The Vampire

Venus pulled the bill for the vampire off of the wall, looking it over for another moment before tucking it away into a pouch on her belt, "Thanks, Ace, but I have a job to do. I'll rest when its over, but this can't wait."

Ace sighed, relenting and stepping back and out of Venus' way as she headed off. Leaving the Lounge, Venus made preparations to deal with the vampire. She had no idea how strong it was, but they had already killed one hunter, and she wanted to be sure that she didn't meet the same fate. With coin from her most recent hunt, she purchased a bottle of Alchemist's Fire. The liquid in the bottle was inert, but once shattered it would burst into flame, good for dealing with a vampire, though only if she managed to hit them with it.

The villages of Utabi, Altima, and Reshin weren't too far from one another, so she set off down the road towards them. Along the way, she had time to think about the coming hunt, planning and thinking out contingencies should she face the vampire. To kill another hunter meant that he was old, which made him dangerous. Venus wondered if it might not work to her advantage to avoid coming into town dressed as a warrior, prepared for battle. If she did, any agents of the vampire would surely warn him of her coming.

Stopping near a creek not far from the road, she bathed and then dressed, deciding to wear something a little more traditional. Dresses weren't exactly tactically sound garments, but this way she wouldn't arouse any immediate suspicion with her presence. Once she was dressed, she continued along her way, eventually coming to a fork in the road. The signs all pointed to the different villages: Utabi, Altima, and Reshin. The vampire had attacked and kidnapped women from each, so all of them were good places to start investigating.

But where would she go first?