A Demon Hunting We Will Go!

[Dulcie]

Dawn came much earlier than any of them would have liked, and the early orange light had already begun filtering into the small room that the wild woman and Kals had shared. They painted quite an amusing scene for neither of them were small people and there had been a great deal about disagreement over who would be sleeping on the floor which resulted in the pair of them stuffed onto the same bed with a thick blanket between them.

Kacela was reluctant to get up, the blanket that Kals had offered was warm and comfortable and although demon hunting was an appealing idea a warm bed was still a preferable alternative. She rolled over from where she was laying to watch Kals as he slept, her eyes scanning over his unveiled face, watching the way the orange light touched over his scaled skin. While it was intriguing to her it would likely be an incredibly strange way to wake up. Most people would be more than a little disconcerted if they woke up to find a werewolf towering over them watching them sleep.

[Suede]

Orange on green, that could be a curious combination. Especially as the light taken up reflected back in bronzes, greens, and the original orange off his skin. His oddly metallic hair did much the same, creating a faint halo around the bead she had tied there days ago. Kals didn't often dress to compliment his coloring, as the bright oranges, reds, and yellows he wore showed, but he rarely let anyone see his appearance.

In fact, this morning was the most Kacela had likely seen of him. Both his gloves and the veiled hood were gone, though he still wore even his boots. Something he'd neglected to remove during the debate the night previous. Perhaps this was why he didn't startle too greatly at the wolf's regard, the rare chance to not have him hidden. Perhaps it was because he could feel her presence with the skill before he was even fully conscious. Perhaps it was both.

It was still unusual, he'd never had the experience of someone watching him sleep before. So when his eyes finally opened and came into focus he initially just stared back. Eventually he raised an eyebrow as he started touching his cheek with a scaled hand. "What? Is there something on my face?"

[Dulcie]

She had been studying him for awhile, the way that he slept, the way the orange light danced on the scales. Certainly it was an unusual color, but it was something that she seemed to enjoy. When he finally stirred she'd grin a little from where she had been propped up on her elbow. Like Kals she had slept in all of her clothing, though his missing the veil, hood and gloves did indeed expose more of him than she was used to seeing. Apparently that was something she didn't seem to mind. As he woke she smiled back at him, moving her hand to still the one that was touching his face.

"Beauty." She commented when he asked if something was on his face before she looked back at him, her expression affectionate and warm. "I would not be happy if you were dead." She said solemnly and obviously there was something that had been on her mind lately. "You will be full of care when we hunt yes? You will not let the Nightkin harm you." There was genuine nervousness in her voice then. She was excited about the hunt, to track down the demon of seven plus one, but she was worried about Kals and how he would manage when they were gone.

[Drache]

The other scaled person bound for this adventure was already waiting downstairs, coiled into a high-backed chair. Her one-eyed gaze had settled on the nearest window, and she enjoyed both the warmth of the hearth and the radiant orange sunshine that streaked in and lit her up as though fire coruscated across the exposed bits of her hide. Her other eye was covered now by a proper eye-patch (and an enchanted one at that!) instead of a length of silk. She had changed her clothes and sat now with her snobbish Familiar in her lap. The black cat shifted, occasionally cracking an orange eye, watching the tavern's staff go about the early morning routine. The half-dragon had selected gray and black, wool and leather, functional and warm. A tight vest and a wool shirt with three-quarter sleeves, both open in the back to allow for wings. She wore pants, and even leggings that had been strapped snugly to leave only her talons bare. Much of her jewelry was missing, though the obsidian wand behind her ear remained, as did a black matte-finish torc around her neck engraved with faint silver runes. She considered it a good omen that it wasn't still snowing. Her many-pouched belt hugged her hips and she had forgone a cloak, unwilling to deal with the encumbrance today. She held something clasped in one hand, two pendants with silver chains dangling. An empty cup of tea sat on the table next to her.

[Suede]

He could sit up just then, let himself have the advantage of height. But why ruin the moment? His hand stilled at her touch and he pulled a rather fake scowl onto his features. "You're suppose to call men handsome. I'm the one that's to call you beautiful." She could likely hear, and feel, the amusement in his actions. Truth as well, his hand moved from his face to take her's as he did finally decide to sit up. He'd be trying to place her hand in her lap before he made to place an arm around her shoulder.

She became solemn, and he frowned down at her. "I won't die, Wolf Star. It would really ruin my day. Besides, I'd feel terrible not being around to bother you." And then he finished ruining the tender moment by yawning noisily and running his hand through his hair. "I'll let you take the lead, and if it comes to it I have a very, very last resort way of keeping myself going." Rhaena had done it to others a few times he was unaware of. Quite, quite straining on the body and aggressive, but it could save lives if it didn't end them.

He glanced out the window and then back to Kacela. "We should probably get up, though I'm utterly against moving."

[Dulcie]

"So many words to mean the same thing. " She'd say at the comment about him being handsome and not beautiful. There were still aspects to the language that bothered her. They just didn't make sense. She'd let him move her hand away and she'd even sit there with him for a moment with his arm about her shoulder as they seriously discuss the matter of his mortality. "The Nightkin can do worse than killings." She wasn't sure how much more she should or could really tell him about it, considering she didn't know this creature herself. As he commented about how they needed to get going she'd nod some of her agreement, getting up and turning her legs so that she was ready to get up off of the bed. "Bring silvers if you have it." She'd suggest. She had gone to the effort of learning the name of the evil metal that Glenn had forced upon her when she first arrived.

She'd stand up then and stretch, relieving the stiffness she had felt from sleeping cramped all night. "I will change outside. You will meet me there?" She wasn't talking about changing clothes after all, it'd be reasonable to assume that she wouldn't be hunting in her current form after all.

[Suede]

"We like to be able to tell people things in new ways every time." It kept conversations more interesting, though she had a point about the superfluous nature of it all. She slid from her under his arm and he let her, standing up more quickly to find and put on the rest of his covers. Kals didn't bother with changing, the material he wore seemed as fresh as if he'd put it on clean so he could save the time.

"That's why you'll be there, right? You can be scarier than any Nightkin." He said it with encouragement, assuring her he'd fine and he trusted her. He didn't look up immediately when she rose, having dug into one of his trunks, but when he straightened he had the sword he used to carry about held triumphantly up. "I'll see you outside, let me get the bows and arrows together and head downstairs to grab some food." Breakfast and lunch, a man had to eat.

"Don't make me chase you too far." He strapped the sword and sheath at his waist, slung both their bows over his shoulder along with the quiver. The trader faltered in his movements at her mention of silver, but did turn back to his trunk a moment to pull out another pouch and tuck it within his vest. Then he pulled the door open. "Shall we?"

[channe]

Outside, then: Agnieszka Kaczmarek, wearing cold-weather gear, and most likely Aleksei as well. She'll be walking up the path, and she'll wait inside the door for the rest of the party.

[BetaFlame]

Oh, yes, Aleksei was there. He wasn't about to allow Agnie to go about this alone. He didn't know these people, and had no real reason to trust them, and the poor girl had been through enough lately. Before they left he had taken three of the vials out of the cabinet, and tucked them into the inner pocket of his coat. Even as he walked with Agnie, his hand drifted up to pat at the pocket, as if to reassure himself they were there.

He seemed to be getting more accustomed to wearing his sword, adjusting the belt less. He had finally found a good place to settle it on hips, and it was starting to look like it fit him, instead of being a strange accessory he choose to wear. He actually had a pack over his shoulder too. Food, supplies. Tent. Just in case. He just hoped they didn't get caught in a snow storm and he had to suggestion sharing the tent with her. She'd stab him.

[Dulcie]

"Scarier, yes." She assured with a bit of a smile, but he could feel her mixed emotions, the excitement for the hunt and the nervousness for his well being. It seemed to fit that feeling of possessiveness that he had picked up from her before. She'd catch the look he gave when she mentioned the silver and she'd offer him a slight smile. "Nahual are not the only things harmed by silvers." She'd offer in explaination, but the first word she spoke flowed so easily from her tongue it was obvious that it was from her native language, and perhaps the word she used for people like herself. When he asked if they were ready she'd nod and follow him out of the room. She wouldn't waste time once she was down the stairs, parting ways with him easily as it wouldn't be long before they would be reunited again.

There were people waiting by the doorway and she'd move past them, easily stating. "I will be outside when you are readied. Do not be frightened." It was a hell of a parting, but after she had been gone from the tavern for a few minutes it might be obvious why. With the walls of the tavern between them it muffled the horrible bone crunching sounds of her body shifting forms out behind the bushes, but the horses in the stable were stirring and scuffling as a beastly howl was heard from outside. It was a sound that could easily be mistaken for the howling of a wolf ready for the hunt, but to those with a closer relationship to the animal kind it would clearly indicate the release of the pain that came from the re-organization of her being from one form to another.

[Suede]

"Well, I don't know how much a few trinkets are going to help. Wish I had a knife." But everything he had with him was decidedly mundane. The bows were certainly well crafted, he knew that personally, and the sword had been made by a friend of his father so he trusted that. But there was no magic or precious metals amongst the lot. Her word was filed away for later as he closed the door and followed her down the stairs into the main room where everyone was already waiting. It was just be so that they were the last ones to arrive when they were closest to the meeting point.

He requested a barmaid gather him up a few meals worth of food that would keep for the day before approaching the others. By the time he got there Kacela had stepped outside and he offered the rest a small wave. "Morning, are we ready to see what we can manage?" Kals sounded a bit sleepy, but determined enough. "You said we're starting at someone's house?" His words grew softer as the noises from outside began. He'd seen Kacela's wolf form, but never experience even the sounds of her changing, and it made him cringe with worry. There was the urge to go outside, to check on her, but he resisted it because she'd told him she didn't want him to see.

The trader rather forcefully held himself in place. "Kacela... will be ready in a moment. She suggested we bring silver."

[Drache]

Drache rose sinuously from her perch on the armchair, her talons clicking smartly on the floor as she joined the group milling about. She didn't relish the thought of trekking through the forest, or even flying above it, in the winter cold, but at least the sun was shining. Trey the Cat jumped from her lap and padded after her for a few steps before pausing, sitting back and curling his extra-fluffy tail around his stout little paws. He let out a morose sort of meow, which caused Drache to turn back for a moment. "Of courssse I'll be back. And if I'm not, you'll know what to do." Leaving her Familiar on that rather cryptic note, she swept out to join the rest, the silver chains still clutched in her claws. Other than that, she didn't appear to be carrying much gear. A sorceress's prerogative; avoiding things like being weighted down by supplies.

"Good morning," she intoned, an excited glitter in her eye. "I'm ready. And I brought these. I only had two, but wearing them may help protect from mental intrusions." They appeared to be small silver pendants shaped like scarabs with yellow tourmalines set into their backs. She held them out, but not to anyone in particular, allowing for the fleshlings to decide who would benefit from them most. With no request made of her to ignore Kacela's shape-changing, she had no compunctions about peeking interestedly.

[channe]

There's nothing magic or precious about Agnieszka either, except for her erstwhile companion; she's dressed for the forest with an array of weaponry. She pauses as she hears the howling outside -- her eyes widen, and she tilts her head to one side, as if only now making a realization.

"Oh," she says. "Um. *Okay.*"

Turning back to Kals, she folds her arms in front of her body. "Kacela is the pro at this; we take orders from her today. Except, mind, if you see the fuckin' thing, at which case you're to find and summon Aleksei immediately. As I said --" and she looks from one to the other -- "Don't engage, don't even let the head-thing know you're there until we're ready to burn it. And if you encounter Aeryn Karolinger, the instructions are doubly so. For all ya value, don't fight him alone. We're gonna start downtown at the house o' Kerrak al'Nerun, where the head... walked away." It's obvious she still can't believe that even happened.

A pause, and a shudder, as she sticks a thumb over her shoulder to the door. "... is she okay?"

[BetaFlame]

The howl also jerks him up short. His hand shoots to the hilt of his sword.. before he just relaxes. Someone is a bit on edge this morning! He offers a smile to Drache and just politely declined the necklace, "Items that affect the mind.. give me headaches. I don't need extra ones today." He glances at Agnie, as if he to say he already has a headache, thanks. "I have a premade binding circle in my bag. I will just need someone to burn the runes into the ground... I assume Lady Drache can help with that? I can probably.. distract the thing long enough for you to."

He sighs and rubs at the bridge of his nose. Despite his best efforts, he did not get much sleep. Between worry and creating the circle, he had been up most of the night.

"Its possible the head.. is no longer just a head. The head might form the core of something else, or it might have taken over something else. Who knows? But I can't see the creature staying vulnerable for long, so we should move quickly?"

[Suede]

"She's fine, changing into the tracker you want can just be... difficult." Kals offers this stifly before tilting his head to Drache and adding more sternly, "And it's quite rude to stare." He didn't know how Kacela felt about others seeing her change, but staring for the sake of was just rude in his book. As for the necklaces, he holds his hand out for one. He wouldn't wear it for now, not with his own propensity to drift about mentally, but he could save it for later and Drache would have to come back to the group to hand it to him.

The trader listens quietly to the instructions of the pair. "Both are reasonable, if for some reason I can't get to you Aleksei, how do I handle the situation? Any particular do's and don'ts?" He isn't one with much experience with demons and their ilk. Of the five present he was clearly the novice, but he'd follow Kacela's lead. "And if it's not just a head anymore, does that change things?"

Once the sounds from outside died away he'd gesture to the door before starting that way himself, holding it open for the other three. "We can talk as we walk... if all of you are ready. Just, don't be surprised when you step out, Kacela's quite large."