Duskbound

[JSJ_2000]

“Why did you bring that…thing with you?” Hainer remarked, gazing at the black furry creature that waked alongside the woman that he fought with earlier. The daylight made it easier to see the muscles on the beast, its dark and shiny coat almost polished in the light. It was large, and Hainer was weary of having such a thing come along with him. It wasn’t long until the others that fought form the previous night, joined the party. Hainer took a brief glance around at everyone. Including the 4 of them, there were an additional 5 people that were seemingly apart of this particular party. They certainly were a colourful bunch, although, Hainer wasn’t sure if 9 people were enough for this supposed hunt. He wasn’t even sure how many people were in the other parties either.

“Okay, I think that’s everyone.” A voice suddenly spoke. Hainer turned to his side, and saw one of the guardsmen holding a parchment in his hand, looking at it as he spoke. “Welcome to the Third Party!” His voice shouted, as he tried to grab everyone’s attention. “I’m going to go over some things with you before you head out.” He said. “First off, a reminder of the task at hand - Find the Demon’s nest where the queen resides. You are Third Party, which means you lot will be taking the northern path towards the mountains.” The guardsman paused as he read over the script in his hand. “The hunt will last for 1 week, exactly. If you have not found the nest within the week, you are to return immediately to Ivesburg. Likewise, if you find the nest, you are to return to Ivesburg.” The guardsman said.

“Wait, we don’t get rid of the queen?” A messy, brown-haired man spoke. He had a sword to his hip, and clearly looked like he was ready to fight whatever was they were going up against.

“No. You are to find the nest where the queen supposedly resides, and return to town where we will gather the Mayor’s guard to exterminate it.” The guardsman replied.

“The guards need to stay here in case of another attack. There’s not enough resources to send them on a hunt, without knowing where the nest is. That’s where the citizens come into play…to save time looking for it ourselves.” An older man spoke with a deep and gruff voice, his hair grey with a tough and hardened look across his face. Hainer simply pondered, beginning to wonder if the Hunt wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. He had figured they were to get rid of the demons themselves, but they were just the middle man to avoid having the guards waste resources looking for it themselves. All in all, it may not be as dangerous as he initially thought.

“Exactly.” The guardsman spoke. “And above all, look out for each other, and save yourself. You are a party, which means you must work together. It’s a dangerous world out there. If you need to escape a situation, by all means, do whatever it takes to stay alive. When you get back, there will be a substantial financial compensation for your help.” The guardsman said, nodding as he concluded. Hainer nearly scoffed. He sure as hell didn’t need the money like the rest of the peasants, and he had every intention of saying alive in this quest.

Suddenly, a loud trumpet like noise echoed through the Hive, as people began to murmur louder and louder. Hainer glanced around, and realized that was the sound that would trigger this so-called quest, evident as people began to walk towards the edge of town. The part began to walk alongside the crowds of people, with guards standing by in case anything were to happen. Buildings, houses and shops passed by one after the other, and soon enough, they reached the gates of the town. A large wooden set of doors, opened by the cranking of a metal lever that revealed the outside of Ivesburg. Although some farmlands and shacks were situated out here, it was largely outside territory. The sky was dark, dreary and cloudly, as a dirt path trailed along green meadows and grasslands towards forests and mountains. This was it. The starting of the quest.

“Remember, NORTHERN path.” The guardsman said to the group, as he pointed them into the direction they were to go. “The other parties will go down the other paths, to cover more ground. 1 Week, and you’re back. Sooner if you find the damn nest.” He said. Hainer looked at the crowd of murmuring Ivesburg citizens behind them, watching them as they set foot outside the city and towards their seemingly invisible goal. Okay, here we go. He took in a breath, as they began to make their way out of the city and into the wilderness of Arandia.

~​

It wasn’t long after leaving the city, the party found themselves in the middle of what seemed to be empty grasslands. Lush green meadows, with a forest visible in the distance, although still quite a ways away. The sky was still dark and cloudy, despite still being morning time. The group had been walking for about an hour or so, along the so called ‘Nothern Path’, although no path was visibly there. “Hey, did you guys know that many people speculate Demon’s are actually nocturnal? Like Owls.” A younger man spoke, around 18 years old. Hainer didn’t respond, simply choosing to ignore the man’s attempts and trying to start a conversation with the group. “I realized we haven’t really formally introduced ourselves yet. I’m Henrique!” He said to the group, once again trying to start a conversation. He stared around at the group hoping someone would say something.

“Nice to meet you young man. My name is Wolfe.” The elderly man spoke, giving a slight smile as they continued to walk.

“Kind of old for this, aren’t you?” Hainer responded, chuckling a bit to himself.

“I could probably pummel you, and wrap you around my finger. Don’t let my age fool you.” Wolfe responded, almost as if he were expecting Hainer to give a snide remark. “I’ve known your father and grandfather since they first came to this town, Hainer. You ought to show more respect to those around you.” He responded.

Hainer scoffed, keeping his eyes forward and ignoring Wolfe’s response. He wasn’t in the mood to tussle with the old man, nor did he think it would be smart to do so.

“We aren’t here to be friends. We are here to do a job.” A taller, blonde-haired man spoke, his face neutral and calm as he walked.

“I already know who you are. You’re Gabriel, aren't you? You’re apparently one of the best swordsman in the city.” Henrique spoke up. Hainer took a glance back. That guy? The best swordsman? He definitely looked the part, however, Hainer had never even heard of the guy and usually he knew alot of city rumours and gossip. The group was silent for a few moments, until Wolfe raised his hand.

“Everyone stop!” Wolfe shouted, commanding the group to stop. Startled, Hainer stopped and glanced back at the group, and in particular Wolfe. “Do you hear that?” Wolfe suddenly took out his axe as he readied into a battle stance. Hainer wasn’t sure what the man was referring to, until something caught the corner of his eye. In several directions, there were figures crawling along the grassy meadows towards them. Hainer couldn’t believe he didn’t spot them earlier. Granted, they were a decent distance away, but they were closing in. They were humanoid in both size and appearance, however they were a pale white. Almost grey and ghostly. Their limbs and were slightly longer than a humans, however, their bodies were built for walking on all fours. As they reached closer, Hainer could see their hairless bodies, and their deformed faces, which did not look human at all. Grotesque, and deformed, Hainer had no words to describe how sinister these monsters looked. They growled as drool dripped from their mouths, with their eyes almost soulless in lustre. Hainer grabbed his sword, readying himself for another fated showdown with a demon. There were at least 6 of them, which meant they would need to help each other killing them off. “Don’t let them bite you! They’ll rip your flesh!” Wolfe shouted, as the demons closed in on them.

Without thinking, Hainer swung his sword to keep the particular demon closest to him, at bay. He wasn’t even sure how to go about killing the damn thing, however, he figured if he swung around he would have been able to hit something. “Damn! How am I supposed to hit this thing?” Hainer shouted, gripping his sword.

 

[Dan]

Fatima smiled, “Well, Adhan…She wanted to tag along.” She retorts, used to the look he was giving her companion. Most people were wary of Clawdia until they got to know her better. She wasn’t a beast, no, she is very much like any other sapient being and she followed the rules of nature. The Panther remembered Hainer well and knew the face of someone her companion didn’t get along positively with.

“Clawdia, this is Adhan. Adhan, this is Clawdia.” Fatima introduced them, and mostly because she wanted to spite him by using his first name instead of ‘Hainer.’ “Go on, Claw, don’t be shy. Say hello to the man who threatened Nekrim.”

On cue, the enormous cat gave a low-powerful growl to the youngest Moradi. All of her teeth bared for a few seconds and emerald eyes shining of warning to him before returning to her normal state. The Panther sat on her hind legs, licking her chops as if she was ready to hunt. Fatima petted her companion’s head and gave her some scratches behind the ear before another voice came shouting over everyone. The Blacksmith’s attention diverted to the guardsman upfront now.

Once all the talking was over and finished, Fatima reserved her opinions to herself this time around. Usually she’d have a thing or two to object to and in this case she did, but she rather get the hunt over with already. With the other party members, Clawdia and she would follow until they were well out of the city’s limits and into the wilderness of Arandia. Once out into the middle of nowhere, Fatima was mostly quiet, only pointing things out to Clawdia and tell her what they were. She wasn’t a stranger to coming outside of the city’s walls, in fact she came out to restock herbs and materials for the Alchemy shop. Now, she didn’t know if she would return back to either shop alive. It was a good thing she left out a will on her workstation.

Aside from her occasional talking to Clawdia, it seems she wasn’t the only one wanting a talk. And it wasn’t the males who started talking to each other, rather the long-haired blonde woman who came to her side. “The big cat yours?” She asked, “It was a good idea, bringing it along.”

Fatima mumbled beneath her breath before speaking up, “Her name’s Clawdia and she’s not mine. She is her own being.” She explained, “Besides, not bringing her along was out of the question when I asked her myself.”

“You can speak to animals?” The Woman inquired further, sceptical of this tall woman’s words.

Fatima shakes her head, “No. I can only understand Clawdia.”

“I’m Catarina.” She finally introduces herself to Fatima.

“I’m Fatima.” The Blacksmith retorts, taking Catarina’s hand into her own then letting it fall back to her side. They fall back into silence after introducing themselves. The silence ensued for a short while before the older-looking male raised his hand and shouted for them to stop. Fatima looked at him, letting her hearing pick up what he could hear. She grabbed her club from her belt and went into a battle stance, ready to wield her cobbler. Then, she could see it, the pale humanoid figures in the distance, crawling on all fours and were gaining on them fast. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end.

Almost used to taking commands, though its only been a week since fighting a demon, this time she was ready. Fatima, like the others, were thinking about how to hit these ugly demons. The Blacksmith could hear Clawdia besides her, growling at the one closest to them both. She could hear Hainer complaining, though the situation perilous, Fatima shouts back, “By swinging, genius!”

 

[Hydrangea]

The instructions given out by the guard were easy to understand, their objective clear if not difficult. Finding the nest may sound easy but to Victus, he was rather confident that the main nest only served as a hub. There would be plenty of demons venturing around it, after all, any hunting ground sent it's hunters out further when food next to home grew scarce.

As they crossed through the grasslands Victus watched over his companions, thankful that he could be confident in some of their abilities already. The Dhenari ranger, blacksmith, and the panther made remarkable impressions - Hainer, while brave previously had his reputation tarnished from what he had heard from the priests about his treatment towards Father Joseph. The newcomers however were a bit of a mystery, as was the majority of the town to him but as they started to introduce themselves he got a decent idea of who he was traveling with. The pair of the youngest and eldest of the group talking to each other livened his spirits, he would find some form of kinship with Wolfe he figured as he looked over his stature and gear. The fact that Hainer gave him a snide remark only furthered Victus's ideal that he lacked respect for his elders, thankfully Wolfe in his years knew how to deal with the uppity youth.

"No in-fighting, this will be a week's long trek - no sense in starting it off with a few grudges." Victus remarked, his eyes pointing out Hainer before looking over the rest of the party. As Henrique put it, the renowned swordsman seemed fond of the idea of relative quiet, the farmhand with his own blade had remained quiet as well so he figured traveling just like that would make things a little easier for the party. After all, it would allow them to hear anything approaching or offset in their surroundings - be it demon or potential game, the ranger with the bow in the party would be invaluable providing help getting more food as they traveled. From his own studies, it seemed that most demon's left actual game and wild animals to their own for the most part.

The man with the steel-breastplate and Wolfe seemed like decent company, so Victus stuck himself near the two of them but towards the front of the party. If something were to come from the front he had good faith in his shield and armor to buy him a few seconds at least. "What's your name?" Victus asked, keeping his voice low after having caught wind of Catarina and Fatima's conversation without the intention to pry. That cleared up all but what appeared to be a farmer's name.

Marcus, upon turning towards Victus wiped some dirt from his brow before sauntering towards him to extend a hand. "Markus, and yours?" The man returned, to which Victus smirked upon realization that he hadn't introduced himself to the newcomers. "You can call me Victus, no church honorifics but if you need someone to pray for you it might be safe to ask me." He retorted, his smirk shifting towards a kinder smile as he shook his hand. "That's a nice chest plate you have, the boots will be good for trekking up the mountain-" Victus was cut off as Wolfe exclaimed for them to hold up. His ears perked, hearing unnatural rustling in the grass before humanoid figures spread out in his field of vision.

"Tighten up, form a circle!" He shouted, his shield and sword at the ready as he watched one of the creatures close in towards Amalia, having enough intelligence to focus the one with a bow first. Victus immediately charged to intercept it, shield up to brace against it's body to use his larger weight to push it to the ground, hoping to leave it vulnerable before aiming for it's skull to drive his blade through.

 

[Jag]

Amalia offered no questions regarding their instructions, not sure that her words would even find welcome amongst the high-minded and well-civilized. It was surprising enough they counted her as one among them in the hunting party itself, but the ranger took that far more as a sign of the fear and desperation struck within the higher echelons from the attack in the middle of the city than any real desire to have a nomad upon them. Hainer had been her closest interaction with the truth of their society -- she could only assume that his impression of and reaction to a Dhenari was a typical one.

Once the party reached its full and egressed the city, Amalia kept to the outskirts of the party. She drifted forward as a point, keen eyes and soft feet scanning ahead. The advantage of keeping her distance was an added one. With friends like these, she wasn't sure she could tolerate enemies further. Still, it would be some time before the winter pass would be tolerable enough. Amalia dropped back, keeping a keen eye on something moving off to the flank of the group and to the right. It wasn't a threat, she quickly judged. More likely something curious. Curious...and edible. It was exactly that distraction which caused otherwise sharp eyes to miss the danger before them until others brandished weapons and leaped into the fray.

Amalia immediately loosened her bow from her back and surveyed the situation. There didn't seem any way to easy gain height at the moment, no trees offering a simple enough climb for her to get above the fray and rain down arrow from above. Sadly, there was little time to grip the situation before one charged on her quickly. The ranger turned to the side and froze for a moment, wondering if there were time to draw her dagger or nock an arrow before bracing for the inevitable attack. It was then that Victus, the only with whom she'd shared an interaction she qualified as remotely position so far, leapt into action, bashing with his shield before the blade came to join with a true blow.

It was that sudden, crushing, explosive violence before her that shook Amalia from the freeze and brought her back into the landing of the living, the alert and battle ready. Nodding swiftly at the warrior who'd swept in to her defense, she pivoted and turned, nocking an arrow and wasting no time before her rapid aim caused a lethal point to fly in the direction of one of their assailants. She found her feet backing up to more solid ground, her back close to Victus' own in as close to a sign of trust she could afford to show.

 

[JSJ_2000]

“By swinging, genius!” The woman shouted, seemingly named Fatima as he overheard earlier. Her furry beast took her side, as it growled, readying itself to join the fray. Too busy to give a nasty response to Fatima, Hainer kept his eyes focused on the demon that crept in front of him, as the man known as Victus, shouted at the group to get close together and form a circle. He could hear the others already tussling with the demons, which only added to Hainer’s anxiety. Not wanting to tae his attention off the demon, he stared at the ugly, drooling beast in front of him, until it suddenly lunged at him with its mouth gaping open and hands stretched forwards as if it were going to grab him. Hainer quickly reacted, stepping to the side and narrowly avoiding the monster’s bony hands. Without thinking, Hainer swung his blade at the beast, who managed to dodge the attack as well, simply growling back at Hainer.

Damn, the thing is smart enough to know to avoid a blade. The beast was more agile than Hainer gave credit for, and he knew it would have been a dangerous match up for him.

“Didn’t you hear the man?! Get in close!” Wolfe exclaimed as he ran towards Hainer, standing next to him. “If we can stay together, we’ll have a better chance, rather than taking them all on one-on-one.” The old man said, holding his axe, readying himself. Hainer simply stood there, gripping his sword, ready to swing once again. “Now!” Wolfe shouted, as he thrusted forward swinging his axe. The demon attempted to maneuver out of the way once more, but failed to do so, as Wolfe’s axe came down onto the demon, the sound of flesh being punctured as the axe hit it squarely in the arm. Letting out a squeal, the demon bled from the shoulder as it tumbled onto its belly, writhing in pain. Not wasting any time, Hainer swung his blade at the demon’s head. His steel sliced through the frail neck of the demon, severing the head from its body and staining the grass beneath their feet. Hainer relaxed his sword-wielding arm for a few moments, to process what just happened. “That’s one down!” Wolfe shouted to the group. Hainer looked around to see the others also in the midst of their own combat. The Dhenari woman and Victus were teaming up against one, Fatima and her pet against another, while Henrique and the other 3 party members were taking on 2 of them.

Wait…I counted 6 a few moments ago. Hainer hastily glanced around to find where the sixth demon was lurking about, only to hear a loud yell coming from Wolfe. Hainer turned his attention to the man, who was trying to swing at a demon who approached him. Before Hainer could react, the demon pounced at Wolfe, slashing his arm right through the fabric of the tunic. Wolfe immediately fell to the grass, dropping his axe and holding his arm in pain as the blood spurred out. Acting fast, Hainer attempted to swing at the demon, trying to keep it away from Wolfe. Hainer pointed the sword at the demon, staring it down as it glared back at him. “Hey, get up!” Hainer shouted at the old man, whilst still looking at the demon. He awaited a response from Wolfe, but simply received groans from him in return. With Wolfe down, Hainer wasn’t so sure if he could handle the demon on his own.

 

[Dan]

The Demons were closing the distance with each passing second. Fatima was ready to take it one-on-one when another voice already broke out, “Tighten up, form a circle!” The Blacksmith spared a glance back to see the others already gripping their own weapons and doing as the churchman said. She joined them, turning her attention back to the one demon that was after her. The others seemed to do the same, circling around the group.

‘Not becoming a meal today.’ She thought as she waited for an opening or at least a move from her opponent. Then, it jumped at her, Fatima side-stepped and took a large swipe at the demon’s side as it landed beside her. Unlike the crows that attacked the town, this one was more her size, but it had brains. It jumped out of the way; Fatima’s brow furrowed as it disappeared out of view to reappear on the unguarded back end of her. It was ready to grab her when a loud growl broke through the air, Clawdia came running and crashing into the body of the demon’s own. Both of them rolling into an entangled mess, growls and squeals can be heard.

Instinctively, Fatima’s first worry was for the panther’s being. She watched the fight unfold before she joined when they broke apart. It punctured the demon from claw marks, wounds pouring out a black substance the blacksmith could only assume was its blood. It squealed in pain as it laid on its side, struggling to gain footing. Fatima used her club as a shield in case it was to swipe at her. She approached the creature and brought her weapon to its skull; the sickening crunch could be heard along with its squeals of pain growing louder. She repeated the process until Clawdia trailed over to finish the job by severing its head by mouth.

The Blacksmith huffed out in exasperation, “Good riddance.” The moment of victory short-lived when she could hear Hainer’s shouts nearby. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked over to see where Hainer was, finding the noble stuck between a rock and a hard place. Before she could attempt to help them, Clawdia whimpered in pain. The Panther suffered deep gashes from the result of fighting the demon. “Stay here.” She instructed her companion. Clawdia would have to endure her wounds until they were safe before Fatima could aid her.

Instead, the Blacksmith turned back towards Hainer’s direction. She took off into a sprint and soon joined the party. “Hey, ugly beast!” Fatima called after the demon. The thing snapped its head in her direction. Its soulless eyes causing the hair to rise on her neck again. “Pick on someone your own size!” She taunted it. And it took the bait. The pale demon snarled, drool dribbling out its mouth as it turns its entire body her way. The demon jumped at her, she jumped back in time, but not fast enough as its claws swiped her forearm. Fatima’s face contorted in pain, “Get him outta here!” She shouted at Hainer as she swiped her club at it, catching the flesh in between the sharp ends of her weapon.

 

[Hydrangea]

Victus caught his breath as the ranger matched up behind him, close to his back and proceeded to knock an arrow. There were almost an even amount between the party and their assailants, and he felt like if they were careful they would be able to handle them. When the group started to circle in together he felt a bit safer, knowing that they would be able to close in and help each other should the need arise - he hoped that they wouldn't need to, but hope did little in the face of demons.

A cry of pain rung out in the air around them, Wolfe falling down at their feet clutching his arm from the wound one of the demon's inflicted onto him. Hainer moved to defend him quickly, albeit wildly which made Victus worry about potential retribution from the demon. Acting emotionally was the quickest way to have a demon take advantage of you, but the sword kept it at bay long enough for the blacksmith to enter the fray and help keep it's attention down. Everyone else on the team were handling the creatures around them, leaving Victus some opportunity to take care of the wounded. "Hold the demons back - We outnumber them now, use it!" Victus assured, taking a step towards Wolfe and kneeling beside him. "Just breathe, let me see your arm." He ushered, one hand on his shoulder to plant him to the ground and get him focused on his surroundings; after a moment Wolfe let his hand fall away from the wound, allowing Victus to put his other hand on the forearm and with a prayer under his breath he felt the magic surge through him and into Wolfe.

In moments Wolfe's arm would recover, the flesh sewn back together as the pain ebbed away from the injury. He would still feel drained from the recovery, but Wolfe would be able to ease back after the magic seeped into him. Victus's eyes left the man however, wary of the demon's around them who may take advantage of the fallen man on the battlefield and the other crouched beside. He had his shield at the ready, making sure nothing would be able to get an easy hit on either of the two - for now, he had to rely on the others in the party to handle the remaining demon's by either keeping them at bay or ending them then and there.

From his spot on the ground he noted that the panther was injured as well, with her owner taking a likewise worrisome injury from the demon that she had rushed - he made a note to hold back from using defensive magic, it would take a lot out of him just to heal some of the injuries if everything continued like this.

The new additions to the group were faring a bit better, the blonde man who seemingly had the confidence as an expert swordsman deftly decapitated one of the demon's that they were handling. His experience showing as he kept out of reach by the remaining demon, who from some combined efforts started to falter to overwhelming number's.

 

[JSJ_2000]

“Hey, ugly beast!” Fatima shouted at the demon near Hainer, garnering its attention. It turned his ugly head in the direction of Fatima, lunging towards her and scraping her arm, visibly hurting her as her face reacted to the pain. “Get him outta here!” She shouted, swinging her club at the demon, hitting it square in the body. Hainer silently acknowledged her words as he turned back to Wolfe, who was now being tended by Victus. "Just breathe, let me see your arm.” The man said, as he whispered some sort of chant to invoke magic through his body into Wolfe. Hainer watched, and although Fatima has instructed him to get Wolfe away from the fray, he knew it wasn’t going to fare well if he left Fatima unintended facing off against the demon. After all, two against one would have been better odds. Hainer briefly glanced at Victus who was still utilizing magic to try and patch Wolfe whilst holding up a shield, indicating he needed cover while he performed his magic. He then focused his attention back at the demon that Fatima had just successfully hit. Although he was clearly swiped by the beast, her attack left a bloody bruise and scars across a portion of the demons body, visibly injured. He lunged at the beast to get it away from Fatima’s attention, swinging his sword but narrowly missed the wretched thing as it jumped to the side and snarled back.

“The limbs! Go for the limbs!” Suddenly a voice shouted out. Hainer looked to his side quickly, to see Henrique, the young lad who talked too much. “You’re swinging too randomly, you need to aim!” He shouted again.

“Are you going to just stand there yelling, or actually help?” Hainer retorted back, pointing his sword at the demon, as Henrique didn’t respond back. The limbs… Hainer swung, missing yet again. This time, the demon retaliated by lunging right at Hainer, knocking him to the ground and getting on top of him. Hainer used his sword and stuck it right out in front of him, to try and push the beast off. Its mouth opened, releasing a rotting stench of flesh, with bits of mouth debris and saliva dripping down onto Hainer’s face and tunic and it tried to clasp onto his mouth. Hainer pushed with all his might, but everything was happening too fast, and the demon was stronger than he gave credit for. He closed his eyes, expecting the demon to calm down on his head, however, in that instant, the weight of the beast lifted. He opened his eyes, only to see the demon on the ground beside him, head severed from the body in a bloody mess on the stained grass.

“That’s the last one.” A voice spoke. Hainer looked up to see the blonde-haired man looking back at him, his sword bloodied from the battle. Presumably, the one who sliced the head off from the demon onto of Hainer. He realized he must’ve been so scared and pre-occupied with the dmeon, he didn’t even hear the man approaching, and saving his life at the last second. “A thank you, would suffice.” The man said, as Hainer stood back up, simply staring back at him.

“Yeah! Gabriel saved your life! I told you to go for the limbs.” Henrique said, referring to the blonde-haired man.

“I had it under control.” Hainer simply responded, wiping away the gunk on his face and clothes. “Besides. He went for the head, not the limb.” He said.

“I still killed it, didn’t I?” Gabriel responded, glancing around. He then saw Fatima with her injuries, and walked hastily towards her. “We have another one! Catarina, come!” Gabriel spoke, signalling the woman seemingly named Catarina to approach Fatima, and held her arm.

“I can do magic too. Like him.” Catarina said, pointing to Victus, who was tending to Wolfe. “I know basic healing magic that should be able to heal you up. Your pet too, don't worry.” She said, making sure Fatima knew they could tend to her panther pet as well. “Here, sit.” She said, ushering Fatima to sit down, and then held out her arm. She whispered a chant, as her hand began to glow. It wasn’t long before the gash on Fatima’s arm began to heal up, seeing the wound as best as magic could attempt to.

“Luckily it’s not as bad as the old man’s.” The man known as Markus said, staring at the healing process. Cat continued to chant for a little while, until the wound finally stopped bleeding, and let out a sigh.

“That’s more tiring than I thought…” Catarina said holding her head in strain, before standing up.

“Don’t worry, I can take it from here.” Henrique jumped in front of Fatima, rummaging through his bag and pulling out a roll of cloth. “I brought lots of supplies in my trusty bag, just for this trip.” He said, unrolling a portion of the cloth and wrapping it around Fatima’s wound before clipping it in place with a small metal pin. “There! I have enough for everyone, including Wolfe and your pet!” Henrique said, smiling.

“So, exactly what the hell were those things?” Hainer chimed in, as Catarina and Henrique walked over to Fatima’s pet to fix her up as well.

“Those were Spectres.” Markus responded. “Ghoulish things…they’ll eat anything that moves. And even things that don’t.” He said, staring up at the sky.

“You’ve fought one before?” Gabriel asked.

“Yep. I came out this way once to hunt for animals. Ran into one of them, and it nearly took my life.” Markus responded.

“I didn’t realize demons had names.” Hainer said.

“Neither did I. the guy I went hunting with told me there’s different species of demons, sort of like animals.” Markus said. Hainer simply stood there, pondering in thought. If that was true, then that meant there could be an endless amount of types of demons out there, just like animals. Which meant there were most likely more of the Crow Demons lurking about as well, if they could also be classified as another species.

 

[Dan]

Fatima got a few more swings into the demon before another jumped into the action. She took a single glance at Hainer jumping back into the fray. He had snared its attention away from Fatima, which she was silently thankful for. The wound she had received from the demon was weighing on her left arm. The adrenaline coursing through her had subsided the amount of pain she would soon know.

Another voice suddenly shouted from out of nowhere. Apparently, the others took notice of them struggling with the demon. Fatima ignored the young boy’s advice, instead opting to jump out of the action. She noticed the others were coming over to aid Hainer with the demon. She barely registered the blond-haired male coming in to slice the demon’s head from its body, watching with some amazement as she moved toward Clawdia.

However, she was drawn away from her panther as the others came over just as quick. Intercepting her from approaching Clawdia and forcing her to sit down. Catarina, however helpful, was making the Blacksmith irritated. Fatima seemed to register that she was helping when a small glow omitted over her arm and the wound was beginning to heal. For a large woman, she was beginning to feel crowded. Like her fear of enclosed spaces, it was starting to enclose on her. She sat and closed her eyes, the sweat on her temple growing as the younger boy from earlier helped her dress her wound.

Once he finished, she hastily stood upright and moved away from the party to join Henrique at Clawdia’s side. With his help, Fatima dressed the wound after applying some salve she specifically made for her. After he was finished dressing the panther’s wounds, Fatima looked at the boy. “Thank you.” She turned her attention over to the others talking about the demons. Apparently, a classified sort of demon.

The Blacksmith sat next to Clawdia and let out a breath of relief to be alive and to be out of an enclosed space. Maybe she should let them know so she wouldn’t have to grow quiet each time they attempted to help her with wounds. Instead, she opted to stay quiet as she ran her fingers through Clawdia’s fur and looked up at the sky.

 

[Hydrangea]

Victus could only watch as the events unfolded, Wolfe would be able to rest soon after his healing but if he didn't get back into the fight himself he worried for the safety of others. With the demon clashing up against Hainer, taking him to the ground he was about to leave Wolfe's side before Gabriel managed to take a swing and end the last creature before it had a chance to make the situation any worse for them.

He breathed a sigh of relief at that as everything started to settle down for them, Victus let his hand slip away from Wolfe now that he had fully recovered from his arm injury. Taking a deep breath he rested back and watched as the others gathered together, thankfully Henrique had bandages as well and soon got to work treating wounds and ensuring that everyone got the attention that they needed. While Gabriel's support wasn't much of a surprise, the woman that showcased healing was. He rose a brow at it as she went through it, and while Victus knew full well that magic taught and practiced outside the church was considered an offense he remained quiet. Victus wasn't a stickler for the rules, and while he practiced the faith he had joined out of necessity - the horrors of the demons required the strength the church offered to face it, and if this woman would be of help to them with magic gained elsewhere he would gratefully accept it.

It saved him from having to do the rest of the healing at least. "Most have names, classified by the church if you have the time to read up on them. Their history and our encounters with them have strong records." Victus remarked as he eased himself to his feet, helping Wolfe to his own. "How are you feeling?" He asked, letting the old man brace against him as he regained his composure.

"Could be better, but seeing as we're all alive I won't complain." He got out, using his ax as a support as he approached the rest of the group.

Victus loitered around the edge, taking stock of everyone's condition before getting to work. Wordlessly he went around gathering the corpses of the demon's, piling them together a ways off the main road; it took some work, but their light frames made it easier for him to move them. When he succeeded in amassing all of the corpses together he reached into his bag, retrieving a tinderbox. He set it aside for the moment as he went around the pile, patting down the grass and digging a small trench with his heel; the road didn't have too much tall grass at this spot, but he didn't want any chance of the fire spreading too far. Once his preparation work was complete he would light the pile aflame, starting with whatever dry clothing he could find that wasn't too drenched in the demon's darker blood.

With his work finished he would tuck the tinderbox away and regroup with everyone, "Are we ready to move forward? Or does anyone need some more time to rest?" While he asked for others, Victus wiped sweat from his brow and eased his breathing. The magic had drained him a bit, but he was used to marching; he figured he could get to nightfall but would be exhausted by the end of it. Taking first watch would be out of the question.

 

[JSJ_2000]

"Most have names, classified by the church if you have the time to read up on them. Their history and our encounters with them have strong records.” Victus chimed in as he helped Wolfe to his feet, utilizing his axe for assistance similar to a cane. Hainer didn’t say much in response, however, it was interesting to note that the Church indeed have records of such things. He was sure that the book that he stole did not contain that information, but he still hoped it would come in handy at some point. The group stood amongst themselves, idling chit chatting and resting, as Victus began to pile up the dead bodies of the demons, before igniting them on fire. Hainer wasn’t sure why he did it, but he assumed it was out of respect. Being a man of religion must’ve meant he had some remorse about killing any life, whether they were demons or not. "Are we ready to move forward? Or does anyone need some more time to rest?” Victus said. The group muttered in response, nodding and responding, signifying they were indeed ready to move onwards. The sooner they found a good area to camp, the better off they would be.

~​

The sun began to set, as the sky darkened with the last red streaks slowly fading. A bright orange tint heavily covered the grasslands, as the group slowly ventured towards the forest that crept up in front of them. “A forest? Are you sure its safe to go in there?” Catarina questioned, concerned.

“Well, there’s nowhere else to go.” Markus responded. “Besides, we can’t set up camp out there in the grasslands. It’ll be easier to with the surrounding trees and bushes.” He said. Hainer silently agreed with Markus. The grasslands were way too open to set up for their resting site, and they’d essentially be sitting ducks. Hainer looked up at the canopy of the forest as they walked in, the clouds becoming less visible, and the dark of the evening slowly setting in. It’d definitely be harder to see in the forest during the dark, so there wasn’t any point in walking further. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, rest would have done him good.

“Why don’t we just set up here?” Hainer said, stopping in his tracks, pointing around the area. A few leaves covered the grassy ground, with large evergreen trees giving way to a small clearing, and large tree roots creating a bit of cover for them. “It seems like a good spot, no?” He said.

“I’m on board with Hainer.” Wolfe remarked, suddenly sitting down, dropping his axe next to him. “I need to call it a day.” Wolfe sighed, catching a breather. It was obvious his wound was bothering him, despite Victus fixing him up as much as he could.

“Okay then. This spot, it is.” Markus said, smiling at the group.

~​

A fire crackled, giving warmth to the group as they sat around it. Planted in front of the fire were skewers of fish, cooking as the group took turns picking up skewers of fish, eating them for their dinner. It wasn’t exactly Hainer’s idea of a good meal, but even he knew he couldn’t complain much. Hainer stared at the fire in front of him, burning so brightly and contrasting the nearly pitch black forest that they sat in. “Why don’t we break the ice?” Henrique suddenly spoke. Hainer raised a brow to see what Henrique could possibly suggest. “Since we finally have some downtime, why don’t we give ourselves a proper introduction, and talk about ourselves?” He paused. ‘I’ll start. Ahem.” He cleared his throat. “My name is Henrique, and I’m 18 years old.” He said, looking around at the group. “I may be a bit younger than you all, but I’d like to think I’m a rather valuable asset.” He said.

“And how do you figure that?” Hainer chimed in, chuckling slightly.

“Well, for starters, I can talk my way out of just about anything, and can probably steal anything as well if given the time.” Henrique responded, smirking.

“So you’re going to talk to the demons for us? That’s amusing.” Hainer chuckled, as did the man named Gabriel.

“Being raised in the Willows make people like me resilient and strong. What do you offer the group?” Henrique suddenly turned the question to Hainer, slightly annoyed at Hainer’s antics.

Hainer sat there, a bit quiet for a few moments before speaking up. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. You didn’t do much in our last fight back there, so I think that should be evident enough how useful you are. I’d be surprised if you even make it out of this thing alive.” Hainer responded nastily towards Henrique, who sat quietly and frowned, choosing not to respond to Hainer but instead await to see who would talk about themselves next.

 

[Dan]

Fatima stood after the brief moment of catching her breath. She flicked the flesh off her club, wiping it off with a rag she retrieved from her pouch before stuffing it back into it again. Once it was cleaned, she placed it back into her holster. Then, giving a firm nod to Victus, who inquired if the group was ready to move along. Once they were back down the road again, Fatima gave occasional glances at Clawdia ‘fore reverting to look up at the sky and be caught up in her thoughts for a moment. The Blacksmith was in pensive thought about concerns of her Old Man before the silence was broken up by Catarina’s question.

Fatima slowed her stride down, noting the forest slowing creeping up on them. She was about to say it was good for cover and an excellent opportunity for Clawdia to keep an eye out on the treeline before Markus spoke up. Throughout the exchange, she agreed with Markus. It was better than waiting to be eaten out in the open. Once they got in further, Fatima alongside Clawdia were simply going along with the others wanted. You think she would let her opinions be known more now that she was outside of the Hive, but the Giantess was silently scared while maintaining a composed facade.

Her second run-in with Demons, and she was beginning to learn of the classified sorts. Nekrim never told her which type of Demons took out her parents, but she figured she would find a clue once they started up the mountain. For now, she was content with not learning about more Demons, despite her resolve to help eliminate them forever - if that was possible. Once the camp was set up and a fire was going with skewers of fish cooking, Fatima gave half of hers to Clawdia before the Panther disappeared up into the trees to find a branch to lie upon.

The Blacksmith, herself, was eating her own dinner. She looked up from her dinner to the younger male who helped her earlier, speaking in the silence of the group eating. He introduced himself as “Henrique” and was basically a teen. Shooting a look to Hainer’s inquiry of the younger male’s self-proclaimed title of being a valuable asset. Fatima couldn’t argue against that. He is a valuable asset. It seemed Hainer’s only words were to sour the mood.

She took this moment to speak up after Hainer nastily responded to Henrique’s question, “Don’t mind him, Henrique. Adhan’s had a silver stick up his ass since the day he was born.” She remarked before adding her own initial introduction, “I’m Fatima Lennox. 25, and I run Lennox Smithing & Alchemy in The Hive.” She gives a slight smile, “But I can’t say I’m much of an Alchemist, I leave that part of the shop to my Old Man.” And lightly chuckles before pointing behind her, “The big cat behind me is Clawdia. Thanks for patching us both up back there.” She thanked Henrique again.