Each region of Runeterra seemed to have its own flavour of anguish, founded in their experiences and history. There was a special kind of torment found in those who frequented the Shadow Isles and hunkered down on outposts, fighting to stay relevant in the fuming seas. With the ever-present danger of the Isles themselves and the terrors of the Harrowing, the pirates, treasure hunters and inn keepers were as tense as bowstrings, ready to snap under the slightest pressure.
And Evelynn loved those who lost their nerves so easily. They were particularly easy to charm, clinging to any chance to forget their woes and fears for only a moment. And whether it be little tricks and stories by the fire - Sultur's preferred method of easing someone into the salivating jaws of his better half - or the promise of a steamy night, if you picked the right target, even the most experienced treasure hunter, weathered by the horrors of the Isles themselves, turned into a writhing, squealing piglet with meat delicious enough to slurp off the bones.
Evelynn was resting on the roof of a tavern, skin gleaming pale purple underneath the sparse moonlight and deep pink flames in her hair and claws glowing. She had just finished eating, her victim still stuck in the rattles of its dying breath, strung up in the loft of the pub. The woman was not dead, though she might bleed out by the time the sun came up. With her stomach relatively full, Evelynn now saw the perfect opportunity to leave this island behind and head back to the mainland, whether that be Valoran or Shurima. She just had to find a ship with a big enough crew. After all, it would be unbecoming to leave a lady starving on her voyage.
As Evelynn kept scanning the ships, trying to figure out which one would be good enough to stowaway on, a sudden commotion drew her attention. The scuffling of feet, angry screams and hoarse barking laughter. Was Vora hunting? She shouldn't be doing that. She was far too volatile to kill discreetly or fast. Evelynn skipped down the roof she had been relaxing on, and dropped onto the wall beside the tavern. Her lashers rose, the tips trembling with concern. She could choose to look away. After all, most of the people on this outpost were so preoccupied with the Shadow Isles and the Harrowing, which could start any day now, that a missing person would hardly be noticed. Even if Vora bit off a good chunk from their sides. And well, who was Evelynn to not let this greedy little dog have her kill?
Then, Evelynn noticed who Vora had pushed into the alleyway and whom she tried to kill. It was not the first time the demon had seen her. These days, recognising this pale white skin and that black hair bound into a tight ponytail came easily. Her cobalt blue bodysuit showed gashes and tears, smeared with crimson blood, which seemed to rival her cape and glasses in colour. Even the cape's edges were frizzled. Parts of the braid had become undone. The woman known to the public as the Nighthunter continued trying to dodge Vora's advances, but the alleyway allowed little room to manoeuvre.
Her pain permeated the air. Evelynn swallowed a mouthful of drool. It did not matter that she had already eaten. This woman's pain harboured such a specific note that it always triggered the demon's cravings. Though right now, the physical pain overwhelmed the usually simmering emotional and mental anguish, which Evelynn preferred the taste of. From the physical pain, the demon could infer that Vora had managed to land several very lucky strikes, including an extremely nasty wound on Shauna's leg. Her sides were bleeding as well.
Vora kept snapping with her large fangs protruding from her mouth for Vayne's chest or throat. The only reason Shauna was not dead yet was the fact that Vora was too primal and hungry to aim precisely enough. However, that lack of precision was only a sparring blessing as Vora had large claws, even larger than Evelynn's. If one of those swipes or her bone-crushing teeth connected in a sensitive area, you were done for.
When Vora missed another swipe, that would have spilt out Shauna's guts if it had connected, Evelynn had seen enough. As much as she enjoyed her lesser playthings, there were certain meals she would not share with anyone. And Shauna Vayne was on top of that list. That woman was someone whose pain she had cultivated far too much to let anyone else snap it up from her. Slipping into her demon shade, Evelynn leapt forward, swung her lashers around and slammed them straight into Vora's back. Penetrating right through, the other demon yowled and reared up, clawed arms flailing about.
As Vora's scream faded away, it was replaced by a languid moan, and she licked her fangs. "Evelynn?", she asked with that gargled voice of hers, "More! Need more!"
"Sorry, Vora, but not tonight." With these words, Evelynn threw the other demon backwards, making her skitter on the floor and roll over. Evelynn turned around, positioning herself in a way that would allow her to strike again if Vora chose to contest. The other demon got up, spitting and hissing. "Need more!", she growled again.
"Go and find Sutur, if you are that hungry!", Evelynn told her coldly, "That one isn't yours, you little mouth full of teeth. Now go. I might feed you later if I am in the mood for it, sweetheart."
Vora whimpered once more; however, she then obediently disappeared back into the dark. Evelynn turned around and found a wrist-mounted crossbow pointed straight at her face. The demon rolled her eyes. Exiting her demon shade to appear more approachable, she crooned: "Shauna, darling, you are still injured. Put that crossbow down before I finish what Vora attempted to do and actually ensure you cannot use that leg of yours anymore."
The Night Hunter had seemingly bitten off more than she could chew. What was meant to be an excursion to an isle near the Shadow Isles, for investigation and perhaps a spectre or two that dared to venture outside the reaches of the Black Mist. Instead, she was ambushed by a demonic creature. And one more skilled than most that she hunted. Or perhaps just lucky...
What she never would expect, was to find her personal quarry right here and in front of her. The demoness that existed as the root of her anguish and suffering. The very one that started her descent into hunting the unnatural and monstrous.
And for a moment, inside her mind that had been hell-bent on getting her revenge, hunting anything inhuman and exacting her verdict and justice, the memories of that fateful night flooded back to her. For that moment she felt again like the just-turned sixteen year old girl, her parents just murdered in cold blood. The frightened girl that saw the demon that did this to them, to her.
As if by automatic instinct, she had raised her right arm, her fist clenched firmly. The wrist-mounted crossbow on her loaded with one of her silver bolts. Gleaming in the barely lit night, aimed albeit shakily at her target.
Icy blue eyes staring directly at the demoness, from behind crimson shades. Sweat and blood staining her pale skin, the loose strands of her disheveled ponytail stuck to her by the fluids. The cuts on her side stung lightly, they were not too deep luckily. But the wound on her leg ached like a hot fire within her flesh.
Gritting her teeth as much against the pain, both physical and mental she snarled between pained breaths "Silence your tongue, wretched demon."
A click, and the bolt inside her weapon fired itself, past her target's head and embedding itself in the wall behind.
"Tch..." Her hand hastily went for one of the spare bolts she kept fastened to the sides of her heels. She could feel her muscles shake, aching to keep steady and do as she wanted.
Though her situation being dire, she had no interest in giving up just like that. Her fingers finally managed to unfasten the clasp that held the bolt on her heels. Grasping it within her hand firmly, her eyes burned with defiance and a deep-seated hate for the creature standing before her.
Keeping her eyes locked with Evelynn's she spat out the blood that had gathered in her mouth, to the ground. "So... You're here to finish the job, is that it...? Have your minion do the dirty work and then claim the prize?"
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