Duskbound

[JSJ_2000]

"I can agree with you that the townsfolk should head to safety." The shielded man spoke to the guard. "But unless you're what this town calls their elite or most well-trained guards, I fear that without some support the remaining two crows will still be too much for just your men to handle." The man said. Hainer raised his brow in response. Even if the demons were too much to handle for the guards, what difference would one more person make? Granted, it was the man’s plan that managed to keep the demon grounded and distracted, that they were even able to win the recent battle in the first place, but Hainer still thought of it as a crazy idea nonetheless. ”Unless it's common practice for the town to sit these attacks out and hide indoors, I think your people will have a better chance of limiting casualties with me by your side. You've got enough men here to get the job done, I can keep it's attention." The man spoke with confidence, gazing into the guard’s eyes with ambition. The guard looked at the man with the same ambition, and could see he would have been an asset, judging from the battle that had just ensued.

“You actually want to come?” The guard then looked at the man’s outfit, analyzing it. “Under normal circumstances, I couldn’t allow a citizen to willingly fight something like this - however, a man of the Church may come useful. If anything were to happen to you though, Father Joseph would probably have my tongue.” The guard joked, referring to the town’s head priest, who some would say had more political power than even many nobles within the city. “Follow me.” The guard said to the man, before turning to the rest of the group. “The rest of you, leave, and stay inside.” The guard turned around and hastily jogged out of the plaza, gesturing the shielded man to follow suit. If anything, that meant one less person take care of tonight.

“For someone who fights with such strength in your heart, you’ve got cold blood now.” A voice suddenly spoke. Hainer turned his body to the side, noticing the woman with a bow and arrow speaking to him. He recognized her to be the same one who was launching arrows at the demon from afar, and admittedly, helped out tremendously with the battle.

“Yeah, what of it? I was only fighting because I had to. Not because I wanted to.” Hainer responded with a bit of hostility, gripping his sword firmly in his hand. “You all just ended up helping out, I don’t owe you guys a thing.” Hainer stared at the woman, this time giving her appearance more attention. She definitely didn’t dress poor, however, Hainer was able to pinpoint her fashion sense to her heritage. “Especially not freeloading Dhenari.” Hainer scoffed at the woman, until the other woman with the club and animal spoke up.

“Forget it. I’m not staying with ass hat over here.” The woman said, spitting right at Hainer’s boots. Hainer looked down to see a bloody wad of spit at the edge of his shoes, angering him. He began to walk towards the woman, and shouted as she walked away. “I know where you work! And I know your pathetic old man!” If he couldn’t threaten her directly, then he had hoped that issuing a threat to the old man would have hit her where it hurt.

“Wait! Relax! That’s enough violence for one night!” The robed church man suddenly jumped in front of Hainer, and pleaded. He looked at the man, and then at the woman who was amidst walking away, not knowing if she heard his threats or not. Hainer was tired, agitated, and honestly just wished to go home and clean up. He threw the bloody sword in his hand to the ground, cursing to himself, and then turning around to go home.

“W-Wait! The guard said - ” The robed man began.

“Yeah, yeah, I know what he said. I’m under ‘orders’, apparently. If you want to come along, feel free. If you don’t, then go wherever the hell you want.” Hainer responded as he began to walk, leaving his invitation open to those around him.

 

[Hydrangea]

No, part of him really, really didn't want to go. Unfortunately that was the part of him he didn't listen to, as his job and his responsibility won out. If anything Victus was a man of virtue, the church had taken him in when he had nothing left to live for and so he saw fit to repay them with what he had left. If it mean providing this dangerous service, it's exactly what he would do. "I'll stand by your men, if you let the beast focus it's attention on me I trust you and your men can handle cutting away at it." Victus spoke, taking a moment to look over the others that had helped take down the first beast. He wanted to ask for some of their help, but he knew no one, and it wasn't their responsibility. From the looks of things the majority of them were commoners, tradesman, people that the guards and himself were sworn to protect.

"Do you have a trick for getting them to stay on the ground, nets, harpoons? This is a shipping town right?" Victus questioned as he moved closer to the guards. Behind him he could hear the bickering of a few of those who had just previously helped keep each other alive. IT seemed they had little sense of what was just a battlefield, their tension rising quickly despite the events. With two more beasts still rampaging about Victus knew that they would have to be quick if they wanted to save more innocents. Hopefully the crow's death squalls was enough to spook the others, maybe killing or wounding another would be enough to have them back off - but demon's were irrational to say the least. Survival wasn't a keen instinct if it meant they got to do a little more mayhem before they bit the dust.

As the blacksmith made her exit, cat at her tail he shouted after her. "I appreciate the help stranger!" He rose his voice without restraint, wanting to make sure that he was heard before he glanced back at those that remained. The young man was already heading home with priest in tow, earning a sigh from Victus's lips. 'How prepared is the church here? Are there any Inquisitors, Knights? Or is it just me now.' He thought to himself before turning back towards the guards. "Well if Father Joseph has any complaints I'll act as a intermediary, I don't plan to die anytime soon." Victus remarked, but he wasn't too certain about how everything would turn out. "If the worst should happen he may not even know I've arrived, they can assume that their guest just never made it into town. Now, let's hurry while we still have the chance to." Victus prepared himself mentally for the rest of the night, getting a firm grip on his shield as he followed the guards through the city.

What transpired was a lucky series of events - the other guards in the town had managed to wound both of the remaining demons, bringing them low and making the new part of guards plus himself an easy turn in the tide of battle. While the demon's had the ferocity and talent to tear through them, the town seemed well versed in using their numbers to their advantage. Victus surmised that living so far north, relying on those around you was a necessity. One he was thankful for as he helped the guards finish what was left of the two crows, spending the remainder of his night channeling what little energy he had left in performing small miracles to heal those that could still be saved. But even Victus had a limit to his power, and after using his magic on his shield to start he had very little left to save others. All the same, he gave what he had left to give, tiring himself out quickly so that by the end of the night Victus had fallen asleep against a stone wall where the guards were keeping the injured.

Cries for help, moans and groans, the shouts of doctors and medics scurrying as they attempted to help others. The chaos that had been born around him was his new lullaby as slept took him. 'I can see the church.. Tomorrow.' He thought to himself, feeling the weight of his armor and weapons keep him down. It was times like these that he had grown accustomed to sleeping like this, and while it wasn't comfortable by any means of the word exhaustion wasn't very picky when someone hit the extent of their limits. "I really need to find a better place to sleep..." He murmured to himself, the last words he had before drifting off.

 

[Dan]

Fatima continued, her right hand gripping the left side of her ribs, pressure wouldn’t help it heal but it subsided the pain for now. Her feline trailed behind her, she heard Hainer’s threats, not bothering to reply instead she continued, “If you can find him…” She grumbled beneath her breath, Nekrim was likely out of Ivesburg. Even if a Moradi could find him, she wouldn’t know, so what if he knew where she worked? She owed that noble-ass nothing. The most important issue at hand was determining if she’d broken her ribs or merely fractured them, every time she took a deep breath, it hurt like hell and it would send her into another coughing fit. Fatima didn't hear the appreciation from the guy who ordered her or maybe she just didn't care to acknowledge him.

Fatima’s left palm opened the door to her shop, Clawdia ran in before her. The torches were still lit, bathing the left side of the windows in light and spilling into the street. With a groan, she shut the door and made her way over to Nekrim’s side of the shop, taking the time to light up his side. She’d offer a warm bed and meal to whomever came to her doorstep, just not Hainer – anyone but him. With the help of lights, she went digging through the Old Man’s medicines, trying to find the one herb. Yanking open the many drawers that encased various herbs, they were labelled, but the Blacksmith didn’t bother to read when she had pain to relieve. On the 14th drawer, it was yanked open, “Ah-ha!” She said in glee, her hand grabbed the willow bark hiding in its protective case. Like a child eating dessert, she chewed on a bunch of the bark. She shut the drawer and stuck some inside a bag, tugging the string to close it and brought it towards her side of the shop.

Clawdia was watching her companion, eating bark like a madwoman while she laid in her bed. Her eyes went back and forth, watching Fatima go from one place to the other, trying to find ice or even bandages. The woman stopped in her tracks, giving a glare to the panther, thinking she was being judged by how crazy she looked. She tossed a chunk of broken ice into a dirtied rag, her least dirty rag, and pressed it against her rib. Stifling back her pain, she took to laying on the couch in the lounging area. Her muscles ached from the battle, she skipped dinner because of that damned crow, and now? Now she just wanted to sleep, perhaps more than she normally would.

Fatima was reciting the basics on treating a fracture/potential broken rib. Nekrim recalled from other Doctors he’s come across, they always bound the ribs together, but the Old Man found that binding them would cause more injury. ‘…severe pain, pain when I breathe and…’ With the push against the ribs, she groaned out in more pain, unable to keep the sounds from escaping past her lips. She tightened her grip around the rag, yet kept it pressed to the ribs. ‘Short breath, headache…’ She closed her eyes, reciting them in her head, her mouth continued to chew on the willow bark. While she continued to recite the words, she found herself falling into a bliss sleep, the ice clattering against the ground when she fully fell into the deeper cycle of sleep.

 

[Jag]

He fired back with a burning fire in his words that matched the dripping venom in Amalia's. The girl consciously forced herself to stand her groud when instinct begged her to take a step or two back once she had the brunt of his brutish attention. Within seconds, she was again fighting instincts, this time in instinctive call to claw at his throat for bringing her people into the mix. It wasn't that the thought wasn't common for many in the City, but most had the decency to mutter it quietly. At least this one seemed to be a man of his word -- he truly didn't feel he owed anything to the world or anyone else.

Before Amalia could break the lock of a tightly-clenched jaw in reply, he was on and ranting at another. The ranger was starting to wonder if the passion of battle still coursed through his veins or if this temper and anger was simply the natural state. She watched silently as he eventually admitted defeat in his world rebellion and broke off for the home that he reluctantly offered, albeit under duress.

When the attack broke out, the Dhenari had been packing for leaving at the first morning light in the hopes of finding a way through the frozen pass back up the mountain to her people. She'd had her fill of the bloodlust here. It also didn't hurt that she'd basically traded everything of value with which she was willing to part for room and board in the city. Now, it was far too dark to risk a solo journey outside the city walls, assuming the guards would even allow one to leave at such an hour given the attack. The Inn in the Willows had barely accepted her trade for room and charged her a higher rate given her heritage, so there was no going back there.

"Kessha," she cursed in her native tongue at her lack of options. "This is my reward for helping."

She waited until Hainer's frame was almost out of view as he wound his way from the scene. Then, deftly and in the shadows, she followed.

 

[Bygones]

The courage was within her to sprint out and find aid with these armed men until she found that these creatures, one, in particular, were now circling the plaza where so many men, guards, and now a few brave women have congregated-- a buffet in the eyes of this hungry creature. For her to place herself in the mix would only make her the toothpick the beast uses at the end of its fantastic meal of the residents of Ivesburg. She stayed put, crouching behind the tavern in a bout of tall grass to conceal herself a little better, nervously glancing in all directions after forcing herself to peel her eyes off the horrific scene unraveling before her but found that she did it less and less since the danger was now in the heart of Ivesburg. Her heart raced and her palms sweat, she was frozen with fear; there was nowhere for her to go, no one would let her in their homes to take cover and if they did anyhow it would not mean she was safe in the slightest, her family’s home was demolished by the beasts greed. All she could do was pray to the Gods that they would watch over her poor, helpless soul and look past her many sins. She had never sought redemption for her young soul until this very moment, which was a sin in itself.

If only I had listened to Father Josephs words a little more carefully...

The ground shook beneath her as the beast dives down and land heftily upon the earth, her chest wrenching in trepidation for all who were in the beasts sights. She cursed herself at once for thinking it, but couldn't help but believe that the young Moradi would be the first to go, he may have been good at intimidating the people of Ivesburg, but he was no match for a Demon more wicked than he. To her dismay, the Moradi had actually gotten a clean jab at the beast. The armored man with him was also quick and clever, shouting orders left and right which must have been doing something because all who was there was still standing. These two men alone were doing far more damage to this creature than the guards who were supposedly trained extensively for this moment. Moreover, where was the Mayor during all this? Hiding in the dungeon of his manor until all is clear, leaving his people to perish? Millicent swore that as soon as this was all over, she was going to hightail out of this pathetic town, there was nothing to keep her anymore now, the only family she had was gone and gone in vain.

It all happened so quickly yet in slow motion. A woman appeared, a feline trailing swiftly behind her, Millicent at first believed that this cat was another predator in the mix but quickly found that it was trained to protect its human companion. A beautiful creature it was, Millicent needed a companion like this since she bears no weapon or magic to defend herself. It was astonishing to see such a brave woman in the midst of this fatal battle, but more stunning to witness another straddle the back of the beast and impale it with an arrow.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" She whispers in amazement, it was playing out like some fantastic, ancient story that her older brothers used to tell her before bed.

She thought for certain that, she, if not all of them, were going to be met with death after such an brutal attack. Both women, one whom she recognized to be the foreign woman she once mistook for being a customer, went flying in different directions to the ground, and if the impact had not killed them, she did not know what would. The beast tumbles to the ground and the velocity of the crash jolts her off her feet. Once she got back up, it appeared that the beast was finally conquered, it lay lifeless and bloody, the young Moradi now covered in what she assumed to be its blood.

Did she just witness a group of everyday commoners, defeat an atrocious Demon in battle? They could not have been just 'everyday commoners if that was so. The situation began to alleviate, and the brave battlers come sauntering weakly together. There was bickering and yelling between guards and them, she could not quite discern clearly what was said, but more so could not believe that after all they had done, after collectively conquering a wicked Demon, they could scream such obscenities at each other. It was pitiful to watch. Millicent was amazed to see the two women who were bucked by the beast to be standing still and functioning, perhaps not quite well, but well enough to get around. They had to have suffered broken bones and other internal injuries along with their visible external ones. The wobbling woman, clutching her ribs, hocks a bloody loogie on the Moradis used-to-be pristine loafers. Millicent giggled at the sight of this, she did not know what was said, but she knew he must have deserved it. There was more shouting from the guard, she heard him this time order that all straggling citizens report immediately to the nearest home till further notice. Moradi appeared to not have particularly agreed with this order, most likely because his home was one of the closest ones, just up the hill into the Bunberry district. A majority of the homes in the HIve had been completely demolished, an eerie sight to see for Millicent whose earliest memories were of toddling around these homes playing with other youngsters.

The group dispersed; the injured woman and her companion one way, the armored man towards the barracks, and the foreign woman following not too far behind Moradi. Millicent figured this was as good of a time as any to really get to know the family that she was ordered to infiltrate; but came to the sudden realization that, that was no longer needed, she was not going to heed to their orders, there was nothing to drive her to do these things anymore. The gain was never for her, only for them, and now they were gone. She was free, but at what cost? Millicent decided she'd take advantage of the Moradi's reluctant hospitality; sleep there for tonight, wake up in the morning and gather enough things to set out on her journey, to where, she did not know yet.

 

[JSJ_2000]

Hainer sauntered along the path to his home, not uttering a word. The guardsmen had ordered him to open his home to those who needed it for the night, and he could tell there were people trailing behind him, despite not looking back. The preacher from the Church, the Dhenari woman, as well as another young girl whom had been hiding from the fray during the quarrel with the demon. Slowly, they began reaching the outer part of the city, as the shops and small houses began to become sparse. Instead, the scenery was now small grassy knolls and evergreen trees that covered the area. Cleaner than the rest of the city, and less busy as well and noted by its quietness. Hainer continued to walk along the neat dirt path that snaked its way around the Bunberry District. The houses were spread out, many of them being fenced or gated due to the size of the houses themselves, as well as marking their property. It wasn’t long after trekking along the path through the neighbourhood, that Hainer raised his head, his house within sight. The familiar blue and red roof shingles, and white stone walls was a soothing sight for him. Often enough, it usually meant a chance to relax after a long day, and tonight was no different - albeit, due to a different reason. The light wooden fence that surrounded his house was more of an aesthetic choice by his father, rather than a security measure, evident as Hainer pushed the fence door open and waltzing right through. He slowly walked down the short path, reaching the large doors that stood at the entrance to the house. He knocked on the doors, waiting for a few moments until he heard the familiar sounds of chains on the other side of the door, indicating someone was unlocking the entrance.

Right from inside the house poured out as the doors creaked open, revealing his servant Ross standing at the doorstep. “S-Sir? Thank goodness!” Ross spoke with concern and relief at the same time upon seeing Hainer and his bloodied clothes. The door then opened even further, revealing his father standing slightly behind his servant Ross.

“Hainer? What happened to you?” His father looked at Hainer in shock, speaking with the same concern in his voice as his servant did. He looked past Hainer to find the others standing behind him, looking directly at them. “Come inside, quickly. All of you.” His father said, gesturing everyone to come inside before closing the door. He then turned to the group, sighing before opening his mouth. “First thing is first, are you all alright?” His father voiced his concern.

“Yeah, I think so. I’m assuming you know what happened?” Hainer asked, wasting no time on the situation at hand.

“Yes, the guards came by not too long ago and told us that the city was under attack. They told us to indoors and give shelter to anyone who needs it for the night, as we are to stay inside.” He paused before speaking again. “As to what exactly attacked us, they did not say.” His father concluded.

“It was a monster of some sorts…it came swopping down, and we were caught up in the middle of it.” Hainer responded, gesturing to the group.

“A monster? Here in Ivesburg?” Ross the servant suddenly chimed in, in shock.

“Apparently. There’s nothing else it could have been. The damn thing nearly took my arm off too, it put up one hell of a fight.” Hainer crossed his arms as he talked, thinking to himself. He wasn’t sure if there were more demons that were approaching, however, he definitely did not want to tussle with another one of those any time soon. Surely the mayor had a plan for this situation?

“As long as you’re alright, that’s all that matters. I was honestly worried, since you hadn’t come home after your errands.” His father said, speaking with a more lighthearted tone now. He then looked at the group. “I bet you’ve all had a hell of a night, too. I welcome you to my home, there’s enough room for everyone as you can see.” His father said, chuckling. Hainer rolled his eyes, still bitter about having to open his house to the commoner lot, however, his father had a bit more of a caring heart. “Ross, can you please show our guests to their rooms?” His father said to the Moradi servant before turning his attention to the group again. “There will be baths prepared for you shortly as well as food, so feel free to make yourself comfortable.” He smiled. Hainer stared at the group, although somewhat in a peeved manner, however, he knew there was nothing he could do.

“Follow me, everyone.” Ross said, gesturing the group to follow him to their rooms. He led them down a small corridor leading to the infamous hallway of Hainer’s paintings. There were several doors on each side of the hall, with each one leading to their own separate room. With frequent business meetings and dealings, it was essential to have rooms in case any guests wanted to spend the night in the Moradi manor, or were too tired to head home. “As you can see, there’s enough space for everyone.” He said, pointing to the doors. “Pick any room that you like, and feel free to use the bath. I will try to find extra clothes and bring food shortly once everyone has settled in a bit, and after I’ve checked in with the Master.” Ross bowed, before speaking again. “If you have any questions, feel free to find me or the master.” Ross said, before gracefully walking away to tend to his other matters.

~​

Hainer sat there, lost in thought as the warmth of the water soothed his body. A hot water bath was often his go to to destress, and release some steam and it was doing its magic once again tonight. “What a day…” He muttered to himself, playing with the water a bit by moving his fingers through it. He knew there would be without a doubt, a meeting with the mayor the next day. There was no avoiding it, he had to speak on the situation and do something about it. And judging by the what happened, Hainer had hunched that also meant nobody was allowed to leave the city without permission. If what Kieth had said was true before he was executed, then that meant there really was something lurking in the mountains just beyond Ivesburg.

“Sir?” A voice suddenly spoke. Although his bathroom was a separate space connect to his own room, Hainer still appreciated a knock rather than someone walking right in.

“Ross, how many times have I told you to know? Dumb twit.” Hainer responded, looking at his servant who approached him in his bath.

“Sorry sir, I tried, but you weren’t answering. I just wanted to ask if you wanted anything to eat, as I’m getting your friends’ meals ready as well.” His servant asked.

“Firstly, they aren’t my friends. And secondly, yes. Make my food and leave the plate on my desk next to my bed. I’ll eat it after I’m finished.” Hainer said, leaning back in his tub to relax, and sinking until the water was nearly covering neck level.

“Understood sir.” Ross bowed, before walking off, leaving Hainer alone once again. As long as there were guests in his house, he knew he had to behave. Even if he didn’t particularly enjoy the company.

 

[Jag]

Amalia was sure she'd seen all the city had to offer. She'd walked the magnificent chaos of the market, slunk through the shadows of the Willows, felt the strength of the walls and the freedom of the Outfields. And yet, this was something entirely new. This was stepping into the painting on the wall as far as she was concerned. Stepping inside the doors, Amalia was amused by the stark contrast between their host and his man, who appeared more than willing to serve and assist at the drop of a pin. The ranger gripped the shaft of her bow tightly as the string slung over her shoulder, making a note of every door and her steps back to the entrance as she was led further in.

As she was shown about, however, the defensive nature gave way to a new sensation -- exhaustion. She'd been watching over her shoulder every moment since entering the city and the battle itself had drained every ounce of strength left in her frame. This place, as strange as it might have been, seemed truly safe. She didn't trust their host, just as he didn't trust any of them, but Amalia doubted he would creep into her room with a blade. It was more than she could say for the innkeeper in the Willows who had managed to divest her of all coin.

A bath. A real, hot, luxurious bath. All pretense of guard was let down for a few fleeting moments of ecstasy as the ranger indulged herself in a true treat. Then, like someone born not to let an opportunity go to waste, the same water was used to clean her clothes, rigging a makeshift drying line through the room. The clothes brought by the servant were a style far from anything she would choose, but they were clean and dry. Another luxur she'd steal for the time being until returning to herself.

Sleep. Sweet, true, desperate sleep.

 

[JSJ_2000]

“Dammnit!” The Mayor slammed his fist on the wooden table, as he cursed out his frustrations. Around him, stood wealthy noblemen and women. They gathered in the Mayor’s conference quarters at the crack of dawn, packing in as many nobles as he could. It was dire situations like this, where he’d gather the city’s ‘puppeteers’ to think of solutions to critical problems. And this time, the critical problem just happened to be the demon situation. “That bastard Keith…I should have cut his head before giving him a chance to speak.” The Mayor said. “Now the whole town thinks I’m going to get them killed.” He frowned down, looking at the table he sat at.

“We give you all this money, and for what? What kind of mayor are you?” A noblewoman spoke, anger in her voice as she addressed the mayor.

“Our money may as well have been tossed into the ocean. I have children to protect and take care of, and now we aren’t even sure if something like this won’t happen again?” A nobleman spoke, as others around the table agreed.

“Calm down, I do have a solution…sort of.” The Mayor responded. He sat there in silence as he looked at everyone, pondering in his own thoughts.

“Well? Go on with it, Donol.” Kareev, Hainer’s father spoke. He was present at the meeting, and this wasn’t the first time the nobles were gathered with the Mayor to discuss city affairs.

“While I can’t guarantee another attack won’t happen soon…I do have an idea to prevent one happening in the future.” Mayor Donol paused. “The mountains…they are hiding in the mountains.” He said.

“And? The man that you executed already said that before he died.” A nobleman spoke.

“I was thinking if we could go into the mountains, we could find a nest or den of some sort, and destroy it.” The Mayor said. The nobles stayed quiet for a few seconds, to process what the Mayor had just suggested, until one spoke up.

“Destroy it? Donol, you daft idiot! How the hell are we gonna destroy it?” A nobleman shouted, standing up in his chair out of shock as everyone murmured.

“Calm down, let me explain.” The Mayor cleared his throat before continuing. “I talked to Father Joseph late last night, and he gave my assistant a bit of access to the library.” He said.

“Yeah, so?” Kareev responded.

“Well, specifically, he gave us access to the restricted section. On demons.” Donol responded. The nobles stayed silent, hearing out what the Mayor had to say. “Several books state that demons often create dens or nests for themselves, which usually act as a sort of hub. Hubs where they can come and go, rest, bring their prey back to feast.” The Mayor stopped talking, awaiting a reaction from his peers.

“Okay, and what of it? Surely there’s several of these nests located in those mountains. You can’t be serious about destroying them all.” A noblewoman spoke.

“Well that’s the thing - we don’t need to destroy them all. We came across one book that claims demons supposedly have a queen of sorts. And this queen usually births new demons.” The Mayor said, staring at the space in front him, lost in thought.

“So you think by killing this queen, it’ll solve this demon problem?” A nobleman spoke. The Mayor nodded in return.

“It’ll solve our demon problem. There’s generally one queen in any given area, so if we kill it, Ivesburg should be safe.” The nobles in the room looked at each other. The mayor did speak somewhat sensibly, however, the question remained. How does one kill a queen? And how was there any proof that a queen even existed?

“Well then, gather your men and head out, Donol. The sooner we take care of this problem, the better.” A noblewoman spoke.

“Wait, if you take the guards, then who’s going to protect the city? What if something comes along again?” A nobleman shouted in response to the noblewoman. The Mayor sat there in silence, thinking of what to say. He was met with a dead end, and needed to make a decision.

“I do have an idea.” The Mayor began. “You see, a rule exists. A law, if you will. This law states that in case of war, we can enact wartime rules and force people to enlist to fight.” The Mayor spoke slight hesitation in his voice, uncertain as to how the nobles were going to respond.

“What kind of idea is that? How are we going to get citizens to fight?” Karen responded, shocked at even the idea that was presented.

“It’s not bad, I must say,” A nobleman responded, putting a finger to his chin. “From what I gather, the Mayor is going to commence wartime rules, which includes enlistment. This will force citizens to join, where otherwise nobody will sign-up.” The man paused. “I like the idea. We can even force people from the Willlows too, to get rid of some of them.” He concluded.

“Sir, if I may.” A guard standing in the room suddenly spoke up. “Witnessing the events firsthand, I did indeed see several citizens helping against fending off the monsters. It may not be such a crazy idea, to send out several hunting parties out to the mountains in search of this queen.” The guard said.

“Good, find everyone who helped out last night. Create a list of able bodied warriors. Medics, fighters, men, women, I don't care. Interview people if you need to, just make it quick! I want people enlisted today!” The mayor shouted as slammed his fist repeatedly into the table for emphasis.

“This is moronic. It’s suicide, you’ll never see those citizens again!” The Moradi exclaimed. Kareev knew his own son Hainer has somehow gotten in the crossfire of the demon situation, and definitely did not want him enlisted for the hunting idea.

“I don’t see anyone else complaining Kareev.” The mayor stared Hainer’s father down. “Or need I remind you of where you stand?” The Mayor threatened. He knew all about Hainer’s shady’s tactics, as well as Kareev’s own muddied history in the town. He had worked too hard to get it ripped away by the Mayor, so he stayed quiet as the other many nobles in the room all raised their hands in agreement to the Mayor’s idea. Donol then gestured toward a nearby guard. “Get the town ready, we are going to have our meeting in a few hours.” He commanded, as the guard nodded and headed off.

~

Hainer swung his sword back forth, mimicking the motions of slicing and piercing as if they were an actual enemy in front of him. He gripped the handle tightly with both hands, and swung a final blow at a straw dummy nearby. Like butter, the steel sliced the dummy, ripping the fabric apart and releasing the straw inside.

“Getting some morning exercise, sir?” A voice suddenly spoke. Hainer wiped off a bead of sweat from his forehead, as he turned behind him to see Ross walking down the staircase. Hainer’s training room in the basement corridors of his house was always his quiet place. A place where he found solace, and time to mull things over, especially after the events of the demon situation last night.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Hainer responded, as he began to swing his sword once more.

“Well I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is served.” His servant said.

“I will eat later, I have to check up on the business.” Hainer said, huffing slightly as he continued to swing his steel.

“Oh your father already left. He said he’d do it for you, today.” Ross spoke. Hainer stopped his swinging, turning his attention to his servant. That was odd for his father to do something like that, although not completely unheard of, so he figured it must’ve been just to give him a bit of a rest from yesterday. “He told me tell you that he’d join you at the town meeting today.” The servant concluded. It was no surprise that there was going to be a meeting today, especially after the events from last night, and the mayor definitely had a lot of explaining to do.

“And our guests? Are they awake yet?” Hainer asked, referring to the lot that followed him home.

“Not yet, sir.” Ross responded.

“Well, when they wake up make sure they are given something to eat. I’m going to leave shortly, and I don’t want to wait up for them.” Hainer put down his sword, as he approached a crate nearby with a light brown scabbard placed onto of it. He grabbed the scabbard, slinging it across the front of his body, and placing his sword in the sheath by his waist. Hainer figured he’d start carrying his sword around more often, in light of recent events. Plus this way, he could even take it out to scare someone if they were to cross him.

~

The crowd gathered once again in the familiar town square. People chattered among themselves, taking time out of their day for yet another meeting, this time, out of dire need. The morning sun shone once again, illuminating the ominous mountains in the distance beyond the city. Hainer looked around, glancing at the various members of the crowd to see if he could find his father, to no avail. His attention was then shot towards the direction of the wooden stage, where he saw the mayor and numerous guardsmen walking towards it. However, this time, there were numerous other people trailing behind the mayor. Hainer immediately recognized a majority of them to be noblemen. Wealthy individuals and families, it was no coincidence they were all with the mayor on stage. However, Hainer found it odd that he wasn’t included in any sort of discussion that involved the wealthy families of Ivesburg. He then took a closer look at the group on stage, and saw that among them, was his father! He stood in his usual attire of a red tunic and black vest, and a look of sorrow in his face. Hainer could tell when his father wasn’t right, and it was clear in his facial expression that the man was in a somewhat saddened state. The crowd began to silence as everyone walked onto to stage, and without wasting any time, the mayor began to speak.

“Everyone! Attention Everyone!” The mayor’s voice boomed. The crowd gave the mayor their attention, waiting in anticipation what he had to say. “Firstly, I want to thank everyone for coming out. Last night was a scary situation, and I can assure you, we are doing everything we can to ensure this doesn’t happen again!” The mayor shouted. People immediately began to shout at the mayor, and talk amongst themselves, questioning how exactly the mayor planned on protecting them. “Those monsters did come at us with surprise, yes. However, we have decided to pull the problem right from the root itself.” He paused briefly. The Mayor knew what he was about to say would be controversial, however, he posed himself firmly and straightened his posture and pointed to the mountains beyond the city. “Lurking out there, are the beasts that we fear! Starting today, we will be enlisting people to help fight against the demon threat, so we no longer have to live in fear!” He paused for a moment. “That is why I turn to you citizens, to help aid in the battle. You all have unique traits and strengths. Strengths that can solve this problem, so we don’t have to worry about our future.” The Mayor paused, however, before he could continue, the crowd suddenly began to uproar. Justified, it was a weird sight to see. Here, the city had been listening to Donol for so long, but it seemed even this idea was too preposterous for them to handle. However, they didn’t really have a choice in the matter, as its either listen to the Mayor, or meet your bloody end like Keith did. The Mayor then gestured the guards, who immediately took out their weapons and ran towards the crowd for control. Hainer stood there within the mayhem, unsure of what to think. He looked at his father, who remained on stage with the same look of sorrow, and now understood why. This was going to be the beginning of a new chapter in Ivesrburg’s history, and the scariest part was, that nobody knew how it would pan out.

 

[Hydrangea]

Victus awoke to someone's voice calling for him, but not by name. "Sir! Mister! Priest! Knight!" The voice shifted between the names, it's volume just a few pitches too high for his liking as his eyes fluttered open to the sight of a youth leaning in front of him. His body felt stiff from sleeping in such a way, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used too. His bones ached and as he gathered his bearing he started shifting his neck to either side, a satisfying crack resounding as the youth kept speaking. "We've moved the injured and they're being taken care of by the church, we let you sleep till we were done but we figured it was about time for you to get up so you didn't wake up to nothing. Honestly, we were surprised you slept for this long.." The boy trailed off, his use of 'we' causing Victus to glance behind the boy to those around him. A few priests and guards remained, all glancing his way as they gathered the last of their supplies for the move. Victus grunted as he set his hand against the wall behind him, using it to brace his weight as he got to his feet and began to stretch. "Thanks for letting me sleep in." He remarked gruffly as he started to gather his belongings. A quick check revealed that everything was in place; he didn't worry too much about thieves, but after a crisis like this it wasn't uncommon for the unsavory to take advantage of the situation.

Taking a glance towards the sky he realized he had slept most of the morning away. He must have overworked his body using miracles the night before, healing the wounded always took a toll but doing it consecutively had really exhausted him. Hopefully with a good meal and another good night's rest he'd have recovered to a suitable extent. "Do they still need my help tending the wounded, or is something else going on?" He questioned the boy, eyes turning to the side of the street as a few commoners left their homes in pairs - heading back to what he recalled to be the city square. Not exactly a popular spot to be in his opinion with what just transpired, but the sight was still questionable.

His thoughts were disrupted however as the boy spoke up, explaining how the mayor had called for a meeting to go over the events of the night before and their plans moving forward. Victus nodded and patted the youth on the head, earning a swat of his hand away before the boy ran off to the priests. Taking a moment to shoulder his bag Victus fell in line behind some of the commoners, making his way towards the center of the city to see what this meeting was all about.

As he approached he was greeted by the sight of a crowd, the large majority bustling and conversing among themselves. Victus, being a stranger to the area let himself slip between gaps and push where needed to make his way closer to the front. From there he had a clear view of what he assumed to be the mayor, and what could only be the nobility of the town following along. He wondered if Father Joseph would be in attendance, after the night before and this meeting his introduction had been delayed for quite some time. While he was sure the Father would understand, Victus didn't enjoy the thought of making the man wait any longer than he had to. As the last of a line of nobles made their way atop the stage, what Victus seemed to have guessed correctly as the mayor spoke up.

His message made Victus smile. Not a very friendly one, but a smile nonetheless as he considered the appeal of his plan. Enter the den of demons, slay the Queen? The thought was downright laughable, but at least he had a point in saying that it was a good solution if it could be accomplished. His fault however was in asking for volunteers. Victus didn't mind going out to serve for the church, but he saw how many of the common folk retreated at the sight of the demons. The few that stood and fought were rusty, but brave, it would be difficult to organize an effective party out of those willing to go - if there were any to begin with. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts Victus decided he would have to meet with the Father soon, and see what his perspective was on hunting down the demon threat at it's source. He was starting to get a bad feeling about it himself, he had been sent here to help protect those in the area and it was starting to seem like their idea of protection was a frontal assault on the demon's home.

 

[Jag]

Amalia rose early, but allowed herself the rare luxury of her accommodations before dressing and packing. The one known as Ross, who had do dutifully attended to them after the night before, seemed equally eager to make sure all needs were met and served as a patient source of information for the Dhenari ranger about the goings on, including the gathering that was to take place. Amalia noted the lack of Ross' temperamental master through the waking hours and recalled his dripping words about forced house guests with none too kind a world about Amalia's people as well.

Skipping forward, Amalia deftly remained along the edges of the crowed. Whereas a spirit of excitement and anticipation had filled the people prior to the last mass gathering, it was now teeming with tension and fear. The Mayor did little to calm his people.

The Mountains?!

The girl knew of the creatures closer to her tribal home prior to visiting the city, but the idea that they originated there was a new concept to her. Immediately, visions of hundreds or thousands of soldiers combing through her ancestral home, blaming anything that moved as the source of their danger and fear. Another vision was a wave of the demonic creatures tearing through peaceful campfires, rending her people asunder. Either way, everything was very, very wrong. The visions stirred her again, forcing her to lunge forward with her heart before rational mind had a chance to react.

Amalia rushed forward, trying to find the most official person she could find that wasn't currently brandishing a weapon in her direction.

"Send me," she called out.

 

[Dan]

The Blacksmith awoke to the sun’s rays cupping her face, like a light alarm to wake her from the slumber she couldn’t recall falling in. Her right eye opened, squinting against the sun that spilled onto the couch and onto her. Then, she felt the pain come back as she sat upright, slowly. She blinked several times to get the tiredness off her lids, waking her brain fully to operate for another day. She almost forgot about what happened the night prior, “Oh.” She murmured.

Flashes of memory of that ugly beast wreaking havoc on the city. She looked over to see Clawdia already up. Her enormous paws crossed in front of her with her head resting on them. Those deep emeralds stared right back into Fatima’s soul. Her hand pressed light against her left side, she grunted in pain. Though it hurt, she continued to feel around her ribs, stifling the pain. Fatima peeled her tunic up, revealing a dark, vast bruise right on her left ribs. “Well, found the problem, Claw. No broken bones, just bruised ribs.” The feline retorts with a low chuff.

Fatima gets up, clutching her side still and moves to find her rag on the ground, the ice gone from its embrace. She swooped it off the ground, making a disgruntled noise while doing so. Letting out a cough, murmuring curses and she made it back to the deep freezer to fish out more ice and place it into the rag. Leaning against the lip of the freezer, she looked at Clawdia, “You’re lucky you came out unscathed.” Envy shortly passed through the Blacksmith before the door broke it, the sounds of knocking and a guard announcing himself.

“Come in!” She yelled out.

The door came swinging open to reveal one guard she couldn’t care to remember. “Ms. Fatima Lennox?” He asked, coming in deeper into the shop.

“I am she.” She answers.

“You were the one that helped take down the unholy beast, yes?” He further inquired.

Her brows knitted together, “Yes. Why? Get to it, I have orders to fill.” She lied, there was no way she would return to orders for another three weeks at least.

“Apologies, but I ask that you come to the meeting happening at noon. The Mayor wishes to speak again. It would be wise if you attended. I think it will require someone of your expertise, anyhow.” The Guard retorts, “Otherwise, I will be going now.”

Fatima nods, watching as he dipped back out of the shop. She could feel the muscles in her chest twitch as she held the ice pack to her ribs. If all she had to do today was attend another city-wide meeting, she would be there for sure. At the moment, she resorted to resting on the couch and eating willow bark to help ease down the pain. Its presence still known, Fatima decided to take it easy today.

As the hours ticked by, she took a catnap before her door was rudely opened up. One of the townsfolk rushed in to tell her of the meeting happening soon. Fatima thanked them and got up, “You stay here. You caused a scene last night. Don’t want others thinking you’re from the blasted void.” She scratched behind Clawdia’s ear and gave her some water, “Sorry, that’s all I can afford. I will bring back some meat, if I can find any.” She promised. Clawdia chuffed at her, returning to her own nap as the front door shut and locked. Fatima was feeling better. She decided it was better to appear like she had her shit together when she did not. She left her club and tools back at her shop, only bringing the small pouch of bark. She followed the crowd into the town square, trickling in to hang at the back this time. She chewed on the bark already in her mouth, letting her arms hang at her sides while she protected the left side of her body from the pressing crowd.

Fatima sniffed, looking down at her mess of a shirt, ‘Mental note: change when I get home.’ She scolded herself. Her thoughts trailing off as soon as Donsol’s voice came booming over the murmuring crowd, silencing them. Fatima snorted at his words, ‘Where the hell was this so-called protector?’ She wondered, likely hiding away like a coward in his Manor. The crowd clamoured, shouting at the Major with questions that lined up with her own. She followed his pointing finger towards the mountains looming just beyond the city limits. Fatima quirked a brow, keeping her opinions to herself and listened further before forming one. With the crowd in another uproar to the enlistment idea, Fatima shouted among them, “Why don’t you send your helpful guards?!” This earned her a glare from the guards that blocked off entrance to the mouth of the town's square. Fatima returned it right back, most of them were slaughtered like pigs, they were ready to swing swords rather take a step back and analyse the situation for weak links. However, it didn’t matter what she thought. The Mayor’s gesture alone had the guard soon drawing weapons on them. Fatima’s expression soured, her right hand immediately going to her hip to find no club there. She cursed herself silently for not bringing it. The Blacksmith, however helpful to the townsfolk, would not risk her hide on a strategy given by the Mayor. Aside from the ugly beasts that appeared in the night, there was no other concrete evidence that could convince Fatima to go marching into the mountains and kill some ‘Queen’ as he put it.

 

[JSJ_2000]

“Dad, what the hell?” Hainer confronted his father, as he walked down the stage. The crowd was murmuring to each other, chattering filling the air. People were already talking with guards, whilst others were beginning to make their way out of the town square. It had seemed people were going to be forced to fight whatever it was they were going to be fighting, which meant the Mayor must’ve been at his wit’s end. “ This has got to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” Hainer shouted at his dad.

“Hainer, relax. I know it’s not the best idea, I tried to talk him out of it, I swear.” His father said, glancing back at the Mayor who was now talking with some guards. “Look, there’s a good chance you’re going to get enlisted into one of the hunting parties.” His father, spoke, before being interrupted by Hainer.

“W-What? Why me?” Hainer’s heart suddenly stopped upon hearing those words. There weren’t too many situations that freaked him out, however this one was an exception.

“Relax, I have an idea. I’m going to try to pay him off, and do a bit of convincing.” His father leaned in, talking a bit quieter to his son. “This isn’t a job for nobles, the Mayor needs to understand that. I’m going to have a word with him later and try and sort this out.” He said.

“Wait, when are these hunting parties going out?” Hainer asked, with anxiety now emanating from his voice. He clutched his sword in its belt, holding it tight for comfort and quickly glancing up at the sky as if he were anticipating something else to come descending down.

“Supposedly this week. They are going to be forming the parties over the next several days, and try to get everyone equipped. That time period in between is my chance to fix this. You’re my only son, I can’t lose you…” His father said, placing his hand on Hainer’s shoulder. Hainer didn’t say anything, but instead just looked at his father and let out a slight sigh of relief. He felt a bit better knowing his father was going to try and fix things, however he wasn't out of the woods just yet. “The nobles are getting together with the Mayor again in a bit, I’ll talk to him then. Meanwhile, try not to draw attention to yourself. Don’t do anything stupid, and certainly don’t agree to anything anyone says to you. You were involved with the previous night’s incident, so there’s no doubt in my mind they will try anything they can.” His father said, patting him on the shoulder. Hainer simply nodded in return. “Alright good, I’ll see back home today. Stay out of trouble.” His father gave Hainer a hug, before turning around to join the Mayor and his mingling on stage. Hainer stood there for a few moments, as the crowd began to slowly die down in their roars, and disperse. He glanced around and saw several people talking with guards, along with a familiar face. The Dhenari woman from earlier and the one who stayed at his home seemed to voluntarily take up the offer. However, judging from the fact that she was also involved with the incident same as Hainer, it may have been likely she didn’t have a choice in the matter anyways. However, this would hinder Hainer’s chances of getting out of the hunting party, if she told the guards or Mayor anything related to him and his involvement with the incident.

“What, do you have a death wish?” He approached the Dhenari woman who was nearby and made a snarky remark. “You realize if we go out there, we are good as dead, right?” He furrowed his brows, looking at the woman with a slight look of disrespect as he scoffed.

 

[Hydrangea]

Victus listened in as the mayor finished his address, watching as those around him either whispered or shouted their concerns. It was such a wide array of noises that he could hardly make sense of most of it, but the general feeling of the shouts let him know just what kind of emotions they were feeling. The guards, ever vigilant made sure it didn't escalate to violence but he still felt that this kind of resentment and ill-will would boil up and cause an even greater problem later on if it wasn't dealt with. Old rumors from his home-town always spoke about how negative feelings drew the demons towards them, which was rather unfortunate because the more demons that showed the worse the feelings became till everyone was dead or gone.

Sighing to himself, Victus started to move along as the crowd either gossiped or dispersed after the address. Many guards were busy speaking to the populace, some of the nobles were still there and broke off into groups - he noted that one was talking to the man from the night before who had rushed the beast with a borrowed blade. Was he planning to volunteer, like the woman who spoke up just moments before? As he moved along he watched as he approached the woman, the expression and posture that he held not speaking of a very friendly manner. Victus shook his head and moved on, it wasn't his place to step in there and if the woman was brave enough to scale atop the beast in addition to volunteer abruptly for the hunting party he was confident she could handle the man that had approached her.

For him, he had to focus on his work before worrying about the continuation of the hunting party. A few priests had joined the crowd to look over the announcements, and Victus made sure to find his way over towards them. "Hey, brothers!" He shouted to garner attention over the murmurings of the crowd. They had turned to face him with a somewhat questionable look, probably thinking the man a commoner before he shouldered his way through the crowd. His armor had been obscured by the masses, but as they saw him in his entirety as he got face to face - their insignia emblazoned across the metal that lined his arms. "My name is Victus, and I've been asked to help the church here and just got here in time last night for the assault." He paused at that, glancing between the priests before turning his gaze back towards the Dhenari woman and the man that had helped the night prior. "These two, and a few others helped in the assault and if the town is preparing to handle the demonic threat I think having them meet the father may be of help. Is he available for a meeting here soon?" Victus asked the priests, seeing how close they were and if they could help set up his greeting. If he could help it, having those that helped in the fight the night prior receive some recognition from the church or even the opportunity to learn with them if they were to fight the demon's. If the priests were eager to help, he was certain that they could help entice the two towards the church to get prepared - the woman seemed eager to participate, but the man may be a challenge.

 

[Dan]

Among the first few to disperse from the town square, the Blacksmith was making her way across. Fatima took notice of how much damage they dealt to the surrounding buildings. Her face grimacing occasionally at the pain that panged in her left side. Only putting on a smile to those who spared her a ‘good afternoon.’ While the thought of being recruited to fight for something she did not want or need, another was on her mind: meat. After the fight last night, Clawdia earned over one slab of meat to feast upon. But the vendors close to the town square were destroyed or closed for renovations. The only other place she knew that wasn’t this far towards the destruction was beyond her own shop and she made a promise to the only family she had now.

Technically, Nekrim was her only family, but the Old Man wasn’t here and Clawdia was closest right after him. While she trudged into the mostly empty streets, she pensively thought of what the Mayor spoke of. Somehow and some way the demons correlated—what she presumed—to her Uncle’s mysterious leave. Fatima had an inkling feeling that he would not be back for a long time, perhaps even months. It wouldn’t be the first time he left for months, the maximum was a year or two. It only happened once right after her eighteenth summer, she was left alone to tend to both shops till she was twenty and made a fortune to keep them afloat then he returned, never to leave again—except for small months at a time.

At the edge of the Hive District, there laid a meat market closer to a fish market in this sense, but they had a variety of meats. Once there, she noted the lone shop open during a time like this. The other shops were closed, likely because they were at the meeting. Fatima ducked into the shop, the stench strong as soon as she entered. Her head nearly scraped the ceiling. She approached the counter and hit the bell. An older, hunched over man came out wearing a leather apron and arm sleeves rolled up with large, black rubber gloves on.

“Fatima? What can I do for you?” He spoke, standing behind the counter.

“You have any antelope left over?” She inquired, “Or any venison?”

“Let me check.” Fatima held a belief that the older you got, the quicker you were, and in this instance, she seemed right. The Old Man ducked into the back. She could hear rummaging and curses.

She took this chance to look around, noticing the amount of fish decorations that were about. It made sense since they were on the docks. This vendor must’ve been busy this past week as was she before being tossed into a scuffle with a demon. Fatima pondered if they took the other two out. Her skin crawled at the unholy image still burned into her mind. The Vendor came back out, a variety of meats stacked into a blue tub, ice at the bottom to keep them frozen.

“I have ‘ere, venison and antelope. For you only, I’ll discount at 15%.” He haggled, smiling with some teeth gone.

Fatima, luckily, had her coin pouch on her. She pulled the pouch off her belt and pulled out some gold coins, coppers, and silvers to spill into the vendor's open hands. “I’ll take ‘em all.” She gave him a few more coppers after getting guilted into the last of his venison and antelope meat going to her. Fatima left with the tub enclosed, keeping it close even as her ribs hurt against the weight in her hands. The Blacksmith made it back to her shop in record time, emptying the meat into the freezer and her arm nearly giving out. She had her own shop closed since last night, the sign saying so on the front of her shop’s entrance for both Alchemy and Smithing. Fatima decided to take it easy today, staying on the couch and leaning over to fill out paperwork on the slab of wood acting as a table. At least she would catch up on filling orders for more materials.

 

[Jag]

"What, do you have a death wish?" It didn't take long for Amalia to place the voice, finding it well-suited for the contemptuous facial expression worn by her reluctant reluctant former battle companion and even more reluctant host from the previous night. “You realize if we go out there, we are good as dead, right?”

Amalia glared back with icy eyes. She wanted to tear into the man once and for all, settle all the nastiness and bitter words between them. Sure, he had the power and reach in any fight, but the Dhenari was sure she could leave him with enough marks that he'd think twice about the long looks down his nose before he spoke to her in that manner again. However, the presence of city guards and his obvious stature among the people of Iversburg didn't leave her with a lot of confidence that it would be a fair fight. Back to business, for now.

"If those things are infesting the mountains, my people may already be dead," she said, eyes drifting down from Hainer's eyes for just a moment with the slightest hint of sadness, although the ranger quickly wiped it away. "Either we save them or I join them."

 

[JSJ_2000]

"If those things are infesting the mountains, my people may already be dead," The woman spoke. Hainer observed as her eyes gave off hints of sorrow, before turning it to that of determination. “Either we save them or I join them.” She concluded. Hainer simply gazed at her. It had seemed she was serious about the hunt, much to Hainer’s surprise.

“I can’t tell if you’re dumb, or brave.” Hainer responded, although not in a particularly nasty tone this time around. He whisked his body around putting his finger to his chin as he walked away form the woman, slightly pondering in thought. The woman was determined, seemingly fearless. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but it seemed that her drive to protect her ‘people’, as she mentioned, was her focus. Why was he so scared then? Surely coming face to face against a demon would have scarred her? He continued to walk, lost in thought. For the first time in a while, Hainer was unsure of what to do. It wasn’t often he was faced with a dilemma of this magnitude. If his father couldn’t pull through to take him out of the hunt, then he was certain there would have been a good chance that he’d meet his bloody end out in the wilds of nature. Suddenly, something particular caught the edge of Hainer’s eye as he walked. More specifically, a group or Church members and priests, and the man from the night before who helped fend off the demon. It was easier to see his armoured apparel during the daylight, and Hainer was certain it was him. He wasn’t sure if the man was some sort of authority of the Church, but he had been particularly helpful during the attack. Hainer then suddenly remembered the pamphlet he was given by a Church member, prior to the attack. Reaching into his pocket, Hainer pulled out a folded piece of parchment. He held it in his hand, unfolding it and revealing the front page. There was some decorative handwriting, giving a paragraph or two on the beliefs of the Church. It didn’t seem like anything special, however, the man had told him it was good for a tour of the Church. Hainer figured he could use it for the Church’s library, to see if he could find anything useful about Demons or the outside world, should push come to shove.

“Hey…” Hainer said, approaching the man and the other Church members. He took a look at all of them, before holding out the piece of paper in front of them. “Someone from your Church handed me this, and said it can be used to get access to your Church for the day.” Hainer paused a bit before speaking again. “Well? Don’t just stand there, gawking, someone answer me!” He shouted. He wasn’t sure when exactly the hunt would be going out, but the sooner he was prepared, the better off he’d be.

 

[JSJ_2000]

Hainer awaited a response from the group of Church members, however before he could even get a reply, he suddenly heard a loud whistle coming from several guards in the marketplace. Hainer took a glance around, and saw that they were rounding people up, presumably ones who were going to be going on the hunt. As much as Hainer wanted information from the Church members in front of him, he didn’t wish to stick around and potentially get reeled away by a guardsmen. For now, he’d have to attempt to get into the Church on his own end. He quickly put the sheet of paper away in his pocket, before giving the Church members another glance, hastily slipping away by retreating into the crowd. He maneuvered his way through the alleys and people, making his way to the other side of town, where the Church was located.

~​

The ornate, intricate design of the Church stood in front of Hainer, looming over him. Hainer had never been this close to the Church, and it was almost like a work of art to him. The careful brick layout, the golden trim, the stained glass. It was as if a renaissance master himself was apart of the construction of the Church, which made Hainer wonder if other Churches in the world looked like the one they had, right here in Ivesburg. He stared at the building for a bit, until slowly proceeding towards the large Monastery-like entrance doors. It was oddly quiet around the Church, approaching the doors and pushing them open. A large rumble echoed, as the doors opened - surprinsgly easier than Hainer had anticipated. The doors revealed the inside, as Hainer stepped in. The layout was ordinary, however, the inside was a work of art, just like the outside. The floor was clean as a mirror, reflecting the benches that lay around the main area like a grid. The space itself was large, and the roof sat high, with windows at the back of the room where light poured in. Once again, it was oddly quiet as Hainer glanced around the room.

“A visitor?” A voice boomed. Hainer immediately looked to his side, seeing a figure moving slowly towards him from a corridor. He was somewhat tall, wearing light-blue and white robes. His hair was grey and slicked back, and his face was clean shaven.

“Are you Father Joseph?” Hainer questioned. He immediately knew who the man was, as he had seen him a few times around town.

“I am. You are?” Father spoke, his voice deep and somewhat soothing.

“Hainer. Moradi.” Hainer responded.

“You’re Kareev’s boy?” Father Joseph remarked, pondering in thought. “It’s amazing how Kareev had you nearly 30 years ago, and yet this is the first time I’m meeting you. What brings you here, boy?” Joseph said, smiling. There was something about the man that quelled the anger in Hainer, and brought out the calmer side of him. What that trait was, not even Hainer himself could pin point.

Hainer rummaged around in his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and showing it to Joseph. “I was given this. The guy told me I could use it gain access to the Church.” Hainer said.

Joseph observed the piece of paper, looking intently at it before turning to look at Hainer. “Indeed you can. But what is it that you seek? Just because you have that piece of paper, doesn’t mean I’m going to let you in. The Church of Dawn accepts those who wish to spread light, and divine teaching.” Joseph stared at Hainer with a powerful gaze, almost as if there was some sort of unseen force exerting itself on Hainer as a form of pressure.

“I-I need to study books on demons.” Hainer was quick to the point, not wanting to say anything that would be seen as deceitful by Joseph. “I want access to the library.” He said.

“That’s not a problem, Hainer. But again, I need to determine what your intentions are. Tell me, what is it you seek about…Demons?” Joseph inquired. Hainer stood there, gazing at Joseph, unsure of exactly what to say. What kind of answer was he even looking for?

“I want to find out how to kill them.” Once again, Hainer was straight to the point with Joseph.

Father Joseph stared at Hainer for a few moments before speaking. “Hmmm…” He began, his voice bellowing. “I’m afraid you’ll find no such books on how to commit such acts within these walls, boy.” Father Joseph said. “This is a place for light and divine teaching, as I said. We don’t condone people coming in to study about acts of violence.” Father said. Hainer’s eyes widened.

“What? Acts of violence? Are you daft?” Hainer shouted at the Priest. “You teach Magic here, how is that not violence? Magic in its very essence is sinister.” Hainer clapped back, angrily voicing his opinion.

“Wrong. We teach Magic yes, but not to kill. I implore all followers to use Magic according to our teachings, not for acts of war.” The priest continued, seemingly disallowing Hainer from proceeding any further inside the Church.

“Acts of war, acts of violence…Doesn’t mean anything. You sit here, protected by your status. But if you were going to be sent out there in the wilds, you’d be singing a different tune.” Visibly upset at Joseph’s response, Hainer felt the man was being unfair.

“Hainer I - ” Joseph began, until he was suddenly interrupted.

“Stupid old man, move out of my way!” Hainer yelled, shoving Father Joseph aside, causing him to fall to the ground, as Hainer hastily walked towards a corridor.

“Hainer!! Stop!” Father Joseph shouted, as his yells slowly drowned out the more Hainer proceeded down the corridor. He looked left and right as the corridor came to a split, trying to figure out which way to go. Dammit, where’s the library? He thought to himself. Surprisingly, it was oddly quiet in the Church and there was nobody in sight to give him directions. Without thinking, he turned left down the corridor, which led him to another set of doors. They weren’t big like the ones that led into the Church initially, but rather seemed to be a regular set of doors. He quickly pushed them open, revealing the room beyond.

“What the - ” He muttered. The room was somewhat small, and gave cozy vibes. The walls and floor were hardwood, and there was a small fireplace burning inside. In the corner of the room, sat a large desk with papers scattered all over, alongside a bookshelf with various books littered about on the shelf. It seemed to be someone’s study room. Whose room it was, wasn’t Hainer’s concern. He approached the books, rummaging through them, throwing them on the ground as he read each title. Damn, there has to be something, I don’t have much time. He hastily kept throwing books to the ground, trying to find anything pertaining to Demons. Suddenly, his eyes caught the attention of a specific brown-coloured book, with the title “Creation of Being”. “Creation of Being…?” Hainer muttered, opening the thick book and rummaging through the pages. The title suggested that the book would touch on creation of living beings, which led Hainer to believe that something about Demons was hopefully in there. However, he did not have enough time to thoroughly read whatever the book was about. That damn priest probably thinks I’m in the library… Getting lost definitely wasn’t apart of the plan, but neither was stealing from the Church. However, it was indeed a welcome turn of events, as Hainer used this opportunity to slowly open the office’s doors once more, peering outside into the corridor. He looked both ways, and saw no sig of Father Joseph. Using this quietness as an opportunity, Hainer slowly retraced his steps, back to the entrance of the Church and made his quick, yet sinful escape.

~​

The sun had set, and the night sky once again painted the scenery as it did the evening before when the demons had attacked. It was a relatively cool night, as Hainer sat down at his desk in his room. The fireplace was going, lighting the wood-surrounded room with a vibrant yet cozy glow. He stared at the book that lay in front of him that he had stolen from The Church, taking a sigh before opening to the first page.

A world, blank as a canvas. A barren wasteland stretched beyond what the eyes could see, the Creator sought to paint the blank world to his liking. Dropping a seed from the heaven’s above, this seed planted itself into the fertile, empty wasteland. Soon after, this seed sprouted into a tree. A tree sowed and raised by the Creator himself, this tree was the basis of all life in the world. As the tree aged, it grew its first two fruits. These fruits contained the first humans. The Creator granted these humans with the ability to speak and think freely, and thrive as a species. However, the tree grew more fruits as time passed on, and the 5th fruit dropped from the tree’s branches to the world below, and emerged the first ever Demon. This Demon, although an infant, quickly began to feed on the other children that The Creator brought to the world. The Demons - ”

Hainer read the text in his mind, eyes rolling across after reading each line. However, the text on the page was inked out. Hainer couldn’t tell if it was on purpose, or just simple mishandling of the book, but the page was blotted out. Hainer flipped the next few pages back and forth, and saw the ink had bled through, running the first few pages of the book. “Damn, just when it was getting interesting.” Hainer grumbled and sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling.

“Hainer?” Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from outside his room door. The door creaked open, revealing his father on the other side, who walked in. “Oh, What’re you up to?” He said, noticing the book in front of him.
“Nothing, just doing some reading before bed. Did you handle it?” Hainer asked, hint of concern in his voice.

“…I tried, son.” His father began, frowning. “Apparently they want you to go. I tried everything I could, but the Mayor isn’t budging. His head is in a bad place right now.” His father walked towards Hainer’s bed, sitting down as he spoke to his son.

“Damn!” Hainer slammed his fist on the desk in front of him out of anger. Even though he knew it was inevitable, it still angered him upon hearing that he had no choice but to partake in the hunt. For the first time, his wealth and nobility didn’t help whatsoever. “So what happens now? They just send me out there to die?” Hainer remarked.

“You’re not going to die! You're strong, well trained and smart.” His father reassured. “And you’ll be with other people. The Mayor is sending out details to everyone that’s part of the hunt throughout this week. You will meet your hunting party next week, and venture off to the mountains.” His father said, meekly. Hainer was his only son, and it was understandable he didn’t want to lose him. And knowing the Mayor, he wouldn’t hesitate to crack the whip on anyone who opposed.

“Why next week?” Hainer questioned.

“I have no idea. I guess it’s going to take a while to sort details out. Make weapons, and sort out the parties, routes, and whatnot.” His father shrugged. Hainer sat there quietly, staring out of his window next to his desk, pondering to himself. There really was no way out of this predicament, whether he liked it or not and would have to face the music. There was no telling what the hunt would bring, however, he would do whatever it takes to survive.

~

​

The sound of talking, mingling and shouting filled the Hive, as the townspeople of Ivesburg got together once again during the early morning. Although this time, it was under different circumstances. It was lively however, and if Hainer didn't know any better, he would have thought it to be some sort of celebration taking place. Hainer put his hand on his sword hidden inside of his sheath that slung around his body, making sure it was still there. Gone was his usual attire, this time wearing a red, full sleeved tunic and replacing his shoes with a more durable set of dark brown boots. He also kept close to him a small book bag that also slung around his waist, carrying the book he had stolen from Father Joseph. "Do you have everything?" A voice spoke to Hainer, amidst the loud noises that filled the Hive.

"Yeah, I think so." Hainer responded, turning to his grandfather and father who were approaching him.

"Now remember..." His father spoke. "Do whatever it takes it to survive. Don't do anything reckless. There's going to be many other people there with you, so make sure you stick with them." His father said. Hainer simply nodded, but before he could reply, a voice suddenly boomed through the Hive among the minor chatter.

"Attention!" A guardsman shouted. "Those who are partaking in the hunt, come forth now!" His echoed, as he instructed the hunters to come gather in their respective parties. "Those of you in First Party, come towards me! Those of you in Second Party, gather to the right! And those of you in the Third Party, gather to the left!" The guardsman continued to shout, as Hainer simply looked around to see what other people were doing.

"Well? Don't stand there, go on." Suddenly, Hainer felt a nudge to his back as a voice spoke to him. He turned around and noticed another guardsman, trying to shove him into the direction of his party.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." gainer remarked, gripping his sword as he began to walk towards his designated party, looking back at his father and grandfather with a nod.

 

[Dan]

Fatima’s desire to stay at home and not help this piss poor of a city would diminish the moment a guardsman showed up in her shop. It’d only been a day after the announcement by the Mayor and the relayed information to her was met with anger. Since when did the spineless Mayor grow a backbone suddenly? It did not surprise her that he would use the “commoners” and “peasants” to do his bidding. While she was ready to rip into the Guardsman, she subdued her words and minced them through a filter instead.

“How would I help if I’m already injured?” She pointed out, pulling her shirt up to reveal a nasty bruise on the side of her left rib cage. “Surly, there’s some exemption for the—”

“Sorry. No exceptions. Mayor Donsol was adamant on recruiting those who took out the Demon in the town square.” He retorts.

She cursed in another language beneath her breath, “Great. Now, if you would kind enough to see yourself out of my shop, I have work to return to.” She dismissed him, showing him back out the door.

Over the next week, it gave her a brief window to improve upon her injury, nursing it to the point of being able to pick up over twenty kilos. It still irked her that she had no choice but to go with them in this “hunt.” The Mayor would feel her wrath even if she were to die. The Blacksmith was sure to prepare for everything, going as far as going to a local salon and chop off all her locks. There was no way she would be caught by her hair in battle and die because she was swiped up by talons or whatever else had claws. Fatima had a boyish haircut, it was more to her liking now that she didn’t have to bother with wrapping her hair up into her scarves anymore, she donated them to the local charity centre. She polished her club and gave an edge of cutting to it, the bluntness gone, now with spikes donning it.

For the occasion, she dressed up in formal attire; long-sleeved moss green tunic, forearm bracers, a leather apron armour layered over it, double brown leather belts clasped around her waist with two hip pouches and a holster on the other hip, navy blue pants, and shin length brown boots to finish the look. The Blacksmith stocked up on distinct types of herbs stuffed into one pouch and the other with different schematics and books of foraging. She could admit she wasn’t an expert in Alchemy, but she was good at it.

Fatima did a spin around for Clawdia, who only chuffed in acceptance. Which brought another problem up. Where would Clawdia go while she was away? It was made clear by the panther, herself, that she would rather die by her side than wait for any news of her owners statuses. Fatima accepted this as her response and they both headed out to the town square. Once there, it was bustling with activity, though much less excited than the last two meetings that took place there. Upon merging with the cesspool of civilians, she was in the back. The crowd drawing into silence as a guardsman starting shouting orders.

With hesitation in her step, Clawdia nudged her forth, joining her side. She listened to the instructions being given. Truth be told, she was worried whether the Old Man would be pleased or angered at the thought of the Mayor marching his only remaining family left to their deaths. They directed Fatima and Clawdia towards the left, some Guardsmen making comments on whether or not Clawdia should take part until it was made clear that the “beast” took part in taking down a Demon from above. One thing was obvious among this party, the one person she despised would be a part of it. And whether or not she liked it, she would have to get along with Hainer to some degree of working together, which she didn’t mind if it meant getting rid of the Demons altogether.

 

[Hydrangea]

With Hainer quickly making his exit from the group of priests, his pamphlet tucked away before he visage made it out of their vision. The whistle that had blown drew his attention, and after instructions were given out Victus breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like sortie orders, with a week's worth of time for preparation. That'd give him just enough time to get settled in with the church, rest effectively, and potentially stock up on some more supplies before the first hunting parties were sent out.

Returning his attention back to the priests, he let them know that he needed to make it back to the church. It didn't take long for them to guide him to the church, and as they entered through the main doors they found it in a bit of disarray - some of the brothers were crowded around in a group, and as Victus and the priests that accompanied him neared they heard them whispering about how the Moradi boy had come in and knocked over Father Joseph. The news caused Victus to furrow his brow, and as a few of them turned to acknowledge the stranger in their midst he made his request known by asking where the Father was now. With a few instructions, they guided him towards the Father which allowed him to start his introductions.

It didn't take long for him to let the father know who he was, why he was there, and his purpose in helping the town while he was present. Victus even offered to find the Moradi boy and bring him in, but the father asked him to let the incident go and forgive the boy for now. At the request he let it slide, but put the information away for later as it defined the man's character in Victus's mind. His week at the church was spent recovering, reading up on new magic tomes that focused on recovery and shielding to bolster his current understanding. The books that filled this church's library were different than his own, which gave him a sudden freedom in learning that he didn't have prior. By the end of the week he had managed to pick up a new tome as a gift, this one teaching how to focus his energy into what was deemed a holy smite. Victus had barely gotten any results from practicing with it, but with enough time and dedication he felt that he may be able to see results moving forward.

With the week over Victus and some of the procession made their way back to the Hive of the city, and were greeted by the mass of guards, the recruits, and the family of those seeing their loved ones off. The scene was like many others back home that involved the war, but this time their enemy wasn't as clear - no one really knew what to expect from a demon's nest. As the guards started beckoning their recruits to the parties that they belonged to, Victus turned towards his brothers - many of which would stay behind, even Father Joseph was present to wish them well. He thanked them for their hospitality this last week, and wished them all well before he left their company to join his assigned party.

Some faces he was unfamiliar with, but two, or rather, two and one furry face were rather familiar. Victus offered a respectful nod towards the blacksmith, a cautious glance towards her partner who accompanied her - he was glad they would be accompanying them. He had a healthy amount of gear and maintaining it got tiresome, an effective blacksmith might make the job easier for the party. The other member however, the Moradi boy that was present and prepared earned a steeled glance before he shifted his attention back to the guards and the nobles that were organizing the parties.

 

[Jag]

While no one seemed interesting in speaking with the Dhenari ranger as she kept pace with those who had volunteered to go forth in hutning the creatures who had attacked the city, they tolerated her presence well enough and seemed more than content to accept her bow as another tool in their arsenal. In what little time became her own, she ventured to a merchant known more sympathetic to the outsiders and traded what little left of what she had for a few more provisions. The idea of working closely in a group with the Ivesburg draftees and volunteers soured her, but there was no choice left at this point but to press forward if she wanted to return home.

She quickly found the imposing figure of Hainer and frowned. His forced charity and hospitality had done nothing to soothe the tension between the two of them and she knew from his antics before the crowd recently that if there were any way for him to avoid this fight, he would have done so already. Still, he remained. Then, the older figure -- or at least compared to the rest of them. Victus. He'd arisen as a natural leader in many ways and seemed to be the most level-headed of those she'd encountered thus far. Not enough to earn her trust yet, but enough that she didn't feel as though sleeping with one eye open was mandatory.

The last one was a face yet unfamiliar to her. That wasn't entirely true -- Amalia had noticed her previously for an instant, but no encounter. Tall and put together as a woman more at home in the soot and ash-covered floor of a smithing furnace and accompanied by the creature that seemed lethal and yet strangely docile, the woman was the mystery of the group to the ranger for now.

Amalia said nothing as she joined them, kneeling and adjusting her pack. She tilted her eye to the side curiously as she met the gaze of the panther.