“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.”

“For now that is probably true.” Said Kirk, “She is still not very experienced in fighting and doesn’t have a handle on strategy. All she currently has going for her is brute force and anything else she can accomplish with her blood. However all her weaknesses will be able to be fixed with experience. Give her a few years of working as a Hunter and she will probably be able to threaten the Golden Terror.”

“I don’t really need you to be able to walk the whole time. According to Professor Stolas your primary use with be as a sentinel. As long as you continue to keep a watch out during the day. I’m experienced at sensing incoming Beasts but my range is fairly short and I have trouble sensing stealth type Beasts until they are almost upon the caravan. Do you know how far your effective range is?”

Rika - Trade

“This sounds like a terrible plan.” I said.

“I don’t see any major problems with it.” Said Professor Stolas.

“Then you are clearly insane. In case you don’t understand let me spell it out for you. You intend to send two rookies, one of which is useless and the other is dangerous, as guards in a trading caravan with only one experienced Hunter to keep an eye on them… me.” I complained loudly.

“I wouldn’t really call you experienced. You have only official been a Hunter for three years now.”

And I drank his blood and it burned like fire. It coursed down my throat and I could feel it seeping into every part of me. It hurt more then anything I had experience or imagined before. My body which was mostly unable to move before contorted in agony. Twisted and turned in ways that caused untold agony. The coldness that I had previously be feeling got scorched away. I could feel my entire body, feel every single motion that I made and it hurt. Every part of it hurt.