As if he hadn't known what it felt like. Did Josephine think he'd been sitting up above, laughing and watching as she was attacked? Kael had been thrown into a panic and couldn't take a shot because he'd been so fearful, fearful that he was going to lose a companion and fearful that he might miss and be the cause of her untimely demise. He'd never openly admit it as it would give Edmund more ammunition against him but he dreaded having to do that again. Yet at the same time he was determined to go back out and redeem himself, prove that he wasn't a liability like their master had deemed him to be. Edmund had been adamant about refusing another trip beyond the bridge yet Kael couldn't be content in that, he refused to be. They were Hunters dammit and good ones at that and the only way they could ever improve was by doing, again and again and again. He had weighed the pros and cons of slipping out under their master's watchful gaze to try and make amends, and no doubt Edmund would be livid regardless of if he was successful or not. He still had to do it though, he had to prove that they were ready and that all of their master's teachings hadn't gone to waste.

While everyone else was already heavily asleep Kael slipped out of their quarters, stealing away with his bow and as many arrows as he could carry. He'd slay a beast and return with its hide as his prize, indisputable proof that he was capable of taking down beasts on his own. That he wasn't some screw up and liable to only create problems. He knew he was trained well enough and could manage this he only needed to prove it to Edmund and the rest. The hardest part of the endeavor was crossing the bridge and several times he would look back, almost expecting to see Master Edmund after him, yet no one else ever appeared. Good, he didn't want anyone getting in the way of his mission. Fighting to open the doors to the shop, he was astonished by how heavy they were, he parted them just enough to slip through and forced them closed behind himself. Right, on to finding himself some prey. To be safe he found the nearest building and broke in a window, climbing through and heading for the roof. Very few if any beasts were that high up and from above he could scope out the area and spot any potential targets. So long as he got back before anyone realized he was gone there'd be no problems.

Only someone had most certainly realized Kael had gone missing. By chance Edmund had awoken to get himself a drink and found the front door of the workshop wide open. Stepping outside and expecting perhaps to find someone in the yards he found them utterly deserted, in almost disbelief he returned down to the sleeping quarters and found one bed empty among the others; Kael had left, to where who only knew. To think that the child would be so obstinate as to try and sneak out! Cursing under his breath the Hunter rushed to his own quarters and gathered his gear, departing from the workshop in search of his student. If one of the beasts didn't kill Kael then he just might, to think he had the gall to try this! Gritting his teeth as he emerged on the streets Edmund stormed straight down them and began scouring every inch for any signs of his student. When he found a shattered window his suspicions peaked and he kicked in the door, finding no signs of a fight and only the shards of glass littering the floor. If not a beast then surely Kael had come in here? With Chikage in hand he canvassed the area and found no sign of the boy until he reached the roof, another door left wide open, almost knocked off of its hinges. Up here it was clear that Kael had made his way high up, though whether to chase a target or to scout he couldn't be certain. He had to find the boy, he'd get himself killed if he wasn't careful.

There were plenty of beasts around yet nothing that would serve as a trophy. The Beast Patients were hardly difficult to kill even for an apprentice and killing one equated to little more than squashing an insect. He had to find a Scourge Beast or something greater still, a show of his prowess as a Hunter and his preparedness to take to the hunt. Running out of rooftops Kael scaled down a building and began moving along the streets, his body low and footsteps as hushed as could be. Former hunters warped by the blood prowled the roads in search of prey and they wouldn't suffice either, not in the least. Approaching another bridge that spanned the sewers below he made his way across and towards the Cathedral ward, an utterly alien place to him and one he was told never to venture into. Yet what choice did he have? Beasts so close to the shop were either so minor that Master Edmund deemed them not a threat or were only people, twisted by the blood, a danger to be sure but he wasn't about to skin a person. No, the Cathedral Ward would suffice for his hunt.

Upon reaching what appeared to be a graveyard Kael stopped himself beneath the archways and pressed firm against the stone there. Blood was thick in the air, and if he listened more closely the sound of flesh rending fell upon his ears, something was very clearly head. Notching an arrow into his bow he inhaled before stepping around the archway and raising his weapon, eyes widening seeing the beast beyond the grave markers. It was large, far larger than even a Scourge Beast, sat upon its haunches as it leaned forward, tearing into and feasting on something obscured by its sheer size. Just what kind of creature was this? Slowly inching forward he paused again when he noticed his foot had stepped in a puddle, and glancing down he nearly lost his dinner as he found himself stood in a large swathe of blood. In fact the entire area was thoroughly coated, limbs strewn about and barely a gravestone was left uncovered. Whatever this thing was had done all of this? Limbs of other beasts and hunters adorned the area and several mutilated corpses beyond recognition lay strewn about, whatever it was clearly had a bloodlust unlike anything he'd seen before. His heart thundered in his chest and yet Kael somehow found himself grinning, raising his weapon once more and taking aim. A perfect target.

And a perfect way to die. The arrow was released and before it had even struck the beast it was knocked aside, electricity being discharged from its body and stopping the projectile in its tracks. For a moment the beast went on eating without a care until Kael foolishly tried to fire another arrow at it. This time the beast didn't bother to evade it and it struck its hide... And clattered to the ground. Awestruck he could only watch as the beast put down whatever it was feasting on, the carcass of another beast he'd never seen, and turned to face him. Its face was almost that of a human yet its features clearly distorted and elongated, its eyes as red as the blood dribbling down its chin and chest. He couldn't fight this thing, his arrows couldn't even pierce its hide. What was he supposed to do instead, stab it with his daggers? He'd brought no tools save his weapon and he was alone, this was a suicide mission. Stepping back towards the archway Kael felt his body go cold when the beast seemed to smile at him, and when a distorted laughter escaped its maw his heart sunk. He had to run, he absolutely had to get away from here, there was no way he could fight this thing. 

Kael turned tail and sprinted for the archway, and at once the beast sounded like it was right behind him. Diving down the stairs to avoid its claw tearing him in two he rolled painfully, scrambling to his feet and looking back. The stone had been shattered into dust and the wall around it was destroyed as well, a single swipe from that thing would kill him. Screaming as it smiled at him again Kael got back to his feet and ran for the bridge, swearing he could feel the beast's breath on his neck the entire way. Halfway across the bridge something powerful struck him on the back and sent him flying, losing his bow in the process as he slammed to the ground and his weapon clattered across the length of the bridge, well out of arms reach. Looking behind him the beast was slowly approaching, looking at his weapon then back at him and smiling again. Tempting him to try, knowing it would be upon him long before he ever got near it. He was dead, he'd thrown his life away for a stupid hunt and he'd pay the price for it.