Chapter 1: Round Two
Fate is a cruel thing
"Why is that creature here? I'm no where near the deeper levels!"
I found myself on the fifth floor, trying my luck to make some more money for my familia, when a minotaur appeared.
I never understood that in my youth of ignorance
I ran more and more, trying to escape the monster on my tail. A level 2 monster shouldn't have been anywhere close to the upper floors. Wh-? No! A dead end!
Help? There was none for me
"I'm sorry goddess. Looks like you'll be alone again."
Everything blacked out as I felt the brute's blade cleave me in two.
Death opened my eyes to the truth
"Well look at that. You little ones have found yourselves a new hunter."
The nightmare, made me a man
The Hunter's Dream puzzled me for awhile, but the Doll comforted me as the night progressed
"Welcome home good Hunter."
"Its good to see you too, again." I smiled at her, while she continued to give me a blank stare.
I would've been nothing more, then another beast, if it weren't for him
"Get back up man..." I turned my head up to see the speaker.
He stood there a top of the lamp post, his tricorn hat obscuring his eyes from me. While I was still in my adventurer's armor, he wore the average Hunter's garb.
"... or are you a boy?" He dodged my shot at his head, then he laughed.
"Good, good! You're not over thinking things anymore. Why don't slay some beasts?"
Other than my skill updates with the Doll and the Old man, we quickly traveled throughout Ynarham.
Saving lives and taking names.
However, James (the hunter) and I were at a loss for words once we reached the Hunter's Nightmare.
Once it's trials were over, we drunk a bit of whiskey at the Church.
For the dead.
All of the residents of Ynarham we had ever saved grew quite as we all raised a glass. The children had some water while the rest of us had the whiskey.
"Here's to Maria, and the rest of the good Hunters who've perished to get us were we all are."
That night, James gave me a bell, telling me to ring it if I ever needed him.
He left, saying he needed to follow a lead on ending the nightmare.
Not too long later, I found Eileen wounded on the cathedral steps.
The few times I'd ever seen the older woman, James had been trying to make her laugh.
I knew that despite the age gap between the two (James was about, if not more so, my age), they loved each other.
Before I could bust the doors down, they swung open. James was covered in blood, Eileen's Blades of Mercy in his hands. He barely nodded my way in acknowledgement as he walked to Eileen.
"The Bloody Crow breaths no more, Eileen," he whispered.
"You should've left him be, I could've taken him," she grumbled weakly.
James smiled underneath his hat, I could see his love for Eileen in his eyes.
"I knew you could. My love."
She had him keep her blades before passing away.
James buried her at the Church, where we had a service in her memory before he departed, telling me to get stronger.
Upon my return to the Dream after Mergo's death, the workshop caught alight. I turned to the Doll for help
"Help me put out the fire!" She just stood there, watching the house burn.
"Gehrman requires your presence in the garden."
When I reached the old man, he offered to send me home, with no recollection of the Hunt.
I refused.
He was too fast for me to catch up, let alone, handle. Too strong, and too cunning as well. I tripped in our last exchange of blades, and there he stood, scythe in hand. Before he could cleave me in two, we heard it.
RING!
It came from my bell!
Before Gehrman could finish me off, he was pushed back by gun fire. I scrambled to my feet and saw James putting away his blunderbuss to use the Blades of Mercy.
"Gehrman. Tonight, Bell and I end the Hunt!"
When Gehrman came to an end, the moon above us shattered, revealing the biggest Great One I've ever seen.
James picked up Gehrman's Burial Blade, and I readied my Saw Cleaver in response.
"Heh Bell."
"Yes James?"
"Have you ever seen one of those things bleed?" I showed off a huge grin in response.
"Yes."
"Good. Then let's show this Great One that real gods don't bleed!"
The minotaur appeared like I believed it would, but it seemed, slower , than I expected.
"Bell! Catch!" I quickly threw a knife, that I don't remember having this morning, into its eye, blinding the creature for a quick second.
It was enough time for me to catch what the familiar voice threw to me.
That's when everything came rushing back
"Thanks James!" He gave me a thumbs-up, still wearing his Hunter's gear.
"Kick some ass for me."
Don't worry
I glared at the monster that'd originally killed me.
"Time for round two you fucker!" I flipped my Saw Cleaver into its extended form, before charging the beast.
Tonight, Bell Cranel joins the Hunt!