The last time that Lucretia had stepped foot in Dahlia she was practically a fledgling hunter; green in the gills and hope in the world. But now? She was experienced, she was fierce, strong, undeniably one of the best protectors that was willing to do everything in their power to protect those in and out of fiore. Her zeal and vigor knew no bounds and her power to fight those of darkness went without saying.

She had seen the pleas, the begging leaders of Dahlia in their worst when she first came here. But now? She could see they had lost hope since her last time here. Dead eyes and then abject fear as the white werewolf stepped into the request hall. Blades unsheathed and sounds of alarm from many a mage rang into question of why she was here. But the mark of her guild; the weapon she held. The shimmering gold spear squashed any thought that she was just a mindless beast.

There was dead silence and she’d stride forward to the leader of this request locale. Staring down at him and there was a small flicker of recognition, a small flicker of hope even. Lucretia lived to see that in people.

”How many.”

”Th-The most recent pack is positive… enormous. Six… maybe seven times larger than the one you took out before you went west. There’s a coven of vampires that are working with them too…”

Vampires and werewolves working together? Lucretia pondered and her eyes stared down at the request; it was a sizeable reward sure and she noted that they wanted the leaders of the ‘packs’ dead. Hoping that even one would be enough. She’d snatch up the request; reading it over a little fuller.

”I’ll take it. Three days.”

”Th-three days?”

”That’s when I’ll be back. With their heads.”

Lucretia turned about on her heel; these werewolves and these vampires had given up their humanity completely. She wished that her people and those that dwelled in the vampires ranks would be more willing to help humanity, not prey on those within it. It was hard for some to get away from their primal urges. But for lucretia? The Assegai and her precursor blood worked in tandem.

She stepped outside of the cursed city or one that many would think that was cursed, but to her she saw those unyielding individuals that made their homes here as people that if given the right chance would prosper into something so outlandishly powerful that the world would be better for it. Grasping her spear and putting her helm on her head the Frost dragon slayer pondered her next move…

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Her first task would be to track down the werewolf pack, the coven of vampires would likely be her following project. Any stragglers would likely be taken care of swiftly on the third day. She wasn’t going to leave anything to chance and would rather that they all simply make their way to the afterlife either by her blade or the many others that sought their hide.

She didn’t seek their hide, no she didn’t care about the little ones so much as she did their leaders. But she’d slay them all the same. Sniffing at the air she’d find that there was a symphony of scents; some stronger. Some weaker. Some had the intense scent of blood on them and she’d grin eagerly as she could tell just by those that they were of her kin or of the vampires. The best way to describe them was soaked in slaughter. The strongest two scents went in opposite directions which lead her to believe that they were the leaders going back to their respective roosts.

Following one of them she’d find herself quickly in the forest outside of Dahlia; one hand on her hip and the other grasping firmly around the spear. She could feel the night start to creep into her thoughts and start to raise high into the sky. She’d let out a rumbling chuckle as she could also feel eyes watching her. They’d soon learn that was dangerous in itself.

Seven. She could count seven, seven different halting breaths. Different scents; scattered murmuring. She couldn’t exactly make it out but it was hard not to notice it in the stillness in the air.

Her last escapade here had ended in success of rooting out shepherd who on their own was a mammoth of a fight. Not to even say what happened to his pack. A growl rolled out of her lips almost like a chuckle. Her body shivering, extending and disdending as another form combined itself with her wolven one. A fierce mix of golden and white fur. She stood far taller than any other simple wolf. A small earflick and she could gauge the reactions; sharp gasps and shocked exhalations.

Well they’d hardly have anything to worry about; they were well within her threat range. Her legs briefly flexed and she’d launch herself forward, cleaving a tree out of her path as it lay between her and a clump of three. Those three were so taken back that they didn’t realize that one of their number was dead as a backhand took off their companions head.

A surprised yelp and backtracking came from one; the other snarled and leapt forward. He was dead without even a moment of hesitation on lucretia’s part. Her Assegai splitting him in two the long way. She could feel the flutter of his heart as it ceased to do it’s work in a few seconds. The last of the three was neatly turning on his heel, but her fist shot out to grasp around his head. Lifting him off of the ground and crushing his skull in the same motion.

”The rest of you that are watching…”

Lucretia didn’t finish what she was saying before launching the dead body of their comrade directly towards one of the others. Slamming it into them, she heard the cry of pain; knowing she didn’t have to double check them but she did anyways. Stepping to where she could see a twisted mangled heap of body laced into body. An unsightly scene; one of her own doing.

The remaining three howled in unison; hoping that their collective bravado would scare her. But all it did was alert her to who was closest; the one on the left. Followed immediately by one behind and in front of her. Her offhand came around in a brutal arc slamming it’s fist into the one behind her while her leg lashed out to kick the ‘leader’ in the head. She felt flesh give way and her following motion lead with a kick that sent the last wolf soaring over the trees. She heard the snapping of bone and the crack of it’s neck as it landed headfirst beyond a small grove of trees.

Rolling her shoulders she’d continue forward; not even hesitating to carry on. This small portion was what? Barely a challenge to her and she felt like this was just the lackeys. Barely even a sergeant and their troops.

It wasn’t long until she came across the a roling fire, dozens of men sitting around it and a fairly large individual telling a tale around the campfire. She heard the mention of shepherd and the coven. So what she had done originally had only lead to the power being shifted… and not an actual end to the ring of slavery and wolves. Infact it had just increased their power since they were wanting to be more careful.

She felt a brief stint of anger as she stepped out of the tree line. She could feel the fear; the hopelessness rise out of some. The shock of her appearance and the bloody mess of her fist, foot and spear made it abundantly apparent what she had just been doing. She could smell the blood soaked hide of the leader. The man telling the tale. Their eyes met briefly and just as he started to turn Lucretia lunged forward.

The men sitting around the campfire were tossed aside like they didn’t matter; a single motion was like a hammer against an bundle of sticks. Sure they were strong but she was stronger. Faster. Tougher. Her spear plunged forward and she felt it punch in, through and out the back of the leader just as his transformation hit it’s crescendo. He coughed and the blood that spattered on her hide was dark; letting her know he barely had any time left.

She’d kick him off of her spear; not even sparing him a second glance. The rest of the group were standing around her; a mix of awe and hatred in their hearts. In their eyes. In their souls. She had just killed the man that was their leader; were they really going to let her go? Were they really going to let her walk out without even trying to avenge him?

Questions that would remain unanswered for thousands of lifetimes; for she was not about to let any of them go. No. It was like a dervish of blood; body parts and screams of pain. The first day had passed as the sun started to yawn over the sky the woman’s face split into an earnest grin; she didn’t relish killing her own kind but she could hear the slaves and the various ‘meat’ that they had procured for their allies weep in joy as she cut their bonds, broke their cages and pointed them in the right direction.

”The pack I just slaughtered won’t be the last, but it’s the last for this group. Make your way back to Dahlia and let them know what I did.”

She’d cast about for the body of the leader, leaning down to yank his head off without much resistance. Tossing it to a bald but rather buff looking fellow. He’d stammer as he caught the head; unsure what she wanted him to do with it. But she told him as it was.

”Give that one to the request hall. Tell them Wolfenstein Sent you.”

With that the hybrid would turn her attention to the next scent trail… knowing she was going to be in for a long day. As she stepped out of sight of the people she had just freed the woman would let her body take it’s wolven form again; preferring it over the hybrid for the sake of moving quicker through the underbrush…

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