I have to find you, whoever you are. Our family needs answers, even if it is not what we want. Someone lived from that night….someone but who.

Their movements had stopped, it seemed like whatever chain of command this group had been broken and now all that was left were remnants of the mighty group of dark light mages. Raine had caught wind of an individual hunting down these mages, and everywhere that he went blood followed as their corpses piled upon each other. It sparked a light of hope in her chest, one that she kept a lit. Perhaps he had lived on that night…that damned bloody night.

Even though they were scattered, there were still small sects of the Tenebrius mages that kept on their normal actions. It was this information that lead her to the Virens, and perhaps she could get answers from them as to what happened.

She had dressed light for the travels, only in a simple maroon tunic and dark pants. Carrying a sword in her belt and a small pack of supplies that she needed to make the trip to and from. She didn’t need her normal armor in dealing with mages. After all most thought of her as just another woman with a sword, not knowing she actually knew how to use to blade from training since she was a little girl. Often did Raine use that to her advantage when she did get in a fight. The sword that she carried was the family sword, a simple but well-maintained bastard sword.

That’s enough, rest for now.

A simple reminder to herself, as she didn’t want to be exhausted if she needed to fight. She found a fallen oak and used that as a seat, putting her bags down by her feet and pulling out a canteen of water and strip of dried out meat. The only other sound around her was the cry of the birds in the trees as she ate and drank her portion. It was a simple bliss that even she could stop and appreciate. ”Is this what you have been listening to all this time…if you are even alive. She spoke softly, sadness coating the words. Letting out a sigh she shook her head and dug into the sack again for the map she acquired.

She pushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and looked down at the map. She had made good progress to where she had heard where the mages were. Rolling it back up she placed it back in the bag. ”Now to figure out how to approach them. Being struck by there magic is one thing I do not want. This dark light…twisting such a benevolent magic into darkness.. it is strange.” she mused to herself as she rested.

“We will need to take some rest soon, I think,” Cole mused allowed as he pat the shiny neck of his companion. The silver coat reflected light that broke through the heavy canopy above. “I never expected in a million turns that you would have become like this.” The demon hunter was still fascinated by the fact that the small statuette he had purchased had turned into a living, breathing unicorn. He was now fairly certain that the woman at the docks had known what she was handing over, but not certain as to why she could give up such an amazing thing. Either way, he was pleased with his new companion and gently stroked the equine’s shining coat once more.  

Cole checked the black saddle once more to make sure all of his possessions were strapped on tightly enough. It had been a long time since he had been able to ride instead of walking to his destinations. What he did know was that it was necessary to take a rest from time to time, and he was not used to not having his own legs tell him that. He had to admit that the sound of the hooves of his steed were mesmerizing. “Isilme, I am can say that it is a pleasure to have you in my company.”  

The hunter pulled on the reins slightly to change their direction. Instincts were tugging at him, and he had learned over his years to not ignore them. A slight shadow hovered out of the corner of his eye that made him stiffen slightly. No move was made to unsheathe his daggers….for the moment. Ears perked as the sound of a gentle, yet sad voice came across the air. Cole frowned a little, but turned the reins of Isilme towards the voice. Many times had he passed through the forest but had yet to run into another on his travels. With how large the forest was it became an uncommon occurrence for many.

A large downed oak lay across the forest floor. Upon it sat a young woman who appeared to be taking a rest. Isilme halted her steps as Cole considered how to approach without making the woman startle. There was still a generous distance between him and the woman, but Cole had the unicorn take a couple more steps back. The hunter looked at the back of the young woman’s head as he tried to figure out what she would look like. From her frame there was lean muscle beneath her attire, which told him there was physical skill to her potential. “Good day, miss,” he said with an even tone. It was best to start off with nothing to give wild imagination to go off with. “I wanted to give my presence known since our paths have come close to one another. Do you need help with anything? I merely offer since it does appear you are alone, though I do not intend to imply you are not capable of handling your own.”

The location she had picked did seem to be a good place to rest for a little bit. “If you do not mind…would it be acceptable for my steed and I to rest here as well?”

Lost in her own head as she tried to prepare herself for any battle that she would come across, trying to get a lay of the topography of the land for sources of cover from magical barrage and paths to be used for escape. Raine then thought to her supplies again and started to second guess the amount that she had brought, mayhaps it was best that she left this group alone until she could head back to her home in Adeluna. She rarely second-guessed herself, but the more that she thought about it the more she realized, she was only human and who knew how many mages there were in the encampment.

You let your emotions drive you again. Don’t get give into false hope.

Raine’s train of thought was interrupted by the sounds of hoofs approaching her from behind. Had she been found already by the mages? No, that couldn’t have been it as she made no disturbance as to compromise her position she had on them. Slowly she placed her hand lightly on the hilt of her blade and waited to see what the person would do. As he spoke, she let out a breath of relief, he was no way involved with that group as they would not address her as such. ”It was kind of you to do so, I thank you for your consideration.” She responded in kind to him. ”Alone yes, but I shall manage on my own. Just need a little time to rest, the hike through the forest is an exhausting venture, even if one is prepared. Always should know one's limits after all

It was then when she turned to see the man who had approached her and was taken back by the animal that he was riding. A unicorn? Very rarely were such creatures seen by the eyes of men, and even more, so that they were used as a mount such as this. She couldn’t help to be impressed by the animal and was all the more curious about how the man had managed to tame one of the more mythical creatures of the land. ”You are free to do so, I wouldn’t mind the company for the time being.”

In truth, she was going to use this to her advantage as well. For she knew that with another person nearby, any mages that may have known that she was in the forest would not bother to make a move now. Especially with what seemed to her eyes was a seasoned warrior of sorts. ”I must admit, a Unicorn as a steed is one of the more strangest things I have seen. How were you able to tame such a beautiful creature such as that?” It may have been rude for her to ask that question suddenly, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

The demon hunter remained still in his saddle as he waited for the woman to acknowledge his presence and make a decision on if she felt comfortable with him there.  He was not about to take a break around another when they had been there first if they wanted to be alone.  There were so many that could not be trusted in the world.  He was not entirely certain why he wanted to take a rest around someone else, but their current location was quite vast.  It would be nice to have some one else to speak with instead of a content companion that snorted at him from time to time.  Gray eyes noticed the trained hands of the woman touch the hilt of her sword as he proved himself safe enough. "Agreed.  It is quite a vast location that I had not realized.  If you are in need of supplies, I have some to spare.  I am not walking like you are," he sympathized.  Cole swung his leg over to dismount.

Isilme turned her head to check on her friend, which in kind he patted her strong neck.  He could not hold back the smile on his face as she nibbled at his hand for a small treat she knew was hidden in his belt pouch for her.  "Fine."  Cole pulled out the sugar cube and placed it flat in his hand for the unicorn to take it.  The equine was quite pleased with herself and began to feed on the small bushes that were nearby.  The hunter moved over to the fallen oak, and with a nimble jump he was upon the log to take a seat.  It felt comfortable to be sitting in a different position than he had been for the past couple of hours.  "I appreciate your willingness to share the space.  I was not looking forward to looking for another location.  It has already been quite the trip."

From his pack Cole produced two red apples that had been recently purchased at his last resupply.  Taking a bite out of one, he offered the other to his new companion in hopes that the woman would take it as a peace offering.  "Islime?  Yes, I would dare say that she is a rather rare sight.  Her existence is even more confusing than the sight."  The hunter took another bite of his apple as he attempted to formulate how they had come together.  "I actually purchased a statuette at a market.  Many years have I been trained to recognize powerful artifacts, but this time I was unable to tell exactly what I was getting….which I am thankful for."  His gaze softened each time he looked upon the rare unicorn.  Her tail swung back and forth out of habit instead of swatting flies away.  "As I went upon my way I could not keep my mind from the piece.  While gazing at it one afternoon, I said the word Islime…and the statuette changed into what you see before you.  The shock was rather intense.  Upon her arrival it was already apparent she was not dangerous.  Things have evolved since."

He glanced over at the woman and shrugged with a raised brow.  "If you do not mind my asking; what brings you out far away from the rest of civilization?"  Cole took the last bite of his apple before throwing the core over to the eager unicorn.  "I do apologize.  I did not introduce myself.  I am Cole Coccidus, demon hunter of the Jiyu Clan."

Rained gladly accepted the apple the man offered her, it would be something different than what she had been eating recently. She began to eat it, listening to the man as he explained how he came across the unicorn. She was amazed by how the unicorn became to be, she had heard of magical artifacts coming to the call of the one they thought were their master but nothing on this level. ”So she came to be, just out of the thin air like that. Amazing what magic can do is it not. I also think that it is a bit of fate that you two came across each other.”

”Cole was it? A pleasure to meet you, I am Raine Arowin,” She introduced herself in response to his introduction. She had never met a demon hunter before, but she already could tell what that entailed just by the name. Demons, they were some of the more dangerous beings to walk this plane of existence, so he must have gone through some demanding training to have such an occupation. ”As to why I travel so far, guess you could say it’s a quest for vengeance.”

She reached into her bag and brought out a torn, burnt and completely worn out piece of a banner that once flew. One could barely make out the Raven sigil that once shone brightly on the green background. “A mercenary troupe once flew with this sigil. They called themselves the Raven’s Nest,” She began to explain, the sadness once again filling her words as she spoke. ”This very same sigil though is also used by members of my family. It is laced with our mana and reacts to each other. At first, we thought it was a copy…” Slowly she raised her hand over the banner, and she channeled a ball of lightning over it. The Raven started to glow a prismatic array of colors as it was reacting to Raine’s spell.

”My brother, he was the leader of the band. They were slaughtered by a group of mages that hired them…we found no survivors. It is these very same mages that I am hunting down in this forest.” She barely noticed the tears that ran down her face as she stared at the banner. She closed her hand up gripping tightly onto the piece of fabric. ”They will learn to not have crossed an Arowin, and by my blade, I will have their heads.”

He was pleased that his offer had been accepted. His travels had taken him quite a ways from the rest of civilization. Though Cole enjoyed solitary, it was nice to speak with another person from time to time. Isilme did what she pleased to enjoy her time off from traveling. As he spoke about the coming together of the new companions, the hunter watched the woman’s reactions. As he watched her, he took in the muscles that were developed in her form. It was easy to tell that she had a talent for sword play with the way her body had hardened in certain areas. He was impressed. “Yes, just out of thin air. I have seen such magic before, but it always surprises me.” Cole shrugged his shoulders while pulling his foot upon the log with knee close to chest. It felt good to stretch. “I was in an elven city…so fate very well have been involved. They have an air fate about them each time I interact with that race.”

A polite bow of the head was given in response to her self-introduction. As she explained why her traveling brought her deep into the forest, Cole tilted his head to the side in curiosity. A quest of vengeance. Raine did not give a typical answer, though it was an honest one that he had to give her great credit for. Silence was all he could give for the moment in hopes that she would elaborate on the quest and what vengeance was necessary. He could find not find fault with someone that was looking to bring justice.

White brow lifted as he examined the banner that had been presented. As he continued to look at it, he felt that it was familiar. “Raven’s Nest? I believe I have heard of that group before, but only through telling. No personal meetings or experience.” Cole leaned forward slightly to watch as she channeled the spell to get a reaction from the banner. He took in a small breath and let it out as Raine continued her story.

A quick click of his tongue was a response given. “If these mages are within this forest, than how about I lend you my blades? I have no direct route at the moment to be leaving quickly. Let me be of help to bring an end to them?” Cole attempted another smile, though he knew it was not a comforting one like other people. He was not much of a smiler unless it was in a sarcastic sense. “Do not cry, for the blood of the betrayers shall be spilt.” Jumping down from the log, Isilme was quick to his side to be ready for heading wherever they needed. “We will give you a ride as well to help keep your strength. What do you say Lady Raine Arowin? Give me an apple and I will consider it payment for hiring my skills.”