Preparing for the Hunt

"Sturdy, this armor is," Masamune said as he brushed the fur lining around the neckline of Black Howler's new armor. "Long it took to make… but protect you against a mighty foe, it will."

Black Howler's fingers brushed against the iron plates covering his chest then down to the thick yet supple leather the plates were attached to.

The armor he'd commissioned from Masamune a week and a half ago was finally completed. He was now the proud owner of a full set of gear consisting of a supple leather cuirass, pauldrons, gauntlets, and grieves with each piece reinforced by fel iron plates.

Black Howler jabbed the air once, twice, then a third time. Next, he lifted his knees up one by one as high as they would go.

"Amazing," he whispered.

He marveled at how snugly the armor fit his body and yet didn't seem to impede his mobility at all.

"This is easily worth more than what I paid to get it," he admitted with a sheepish grin at Masamune. "Well done."

"Indeed," Masamune's face was alight with mirth for he was one of those artisans who found true joy when complemented by a satisfied customer. "Now, for your weapons, giantsbane you require, yes?"

On either side of Black Howler, Ath3na and Lyghtning, who were both in the midst of admiring his new gear — their hands playing with the lion's head hood draped across Black Howler's back — quickly turned their attentions on Masamune after they'd heard his question.

Both women raised their weapons to him, and almost in sync, they said, "Yes, please."

Masamune took his time inspecting their blades, and when he was done with each, he gave a comment or two on how well-maintained they were.

"Giantsbane coating, easy enough to do," Masamune noted, "But less effective on regular iron weapons, it is."

"Right you are, my red-eyed friend," Lyghtning nodded in agreement, "which is why my mate Ath3na and I agree it might just be time for an upgrade… assuming the price is right, of course."

"And we're sort of in a hurry, Masamune," Ath3na added quickly. "As you know, the event's already begun and we're probably the last team to set out of Adventour…"

"Always in a rush, you younglings are," Masamune chuckled to himself while he turned around and headed for the left side of his smithy where his wares were on display. "Turning regular iron into fel will take too long; I agree… And so weapons forged of corrupted bronze, perhaps this is best."

Black Howler noticed that it took Masamune barely a minute to pick out two weapons both players would like, and he thought this might be because an experienced craftsman like Masamune would know exactly what a player needed.

For Ath3na, he chose a partisan. It was a polearm with a long wooden shaft connected to a bronze spearhead with protrusions at its sides that could be used to parry sword thrusts.

Ath3na twirled the spear around for a bit before nodding satisfactorily back at Masamune.

"I'll take it," she said.

For Lyghtning, Masamune chose two bronze gladius with leather grips that fit rather well on Lyghtning's petite hands.

"Blimey, it's like these things were made just for me," Lyghtning laughed.

A short time was spent on Masamune coating their three weapons and an even shorter time was spent on payments. And with their purses considerably lighter, the three party members thanked the vampyre smith for his services before heading back out onto the main thoroughfare.

Outside, the main street was buzzing with activity. The stalls that lined both sides of the road showed off festive colors and banners while offering limited-time event products like Decapitator Cheeseburgers and red-eyed rice balls.

Players and NPCs alike looked to be in a very festive mood indeed. In fact, Black Howler noticed that there were more than a few people with a bottle of Dead Man's Brew in their hands, and more than a few players were beet red in the face from too much drink.

"It's like a festival," Ath3na stated.

"It is a festival," Black Howler corrected her. "A festival of blood…"

"Yo, comrades!" Thorminator boomed from across the street.

And although the being that called them did share the shape of their party-mate, the man with the two red horns sticking out of the forehead that was now a much redder shade than it used to have looked too different from the player they knew.

"Oh my," Lyghtning exclaimed. "It's like a lizard mated with an action star and popped out whatever that thing is."

"Sorry I'm late," Thorminator said as he bounded toward them. "The naming ceremony took a little longer than I'd hoped."

"You have a tail?" Ath3na's noticed, her voice sounded most uncertain.

"Oh, yeah," Thorminator took one twirl so that his friends could see the reptilian tail snaking out of his bum area. "Cool, right."

While both girls seemed too speechless to respond, Black Howler stepped closer and offered Thorminator a fist bump.

"Amazing," he said cheerfully. "You look like a hybrid lizardman now."

"More like a tiefling from the Dungeons and Dragons game actually," Lyghtning corrected as she finally found her voice again.

Both comments made Thorminator's already red face even redder in the cheeks.

"Th-thanks, guys," he said. "I know it's a little extreme… just glad you guys didn't run away when you saw me."

Ath3na cleared her throat. "So… um, you have a title now?"

Thorminator nodded.

"Draconic Magician," he said while puffing out his considerably buff chest. "And get this… I have a fire breath attack I can launch once per day!"

"Nice," Black Howler nodded approvingly. "That'll be useful later on."

While both men repeated their earlier fist bump, the women in their party simply rolled their eyes at them, as if to say, "boys and their weird fascination of dragons."

"Oh, yeah," Thorminator's eyes, golden and reptilian now, narrowed. "I wasn't the only one who evolved today… there were three others, and one of them… was Don Coyote."

"No," Ath3na pursed her lips. "How did that creep cheat his way to an evolution?"

Thorminator shrugged. "Don't know… didn't actually see him evolve as he was next in line after me so… we better be ready for whatever stunt he might pull."

"That wanker's definitely a menace," Lyghtning agreed although she was also busy touching Thorminator's tail, "Do you feel my hands, Thor?"

"Y-yup," he answered in an almost embarrassing way. If anything, his face was even redder now than it was before.

"Fascinating," Lyghtning remarked.

"We'll be ready for him, Thorminator," Ath3na added just before she turned to face Black Howler with her hands on her hips. "Well, you're the hunter. I assume you have an idea for finding our target?"

For an answer, Black Howler reached into his Abyssalweave bag of holding and pulled out a piece of fluffy white material that made Ath3na's eyes widen with recognition.

"Is that—"

"—Sheep's fleece," Black Howler finished. "You know the stories about cyclops' and their love for sheep mutton… Well, I figured some tales have a bit of truth to them."

He pulled out a jar of red liquid from his bag next. "This is sheep's blood mixed with shadow beast lure that I got from the Apothecary earlier today… it'll kick up a good strong stench when laid out just right."

"So we're not going to hunt through the wilderness for him then?" Ath3na guessed.

Black Howler nodded, a lopsided smile showing on his face.

"Prey that move around will be hard to track," he said. "So while the rest of the teams work their butt off chasing after the Decapitator, we're going to lay some bait in a nice little clearing and wait for the bastard to spring our trap."