The stillness of the night erupted into a chaotic struggle as a sudden weight landed on her back. She could feel teeth sinking into her neck, and something furry sapping a huge amount of her mana. The little bastard, finally made his move huh, she thought before collapsing to her knees under the energy drain.



The maul that had hung tranquil in the air sprung into action, reeling itself back and swinging unnaturally fast at their masters back. Siathriah apparently decided that harm to the servant was worth harm to the pest. Her armour broke under the strain, and the follow-up collapsed her to the ground. Haggard breaths escaped her throat, she could tell the last of her energy was being sapped away. The ring on her finger drew her attention as her hands clawed at the dirt in front of her. Wolfe… She could borrow his power, for just a moment, call for help.



The ring glowed, a soft electric blue mist escaped it. The presence of a spirit made itself known to her, invisible in the moment. Gwendolyn used the last of her strength to spit out the words “Maids…Get Maids…”. And then, the world went black.



Millicent awoke from her slumber. The distant sound of metal crashing told her that it was probably almost breakfast time. she stretched her arms out above her head to stretch, before throwing off the silk blanket that covered her. Nudging Mori and Jess awake, she began to get dressed for the day. Odd, there was no light coming through the flaps of the tent. It wasn't like it was winter or anything, why the hell were the canteens getting started this early. Jess rubbed at her eyes, before looking around and asking wearily "Milli, why? It's like the middle of the night."

"Shut it, there's something wrong" She hissed, trying not to alert the rest of the camp before she figured out what was going on. "Get your clothes on"

Not a moment after the trio got their buttons buttoned, did a soft blue light illuminate the inside of their tent. A scholarly looking gnome ghost sat on their crate of supplies, cheekily swinging his legs. he smiled once Mori turned her bleary eyes to see where the light was coming from, cheerily stating "Oh don't mind me lassies, just enjoying the view!" The Feline-kin face turned into a marked frown, before throwing a heel at the apparition. Despite going right through him and colliding with the tent behind, the gnome still flinched before chuckling.

"Might want to save the fighting for your friend! She's out there in the woods with a monkey on her back, probably needs some help!"

"God's be damned" Millicent says, throwing her apron on and rushing out the flaps, two maids and a gnome ghost following closely behind.


Hallowed Redolence (0(7)pts/MAT/Fire/Light/HEAVY/Soul Bonded, Tourney Favour, Double Strike)
Living Weapon
hit x2, aimed at the creature on her back.
Soul Waning x2

Mystborn Platebody hit -1
Major Wound
Mana drained
Unconscious

Wolfes Eternity Ring
Call Ghost, Gnome Researcher

NPCS
Mori Tsuji, Millicent Donwen, Jessica Harbour

Quest Name: To Fae or not to Fae

Participants: Two or more

Location: Anywhere

Post Requirements: 8 posts per person, 250 words per post

Reward: +50 security to your home region, Choice of 1 Unique crafting material

Description: For some reason there has been an increase in Fae sightings across all of Charon over the last month, which has also increased the amount of people who have turned their attention to them; especially those trying to capture the mystical Fae and sell them on the black market. While traveling through Charon it is not rare to hear about Fae captures or even come across one yourself. Opinions have been split when it comes to these unknown beings as some think they are natural and should be left alone, while others see their increase as a bad thing, and believe them to be enemies.



You have encountered one such scenario. You have just learned of a recent capture of a Fae being sold or have even stumbled upon one as it is in the process of being captured by others. What you decide to do is up to you. Do you help the poachers or fight them off, do you take the Fae for yourself and try to sell it, or do you free it back into the wild? How you encounter it and what you do is totally up to you.

Hylltywyll bit down hard on Gwen's neck, his anger at her fueling him to do more harm than he would usually do. His teeth dug into her skin nearly enough to draw blood and more than enough to be very painful. The two little tusks at the corners of his mouth stabbed into Gwen's neck, making two marks like reversed, far apart fangs which began to trickle blood.

Hyll cared little about the blood though. What he was after was her mana, the light domain energy coursing through her veins that was slowly being pulled from her and down his throat. His hunger was being satisfied and Gwen was being taught a lesson in not taking the Fae so lightly, especially Hylltywyll.

He grunted in pain at the two heavy strikes to his small back. They hurt, but he was built surprisingly sturdy for such a small creature and already the pain was fading as some of the magic he was already draining from Gwen was diverted to repair his damaged body. All she truly managed to do was damage her own armor. Hylltywyll smirked as he continued biting. She really was an idiot.

He saw her cast a spell just before she fell unconscious, something to summon some spirit, but it didn't matter. It couldn't harm Hylltywyll, and she was already down for the count. He pulled his mouth away from her neck with a satisfied sigh and patted his full stomach. Such powerful magic was always the most satisfying.

The armor looked on at the scene in front of him, indifferent and unmoving, still babbling its cryptic speech.

Hylltywyll was about to leave, his business her finished, when something unexpected suddenly happened. A chain flew from the woods behind him, wrapping itself around him and Gwen's torso and binding them tightly together, back to back. He struggled for a moment, and tried to cast a spell, to use his magic to escape, but it didn't work. He looked down at the chains and realized why. Cold iron. Whoever threw this chain was hunting for Fae.

At least this time he was wearing his cloak, so the chains didn't make direct contact with him and burn him, but they still blocked his magic. Damnit! Right after he'd filled up on so much magic, now he couldn't use any of it!

"Well well, what have we got here? We thought that old suit of armor would be a good prize, but the damn thing was stuck around a tree. Real disappointin', but lucky us, we got a different little Fae freak to sell!" A gruff voice chuckled from the woods as its owner entered the clearing.

---

Major Vampiric Healing
Expanded Mind

The jostling of chains was enough to rouse Gwendolyn of her slumber. Blood trickled from her neck, her hazy vision seeing it drip onto leather boots in front of her. Hallowed Redolence lay on the ground, motionless, whatever thread that connected her to it severed by the restraints surrounding her. The sound of their voices were inaudible, but her vision pulsed a dim blue aura. A man grabbed her chin, wrenching it up to get a better look at her. His veins pulsed, weak and thready, the latent magicks that flowed through even the most dull of us.



She wanted it. His face turned, mouth moving, talking to someone. The pulsating magic flowing through his neck entranced her, his jaw moving with each word. A smile. She lunged. The hand on her chin tried to prevent her assault, only succeeding in ripping the veil off her face as she lifted both the chain and the gremlin on her back. Sudden movement knocked the man off balance, Gwen used the momentum to fall forward.



An inch away from the mans carotid artery is where she was stopped. Teeth gnashing ravenously, blood and spittle sprayed onto the mans horrified face. Gwen was no longer in control of her own actions. Mana deprivation on top of damage had sent her into a near-feral state. Her mouth had widened, almost reaching her ears, and full of razor sharp teeth. Four extra eyes appeared alongside her own, desperately searching for magic to siphon. One of them looked to her back, a huge reservoir of mana strapped to her by cold iron. She made the attempt to return the favour, but all the lunging and gnashing could not reach the attached gremlin.



“Well I’ll be damned if this ain’t our lucky day. Two-fer one special.” Said the gruff man, now holding the valuable cold-iron coil off of his comrade. “Get ya ass up so we can get outta here already. Whole damn Expedition is in the camp.”



Last Resort 1/3

When you reach a state where you should die or become unconscious, you instead retreat to your soul form in your exhaustion.





This form is distorted but humanoid in appearance and embodies the essence of how your vampirism has bound to your soul. You become feral for three posts, seeking the nearest source of energy to heal yourself, whether it be friend or foe, without bias. You have three hit preventions in this form, are twice as strong, twice as fast, and twice as resistant in your curse's desperation to fuel itself.





If you do not feed while in this form, or lose all your hit preventions, you will fall unconscious; you do not retain memories while in this form.

Hylltywyll kicked his legs and squirmed, tying to free himself of these chains, as he was tossed about on Gwen's back by her feral attack on one of their captors. It was like he'd suddenly been tied to the back of a wild animal instead of that dumb unconscious lady! What the hell was happening!?

He recoiled from her attempts to grab him once her attention turned to him. Thankfully he was on her back where she couldn't reach him easily, but he'd much rather just not be chained to her at all. With his magic sealed, he felt powerless. He was at the mercy of Gwen's inflexibility.

Think. What could he still do? Did any of his magic still work? These cold iron chains only affect him because he's a Fae. They shouldn't have any affect on a human. Did any of his magic work? He just drank all the light magic out of Gwen, and she's human, right? Would he be able to cast a spell if he focused on using that mana specifically? He tried it, trying to move the mana filling their stomach, but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't use it until they'd absorbed it and made it their own, and he doubted it would be unaffected by the cold iron at that point.

One man stepped forward and shoved a wad of cloth into Gwen's mouth, tying it behind her head to keep it in place. A burlap sack was then placed over Gwen's head and tightened around her neck. It looked like after she nearly ripped out one of their throats, they were taking every precaution. She seemed a much more dangerous captive than the tiny Fairy on her back.

With their captives secured, one larger man from the bunch threw the pair over his shoulder and the group began to set out from the clearing, away from the expedition camp. Hylltywyll continued squirming in his chains, now forced to face the sky like he was lying on top of Gwen's back.

"Ugh! Let me go! Keep the crazy lady, I don't care, but let me out of this before she-" Hylltywyll began to complain, but his words changed to a screech of pain as he felt something burning his shoulder.

"Shut it. We've got two prizes today. You're a little small, but you'll still fetch a nice price, runt." The gruff voiced man, the leader it seemed, huffed in annoyance. In his hand, the point poking Hylltywyll's shoulder, was a rapier. The design was simple with no ornate decorations or anything, but it was dangerous. Hylltywyll could tell from just that one poke that the blade, like the chains binding him, was made of cold iron. This guy was seriously a Fae hunter!

Hylltywyll closed his mouth and felt a shiver down his spine. This group was actually a serious threat to him. His eyes darted around and noticed the same dull dark grey among everyone else's weapons. All cold iron weapons. This was really bad. For one of the rare few times in his life, Hylltywyll actually felt threatened and powerless.

The feral noblewoman was blind and gagged, though still visciously gnawing at the restraints. Her hunger ached, she could smell the intense magics swirling around her. Astral magics, sky, earth, and sea domains all combining into a delicious aroma. It only grew the ravenous hunger within.



A soft “Fuck” escaped Jess’s mouth in a whisper of frustration. She had stepped on something sharp in the underbrush whilst approaching the knights glen. It threw her off balance, though catching herself on a tree. (1)


“What’s wrong” Millicent asked, pausing the party of maids to inspect her foot. A small metal contraption with several sharp edges, caltrops. Someone expecting reinforcements? The thought lingered in her mind for all of 3 seconds before a coldiron crossbow bolt bounced off a tree trunk above her, and struck her in the left hand. (2)


“Fuck, getting old, my aims off” a gruff womans voice said, hearing the scream coming from the treeline. She chuckled, before stepping into the foot stirrup to recock the crossbow. “Shut it I said, Bettie, why in the hells is the camp here already.” The large man with the pair straddled on his shoulder demanded.



“Hell if I know, ask the two freaks you got strapped to your back Tombo”

“Deal with it, we need to move”



Mori approached the wounded maids, putting a finger to her lips with the same absent smile as always. Before they could react, mori pulled the bolt and the caltrop out at the same time. The muffled screams weren't very subtle, but at least they could fight back. Milli and Jess hobbled out of the treeline to confront the poachers, each drawing sigils in the air as they were revealed. A streak of lightning illuminated the glen, and a spike of ice rocketed through the air. (3/4)


The spike landed in the back of the knee on the man holding the captives. Jess cringed as the pair slammed into the ground after Tombo cried out in pain. Bettie ducked the lightning, causing it to blow up into the knight behind her.



Milli - Major Wound
Jess - Minor Wound
Gwen - Last resort 2/3

Caltrop - Cold Iron
Crossbow - Cold Iron
Crippling Wounds
Ice Spike
Lightning Bolt

Damage with your range weapons now cause crippling wounds, wounds that sting and burn, lasting longer than normal. These wounds can not be healed by spells or abilities and take twice as long to heal naturally. This prevents others from healing the damage you dealt, allowing you to close in and truly finish off your prey.

True Hunter

You have reached the top of ranged attacking, becoming so dangerous you no longer need to see your enemy to be able to take them out. You can now manipulate your ammo or weapon mid flight by launching it with great skill and style. You can now ricochet your shots off of solid surfaces, bouncing them of of walls or structures. This can be helpful in tricking your target or even hitting them at awkward or impossible angles. You also are able to bank your shots, causing them to curve around solid objects such as walls or structures. This allows you to hit an enemy even if they are hiding behind something or trying to use cover.

Blood Trail

Damage done by your range weapons now cause the wounds to bleed even more, forcing excess blood from the wound. This will cause anyone who has taken damage to leave behind a blood trail, which you have trained to track. This bloodtrail will spatter the ground, leading you directly to your target. This makes it incredibly hard for your enemy to hide once you have damaged them.

Shooters Sense

You have spent so much time behind a ranged weapon that you have started to form a sixth sense, able to read your enemies movements and predict the shot, even without being able to see them. You are now able to passively aim at your target, even if your sight is obscured by things like mist, smoke or even the darkness. Vision impairing abilities or effects no longer prevent you from shooting at your enemy.



Far Sight

Your aim and range as a marksman has increased, making you even deadlier at long ranges while using a range weapon. You can see just as clear as normal but now at twice the distance, letting you track and see targets even at incredibly long distances. Your reach with a weapon has also increased, letting you fire a weapon twice as far as you normally would be able to.

Hylltywyll tried to look behind him to see what was going on, but it was no use with Gwen's fat, bagged head in the way. From the sounds of it though, someone else had intruded on their capture and a fight had broken out. The twang of crossbows being fired and the whistle of bolts flying through the air echoed through the glade. Hylltywyll actually felt hopeful that he might be rescued here. The man holding him and Gwen let out a grunt of pain and fell to one knee. They were attacking the Fae hunters! This really could be a rescue!

"Ahhh- Urgh!" Hylltywyll let out a screech as Gwen was rolled off of the Fae hunter's shoulder, sending him face planting into the ground and crushed beneath the weight of the armored woman on top of him who was still thrashing like a feral animal. He wriggled and managed to get his face out of the dirt so he could breathe, but now he was stuck in an even worse position than before.

Tombo struggled to stand with the huge spike of ice impaling his knee. He looked behind him at the three... maids? They were being attacked by fucking maids? Really? One of his men dodged to the side and avoided a lightning bolt. Okay, magic maids. This was trouble.

"Ouch..." The knight stopped its cryptic mumbling for a moment after being struck by the lightning bolt, but started up again soon after. Thankfully, it didn't seem to have harmed him much.

"Tombo!" The leader called out seeing the big man unable to stand. He glared angrily at the maids. He moved to cover Tombo, a buckler shield strapped to his arm and his cold iron rapier in his hand.

"We're professional Fae catchers. You think we don't know how to deal with a little magic?" He called out to the maids as he held his buckler up. These maids might not be Fae, but they still had tricks up their sleeves for dealing with spells.

"Hey! Hey you!" Hylltywyll called to the fallen man right beside him. "Let me out of these chains and I can heal your leg. I mean it. You're Fae hunters right? You should know that Fae can't tell lies."

Dietrich took a brutish stance one wouldn’t normally expect from a duelist with a rapier. It was more like he was anticipating a bear to grapple him. Mori cared little for the nuance of duelist stances, her face gave a frown of slight annoyance, before firing off a bolt of flame from the treeline.



The leader of the group barely even flinched, raising his shield to catch the bolt on it’s trajectory. The flame that briefly illuminated the brush hit the buckler, and almost froze midair. It’s essence was ripped apart, and the magic used to create it instead coated Dietrichs rapier and shield. “Thanks for that, ya know you ladies owe me for Tombo’s leg. It ain’t easy getting healers with a bounty.” With that, he rocketed towards the two that had stepped out. Slamming into Millicent shield first, he knocked her back into the bushes as another lightning bolt hit the shield. Jess offered a scared smile for a moment, before quickly casting another ice spike towards the leaders face.



His rapier lept up, catching the spike halfway and slicing it length wise. The attack melted into a cool mist that splashed against his face. A wicked smile sent Jess also diving back into the bushes, only to land on another caltrop. “Damnit”



Meanwhile, Tombo was rolling on the ground, cradling his knee when he heard the little fae thing trying to make a deal with him. That’s right, he had heard that fae can’t lie… But he could. After he was all healed up, he would just grab the gremlin and tie it up again, easy. “Deal, no tricks” He whispered back, before unclasping the quicklatch that held the contraption together.



She could smell it. Not a practiced magic nor a well understood one, but one that flowed through everyone. Life essence, leaking onto the floor. Her desperation was at it’s peak, her body knowing if it did not feed now it would be all over. The chains relaxed, and immediately she lept for the source of the smell. Tombo shouted out in surprise, he was going to restrain her the second the chains were off, but she was faster. All he could do was punch at the burlap sack that was lunging for him. The coldiron knuckle dusters should have stopped whatever magic was propelling the fiend, yet she did not relent.



It did little to phase her, she was attached to the leg by inhumane stength. Her hands ripped the ice spike out, letting the life essence flow freely. Tombo screamed, for there was little he could do. Gwendolyn shoved her face, burlap sack, gag, and all into the open wound. The scent of life filled her burlap prison, and blood seeped into the cloth. The magic flowed from his spirit, not filling, but enough.



Bettie stared in horror at the sight, letting out a “What the fuck” before shooting a bolt at the she-beasts shoulder, a miss for the head. It too did not deter her, and seconds later, a rejuvenated Gwendolyn stood tall.




Fire Bolt > Absorbed by Dietrich Stolen Power > Fire Rapier / Buckler
Ice Spike > Deflecting Slice
Lightning Bolt > Blocked by Buckler
Caltrop > Jess
Unarmed Attack Coldiron knuckle dusters > Gwendolyn
Coldiron Crossbow > Gwendolyn
Last Resort 3/3, 2/3 hit preventions
Wicked Desires > Major Vampiric Healing > Tombo

He smiled wide as the man agreed to free him. As soon as the chains were loose enough, Hylltywyll slipped them off and disappeared. He wasn't spending a second longer than necessary anywhere near that crazed beast that used to be a smug noble lady. He was glad that idiot that freed him was the one being attacked by her and not him.

"Ahhhhhh!" Tombo screamed as he was set upon by the bagged lady. He punched at her, trying to get her off, but she was a lot stronger than she looked. He could feel the strength leaving his body. His punches were slowing down. He only had one more hope. He looked around for the little fuzzy thing he'd made a deal with, that had promised to heal him.

"You said you'd heal me! Where are you? Come fill your part of the deal!" He shouted out into the clearing.

"Deal? I never made a deal." He suddenly heard the little trickster's voice in his mind.

"You said you would heal me if I let you out of the chains..." Tombo called back weakly, not knowing he could reply in his mind. His consciousness was fading.

"Can. I said I can heal you if you let me out of the chains. And I can. But I never said I would. You should listen more carefully."

"Fucking... Fairy..." Tombo wheezed as he passed out. He knew he had been tricked, but there was nothing he could do about it now. The Fae creature wasn't lying.

From up on a tree branch, hidden in the shade of the leafy canopy, Hylltywyll chuckled to himself and watched the battle unfold. His usual smug attitude had returned, no longer in serious danger wrapped in cold iron chains. He was free to use his magic again, and he would. These Fae hunters would regret crossing him.

---

Blink
One With the Shadows
Mind Parasite

She ripped the bag off her head, and spat out the blood soaked rag from her mouth. Her face had gone pretty much back to normal, other than being coated in a slick covering of vital essence. The smell was revolting, not just of the blood, but of everything. Where was her veil, she thought, looking around as the hunter began to panic.



It was hard to see, the only light coming from the various spells being cast by the treeline. It didn’t help her find the veil, but the rather large maul that lay on the ground would be helpful. Calling it to herself, it did not budge. Strange, it was like something was blocking her magical abilities.



“Ooooh no, fuckfuckfuck what the fuck Tombo” The crossbowwoman could be heard muttering as she went to reload another bolt. She watched as the feral woman they had captured lifted a maul off the ground, the head of which began glowing a faint blue light. The womans angry, bloodsoaked face and hair gave off a terrifying visage in the darkness of the glen, it seemed like she was trying to say something.



“What, who are you people? Where the hell is that little gremlin” Gwen asked, hefting the maul onto her shoulders. “Did you, did you shoot me? The fuck”



“Gwen!” Millicent cried out, currently tussling with the leader of the group. “Fae hunters! Theyre using -ugh”. She was interrupted before she could finish, having to dodge a slash from Dietrich as he advanced.

Dietrich wanted to know the same thing. Where had the damn little Fairy gone? He didn't want to let one of his prizes go. If Tombo was still alive, he'd be getting a harsh scolding for untying those chains. How many times did he have to be told not to trust anything a Fae says? They can't tell lies, but that doesn't mean they can't twist their words and trick you.

"Go find the little one!" He called to his remaining ally with the crossbow, Bettie.

She gave him a nod and moved toward the treeline. She was stealthy and agile, easily dodging through the tangle of branches and foliage like they were here home. She would have been suited to being a ranger rather than some Fae hunter. How she ended up in this profession, that was her personal business and no one here could say, not even her teammates.

Hylltywyll huffed in annoyance as he noticed she was actually heading in his direction. How she was tracking him, he didn't know. Perhaps some item that let them find Fae. He wouldn't be surprised, knowing they had so much cold iron and magic absorbing equipment. They were well prepared for hunting Fae, but they were woefully unprepared to face Hylltywyll.

Hylltywyll lifted a hand to the sky, a shadowy image of what looked like a piece of coral materializing in his hand. He crushed it, and the wisps of darkness rose into the sky, above the trees. A dark shape formed and suddenly expanded rapidly into what looked like the shadow of a whale. It flew in the sky, as if it was swimming through the air, and then slowly dove down straight through the trees. It vanished into the ground without a trace.

Suddenly, below the hunter in the trees, a low rumbling shook the ground and the sound of a whale call pierced the air as a set of dark jaws rose around her, not resembling the mouth of a gentle whale at all. Giant pointed teeth closed above her like a bear trap as she screamed and tried to slip out of them, but it was too fast.

"WHAT THE FU-" Her scream was cut off completely as the mouth closed and a gulp was heard before the shadow sank back into the ground. A slight rumbling shook the ground, the creature moving beneath the earth rapidly.

That was two of them taken care of. Now only one remained.

---

The Stone Titan's Hunger

Dietrich faced the two remaining maids. Millicent was in rough shape, and Mori had seen better days. Jess was off sleeping in a bush somewhere from poisoned caltrops. Mori cast out a sigil, crushing It in her hands to activate the magic. The earth beneath the lead hunter rumbled, tilting dramatically to try and throw the man off balance. Unfortunately for them, this only served to send him airborne. Millicent lifted her good hand to try and cast against him, but it was too late.



He dropped the cold iron rapier for a moment, only to catch it in reverse, hilt forward. His downward fall brought him directly on top of Mori, smashing her in the nose with the weapons handguard. A sickening crunch sent the now-unconscious cat maid sprawling into a nearby tree. A swift roundhouse kick to the side of the head using the momentum from the fall dealt with the remaining maid. He panted, “definitely getting too old for this. Bettie, did you get the slippery lil bastard?”



“I’m afraid your compatriot is no longer with us.” Spoke a bloodsoaked Gwendolyn, standing in the center of the glen in front of the night. She reached up, and tore the crossbow bolt out of her arm. The squelch of blood dripping was quickly overtaken by the return of her mauls power. The candlelight within reignited, and Enlightened Redolence once more began to float on it’s own volition.



The grizzled veteran of a Fae hunter cracked his neck, emerging from the woodline. Peering around in the now slightly illuminated clearing, it was obvious he had no more allies in this woodland. Dietrich cracked his neck, gritted his teeth, and raised his sword and shield. “Always figured this is how I’d go out, taken down by the freakshow. I won’t be the last” he said, in an almost taunting manner.


Gwen - Major wound 1
Mori, Milli, Jess, KO

Hylltywyll felt much more confident once he was free of those chains, with his magic able to be used again and a crazy woman no longer tied to his back. His confidence only grew seeing the Fae hunters so decimated, with only their leader left to face him. Oh, and Gwen was also still there. Whose side she was on though, he wasn't certain. Surely, she considered Dietrich her enemy, but that didn't mean she considered Hylltywyll her ally. He was still confident he could come out on top if this became a three way battle. Gwen was already soaked in blood and drained of the magic that still filled his stomach.

Dietrich had defeated Gwen's maids, but it had worn him down. His skill could only last as long as his stamina. Hylltywyll crept closer, keeping hidden in the trees to observe from a safe vantage point. If Gwen and Dietrich finished each other off, that would be ideal. If one finished the other, he would only have to take on whoever remained. Either way, he could just wait patiently to rejoin the battle if he wished. There was one other option though.

As much as he disliked the snotty noblewoman, he considered her the lesser pain compared to a Fae hunter. Judging the situation, Gwen was more likely to lose this battle one on one. And once she was gone, Dietrich would definitely look for Hylltywyll. A professional Fae hunter, he was certain to have more tricks up his sleeve specifically for dealing with one tricky little Fae like him. Sitting back and letting this fight play out was a risk. Running away would just leave Dietrich alive to hunt him, or rebuild a new group.

Beneath the ground, the sounds of mixed whale song and screaming could be heard whenever the creature passed closer to the surface, Bettie dissolving alive within the pitch black darkness of its cavernous stomach. That spell wouldn't last forever, but Hylltywyll was sure it would last longer than the Fae hunter. Dietrich looked down at the ground, furrowing his brow at the sounds of his ally dying beneath him.

In Gwen's mind, she heard the familiar sound of Hylltywyll's voice, but he wasn't taunting or joking like the other times. He was serious.

"Your chances of winning this fight don't look so good. How about a deal? I can heal your maids to help you, and you'll owe me. What do you say?"

Almost all of her instincts screamed at her that this was a terrible idea. A deal with a fae? She was already trapped in more ways than she could count with Siathriah. Unfortunately, an objective look at her situation would say otherwise. The leader guy had barely been touched since she went unconscious… sure he was getting tired, but so was she. Muscle fibers ached for oxygen her lungs could only barely provide. Her magic reserves were also at their barest minimum, only capable of keeping her maul afloat.



To Gwendolyn, at this moment, it was truly a deal with the devil. Victory or pride. Unless… there was a way to trick the devil. Dietrich lunged forward, she dodged clumsily to the side, deflecting the rapier with her maul only inches away from her neck. The fae creature was vain, if she looked desperate enough it might overlook her ulterior motives. Though her own master would absolutely hold her to the favour…



“Fuck! Do it! I accept your conditions damn it!” She shouted as the leader continued forward. Trading blows with the man was barely keeping her alive. He had little to no drops in his guard, but there was a way to turn this situation to her advantage.



Gwendolyn panted, wiping the blood from her mouth, and asked her enemy something quite simple. “Wait! You’re a fae hunter aren’t you? Well… where is the fae? (1) He could be escaping as we fight over nothing.”



Dietrich gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed as he contemplated the words for a moment, rapier drawn back to strike her down. He really didn’t want to check, but the doubt in his mind compelled him to paw at his pouch with the shield hand. Looking down, he withdrew an old brass compass, adorned with all sorts of magical carvings. (3) Gwendolyns subtle attempt at lighting some incense in the meantime did not slip by the man either, sneering at her once he got the location.(2)



“Don’t think I have a ward for mind control? He’s over there, don’t think I’ve forgotten about him.” (4)



1 Thank you for your candor
2 Aloe Brevia Incense
3 Altered Homebound Compass. Shows you the direction of the thing of your desire.
4 Guardian Stuffy (1/1 mind altering protections)

Hylltywyll smiled. That was almost too easy. Agreeing to a deal with a Fae, especially one where the price wasn't specified? Only a fool would do that.

He scampered down from his perch in the tree branches and crept over to where the three unconscious maids were lying on the ground. He gave the two combatants a wide berth, not wanting to be caught in the fight before he could keep his end of the terribly uneven deal. Healing a few maids was nothing compared to what he could possibly request as his payment.

As Dietrich mentioned the mind ward, Hylltywyll looked to see the incense. There was no spell he could detect, but he wasn't taking chances. He put up his own mental protection before whatever was being used could make its way over to him. He wouldn't let himself be controlled by anyone again.

Dietrich could see the needle of the compass slowly turn as his target circled around behind him, but he had no time to go after the little one until he'd finished dealing with the fight in front of him.

Hylltywyll reached the three maids and gave them each a tap on a shoulder, infusing some of his magic into them. One by one, their wounds began to mend themselves with a soft violet glow, consciousness returning to them each in turn.

Except one. He healed her wounds, but it was something else keeping her unconscious. Poison? Hmph. Well, that didn't affect the deal. He had healed her. Whether she woke up or not after that wasn't his problem. Tsk. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. They would need all the help they could get. Hylltywyll lifted a hand and gave it a quick wave, willing the poison or whatever was causing this one maid to keep sleeping to disappear.

His part of the deal was more than fulfilled. Hylltywyll ran off back into the shade of the trees to hide and continue watching the battle, now with the odds much more in favor of the group of four women against one man.

---

Mind Ward
Major Healing + Living Aura
Continuum Shatter
One with the Shadows

Dietrich shook his head, confused as to why he restrained from striking down the lass in front of him. He turned his attention back to the bloodsoaked woman, who seemed to once more be attempting to dump more incense into her burner.(4) An intense fear overtook him for but a second, before his mind cleared once again.(1) His collection of fae artefacts was coming in handy today, though that was about all he had to protect himself.



“How many times do I have to tell you freak, you can’t mess with me. I’m afraid this encounter must come to an end.” He spat at her with that pathetic look of fear on her face, before lunging forward with his rapier.



The blade pierced directly through her chest, cold blood dripping through the other side onto the dirt in front of the abandoned fae knight. Gwendolyns steel gauntlet grasped the hilt of cold steel, pulling herself towards the leader, and burying the blade deeper. Blood dripped from her lips, spattering on his cheeks as she coughed, and stared deep into his eyes. Her innate power seeped into his mind, before she brought his head closer to whisper into his ear. (2)


“I just... had to be sure it would work.” Her voice was hoarse and low, each breath ragged and painful as she winced against the sword. “I need you to capture that fairy. Do not stop until he is in your grasp once more.” She instructed, before collapsing back towards the ground. The rapier slid out from the wound, flames quenched by noble blood. Dietrich stood there, immobile.



Millicent awoke with a gasp, looking around to see Mori rubbing her head, and Jess brushing off sticks from her skirt. Her master lay at the foot of the leader, a pool of dark blood visible from the light cast by the maul. Dietrich lifted his head with a start, only to jump directly into the bushes, rapier lifted. Now was their chance, as squad leader she was taking this situation into her own hands with her master incapacitated. “Grab her, we have to go.” She said, before dashing out to her masters side. The noblewoman was cold, Mori and Jess each grabbed an arm, dragging her to the far side of the clearing.
Gwendolyn Major wound x2

1 Guardian Stuffy #2
2 Powerful Presence 1/3
4 Wisteric Ammonia Incense