The first instance that Lucretia had dealt with the beasts she had been very violent, she had destroyed them without much of a second thought. But after the third beast she knew better that they were victims of this as much as the people they were forced to terrorize. The researchers that she had pushed into this had gotten back to her and confirmed her suspicions about the wyvern type beast they had captured.

It was completely synthetic and had skipped over it’s infancy and younger years; they were much more prone to violence due to the way that they reacted to the stimuli forced ont them. Now that they knew that they also knew it was possible to stop them from fighting at all if they got there early enough.

Lucretia knew that not every beast could be saved as much as it pained her to admit and as she stepped out of the garrison building she felt a few eyes on her. One set was the wyvern that they had scooped from the clutches of whatever mad man that decided to do this to them. She’d walk over and note that the wounds had been fully healed and that the researchers were taking good care of it. She’d place her hand on the beast’s side and smiled a little bit.

”You figure out anything yet?”

”We’ve found the trick to how they grow and what solution is used.”

The researcher held out a green vial to Lucretia and she’d take it; staring at it for a moment before frowning slowly. She recognized this scent; it was all over in the marketplace. So if she had to guess… the beasts were coming from underneath the shops rather than just random plants like she had thought before.

Sniffing at the mixture she’d pad along; if they could get maybe one or two more beasts they could use the vials to pinpoint where they were coming from and they could tackle the real problem. But like clockwork the werewolf’s ears perked as she could hear the rumble of the pavement as another beast emerged downtown.

She’d tsk a little bit and would sprint towards the shopping district. Unsure if she was going to be able to get there in time to stop all the destruction that was going to occur. She had already given commands to her knights and knew without a shadow of a doubt that they would do as she asked them to.

With permafrost in hand and Benimaru following her at a reasonable distance so it could be ready to assist her the two of them slid to a stop as the scene that unfolded was practically worse than the multiple times before… Something that she honestly was surprised to see and even admit to herself honestly…

[469/1200]

A positively massive beast, one that practically took up the entirety of the square of the shopping district. It had many heads and lucretia could only describe it as a hydra; though rather than a snake and simply just that it was many different animal heads. All hissing, growling and not one looking as though it would come quietly. She’d stand there for a moment uncertain and unwilling to make the first move.

To slay this beast would just add to the problem. But..

She’d twist permafrost in her hands and stare up at the beast as each head slowly turned to stare at her. A dozen gazes locked on her and she’d return it with a steeled expression. She didn’t need to kill it. What she needed to do was to knock it out. All twelve of it’s heads one after another. IF she did that it was likely she could capture this poor creature.

The symphony of roars was enough to cause even the most staunch rune knight scurrying for cover but lucretia would return it with her own roar. Leaping forward and closing the distance in an instant. Her sword came around like a club and rather than swing with the bladed portion she used the flat of it. Slamming into the skull of the first head and sending it reeling. While the regenerative properties hydra’s had would keep the head healthy she had just knocked it cold with the first strike.

There was an ample pause from the beast as it noticed that one of it’s heads was no longer ‘active’. Lucretia was not a monster to take lightly. By beast or by humans. She’d slide, duck and weave through the motions of the hydra. Slamming her fist here or there or using permafrost as a mount to lay out the beast.

To her this didn’t feel like the same sort of challenge it would have years ago before she came to fiore. She would have run, she would have tried to set up a trap or work with other hunters but here she was practically dealing with a mythical beast all her own. It wasn’t a dragon by any means but as a dragon slayer she felt like she was more keyed to dealing with beasts like this as they rampaged…

One head got lucky, a large beak slammed into her side and she was sent through a building. A symphony of call outs to her as it happened, she’d be amidst the rubble for a moment and then with a grunt she’d stand up. She could feel that her shoulder had been dislocated and… Actually not just bruised as she started to roll it.

Did she get tougher last she checked? It was hard to tell nowadays. She’d roll her shoulders as she stepped out of the hole; noting that the monster had kept one head looking in that direction as the others flailed about. They all froze at seeing her. She’d twist the handle of her sword and hold it high in both hands.

Concentrate. Find its weakness.

Breathing in she’d leap forward, her blade practically a blinding flash of movement…

[997/1200]

The hydra lay at her feet after a long stretch of time; the others she had been able to put down after concentrated effort but now she even found that she was capable of dealing with beasts like this in a non lethal way after her trials at the ‘hands’ of sebastian. She’d rest the sword in one hand and look around. The hydra had managed to demolish a good number of buildings and it’d take some time to recover. But that was fine.

She knew that the people had lived; given how many had come back smiling and skirting around the massive monster. She’d help the researchers move the monster; impressing everyone present with the fact that she was capable of lifting such a monster off of the ground.

”Where to?”

”To the garrison, we have a tent set up…”

She’d nod her head and set off, knowing that her knights had this situation handled. They would have to work quickly to find that residue on the beast and do some tests. Just one more attack and they could get to the bottom of this. Lucretia however doubted that it would be that easy and honestly? That was fine. Whomever was doing this had a motive and if they all could figure that out well…

The world would be safer for it.

[1220/1200]