The rain was heavy as was the atmosphere.

There was a cruel silence among the townsfolk; the doors were closed up and down the street. Inns were closed even though they used to sing deep into the night. The shops had barricades put up and there was a strange vibe in the air like they knew something that she didn’t. Lucretia stepping into the streets of Dahlia usually was followed with some kind of greeting; she’d flick an ear as she noted that even the guards seemed absent.

Knocking on the guard house a shutter would open and a pair of eyes would greet her; pure fear in them as the guard almost closed it immediately. But recognizing the fur color and the equipment he’d let out a soft breath that was quickly followed by a curse.

”Scared me near half to death there…”

”What’s happening? There’s a strangeness to the air today.”

”You haven’t heard? There’s hunters on the prowl. Not the sort that you or those in the guild are but the wolfen kind. Guess whoever you killed last time had some powerful connections. They killed any guard at the other gate and now are waiting around the center of town for you.”

Lucretia’s face lit up in mild surprise and she’d look about; she couldn’t see them from here but maybe that’s why the presence felt so off in town. Usually when she returned from a hunt there was relief but with the presence of other werewolves looking to kill her and not the other way around… She’d bite the inside of her cheek.

”Any hostages? Demands?”

”Just you uh… they weren’t too keen on talkin. If looks could kill I’d be dead ten times over lass, just get there please!”

The shutter would close and lucretia was left standing in the pouring rain. She’d stare at the door for a few moments longer before turning to walk down the street. There was going to be one hell of a fight she figured. If a group of werewolves were looking to fight her and were strong enough to cause this kind of panic she would need to be on her toes.

The butt of her spear made a soft ringing sound as she walked; using it like a stick as she wanted people to know that she was here. There were a few people that looked out of their windows. A door here or there opened; eyes widened as the rain made her look initially like she had deflated. But there was a soft amount of steam rising from her.

The ice magic that she held back for the longest time was rolling off of her; freezing the droplets off of her and slowly ‘drying’ her in a sense. She’d growl a bit as she arrived at the center of town and could see what had the entire town in a tizzy…

[485/2000]

The view that she was given was not something that she expected; like the last party there was a group of three werewolves. But these ones seemed far more prepared than the last group. A single human man sat before them. Looking far more relaxed than he likely should have and upon seeing Lucretia it was made obnoxiously apparent that he was a werewolf too. She could smell the blood on him and the countless lives that he had taken. The oppressive wave of magic that came from the group would have been cause for a larm if she had been any weaker but she stood there like there was nothing wrong.

”Can’t say I’m surprised you walk around like that. If I had fur like that I’d probably do the same. Heh.”

The man stood up slowly, the three that were standing around him adjusted their weapons and looked like they were ready to fight her from the get go. Lucretia adjusted slightly and stared at them all; an archer, a mage, a warrior and… If she had to guess judging by the rapier that was on the last man's well… He was likely a hunter like herself. The way he carried himself she bet that he was the one that would likely give her the most trouble. If she let him at least.

”Oh? Not much of a talker are weee….”

The surprise that etched its way into his voice as Lucretia's body distended, giving way to the power of her own and the shaka zulu assegai was not something that was well known among the people. Only a handful of renowned mages knew about it and they were those that seemed to stand above all others until she came knocking again. Her posture adjusted and the few townsfolk that looked on found their jaws dropping as the lion wolf hybrid stood well over the single story buildings around her.

”I’m not much of a talker to those that would threaten the peace of innocent people.”

The man looked like he wanted to say something but with this new development he seemed extremely ill at ease. Like whatever plan he had was thrown out entirely and the trio around him nervously shifted. They had anticipated a werewolf but whatever lucretia was had completely thrown them off. Lucretia knew the kind of fear that she was dealing with and the unease from the hunter was more because whatever plan they had just crashed and burned.

Lucretia started to approach again and all four of them readied their weapons. She could tell that the hunter would be the largest problem. So she’d deal with him first. For a brief instant she looked like she was standing still and then she leaped forward. The speed of which seemed to catch all of them by surprise. Her spear wasn’t going for the leader, it was going past him at the mage. She could deal with all of them well enough and when she felt the spear punch into the soft underbelly of the group she was rewarded with a pained cry.

He was struggling on the end of her spear; but that wasn’t all that she did. Her massive hand had clasped around the leader’s head and with a brutal fashion she’d slam him into the ground with force that made a plume of dust explode upwards. The frantic flailing from his hands and sword grazed her but she’d draw him back up and slam him down against the ground again and again until he stopped moving. The other two that she hadn’t dealt with seemed completely locked in place.

They were experienced but she was easily taking them down like this? The warrior roared and swung his battleax at her in which Lucretia just tossed the now limp body of their leader at him, mucking up his swing. With her spear still ‘in use’ she’d swing it in a downward arc like a hammer at the archer who was trying to back up. Pounding both him and the mage into the ground. The howls of pain rang out through the town and more people peeked through their windows to see the spectacle. Many had never seen hunters do their work like this before.

A second, third and fourth swing would reduce the mage to a pulp. The fifth swing would give way to the archer’s demise as well. Lucretia would stand tall and stare down at the warrior who was still fumbling with his leader's body. Snarling he’d toss it aside as Lucretia and him squared off. Both of them were physical fighters and the rest of them had delved into the stuff where if you broke that soft underbelly would lead to only death.

She was an expert at dealing with groups; with single instances of werewolves. Especially those that thought they were hot shit. When she was younger she often had to resort to traps to get this sort of thing done but now she could just bullrush her way through it. Spinning her spear around she’d contemplate her next approach...

[1337/2000]

”Tch… leavin me for last for whatever reason?”

”Unlike the rest of them you have to get close to do anything.”

The sheer magical and oppressive aura that had been coming front he group was now gone; blasted into dust now that lucretia had taken out what could be considered heavy hitters. The crater that held the arch and mage was partially filled with blood and the ‘leader’ was laying at the feet of the warrior who was nervously shifting his feet. Trying to get an angle on the huge beast that was in front of him.

Not finding one he’d snarl in irritation and lucretia could see that he wasn’t even considering fleeing. Likely was just trying to figure out if he could at least deal a little bit of damage to her. But Lucretia wasn’t going to play games with someone that was willing to put innocence at risk. She could feel from the townsfolk that the hope slowly overwhelmed their fear. She had just killed three fairly powerful werewolves without really even breaking much of a sweat.

It was all in due part to her equipment and her weapon that she was even able to do that. Growling a bit she’d adjust her stance; the warrior doing the same now that he realized that she was going to attack. She’d spring forward, leading with the spear and he’d look to slap it away with his axe; figuring if he could break the weapon he’d stand a chance. Sure he knocked it away but that didn’t stop her fist from meeting his chest, lifting him up and sending him flying over the fountain.

Hearing him land heavily she knew he wasn’t that fast and she’d walk around it; Spinning her spear with a fierce look in her eyes. She wasn’t here to play games, wasn’t here to give what they wanted. She didn’t care about their reasons for being here but all she did know was that they were willing to hurt those here. She could tell by the guard earlier that if she didn’t show they would have started chopping houses apart and the people in them. It sickened her to know that she shared a gift with these people and they chose to squander it. But she’d at least make that known.

”At any point in time you could have stopped and asked yourself if this was the right path to take. That if threatening the people here was the right choice. Whatever your reasons for it; there are none that would justify it.”

”You killed our kids you bitch!”

Lucretia paused and cocked her head to one side; she’d muse over the past events and realized that the group of werewolves she had fought last had been on the younger side and she’d narrow her eyes just a bit before stepping awfully close to the other werewolf. Her hand reaching down to pick him up by the throat. He’d grunt and grasp at the hand that lifted him off the ground like one would a plank of driftwood.

”They were responsible for two packs of werewolves working together and causing much distress in Dahlia. If they had maybe I don’t know… made it so that the werewolves worked with those in Dahlia I would have let them be.”

”You expect us to work with prey of all things?”

”I wouldn’t expect someone steeped in darkness like you to understand what gifts we can give to the world. What hope we can bring the people.”

Lucretia growled a bit and started to close her fist; the flailing of the werewolf in her grasp was made apparent until she tightly closed it. She felt the muscle, the bone and the other werewolf’s body snap like a twig in her grasp. To make sure that he was properly gone she’d crush him till she could feel the other side of her hand against her own through the body. It was a grisly process but she wasn’t going to leave anything up to chance.

She’d let the body fall to the ground and would stare at it. She wanted to give them a chance; she wanted to do more than this. But the fact that they were willing to threaten the peace, threaten the people? There was no turning back from that. She’d sigh a little bit; letting her body go back to the usual host of the werewolf body she kept. Looking at her bloodied hands she had to wonder.

What would she do when given the opportunity? Where would she be able to send them? She was tired of killing her own kind but in dahlia they seemed to make themselves targets beyond a reasonable doubt. The werewolf would clean up her mess. Carrying the body of her kin outside of the city and burying them with their weapons propped up as gravemarkers. She’d freeze them to the ground with a soft burst of ice magic. She still didn’t have proper control for techniques but… she could manage this at least.

[2181/2000]