Forum Thread

All of this chatter was pointless. The stakes couldn't be higher for the group. Well, everyone expect for Sobble. Was it really worth getting to know everyone if they could easily be slaughtered by a demon or betrayed by a Resistance Member?

Nox sighs, shaking her head. She's been out in the field for too long. The need for human interaction was necessary. She shouldn't be so negative. She glances at Neo, half wondering what he was thinking. He was a Demon Hunter just like her, he also had been isolated. Did he feel the same? The size of the group was worrisome. They could easily be tracked with how gathered together they were. She would have to deal with that...

.
.
"We're here." Nox says after a few hours of walking. She extends a hand out towards the abandoned office building, smiling a slightly embarrassed grin, which of course, was hidden under her mask. "Make yourselves at home. There aren't many rooms so do try to get along okay? We're going to be closely gathered together for the time being." She takes a few steps away from the group. "I'm going to hunt while you guys figure out our next step."

This was a half lie. She would come back with food. But in all reality, she wanted to scatter the scents. She would kill some small prey and walk around aimlessly. Mixing together the scent of death as well as her own far from their temporary base. Would it trick the demons pursuing them? Probably not, but any lower class demon would likely fall for it. They would try to track the lone Hunter before attacking the pack, only to get confused by the random trail. Buying the group necessary time. This is what she was good at.

She sighs, already exhausted from the long walk to get here. But her job was almost done. She pauses before leaving, but only to see how the group would react.

"Wow, this place is nice."

---

Cath smiled up at the old building. Its architecture was reminiscent of a better time, when humans could create each detail with love and care. She was still worried that Mei hadn't turned up yet. She knew the crazy woman was emotional, but this seemed a little intense, even for her.

"Thank you, Nox." Cath said. "I appreciate you giving up one of the locations of your safe houses to this ogd-forsaken quest. Are you going to need any help? Either hunting, or... taking care of demon-prevention business?" She too understood the importance of staying one step ahead of the creatures chasing them. And as a decent bow shot, she had been providing for herself for the last few years.

Sobble and Athena had seemed to become friendly enough. Cath decided to defer to the younger girl's judgement on his character. Yes, they had all been through a lot, but Athena was by far the least jaded of their number.

please don't let this die, we've already come so far!

---

Athena knew that her companions were worried. And they had good reason to be. Their group was, by all factors, extremely vulnerable. And their quest. They weren't even clear what it was. How they would accomplish it. It was simply a vague dream, an almost impossible hope. But it was probably their last and only chance. Take it or leave it. And she would take it. "I can help too, if there's anything that needs to be done. I'm not that tired anyways."

Not dying!

---

"Yeah me too, I'm looking for some times of my life."

---

Mei followed them into the house, a bit underwhelmed by how small it was. She had to admit, it was a bit... uncomfortable to be in such a tight spot. She still said nothing as she watched the group from afar, deciding that maybe she could follow Nox for a bit. Catch a break, or whatever. She was pretty sure she knew what Nox was doing, dispersing the scents and all, but she wasn't positive. The hunter was a little hard to read, but once Mei actually used her head for once, she could at least have a guess.

Mei knew that, as long as she was in this realm, she was basically non-existent. Her scent couldn't be tracked, and there was no evidence of her being there except for a slight temperature drop and a feeling. It was annoying how humans pretty much had a sixth sense, one that allowed them to recognize presences and even stares, even when the one in question was heavily concealed. That sixth sense foiled a lot of her "pranks", but it also saved her many times.

Alright, enough rambling, she had a hunter to follow. Maybe she could even get more info on who Nox was, if there was more to her in the first place.

Laughing at Cath's comment, Nox tells the woman: "It's only fair that I give you one of my safe houses after what happened." She trails off, suddenly feeling awkward.

A warm feeling hits Nox at mention of the group asking to help. That's right, she wasn't a loner anymore. She could rely on them for help. "Why don't you guys do the hunting? And work on setting traps? Safeguard this place as much as possible. I'll be back" she promises. "Take care of them Neo!" She calls out while walking away.
.
.
.
A familiar feeling seemed to follow Nox as she walked away from the safe house. She was being followed. But she didn't know by what, or who. Lower class demons were sloppy, they made lots of mistakes. If it were a demon, she would know by now. Was it someone in the group?

She ignores the feeling for awhile. Focusing on walking in random directions. She pauses once to throw her dagger at a sparrow. She sighs, feeling pity towards it. But she had to hold their lives over it. She shivers, feeling the familar feeling again. Who could be following her?

Oh... I see. A small smile rests on her lips and a muffled chuckle sounds from her. It was the only sign she gave that would tell Mei that she knew she was being followed by her. She didn't point it out though. Nox assumed the woman would reveal herself when she was ready. Besides, she had work to do. She continues walking, trying to do her best to ignore Mei.

"I think this group is pretty nice Calico, don't you think?"

---

Cath walked into the woods. She didn't care which of the others would follow her. She was silent, watching, waiting. She silently unslung her bow, and notched an arrow. The amber pine needles under her feet carpeted the forest floor, making her soft footsteps soundless. She had reached a spot rather far in that provided her with both cover, and a perfect shot.

She closed her eyes and listened to the air and wind. It could have been minutes or hours that she stood there. And then, Cath heard the softest noise, and opened her eyes instantly. A silverdeer. Creeping towards the majestic animal, she said a quick prayer to the goddess that hadn't emerged in years.

Kyuia Onama, thank you for this bounty. I kill not for sport, but for necessity. Thank you, spirit of the deer, for your sacrifice and the nourishment you will provide to I and my friends. This is the way.

A single arrow pierced its flank, a second pierced its heart. It was dead before it hit the ground. Cath pulled the arrows out, careful not to destroy neither the meat, nor her weapons. She took out a cloth, and began to clean the fletchings. In a feat of incredible strength, she lifted the silverdeer carcass over her shoulders, and began the trek back to camp.

In the long-ago days, she had been a vegetarian, genetically modifying the lab garden to increase its yield. But that had all changed the day the demons came. They had trampled that garden as easily as they did her family and the spark of life in the lab. Now the ruins were rubble. She did not regret blowing up the lab, but still felt a twinge of sadness at the home she would never return to.

Emerging from the woods, she made a fire. Cath set up technological barriers that would keep the heat, scents, and light inside their walls, and project an empty nothingness to those prying eyes. She set up a few cinder blocks as warming stones. Taking her knife, she began to tan the hide, and remove strips of meat from the creature. She tested them to see if the animal had ingested anything harmful, and was pleased when they came back clean. She tossed a bone to Cerberus, who began to tussle on the ground with it.

The aroma of cooking meat filled the air, as she used a metal tong to flip the pieces over and over. Nox was still presumably setting traps around the perimeter. Mei was still nowhere to be seen. Cath sighed.

"Dinner!" She called to the area surrounding her.

---

"Nice." Sobble walks over.

---

*The Jestress, hungry and looking to entertain kept searching for inhabitants of this strange land to try to converse with*

---

"Calico, if you could talk then that would be pretty nice."

---

*Seeing a large group of humanoids the jestress decided to follow from a distance, watching*

---

Sobble and Calico exchange glances as if they sensed something. "Wait... Did you feel that Calico?" Calico nods. "We should look around outside."

---