A Study Of Fingernails

Vague information, poor witnesses and a cold trail. It was always the same. They needed her help but were unwilling to share information easily. Apparently, just because she was a monster hunter, they felt she didn't need clues to help her find the beast. Ridiculous. They treated her like a tool. They did not pay well, disliked her even when she completed their task and usually made her feel so unwelcome that she ended up leaving anyway.

The city of Dresnorf was a vile place to say the least. It was one of the major cities on the continent but was not managed nearly as well as the others. Known for it's crime simply due to the fact that there were so few guards and a proportion of the existing ones were worse than the criminals. The city consisted of a large market in the center where the local merchants attempted to sell you goods that had previous owners who were probably dead. There seemed to be a prominent prostitution ring in the city as well, strumpets walking around the city, selling their bodies and perhaps earning a fraction of the coin needed for a meal. They couldn't afford to save the money though, the local fisherman would find the body of a dead one every other day in the canals. It was the sort of place where one would carry around a knife at all times, just in case.

Beca had arrived in the city near dusk, it was dark and raining quite heavily. She had been thoroughly soaked on the trail and needed a place to stay. She had been there perhaps five minutes when an old woman came up to her, recognizing her sword and light leather armor, with a plea for help. She informed the brunette that there had been an attack on a group of young men in one of the alleyways. That was it. That was all she had been given and she was to go and hunt this beast.

Reluctantly she had agreed. The money wasn't good but she needed it and it might be an easy contract. Not likely, but she could dream.

She was on her way to meet the group who had been attacked. They were staying where a local medic was working, probably tending to their wounds. The place was a small building consisting of one floor, mostly made of wood. The walls were painted a beige shade and there were patches of tanned hide on it.

Beca walked into the building noticing the glow of the candlelight from one of the windows. There were several people inside, all looking a little worse for wear. The medic, she recognized from the mask and the black garb, was behind a desk. A queue was forming in front of him. She looked to the other side of the room where there were multiple bunk beds, all grotesque and yellow with stains from overuse.

A group of three men were near and around the beds. They all seemed to have injuries of some kind and fit the description Beca had gotten from the old woman. Their age looked to be in the early twenties. Peasants, most likely. They didn't look too friendly, the other patients seeming to give them plenty of room. She approached them regardless.

"You must be the men who got attacked?" She asked. They turned towards her.

"Ay, what's it to ya?" Already being defensive, she should have expected this.

"I'm your monster hunter, Beca of the Bellas, hired to track your beast." She was ready for it. It was routine at this point.

"You, a wee lass," one of them said. The others snickered.

She grunted, annoyed not only at the men but at herself for being annoyed at them. "Yes, me. Now what can you tell me about this beast? What did it look like?" she said firmly.

The men looked to each other, they still didn't look like they believed in her abilities.

"It were dark, you see. We didn't really get a good look. We was jus' walking down the alleyway towards the tavern when we heard singing. The next thing you know, some bleeding thing jumps on us and me and the boys end up with scratches and cuts all over us," the oldest looking of the lot informed her. "We was lucky to get out alive."

As described, there were lacerations on the bodies of the men. They didn't look too severe though.

"I need to see the cut." The oldest approached Beca, taking off his shirt. There were not many cuts on the body, in fact almost none. The few that were present seemed to be old, from previous incidents. They looked to be of a different shape to the ones on the arms.

The cuts on the arm were fresh. They were strangely small for such a fearsome beast. Blood oozed out of them but these men were not going to die from blood loss. Infection was a far more likely killer for them. There were no bites taken out of the flesh which indicated the cuts were from claws. Beca had never seen claws like this though. More like fingernails, long ones.

The fingernails of the man caught her eye. Underneath the nails, there was a red substance, most likely blood. He must have punctured the skin of the beast during their tussle. Again, this was strange. Most beasts who could take on three men had thick hides or large amounts of fur. For a peasant, whose fingernails have been damaged and softened through labour, there was no real chance of breaking through the barrier, let alone causing the beast to bleed.

"How big was the creature?"

"Nearly two o' me," he said, lifting his arm above his head.

This was all she was going to get out of these men. Something wasn't adding up about this incident.

"Thank you for your help. Where were you attacked? I'm gonna head over there."

"Hrothga's alley, two streets away from the Willowing Bell." He pointed out the window. "Willowing Bell is the local tavern. Don't be goin' in there, it's no place for a lass like ye."

Ignoring the comment, Beca made her way towards the door. She was glad to be out of the company of the men.

"One more thing lass," the older male said. "One o' the boys can't be sure but he said the beast may of had horns."

The rain had let up at this point and the sky was clearing. The aforementioned alley was illuminated by the moonlight. Mud caused by the rain made her investigative work harder. The space was small, about three times her height across. Houses were faced away from it, the garbage from them being deposited liberally on the ground. The coarse cobblestone had enough gaps for the dirty liquid from the trash to seep into it. All in all, it was a rich, pungent smell.

Wooden crates on the side of the alley caught her attention. Blood could be seen on one of them. There was a surprising amount of it and it had a lighter red shade. Upon closer inspection, Beca noted that there were two types of blood present on the box. Darker red blood, aged meaning it was human. The other was a lighter shade, almost pink. It looked washed out in a sense. As far as she knew, there were no beasts with pink blood. Certainly not ones with horns.

The beast had far more blood than the three men. A beast twice the size of a regular man wouldn't have as much trouble losing that amount of blood but what still perplexed her was what would have caused the beast to lose so much blood.

The brunette looked around her vicinity for any further clues. Any blood on the ground was washed away with the rain so following a trail was unlikely. Walking around the crates, a glint caught her eye. A small knife was sticking out the box. Taking a closer look, the splintered wood that was coming off the box had a brighter shade, indicating that the incision was fresh. There was blood present on the knife as well.

So the scuffle took place around here. The men were walking past the box when they were attacked. They did not mention using a knife.

"What beast uses a knife?" she wondered aloud.

She looked around again. The chances of finding fragments of flesh were miniscule, there was already so much from the garbage. She needed to find something that didn't belong here.

A red ribbon, clean from careful use didn't belong. It was torn in half. Embroidered with purple lines, these ribbons were worn by orphans in the region. They guarded them fiercely. The only time you would find one unattended would be with a dead body next to it. The older orphans had created the ribbons as a way to identify one another and protect their own. A name was usually printed on the back.

..loe

The full name had been torn off. The person this belonged to probably had the other part of the ribbon. Perhaps they were attacked by the beast as well.

A quick chat with a beggar and small gift of kindness got her directions to the local orphanage.

By now it had gotten dark, very few city folk walked the streets. Guards patrolled, not really looking like they were paying any sort of attention. They gave her strange looks, her sword probably making them cautious. An armed woman was definitely something they rarely saw.

Her group, the Bellas were not well known yet. She had joined because they were made up of woman who wanted to do more. They acknowledged her abilities and more than that, they respected her. Each Bella worked on her own. As a group they were taught combat, tracking, haggling and a host of other skills. Once training was complete, they were sent out into the world to do whatever they wished, as long as they didn't bring harm to innocents.

Beca had taken up monster hunting. It was an easy way to help people and she would be paid to use the full range of her skills. She had been doing it for about five years, now approaching twenty five years of age, she had seen, fought, chased, been chased by and eaten just about every type of monster on the planet.

Childlike sounds from the end of the street meant that she was nearing her destination. It was the only building where there was light coming from the inside on the whole street. Other people had turned in for the night. Inside that building, she knew she would find dozens of overactive children and two to three exhausted adults.

Walking into the building, she was nearly knocked over by a group of young boys who rushed her. They began touching her sword and looking up at her, whispering to each other. A dark haired woman who looked to be in her forties approached her. She was wearing an apron and had a big wooden spoon in her hand. Sweat dripped from her brow.

"I thought my lad had come back, name's Janey, how can help you dearie?" she said. Her face looked kind. Beca understood why she ran an orphanage almost immediately.

The brunette pulled out the ribbon, bring it to eye level with Janey. "Did anyone here lose part of a ribbon?"

"Give it here, hun." Janey took the ribbon from her. "This is Chloe's." She looked concerned suddenly. "I thought it was weird when she rushed into the house earlier and locked herself in her old room. I tried talking to her but she wouldn't respond. She had left the orphanage to go off on her own a couple of years ago. Hadn't seen her since."

"Do you mind if I talk to her? I'm trying to track a beast and I think she may have been attacked by it," Beca asked.

Janey nodded. "Just be gentle, she's a little different from the other girls." She pointed to the stairs. "Her room's on the third floor."

Beca thanked the woman and made her up the stairs, struggling past gaggles of children with all sorts of questions. She appreciated the looks from the girls, who looked at her with wonder. The children told her which room Chloe was in. They gave her the same warning of being gentle to her. Clearly this Chloe was special to them.

She knocked three times on the door and waited for a response. Nothing. She tried again. Shuffling could be heard from the other side before a few clicks from the lock.

A redheaded woman stood in the doorway. Beca guessed that she was around the same age as her. The woman was wearing a faded navy blue dress. Her eyes were a lighter shade of blue, glistening in the low light. They were bloodshot, like she had been crying recently. Her head caught the monster hunter's attention. Small horns were present on the top of her head, just behind her hair. They were brown, swept back and were almost invisible under her hair.

A succubus.

The woman's eyes looked panicked.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Beca said quickly. A stranger at the door with a sword was bound to cause alarm. The woman visibly relaxed. "May I come in?"

She opened the door wider and allowed the brunette to step in. Beca took a seat on one the chairs, removing her sword and placing it next to her, while the woman sat on the bed.

The light in the room allowed Beca to see the redhead more clearly. It was an alarming sight. Her face glistened from tear stains, more looked to be ready to spill. She seemed as though she was struggling to keep her composure, like she might break at any moment. Looking further down, her wrists were red with finger marks. Someone had held her wrist rather tightly. There was blood coming out of them as well, from small cuts, four in a row. Fingernails. Upon closer inspection, her dress wasn't just faded, it was torn as well. No, not torn, cut. There was a cut on her sleeve, and one near her abdomen. Beca managed to get a glimpse through the opening in the dress where there appeared to be knife wound.

She was attacked. Was it by the beast? Her wounds are clearly from a human. The group of men earlier didn't mention a knife. These two incidents may be unconnected. She is a succubus so I need to be careful.

Despite her caution, she felt none of the telltale signs of a succubus' control overtaking her.

"You must be Chloe, I'm Beca," she began. "I found your ribbon in Hrothga's alley..." Tears began pooling in Chloe's as she gripped the bedsheets. The action caused Beca to abandon her words as she started pulling out items from her pouch.

Damn it.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be questioning you in your condition," she said. She approached the redhead slowly. "You've done a bad job of patching yourself up." Taking out bandages and disinfecting alcohol, she began work on the redhead's wrists. The girl in question had relaxed by this point and allowed her to do it. Beca had wanted to do this the moment she had seen the wounds. Her professionalism had kept her at bay but the smallest inkling to tears had broken her barriers.

"I tried to wipe away the blood, to stop the bleeding but it kept coming," Chloe said. The first words she had spoken and they came out like a whimper.

Beca applied some of the alcohol to a clean cloth. "This might sting a little." She pressed the cloth against the cuts on the abdomen and arm eliciting a small wince from the succubus. The now clean cuts were wrapped in bandages.

Chloe excused herself from the room for a brief moment, returning after wiping away her tears.

Beca's concern for the girl had completely blinded her from how beautiful she was. Chloe was stunning. She was a little different from other succubi that the brunette had encountered though. Chloe was cute. While a positive quality in most woman, succubi were more known for their alluring, lust inducing qualities. Her horns were also much smaller. It explained why she might have been able to hide in this city for so long without being caught. Janey must have been an especially kind woman to keep her here knowing the danger she might pose.

As the brunette looked at Chloe resettling herself on the bed, trying to gather herself, she couldn't imagine a person this girl could be a threat to.

Stopping herself from staring, she went back into investigation mode. "Are you able to continue?" A nod. "As I was saying, I found your ribbon in Hrothga's alley, or at least part of it." She handed the piece to Chloe. "I'm tracking a beast that was in the area, three men were attacked by it earlier today. Had a suspicion you did as well. I was hoping you would be able to tell me more about it."

Recognition flashed in the succubus' eyes. Tears had found themselves there again. "Those men," she said, her words stumbling out of her. "Those men were not attacked by a beast, I attacked them." The tears were flowing out now.

"I had to, they wouldn't let me go..."

Am I that stupid? I knew there was something strange about this beast. Those whoresons attacked her and then wanted me to go and kill her.

Wiping away tears again and allowing the girl to collect herself again, Beca continued, "If you don't mind me asking, what did they want? Did they just want to kill you because you're a succubus?" She scolded herself for that last question. She wasn't used to dealing with crying woman. "Sorry, that was a bit blunt. Just tell me what happened, if you're able."

"It's fine..." She didn't look it. "I was on my way back from the shop. Usually I take the alley to get home quicker." Taking a breath, she carried on, "Those men were in the alley at the time. I didn't think anything of it when I passed but then one grabbed a hold of me. The other two grabbed my feet and threw me against the wall. The biggest of the men then started pulling at my dress. They were going to-" a pause. "Going to-"

Beca did not require the girl to finish. She grabbed her arm and squeezed, hoping to reassure her. "Hey, hey. You don't have to keep going."

"They took my money but I managed to get away," she said.

"Why didn't you tell the guards?" Beca asked.

The redhead looked at her directly. "Look at me. They barely respond to the rape of a regular woman, do you really think they would believe a succubus?"

Something seemed to flare up in Beca after hearing Chloe's version of the events.

"Chloe, would you mind coming with me?" she inquired.

A raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"To seek justice, hopefully."

Chloe had agreed almost immediately. The incident hadn't seem to have broken her. She was still hesitant when they entered the dark streets once again. She didn't mind when Beca suggested a hood, she seemed to understand the danger she would be in if she was discovered.

Returning to the medic, they were told that the men had gone to the nearby inn. It was close to midnight at this point, even the guards looked drowsy. Chloe kept close to Beca, her eyes going in every direction like a frightened rabbit.

"Chloe, you need to calm down," Beca said. Stopping.

The redhead nearly bumped into her. "Sorry, still a little on edge."

They began walking again. Beca glanced back to see the other girl still hadn't calmed down. She seemed to be contemplating something. The brunette decided to hurry her pace and reach their destination a little faster.

A hand suddenly grabbed hers. It was Chloe's.

"You-You don't mind, do you?" Chloe asked. The look of doubt and sadness was impossible to say no to. Beca shook her head. The succubus moved closer to accommodate.

They arrived at the inn shortly after, Chloe much calmer. Much like the rest of the city, it was a seedy looking place. Low lit so the patrons could conduct whatever horrible business they wanted. The ground floor consisted of a counter where an innkeeper and what Beca assumed was the wife of the innkeeper stood, both stout. There were old wooden tables scattered around the room. A bard was playing in the corner, backed by a small band. The few sitting in the room were paying no real attention to the performance which seemed to be annoying the bard. Towards the far end of the room, the three men sat.

The brunette walked towards them, her footsteps firmer than normal, creating more noise. The men seemed to be enjoying a drink.

She interrupted them by pulling out her dagger and striking the desk, the blade embedding itself into the wood with a loud thunk. The table visibly shook, the liquid in their glasses sloshed accordingly. It caught the attention of the other individuals in the bar for a moment before they returned to whatever they were doing. Clearly the city folk were used to this sort of thing.

Chloe had yet to let go, the sight of the men causing her grasp to become a little tighter. She moved to Beca's side. The monster hunter turned to see a fire in the eyes of the redhead. She looked fearsome, which helped the situation greatly.

"Good evening, Gentleman," The brunette greeted.

By now the men had recognized Chloe. She had gotten their attention. "My friend here tells me that you were not honest about the events that transpired earlier today. You also took something from her. She would like it back."

The oldest was again the first to speak, the others didn't seem to have any backbone. "This here is the beast that jumped us, why'd ya bring it here?"

"SHE! Is a person. A person you attempted to rape, a person you stole from."

The man seemed unfazed. "She's one o' them succubuses, I was just givin' er what she wanted. They enjoy that sorta thing." There was glee in his voice.

This was the wrong thing to say. A fact the gentleman found out seconds later when his head was slammed violently against the table, his beer spilling onto the floor. His lackeys, the two men sat further away moved away slightly. The disoriented man attempted to lift up his head and tried to lift his hand to strike back at the brunette. The dagger was pulled out of the table and brought down upon his hand, the sound of the thunk could be heard again, this time it sounded a little wetter. Beca held the dagger in place. He tried once again, this time to remove it using his other hand. The action was stopped when she grabbed ahold of it and twisted his hand backwards. The accompanying sounds of bones popping and breaking could not be drowned out by the screams of agony.

"Does she fucking look happy to you?!" she shouted. "Now, I'll ask again, where is her money?!" The second question came out more like a growl.

One of the other men got up, he was shaking. Pulling out a small coin purse, he handed it Beca who passed it to the redhead.

The older man had stopped screaming. His eyes red. "Why ye defending' this beast, ain't you supposed to hunt their kind?"

She pressed the knife a little deeper. The howling was renewed.

"The profession of monster hunter is loosely defined at best. I do hunt a lot of monsters but many a time, I find myself in the company of men such as yourself, whose action would make even the nastiest of beasts look sane." She began dragging the knife across the table, through both the flesh of the hand and the hardwood of the surface. The screaming intensified. "Beasts act on instincts. They destroy, consume and fight for survival. Men like you are aware of their actions. Which is why I find your display today to be far more foul."

The hand had split into two, blood pooling into the crevices on the wood and dripping through the cracks of the planks.

"The guards here will not punish you for your actions against the girl. I however, cannot forgive what you have done." The knife was again removed from the table and the slammed across the man's wrist, cleanly separating the hand from its owner.

The whole inn had her attention now. The band had stopped playing, the patrons all looking the direction of the wails. "Let this be a lesson to the both of you," she addressed the other two men. "I've had to hunt men before and I will do it again. If I ever see any of you again, be prepared to run."

The knife was swiftly cleaned on a cloth before the brunette moved towards the counter, where two very frightened innkeepers stood. Chloe looked at her strangely. She didn't look scared or disgusted, more in awe.

Beca smiled wide at owners. "Sorry about that, I was hoping to rent a room?" The couple nodded in unison. "Oh, and can you bring us two plates of whatever you are serving?" The wife rushed into the kitchen as Beca pulled out coins from her pouch. No eye contact was even attempted by the innkeeper.

Once payment was completed, she guided the redhead to least populated area of the room and sat her down. The men could be seen shuffling out, carrying their fallen companion. To her surprise, coins were placed on the table in front of her. "I don't have a lot of coin to pay you," Chloe said weakly.

"Good, because you didn't hire me. Now take your coin back," the brunette said, still smiling.

"I couldn't possibly-"

She interrupted, "You can and you are. Our food will be here shortly."

The food arrived on two wooden plates. Meat, potatoes, gravy, green beans and mushrooms were generously heaped onto a plate served with a side of congealed pig blood. To wash it down with, cider. Beca ate rather casually, slowly working through her meal. Meanwhile the redhead started off slowly, picking at her food. Her hunger must have overtaken her as seconds later, she began to take larger bites and swallowing without chewing properly. At one point, she casually tried to wash down a large chunk of potato that hadn't been fully chewed. The giggle from the monster hunter caused her to blush and apologize. Chloe ended up finishing much earlier.

She slumped down on the table. "I haven't eaten like that, well ever," she said. "Thank you." She began fidgeting with her fingers and occasionally glancing at Beca.

"Why did you help me?" she finally asked.

It was a reasonable question. Succubi were not wanted anywhere. They were not treated as humans despite their human characteristics. When discovered, most were hung, occasionally they were burnt. Few lived in cities as detection was far more likely.

Beca took a moment to chew and swallow a piece of beef before answering. "Granted I've only been doing this for half a decade but I can remember every monster I have hunted. If we count the three men today as a single contract, then my tally would be 224." Her glass was topped with more cider from the passing innkeeper. "Of those 224, how many do you think were succubi?"

The redhead shrugged.

"One," she said. "One about two years ago. How many do you think I have encountered?"

Another shrug.

"Fourteen. Most succubi don't do harm or at least don't mean to. Some are unaware they are controlling people, some do it in self-defence. All of the ones I have met were hunted. Sadly, I didn't manage to help them all."

Chloe seemed to contemplate her answer. "How do you know they weren't controlling you? How do you know I'm not?" she questioned.

"Firstly, it's clear when a succubus is controlling you. You are conscious of the things you are doing but are unable to take any action of your own. Secondly, a near lifetime of training with the Bellas has taught me to fight against the strongest of mind control magic," replied the brunette. "To answer you second question, you are perhaps the strangest succubus I have ever encountered." Chloe looked somewhat offended. "I don't mean in a bad way. You're the first succubus to not even attempt to try and control me. Every single one has tried for whatever reason. Some thought I was a threat, some just panicked."

The redhead's cheeks turned crimson. "I'm not very good at it. When I was little, Janey told me not to do it because it wasn't very nice. Most of the time, I use to control the neighbourhood cat." Beca started laughing. "Hey! I'm doing the right thing here and you're laughing at me."

"Sorry," she apologized. "Back to the topic at hand, physically you're also different from a regular succubus."

"I've never met another one, how so?" Chloe looked genuinely curious.

It was Beca's turn to blush. During her explanation, she had failed to realize that she may have to admit something to the other girl. "Well, you're cute." Despite the few words she needed to convey the message, the difference in volume in her voice at the beginning of the sentence to the end was drastic.

"You think I'm cute?" Beca could only nod, feebly.

Once both plates were cleared, the innkeeper signalled to Beca and let her know that the room had been prepared. She collected her weapons and prepared to bid Chloe farewell. The redhead looked apprehensive.

"Is something wrong, Chloe?" Beca asked. She was still concerned. Despite the incident, she had shown more courage than the monster hunter had expected.

"No, it's just-" Chloe started. "I'm going to leave the city tomorrow. I was wondering, could I, maybe, stayintheroomwithyou?"

"Sure."

"It's just, I don't feel very safe right now. I'll put in half the money."

"It's fine. I've already said I'm not accepting your coin."

The rented room was rather small. There was a poor excuse for a bed on one side complete with a bedside table. Light from the moon streamed in through a window as well as a welcome breeze.

Beca took out a small vial of liquid from her pack and dabbed the mattress with it. It warded off mice and killed a large amount of bacterium. She found the spare sheets she had requested on the bedside table. These were laid out on the ground. She began removing her shoes, then her pack, swords and armor. She folded over one of the sheets turning it into a makeshift below and finally laid down on her back.

During the course of this, Chloe said nothing.

"I cleaned the mattress just to be safe, it should safe for you to sleep on." Beca pointed at the bed.

"You can't expect me to sleep on the bed when you paid for the room."

"I insist then."

After a good few minutes of fighting for who can be the most polite and modest, the redhead gave in and took the bed. Beca was on the brink of slipping into her slumber when a question came.

"What are you planning on doing after this?"

Beca thought for a moment. "I was actually heading home to the Bellas. Our leader Aubrey sent word to me a week ago with an urgent matter," she replied. "What about you?"

"Always wanted to be a minstrel, sadly there is no one to perform to. Still, I enjoy creating songs. I'm not really sure what I wish to do but I know I can't stay here." Her words were rather heartbreaking. Beca lived her life the way she wanted. A lot of others disagreed but they were powerless to stop her. Chloe, on the other hand, could not live how she wanted. She could walk into any inn or tavern in the continent, just wishing to play her music and be killed for it.

"You let me know if someone tries to harm you again," she whispered. There wasn't really much she could do if something did happen but she felt the need to say it regardless.

No response came from the other girl. Beca took this to mean that she was falling asleep and attempted to do the same. Tomorrow she would travel east to Klentia and be rid of this putrid city. Her thoughts were disturbed by the redhead. She could not think of a place for the other girl to go that would be safe, aside from the Bella camp and that was quite far away. There was a good chance she wouldn't make it.

Other succubi she had helped had to live outside of any civilization. Some lived in small huts, living off the earth. The more paranoid ones never stayed in one area, constantly moving to avoid being found. She had managed to get some to Klentia but that was by hiring aid.

Again, slumber began to overtake her. Again, she was interrupted. This time, by the sound of shuffling and then movement next to her. Chloe had climbed out of the bed and situated herself next to the brunette, under her covers.

"It's cold, you're warm." That was her explanation. Beca shifted slightly allowing the other girl to have more room. She felt her hand being held underneath the covers. Chloe was looking at her. Her eyes still held fear in them. She wasn't actually cold.

Beca squeezed her hand and allowed the girl to settle comfortably against her shoulder. She was practically snuggling against her side. The brunette stayed awake until she felt the redhead relax and drift into sleep.

The girl looked peaceful. Moonlight scattered across their bodies making her already angelic face glow. Their hands hadn't loosened despite one of them falling asleep, the redhead was holding onto the complete arm for comfort. Truth be told, Beca was enjoying the feeling of another body next to her. Monster hunting tended to be a lonely profession. She never stayed anywhere long enough to make any sort of meaningful connection. Yet, this girl she had known for less than a day was already sleeping next to her and Beca was completely fine with it.

The pair awoke even more tangled together. During the night, Beca had turned to her side which allowed the succubus to slip an arm around her neck and pull them closer. The brunette, in turn, had wrapped her arm around Chloe's midsection.

Beca, who had awoken first, could feel the breath of the other girl against her neck. It was light and rather pleasant. It was later in the morning than she was used to getting up. Around this time of the year, the sun would not be up when she awoke. She guessed the time to be around nine.

She shook the redhead. "Chloe, wake up. We have to go." Her voice still a little slow first thing in the morning.

The response came in a muffled whimper from Beca's bosom.

"I'm sorry, what?" Beca asked again.

Chloe finally lifted her to face the brunette. "In a few more minutes." She was pouting, the display irresistible to the fearsome monster hunter of five years. Beca conceded almost immediately.

After what she could only describe as an extended cuddle session, one which no one else in the Bellas would hear about, the two of them got dressed and departed from the inn. Beca paid the innkeeper a little extra for the damage caused to the table. Also the frightening them to death but that did have to happen.

Chloe had once again donned her hood. The morning meant far more people walking the streets and word might have gotten around about the kerfuffle at the inn. People would be on the lookout for a smallish brunette swordswoman.

Luckily, apart from some strange looks from an old fisherman who was giving everyone the eye, they walked out of the city uninterrupted. The crossroads leading to the north and east meant they were finally free.

It was time to depart. Beca had completed her contract in a roundabout, far more satisfying way. She was uncharacteristically saddened to have to leave the redhead. She was fond of her.

To her surprise, said girl seemed to be displaying similar feelings. "Beca, you've done so much for me and I don't know how to repay you. You won't even let me." Chloe gulped. It appeared as though she was going to cry again. "I'm not really sure where I'm going to go but it's nice just to have the opportunity." The tears came. She grabbed onto the brunette and buried her face into the other's neck.

Beca held her close. She didn't really want to let go either. The cloud cover indicated that rain would be coming soon. They needed to find shelter.

Chloe looked up, her face red from the tears. "Could I come with you? At least until I figure out what I'm going to do. I promise I won't be a burden. I'll help you with your contracts. I don't eat much, last night was just a one-time thing. I'll keep hidden so you won't have to-"

There were a multitude of reasons for the monster hunter to refuse. Primarily, monster hunting was dangerous, especially for the untrained. Also, succubi were hunted which meant she would have to look out for the other girl constantly. They would have to be with each other at nearly all times. Share food, share a room, perhaps a bed. Beca would have to wake up next to the redhead everyday who would probably be snuggling up in her arms. They would have to talk to each other on their journey. Whatever new and interesting things she would discover would have to be shared with the redhead who would probably have an interesting viewpoint on it. At times, Chloe may wish to sing, probably helping her fall asleep.

Wherever she went, there would be someone next to her.

"Yes." Was all Beca managed to get out before being tackled to the ground by the succubus.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Chloe's next action was a shock to the both of them. Lips, berry flavoured, crashed against the brunette's. Soft against her own, now pressing lightly. Beca found herself reciprocating. The knowledge that she was kissing a succubus went out of the window. Chloe's kiss was far too shy to be the work of an experienced seductress. Not that Beca was a fantastic kisser. It felt more like the redhead had acted subconsciously.

Beca had been kissed a total of five times prior to this. The first three were unmemorable boys from her teenage years. The fourth was a ghost so it felt like she was kissing bad smelling air. This was the fifth and while the things she had to compare it to weren't top tier, she could easily say this was the best. By leaps and bounds.

Breaking apart, Chloe apologized, "I'm sorry, that won't happen again. I promise."

The monster hunter did not respond. She picked herself up off the ground and helped the other girl up. She proceeded to take off her leather glove, slipping it into her pack.

Chloe looked a little panicked.

With her now bare hand, Beca gently took ahold of the succubus'. She moved closer to her, their faces a breath away.

She captured her lips again, slipping her arms around the girl's waist. The other girl seemed to melt into it, her arms gripping onto the leather for support as she pressed her body firmly against the other.

Beca had done the only thing she could think of. Any words she might have had would have tumbled out in a broken stream.

The second kiss ended more smoothly, Chloe lingering, still not having let go. Beca finally managed to collect enough thoughts in her head to form a coherent sentence.

"If you get scared, I'll always have one ungloved hand for you to grab onto," she said. "Even if you just want to hold my hand, you can." She struggled to get the final words out. "Sometimes, could you hold my hand? Just because I want you to."

Chloe was smiling. She nodded before burying her head in the brunette's neck.

"Always."

Thanks for reading!

I kinda got inspired playing the Witcher.

If you liked this, maybe you might like my ongoing fic 'I'm Glad You Exist' #shamelessplug

The next chapter for that will be out on wednesday.