“Are what age did you awaken to the instincts?” I asked.

“I became a Hunter at about the same age as you are now.” Elizabeth said.

“That is fairly old to become a Hunter from what I know.” I said, “However I’m not really one to talk.

“Hunters with weaker blood usually discover it in their late teens. At least that has been my experience.”

Kirk - Interruption

“Um, am I interrupting anything ladies?” I asked redundantly. I knew I was interrupting, that was kind of the point. I had arrived a little bit earlier and thought I would let them have their discussion but once they started yelling at each other I thought it would be a good moment to enter.

Rika made a funny grin. “Not too fast, after all you have been unconscious for more than a week.”

“A week??” I asked surprised. “Thats… impossible.”

“Well, that is just the time I’m been in this room with you, not including the several days that I was in surgery. The doctors said that you really did yourself a number by trying to fight and move across the city while poisoned. They say that you aren’t tough, you’re just stupid.” She laughed a little, “I guess that makes two of us.”

Things were looking bad. The Duke had numerous injures but we had lot the majority of our fighting force. Kirk was still standing but I could see that his quiver was almost empty. Elizabeth was also still capable but without her bow she wouldn’t be as much help. Alfred was staggering to his feet but I could tell that he didn’t have much fight left in him.

The Duke began to turn toward them. He was probably wanting to remove the weakest links so that I got no more assistance.

“The perfect weapon?” I asked. “Certainly it seems like a useful weapon but given the difference in all the bolts wouldn’t it take a lot of experience to learn how to use it correctly.”

Elizabeth smiled and said, “Yes, normally. Which is another one of the reasons that nobody wanted to use the weapon. Figuring out which bolt is the best on to use it tricky especially because there was large differences between the bolts. However someone with the talent like Kirk has should be able to use the crossbow flawlessly.”

“I told you before you left the caravan but the Duke is demanding that we surrender to him.”

“Have you found Yaju?”

She nodded but her expression was grim. “Yes, however she has been injured. It seemed that she fought one of the Duke’s Court and won but the creature was able to poison her.”

I frowned, “Will she be alright?”

I needed some defense against the claws however. It would be difficult to fight if I couldn’t defend myself effectively against him. My arms cracked and changed again. The skin thickened and the golden hair sprouted making my hands more like giant lion paws. I could feel the strain on my blood and instincts, it was difficult to control and keep my hands in that form. It was currently the limit of how much I could change myself. It wouldn’t be able to protect more than my arms.

Fourteen, including me that was how many Hunters that were available for this plan. There were a few more rookie Hunters that were assigned to evacuation and protecting civilians who wouldn’t be able to fight off a horde of beasts. The rest were gathered at the wall. If this plan was correct then there wouldn’t be a sneak attack so Hunters were not needed elsewhere.

I plan on editing this and the previous section to have Rika give Yaju a radio. After writing most of the following I felt it would be more appropriate for Rika to plan rather than Yaju given their personalities.

As such this section will probably be heavily edited if I make a future draft.

Also future sections will probably be written assuming that I made these changes.

“Any what would that be?”

The pause was longer this time. Eventually she said, “Its not important. Even if I told you I don’t think I will be able to do it.”