Bloodfang Chronicles - Dotb Ch. 01

Sinca winces internally as Kura goes to take a bite of the cake after speaking, then glances over along with the rest of the room as a loud clatter of wood on stone is heard, groans of pain heard from Teilun and Corlo. The two somehow wound up laying atop a chair, and each other, the pose seeming quite uncomfortable. A few more chairs can also be seen laying on the stone tile floor, knocked over in their play fighting. Giving a soft shrug once she sees the two stand up seeming no worse for wear, Kura goes to take a bite once again, much to Sinca's growing concern.

"Lord Lucian! T-there's important news!"

The opening door, along with the call from the messenger draws the attention of everyone in the room, except for Alira, who is too frustrated by something to pay attention to, Sinca noticing after a moment with a soft smirk. Lucian sighs, placing his partially filled wine glass on a nearby table before approaching the nervous messenger.

"What do you have to report?" he says with a curt and professional tone, not wanting to have to attend to official matters during his daughter's birthday party. The messenger leans forward, Lucian doing the same, and whispers into the lord's ear, earning a raised brow and a mildly concerned hum. "Oh, that moron...must he keep being so reckless?"

"Father, what is the matter?" Kura asks as she approaches him, placing the plate of cake on a table as she passes it. "Is there trouble?"

"Mm...well, Riktor is being quite a trouble maker, as usual. It appears he has run into a bit of a problem during a patrol." Lucian explains with a soft shake of his head. "Not enough to be of concern, but we should send a few more troops to assist."

"Sir Lucian, I would like to volunteer Kura for this endeavor. There is something that she will need to find to progress her training, and this is a prime opportunity to do so." Sinca speaks as she steps forwards, drawing a brief look of surprise from the family patriarch.

"And that is?"

"Nothing you need be concerned over, as this is something she must find on her own. The most we can do is give a nudge, and let her succeed or fail on her own."

With a grumbling sigh, he places a thumb and a finger to the bridge of his muzzle, rubbing it in an attempt to alleviate the headache he can feel building. After a moment, he looks at Sinca's smiling face with a soft frown, then looks to his daughter. "Kura? Do you wish to do this?"

"She must." Sinca answers for her, her smile now gone to show that she is being quite serious, though she still appears calm. "There is no other way. She will go, and she will seek out what she needs."

Lucian is silent for a moment, and Kura looks between the two authority figures in her life, split between her father's desire for her to stay, and her patron's demand to take this trial. "Then she will not go alone. I am sending the planned troops with her as well, and she will lead them herself. They will assist her, but she will find whatever you want her to look for herself."

"That is acceptable. Send as many as you like, but she must go as well. Kura, get ready to go. Duty calls, and you must answer it."

"Yes, Sinca...I will meet them at the gates, and we can make haste for my brother. Riktor isn't getting off with just a scolding this time..." she grumbles a bit to herself before wishing her family farewell, and leaving the house.

Sighing deeply, she heads towards where she knows the soldiers will be awaiting her arrival and concentrates some of her magic in her hand. With little more than a soft shimmer, a familiar revolving chamber pistol sits comfortably in her hand, the black and silver metals shining softly from the sunlight reflecting off of it. A silver crest depicting a pair of crossed swords, and glaring, vengeful eyes sits on both sides of the barrel, signifying who her patron is to the world. The goddess of vengeance, guidance, and protector of children. Sinca the Unbroken, the Devourer, and the Orphan-guard.

A soft chuckle is heard to Kura's right, her head turning to look at the source, though her pace doesn't slow, knowing exactly who the sound originated from. "So, time for another mission?"

Black fur, green eyes, and a playful smirk greet her, belonging to an individual that she has known for as long as she has been in service to Sinca. "Seems like the real deal this time, Jack. She's never sent us after bandits before, usually just rampaging wildlife and monsters that escaped detection by hiding within our borders. Something feels...off about this."

"How so?" Jack asks, his leather armor helping to keep him quiet and hard to notice, the black dye that's seeped into and stained the leather made from a type of fungus that grows in Wolvaria. Despite seeming to only be armed with a pair of shortswords on his hips and a sheathed katana on his back, Kura knows from experience that the former, and arguably current assassin has many tricks up his sleeves, in more ways than one. "Nice and easy, yeah? Get in with a dozen bloodthirsty fighters, wipe out the bandits, and get whatever they kept for ourselves."

"It just...feels off. If Sinca had not said that I needed to go, I would still be enjoying my birthday party. Riktor is more than enough to slay a few bandits, and that's not taking his squad into consideration. Thellis was more spooked than I've ever seen him before, and were I most others, it would lead me to believe this was quite a serious matter. Well, whatever it is we need to seek, we will apparently know it once it's found."

"Speaking of bandits...think you're ready? To kill them, I mean," Jack says with a soft look of concern towards Kura, who returns the look with a soft smile.

"I think so. I mean, I know words and actions are two different things, but...they are violent criminals. They hurt and steal to satisfy themselves, killing those who resist. The most challenging thing I have fought may be a few bone hounds, but you already know I'm a good shot. I won't miss," Kura states with a soft, contemplative expression, not seeming too concerned about the upcoming skirmish itself. "Besides, it would be nice to work with more than just you, you know. As helpful as you are, we need more skill-sets and areas of expertise under our belts before I can really call myself a Huntress of Sinca."

Chuckling softly, he gives a shrug, smirking softly as if he knows something Kura does not. "It's not hard to hunt. You might not have much experience, but you've fought well when we are sent on assignment."

"Just because you're already dead does not mean I am eager to join you in that state of being. The world is dangerous, and enemies will find us, ready or not. Still, I am glad that Sinca gave you to me. Your perspective certainly helps at times," Kura jokes with a soft chuckle, looking at Jack with a playful smirk.

"At times? Hm, if you continue using that manner of phrasing, I may start believing that you don't care," he says with mock offence, the two sharing a short laugh a moment later. His eyes glance over to the gathered group of soldiers, most of them armed with tachis and donned in armor made of segmented metal plates, seeming to be waiting for someone. The rest of them wield rifles equipped with silence crystals embedded in their stocks, katanas on their backs, and their armor is made up of a few metal plates that are thin enough to not impact movement, with black leather armor seen underneath. "Looks like the party is ready to start. Are you ready?"

With a soft sigh, Kura nods her head, her magic gathering in her palm before her custom suit of segmented plate armor appears on her body, the dull metal meant to both provide an intimidating presence, and to hide more easily. "Please don't remind me about parties right now. It's bad enough we had to leave, but I don't need to think about how much cake everyone is enjoying while we're out in the woods, slaying bandits."

Jack gives another shrug, then whistles to get the attention of the warriors as the two get closer to them. Upon spotting the recognizable suit of armor on her body, the trained soldiers line up with calls to stand at the ready, a familiar soldier saluting Kura.

Knowing that the soldiers before her are already prepared, she gives a soft nod of greeting before pointing towards the trail, the group of armed Vampiricans marching alongside her in near-perfect unison thanks to the evolutionary wonder that is the Pack Mind.

'Off we go...you can do this,' she thinks to herself, her eyes narrowing as she gazes down the path.

"Hey, think any of the bandits will be cute?"

'Come on, Jack...'