D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kat ---

Kat's nose twisted in disgust as they approached the start of the worm nest. It was a large hole that had been dug into the ground and worms were lining the edges. The worst part though? The smell. If she didn't know that they puppeteered around rotting corpses before she definitely did now. "Is there anything I can do about the smell?" asked Kat.

"A miniscule amount of demonic fire sitting just inside the nasal cavity can usually dull your sense of smell to a sufficient degree but I personally recommend you use this as a chance to get used to it. This is nowhere near the worst thing I have smelt and the details lost due to limiting my sense of smell is simply too much," stated Hunter.

Kat glanced over at the lamia and bit back the desire to ask who hurt her. Sure there was probably information go be gained from this smell… somehow, but it was truly awful and Kat wasn't willing to put up with it. Kat summoned up a bit of demonic fire for inside her nose… but it was a bit large. She could see it burning around her nose instead of just inside.

Kat tried to shrink it but the energy didn't seem to want to behave at the moment. Lily, be thankful you aren't here.

[Yeah I know. I can almost smell it just with your memories. That's more than enough for me. Good job on asking Hunter for a solution, not sure I'd have thought to do that.]

Kat nodded even though Lily couldn't see her. It truly was a big step up. A bit wasteful, but Kat knew she regenerated enough demonic energy to offset this small amount. While Kat was enjoying no longer being able to smell, Hunter was getting started. Black fire exploded from her hands and the worms nearby were quickly ash. Their brief screeching quickly silenced.

Once there was no more movement around the entrance Hunter slithered forward with the fire coating the edges of the tunnel ahead of her. Kat followed behind as she considered what to say. Her previous attempts to goad Hunter into opening up a bit about her problems had failed and dealing with these worms seemed simple enough now that they'd gotten started-

Kat's thoughts were cut short as a giant ball of limbs rolled around the corner and straight towards them. Kat was readying herself for a fight but Hunter just spat demonic fire at the thing and it was quickly turned to ash. Kat couldn't help but gulp at the sight. *Ok… so I think I now know at least a bit about why demonic fire is so scary… and probably why I don't use it often.

Admittedly, Hunter said it was more effective against these worms but even still… that took nothing. Well… no time at least. It did give Kat something to ask.*

"Will we need to take a break?" asked Kat.

"I am not tired from such a simple fight. In fact, I do not even believe that encounter to be classified as a fight," stated Hunter.

"No I mean… can we clear this whole thing out before you run out of demonic energy? I can take over… but I'm not sure how well my fire would deal with the worms. Oh, and the fact that we're heating the place up. Rapidly cooling it might cause things to collapse or something," explained Kat.

"Corpse worms are surprisingly good at keeping their tunnels sturdy so collapses are quite rare… but rapid changes in temperature might still cause issues. As for my stamina in regards to demonic energy? I am supplementing the fire I summon with the fire created when things are destroyed.

The worms provide slightly more fire than they take to destroy… though admittedly keeping my fire burning like this does still drain me," stated Hunter.

"Right… so do we need to take a break at some point?" asked Kat.

Hunter held up a hand to signal Kat to stop. Kat did as indicated and watched confused as Hunter walked over to a wall and smacked it with a tail, cracking it and revealing a pit of wiggling worms behind it. Hunter quickly thew some fire into the mess and soon they were dealt with but even seeing the just for a few seconds was still really creepy.

Once the worms were gone Hunter pulled the fire back out of the pit and pushed it ahead of her once again.

As they started to move again Kat glanced at Hunter as she waited for an answer… that didn't seem to be forthcoming. *Is it really so hard to answer the question? I feel like it'd be nice to know if I need to be ready with my own demonic fire or not! Was the wall she just knocked down an answer? That if she finds sufficient pockets it will be fine?

Based on Hunter's dislike of those things I doubt she'd just walking past a bunch of worms in the walls without burning them all… so did she just get distracted? Is she dodging the question? If so why? Lily?*

[No idea on this end Kat. If she's distracted enough by the worms to forget a question asked not even a second before… then I feel like she'd be less functional. So I'd guess it was meant to be an answer? But not a very good one… unless Hunter is just clamming up as you go further down? What does she look like?]

Kat glanced at Hunter's face as the fire raged around them and the worms in the walls and floor were turned to ash. They hadn't encountered any other corpse puppets, well aside from the stray hands or feet that didn't even get a chance to approach before they were burned as well. Hunter looked… well about the same as always really. Which did NOT help at the moment.

Kat looked over Hunter's body slowly looking for any tells that might reveal how she was feeling, or rather, confirm if Hunter's mood was deteriorating… but Kat couldn't see anything. Her hands were open and loose by Hunter's side. She was 'walking' calmly forward without any hitches in her step, and of course her face looked to be set into its usual appearance.

Which was not exactly a great sign, but not one Kat could do anything with because it was 'normal' from Kat's experience with the lamia.

*I've got nothing Lily. If I didn't already have issues asking Hunter questions earlier then I'd think she was fine. She's not doing that 'dead eyes' thing you hear about, but she also doesn't seem like… super angry or anything like that. I don't know if her clan trains them in poker faces, but if they're optional lessons Hunter definitely did, and is probably top of her class.

I'm just getting nothing here.*

[Well that's worrying in and of itself, but you're right that's just what Hunter looks like most of the time so we can't really make any assumptions based on that here. Well, other then recognising that she's good at hiding her emotions when she wants to as long as you don't try to talk to her.]

While Kat and Lily were talking the worms had gotten more numerous and frantic… it did them no good. Hunter had knocked open a few more worm pits and cleansed those with fire. A swarm of bats piloted by the worms? Burnt to a crisp. The larger worm that broke out of the ground? Toast.

Hunter didn't seem surprised by any of this, as if she could somehow tell they were coming. She just adjusted her fire so that there was more of it in the places it needed to be. Honestly, it made the lamia look a bit like she was taking a casual stroll. If Kat didn't know better, she doubted she'd pick up on any issues at all.

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*Dammit! I don't know how ready for combat I need to be! Hunter is just wiping the floor with these guys but I doubt I'd be able to tell if she was running out of energy… I guess I should focus up a bit more? Maybe try to ask again?* "Hunter, how well would you say we're doing?" asked Kat.

"Acceptably. Your demonic fire is not a useful combination with mine while we're at risk of collapsing the tunnels. The worms are being dealt with as they come but this is just one tunnel and we have yet to reach the large pit at the bottom of this cave, wherever that might be. It means that this complex is on the larger side.

We are likely to face at least some combat when we reach there, but as long as I have enough energy it will be no issue," stated Hunter.

"Yeah… that's my concern. As long as you HAVE the energy we'll be fine… but do you? Are you going to be ok?" asked Kat.

The silence that followed was not reassuring.

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