Delilah's eyes watered as she fought to claw breath back into her lungs, blinking the blurriness in her vision away, the young tiefling froze. Hearing Mavrik roar with pain, the once frail woman who had cowered behind them cackled manically, gone was her feeble appearance. Replaced by a haggard old woman, wicked claws plunging between the plate of Mavrik's armour into his side.

"Mavrik!!" Delilah called, leaping to her feet, heart thundering in her chest as she tried to gather her nerves and conjure a flame.

"Now, now girly" the old woman tsked forced to break her grip on Mavrik as Delilah launched the flickering orb of fire at her, narrowly missing.

Mavrik regained his balance, readying his morning star as he side stepped to stand between the hag and Delilah with his shield raised. The young woman offered him a nod, releasing a shaky breath and trying not to look at the blood, now dripping along the battered plating.

The hag threw back her head with laughter, raising her hands above her head, her skin was a blistered red against her thinning grey hair. "I'll be sure to thank darling Bennet for sending me such exciting play things" she cackled.

Delilah frowned, so it had all been a set up? Some sort of deal with a hag? She recalled one of her lessons with Mavrik, where he had explained that hags often made deals with people. Deals that came with horrible repercussions, in exchange for life force that hag's drained from living beings. She shook the thoughts away, wicked green light lanced forward, Mavrik rose his kite shield to block the brunt of the attack. The hag was on him, slashing at his armour with her talons. Delilah focused her attention to his Morningstar, steadying her breathing as she followed the steps of her training. Summoning radiant light to her hand, she brushed her free hand against an intricate lantern that hung on her hip, the light wove itself into pulsating runes "Ignis." As soon as the words slipped from her lips light blazed to life on the spiked surface of Mavrik's Morningstar, as he swung at the hag.

The hag screeched, Morningstar connecting with the side of her head, however the triumph Delilah felt was short lived. Although the hit had landed, it hardly stopped the hag in her tracks as she appeared to waiver and morph. For a moment Delilah thought nothing had happened until she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Narrowly dodging the hag's gnarled claws aimed for her face, the claws instead meeting the fabric of her cloak and scarf, causing the hood to slip from her head as it was snagged.

The hag faltered, "Foul blood???" Rubbing her hands together in glee. "Look at those horns! But where is your tail?", the conjured mirror image now in the path of Mavrik's attack, dissipating as his hit landed.

"Delila-"

The hag's eyes flashed a putrid green, as Mavrik dropped to his knees with a groan.

"Hurts doesn't it" the hag chuffed over her shoulder, advancing towards the devil-kin. "How about you just stay down tin man, let the monsters talk."

Her attention narrowing in on the tiefling, having run out of room to back up, smile turning malicious. Delilah could hear her heart thundering in her ears, as she tried to swallow down the bile that was rising in her throat. All too aware that her devil-kin features were now exposed.

"I can fix that you know? Take that cursed, foul blood out of you girly. Consider it a thank you, for being so kind to me" The hag offered a toothy grin, Delilah knew it wasn't sincere.

"Ah I can practically taste it, you've got yourself wrapped up in someone's wrath, good and tight" she licked her lips.

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"Think about it, you wouldn't have to hide any more? I can take it all away."

She blinked, for a moment the world seemed to stand still. If she wasn't a devil-kin, Nadia would still be alive. Trying to envision what not having to hide would even feel like. She imagined it would be much like those moments alone with Mavrik, at their camp site where she didn't have to pretend to be anything but herself, the man even encouraged it. Perhaps she didn't have to snatch at those moments, maybe they could be her reality.

"Don't listen to her" Mavrik's cool voice cut in, until another pained groan broke through. Making the hag laugh, now nose to nose with Delilah as the green light died down in her cunning eyes.

"So what will it be girly?" Her breath reeked of carrion, Delilah was close enough now to see the blotches and blemishes on the old woman's skin.

"All I'll need is that tin man of yours?"

Mavrik? She wanted Mavrik.

"Never"

Now aware that her hand had found the lantern on her hip once again 'Lira.'

Delilah heard the name echo in her head. Tracing the cool metal for a moment, as she raised her other hand up, a smile laced her lips, as her palm ignited. She would never betray Mavrik, he made her feel seen, even when she wanted to hide. This hag would never inflict an ill intentioned touch on anyone again. This time brilliant, white light arced around them, bouncing across the damp walls, and chasing the darkness from every corner. It surged forward, enveloping the hag as she let out a guttural scream and stumbled back, clawing at her skin, shuffling backwards as chunks of flesh slid off her bones.

"You filth!" She shrieked "you'll regret this!"

Delilah stepped forward, light rushing back towards her, leaving live white embers hungrily surging across the old woman's form. Until the light became blinding, forcing the young woman to shield her eyes. Hearing the hag slump to the floor, the embers flickered out leaving an odd stillness in the air as the black spots in her eyes retreated.

"Mavrik??"

Hardly sparing a glance to the ashen remains as she ran to her companion, reaching out a trembling hand to rest on his forearm. She fell to her knees and pulled his hand away from his side, blanching at the blood as he tried to wave it off.

"Are you hurt?" His tone was tight with pain, but the concern was evident.

"No.. I-I'm so sorry, this is all my fault" Delilah stuttered, stumbling over her words as guilt hit her like a punch in the gut, now realising tears had been flowing freely. Mavrik's cool gloved hand came to rest a top her head, giving her hair a light ruffle.

"You did good." His voice was laced with pain, snapping Delilah back into reality as she began riffling through his bag, knowing that the man often carried various balms and herbs in his pack.

"White Willow Bark, in a cylinder container. It numbs pain" Mavrik spoke through gritted teeth.

Delilah nodded, soon finding the balm and wasting no time in lathering it across the gaping wound, scrunching her nose at the sour scent. Noting that what ever enchantment had gripped Mavrik, seemed to vanish with the hag's death. She watched as Mavrik became less tense, the balm clearly taking effect, examining the damage to his plate with a click of his tongue. She lightly bit her lip, Mavrik had mentioned that some spell casters could heal, but Delilah had little success in her attempts.

Then again, there was no time like the present and she supposed if it didn't work, she could always opt for the less pleasant option and cauterise it. She could feel Mavrik's gaze on her, carefully she rested her hand over the wound. Listening to his breathing, feeling the coolness of his skin under her touch, and willing the gaping wound to knit together. For a moment soft light flickered to life over her hand, and seeped into the wound before it frazzled out. Delilah huffed in disappointment, falling back onto her haunches. She inspected the wound, the bleeding had stopped and the wound seemed to be further into its healing stage, but it was still there.

"It's a good start. You've used a lot of energy" Mavrik assured as he heaved himself to his feet, offering a hand to her. Delilah took his hand, careful to not aggravate his injury by holding her own weight as she stood. Dusting herself down, as he approached the hag's remains and drew a knife, crouching down to cut off the head in one fluid movement.

"I think it's time to pay a visit to a certain black smith" Mavrik's tone was dark, she followed after the man as he stalked back the way they came, hag head in hand. The air around him had shifted, from the way he walked, stiff and rigid, to the way his fists were curled made Delilah shudder apprehensively as she trailed behind him.