Kenza was the first to pick it up, mainly due to her speed. Having been born with fast reflexes, the hunter honed her inborn talent both because it was her first weapon and because it was her best one. From her first hunt to the last hunt she'd gone on before she'd signed up to hunt down the Wolfwing, Kenza had counted on her speed and her instincts to keep her out of death's jaws and secure her bounty. So, when the ominous feel of bloodlust seeped down from the upper floor, Kenza's senses put her on high alert, prompting her to draw her sword. [i]We would have died if we'd gone up,[/i] she realized with a shudder, goosebumps speckling her skin when she realized how narrowly the hunters had just escaped death.

Mistletoe noticed it a split-second after Kenza, owing to her experience from years of hunting alone with just her senses to stave off death. That death was closer than she'd predicted scared her, especially since she wasn't one to take risks. Taking risks, especially as an archer, meant you lose the chance of having a secure upper hand -- something that Mistletoe dreaded since she prided herself on her foresight and decisiveness more than her sheer combat power. Brain over brawn was something she fully bought into, but such wouldn't be true if brain was not given enough time to utilize itself.

Looking back and meeting the other two hunters' eyes, Mistletoe saw her panic and fear reflected back, and without a word all three hunters quickened their pace down the stairwell. Upon arriving at the bottom, Mistletoe allowed herself to relax a little, taking in her new surroundings carefully. In the room was another suit of armor with a halberd, a doorway, and a smashed cabinet with fabrics piled messily beside it. Her initial reasons for choosing the halberd over the shortspear were still there though -- the weapon would be too heavy for her to handle one-handed, and she didn't want to put any strain on her injured hand if she could help it. 

Kenza arrived beside Mistletoe, remaining just as panicked as she was before. Although the ominous presence hadn't made chase for the hunters, its bloodlust reminded Kenza that she was so very defenseless and mortal in this barrack-prison she was trapped in. As much as she hated her fear, she couldn't smother it completely, and so she was eager to put distance between herself and the stairwell.

"I'm sticking with the sword. You two grab what you need and let's move on," Kenza said, moving towards the doorway beside the suit of armor. Mistletoe nodded, understanding her fellow hunter's agitation even though she didn't feel it. Having been a solo hunter most of her career, the oldest hunter was used to keeping her emotions in check -- calming herself down and riling herself up was part of the job description when it was her against the world, and her experience in this aspect shined through in comparison to Kenza's. Although the other hunter was clearly a charismatic leader, she lacked the years of experience that Mistletoe had seen in some of the older hunters she'd been on hunts with.

"I'm going to stick with my shortspear -- lighter and more like a dagger," she told Derrick, pausing to wait for the boy to respond before following Kenza to the doorway.

[@hekazu][@lord of evil]