Author's note— I've fixed the first two chapters after some much needed time away, and reflection. Despite changing some of the things I did not like I've kept most of it the same for those of you who were here from the start. As always your comments and advice mean the world to me, i'm happy to have you here.
Disclaimer — I do not own Bloodborne or anything in it.
Music: Young the Giant — Something To Believe In
I. Exhilaration
A nightmare consumed as it held Maria in place, trapped in its dark unyielding clutches, unable to escape. Movement—minimal but there, in her finger tips as they twitched slightly. She needed to know what this was, this dark abyss that consumed her body and mind. Sensations rose as her conscience rejected her unknown captor. A light pierced through, granting sight to her weary eyes—blurred but all that was needed. She could make out what was her body and garb, bloodied and lifeless, sitting limp in a chair.
Panic rose,what's going on? What is this? A burning pain stirred in her throat—not one of thirst no, but of torn flesh. She wanted to escape, but no matter how hard her mind rejected—how hard she fought, she remained trapped in her torment. Her stillness felt eternal to her, how long had it been since she first regained her sight along with the pain she felt? She wanted to scream out, to clutch her aching throat, or be able to do anything to relieve this agony. In her blurred sight she saw what looked like a hand reaching out to her. A voice called her name sweetly, breaking Maria from her prison. Maria lunged her hand forward grasping hard to the arm reaching out to her before she awoke.
In a daze Maria's light green eyes dilated with the harsh sun peeking through her curtains. A cold sensation surrounded her head along with a painful migraine, no doubt due to yet another intense nightmare. She rested her hand against her forehead, pressing the throbbing pale skin beneath her soft finger tips. Maria remained like this for a moment before hearing a knock at her bedroom door.
"Lady Maria, the queen has requested your presence immediately!" A Cainhurst knight called out all to loudly for her current state. Maria turned her head to glare at the door hoping he could somehow feel her annoyance leak through the wood, soon giving up the act as she rolled listlessly out of bed. She made her way to her wardrobe pulling out her custom garb. Taking a moment to glance over it, looking for the blood that the nightmare had shown but none was found. She consciously ran her fingers across her neck, feeling the unbroken skin as she shuddered. Maria quickly adorned her outfit when she heard yet another knock on her door. She fastened her light blonde hair into her usual pony tail before picking up her sheathed sword, Rakuyo and her pistol Evelyn. She shot the knight a dirty look when she opened to door to see his fingers prepared to rasp yet again on her door.
"What does queen Annalise require this time?" Maria sighed, still feeling the headache pound away. The knight made no attempt to answer her, she expected this reaction but it did nothing to lessen her annoyance. They all seemed distant—inhuman perhaps in their behavior, they only seemed to carry a form of actual conversation if it was their queen involving them and no one else. However she became content, this gave her time to clear her mind as they walked along Cainhurst's decorative halls. Nearing the throne room stairs Maria noted the creepy statues of men riding their horses, and women idly posing for no one in particular. The statues had once been in the castle's courtyards, but for whatever reason the queen had requested they be moved to a singular hallway that led to her throne. She started to feel like everything around her had been going insane, including herself.
Entering the throne room Maria noticed her queen pacing back and forth, venting some unknown frustration to another one of her knights. Maria approached the throne and knelt down in courtesy, placing her left hand on her heart and her right outstretched to the side of her.
"Thou art so incompetent to allow such weak prey to ruin thee?" Annalise fumed as she crossed her exposed and paled arms awaiting a response from the knight in question.
"I apologize my queen, but this one isn't like the others, h-he is a mad beast! I watched him cut down Lular and Verner like they were nothing and I barely escaped with my life…" he bowed his head, clutching his bleeding arm in pain.
"Coward, begone from my sight at once!" Annalise turned her back on the man and elegantly lowered herself in her throne, smoothing out her silken black dress as the knight crept away. Annalise frowned apologetically as she finally turned her attention to Maria "Now then, my dear Maria, I did not disturb thine sleep by waking you so early did I?"
"No my queen, I had just woken up when your knight arrived." Maria smiled.
"Maria, please. Address me as aunt or Annalise. I do not require thou to address me by such titles." She chuckled at Maria's polite formalities. "Now raise thine head." Maria obeyed her queens command lifting her face to meet Annalise's frustrated expression.
"What troubles you Annalise?" Maria asked in genuine concern. Annalise remained quiet for a moment, possibly contemplating how to carefully convey her problem to Maria.
"There has been an issue as of late. The lower city citizens continue to harass my knights with some rumors of a killing beast. I need thee to dispose of the creature so I can return to more pressing matters." Annalise sighed as she began to play with her blonde hair. Looking more bored then concerned.
"I understand aunt Annalise, is that all?" Maria asked curiously. She had never seen Annalise request her personally, mostly because her proud knight have never failed in the past. Maria's days were spent standing at Annalise's side as her personal guard, so what made this case so difficult for her soldiers?
"I need thee to track this animal down and dispose of it in a quiet manner. I trust you to carry out this task, Maria?" Annalise sighed in annoyance.
"I will see to it at once, Annalise." Maria bowed her head, noting Annalise's impatience on the topic before standing to leave.
"Oh, one last thing Maria. Thou must bring back this beast's blood once thou art finished." Annalise demanded before Maria exited the throne room.
Annalise had been unable—or unwilling, to provide any information other then what she voiced in the throne room. Maria had nothing to go on, or even where to start looking for this beast. And why did Annalise need the creatures blood?
Her circumstances left her no choice but to ask around in the beast's apparent hunting grounds, the low town. Maria made her way through the lower city streets with caution, occasionally catching civilians glaring at her in disgust or others with fear. Its true, Annalise wasn't the most compassionate queen especially in recent events that even Maria questioned. But to see this amount of resentment towards any noble or knight of Cainhurst made her curious to its origin. Maria continued walking until she arrived at her destination, the lower towns blacksmith.
The building had be torn to shambles since the last time she visited so many years ago when she began her training as a knight. There wasn't even a door left at the entrance, it looked almost abandoned. Maria respectively knocked on the side of the door frame before entering the house.
"Hello? Alvis its me, Maria." She cautiously made her way through the workshop, glancing around at some finished and unfinished Hunter weapons. She stopped at one in particular, a Threaded Cane very much like the one she started her training with. She reached out, resting her gloved finger tips against the metal—losing herself for a moment in the nostalgia it brought her.
"Don't you know not to touch what doesn't belong to you girl." a raspy voice rang out from behind Maria, making her jump in surprise. She turned around to face the man she had been looking for. Alvis stood tall easily toppling Maria's height, his bearded face turned into a firm frown as he glared at her.
"What brings you here, your highness." He spat in a mocking tone.
"Ah, forgive me Alvis." Maria bowed politely before continuing. "I'm here on business from queen Annalise, she seeks a certain… beast who has been creating a disturbance among the citizens of Cainhurst."
"Hmph, spare me your pleasantries. You lot have been letting this animal roam and kill for weeks, why care now?" Alvis grumbled as he took a seat in a nearby wooden chair, gesturing Maria to join him with a wave of his hand. Maria did as he requested, concerned masking her features. Annalise knew about this for weeks?
"So what exactly have ya heard about this beast that's been rampagin' about?" Alvis spoke, breaking Maria's thoughts.
"Not much. Only that it has been attacking innocent civilians around the low town." Maria frowned, crossing her arms.
"Hmph that much is true, if only you cared to notice sooner." He glanced at Maria, "Maybe the animal will like the taste of royalty instead of poverty, eh Maria? Think you can take this beast?"
"I'll be fine Alvis, now please can you direct me on how to find this… beast?" Maria asked politely, ignoring his taunts. Alvis just scoffed in response.
"Lately stories of fishermen have been found mauled at the pier durin' the night, I would start there lass." Alvis rose from his chair taking a seat at his forge. "Maybe we can eat again if you kill the monster before he gets them all." He snorted and began banging his anvil on some unknown weapon.
"My thanks Alvis..." Maria sighed, noticing Alvis' slimming figure for the first time. As she exited his workshop she couldn't help but notice less people had been roaming the streets from when she entered Alvis' home that late afternoon. These poor people, have they really been spending weeks under the monsters torment? Worse, why had she not heard about it in the castle until now? Had Annalise kept this from her? She turned herself towards the direction of the docks and hastened her movements. Resolved to stop the beast tonight before it claimed any other victims, or continue to ruin the already poor image Annalise had let there family fall to by ignoring this issue.
Maria approached the pier from a dirt side road, it seemed peaceful enough but empty. Would the beast even attack here with no one around? Maria rested her hand against the railing leading down to the wooden docks. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no blood, no signs of battle or struggle.
Maria continued on to examine the boats occasionally bouncing with the waters current, but they too displayed no signs of being disturbed. Had Alvis lied to her? No—the man practically wants her dead that couldn't be it, what was she missing then? The only other thing she could hear was the faint lapping of the waves along the beach around her, and the cold gusts of wind playing with the hair on either side of her pale face. Then she felt it—something ripped through her flesh in an instant, pushing her forward, leaving her no time to react. She watched her blood spray across the water-logged wood in front of her, as a throbbing pain pulsed from her now torn left shoulder.
"What…?" Maria rolled forward with the momentum from the unknown attack behind her. She spun around gripping her left shoulder to see a shadow of a figure standing almost inhumanly tall before her. How did it sneak up on me with such a hulking size? She gritted her teeth frustrated with her momentary lack of perception.
"Seems I missed your head… no matter, I'll just keep swinging until there's nothing left of ya." the beast laughed with an under toned growl lacing his words. Maria took several steps back putting distance between her and the creature. The beast followed her revealing himself in the full moons faint light, bearing his teeth in a snarled grin. Maria's eyes widened, the beast stood nearly twice her size, fur spiked out of his body everywhere, and claws that tore apart the wooden docks as it walked on its hind legs towards her. The beast held a Hunters weapon in its right hand, unfamiliar to Maria as to what design it originated but resembled some form of sword.
Why does it have a Hunter's weapon?
"So you can speak, beast?" Maria gritted her teeth in pain as she clutched at her fresh wound, refusing to take her eyes off the monster. "What the hell are you?" She demanded.
"Oh… your blood smells so... delicious." He took a short glance at Maria's wound, ignoring her words. "Oh yes… I would have more!" He laughed madly lifting his weapon above his head, unlinking the joints along the blade before resting it atop his massive shoulders.
Maria took her hand off of her injured shoulder and placed her bloodied glove on the hilt of her sword, removing it from its sheath. Rakuyo glowed in the moons reflection as she slowly drew her blade before extending it in front of her, resting her other hand on the hilt as the other ripped the dagger from Rakuyo's end. She raised her her good arm wielding Rakuyo's sword half and pointed it at the beast.
"I suppose it does not matter now, you're nothing more then a murderous bastard." She spat in frustration. The beast only howled in mad laughter as a response. He glared down at Maria as he lifted his arm wielding the linked sword and swung it down well away from her position. She watched the sword unhook further as it barreled towards her.
"Damn it!" Maria dodged out of the way as the now unlinked blade crashed into the wooden planks behind her, making the floor unstable as it cracked further from the impact point. She examined the way the blade moved, understanding what this weapon was now. Very similar in design to the Threaded Cane, just more weight and power. Extended reach but very sluggish in its attacks, enough for her to have a small advantage with her speed. She stumbled before regaining her footing and pushed herself forward towards the beast, curling her right arm near her body before moving to extend it in a diagonal slash.
"You're mine now." The beast roared as he retracted his arm along with his weapon.
Maria glanced behind her watching the sword relink joint by joint as it approached her at an unexpected speed. She had no time to react, she would have to give up her wounded arm at minimum to avoid dying by the returning blade. Maria moved to dodge, fully prepared to sacrifice her limb, until she felt something else crash against her, pushing her down into the wooden planks some distance away. Whatever hit Maria was now enveloping her in a warm embrace, holding gently while being cautious enough to avoid her wounded shoulder.
"Are you all right?" A soft feminine voice asked as they lifted themselves off of Maria.
Maria squirmed and looked up in confusion at her savior. The woman was beautiful, adorning a long gray coat that fitted to her body's subtle curves. Her long and spiked black hair flowed down her shoulders and along her pale face as her deep blue eyes locked with Maria's. Maria could only nod in a dazed response—feeling the blood rush out of her shoulder. The unknown woman noted Maria's discomfort before reaching into her coat, searching for something.
"Who are you?" Maria moved to stand up but the woman placed her free hand on top of Maria's good shoulder, holding her down. Maria opened her mouth to protest but let out a small noise of pain instead as the unknown woman stabbed a syringe into her leg. "What the hell are you doing!?"
"Please trust me, I'll explain later, now stand." She gripped Maria's arm lifting her up on to her feet—holding her still, keeping her stable. "Let that drain before taking it out, in the mean time I will handle him." she pointed her thumb back in the direction of the growling beast, it was now licking Maria's own blood off of its massive blade.
Maria glanced at the vial, seeing what seemed to be blood draining slowly into her body. Is... this a Hunter's healing vial? She glanced up at the woman, seeing the Hunter's symbol pinned to her coat. The unknown Hunter turned on her heel while grasping the hilt of her own weapon, pulling it from its sheath. Maria recognized the blade immediately, a Chikage katana native to Cainhurst. Was this woman born in Cainhurst herself? Without hesitation the Hunter rushed at the beast, her Chikage turned downwards at her right side.
"More blood! MORE!" The beast cackled, lapping up the last of Maria's blood with its long tongue before swinging the jointed sword towards the unknown female.
The Hunter blocked the blade with her Chikage, placing one of her hands against the blunt end of blade to help stop the hulking sword dead in its advance before knocking it away. She re-sheathed her Chikage before taking it out once again this time however, a thick coating of blood was attached to the blade's edge. She returned her free hand back to her katana and ran the blade directly into the beasts rough flesh. Chikage released the blood coating its edge, cutting even deeper—spilling the beast's blood from behind. He howled in agony as the blood burned against his torn hide. The beast dropped his weapon and clutched his wound before letting out an ear piercing snarl. His red eyes locked on his attacker.
Maria felt the pain dim in her shoulder as she ripped the syringe from her leg, picking up Rakuyo with her free hand. She started running towards the now distraught beast. Maria lunged passed the female Hunter when she was close enough, pushing her sword deep into the distracted beasts chest before turning on her heel and ripping Rakuyo outwards from his torso. The beasts howled, writhing in pain on the floor for several tense seconds before going limp.
"Well done, your highness." The female Hunter smiled at Maria as she sheathed her katana, displaying signs of fatigue through labored breathing, most likely from Chikage's use of her own blood. "I gotta admit I didn't think you'd be able to move around so quickly after a wound like that, usually the blood vials take a little longer to heal." She pulled out another vial and placed it into her own leg this time.
"So it was a Hunter's healing vial, you're a Hunter then?" Maria tenderly removed her half-cape from her wounded shoulder before examining the damage. Her eyes widened when she could find no injury where the Beast Cutter had ripped through her flesh, only a faint scar remained and dried blood.
"That's right, blessed from the healing church itself. Without it you would have bled out by now your highness." The female Hunter approached Maria, eyeing her with curiosity as Maria placed her Rakuyo back inside its sheath.
"Please, call me Maria." Maria stiffened to her advance, unsure still on how to feel about this odd Hunter. So she knows I am from Castle Cainhurst as well? "May I now ask your name in return?"
The Hunter smiled and bowed respectively before her.
"My name is Luvenia. I've been looking for you, Lady Maria of Cainhurst."