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Description
Lune slumped into a pile of golden silk pillows and stretched out. She had taken as much as she felt comfortable carrying and a little more besides, knowing that when her strength had fully returned she would be able to lift more. Clare flitted about the entire cavern almost haphazardly, passing by several magnificent works of art and craftsmanship, plucking whatever seemed to suit her fancy, including several objects that were so plain, so ordinary that they didn't seem to belong with the rest of the horde, let alone this hidden chamber. Her own selections were mostly small trinkets that would sell more easily than some of the larger items, but she also took several pieces of jewelry that she blushed at the thought of wearing some day. In her sacks she also had a few items that she didn't quite know why she liked, but they seemed to resonate with her, to draw her attention sharply towards them until they were concealed by the sackcloth. Clare seemed like a child in a candy store, and left Lune alone for about an hour while she filled up seven sacks, as well as a few of her pockets. The woman was inhumanly strong, but then again, Lune already knew that she wasn't human, or at least not fully. She didn't seem to be quite as strong as a gitwerg or troll, but she had killed a dragon, and Lune herself was barely able to carry the two bags that now lay beside her.

Lune watched in fascination for a while after filling up her own bags, but soon she just lay on the pillows to rest her eyes. Unfortunately, the one she set her head on was a little bit lumpy. She picked it up to fluff it, but as she did she saw a book underneath it, picking it up and laying back down. She looked over it's black leather cover, having a simple copper binding but some intrinsic design on the front and back. The front contained a golden oval, with a remarkably beautiful inlaid design made almost entirely of curves and small runes. The back had a black snake eating it's tail, the Oroubus. It's scales were textured and cracked, the paint almost appearing as if it were peeling, like the snake were shedding its skin. Within the center of the snake's incomplete circle, and also slightly outside it, was another detailed design with accompanying runes. This one, however, was made almost entirely of straight lines that interwove and covered one another in such a manner that it disoriented her and made her head hurt to look at it. She flipped the book over again, to the golden oval, and opened it's first page. It was dry, dusty and aged, but reading it proved no difficulty. It was blank. She flipped it, looking to it's other side and the next. They two were blank. Frowning, she continued flipping pages, all though the book, until she had reached the back, which was, infuriatingly blank as well. She harrumphed and set the book aside. She heard a snort and looked up to see Clare looming over her.
“Interesting read?” She asked, tilting her head to look at the book better.
“Not particularly. The covers look interesting, but it's empty.” Lune said, sighing, as she picked it back up. Clare carefully set down the seven sacks she was carrying and sat down next to her.
“Could I see it for a moment?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing as if trying desperately to remember something fleeting, at the edge of her memory. Lune handed it over, and Clare looked opened it immediately. Rather than flip all the pages, however, she closed it again, and examined the covers. She ran her fingers along its surfaces, until finally she pressed down on single small rivet in the binding. A small click came from the book and she grinned. Again her hands ran across the surface, but this time Lune gasped as the design changed according to where she touched. It had seemed as though the cover was a solid piece of leather with the golden oval affixed to it, but it now she clearly saw that it was segmented into several circles that spun, which were in turn situated within larger circles. Clare pressed the rivet again and flipped the book over. Again, she ran her hands on the book, but this time only on the rivets, and another one depressed. The bizarre design morphed, as had the other one, and finally she pressed the second rivet again. Her smile spread further as she handed it back to Lune. Her jaw had dropped sometime while watching, as Lune found herself closing it before gulping and opening the book again. Now the first page had a single rune at the top, and another in the bottom corner, as did all of those that followed. Lune held the book open and looked over at Clare in utter shock, moving her mouth, trying to find the right words to ask. “Magic puzzle book. I've only seen them in reference books before, never an actual one like this. I'll wager there might be a few combinations that have been used, but it looks like it's got at least two hundred pages per combination, and at least, oh, a hundred combinations per side? Quite a find.” Lune stared down at the book in utter shock, mesmerized for a moment. While math was not really her strong suit, it was simple multiplication that helped her realize the magnitude of the book's possibilities. Over a million possible pages to fill, and by her observation of the combination system while it was in use, Clare probably had underestimated the quantity of combinations per side. If felt heavy in her hand at the realization, and she tried to hand it to Clare, who just pushed it back. “No, it's your find, and to be quite honest, I probably wouldn't get much use out of it. The only writing I really do is copying reference material and contract terms, and my handwriting is chicken scratch that I can barely read myself. You'll get more use out of it, and if you don't, well, you could always put it up for auction somewhere. Now, let's see what else you got, and then I'll show you my catch!”

Lune slowly opened up her bags and laid the treasure out, one item at a time, on the pillows. A music box, quite a lot of jewelry, a little bit of cut gems and other precious stones, one large black stone speckled with red that felt warm to the touch, two ornate daggers, a few silken outfits and some finely woven and uncut cloth. The latter she probably would see if she could have turned into some dresses. Lune sighed as she felt them. She loved to dress up, but she hadn't been able to afford to do so often. Her family had been of the merchant class, but just barely able to keep their business afloat. Having six mouths to feed, six bodies to clothe, and four of them to educate had been expensive. Perhaps with her gone the burden would be easier on her family. Clare didn't seem to notice her reminiscing, as she was examining part of Lune's treasure. She took a close look at some of the gems and jewelry, as well as the cloth, but she put most of them back into the bag without any emotion. The music box, the odd stone, the daggers, and two of the gems, however, she kept out. The daggers she flipped back and forth, examining the craftsmanship, testing their balance on one of her fingers. Instead of setting them back in the bag, she looked up at Lune. Though her eyes were difficult to make out behind her ruby-tinted goggles, Lune could tell Clare was staring at her, though her brow was creased in concentration. Lune didn't feel uncomfortable, but it seemed as though Clare was trying to find the answer to a question she had yet to ask. Lune raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat.
“Strange...” Clare muttered to herself as she blinked and looked away. Lune didn't know what she had found so strange, seeing as she had been the one staring, but she just filed it away as yet another act by the bizarre woman, this stranger who had already done much more than just save her life. Then, placing the daggers into the sackcloth, Clare finally asked the question that had been on her mind. “Why did you pick up the daggers?” Lune frowned as she tried to figure out how best to phrase her answer. She bit one of her thumbs, and Clare crossed her arms. Lune sighed and took her digit out of her mouth.
“Well, I... I thought I could sell them.” Clare remained silent, waiting. Lune grit her teeth, hoping that the monster hunter would cease her line of questioning.
“No you didn't. The thought might have crossed your mind, but even if they are highly valuable, there are a literal tons of more expensive items laying about.” Her face was blank, and Lune turned her face. “Were you thinking of revenge? Against the people who chained you to the post?” Lune's eyes went wide and she waved her arms back and forth in strong denial.
“No! The people of my village might be ignorant savages to you, but none of them wanted to leave me there!” She ran a hand up and down her arm as she calmed. “They didn't know what else to do. Legend may have been wrong, but it's all they knew. It was by lot that I was chosen, and it was by lot that the ones who chained me were chosen as well. I didn't fight them at all.”
“So why the daggers then?” Lune gulped.
“I... I don't want to be defenseless.”
“But you said that-”
“It's not the people of my village I'm afraid of. As you said, I'd be shunned if I went back to them. I'm supposed to be dead.” She pushed her hair out of her face before continuing. “Even before all this happened, I wanted to explore, see the world. I always wanted to be a princess, to have a fairy tale ending. But... I've heard stories. Not every man is a gentleman.” Lune pulled one of the daggers out of the bag and balanced its tip on her index finger. Clare's hands turned into clenched fists, shaking slightly, but visible enough for Lune to notice. “You know what I mean, don't you.” Clare nodded, but didn't explain. “Did-Did someone try to... With you-”
“No, not with me.” Clare said flatly.

Technically, several had, but none had gotten far enough, since she was much stronger and faster than most. She didn't count those. Only one mattered.
“When I was eight, a boarder my mother had rented out to... He tried to force himself on her, and I caught him in the act. Seeing me, he tried to run, but I followed and killed him.” It still felt as if his blood was on her hands, and she dug her fingernails into the skin on the back of her left hand. They bled and quickly healed, but the blood itself still clung to her skin. Lune gasped and pulled a cloth out of the treasure bag. When she tried to use it, Clare knocked her hand aside and grunted. She reached into one of her pant pockets and pulled out a soft papery substance, fragile, but absorbent. As Clare wiped the blood off, she tried calming herself, taking in deep breaths and exhaling them slowly. Why was she telling her all of this? She never left herself vulnerable like this before. It was a sign of weakness, and in her profession it was dangerous to have weaknesses. Monsters were rarely as cordial as Elaizar had been before he attacked. Usually they just lashed out at anything that came within their territory. Could it just be that Lune was another woman? No, Clare had secrets she kept even from her own mother. Maybe it was just that this particular woman reminded her so much of herself at a younger age. Alone. Vulnerable. Naïve.

Clare tossed the tissue paper aside and reached for the gems. “Let's see... This emerald has a single rune repeated on it, as does this amethyst. Do you know any magic, Lune?” As the woman shook her head, Clare sighed. Of course not. She had been raised in a relatively primitive village. Even the few who did not fear and loathe magic most likely didn't understand it, and even if some did, most primitive villages were led by sexist individuals. They wouldn't teach her magic, she was a woman. Pointing at the etching on the purple gem, she spoke. “This rune is crude, but it is an amplifying symbol meant to draw out the power of the item it is put on. Amethyst is a stone of many powers, so I guess it'd depend on which one you were trying to draw out that would be amplify, since there aren't any other markings to indicate which effect the creator wanted to draw out the most. The emerald also has many powers, and it has the same rune on it, so I supposed the same would apply to it as well.” Lune was quiet through all of this, and she bit her thumb as she mulled it over for a few seconds. Finally she asked the very question Clare was expecting.
“Um... What powers are they supposed to have?” The huntress scratched her head as she tried to remember as many as she could.
“Let's see... Emerald is supposed to promote love. Healing too. It calms, and it's supposed to aid in prophecy, not that I'd put much trust in prophecies, mind you. Amethyst is supposed to stave off drunkenness and poison. It's also supposed to be calming, and to help bring clarity and understanding, especially of the self. Hmm... It's also a healing stone, but much more in the spiritual and mental realms than the physical. Deals with insomnia and nightmares too. Oh! And it's also supposed to be the stone of transformation.” She handed them both over to Lune and grinned. “Want to test them out and see what happens?”
“Uh...” Lune looked down at the two gemstones and shook her head.
“Oh well, your loss. You could always try them out later. Would probably take you a while to really learn magic, but all you'd have to do is squeeze tightly on them and think of what effect you want in order to get a small reaction at least.” Clare picked up the next item, the music box and began to examine it's exterior as Lune put the gemstones back into the bags. The amethyst left her hand, and suddenly everything went white.

Lune felt like she was floating, but she wasn't in water. She could feel the ground beneath her feet, but it seemed so soft. She blinked, and suddenly she could see a wall made out of a smooth gray stone. It seemed to be seamless and Lune put a hand out to touch it. As her hand passed through the wall, she gasped and pulled it back out. She examined her hand and did it again, putting her hand into the wall. She turned to her right and saw that there was a set of stairs leading up out of the room, and the other wall was covered in various tools and devices which seemed to be for metalworking. Was she dead? No. It must be a vision. Clare did say the enhanced emerald might have the power of prophecy. As she remembered Clare, she suddenly felt as if she was not alone. She turned around to see the back of a man who seemed to be at least five inches taller than her, but it was impossible to tell with his thick boots. His back was to her, and she could see how toned he was as he took off his coat and dropped it to the floor. His chocolate hair was medium length, and matted together in an odd fashion, grouping in multiple tube-like segments. He wore a loose gray sleeveless shirt and some black pants that seemed to be covered in pockets, much like Clare's had. He took a few steps forward and Lune followed.
“Clare.” His voice rang out clearly and richly. It was baritone, masculine, but not harsh. “I've decided. I still want to be with you.” Lune frowned and leaned over to see Clare in front of the man, covered in sweat and grease, standing next to an anvil. Clare's jaw dropped open for a second, her eyes wide in shock, but they quickly melted as she spoke.
“You... You didn't have to change for me. I liked you the way you were.” She set down the hammer and tongs, her work still red hot as she moved towards him.
“Would the world accept us if I hadn't?” He took her hand and held it to his cheek. Lune felt a sharp pain in her chest for a moment and she panted, hoping it would pass. She moved to the side, trying to get a look at the man's face, but Clare and the stranger engaged in a deep, passionate kiss, the monster hunter blocking her view. Lune's stomach began to feel on fire and her vision was going white again.
“Not yet, damn it.” She growled, and kept moving around them. The two broke apart for air, and he brushed some hair out of Clare's face. His own still hid his profile from Lune's view.
“I love you Clare.” He said. Lune grit her teeth as she doubled over, falling to her knees. She rose her head slowly, trying to see his face.
“I love you too-” Everything whited out.

“Lune, you okay? You look like you spaced out for a second there.” Clare said with a hint of concern in her voice. Lune shook her head for a few seconds and looked down at her hand, still holding the emerald. She dropped it in the bag, as she had intended to do before, and took in her surroundings. She was still in the secret horde of Old Elaizar, and Clare was still holding the music box. Lune blinked a few times and answered.
“Just a daydream I guess. Sorry. I was... Miles away.” Clare shrugged and opened the music box. A song began to play which Lune didn't recognize, but it seemed so beautiful. So haunting and sad. It seemed to be missing something though. It ended abruptly and Clare frowned, closing it, handing it back to her. Lune wound it up and tried to listen to it again. This time, the song was different, accelerated a little faster than the previous, and more cheery, but there seemed to be a few similar elements, and it too was missing something. Lune shrugged and put it back into the bag. It seemed so simple on the outside, not ornate or extravagant, and she doubted she would get much for it on the market. Who ever created it had been keen enough to make it possible to play at least two different songs, but despite how beautiful they were, it was obvious whomever wrote them hadn't finished them. Lune turned back to Clare to find her licking the odd stone. Before she could ask her why she was doing that, Clare quickly jerked back and spit on some of the treasure on the ground, making an extremely disgusted face afterwards.
“Ick. Way bitter. At least it smells nice though.” She handed it back to Lune, pulled a bottle out of a pocket, and proceeded to down some water. Lune sniffed it and put it back into her bag.
“Now that you mention it, yeah, it does have a slight scent. Almost smells like myrrh.” Clare choked slightly and she closed her water bottle while catching her breath.
“Myrrh? That's what myrrh smells like?”
“Yeah, kinda. It's a bit more faint than I've smelled at market, but I think so.”
“Uh... Lune, I think your rock is an egg.” Clare said, pointing towards the bag.
“What are you talking about?” Lune asked incredulously.
“Okay, so I'm just going to go over what we do know before explaining it, all right?” Clare crossed her arms and waited. Lune sighed and nodded. “First, it's an ovaloid shape, like an egg. Second, it's really warm for a stone. That wouldn't be too surprising if Old Elaizar had been spitting on it, but it's too smooth to have been burned by his acid. Third, it smells like myrrh, which is something that phoenixes put in their nests before dying and being reborn as a new egg. Myrrh also is supposed to taste bitter, or so I've heard, which would explain why my tongue still hates me. I haven't seen a phoenix in person before, but it matches up with lore.”
“It's a phoenix egg?!” Lune shouted in shock.
“Probably. Even if it isn't, you could probably sell the stone as an oddity. Or, if it is, you could sell it or try to keep it as a pet. They're known for their healing powers. Could be why Old Elaizar had it. Then again, he might have been planning for eat it when it hatched.” Clare's last statement drew a deep growl from Lune's stomach. Clare rolled her eyes and began to clear a small circle to start a fire in.
“Sorry.”
“Don't be. We ate well, but you'd been chained up for a while, right? I'll just wait to show you my stuff till after we dine on some more of scaly.”

As the morning sun's first rays shown down, Lune found herself sitting awkwardly on Clare's horse, covered by her cloak. She had been severely dehydrated, Clare said, and even though it seemed to be a relatively cool day, she didn't want to take any chances of heatstroke. After a little bit of protest, the monster hunter managed to convince her, and now Clare walked alongside her steed. Leonard, for that was the horse's name, seemed to be a bit frightening at first when Lune approached him, bucking and braying incessantly. Clare snorted, stating he was one of the most stubborn animals she had ever seen without killing. She had found him caught in a trap once in the woods, and after treating his leg as best as she could, she left it behind while she went off to fight her prey. The griffin evidently had gone rabid, and she managed to clip its wings during the fight when it tried to flee, but it immediately lashed out in pain and knocked her into a cliff wall. Clare was unable to move quick enough as the griffin pounced towards her, but Leonard came out of nowhere and dug it's hooves into the griffin's beak, providing just enough of a distraction for Clare to kill it. Lune still didn't know quite how Clare had done it, or how she had killed Elaizar, but she could tell from the few scars that hadn't healed completely that Clare must have more than enough luck to go with her skills. Regardless of how she had killed the griffin, Leonard didn't run from the display of violence, and had followed her around ever since. Of course, he didn't always stay where he was supposed to, unchaining himself sometimes, or not moving where she wanted to, even dumping her off his back and racing off, only to show up a few hours later. He wouldn't let anyone ride him without putting up a fight, even Clare. Lune had a little difficulty getting him to calm down, but at least he didn't try to buck her off once she had settle on top of him. As the day went on they stopped a few times alongside a river to rest and refill their water canteens. Clare put some sort of some tablet into them which she said was to purify the water before tightening on their caps. After the sun had set too far to consider traveling, they made camp. They had traveled a good thirty miles at least, and although Clare had been the one walking all the way, Lune was far more tired than her, and quickly fell fast asleep as her body hit the crude bedding.

Description
Lune slumped into a pile of golden silk pillows and stretched out. She had taken as much as she felt comfortable carrying and a little more besides, knowing that when her strength had fully returned she would be able to lift more. Clare flitted about the entire cavern almost haphazardly, passing by several magnificent works of art and craftsmanship, plucking whatever seemed to suit her fancy, including several objects that were so plain, so ordinary that they didn't seem to belong with the rest of the horde, let alone this hidden chamber. Her own selections were mostly small trinkets that would sell more easily than some of the larger items, but she also took several pieces of jewelry that she blushed at the thought of wearing some day. In her sacks she also had a few items that she didn't quite know why she liked, but they seemed to resonate with her, to draw her attention sharply towards them until they were concealed by the sackcloth. Clare seemed like a child in a candy store, and left Lune alone for about an hour while she filled up seven sacks, as well as a few of her pockets. The woman was inhumanly strong, but then again, Lune already knew that she wasn't human, or at least not fully. She didn't seem to be quite as strong as a gitwerg or troll, but she had killed a dragon, and Lune herself was barely able to carry the two bags that now lay beside her.

Lune watched in fascination for a while after filling up her own bags, but soon she just lay on the pillows to rest her eyes. Unfortunately, the one she set her head on was a little bit lumpy. She picked it up to fluff it, but as she did she saw a book underneath it, picking it up and laying back down. She looked over it's black leather cover, having a simple copper binding but some intrinsic design on the front and back. The front contained a golden oval, with a remarkably beautiful inlaid design made almost entirely of curves and small runes. The back had a black snake eating it's tail, the Oroubus. It's scales were textured and cracked, the paint almost appearing as if it were peeling, like the snake were shedding its skin. Within the center of the snake's incomplete circle, and also slightly outside it, was another detailed design with accompanying runes. This one, however, was made almost entirely of straight lines that interwove and covered one another in such a manner that it disoriented her and made her head hurt to look at it. She flipped the book over again, to the golden oval, and opened it's first page. It was dry, dusty and aged, but reading it proved no difficulty. It was blank. She flipped it, looking to it's other side and the next. They two were blank. Frowning, she continued flipping pages, all though the book, until she had reached the back, which was, infuriatingly blank as well. She harrumphed and set the book aside. She heard a snort and looked up to see Clare looming over her.
“Interesting read?” She asked, tilting her head to look at the book better.
“Not particularly. The covers look interesting, but it's empty.” Lune said, sighing, as she picked it back up. Clare carefully set down the seven sacks she was carrying and sat down next to her.
“Could I see it for a moment?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowing as if trying desperately to remember something fleeting, at the edge of her memory. Lune handed it over, and Clare looked opened it immediately. Rather than flip all the pages, however, she closed it again, and examined the covers. She ran her fingers along its surfaces, until finally she pressed down on single small rivet in the binding. A small click came from the book and she grinned. Again her hands ran across the surface, but this time Lune gasped as the design changed according to where she touched. It had seemed as though the cover was a solid piece of leather with the golden oval affixed to it, but it now she clearly saw that it was segmented into several circles that spun, which were in turn situated within larger circles. Clare pressed the rivet again and flipped the book over. Again, she ran her hands on the book, but this time only on the rivets, and another one depressed. The bizarre design morphed, as had the other one, and finally she pressed the second rivet again. Her smile spread further as she handed it back to Lune. Her jaw had dropped sometime while watching, as Lune found herself closing it before gulping and opening the book again. Now the first page had a single rune at the top, and another in the bottom corner, as did all of those that followed. Lune held the book open and looked over at Clare in utter shock, moving her mouth, trying to find the right words to ask. “Magic puzzle book. I've only seen them in reference books before, never an actual one like this. I'll wager there might be a few combinations that have been used, but it looks like it's got at least two hundred pages per combination, and at least, oh, a hundred combinations per side? Quite a find.” Lune stared down at the book in utter shock, mesmerized for a moment. While math was not really her strong suit, it was simple multiplication that helped her realize the magnitude of the book's possibilities. Over a million possible pages to fill, and by her observation of the combination system while it was in use, Clare probably had underestimated the quantity of combinations per side. If felt heavy in her hand at the realization, and she tried to hand it to Clare, who just pushed it back. “No, it's your find, and to be quite honest, I probably wouldn't get much use out of it. The only writing I really do is copying reference material and contract terms, and my handwriting is chicken scratch that I can barely read myself. You'll get more use out of it, and if you don't, well, you could always put it up for auction somewhere. Now, let's see what else you got, and then I'll show you my catch!”

Lune slowly opened up her bags and laid the treasure out, one item at a time, on the pillows. A music box, quite a lot of jewelry, a little bit of cut gems and other precious stones, one large black stone speckled with red that felt warm to the touch, two ornate daggers, a few silken outfits and some finely woven and uncut cloth. The latter she probably would see if she could have turned into some dresses. Lune sighed as she felt them. She loved to dress up, but she hadn't been able to afford to do so often. Her family had been of the merchant class, but just barely able to keep their business afloat. Having six mouths to feed, six bodies to clothe, and four of them to educate had been expensive. Perhaps with her gone the burden would be easier on her family. Clare didn't seem to notice her reminiscing, as she was examining part of Lune's treasure. She took a close look at some of the gems and jewelry, as well as the cloth, but she put most of them back into the bag without any emotion. The music box, the odd stone, the daggers, and two of the gems, however, she kept out. The daggers she flipped back and forth, examining the craftsmanship, testing their balance on one of her fingers. Instead of setting them back in the bag, she looked up at Lune. Though her eyes were difficult to make out behind her ruby-tinted goggles, Lune could tell Clare was staring at her, though her brow was creased in concentration. Lune didn't feel uncomfortable, but it seemed as though Clare was trying to find the answer to a question she had yet to ask. Lune raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat.
“Strange...” Clare muttered to herself as she blinked and looked away. Lune didn't know what she had found so strange, seeing as she had been the one staring, but she just filed it away as yet another act by the bizarre woman, this stranger who had already done much more than just save her life. Then, placing the daggers into the sackcloth, Clare finally asked the question that had been on her mind. “Why did you pick up the daggers?” Lune frowned as she tried to figure out how best to phrase her answer. She bit one of her thumbs, and Clare crossed her arms. Lune sighed and took her digit out of her mouth.
“Well, I... I thought I could sell them.” Clare remained silent, waiting. Lune grit her teeth, hoping that the monster hunter would cease her line of questioning.
“No you didn't. The thought might have crossed your mind, but even if they are highly valuable, there are a literal tons of more expensive items laying about.” Her face was blank, and Lune turned her face. “Were you thinking of revenge? Against the people who chained you to the post?” Lune's eyes went wide and she waved her arms back and forth in strong denial.
“No! The people of my village might be ignorant savages to you, but none of them wanted to leave me there!” She ran a hand up and down her arm as she calmed. “They didn't know what else to do. Legend may have been wrong, but it's all they knew. It was by lot that I was chosen, and it was by lot that the ones who chained me were chosen as well. I didn't fight them at all.”
“So why the daggers then?” Lune gulped.
“I... I don't want to be defenseless.”
“But you said that-”
“It's not the people of my village I'm afraid of. As you said, I'd be shunned if I went back to them. I'm supposed to be dead.” She pushed her hair out of her face before continuing. “Even before all this happened, I wanted to explore, see the world. I always wanted to be a princess, to have a fairy tale ending. But... I've heard stories. Not every man is a gentleman.” Lune pulled one of the daggers out of the bag and balanced its tip on her index finger. Clare's hands turned into clenched fists, shaking slightly, but visible enough for Lune to notice. “You know what I mean, don't you.” Clare nodded, but didn't explain. “Did-Did someone try to... With you-”
“No, not with me.” Clare said flatly.

Technically, several had, but none had gotten far enough, since she was much stronger and faster than most. She didn't count those. Only one mattered.
“When I was eight, a boarder my mother had rented out to... He tried to force himself on her, and I caught him in the act. Seeing me, he tried to run, but I followed and killed him.” It still felt as if his blood was on her hands, and she dug her fingernails into the skin on the back of her left hand. They bled and quickly healed, but the blood itself still clung to her skin. Lune gasped and pulled a cloth out of the treasure bag. When she tried to use it, Clare knocked her hand aside and grunted. She reached into one of her pant pockets and pulled out a soft papery substance, fragile, but absorbent. As Clare wiped the blood off, she tried calming herself, taking in deep breaths and exhaling them slowly. Why was she telling her all of this? She never left herself vulnerable like this before. It was a sign of weakness, and in her profession it was dangerous to have weaknesses. Monsters were rarely as cordial as Elaizar had been before he attacked. Usually they just lashed out at anything that came within their territory. Could it just be that Lune was another woman? No, Clare had secrets she kept even from her own mother. Maybe it was just that this particular woman reminded her so much of herself at a younger age. Alone. Vulnerable. Naïve.

Clare tossed the tissue paper aside and reached for the gems. “Let's see... This emerald has a single rune repeated on it, as does this amethyst. Do you know any magic, Lune?” As the woman shook her head, Clare sighed. Of course not. She had been raised in a relatively primitive village. Even the few who did not fear and loathe magic most likely didn't understand it, and even if some did, most primitive villages were led by sexist individuals. They wouldn't teach her magic, she was a woman. Pointing at the etching on the purple gem, she spoke. “This rune is crude, but it is an amplifying symbol meant to draw out the power of the item it is put on. Amethyst is a stone of many powers, so I guess it'd depend on which one you were trying to draw out that would be amplify, since there aren't any other markings to indicate which effect the creator wanted to draw out the most. The emerald also has many powers, and it has the same rune on it, so I supposed the same would apply to it as well.” Lune was quiet through all of this, and she bit her thumb as she mulled it over for a few seconds. Finally she asked the very question Clare was expecting.
“Um... What powers are they supposed to have?” The huntress scratched her head as she tried to remember as many as she could.
“Let's see... Emerald is supposed to promote love. Healing too. It calms, and it's supposed to aid in prophecy, not that I'd put much trust in prophecies, mind you. Amethyst is supposed to stave off drunkenness and poison. It's also supposed to be calming, and to help bring clarity and understanding, especially of the self. Hmm... It's also a healing stone, but much more in the spiritual and mental realms than the physical. Deals with insomnia and nightmares too. Oh! And it's also supposed to be the stone of transformation.” She handed them both over to Lune and grinned. “Want to test them out and see what happens?”
“Uh...” Lune looked down at the two gemstones and shook her head.
“Oh well, your loss. You could always try them out later. Would probably take you a while to really learn magic, but all you'd have to do is squeeze tightly on them and think of what effect you want in order to get a small reaction at least.” Clare picked up the next item, the music box and began to examine it's exterior as Lune put the gemstones back into the bags. The amethyst left her hand, and suddenly everything went white.

Lune felt like she was floating, but she wasn't in water. She could feel the ground beneath her feet, but it seemed so soft. She blinked, and suddenly she could see a wall made out of a smooth gray stone. It seemed to be seamless and Lune put a hand out to touch it. As her hand passed through the wall, she gasped and pulled it back out. She examined her hand and did it again, putting her hand into the wall. She turned to her right and saw that there was a set of stairs leading up out of the room, and the other wall was covered in various tools and devices which seemed to be for metalworking. Was she dead? No. It must be a vision. Clare did say the enhanced emerald might have the power of prophecy. As she remembered Clare, she suddenly felt as if she was not alone. She turned around to see the back of a man who seemed to be at least five inches taller than her, but it was impossible to tell with his thick boots. His back was to her, and she could see how toned he was as he took off his coat and dropped it to the floor. His chocolate hair was medium length, and matted together in an odd fashion, grouping in multiple tube-like segments. He wore a loose gray sleeveless shirt and some black pants that seemed to be covered in pockets, much like Clare's had. He took a few steps forward and Lune followed.
“Clare.” His voice rang out clearly and richly. It was baritone, masculine, but not harsh. “I've decided. I still want to be with you.” Lune frowned and leaned over to see Clare in front of the man, covered in sweat and grease, standing next to an anvil. Clare's jaw dropped open for a second, her eyes wide in shock, but they quickly melted as she spoke.
“You... You didn't have to change for me. I liked you the way you were.” She set down the hammer and tongs, her work still red hot as she moved towards him.
“Would the world accept us if I hadn't?” He took her hand and held it to his cheek. Lune felt a sharp pain in her chest for a moment and she panted, hoping it would pass. She moved to the side, trying to get a look at the man's face, but Clare and the stranger engaged in a deep, passionate kiss, the monster hunter blocking her view. Lune's stomach began to feel on fire and her vision was going white again.
“Not yet, damn it.” She growled, and kept moving around them. The two broke apart for air, and he brushed some hair out of Clare's face. His own still hid his profile from Lune's view.
“I love you Clare.” He said. Lune grit her teeth as she doubled over, falling to her knees. She rose her head slowly, trying to see his face.
“I love you too-” Everything whited out.

“Lune, you okay? You look like you spaced out for a second there.” Clare said with a hint of concern in her voice. Lune shook her head for a few seconds and looked down at her hand, still holding the emerald. She dropped it in the bag, as she had intended to do before, and took in her surroundings. She was still in the secret horde of Old Elaizar, and Clare was still holding the music box. Lune blinked a few times and answered.
“Just a daydream I guess. Sorry. I was... Miles away.” Clare shrugged and opened the music box. A song began to play which Lune didn't recognize, but it seemed so beautiful. So haunting and sad. It seemed to be missing something though. It ended abruptly and Clare frowned, closing it, handing it back to her. Lune wound it up and tried to listen to it again. This time, the song was different, accelerated a little faster than the previous, and more cheery, but there seemed to be a few similar elements, and it too was missing something. Lune shrugged and put it back into the bag. It seemed so simple on the outside, not ornate or extravagant, and she doubted she would get much for it on the market. Who ever created it had been keen enough to make it possible to play at least two different songs, but despite how beautiful they were, it was obvious whomever wrote them hadn't finished them. Lune turned back to Clare to find her licking the odd stone. Before she could ask her why she was doing that, Clare quickly jerked back and spit on some of the treasure on the ground, making an extremely disgusted face afterwards.
“Ick. Way bitter. At least it smells nice though.” She handed it back to Lune, pulled a bottle out of a pocket, and proceeded to down some water. Lune sniffed it and put it back into her bag.
“Now that you mention it, yeah, it does have a slight scent. Almost smells like myrrh.” Clare choked slightly and she closed her water bottle while catching her breath.
“Myrrh? That's what myrrh smells like?”
“Yeah, kinda. It's a bit more faint than I've smelled at market, but I think so.”
“Uh... Lune, I think your rock is an egg.” Clare said, pointing towards the bag.
“What are you talking about?” Lune asked incredulously.
“Okay, so I'm just going to go over what we do know before explaining it, all right?” Clare crossed her arms and waited. Lune sighed and nodded. “First, it's an ovaloid shape, like an egg. Second, it's really warm for a stone. That wouldn't be too surprising if Old Elaizar had been spitting on it, but it's too smooth to have been burned by his acid. Third, it smells like myrrh, which is something that phoenixes put in their nests before dying and being reborn as a new egg. Myrrh also is supposed to taste bitter, or so I've heard, which would explain why my tongue still hates me. I haven't seen a phoenix in person before, but it matches up with lore.”
“It's a phoenix egg?!” Lune shouted in shock.
“Probably. Even if it isn't, you could probably sell the stone as an oddity. Or, if it is, you could sell it or try to keep it as a pet. They're known for their healing powers. Could be why Old Elaizar had it. Then again, he might have been planning for eat it when it hatched.” Clare's last statement drew a deep growl from Lune's stomach. Clare rolled her eyes and began to clear a small circle to start a fire in.
“Sorry.”
“Don't be. We ate well, but you'd been chained up for a while, right? I'll just wait to show you my stuff till after we dine on some more of scaly.”

As the morning sun's first rays shown down, Lune found herself sitting awkwardly on Clare's horse, covered by her cloak. She had been severely dehydrated, Clare said, and even though it seemed to be a relatively cool day, she didn't want to take any chances of heatstroke. After a little bit of protest, the monster hunter managed to convince her, and now Clare walked alongside her steed. Leonard, for that was the horse's name, seemed to be a bit frightening at first when Lune approached him, bucking and braying incessantly. Clare snorted, stating he was one of the most stubborn animals she had ever seen without killing. She had found him caught in a trap once in the woods, and after treating his leg as best as she could, she left it behind while she went off to fight her prey. The griffin evidently had gone rabid, and she managed to clip its wings during the fight when it tried to flee, but it immediately lashed out in pain and knocked her into a cliff wall. Clare was unable to move quick enough as the griffin pounced towards her, but Leonard came out of nowhere and dug it's hooves into the griffin's beak, providing just enough of a distraction for Clare to kill it. Lune still didn't know quite how Clare had done it, or how she had killed Elaizar, but she could tell from the few scars that hadn't healed completely that Clare must have more than enough luck to go with her skills. Regardless of how she had killed the griffin, Leonard didn't run from the display of violence, and had followed her around ever since. Of course, he didn't always stay where he was supposed to, unchaining himself sometimes, or not moving where she wanted to, even dumping her off his back and racing off, only to show up a few hours later. He wouldn't let anyone ride him without putting up a fight, even Clare. Lune had a little difficulty getting him to calm down, but at least he didn't try to buck her off once she had settle on top of him. As the day went on they stopped a few times alongside a river to rest and refill their water canteens. Clare put some sort of some tablet into them which she said was to purify the water before tightening on their caps. After the sun had set too far to consider traveling, they made camp. They had traveled a good thirty miles at least, and although Clare had been the one walking all the way, Lune was far more tired than her, and quickly fell fast asleep as her body hit the crude bedding.