The Hunt Begins (Warning for violence and language)

Deacon was wearing a path in floor and staring at Will.

"SHE SAID WHAT!"

Will was looking a bit beat up but he was a lot calmer then Deacon.

"I told you, she said that if you want the information to come get it your self. I got the impression from her that she is out for blood."

Will sighed

"Now that she knows I am there in her mind she is becoming more difficult; stronger even. Her friends are helping her."

He sat down in a chair.

"She blocked all but the most painfull part of her memory with Cosmo and was able to over come her fear at seeing the eight foot spiders."

Deacon glared at Will.

"I hired you to do a job, you always knew that when you became farmilier with her mind that the goal was to find my children. You have failed you will come with me when I head for this Inn."

Deacon was beyond pissed there was a murderous look in his eyes. Will looked at him and shook his head.

"Leaving my lair was never part of the agreament, you don't pay me enough."

Deacon laughed.

"Leave with me or die it is that simple. Besides if you took care of the Goddess she should not be any trouble and I can assure you Casandra is no match for both of us."

Will glared at him.

"I may not be able to control the mind of your little bitch but I was able to transfer a small amount of my evil into the Goddes; she will rot from the inside out it will be very hard for her to heal any new injuries and she will feel pian like she was mortal."

Deacon smiled an evil smile.

"Good then she will be ripe for torture and I will get my information even if I have to kill Casandra. I want her alive though if at all possible, it will help the children trasition better."

He finally sat down in a chair and began writing.

"Will, have them ready horses we ride at dawn."

Once Will left Deacon let out a laugh, he was so good at manipulating people. He had been doing it all his life. The only person that he had not been able to manipulate was Casandra, that bitch had slipped away from him taking his children and his tital with him. For that she had to pay. He had left her alone all these years in hopes of finding the twins but his patientce was now gone. He had special plans for her.

Moving to a safe in the wall he opened it and removed a vile. He placed it in his pocket and left the room. Preperations needed to be made.

Will chose two men one for his tracking skills and one for his fighting skills. He knew Deacon's men well having been around them for the last six years. He got wepons for the two men. Bow and arrows and a dagger for the tracker. The fighter got a long sword, fighting dagger and a battle ax. Will himself carried only a dagger and it was mostly just for looks. He ordered the stables to have food for a week and four horses prepared and ready to leave. Then he rebandaged his nose and went to bed.

Deacon knew that Will would take care of everything but his wepons. He got out his broadsword and then opened a cabinet and pulled out a dagger Cas would know it as soon as she saw it was a gift to her from him on thier wedding day. He opened the vile he had taken from the safe and coated the blade with the substance. It woulden't kill her outright oh no it would make her suffer slowly taking several days to kill her he was going to enjoy his. With the godess weakened she would not be much of a problem.

"I will finally get my revenge on the bitch."

He to went to bed to rest till they were ready to head out the next day.

Venis smiled as she looked at her friends. It was nice that they were still like a family. "Ok, let's get out of here." She pulled Empyrean's reigns and he turned to the left. He started trotting out of the stables. Once he was out in the open air again she got a little wild for a moment, but he didn't buck or rear up or anything, he was just happy to be out of a stall.

With a heel to his side me began to move forward at a trot. They didn't want to make too much noise leaving. All the creatures of the night were going to bed, and the rest of the world was coming to. She didn't want to alarm anyone to their leaving. All though she knew that they would look like four women out for an early morning ride, save for the armor on the unicorns and the cloaks.

She headed for the woods that were between her house and the Inn. She knew that Deacon would try to use the woods for cover in a sneak attack. What Deacon didn't know was that the closer Venis got to her house, the stronger she got. She had imported dirt from Earth, some of her native soil, and built her house on it. She drew strength from that.

Tasha headed out of the stables as well. It had been a long time since she was involved in anything like this. But she had a lot of things to let out on someone, this was going to be good therapy. She rode up to the left of Venis, about half a horse length behind her. She was used to letting Venis take the lead, Venis was more indestructible. Tasha was the only one not in leather, but then again, she was also the only one who might need to change forms.

Agrarian had missed Tasha, and he was trotting along with his head held high. He was always a happy horse, and that was one of the things that Tasha loved about him. Leviathan was not quite running along side of Tasha and Agrarian, but she was walking a little fast. She knew she would have to be able to keep up if they hit a full run, so she was trying to save up as much energy as she could in the mean time.

The sword was making Casie even more uncomfortable than Venis had thought it would. So she nudged Empyrean over next to her and put his reigns down on the saddle horn. He would keep moving, he was a good mount. She reached over to Casie and unhooked the broad sword from her back and then rigged the holster to wrap around her waist, putting the sword on her hip.

"That should be better for you. I know you like your staff, but so does Deacon. The sword will be a surprise for him, and you might not even have to use it. But it's better to be safe than sorry." She trotted back to where she was before then. They were headed into the tree line and the light was beginning to fade. It wasn't dark, it just wasn't bright and shiny from the rising sun. Which suited Venis just fine.

She looked around as she headed deeper into the woods, but she was feeling more than she was looking or listening. With a slight tug of the reigns she moved Empyrean to turn to the left. They had to go that way, but that was fine, she was still getting closer to her house, and the closer the better.

Deacon got up and dressed before going down to the stables the others were already there. He nodded at will and walked over to a mare she was filthy well fed but dirty and very skitish she had scares on her like she had been beaten.

He laughed meniacly

"Wait till that little bitch sees what has happened to her horse."

Will shook his head and mounted the horse, the tracker and fighter followed.

Deacon mounted the mare of Cas and turned to ride off.

"She will get hers soon enough."

He was rubbing the sheath that held the dagger he had poisioned.

Tasha saw Venis pulling Empyrean to the left, so she had to turn Agrarian as well, or get run over. She was listening and smelling everything, as was Leviathan. They would know the moment something was there that didn't belong. And they knew they had to be ready for a fight. "Venis, you remembered to bring the warrants, right?" Tasha knew that if they got caught and didn't have those they would be accused of murder and that would not be good.

Venis smiled. "You're welcome Casie." She rode on, she was waiting for that feeling to hit her. "Yes, Tasha, I remembered them, thank you for watching out for me though." Yes, very polite. That was Venis. Even knowing what she was about to do she was still polite. Too bad for Deacon and Will that she wouldn't be as nice to them.

She turned her head to look over at Airtia. "Thanks for the back up on this Air. It's good to have people around that I trust." And she did, she trusted these women with her life, these animals as well. And more importantly, she trusted them with each others lives. That took a lot on her part. Venis wasn't always one for trusting women. But going into a battle with other women at her side, she couldn't have picked any better.

Cas remained silet and in thought she knew what they were riding out for and it unsettled her a little. She looked at all the women she just like V trusted them with her life. She was also glad for the animal exspecialy Kjay, he had been at her side for ten tears. She really wished that she could pet him right now.

Venis gave a singular nod in response to Airtia's mention of friends helping each other. But then she questioned the warrants. No big deal, it wasn't a secret. She could answer that one. "The warrants were issued in case someone happened along and tried to accuse us of cold blooded or premeditated murder. Basically it's like insurance that we won't be brought up on charges for dealing with this situation."

Enough of an explanation, not for Venis who was using the conversation to break the deafening silence. "Kahn is usually the one who gets them, and anyone who would be effected by the death. In this case, I got a copy as well because Kahn is not here to deal with it, so I am." Her facial expression changed for the briefest of moments. Yes, she missed her husband.

Tasha was thankful for a break in the silence. A line or two of conversation here and there would be nerve wrecking. Besides, they were supposed to look like four ladies out for a ride with their animals. Not hunters, despite what they were. She could hear for sounds over the conversation, and what she couldn't hear, Levi or Kjay would. "Just makes the death legal. I know I don't want to go to jail. I just got my freedom back." She chuckled, it was a small joke, they had been back for months now, but she was still suffering the nightmares that resulted.

Venis laughed. "Kill them all and let some other God sort them out." She seriously loved the idea. It was hilarious to her. Her vampire was showing. "See Air, this is why we are such good friends, like minded you and I, like minded indeed." She laughed again. She laughed some more as she shook her head. The crazy thing was, that would be exactly how it would end up going down. If someone else was there and not smart enough to get away from these four women and keep their traps shut, they would be next.

Tasha just shook her head in response to what they were saying. She might be an animal, well, part-time animal. But she wasn't always ready to kill. She knew it was necessary sometimes, and this was one of them, but still. Only Venis and Airtia could find humor in this situation. It was like they were swatting at a fly or something. "You two ..." Nuff said. There was a hint of humor to her voice. Laughter was contagious, and Venis was laughing.

Venis looked over at Casie, she was being very quiet. Probably because she wasn't up for this. But Venis knew she would do what she had to do for her children and to help them all protect each other, but she had to snap to. If she was lost in her mind, she was vulnerable. "Casie ... Come back to us here." She smiled.

She heard Airtia and laughed. "You'd love that wouldn't you Air? Lot's of unsuspecting casualties. You're crazy woman. Someday, you and I ..." She left it there. Anything else was not for everyone's ears. Airtia would know what she was thinking. After all, neither of them had an issue with death, morally.

How much longer was the question at hand. Venis closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate. There was something out there, a ways off, but it was there. Maybe if they sped up? "They're out there. We will get to them sooner than they think." Deacon had no idea they were coming for them. The women had the advantage.

Tasha's nose lifted to the air. "I don't smell them yet, so they are still a way's off." She looked down to Leviathan, she was keeping up nicely. Tasha was proud of her. She could have stayed back at the Inn, but she wasn't going to let everyone else have all the fun. Levi loved to hunt. Tasha reached back to her saddle bag and pulled out a thick paper. She opened it up and held it in her hand.

She removed a small piece of steak and reached down to give it to Levi, who pounced to get it and still keep up. There was a small chunk of Tuna as well. That she reached over and put in Midnights basket for the sleeping cat. "Kjay, here boy." She tossed the other piece of steak over to where he would be within a few steps. She thought he might catch it.