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Seasons had come and gone as the beast had slumbered underground, weary from past excursions and exhausted by her former keepers. She had counted on them losing her trail and calling off the hunt, which they had done months ago. Finally, she awoke.

Beauty gingerly climbed out from the hole in the ground she had dug for herself, lazily shaking dirt and decaying leaves from her coat. Her skin clung to her ribcage and her eyes seemed sunken in-- how long have I been gone? she pondered, taking a couple tenuous steps before stretching out like a cat. Her insides churned with hunger as tempting scents hitched a ride on the breeze. She raised her head to the north, sensing there was a large population of humans hustling and bustling about in the sunny weather. Yes, that will do.

She walked towards the town on wobbly legs, gaining strength with every step.

It took only a moment for the Hell Kage's calm eyes to analyze the orange girl as nothing more than a slight hindrance. "I'm not searching. It's already been found." She continued on as if Janissary no longer existed, her urges stringing her along to the promise of humans and destruction. Whether this Kage belonged to the town or intended to stop her was of no concern to her. It had been far too long since she had terrorized a human, and though the current politics and going-ons of the world meant nothing to her she still assumed she would be met with little resistance.

Unless this orange Kage wanted to play.

The beast stalked through the bushes as the forest slowly thinned out and the town unraveled itself before her. It was small, but it would do. She turned back briefly to see if the bright Kage had followed. "I do prefer to work alone, unless you wanted to stop me..." Her eyes narrowed but her lips contorted into some kind of smile-- obviously, it had been a very long time since she had attempted any form of social facial expression.

Though her hibernation had dimmed her emotional capabilities, the Hell Kage felt a pang of happiness and surprise in her chest. Many Kage far larger than this one had fled in fear before her, but this one didn't seem to be going anywhere. Her steadfastness resonated in the cockles of Beauty's heart that had long since gone numb from lack of use.

With no further reply, she leapt over a small stone wall and landed on the worn cobblestones of the town. It was the busiest time of day, sun shining, people walking and relaxing. Birds chirped, horses clopped, street merchants haggled. A fearful shriek rang out, silencing nearly the entire town for what seemed like eternity. It had begun. And though she was starving, she always enjoyed sampling the finer emotions while she feasted-- such as fear, sorrow, and desperation. It would take a bit of roughing up to fully release those feelings in these townsfolk.

Beauty knocked over barrels and smashed into vendors' carts, her eyes constantly searching for the presence of a hero who may come to save the day. She'd enjoy sapping that one the very most, if one chose to show themselves. A bell was suddenly ringing now, loud and fierce, as people screamed and skittered away while wide eyes peered out from the corner of curtained windows. She followed the crowd that continued to flee and disperse, biting at ankles and cackling at young children. Oh, yes, the children. Rampant destruction would instill fear, yes, but losing a child would create a mother with the tastiest of energies to leech.

The Hell Kage turned back for just a moment, her eyes gleaming with hunger. She would test this new Kage and see truly what kind of nature she possessed. "Janissary," she barked, "the child-- pluck that young girl from the crowd, the red-hooded one, and drag her to the far end of town. I will find you once I'm finished with her mother." Saliva glistened on her lips now, the thought of such a meal nearly too much for her to bear.

In her experience, wiry little Neverlins were generally fodder for the likes of a Hell Kage, but this one proved to be far different. It intrigued Beauty, but not nearly enough to deviate from her warpath for more than a moment.

As expected, the mother let out a horrified shriek as her child was plucked away daintily by Beauty's cohort. She lunged after the bright orange Kage, but she had fled so quickly the mother could barely register the reality of what was happening. Perfect. Let it sink in, marinate the flesh. The crowd of people dissipated as people found shelter, very few injured specimens crawling or limping away as best they could. But the mother remained, eyes gazing off in the direction her daughter had disappeared in, completely oblivious to the Kage in front of her-- its chest heaving and its eyes unblinking, drinking in the despair. And that is when she struck.

Like an alligator on dry land, the Hell Kage clamped down on the woman's wrist and flipped her to the ground, holding her down with the weight of pure muscle. And she feasted, violently, her growling stomach slowly finding itself satiated after many long months.

With thick red blood dripping down her jowls, Beauty got to her feet and shook her head roughly like a wet dog. As she trotted off complacently to find Janissary, something caught her eye in the distance. She stepped closer, eyes narrowing at the black shape on a nearby rooftop. Suddenly, a ball of light flickered into existence and came flying directly at her face. With a yelp of pain she twisted away, the fire singing the tips of her ears straight off. She bolted towards the other side of the city, huffing in fury though excitement began to crawl up her spine.

"Ah, the hero has arrived", she projected at the figure, knowing he would suffer soon enough. Who was she to deny her new acquaintance the pleasure of such a feast? She darted about through the streets, fireballs ricocheting off walls and along the cobblestone floors before puttering out. Whoever was throwing the spells had intense control over them to not allow the spread of wildfire over the town.

Impressive, but she wasn't afraid. "Janissary!" she called, another ball of fire narrowly missing her body.