>>5761569This is a mission of great import, perhaps all the greater on an emotional level, now that you know it is not done for yourself but for your child. It needs a team worthy of it, and well-suited to the task. Among those, there is one candidate who stands out as plainly obvious.
He rattles with laughter when you enter, and takes a rather flamboyant bow. You have worked directly with this male only a few times, but the sinewy Steeltalon has ever been rather dramatic for one of his caste, with his deep-lion pelt on conspicuously oversized bow: the Hunter, master tracker and slayer of dangerous beasts.
“Of course your would choose me, with my title,” he says with casual confidence, “but I must admit: I have never chased down quarry like this. A Greater Demon? Is that like a Demon Pricne?”
“Luckily, no,” comments the occultist—the excitable young Dragonblooded female who you have also summoned. “A Demon Prince would be TRULY terrifying… Maybe too much for us! Oh.. No offence is intended, of course, Dragon King!”
“Hm,” you reply noncommittally, causing her to bow deeply in submissive apology, mortified to have possibly offended you.
Agno is there, too, armed with a pickaxe in one hand and a dagger in the other, eyes gleaming. He reminds you much of Ivno, with his race and station, but it must be said: while you miss your late kobold companion, his brother-in-arms was always the more fiery and fierce of the two. Youa re glad to have him with you on this mission, as a representative of his kind.
“Dragon has killed demons before,” he notes. “Killed them swift-fast. Kill for the Dragon!”
“I agree with the runt,” agrees your sparring partner of late, the Drow Duelist named Azonia, who is perhaps the greatest sword master you know of besides yourself. “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”
“E-easy now,” the Occultist interjects. “All this talk of ‘killing’ is… A demon CANNOT be ‘killed’. Only banished back to the Realms of Hell. And… I do not believe that is our intent?”
You nod in confirmation of the Occultist’s supposition.
“We will take the demon ‘alive’,” you say. “We do not wish to banish her, but to USE her. Her power will be vital to the future of the Kingdom of Bloodrise. We need her on this plane.”
