Lillith's cell was cold. Not like a winter morning; there was no ice or biting air, and there certainly wasn't any sense of refreshing clarity. Not of the sort frost offers, in any case. No, Lillith's cell carried the frigidity of emptiness. Of abandonment. Everything from the wrought iron bars to the stone she was chained to carried this cold. This denial of her future. She couldn't reach the bars. She couldn't go more than a few feet from the wall, as the chains on her neck, feet, and wrists reached their limits quickly. Rarely was a human prisoner in this dungeon so thoroughly restrained, but Lillith was a special case. Because, however cold the cell was, it failed to permeate her skin. The fury and grief that put her there weren't for her own fate or her future, so they failed to diminish when either appeared too bleak. They continued to burn, denying the cold around her of any purchase in her soul.

She had grown numb to the indignities, as she awaited her execution. The chafing of the steel. The pathetic excuses for meals. The stink of her own waste. None of it was any concern to her. She was on borrowed time. Only alive to preserve the spectacle of her death. She reserved her focus for one thing. Opportunity. Any opportunity to get the upper hand. To claw her way to freedom, and to remind her enemies why they fear the dark. Delivery of a new prisoner would have been an opportunity to note. To watch the guard. To reach the keys. To learn anything the new victim may have witnessed on the way down. As of yet, this opportunity had not presented itself. Despite the dozen or so cells surrounding hers, Lillith's was the only one with an occupant for the entirety of her week's captivity. This is why, when a voice spoke to her from the cell to her right, her hackles rose.

"Hiya! I'm Luca! You look awful!" the voice greeted cheerfully. Lillith immediately jerked her head in its direction. The man she found looked nothing like a fellow prisoner, obscured by locked bars as he may have been. He had hair like cherry blossoms and wore a fine robe in royal purple, gold trims emphasizing his obvious wealth. This impression was reinforced by the silver medallion around his neck, a circular rim covered in unfamiliar runes and surrounding curled branches. None of these things should have survived the greed of Lillith's captors, had this interloper been a fellow prisoner. Of course, these details contributed little to this conclusion. None gave him away with the same brutal efficiency as the curved tower shield on his back. Nice clothing and jewelry were one thing, but shields were for battlefields. Lillith didn't know why he was in a cell instead of addressing her from the front, but she knew he was no prisoner. A glance was enough to form a decidedly unfavorable opinion of him. His shit-eating grin didn't help much.

"Yeah? Well, you look rich," she spat. From their comparative tones, it would have seemed Luca's quip was the friendliest of praise and Lillith's the foulest of vitriol. As far as each speaker was concerned, this would have been the correct impression.

"Well I am," Luca grinned, "Rich in my lust for life, of course. Well, that and opportunity, if you are interested?" Lillith scoffed at this before returning her eyes to the bars in front of her.

"Just cut to the chase and tell me what you want. I'm a bit tied up at the moment," she intoned, jingling her chains to illustrate her point, "But I promise to put serious thought into not giving a shit when I have some free time." Instead of the offended and prideful reaction Lillith was accustomed to, Luca only replied to this with a full and frighteningly honest laugh. She was forced to look back at his irritating smile as he finished his response with a final chuckle.

"Your confidence would be a little sad if I hadn't seen you on my shores so many times before. Honestly, I believe you would get out of here on your own. I've seen you defy the odds before," he praised. "Fortunately, frequent visitor that you are, I've grown rather fond of you. So I'm here to help out!" His cheery demeanor was getting on Lillith's nerves. She didn't care for the beach much. She hadn't visited any shores frequently enough to be recognized, and she certainly hadn't met this 'Luca' before. She was beginning to believe he was some flavor of insane. That or eccentric beyond bearing, and with the rich that always amounted to the same thing.

"I'm sure. Why wouldn't you come down here to offer me, a dear friend you've never met, an opportunity to escape execution? I mean, you get nothing out of this at all; who could pass up a chance like that?" She dismissed.

Luca chuckled again. "Not at all! Of course I'd like your help in return! I've got a little problem I think you… well you and your plus one, can help me with," he answered. Lillith was already rolling her eyes as the coin dropped. She didn't believe a word he said. He was a human man. Wealth or not, these Naturals weren't letting her out at his request. Not after everything she had done. And he certainly wasn't going to risk his own neck to free her. If he could get away with that, well, what did he need her for?

"Right. Me and… I don't know who you mean–help you out. The kind of help only a chained woman in a damp cell can offer, of course. And you what, unlock these chains for me?" she challenged.

"More or less. You won't mind helping though, I swear. Just agree to help me, and yep, I'll get you out of those chains, pinky promise," he replied. Lillith shook her head in exhaustion. This man really was insane. If she thought for a second he actually could help her, perhaps she would have heard him out. But he didn't seem like he could even help himself.

"Great. With your promises and fuckall else in this cell, I'll finally have something to wipe my ass with," she chided. "I'll pass, thanks." Again her unwelcome visitor simply laughed. Except, this time the sound came from directly in front of her. She blinked in confusion and looked forward. No longer in the locked cell beside hers, Luca now stood in the corridor. His hands rested gently on his shield, which he had apparently drawn and placed between his body and Lillith's. She could now see an eerie clarity on its front, like a mirror or still water. She was vaguely aware of her own reflection in it–but was focused on the shield's wielder more than its surface. He looked down at the reflection himself, then back at Lillith with an irksome grin.

"Well, that works for me," he chittered, snapping his fingers a breath later. As he did, the chains binding Lillith fell to the ground all at once, finally and blessedly, giving her a little freedom of movement. She gasped, before collapsing backward, sitting down for the first time in a week and resting her back against the wall. The game had changed. Whatever this was, it was real, and it was an opportunity. She still needed the cell open, and she needed a moment before resting. For the first time, she began to take her visitor seriously. She fixed her gaze on him with a practiced intensity.

"Who are you?" She asked coldly.

Luca looked back at her as if hurt. He had somehow re-mounted his shield on his back and was now holding his hands over his heart, miming a grave wound. "I told you that already, I'm Luca!" He protested. Lillith glared at him, entirely unamused.

"Luca who?" she pressed.

"Luca, the life sage!" he responded proudly, placing his fists on his hips.

"Life sage?" She interrogated.

"Yep! A sage of creation. Pleasure to meet you!" he happily agreed.

"Like a god?" Lillith guessed. Luca shrugged.

"If you like," he allowed. Lillith groaned. Perhaps he was a madman after all.

"Porco Dio," she spat, eliciting yet another chuckle from Luca. "It doesn't matter. Let's hear your pitch, if it isn't horrifying, I'll keep listening. A little wine wouldn't hurt either–if you have any. I'm parched."

Luca tilted his head at her with a closed eye smile. "I have some if you'll promise to help," he offered.

"I'm not promising shit, stronzo. Tell me what you want first," she refused. A breath later, Luca was sitting against the wall next to her. He supported his shield to one side, angling it toward her and glancing at it again.

"I appreciate that," he chittered. "As promised." He reached into his robes and pulled out a wineskin as she examined him with confused and dangerous eyes. Her eyes flicked between the wineskin and the strange man carrying it for a moment before she came to a decision. With a weary sigh, she accepted the wine and took a deep drink of it. She paused for another moment, processing the surprise at the quality and flavor before sniffing and glaring back at the supposed god.

"Alright. Let's hear it. What do you want?" she finally prodded. Luca began to rub the back of his neck at this as if feeling awkward, but his unwavering smile argued with this impression.

"Well, see. I know how you feel about corruption," Luca began and Lillith scoffed.

"Do you now?" she retorted, sarcasm oozing from her pores. "Well, I suppose with how long we've been friends and all that…"

"Yes! Exactly. What with your feeling toward corruption, I thought you would want to help me fight some that was, well, a bit more literal than usual," Luca continued with all sincerity.

"Literal corruption? Like what, a god?" Lillith prodded.

"Now now, no need to get mean. Well, with me. There is some need to get mean. Which is why I came to the most loveable mean girl I know! See, the problem is this corruption is going to hurt a lot of people. Cost a lot of lives. Innocent lives. You and I have one major thing in common. We are unwilling to needlessly spend life. So I am here to ask for your help," Luca finally explained, transitioning to a more serious tone as he spoke. Lillith examined him for a long moment, taking another drink from the wineskin before replying.

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"Well. Luca the sage of life. I've got a fucking great idea. If there is some vague but dangerous corruption threatening lives, maybe you should, I don't know, stop it," Lillith suggested.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Believe me, I'd love to, but letting you out of this cell and pointing you in the right direction is the extent to which I can help. Lucky for you!" the sage dismissed with a wink. Lillith glanced at the tower shield again with a raised eyebrow.

"So the shield you carry around, not for actual battle then. Just to admire your smile every few minutes?" She challenged.

"Well, it is a winning smile," he grinned. "An honest smile, you could say." Lillith chuckled at this and took another drink.

Lillith leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes before responding. "Right. Well, I can see why you're here. If the supposed god with magic and a fondness for his own face can't do jack shit, I can see why you would go for the unwashed woman chained to a wall. Surely, I alone will succeed where you failed."

Luca shook his head as if offended. "Of course, I don't think that; that would be absurd! I'm not such an unreasonable man. You have to find a friend first. Make a connection. Something really… magic. That's all you need to do now. You can worry about the rest after that."

"I have plenty of friends, so you might as well tell me the rest," Lillith answered.

"A specific friend."

"So you want to introduce me to someone, is that it?"

"No, you need to find them."

"Who are they?"

"You'll know when you find them."

"Where are they?"

"You'll figure it out."

Lillith let a deep breath out of her nose as she examined the saccharine smile on the life sage. "You've never been punched in the face before, have you?"

Luca laughed at this before scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, this is the best I can do. But it's a good deal for you either way. I'll unlock the cell for you, and all you have to do is keep an eye out. Once you find them, I'll let you know how you can help! And if you don't find them, well, you are free either way, right?"

"So that's the deal? You help me escape, and In exchange, I look for a specific unspecified person in a specific unspecified place?" Lillith asked.

"That's about the size of it," Luca agreed.

"Alright. Fuck it, it's a deal," The tired woman reluctantly agreed. "Let me go, I'll look for this supposed friend."

Luca glanced down at his shield again, then looked back up with a near-manic grin. "You believe you're a filthy liar, don't you? Very well, it's a deal!" He snapped his fingers and vanished. A breath later, the door to the cell slowly swung open, creaking loudly as it did.

"What the fuck?" Lillith asked the now empty room. She rubbed her temples in exasperation for only a moment before taking the presented opportunity and leaving her cell. Whatever that had been about, it was an opportunity. She was trying to quietly climb the stairs and leave the dungeon when her newest friend again presented himself, this time directly in front of her. His shield was mounted on his back, giving him a free hand to flick her directly between her eyes.

She did not hesitate in her response, grabbing his shoulders and moving her knee to his family jewels with practiced efficiency. She was not quick enough, however, as her leg passed through empty air as the peach-haired man leaned against the wall a few steps further up. "Well, that was entirely unnecessary," he rebuked, looking down at her in disappointment.

"Seemed pretty necessary to me. What the fuck was that for?" She challenged, glaring furiously at her newest enemy.

"It was a gift! I swear! Just enough to start you off, when you find your friend. You'll thank me later, I swear!" he promised. Lillith offered him a generous serving of skepticism in one condescending glare. "You'll need these two, actually," he continued, caring not at all for her irritation. "Well, one of them. But they are prettier as a set, don't you think? Plus they match your eyes!" He held out a pair of earrings with large red gems on the end.

"Kind of rushing the apologetic gift, aren't you? Sorry, but I'm not interested in…" she looked the life sage up and down, "whatever all this is."

"Oh no worries, no strings attached! Well, no romantic strings. I do still want you to risk your life fighting a worldwide corruption. So a few dozen strings attached. But no, this is a gift for your sake, not mine," he assured her.

"If I take them will you get the fuck out of the way and let me leave?" She asked. He smiled at her without a word until she sighed and accepted the earrings. They did look nice and they would complement her eyes, after all. She reached out to accept them.

"Just… try not to kill any more than you have to," Luca added with a gentler smile. Lillith paused and narrowed her eyes.

"I never do," she promised and he nodded, allowing her to retrieve the earrings.

As soon as she was holding them their previous owner was again mysteriously missing, and she was again left to sneak out of the dungeon on her own. As she put each one on, however, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was still being watched.

It was Aldo's first hunt in months. Sure, he'd been mocked for waiting until their own predator had finally been caught and captured. He'd been mocked more after she was captured and he still waited. Everyone wanted to laugh at the cowardly old man, but they were fools. He was neither a coward nor old. No, he was just older than most hunters. This was because he was smarter than most hunters. Not cowardly, but not a fool either.

Lillith di Finali. That's what they called her. Because, human as she may have been, she was a skilled hunter herself. More skilled than any he had seen. And her prey wasn't as defenseless as the difettoso. She was a hunter of killers–and a successful one. She'd killed far too many fresh-faced hunters to be taken lightly. And she didn't do it face to face. She used traps, tricks, and poisons. She brought death to the careless. She brought endings. Risking his life in a contest of strength was one thing. Wandering into a surely trapped forest where others had already died without the chance to fight back? That wasn't courage. So he'd waited until a few hunts passed. To be certain the woman they caught was the hunter he was avoiding. If he was to hunt, he would hunt on his own terms.

"Well look who's here! Old terrified Aldo!" a familiar, whiny voice interrupted Aldo's focus. Gioele, the magpie Natural. The arrogant bird always made Aldo's head spin. The older Croc had little patience for either the boundless energy or pride the younger hunter carried everywhere he went. "Are you sure it's safe out there? You don't want to wait another few days just to be sure?"

"Shut your mouth, Gioele. The only reason you're still alive is because you hardly ever get anywhere near the difettoso. The human hunter had no reason to track you down, it would have taken her too far away from the dangerous hunters," Aldo snaps back.

"Is that so? The way I remember it, you stayed home while I caught and killed that difettoso dog, Renato, I think. Some of the most clever prey we've caught for months and where were you? Hiding," Gioele sneered.

"Yeah? You finally got close enough after she'd been caught, did you? You want to call me a coward, but you are far worse. You have been hiding as long as I've known you, but you've been too yellow-bellied to even admit it. Although, I suppose it's possible you are just incompetent. That would explain why the first difettoso you caught was a loud, clumsy dog," Aldo challenged.

Gioele just laughed. "Really? Should we put a few bars on it then? See which of us can catch the difettoso first this time? Surely the brave Aldo can put his money where his mouth is?" he taunted and Aldo scoffed.

"Feels a bit cruel, robbing you so openly. But since you suggested it, I don't mind putting you in your place. Fifty bars sound right?" Aldo countered.

"Make it seventy. I'm looking forward to making a fool out of you," Gioele agreed. Aldo was going to raise the bet further when the bell rang, indicating the start of the hunt. "Careful out there. I hear this difettoso is a spider. Wouldn't want her to scare you off," The bird taunted one last time before rushing out the door, hoping for a head start. Aldo groaned. He hated how the younger hunters always ran away after getting the last word. He knew the difettoso was a spider. He'd bought her himself, although she didn't know that. Which is why he had known it would be a safe bet. He'd gotten to know the girl, Sarafyna. He grinned as he walked more slowly toward the door. She would likely trust him when he showed up. This would be far too easy.

Aldo strolled easily through the woods. He'd missed this. The morning air, the sense of tension. The taste of copper in his mouth before a kill. When he'd first started out, his methods had been criticized. Is it really a hunt if you wait for the prey to come to you? But he'd won enough times to silence that particular criticism. Because what Aldo did wasn't just wait. It was so much more than that. Aldo wasn't just old compared to other hunters. He'd been playing the game for so much longer. He knew how prey thought. He knew where they would go. He knew how to make them go there. While other hunters played cat and mouse, Aldo strategized.

He also knew more spells than nearly any other hunter. He knew more and he could cast them for longer. It wasn't always a boon in combat. Many difettoso in L'ultera had the lightning element which, even without spells of their own, could cause Aldo more than a few problems. His water spells became little more than a larger target to the few difettoso who could manifest any magic at all, whether with crystals or with their own pathetic species talents. That didn't bother Aldo, however. It's what made the game so fun. Of course, he wouldn't need to take risks today. He had prepared ahead of time.

As he entered the forest, he made no attempt to look for signs of the difettoso they were hunting. He allowed his thick tail to slide through the dense mud behind him. He whistled as he walked, extending a thick claw to each tree he passed, carving a hasty 'T' into each. The agreed upon sign. The human had been caught. Her traps disarmed. And he had made such sweet promises to the prey as she waited in her cage. She was lightning, but she had no crystals and nowhere to get them. She had no way out. No way out but Aldo, the benevolent former hunter who could get her to safety, if only she followed the signs and found him. He would need no spells. He'd cast the most dangerous he had already. Trust.

Finally, he found a nice, comfortable clearing. Nowhere to hide for a dozen paces. No water, unfortunately, but he didn't want to risk her getting spooked and using it against him with her element advantage. Somewhere she could spot him and approach on her own. And, once she did, he would be oh-so-sweet and welcoming. So kind and comforting. He would be the safety she was desperate for. Until she was close enough to his teeth. Gioele was a fool. A fool who may have been lucky once, but a fool nonetheless. Rushing into the forest to hunt a difettoso that was going to walk right up to Aldo. He settled in and waited to win his bet against the arrogant upstart.

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