Skarlet opened her eyes slowly, turning her head from the light shining in through her open window. She yawned and stretched, the stiff and uncomfortable bed beneath her made her back ache. She was about to go back to sleep when she felt something, causing her to frown as her eyes darted around the room. She paused as her gaze strayed to a sword resting against the bedside table, she jolted up onto her feet. It's still here, maybe it wasn't a dream. She lifted the sword and stumbled, she felt weaker than the previous day. You want me to kill something, don't you? Her emotions were a bit of a mess, breaking the motions she'd been repeating for so long felt wrong.

It seemed like it was watching her, a faint whisper chewing on her ears. It was a normal enough looking sword. The sword had a silver blade, a black metal cross guard, and a leather-wrapped handle. Simple enough, but she could have sworn it gazed at her, though she couldn't tell if that was hunger or malice in it's eyes.

She sighed as she got dressed, the sword seemed to watch eagerly as she slipped from her night clothes. It was a loose white shirt with straps over her shoulders leaving her lower neck and upper shoulders bare. She lowered her white frilled bloomers with a slight blush climbing her face. The sword felt like a presence in her room and it didn't feel pleasant like a guy peeping on her. Besides she was aware that her sleepwear was rather childish in nature, but she was only conscious of it now do to that feeling of presence. She lifted her arm and sniffed, her nose wrinkled a bit, I should find a stream to wash up, She thought with a frown. As she shoved her night clothes into her bedside drawer.

She pulled a black shirt from her drawers and pulled it over her head, her ears twitched as they popped out the top. She pulled a black pleated skirt from her drawers as well, dark red stripes filled the in-between of the pleats, stepping into it she pulled it up before buttoning it at the waist. She lifted a belt from the top of the dresser, she threw it over her shoulder and drew it down her back, a second belt branched off from it. She took hold of the back belt and wrapped it around her waist, sliding a knife sheath onto it before buckling it at the front. She slipped her feet into toeless boots and pulled on fingerless gloves.

Lastly, she lifted a cloak from her bedpost and draped it over her shoulders, she then sheathed her knife at her waist and lifted the sword from it's leering position. She washed it in her gaze as her finger slid absentmindedly down its blade. A beautiful red blossomed into her vision, her eyes Locking onto the essence of her own life pooling on the blade and smearing her finger. As she stared black dots began to appear in her blood, they slowly consumed the red till it was pure black. A scowl slipped onto her face as she quickly wiped it away. Filthy, of course, it's my blood afterall. She didn't seem to notice her biased views as she slipped the sword snuggly into the sheath poking out from behind her head.

Skarlet glanced into her mirror, it was the same one from the orphanage, but the crack had splintered more at around head height. As she looked at the fragmented reflection of her face she sighed in annoyance I look like a damn kid, she thought as she pressed against her chest. Not that my chest is a surprise with my race. It's abnormal for a cat Lithian to be well endowed its an evolutionary thing we're quick and silent hunters it would only get in our way. But at least I could be tall! Annoyance flared up as she stomped her foot while inspecting her height, getting up on her tippy toes. Geez, it feels like I stopped growing at fourteen. Seriously I'm almost nineteen now I think I'm overdue for a growth spurt.

Skarlet gave her cheeks a slap and readjusted her thoughts. It doesn't matter at the end of the day, I'm not trying to be liked, or be attractive. I don't need friends or allies I need power. She sighed and raised her hand to brush a strand of hair from her eyes when she noticed a scar on her palm. It was horizontal and cut from the left side of her palm to the right. She was reminded of when she first gripped her sword, her palm had bled then. Skarlet brushed her fingers through her hair, straightened her clothes a bit then turned toward the door. She was as prepared as possible, after one last gaze around her room she stepped out into the hall. For a moment she expected to see him again, but he wasn't there. She slipped through the kitchen and out the back, it was technically an Inn, but she paid a little extra to be allowed to leave like this. Avoiding the other residents was easier if you don't use the front door. She made a great effort to come into contact with as few people as possible.

Skarlet stepped nervously onto the main street, avoiding the other people around her, she moved quickly. Eventually she found her way to the Guild and pushed the doors open. It was rowdy in here, laughing and talking echoed through the air as adventurers told stories and drank alcohol.

She slipped along the wall, avoiding the eyes around her as she walked up to the bounty board. There were several recurring commissions, goblin and carnivorous rabbit subjugations, also gathering Agluso plants. Each of the recurring commissions had a row of slips on the bottom of the request paper, giving one to the representative at the counter would act as accepting the commission. She grabbed a slip of each subjugation, then she approached the counter. The receptionist looked at her with suspicion in her brown eyes, though she marked on her clipboard that the requests had been taken by Skarlet.

"You've never done this many before, you better not be planning something stupid, and here you chose to hunt a pack of demon wolves. That's technically within your rank but. . . Skarlet I can't stop you, but be careful." The receptionist talked to Skarlet like a worried friend as she brushed the brown hair from her eyes. This receptionist was friends with her parents and, well, her friend by proxy. She was being looked down on, Skarlet only shook her head before turning to leave. There was a bit of a commotion behind her from the other adventurers whispering together about what the sudden change could mean. Most came to the conclusion that she was planning to go out in a blaze of glory or something. They talked about her with contempt, and her death was a happy subject for them.

Skarlet felt that she could do it, The goblins and rabbits should help her grow in strength if the sword really does that, then she would be strong enough to take down the demon wolves.

Skarlet made her way towards the back entrance of the town, one used by adventurers due to it leading directly to a forest with low level monsters and more precisely, rabbits, goblins, and wolves. She flashed her adventurers card before slipping past the guard, her head down. He simply ignored her, there was no greeting.

The forest wasn't dark or tight, the trees were quite spaced out, and the sun dotted the ground with large and small speckled spots of sun that trickled through the leaves above. It was pretty actually, with flowers and meadows. Skarlet's posture changed as she entered the forest, she held her body low, with her nose in the air. Her nervousness was completely gone, her eyes held confidence that would be completely foreign to the many adventures who'd met her in the past. The calm forest had an affect on her mind as her anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions that normally plagued her slipped away. She felt the most sane while hunting or fighting as the focus it took to participate in those activities would push out all her other emotions.

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She was listening for sounds, the birds, the rustling of leaves. She was watching for tracks in the dirt, her footsteps silent and careful. Her race as a Catkin gave her a heightened sense of smell and hearing, with those senses she latched onto her prey. The sound of their broken high-pitched language, the earthy and metallic scent of dirt mixed with blood. She followed it, the sound and smell of goblins.

Her footsteps barely made any sound as she drew her sword, the foliage got a little denser as she made her way towards it. A short investigation proved that the plants and bushes had been placed there purposefully. Her ears flicked, listening, and her tail swayed as it avoided bushes and leaves. She could hear them ahead of her, their words were garbled. They spoke a language no one but them knew. She peered at them through the bushes, like a predator.

Skarlet glanced around for a way to ambush them, her gaze landed on a tree branch hanging down over the clearing they stood in, she silently extended her claws and pierced the rough bark, climbing up into the tree overhanging the clearing. Her breathing slowed as she began analyzing her prey, there were only two they were picking apart the corpse of a carnivorous rabbit. She inched out onto a branch directly above one of the goblins. It swayed and dipped beneath her letting out quiet cracking sounds but her heart didn't sway. She calmed her breath before leaping and piercing her sword downward, directly into the skull of the first goblin. Her sword pierced his head and body before stabbing into the ground. That worked a little too well, She thought in alarm as she tried to pry the sword from the corpse. The other Goblin pulled out a small knife and lunged at her, Skarlet swung her leg around and kicked the goblin in the side of the head. She then let go of her sword and pulled out her knife before leaping at the goblin.

It swung at her, Skarlet barely dodged, gaining a slice on her arm for her trouble. Goblins were crafty little creatures, but not considered of the human race or even a possibility of them being a part of the social sphere as they were vile in nature. They were scavengers, and a species that only had male members, they reproduced by using other animals, humans included. They were basically parasites, and it's not like they tried to seduce women of other races, no they took what they wanted with force. They were also cruel creatures, they held no kinship and would use other Members of their own race to reach selfish goals.

Skarlet brought her blade up and blocked the goblin, then she kicked it in the shin causing it to lose his balance and fall face first. Skarlet dropped her knife and caught it with her other hand before dragging it across the goblins neck and letting it fall. She moved her foot just in time to avoid the green blood that splattered out.

Skarlet sighed, before stepping back to the first goblin and prying the sword from it's corpse. She realized something, I feel stronger, like l might actually have mana right now. My body got a little stronger, it's miniscule, but still I'm certain that's what happened. She stood up, held out her hand and spoke: "Spirits of the fire, shape and come forth, Fireball!" A ball of flame appeared in front of her outstretched hand before shooting forward it smashed into the dirt leaving a scorch mark. The spark of hope in her heart burst into a small flame, a desire for power was born. She stretched lightly trying to get used to that feeling of growth. Then it slipped out, an excited squeak as she began to squirm with the happiness boiling over. "Magic! I can use magic!" When Skarlet had first started as an adventurer they tested her, she was told at that time that her mana veins had holes in them and she'd never be able to use magic due to the inability to circulate mana in her body. Though she soon collected herself and mentally she felt annoyance at her own behavior. Getting excited over something like this.

Skarlet sheathed her sword and turned around, her eyes closed and her ears twitched, The sound of something chewing, small, blood, squeaking. Skarlet headed in the direction of her next prey. Following the sound of a small animal nibbling on something fleshy.

She slipped through the trees silently, the sound getting louder as she went. Ahead through the bushes she came across a group of white rabbits. Skarlet eyed them, counting their numbers, there were about six. She frowned, can I take six? She wondered. The carnivorous rabbits were a species of white, red eyed, rabbit monsters. They had heightened senses of smell when it came to blood, and were comparable to the piranhas of the land.

She approached cautiously, trying to find a way to manage the little critters. Suddenly one lifted it's head, the tiny creature's nose twitching before it looked right at her and squeaked. A chorus of squeaks answered and they abandoned their current prey before leaping into the bushes at Skarlet.

Skarlet hesitated out of surprise and one latched onto her arm, the open wound from the goblin appearing to draw it's attention. "Fuck" She exclaimed as she stabbed it and ripped it from her arm. She winced as it yanked out a chunk of her flesh.

With her sword in one hand and her knife in the other she Slashed and stabbed as they swarmed her. She watched in horror as more arrived from the bushes around her. The rabbits weren't dangerous by themselves, but often if you don't kill the first group fast enough, another group shows up. They start to pile up and soon you drown in injuries.

Skarlet Swung her sword, killing three with a single swing as she slowly retreated. Blood splattered onto her face and she couldn't see for a moment as a stabbing pain attached to her arm. She stabbed the one hanging from her arm as she wiped her eyes, and kicked another off her leg. She leaped up a tree, sinking her claws in frantically as she smashed her leg against the trunk and dislodged the rabbit hanging onto her leg. She yanked herself up into a crook and sat down to take a breath. They circled the tree and seemed unable to climb it. Skarlet sighed, "Spirits of life, heal this wound, healing touch," She chanted and healed the wounds on her skin. Damn, didn't expect them to multiply like that, She thought as she chanted the fireball spell and tossed it down. The rabbits screamed and avoided the fire, allowing Skarlet to just jump down and leap away. She readied herself again, the numbers had been reduced a bunch from that fire and her frantic slashing. There were only ten left, they barred their teeth hungrily before dashing at her. She slashed through the crowd as they rushed at her, wincing as one bit her. She stabbed it and kicked it away. She spun her sword and sliced a leaping rabbit in half before stabbing another that was running up. She kicked one and stabbed again.

Skarlet leaped back to give herself some more room, She slashed through a couple more, cut down another leaper, wincing as one landed on her back, Shit where'd you come from. She dropped her knife as another leaped on her and dug into her wrist, Then two, three, five. She stumbled back, falling onto a group that had snuck up behind. Damnit! Another group!

She could hear them, all around her, crowding in, hungry creatures. She could feel them biting, her body was becoming numb though. There were so many wounds that her sensory system had overloaded and went silent. She struggled, flipping herself over she pushed them away from her vitals and protected her neck. A sound reached her ears, it was different than the current chewing she was already getting used to. It was footsteps, heavy but soft. A sense of danger washed over her, the feeling of being prey caught in the view of a predator.

The rabbits squealed, she could hear growling and the sound of many small creatures running as they scattered. The pain stopped and Skarlet slowly sat up, there was nothing there. She winced as something wet dripped on her shoulder, Skarlet slowly turned around as she found herself staring at a giant wolf with red stripes like a tiger. It had a horn coming out of the center of it's head that glowed a soft greenish color, two louscious tails, and four piercing yellow eyes.