[amanda784]

Piper had found her first creature and had turned it in for quite the pretty penny. This allowed Piper to grab more supplies and travel to new places for hunts. She had successfully completed a few hunts and Piper was doing pretty well for herself. Her last hunt got her lost in tunnels. That really stuck with Piper. If it wasn't for Maverick she wouldn't have even made it home. Now that she was home in the slums she wanted to continue hunting, but thought it best to stay near home. She had yet to find either of the two particular creatures she was looking for in the slums.

[amanda784]

When Piper arrived at the office of Farley's Finds Laura already had a cup of calming tea waiting for her. Usually she would take a coffee, but after her last hunt Piper needed some calming.

"Hey, so for obvious reasons I'm looking to hunt closer to home," said Piper. "I want information on the lost Baskerville and Sabbit, but also any creatures in the area for the season."

"Is that right dear?" asked Laura. "I would much rather send you somewhere safer after our last experience, but I can understand wanting to be close to your family."

What family? wondered Piper, before realizing Laura meant the workplace family.

[amanda784]

"I know this area best," said Piper. "I understand it's dangerous for some, but I think this is the safest place for me right now."

"I'm not arguing with you. I just simply wanted to suggest a nice touristy place," said Laura. "You could sure use a vacation!"

"I need to work," said Piper. "If I don't get back to it I may not get my confidence back. Besides, Mav is still in town. If I need help I wont hesitate to call him."

"Alright, you have convinced me," said Laura. "Sip your tea and I'll have the information for you before you finish it."

[amanda784]

Laura put a folder down on Piper's desk. She earned her desk after completing her first hunt. The contents of the papers read:

Lost Sabbit- Found in abandoned buildings within The Slums. The are carnivores that prey on smaller creatures.
Baskerville - A spirit in the form of a hound. Special taming procedures need to be taken. They are very dangerous due to have dying in violent ways.
First Snow & Poinsettia Leplora- Leplora's are small mammals that are herbivores. They are a relatively safe catch.
Polar Mekkayena - Extremely dangerous. Found in dry areas.
Silent Night Sygriff- Significant danger. They are able to manipulate small instances of time.

Piper read over the materials. She found it odd that Laura added in the seasonal Leplora's given that it was Laura's creature form. Still, Laura had desires just like Piper to find her family. Perhaps if Piper could locate one it would help Laura.

The word "danger" appeared a lot in the information handed to Piper and it made her a little uneasy. It would be hard getting back into hunting.

[amanda784]

It was important to remember that not every creature was like Laura or Piper. They weren't all able to talk or had any other form to them. They were simply creatures. Still, the crew at Farley's Finds weren't savages. They hunted creatures and only sold them to places that would help preserve them. Piper hunted rare or lost species and sold them to places that would help the species thrive. Although Piper had genuinely begun to care about the creatures she hunted, she still charged for her services. She had to make a living somehow. It wasn't ideal, but it was the way she lived. It was far better than the life she used to live.

[amanda784]

The Baskerville would be the hardest to capture, but there were ways to capture spirits. Piper had never captured a spirit before, but she knew of a coven willing to pay for them. The coven she would be selling to specialized in trying to help them find peace. If this was unachievable (and it often was) then the coven would be a safe place for them. Baskerville's are tamable. Although, Piper did not possess taming skills the coven would. There was another way besides taming for catching spirits. Any bewitched item could hold a spirit. Piper had obtained one such bottle. She wasn't sure yet how it worked, only that it could contain a spirit.

[amanda784]

"Piper, could we have a few words?" Laura asked, interrupting Piper's thinking.

"Of course," said Piper.

Laura took a seat on the opposite side of Piper's desk.

"I just wanted to let you know that after I went on that hunt with you I have been worried about your safety. I didn't hold back on any of the information, but was hoping you would go for something a little safer."

"I understand," said Piper. "I will have to go on dangerous hunts, but I feel the same way right now. If it wasn't for Mav... Well, I'm doing my best to stay safe."

[amanda784]

"You may have noticed I added two species of Leplora to the file. It was what you asked for since they have been spotted for the season. I think they may be a good hunt for you," said Laura.

"Are you looking for others like you?" asked Piper. "I understand you want to know more about yourself, but I'm not sure that even in this season they will be venturing to the slums."

"I must admit it is partially because my creature form," said Laura, "but it's also because Leplora's aren't dangerous. I just want you to be safe. You're family now."

[amanda784]

Family. The word was so true. Neither Laura or Piper knew where they came from or who their family was. They had become their own little family.

"I understand Laura," said Piper. "I will do my best to stay safe, but I can't promise anything. I'm thinking I will be going back to abandoned building I have previously searched. It will be relatively safe, but I'm not sure what creatures I will be coming across."

"I suppose that's all I can ask for," said Laura.

With that, Laura headed back to her own desk to do more of her research and filing.

[amanda784]

There were plenty of abandoned buildings to explore, but Piper found herself a little nervous about what creatures she may encounter. She had often run into a species called Meji. Her friend Mav was a Meji. Still, their power unsettled her deeply. Mav had played a little trick on her the first time they met. In tunnels on a hunt Piper was tricked into thinking she had stepped into another world by a Meji. Meji was the most powerful creature she had encountered yet, but she knew there were vast types of magical species.

Piper did have her own little power. She was able to control small gusts of wind. It was a neat little trick for playing pranks, but it didn't do much to protect her during hunts.

[amanda784]

"Mav?" Piper had broken down and decided to call up her mentor for support.

"Yes, Piper? I'm a little busy here so make it quick," said Maverick.

"I just want your advice on where to search. I'm looking for something easy," said Piper.

"I'll get back to you on that one," Maverick was whispering, likely on a hunt. "I do want to tell you that I think you should dump into the deep end. You want to be a hunter? Then hunt. If you want something safe then you need to find a different occupation."

Maverick hung up without a goodbye. It was his odd way of teaching Piper. She doubted she would get a call back with easy locations.

[amanda784]

At least Piper knew that Maverick had her back if she got into trouble. It was his own way of mentoring her. He kind of just threw her in the deep end and only jumped in to help if she really needed him.

Piper grabbed her backpack from under her desk and checked the front pocket. Her lucky coin was still there. She pulled it out and tucked it into her front jeans pocket. This lucky coin was said to protect her from creatures that could affect her luck. It wouldn't allow for any creature to give her either bad luck or good luck. It was an important tool if she came across a Sabbit.

[amanda784]

Piper also checked her backpack for all the essentials. She had a flashlight, spare batteries, granola bars, water bottles, and a cell phone with Mav's number on speed dial.

Easy or a leap of faith? wondered Piper.

If Maverick had his way Piper would venture to somewhere completely new. This would give her the experience she needed to become a better hunter. Still, Piper wanted to ease back into hunting. She didn't usually ignore the advice of her mentor, but she felt it was her best option.

Where to search? Abandoned casinos were great hunting grounds for sabbits, but other creatures chose abandoned buildings with more resources.

[amanda784]

Piper eventually decided on a broadened search of three local abandoned buildings that she had already previously been to. One happened to be the casino where she had met Mav. The others were an abandoned shopping mall and convenience store. She decided to start with the abandoned casino. It would be good to get back to the place that started her hunting career. She was struggling with faith in herself and this would be just the place to restore it.

"Laura?" Piper asked.

"Yes, dear?" replied Laura.

"Can I get that map to the abandoned casino?" Piper asked.

"The one on third?" asked Laura.

"That's the one."

[amanda784]

Piper carefully tucked the building blueprint or "map" into her backpack and headed out. It was a cold January night. She imagined that there would be plenty of creatures seeking warmth in the casino. Piper would do her best to take one in and help it find a warmer place. Piper loved the crunch of the snow underneath her shoes, but disliked the chill running through her body. She used small gusts of wind to make the snow dance around her. It looked like a scene out of a movie. Piper had considered asking Farley or Mav to come along with her, but Farley was busy and Mav would just tell her this was something she had to do on her own. He would be right too.