John Junior checked the pouch at his hip for what felt like the thousandth time. Hazel had outfitted him with several of her more interesting inventions. Two she'd made him drink right then and there, the effects of which coursed through his system. Occasionally it crossed his mind that she could poison him, and he'd not be able to tell the difference from her supposedly beneficial potions. His blood felt as if it were on fire, though it had faded to the soft dance of coals instead of the raging inferno it had been an hour prior.

However, his senses were heightened, as she had promised. A sour scent caressed his thoughts, as reassuring as the small glass bottles wrapped in felt. She had sworn to him that the smoke produced upon breaking the vials would assault the more sensitive noses of his reptilian opponents. They might outmatch him in blades, but he had brains beyond theirs. This time he would not be caught unaware. For now, however, the entirety of his focus rested not upon revenge against the hedonistic murderers, but upon the task he had just been assigned. He supposed any concoction brewed specifically to combat the lizardfolk would work just as well upon a larger scaled being. An alligator was not something he wished to fight, but orders were orders.

He inclined his head towards the warrior-turned-messenger-dog. Darmae was a foul woman, and John was glad she had not come to see him herself. He didn't particularly like following her orders, but sometimes you had to obey those you did not care for. His family would be safest with him in her pocket, and with the information he received in return, most of his gang would survive the slaughter. He had already lost a few good men, and more yet would die. His heart ached with the loss of his friends. But casualties were inevitable, and everyone in Oceanside knew the risks they were taking when they joined the ranks.

"My life before hers," he murmured with an easy smile. "This Hunter shall be handled."

Joran waved him off dismissively. "She shall be very disappointed if you are not as good as we have been told. If you fail in this, you had best hope that it is because this Hunter killed you." John merely smiled in response.

~~~~

Caleb's friendly face was a pleasant but not welcome sight. This was no place for a bunch of children. Despite his mission, Hunter paused to greet the ragtag group of youth. "Caleb. Edward. It's good to see you again. And who is with you?" As the young hippocampus pulled up beside him, Byures could see that his first impression was incorrect. The young horse did not seat three children, but instead two and a short green man.

Flower flapped her good wing as she eyed the predator warily. Caleb reached up absently to stroke her feathers. "Jake and Rainbow," he answered in a distracted tone of voice. "I'm very glad to see you. I need help! Something awful is happening, and I need to get into the big tree there."

Hunter couldn't help but feel a smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Funny, so do I." He replied casually. Caleb had the most serious expression upon his face in that adorable way children tried to be grown up before their time.

"Now is not a good time." Caleb dismounted, his hand hovering near his sword. "We are here to fight."

"I was just about to say the same to you." Byures did not like the idea of a bunch of youth running amuck under his feet while he slaughtered those responsible for the deaths of his men. Too much liability, and he wouldn't be able to kill indiscriminately. He would need to watch out for and to protect these young ones. "You should go home, Caleb. Though I appreciate that you want to do the right thing, this is no place for children."

Caleb puffed up in self inflated pride. "I have defeated a town of dwarfs, I can handle this. Rainbow is here with me, we shall succeed. But we would be honored to have you fight by our side. We will not be stopped, there is no point in trying to prevent us from carrying out our mission. The city will not be safe if we do not get inside!" He turned to Jake as he added, "You and Edward will stay here to guard the entrance. If reinforcements arrive, we need you to be able to warn us." Jake nodded seriously at his orders.

Byures shrugged. "Then I suppose I shall not stop you." He would merely need to find a way to lock the child out of the room before he started his revenge. He gestured towards the suspiciously empty entrance hall. "But I will insist that I go first. If there is an attack waiting inside, I shall be better equipped to take a surprise blow than you." Caleb conceded the point reluctantly. Byures entered the large tree, swiftly accessing the situation. Thus far it had been alarmingly easy. The human and Rablin stepped in behind him.

"We need to find the right spot for Rainbow to take out this evil gnome that's here. I am going to defend him while he casts his spell." Caleb explained nobly. "Why are you here, Byures?"

Byures shrugged. "To kill the council."

The unexpected ring of steel echoed in the empty hall. Faster than Hunter had expected, the child darted in front of him, his old sword leveled at his stomach. Byures supposed, with mild amusement, that was as high on him as Caleb could comfortably threaten. The child's jaw was clenched in determination. "I can not let you do that," he declared. The child's voice cracked with betrayal. "You will have to fight me first!"