The amount of things that Lucretia had fought before bordered on the obscene. The sort of line of creations that many would never have considered and many more would not have believed her if she had told them. But that didn’t matter much to her. Didn’t much matter when lives were on the line and creatures roamed the streets slaughtering innocents before they could even lift a finger.

She had her people out on patrol but that also didn’t seem to matter; the problems arose before any of them could make a move. So many lost and so many letters she had to sign, so many people she had to send them to. The lieutenant was gone, his hopeful career crushed not even last week.

She sat there staring at his broken blade that lay across her desk, it wasn’t anything special. Not anything that anyone would treat with any sort of value or respect. But it was something that to her meant everything. Meant that she had failed someone.

She felt her anger boil over and she’d stand up slowly; donning her armor. It hadn’t moved from it’s spot for some time. Picking up her blade permafrost and she’d cast a glance at the blade that sat there on the desk. She’d pick it up and hang it from her waist. She owed it to him at the very least to let his sword do it’s job one last time…

241/1,500

The creature this time was tearing through a different district now that they had started to corner in the fact that it was a person releasing these. They didn’t want to get tracked so they had to figure out different areas to attack. Lucretia walked slowly through the street. Knights ushering civilians past her. Her personal blade remained sheathe and the remainder of the lieutenant's blade kept clacking against her thigh. She’d stop when she could what the roar of the monster in front of her. The hot breath that blasted over her body.

She’d slowly look up; death sinking in her eyes. Such an intense aura of malice and hatred that emanated from her that the creature that had never once hesitated or known fear flinched. Taking a step back; the werewolf woman didn’t even seem to register her motions. Register her actions. She had leapt forward, drawing out the blade of her fallen knight. In an instance she had eviscerated one of it’s legs from top to bottom in a multitude of slashes. The broken blade whined as though it’s master was still there.

The softness of the hilt in her hand and the binding of the leather reminded her of the conversations she had with the youth. She found her anger started to heighten and on her way down the monster found it lacked both of its front legs. Slamming down on the ground with a surprised yelp that ill suited it.

Lucretia ran a hand over the remaining portion of that blade; cleaning it from the blood it had spilled. It wasn’t overly sharp, not overly heavy. Why did it sit so well in her hand compared to her fallen knights? She’d stare at it for a few moments longer; the warnings of some of her knights coming too late as the monster rushed forward, snapping at her.

Without looking, without even hesitating she held up a hand and stopped the monster in it’s tracks. It was like it had hit a solid wall that it simply couldn’t destroy. It’d gnash it’s fangs in anger and the coldness that lay within the werewolves' eyes slowly turned to it.

”I made a promise to him that I failed to keep because of you.”

[617/1,500]

The blade sang like it had never before, in the hands of a being that knew weapon after weapon. Maybe not like the masters that could make blades truly sing but for those that were not familiar it was work that they had never experienced before. A single swipe was enough to blow the beast backwards away from lucretia. Such little force, such little effort from the werewolf moved mountains. She’d flick her wrist, showing the blade. The monster didn’t seem to know what it was looking at.

Lucretia continued to walk forward; her eyes holding the beast in place and she’d let out a low growl. An instant later she was already in front of the beast and the swath of cuts that sank into it parted it’s scales like paper, sliced it’s feathers and leather skin like it was paper mache.

She split the very ground with a blade that wasn’t her own, split the very sky with the effort of her gone kin. She had called those she trusted as though they were brothers or sisters to her. This monster in front of her roared in agony as she destroyed limb after limb. Whatever she was doing was stopping it’s regeneration. Was it magic? Or had she unnerved it so badly that something wasn’t clicking?

The youth and his brigade had struggled against this beast but Lucretia wasn’t even breaking a sweat. She had believed in them, believed in every single person and… Because of that belief they were dead. She’d grit her teeth and the blade sang again and again.

The monster roared as she cut deep into it…

[890/1500]

Lucretia stood there above the umoving body of the monster, there was some activity here or there of it’s nerves forcing what little of it remained to twitch. The sky had opened up and the rain was practically pouring down upon the battlefield. It’s rampage had been halted but the coldness of the rain and the coldness of the situation had made it difficult for lucretia to really revel in the fact that the creature was dead. That the others had survived.

One entire brigade was gone because of them; because she felt secure in the idea that the youth could handle it. Why shouldn’t she? She had believed in him. She’d look down at the now completely broken blade; not much was left other than the hilt and the leather that fit a little too snugly in her hand.

She felt like this blade had another purpose; that the youth maybe had hoped that she would use it instead of him. She exhaled slowly and placed the hilt on her belt again. Snugly putting it to ‘rest’ for now. Her hand snaked up to permafrost. Where much of her strength lay. The blade shivered at her touch; it could feel its masters anger.

Permafrost was sharp beyond words, slicing the very droplets out of the sky as lucretia readied the blade with a single hand. Showing off her innate strength. She could feel the heartbeat of the beast in front of her and she’d grit her teeth ever so slightly. Stepping forward and exhaling slowly.

”I should have been there.”

Those words cut with permafrost; slicing the beast neatly in two from head to ‘toe’ with relative ease. Her somber stance was only furthered with each cut that she made against the beast. Whittling it’s flesh down to where it was almost a paste. The regenerative qualities it once had fizzling out with the intensity of lucretia’s actions.

The world around her was practically falling in slow motion; for others not much more than a few seconds had passed. The huge roaring monster had not only been entirely stopped by their captain commander but she had utterly destroyed the beast down to the actual fibers that made up it’s body.

The rain hid her sadness, and it had barely even started to touch the ground when the world seemed to move in it’s usual way. She stood there, the rain pelting her and she’d kick at the ‘muck’ that was the monster now. Watching as the steam that rose from it eventually dissipated.

It’s regeneration simply could not compete with her destructive capabilities with permafrost.

[1,326/1,500]

Lucretia slowly walked away from the steaming pile of the monster, meeting with her captains part way back to the barracks. They seemed surprised to see her as she hadn’t left it in quite some time. Her intense gaze had squashed any words they had and she’d take a seat back at her desk, setting the sword of the fallen lieutenants next to that of the blade. She’d look up to both of the captains who stood there silently.

”We don’t send them to their deaths like this; this shouldn’t of happened. I believed too firmly in the abilities of those untested… or rather not tested enough.”

She’d turn to look out the window; searching for words and comfort on her own but finding neither. She’d look down at the blade and she could feel the concern of the captains as they stood there. They were no closer to finding out who had done all this. She’d grip the edge of her chair with a armored fist, cracking it and staring up at the others.

”I will find this alchemist and stop them from claiming any more lives.”

Such a fierce promise to the two and the few others that heard her could feel the pain in that voice. But the intense passion and desire to protect warmed many a heart…

[1547/1500]