A pack and Coven dead; for most that would represent a lifetime of effort with heaps of resources spent to do so. But for Lucretia it was a simple pair of days; her expertise in tracking her targets and her own abilities lent themselves in such a manner that made tracking individuals that were steeped in blood or darkness easy to find. That being said she knew her work wasn’t done; the pack and the coven had one thing in common. They were fairly weak. Which meant that they had to find common ground; to which Lucretia felt that there was a third party that was responsible for the two working together.

A settlement of vampires that were working with a group of lyans was fairly rare so… Her best best was a mix of the two that were working together. The werewolf had little to go off of but in her gut she felt the best direction to take was actually that of finding a third location that would serve as a good meeting point for all three parties. Likely a ‘neutral’ ground.

It didn’t take her long to find it; but the location didn’t really have much in the way of clues past a few bibles and a bunch of wood similar to the trees found out in the forest next to the wolf packs hub. The scents here were broad up until she stumbled across something that sent shivers down her spine.

A third party that made the two seem like children; with two very powerful individuals that she could feel the resonance of their magic even though it must have been weeks since the last meeting. She’d bite the inside of her cheek and squat down, taking a handful of dirt. Sniffing at it she was gifted with a small bit of information.

The scent told her of a werewolf. The dirt was packed in to indicate a heavy weight; the last was the impression of a large ax butt in the ground. Likely a wielder of a greataxe the ‘leader’ had to be a werewolf warrior of some kind. The other two… Well. One was light on their feet, barely leaving any tracks. She had to figure that that was some kind of younger but skilled partaker in darkness. Their magic was prominent and stank like death.

A mage, a dark mage of some kind. Likely used daggers or a saber. The latter seemed more likely to assist with reach. She’d note that there were a few instances of what seemed to be a robe sweeping across the ground.

The last was… Well the impressions of their feet on the ground indicated to her that they wore mostly metal. The weight of their armor pushed deep into the ground and told her that it was a muddy day. She had a clear view of the imprints and while she didn’t see an impression lending her to a weapon there were a few things she did notice. That being the ashes of incense. So likely a clergyman of some sort. One that she bet once served at the church where the vampires lay.

The impressions of the heavy suit of armor led her away from the meeting grounds and through the various thickets that surrounded it. They didn’t bother to hide because they knew that they were strong. Stronger than those they worked together with. It was maybe an hour. Two perhaps? Before the rumbling laughter of another made itself known. Stepping around a tree was the one she had been dominantly tracking. He stood taller than most men did just like lucretia and compared to her he barely had control of the beast within. She could tell by his eyes and by the stench of blood on him.

”Wasn’t expectin a hunter. Nothin so fair and fierce either’”

”I take it you’re one of the two helping the other.”

”Aye. I’m the warrior yah probably seek.”

She noted that he had a once burning incense hanging from their belt and the weapon she couldn’t have guessed turned out to be a hammer. Large but not large enough to be two handed. It’d do well to squash any resistance and likely work against any armor. She took him in at a stride and if she had to guess… She’d probably say that when she was last here that he would have easily killed her. But now?

She’d crouch for a moment and leap forward, catching him by surprise as her spear drove forward. She wasn’t going to waste words on someone she could tell wouldn’t be swayed. Especially if they had been acting like this for years. He brought his hammer up as though in slow motion but lucretia was far faster than he was and simply avoided it by moving slightly to the side. Her spear arm thrusting forward.

She felt a brief moment of resistance; the wolf clergyman grunted as she punched through his armor and into the flesh behind it. She could feel her spear meet a second path of resistance and found that she had run him completely through. Pinning him to the tree that was immediately behind him.

”H-heh! So you’re… the reason the two stopped answerin…”

C rank perhaps? B rank? She doubted that. She’d twist the spear and pulled it back out of her ‘target’. She’d watch as they slumped to the ground. Things that could have killed her back in her ‘fledgling’ days made her realize just how far she had come. Just how far she had done work and grew. She was an A rank mage but for some reason she wasn’t even sure if she was classified as one of those anymore. At least not a proper one. Given that she kept fighting things way out of her depth…

She’d leave the body there, moving past it and sniffing again. She could sense that dark magic through the trees and knew that she wasn’t too far off from the other helper. A good few miles later and she found someone reading a book in the midst of a clearing. Dark robes adorned their body; a saber on their hip and a hood draped over their snout. A person that likely felt more comfortable in their ‘dark’ form than their regular one. Much like lucretia but. Honestly… She was using it for purposes that betrayed it. They’d look up; staring at her for a few moments. Noting the blood on her spear; on her hand and the lack of… Damage overall. They’d furrow their brow, snap their book shut and stand up.

”Dead I take it?”

”If you mean the clergyman then yes. Dead.”

”You’re the hunter responsible for the death of the other two packs?”

”They weren’t vampires?”

”No. They were werewolves that preferred feeding on blood rather than meat. Weaker surely but brothers all the same.”

Lucretia seemed to be a bit surprised by this information as she was certain they were vampires. Cocking her head to one side she’d stare at the mage. His hand rested on his saber and she could sum up that he was one of those holder magic types. Likely used a sword to cast. But… If he didn’t have his sword. He wasn’t as much of a threat.

”I’m afraid that the next one to be claimed is yourself.”

”You’re certainly strong enough to do so, but barely I figure. Your magic is no where near as strong as mine.”

”That’s not where my strength lay.”

Lucretia spun the assegai around and she could feel the fear edge out of the other as they realized what she wielded. This one at least deserved to see it. The golden hybrid form that those in eternal nightmare were allowed a brief glimpse. But compared to that hybrid this one was far stronger. Almost twice over.

She stood above the trees around them if not only barely and the mage stared up, his hands shaking as he was trying to gather his own strength to fight against her. But it didn’t matter; she’d leap forward in an instant. Her speed far outstripped his reaction time and her spear was already driven in a downward angle. Pinning him to the ground as blood flowed down her assegai and gave the plants around the stump he had been sitting on nutrients.

”H-hah… I see why… they couldn’t do anything…”

”Where’s the last?”

”Y-you… really think I’ll tell you that?”

”Yeah. I do. Last message sort of deal.”

”H… hah… F-fine… Tell them… I always… hated them…”

The mage motioned to the north, clear through the treeline Lucretia could see a cabin and she’d frown a bit. It seemed a little too easy but she’d raise a brow as she could feel the body slump down the spear and catch against it’s head. Yanking it back she’d stare down; note the book and stoop to pick it up. Wondering what he was reading… Only to find that the whole thing was blank. She’d blink and turn her head to look at the mage.

Blind. But other senses heightened by the transformation. Interesting.

Lucretia realized that they probably sensed the magic in her spear just as she was going to transform rather than actually seeing it. Sighing she’d let her form rescind and walk towards the cabin. It was well built, dark wood that she figured would probably have been rotted away were it not for the stench of magic around it. Arriving before the cabin she could hear someone humming inside. She’d step forward and abruptly knock; the humming stopped and she could feel the confusion before the door opened.

What greeted her was a woman; someone who would have been much shorter than her human form standing there. Surprise on her features and the pale blue eyes that looked up at her told Lucretia all that she needed to know. This was the leader; she could feel the magic from them. But she also knew that whatever magic they had also went with the axe.

”O-oh. I wasn’t expecting… company hmm. Uh. Did the others-”

”Dead. Both of them. The other packs too.”

The surprise that was on her face was something Lucretia could understand and the werewolf adjusted a bit. Staring down at the brown haired ‘youth’. She doubted that the other was older than she was by any degree. Maybe twenty, twenty five winters at most. It was always the youth that got it under control the fastest that ran out of life. It was a frustrating turn of events and she could feel the anger from the other rise.

”And now you’re here for me huh? I betcha didn’t even talk to the others-”

”The clergyman wasn’t much for talking and the mage only had hatred to share.”

She’d flinch as though struck and would stare up at Lucretia for a few moments before turning to go inside. Lucretia watched her go and stooped in to follow. It was a humble abode; three beds. An oven, a fireplace for heat. Heck there was even what seemed to be a storage in the back. A simple but fair life. If it wasn’t exchanged for the lives of others Lucretia might have shared a similar fate.

”Just let me get my axe and We’ll fight. I don’t think you’re just gonna let me go.”

”What makes you think I’ll let you even fight?”

”Honor? I figure.”

”Honor. Enjoyment. A test of my wolf against yours.”

The woman paused and sighed, picking up a large two handed axe. A few moments later she was standing taller but still… shorter than lucretia. Her wolfen form had tattoos that betrayed where her armor would come into play and lucretia already knew this trick from her time in the north. Tribal sorts always would rely on tricks and she wasn’t about to fall for it.

The two stepped outside away from the home; it wasn’t long before the magic rolled out of there and back into it’s owner. Leading lucretia’s initial thoughts to be true. It simply had been animated of that trio’s will. Spinning her spear she’d exe the axe. It looked like a mimic of some other weapon that Lucretia couldn’t quite place. There were no more words exchanged between the two.

The fierce fight that followed lasted for the entirety of the next day; weapon meeting weapon. Fist meeting fist. Lucretia was stronger, faster, tougher, likely didn’t have as potent magic as the other but that was the only reason they seemed to last as long. Panting as their magic ran out, Lucretia would be standing above them. Her armor had seen better days and her weapon seemed to be close to breaking but she still was the ‘victor’.

”A year ago I would never have gotten this far. If that means anything to you.”

There was surprise etched on their features but lucretia didn’t let the other wolf hold onto that thought or life any longer. She brought her spear down in a brutal arc and watched the head roll away. She’d sigh a bit and let her shoulders sag a bit. If those three could have been saved…

It would have been a new beginning for many; but she knew that they were too far gone. Was she too far gone? Lucretia pondered the answer and there was a bit of a tingle at the back of her head.

No. She was just beginning. Again.

[2253/1600]