“Tch...well yeh. Nothing is permanent. Not even death. With the right magic, the right soul… even the right technology you can cheat just about anything.” Scarlet turned back to look at the Hunter. “Corruption ain’t any different. I like myself better this way. Since I’ve become this way I haven't dealt with any of the shit I’ve had in the past. I’m stronger for it.”

Scarlet paused and stared at the dark skinned man. “People do...interesting things in the pursuit of strength, don’t they?” She asked, prying him for information. “What you did wasn’t normal not for a normal drow.” He studied her.

“What was done to me was part of a project to help people. Not to drive them to the brink of losing themselves. Myself, and those like me, are meant to be protectors. I merely exercise it a different way than most. And…” He paused, and narrowed his eyes at her. His arms folded across his chest.

“And please, do not think me a fool. You do not like what you are. So, tell me. How is this corruption reduced?” The dark Elf’s voice was steady, his gaze intent.

Why the fuck was everyone so intent on changing her? On ‘fixing’ her. Of course scarlet wasn’t entirely happy with how she was now. “The fuck do you know.” She hissed. “Of course I’m not fucking happy, I barely feel a thing and when I do, its fucked. Everything I touch rots in my fingers, but it’s still better this way.”

I shook my head as we neared the village, small houses dotted the countryside. And of fucking course when people saw her coming they’d get all huffy. “Hang on..” Scarlet shoved a hand into the tattered remains of her clothing, there was a holster attached to her upper thigh. She pulled the dress up to reach it and pulled out a small vial filled with a light blue liquid. Scarlet popped off the top and downed it. “It’s better if I don’t look like I’m about to explode and annihilate everything around me.” She laughed bitterly. Oh how very true that sentence was.

The dark lines on her skin faded, and her eyes returned to what they were before the corruption sunk deep within her. Brilliant emerald hues with a glimmering golden ring around her iris. “So- how about a drink?” She asked. Anything to get him off her damn back.

He paused, studying her. Then gave a slow nod. Good. She strode off towards the bar, and he followed, trudging through the snowy streets.

Scarlet pushed open the door. At this time of day it was loud and it was rowdy. Evening was along the horizon and the men were coming home from their jobs and the whores were looking for a glint of gold.

“Should...you be drinking?” Hunter asked.

“Hell yes I should.” Scarlet commented as she threw herself against the back corner booth. “Yuriks Firewhiskey good enough?” She didn’t let him reply. “Good. That’s all we’re drinking tonight.” She motioned to a lad runnng around with a finger. He approached her quickly. His eyes glancing to her tattered clothes.

“Uh..”

“Yuriks firewhiskey.” Scarlet stated. “Bottle of it.”

The youth paused, looking form her to Huntershe en back to her clothes then to her. “Did I fucking stutter? Go get it, what do ya want? A fuckin sign?” The boy shook his head and left.

As she was snapping at the boy, she felt something settle her shoulders. A blink and a glance down showed that she was now swimming in the drow’s overcoat. “I don’t feel the cold.” She said, staring at the coat. Just why would he bother? Instead of answering right away, he reached around and buttoned it up. It was then that she noticed that his left arm had a chunk that was definitely not the same color as the rest of his skin. In fact, it looked almost like stone - and the flesh around it looked frayed and torn, like it was rubbed and scraped raw, and not attaching in quite the right way.

“It is not always about the cold, Scarlet. You and I might not care as much, but normal people think it wrong for an attractive woman to walk around in torn, shredded clothes.” With swift, sure movements, he folded up the sleeves.

“Attractive?” She scoffed. The hell was he thinking about. Scarlet lowered her eyes. She let her hands run over the curves of her body. Her breasts, which had admittedly gotten bigger of recent, her hips - too wide...her skin, sure it looked pristine now but she could feel the bumps and ridges of all the cracks from her corruption. Scarlet stilled, body tense as he leaned forward to ensure that none of her more delicate areas were showing. She was sure he’d try to stab her, test just how often she’d revive, but he didn’t. Instead he leaned back against the chair.

“Yes, attractive. Now then. Where is that boy with our whiskey?” He drummed gloved fingers on the table as he looked around.

Scarlet leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. “Firewhiskey…” She breathed. “Never knew why...but it always felt...right to drink it. It feels nostalgic. I wonder if I was a fan of it in a past life.”

Before the Hunter could comment the boy returned with two glasses. He shot a small glare to Hunter seeing that Scarlet was now appropriately covered. Hunter pulled down his face mask and gave a hungry grin. The boy dropped the glasses and scurried off.

“So Hunter; you say you want to protect people… but you have a bit of a sadistic side, don’tcha?”