[center][color=white][b][h3]Lord Balthazar Darro[/h3][/b][/color]
[img]http://r23.imgfast.net/users/2317/62/26/82/avatars/3-1.jpg[/img][/center]

[color=gray]Archon was setting, the sky was a beautiful purple. Glints of light shined off of Yan and graced some parts of the world with a few extra minutes of daylight. The the woods of Barallia were starting to fall silent, a few chirps and calls from birds could be heard but the ambiance was starting to be consumed by the chirping on insects and nocturnal creatures. A flock of korjays flew from the tree canopy, their resonant wing tips gleaming in the low light. Another flock flew off shortly after.

Along the tight road within the Barallian roads, was a small convoy. Vindrell soldiers walked in file, resonant rifles in hand. They flanked a white and gold resonant carriage bearing the banner of a noble Vindrell family.

[color=white][i]"How much further is it to Korstone, father?"[/i][/color]

[color=white][i]"Another day, Tessa. Soon you'll get to see the great Korstone itself. You'll be in awe of it for days. I promise you."[/i][/color]

The young girl smiled bright at her father's comment. She spun around excitedly, humming a Vindrell tune. The little one pictured the giant Korstone shining with different colors and the city around it illuminating the massive crystal to be seen through all hours of the day. [color=white][i]"Mother will be there too, right?"[/i][/color]

The father smiled and ruffled her hair, [color=white][i]"Of course, darling. And so will your broth-[/i][/color] the resonant carriage stopped. The nobleman could hear the sounds of the soldiers talking and moving around quickly. [color=white][i]"Wait here, Tessa."[/i][/color]

The door to the carriage came open, the light from inside it spilling out into the quickly darkening forest. A soldier stood on each side of the door to the carriage. The noble looked to one of them, [color=white][i]"What's the delay?"[/i][/color]

One of the soldiers looked up at him, [color=white][i]"Block in the road, sire. A tree has fallen over it. We're clearing it out of the way now."[/i][/color]

Suddenly, another tree fell behind the carriage. The forest went silent. Another flock of korjays flew from the canopy. The soldiers gripped their rifles tight. The noble looked around for a moment before going back inside the carriage and grabbing his longsword. [color=white][i]"I'm just stepping outside for a moment, Tessa. Lock the door behind me."[/i][/color]

The girl tilted her head but complied. As the noble stepped out and closed the door, he heard the deadbolt lock slide into place. He looked over at the tree in front of them, [color=white][i]"Somebody give me a flashlight."[/i][/color]

A soldier answered his call and gave him his light. The noble thanked him and turned it on, shining it on the tree and stepping closer toward it slowly, his sword drawn in his other hand. Three Vindrell soldiers were at his side, rifles trained at the tree. When they got closer, they saw three long streaks at the base, streaks that tore through the thick bark and wood. One soldier mumbled, [color=white][i]"Lost..."[/i][/color]

The noble nodded slowly, [color=white][i]"Don't shout it out. It'll scare Tessa. Relay the message to the men, form a circle around the carriage."[/i][/color]

[color=white][i]"Yes, Lord Balthazar."[/i][/color] the soldier said and turned to quietly alert the other men. The lord didn't need a light to know that there was dread spreading through the group. None of them were hunters, none of them had formal training on fighting Lost. There was a whimper of fear in the darkness.

A gust of wind traveled through the wood, it was soft but the tree trunks made it whistle and ominous noise. It sent a shiver down every mans' spine. Balthazar gripped his sword tight, knuckles turning white. He could have sworn he heard some sort of clicking noise, and then a scuffle, and then nothing. [color=white][i]"Did anybody else hear that?"[/i][/color]

One of the soldiers spoke up, his voice in a bit of a panic, [color=white][i]"Logan? Where'd Logan go?"[/i][/color]

The soldiers all looked around, shining their lights in every direction. Balthazar's palms were sweaty, he didn't doubt that everybody else had the same thing. Another clicking noise. Another scuffle. Another soldier speaking up, [color=white][i]"Wh- what happened to Lannis?! He was right next to me! I was just looking at him!"[/i][/color]

Balthazar spoke, [color=white][i]"It's playing with us. Taking us one by one. Everybody, tie your rope to the carriage and then yourself."[/i][/color]

The soldiers all started rushing to get their ropes tied together. The idea was sound, if one was pulled, the weight of the carriage would stop anybody from being pulled away by this angered spirit, or at least give the man enough time to call out for help.

As corporal Tren was tying the rope around himself, he heard that awful clicking sound. He froze, looked up and saw four hellish red eyes staring at him. The silhouette of the monstrosity expanding. He felt hooks pierce into his body, his form becoming weightless as he was pulled into the creature's man-sized maw. His flashlight, rifle and rope all dropped to the ground in a clatter.

[color=white][i]"Tren, you alright?"[/i][/color] Balthazar called out, no response, [color=white][i]"Tren!"[/i][/color]

Another scuffle, then another. The last five of the men started to panic, one man screamed and ran off into the woods. He was quickly silenced. Balthazar heard his daughter knock on the door, worry in her voice, [color=white][i]"Daddy?! What's going on?[/i][/color]

Balthazar could hear the lock being twisted out of place. He kept his eyes in the darkness, [color=white][i]"Tessa! Don't open the door! Stay inside!"[/i][/color]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLgSo90JhAQ](Mood music)[/url]

But it was too late, the door was opened and the light from inside the resonant carriage illuminated the area in front of Balthazar. Standing five feet from him was the Lost. It was a sight that would haunt Balthazar's mind forever and no doubt his poor daughter's.The Lost was a six legged creature with long sinewy body. It had four red eyes on a mockery of a human face forever grinning. The abdomen of the creature was broad, a split going down the center of the chest. Two impossibly long arms dangled at its side, hooked claws curling backward. Balthazar looked the creature in the eye, but it wasn't set on him, it was set on the girl. He saw the hooked claws poised to lash out and grab his daughter. Tessa screamed.

The Lost clicked more, and just before it lashed out, three arrows came from the darkness and lodged themselves into the side of the creature. It squealed and spun in the direction where the arrows came from. Two more arrows flew from the dark of the night and struck the creature in the chest. It was about to retreat into the darkness when suddenly, as if on cue, light glinted off of Yan and illuminated the entire patch of forest in the area. Balthazar's luck of Yan had paid off. He looked over to the direction where the arrows had come from and saw a woman standing there, a crossbow mechanism mounted on her arm aimed at the Lost.

The Lost charged the woman, lashing its long hooked arms out at her. She skillfully dodged to her right and fired more shots into the Lost as it advanced. Balthazar had no idea where she was getting the ammunition. He watched as the creature swung again and missed the armored woman. She was quick and wasn't giving the Lost any chance to recover from its unbalanced swings. She fired the wrist mounted crossbow in rapid succession, bolts piercing the hard skin of the spirit and causing it to shriek and roar out in pain.

The crossbow folded back into the woman's buckler shield and a saber suddenly appeared in her hand. The resonant edge of the blade gleamed in Yan's light. The Lost scrapped its claws across the ground and charged at the woman. Balthazar wasn't so sure she'd stand up to a charge from a Lost its size. That's when he caught sight of the resonant edge on the woman's sword begin to glow violet, she had infused the resonant with ice. He knew this woman was a huntress, no other person would challenge a Lost or have equipment like that. The spirit swung its long arm at the huntress, she raised her sword and met the clawed arm with the blade. The length of the arm froze instantly and shattered from its own momentum. The blade then turned red as the huntress chose fire. The creature roared as if in a rage and swung its other arm, the huntress ducked and it passed right over. She then charged at the Lost as it regained its balance from the heavy swing. The blade sunk into the Lost and fire burst from the wound.

The Lost squealed in pain from the fire inside of it and fell backward. It tried once again to swing its arm at her, she didn't move at all save for her sword arm swinging the blade to cut off the attacking arm. The long black arm continued flying past her and landed a few meters behind her. She stared intently at the dying Lost. [color=gold][b]"May Gala find renewed purpose for you, lost spirit."[/b][/color] and with that, she plunged the saber into the heart of the Lost.

With one final screech, it died.

Balthazar knew of the skill hunters and huntresses had, but he had never seen it with his own two eyes. He had been so wrapped up in watching the fight, that he hadn't even realized that his own daughter was clinging to his leg and crying. He placed his hand on her head when he did, [color=white][i]"Hush, child. We're safe now."[/i][/color] he looked over to the huntress, [color=white][i]"Mighty huntress! I am grateful for your intervention! My daughter and I will forever be in your de-"[/i][/color]

[color=gold][b]"Get down!"[/b][/color]

Instinctively, he dropped, taking his daughter with her. The huntress fired five shots off with her crossbow in the blink of an eye. He looked over his shoulder and saw another Lost with five bolts in the heart of the creature. It sputtered and fell back, motionless. Balthazar had just realized that the remainder of his men were missing, no doubt taken by the second Lost. He wondered just how close he was to falling prey to the creature.

The huntress approached them, [color=gold][b]"My lord. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"[/b][/color]

Balthazar got on his feet and propped Tessa on her's as well. He brushed the dirt off of his daughter first before tending to himself, [color=white][i]"No, we're fine thanks to you. May I ask your name, please? So that I can repay you in kind when we get to Korstone."[/i][/color]

The light of Yan moved on through the forest, darkness retaking the group. The light from the carriage illuminated Balthazar and his daughter. The huntress stood in the dark. [color=gold][b]"My name is Shae Arca. It is an honor to meet you, my lord.[/b][/color]

[center][color=gold]---<:::|||[color=white][b]o[/b][/color]|||:::>---[/color]
[color=gold][h3]Shae Arca[/h3][/color]
[img]http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1342560607p3/7155133.jpg[/img][/center]

Shae stepped out of a small shuttle and into the hangar of the Sentinel. She removed her helmet and tucked it beneath her right arm, running her left hand through her short blonde hair. The huntress sighed a long sigh and headed across the large hangar, some hands aboard the ship greeting her and paying their respects. The cross-buckler at her wrist seemingly vanished from thin air, then the helmet under her arm. Shae kept her equipment in her pocket dimension where nobody could touch it and tamper with it.

At the access to the rest of the ship, a man stood, clapping at Shae. [color=white][i]"And so our champion returns with yet another Lost slain and another noble saved. When will her saga's come to an end?"[/i][/color] the tone was sarcastic.

[color=gold][b]"Where were you when the Barallian packs spotted the Lost?"[/b][/color] Shae crossed her arms and gave a steel gaze at Walter.

The man scratch the back of his head. His breath stunk of alcohol and the unkempt facial hair suggested he had spent his night drinking instead of doing his job. His emerald green eyes looked guilty and so did his crappy grin that tried to make him look innocent. [color=white][i]"Well, you see, Shae. I was uh... Tending to our water supply an-"[/i][/color]

[color=gold][b]"You're a hunter not a ship engineer, Walter. Now instead of hunting for your next bottle, you should be hunting for your next prey. You've been in Echo for just as long as I have, what happened to that pride of yours? You look like you slept in a swamp. Smell like it too."[/b][/color] Shae shook her head and waved her hand dismissively, deciding she didn't want to hear an answer. [color=gold][b]"No matter. I have business to attend to. Seems Harp has picked me for some new team."[/b][/color]

Walter turned and watched as the huntress trekked down the hallway. [color=white][i]"Always a treat talking with you, Shae."[/i][/color] he said and went about his business aboard the Sentinel.

It didn't take long for Shae to reach the meeting room, she had known the Sentinel by heart after living aboard it for the past eight years. When she opened the door, she saw the others gathered around. Ferens, all of them. Shae didn't usually have an issue with Ferens, but they usually had an issue with humans so it made it difficult for Shae to fully trust them. Thankfully, she recognized some of them and knew she could count on them. But some of these others were entirely new faces. Shae looked around to them all, wondering if they were supposed to be part of the team. [color=gold][b]"Welcome."[/b][/color] she said to the ones she never saw before and picked a chair to sit on. Her eyes continued to float across the room to everybody.

[color=gold][b]"I wonder what Harp has in store for us."[/b][/color][/color]