It wasn't a surprise to her that after an event like the last monster attack that one would surface so quickly. The alchemist had to be planning something elsewhere in town but Lucretia could barely fathom what they were after past harming innocent lives or competition of some sort.

She had noticed that shops were primary targets up until they killed the giant beast a few incidents ago. She had focused the efforts of her knights on getting civilians out after losing an entire brigade. Having to explain herself to family after family was frustrating and took it's toll on her. the least she could do was take care of them

Gold would only do so much and the promise of revenge hardly sat well with the fair folk of crocus. She'd glance out the window, the lack of screams of panic or pain meant her knights were quickly getting them out of harms way...

But for how long?

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The constant drumming of the rain on her exposed muzzle, the sounds of it against her armor would have been irritating if she wasn't already use to it. She had to take her time in feeling out where the monster had come from figuring that it'd rampage away from the location of it's birth like all the others before it.

Smart in a way, but given her role as a hunter and her desire to protect others it was foolish in that it was handled the same way every time without fail. She'd grit her teeth as the stench of alchemy made it's way to her and she'd follow it to the marketplace.

It didn't take her long to find the greenish glow, a half broken vial and an egg. Whatever concoction left in there was valuable. She'd pick up the vial, noting the barest hunt of liquid in there. Hardly a teaspoon left... She'd drain her flask of water on the ground knowing that she could just replace it later and saved what she could from the vial. Tucking that away she'd sniff at the air...

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The scent of alchemy was unmistakable, it lead her directly to the monster that was mid rampage. Studying it from afar yielded a strange sense of infancy rather than out of hatred. Bubbling, frothing and screeching. The bird like Titanic monster hardly seemed like a proper threat but left alone that quickly could change and she could have none of that.

Slowly approaching the creature she wondered to herself if she ought to do this or if she should send in the researchers to try to call it down. But that was nixed when it drew beady eyes on her and let out a cry that sent chills down her spine. This was no baby chick...

This was a cockatrice! A powerful and deadly creature when they came of age, further still if they somehow became a basilisk which was entirely possible with an alchemist like the one her fair city was dealing with. She could feel the headache from it's cries start to set in...

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Full grown a beast like this would be impossible to contain especially at the size it was. Their shrieks could kill much like a banshee when at full power. Lucretia had very little time herself as constant exposure could mean death. She'd waste no time sprinting forward the beast started to scramble back as it realized the danger it was in.

Lucretia didn't let it get very far as it continued to chirp and screech. She'd slide between it's legs, slicing them off at the ankles in one fell sweep. As she came up to her feet it'd crash down behind her. Grimacing a bit she'd turn and kick out, sending it reeling back towards the destruction it already caused. Taking out the rest of a building that had no hopes of being repaired anyways.

Lucretia examined them as it flailed, trying to figure out the best way to kill this beast.she harbored very resentment towards it knowing if the roles were reversed it'd do the same...

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The opening that she was given was one of her own creation and lucretia wasted no time utilizing that. She’d sprint forward, bringing permafrost up in an overhand fashion while the beast flailed still. She saw the motions had a certain amount of thought behind them. This creature was quickly learning how to live and fight. She couldn’t have that. One of it’s flailing motions nearly slammed into her head. She’d stab permafrost into the offending limb and felt herself lifted off the ground with it.

Her other hand brought a new blade to light, one that had been forged out of her fallen comrades weapon. It was lighter than permafrost and felt like she was swinging a twig but it was no less dangerous of a blade. It slashed through the beast in a flurry and there was a screech of surprise as lucretia went up and over the beast.

She’d land on the other side of it using the second blade to slice through both of the beasts eyes. Rendering it blind; this wasn’t torture nor was it intended to be that way but lucretia was quickly slicing up the beast without remorse.

Taking both of her weapons she’d make an ornate motion to slice through it’s neck, permafrost digging deeper than that of her lieutenant's reforged blade. But they met and she heard the faintest crack as they both worked through the spine of the monster. A moment passed before the massive head crashed down behind her and she’d hop to the side. Not wishing to have the blood of the monster wash over her. She’d slowly sheathe both of her blades, eyeing the beast once more as the body quickly started to evaporate.

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Something didn’t feel right, something made her feel like this fight was not over. Her eyes flicking between the head that wasn’t vanishing to the body that was. It didn’t take very long for the head to let out a resounding screech of pain. Tendrils shot out to try to grasp her but the wolf’s blade was quicker than it. Slicing through a swath of them before hopping back a few times, avoiding the tendrils that slammed into the pavement and moved the head into an upright fashion. More came out of it’s mouth and very soon she was greeted with the sight of a fairly large but still no more capable cockatrice.

But rather than look a mess this one looked actually aged. Like it was what the beast looked like before it ‘hatched’. Lucretia’s grip on her swords tightened before leaping forward. Bringing one sword around before bringing the other down in a chopping fashion when her swing finished; it was like a deadly dance that the beast had no hope of keeping up with.

She sliced off it’s tongue as it snapped at her, broke it’s claws against her armor. Headbutted it so that it stumbled back, swept it’s feet from underneath it and cut through the hardened scales with another flash. Her thunderous fist met it’s face and the cracking of bone gave way into the dance once more.

Again and again her blades rose and fell. Eventually there was nothing in front of her; just a writhing mass of flesh without any real fashion. Spinning her swords around she’d continue this motion; slashing through it again and again until eventually… All movement ceased and she was gifted with a semblance of peace. She felt like she could have ended this a little quicker if she was better practiced in her ice magic. But lately it had fallen from her grasp and she couldn’t explain why.

Cocking her head to the side she’d stoop down and pick out an amulet from the creature. Her eyes widened and she was reminded of the time she spent out at the church. She felt that breath catch in her throat. It quickly added up to not only the same group… but quite possibly the original orchestrator of the spirits in the church at that time.

The werewolf considered for a moment what she should do, deciding quickly to keep this information to herself before she had more clues the woman made her way back to the barracks. She had two clues, that vial of liquid and the now destroyed necklace. In all the other monsters they had never found them she now knew why. They hadn’t been quick enough before it set in and the monster was one with the liquid and the amulets.

Getting to the barracks was easy, but searching through the information that they had of the other monsters would take time. Would they have enough time before the next attack? More clues they could use against this mastermind of sorts? She’d bite the inside of her cheek before moving on to her office where she had requested all information about these attacks be delivered to her…

It was going to be a long couple days if she could stomach the research. But for the sake of everyone in crocus she would endure anything.

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