A step back in time to the beginning of Lycosia

A ranger cannot be a true ranger without a weapon that strikes at the heart of it's prey....without being able to stalk it's prey. Once Lycosia chose to become a weapon for the Prince, she knew she had to have a partner that would fall in her footsteps and be her advance guard. On purpose, she chose the oldest of the feline stalkers to cast her spell upon. The one that nobody had been able to cast a spell upon. Here was the most magnificent, the wiliest, and most dangerous stalker ever born.
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Amylore, built on the ruins of old cities that came before it. Lovely stone towers and sweeping marble steps were attractive to those of the higher class. Within the walls the main city led to sweeping hills, a large lake, and peaceful farming land. Beyond the walls, however, lay reams of destruction. Howling monsters ripped the land to dust, slaughtered citizens by the dozens, and lay waste to anything useful to those who called Amylore home.

Most citizens lived peaceful lives, but increasingly the citizens felt the pressure of a force beginning to wend its way within the walls. In the sweeping hills larger numbers of bandits waylaid travelers. in the east rumors of spiders bigger than men dropping from the trees kept all but the most dedicated of rangers from traveling through the orchards. Massive annelids with multiple rows of needle sharp teeth were springing from farmers soil as if charmed by some evil spell. Even deep down in the underground lochs of the holy abbey came the noises of the dead, restlessly waking from their long sleep.

The Prince of Amylore sent out a call for those who would be brave enough to settle the problems inside and outside the walls of the city. From the ranks of the young and brash a girl answered. A girl with a particular talent for talking to animals.

Blue eyes searched the darkness. Water splashed softly among the stones of the shrine the woman hid behind. Lycosia kept her breathing soft, even, quiet. Patience....patience... A movement caught her attention. The blue eyes followed the shadow that made no sound. She dared not close her eyes. She had to wait until it was close enough to feel the spell. The shadow slipped into the space between the rocks and Lycosia could hear it's tongue lapping at the cool water. One movement brought Lycosia to her feet.

"Champa me ai Stalker. You will be mine...you will be.."

The blue glow that outlined the large predatory feline cracked as a roar split the darkness and broke the spell in pieces. Lycosia never got to finish the spell. Claws stretched and sank into her shoulders. The young ranger found herself on her back, the skin of her chest ripped wide open by the stalkers claws. Then it was over. The cat had vanished, back into the shadows.

The ranger grunted in agonizing pain. "Oh goddess..." she whispered. The front of her cloak became red with the blood that streamed from her wounds. She rolled over and plunged her hand into the water of the shrine.

"Stop..", she whispered. The water crept up her arm at her command and covered the claw marks. The wounds closed up leaving broad scars behind. The pain of the poison continued on, sinking into the rangers nerves and in the night shadows, her screams mingled with the stalkers angry roars.