Vynx rarely had to worry about his own safety. His sigil made him difficult to kill, and years of experience had honed his senses to be razor sharp. On the other hand, Hilde was a human without any exceptional regenerative abilities or monstrous features. She was blessed with an affinity for healing and holy magic, making her a great asset when dealing with the undead and supernatural, but physically no stronger than your average woman of the cloth. Compared to his other two companions, Vynx held a lot more concern for the kind-hearted cleric who had lost all of her memories. 

However, Hilde did have one extra ability that made her more dangerous than a small army: an avatar of death that was bound to her, capable of absorbing the souls of the deceased and unleashing catastrophic destruction in its wake. It was rumours of a "horrifying spirit" that first brought Vynx to the countryside church where he first met Hilde. What the priest and other sisters thought was a ghost haunting their halls turned out to be something much deadlier. And it was because of that avatar that Hilde decided she could not remain at the church, lest she put the people who saved her in danger. Vynx had agreed to let the desperate cleric join him, both as a means to aid the frightened woman and also to keep a close eye on her powers in case they manifested again.

Since then, he preferred to have Hilde stay back when he knew a mission would be dangerous, only taking her with him when he was sure that she'd be out of harm's way. It seemed like the best course of action at first, but now Vynx had a new problem to deal with. They had made little progress in recovering Hilde's memories since she was first found by the church, and she was no closer to mastering her control of the reaper haunting her. It had been a few weeks since Hilde had joined their merry little band, but Vynx was starting to sense that things were far from cheerful.

"I thought I'd find you here." Vynx let out a relieved sigh as he spotted Hilde praying alone in a chapel. The church was even smaller than the one he'd met Hilde at, consisting of barely more than a single room with a dusty altar and statue at the back. "It's getting late. The others told me to pick you up." Walking up to Hilde, he offered his hand to the kneeling cleric.

Hilde opened her eyes and looked up at Vynx with an apologetic smile. "Oh, I must have lost track of time. I didn't mean to miss dinner with everyone…" She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. Smoothing out her white robes, Hilde cast her gaze back to the statue of the Lunar Goddess standing solemnly before the array of stained-glass windows. "I wanted to offer a prayer while the rest of you were busy with work. I'm glad to hear everyone's back safely." 

"Aww, I told you we'd be fine. A couple wild beasts is a walk in the park for me. Sophia and Soleil are tough as nails too. They've started competing to see who can get the most kills by the end of each hunt," Vynx assured her with a laugh. He only realized after the words came out that Hilde's smile looked more dejected than usual. 

"You're all so strong…" Hilde murmured. "I wish I could be of more help to you too." She let go of his hand and stared down at her feet.

Vynx grimaced. "Hey now, you've been a great help! Sure, you can't heal Sophia without setting her on fire, and Soleil can already heal herself but… Just because you can't swing a sword doesn't mean you're any less scary than the other two," he pointed out. "Once we figure out how to get your spooky skeleton friend to listen to orders, I'm sure you'll be able to make any vampire or werewolf shit the bed." 

Hilde blinked at his crass language. She looked back to the goddess idol and muttered a silent apology before turning back to Vynx. "I-I appreciate your faith in me but I really don't have a clue on how to make my avatar more obedient…" Hilde shook her head. "Most days, I'm afraid of even summoning it."

"Yeeeah, I don't blame you for that. The last time you called it out, it sure did try and absorb all the souls in the nearby cemetery…" Vynx coughed and rubbed the back of his head. "But it's the effort that counts! You'll never learn if you never try, Hilde." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. 

Nodding softly, Hilde mustered another weak smile. "Thank you, Vynx. You've been incredibly kind to me… I hardly feel like I deserve it—"

"That's enough of that kind of talk." Vynx cut her off before she could finish her sentence. He could tell that she felt guilty about her own abilities, and the most he could do was stop her before she fell into the habit. "You're a part of the team now, Hilde. Don't beat yourself up over the things you can't do. There are plenty of things I suck at too, but I've just learned to make the most of what I am good at, you know?"

"I'm sorry. I just…" Hilde trailed off as Vynx gave her a stern look. Choosing to rephrase her words, she squeaked, "I'll do my best to learn."

"That's the spirit." The hunter gave her a pat on the head. "Anyways, we should get back to the inn before the other two can heckle me for taking so long." Vynx recalled the judgemental stares he had received when he first introduced Hilde to his other companions. After spending the night at her church, it was obvious that his interest in the cleric extended beyond more than just her fearsome powers. The pink-haired priestess was a looker in her own right, with a body that evoked more than a few sinful thoughts in the hunter. Even after traveling together for some time, Vynx still found it difficult to keep his eyes on Hilde for too long, lest his gaze begin to wander towards her ample bosom. Taking her hand again, Vynx began to lead her out of the church and away from the stony eyes of the silent goddess. The evening air was chilly, and the lights of the small village were a short distance away from the chapel. 

The pair walked in relative silence until Hilde finally spoke up, "Vynx… have you ever been in love before?"

Vynx nearly tripped over his feet at the sudden question. "Where did THAT come from?" The hunter snapped his attention to her with wide eyes. 

"I apologize—I was just curious," Hilde peeped. "I can tell that you're close with Sophia… but you two aren't exactly like…"

"A normal couple?" Vynx asked. He breathed out and rustled the back of his hair. "Well, Sophia ain't exactly the lovey-dovey type in public. She's got her sweet side, but I know she hasn't exactly had the best experience when it comes to relationships." He tried to keep it vague, not wanting to speak for Sophia about her forced marriage to a Vampire Lord. "Neither of us wants to push each other into something we're not ready for at the moment," he explained. 

Hilde nodded gently. "I see… that makes sense." Her red eyes continued to peer at him curiously. There was much about the hunter and their new companions that she was still learning about, and while she usually tried not to pry, there were things she needed to confirm before she could feel at ease with the group dynamic. "And Soleil…?"

"I'm not too savvy on the rules about courting someone while being a paladin, but I'm preeeeetty sure Soleil ain't interested in that." He shrugged, just as clueless about their whole deal as Hilde was. "We work well together, and she's hot." Vynx could feel the squint coming from the cleric and quickly added, "I mean—all of you are hot in your own ways, of course!" 

"You're avoiding my question, Vynx." Hilde crossed her arms. It was not often that she had an opportunity to be alone with the hunter, and she was using the chance to inquire all that she could before they returned to the others. 

Vynx threw his arms up defensively. The appeal of having three beautiful women in his party was quickly waning with the amount of interrogations and difficult conversations he was being subjected to. "Listen, you're asking the wrong guy about matters of the heart. I'm not exactly a traditional man, and things like "love" are…" He stumbled with his words as he looked for an out from the conversation, only to get dragged back on topic by Hilde's searching stare. "They're… new to me," he exhaled wearily. His love life had been rocky before he encountered Sophia, filled with one-night flings and disappointment. Subconsciously, he had buried any memories of his first flame long ago.

Her eyes softened, and she reached for his hand again. "It's alright if you don't understand it yet. You did mention that your upbringing was rather… different from most people's," Hilde managed. "And don't worry, I can tell you do care for us all, so I didn't ask out of jealousy," she giggled at the hunter's relieved expression. 

"Alright, my turn then. Have you ever been in love?" Vynx returned, pulling Hilde by the hand to close the distance between them. "Or am I the first dashingly handsome wanderer to have captured your heart, hmm?" He grinned boldly at the cleric. 

Hilde's cheeks reddened as Vynx seized her in place. "I-I don't quite know, to be honest. I still can't remember anything from before the church found me!" she stammered. It had only been about a year since she had first washed up on a riverbank, bloodied and on the brink of death. She was fortunate to have been found by a nun and nursed back to health, but everything prior to her waking up in the church's attic was a blur. "Yet I sense that… I must have loved another once. I'm not sure how or why, but I can feel… an ache in my heart when I try to think about the past," Hilde admitted quietly. 

Vynx pouted. He didn't expect Hilde to say yes, but he was hoping she would at least throw him a bone. Still, he had no right to judge her past relationships, given the number of women he had slept with over the years. "Ah. Well, I had a feeling I probably wasn't your first. You seemed a little more experienced in bed than the typical chaste maiden," he mumbled.

"W-what are you implying?" Hilde sputtered and swatted at him with her free hand. 

"It was a compliment." Vynx caught her other hand and smiled dryly. "It also makes me feel a little better knowing I'm not ruining any lifelong vow of chastity," he added, though he couldn't deny how much he enjoyed claiming her for himself. His grip on Hilde's wrists tightened, and his golden irises focused on her flustered face. "Besides, wasn't it you who begged to come with me and "make love" that night?" he accused. 

  Her eyes widened in embarrassment, and she parted her lips to stammer, "I-I didn't know who else to turn to! You're the only one who could accept… someone like me." 

The hunter stared at her silently for a moment. Unlike the other two, Hilde was always honest with her feelings. He could see the longing and heartbreak in her eyes—the uncertainties and the hopes all swirling at once. Vynx didn't want to make empty promises to the woman, nor did he want to disappoint her with his personal outlook on things. Slowly, his grip on her wrists eased up, and he brought his arms around her instead, pulling the cleric into an embrace. Her body was warm against his, and in the brisk evening air, he wanted to hold her there for hours. 

"Vynx…?" Hilde hesitantly wrapped her arms around his back. Up close, she could hear his heartbeat thumping steadily in his chest. An even rhythm that was as unwavering as his dedication to her. Slowly, her body relaxed, and she squeezed him tight. 

"I'm no good at saying these things. Never was," Vynx murmured. He stroked the back of Hilde's head, running his hand down her long, strawberry locks. "But I accept all of you, Hilde. You don't need to be all-powerful or flawless. Just… stay with me, alright?"

Hilde felt her chest tighten and tears well up in her eyes. She lowered her head onto his shoulder and nodded. There was so much more she wanted to ask Vynx, and so much closer she wanted to be to him. Deep down, she knew he wasn't quite hers, but she was already his. 

"Cheer up, Hilde. Even if you can't remember your past life, you've still got the rest of this one ahead of you." The hunter was reluctant to pull away, but eventually released her. Standing out in the cold would do neither of them any good, and he would much prefer cuddling her in the comfort of their inn room.

"I… suppose that's one way of looking at it," Hilde conceded. She was aware that Vynx was clumsy with his words, but it was something she had grown fond of. 

"To be honest, I almost envy you. You've got a clean slate and nothing holding you back from doing anything you want to do. Try as I might, not even a dozen bottles of wine can help me forget a bad day," he chuckled under his breath. He kept his arm draped over her shoulder as they walked back to town, no longer caring what scolding looks he might receive for having his hands on a priestess. Even Vynx could be jealous, once in a while.