Scout

Valour & Vale: A RWBY Roleplay

I sent you a message, Nutts, just letting you know I'm gonna work on one myself even if the inhibiting factors I mentioned to you prevent playing. :) I figured it was time to rewrite this character I have from a while back anyway, I like the format, I'd like to put him out for application just in case you're cool with me joining. I'll have it up tonight if it remains open until then.

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Siku Tsukiko

Name: Siku Tsukiko
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Element: Water
Birthplace: Northern Water Tribe
Current Residence: Republic City
Occupation: Pro-bender (“The Ice Wolves”)

Appearance:
Child


Grown


History: Siku grew up in the Northern Water Tribe, spending her first ten years of life in the icy habitats of the distant North. Her family lived quite well-off, as her father was the chief’s cousin, thus providing an environment for young Siku to thrive easily. From a young age, she showed a capacity for water bending and a curiosity beyond even the other children in the tribe. She was always exercising her abilities, absolutely fascinated by the way water reacted to even her very presence. Having acquired the ability to bend from her father, the man was the first to jump on a chance to train his only daughter. He was one of few water benders who wielded a weapon from time to time to accompany his art. Much to his chagrin, Siku had grown rather attached to their television on certain nights of the week. It was like pulling her out of a coma when her eyes glued to that screen to watch the pro-benders of Republic City, champions of their craft, dueling.

The girl wanted nothing more than to see one match, in person, and learn to diversify her own talents, no matter how small their manifestation still was at the time. After months of begging, pleading, groveling, and extra chores, her parents gave in to her incessant requesting and took her to the arena in the city. Hoping to satisfy her, they left within just a few days and spent a week in the city, leaving her in awe of everything from the cars to the music to the three matches they attended. The plan backfired quite noticeably because within only a year or two the chief offered her father the recently opened position of Ambassador for the North Pole and when Siku heard… well, there was no shutting her up. Her bags were packed before the decision was made and by the time she was ten, they were unlocking the doors to their new, and admittedly quite lavish, house in the center of the city. It had a yard and a garden, granted due to her father's position. They had not purchased it, but rather it was owned by the Northern Water Tribe. Siku’s mother had always stayed at home, maintaining the house and caring for Siku and their new two year-old daughter Sesi. Siku started going to school in the city and her father continued their training sessions, waiting until she was old enough before starting to teach her how to use a dao, just as he incorporated one into his own training. They began with wood, and by the time she was finishing school, she could flourish the blade as though it were naught but air.

She acquired her spot with the Ice Wolves amateur pro-bending team after their water bender took a nasty fall off the platform, forgetting to catch himself properly in the water below. He was only temporarily out of commission, but he decided to leave pro-bending behind after the injury. Siku leapt at the opportunity, despite how crunched for time she already was, proving herself to be a worthwhile gamble. Somehow, with a packed schedule, she managed to give herself at least a little bit of time each week to stroll the streets of Republic City and clear her mind or spend recreational time with her friends.

Hiresh Sudhir

Name: Hiresh Sudhir
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Element: Earth (Affinity for Metal)
Birthplace: Zaofu, Home of the Metal Clan
Current Residence: Republic City
Occupation: Metal Corps Officer

Appearance:


History: Hiresh was born and raised in the city of Zaofu of the Earth Kingdom. He was a natural earth and metal bender, though he displayed little talent in much else, he was content with his bending prowess. By the time he was sixteen, he knew he wanted to join the Metal Corps in Republic City. On recommendation of many of the city’s guardsmen, he was accepted into the academy, where he trained rigorously until he was finally a full-fledged officer. He was assigned to duty as one of the Tsukiko family’s guard and escort to start with a basic job. It was the Northern Water Tribe’s ambassador and his family, the job was plenty important, he told himself. He spent so little time hunting Triple-Threat members and actually doing good, however, that he sometimes felt underappreciated in the force. His superior officers have been promising him for months now that they would post him elsewhere as soon as they could, but he has yet to see any kind of paperwork pushed for it. Guard duty be damned, he joined to be an officer, not a security guard. Was it just because he had a generally protective attitude? Rather than being outspoken for justice in particular?

Hideki Yakedo

!!! WARNING: Early Pages Spoilers !!!

Name: Grand Lotus Hideki Yakedo

Gender: Male

Age: 54

Element: Fire

Appearance:



Background: Grand Lotus Yakedo is the head of the White Lotus organization. He was a part of the group from a very young age; his father was an agent who gave his life in the line of duty for the previous Avatar from the Earth Kingdom. Having grown up in the society made becoming an official member rather easy. Of course, he set his goals much higher. While he loved the group, he saw countless flaws with how institutionalized it was; the White Lotus was an "official" faction nowadays, but he knew that in history they were once a secret society which protected the balance of the world alongside the Avatar, they weren't guards for the Avatar. Hideki did not make it his life's goal to become the leader of the Lotus, he wanted to change it - to get it back to its roots before somebody turned its tides against their charge. The Avatar should be in charge of their own training, watched over and supervised by the sages and elders of each kingdom. No government, no politics, and no full-time protection. The Avatars of old were so great because of the trials and tribulations they faced in their travels - an Avatar couldn't be trained, they had to be grown. Now, his worst nightmare has come to pass: even as he tries to pull the White Lotus out of the Avatar's life (hence why Katsu was able to avoid them for so long), there were double agents and infiltrators in his midst who meant to bring the boy harm.

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Hey everybody - just a heads up, this group is currently closed. We're running it as a 3-person game set in the world of Avatar - two iterations after The Legend of Korra. We might open it someday, but as it is a reboot from years ago, we're still working to get it running again and haven't given opening it much thought.

However, you're welcome to read, comment/PM, and watch out in case we ever do decide to expand it. :)

Current players:
Scout
Vena Sera
Kryusa

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

"Feel the water flow around you, stay in control - there's no raw power in our art, Siku," The man explained, letting the wall of ice in front of him melt into a large puddle on the floor.

"I've been water bending for years, dad, don't give me that spiel again," She retorted, drawing from the pool behind her. A tendril wrapped around her in a circle and began to spin as a second joined to revolve in the opposite direction, creating a gimble. With a series of spins and flourishes, she began to move forward, the water reacting in kind, speeding up before both rings lashed out as whips at her father maliciously. When both cracked, they met only air, the large water bender ducking astonishingly low to avoid the strike. His arms thrust outward into the lengths of water, catching them as he twisted full-circle, turning the attack.

"Gyah!" Siku almost yelped as the counter attack stopped just shy of her neck. Her father had aimed a lash at her, but sharpened the edge of the attack into ice and then held it firm before meeting her flesh, as usual. Her foot stomped into the ground, "Dammit! One of these days..." She muttered angrily as the attack was returned to the pool of water surrounding them.

"You're improving, don't worry about it, Siku. You just need to keep practicing. Maybe it's that pro-bending; it's significantly weaker than traditional, you know that," He argued for what had to be the thousandth time.

"I know it's not the best for practicing my bending, but the restrictions placed on it for the arena make it a viable way to practice versatility. You might learn a thing or two trying to fight me with those rules."

Her father waved a hand and rolled his eyes, "I let you do it yourself, don't pull me into it."

The girl laughed softly and shrugged, "Fine, fine. I guess that's fair." She lifted her hands and slowly pushed them away from her, the water flowing from her clothes and out of her hair. She was still slightly damp, but it helped make her a bit more comfortable. With a sigh, Siku headed for the bathroom, "I need to shower and get to bed, tomorrow Saturday, I've got a match in the afternoon. You wanna go see it?"

Her father sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, Siku, you know I have work, I'll be gone all weekend. I'm heading to the North Pole very early in the morning until later this week."

She nodded - that was fine, he wasn't a fan of the sport anyway. After a warm shower and changing into pyjamas, the girl clambered into bed and extinguished her lights, rolling over. Ahh... sleep. There was nothing more valuable before a match day than a bit of shut-eye.

-----

Republic City was an upstanding, cleanly and respectable place. Its buildings reached for the skies, its people were a conglomerate of every nation and the city enjoyed prosperity unlike anything else in the history of the world. At least that was if you had any semblance of power or influence, for most everyone else Republic City was little more than a home. It met one's needs and little more, it scarcely cared for the individual so long as they continued to do their part. A cog in the machine, day in and day out, keeping the monstrosity that was the city running.

Occasionally one of those cogs would break and the machine would continue on as if nothing were amiss. Pieces could easily be changed out and replaced so why worry? Of course to the parts that broke it was awful but their concerns were hardly heard, everything was for the good of the city.

A cynical view? Perhaps, but it was the one that Katsu had since arriving in Republic City. His initial enamored outlook was quickly replaced with a harsh reality: you were nobody in the city unless you knew the right people, and immigrants were even lesser still. In hindsight it had been his own fault for coming to the city empty handed but the first few months had been terribly rough. No money to his name, no home, he had no friends and routinely had to avoid some of the gangs that roamed the less desirable parts of Republic City's streets. Ironically it would be the same gangs he'd feared at first that would be his salvation.

Bending was by no means a rare ability, thousands if not more had it to some degree, certainly more so in the city it seemed. Of course the extent of which people could use these powers varied but most everyone seemed to be able to practice. Without wanting to oust himself Katsu had stuck primarily to fire bending when he'd arrived, and while young he had a certain... Proficiency that most others lacked. Coupled with his naturally fleet-of-foot style and he'd easily managed to enlist himself in one of the smaller gangs.

It wasn't long until he'd taken over the gang which had been his first and only home, renaming it the Khimori Bandits after his home town. Scarcely two dozen people made up its ranks, many younger than even him, but they made a comfortable living for themselves all the same. They were wealthier than some merchants by the time Katsu had taken over and yet for all the wealth he still hardly had a penny to his name. Wealth wasn't something that interested him any, he wanted the enjoyment that his jobs brought. And, on a personal level, he'd wanted a home. Both he found within this gang and he fully intended never to leave it.

Petty thefts and small crimes were hardly the only thing that the Khimori Bandits undertook for work. Often times the more elusive members, Katsu included, were hired by some influential people to sneak into homes and steal valuable posessions. It was such work that had landed him where he was now: the Tsukiko residence. He knew the family perfectly well, in particular the daughter, Siku. That an uptown, well-to-do girl had anything to do with a street rat like him had always struck him as funny, and all of her sarcastic comments about his stealing from her home were going to come back and bite her tonight.

Katsu only knew two things about the Tsukiko residence: where the item he was meant to steal was, and where Siku's father's room was. He was to avoid the head of the household at all costs though the idea of challenging a capable bender excited him. But he was not here to pick fights and certainly doing so would ruin any chances of getting his mark. So in the dead of night, quiet as a mouse, he slipped into the home and stuck to the shadows, wandering about with only the vaguest idea of where his target might be. So long as no one got up to take a late night piss he should be fine!

------

Unbeknownst to Katsu, a professional earth bender and Metal Corps Officer slept only feet away from his prowl through the house. However, luckily enough for him, the man slept like a rock unless too much noise was made. Siku, on the other hand, was having difficulty falling and staying asleep once she'd laid down. She tried and tried, but no sleep met her. Her stomach twisted in a knot - the match tomorrow could make or break the Ice Wolves' careers as pro-benders.

Against the softly colored lavender walls were a few ornate decorations - mirrors and paintings, a desk rested in the corner as well. Beside her bed, mounted on a rack on her dresser, was an incredibly beautiful, ocean blue sheath covering the blade of a dao. The hilt was wrapped in gorgeous, high quality, white leather and the golden crossguard formed a perfect circle at the base of the blade. It was engraved with crashing waves and clearly cost a fortune.

The girl sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes in frustration, looking around. The curtains on her four-poster were drawn and the soft glow of moonlight filtered comfortably through the thin fabric. She had always loved the nighttime, but of course mankind had chosen to live under the sun's light. Perhaps getting up to wash her face would help... No, but some air would. Her room had an attached balcony, with large glass doors and thick curtains to block the light, when she chose to draw them closed. Pulled them back and pushing the door open quietly, Siku stepped out onto the ledge and placed her hands on the rail, inahling deeply as the brisk air met her lungs. At night, she took the braids out of her short hair and let it fall near to her shoulders and now the soft breeze caused it to wave gently. The soft, silk fabric that wrapped around her body was little more than a tunic and pants, dotted with stars and crescent moons. How comforting the silence of night was...

How big was this bleeding house? Suddenly Katsu was kicking himself for not accepting the map from the messenger earlier. He'd been skeptical about how thorough or how accurate it could be and yet even a scribble would help him now. Or it would if everything wasn't pitch black. Of course he couldn't risk creating light either, someone was bound to notice a little flame floating around in the darkness. He'd have to make due then by following along the walls and blindly searching for doors.

Katsu had to have checked at least a dozen rooms by now. Bathroom, hall closet, a bedroom yet not Siku's bedroom, another bathroom, how many bathrooms did one family need? Assuming the paltry furnishings in the bedroom meant it was a servant's then good chances were the family had their own bedrooms upstairs. How typical, the rich lived over the poor and those that worked for them. It was why he hated much of the city and why he hated money, it made people think they were better than they actually were.

"Come on... Where's the damn... Aha!" To his chagrin and delight he'd found the stairwell leading up... And it was illuminated. Biting his lip tentatively Katsu eased a foot onto the lowest step and tested it, sighing silently when the wood did not creak. Regardless he took it painstakingly slow, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he expected someone to see him any second. When he reached the top step and the second floor he allowed himself a second to catch his breath, taking stock of where he was now. Left or right? Judging by the outside of the house it looped around on itself so either way he should eventually find Siku's room. With that in mind he simply went left, hoping by sheer luck her room would be among the first.

The long drapes of her balcony billowed into her room with the wind as Siku's door creaked open softly. The girl was too preoccupied with the freshness of the air, her eyes closed as she looked out over their yard. They didn't have the largest house in the city by any means, but they were one of only a handful of families to own a full plot of land complete with a yard and garden, right in the middle of the city. It was a house given by status more than payment - they could only live in it while her father worked his very same position. Siku loved it. The air was just a little fresher, the area was just a little quieter, and the life was a lot more lavish.

No way... Did he actually find her room? It certainly looked like a girl's room, though then again fancy people always did adorn their homes in flashy ways. He could just make out a figure by the balcony, utterly unawares to his trespassing and hopefully she would remain that way. Now the sword, where was that dang sword? Ah! Even in the dim lighting the dao shone beautifully and stood out like a sore thumb, just begging to be pilfered. Grinning broadly Katsu slipped into the room and left the door ajar for a quick escape, deadset on fetching the weapon.

There was but brief hesitation when he remembered Hiresh might be nearby. That pesky guard followed Siku around everywhere like a dog and he always gave Katsu the most sour of looks. Good, the disdain between them was mutual.The guard appeared to be absent however which was a blessing, and after reaching the dresser he reached up and easily snatched the weapon from its rest. To think it had been so simple, and right under Siku's nose too! Part of him almost wanted to call out and tease her before making a break for it but he decided better against it. Besides, there was something else he just had to do.

As young women went Siku was rather attractive, no one was going to argue that. And naturally as any hot-blooded male he was rather interested in what Siku looked like underneath her stuffy clothing. Knowing full well THAT was never going to happen perhaps he could get a more... Intimate look, just a quick peek before he left. Perhaps he'd even steal something as a trophy for later to share with his fellow Bandits. Slipping the sword into his belt he eased open the top drawer and immediately broke into a wide grin, stifling an excited giggle as he sifted through its contents. A pair of otter penguin panties, he didn't know whether that was pathetically hilarious or adorable. Either way he absolutely planned on taking these as well!

SNAP!

A whip of water would snap Katsu squre in his ass, and then a second in the shoulder blade. She had heard the sound of her drawer opening when he began rifling, but she couldn't identify the silhouette of her thief yet either. The water had come from a small pond in the garden below her balcony and there was plenty more where it came from.

"Stop right where you are, pervert," her voice spoke softly, but was filled with malicious intent.

Katsu had been dangerously close to sniffing the panties when something sharply struck him in the ass. Barely biting back a yelp of surprise he spun around and stared wide eyed at Siku's silhouette. Well shit, he'd gone and screwed up hadn't he? Did he answer her? If he spoke she'd immediately know who it was, though by this point it wasn't like it mattered. He could easily outrun her and he had the sword, so long as the entire house wasn't woken up he'd be fine.

"Pervert? Hey I resent that statement!" Katsu whispered back with a chuckle, holding up the panties with a grin plastered on his face, "I prefer voyeur, sounds much more refined, don't you think? By the way... Otter penguins, who knew!" Chuckling again he held the band of the panties in both hands and lifted them to the light, stretching them out to examine the item more closely. "You ever going to wear these for me?"

Katsu. He was dead. So dead. Was he holding... a look of horror crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by fury. The hue of her cheeks reddened tenfold with the conflicting embarrassment and anger. She didn't want to wake the house and it took everything she had not to shout at him. The girl hissed and raised her hands, "I'll kill you... Rifling through my drawers a- wait... is that my dao?!" She asked in a venomous whisper. From behind her came another stream of water, creeping around, "If you don't get out of my room... this... instant... so help me, not even the Avatar himself could save you from the fate you're going to face inside it."

Yikes! Maybe he'd gone slightly too far with the teasing? Just his luck too the very girl he was stealing from would be wide awake when he stumbled in. "Uh... Would you believe me if I said no?" Katsu asked rhetorically, taking a step back towards the door. "I-If you insist though I'll just be going! I'll uh... See you later!" Spinning on his heel Katsu bolted straight for and right out of Siku's bedroom, throwing the door closed behind him as he hurried to the stairs. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! All but clearing half of the stairwell by jumping down he darted right for the front door, laughing as he was absolutely positive he was home free already.

Siku sneered as he darted out with yet another joke. Wait... He didn't even return the sword and... Oh that son of a bitch didn't drop her garments either. He was daft if he thought he was getting away. She stepped back to her balcony and vaulted over it, catching herself with the pond quietly, only just before getting to the ground. Her feet kicked powerfully off the ground as she bolted for the front door around the other side of the house. She easily beat Katsu there, as he had more obstacles in his way, and before the door open, a splash of water covered the walkway directly in front of it, freezing over instantly. The girl waited - it would be a matter of seconds before he was out.

"Thanks for the panties Siku! I'll be sure to keep them safe!" Katsu roared with laughed as he vaulted from the house, vanishing back into the darkness outside. He was out and free, no one was going to catch him now. That certainty quickly faded as his foot hit concrete and for some reason slid out from under him, and in a fitful effort to save himself his other foot went down only to go as well. Pinwheeling his arms madly he fell straight onto his ass and slid comically down the walkway, spinning until finally coming to a rest as he crashed into a neatly trimmed bush, his rear and legs sticking out as both kicked haplessly. It was hard to make out just what he was screaming inside, but it sounded vaguely of "cheap tricks" and "panty raid".

The girl watched him fall to his ass and slid and forward, her lip curled with contempt. She approached quickly and wound her foot back, kciking him square in the ribs from behind before forcing his hand open and ripping the cloth from his fingers. After pulling Katsu from the brush, Siku knelt over his chest, her knee helping pin him down. She yanked her dao from his belt and rose to her feet, "You'd better get out of here... Quickly - and don't try any shit like this again, or I'm going to really beat your ass. HIresh'll be here any second, no doubt he woke up when you shouted."

As if right on cue, the metal bender came sprinting out of the house, also slipping on the ice. He hit the ground, but didn't move forward as Katsu had. The boy needed to run or he'd end up in real prison really soon.

Katsu almost thanked Siku for the help until she struck him in the ribs. Completely empty handed and deprived of both of his "trophies" he sat on the ground and looked up at Siku and Hiresh bashfully. "Aw come on... I was going to give them back! Maybe... Probably not..." he trailed off, sighing as he unsteadily climbed to his feet. Stupid ice, in hindsight he probably should have just melted it huh? "Don't promise me with a good time Siku, and I'll be a good boy from now on. Straight as an arrow!" Katsu grinned as he spouted his nonsense, waving to the pair and backing away slowly from them. "I'll uh... See you guys tomorrow? Good luck at your match, Otter penguin!" With another laugh Katsu spun around and ran out the gate, waving to the pair as he vanished again into the darkness.

Siku's lip curled back as her face reddened again, fists clenched at her sides. He ran off with far less injury than he deserved. Hiresh came running up beside her just as Katsu got slipped away.

"Siku! Are you alright..? What happened?"

"I'm fine. It was just a petty thief who didn't realize who he was stealing from. He... didn't get anything valuable," She muttered, stuffing the bogarted undergarments into her pocket before Hiresh could see. "I'm going to bed again. See you tomorrow, Hiresh," She muttered, clearing the walkway's ice and heading back upstairs. At least now she felt tired.

---

Siku was up early the next day, getting ready for her match. Asha was sent over to help babysit Sesi, her nine year old sister. The girl was a young, sweet airbender from Air Temple Island. Hiresh would be accompanying them, but he was hardly good at taking care of kids, he was more of a protector. The time was fast-approaching to leave and Katsu was supposed to meet them here before they left. That idiot... The memory of the night before was infuriating, and the thought of him coming over and joining them for the match was angering enough. It was kind of cool having her dad gone for the week - she didn't have to feel uncomfortable inviting her less... favorable friends over.

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

"If I had a modicum of care for you, I would indulge your request," The girl spat, wiping at her eyes, sniffling once. "But I don't. And you're not worth tainting my conscience, you wretch." Shakily, she rose to her feet, red eyes on Lydia as she fought the urge to look a fool before one of Edmund's comrades. Still, it hurt to speak and all of her muscles ached from the stress, the run here, and now the pain of loss. Her lip curled back in contempt, "Don't be so... p-pathetic," She ordered him venomously, despite the quiver of her lip and trembling jaw. Even now, she refused to look at him further.

"Master Lydia," Josephine addressed the woman with slight bow, "Master Edmund... S-sacrificed himself... To protect one of his apprentices... That... That sniveling cur over there is the cause..." She accused with a fist shaking at her side. "There... There's nobody left to take up his place or teach anybody..."

Lydia frowned and looked at Kael. She did not acknowledge Josephine's words, but they were clearly heard as she approached the kneeling boy. Holding her scythe in one hand, the shaft parallel to the back of her right arm, she stood before Kael and raised the edge of the weapon to the side of his neck. Her gaze was scrutinizing, "Is this true, boy? Did you get ahead of yourself and cause your master's death?" The look in his eyes said it all, just as his desire for death. She downcast her eyes, "That's a shame... Edmund was a damned good hunter. I look like a fool blundering around on the battlefield compared to him. Formidable as he was, he lost his gift to return to the Hunter's Dream... I was amazed at how long he made it, I'm sure he was satisfied, dying for the next generation... He would have had it no other way."

After lowering her weapon, she glanced to Josephine, "And until you've made a mistake to cost the life of one near to you, you can't possibly understand the pain he's going through... He's mentioned you two to me, the few times we've met since his exile from the Dream... Kael and Josephine, right?" She asked for confirmation, tapping Kael with her foot, "Get up, c'mon. Let's get back to his workshop... Looks like we're gonna have to find a way to tell those apprentices... This should go without saying - do not tell them what exactly happened here. I still need to decide what I'm going to do about either of you... And all of the other students."

Josephine's brow furrowed in frustration... Couldn't know his pain?! Kael's pain? Who cared about that?! It was his reckless, self-absorbed attitude that got Edmund killed, why should she sympathize at all? Lydia was the mistaken one - there was no way she could understand how this felt for Josephine. She didn't even look to see if Kael was getting up to follow as the young apprentice somberly walked after Lydia, headed for the workshop.

A few minutes into the walk, Josephine finally let something on her mind out. "Master Lydia, if you knew Master Edmund... Did... Did you know he was my father?" She asked tentatively.

Lydia sucked the inside of her cheek in hesitation before shaking her head, "No... I honestly had no idea that Edmund had found the time, energy, or desire to have a child... But I suppose it makes sense. Being attached to a slightly more mortal coil could cause somebody to feel like they needed something to success them. Or it was on accident," She bluntly mused, shrugging.

"Then... Do you have any idea who it might have been with?"

Lydia shook her head, "Not a clue. I only know for a fact that it definitely wasn't Gehrman's creepy doll," She pointed out, laughing at her own joke before she realized that neither of them would understand it. There was mostly silence before they reached the workshop again, and the Master Huntress looked around. She decided she could wait for the rest to wake up, glancing to Josephine and Kael she sighed. "Hey, so... I know this is-" Just as shew as about to talk to them about what had happened, a low rumble of growls and snarls filled the air around them. The woman didn't hesitate to put her helmet back on, her eyes scanning the area as several sets of red eyes approached from the mists. Those were Scourge Beasts, definitely, but there could be a lot more and they could be accompanied by other, more sinister beasts.

She looked to the other two, "Get out of here. There's no time to grab anything but what you've got, take these vials, but be careful... They can heal you much more quickly than traditional means, but they're volatile and if you're not a Hunter from the Dream, they can have horrifying effects. Moderation only. You need to leave this workshop..." She took a half-step back and readied her scythe, "This'll be cake, but I don't want you caught up in it... Besides, I can't teach either of you - not if I'm teaching the rest. Edmund thought you were strong - prove it. If you want a real hunter who can teach you, I recommend you find a way into the Astral Clocktower... It's no easy journey, but Lady Maria may just be a good, and possibly willing, mentor for you. If not, she might know another option." She smirked and glanced to Josephine's blade, her heart beginning to thump only a little faster for the impending fight. Typical Edmund, always hinting, never giving a full answer to anything.

"GO! Kael, make sure you don't split up until you get to Maria, under any circumstances. I don't care about your petty squabbles," She commanded, spinning her scythe once and beginning to step forward. With a loud whistle, she fired her pistol at one of them, "COME AND GET ME, YOU GRIMY SONS OF BITCHES! I'm here to take you home - into your last dream," She shouted with a sadistic grin.

Josephine stood in awe as the woman moved to confront their attackers and pushed the other two away. What... What were they doing? Why were they leaving? Why wouldn't anybody let them help? They had to run away, but to where?

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

Performance Review
@Gcold@Hank@Scout@Peik

---

Gustav was in charge for the night of the 25th. Ashav got mugged in the afternoon of the 25th by a bunch of thugs that really did a number on his face. That night, Ashav and his trusted advisers went about investigating the incident and undoing the damage to his face. Gustav was told take over and finish some paperworks Ashav started. Technically, Gustav could always take over when he wanted, as he supplied the vital funding that went beyond Skald's cheapskate excuses of wages. However, it was Ashav's insistence that made Gustav somewhat sidelined. But now, he's eager to do some hands-on work.

In the far back of Windpeak Inn's second floor was the largest deluxe room. This was where Gustav had set up; a suite of separate living rooms and bedrooms with its own miniature fireplace. The rich Nord was dressed in his fine armor, a set of polished steel plates and neatly waxed fur cloak that looked more ceremonial than practical. Gustav was not someone with a lot of combat experience, but with the invaders inching ever closer and schemes springing up in the homefront, now seems like the perfect time to bust out his favorite "armchair warrior" getup.

Speaking of armchair, Gustav is currently sitting in one and trying to figure out how to position his steel-covered ass comfortably on it. In front of him is a square table, with three more less luxurious chairs on its other sides. On the table were the files Ashav entrusted him with. There were files regarding Marcel Gawain and Elmera Sarandas, their debut performance and possible continuation of their contracts. There was also a page of messily scribbled notes regarding another Dunmer woman. Niernen was her name, and according to Ashav, she had onced worked with the company in Windhelm, but in the hasty retreat from Kamals, both her and her files were lost. While Gustav waited for Dough-Boy to summon these three individuals, he sipped on a bottle of warm spiced wine and analyzed the reports to the best of his abilities. "Just get them signed and get it over with." Ashav instrued him. Seemed like the war made Ashav desperate for fresh sword fodders.

Gustav's door opened after an excruiciating wait to 9 pm. Dough-Boy came in with the grumpy face he was sent off with. "They are here, sir." He said almost monotonously. "Can I get the sword now?"

"Thanks, kid." Gustav nodded. He sighed at the request. "Later, we're going to be busy tonight." Dough-Boy was shooed away quickly. The boy was obviously dissapointed. Ashav said to not think too hard into it. "Just an eager kid trying to punch above his weight," or so it supposed to be. For Dough-Boy's errand, Gustav promised him a real steel weapon Ashav long denied him, and that meant he would have to find some excuse to trick the foolish boy when this performance review is over.

"Come in and take a seat." Gustav waved his guests in.

Marcel had felt quite anxious after the disastrous retreat from Nightgate Inn – having fought the foreign invaders for the first time, Marcel had not expected ‘snow demons’ to be such well organized and advanced. Sure, he had experience fighting demons themselves, and snow creatures as well, but the sort that he fought never decided to clad themselves in plate armor and use artillery barrages and mixed unit tactics. A good fighter he may be, but Marcel definitely had no understanding of warfare.

But in truth it was not the siege that had made him anxious, but funnily enough, the supposed upcoming performance review. Marcel had been chided for having a different sense of importance back when he had been a child, and it was a habit that he still had. He sat on the bench, in front of this important looking room, and felt a nervous tinge that he had not felt when fighting remnants of the Oblivion Crisis near the Wrothgarian Mountains. Had Master Diarmid been here, he definitely would have slapped Marcel in the back of his head for that.

The Nord boy got out quite quickly, almost as fast as he had appeared and entered – from the pouty look on his face, Marcel guessed that his review had not gone very well, and this perceived information rekindled the cold heat of fear in his stomach like pouring water on hot coals. Inside he could see a middle-aged man, dressed quite extravagantly. Where was Ashav? He felt even more nervous.

‘’Come in and take a seat,’’ the man said, and Marcel, after some waiting for someone else to walk in, obliged out of a mix of embarrassment and a need to take initiative, getting up from his spot next to the other 'newcomers', and walking into the room in a reserved manner. He pulled one of the chairs back, and lined his eyes with the man’s to ask for permission – and it seemed that the man did not object, Marcel sat down slowly, feeling somewhat small now that he was sitting.

''Where is Mister Ashav, sir?'' He asked meekly, eyes attempting to peek behind his head to see if those who had been sitting with him had any intention of coming in.

"He had to face a rather nosy issue," Gustav absentmindedly answered as he took out three wine glasses. It was when he poured his first drink did he realize he had made a pun; Ashav had his nose broken when thugs struck his face.

The brown colour of the inn's wood appeared to almost glow as Elmera awaited to be called in. Damn it all, had she known about the performance review sooner, she wouldn't have taken so heavily to the sugar beforehand. No matter, she'd been in worse situations, though this did breed some anxiety. Thankfully, she'd chosen to inhale the substance rather than smoke it, so it showed less in her eyes and more in her fingers which refused to stop drumming on her thigh and in her eyes, which occasionally darted about the room. It took almost all of her willpower to slow down the glances such that they would appear more like curious looks around the room.

Eventually, Gustav came from the room and beckoned for them. She furrowed her brow, remembering him from her first night in the company, when he had politely bit his tongue and allowed the other members to bicker about her allegiances. Although the Dunmer wished that Ashav would be conducting the interview, she was relieved to know that it wasn't that vile retch who had tried to accuse her of treachery.

Elmera entered the room just after the man named Marcel. He was an odd one, that was for sure, but seemed to ask the right questions. What was strange, however, was how right now her moon sugar - for what else could it be? - was causing a symptom she'd never felt before. There her heart felt constricted, yet free at the same time and it felt as though her joints were alternating between being uncomfortably warm and uncomfortably cold.

"That's a shame - it's good to see you again, Gustav," She remarked, keeping up the pleasantries for one of her new employers. She looked at any sign of ornamentation on his desk, then to the back of Marcel's neck. Was there something there? No, definitely not; her gaze drifted back to Gustav as she realized how she was behaving.

"You as well, Elmera Sarandas." Gustav nodded. "I am sure Ashav will return to us in no time." Elmera's fidgeting was becoming harder and harder to ignore, so Gustav offered her a glass of spiced wine. "You appear agitated; please enjoy this refreshing beverage in the meantime."

The other female Dunmer of the company, Niernen Venim, entered the room behind Elmera with an attitude and expression on her face that couldn't possibly be any more different from her older counterpart's. Her thousand-yard stare was fixed on a point somewhere halfway to infinity and she remained completely motionless after sitting down. It was obvious she had only recently stopped crying. It wasn't until Gustav spoke about what Ashav was up to that Niernen seemed to break from her reverie and she slowly realised that she wasn't sitting across the familiar Redguard leader of the mercenary company.

Now cognizant of her surroundings, Niernen became acutely aware of an unpleasant sensation at the base of her skull -- it felt like a small spider was crawling around in the bone-plate and vertebrae. Shivering, Niernen rubbed at the spot with one of her hands and turned her head from side to side in an attempt to soothe the sensation, assuming it was probably a muscle acting up or something like that. Her eyes fell on the other mercenary in the room, Marcel, a fellow she hadn't met before, and upon doing so she felt shards of ice slowly crystallize in her sinuses. Now thoroughly uncomfortable, Niernen's intuition told her the peculiar-looking Breton was somehow responsible. Her formidable intellect soon caught up to her guts and Niernen remembered reading about the effects those born under the sign of the Atronach could have on powerful sorcerers. She couldn't help but feel an immediate dislike for the man, no doubt exacerbated by her already supremely sour mood.

"Evening," Niernen said to Gustav at last, curtly and without emotion. "What is this about, if I may ask? I was about to go to bed when your messenger summoned me." Dough-Boy had been so embarrassed by the sight of Niernen's half-naked form upon entering the elf's chambers that he had failed to explain the purpose of this meeting.

Gustav had been staring at Niernen long before Niernen looked back. Niernen's face was tired, and Gustav was none too happy to see it. "I believe you have expressed the interest to rejoin our company." Gustav quickly explained. He pushed the second wine cup to Marcel, w
ho took the cup enthusiastically but refused it politely with a gesture upon sniffing alcohol in it. Before doing the same for Niernen, he tried to gauge if the Dunmer was fit to drink. "Did our less-than-competent messenger disturb you? I will discipline him if necessary."

Finally, Gustav decided to give Niernen her wine after all. Zoned out as she was, a little alcohol might just keep her head in the game, or that's what Gustav thought. "Ashav said your last name is Venim, correct? Much of the company's documents have been lost since WIndhelm." Taking his time to slowly savor a swig of his drink, Gustav tapped his quill at the topmost sheet of paper. "We have nothing left regarding your work records, but Ashav and many contractors spoke highly of you. Is it true that you and Do'Karth complement each other quite well?"

"Yes," Niernen said immediately before looking away and swallowing hard. She held the cup in her lap and, looking down at it, could see how her knuckles turned white as her fingers clutched the vessel of wine tightly. She did not want to think about Do'Karth right now, but it was pointless to tiptoe around the issue with Gustav. He wasn't inquiring about their personal relation, after all. "He is very good at distracting an enemy and keeping them occupied," Niernen added. "That creates opportunities for me to use Destruction magic to take them down." She thought it wise not to mention how she had almost set Do'Karth on fire twice.

Gustav gave Niernen some time to answer, and when she had done so, he scribbled down notes on the page. "Let's take a step back; you were captured by Morrowind soldiers. We have to know if you are truly committed in the ongoing conflict against Morrowind, and what would you do if you encounter a former ally as opponent?"

This time an answer was not immediately forthcoming from the Dunmer. Niernen considered the question to be audacious at best and insensitive at worst, but the reasonable side of her interjected that it was necessary for Gustav to properly determine her reliability in the company. He was probably not aware of her personal situation in this war. "The Nerevarine is my sworn enemy," Niernen said eventually. "As for the other Dunmer... we already encountered Ashlanders within the Dwemer ruins of Bthamz and they were very surprised to learn of the Nerevarine's treachery. I would like to convince as many of my kin as possible to see the light and defect to our side. That said, if such options are not avalable..." Niernen trailed off, remembering the Armigers that had captured her and sold her to the Kamal without a second thought. "Use of deadly force will not be an issue."

Gustav scratched his neatly trimmed beard in thought. There was a lot of thoughts inside his head, but none felt quite right to be put on paper. Thankfully, another person could provide clarification from a similar position. "You will be fighting Dunmer too, Sarandas; what do you think about Niernen's words?" He pointed his quill at Elmera.

Elmera stared into the glass of crimson liquid. Was this man trying to poison her? Or, rather, was this somebody else's blood? Some kind of macabre pact to join the company for life. The Dunmer sneered for a brief moment, she hated cliché metaphors like that. There was only one way to find out - she would look paranoid if she didn't at least try to act casual. The woman finally looked up and nodded to Gustav, "Thank you, for the drink, I mean," She stated, gesturing with the glass before taking a sip. She blinked behind the rim of the glass - oh... It was just wine. Of course it was.

After a momentary pause, Elmera pushed back some of the short hair which had fallen in front of her eyes. "If you're asking me about Niernen here," She began, glancing to the other Dunmer briefly, "It sounds like she speaks true. However, if yo-" The sound of a floorboard creaking caused Elmera to pause as she looked back to the door. Was somebody watching them? Listening? "What was..." She started to mumble under her breath before realizing - she was doing it again. Cut it out.

"I'm sorry, what was I saying..? Right, the Dunmer... I completely concur; Anybody who chooses the wrong side deserves to be cut down, myself included. I have little, if anything, left in Morrowind. I'll gladly lend the company anything I can if it'll help."

Elmera's lack of focus did not went unnoticed by Gustav. He thought it could be the wine that was repulsing everyone, but upon a careful whiff in his cup, he decided that there was nothing wrong with what Dough-Boy brought him. "The spiced wine is not to everyone's liking?" Gustav asked. "Perhaps water would do better?" He went for a pitcher further in the room.

While Gustav left his seat, his papers were briefly left in plain view. Should anyone bothered to look, they would see files on the three company members. Elmera had the most written about her. Her initial impression was noted favorably by Ashav, as a ruthless and determined woman with nothing to hold back, but with something to hide. Her later assessment was not so much positive, because she was critically injured immediately in the engagement. Marcel was described as a polite individual, a skilled combatant and someone willing to follow orders. Ariane wrote remarks about Marcel having disruptive effects on the flow magicka, which meant absolutely nothing to the magically-inept Gustav. Daelin was supposed to be reporting the forest fire mission, but the Bosmer's words were messy and distracted; he only deemed Marcel's performance as "reasonable". Finally, notes on Niernen have been scarce. Ashav only put down jot notes on the voyage, and these being "strongly motivated by anger: mentally and physically unstable".

When Gustav returned with the water pitcher, he chose to shift focus to Marcel. He wasn't impressed at Elmera, and made it clear with a cold glare at her. Upon briefly reviewing Marcel's files, he suddenly realized that the cause of the Dunmer women's distraction could be this alleged "magic disruption". "Marcel Gawain," he spoke and offered water at the same time, "what is your opinion of the forest mission? I understand that there were certain difficulties."

‘’Thank you, sir,’’ Marcel replied to Gustav’s offer as he took the cup of water in his hands, but he did not drink. The Breton spoke to Gustav with a clearer tone now that he had a question at hand – it was obvious he was more comfortable speaking when matters were of a tangible nature, with clear definitions. ‘’The perpetrator’s reasons were somewhat surprising, and indeed we received some harm thanks to unfortunate events, but, truth be told, I would argue that the results were expected. I do not wish to speak ill of any of my compatriots, for we solved the problem together, but it seemed that they were not properly equipped to deal with threats of a magical nature,’’ Marcel said softly. ‘’Then again, the disparity is likely because of our differing occupations.’’

"How intriguing." Gustav began to put some of the Breton's account to paper, and when he had done so, he turned back to the Dunmers. He asked his next question with the expectation of clear answers. "Marcel Gawain here has a rather unique effect on mages; do you ladies feel anything peculiar?" He checked their profiles again just to make sure; Elmera and Niernen were indeed magic users.

"Water... might do better by me, I'm not much of a wine drinker and I'm still er... getting reacquainted to being on land," She lied casually with a straight face. Upon accepting the new beverage, she took a sip; what an awful time to have tried 'calming her nerves.'

Elmera could hardly be bothered with any concern for Gustav's impression of her. She'd been hit by a stray bolt, she knew that the injury reflected poorly on her in the first mission. She also knew that she had still proven helpful in the naval battle, considering her injury was still bothering her at the time. What was more disconcerting was how Gustav addressed her, or rather their, discomfort. She furrowed her brow and sucked the inside of her cheek for a moment, "Yeah. It's... pretty uncomfortable," She remarked, placing a hand over her heart for a brief moment, "I can't really describe it, but it feels like my heart is racing and beating slowly simultaneously. So yeah, the room feels pretty off."

She paused for a moment, then sighed, "I'm sorry, Gustav, I don't mean to be rude, but... what does that have to do with the review? Considering the effect he's apparently known to have on people with our particular skillset, wouldn't it be more effective to keep the meeting a little bit shorter? I can hardly think straight with this uneasiness," She explained, trying to push the blame for her distraction entirely on the discomfort, to keep the moon sugar's symptoms from being so obvious. Marcel's presence, admittedly, was a pretty convenient relief.

Despite Niernen's state of emotional exhaustion she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of satisfaction at having accurately guessed that Marcel Gawain was the source of her physical discomfort. She was strongly reminded of her time studying with the Redoran war-wizards and a comfortable memory flashed through her mind's eye; a dimly-lit chamber with the characteristic arched walls of Dunmeri architecture, the small smile that played around the lips of one of her mentors and the barely-veiled looks of envy her fellow students cast in her direction.

"I agree with Elmera," Niernen said, now taking her turn to glance at the other Dunmer's direction. "It's a very unpleasant sensation." She paused for a second, realising that she didn't really feel like throwing one of her fellows under the wagon without giving him a fair chance, and added: "But I am sure he will be very useful in combat against other mages." Niernen gave Marcel a small smile in an attempt to hide her instinctive disdain for the Breton.

Seemingly satisfied with Marcel, Gustav turned to his attention to Elmera. He frowned slightly in reaction to Elmera's impatience. It wasn't hard for the Nord to compare Elmera's reaction to Niernen's; the former was antsy while the later is a mixture of frustration and exhaustion. "Very well, Marcel Gawain." He flipped through the stack of papers again. "Now, Sarandas, you appear to be unfocused. Your, well honestly, inadequate performance at Bthamz seem to indicate a trend."

Gustav then shuffled around in his chair; adjusting the uncomfortable armor wedge under his butt, reinking his quill, drinking more wine and let his words sink in with Elmera. "We have concerns, Sarandas; is there anything critical you are hiding? Anything that may diminish your capabilities?"

Elmera sucked the inside of her cheek, watching Gustav carefully. "I might be unfocused, yeah, but haven't we covered the cause for that?" She asked, trying to measure her words now, careful to not snap at him. "And I'd like to point out that you weren't at Bthamz, Gustav. All due respect, sir, but I was only struck by an incoming bolt because a heavily armored shield maiden in front of me dodged the attack and my leather wasn't nearly as sturdy as her metal. I"m not blaming her, I'm pointing out that I would have dragged the group down by continuing in that state."

Don't grind your teeth... Don't bounce your leg... Therew as no sound... Her mind was actively fighting the symptoms of her Moon Sugar. As she processed his final question, she blinked in realization. He was implying her addiction, wasn't he? She wasn't a throat-scratching, fix-hunting rat who lived in squalor to maintain her sanity. Leaning forward, she held Gustav's gaze firmly.

"If you're referring to what I do in my free, recreational time before being informed of an important business meeting, no. There are no critical secrets which would physically or mentally impede me on the battlefield or under the charge of others. If you look more closely at the chain of events and speak to Leif about it, you might get a different perspective. His burns, his injuries, were more manageable thanks to my hanging back to help him. Not to mention, despite my injury, amidst a sea skirmish, I still manned a ballista."

She gave a sigh and shook her head, "I'm sorry, Gustav, if I had an awful run of luck our first time out, but I think it's a reflection of my character that I'm not only willing, but rather excited, to return to the field." Her fingers drummed softly on the arm of her chair, itching to rise and leave the room.

Gustav couldn't help but crack a tiny smile at Elmera's behavior. His suspicion of the Dunmer woman keeping secret was proved by her defensive speech. Gustav scratched down several of Elmera's heated moments and had to cough to hide his smug grin. "Noted, Sarandas." He reaponded simply, meeting Elmera's gaze as briefly as possible and withdrawing.

"I am merely concerned for your well-being, not trying to pry into your personal life." Gustav claimed with little intonation to back it up. "We as a group want everyone to succeed and excel, and if that means you require certain necessities from us, myself and other officers will do our best to provide you with such." This statement was addressed to all three mercenaries, but Gustav was certain to linger on Elmera longer than he had to. "However, we can only help you if you are honest with your needs." Gustav finished with an overdramatic flourish of quill on his page.

Perhaps she had been rash... Elmera resigned to her seat, focusing on the perturbing feeling caused by Marcel's presence. She had to resist it, but the distraction helped her stave off her Moon Sugar's symptoms. She would have to apologize for the outburst, but to be fair, Gustav had been a little out of line asking her such a question in front of the others - her dirty laundry was none of their business.

"This brings me to you, Niernen." Gustav said. "I understand that you may need personal support in trying times like these, and I am glad to say that Jarl Skald has transfered a chaplain to our company; this individual should be ready to assist you tomorrow." He checked the official letter; Skald must have thrown this priest over to make up for the missing pay.

"Before you re-enter your contract, I must know, for your own safety, Niernen, do you feel ready to re-engage mentally and physically after your ordeal in enemy captivity?" Gustav questioned. Ashav wouldn't care for such details of personnel, but Gustav was insistent on having only the top notch employees.

Niernen's eyebrows raised perceptably upon Gustav's mention of a chaplain. Was he unaware of the Dunmeri religion? A chaplain of the Eight Divines was hardly going to be of any spiritual use to her, but she decided not to say anything and just nodded graciously in a show of gratitude and responded to Gustav's question instead.

"It would be nice to have a proper healer take a look at my broken bones, but other than that, I am ready. In fact, I can't wait to cook those Kamal n'wahs alive in their armor," the sorceress hissed and clutched the cup of wine so hard her fingers turned white again. Trying to stay in control of her emotions, she finally took her first sip and eyed the cup's contents for a second. "Not bad," she mumbled eventually.

Niernen's determination was unnerving to Gustav. He blinked confusingly at the Dunmer woman, still not sure how to deal with her headstrongness. Niernen was clearly tense, and Gustav leaned back into his chair out of instinct. He flashed a wavering smile as the sorceress started drinking, feeling vindicated in finally having someone appreciate his beloved beverage. "Well then, I am happy to offer you this opportunity for vengeance, Niernen Venim." Gustav slid an empty contract across the table, alone with his quill for signature. "Make them burn." Gustav emitted his best macho growl, which doesn't have the exact output he desired.

"Marcel Gawain, I am hereby approving your promotion to full-time contractor, on Ashav's behalf." He passed another copy of the same contract to the Breton. "By signing this contract, you will accept three months of service." Gustav recited out of Ashav's procedures. "Oh, and you can still resign at this moment," the man added, but the Breton dismissed the possibility as 'most ungentlemanly', as he took the contract with a soft yet firm hand and looked for an inked quill to sign the paper with.

Passing his quill to Marcel, Gustav noticed Elmera had eased up, which was strange given the supposed root cause of her unease was still present. "Sarandas, your contract will continue uninterrupted, as long as your conducts and contributions continue to be acceptable." Gustav stopped there, but he would certainly keep an eye out for Elmera's suspicious behaviors.

Elmera nodded, "Thank you," She stated professionally, rising from her seat. "If that's all, sir, I'm going to take my leave and get some rest. Can't go into the field tired, can I?" The woman asked rhetorically, placing a hand on her hip, taking a brief moment to study Gustav. He wasn't the easiest man to read, but she'd have to be even more careful than she already was. With that, she left the room.

Niernen signed the document without another word. Despite the thoughts and worries that assailed her upon signing the contract that would make her an enemy of Morrowind for a long time to come, she felt like she was doing the right thing. She just hoped that Narzul would come to see it that way too. After Elmera had left, Niernen got up from her seat and nodded towards the two remaining gentlemen. "Good evening, seras," she said and followed her fellow she-elf.

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

That sound was coming from the bridge, Josephine realized as she pushed her burning legs to keep her running down alleys and between buildings. Her throat burned with exhaustion - why wasn't anything going right today? Why did they leave the workshop? This place was a hellhole, and nobody should be out here without backup. She ripped her Rakuyo from her belt and skidded to a halt at the edge of the bridge. What... What was that monster? Josephine covered her mouth... Edmund was missing an arm, his chikage dripped in blood, and he cut the bridge itself into pieces, separating the monster and himself from Josephine and Kael.

"NO!" She screeched, kicking off of the ground to sprint after him as they were engulfed in a torrent of blood. Was this his true power? A fully trained, battle-hardened veteran at critical mass could command this much strength. She halted at the broken mass of bridge as, suddenly, everything was gone and a foreboding silence fell into the air. She dropped her sword, her eyes wide as she stumbled, lost, across the stonework bridge. An eerie clattering sound was followed by the hollow ring of vibrating metal, but Josephine's ears were numb. Kael screamed in denial nearby, but as the young woman's boots stepped into the crater, soft splashes lapped at her footwear. She fell to her knees, soaking her trousers in crimson gold. Her father's blood seeped into her clothes... The abhorrent beast's mixed with it, creating a repulsive stench. The worst part? She had started to grow used to this smell already.

"He's... he's dead..." She mumbled, her shaking hands splashing through the blood before finding what they had absently been searching for. She knew not why, but she held the man's Chikage in her hand as she clambered to her feet. She stared at it, speechless. Her brow furrowed, her lips pulled into a tight line as she looked up at Kael.

"What... have you... done, Kael?" She asked, flicking the blade and releasing the blood from its edge. Even if he'd answered, she wouldn't hear it. "WHAT DID YOU DO?! YOU KILLED HIM!" The woman shouted, gripping the katana tightly. She stepped forward, "He was my father! I didn't even get to talk to him after finding out! This... Is all your fault!" Her voice cracked in fury as she approached him, holding out the sword. "How dare you. I'll have your head, you monster!"

She took another step forward, raising the weapon, ready to take the young man's life.

CLANG!

The Chikage hit the ground behind her as she fell to the ground, her knees scraping against the stone roughly. Her throat was ablaze as tears and sweat poured down her cheeks. "He was my father... The one thing I've wanted so long, right in front of me... And I didn't even get to pay him back for saving me... Time and again he's provided for us... For you. And this is how you repay him? You... You recklessly try to throw your life away?" She choked on a sob, covering her mouth as her back convulsed. "Do you ever think of anybody but yourself, Kael? Even once in your life, have you thought of how your actions would affect those around you?" Her fist slammed into the ground as she looked up, her eyes clearly bloodshot.

"YOU DON'T GET TO BE MAD!" She screamed at him, only inches from his face, "YOU DON'T GET TO BE SAD. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" She couldn't stop herself from saying so much. Shuffling forward, the young woman raised a fist and brought it down into his shoulder. It was certainly no love-tap, but it didn't have nearly the strength she could normally muster.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

The sound of boots on stone echoed not far away. They were slow and measured, fearless. They were reminiscent of Edmund's footsteps, so sure of themselves. Upon looking up, Kael and Josephine would see a woman garbed in tattered gray robes. Some of the edges looked singed and the outfit hung loosely from her shoulders. Over her head was a large hood covering a heavy, protective helmet. The most unnerving part? The bone, collapsible shaft that rested, folded on her back as well as the massive, curved blade in her hand. A Blade of Mercy hung on her other hip. With a single, fluid motion, she slammed the hilt of her blade into the end of the shaft and slipped it easily from her back, revealing a menacing scythe. She was one of the Master Hunters that Edmund had recounted to them - Master Huntress Lydia, Daughter of the Reaper.

She cleared her throat, surveying the scene, "I heard the commotion... What's going on out he-" She furrowed her brow, removing her helmet to reveal black hair, pulled back into a short pony tail with bangs that framed her face casually. "Wait... Aren't you Edmund's apprentices? Where is he? What happened?" She asked curtly, glancing around to make sure the area was actually clear. All that blood... She covered her mouth, "Oh god, no... He didn't actually do it..?" She asked, her voice trailing as she shook her head. "That idiot knows he can't wake up in the dream anymore... Why would he do that?" The question was purely rhetorical, and it was clear.

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

They wanted so badly to prove me wrong today... I suppose I am at fault for this lapse judgment. Truly, they had me momentarily convinced that I could trust them to learn true fieldwork. No matter how quickly Josephine and Kael progress, they can't learn if they aren't in the field. However, they refuse to follow directions once we leave the safety of the workshop, so how can I teach them to be truly good hunters? They don't have the luxury to learn by trial and error like I did, suffering a hundred deaths by a hundred beasts to learn their every move. They need to be more adaptable, more prepared, always focused.

Josephine nearly died today. I've been trying to distance myself from her since she came to study beneath me. She took to combat like a beast to blood, truly shining just like her mother every day. I could not believe how well she and Kael actually performed in the courtyard, but it was too close for comfort and there were too many for their inexperience. If only they'd listened... I almost lost one of my best apprentices today. I almost lost my legacy - my only daughter.

The young woman blinked and re-read the line thrice more. She was the only person who almost died in front of him today... But his daughter? She frowned - he would have told her, wouldn't he? How could Master Edmund be her father? She was left with a family who gave her absolutely no respect; did they know she came from one of Yharnam's greatest hunters? And why would he leave her like that? He could have been training her up from childhood, but instead chose to wait until she almost died? Maybe she could find anything else in the journal, though she knew now how far back it went, she started from the beginning and started looking for anything relevant. Her first days here must be in an older journal, even though this one was almost full, it had been a while since she came to the workshop. However, this one seemed to start a few months after that.

She told me today about the family that her mother and I left her with. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but we thought it was necessary. Between the two of us, caring for the patients and going out for hunts, we would have never been able to raise her the way that we wanted to. She grew up in neglect, but she doesn't complain about it. She works hard, bringing her back to the workshop was a decision I'll never regret. I only wish her mother would stop by one of these days to see her. Though, I'm sure that's why she doesn't come around. It took all of her power not to keep Josephine for herself when she was first born.

There was no more mention of her mother, or who it was. She was never mentioned by name, as she was only referred to as 'Josephine's Mother' all throughout. It seemed that she had not come to the workshop in order to avoid the young huntress, and Josephine felt tears prick the back of her eyes. There wasn't anything else that she could find, flipping through the pages and skimming each quickly - though every few pages made mention of her, reaffirming her notion that she was indeed Master Edmund's daughter. Her relief and wonder were quickly replaced with pain and betrayal. Why hadn't he told her? Why hadn't he tried to get closer, or make up for all the years they'd missed? Who was her mother, who could Master Edmund have chosen to carry her in the first place?

Her mind pressed with an even more important question suddenly: where were Edmu- her father - and Kael? She ran back down to the basement and pulled on as much of her gear as she could in such a little time before sheathing her weapon, holstering her pistol, and grabbing a torch from the shop, sprinting out of the doors.

She made her way to the city - all the way up to the doors to the city. Where would she even start looking? This was dangerous... Then she heard it. One of the most bone-chilling screeches ever to have infected her ear. Her blood began to boil as her heartbeat tripled in pace. That had to be Kael. It had to be. She took off down the streets - he would be fine... Edmund was going for him, that had to be why he left the workshop too, and if she had learned anything in the last few years, it was that Edmund was invincible. The man could handle anything in this city.

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

Josephine inhaled as the weight of the Scourge Beast was launched from her back and she was finally able to catch her breath. It took a long moment to process what had happened before she could pull herself up onto her elbow and get her bearings. Already, Edmund stood over the dead corpses of all four beasts, two which he had effortlessly slain in her stead. Once again, she relied on him to save her from a monster too powerful for her to fight. Why..? Why did she yearn so desperately to impress him? She looked to the headless beast and her gaze fixed itself upon the pool of crimson blood as it glimmered in the moonlight. There was a certain feeling of sanguine relief filled her chest for the briefest of moments. Men like Edmund made the world safe - made her safe - and she couldn't so much as muster the strength to do the same.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, now slumped on the ground on all fours. The young woman rose only slightly so that she was on her hands and not her elbows, eyes downcast. Kael's celebration was worse than nails against a blackboard, but the real agony began upon hearing Edmund's words. The knot forming in her stomach grew tighter. He was disappointed, but not angry... He didn't sound angry. Perhaps he had been hopeful for their strength and they had let him down, or she had made the wrong choice in disobeying to prove herself. It didn't make a difference. Saliva began to build at the back of her throat, drowning her tongue abnormally fast. She knew what was coming - the young apprentice braced herself as her back curled upward.

A wretched noise escaped her as she dry heaved once... then a second time. And finally, her vomit splashed against the ground, racking her body with convulsions. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, stinging her eyes sharply. Another wave of nausea overcame her as she released another, slightly smaller torrent of bile. Josephine spit at the ground a few times to try clearing the taste from her mouth. She shook softly with a sob before finally letting Edmund help her onto her feet. She looked longingly at her sword as her master offered it to her, but didn't reach for it at first. She hadn't earned such a right - the right to wield it, the right to defend herself. Everything burned... Her muscles and bones from the fight, her eyes from the tears which she was desperately fighting, her throat from the acid which she'd lost, and her nostrils from the putrid stench in the air.

Finally, the woman took her weapon back and sheathed it at her hip, finally speaking for the first time. "Kael did not almost get me killed today, Master Edmund..." Her voice was soft and quivered slightly, but she tried her best to get the words out. "I am the only one to blame for my choices. If I died today, it would have been my fault. If you've taught me anything, it's that you reap what you sew, and I sealed my fate with arrogance... with pride."

She shot a venomous glare to Kael as he continued trying to argue. She already felt like a beaten puppy, but Kael only prodded their teacher further to berate them, because clearly he didn't understand the gravity of the situation. When he was done shouting and got their affirmatives to his direction, she stepped up to Kael, her face only inches from his.

"Until you've felt... one of those things breathing on your neck... tackling you... until you've truly been left to die by a man you consider your brother... a man you trust to watch your back and keep you safe... You don't know the true meaning of the word 'almost.' 'Almost' is a word of weakness... a word of incompetence... a word that means death out here, Kael. Shoot with your bow all you like, you don't know how it felt down here..." She marched after Edmund, doing whatever he asked and helping any way she could.

-----

Josephine flailed violently, snapping to consciousness and quickly rising from her position on the bed. She was panting heavily while her eyes darted around the room in terror. She'd woken up before screaming again, thankfully... Some nights she really ruined the other apprentices' sleep with it... She felt guilty every time. Her mind raced as it quickly forgot the night terror. Rubbing her eyes, Josephine turned and placed her feet on the wooden floor. She picked up a short, plated candlestick with a wax candle and lit the wick, holding it out in front of her. The moon couldn't light the windowless barracks under the main workshop. As she rose, Josephine noticed that Kael's bed was empty... Where was he? With a shake of her head, the young woman retrieved her Rakuyo from her footlocker and her coat. Dressed in just a short nightgown that extended to just above her knees, Josephine knew it would be cold if she didn't cover up at least slightly. She began climbing the ladder to the ground floor and pushed herself up through the hatch. She looked around with her head poking up out of the hole, frowning... Nothing seemed to be out of place.

"Master Edmund..?" She whispered, closing the door behind her as she started down the hall which lead to his room. She knocked on the door, "Master Edmund..?" The woman called again, raising her voice slightly. He wasn't there, but there was a light softly flickering from his study. After reaching the room, Josephine stepped inside and looked around. She'd actually never been in here, certainly not without him, but there was almost an entire library. Having expected her teacher to be here, she was rather surprised to find a slightly tattered leather bound book laying open on his desk, a quill resting inside of an inkwell nearby. Upon closer examination, she found it was his journal and her eyes went wide as she began reading, unable to resist the urge.

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

"Your inability to learn was not caused by the absence of a teacher - learning requires an active engagement," She replied, growing more venomous in her words. She could agree, however, that fighting the targets and improving practiced motions would only improve their ability to fight non-mobile opponents. On the other hand, Kael's belief that they deserved respect from a Master Hunter was ludicrous. Her gaze drifted to the alleys and corpses. Yharnam had always been a macabre sight, especially growing up, but the streets seemed so much cleaner now. There was no more crawling through the nooks and crannies find your way around - now you could just avoid the sounds of carnage. The beasts were not nearly so plentiful here, but she had no doubt they existed in droves outside of main city.

Still, the stench was rancid. Josephine's nostrils burned with the smell of decomposing corpses, fires to burn the dead in the distance, and the beasts which still lived. Speaking of which, her ears picked up on the sound just after Master Edmund's did; the savage mutilation of a corpse and feast of a group of Scourge Beasts could be heard a short distance off. Immediately, they snapped into a real careful stance, dropping lower to the ground and sneaking through the streets. Already, Josephine could feel the sweat forming on her brow, her heart racing... A feeling which once froze her very mind and dried her throat was now exhilarating. The terror she had once felt at the thought of a Scourge Beast ripping away her throat and tearing through her flesh like paper maché had been converted into power and into a desire to be the one who tears apart the beast's very own flesh.

As they came up on the small pack, Josephine immediately began looking around the courtyard for environmental awareness. There was a fountain in the center, full of grimy water and leaves which floated along the top, but it wasn't running. A carriage missing two wheels, with shattered windows and a door that hung halfway off of its hinges lopsidedly rested atop a small pile of rubble. Buildings surrounded them, as the courtyard was not exactly massive, and Josephine wondered if there was anything on top of them - or any way to access the roofs. She took a knee as Master Edmund spoke, her eyes now fixed on the feasting creatures. When his question went unanswered, she replied in Kael's space.

"Yeah, when they rear back, you can either dip past their guard and decimate them from beneath. Or you can knock them off balance with a well-placed bullet," Her voice was but a whisper, measuring out as many possibilities of an encounter as she could, "And behead it before it recovers." It wasn't until she received her next order that Josephine realized that Kael was gone as well - how had he managed that? He was quiet when he wanted to be, but for neither of them to notice? God, what a pain... If he was out getting himself killed...

"Got it, I'll be back soon, Master Edmund," She replied briskly, pivoting on her foot and slinking away quickly. Her eyes scanned every bit of the courtyard and side alleys, but she couldn't find him anywhere, not until she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye, shimmying up a fire escape and onto a roof. That absolute dunce! What the hell was he doing? She began looking around for the way up until she saw him drawing his bow and taking aim. Did he really want to try taking on all four of them..? That idiot! He'd get them killed by attacking and alerting the Scourge Beasts. That would blow Edmund's cover - and hers. Well, she couldn't do nothing, especially if he was nearly successful. She caught his eye for only a brief moment out of pure luck and held up a finger to halt him until she found a position. Flanking around Edmund so that he wouldn't see what she was doing, Josephine readied her pistol and Rakuyo, sneaking up to the carriage and pressing her back to the side, the sound of feeding Scourge Beasts filled the air only metres away. They'd smell her in a matter of moments. It was go time.

The woman leapt out from behind the carriage, triggering Kael's first arrow. It sailed through the air and caught a Scourge Beast in the throat, as it had snapped to look at Josephine at the last moment. The woman aimed at a second, the one nearest her, and fired her pistol, lodging a quicksilver bullet just to the right of its chest and then into the shoulder. She rushed forward, using the short end of her blade to begin the slash along the creature and then the longer side in a follow-up swipe. The Beast's leg fell away in a torrent of blood so dark it was nearly black. By now, Kael fired a second arrow and lodged it in his first target's head, dropping it with sheer brute force. The three that remained, including the mortally wounded cretin, let out a debilitating cry, then a blood-curdling snarl as they began to form up, attemtping to surround Josephine. She tucked back over her shoulder and rolled to her feet, sure that Edmund's eyes were now on her back in utter fury. Maybe he would be impressed... Maybe he'd kill them. But even Josephine had to admit - she needed to know what this would feel like, she needed to know if she was ready, and she needed to feel the power that came from taking the life of a beast.

As the three-legged Scourge Beast reared up, Lydia followed its momentum, firing her pistol again and lunging forward. It staggered slightly as the bullets buried themselves into its chest and the apprentice burried the long end of her blade into its lower abdomen. In one fluid motion, she twisted the blade, pivoted a full 180 degrees, and swung her weapon overhead, dividing it nearly in half all the way to its neck, causing it to topple over. She sidestepped out from underneath as the beast fell forward onto a pile of its own innards. She was always fast, sure, but if she had been given an Old Hunter's Bone, a tool she had grown quite accustomed to using, for their first trip, Josephine would be almost unstoppable against a couple of these. Alas, there were still two Scourge Beasts, and the girl was really hoping to rely on Kael to take out another. Her pulse thundered like a stampede of a hundred horses in her neck and chest; she could feel it with every contraction of her heart. Unfortunately, the adrenaline and confidence she gained from the first few moments of combat disappeared as the two wolves reared back simultaneously to pounce on her. Her vision blurred for just a moment, combing both of them in her mind's eye to one wolf, and many wolves all at the same time. They were all ready to pounce their own Josephine, a girl who could barely be considered a teenager, for their dinner.

Meanwhile, in the "real world," she froze and couldn't move to attack for a long, long second. She couldn't even hide it - for a moment, she was awestruck and her face reflected it clearly. At the last second, she evaded, rolled forward under one of the charging beasts. There was no doubt that both Edmund and Kael would have noticed her mental block - she almost fell limp, even if it was for only the briefest of moments. Why? They already killed two, why did these ones suddenly start debilitating her senses? She holstered a pistol, hoping Edmund wasn't already charging in for the fight as she broke her weapon into two blades, the Scourge Beasts now circling her for a real fight. Would she be able to fight two? Alone? Surely Kael was waiting for a solid shot, as they were moving too quickly for a clear, safe hit from Kael's range.

One rushed in and swept a claw at the apprentice, who spun to the side while advancing and swung both blades with her momentum downward at the end of the twirl. Blood sprayed her from the wounds she inflicted on the beast's thick shoulder. Without missing a beat, she brought the weapons down again on the monster's side, carving an 'X' into its ribs. "DIE!" She shouted in fury, her blood boiling for vengeance. In the heat of the moment, she'd forgotten about the second beast, which leapt at her from behind while she laid into the first. Her Rakuyo clattered to the ground a few feet ahead of her as a massive paw slammed aggressively against her back, pressing her into the cobblestone of the courtyard.

No, no, no... It couldn't happen again. Her armour had protected her from the scratch in her back, but not from the weight pressing her into the floor. This time, she couldn't even see the monster that was about to kill her, but she could still feel it... That fiery, rancid breath on the nape of her neck, the drool spilling down into her clothes and hair... the imminent end of existence as she knew it... And the worst part was that she hadn't even learned her lesson. She still wanted to rise up and kill it, not run away. How could she let it happen again? Where was Kael? Why hadn't he helped after his first shots? Where was Edmund? Was he punishing her for her insubordinate behaviour? She deserved it...