As painful as it is to admit it, the fighting's over and done with even before the pair get their vision back. There's no trace of the one who'd broken into the temple… just the mess they'd left behind following their appearance.

"Damn it." Gales muttered, lowering the longsword he'd picked up and took a breath. "He's gone."

"Seems like it." Karma added as Garm walked over to his partner and nudged him. Gales responded by patting his head and crouching down.

"You ok bud?" Garm barked and Gales just sighed in relief. "Good." He told him. "What about you Karma?"

"I'm fine." The Hunter grumbled, putting his repeaters away. "Just kinda annoyed." He admitted.

"Annoyed?"

"Couldn't get a single shot in on that guy." Karma stated. "I've never missed my shots like that before. It's kinda insulting really."

"I guess that makes sense." Gales muttered, raising the weapon to look at his reflection. "I couldn't hit him either." He muttered, lowering the weapon to look where the previous body had been. "Still… I wonder what this was all about." He pauses as Karma crosses his arms. "He comes out of nowhere and just offs someone in front of everyone… who does that?"

"Someone who's not scared of leaving witnesses." A third voice calls out as the pair turn, their attention focusing on a man in a suit associated with the Order.

"Who are-"

"My name is Holister." The man stated, his hands behind his back as he approached with three others beside him. "You two must me the hunters who tried fighting that man." He states. "You have my thanks."

"Don't thank us." Karma stated looking towards a bloodstain. "Afraid we weren't really much help. A lot of people died here."

"Unfortunately." Holister agreed. "Still you did what you could, that's more than any can ask."

"Is Aleya ok?" Gales spoke up as he drew Holister's attention for a moment, before the man closed his eyes and took a breath.

"We're not sure." He admitted. "Lady Aleya never returned to us."

"You mean…" Gales was met with a shake of his head.

"No, she's not dead." Holister stated. "At least, I don't believe so. More than likely she was taken during all the commotion." He told the youth.

"They took her?" Gales asked. "But that guy, we were on him while she escaped."

"More than likely he was working with someone." Karma stated, crossing his arms. "That guy we were occupied with was likely just a diversion."

"More than likely." Holister grumbled.

"Still, why would they take Aleya?" Gales didn't get an answer, instead he was just met with a frown as Holister seemed to think.

"That is something I intend to find out." The man grumbled as he returned to looking at the youths. "In the meantime, I request you to leave. Between repairs and retrieving our dead, my men have much to do."

"I see…" Karma muttered as he looked at Gales. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"I'm afraid not." Holister admitted. "As Hunters you exist outside my order's jurisdiction." He wasn't wrong. "And as Hunters, you have neither jurisdiction or obligation to assist us in these matters."

"Right~" Karma muttered as looked at Gales and scratched his head. "So I guess that's our cue to hit the road."

Yeah, I guess so…" Gales muttered as he and Karma started walking out. "Let's go Garm." Garm didn't protest in the slightest, he started following after his partner as Gales twisted the longsword in hand so that he could hold it upside down. He passed it to one of the men with Holister before excusing himself.

The trio walked in silence as they retreated down the temple path. Still, silence doesn't last forever, as Gales makes a face while Karma looks at him. "Zenny for your thoughts?"

"I don't like this." The youth muttered as he and Karma left the temple.

"You're worried about the girl right, Aleya?"

"Yeah." Gales muttered. "She might be in trouble… but-"

"There's nothing we can do." Karma states as he rests against the temple's outer wall. "It's as Holister said; we have no jurisdiction here, so getting involved in whatever this is could get us into trouble." He sighed to himself.

"Aren't we already involved though?" Gales asked. "I mean, we were there when this all happened."

"You're not wrong." Karma put his hands in his pockets. "But that was all happenstance. We can't jump into… whatever the hell is going to happen here. Not our place." He fell silent. "We'll have to leave this to the authorities and Holister's Order."

"Right." Gales grumbled as Karma made a gesture to follow him.

"Come on, we should probably go somewhere else. There's no point in hanging around any more."

"Huh, so they grabbed her after all." Elsewhere, Siegfried made a face as he leaned back in against the roof. "Won't lie, I didn't think they'd target her so openly. I mean they could have targeted her whenever." He admitted.

"Will this be a problem?" Morgana asked. "We do need her as well."

"I know." Siegfried stated. "Still, I don't think this will be an issue." He paused as he seemed to smile. "Besides, they're taking her to the same place we're going."

"A fair point."

"Still…" Siegfried began as he made a face, his expression tightening into a thin line as he got to his feet. "If we're gonna meet them there and get what we want… we better get a move on."

"It's as you say." Morgana admitted, getting to her feet as they two made to move.

Only to stop when the sight of scattered birds caught their attention. Birds that flew out of the wilds and over town.

"Now what?" Karma muttered as he stared skyward, his attention turned towards the birds that were flying overhead. "That can't be a good sign…"

It wasn't.

Especially considering the fact that right after the ground started to shake.

"Had to open my mouth, didn't I?!" Karma shouted as he struggled to keep his footing as everyone else started to panic.

"What's going on?"

"Earthquake!

"Everyone take cover!"

Gales just looked on as he stumbled, taking in what he could as Garm went low and started to growl.

"Garm?"

'...Smell you…"

Freezing in place for a moment, Gales looked around as he heard something. "What the…"

"I… smell you…"

He heard them, the voice hidden in the quakes. From his den Ignia released a growl as he stared outside, attention turned to the world beyond his home. He heard the voice and his instincts told him to flee. To run, to leave his den, his mate and his children behind, so that he may flee.

He denied that instinct.

He heard a low noise and turned to his mate, seeing her coiled around their children as if to protect them.

She wouldn't leave them, and nor would he.

Still…

Returning his gaze forward, Ignia narrowed his eyes as the quakes died down. The last small hints of debris falling to the den floor as silence followed them.

He growled, a deep almost foreboding one as he felt an ache run through him.

He knew that the One was calling.

He knew that the One with blood as black as their horns was beginning to stir.

"Please tell me it's over." Karma wasn't expecting a response as he got his footing back. Looking around, the young Hunter took in the surroundings. Everything seemed fine, for now anyway. Still there were plenty of things that had been knocked over and broken along the ground. People were muttering to themselves, asking if everyone was ok and trying to get their animal companions to calm down.

Gales was doing the latter, trying to get his Canyne to relax as he ran a hand across his fur.

"You guys good?"

"Yeah…" Gales muttered as he continued running a hand across Garm's fur. "We're good."

"Glad to hear it." Karma muttered as he walked over to the pair. "Still, that quake…"

"Yeah." Gales grumbled as he got to his feet. "That definitely wasn't normal." He grumbled. "I swear, what is going on out here in Scry?" Karma didn't have an answer for him. "There's deadlands to the west, invasive bulls scattered about, we got a Deviljho problem, a Dragon Temple gets attacked and girl gets kidnapped, and now we have a seemingly random quake?" He grumbled.

"Too much is going here to have everything be coincidence."

"Forgive me, but I wish you were wrong." Turning the two hunters and canyne saw a familiar masked figure walking towards them.

"Calista." Gales muttered. "You have any idea what's up in these parts?" The masked woman nodded her head.

"Yes, but pray that I'm wrong." She stated. "Regardless, we have more pressing matters to attend to." Both Gales and Karma looked at each other for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Those birds…" Calista muttered as she looked around to the rest of the agitated creatures. "There's little doubt that they are the only ones who will run this way."

"What do you mean?" Karma asked as Gales seemed to think. A moment later realization hit him as he spoke.

"Rampage." Karma looked at Gales, while Calista nodded her head.

"A what?"

"Are you sure?" Gales ignored Karma as he bit his lips. "Are you certain a Rampage is coming?"

"Pray I'm wrong." Calista stated. "But if If I'm right, the guild hall will be receiving a message soon." He turned her back to Gales. "And if that is the case, be ready, as Harribel will need your services very soon."

"Right." Gales turned to Karma as he nodded his head. "I need to get suited up, you should do the same."

Uh~ ok…" Karma muttered as Gales started off. He sighed as he started walking off." I swear…" He began. "I'm doing a lot more today than I would have liked on my day off." He admitted. "Either way, from the sound of it, I better get suited myself."

Taking a moment to adjust his gloves Gales walked into the Hunter's Guild as he found it empty. "Just me huh?" He muttered as he looked at the receptionists and gave them a light wave before heading over to a table. Taking a breath Gales settled down in a seat as he rubbed his temples. Garm, sensing his distress couldn't help but nudge him in the side as he tried getting his attention. "I'm ok buddy." Gales muttered, looking at his canyne. "Just I don't know…" He muttered before looking ahead. "I guess its kinda becoming a stressful day."

"Tell me about it." Looking up Gales saw Karma suited up and carried a frown on his face. "Today's been more eventful than I would have liked."

"Sorry about that." Gales muttered as Karma settled down next to him. The Gunner rested his head on his palm and sighed.

"It's alright, not your fault after all." He admitted. "Still, what's this all about?"

"What's what about?"

"That thing you and Lady Calista were talking about." Karma stated. "Rampage, was it? What's that all about?"

"You don't know what a rampage is?"

"Can't say I do." Karma admitted. "But I'm guessing it's bad."

"Very." Gales admitted. "It's a stampede of sorts, when dozens of creatures are suddenly driven into a frenzy and attack towns and villages." He explained. "One creature breaking into town can do some serious damage, but a whole horde?" He fell silent.

"That could probably wipe it off the map." Karma muttered as his frown returned. "So that's what this is about." He grumbled. "We don't have anything like that on Moga, but I can see why it sounds dangerous." He muttered. "So, what's the plan, we push 'em back."

"If it comes to an actual rampage then yeah." Gales stated. "If it's a false alarm then, we're fine, but still, the possibility of a rampage isn't something we can take lightly." The pair fell silent as Karma seemed to think.

"You experience one of these things before?" Gales just shook his head.

"Thankfully no." He admitted. "But we covered it in one of our lessons back at the Keep." He added looking at Karma. "Still, I'm not looking forward to seeing the real thing anytime soon."

"No one's looking forward to it." Another voice stated as the pair looked to see Thorn making her appearance. "Hello boys."

"Thorn." Gales muttered before looking around, trying to see if any others were here.

No such luck yet, for now it's just the three of them.

"Good on you for joining us." Karma stated. "So, I take it you heard?"

"Yes." Thorn admitted with a sigh. "And because of that I'm going to have to head to the Stronghold to make sure this is just a hoax and nothing more." She stated. "Think you two can help me out?" Karma raised an eyebrow.

"You're actually asking for help." It wasn't a question, they all knew it. Still, Thorn rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"Given the potential threat, I can't risk trying to do this on my own." She stated. "Will you help me?"

"Given the situation, You don't even have to ask." Gales stated.

"Yeah, too many lives are on the line to just sit out on this." Karma stated as he got to his feet. "So, this stronghold, where is it?"

"North." Was Thorn's answer. "Are you boys ready for a trip?"