Another day, another dollar. It was early in the morning, just before 9 AM, and thus was the beginning of Jove's work day. He had a lit cigarette already between his lips. Pinching the stick between his index and middle finger, right around the second knuckle, he removed it from his mouth and turned his face upwards. He exhaled, blowing the smoke up in a fine line until it lost momentum and expanded out into a cloud of smoke. As the smoke caught in the wind and pulled away, he returned the filter to his lips and looked around.

Taking a final drag, he dropped the tobacco to the ground and placed his foot over it. Like always, the bottom of his foot seemed to illuminate for a moment, and by the time he removed it there was nothing but a scorch mark on the ground. Better to eviscerate the trash, rather than litter. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he leaned his back against one of the buildings and watched the merchants packing their cart, preparing to be on travel for most of the day. It'd take up most of his shift, but apparently he'd not be doing this task alone. He waited here, at the building just off from where the merchants were preparing for travel, waiting for the other wizard.

The one nice thing about working as a mercenary was the fact she could pick her own jobs and her own schedule. Having learned that there was another merchant caravan heading out soon in need of an escort to protect the merchants and their wares from wild predators and dastardly bandits, Esperia had decided it might as well be a good idea to take the job.

All it would take was some of her time and she'd get paid for the work, but what was the most interesting to her was the fact there would be another person taking the job alongside her. To Esperia the opportunity to meet that stranger and learn of their tale was something that satisfied her more than the bling of jewels.

She had just returned to the capital and was approaching the area where the merchants were loading their goods on the wagons when her eyes turned toward the spot a unfamiliar figure was watching the merchants.

Jove Augustus, as Esperia's eyes took in the details of the man's existence she approached him, and curiously enough seemed far more knowledgeable about him than she should have been considering it was their first meeting.

"Greetings, guess you're the one who signed up for this escort task?" She began, a light wave of her hand following in a greeting as she continued. "We're likely following a bit of a longer route this time, but reports suggest that there are fewer sightings of wild animals and bandits in that particular region of Bosco. My name is Esperia~"

Jove looked at the woman approaching him. She was a unique looking individual, but without doubt could be considered one of the most beautiful women in all of Fiore. Violet eyes, dark black hair that framed her face and sat in extravagant designs, obviously taking a lot of time and money to do. She had a beauty mark beneath her left eye, and supple yet thin lips. Her entire face seemed like it had been carved of ivory, her pale skin seeming to me almost too fair. As she introduced herself, he nodded. She was a woman with a reputation that far exceeded her, and he knew about her already.

"Jove. It's a pleasure. Seems like we'll both be working together on this mission. I primarily use a form of Fire magic, but will likely refrain to martial arts to avoid widespread damage." In a job like this, the possibility of them running into a legitimate threat was minimal. It would make sense for him to communicate his magic, as well as how he intended to handle their work, in order to allow for cooperation. There was a chance that Esperia would find it odd that a Rune Knight so casually addressed her, and shared his abilities with her, but for him this was just all a part of his job. "Shall we ask if they're ready?"

Esperia couldn't help but tilt her head slightly to the side in bewilderment at Jove's decision to divulge the nature of his abilities so willingly with her. "Unexpected~ But it is a pleasant surprise to see you divulge your abilities so willingly. Shows a certain sense of professionalism. I'll return it in kin~"

Esperia couldn't help but smile as she continued. "I am what people would call a vampire, although due to the nature of the blood that turned me I am somewhat different from most vampires."

She continued with a sheepish smile. "Although I need blood to survive or recover my injuries, I can last for extended periods without it. I can eat meals normally but don't experience any flavor, nor nutrients from it and the only thing that happens when I go out during the sunlight is that the guards get riled~"

A mischievous snicker escaped her lips after which she added with a light wave of her hand to show the sign of the faint runic engravings that became visible along her arms, although they faded away as soon as they appeared. "In terms of combat, I rely primarily on martial arts, although due to the nature of my body I have to refrain from fighting too close to the caravans when I go all out. What else~"

A finger reached for her lips as she pondered for a moment and then smiled playfully. "I can sense anything within a fifty meters radius as long as it contains blood, and should we encounter bandits in disguise I can foolproof sense when someone is lying as long as they possess a heart."

With that, all said and done she nodded at Jove's suggestion. "Sure! Please lead the way Jove~"

Esperia spoke to him, voicing her surprise at him telling her about his abilities and sharing much more than he did. He listened to her speak, and as she did so he came to realize just how powerful this person before him was. Beyond the fact that she referenced her need to hold back if the caravan was in her proximity, even with just her physical capabilities, it said a lot about the amount of mana and power she possessed. He wouldn't be able to assume that she told him everything, or with complete accuracy, but at the same time he had no reason to outright consider her words as false.

[color#0066cc]"Thanks for letting me know. I hope we work well together."[/color] He began to move forward towards the mercenaries, and thought about whether or not it was a coincidence that he had met yet another vampire. His thoughts went back to his experience with Venus, and for a moment the briefest of smiles broke free into his face, even if just a slight grin. Then he was back to his normal serious expression, approaching the mercenaries. [color#0066cc]"Hey there. I'm Jove, this is Esperia. We're here to escort your caravan, as support from Reiner."[/color]

With Jove approaching the caravan's mercenaries one of the merchants who had just finished putting a crate on the wagon at the front greet the duo. "Pleasure to meet you Jove, Esperia. The name is Clyde, I'll be driving the first wagon in the caravan."

The man gestured at the mercenaries who gave their own introductions, some nodding in affirmation to Jove's words, others whose gaze drifted to Esperia while the vampire simply made a playful wave of her hand in greeting.

"The mercenaries of our caravan are suitably trained and geared for the job, but with the succession conflict going on there are concerns over the caravans that are traveling to the encampments and towns throughout Bosco. Recently there been an increase of attacks even on the more secure routes. Bandits and wild animals are usually doable to handle with but lately there been foreigners attempting to sabotage the transport."

Esperia nodded her head lightly, musing out loud. "I assume that you'll want us to focus on the more, unusual foes?"

Clyde gave a firm nod of his head as he exclaimed. "Exactly, our mercenaries can handle the rabble, but anything more than that will require your involvement."

Seemed like a clear enough explanation, right?

The mercantile group began to explain the situation, and while Jove absorbed what he could from what they were told and tried to piece some extra information together based on what they said, he looked at the caravan itself. The mercenaries were armored well, most of them looking like they'd pass for D or C rank mages in the world off guilds within Fiore. Certainly not game changing fighters, but none of them would be overwhelmed easily. Narrowing his eyes, though that was hidden behind his sunglasses, he thought about what this might mean. He knew that there were others from Fiore here, and he had even met Konyo the day prior. What other terrifying powers had made the Bosco conflict their priority?

[color#0066cc]"Understood, thank you. Please feel free to get moving. Esperia and I will accompany you on foot."[/color] As the merchant nodded and made his way to depart, Jove turned his attention to his temporary ally. [color#0066cc]"Judging from what he said and what I can see, it's safe to assume that there are others from Fiore at our relative level or higher. I ran into Guild Master Konyo the other day as well, also supporting Reiner, but it's likely that the other potential heirs have brought in equally impressive support."[/color] Jove wasn't an inherently silent man, but he had been working long enough to know that things were not adding up. The point he was getting at was that they shouldn't drop their guard.

Fascinating, the revelation of Jove having met Konyo made Esperia ponder out loud. "Interesting~ I hope Konyo is doing well since the disbandment of the syndicate. Quite a tricky person to get a hold of unless they want to be found."

Esperia's gaze shifted toward the caravan as Jove brought up a very fair point which led Esperia to make a surprising suggestion. "Should we happen to encounter any hostile force that we can engage away from the caravan, don't hesitate to use your magic. My body is quite resistant to magic, and I can use the blood of our enemies to regenerate my body."

Esperia nodded her head curtly at Jove as she continued speaking. "I know that as a Rune Knight we shouldn't be saying this but, considering this knowledge we will have to be wary of anyone and meet any hostile intention in kind, at the very least until I can look at them. It's hard to explain, but should I have them in my line of sight I will know whether they support Reiner or not."

It was unfortunate that she couldn't explain the power of the World in greater detail, but with the caravan ready to depart they could get on the road soon.

"In case you get exhausted, I won't mind if you rest in one of the wagons, I know that unlike me your body will get exhausted over time, until then we can talk during the trip~"

"That's very thoughtful of you, I appreciate it." His voice continued to be matter of fact, his deep voice rumbling as he spoke, and yet his words seemed to convey that he wouldn't likely be doing that any time soon. The idea of resting and still getting paid was certainly an enticing one for the rune knight, but he also didn't know nearly enough about a single person there to fully let down his guard. Instead, he'd return what seemed to be a genuinely kind and polite gesture with a polite acknowledgment of its existence and nothing else.

With that, the wheels of the carriages began to slowly turn as the beasts of burden struggled to get them moving. The wheels had made their way into the soft dirt, weighed down by treasures and essentials that made up the backbone of the trade caravan. Some of the mercenaries sat within them, with the merchants they were meant to be protecting. Others were horseback or on foot, forming a defensive perimeter. Then, at the back, the two foreign mages stood side by side. Glancing at her, he nodded. "Time to get started." And with that, he began moving at the back of the caravan.

So far it seemed their walk was a peaceful one, the caravan moving along the road while Esperia's gaze drifted around the landscape as she spoke.

"I wonder how long the succession conflict will last." As she spoke, Esperia's expression darkened a bit. "I can't help but wonder what will happen when the poor and downtrodden get enough of it."

Letting out a soft sigh she soon recovered, a playful smile emerging on her lips as she turned toward Jove. "Must be weird, right? Hearing a vampire and a former Disaster worry about such things."

Esperia turned her gaze toward the front of the caravan while musing softly. "Even I don't entirely understand myself. Sometimes I almost feel like a pendulum swinging back and forth between the desire to do good, and the desire to just live life for myself and those dear to me."

Esperia chuckled softly as she stretched her arms upwards into the air. "Even now I don't really understand the Magic Council's decision to get me involved with the Rune Knights, especially knowing that I don't tolerate evil that well."

Esperia paused and laughed weakly. "Says the one who would be willing to disembowl criminals and led them bleed out on the ground just long enough for me to shout the typical: You're under arrest!"

A momentary pause followed as she quickly added. "The last part is a joke~ I tend to try to refrain from leaving lasting injuries."

He sat in silence as she spoke, and what she spoke of were things that defied who she was on paper. She spoke of the innocent people who were caught up within the succession war, risking life and liberty simply for being alive in this part of the world at this time. She even acknowledged the stark reality of the situation, understanding that her words didn't match her reputation. As she spoke, he noticed a similar trend between this woman and the other vampire he met. He wondered, for a moment, of part of the effect of vamprism made the two such eye catching individuals. Regardless of your thoughts on their history or personalities, Esperia and Venus were certainly beautiful.

"No," he finally spoke in response to her. It was true that what she was saying could be some sort of strange way to change his perspective, or to alter how people saw her. He wasn't taking what she said as fact, but rather, he was responding to the idea of it. "Justice and Good are not always one and the same. A vampire is not inherently evil. And those with bounties, or even those who have performed atrocities, are not necessarily monsters. I've lived long enough to understand the boundaries are abstract at best. So I observe, and decide, for myself."

He returned her favor in opening up, and then glanced to the forest beside them before looking back ahead. "It seems we're being monitored." He was confident she had noticed as well, likely much earlier, and simply hadn't said anything. Still, he thought it best to make it known.

Jove's words earned a brief smile from Esperia. "Observing and deciding based on facts you witnessed and experienced is a wise way to go about it. If only others were similar in their approach."

Still, the fact he considered Justice and Good to not always be one and the same made Esperia's gaze soften, making her wonder if this man understood her perspective. Sometimes to do good things, one might have to do things that would be considered unjust. For example ambushing a criminal to ensure they couldn't kill a hostage. Some might call it cowardice and dishonorable, she called it acting smart to save a life.

The comment on the matter of bounties and atrocities was noticed as well, making the vampire feel slightly more at ease.

Esperia couldn't help but smile as she heard how Jove mentioned that they were being monitored, leading Esperia to continue walking, although an eye for detail would likely make one realize some subtle cues. For a moment her lips parted, "Canines" she muttered, the tip of her tongue trailing along a bit of her upper lip as she smiled. "And werewolves, judging from the heavy proportions of blood I'm sensing within the woods, I presume... it's a pack~ Can't say their numbers for sure till I focus my gaze in their direction."

She had to admit she was curious to see what Jove would do with this news.

As she spoke, Jove nodded his head. He didn't try to be discreet. Regardless of if those who were trailing them saw what they were discussing, or could hear it, concerned him little. He looked at the men who were with them as well, and saw one or two small pockets who seemed to have also caught on to the fact that they were be tailed. These people were young, for the most part. The leaders of the mercenaries hired as guard were two, and both of them appeared to be younger than Jove. The actual bulk of the numbers all seemed to be in their early twenties, perhaps late teens. A small sigh escaped his lips, and he glanced to Esperia.

"You mentioned before your fighting style would work best away from the caravan. Would you like to go meet them in the forest? It should cause them to break their numbers and move in on us before they're in position. That, or we can wait to see how this plays out." He put the ball in Esperia's court. He by no means viewed himself as the leader of this group; They were equals on this mission, and that's how it would play out.

Esperia raised a hand to her cheek, a finger tapping it lightly while she hummed softly. "I guess I can go and say hi~ There is something I been wanting to try out."

With those words spoken's gaze seemed to sharpen, some of her playfulness from before starting to fade away. "Tell the mercenaries to set up a defensive perimeter in case the werewolves panic, it's likely their bloodlust will take the better of them and the wolves will charge blindly toward us, after all to them we might just be perceived as prey. Yet for me the same could be said of them."

And with those words the vampire suddenly dashed into the direction of the forest. Due to the natural agility and speed that her body possessed, it took only a second till she was already halfway past the distance, a finger reaching to her lips and with a slight bite into her thumb blood started to flow.

"Please work... please work..." She muttered for a moment after which she swiped her hand sideways. A surge of mana expelled from her hand, the blood coagulating and shifting form into a mysterious gun of sorts.

The pack hiding in the woods clearly was started by the sudden action, some of the werewolves looking at each other, not sure on what to do while one among them howled like a savage beast, causing the wolves among them to howl in response to the call to arms!

The wolves were the first to move, a fair number of them dashing straight toward the caravan, growling and snarling while a few of the ones approaching Esperia lunged into her direction.

All of a sudden Esperia pulled the gun in her hand forward, steadying its aim as she whispered softly "Bang~"

Of course, for the wolves it was too late, the three nearest to Esperia were suddenly engulfed in a explosion of fire and lightning while the werewolf lunging past the corpse of his comrades swept a claw straight at her head, leading Esperia to raise her free arm into the air, her hand gripping his claw in the air as the wolf struggled into a standstill, seemingly lacking the strength to overpower her.

"What type of cursed magic do you wield Human?!"

The werewolf's words made Esperia smile, her gun in her free hand aimed down to the ground as she hummed mischievously.

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer myself~ After all I only got turned into a vampire recently~"

The girl suddenly pushed her body upwards, making the Lycan stagger as the girl lunged past him, a single bullet fired into the back of the creature as it detonated with an explosive blast.

The lycan grunted in pain, collapsing onto a knee while at the same time several of his brethren were starting to emerge from the woods!

Esperia was right about the charge, but wrong about the ability of the cooperative ability of these bandits. They were werewolves, and even if they themselves were morons, the instinctual ability for wolves to hunt as pack creatures coursed through their veins. She had charged forward, initiating a full on battle in less than a second, and the howls came before Jove could warn the caravan. Letting out a heavy sigh, he looked towards the group charging towards them. The caravans guards were heavily packed towards the front, as the two Fiorian adventurers were suppose to be a majority of the rear force.

That made this his job.

Walking forward and unbuttoning his shirt at the neck, he loosened his tie as the quickest of the half beast marauders closed the distance. It put its fingers together, its elongated claws a deadly weapon, and stabbed for his head. Turning his body and allowing his back foot to slide, using his front as a pivot point, the hand breezed just barely past him. Exhaling sharply as he tightened his dominant hand into a fist, he slammed his fist into the exposed ribs of the creature. Due to the fact that the wolfmans arm on the same side had been fully extended, it acted as a perfect counter to the front balanced attack and sent the creature to the side.

As it shot a few meters to the side, its body slammed into a second werewolf who was in mid lunge. The two fell to the ground at the foot of one of the startled caravan guards who simply screamed and stabbed his blade down, ending both of them in a single blow. Jove had already turned his gaze away, though whether or not it was to avoid seeing the killing or to get back to the fighting was still up in the air. It seemed they'd be getting busy early today.

Unfortunately, being reckless didn't always pay off well. Although she had easily dealt with the wolves that had approached her, unfortunately, some of them had chosen to go straight for the caravan.

Inwardly she cursed the error in her judgement, but fortunately Jove quickly showed his own skill in combat by stopping the ones that had made their way to the caravan. However, the pack had not yet been decimated, which meant the battle was far from over. An even louder bone-chilling howl came from the woods, this time fifteen wolves came charging out of the wood, but rather than aiming straight for Esperia, or the flank where Jove was at, they seemed to be rushing into the opposite direction. The sight made Esperia groan, knowing her bullets wouldn't be enough to deal with the entire wave, and with the guards still making ready, she had no choice but to rely on something new, something she had not tried before.

Taking a small bite in her thumb she swept her hand sideways as the blood started to flow, causing a crimson collored sword to emerge in her hand, while the air above her distorted visibly, fifteen matching blades stained in blood appearing overhead, roughly a meter above her as they circled around her. Some might recognize it as a magic resembling a certain ancient art of Caelum, but the truth was that this was a Blood Magic art she had learned during her time in Bosco.

Without any warning she dashed toward the wolves, a swing with her blade through the air making the fifteen blades that were zooming in the air above her descend like projectiles, each blade cleanly impaling the flank of the wolf and making them collapse sideways before they could reach the caravan.

However, the source of the earlier howl revealed itself, the Pack's Alpha so to speak, and yet this one was no mere werewolf it seemed, for the four meters long beast seemed more monstrous than his brethren, walked on all fours and with the way his mere steps cracked the ground underneath its feet made it evident this werewolf was well and truly a monster. Esperia had taken the opportunity to withdraw her blades and return to Jove's side, just in time to watch the Pack's Alpha emerge from the nearby forest. It seemed they would be in for quite a fight!

Watching Esperia make quick work of the fifteen werewolves who had made their way from the woods, it became evident to him that she was in a league all her own. He had heard stories of people with this level of power, described as Saints and Lords of Fiore. The most powerful mages in all the land, able to change battlefields with their very presence and decimate armies as if it were nothing. Not all were oriented towards battle, perhaps, but this woman clearly was. The fact that she was a vampire meant it made sense that she controlled such powerful blood magic.

He had, however, noticed that her spells were always done by drawing her own blood and never the blood of those who had fallen on the battlefield. He wondered, for a moment, whether that was intentional or due to the way her magic worked. His mind was only able to wonder about that for a moment before the ground began to shake, and as he turned his gaze forward, he saw a massive creature make its way from the woods. It looked similar to the werewolves from before, but as if it were an evolved version. He stared at it in silence for a moment, then turned to Esperia and spoke matter of factly.

"I have no magic that can deal with that thing. I can engage in hand to hand combat, but at this point how we deal with it is up to you."

The moment the vampire saw the monstrous lycan emerge from the woods the smile on her lips faded, a serious glare being aimed at the creature. "That is no mere werewolf, I'm sure you're aware of that Jove, but that thing is what we call a Precursor, basically one of the ancestors of their kin, consider it like an evolved werewolf."

Watching the last of her blood magic fade away Esperia shook her head firmly. "I'm afraid that a Precursor werewolf their physical capacities far outweighs ours. Even if I were to use my magic it would still outlast me and kill me once I tire. Meanwhile, the caravan won't be able to outrun it either."

A thoughtful frown lingered on her face for a few, after which she spoke, her voice barely higher than a whisper. "Are you willing to engage it on your own for a bit? I know it will require a lot of trust, but I might have a method to beat that Precursor. Just it takes time for me to pull it off safely, and what you're about to see here is something you'll have to vow to never breathe a word to anyone about."

Unfortunately, it seemed like they didn't have much choice, as the monstrous wolf roared, as if challenging them.

"Hide inside the wagons! we take care of that fiend!"

Esperia's words were followed all too eagerly by the guards who were clearly frightened of the Precursor werewolf.

However, it seemed that Esperia did have a plan, a bloody one of sorts as she could be seen tracing something along the ground she was on, and judging from the red stains on the grass it was clear she was using her own blood once more.

"Then again, it's appropriate to use it in this situation I guess."

A brief smile lingered on her lips as Esperia whispered a foreign phrase under her breathe, the magic circle underneath her feet starting to lit up, and like a spider weaving a cocoon the magic circle started to metamorphose, surrounding Esperia inside a bloodied cocoon.

It was clear that whatever she had been preparing, it was both dangerous and threatening, for the mana surging from the cocoon was overwhelming, to the point one could see it visually forming around it like a burning aura.

The Precursor werewolf snarled menacingly, seemingly perceiving the cocoon as a threat, it started to move toward it.

Hopefully Jove was ready to fend off the beast!

The creature before him, unlike what Esperia assumed about him, was something unlike anything he knew of. Perhaps they were common knowledge for some. Perhaps he was weird for not knowing. This thing before him, however, was beyond his expectations for the type of request they were on. He had no idea what a Precursor was, beyond what she explained, and yet it seemed like she was entirely right. This thing was a supermassive version of the beasts that had just attacked, and the presence it exuded put even Esperia to shame. She asked him whether he could deal with the creature for a moment, and before he could even say no, mana began to erupt from her body.

As blood began to swirl around her and form a sort of outer shell, a curse slipped from his lips as his eyes looked back at the beast before him. His eyes were wide, a cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck and back as he felt his mouth grow dry. As he began walking to the left, along the length of the caravan, his goal was to draw the beasts attention with his movement.

His plan failed.

Its eyes were locked directly on on Esperia, and with that Jove cursed his luck and also thanked whatever was listening for the fact that he didn't have its ire. Instead, he dashed towards it, and even then it paid him no mind. He didn't blame it; the threat was clearly not him, and so he just had to buy time.

As he closed the distance, he jumped and slammed his knee into the creatures jaw. Its head snapped up, but it seemed relatively unphased by the fact that its eyes snapped over and locked onto him. Fuck. It turned its head quickly and snapped, and as it did so Jove punched forward. His fist slammed into its nosed, throwing him backwards, as its head once again reeled back from his blow. It was a sensitive area on any creature, but he couldn't help but notice the fact that he was thrown back nearly ten meters. Finally landing and sliding, he made the mistake of looking towards Esperia to see her progress.

By the time he looked back, the beast was gone. Noticing a blur from the corner of his eyes, he leaped forward and braced his head with his hands. The back of the Precursors paw slammed into him, slamming him into the ground and bouncing him to the feet of Esperia. Spitting out blood, he stood up and looked around. Everything was brighter- It broke his sunglasses.

"Any time now..."

It was then that her charging was complete. She unleashed her hidden attack, the one in which he was sworn to secrecy about. He could understand why. It was a trump card, something that she'd clearly wanted to keep hidden unless need be. He'd protect the secret, as promised. It wasn't due to him fearing her or anything of the sort. He gave her his word, and that was all.

Making his way to the front of the caravan and holding his clearly broken arm, he stopped at the head and announced to them that they were good to go. They looked at the clearly injured rune knight and offered him a seat on the carriage, and to their surprised he accepted it. After all, he wasn't one to continue to work hard when medium effort would do.

-EXIT-

It was clear to her that the only reason they were all still alive was because Jove had been willing to buy them time for her to complete her trump card. Although most would consider it a normal aspect of team work, Esperia inwardly couldn't help but curse the fact she had been forced to rely on another for the sake of her survival, even if their survival was mutual.

Perhaps it was because of her seething rage, that the magic sensed it, the cocoon pulsing violently as she could finally sense her body had been ready. There was enough mana and she had enough time to restrain her bloodlust.

All there was left was for her to reveal her secret weapon. Just as Jove gotten back onto his feet, the cocoon burst open, the mana around it surging like a maelstrom ad the black-haired vampire had disappeared.

In her place a giant bipetal bat had emerged. The creature rose from its crouched position, letting out a bestial screech that trembled the air, the sheer presence of the bat was enough to make the Precursor werewolf lunge straight past Jove, its claw raised toward the bat that in response spread its leather-like wings and hovered into the air, after which it swooped down onto the back of the beast.

Even if the Precursor wolf was by all means powerful beyond human limits, it didn't help him when the bat crashed its full weight onto the back of the wolf, arms wrapping around its throat as it clearly attempted to choke the beast, all while sinking its fangs into the wolf's neck.

The beast howled in agony, flailing around as it attempted to get the bat off its body, but with the same stubbornness as a parasite it kept clinging to the wolf, all till it let out one more terrifying howl upon which it collapsed.

The large bat towered over the precursor werewolf, its arms slowly raising up from the throat of the beast after which, sensing the threat was over started to shrink back into the familiar form of Esperia, although now clearly bloodied in features as one might had guessed why she had wanted to keep this a secret. The fact that she too...

Was a Precursor Vampire.

With Jove having reached the front of the wagon and hopping on for a safe ride, Esperia retreated into the sanctuary of one of the nearby wagons to take a moment to recover and ponder about this dangerous encounter...

-Exit-