Lutetia City

The woman smirked at the mention of 'Cal' That smirk inevitably turned into a lighthearted chuckle.

"Not many people call me that; Cal that is.." She commented, still smirking once they stopped at another light. Her eyes went back, and fourth as she scanned their surroundings.

"I was sent here to survey the city, if the survey was worth the investment, Tech Con would purchase land in the city, likely the Phantom Quarter, bulldoze everything and evict the residents; with force if we need to... we were then planning to construct a facility to build engines for the new Iconoclast ships, since Tech Con was awarded a military contract." Cally explained. "Unfortunately we have to handle a lot of manufacturing off world, since Langara has stringent environmental laws."

"So you're a mercenary scout... you don't look like much, a pair of daggers won't get you far in this world." Cally said, accelerating once the light changed.

"I guess you could say I'm a mercenary, as I'm part of Tech Con's private army."

It was his turn to to smile now. "Quite true, a pair of daggers won't even keep most alive in the wrong parts of Lutetia. Luckily for me, I've got more than that. Just not on my person, it was only a scouting operation you know."

The ranger watched the buildings wiz by. "And yes, I don't look like much. That's what I'm going for, living here has got it's few advantages you know. Just an 'example' would be ready access to magic wielders, which comes in handy. Potions, enchantments, etc. They've got it. I don't really try to look flashy or anything, it can be rather fatal in some parts. Better to look humble, helps with the element of surprise and keeps you from being targeted...most of the time."

Spike wandered the city, as much as she hated what lived there, vampires she could smel lthem, see them in some areas, just the dowdy bars in some areas made it clear. This place was a hu8nters haven for the best prize around, take down one vampire and another takes his place, but. If skilled enough....

The winged supermodel stepped to a corner and leaned against the lampost she found. her hack to a wall. She felt and then caught scent of, her contact "I was not aware that there were other Hunters on this world. I see you have a vampire .... issue" Spike said simply to Melissa. Not going into introductions just yet she knew little of the area but had her own methods on fighting vampires.

"When shot with silver, or hit with UV light, vampires turn to ash, leaving normal folk none the wiser. Something tells me you have a greater worry." Spike only had a pair of swords on her belt, and a strange compound bow upon her back just removed of her wings, a belt held the quiver packed with black fletched arrows

Melissa idly surveyed the person with a look of disinterest, "Well aren't you full of assumptions. I could have been anyone." leant against the wall in the dirty alleys she would start to reply, "Yeah, I know this. I knew the best and they stole her. They never even offered condolences they ended the Van-Helsing Line which has survived centuries and all it took was one vampire and it was over." screwing her hand into a tight fist she snarled, "It's a fucking mockery of the natural order. Vampires should not be so confident and complacent enough to try to live in a society and form alliances." sighing she shook her head, "I would love to make them fear again, but I am one person and unless you have on hand a lot more people like myself... we'll get nowhere..." she hated having to admit this, to be honest.

"Vampires always have a leader, and thralls, and low ranked underlings or childings" Spike explained "The loss of a great hunter is their own fault to walk into such a trap. But there are ways to remove the undead influence, unless she is too far gone" She said. She took a deep breath then turned towards Melissa, brown eyes, a seemingly gentle looking face yet. Spike had experience. "There are ways to make Vampires fear the living like they fear the sun."

Spike's hand went to her hip and before removing a item, an Elder Scroll at that, she snapped out her hand at a wannabe theif and struck him soundly between the two critical pressure points in his body to freeze him in place before checfking hte mans wrist and smirked, Figured "And it sems we found our first thrall" She showed Melissa the tattoo on the theif's arm

Then she kicked the man hard with a solid roundhouse kick, sending him slamming through a wall and laying in a pile of pulp. "However, it is not only vampires who reside and thrive here." She said

At first mention of Maria walking into an obvious trap, Melissa nearly saw red but as she listened further she did calm down, although her voice was dangerously sharp, "Firstly, Maria, while I adore her, was extremely over-confident, comes with her name." sighing she tried to swallow the despair threatening to engulf and overwhelm her, "I loved her, I truly did, but she was head-strong and I tried to stop her, but her final words as a human to me were 'Melissa, you are my everything but I have a duty to live up too. I am only scouting when I got the idea of the location we can plan and destroy this aberration forever.'" the emotional turmoil felt by the black-haired hunter was evident, "I don't think anyone could bring her back. Rumour was when she was turned she lost her mind completely..."

The Huntress seemed to consider before once more sighing, "That is, I am willing to try anything to bring her back and of course Thralls are here. Lutetia had every monstrous creature. There is no truly sacred or consecrated ground so they thrive in this place. Even the Graveyard is a haven for a Necromancers, dark magik and utter cruelty, the fact you are surprised suggests you never been here... but apparently, you are my only option or hope so fuck it. But first... let me give you some information ever come looking for me again the way you did I'll kill you... I was hiding for a reason."

Shaking her head she would sharply turn her head and whisk out a crossbow before the bolt with a loud twang.

What followed milliseconds later was a horrific scream, the now dead creature fell into dust, "That and you loudly made obvious there is a fucking vampire hunter in Lutetia are you retarded or just insane?"

"Crossbow, how dated. I do hope that thing is repeating, because with the numbers here, you're going ot need better firepower" Spike murred. She smirtked then as another vampire walked into view, only to get turned into ash as a rune set upon on the sidewalk sparked to life, burning the vampire from the inside out. "This was a trap that was waiting to be sprung, I am honestly surprised to came to the bait to see me as it was. Had you not done so, the Vampires here would have easily seen me as a main or second course meal"

Spike then withdrew from her belt one of her swords and held it nochalantly towards a businessman. The man halted, and Spike saw clearly he was a very low ranking vampire "Good evening freak, I do believe you can answer some questions..." The vampire snarled and tried to attack before Spike easily slit its throat, the vampiure turned to ash at their feet. "Guess not"

"If you want to survive and make the vampires fear the living again, then come with me, if you want to lose your friend forever, you are more than welcomed to just stay here and hide." Spike said, a choice was a choice, Spike knew of a way to bring back Maria Van-Helsing. But the fact of the matter was, Lutiea was a vampire heaven. And Spike just announced she was there and knew what she was doing.

Spike was bringing the war of attrition right to the vampires own doorsteps.

Yes it was their stomping grounds. But she was ready to take it all away from them. There was a freehold nearby, a Seelie location apparently that have a rule wherein sure everyone in the city was out dfor the others neck, but when you went there, you were safe because otherwise some rath of hell would kill you for making trouble there. Spike smirked as she mumbled "Everyone goes to Rick's"

Rolling her eyes she glared in response to the crossbow comment, "Oh I am sorry, I don't have all your new-fangled technology. Of course, it's fucking Repeating." as if to indicate she let loose another bolt to another scream of agony, "You are a genius, and yet I have few other options since my deep cover in Lutetia completely obliterated by your fucking stunt. But sure be arrogant and assume you have any idea what is happening here..." sighing she fired a third bolt to the left of her, "You might as well doused yourself in blood, danced naked down the Lutetia square with a sign pinned to yourself saying Vampire Buffet!" Melissa was not happy, frankly, she was furious, this was her saviour her chance at getting revenge and they were denser than a brainless Aschen proles.

Worse her new 'partner' which she considered loosely was a show-off and likely going to get them all killed, so rather than let this spectacle continue, she pulled her chain from her neck and murmured a spell before immediately grabbing Spike and transporting them to the woods of Lutetia, "There's a cabin not far from here, that Maria and I used to use, we'll stay here and I'll decide whether I want to be in your insane scheme."

Within seconds of appearing in the new location Spike reacted in a rather expected violent way, a .45 was removed from the folds of her dress and briefly popinted at Melissa as Spike hissed out softly "I was leading us someplace safe when you brought us here! Did you not ever think of such Freeholds before as safer than a safe house in the woods ?" She all but shrieked at Melissa before pointing towards the direction of the safe house itself with her weapon.

"What are the odds your friend turned vampire told them about this place ? What if its a trap set by those freaks" It was clear Spike was unhappy about ewhat Melissa just did without thinking of the possiblty that the safe house had been mentioned to the bloodsuckers. A freehold was far safer, sure it was out in the open, but there was some form of field of respect that even bloodsuckers had to adhere to inside such places. Whereas a safehouse such as the one Melissa wanted them to go to could have been compremised anbd the bloodsuckers were just waiting for Melissa to make a wrong move.

Spike then grunted something, clearly unhappy She forced herself to calm down "Alright look, you may not know me, or how I operate, but next time, dont just magic us someplace that could be compremised to the freaks. 'Everyone goes to Rick's', we'd be safer at a Freehold with rules than a cabin in the woods"

Spike mentally beat herself stupid at what she just said. But on the outside it was clear she was unhappy. She put her pistol away but kept it within reach as she sighed letting out her anger in one fell sweep."Alright, You lead the way. You want your friend back or not ?" Her hand went to the belt on her hip and removed a scroll. An Elder Scroll, she patted it in her hand, well more like held it like a rolling pin and smacked her open palm with it twice as she waited for Melissa to explain herself

Master has arrived, coming from Lutetia.

Master landed softly on the worn-out streets of Lutetia City, the shattered asphalt crunching underfoot. After looking around, he turned his attention towards one of the blown-out buildings about a block up the road. Approximately 15 stories of hollowed-out concrete shell towered over the broken buildings surrounding it, darkness looming from within as the windows had long been shattered.

Ah, here we are.

he stated aloud, completely disregarding the danger that this city bore.

Master turns back to look over his shoulder, wondering what happened to the others.

Master vanishes into nothingness, but you get the feeling they are heading somewhere else.

Kailar Railech has left the area, heading north towards Lornaine Forest.