Baska city was another case of habitat that Lucretia was unused to seeing, from the bustle to the farmlands. To the varied amount of people that were there from all walks of life. For someone that had spent much of her time in the north and wandering through it you had to wonder where she would go. What she would do. What sort of cases and hunts she might partake in.

Today she found herself wandering into the same arena that had seen so many different bouts that it was impossible to really ascertain just how many fights had gone on here. Just how many people spilled blood, lost their lives or progressed upwards so high they were recognized by the royals or their ilk. But to lucretia this didn’t matter to her so much as it was something she wasn’t interested in. No she was here for a different reason.

To test her skill, test her endurance and test her body. To see just how high she could go on where she had come from. Perhaps even find a fight that made her blood run hot and make her want to go all out. It would be impossible for her otherwise.

So the first round of things would start and she’d find herself bored with the entry level combatants. Sure a few of them showed some promise if they practiced but it felt like in terms of drive that they were just children. That they weren’t here to fight like lucretia. So she kept her sword sheathed and bonked a few of them. Sending them home with a welt and maybe some tears. She wasn’t going to kill kids or cut dreams short of aspiring gladiators.

Once she was past that initial irritation of them trying to find her bracket the woman stepped onto the field again. Raising her brow as there was a mess of varied fighters. Including the reigning champion; a part of the reason she was here. She’d adjust a bit and check the paper she had been given while someone read out the rules to them all…

Killing was allowed.

That stood out to her and she found her eyes locking on a few nastier looking individuals. Wicked daggers, serrated swords, one man looked haggard; almost wolflike. Lucretia’s eyes narrowed and she’d adjust her sword on her hip. She knew that look and if anything was to go by… that man might be a lycan and here to just sate his bloodlust. She’d bite the inside of her lip and glance at the champion. So she had two targets today… if one of them couldn’t be dissuaded from a certain lifestyle.

The start of the battle wasn’t too bad, a whistle and everyone would run and clash with one another. Some laughing and trading friendly blows while those wicked wonders would tear into their first prey quickly. Only some of the more careful fighters would stay back. Lucretia wasn’t one of them. She had eyes for two people right now; one was the champion and the other was that wild looking man.

Gritting her teeth as she had some folks get in her way; drawing her sword and a could backhanded strokes were enough to litter the ground around her with some of the far lesser skilled individuals. She wasn’t a master with her blade or even a novice but at least she knew how to hold the damn thing properly.

One of her targets found her quickly; eyes drawn to her faintly glowing sword. The man she thought to be a lycan turned out to be just a man that was really damn good with some wrapped fists. A monk maybe? It was hard to tell, but he certainly gave Lucretia a run for her money. His fists were practically like iron and after a decisive blow to the back of his head the man would crumble without a word.

Lucretia standing over him for a moment; watching him as though daring him to do something. But there was just the eerie moment of silence for her while everyone else fought around her. Maybe she didn’t give him the chance or maybe he really wasn’t one. It was easy to mistake that and with a sigh she’d slowly continue her trek towards the champion.

Her eyes narrowed as she noted that his sword was practically drooling blood from the people he had killed. This man was fine with taking that step and she wasn’t about to let him continue his work like this. Pushing a pair of fighters to one side with her blade; she’d shoot them a look that could kill. One of them blanching and the other hurriedly stepping aside. It didn’t help she practically was a head and shoulders taller than the both of them. Size did matter in some aspects.

Stopping just outside of the champion’s drooling blade’s reach she’d stare at him. Holding her sword out; point first as though challenging him without a word. The man grinned a bit and brought his own blade up. Stepping closer so that the swords crossed...

It was a mess really, the man didn’t really have any skill behind the blade. Preferring to let the weeping blade do the work for him. Cackling all the while swinging it wildly. Caring very little if he hit her or another contender. It was obvious to Lucretia that his blade was enchanted somehow; whether to just make it so people were unnerved or some other aspect was hard to really gather.

Up until he killed someone and the blade drank deep of the blood. Lucretia’s eyes narrowed a bit and closing in with a fist, socking the man in the face while the blade did it’s grizzly work. The man snarled and bared his teeth at her; which immediately brought to light why she would be hired to take out the current champion.

This bastard was a vampire.

The elongated fangs were a point of interest and the sword made sense. It likely was gathering blood for the man for later so he could feed his blood hunger. Snarling in anger the woman took a wide stance and brought her sword around in a brutal arc. The bloody weapon meeting her own with a quickness that was nearly unnatural.

Time and time again their blades met; they weren’t so much evenly matched as they were keeping one another entertained to a degree. But luretia’s drive kicked in and she started to push the other back. She stopped fighting with the same testing forays and started to fight like she did in her work.

With a zealous drive that could hardly be matched.

She pushed him back again and again and again, up until his back hit the arena’s wall. She could hear the crowds roaring in approval as the woman was pressing on the current champion of this bracket hard. She’d snarl in irritation as he rolled out of the way of one of her strikes. Dragging his blade against her armor. She’d step forward and bring her sword down in a brutal overhead chop. But he was a flighty bastard and danced out of the way of her swing. Growling in irritation she’d step after him, only to be stopped by other contenders. Wicked blades and grinning faces...

It didn’t take her long to figure out that the wicked blade and dagger wielders were the damn vampire’s thralls with how they came to his defense. Snarling in irritation she did her best to fight off three individuals at once while the champion was left to his own devices. There were hardly anyone left now and sooner rather than later it’d just be the hunter and these four.

So she’d have to make quick work of the thralls if she was to make any headway. That being said? The one with the daggers gave her the most trouble; so he’d be the first one to bloody go. She didn’t even hesitate to run the man through with her sword, kicking one of his companions firmly in the chest. Sending them tumbling. The third man looked on with a confused expression.

She knew that his fight or flight response was kicking in, mixing awkwardly with the desire to fight for his master. The woman didn’t even hesitate to cut her way out of the other man, burying her sword in his neck and ending that confused decision making. Two out of three wasn’t bad and with the third thrall slowly standing up, wheezing from where she had kicked him the woman didn’t even bother to give him the chance to recover.

A punch in the side of the head and a grisly send off was all that he got. The men here weren’t skilled but she could distinctly hear the roar of the crowd as someone not only killed. But killed three people in rapid succession. She felt a little sick about it but she also knew that there was no saving someone once they were a thrall. Even if their master was gone they’d likely end up serving the darkness by becoming a vampire themselves or going out and finding another.

The champion was reveling in the combat against the other contestants. Nothing with almost unnatural grace. Cutting people down left and right. Though his strikes weren’t lethal to the same degree as lucretias. Mostly due to him wanting to have more hosts to feed off of later.

It was only when their blades crossed that the wicked smile stopped and his eyes locked onto Lucretia's face. Curling his lip in irritation the man made an array of strikes at her, each time met with the woman's blade. Growling he’d make another slash only for her to grab at his forearm. Stopping the blade outright. Then came the headbut which would make him cry out in pain. Lucretia was a tough cookie and wasn’t about to let this guy have the run of the town.

A tournament with killing rules was a good way of sating your hunger but the risk of him going out into the countryside wasn’t lost on lucretia. So she had to do what needed to be done. Her other hand reversed her blade and she’d stab it down through his collarbone, angled right to his heart. The only good way to really kill a vampire was to stake them but lacking that a sword would do nicely. She could feel him stiffen and the man dropped to the ground with her blade sliding out of him with a distinct lack of blood.

His own sword clattered to the ground as well and was still oozing blood. Sickened by this the woman stomped on the blade until it broke. The enchantment sputtering out and the blade stilling. She wasn’t happy with this even with the roaring of the crowd. Most of the other contenders had exhausted themselves and they had very little in the way of wanting to fight her after that display…

Leaving her to claim this day as her own, but the woman was happy enough knowing her job was done. Turning on her heel and after some words were said by the announcer the hunter didn’t much care. She’d ignore them and just walk out of the arena. Wondering to herself quietly if this bracket was the only one with problematic individuals...