Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Thanks Deidra!))

Taria gobbled up the food with gusto, enjoying every bite. It had been a long time since they'd eaten food other than trail rations. And the food from the last tavern they'd been to had caused queasiness in even Taria's strong constitution. Thus, she was enjoying this wonderful food to the fullest.

Talia on the other hand, merely picked at her food, being more interested in the interactions of everyone in the cabin. There was some strangeness between Selyna and Abel... and Abel was extremely protective of the people here. Talia wondered to what extent his wolfishness differed him from a normal human. Could he have a pack mentality of some sort?

Talia's musings were interrupted as Taria jumped up, practically at the same instant as Abel. She headed out just as readily and Talia sighed, feeling for her slingshot and pouch of stones. She then got up and quietly slipped out of the cabin. Taria never even noticed. For some reason, the scent she had just gotten simply screamed of threat. It had to be eliminated before it could eliminate her.

Darius walked upright and erect now. There was no need to hide himself anymore. He had felt the anathema aura’s sensing him, probing him. He was known to them. Let them know he was coming. He stopped as the front door of the the house burst open. Darius chuckled, hanging his head, making sure that his blessed eye could not be seen. Not yet. With that eye he could destroy them all with a single glance. Why use it now? Darius listened to the footsteps of those leaving the house. The wind began to play toy fully in the tree limbs all about and shook Darius’ cloak. The rapier was held limply at his side as Darius spoke, slowly.

“Well, well, a welcoming committee. Such hospitality one such as I? Ha-ha. You’re to kind! So tell me, why would anyone be meeting in such a dangerous place as this? Unless of course you have something to hide!”

Taria felt a growl start to make its way to her throat as she saw the hated uniform of a Hunter for the church. She swallowed it however, and forced herself to remain still, taking her cue from Kaori. She wanted to morph right now and rip his throat out, or forget even morphing and just tear him limb from limb. This sucked! The first place she'd found with other non-humans, the first place she'd found that might have been a home, and this damn Hunter had to come nosing around. What was he doing here anyway? Ramedlav, the centre of church power and Taria's former home, was so far away, and yet somehow, this stupid Hunter had come and brought Ramedlav with him. Taria really, really wished she could destroy something, preferably someone. The Hunter was right there, in front of her, and Talia was not around to calm her sister. Taria's rage built to the strength of an inferno, radiating from her in almost tangible waves of hatred.

Remaining silent as Kaori stepped in front of her, Selyna listened to the man unclear by what he meant when he said dangerous place. The forest had seemed pretty mild and relatively calm when she came through, however she remembered how the old woman from so many towns back had warned her, and how Abel had reacted to her when she first encountered them. This church was apparently much more dangerous than she’d originally thought and she felt concern for herself and those she was sitting at a table with moments ago, breaking bread. Taking her eyes off of the man for a moment to glance at Kaori when she said she wouldn’t leave her home when she could still defend it, Selyna looked back at the man, keeping her face as straight as possible, to not give away her feelings, but this was beginning to sound more and more like a war to her, and she wasn’t sure if she could defend herself as well as the others. She never really fought often, unless it was to defend her purity, and she didn’t know the first thing about fighting someone who wanted something more precious – her life. Taria had come out now as well, and Selyna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, for fear of having anything in common with Abel she began wondering if this woman was not some kind of spy for the church as she herself had been accused of being earlier. It was odd that this hunter, they called him, had found them so soon after she and her sister had shown up, though they may have just been followed. Perhaps them coming across this cottage had bought them a bit of time as opposed to them continuing in the woods alone. Waiting to take a cue from the others, she resumed her glaring of the man, wondering how much this would escalate.

Taria stiffened, but Kaori's voice had actually helped her come to her senses, enough so that she wasn't fantasising about ripping out the Hunter's throat quite as much. She shook herself and responded as politely as she could, though her words came out somewhat curt due to the force of her barely suppressed rage. "Talia will be gone by now. I am better at straight out fighting than defense. I will be more useful here." Her eyes remained glued to the Hunter throughout her speech, smoldering with the hatred she felt for the church and all who supported it. Especially the disgusting Hunters!

Talia was indeed gone from the cabin, having slipped out the back door as everyone rushed out the front. She made her way through the woods, moving silently as a wraith as she tracked where everyone was by the occasional sound of voices. She kept her eyes open for surprises, like say, more Hunters, but encountered none which was fortunate. A single Hunter was probably enough for anyone to handle. Once satisfied that that was the only threat, she approached the cabin again, but from the opposite side so she was effectively coming in behind the Hunter.

Moving ever more quiet and cautiously, what little sound she made, she ensured was covered up by the general noise of the forest, the sound of birds and rustling of wind-swayed branches. When she heard voices but could not as yet see anyone, she knew it was time.

She scaled one of the nearby trees with a monkey's agility and sure enough, when she'd reached a goodly height, she could discern the forms of the Hunter, her sister, and the other people from the cabin, down below. She took a while to ensure she was securely perched and that her clothing blended well enough with the tree that she'd be hard to see. After that, she withdrew her slingshot and pouch of stones, then sat quietly motionless, waiting for the right time to shoot.

Kaori's lips turned up in a semblence of a snarl at the man's sugestion that she was something less than him, merely because she was not human. "Hide? I have lived in these woods since I was a child, and my parents before me. They died saving the village in which your leader resides. but noone remembers that! No One! They remember that I am not human. Even those that raised me when I was orphaned have been slowly turning their backs because of fear! You and your church have taken away the only family I have ever known in their quest to turn me and any others unlike you humans away, to hunt us and kill us because we are different! Leave my property, you are not welcome here." During her speach, the witches eyes seemed to burn with an inner flame. Clearly, she felt strongly about her words.

Now, the young woman clenched her fists, her nails bitting into her skin as she tightened he muscles in her arm. Her face set, she stared straight at the intruder. "I do not know if Kolette or her father sent you out here because of this afternoon, but I will not let you harm my guests. So long as they reside under this roof I will do what I can to keep you and your kind away." The witch then raised her hands, cupped as if she were holding a ball between them, to the area of her solar plexus. Still staring at the intruder, she focused her energy between her hands, forming a small mass of her energy between them. She was under no impression that this would cause major damage, but she hoped that it would show him that he would not get her out of her home or out of the way without a fight.

"Save me your sob stories anathama." Groaned Darius. "The church hasn't taken your friends away, we've merely shown them the truth. So what if you have been left alone. Anathama aren't the only ones who have been left alone!" Darius hissed. To think that this pathetic creature felt such self righteous pity! Darius had never even had a friend, yet he had endured.

"And to answer your other question, no I have not been sent. I merly was passing through. However, since you apperently have done some wrong, it seems all the more neccessary for me to purge you." Darius watched their expressions and smirked, closing his other eye. "So you are threatening me eh? Well since you seem to value your lifes not at all..." Darius' eyes open and an explosion of bright yellow light began to illuminate the area as he revealed his blessed eye. He was already running forward, towards the figures on the porch. "Allow me to take them from you!"

Abel too had the same impatience itching to shift to the furry form of the massive wolf. But he stayed, bow drawn, though his whole body was stock still now, ever since this scum had entered into the area. He was sure he could do more damage in this form. His eyes never flickered from this man, filthy human scoundrel whose only joy was to do justice for the church. He'd never heard anything so absurd.

As the light coated the area, filled it, like water, spilling to fill its container. He never showed it physically, but this surprised, He had never seen such a phenomena from a human. Was it possible he wasn't? Even in the slightest, but if he worked for the church It couldn't be possible. And as he started to run forward, Abel released his grip on the string of the bow. Allowing, now, the arrow to cut through the air at it's intended target.

Abel felt he had never been schooled enough in the abilities of those of a demon. Possibly his being merely half, and others' biased thoughts had kept him from those. But he felt more secure with nothing more than his hands and sword. And if it was more convient, his old, whethered bow.