Fantasy Hunter's Moon [IC] [CLOSED]

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob looked upon the party gathered around the lich, or preparing for what was ahead of them, before taking a deep breath and following after Valeria as she went inside. He managed to catch up to her, as she stopped a quarter of the way up the aisle inside the church, then spoke. "I'd like to give my wife and daughter a visit before we leave, ma'am, if that's alright." he said, his voice cracking a bit.

 

[Infab]

"Ahhh...heard 'bout the war. I didn't take part in it, though a bunch a people tried to push me to do it." she said, looking the apple over. "'magine...the death and destruction that a dullahan can bring to a battlefield. The mindless killin'...I don't want to be any part of that kinda thing." Her voice went soft as she spoke, offering the apple to the horse. It bit into it rather quickly, and she resumed petting it with her free hand. Eventually, she spoke up again. "...Boris was a friend of yours? Or something...you know, more than that?"

------

Valeria's gaze never shifted from Jakob as he finished, but she did nod in response to his request. "...I understand. Go right ahead, Jakob. Return here to the church when you've tended to your family and gathered the things you need." she stated, patting him on the shoulder. "Remember. Silver cartridges, and I'd suggest clothes for cold weather."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister overheard Galina introduce herself to Witlock and the priest, and he chastised himself for not realizing the woman was Tsavanian earlier. It had been many years since he had been to that cold hellscape, though he had the pleasure to refresh on the language from time to time when he met a traveler from there on occasion. Mostly they were just sailors at any inn or bar near the docks, but every once in a while a Tsvanian merchant or noble would appear. Always was delightful to surprise them by speaking their language, though he was far better at speaking Escarian than the cruder northern language.

He would have to get formally acquainted with her later as well.

"I am staying at a hotel not far from here, so I shall return promptly with my things. I have the most marvelous new hat that I positively cannot wait to wear," Aleister beamed, bidding goodbye to the group before carrying off away from the church and across the square. The hotel he was staying out was down a sidestreet, and while it was not particularly lavish, it was thoroughly modest and clean. He chose it primarily for its location near the art gallery and some other interesting locations.

It wasn't long before he reached his room, passing the sleepy clerk in the lobby without a word. He traveled relatively light as he did not have his horse with him, so anything he owned he had to carry himself or leave with an acquaintance in town - or use the postal services to send the belongings back home. Further south on the continent, in just about all the major cities, he had someplace to store his belongings, but this far north he had few, if any, associates to deal with. All of his things he had with him here were capable of fitting into one large rectangular suitcase, which was leather bound and canvassed to make it not only sturdy, but waterproof. He had a total of four complete outfits, though with some mix and matching he could dress differently rather easily, and he had two sets of shoes - his typical dress shoes, and a pair of fancy riding boots that were good for when he was in the country. Aleister wasted no time getting the firm boots on, and he changed into his shooting attire - heavy beige tweed clothes which were befitting of Atracan nobles on a fox hunt. This type of clothing was practical for travel, and not entirely drab.

He kept his revolver in its shoulder holster, which he wore under his jacket at all times. He rarely used it as he had other ways of dispatching a foe, but it was a useful tool, especially when dealing with beasts. The few silver rounds he had were wrapped in thick cloth and kept in a leather pouch, but he had two attached to the shoulder rig for quick loading in an emergency.

Lastly, he picked up the new hat he had purchased only a few days ago at a quaint little hat shop on the edge of town. It was rare to come across such exquisite designs and craftsmen ship in rough areas, yet here such a specimen was. He had seen it simply wasting away in the shop window and he purchased it immediately. It was a woman's hat, but that didn't bother him. It was made of the softest black velvet and held well when it was windy, or so he was told. It also had a scrumptious crimson bow and plume, made of fine silk. The most important feature was that it was very wide brimmed and would conceal his upper body in the sun. He had a simple hooded cloak as well he wore when in sunlight, but the hat was more fashionable. He settled it on his head, gathered up his suitcase, and left the hotel and headed back to the church.

"Hello, dearies," he announced to everyone as he returned, looking over the people who were still outside the church.

"I hope you didn't miss me too much, my dear Marquess Camille," he said as he approached the dour woman. "Tell me, is this not a rather dashing hat?" He twirled his fingers around the bow, enjoying the smoothness of the silk. It wasn't cheaply made, that was for sure. This was import fabric.

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil gave a look of general disinterest as he observed everything. This little isle is wretched already. Ethraeil though to himself. He had heard of this region, but never had been here, nor did he really want to be here. Nonetheless, it was required of him to serve the needs of whomever called upon him.

The annoying priest vampire had returned as well to his ire, culminating with Ethraeil sending an icy gaze toward Aleister.

"I hope you shan't put me in close accommodations with those unsightly parasites you travel with." Ethraeil remarked to Valeria.

 

[Dmaster]

Dour was one word that could describe Camille at the moment, the woman reserved to leaning against the sturdy stonework flanking the church steps, arms crossed against her chest. Her eyes appeared to be transfixed with watching the horizon above the buildings, trying to catch the morning sunrise whenever it would appear. Aleister's approach was heard before it was seen, that smug greeting and tempo to his step impossible to mistake for anyone else. She merely turned her head to him ever so slightly, glancing at the hat and the surprisingly high quality fabric it was comprised of.

The marquess just shook her head from side to side. "It is quite fetching indeed. Did you pilfer it from a little girl's corpse as a keepsake? I know a heart resting against the lining of your stomach isn't enough of a souvenir for a vampire as eccentric as yourself." she retorts.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

"Thank you so much, ma'am." he said, nodding to the inquisitor before heading back outside. He let out a relieved sigh as he strolled quickly towards his house. Luckily for him, he and his family had moved to the upper residential district close to the church and the constabulary station. It took only fifteen minutes to walk from the church back home, to a modest looking house. He opened the front door with his keys, but as soon as he stepped inside, he saw his wife sitting in a chair facing the doorway. She let out a sigh of relief, quickly darting across the room into an embrace and kiss. "Dear gods, Jake, why are you so late!?" she asks, clasping her husbands hand afterwards. "Come! You need rest and food! I bought you some turnips!" Her tone was cheerful, despite the somber look on Jakob's face.

"My dear Cecil...remember when I told you the strange nature of my transfer? I..." he said, letting go of her hand and sitting down in the chair she had been sitting in before. "...the Church needs my help. I'll be away for...I don't know how long, but..." After he went silent, there was a long and uncomfortable pause between them. She sat next to him on the chair's arm, and took both his hands again with a warm smile on her motherly face. "I know you'll do great things, my love. Please be careful. I love you." she said, to which he replied with a small chuckle. He hugged almost as tight as he could, but broke the hug as soon as he noticed a sleepy little girl dragging an oversized teddy bear nearby. She ran over and embraced his leg, face buried into his thigh. "I love you both. Please, take care till I get back." he said, finally.

After bidding them farewell, he left home carrying a sizable bag full of provisions that the family had preserved. He ventured to the station, where he was welcomed by the husky constable that had been following around the inquisitor. "Phillomon! What are you doing here? Ain't you supposed to be with the inquisitor?" he asked. Jakob ignored him at first, heading to the armory inside the station. He grabbed a box of silver cartridges for his revolver, as well as a pump action shotgun and some shells. The other constable spoke up again. "Uh, Jakob?" he asked, before Jakob finally replied. "Yes, I'm gathering equipment for the job." he said, before grabbing a constable's winter coat. He then turned to him. "Take good care of yourself, friend. I'll see you as soon as the inquiry is done." he said, bidding the constable and the station a farewell afterwards and returning to the church. There, he was again welcomed by the unfriendly sight of his fellow travelling companions. "I hope you all behave, now." he said, as he walked up.

 

[Infab]

Valeria noticed that the lich Ethraeil had entered after Jakob's departure, and waited for his approach. Eventually he did speak. "You mean the individuals that we will be travelling with. And yes, you will be riding with the vampires in the same carriage. They need to be kept out of the sunlight as much as possible, and you need to be kept out of the public eye unless absolutely needed. Need I remind you how the public generally reacts to the sight of a lich?" she stated after he finished. "You'll be able to take your frustrations out on the other vampires we come across."

She then turned to face the altar and the rest of the church's nave. "With any luck, we will finish this inquiry quickly and get to return to the mainland." she said, before continuing to walk up the aisle towards the alter. Once there, she decended to her knees, setting her hat on the floor and straightening up. She drew her sword from her hip, setting it on the floor before her horizontally, and rested her hands in her lap. Her eyes shut, and she began to quietly pray. The first prayer was to Adona, the leader of the five divine beings that the church was founded around. The second prayer was to Velin, another of the five and the patron goddess of the Vigilant Order.

She did this every morning when she could, asking the gods to watch over her during her endeavours. This time, though, she was asking for the gods to watch over them all. It took her all of ten minutes, before she took her sword and returned it to its sheath. She then grabbed her hat and stood. Now to find some paper and a pen. She had a letter to write to Father Weston.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

Aleister overheard the lich speak ill of him, but he ignored the creature despite how fascinating it was. If something as unholy as an abomination as a necromancer turned lich had the gall to call him unsightly or a parasite, then the beast was deluded and beyond simple minded. Necromancy itself was... well, a curious art, but he could not abide by such practices as a priest. Vampirism was one thing, but to willingly twist souls and puppet the dead was another entirely. Hearing the inquisitor chastise him was pleasure enough. He kept his attention on Camille.

"My dear Marquess, this hat is far too fine quality to belong to any meager child from hereabouts. Truth be told, its hard to figure out what ravaged corpse I took this hat from... perhaps some Escarian noble woman. There are far too many to count, after all. You lose track after the, oh, one hundredth murder."

He could see Jakob return from the corner of his eye and he gave the constable a short glance. "I am always well behaved, good constable. Just look at me. A sterling example of morality. But thats not important. Tell me, what do you think of this hat? Beautiful is it not? The Marquess thinks its rather fetching. I must agree."

 

[Viper Actual]

Galina chuckled. "No, it was nothing like that. He was my commanding officer. Stubborn old man who had fought during the previous wars. Gave us alot of perspective, made me appreciate the uneasy truce which is in place right now."

She patted Boris alongside his head and sighed. The horse was black with a single white stripe alongside the front of its face. Boris' mane was kept short and in tied up in a row of small buns.

Galina looked back at Rosanna. "Sadly he never got to see it. Lead a charge on Atracan positions. Battle of Snowfang Gap. I was there too. Lost alot of friends."

"As for you, well, consider yourself lucky. There weren't anything but political motives causing this last one. I don't think any of the soldiers here wanted it. In fact the few ex-Atracan soldiers I've met during my travels have been very understanding. You both went through the same thing."

Galina shook her head. "Enough about that now."

 

[Dmaster]

Just what was this parasite trying to achieve, burning a bridge with the most dangerous hunter here? Brazen, self-assured, and incredibly foolish. On Escarian soil his ashes would fertilize a most splendid potted plant. Yet here? The inquiry's mutual mission stopped her hand, but Alesteir here was clearly milking it.

With a flourish of her cape set in motion by the spreading of her arms, she stood tall yet again and stepped a few paces closer to the vampire. "The vampire that was once a fellow countrywoman is at the very least hiding her intent. Poorly, I might add." she starts, hands balled into fists. "Yet you do not know who you are messing with. The only reason you still pretend to breathe is due to the Senior Inquisitor permitting it. I kindly request that you remind yourself that if circumstances were any different, you would be just a footnote in a long list of kills, parasite." Camille spits, hands balled into fists. Her patience had thinned, and she would not tolerate this creature's interest in her for much longer. "But please monsieur, pretend to be a man of faith, buy those fancy hats, and mingle with your would-be meals. I do ever so delight in the comedy act of a vampire so delusional that it has convinced itself into thinking they are a creature of emotion and logic."

 

[Emperor Sagan]

"Curious," Aleister said, twirling the silk ribbon of his hat again, meaning the word truthfully. This woman continued to surprise him with her vitriol. Such contempt had to have come from somewhere, though some could be born with such tendencies. It was unfortunate to see a soul so wound up in thorns and vinegar. A priest was supposed to mend such overgrowth, though as an early judgement, it did not seem Galina would be capable of any salvation from the pulpit. It was a rather upsetting situation to deal with. Salvation wasn't something he could provide, be he helped many find the right path.

"The dear Marquess speaks most bitterly. I think you would find much peace within yourself if you open your heart to Gyasis and your mind to Undite, and I do not say such a thing in jest. It is a true suggestion," he explained, reaching beneath his collar for a second time that night to display his insignia of his gods and one of his patron saints, Bartholomew. He was sure to let his hand linger on his necklace so that his holy rings could be seen as well.

"And I do not pretend to be a man of the faith. I have been one since I was but a boy. I have done far more holy work than you, I dare say. Unless you can claim the title of pilgrim as I can, claim the title of ordained priest as I can, and claim to have preached faithfully for several decades as I can. But," he said, holding up a finger, "faith is no contest, so I shall not fault you for any... shortcomings there, so long as one actually has faith in the first place."

He paused for a moment, examining the woman, before shaking his head. "I do not think the time is right for this discussion. Its best to prune a thornbush by light, an old bishop once said. Though I must wonder what you value more - saving, or killing? I can tell you what your words lend support to."

 

[Radley]

Erwin rolled his eyes when Aleister and Camille bickered back and forth. While Camille was as snobby as they come, he had heard some tales of her exploits and skill. An insufferable individual who could not shut their mouth, but was also deadly, were two traits that cancelled each other out.

Aleister was a whole other story. First off he was a vampire, so already a suspect. Secondly, he didn't seem skillful in combat and Erwin didn't know if he had any scholarly or pious merits.

And the attire... By the five divine, the attire.
Erwin turned to the Aleister, "Apologies, m'lord. I was not informed of the mornings fox hunt. I'll fetch your hounds." He jabbed with a dry voice before turning and walking away.

He steered his steps towards the inn at the marketplace, where he had left his horse.
Acquiring his saddle and bags from the innkeep, he returned out side to ready his steed. Boy, as he was unimaginatively named, was a steady creature. In fact he was built more as a plough horse than any cavalry equine. Black with a streak of white on his face and hoves, Boy was one of Erwins only and most trusted companions.

After having saddled up he made a detour to the constabulary to cash in his bounty on the werebeast. A bounty he specifically requested be paid in bank notes instead of coin. The notes were kept in a tightly bound notebook, always on his person.

He then returned to the church to ones again re-unite with the strange party

 

[Infab]

Rosanna nodded. "Yeah, lets move on to somethin' else." she said, giving her horse a few pats before turning to look at the others. She noticed that the man with the high collar coat and hat had returned with his own horse. "Great work horse, that one. My father had one just like it. Forgot what exactly he named 'em, though. Think it was 'Jack'." she said, motioning to Erwin's horse before looking back to her saddle. She reached into one of the saddle bags, before drawing out a small metal flask which she promptly drank from. A moment later, it was slipped right back into the bag.

She noticed Aleister's hat upon glancing over to where he and Camille were talking, and it forced her to chuckle. He already looks like a dandy, he's just making it worse now.

 

[Breadman]

Theodore was silent after the lich revealed himself. Completely oblivious to the bickering of others as he studied the creature. He had hypothesized that the carriage contained something else entirely. A werebeast or something else of great strength, but not a defiler of the dead. He wondered how the church managed to get him under thrall. Did they capture his phylactery? Do they hold something even dear to a lich? Questions that required answers as soon as possible.

But there was a more imminent task for now he needed to focus on. While the Inquisitor was kind enough to provide a horse for him, there was still the matter of the trunk of equipment that was left near the church. Of course he couldn't burden the horse with this load. Poor thing's back would snap in half if he tried. If they were going to travel with the carriage however, this wouldn't be an issue at all. Simply strap it along with the rest of the luggage and be done with it.

He opened up the cargo to replenish his supplies from the earlier experiment while others went to perform their duties around the town and market.

 

[Radley]

"I don't like riding fast." Erwin said as he leaned in his saddle. "But Boy here is capable of a it, if o demand it. His built is more suitable for draging werebeast corpses. A prey that has become my specialty over the years."

He took notice of Rose swigging a flask, but decided to leave it at a mental note. A dullahan that was so comfortable in the company of hunters surely had some kind of tonic to avert... Whatever urges her compatriots would suffer. The ones he had encountered were simply riding across the countryside, spreading havoc as they went. Unlike other fiends, they were more akin to marauding bandits, aside from the fact that they didn't plunder. Perhaps their conditions simply compelled them to sow chaos in a erratic pattern than anything else.

 

[Infab]

"Ahhh. Werebeasts kinda was my thing too for a long time down south. Me and my brothers would go out huntin', and bag a bunch almost every week. Then my older brother retired, and it was down to just me and my little brother...little brother got killed when a werewolf pack ambushed us. Guess who else died too?" said Rosanna, before making a motion towards her neck. "One of 'em got a good swipe in, and I lost my head....woke up a few hours later as a dullahan."

 

[Radley]

Erwin shuffled a bit in the saddle.
"I see. Perhaps you and I have more in common than you would think."

Erwin took one hand and slowly lowered the high collar that concealed his features to reveal a grizzly scar covering a sizeable part of the left side of his face.
"Vampires and other creatures are no different than the evil that lurks in men, but werebeasts... They are nothing but rabid fiends that are only fit to worship the mud."
As he had already revealed his face, he took the opportunity to spit on the ground in contempt before covering his face again.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Concentrating on the task at hand, Jakob seemed to ignore Aleister as he rested the bag of supplies he was carrying on the ground. He checked to see if everything was there, as well as if everything was in decent shape. As he heard his companions once again bickering at one another, he decided to refrain from interrupting. His previous outburst had been met with ignorance, so he had no reason to interfere this time. He finally turned to Aleister to gaze upon his hat. "Huh...well, it uh...fits you well." he said, with a friendly smile. Afterwards he straightened up, folding his arms and waiting on future orders from the Inquisitor.

 

[K0mori]

Mariette had hid it as best she could, but when the lich first appeared on the scene, she was terrified. In her multiple lifetimes, she had never seen one; she had known many vampires and wearbeasts and a few other types of supernatural beings (Roseanna being the second Dullahan she had known with her mental faculties still intact, but the last one was a long, long time ago), but never a lich. Apparently the quiet, winemaking life didn't attract such frightful characters. Only once it became clear that Ethraeil was under the control of the Inquisitor and had even shown a dry sense of humor did Mariette relax again, but it came with the disappointment that the lich hated her kind every bit as much as the worst of the humans.

Then there was Aleister again... each time he opened his mouth, Mariette became less fond of him. It was difficult to determine how long he had been a vampire, but this degree of eccentricity was usually a sign of maladjustment. Vampires who forgot the ways of rationality, who forgot social etiquette, were the ones the humans could easily forgive themselves of killing even if their victim was merely a kind, but strange soul. But Mariette had her doubts that Aleister was all that kind to begin with. His sarcastic references to murder and debauchery within his church duties wasn't just distasteful, it helped confirm the suspicions those around him alreadt had. He was arousing the hatred of those whom Mariette hoped to influence for the better. She would need to have a word with him.

She departed the group and went to the home of her contact in Airedale to pick up her supplies and change clothing. All that work to put on this elaborate outfit, she thought as she walked along in the darkness. Had they not taken me, I would have needed them in my travel back to La Cygne, but I really should have taken some practical clothing to begin with... It had been a long time since she had traveled this far, and it was an interesting feeling to make mistakes and to not know what to do. She had been in such a routine on her estate that there was no situation there which could faze her, but out here, it really was a different story.

She was quickly ushered in the door when she arrived, and her contact, a man she had never known was friendly but did not ask many questions. It seemed he did not feel comfortable with a vampire in his home and only wished to do business. That was no problem for Mariette, and after changing into something far more suitable for the journey ahead, she informed him that there would be a carriage provided for her and that she wished to swap the horse she had originally requested for a more suitable pack animal. He provided her a mule, she handed him his payment, increased for the additional services rendered, and departed immediately.

Mariette wasn't much of a fighter. Her grimoire was placed within a leather cover and slung over her shoulder by a strap, but she also carried with her a revolver for self defense, holstered safely under her cloak. Aside from a genuine ivory grip, it lacked any sort of embellishment. She never imagined herself carrying or using one unless her life was in danger, and compared to some of the heavily engraved pistols and derringers carried by other nobles, this one made her feel safe in its spartan utility. She had both standard and silver rounds available, and also kept a silver-clad knife. Although she wore a hat, it was small and she would be relying on a large black parasol to remain safe during daylight hours.

A while later, she returned to the church, her mule following behind her loaded up with various supplies for the trip. Among them were a pair of expensive-looking locked metal cases clad in leather. One was black and the other was a slight maroon color. Before tying the mule to the back of the carriage, she unlocked the maroon-colored case and revealed that it was full of dozens of vials of blood, enchanted to prevent coagulation. A small tag tied to each revealed the name of the human who had sold it, a signature from said provider, and an address. This was in case of a search; Mariette would be sure to provide a paper trail to prove her legitimacy, but whether inquisitors or other hunters would bother to follow up on the leads was unfortunately up to them. She ingested a single meal and placed the empty vial back in the case.

The black case was filled with money.

She approached Aleister and Camille, and, noticing the former's hat, let out a disappointed sigh. "You seem rather keen to draw attention to yourself," she said, blandly. "I suppose it may be useful; maybe if an angry mob attacks us along the way, they'll be so concentrated on that macaroni hat of yours that I can slip away. I'm ready whenever the rest of you are; I'll be in the carriage."

 

[joshuadim]

Ethraeil grumbled unhappily to Valeria's response, but his protests ended there. "Very well, I understand mistress." he spoke with a hint of disappointment. And perhaps she was right, he would be able to take his frustrations out on whatever he was to be set loose upon. He could at least read to pass the time within his confinement by burying his face in a book rather than having to directly deal with them within. He continued to silently observe his surroundings, standing still with his hands behind his back.

 

[Infab]

Eventually, a few horses and a new carriage arrived next to the church, being lead by a few constables. Father Bartley met them, leading them around to the front and to Valeria's group. Valeria herself soon appeared outside as well, strolling over to Jakob as he waited near the old carriage Ethraeil had arrived in. "You'll be the driver for the carriage. Ethraeil, Aleister, and Mariette will be riding inside it, while the rest of us will be on horseback." she stated, making sure Jakob understood his assignment. Afterwards, the constables loaded the group's loose equipment (such as Jakob and Aleister's bags, as well as Theodore's equipment) onto the carriage before hitching Mariette's mule to the rear of it.

Valeria was given one of the horses as watched the constables work. It was a light grey color and of an Atracan breed from down south, meant to be primarily a work horse but could still keep up with most other breeds when it came to speed. Really, the fastest horse amongst the group was likely Rosanna's. She had heard tales of the Eshaxian horses winning endurance races several years in a row. Valeria's gear was brought outside and added to the horse's saddle, before the horse was lead to where the others were hitched.

When the constables finally finished their work, they lead the smaller carriage Ethraeil had arrived in away. The group was ready to travel, for the most part. Valeria made her way back to where Father Bartley was standing, drawing a letter from the inside of her coat. "Please, make sure this reaches Father Weston." she said, handing it over to the priest. Bartley nodded, before heading back inside the church.

Valeria then turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, I believe that its time to fill you in on the details of this inquiry here on Grimtham. Over the past few months, there has been a sharp increase in hostile vampire activity on the island. I'm sure some of you already know this. It has caught the attention of High Inquisitor Weston, and thus I have been sent to lead an inquiry into the matter. I, and all of you, will hunt down the source of these vampire attacks, and slay any and all hostile entities involved. Father Bartley informed me a short while ago that another inquisitor, and a close friend, by the name of Lenard Atkins was murdered along with a pair of priests in the town of Bromwich north of here. They were ambushed and drained of all of their blood. That will be our first destination and assignment in this inquiry." she explained, as the group gathered around her. "You all will be granted the title of honorary inquisitor, unless you are already a member of the Order. Honorary inquisitors have all the same powers of a standard inquisitor, but you cannon perform active searches or act on information unless I am with you. You also cannot execute a hostile entity unless I am there to confirm its hostility and to confirm its death after the execution is performed. That last rule I will allow you to ignore, due to the matter at hand. If something tries to kill you, you have my permission to kill it. I do want confirmation that whatever you killed is dead, though. Do you understand?"

 

[Viper Actual]

"Understood," replied Galina. The expression on her face was neutral as was her stance. At this point she really just wanted to get moving.
At the very least this assignment in particular could prove interesting due to the unusual company.

 

[Dmaster]

Camille crossed her arms over her chest as Aleister tried to be a moral authority before her, and she was clearly having none of it. She would not be lectured by a vampire that thought himself above a human, and his crimes stemmed far beyond merely existing. "I am not exactly a woman of faith, you see. While I recognize the gods I do not require salvation through their worship, but I do see how many might need it." she replies with a calm nod, her ire having faded for the most part. "And I focus much more on the saving, but that can only be done through the killing. Allowing them to survive has been proven far too dangerous time and time again. I do not downplay your actions as a priest, but we both know that your best days are behind you."

Just then the senior inquisitor arrived, drawing her attention away from Mariette and her comment as she walked toward the horse assigned to her. The last thing she wanted to be was sandwiched between two bickering parasites. Camille stood at the horse's side, getting to know it as she patted its neck and stared on at Valeria go over the mission details. Once it was concluded she nodded her head with conviction, starting to hop onto the saddle as she tried to think back on her lessons all those years ago. It was not like she was exactly scared of the creature, but she was far more used to traveling by carriage than moving on horseback. Even when she was going on her hunts throughout Escaria she had her own carriage to move with, and that had saved her the stress of caring for and riding her own horse. With a frown she took the reins and shook her head from side to side, putting her heels into the horse to get him to start moving forward.

"I understand. Just corral the riff-raff into that accursed cart and we'll be on our way." the Escarian huntress calls out.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob nodded at his new orders, not bothered by the fact that he'd be driving the carriage full of dangerous undead beings. He climbed up onto the driver's seat, and glanced around at the others before looking to his future passengers. "Alright, climb in and get comfortable. And please, I beg you not to kill one another." he said, before giving them a smile. "And I hope you don't mind a few songs for the travel!"

 

[K0mori]

Having already seated herself comfortably within the carriage interior, and knowing that the others wouldn't see her, Mariette smiled at Jakob's disarming behavior. A song or two would go a long way to lightening the oppressive mood.