[center][h1] Disciples of Artemis [/h1][/center] 
Emiliah Coraline, and Vivian? 

As Coraline lay in the simple bed in the Witch's Paradise, she tossed and turned. In her sleep, her face took on expression of discomfort and pain. Her breathing was ragged. Her witchmarks were glowing.

Coraline stepped into what seemed like a sanctuary,  but it was to some god she'd never seen before.  The cobbled stone walls were covered in tapestries depicting some of the greatest battles in history,  they focused not on the glories of battle however.  They lingered instead at the cost,  broken bodies,  burning mass funeral pyres,  the faces of women and children twisted in grief and agony.  Six short stone pews sat near the entrance.  three to a side they flanked a walkway to the dreadfull altar.  The altar - a small thing seemly carved from the bone of a creature to large to have walked the earth in recent memory - was pierced by the spear end of a large wicked scythe.  Even here,  in the dark,  the curved blade seemed to gleam in some unknown light.

Coraline made her way carefully to the altar,  her eyes peeled for any signs of life or movement.  The chill in the air deepened with each step,  by the time she stood before the blasphemous fixture her breath could be seen hanging in the air.  Suddenly the chill abated in a rush of air centered behind the scythe.  From the shadows gathering there came a skeletal arm,  it grasped the blade and pulled it free from its rest.  She stood before the long shadow of death,  Charon's eyes were formed of a blue light,  and possessed of a singular and impossible apathy. Coraline recognized the being, it was the same one she and the rest of the hunters encountered in the cathedral. The same one that took Flint and Liz.

The shadow spoke as Coraline drew her blade,  backing away slowly.  "Coraline Toph... so much squandered... that is your legacy isn't it?"  It approached slowly,  the blade of its weapon dragging menacingly along the floor.  "Here you are,  amongst people who don't trust you,  unaware that you stand in the shadow of Dragons.  Join me,  and you'll live another day.  Perhaps you'll yet understand what you are,  and what purpose you'll serve in the oncoming darkness."

Coraline tried to speak, but it was as though something was keeping the air in her lungs. She couldn't talk, only listen in silence to the angel of death. 

"The curtain is opening Coraline,  for the final show."  The shadow halted several feet from the huntress.  "Dragon crosses Rose for the last time,  as Red moves to cover Black."

"You care for this little band of ignorant fools?  Their gods are children,  their steel false protection.  Their end is here,  with me in this cold darkness.  The Digards may try their chants,  Emiliah may pierce me with the Spear."  With that coment, the injury sustained from that very spear flared, more pain shot from it in every direction across Coraline's body. Charon's laugh was composed of the screams and sighs of those long dead,  its form shook with a strange mirth.  "You can't kill death... only delay it.  You know that don't you?"

"If you want them to live,  then you'll need to do something for me Coraline."  It extended its blade towards her,  as if to offer it up.  "Take this to your realm of light and warmth,  and give it to Lorelai Von'Strauss."

Coraline shook her head defiantly. Charon stepped closer and took the knight's throat, squeezing it. She couldn't breathe. Death brought Coraline closer and looked her in the eye, "You will serve your purpose in my grand design."

Charon threw Coraline back, but there wasn't a ground there like before. It was a chasm, there was no light. She fell for what seemed like an eternity. Then, as the bottom came into view, it was filled with the bodies of soldiers, hunters, and witches. They all wore the sigil of Arcadia. Coraline looked around, she was no longer in a casm, but in the sky. She plummeted toward the ground. Looking straight ahead of herself, she saw that she was going to land on her old childhood home. It was burning.

Just as she made contact, Coraline's eye shot open. She sprang up from her bed and gasped. Sweat had soaked through her sheets and wetted her hair. She took deep breaths and looked around. [color=steelblue][b]"Just a dream..."[/b][/color] she sighed and started to collect herself, [color=steelblue][b]"Just a terrible dream..."[/b][/color]

Coraline pinched the bridge of her nose and took another deep breath. She realized she was back at the Witch's Paradise, how did she get there? Did one of the hunters take her? If so, she would have been thankful. Perhaps her display of agression toward Charon showed her allegiance. Coraline saw her plate armor on a table opposite to the bed, both of her longswords were set against it as well.

When Coraline got out a bed, she stepped toward the table to gather her things. That's when she noticed the curved blade. The one from her dream. [i]Charon's[/i] blade. She was frozen, it was no dream. She was experiencing a communion with Charon. Coraline looked herself in a mirror, her witchmarks were faintly glowing and getting dimmer by the second. [color=steelblue][b]"Lorelai Von'strauss..."[/b][/color] she mumbled to herself and looked over to the blade again.

She shook her head like she had in the communion and put on a tunic to cover up the bandages around her stomach. She wondered if one of the tavern's maids had seen to her injury. It didn't matter, she would thank whoever did it. Coraline left her room, leaving her gear on the table, and stepped down the stairs to the lounge area of the tavern.

Emiliah had spent the whole morning drilling Bobby one everything he knew about Charon. The creature who now haunted her night terrors. There were dark circles under her eyes from spending so much time worrying about what a creature, such as Charon, existing, meant for the world. Along with worrying about the now missing Flint and Liz. 

Which is what she was dealing with today. Trying to find where in the world the creature had sent them. She tried not to think about the fact that they might still be trapped under the Earth, or that it was quite likely that they were....No, she didn't want to think about it. Liz was her first real friend in a long time and Flint was...well, Flint. He couldn't be dead...It was just too impossible. 

Even though she had no idea where to start, Emiliah planned on searching today...and tomorrow...and every day until she had the answers she was seeking.  The tavern had been her last stop and just has she was about to leave she spotted...Coraline, or...whatever her name was.  

Despite the....witchhunter having done nothing on the hunt, Emiliah still felt uneasy about being around her and was suprised that more didn't share her feelings. The only thing that kept her from attacking her in the tavern was that the last time  Emiliah attacked her, was because a demon lord told her too.  That in itself was a thought that Emiliah didn't want to think over. Surely all forms of evil were on the same side, so it didn't make scenes that...Charon wanted Coraline dead enough to have  Emiliah attack. 

Instead of dealing with the thought of it, Emiliah chose to pretend to not see the witch, and walked past her to get to the front door without saying a word. 

"Emiliah!  Hi!"  Vivian bounced into the taver just in time to see Emiliah attempting to make an escape.  "... I take it the hunt didn't go as well as you'd li-"

She never quite finished that sentence.  A bolt of adreneline shot up her spine as she spotted Coraline.  The witch marks... well,  marked her as a witch,  but she was here in the tavern,  and no one was killing her,  or restraining her,  or interrogating her,  or making her breakfast (what?).  Her mind searched for an explanation,  and after she was satisfied that she'd find none she elected to simply ask.

"Uh... Em... Who's that?"  Vivian indicated the object of her current conundrum.

Coraline had spotted Emiliah and immediately got another spike of pain from her bandaged injury. She had a strange sense of deja vous, it unsettled her. [color=steelblue][b]"Emiliah."[/b][/color] she called out to her.

Coraline stepped up to the other huntress and the stranger just as her identity was questioned. She smiled to Vivian, [color=steelblue][b]"Ser Coraline Toph of Arcadia."[/b][/color] she answered and then looked to Emiliah, [color=steelblue][b]"I need to talk to you."[/b][/color]

She might have been able to ignore Coraline had she not been blocked by Vivian.  She didn't mind the girl, really, but at this moment should would have strangled her happily if it meant she could have made it to the door before Coraline caught her.  Besides...the hunt was the last thing she wanted to talk about at the moment. [color=bc8dbf] "Hey...Vivian,"[/color]  Said Emiliah slowly and before she could introduce the other, Coraline introduced herself. 

[color=bc8dbf]"Well, I don't think we have anything to talk about, so, if you two don't mind, I really have somewhere that I need to be," [/color]  said Emiliah, trying to push past the two hunteresses. 

[i]Alright Viv,  two problems.  One,  witch-thing: not sure what to do about that,  seems nice,  but I'm probably wrong.  Two,  Emiliah's being weird:  That I've got a pretty good handle on,  let's start there.[/i]  Vivian placed a gentle hand on Emiliah's shoulder and spoke softly.  "Hey Em?  You don't look so good,  maybe you catch me up over some food?  We can find someplace quiet.  I'll help with whatever you've got up next."

She flashed her signature grin at Coraline as she looked over to her.  "I'm Vivian!  Pleased to meet you... um.  I'm sure you probably know this but... did you know you were a witch?"

Coraline raised a brow at Vivian and nodded, [color=steelblue][b]"I did, yes."[/b][/color]

She looked back to Emiliah, who was making her exit, and spoke, [color=steelblue][b]"Lorelai Von'strauss."[/b][/color]

The tavern went silent and looked her way. She looked back to them but didn't pay much more mind to them. Glancing back to Emiliah, she spoke silently, [color=steelblue][b]"I have something of hers... Charon gave it to me."[/b][/color] Coraline looked back to the stairs and gestured to her.

[color=bc8dbf]"I'm fine,  Viv, it isn't anything I can't handle. And if it is, you know that you'll be the first person I go to,"[/color] Not really, but she couldn't think of anything else to tell the huntress.  
[color=bc8dbf]"You expect to tempt me with a child's tale," [/color]  Said Emiliah, narrowing her eyes at Coraline.[color=bc8dbf] "Everyone knows that Hector destroyed the Von'strauss' years ago, any left would be too weak to cause a problem,"[/color]  She tensed when she heard Coraline speak the creatures name aloud, as thought doing so would have him power.  It might have been her imagination as well, but for a second it felt as though the smoke had returned, only to fade a moment later. Still, Emiliah could help rub her mouth to check for the black tar. 

[color=bc8dbf]"But fine, if we must talk, let's go outside and you can show me...whatever it is you think is to important,"[/color] She nodded to the door.  [color=bc8dbf]"You first," [/color] 

Coraline nodded and stepped outside first. She spoke quietly to not draw any more attention than she already might have, [color=steelblue][b]"I know you don't trust me, Emiliah..."[/b][/color] she started, [color=steelblue][b]"But we're both caught up in the same mess regardless on how we feel about each other."[/b][/color]

There was a silence as they walked. Coraline took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, [color=steelblue][b]"My witchmarks, they aren't for show. I thought I had control of them but... Charon used them to commune with me in my sleep."[/b][/color]

Coraline had come to Seren's Folly because of some far fetched rumor that something big was about to happen. She had been convinced during her hunt the previous day that the rumors were true. [color=steelblue][b]"Charon said he had a 'grand design', and that we were all a part of it. He mentioned Lorelai Von'strauss. And then gave me a sword."[/b][/color]

The knight slowed her pace a bit as she was stung by more pain from her injury, [color=steelblue][b]"He gave it to me in my sleep, and when I woke up, it was in my room. The weapon was as real as anything we wield. Charon told me to deliver it to Lorelai."[/b][/color]

Coraline continued, [color=steelblue][b]"Think back to the hunt, Emiliah. Charon wanted Flint and his brother. Digards, he didn't care about the rest of us. The Digards defeated the Von'strauss coven ages ago and now death himself is commanding me to bring a weapon to the most notorious of them all. Lorelai Von'strauss is alive, and I think she might have your friends."[/b][/color]

[color=bc8dbf]"There are a lot of....I don't even know what to call them...Red flags perhaps?"[/color] Said Emiliah, crossing her arms as the witchhunter told her tale. [color=bc8dbf]"Look, like you said. I don't trust you, I don't trust witches,"[/color] 

Emiliah watched as  Coraline, who was clearly in pain from a wound that Emiliah highly suspected was the one she had given Coraline.  But she wasn't about to feel bad about stabbing her, nor was she about to feel bad that the witch was in pain not yet anyway. 

[color=bc8dbf]"Now, let's just look at what else you told me. If Charon wanted to give it to Lorelai so badly, why did he even bother with the middle man? Why give it to you to give to her? Why not take it to her himself?"[/color] Emiliah took a step closer to Coraline, still holding the same spear she had used to stab Coraline earlier. [color=bc8dbf] "Which means that he wants you to physically go to her and," [/color] Emiliah stopped, taking a quick breath. [color=bc8dbf]"And if she does...have my friends and you have a sword to lead us to her...well, it just all sounds a lot like a trap,"[/color] A trap she'd be willing to risk if she felt like her friends really were at the end of it. 

[color=bc8dbf]"All this is, of course, assuming that I believe you in the first place. Which I don't,"[/color] Emiliah could tell that she was being a little unfair to the witchunter, but, at the same time, she was about to go trust her with a very good reason. 

Coraline shrugged, [color=steelblue][b]"Believe what you will. I've lived my whole life being doubted, I'm sure I can tolerate a bit more. But of course it's a trap. For you, Vivian, or any other hunter that goes there. But I might be enough to delay the trap, I am a witch after all."[/b][/color]

She paused and thought back to Charon, [color=steelblue][b]"As for why he wants [i]me[/i] to bring her the blade, I don't know. But I'm sure there's an answer I wont like. I am going to deliver the blade to her, though. Well... A fake at the very least."[/b][/color]

Emiliah could feel her drive to...fight what Coraline was saying, slowly dying.  Because, deep down, she wanted to know where her friends were and she wanted to know that they would be able to come alive.  [color=bc8dbf] "Sounds like the hunters  have been cruel to you your whole life. So, tell me this and based on this answer alone, I will decided if I am going to trust you or not,"[/color] Emiliah paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase this question.  [color=bc8dbf] "Why are you...siding with us and not with them?  I'm sure the witches would love to have you fight for them and would welcome you with open arms, yet here you stand. Why, be honest," [/color]

The answer came immediately, [color=steelblue][b]"I'm siding with the hunters to show them the error of their ways. Even if it means I bleed because of them."[/b][/color]

Emiliah wanted to argue, to say that there were no bad hunters.  That, mistakes  that were made were human error, and that couldn't be helped.   She had met more than a few 'unkind' hunters through the years. Her father would call them  the "need to retire" lot. The ones who would use their statuses to get away with things civilians would be punished for.   [color=bc8dbf] " What are you suggesting we do then," [/color] said Emiliah, almost as though it was causing her physical pain. 

Coraline smiled when Emiliah asked for a plan of action. [color=steelblue][b]"First, we're going to need to find a smith capable of making identical copies. And then... You're going to have to trust me on this one, Emiliah, I need to perform a ritual."[/b][/color]

 [color=bc8dbf] " No!" [/color] said Emiliah alarm.  [color=bc8dbf] "I will never let you put magic on me,"[/color] in a moment, Emiliah's shields were back up. 
 
 The knight shook her head quickly, [color=steelblue][b]"No, not on you!"[/b][/color] she looked worried that she might have dismantled the cooperation she tried to form, [color=steelblue][b]"I need enchant the replica blade so, magically, it appears the same. If it has no magical essence to it, Lorelai will know immediately that it is a fake. But to do so, I need to summon a familiar and..."[/b][/color] Coraline sighed, [color=steelblue][b]"Sacrifice it."[/b][/color]

 Emiliah relaxed [i]slightly[/i] once the knight admited that she was not the magics intended target. [color=bc8dbf] "I..I can't believe I'm even considering this,"[/color] she finally said, mostly to herself. [color=bc8dbf] "My brother is a fair black smith, we can take the sword to him,"[/color]. Emiliah seemed to be hesitating on what to say next. [color=bc8dbf] "I...I am not saying that...I am going to...do this plan, but it will take a while for a sword to be made. Especially if it has to be identical to this one..So, I supose we could start there," [/color] 
 
 Coraline nodded, [color=steelblue][b]"Agreed. We're also going to need to find a way to track Flint and Elizabeth. Did you see Flint's wolf at all? Does he have anything I can use to track with? While we wait for a replica, we'll need to gather as much intelligence as possible."[/b][/color] Coraline looked back to the tavern, [color=steelblue][b]"I'll go grab the weapon, you find something of Flint's. His wolf would be the best find."[/b][/color]
 
 Coraline turned to leave, but she stopped and looked back, [color=steelblue][b]"Emiliah, thank you for hearing me out."[/b][/color] she smiled.
 
 [color=bc8dbf] "Uh. Yeah. No problem,"[/color] clearly still uncomfortable with the situation, but she was slowly warming up to it. After Coraline had left, Emiliah decided to see where Vivian had wandered off to.