The north was a hotbed of strength, it had many individuals that could claim the protection of one group or another. The shining beacon of the north was unlike anything else in the country for a vast amount of reasons. It enjoyed a semblance of peace for a long time thanks to those within. But it was not without its troubles, bandits or the like made their homes in places that could not be reached easily. Staying out of reach, the darkness within the light was harder to see. Caravans, trade routes and the such would always be preyed upon from one city to another.

It was always the case, where prosperity wept it’s tears of gold that someone would be there to take more than was necessary. It wasn’t uncommon for trade caravans to arrive a little light here or there. But to go entirely missing? That was misfortune twice over. That always warranted investigation. The harshness of this reality set in when the team of mages were sent out into the wood sea. To find out what had happened to the caravan. Bandits? A group got a little too feisty and the group was destroyed? More than likely.

What they had come across however was anything but normal. What they found was a massacre unlike anything they had seen before. It was clear that the bandits had attacked the caravan yes, but none of the caraveneer bodies were present. Likely lost into the woods or heading back the way they came. The bandits however? Destroyed. Warped, twisted and bent out of shape in more ways than one. Some were missing body parts, others were simply twisted inside out.

Standing just outside of the caravans spot was something they hadn’t seen before. A being that was many heads taller than all of them. A being that had a huge skull on it’s head, antlers that spread back and out. Somewhat large greyish eyes. Around it’s neck was a set of grey and white fluff that shifted slowly in the breeze. A lithe yet muscled body with drenched red claws. Slender legs and a tail that curled way down to the ground ending in a little tuft.

The shifting of leaves from it’s hooves was made apparent. It’s eyes sat on the group for all of a moment and then the call of an elk, twisted, horrible and warbled rolled throughout the woods. Reverberating in such a way to instill panic in the mages. They bolted every which way; two back towards the city, one towards the beast, another towards where the traders must have went.

The two that arrived back at Orichda were half crazed, babbling and going on about what they saw in the forest. They hadn’t heard about what happened to the other three. No word of the mages or the traders had made it back to either city. It was likely this beast was responsible for killing everyone that had passed through it. A few days passed before enough information had been gathered before the bounty had posted; the few groups that had taken a crack at it either hadn’t returned at all or came back with heavy casualties. Many of them sporting deep gashes and a fear of the woods.

The beast had looked harmless enough, passive enough. But it stank of elsewhere, the bounty was rescinded… before it was increased in value. Posted on the board and then even sent to the guild nearby. Hoping to attract the attention of those that dwelled within.

-

The beast didn’t know what was going on outside in the world, it had only started breathing properly maybe… two. Three weeks prior? It remembered a time of golden fur and a deep seated want of justice. Something that it enacted to those that would harm the forest. Harm those that peacefully traveled through. The traders it had sent towards the cities within the woodsea. Though it’s harsh words and harsher still sounds that it made must have driven many of those it sent away to the brink of madness.

Small flicks of the ears as it wandered through the forest, close to the beaten path that many took and that many didn’t seem to care too much for anymore. Maybe it needed to expand it’s patrol? Maybe it needed to protect a wider plot of land. Exhaling softly, the hissing and whistling of an elk call sounded in the distance. Easy to hear, easy to take. Even easier to avoid if one wished it. It was a warning to those that would harm the forest. This forest now had a protector. One that many versed in enigmatic lore would be familiar with.

At first the absurd stories of a beast within the woods was amusing. Lumikki couldn’t yet tell if it was a powerful creature, or a frenzied spirit. Matters that she felt others could handle just fine without her, as she had a lot of matters to sort and no longer cared to be pulled out of her office for a meager amount of jewels. That was until her ravens soon began to pelt her with their reports of the gruesome beast that made a home in their part of the woods. How its harrowing screech was maddening to all that resided within. And though the boon of free corpses to eat and the riddance of humans was beneficial, they foretold of more annoying grievance in the future should the beast be allowed to live on.

Lonu, one of her personal flock and previous wood spirit of the Woodsea, would attest to their warnings. Having flown out himself to inspect the creature, he believed it to be a foul beast. Something he had never seen before, striking out the possibility of it being a spirit gone mad. Yet the thing was indeed frenzied, and who knows if it’ll be contained in the wild for long. Perhaps it would day find the need to expand its territory further, perhaps it would seek the villages soon.

And though their omens and warnings were not lost on her, they did not excite a need to move either. Her guild was plenty capable of acting on such a mission on their own, so she left it upon them. But when the time flew by and the stories had not ceased, her vexation was beginning yo rise. She dispatched such things for less in her early days, so she could not incur what was going on.

Though it was not all for not, as patience at times indeed has a way of rewarding you. At least that is how the Demoness felt when her gaze fell upon the revised bounty. The number of jewels was finally becoming appealing. So was the work she would take upon herself personally.

”Alvis, I’m setting out for the beast in the wood at nightfall. Tell Eirunn to settle dinner a bit early tonight would ye?” Lumikki didn’t look up from the papers on her desk, there were a lot blueprints she was looking over, as for the last week she’s wondered if changes needed to be made. Or perhaps those are just her selfish desires getting a hold of her as she was tired of the Dersierto aesthetics of the place.

”Very well my Lady, and how kind of you to give her cooking another try. I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear you didn’t cancel altogether because of work.” Alvis tried to hold back his laugh with a polite smile but Lumikki met his expression with a hollowed look of her own. ”So I can see her mope for another week about her failures? Sometimes I wonder if it’ll break me heart to see her actually cry…”


Later that night, and long after the surprisingly decent meal. Lumikki flew over to the Worth Woodsea where her ravens last mentioned the beast to be. Adorned in her Twilight Veil armor, among other things beneficial to her in battle, as Lumikki long learned how it was simply best to always come prepared. Underestimating opponents had almost cost her, her life a few times. She was not foolish enough to make such mistake but perhaps still foolish if she was pursuing the hunt on her own.

Lumikki’s swift and quiet wings carried undeterred, even when the shriek of the foreign creature’s cry rang through the air. Marking not only its presence to the Demoness, but its actual nature. It’s maddening roar did not affect her as it did the humans that wandered by, but only bolster her instead. Rich with potential to reap, her prey brought a dreadful smile to her face seconds before she peeled her lips back and returned the welcoming with a ravenous screech of her own. It was rapturous in the air, almost canceling out that of the others with the baneful workings of her own horrid magic. The Demoness hadn’t even set eyes yet on the beast before throwing out hexes of her own. All in the impatient delight of devouring another Demon who was stupid enough to stumble onto her doorstep.

At least that was what she thought. Like the Wendigo could not predict what came to seize it, the Raven Demon would not predict twist of their sudden encounter any time soon.

It wandered, it picked through the debris in the forest that it didn’t recognize. The broken wheel held in gargantuan hands; it turned them over. Pondering the wood; pondering the meaning of such a device. It’d toss it to the side; letting out a frustrated growl. It wasn’t made by the forest, something had been here recently. Passed through maybe? Why did they leave their trash and not take it with them? Irritated, it'd lumber along, seeming to follow the tracks left behind the cousins of that wheel; unaware of the fact that they were likely long gone.

Its head jerked when the screech cut through the forest; eyes half lidded looked around seeking what it could. The sound and noise carried through like a knife; whatever was coming for it had its own strength and own desires. Neither of which the wendigo was aware of in full. Snorting to itself it’d head towards the screech of welcome; echoing it in a call much like a twisted elk.

It didn’t seem to hunger in the same way some did; but it still practiced that of the forest. Gliding along on light footsteps; lumikki would see it first. Somewhat lumbering compared to her grace. It hadn’t noticed her yet, likely think that she was still oh so far away. The wendigo’s claws bristled and the dripping of slowly coagulating blood on leaves was the only sound it seemed to make for the moment.

Its breath smelled like the forest and it was certainly younger than any proper wendigo; likely that it was newer and thus wasn’t a threat like some of the older ones. A youngling corrupted perhaps? The beast pondered again and looked about. It was already under the effect of her hexes, but did it seem unbothered by them? Or just uncertain of what to do regarding them? It was hard to tell; but its sluggishness was borne of her fruits. Another growling cry tore through the forest; seeking its opponent.

Her mouth watered upon the beasts approach, his visage only confirming his true nature. The Demon barrels toward her confused and misguided. Not once did the pitiful creature look upward at the raven Demon above him. Clinging to both the sky and the night that wrapped around her, its embrace rendering her hard to be seen but not yet dismissed from view. Lumikki inhaled the darkness ravenously and it pour with her like water in cup. Her feather popping out from her skin and flesh until she too was giving way to her truth nature, but not her true form just yet.

The beast in his frenzy passed the harpy by, running toward where it thought she was, and with silent wings Lumikki would glide toward it. Until she was close enough to pull her lower most talons out and slash the creature in its back.

With a mixture of a cackle and sadist glee, Lumikki climbed in altitude in a simple motion. Returned to the heavens once more before flying around in a quick circle and lunging back down once again. She’d use her hight most talons on passing, her motions was like one running past him. And this time her laughter was quite muffled, but it did give her away in that she was still around.

Yet instead of lunging a third time, Lumikki chose to suspend herself in air and sample the flesh blood dripping from her claws. Licking her talons clean and savoring the oddly tasting Abyss.

”Yer in me territory, are ya aware of that? Maybe not, ye seem like a lesser Demon. No better than a mindless beast. Did a fool summon ye as an act of revenge or mischief?” Lumikki titled her head and pose in a playful manner as she inquired from him. Her talon still pressed along her black lips. ”Well doesn’t matter, yer nothing more than a meal to me now….but I would say, ye sure taste weird. Something vacuous is mixed in yer blood…something spacious…”

Lumikki could not put her finger on it. At this point she had ye’d to consume something of the void before. The stranger below was now nothing more than a strange Demon. His appearance nothing like the brother she knew.

There was a breath that weezed out through the bare teeth that made up the beasts skull. It’s eyes tracked the harpy but it wasn’t fast enough to react to them as it cut deep into it’s body. The beast growled a little bit as it felt those slashes on it’s back. It growled as it could feel her moving around. It could feel it’s flesh knitting after she slashed him the first time. The blood quickly stopped and seeped back in as crystals started to close the wounds as quickly as they were being healed.

The laughter earned a disgruntled growl; as it felt her talons tickle it’s flesh again. Cutting deep. Annoyed it’d try to swipe at her; but all it got was the tailwind of her passage. It’s flesh knitting together as it turned about. It could hear the little plitter platter of it’s blood. Turning about as it tried to listen to where those were coming from… up until the other spoke. It’s head slowly turned; it’s eyes looking to the beast that had challenged it. There was a certain regalness to this one. A certain power that dwarfed it’s own. But it wasn’t deterred. A question was posed and it’d slowly cock its head to one side.

The spark of intelligence deep within it’s skull; the spark that played around its eyes. Mindless did it seem at first and the beast took a step. Echoing out some of her words; revenge? Meal? Taste? Blood… blood… blood. It droned on; twisting her words like a hellish parrot. It understood what she was saying and it’s claws seemed to extend a little bit. Snarling it’d leap forward, arm drawn back to try to take a swipe at the other demon. He was capable of flight but compared to the well practiced lumikki he was in poor practice; angle all wrong and out of step.

”BLOOD.”

It didn’t recognize her; but there was a tingle telling him that they knew this one. It threw him out of whack; there was something about her that spoke and sang to him. They were of the same darkness and it was impossible to ascertain why it felt the need to get closer. It felt like it needed to attack them; not realizing that the sensation wasn’t that of hate or the desire to spill blood. But that to protect the one in front of them. A want that was twisted into a different sense of desire such as slaughter…

”Yes!—Blood!” Lumikki shrieked back, mimicking his guttural with a sense of malicious mockery. Her agile moves would carry her like a silver fish elegantly dancing in their pound. The creature before her was sloppy and unfocused in their movements. Steering her further and further the the assumption it was a mindless lesser Demon summoned from the depths by a careless wizard out of his league; and now it was a meal for her to seize in her climb to greater power. Nothing to respect, no one to think back on.

Yet something felt odd. Like she knew the being from somewhere, but no matter how much she shifted through her mental knowledge, nothing about him seemed familiar enough to recognize. Not even her eyes would peer into his essence, leaving him to be an enigma. For reasons she assumed to tie to his origins of another realm.

As Lumikki thought over her conundrum, a black mist would build and swirl just around the Demon’s feet. Curling around his legs and sending chills up his exposed flesh. Black tendrils wrapping around his already darkened fur, would cling to his limbs in playful sense the hinted he’d soon lose all capacity to move should he not leave now. As Lumikki built her power up, she’d eye his closing wounds. Perplexed what granted him such an odd trait but ultimately blaming it on his demonic heritage. Now it was time to test how deep he could heal from, and she’d circle around him three times in very quick succession before lowering her height to slash him again from the back.

They both wanted blood for different reasons, he could still feel the sting on his body from her talon. He groaned a bit; they had bit deep but his body was quickly working on repairing the damage done to him. His feet touched back down, he had missed. She was faster than he was. He’d have to figure out a way to hit her without breaking his own back so to speak. His eyes watched her carefully as she taunted him. He could feel the hate burning deep inside of him. But there was a surge of something golden and vicious deep down. He’d shudder and shake his head; like something knew this was wrong. He’d take a step forward only to find the black mist swirl around his feet,

He’d look down, curiously cocking his head to one side. He felt the echoing on his lips again. That same word “blood” rolled off of it in a voice not his own. Practically mimicking her… mimicking him. The chills irritated him. So he’d step forward towards her, away from this mist. He could feel his strength draining. But she was fast again; he’d spin about trying to keep pace with her only for her to hit his back again with her claws. Wounding him deep.

But like before, the bleeding would stop after a little bit and the crystals would close the wounds up as though they were never there. The fur slowly curling over the crystal healing and his head whipped around, large claw following through. She was close! If he could just… Something fell from his lips; something he didn’t need or mean to say. But it was wrenched away; replaced with that word again.

”A- BLOOD”

His own, hers, some trader, some animal. Something. Anything. It growled and stepped closer; menacingly. It’s eyes flicking to her claws, it could see it’s blood. Dark and viscous. Deep with mana, something that tasted strange to anything but it. There was a golden undertone there too; but it was so far removed…

His bewilderment amused her for a moment. But like most things, it was fleeting. Much like how she was feeling or the state of the battle over all. Though that did not mean she’d end it soon, first she must observe all he could do. This Demon was a first for her, not one she’s gleamed quite yet from tomes and old myths. What more, she sneered at the thought of it but, his flesh was crystalized. It’s granule nature reforming and overlocking the open wounds.

”How does a rock bleed?” Lumikki snarled, her agitation to the beast below was welling into contempt. But it would be her need to know, her curiosity, that compelled her to drag this one. ’How far could I push it, I wonder?!” The harpy growled as she lunged again head first. The moment she came close enough to the fiend, she’d shift her position. Pulling her head and wings back, with lower most talons extended. But before there was contact, one of her upper most wings lashed forward. Slicing its arm so that she could easily claim his arm before rising back up again.

And with silent wings, she shot up again. Bringing the server hand onto her lips.

The demon wasn’t the fastest, wasn’t the strongest, it was powerful yes but what was its power to something that was more steeped in darkness? Steeped in a frost that was the sort that would freeze to the core? The demon stepped forward, it’s ears flicked this way or that as it tried to lock onto her movements. It could feel it’s wounds close up slowly, cracking back into place and smoothing into fur that simply existed. The wounds stopped bleeding faster and faster…

The next lunge was met with a powerful swipe, though it felt a certain lance of pain and it’d pause. Looking to the stump of it’s arm. It’s brow furrowed and it could feel the blood pouring from the wound. The pain registered and it shuddered, stumbling a bit and flexing it’s remaining stump. The crystals formed back over to stop the bleeding and it’d glare up at lumikki. She had it’s arm, something that it wanted, it could feel the biting pain from her. But that also meant…

The arm shuddered and after that ‘bite’ from her it would crystalize rapidly before aiming a punch with the severed limb to her head. It painted in pain; this form was frustrating to maintain. The taste of the beast was unlike this world, more like earth and void than the abyss.

”...Tch… Rock? No rock.”

The beast growled, the arm twisting and looking after that punch to grasp lumikki by the throat. If it managed that it could start trying to squeeze the life out from her maybe? It doubted it was that strong but it didn’t care. She was in his territory. The two of them were in a struggle for sure and the harpy demon had a edge over him but that didn't mean he was just going to let her walk all over him!