The Fishing Hamlet was silent with only the rain making any noise, Maria noted that none of the inhabitants were being hostile like normal, in fact they were prostrating themselves before her and this man- no this Great One she was walking side by side with.
Others however, still held bitter resentment for Maria and risked the Great One's wrath as they hurled harpoons at Maria intent on killing her. Vridd however, had other ideas as he deftly snatched an incoming harpoon from the air and threw it back at its owner impaling him through the neck and dropping him like a bag of stones, "Maybe now they'll have more respect for a lady of your standing." Vridd said making Maria look away for a moment, surely he was jesting, she thought to herself as the slightest tinge of a blush burned on her cheeks when she realized it was a genuine compliment.
With some minor annoyances along the way Vridd stopped as he watched a man who was grievously wounded, shuffle his way into a shack, "Simon..." Maria said with a sad expression on her face as the two started toward the cottage, Maria herself chose to wait outside while Vridd walked inside.
Simon looked up at the imposing man who walked in and smiled tiredly, "come to finish what he started?" He asked, prompting a curious look from the Great One, "No, but what have you done to earn these wounds?" Vridd asked as Simon grimaced, "I made a real botch of things is what I did." Simon paused, "I came too close to discovering the truth of this Hunter's Nightmare, now I can hear the bell... That damned bell of his, and because I can hear it, he's after me." Simon said with every breath coming as a gasping wheeze.
Vridd had an idea of whom he was being hunted by, that peculiar man in the cell who had asked if he could hear his bell and in truth he hadn't, though he was easily an old man, but so was Gehrman and he had not lost his touch in combat either, "Please... I need you to do something for me sir..." Simon asked rousing him from his thoughts, he gave no answer, but Simon continued, "...This village is the true secret. Testament to the old sins..." He paused for a moment, "...It feeds this Hunter's Nightmare..." He said, pausing once more to steady his breathing, "...Please, bring to an end the horror..." He asked, clearly begging this of him as his breathing grew more and more shallow, "...So our forefathers sinned?" He asked, looking not at Vridd, but at the floor as his life started to pool out around him, "...We hunters cannot bear their weight forever..." He said as tears began streaming from under his blindfold, "...It isn't fair, it just isn't fair..." He said before letting out a final rasping breath as he slumped over, as Maria walked in with a sigh.
Gaile and Nerco were awoken by the creeping light of the Nightmare Frontier's daytime cycle, as the two got dressed from their evening of passion. "We should see why Luna was so afraid of this area that she marked it as certain death, Gaile." Nerco said as she walked up to him clad only in her undergarments.
The two shared a quick but no less fiery kiss as Onnen coughed into her hand to get their attention, "Thaeon and I are with you on whatever you're planning." Nerco nodded and finished setting her armor in place, grabbing her sword and running it into the sash around her waist, before she turned to Gaile and nodded.
The two walked out of their shelter to be greeted by Onnen and Thaeon, and as Onnen said, they were waiting, "You know Nerco, from what I heard last night, you two had a hell of a time." He said making her blush, and she cursed the fact that she had forgotten Thaeon had been sleeping on top of their shelter.
Thaeon rested a hand on Nerco's shoulder, "Hey, that was a compliment, I'm happy you found someone." He said as he spared Onnen a longing glance but looked away before she noticed, but Nerco saw everything.
She knew how much Thaeon loved Onnen but he was so afraid of possible rejection that he opted to sit on the sidelines, contenting himself with merely being at her side and she respected him far too much to say anything on his behalf.
Several hours passed as Gaile, Nerco, Onnen, and Thaeon walked through a stone archway into what had to be an arena, as a veil of Nightmare Fog sealed them in, "The fuck? Why?" Thaeon asked, "That's why." Onnen said as an Amygdala dropped from its hanging perch atop a tower on the distance to greet the four of them.
The Great One could tell from a glance that Nerco was pregnant and as such it could do these four no harm, so it simply stood and watched. "Its because of the Prophecy, it won't risk injuring or killing Nerco or us since we're close to her." Thaeon said and Gaile nodded, "Looks like we're going to be stuck in here until someone ends this stalemate then." Gaile said, leveling a glare at the Amygdala, something it did right back.
Back in the Fishing Hamlet, Vridd and Maria began to hear the tolling of a bell and Maria grimaced at what was to come next. "You ignored my advice sir... Now reap your reward." Brador said as he appeared in a haze of red at the opposite end of a long rope bridge, his weapon in hand.
Vridd however, was not in the mood as white arcane light glowed on the edge of his blade, "Reality Slash." He stated in a dull, almost unamused tone of voice as he swung his sword and bisected the invading specter, banishing it back to the abyss whence it came.
These annoyances came and went another four times before they reached the shoreline where the corpse of Kos lay. Soon enough, Vridd saw the twitching of life within her as her abdomen distended horribly and the life within her moved toward her decayed nethers. An arm pale in complexion and appearing somewhat decomposed emerged from and pushed apart her folds to escape.
Kosma's orphaned child seemingly ignored the two and looked up at the eye of Kos watching over the Nightmare and began to weep.
Maria was hesitant to approach and rightfully so. This thing had been a demon on two legs when she fought it before, back when she was still alive. Even then, she had Gehrman, Ludwig, Eileen, and Laurence assisting. Now she was to do it again with the help of Kos' brother, but instead Vridd embraced the orphan as his kin. Though its milky white eyes were sightless the Orphan of Kos knew it was being held by family and let its guard down, exactly what Vridd wanted as he ruthlessly snapped its neck. "Forgive me Kosma..." He said as crimson tears flowed from his eyes. Soon after, he noticed the spirit of the Orphan kneeling beside him, his form pristine and uncorrupted by decay. Before Vridd could react, it dissipated and the Orphan flowed out to sea, where the spirit form of his mother appeared alongside him. Next to Vridd from seemingly nowhere, was the villager they encountered on the outskirts of the Hamlet.
The Villager looked out to sea with a smile before speaking. "Ah... Sweet child of Kos... Returned to the ocean, a bottomless curse... A bottomless sea, accepting of all that their is... And can be." He said before wandering off and Kos appeared to Vridd in spirit form one last time. "Thank you Vriddja for setting my son free from his torment." She said planting a loving kiss upon his forehead as her form dissipated and was carried out to sea on the Northeastern gale.
With his business concluded, he approached Maria and tenderly grasped her hand and a mark appeared in its surface. "This is a rune that frees you of your bonds to the Nightmare, so long as I still draw breath you are free to move throughout the realms as I do." He said as he visualized in his minds eye, the Nightmare Frontier. Before the two of them, a rift opened up and so Maria and Vridd ventured forth into its pitch black depths.
The staring match between Amygdala, the Hunter, and the three Keepers continued well into the night as Vridd and Maria appeared in a sheltered alcove within the Nightmare Frontier and patiently sat down waiting for daylight so they could move. Vridd watched a creature of the Nightmare skitter along the ground only for something to swallow the creature, pulling it into the earth with a burst of loose soil, chunks of rock, and a large spray of blood.
Hours passed as daylight filters into the cave and Maria and Vridd begin their trek from the cave and into the depths of this layer of the Nightmare World within the Dreamlands.
The staredown between the five continued unabated until a translucent white shockwave sailed through the air bisecting the Amygdala vertically up the middle as its two halves fell to the ground and the barrier disappeared, soon after, Nerco and Onnen doubled over clutching their abdomens directly where their wombs were located as heavy blushes burned on both their cheeks. "Hello Lady D'Arcaand, and Lady Veronique" Vridd said with a smirk as he walked into the arena, "Oh shit... Gaile get outta he- hrk!" Thaeon started to say as he too was forced to take a knee in the presence of his lord and maker "You... Must be the Hunter." Vridd said as his ember orange eyes bored into Gaile's golden amber orbs.
Gaile grit his teeth in the presence of what was obviously a Great One, and if he had to guess, "Vriidjainkoaren, am I correct?" He said and the Great One smiled, "Flora has certainly done a good job educating her latest plaything." He paused, confusing Gaile. "Do tell me Good Hunter, has She taken you to her bed chambers yet?" He asked, making Nerco glare daggers at Vridd.
He felt Nerco's gaze and smirked, "Dear oh dear, I've upset the princess." He said turning to face Nerco as he walked over to her and knent down beside her placing a hand on her shoulder, "Lady D'Arcaand, would you kindly rid me of these three annoyances?" He asked as her eyes widened in horror, knowing she could not refuse an order from he, her maker as she stood on shaky legs, tears flowing from her eyes as they started to glow like white hot metal and her sclera were consumed by hues of scarlet.
She moved in a blur of motion, slashing Gaile deeply across his chest as her now blank expression stared him in the face causing him to let out a grunt of pain as tears flowed freely from Nerco's eyes, "Vridd! What did you do to her you bastard!?" Gaile yelled as he dashed to avoid Nerco while Vridd sat and watched, Gaile had never wanted to kill another flesh and blood being as much as he wanted to kill Vridd right now.
Nerco on the other hand was trapped inside her own body watching helplessly as she moved again and again trying to murder the man she loved, tears streamed from her eyes as her heart was slowly torn apart more and more every time she succeeded in harming Gaile further, "Stop... Please stop... I don't want this!" She screamed out as her body froze dropping her blades as she fell to her knees clutching her head screaming as pain assaulted every nerve in her body.
Gaile took his chance on a risk and wrapped his arms around Nerco in an attempt to bring her back she looked up at him her eyes had returned to cool violet but the red tinge to her sclera remained, "I can't fight it much longer Gaile..." She paused and captured him in a fierce kiss that he returned, she broke away and held a dagger over her chest, "Please Gaile... I don't want to watch you die... Kill me before I lose control again..." She said, as Gaile grabbed and tossed the blade away, "No chance in hell!" He yelled still hugging her to his frame.
In a last desperate attempt to help her, he pressed his forehead to hers and concentrated, "Nerco, you once told me that I didn't have enough faith in myself as a Hunter, well I'm going to tell you the very same for yourself." Gaile said as he held the mental connection with her. "You are a warrior of Loran, you're stronger than this. Fight it. Fight it tooth and nail!" He spoke to her through their mental connection before He was hoisted away into the air by Vridd who had a firm hold on his neck.
The Great One, Vridd sneered at Gaile. "Its absolutely adorable watching you try to save her, but its futile, The Creator chooses, and the Slaves obey." He said as he formed his hand into a spear point for a visceral attack, only for Nerco's blade to punch through his arms, forcing him to release his hold on Gaile as she violently twisted the blade, "I am nobody's slave... I am Lady Nerco of House D'Arcaand and if you wish not to be destroyed Vriddjainkoaren, you will leave. me. ALONE!" She said defiantly, having forced his influence under heel before blasting him back with a burst of violet flame taking her blade from its hilt with a metallic ringing.
Vridd began to chuckle as tge dust kicked up by his landing began to settle, "What is this that I'm witnessing that allows you to defy your maker?" He asked her as the tiny patches of flame that defiantly clung to the surface of his coat continued to burn, "Love?" He asked again, "Truly this is an annoyance worthy of my time and effort to investigate." He said as Nerco's blade began to glow white hot as it liquefied after he ripped it from ir forearm and started to fade away, "You and I will most assuredly meet again Hunter, and on that day... death... death will come straight for you." He said as his presence vanished entirely.
Thaeon and Onnen recovered and joined Gaile and Nerco, both wearing apologetic looks, "We should have had your back you two..." Onnen said quickly, "Onnen... Its okay he is our maker he will always hold some sway over us." Nerco paused, hugging Onnen the way a sister would, "As long as Vridd still lives, we Keepers of the Old Lords will never truly be free." She said to her which reignited the flame of determination within Onnen and Thaeon both.
Unbeknownst to the party of four the Amygdala held a breach within its very being that opened as its corpse collapsed in upon itself sucking the four into its blackened depths, their next destination unknown.
Onnen and Thaeon found themselves outside the Eleventh Division Barracks and quickly got to their feet, "Seems like Vridd wants Gaile and Nerco to himself if the breach sent us back here..." Thaeon surmised and Onnen nodded her agreement as the two walked into the Barracks and started to make preparations for the final battle yet to come.
Gaile and Nerco however, found themselves flung to the far north of Yharnam's territory as Castle Cainhurst loomed before them. "This isnt good... This isnt good at all." Gaile said as he noticed Nerco starting to shiver in the extreme cold and hugged her to his frame letting her draw warmth from him as the two ascended the stairs outside to be met by a welcoming committee of six Cainhurst Knights, "Her Magesty would have audience with you Good Hunter, your guest as well, kindly follow us." The most decorated of the six spoke as two Knights gathered up the rear, with one on either side of Gaile and Nerco, with the Captain and her Lieutenant taking the front as they were escorted to the Throne Room.
Gaile and Nerco were left before Queen Annalise, and Gaile was loathe to kneel before the Vileblood Queen but knew better than to forego his manners, as he knelt down before her, Nerco followed suit with a well hidden look of begrudging respect for the Queen seated before her.
Annalise smiled at Gaile, she looked far better than last he saw her, her skin was fuller and more youthful it was obvious she had recently fed, and extremely well at that, "Moon Scented Hunter and his Honored Guest, we bid thee rise to thine feet." She said with an inviting warmth, "It is our assumption that thou wish to remain in Cainhurst no longer than thou must Good Hunter?" And Gaile nodded, "I assume the roads are far too treacherous for travel?" Gaile asked and the Queen nodded, yes, there will be an opening to transport you both to Hemwick Charnel in three days time." She said with a pause, "Until then, wouldst thou kindly remain as guests of our hospitality?" She asked, and Gaile accepted, again knowing better than to refuse her.
Gaile and Nerco were led to a spacious and extravagant room for guests staying over and given keys to lock the door if they left.
Once truly alone with Gaile, Nerco relaxed her guard and was comforted by him, "Three days, we can do this Nerco." Gaile said as he laid down in the soft bed and hugged Nerco to his frame both not realizing how exhausted they truly were until they finally laid down, as sleep took them instantly.
The next morning arrived and to no one's surprise the frozen maelstrom surrounding Cainhurst was still going strong. Nerco woke first and opted for a bath, she was greeted by a servant assigned to tend Her and Gaile's every need upon exiting their room after leaving a note for Gaile for when he woke up.
Nerco and her escort walked the halls of the Castle at a steady pace on their way to the Bath Hall, "Its almost like being back home..." Nerco mused, gaining the attention of the servant walking beside her, "Milady?" She responded gaining Nerco's attention. "Oh, pay me no mind, I'm just thinking back on something that I left behind, many, many lifetimes ago." Nerco said with a wistful sigh, to which the servant replied with another question, "Do you ever miss it? The life you once had as a Noblewoman of Loran?" She asked making Nerco seriously stop to ponder, "I suppose no... I don't miss it at all, my Father was such a cold man, He cared more for the status of the family name more than his eldest Daughter's happiness." She said bitterly, "Truth be told, I had always known he wished that I had been born a man instead of a woman." Nerco said with genuine sadness in her voice. Before they knew it, the servant had lead Nerco yo the Bath Hall.
The Servant bowed to Nerco and opened the door for her, "I'll arrange for some fresh towels, and a change of clothes, and if you would like, I can have your armor sent to our craftsman to be polished?" She asked Nerco and after a moment, she nodded, "I dont see see an issue with that." Nerco said with a smile as she closed the door.
The hot water of the bath had been just what she needed as she let out a sigh of contentment that to gutter minded individuals might have been mistaken as a moan of pleasure whilst she relaxed in the hot water which had been treated with revitalizing mineral deposits that reminded her a great deal of the mineral baths she took at home before she was cast out by her Father.
She allowed herself to soak for a good thirty minutes before she began to wash herself with a lavender scented lather in an ornate glass bottle that when she thought about it had a similar shape To Gaile's Beasthood, surely no one would notice, she thought as she reached for the bottle and slowly slid it into her nethers beneath tge surface of the water, causing her to release a moan of pleasure that was exaxtly what it sounded like to anyone that might be eavesdropping on her.
She continued to pleasure herself with the container for another thirty minutes gradually working the bulge of what would be a knot into her depths before she reached the widest point and with a little more easing it slipped right inside granting her an intense orgasm. Coming down from her pleasured high, Nerco let out short moans and mewls as she tried to work her muscles to push the container back out, a minimal effort on her part but still she preferred the real thing, she made sure to wash the container in the hot water as she placed it back with the others and got out.
Wrapping a long towel around herself, She found the Cainhurst equivalent to her usual attire a white tunic with silver filigree trim, that would have suited her were she not an exile of her household a pair of white underwear which to her keen eye were pristine and indeed never worn, along with white thigh highs to go with it it almost seemed like they had made a photo negative coloration of her armor whilst her regular set was being tended to by their craftsman.
She stepped out of the bathroom to find Gaile waiting for her, "They tried to bring you a dress... I told them that they would never see you in it." Gaile said warmly making her smile, "I can imagine the Queen will want to see me dressed as a proper lady at some point though Gaile, and for both our sakes... I will acquiesce" she said, raising up on the tips of the boots she was given to kiss Gaile, something that made two servants at tge far end of the hall giggle with blushes on their faces as they rounded the corner.
The two spent much time exploring the areas of the Castle that Annalise allowed them to, the areas they weren't to visit were posted by guards to advise them on a different path it seemed the entire West Wing was off limits to them under the pretense that it was unstable and was being worked on by a servant party.
Dinner came sooner than expected and of course they joined Annalise, Nerco was held up, because as she'd predicted the Queen wished to see her dress as a proper lady, when she walked out into the Dining Hall wearing a richly pigmented violet Bordeaux Dress, Gaile was stunned as she took her seat next to him, "You look beautiful." He murmured into her ear, making Nerco blush a little, "Flattery will only get you so far Good Hunter." She said playfully making Annalise smile, "Ah, to be young and in love, we remember our youth so fondly though back then we were merely Princess of Castle Cainhurst." She said with a small smile that just showed a glimpse of her fangs.
After an evening spent with the Queen, the two retired to the guest room provided to them. Annalise was a pleasant person to be around, more so than Gaile remembered, this was something that gnawed away at him endlessly as he drifted off with Nerco held protectively against him, sure, anyone can change in ten years, but he didn't see her being such a person, only time would tell for sure, but for now, he would keep up his facade of pleasantry...
If only for another two days until they were being carried away to Hemwick Charnel never to see the Forsaken Castle of Cainhurst again if luck was on their side.