Chapter Text
The clearing was silent, save for the sharp crackling of the lava that had settled in it. Homes and left behind items melting and shifting and burning in the heat, the remaining survivors had already long fled. He assumed they were probably dead by now, hunted by the things in the maze as he crawled out of the spot he'd hidden in. He took a breath, catching the various scents in the air and basking in the heat. The man had always enjoyed it, there was no doubting that part of his life. He missed it, those nights resting beside his hunting partner, a dragonborn, as fierce as the fire that had forged her, his only tie to his old life, she was in the maze too, hidden away among the nest of creatures that hunted runners from the clearings. She'd fled to the maze long before he'd been startled by Krow's return to the clearing, though she'd promised to return.
“Idiot, dydw i ddim i lawr mor hawdd.” He huffed under his breath as he made his way to the main gate. He had a contract to ensure, after all. He mumbled as he got closer to the gate, grumbling under his breath as he discovered it had twisted and become malformed from the heat of the lava.
The only sounds he could catch were the rumblings from the lava and creakings from the remaining wood that was burning. Otherwise, there was silence.... too much silence.... the clearing had never been that silent except between groups of runners, oh yes. He knew the truth, he'd always known the truth. He sighed as he wiped some soot off the gate, unbothered by the lingering heat despite the burns on his arms. He chuckles as he catches the scent of old blood, a mix of human, demonic and angelic, likely the survivors were injured, then. Injured, meaning they were slowed, slowed meant desperate, and desperate means an easy hunt. He always loved an easy hunt, chuckling to himself as he noted an old splatter of blood, kneeling to check it. He ran his hand over it, it was cold, well, as cold as it could be considering the cooling lava surrounding it. But it gave him a clue, the familiar slight sting of demon blood nipped at his fingertips. He frowned, it shouldn't be possible, they shouldn't be living, unless Krow somehow still lived after showing his face in the clearing again. He stood slowly, rubbing his hand on his pants leg as if it would wipe away the blood as if it was never there. It didn’t go away, it only stained it, clinging as if a reminder of the life it had sustained.
Reminders had a way of coming back, especially at the wrong times. He glanced back at the gate, out into the maze. Quiet as he listened for any signs of movement. He listened for the crackles of the stone as insects moved and vines swayed under the gentle, hot breeze. There was already a trail being followed, he just needed to find it. He leaned back over, pressing his hand against the still hot stone, unbothered by the heat. It wasn’t hot enough to melt, but it was still warm enough that it had nearly damaged the tracks. He looked over the way the ground was, it showed easy signs of a group passing through. Whoever had come through hadn’t cared to hide their limps or rushes. The trail led from the gate towards the second clearing, and with a slow breath, he stepped out of the clearing, and began his hunt. Unfortunately, not all of the signs matched the survivors. He grinned when he noted a shed scale stuck in the cooling stone. The hunt had begun, and he had work to do.