Darina was cautious, making sure she couldn’t be seen, but it was a tall order, given the Reds’ dark garb and the terrain. Perhaps out of fear of detection, her fellow scouts hung a bit back. Despite the fact that they volunteered, Darina knew that they probably weren’t as curious as she was about this strange assortment of people. As they neared, half-walking, half-slipping down the snow-covered outcropping, Darina grew even more intrigued. There were more people coming. She could smell traces of blood, not just from the bears, but from injured humans. A foul stench, perhaps coming from the giant mutant golem she had seen. Canines.<br/><br/>From their movements, however, she could tell that their position was compromised. The company on alert, she knew it would be more difficult to shadow them, now. She was about ready to hiss at them for giving them away when her ears pick up something else. Roars of a different kind, followed by traces of something that smells like brimstone and rot. “Demons,” Darina gasped. You didn’t need heightened senses to have heard the inhuman cries. “Look alive, louts, they’re coming our way!”<br/><br/>No longer caring for subtlety, the three broke into a run. Imps were fast; they would be upon them in no time, considering there were three of them, that they were on foot, and that they were going downhill. “Go! Go! Go!” Darina yelled, as the other two ran ahead of her. One of them stumbled, however, his body rolling forward, his cries enticing the demons. “Shit,” the redhead swore, catching up to her comrades. Her other companion didn’t even consider staying behind to help their injured comrade. You could be brazen in the face of a rival faction, or hunters, or in raids, but no amount of courage would help you when you’re surrounded by demons.<br/><br/>Cursing, Darina was left to manage the unconscious man, who had been knocked out during his tumble. Drawing her pistol, she groaned as she tried to drag her fellow scout behind a tree. “Come out, you bastards,” she muttered, her weapon raised as her eyes focused on the tip of the outcropping. She knew that, some ways behind her, the group of hunters and mutants would’ve heard it, too, and she wondered if they would abandon her or come to their aid.<br/><br/>She didn’t have long to wonder; the first two imps appeared over the hill. “Shit—wake up, or I will goddamned leave you!” she hissed, one hand trying to shake her companion awake, while the other still trained the pistol at the demons. With a shriek, the imps darted forward, and Darina began to shoot. Two shots missed, but the third hits the first imp, sending it tumbling down almost in the same fashion as her comrade did. The other one was coming in fast, and Darina could tell that its friends were on their way, too. “Wake up!” she screamed, kicking the knocked-out bandit as she put three into the second imp.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">No!</span>There was no time to wait for him to wake up. Three more appeared, and with a curse she took her comrade’s pouch-bag and ran for it. There was only one way for her to go: towards the hunters. Rival faction or no, they stood her best chance at survival right now. Not looking back, not even when she began to hear agonized screams and gurgling from her comrade—who picked the wrong time to regain consciousness—she ran at full speed. To turn around and attempt to bring any of the demons down would slow her down.