Sun Mote Copse of grandiose fevers & passion arcane

@Evanora

The Mackenzie was very much a creature of habit. As she demanded her total obedience in prioritizing hunting for herself and the Saints, she spent her days (but mostly nights) skulking about the regions of the Hinterlands after prey. More so led by her olfactory sense than paws of wanderlust, there was nothing too big or small that went uninvestigated by her nose. With a pelage like a dark cloak worn only by members of the midnight society, Zsuzsa largely went unseen in the evening shadows. Not only did she prefer solitude, but night hunting brought a certain kind of exhilaration. She thoroughly enjoyed deploying the element of surprise upon her prey in the most unlikely hour. It gave her a heightened primal sense of control over her environment.

Little did Zsuzsa know, not even an apex predator as she was above the element of surprise.
 
At first, the hare discovered seemed out of place. No tracks, no immediate signs of trauma to the body, but didn’t smell like it had been dead for long. Very fresh, rather. Scavenging was done by the desperate and while she did not have reason to be desperate other than stocking up for Winter, at the same time she couldn’t pass up an easy meal that was perhaps left by a bobcat for whatever reason. Scarfing down the hare and moving onto the next, the Acolyte would proceed to carry on with her consumptions throughout the night.
 
It started with irregular heartbeats. Midnight hunting was a rush but her heart was racing. Then came cramping of her stomach, as if something slugged her hard. She then began panting, feeling parched suddenly. Panting in the middle of Winter was unusual. What was even more unusual (if not mildly alarming to her) was visible particles floating in the air. Looking like fireflies but… they weren’t. It was Winter. It was too cold for fireflies. Sun Mote Copse was known for particles floating around in the sunshine, but pollen season was long since done. And it was the middle of the night.

Shaking her head and blinking rapidly, something suddenly wasn't right.