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Maybe she should’ve considered the implications of this other self. Maybe she should’ve examined the situation more, but the only thing in Jay’s mind was the desire to attack this twisted reflection. Jay had seen multiple versions of herself before, but for some reason seeing herself in dreaded gold and white set her into a daze. She couldn’t even remember how she’d regained her dagger just before she spotted a flash. A weapon. Eyes widened and she instantly brought up an arm to parry the attack. She gritted her teeth at the force, but pushed the hunter back before retaliating with her own swipe. This time it was clean and satisfying.

FEAR: 3

The hunter slashed at her, but Nergui jumped back to avoid the blow, digging her toes into the dirty as she landed so she could push off for a charge. Her own scimitar came down in an arc, this time cutting across shoulder and chest, and she was finally rewarded with a pained shriek as blood erupted up and out from the wound. It splattered the priestess' pale clothing, staining the white of the bandage on her shoulder, but she paid little mind to the it.

Instead she took off running, hot on the heals of the dark skinned hunter as she turned to flee. Now, staring at the retreating figure, the mare began to notice those subtle similarities. Hair that had seemed black now appeared more gray, and the girl's skin was incredibly dark.

As was the blade still clutched in her hand..

Something was off, but she'd been ordered to fill her crystal with fear, and with the voices roaring in her head that seemed like an excellent idea. She wanted this. No, needed it. The excitement of battle, the thrill of her blade striking true. Priestess or not, Nergui was battle hungry. She would bring Death to the hunters.

Home.

+3

Kiwi struck again. And several more times, to no avail as the hunter's FEAR shield took the brunt of the effect.

"Wh ... What are you?? ... Are you even real?? If you are-" The hunter's grip on his weapon tightened. A very sickle-like weapon. "But you can't be. I would never be caught dead impersonating one of you lot!"

Kiwi's teeth gritted, and it took all his strength not to foolishly attempt ripping into the human scum. Livid, he circled round.

FEAR Points: 2/5+

Lan was indeed, the curious. As much as her cousin did instill a sense of duckling within her, the sense to follow what she had been raised to do- the eldest of her clan, the 'leader', Lan was in the end, curious. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The sudden transport, the feeling of warm humid air- this was not what she'd expected. Not at all. But- Her excitement had her frowning. Death said one thing, but her cousin, the heir-
Nervousness, the desire to want to follow and then to remain loyal and to just- She was a big girl, she could make her own decisions. She'd have to.

Bow summoned, the weight did as it always had, gave comfort. It gave a sense of purpose, of the inevitable, of battle. Fighting was easy. She'd fight. She'd do as she'd done in the past. Fight and fight and harvest what FEAR came.

Turning to fight, to kill as she'd known growing up- She saw the face of the enemy and then her weapon.

".............." Was this some trick? Her, a hunter? A human. The image made her scowl, sneer. This was just another trick. "How insulting," she muttered.

Kiwi lunged, bringing the wooden end of his weapon down on the hunter's forearm as his blade sliced another deep line of crimson. He watched as blood oozed out, a frenzied sort of smile on his face.

The hunter on the other hand, was grimacing. Quite badly.

FEAR Points: 3/5+

... Right.

When the strange, unnerving Hunter limped her way back over to Nkosazana, the Priestess put her hand up, stopping the other from moving to swing at her again. There was a momentary look of confusion on the others face--wait, they were done now?--but much like her, it washed away into something of relief, not really wanting to fight either.

Just like she would.

Nkosazana was still suspicious, of course. Something about the way the Hunter acted when they were victorious and finally landed a shot just seemed ... off, much unlike the way that Nkosazana would react and chillingly strange all at the same time. It was enough to make her question the decision she had made, staring down at the sword and looking back up at the Hunter. Did the Hunter deserve to live at all? They destroyed her home. They blew it up. They made it succumb to insanity, much like all the Horsemen that were lost--absorbed into the destruction, never to be seen again

It was very personal, still, and it was enough to make her expression harden, eyes lifting from the blade to glare daggers into the Hunter ahead of her. When the Hunter reacted with obvious fear, though, her own eyebrows tilting upwards and her pose becoming nothing but submissive, shoulders and head slumping as if she understood what her fate was to be.

"Go on," urged the Hunter, softly.

At that, Nkosazana couldn't do it. She knew she couldn't, all along, but to that...

No.

Besides, Death had said not to kill the Humans. The rage was boiling deep, but at the same time, this Hunter was some strange form of ... her. This Hunter had not killed her friends and her family and her Isle. They were not at fault. She got what she needed. She didn't need to do anymore. All in moderation, or something like that, right? She had thought she had heard Death say something about moderation, but then, most of what he had said had got lost in the battle cries.

"No. Go," urged Nkosazana the Priestess, swatting at Nkosazana the Hunter.

There was a moment of hesitance, but like her, the hunter was not stupid, turning heel and running at the quickest indication Nkosazana was not kidding.

For her part, she would return to Death and wait.

Quote:

Fear Collected: 5!
Hunter Lives!

The hunter sent his weapon swirling forward. Instinctually Kiwi dodged back, and swung his sickle forward.

A clean slice. Crimson colored the white coat, and the hunter collapsed backwards before scrambling several yards to the nearest medic.

This was it. The final blow. Kiwi readied his weapon, chain in hand. Like this, it - as he insisted on calling the human - was easily in reach. One smooth stroke, and he could wipe the hunter out. The illusion. Be done with it.

But the chain fell suddenly slack. ... No, ... as much as he longed to feel the slice of that body as all the FEAR left it, he couldn't be certain what the consequences might be. For better or worse ... for now, the illusion would live.

FEAR Points: 5/5+

It was surprisingly easy to wipe the smile off of her face; at least when Jay really put some effort into the task. She rolled her neck, bones cracking as she stood on top of her counter part. Eyes narrowed and dagger brandished, she stared down at the hunter as she considered Nox's and Death's words. Should she...?

FEAR: 5