What had been a slow dance between the two of them turned quickly into something else. She hadn’t noticed a thing either, not until it was too late. His howl echoed loudly in her ears and it wasn’t until he charged away from her, shifting almost violently in the moonlight, that she figured out what was happening.<br/><br/>More annoyed than anything, Loretta allowed a low growl to escape her lips. It wasn’t low and guttural like Erebus’. There was a dark chill to it, making it sound hollow and cold. Had she been a normal human, a sense of indignant righteousness would’ve seized her and her pursuit of the imp would have been a noble cause to avenge her companion. But she wasn’t noble. Red tinted her eyes as her temper flared, angry at the creature for thinking ruining her fun. Her glamour, like the imp’s, faultered to reveal an undeniable glow — an angry, dark glow.<br/><br/>It seemed to cower in realization of what she was, freezing for a moment and unsure of what to do. Whereas Erebus charged at his prey, she moved to it slowly. Unhurried, she approached it, not even blinking as she kept its gaze. Once she was within its earshot, a few feet away from where the naked unshifted Erebus lay in pain, she asked it quietly, “<b>Who do you serve, little one?</b>” Her voice was akin to a purr, a low and soft tone; but it carried a heavy underweight of cold anger that was sure to give listeners a chill.<br/><br/>Its answer mattered little to her. Her hand had found its way to grip at the black dagger under her cloak and it glowed red as well. “<b>We don’t live by many rules,</b>” she went on, now close enough to strangle the creature with her bare hands. “<b>But you should never steal someone else’s prey.</b>”<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>Loretta dragged the pelt off the rail and laid it tenderly over her companion. Her hand, cleaned but still smelling of death, gently cupped his face, as she kissed him on the forehead. Then, she stood up and left him alone in the rain with the grotesque pile of a corpse strewn over a bag, medallion, and blowgun.<br/><br/>Retta couldn’t help him even if she wanted to, and she wanted to; so she needed to find someone who could. Going back into the cavern she caught the eye of the couple that had taken an interest in her and Erebus’ tense talk earlier. “<b>Please help,</b>” she begged of them, carefully adjusting her voice to give it a wavering quality paired with a strong sense of urgency. Her eyes, now hazel and human, were round with worry. “<b>He’s right outside, something — something shot him!</b>”