely made a sound as she crept closer to observe it, but as soon as she reached within a few metres it was as if she had breached a sensitive area, like a forcefield, alerting it to her presence. She had almost retched alongside the smell, but she had to see it, up close.. It was too easy. The thing's head had snapped to the side to face the direction she was in, and then it lurched forward, an inhumane chortle, some kind of call, reverberating through its throat. She barlely had to think twice before she ran. She didn't even check if it had really seen her. But then, she didn't really have to. It was simply safer to hoof it.

So here she was, in the middle of a paddock.. fleeing?

Glancing about, Della turned on her heel to observe the surrounding area, her chipped boots shuffling back and around as she turned. Her heart was in her throat, her pulse in her ears, her fists clenching and unclenching distractedly at her sides, as though she could work out the fear. She almost laughed out loud due to the nerves, and if it weren't for the fact that she was about to throw up at any moment, she probably would have let herself drop between the grass. Her eyes closed lightly as her heart beat started to slow, and she concluded that she hadn't, in the end, been followed. It was a false alarm, something that she had guessed wrongly..

A breeze picked up before her, the stale air momentarily buffing her cheeks, bringing with it the familiar, but weak, stench of death and dirt. She paid no heed to it, momentarily trapped in a fleeting, though questionable state of bliss. She supposed it was because the sun was nice, and she hadn't been followed. Because the grass brought her back down to earth, back to nature, back to what was real. But that sound.. It was like a warning cry.

But.. she hadn't..

Her eyes shot open to the sight of a mangled form, the gaping hole in it's half-rotted face working out a gargled screech in response. Without thinking, without acting, she screamed, it dove forward, and the grass swallowed her whole.

Evner was riding through a main road- no side roads around here, dammit- lost in thought once more when the smell hit. Blood. The odd, off smell of metal that churned his stomach. That was odd in itself; the sight and smell of blood usually didn't really even bother him anymore, since there had been so much of it around him as of late. There was something else making his stomach churn, there had to be. It was so familiar, but his mind was still oddly blank and focused on the tugging in his head. He...he couldn't...think. But there was something he should worry about and something he should be doing if only he could just focu-

"Shit-!" Evner cursed as he looked up. He twisted his motorcycle and leaned, trying to work with the breaks and avoid collision with the sideways car. No such luck as his wheel catches a pothole and launches him at the car he'd tried to avoid. His back hit the hood with a resounding THUNK and he continued moving, the momentum from being thrown off his motorcycle sending him crashing to the ground on the other side of the car and rolling several more feet into a warm, sticky substance. It smelled suspiciously of metal...'Oh, right.' Evner thought blandly. 'The blood...'

The gravel and foreign blood grabbed at his skin, scrapes and already forming bruises, causing them to burn in an uncomfortable manner. He rolled onto his stomach, ignoring the blood and the pounding in his head, and he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. He lifted his his head and paused at the smell of rotted flesh that wasn't there a moment ago. At least not as potent as it is. Two clawed hands passed through his field of vision and he cursed inwardly.

'You do this on purpose, you ass.' He hissed in his mind to the tugging feeling, as though there were chance of a response. He knew there wasn't. Whatever was pulling his mind wouldn't, or couldn't, answer. His eyes stung as the wretched smell invaded his nostrils and he chanced lifting his head.

Only to come face to rotted-face with a demon. 'Shit...'

Tick...Tick...Tick...

((it posted twice again sorry just ignore this i guess))

Corey mindlessly drove down the road for hours. She never saw single person, mostly just abandoned cars and belongings. Every once in a while she would try the radio, but all she got was static. "What the hell is going on?" She mumbled to herself and smacked the radio, just hoping something would happen.

As she drove, she passed countless cars, bikes and even a few semis. It was eerie, how quick everyone in the state seemed to just disappear. She only passed a few stray dogs and deer, but that was normal before everything went to shit. She would occasionally stop in the woods on a dirt road far from any civilization and take a break and let the dogs out for a minute. They couldn't stand to sit around for more than three hours. They're huge dogs with a very short attention span.

After a full ten hours of driving, Corey finally came across a hitchhiker. She was surprised, but hopeful. She hadn't talked to an actual person in over a week. She started slowing down when she came close. Suddenly, the person turned around, causing her to come to an abrupt stop not ten feet away from them. It was a man. She had never seen anything more horrid in her life, aside from when her brothers' leg snapped when they were hiking. Evil eye look in his eye, blood on his shirt and hair, with a savage face. She stared at the thing for what seemed like forever, and it just stared back, smiling like they belonged in an insane asylum. Actually, she knew this man belonged in an insane asylum. The blood on his shirt kind of gave it away.

Then, the demon lunged forward and was on her car and banging on the window, trying to get in before she could even blink. She screamed and put the car in reverse and pulled away. The demon held on and punched the window, shattering it and reaching to grab her. She grabbed her small pocket knife from the ashtray and sunk it into it's hand that was holding onto the car. It still clung on and reached out for her. She twisted it and pulled it out, causing the demon finally go and roll onto the road. She quickly shifted into forward and pulled away. From the corner of her eye she saw at least four more demons running out of the woods. It was an ambush.

She felt the car go over something and everything bounced. It must have been a car piece or pothole, she thought and ignored it. Then she felt the car slowing down and sliding. The dogs were barking, she was swerving. It was chaos. Her right tire was blown out. Next thing she knew she was crashed into a tree, dazed and vision blurry. She pushed the airbag out of the way and opened the door, letting the dogs out. Red was on his feet and snarling at the creatures running towards them as Corey began to recover, his war training kicking in.

[Pardon the 'demon control' going on =3 I had some ideas for his 'encounter' stage, and I figured I'd roll with it and just change it if any objections come up.]

Kenneth's Recent courses of action could be summed up as keeping low, crouch sprinting from one form of cover to the next, browsing the immediate area, then repeating... It was a decidedly boring morning so far, not that anyone with a brain would complain about that, and a moment later he mumbled out a thought aloud "Afterall, the stench is a lot more complaint worthy than being bored and alive... Seriously, do they have to 'stink' so bad?" He realized the hint he'd just told himself a moment later and shut up to pay sharper attention, ducking tighter into the shadow of the Van by which he was hidden, 'thinking' to himself this time 'god DAMNIT!, Every single time I stop paying attention! EVERYTIME!' He quietly slung the Barret over his back, Readying the Anaconda instead... A high powered pistol would be much more preferable if one of the beasties jumped out closer by.

Sure enough a moment later he heard the sound of something scuffing across cement... somewhere, it wasn't especially close by, else it would certainly have heard his mumbling already... another sound, and a couple more from somewhere else, but still nothing visible, he began to tighten up and steel himself for some shooting incase something was trying to sneak up... CLANK!

All at once the Van against his back shook violently for just an instant as something landed ontop of it, prompting him to quickly twist a bit and hold the Revolver along side his chest, aiming up, in preparation... a few seconds later it peeked over the edge, causing him to tense up even hard and finger the trigger, sniffing and snarling, expectably twisted visage ready to rip something to shreds but... It behaved confused instead of hostile 'Okay, that hasn't happened before... how can't it see me? why can't it 'smell' me? It's 'never' that easy to avoid them, Seriously, I have to sleep on a roof to avoid being snuck up on... you're kidding?'

Kenneth stared dumb-founded as the demon just pulled back and the Van jostled again from it leaping off onto the road to continue scuffling about and searching for prey... Several more seemingly joining it and scanning the area... Then he noticed something odd, it kindof resembled a gooey black tendril out of the corner of his vision, quickly dismissed as stress messing with his vision, then it was spotted again, then several more, then something a lot more 'noticeable' than that as similar tendril-esque effects could be seen around the edges of the Van's shadow that he was hidden in, and a look down revealed that something similar seemed to be allover his body, and quite expectably he began to teeter on the edge of freaking the hell out!

Only for something to both save and horrify him at the same time... Somehow the demon's, late though it was, got ahold of his scent and began to turn, still seemingly confused, until they saw what appeared to be a human wrapped in gooey black stuff... Instantly a furious screech rang out and he reacted as any rational human being should.

Kenneth screamed "FUCK ME RUNNING!" and leapt from his shady cover, interestingly enough noticing that the creepy effect on his body seemed to melt off in the sun-light as soon as it hit him, and Let loose a Trio of shots at the demons while simultaneously whirling around to sprint past the van and straight to the nearest alley-way. He actually worked on demonstrating good mufti-tasking ability by using the very short moment of safety to fish out the 3 spent shells from his Revolver and try to replace them while Running full-tilt into the Dark alley, noting similarly that once out of the sun the creepy tendrily stuff reappeared, now paired with a weird tingling feel allover his skin.

((Kay I got mine, Zombeh, and Music's battle response up. Battles don't have to be walls of text, you can have small paragraphs, as this is a turn-based event.))

September

I stood at the edge at the putrid stink bubble soon after eating breakfast to re-contemplate my options. Sneak attack? My fingers methodically tapped each of the metal throwing needles I had strapped to my waist and both thighs. All hidden, of course, until they were needed. One… Two… Three…

I quickly shook my head to erase the numbers. When I got bored I tended to count numbers or repeat meaningless words in my head. I haven’t had a good slaughter in a while, I continued to think, sliding my hands into my pockets. Exhaling a breath of air through my teeth, I tried to deter the small grin asking to form.

I could use Golden Eagle’s Spear… Or I could go ShadowSwift Weasel… Oh, the options are limitless… I leapt off the tree and onto the soft ground.

As I made my way towards the Demons, backpack hidden in a tree, hands in my pockets, I felt for the little tugging in my head. Over the days its transformed from a slight tugging to a firm pulling to nearly a dragging sensation from time to time. Sometimes, when I concentrate, it almost feels like a slight compass in my head. Sometimes I can almost… Feel where the other Hunter is moving, and the pace, and perhaps the terrain she’s currently in. This Sense is definitely powerful.

The smell of the Demons was growing, and strings of black mist began to trail off my hair in retaliation. No… Not going to go offensive. I can go ShadowSwift Weasel to throw my needles.

The Demons knew I was here now. I could just hear them making that piercing, yet somewhat quiet, screeching noise they make. I assumed it was a way for them to communicate.

The mist thickened with each step I took, and the parts that touched the sunlight proved it to actually be a deep indigo colour. Soon, I couldn’t see through the mist at all.

Now this was the strange part of my powers. I don’t feel the transformation, I can’t even see it. I just walk out of the mist and then…

I had shrunk about two inches and my hair was shorter, shaggier. It was now solid, inky black, the colour had left it, and the roots of my hair now traveled down all the way to my lower back and extended into a long, thin, semi-flat tail. This was my rudder system.

Oh my back was four slim wings delicately arched outwards, sharpened edges, and long, thin feathers. My body was now slimmer, more streamlined, and ready to take off at a moment’s notice. In each of my hands was a dangerous black needle - and I let them both fly.

Nathan

The Demons were bounding, leaping, atop and around broken vehicles and cracked ground like demented kangaroos. They began to extend their blackened and blood-stained claws, reaching in front of them as if anticipating the feel of cutting them through human flesh.

They steadily communicated through those rasping screeches of theirs, perhaps sharing intel such as human weak points, and which end of the shooter to avoid. This human had a small shooter, rather high danger level from afar, and a medium metal sharp, a medium-high danger from close up.

The Demons were completely physically identical. Their bodies were bone-thin, and would be considered emaciated if they were human. Their skin, the colour of dried blood, would start off smooth as a baby’s bottom. As a Demon begins to fight and gains wounds, the wounds will heal over the next day, leaving mangled scars behind with no lasting damage.

Their eyes are sunken holes, it’s a wonder they can see at all.

Their ears are sunken holes, it’s a wonder they can hear at all.

They have no nose, simply two slits to smell with.

And then their mouths, crusted with dried blood, filled to the brim with shark-like teeth and long saber fangs are the focal point of the face.

Two of the demons ran in front while two ran behind them, almost like a crude defense tactic. The two in front would be human, er, living shields, possibly sacrificing themselves for the benefit of the other two.

Finally they reached Nathan.

Della

This Demon was traveling alone, as his… “Allies” had all been killed by the moving metals, metal sharps, and some other assorted, crude human weapons. This human here was a female of its species, perhaps not too powerful. The Demon uttered a screech, a reflex upon meeting prey, and began to give chase.

This human had no weapons, and was simply running into a wide open field. How silly. There was no way to hide here.

It continued to call, almost as if hoping another of its kind would respond. Claws extended, teeth showing, it dove at the girl. She made a screeching noise of her own and ducked into the grass and it swiped as fast as it could with his claws - left, right, left, right. Bits of grass and flowers and dirt sprung up, and it made contact with human flesh only a few times. Not lethal damage, but it could almost taste the blood it spilled.

Kill

It was a surprise to Nathan what he managed to notice even as the Demon’s drew closer; the bloodthirst in their eyes, the dried blood that spoke of previous hunts, the way their claws slid free, and their grotesque appearance, magnified now that they were closer. Somehow, within the time it had taken the horrors to reach him, Nathan had stopped the shaking and settled into an eerie calm. His situation was downright bad, yet despite knowing that he didn’t feel the slightest sense of panic. The lead Demon chose to leap right over the wreckage in front of Nathan, pouncing down on him, while the other three charged around to flank him.

The thin arm came down in a flash, claws poised to cut through Nathan’s neck and rip into his chest.

A screech, born from surprise rather than pain, filled the air for a split moment before that was silenced. The swing hadn’t just unarmed the Demon like Nathan had intended, but with his newfound strength he had actually managed to cleave through the creature’s neck as well, beheading and killing it instantly. It’s arm and head flipped through the air several times before they fell to the ground, and in that time the odds had evened out somewhat.

He didn’t know how he was able to do what he did, but against these odds, Nathan wouldn’t turn away even the slightest advantage. He simply took what he could get, and he got a lot. He had thought it was simply adrenaline, but that possibility was thrown out the window almost instantly. The fact that he jumped nearly two meters over a wrecked vehicle, avoiding the other three Demons that didn’t hesitate in the slightest, was proof enough. Whatever it was, he could contemplate on it later, when there weren’t a few Demons out for his blood.

Nathan’s hand was brought to bear almost instantly the moment one of the remaining Demons bounded over the wreckage. A series of sharp cracks filled the air as he pulled the trigger, but instead of crashing dead into the ground, the Demon scrambled to get back up. Evidently these things had encountered other humans and firearms before; the way it had brought its arms up to protect itself spoke of previous experience. Bloodthirsty and carnage-driven Demons might have been, but Nathan loathed the fact that they weren’t dumb beasts. Before he could finish the creature off, it flung itself out of his reach and scrambled backwards and towards the other two.

Surprisingly, and almost certainly attributed to whatever was influencing him, he didn’t even need to look back up to know what the other two were up to. They flanked the injured Demon’s sides, alternating their gazes between him and their pack member. This uneasy lull in the violence gave Nathan some time to think and he quickly ran through his options. While he had managed to kill one in a single blow, it had been out of surprise. If the three approached him all at once, his odds of winning weren’t the best. Better to retreat than to fight an unsure battle, but the question now was how?

Before he could think further though, the Demons pressed in against him again. Forced to fight, he fired off what remained of his magazine at one of the creatures, forcing it back and allowing him a two on one scenario. There were simply too many avenues of attack for him to cover and stand his ground though, and Nathan was quickly forced to retreat. Blade met bloody claws numerous times in the span of moments, and despite his seemingly enhanced strength, he couldn’t do much. They didn’t feel any pain, or at least that’s what it felt like, and every time he knocked one down the other would be on him too fast for the finishing blow. It had only been a few seconds, but the third one, he noticed it out of the corner of his vision, was about to join in and that was something he couldn’t allow.

He had to do something, and he had to do it now.

She could almost taste her own blood on her lips. Though the demon did little damage, it still hacked away at her as best she could, and no matter how much she seemed to squirm, she couldn’t quite get any solid hits on the thing. For a moment it looked like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or a paddock and a hard place.. or a hellspawn and a.. field of grass?

Finally landing a punch to its head, the thing reeled off her, flicking a few spots of blood across her face. She grunted at the stinging in her chest and neck and staggered to her feet, bracing her body to defend itself. Spotting her moment, Della grabbed the thing by the back of its neck and its right forearm then twisted her footing on the spot, using the momentum of her body to fling it as far away from her as she could. It was surprisingly small and surprisingly light, and though she knew it would be back on her in a matter of seconds the throw would momentarily distance it from her body. Within a split second she filtered through a list of available weapons in her head, deciding in the next second to grab her bowie knife instead of her slingshot. Reflexively snatching the hilt up in one hand it yanking it cleanly out of its sheath, Della held the blade point down, the length of it angled defensively across her body.

She watched as the thing twisted briefly in the air, only to disappear below the grass, and she shuffled back, eyes to the ground before her. If she could make it to the road she’d have a better chance of facing the creature where it couldn’t hide. But to get there she had to put the creature behind her, and to do that.. she was going to have to face it, and turn it around.

Easy, she thought. One good stab to the brain and it’d be a goner, or if she couldn't get a clean hit in, then throwing it away again or forcing it further into the field would allow her to retreat back to higher ground to keep a look out for anything else on her tail. Pulling her blade arm back, she readied herself to swing at the once it had pounced. She wiped her free hand across her cheek, smearing “tomato sauce” over her bottom lip.

Come on, you little bitch. I bet my blood tastes awesome.

Evner

The two Demons were finishing off their last kill - a single female adult with two younger humans, when a two wheel metal and a human came along, making quite a racket along the way. The moving metals were loud creatures.

The two wheel metal tripped on a hole in the ground and tossed the human off, significantly injuring the human. Kill… Their instinct to kill, their want to see blood, heightened immediately as the human’s blood was brought to the surface of his skin.

One Demon, a later-spawn, extended its claws immediately and leapt in front of the human, lowering its head to inspect the human. The human was greatly weakened by the fall, and the early-spawned Demon let out a high-pitched screeching noise. The signal to kill.

The later-spawn lifted both its arms into the air and brought them down onto the human.

Corey

Roads were a good hunting ground for Demons, as they were one of the only ways humans and their moving metals could travel. Five demons, a whole pack, simply had to wait until some humans came by. And come by they did.

In this small moving metal was a younger human with two four-legged protectors. The youngest of their pack, the later-spawn, was the one that got the honors of attempting to destroy the moving metal.

Moving metals were irritating though, as they are a significant source of protection and tend to be difficult to predict. The moving metal tried to run but tripped, and the four-legged protectors were making noises at the Demons.

Now was time for the kill. The protectors would have to go first. The demons split into two and three, three towards the protectors and two towards the human. Claws extended, they lunged.

Kenneth

Clinking noise… The Demons might have heard something that indicated a human nearby. Three Demons were scouting an area littered with dead moving metals, strangely enough they did not decompose, when the powerful scent of a human reached them. The later-spawn immediately leapt up onto a medium moving metal for a better view of the area.

Now this was strange. The smell of live human was here, but somehow it smelled… Muffled. Like a human inside of a moving metal, where the scent of the moving metal’s waste overpowered the scent of human.

The later-spawn let out a low scrrrrrrroo in confusion as it leapt off the van to consult the early-spawn.

Something moved behind the moving metal. Human!

The human was covered in black material. That must have been what covered the stench. That would not stop the Demons from killing.

The human let out a loud noise and began to run in the direction of two buildings. The black material seemed to melt off the human as soon as he touched the light of the sun and the smell of the human exploded at once, triggering the bloodlust of the Demons. Kill!

This human had many metal shooters, which would be high danger levels if the human got up somewhere high. Just as the human was running the later-spawn was hit three times; once in the arm, once in the chest, and another in the chest. It fell to the ground, realized that metal shooters were a danger, and immediately got back up and began to chase its prey.

Claws extended, the three Demons chased the human into a dark area. Ignoring the black material re-forming around the human, they surrounded the human before he could use any more of his metal shooters. The Demons first aimed to destroy his clothing, as that was what was containing most of his metal shooters.

Evner rolled out of the way as he saw the clawed hand swiping down towards him. However, it was not quick enough, as the claw swiped across his back, ripping his leather jacket and black t-shirt; on his back, three cuts appears, blood steadily slipping out of them. Evner hissed and launched himself over a car, trying not to lean against it too hard. He took out his colt 1911 and got ready to shoot. He turned around and popped up as quick as possible, aiming at the first demon's head. He pulled the trigger, aim steady for a perfect headshot.

Only for the gun to jam.

"Oh you have got to be-" He dodged as the other demons lunged at him.

Tick...tick...tick...

As he ran, he tilted his head, looking at his jammed weapon in a new light. He couldn't explain it; he didn't know too much about guns, let alone what pieces or parts could cause it to jam, but somehow he could tell. Somehow he knew. Narrowly avoiding the claw to his back, he reluctantly threw himself into a car and locked himself in. Just in time too, as the demons hit the side of the car, rocking the metal contraption hard enough to lift it a little before it's four wheels hit the ground once more. He tried to control his breathing as the car seemed to be shrinking in on him.

Tick, tick tick

He disassembled his gun quickly and with an efficiency he had no idea he possessed. His fingers worked deftly to reconfigure the pieces and put the gun back into workable condition. The whole time the car was rocking and his breath was getting heavier, but he let out a hysteric laugh as the gun was reassembled and the odd tick in his mind subsided. He took aim at one of the demons through the glass and pulled the trigger, the joyous sound of a bullet firing out of the barrel coming right after.