Isaac's expression couldn't have been made more serious if he'd tried. Lilith stood before him in the main hall of the Wolfe House as he gave her another briefing on the hunt while their horses were being prepared for the journey ahead. Isaac fussed over her as though she were a child, ensuring that the young woman had all the necessary equipment before she set off beyond the walls.
With this being her first hunt, she was clad in the traditional attire of the hunter: a long, black overcoat that billowed behind her like a cloak, her collar pulled high to shield her neck from anything that dared draw close enough to bite. Beneath her coat, snug-fitting leather armor was adorned with intricate etchings that symbolized the hunt. Her hands were encased in gloves, thick enough to fend off the cold and thin enough to handle weaponry without an issue. A belt circled her waist, its pouches holding the items to aid her survival: vials of elixirs, silver bullets, and tools of alchemical crafting kit. Twin silver daggers sat at her hips, nestled in their sheaths and honed to perfection.
It was at that moment that Magnus entered the main hall, reeking of gunpowder and with clothes covered in soot and minor burns as he carried a long object wrapped in a thick cloth.
"Sir Isaac, young Lilith! I'm glad I caught you. I have a gift for the young lady before she sets off on her journey."
Isaac nodded to the man, stepping to the side with his arms folded across his chest. Magnus gave Lilith a warm smile, passing the object into her arms before heaving a sigh.
"Every hunter needs a weapon befitting of them. Over the years I've watched many hunters come and go. After hearing about how you came here, alone, near death, and seeing you train your arse off, even letting the Evelina girl beat you into the dirt got me thinking. 'Here's a huntress who is simply too angry to lay down and die.' So, I made you a weapon befitting of one with an axe to grind. Go on, take a look."
So look she did. Lilith removed the cloth to find one of the most beautiful swords she'd ever seen. Unsheathed, its gleaming imperial silver blade, perfectly balanced and honed, shimmered with an otherworldly brilliance. The metal was etched with intricate patterns that seemed to dance and shift in the light. The double-edged design had a subtle curve, allowing for both swift slashes and precise thrusts, a testament to the artistry of the forgemaster. The hilt, wrapped in supple black leather, was adorned with a small emblem of a seraph's wing, invoking the celestial beings that humanity called upon for protection.
"She's beautiful..." The young woman whispered, awestruck.
Even Isaac couldn't help but grin.
"Another masterpiece, eh Magnus?"
"I've made many a blade, each of them quality. But her? She's special. Tell me, what will you name her?"
Lilith gazed into the blade, her crimson eyes fixed on the emblem of the seraph's wing.
"Crescent Seraph." She declared, sheathing the blade and slinging it over her back.
"A fitting name for a fine blade!" Magnus replied proudly. "Now, I'm back off to the workshop. You stay alive, you hear?"
Lilith nodded.
"I'll do my best! And thank you, for everything."
The man simply shrugged.
"If you wish to thank me, go out there and slay some abominations."
With that, the man was off, leaving just her and her uncle in the main hall.
"Now, for your hunting party. For this task, you will be be accompanied by Hunter Arden and Hunter Evelina. As your senior, Arden will take charge. He will lead you, guide you. Trust in his judgment."
Lilith nodded, crimson eyes full of growing determination. "I understand, Uncle Isaac."
Isaac's hand settled on her shoulder, his fingers a reassuring weight. The young woman had dedicated the past five years to her training, all for this moment. Was she truly ready?
"You've come a long way, young one. I've watched you grow and learn, and never forget that I see your pain. Aurelia would be proud, were she here to see you." His smile was pained, but his words were nothing short of true.
"And now, here you are: on the verge of becoming a true hunter."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
"I won't let you down, Uncle."
He held her gaze for a moment, the older man's heart full of pride and a twinge of anxiousness.
'"I know you won't. And remember to wear your mask. Your eyes will already set you apart from other mortals, but your fangs will clearly indicate your status as a demi-human. And many in Mistwood live in fear of them. And when people are afraid..."
"They become reckless." Lilith finished.
Isaac nodded, bidding her farewell before he turned and stepped away. Lilith made her way out of the main hall and opened the entrance doors, immediately being assaulted by the harsh winter wind and snowfall. At the front gate were Evelina and Arden, fully geared up and standing beside three horses loaded up with their saddles and other equipment.
As Lilith approached the duo, Arden nodded in greeting while Evelina seemed to be off in her own world, the woman gazing at the overcast sky as snow continued to fall.
"We have six days until the next blood moon," She began. "Mistwood is a three day journey, two if there are no conflicts on the open road. However, it would not be surprising in the slightest if we should encounter unsavory characters on our journey."
"Which is why all of us should have no trouble staying alert, and keeping a blade nearby. Now, shall we be off?" Arden said, unfazed by the potential danger waiting for them.
Lilith nodded, her heart racing at the realization that after five years, she was finally going beyond the walls for the first time since her arrival.
"Let's make haste then. The longer we stay, the more opportunities those vampires have to feed on Mistwood's people."
The trio mounted their horses, their steeds stomping their hooves and snorting in anticipation of the journey ahead. Lilith exhaled, breath turning to mist as she fought to steady the beat of her heart as the guards along the walls turned a crank, the gate groaning as it opened, pushing away piles of snow as it did so. With her grip on the reins tight they finally set forth at full speed, the wind whipping at her cheeks as the trio rode high through the snow-covered road, hooves thundering upon the earth as they got further and further away from the place Lilith had called home for the past five years and toward a danger that would devour her if she allowed it.
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Lilith didn't know why to expect as they began their trek across the countryside, but nothing could prepare her for just how heavy a toll the blight brought upon by the blood moon had taken upon the world.
The land stretched out before the trio, a desolate canvas painted in shades of white and gray by the unending winter. The young woman's breath stilled as they passed the burnt husks of small settlements; villages that were once full of life. The remaining homes and churches and chops stood like ghostly remnants, the frigid air heavy with the scent of charred wood.
Trees loomed like silent sentinels, their leafless branches stark against the pale sky. Lilith spotted the macabre sight of corpses hanging from the gallows of many of trees along the roads. Men, women, sometimes children as well. Carrion birds circled overhead, some of them fat from a seemingly endless supply of cadavers. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that some of those corpses were still moving.
"The desolation has certainly brought the worst out of humanity." Arden called to her from his ride, the trio slowing down to give the horses a temporary rest.
Arden pointed at a far-off tree from which about six or so bodies hung from the gallows.
"Many settlements fell victim to either the dead or the living. When the dead refuse to stay dead, and when the horrors of the night come knocking at your door to devour everything you hold dear, people become desperate." He explained.
Evelina remained as stoic as always, however.
"You will come to learn that more often than not, mortals are just as monstrous as the things that lurk in the dark. I've seen sights like these many times when on the hunt. I've seen mothers drown their children in rivers to spare them the agony of being violated by other men, or devoured by beasts. I've seen devils scurry off into the night with children in their maws. When away from home, you can only count on your own skills to save you. In times such as these, trust needs to be earned through blood." The woman declared grimly.
"And here I thought the dead were the greatest threat we're to face..." Lilith muttered, more so to herself than to her companions.
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They found a cave at the edge of a forest clearing, setting up camp inside after ensuring there was nothing lurking in the dark. Lilith was the one who spotted it, and with good timing as well. Evelina and Lilith made short work of relieving the horses of their loads, the stone-faced young woman whispering words of encouragement as she fed them sugar cubes from a pouch on her belt.
Another heavy snowstorm had begun and even with their long coats the cold eventually began to sip through their leathers. It was as they set up their campsite that Lilith noticed that she wasn't as prone to freezing as Evelina or Arden. In fact, even without conjuring her flames, she could always feel them burning within, though faint, they were a comforting presence.
She felt different now; it was more than a side effect of leaving the homestead, with each passing year she felt something inside of her. Her strength grew and grew, her flames burned brighter and more fierce, and every one of her senses grew sharper than they were before. And as she sat in that cave, staring into the flames of the campfire they'd made, she felt them.
She rose to her feet, hands on her daggers as she stared out of the mouth of the cave and saw dark figures emerge from the treeline.
"You sensed them before you saw them, didn't you?" Arden asked as he stood beside her, surveying the scene unfolding before them. Evelina was on her feet as well, her sword already unsheathed and her eyes narrowed as she saw the dark figures moving through the forest clearing.
"Yes, but I can see them from here as well. It would be so easy to mistake them as men, but I can see that they're anything but..." Lilith replied, hands tightening around the handles of her twin daggers.
Though the sun had already set, Lilith's nighttime vision was superb. These "men" were all pale with eyes black as the night and their lips stained red with murder. There were four of them in total, with other pairs of eyes belonging to other kinds of beasts lurking in the snow-covered foliage behind them. The one in the center was the ringleader, Lilith deduced. He stood taller than the others, clad in a simple black travel's coat with shoulder-length blonde hair. Hoisted over his shoulder was a rather large double-edged sword stained red from a night of hunting prey.
From across the clearing, he smiled at Lilith, beckoning her forward and revealing a mouthful of fangs.
"It seems he wishes to speak with us." Arden began. "I can only imagine what riveting conversation he has to offer us at this time of night."
While Lilith would usually chuckle at Arden's sarcasm in the face of grave danger, she remained perfectly silent. At that moment, standing at the mouth of the cave, she didn't feel fear, or panic, or regret for stepping forth beyond the walls of the Wolfe House.
What she felt now, was that inner flame burning brighter and brighter, growing more intense with each passing second. Without any words of warning, Lilith began walking. One step after the other as she finally exited the cave and into the frigid winter night, wind whipping at her coat as she kept her crimson eyes locked onto the foul creatures that stood before her. Arden and Evelina followed close behind, but did not intervene. Meanwhile, the vampire before her looked nothing short of overjoyed as she drew closer.
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His voice was a sweet whisper tinged with venom.
"Tis dangerous to walk these woods alone at night." He began, tilting his head as his gaze shifted from Lilith, to Evelina, and to Arden.
Lilith's grip on her blades tightened, her senses set ablaze as every instinct in her body screamed and wailed for her to lunge, to attack, to rip and to tear until there was nothing left. She seethed with psychotic rage, her heart beating madly in her chest as her fangs felt even more prominent within her mouth.
"Three of you, there may be," the vampire's voice carried a hint of mockery, his bloodstained lips curling into a chilling smile, "but alone nonetheless. None to hear you scream."
His words hung in the frigid air, a cold breeze carrying the weight of their menace. The vampire's yellow eyes seem to burn brighter, a predatory hunger glinting in their depths. Evelina's expression remained a mask of stone, staring into the eyes of the vampire ringleader with what Lilith sensed was disinterest. Arden, ever the mystery, simply smiled, before offering his retort in a voice sweet as honey laced with venom.
"Ah, how kind of you to remind us of the importance of company. However, I fear your manners are as foul as your choice of sustenance."
The ringleader's smile faded, and the faces of the other vampires contorted into that of fury. They likely weren't used to be insulted and more so used to mortals pleading for their lives. Evelina's lips even twitched into the tiniest of smiles, a rare crack in her stoic facade.
Vampires are one of the deadliest predators to walk the earth. Their speed, strength, and reflexes are difficult to match, not even counting their other abilities. The violence that took place in that forest clearing in the dead of night, unfolded within a fraction of a second. The vampire moved faster than the naked eye could follow, and yet Lilith was able to move with perfect timing, her crimson eyes narrowed into black slits as she charged forward, silver daggers gleaming in the snow-laden moonlight. Imperial silver clashed with steel as the two unleashed their unholy strength. The rest of the world was blur as Evelina and Arden began battles of their own, the sounds of their struggle silent as Lilith focused on the bastard in front of her.
He met her charge with equal ferocity, his movements a blur of predatory grace. The repeatedly clash of their weapons sent sparks flying, Lilith basking in the satisfaction of their bladesong as she parried an overhead slash and perfectly countered, slashing the vampire across the face with her silver blade. His flesh sizzled as the blade made contact, splitting his cheek down to the bone.
The vampire cursed her, unleashing a deadly string of blows as he suddenly vanished and reappeared behind her, moving across the battlefield with impeccable speed as Lilith struggled to keep him within view. She parried as many strikes as she could, but he caught several of her openings; slashing her thigh once, then her wrist, her shoulder, and then her cheek.
Lilith roared, sensing his presence to her left and tossing one of her daggers at full strength. The blade struck home, burying itself in the vampire's right eye socket. He unleashed an unearthly wail as the silver went to work, burning through his skull as he grabbed the hilt in a desperate attempt to remove it. Lilith took the chance to rush him then, forcefully grabbing the blade and wrenching it free as blackened blood oozed from the wound.
The vampire sent a powerful kick into her center mass, sending her flying across the clearing and landing hard in the snow. The young huntress rolled to her feet, spitting blood before charging back into the fray, daggers in hand. Their blades clashed again with even more viciousness, the impact of metal upon metal sending shockwaves through Lilith's arms with each impact. This creature, this thing wanted to make a meal of her. Lilith simply wished to make him suffer before she ended him for good.
So then came her first error. The vampire feinted an attack and she took the bait, the creature laughing as his sword slashed her across the chest, spilling her blood upon the snow. She cried out in response, launching a counter attack in which she plunged one of her daggers into his belly, pushing the blade as deep as it could go. The vampire roared, kicking the girl again and sending her flying, sinking to one knee as he tended to his sundered belly as it hissed and smoked in response to the silver.
Lilith fought to control her breathing as her blood continued to flow. Her breathing erratic, adrenaline coursing through her veins, she drew Crescent Seraph from her back, the blade gleaming in the darkness as she rose on shaking knees and stared the vampire down. Her flesh steamed as her wounds began to mend themselves. Her rage grew and grew until she charged forward, just as the vampire tore her dagger from his belly and managed to block her strike narrowly.
They traded blows with more power, each strike possessing enough force to cut a man in two. Metal sang and sparks flew, and in one clever maneuver the young huntress severed the vampire's left arm at the elbow, the huntress stomping on the limb as she conjured fire from beneath her foot, burning it to ashes before the creature's very eyes.
"You bitch!" He hissed, eyes glowing with rage.
Lilith remained silent as she continued her assault, the vampire still putting up a competent fight with a single arm, the wound spewing black fluid upon the snow as the battle raged on. Lilith's heart hammered in her chest as they fought, her senses honed to a razor's edge.
Then she finally found it, the opening she so desired. Lilith surged forward with incredible speed, her blade finding its mark, her sword piercing the vampire's chest and shearing his heart in two. It shrieked in agony as it began to convulse, dropping its sword in the snow as its body erupted into flames, flesh melting from bone and disintegrating into ashes in a matter of seconds. Soon there was nothing left but ashes, a sword and the remnants of a tattered coat laying in the snow.
Lilith sank down on one knee, stabbing her blade into the earth as her hand went to where her opponents sword had opened her. She could feel the scarring left behind, her fingers even came away with residual blood. But the wounds had closed on their own, leaving behind an already fading pain.
Panting, she looked to her comrades to see them spattered in the gore of their opponents, the burnt husks of the other vampires laid out in the snow. Evelina merely flicked gore from her blade, wiping it clean in the snow before giving Lilith a small nod of approval.
Arden, however, approached her slowly, brows raised in surprise as he sheathed his sword and eyed her as though she were some bizarre-looking insect.
"Fire manipulation, heightened senses, increased strength and reflexes, and those eyes and fangs...how curious..."
The young woman spat into the snow.
"Please be aware that I can hear you." Lilith remarked with a wince, the pain from her chest wound still present.
"My apologies," Arden replied. "But it cannot be helped. Demi-humans are a fascinating subject matter. That aside, congratulations on your survival. How do you feel?"
"Exhausted."
"Demi-humans capable of rapid healing often feel intense exhaustion after conflicts" he explained. "Your body is using its own energy reserves to repair itself from sustained damage. You can survive wounds that would kill any ordinary mortal, but the consequence will be long sleep required after battle. I would not be surprised if you—"
Lilith collapsed on her side like a ragdoll in the snow, eyes shutting the instant she gave in to her exhaustion.
"Ah! As I was saying, I would not be surprised if you were to keel over." Arden finished.
Without hesitation, he lifted the unconscious huntress out of the snow as though she weighed nothing and carried her back to the cave, Evelina taking the time to gather Lilith's dropped weapons.
As she was laid to rest for the night, Lilith slept better than she had for quite some time. She'd slain her first vampire, and the satisfaction of that kill had only given her an intense hunger for more.
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With the exception of the previous night, they arrived on the second day. As they road their horses along the snow-laden road, they came to a stop the moment they saw the walls. Surrounding the town were a series of tall stone walls connected to a makeshift gate comprised of wood. Surrounding the walls were the corpses of all manner of beasts and the bones of what had to be various kinds of undead. The walls were stained with soot and decorated with burn marks from previous skirmishes.
Two watchtowers stood on either side of the gate, both of the guards leveling their rifles at them as the trio approached the gate.
"You've come far enough!" One called out to them. "What is your business here?"
Arden reached into the innermost pocket of his coat and drew forth a metal crest, the insignia of the Wolfe House.
"You called for hunter, did you not?"
The guards' eyes widened at the sight of the crest, the pair lowering their rifles before one turned back and began shouting commands at the unseen forces behind the walls.
"Let them in! And quickly, before anymore riffraff shows up!"
As the gate was opened with an audible groan, Arden turned to Lilith, his brows furrowed.
"It's time. Mask on."
Lilith nodded, donning a black mask that covered her mouth and nose. In truth, the masks were designed long ago by the craftsman who designed the hunter's signature attire. Their purpose being to prevent blood and viscera from entering the mouth and reduce the intensity of the pungent odors that hunters would be exposed to while in the field. In Lilith's case, the mask would serve perfectly for hiding her fangs from a public that does not take kindly to demi-humans.
As they rode their horses past the gates and into town, it became abundantly clear that Mistwood was a shell of its former self. Once a bustling haven, Mistwood now stood as a somber monument to the impact of the Darktide. The streets were blanketed in a thick layer of snow, it's once impressive structures now bearing the scars of repeated assaults. Many homes and businesses were now fortified outposts, their walls covered in clawmarks from various night creatures. Some buildings even had long dried bloodstains.
Every denizen that passed by in the streets had a weapon of some kind. Lilith would see women with hidden silver daggers, Men with their swords and rifles, and even a teenage boy, his face heavily scarred and wrapped in bandages wielding a silver hatchet.
Homes that still housed families all had various protective charms and staves placed outside their doors and windows. Garlic, bits of silver chains, and lanterns containing incense. Many, many lanterns. Lilith learned years ago in her earlier training years that there existed certain plants and herbs that, when burned as incense, keep certain beasts and horrors of the night away.
As the hunters dismounted their steeds, they brought them to a nearby stable, Evelina exchanging words with the sandy-haired stable-hand and slipping him a pouch full of coins. It was then that they encountered him.
The man that approached them wore a faded military uniform, covered in soot with bloodstains here and there. A sword sat in a leather sheath on his belt and slung across his back was a rifle that was in serious need of a good cleaning. He was middle aged with a rugged face and a rather stern expression.
"Greetings, hunters. I am Captain Leofric," he introduced himself with a curt nod. "I lead Mistwood's defense force, and as you can see, we're struggling quite a bit to maintain some semblance of order amidst this chaos."
The trio exchanged glances before Lilith spoke up, her tone respectful yet firm. "We're here at the request of the Wolfe House to aid in your situation. Your missive has given us much information, but what more has been happening here? We can plainly see that the night's horrors have taken its toll on this place."
Captain Leofric's jaw tensed, as though struggling to find the right words. "As you know, people have been disappearing in the night, taken from their homes without a trace. You also know that we have found their corpses, drained of blood on the outskirts of the Mistwood Catacombs. And then there are the attacks...the constant assaults by the night creatures. They often prowl the outskirts of town always searching for a way past the walls. Some of them try to force their way in. Some of them are capable of flight, and simply attack from the skies."
One of Leofric's hands fell to the sword at his belt, patting it subconsciously.
"With the vampire stalking our streets at night and the constant attacks from the night creatures, our resources are stretched thin. Our fortifications have saved our lives, and we've managed to repel many attacks, but our resources are stretched thin. It is only a matter of time until we run out of silver bullets and imperial silver arrows."
Evelina remained stone-faced, her fingers lightly tapping the hilt of her own blade.
"We'll investigate the catacombs tonight, find your vampire and eliminate it. Also, your men need proper rest and replenished supplies. We shall stay here until the next blood moon and assist in the next battle. Finally, we shall send a missive back to the Wolfe House and try to have you all resupplied."
Lilith couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the woman, surprised that she'd formulated a plan with a nigh-unbreakable foundation so quickly. This was a professional hunter at work.
Captain Leofric nodded, a mixture of gratitude and apprehension on his face.
"Thank you. I've heard stories about you hunters, many of you being blood-drunk fiends well adept of killing. You three do not strike me as fiends, but hunters well adept at killing things are precisely what we all need. If we live see see past the next blood moon, all of Mistwood will forever be in your debt."
The man turned and pointed to a building off in the distance, it's roof heavy with snow.
"Now, come with me. I have someone willing to speak with you in regard to the vampire. Our only survivor of its attack."
With a heavy sense of foreboding, Lilith, Arden, and Evelina exchanged one last look before following behind Captain Leofric, walking through the streets of a town struggling to hold onto some semblance of hope.