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[Thugren]

The job was suopposed to have been simple! 

Is waht you keep saying in your head as you get to the ruin and see a sight that sets you on edge. Brigands and cuthtroats are all over the entrance of the cave, impaled with stylized silver crosses in various positions.

 

an odd smell hangs in the air, but soon enough a peicrng scream sounds from deep within , startling you to your senses as you can hear something that sounds like.... Prayers being mimed

[Armoured Priest]

Xiuhcoatl kept studying the entrance, too on edge to go further on just yet, figuring out how to approach the situation before them. Sitting there in the foilage, the cloaking function of his hunting suit off to save power, Larraic sat there with the varghen HeadHunter with rifle in hand. The old silencer didn't seem nearly as perturbed by what they saw, or at least was really good at hiding it from his wrinkled bearded face. 

 

"Hm, well this turned out to be more interesting than I thought eh?" Larraic said with a grin showing up on his face, looking up to Xiuhcoatl despite both of them crouching down with the familiar look of old mischevious in the man's eyes. Though the varghen was still wearing his helms mask, the silencer can easily pick up on the feeling of apprehension in the younger man's body language.

 

"Father, this was just suppose to be a simple reclaimation contract. For a shipment of machine parts for that sanctuary after hearing this bandits raided the convoy. Dealing with religious madmen was not mentioned in that paper, or at least that is what Mr. Saur claimed after reading it." He countered in a grumbling tone as he kept eyes on the entrance.

 

"Could be Christian sect too, either that or this bunch are unimaginative in their symbology." Larraic continued, as if brushing aside Xiuhcoatl's concern. "And sounds like they're busy with mass now, seems like a good opportunity to see what's going on to me." He noted.

 

"Or, we could go back, get Sarrin into Athena and.....father?" Xiuchoatl asked, realizing he was sensing an absence at his side, only to see Larraic was already gone and presumably heading to the Ruins in his usual silencer manner. Now slightly infuriated, the Head Hunter activated his cloaker unit and moved out as well with the thought of 'The old man is going to be the death of me.' Trying to keep his movement silent, avoiding having his steps crunch anything underneath, yet trying to keep his movement swift so the distortion in the air that he was was never still enough for a casual glance to pick up, he headed to the ruins and the source of the noise to see what the hell happened here.

[Thugren]

the cave is a charnel pit. Bodies are impaled with crosses with verses from the bible.

Deuteronomy 17:12 

Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Exodus 22:19

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13

 

Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods.  In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully.  If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.  Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it.  Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God.  That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt.  Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction.  Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you.  He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors.  “The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:13-19

 

 

1Serve the Lord with fear

and celebrate his rule with trembling.

12Kiss his son, or he will be angry

and your way will lead to your destruction,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him

 

 

 

 

All of this is stapled to various bodies, until you come to the very center where a single figure stands by two more robed figures. He is varghen, it can be easily seen. A lion, one with a deep black mane and weaing an ornate church robe. he kneels before the impaled corpses of the bandits that stand all around him as he looks up, noticing one still alive.

 

"no no child."

 

he says calmly, forming a long bayonette blade and sliding it through the mans throat.

 

"GO on now...Go on."

[Armoured Priest]

Xiuhcoatl watched the whole thing with disturbed awe, sticking to the shadows caste by torches in the cave as whatever was going on transpired. They were just bandits and outlaws, there wasn't much reason for him to risk his hide for any of them. But that still left the three in the robes doing this...ritual, if that's what he could call it since he did not know what else to call what was happening. The varghen was trying to silently pull out a couple of the ghoulbone throwing blades from a pouch when he saw something he thought would never would happen, let alone from Larraic even. The old man step up to the three casually with his rifle cradled in his arms like he usually would when not expecting a sudden firefight, his wrinkled face bare and steel blue eyes shining from the light of the fires. 

 

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51:1-2 " The silencer recited fluidly before nodding his head towards the Lion Varghen.

 

"Its been awhile Noata, good to see you are still doing well. You don't write as often as you should." Larraic chuckled as he spoke with Noata, which Xiuhcoatl is assuming the lead priest's name. Without missing a beat, Larraic turned and looked straight at were the HeadHunter was skulking as if he knew the entire time without the need of any technological assistance. It shouldn't surprised him, but it still meant he had a lot to learn if Larraic can still find him.

 

"Come on out boy, don't be shy now, he's a friend of mine. Took quiet a few tours together back in the states doing this and that." The older gentleman assured Xiuhcoatl. Deactivating his cloak field, the lizard stepped forth and fully revealed himself much to his reluctance but not before sliding the knives back into their storage pouch.

 

"Noata, this is Xiuhcoatl, raised and trained this boy when he was put into the HeadHunters group. Don't mind him being quiet too much, he's just a little shy still." He introduced Xiuhcoatl to Noata like a father would introduce his son to his friend, making the Lizard mumble to himself at the treatment outwardly even though he actually liked it.  "Noata, how about you introduce yourself to little Xiuh. I'm sure he's very interested in what you do right now."

 

 

 

[Thugren]

the priest opens his arms and embraces the older man warmly. 

 

"LARIAC OLD FRIEND"

 

he says with a heavily joking voice.

 

"Its good to see you brother friend! Its been waht.... 10 years? WHen i was fifteen? Oh my goodness its been so long. I was a simple aspirtant! I am a full fledge excorcist now.... After my mentor died handling som e black dogs in europe i was elevated by the archangel micheal himself!"

 

He looks at the boy as he is introduced and smiles.

 

"I am so sorry for being rude young one... I am a kind of monster hunter of the church... I am charged with handling some beings most thought dead or mythical.. Your mentor here has been in his fair share of instances with me! Chupacabras and wendigoes don't die  easy."

 

carefully he boys his head to a woman that has her head lowered in prayer, she is a varghen, some kinf of feline , bnut her face is obscured by the delicate lace of the nuns habit.

 

'THis is my wife Belrelusa... Shes from a convent in spain i did studies in after our work.. SHes a witch superior of the order as well.. She brought this little one."

 

he places his hand on the other figures head,another female whos prayers falter at the heavy hand.

 

"SHes a fledgling witch as well..."

 

he removes his hands from the nuns and looks at the old man with a warm fondness.

 

'What are you up to now old friend.... You looking for work? i have a full dossier that needs to be closed out."

[Armoured Priest]

Larraic took off his wide brim hat with the feather waving around with each motion as he then bowed to Belrelusa.

"Well charmed to meet you Mrs.Belrelusa." He said with the old world charm Xuihcoatl thought he would only see in the old movies he seen when it was movie night back home in Baseplate.

"Ten years, you married and have become the Exorcist you wanted. Congrats Noata, I'm very proud for getting so far." He said, patting the Lion's shoulder while Xuihcoatl just rolled his eyes beneath his mask. A reunion wasn't exactly what he was expecting when they entered this cave, let alone one that got under his skin when it shouldn't. 'So this is what jealousy is huh? I don't like it.' He thought to himself briefly before dismissing it, realizing just how petty it was. Larraic tough him better, and so did his sister.

"Windegos? Chupracapras? I thought these were just...bad stories or ghoul species given the name?" The HeadHunter questioned, obviously still skeptical on that point. Larraic just nodded his head and put his arm around the varghen's shoulders, having to reach up a little to do so. 

 

"That's because its best for people to think that son. I mean, if history showed us anything, humanity nearly had it's willed shattered by the possibility of extinction and barely regain it over the centuries of just surviving the undead. What do you think they would do when our bedtime story monsters have been making a comeback?" He asked him in all seriousness, in the tone that sounded to familiar to when he was giving lessons during Head Hunter training.

 

"....Would probably make them do a lot of stupid things." Xiuhcoatl answered after thinking for a moment, Larraic nodding with him. It didn't take much to get people unnerved, just throw in something that messed with the daily routine and you already have them mentally disorganized. Throw something shocking, and you can put them on the edge of panic. These, along with other lessons, made the foundation of his very training and profession.

 

"Oh, and to answer your question Noata. I sort of retired from Ho siht. Started a Salvage group with my daughter and others. It's been quiet fun so far. But I don't think that should stop us from helping you." Larraic reasoned, making Xiuhcoatl look at him with a raised brow of questioning look under his mask.

 

"Is that....a good idea father? Getting all of us involved with the church and...monster hunting?" Xiuhcoatl asked with a small measure of concern in his voice about the possible situation. Even Larraic stopped for a moment and thought on it as well.

 

"Hm, I see your point son. So well just have to have a talk with the rest of them." He proclaimed happily with a pat on Xiuhcoatl's back as if that's that before turning to Noata, his wife, and the fledgling witch nun. "Would you at least like to stay with us? There's plenty of room, and it would be great to have you meet the rest of the family." Larraic offered them warmly, obviously wanting them stay around and further reminansce about things. This wasn't exactly what Xiuhcoatl was hoping for, but this wasn't the place to have the discussion and at least was glad to get the rest of the S.C.A.R. group's opinion on it.

[Thugren]

Naota smiles and crouches down a bt as he uiis leaned on and thewomen finish their prayers. Carefully Belrusa undoes her veil enough to show sparkinlg green eyes and she bows deeply.

 

"It is so nice to meet you sir.. My husband doesnt stop speaking of his time chasing black eyed children with you."

 

the little girl turns as well and bows quickly, hiding behind the taller woman .

 

 

"I would love to stay with you...Weve been traveling and id love to get out of these robes.... ."

 

she undoes her habit and lets it fall, letting down a mop of dark black hair, revealing she is a jaguar.

 

"ANd im sure youd all like some time to hear naotas stories."
 

The larger tiger snaps and each of the blades impaling the corpses begins to hum, filling the glade with soft humms of gospel music that seem out of place in the battlefield.

 

'lead us onward friend...Id love to meet your family."

[Armoured Priest]

"Excellent! The Humvee isn't far and then is just a nice ride back home." Larraic informed them as he started heading back out towards the Cave entrance with his rifle slinged over his shoulder now. That was before Xiuhcoatl tapped him on the shoulder, the claw on shoulderplate giving a plinking noise, making the retired Silencer to turn back around.

"Father, the parts." He reminded him of the reason they were hear in the first place, jerking a clawed thumb back deeper into the cave. There were no containers at the mouth of the hideout, so it would obviously somewhere in the back hidden like the loot it was.

"Oh of course!" Larraic laughed before shrugging off the satchel he was carrying. "You remember how Frank told us how to activate them?" he asked as he handed off the satchel of drones to Xiuhcoatl who nodded yes.

"Yes father. Put them one on a corner each on top, press the buttons, and they'll strong enough to lift it and smart enough to follow without input." The HeadHunter said, parroting what Engineer Conner had told them before they headed out to do this job. Putting the bag of saucer drones over his own shoulders before heading the other way to find their original objective.

"Be safe!" Larraic told him as a send off, getting a waving off hand from the reptile as he shook his head, before leading Noata and the nuns to the vehicle. As he passed the corpses, the humming metal, and the random passage of religious connatation. In truth they could have just come back later for the shipment but he wanted a moment away from the three. None of this sat right with the HeadHunter. Not the killing, he's done that plenty himself, it's the reason behind it that gave him pause. To kill for am entity? Not for yourself or for your family? That is the reasoning of madmen. And why would a 'monster hunter' waste time out here on lowlife like these? This was something that he would have to speak with someone about, especially about the church and god. Larraic never touched on it with him as a child, the old man said that he knew it wasn't something Xuihcoatl needed or wanted like many others would. Too grounded in pessimism and taking things into ones hands he had said before.

[Thugren]

it is quiet in the charnel pit for the most part. The soft gospel hymms have a semi calming quality , but soon you find the materials and get to work. Its difficult for the most part and its slow going until...

 

YOu hear iot.. SOmething moves in the room. An animal hiss, like no reptlie or creature youve ever heard whips you around and makes you turn around. YOur eyes move quickly, spotting a figure with two glowing red eyes on top of one of the boxes of resources across the room. It is humanoid, but scarred and feral, it hisses like a beqast and leaps off the box, bounding along the ground at you wqith startling speed

[Armoured Priest]

Not wasting time wondering what it was and how it was missed by the three earlier, he had his wrist blades slide forth out from their houseing and raising his arms up in a defensive posture in the idea that it was going to pounce upon him within the few seconds it was covering the ground between them. Wasn't exactly the first time he's been ambushed himself, but it was usually done with more shooting and not this predatory charging. 

[Thugren]

it moves in blurs, crouching on the wall impossibly,leaping off the haft of those humming crosses , or launching from the dark, but soon the thing leaps out from behind a crate and you see it.

 

 

It is sunken and ghoul like. Its eyes yellow and bloodshot and it has fangs as long as your blades, its claws reach for your throat but suddnely as if yanked back midair, the creature is dragged back.

 

"I am sorry."

 

the woman says, her habit obscuring her face as you notice a long tblack tentacle coming out from under her dress and wrapping around the creatures throat.

 

"I missed one in my prayers before it turned... you couldve been very hurt."

 

there is a loud snap and the creatures thrashing is stopped, its body going limp as the tentacle retracts.

 

"Please hurry up and lets get outside... Those stakes will explode and conflagarate soon."

[Armoured Priest]

Xiuhcoatl was still in his guard stance, a very surprised and confused with a hint of 'being tired of today's bullshit' look hidden underneath his hunting mask after witnessing the quiet nun just snapping the things neck with almost no effort and the myriad of unexplained things right now. "I have so many questions right now." the reptile uttered to himself, knowing he wasn't going to get any answer right now, especially with the threat of being burned alive imminent. Taking out the saucer like drones and slapping them on the container with magnetic locks, he activated them and they floated the whole thing like they were suppose to. The drones followed him like he was told, already heading for the exit without need of any further motivation.

[Thugren]

as you walk passed her she turns and the bodies deepest in the cave ignite, going up in a roar of flames. The smell of dust fills your nostrils as you are lead outside of the cave and see naota sitting on the hood of the car.

 

"Did we miss one?"

 

he asks, scratching behind his head as the woman in the habit sighs.

 

"Just a low level one..it wouldnt have survived for too long.."

 

she removes her habit and whies her brow.

 

'i swear im just going to ditch this habit and just wear a grigory..it is to hot for this shit."

 

the young girl yelps in suprise .

 

"Profanity!"

 

she says nervously as naota pats her head.

 

'it is fine tiny one.... So old friend.."

 

he says lookign at his old mentor.

 

'Wqat to take us to your camp and introduce us? ill lay my whole dossier out there, and the reawrds i am able to give."

 

Belarusa sits in the back seat and fans herself with her habit, watching the headhunter with glimmering jade eyes

[Armoured Priest]

Xiuhcoatl makes sure the drones drop the box in the back before coming around and interrupt Larraic before he could give his answer. "Ok no, questions first." The reptilian varghen said as he stepped up, the unknown reasoning of what he had seen have been gnawing at him greatly.

 

"Son, is everything alright?" The old silencer asked, already knowing the answer but still put off at how off put Xiuhcoat seemed to be.

 

"The people on stakes were the one thing I didn't mind, hell I done that before, but then someone who looked like there were a washed up tweaker with seven inch fangs that moved faster than a slasher ghoul that gets its neck broken by a tentacle that came from her." He said, pointing at the green eyed leopard as he continued. "And then the little church humming sticks explode with fire. What the hell?" he finished in a huff even with Larraic there trying to calm him down.

[Thugren]

youre sons gonna shit himself the first time he sees a demon larriac ill put money on it."

 

Naota says as his wife rolls her eyes.

 

"Naota..Stop it and explain."

 

the lion sighs and nods, lifting his feet to the dash.

 

"What attacked you is a vampire... It was one of the corpses that the little one was supposed to have cleansed but you interrupted so it turned without us knowing. "

 

he removes his shirt revealing a barrel like bare chest covered in scars and gouges.

 

"Yea you heard that right...Vampire. Like dracula..I vant to suck your blood kinda vampire. Those exploding poles are part of my mutation. One created by the Angels called sanctifiers bayonetts. Its a merge of purifer arts and old vatican magic used to consecrate demon pits so that the souls inside can be sent to hell."

 

his wife rolls her eyes as naota points back at her.

 

"She is a fragment of a cthuluflargen called orryx... The church uses her as a form of anti monster weapon. There you go."

 

he folds his legs and chuckles.

 

"All explained up? feel better now?"

[Armoured Priest]

"No. No not really." Xiuhcoatl said bluntly to the lion, obviously far from happy after hearing things such as ghosts, angels, and cthulu of all things. It was not so much about just finding out about things he thought belonged in books or bad movies are in fact real, Its the fact that he's been in the dark about it and that Larraic has been on board with it without telling the dangers of it for everyone else. He looked at Larraic and asked. "What the hell dad?"

 

"I was going to show you these before son....just not this soon, but that couldn't be helped." The older SIlencer said calmly.

 

"And going on a job for them, with the rest of the family? They're just as unknowledgable as me and they you didn't train all of them." he asked next, making Larraic raise a hand to calm him down

 

"I know son, I know. Despite what you think, knowing or not never would have changed how dangerous. These..occurrences were rare before, but they been happening across he world more frequently as years go by. I didn't think it would happen this soon, but teaching you all about these threats was something I wanted to do. At least when it was right, guess that was sooner than expected." He sighed. "Now isn't the time for this, let's go home first and let everyone relax for a while. Ok?" Larraic suggested. Xuihcoatl looked at Larraic, the church monster hunters,  and just went to enter the truck without another word and keeping his face hidden under his mask.

[Thugren]

Dont blame your father."

 

naota says as he closes his eyes.

 

"Anyone who works with the church is asked to keep silent about these things.. It would cause a panic and it could lead to things we cant control... "

 

THe lion cracks his jaws around a large yawn ad settles back.

 

'Wake me up when we are there."

 

 

 

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Descruibe your compound your family and how larric wants to speak to them. I will further it from there