“You'll be wanting the angry man in the corner there, dearie. I hope you have work for him, or else he might try to figure out how many parts he can cut before you scream.” My ears had picked up the conversation, but I had initially pushed it out of my mind, firmly believing that this would just be one more wasted day for me. The fact that the barmaid was directing this newcomer towards me though, made me look up and study the individual who had come in.

Avian hybrid species, a ‘Kenku’ I think they were called. Had originally appeared in Corone some number of hundreds of years ago - millenia, I think it was. Still, it was recorded that they weren't originally from this world, and had just shown up one day. No matter, though, they were about on average with every race out there, with exemplars and failures on equal proportion. I didn't know which this one was, but considering that the Academy had apparently sent her in my direction meant she had to be of some repute.

Wait. Weren't Kenku the ones that Vixen had been searching for? I remembered her saying, claiming, that she was their deity originally, until she'd been deposed and imprisoned. Had she then, found one and sent them after me? Her way of trying to garner my attention? I tilted my head to one side, watching the female bird. I'd have to see then if she was a messenger; I doubted it, but who knows, maybe in the intervening time the Kenku had come to understand what they missed and welcomed the unusual woman that I had helped back into their midst and their pantheon.

As she turned and looked in my direction, clearly not wanting to believe the other woman’s words, I merely indicated the chair on the other side of the table from me. I as not about to give up my spot with my back to the wall, and even if she decided to start hostilities, well. I could either handle her, or evade her. I doubted this would be a repeat occurrence of Philomel’s approach, though. I settled my hand back down on the table, not bothering to return my face mask to its normal position. The Kenku had already seen my face, and I wasn't about to scramble and hide it. I sat back as she looked at the seat I gestured, then slowly settled down into it, and I folded my arms over my chest.

She didn't carry herself like a fighter. No, not a true fighter. She might be forced into it, might have gone through things that forged her into something, but it wasn't a fighter. A survivor, someone who had been forced to fight, and kill, but against her will, until she became used to it. She was more guarded than someone born to the fight, held herself closer in, more warily than someone like I did. Small, tiny gestures, the way she stood as she walked over to me and examined me with those inhuman eyes, tiny twitches as she tried to remain aware of everyone around her.

Now why was someone like this searching for a Huntsman? She could probably handle a fair few things herself, and those like her rarely trusted people they didn't know. Someone must have pointed her to the Academy then, told her to come to us.

“What do you need?” I studied her intently. Even small motions could give me more insight into this ‘Kenku’ being. If nothing else, it might be something worth sharing with Vixen if I ever ran into her again.

“A tiny man with even smaller glasses at the office said I might find an experienced Hunter here. One who has a lot of knowledge on monsters of unusual type. You are they?” she asked in a low, to-the-point tone. Hmm. There were a few there that fit the description she gave, at least who knew I was here. I rolled my shoulders in a gentle shrug.

“I have been around for a long time, miss, and hunted many things. I am likely one of the more knowledgeable Huntsmen around, yes.” I folded my hands together and watched as she sank down into the chair across from me. “So then. Are you on the trail of knowledge? Or do you need something slain?” I didn't know if I had the time to accept a hunt from an individual from another nation - but if this bird needed information on how to kill something, well, that was far easier to provide.

“Both. Either. Or.” She blinked, fixing me with a fully black stare before she tilted her head a little. “There are two creatures really, both of them rather different. If you could start with the knowledge then that would be a start. And I can pay. Better than any other patron, but I need to know if you are willing to take the job.” She set a clawed hand on the table and dropped three golden Raiaeran crowns. I studied them for a moment. Well, I already presumed she was a foreigner, but really, to flaunt money from the nation that Alerar detested the most? Not exactly paying attention, was she? I snorted.