[IC] Unlikely Team [Sporko+Grizz]

[SporkoBug]

Jay gave a frown at Rex's words, "The Black Dragon?" He started quietly, "I've heard that name before." He thought to himself, thinking with a furrowed brow.
"Is that why he's heading over here?" Jay asked quietly, "Is that why The Elder is heading this way? To helps you head there?"
"Help us head over there." Wyf added as she grabbed the piece of paper and started to shred it in the way a budgie does, pulling off small strips and tucking them under her scales.

Jay nodded at Wyf's words, "Yes, well. That is if the two men are okay with me joining them." He said to her as she flitted over to Jay and settled back on his shoulders with a small hum.
Jay looked over the map, trying to see if there were any markers for the Hunter's hideouts. He moved slightly to pick up an unmarked pin and instinctively went to place it on the part where the Hunter Inn; the largest operation station of the Hunters currently, sat. Part of him made him feel bad about doing it, but he also felt like Rex would need to know.
"That's where the 'Inn' is. Please don't storm it, but it's good for you to know so you can at least avoid it."

---

Vex's body fully relaxed when the feeling of being full washed over her. She stopped herself from falling over, her eyes closed slightly before slowly opening to their proper dark pink colouration.
Her skin seemed to settle on a slightly pinkened pale colouring. A small smile settled on her lips before she looked to Zion as he spoke.

She listened carefully before she blinked and nodded once, "If the Way is allowed to be passed to a Half Blood, I would be more than happy to take the knowledge." She said, her Hunter Training wasn't important anymore; the temptation of new Knowledge to help both of her kinds plus humans took control.
"I also know another Half-blood. He's of Fae Blood mixed with Human. I set off to find him." She stated quietly before she tilted her head with a frown, "You lost a Sired one?" She asked, sorrow through her voice.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Rex shrugs. "Knowing the Elder, he's going to help. I was going to ask him to get us one of the Rangers. With his previous engagements, he wasn't able to do much other than feed me reports he's given. I'll find out more when he arrives. We will." He thinks for a moment. "It all depends I guess. I haven't had much contact with the council beyond constantly being told to sit quiet and let the adults speak."

"I wouldn't dare tell anyone and I'll make sure Jivarn knows as well. No information will be leaked." Rex looked into Jay's eyes so he knew he was serious as he spoke. "I'd very much like to avoid it." He taps a large flag. "This is Carn, the capitol of the Kin. Reciprocation is one aspect of a good friendship." He tapped a report, handing it to Jay. "I will need you to see if this information matches anything you or the Hunters have received. It's a list of small attacks that have led to... Disappearances. The more information we have the better prepared we will be."

---

Zion composed himself, eyes flashing as he breathed in deep. He had a vast well of power though she took a healthy chunk. He would need to feed again, to settle his more.. Darker urges. He motioned for her to follow him as he began to move towards the city. "We can begin your training now, if you would like, this forest will do nicely." He smiled, flashing a fang. "I would be very interested in seeing your skills."

He thought for a moment at the mention of a Fae half-blood. "That is... Odd. I do not know of any Lords siring new children in the last century. There was a bit of a... Scandal around two decades ago that I heard of. Some poor fool got involved I think. We will look for him as we go." When she asked about his progeny he grew disquiet and sullen. "Yes. Antonius. He was... Bright. The only major scandal I ever had, due to his status as a bastard son but I didn't care. I lost him when the humans revolted against the Dragons. He was hardly past his first century and he'd met a lovely woman named Becca. She's still alive to this day, he saved her life, using himself as bait to get her to run off. They were to be wed that following spring. I... I lost myself I think. To the Beast. The Hunger had turned to rage and I came to myself being held down in blessed chains snarling like a rabid animal. It was a dark time then... The Hunters had killed several Dragons and turned on us."

[SporkoBug]

"Rangers?" Jay asked with a small tilt of the head, "Are they the same thing as the Hunter Rangers? Crossbows and silent attacks?" He tilted his head slightly before he listened more.
"Thank you for promising you won't tell anyone." Jay said with a small smile, he moved to grab the report handed to him quietly.

"Wyf, do not eat this paper." He said to his Catvern, who only growled at the idea.
Jay moved to flick over the report, before moving to lean against the desk and read it slowly.
"Dark energy echoing from the...." He mumbled out loud as he read, "Hunters seen without their pendants or badges..." His eyebrows furrowed, "Hunters don't go around without either of those things."
Wyf gave a small laugh before she nipped gently at his ears. "Says the man who left his Pendant on his table!"
Jay stammered over his words, "T-The pendant... H...Hurts me." He said shakily before he went back to reading the report.

Jay closed the report and placed it on the desk with a small sigh. He moved his hands over his face with a grumble.
"It matches... some of my reports. Others have been more violent; less like a disappearance more like a slaughter." He frowned slightly.

---

Vex nodded slightly at his words, "My... Skills?" She asked, "I... I know some of the stuff I can do. The Hunters stopped me from practicing." She continued with a small shrug. "I'd love to learn!"

"I'm sorry that you lost him." Vex started with a sigh, "The Hunter's can be asses. There was a small Dusk Fae... grouping, not exactly a village, but they were friendly, absolutely the opposite of hostile. And they wiped them out."
She sighed slightly.
"I... Don't remember when I lost control the first time." She said with a sigh, "I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that!" She stopped before she moved to grab Zion's hand.

"I promise to learn from you the best I can." She said, staring into his eyes, her eyes a deep purple. "I have been stuck with the Hunters for too long; I want to help our kind. I want... Peace."

[GrizzTheMauler]

"They are an elite group trained specifically by Elder Zion's mate, General Dryder. Skilled in repelling nearly any kind of attacks they are some of the oldest and most trusted to perform special operations... That not even the Regent's Own know of." Rex grimaced. "These reports came from them, gathered over the last decade when I... Came back to the world." Rex shook his head.

Rex nods when Jay confirms the reports. "And the Kin haven't been innocent either... I see human attacks in the southern borders, and several unnamed Kin being held responsible. It's disturbing. I don't know who is responsible for this but it's... An uneasy feeling."

---

Zion nods. "Very good. I know all about how the Hunters operate. I've been alive longer than they have been around. In the loss of my son I've taken in all of the young Kin who need a hand and taught them to be strong. It is how I retain the title of the Leader of the Court. I may not be Regent as I abstained from it, but there is very few Kin who can truly match me. I champion peace for our kind and good relations to other races. Despite the rage of my Beast we have learned to embrace the Way of the Forest and the guidance of the Moon."

His tone becomes serious and he grins. "Now, the city lies in that direction. Try not to lose your way, you can tell by using that star overhead." He points it out making sure she sees it. "I will test you. Not for speed or strength, but for Heart, Mind and Soul. I will call upon the forest to aid in this mock Trial of Fire. The real one requires several months of training and a potion I shall begin working on, but for now, this will do. As my blood now runs through your veins the Forest will test your spirit." As he speaks, the sky grows dark, despite the full moon. What remains is the single star he pointed out in the direction of the town. "Trust in your instinct, remember, that I am watching, I will not let the Forest unduly harm you, young Kin. But I will not come save you." He steps into the shadows of the forest, his voice echoing. "I highly suggest that you run, Vex of House Valorian. Because the Forest is always hungry."

[SporkoBug]

Jay nodded, "There has been a few.. Very rarely, Hunter attacks on a human. Which is what got me looking into this." He started, "The others and the higher ups didn't find it useful... It was only me and two others who worked on it."

He paused as he thought of his two 'team mates', "Oh god they're probably worried." Jay uttered under his breath.
"I donno about Thomas, but Vexalia will probably try to find you." Wyf whistled before she flew over to Rex, landing gently on him and ruffled her wings quietly. "Which will be interesting for her specifically to come into a sanctuary city."

---

Vex listened to Zion, her eyes locked on him. The words he said racked into her head, standing out and she nodded once.
"Peace is good." She said with a blink at him mentioning a test would start now. Focus. A louder voice echoed through her head that sent shivers down her spine; something that she wasn't truly used to- she was used to her Vampire instincts barking at her, but this voice was smoother. Breathe. Focus. Go.

Vex looked to the star quietly and crouched. She focused on the air around her and the look of everything. She felt the trees move, the darkness pulling in her power- before she sprinted off.
She sprung onto a branch and leaped towards another branch. She moved to swung to another branch but slipped. She landed in a crouch before she looked for the star again.
"Shit." She said as she couldn't see through the treetop, moving to spring up the side of the trees to try to get to the canopy.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Rex nods, looking down at reports. "And of course, the Regent is blocking anyone investigating things since he can't order anyone to do anything." He sighed.

A soft squak came from the skull as Skuggi poked his head out, looking around and exiting the eyehole of his new nest. He looked a little big bigger as he stood on it, preening his feathers. Rex shook his head as he noticed the bird was about to start molting, watching him drop feathers on the ground. Rex moved to collect them, as they were a useful component in some ritual spells. Jay noticed that a few feathers matched those found on the jacket. "I was wondering when you start dropping those. You took a nasty swipe there, friend."

---

The elder vampire watched in the shadows of the trees. Vex could see little flashes of red all around, as he followed. Using his gifts he created shadowy beasts to assail her, forcing her to fight every few minutes. When she went to the top of the trees, a large roc swooped down, knocking her out of the canopy.

"The forest if indeed hungry for fresh blood, child. You must show that your will shall not surrender." Zion whispered this next to her ear but was gone before she could turn to face him. He stood back on a tree branch, watching. They were making their way to the city and she would soon be free of the forest. He smiled at how strong her will was proving to be. She would probably need to rest when she finished his test but Vex was proving well enough that he would have recommended her for the Rangers.

[SporkoBug]

Jay glanced between the feathers and the jacket, giving a bit of a smile before he watched Wyf again.
Wyf moved off of Rex's head and landed gently beside Skuggi. "Friend~" She purred happily as she watched the feathers, moving to quickly nab one before Rex could pick it up. She let out a small whistle before she moved to tuck the feather into her tail fur.

"I know, waiting for them to shed is a problem." Jay said with a small laugh, "Wyf only sheds with the new moon, and her scales are incredibly helpful for me." He watched Wyf look at him and fluff herself, before he moved to look back at the map.
"May I mark stuff where I have seen attacks?" He asked. "There's a few spots that aren't marked."

---

Vex let out a yelp as she was slammed back into the forest by a roc, she moved to grab a branch to stop herself from slamming into the ground.
"Fuck." She swore, feeling her body flex with power.

She landed without a problem before she was slammed into a tree by a large shadowy figure. She spun around to attack before narrowly dodging an attack.
She felt the power flood to her hands and she moved to short small shards of light towards the Beast, moving to push off the ground with sudden strength to bounce towards the town.
She glanced to see what the beast was doing before she continued to run, feeling the power flooded through her body before she jumped.

She pushed her power out of her body and focused on whatever she was feeling inside. Light trickled down her body before two pairs of dragonfly-like wings appeared behind her, pushing her up into the canopy again. She span to see if anything was to knock her out of the sky. She wouldn't fight it, she just didn't want to get caught offguard this time. Her wings fluttered slightly as she managed to figure out where the star was before she dropped back down.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Skuggi squaked and bopped Wyf's nose with a wingtip. The feather in the catvyrn's tail give a sharp prick before bonding on the skin before Rex could grab it. "Um.." He sighed, shaking his head. "They aren't exactly... Dead feathers all the time. It won't cause any harm, it just lets Skuggi track her anywhere. Give it a few weeks and it'll actually change to blend into her fur." He pet Skuggi's head. "He tends to accidentally pluck good feathers when he molts."

Rex looked at the map. "Oh yes, please. I don't have everything down since I move slowly on my own as it is. I've got a few experiments running so I haven't finished the map yet." He takes the feathers and places them in a bag, tying it off and setting it down on another table of components. "My father was onto several breakthroughs in ritual lore it seems. He was experimenting with... Our blood. I'm working on a substitute with Jivarn. So that we won't have to take as much from humans and risk turning them. With a few donors we can feed our people. I know that some like being fed from, it's euphoric due to the enzymes we secrete, but this way no Kin will have to starve."

---

Zion observed, holding back the Roc as Vex jumped through the canopy. He was sufficiently impressed. He felt the wind shift as the clouds began to lighten up, revealing the moon. He stood in a moonshaft, a smile on his face for the first time in months as he observed the Young kin in her Trial. It seemed the Forest agreed with his assessment as it let her out at the edge. She was no doubt exhausted after facing the last of the Beasts, a large bear. He summoned a shadowhorse, sitting on it's back and going to her. "You have done well, young Kin." He smiled. "How well can you ride?"

[SporkoBug]

"She would have done that on purpose." Jay added before Wyf fluttered over to her master with a happy trill, showing her tail to him. "I see that darling, an odd coloured feather. You going to keep it that way o-" He was interrupted as Wyf stood upwards.
She fanned her wings and quivered her body, all of the fur and feathers on her body flexing in colour and becoming the same colour as the feather. "Of course." Jay laughed as she hopped off him and fluttered back to the skullbird and the Vampire.
"Tadaa!" She said happily, turning to Skuggi, "Look! I'm you!"

Jay took the moment of his companion being distracted showing her 'special power'. She moved to grab a few pins and pressed them into the map; Most of them around the Inn before some into the nearest two enchanted forests.

---

Vex was so focused she didn't even notice the moon come out, she had landed right in front of the bear, leaping back as she readied herself as it reared up.
"I am a friend." She whispered to the beast, "So my apologies for what is about to happen."
She launched herself forward and enveloped herself in the same energy as she sent at the larger beast.

She smashed her way through the shadowy bear before she skidded to a halt just in front of Zion. She watched the bear for a moment, her pointed ears twitching at Zion's voice before she collapsed to her knees.
"My powers..." She heaved, she felt sick, she pushed herself almost too far. "Wait.."
She realized what was holding her powers back, moving to pull out a small red pendant that was glowing with a sinister glow. "Of course, the Hunters give these to every other Hunter out there, it's suppose to stop any of them contracting Vamparisy or Lycanthropy- Or as the 'Ruler'" She said it in almost a mocking tone, "calls it, 'Bloodfall diseases'." She grasped it in her hand, feeling it burn her skin. Sure her Vamparic blood was stinging from it, but it effected her Fae blood too.

[GrizzTheMauler]

*Skuggi paused his preening to hop around the catvyrn. He nodded and sent an image of Rex smiling and the emotion of happiness. He jumped over to the table with the map and observed the new pins. Rex watched as the skullbird memorized the locations and cawed, sending an image of a burning forest to Jay with the emotion of sadness. Rex translated it for him, frowning. "That's along the same areas we have reports of the forest being burned away. It's forcing several therian groups to move or risk exposure."

He sat down in the chair behind the desk, looking through the pile of books. "But that is for when we finish our current mission. Ah, here it is." He grabbed a robin blue book with strange text. "This is the report on Fae magic that my father compiled. It's written in their language but I can teach it to you." He holds it out for Jay.

---

Zion grimaced at the pendant. With a swift move he removed it from her and held it up to look at it. "Jivarn would be very interested in this. Magical devices is one of his specialities. This looks like the inverse of a Bloodtear. It reeks of dark magicks." He looked down at Vex. "It stops them from contracting the Blood? That is... Concerning. We've only recently managed to come up with a way to do that. I will have to alert Dryder on this..." He rotated it in his hands, noting the burn. It was sharp and insistent like he was holding a prickly ball.

"At any rate-" He stopped casting a shadowy arrow out into a shadow nearby. The arrow seemed to be absorbed as a solitary red eye appeared. Stepping forward, Lord Jivarn revealed himself. "Jivarn! Old friend it has been some time."

"Indeed." He looked to Vex. "I see." His stare was piercing and he seemed to evaluate her before he bowed his head slightly to Vex. "Welcome to the House of Valorian, young Kin." His attention returned to Zion who nodded. "A strong choice. Though it is a new Bond. In response to your letter I took the opportunity to scry. I felt a disturbance in the natural flow of mana and came."

Zion chuckled and handed him the pendant. "That would probably be this. Vex, this is Jivarn of House Regulus, our young King's caretaker and stepfather. And the man I came to see in this city. I assume he's here?"

"Ah yes." Jivarn said, his attention on the pendant. He had procured leather gloves that shimmered slightly as he examined the crystal. "He has made himself an acquaintance with a young Half-Fae Hunter named Jay. From what Rex tells me he's the grandson of their leader. Interesting boy. His magic is rather unrefined though his aura is very active. He managed to tame a Catvyrn."

"I think we found the pair we were looking for, eh Vex?" Zion laughed, waving a hand and summoning a horse.

"No horse for me?"

"You got here fast enough."

"And you don't need a horse." Jivarn pointed out.

"I'm as eccentric as I am old." Zion laughed.

[SporkoBug]

Wyf fluffed herself slightly before she looked towards Jay. "Oh!" She started, fluttering over to her owner and settled on him as he reached for the book. "Will this be like her notes? The ones you could read?" Wyf asked quickly, nipping at Jay to open the book quickly.

Jay flinched with each bite from Wyf, "I doubt I'll be able to read it." He said before he looked reading the front, flicking through the pages quietly. "Hold on, I can... Read some of this?"
"See!" Wyf said with a trill, "I knew you'd be able to! The blood gives some bonuses!"
Jay looked up to Rex with a small blink, "May... I... Borrow this?" He asked with a tilt of his head, "The words... Move on the page for me but I need to focus for them to settle so I can read it."

---

Vex bowed her entire body to the other Elder when she was introduced. "A pleasure to meet you." She said before she listened more.
Her ears pricked up about a 'fae-blooded Hunter', "Jayce!" She blurted out, moving to cover her mouth softly, "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt." She said before she continued listening.

She failed to hold herself back again when they mentioned a Catvyrn; "Wyf is hardly tamed." She commented, "The thing loves Jay to pieces, he was the first thing she saw when she hatched. Granted Jay was the one to convince the others not to shatter her egg when I found it."
She glanced towards Zion when he summoned the horse, before moving to hop up on it with a little bit of struggle, looking towards the town as her eyes glistened in the moonlight, Don't worry Jay. I'm here to help. She thought, her ears twitching as her power spiked since the pendant was gone.

Now that the Pendant was finally gone, her powers fully blossomed; her hair changing tint and becoming a darker icy blue, her nails slightly sharper. Her wings suddenly reappeared and fluttered in the moonlight, and a slender, soft furred tail slipped into view, tipped with another tuff of longer dark blue hair.
Vex almost collapsed at the power flood, she was exhausted again- but at least she wasn't exactly starving. She leaned against the horse with a small huff, the transformation was over, at least. Good now I ca- She was interrupted as she had to cup her hands over her ears as they gave off a small burning sensation; as she shakily pulled her hands away, her small bat-like ears twitched.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Rex nods. "It's yours. I've already studied what I needed from it. If you need help I can assist as best as I can. It's divided into four sections. History, Genealogy, Culture, and Known Spells. Father liked to take detailed notes on species he came across. One of the reasons why his stuff lies here. If the Hunters ever got a hold of it, it could spell the end of every species. He was working on something big, before he stumbled upon the undead problem. He called it the Book of Anima, said that whatever was being the problem wanted that book as well. What we're looking for in the Steppes is the ruins that have it. The Lich is after that. We find it, destroy it and the Lich, and we win. Simple, yeah?"

---

Zion chuckled at her outburst. "You are allowed to speak freely among us, young one. You'll find that the common practices of the Court don't generally apply here. Especially with the last two Kings rarely ever visiting their own Palace. I doubt Rex even knows that he has four of them now." He laughed then stopped when he watched her transform. "I was wondering why you never showed any of your Fae ancestry. It is very strong, no doubt aided by my blood. I apologize for that. I do not know if the Hunters would take to that kindly..." He sighed. "As it is, our companions await. Hop on your horse and do try to keep up." He spurred his knightmare and charged for the city, cape fluttering behind him.

The horse's steps rolled through the plain like the shaking of earth. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was some mere vampire. A soft and steady drifting of smoke trailed the horse as they headed to the gates of the city that quickly approached. They were opened well before he arrived, and he slowed, turning back to raise an eyebrow at his young progeny. "Oh do hurry it along, child. Don't be afraid of her. She is just a horse."

[SporkoBug]

Jay smiled at Rex's words, he moved to tuck the book in his sidebag before he looked around again.
"Thank you." He said, looking to Rex with a bigger smile, "Thank you so much." Wyf let out a small trill and fluffed herself before she settled on a nearby seat and started to gently preen herself.

"But that sounds simple enough, yeah." He started with a furrow of his brow, "But the execution of such thing will be harder to do."
He hesitated on speaking for a moment, his necklace gave a bit of shimmer. He felt it sting against his sting but didn't act on taking it off.
"Right, so we're waiting on an Elder yeah?" He asked after a moment of silence, looking over to Wyf slightly before looking around the room. "Hey... Have you got any Fae crystals here?"

---

Vex properly got up on the horse and ran her hands through its mane, Horse's were nor something she was really used to. She got the horse to follow Zion's.
As they neared the gates, Vex's ears pricked up slowly and her senses focused around her again.

Her ears flicked, getting used to the air running across them. She was happy to finally have her true form out, she was happy to be away from the other Hunters...
Part of her was worried, it was known that Hunter's carry companions, and with meeting Jay coming near she worried that she'd be asked about hers.
She looked to the sky for a moment, closing her eyes before she looked back to the gates again.
"Screw the Hunters at this point." Vex mumbled slowly, "We have bigger problems."

---

The dust rumbled from a figure as it lay in its hibernation area. It's handler sent it away ages ago, but it remained faithful.
Hunters didn't want it around, especially not if its handler is what she was.

The beast slowly pressed its paws into the ground, lifting it's furred head to the sky and let out a low, rumbled, roar-like yawn.
It's frayed wings fanning out slowly, it tugged at it's broken chain around it's left hind leg.
It let out a small rumble before it leaped up from the ground, using it's wings to flutter out of it's crater.
The moon shone against the beast, it's ash-brown fur glistening as it's emerald eyes narrowed over the area below it.
The beast shook it's mane as it moved to leap down the outer moment of the Crater.

Anyone who witnessed this beast would believe to have seen a ghost, a Manticore walking around this area. Manticores weren't known to roam this far inland.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Rex nods. "Yeah... I think Jivarn does. I don't deal in magical artifact-" He stopped outside the door to Jivarns' office. The other Vampire had a strange crystal suspendd in a device in the middle of the room. The Vampire Lord was observing it's affects on his shadows, taking notes.

"They have arrived in the city." He wasn't looking at them, instead he formed a spear of darkness and threw it at the crystal, watching it shatter and be absorbed before it could reach it. "The hunter had this on her. I would very much like to know how they obtained Blood Crystals, and how they managed it invert one. This is beyond normal dark magic. Witches and warlocks refuse to touch this. It's Elderitch in formation. I will need to call in Malkov. This is exactly the kind of thing he warned the council of." He turned towards the pair, anger in his eyes. "Who makes these. They need to be... removed. This is Demonic magic at work and whenever humans use it, it leads to destruction. I understand you'd rather not have them killed, but we need to contain them. The moment demonic taint passes through someone, they are corrupted. How this will go depends on how tainted they are." His voice was firm and commanding. Jivarn looked directly at Jay, trying to gleam the information from the half-fae's very soul.

---

Zion made his way through the city. Despite his appearance, few noticed them, as Vex felt a strange commanding pressure to look away from him and her as well. They stopped at the large manor, the Elder dismounting and walking inside, the horse sinking into the ground. He just walked in, pausing as he looked around the manor, remembering the King who lived here before. "Rest well, friend." He nodded at the portrait, and motioning for the young hunter behind him to follow, he headed towards the labs. He noticed Rex, stepping over and scowling at Jivarn.

"Easy, friend. We will find whoever made these. I doubt they come from the hunters themselves. Probably some warlock with a pact." He sighed. "It's one of the reasons why Marlvos kept them from researching their own magic ability."

Jivarn growled and drifted off to study the stone again. "Find them and bring them here. Because if the Council-"

Rex spoke up. "The Council will never hear about it. We already know the Regent is just waiting to strike out at them. To find a way around his restrictions." He followed after Jivarn, heading to the cabinet which opened up and a box of gems shoved into his chest as Jivarn's familiar, a shade named Vokos appeared, shaking it's head. Rex latched an arm around Jay and dragged him back to his own lab, Zion sighing as he left his friend and followed them.

"Sorry about him." The elder looked a bit older all of a sudden. "We're two old dogs who've seen the depravity the Hunters would stoop to and we thought that after having a bloody dragon curse their land, they'd stop." The Elder slumped in a chair. "Gods above there is no limit to the cruelty of humans..."

[SporkoBug]

Jay watched Jivarn with curiosity at first, before sudden fear when he noticed what gem it was.
When Jivarn talked to him, he felt his fingers tingle in fear, small orb-like runes etched up his arms and glistened in the light around him.
"I... Don't know where they get them, every Hunter has them." He started before he Zion and the figure who stood behind him.

---

Vex followed Zion without another word, her eyes darting around every once and a while. She stopped behind Zion as she watched Jay quietly.
Part of her wanted to run up to him, grab him and hug him; but she stayed in her place.

Something echoed in her mind, a growl.
Oh no. She thought before she followed Zion again.
Jay gave a small yelp when Rex pulled him away, slightly on edge before he followed quietly.
When they got back into the lab before Jay got a better look at Vex before his eyes widened. "Oh my god!" He said before he moved to hug Vex.
Vex flinched before she looked at the Half-Fae, before Wyf suddenly fluttered over and attached herself onto the females face.

"Whoa whoa!" Vex laughed before Jay stepped back with a smile and a laugh.
"I'm sorry. I'm just surprised to see you!" Jay asked, Vex moved to try to pry Wyf from her face.
"The Hunters weren't listening to me. Your grandad is an ass." She said as she gently rubbed the catvyrn's head, before Wyf stretched her wings and flew out of the room and over to the other lab where Jivarn was. She let out a small trill as she landed on a desk carefully, fluffing herself with a tilt of her head, staring at the gem with a tilt of her head.
"I see Wyf is still crazy." Vex laughed, Jay nodded.
"Yeah, definitely, hey where's your compani-"
Vex looked to Zion as Jay started to ask about her companion.

"I can only imagine what you've seen." Vex said, interrupting Jay, shooting him an apologetic glance before she looked back to the Older Vampire, "I've seen... Extent of the torture they do against our kind... I've felt what they do to get information."

---

The Manticore slowly trawled its way towards the city, ignoring the look of people as it lifted it's head to the sky.
He let out a rumble as he started to gallop towards the manor, stopping at the door and paced around it, letting out a low roar that echoed around.
"Vex!" He called out with a low yowl, almost like he was distressed. "Vex!"

[GrizzTheMauler]

Zion grunted. "Same here. It lies in one of the few regrets I hold in my long life. I do believe they even have a name for me among them, The Black King." He scoffed. "They painted themselves the victims when they attacked me first. But that was centuries ago. I..." He paused, his head snapping towards the city as he moved to the window. "By Valorian's bloody beard.." The vampire swore as he gazed upon the manticore as it flew into the city. "Is that a manticore? I haven't seen one in nearly a century after Brigald wiped out the last known nest in Brightport. They don't live around this area anymore. I remember a few would even bond with them as companions and be able to ride them like the Griffin Knights in the old days."

Rex just stared at it for a moment, grabbed his notebook and started running down the stairs to go take notes of the creature. "Father would have a fit if he could see this..." He stopped a few feet away from the creature, taking notes on it's size, Skuggi observing as he perched on the young vampire's shoulder, sending a welcoming image to the creature.

City. "Hello." The skullbird chirped at the beast. Tattered wing. Ankle chain. "Injury? Captive?" The skullbird's throughts were tinged with worry and a bit of sorrow.

Zion followed after Rex, observing the manticore. "Is this your companion, Vex? He's too well-behaved to be wild."

[SporkoBug]

Vex and Jay both listened to Zion until he seemed to pause.
At the word of a Manticore caught both of their attentions, Jay looked to Vex as she rushed outside after the other two vampires.
"Crash!" She called to the Manticore, before she ran up to him and knelt down to hug into his mane.
The Manticore, presumably Crash, let out a low rumble; his entire stature seemed to relax before he moved into a sitting position. His eyes moved over to the Skullbird, "Yes." He said, sorrow in his voice, "The Hunters forcefully took me away from Vex."
"They saw him as too dangerous." Vex mumbled from her companions fur, pulling her face away with a small smile, "I'm so sorry. I should have looked for you... I had a map to where they kept you..."

Crash gently pressed his paw against her chest before he stood slowly to look at Jay and the other Vampires.
"My name is Crash." He said with a small bow, "I assume none of you are Hunters, bar of course, Jay."
Jay watched Vex and Crash quietly, staring at the Manticore quietly, before his necklace started to burn more, being in the presence of so many things it was meant to repel started to burn the young... Hunter.

Jay let out a yelp as the burn seemed to flood through his entire body before collapsing, unable to move as the gems magic started to hold his body in place.
Wyf was watching Jirvan with a gentle click every once and a while before she suddenly froze. She took to the air quietly and sped out of the manor and over to the ground, fluttering around Crash before darting to Rex and tugged on his shirt collar towards Jay.
"Necklace!"

[GrizzTheMauler]

Zion observed the manticore. "We are not. I am Council Elder Zion, Lord of Hightower and of House Valorian." He frowned as he looked over his wings. "You will be safe here with us. I do believe Jivarn has a stable out in the back that would fit well for you. It used to house a Wyvern." He snapped his fingers and several shadows raced from his feet and around the building. A soft grinding noise could be heard. "When was thew last time you fed?"

As Jay yelped, Rex had turned to him and went over to him. "Your pendant..." He grimaced, feeling it's effects spike and he quickly drew a bone rune, trusting his magic and throwing it at the pendant. It was a Perth rune that once touching the pendant, absorbed it, a small red dot appearing in it's center as Rex caught Jay and checked him over, Skuggi grabbing the rune and examining it. "Zion... Can you help me get him inside?"

"Of course." Zion lifted the hunter easily and made his way inside. "Vex, see to your familiar, we will convene in the back plaza after I set the young hunter to bed." He walked into Rex's wing and set him in one of the guest beds. Jivarn entered and took his vitals, examining the rune that contained the pendant, observing several cracks in it's surface as it wasn't fully contained.

"I should have taken his as well." The vampire grunted. "He shall be fine, will probably awaken hungry. Fae blood reacts very wildly to containment magics. Especially since draining them is particularly toxic. Wild Magic is poison to most." Jivarn took a sample of blood for study and headed to his lab where a shattering sound came from and Jivarn cursed in the old Tongue.

Rex shook his head. "That was a bit intense... It felt like a burn... But necrotic."

"It consumes magic." Zion shook his head. "I do not wish to see who made it but we might need more backup if we are to face Hunters armed with this..." He turned and headed out to examine the stables with Vex and see how to make Crash comfortable here.

[SporkoBug]

Vex nodded when Rex and Zion took Jay off, Her face showed worry but she didn't rush to Jay's side like the boys. She glanced to Crash before she lead him towards the stables.
The two walked in silence, Vex's mind going quickly now that she had Crash back. They got to the stables and Crash started to settle down.
"I'm not angry at you." Crash started, Vex looking at him with widened eyes. "I was worried. I knew the Hunters would treat you badly, to think they found you when you were-"
Vex moved to gently stroke her hand through Crash's mane. "Its okay." She started quietly, "I'm just happy you're okay. You're here and that's what matters to me."

They sat in silence before Vex looked up towards Zion as he entered, "Is he okay?" She asked quietly.
Crash settled in his spot, watching Zion enter as he swayed his tail- He moved his paw to gently touch it on Vex's foot.

---

Wyf gave out a worried trill, following after Rex as the Vampires took her handler inside. She fluttered around the room before settling near Jay, moving to burrow her head under his hand quietly.

Jay's breathing was soft but stable, when the rune was placed on the necklace his body seemed to relax and he seemed to be in a sleeping state.
It didn't take too long until Jay started to stir after Jivarn left, his eyes moved under his eyelids and he let out a low grumble.
"I don't like that." He mumbled to himself, moving his hand to touch his head, only to have Wyf coil around his hand and keep it over her.

[GrizzTheMauler]

Zion nodded. "He will be. The effect of those stones is concerning and I will need to send word to Dryder concerning them. We've been an uneasy ceasefire with the Hunters for several years now but those threaten any sort of peace." He leaned against the shed, several shadows shifting towards him. He regarded them with a grunt and they returned to normal, Vex feeling the subtle shift of Shadowmancy.

"The Hunters would see every other species destroyed. As if the Gods only made them worthy of the Land. It is a heinous act." He sighed as he looked at Vex. "I know I do not have the cleanest hands. My Father was once the King of the land Kurogane razed. But we had fought to keep out the evils that sought to corrupt the Humans. We had thought we were doing them a service."

---

Rex grumbles. "I didn't like it either. It's unnatural." He shook his head. "And to think that this is what the Hunters have turned to.. No offense, Jay, but this is practically a war crime. We need to solve the Undead problem fast. So that we can stop this one too."