[sub]in collaboration with [@Aerandir] and [@Ellion][/sub] [h1][center]Vivian, Emiliah, and Flint[/center][/h1] Vivian looked over her gear, putting silver bolts in her quiver, picking out the toxins most likely to be useful. She'd heard enough whispers of demons and Von'strausses. Regardless of what Draco and Emiliah believed she was more inclined to be safe than sorry. She stooped down to wrap her hunting dog Lucky in his vest, loading it's pockets with spare ammunition and rations. He patiently waited for her to finish before licking her face and falling into step behind her. Vivian cast one more glance over her gear, and when she was satisfied she had everything she was likely to need she headed for the tavern below. Emiliah was heading up the stairs, looking for Vivian when she spotted her uphead. [color=bc8dbf] "Well,"[/color] she said looking at the girl.[color=bc8dbf] "It looks like someone read my mind about wanting to leave soon," [/color] she paused for a second. [color=bc8dbf] "Unless, that is, you are off on another hunt of some sort,"[/color] Vivian grinned brightly at Emiliah, by rote more than anything else. [color=fff200]"I need to get up to something soon, but it could wait."[/color] She surveyed the huntress, noting the fatigue and tension. [color=fff200]"What've you got going on? Anything good?"[/color] [color=bc8dbf] "Well, I was going...looking again, and I'd rather not go alone, would you be interested. I can't promise money or monsters, but there is a chance we'll run into both,"[/color] she said. Glancing around, still keeping an eye out for Coraline. [color=fff200]"I'm not terribly worried about either money or sating my bloodlust most days, and besides, we've got missing hunters out there."[/color] Vivian nodded grimly. [color=fff200]"Count me in, we may also want to post a notice by the board before we head out. Get some of the locals out there a searching too."[/color] [color=fff200]"I never got the full story on how and why they're missing... Bobby was a little lacking with details."[/color] Vivian mentioned as she made her way past Emiliah towards the stairs. [color=bc8dbf] "Franknly, I am the wrong person to ask. I was there and I can't even explain what happened,"[/color] more like she didn't want to explain what had happened, anyway. The wounds where still to fresh and the sooner they found her friends, the happier she'd be. She lead Vi through the tavern, allowing her to stop for a moment to post on the board. The tavern seemed..rather packed fro this time of day, as though all the evil was hiding, so the hunters didn't have much to do. Vivian scrawled a small note on a scrap of paper and affixed it to the board. [color=fff200]"Fair enough I guess... although I'd like to know more about what's likely to have them in its clutches when we find them. Makes killing it easier and all that."[/color] Once she was finished she turned to Emiliah, grinning as always. [color=fff200]"So, do we have any leads? Or an idea of where to start? Rumors put demon activity up north, some say witches are active this season all throughout the woods, but that's all I've got at the moment."[/color] [color=bc8dbf] "Ah,"[/color] Emiliah stood at the door for a moment. [color=bc8dbf] "No..Not really. But...I just can't sit and do nothing? What else can I do? I am no witch, I cannot do a tracking spell or....,"[/color] Emiliah shook her head as the words 'useless' bounced around her skull. [color=bc8dbf] ""But, I mean, what else can I do?"[/color] [color=fff200]"Well... without a lead, or anything else to go on...?"[/color] Vivian hesitated, smile faltering. [color=fff200]"I think we may be better off trying to rally some of the other hunters into a larger search party."[/color] Suddenly the tavern shook as it felt like the earth was ripping apart. Causing dishes and cups to fall to the ground, glass bottles breaking. To those outside, the ground in the square was really opening, like a fiery maw opened up, and suddenly a single humanoid shape was launched out and once gravity took ahold, he fell down and slammed into the water troth. After a few seconds of regaining his senses and realizing he couldn't breath he flailed around and gripped the edges of the trough, pushing himself up till he was out of the water taking in a deep breath, and in the same motion, his arms failed him and he fell out of the troth and onto his side. He could swear he could hear the demonic laughing from the pit as the world spun around him. Just as quickly as the earthquake started and the opening to hell appeared, it closed just as quickly, leaving a soaked Flint on the ground groaning in pain from the ward before and his head hitting the wooden troth as well. Emiliah was barely able to keep her feet as the world shook around her. All around her hunters were crashing into each other, spilling their drink and Sofie's cooking all over each other and leaving the tavern in a right mess. The second the world stopped moving, Emiliah was out of the tavern and into the streets. All around, people where picking themselves up, giving shifty looks all around. But their eyes always returned to a figuring in a trough. Emiliah walked through the crowed catching occasional mutters of 'hole in the ground' 'must be a demon' and 'do you think we have to dry him out before we can burn him?' Emiliah tightened the hold on her spear as she apporached. The second she saw Flints alway downed face, she let out a mix between and laugh and a shreak before soaking herself as she lept into the trough, hugging Flint in relief. A second later, she shoved Flint back, leaping out of the trough and sticking her spear just under his chin. [color=bc8dbf] "Hey,"[/color] she said, her voice now very unsure. Vivian made her way to the commotion just behind Emiliah, who had a small lead on her mostly due to not having fallen on her ass during the minor earthquake that had heralded... whatever this was. Her face broke into a grin as she saw Flint, soaked and groaning in the town square. Vivian's grin did not survive Emiliah placing her spear near Flint's throat. [color=fff200]"Whoa! Uh... Hey Em?... Whatcha doin'?"[/color] she looked from the huntress to the prone Flint. [color=fff200]"Oh... and hi Flint."[/color] He was suddenly hugged and his eyes opened wide to see who it was, but before he could even figure out who it was he felt the pressure of a sharp point to his throat. He gulped and looked down the spear to the owner to see Emiliah. Who said in a unsure voice, 'hey'. "Uhhh... Emiliah... What are you doing...." It almost echoed Vivian as she asked the same thing, who then said hi to him. He gave a small nervous smile as if to say hello and then looked back to Emiliah. "You mind pointing that somewhere else?" He said in a low calm voice, as if anything higher would cause her to strike. [color=bc8dbf] "Just checking for demons,"[/color] she said lightly, still not moving her spear away from Flint's neck. Instead she used one of her hands to slip into her pocket, pulling out a small class vial, she uncorked it before splashing it on Flint's already wet face. After a moment of nothing...burning, Emiliah finally lowered her spear. [color=bc8dbf] "Well, not a demon at least,"[/color] she said giving him a smile and holding out her hand to help him up. [color=bc8dbf] "Well, Vi, I guess our...friends just find us,"[/color] there wasn't much else she could say. Except... [color=bc8dbf] "Flint, where is Liz?"[/color] Tension fled from Vivian's shoulders as Emiliah finally removed her spear from Flint's throat. She grinned sheepishly, she wouldn't have thought to check for demons right away. "Liz? Who's that? Another missing hunter?" When the water hit his face again, he closed his eyes and flinched back, as it splatered on his face. After a few seconds he opened one eye to look up at Emiliah as she pulled her spear away. He then sighed and relaxed on the ground where he laid and said, "I don't know [i]Where[/i] But I do know who she is with." He gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up from the ground. Wincing from the burns on his body and the sharp pain on his forehead. As he got to a kneeling position he looked to Vi and nodded yes to her question. "Liz is with Lorelai Von'Strauss at the moment...aparently she made a deal with her to help her if she let me go free." [color=bc8dbf] "She isn't real!"[/color] shouted Emiliah before shaking her head. [color=bc8dbf] "I am sorry. This Lorelai has been brought up a lot lately. Your new friend even has a gift Charon left for her,"[/color] said Emiliah, thinking it over. [color=bc8dbf] "I am now tempted to take it there right now to get Liz back..."[/color] she then rounded back on Flint [color=bc8dbf] "How could you let her make a deal? With a witch of all things, you should know better or tried harder or..orr..or something!" [/color] He pushed himself up from the ground. "She is real" He said with a growl. "Who do you think killed my father?" He said glaring at her. He did hesitate when she mentioned his new friend having a gift for her. But then emiliah then went on saying he should have known better and why he would ever allow Liz to make a deal. "I was knocked out, and she did it during that time...that and I wasn't in a position to fight her... I was in a trap." Emiliah stared at Flint a moment longer, before letting out a breath of air and relaxing. [color=bc8dbf] " You are right. I am sorry. It wasn't your fault. I'm just frustrated. I am sure you did all you could" [/color] Emiliah looked a Vi and then back at Flint. [color=bc8dbf] " I guess we should get you into the tavern, get you looked over while Vi and I go out and...search for... I am not sure. But I can't just keep sitting here, doing nothing,"[/color] She turned and started leading the trio back to the tavern. Vivian nodded enthusiasticly. She was just glad Emiliah had decided not to beat up Flint, or worse. Lorelai was real then? Confirmed by Flint and Fenros now, hard to ignore now that she evidently was imprisoning one of their number. [color=fff200]"We'll follow traces of demon activity, that should lead us to this Lorelai if the stories are close to true."[/color] Vivian ordered a drink as Flint staggered off to see to his numerous injuries. Taking a seat at an out of the way table she gestured for Emiliah to join her. [color=fff200]"That sound like a plan?"[/color] Emiliah ordered a glass of water before taking a spot next to Vivian at the table. Her leg bouncing on the table as she tried to settle down to....hurry up and waiting. [color=bc8dbf]"I still think we should head out now,"[/color] she said, looking into her water cup. [color=fff200]"And do what? Forage blindly through the woods to hopefully stumble on Liz and Lorelai? Then maybe fight her without a plan? Does that sound like something that would work?"[/color] Vivian looked over Emiliah. [color=fff200]"Em... How long has it been since you had a good night's rest?"[/color] [color=bc8dbf]"It is better than doing nothing!"[/color] snapped Emiliah. She gave Vi another look. [color=bc8dbf]"And I am, I'm sleeping enough,"[/color] which was a lie. The life of a hunter gave her a fucked up sleep schedule anyway. But the added stress had made it much more difficult as of late. [color=fff200]"We're not doing nothing Em. You need to be at full capacity if you want to do anyone any good."[/color] Vivian gave Emiliah a weak half-smile, not buying Emiliah's declaration of being well rested. If only due to the stength with which the woman had protested her sentiment. [color=fff200]"I know it's the last thing you probably want to hear, but let me look over some maps, check for demonic rumors, and in a day or so we'll have something to go on ok? In the meantime, do whatever it is you need to do to get rested and recovered."[/color] [color=bc8dbf] "I'll...think about it,"[/color]she muttered after a long pause. Not really planning on thinking about it at all. [color=bc8dbf]"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to..."[/color] Emiliah paused, trying to think of a reason for leaving before shrugging and walking towards the door. Vivian's eyes followed Emiliah, once she was out of sight she let out a long pent up sigh. If scouring reports and squeezing contacts for whispers of demonic activity wasn't enough, she was also going to have to deal with... that. She empathized with Emiliah, but if the woman didn't get something figured out soon she'd be no good to anyone. Least of all the people she was trying to save. [color=fff200]"Oh well Viv, grin on girlie."[/color] She got to work.