On the second day of the week-long festival, the Raven had managed to catch that girl during a moment that she was alone. It seemed as if she was always being supervised by her annoying father, or surrounded by her even more annoying friends. Both of whom he only bothered to remember to recognise so that he knew when would be a good time to approach, and hadn't bothered to remember any of their names. Why would he? He only needs one, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to forget the name of that infuriating girl. Just her mere existence was beginning to spoil his plans.
At this moment, she was leaning against one of the buildings near the town center, a nondescript cup in her hand and a pensive expression on her face as she stared out at the crowd of people. None of her friends appeared to be near her, and her father was off in the crowd, standing beside a white haired woman who was barking out orders to some of the festival workers. Chiyo's hard stare was fixed on the woman, and she slowly took a drink from her glass.
The Raven approached her casually, his hands in his pockets. "Hello," he started, catching the attention of the purple-haired girl, who barely gave him a once over and a sneer before turning her gaze back. "I'm not sure you know me, but I-"
Her head tilted towards him, fixing the man with an unimpressed look. "Spit it out, what do you want?"
He quickly had to mask his shock at being spoken to in such a disrespectful tone, and ran his fingers through his stark black hair, his own eyes narrowing at her. "Ah, yes, well… I came to inquire as to whether or not you knew Nona Clotho?" Chiyo opened her mouth again, likely readying another snarky remark, but the Raven cut her off. "Don't bother lying, just 'spit it out.'"
Chiyo cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, she's my grandmother. What about her?"
Grandmother? Shit, he was much later than he thought. "Would you be able to direct me to her whereabouts, then?"
The teenager felt a small smirk tilt her lips, and she jerked her thumb behind her. "Two streets down, take a left. She's about 6 rows down. Gotta warn you, she won't be very happy if you disturb her rest, though."
He gave a curt nod as a thanks and started following her directions. Her snickers followed him down the street, and he wondered what she had meant by '6 rows down', but soon realized when he was standing in front of a graveyard.
In minutes, he was storming back to the girl, not hesitating when he stopped in front of her and placed his hands on the brick wall beside her head, his crimson gaze burning into her's. He towered over her by a good foot, and it was clear that this fact seemed to finally snap her out of whatever apathetic facade she'd donned during their previous encounter. "So, you think you're coy, hm?" he questioned, and her fear-stricken eyes darted around before meeting his fully. "What are you, then? One of her bastard children, a cousin? Surely you possess some of the blood I gave to her. If you just fess up now, girl, I'll consider making your death painless."
Chiyo nodded slowly, seemingly held in a trance until he leaned closer. "C'mon, Chiyo, spit it out. Cat's got your tongue, hm?"
"I- uh, I'm her granddaughter, but I d-don't know what blood you're talking about-" She stammered, holding up her hands in a defensive way.
"You do not even know your own bloodline? How pathetic of an offspring you are. Did she not leave anything behind when she died? A book, papers, anything?" His clenched into fists on either side of her head.
"A-A book, I think. My mother k-keeps some old book in her study, but-"
The Raven cut her off again, "Go find it then. Learn about your heritage, useless human." With that, he pulled back, hands raised in a mock surrender, and allowed her to scurry off.
…
Ordinarily, Chiyo would not listen to the threats of someone who was clearly crazy and a stalker, but that interaction unsettled her to a point that if she didn't look for whatever it was that he told her to, she'd never be able to stop thinking about it. She was half afraid that he was following her, so she cut through a couple of alleys before arriving back at her home.
With the festival still going on, it was easy for Chiyo to break into her mother's usually carefully locked and guarded study. If one were to bring up why said woman was so secretive, she'd likely explain it away by saying confidential records were stored in there, but as someone who broke in regularly, Chiyo knew that it was for a different reason altogether. Sure, some confidential papers were in the usually-locked drawers, but in reality it was because she kept a locked safe in the room. It was typically hidden behind a couple of boxes, but Chiyo knew exactly where it was.
Chiyo had never bothered opening it before, but she'd gotten a peek inside one time, a long time ago. She was punished severely for it, but she'd probably never forget what she saw in there. The girl had managed to see it when she walked in as her mother was putting another object inside.
There were two old books, stacked atop each other, which was perfectly normal. There was also a silver ring with a square-cut ruby that was more tarnished than it was shiny. Again, normal.
Towards the realm of less normal was the jeweled and rusted dagger and chalice that sat atop the two books, but hey, they could have been theatre props-if you could ignore the sharp copper smell that radiated from them-but sitting beside the books, ring, and props was… worse.
A human skull.
Something about… the decay, the musk surrounding it, the bits of tendons that were still connecting the head to the jaw… there was just no way it could be a prop.
Setting that line of thinking aside, Chiyo easily cracked into the safe, using the very cliche method of pressing her ear against the metal and twisting the knob until she heard clicks. Upon swinging the door open, she had to cover her mouth to keep from gagging as an immediate stench of decay hit her nostrils. It looked like even her mother hadn't opened the safe in quite awhile. This was not very sanitary.
She carefully reached inside and grabbed both of the books, and just as quickly as she opened the door, she slammed it shut and made sure it locked. If it could be helped, she hoped that he'd never have to open it again.
With the deed done, the girl bolted up to her room and lightly the door shut behind her. Feeling paranoid that her mother would walk in and punish her, she locked it as well. Chiyo plopped down, cross legged, in front of her bed with both books in front of her. Unsure of which one to start with, she closed her eyes and grabbed at one of them.
Upon opening it up, it appeared to just be a recipe book. Chiyo scoffed, "Seriously? This is what he was all in my face about? What the hell?"
Maybe the next one would make a little more sense? She wondered, setting down the book of recipes and picking up the other one.
Lo and behold, right on the front cover was a paper sewn in, with the name of her grandmother. Flipping a few pages later, she found it to be a diary. It detailed her daily routine for the most part, she seemed to be a healer for her small village, who used some experimental techniques for some of her patients. It was all pretty boring, and Chiyo wasn't sure why her mother had been so keen on hiding it and its recipe counterpart away in a safe with the other items. It wasn't until one small grouping of entries caught her eye, that she realized why.
XXXX 12th, 18XX
I have lost another patient to-day. I managed to give her my newest medicine before she passed, and hopefully I shall see results by to-morrow. If it does not work again, I will have to take R. up on his offer. I cannot help but worry as to what it will do once added, but I shall have to see…
XXXX 13th, 18XX
The body has not stirred since its last breath. I will have to get back in contact with R. as soon as possible. I've already put together a recipe that will utilize the ingredient he's providing.
XXXX 16th, 18XX
It is done. The vial of it is sitting beside me as I write this, and I swear it's… alive. It must sound mental, but… I will hold off on adding anything to it until another patient passes. If this recipe does not work, then I shall have to do something much more drastic, that I would rather not do.
XXXX 20th, 18XX
It did not work. I did not want it to come to this point, but it seems as though I must.
XXXX 31st, 18XX
I appear to have neglected writing in my journal for some time. Reading back, I cannot fathom why I had been so hesitant to partake in R.'s blood! I cannot say for sure that I'd ever felt alive until this moment. As a trade, I'd promised him that when he needed me, I'd be at his beck and call as a servant of some sort.
I have my mother's old spellbook with me. With the power I had received from this blood, I believe I will be able to recreate some of her spells. I am not without hope, now, that I shall soon be capable of raising the dead.
'Raising the dead' Chiyo stared at the page, reading the last passage a couple of times. Her grandmother was… a necromancer? And drank someone's blood willingly? She flipped through, continuing to read.
XXXX 5th, 18XX
I cannot remember why I'd started this venture in the first place, but now it has taken over my every waking moment. Not a second passes without thinking of the next step, I want to raise the dead. I want to raise all of them. I… must. I have to.
XXXX 20th, 18XX
I did it.
XXXX 21st, 18XX
I must admit it took much more out of me than I'd expected. I've felt very faint since yester-day. I believe that I am still processing all that happened, but I shall have to come to terms with it eventually. I am going to do it again once I recover.
The next entry was dated for two months later.
XXXX 13th, 18XX
I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost. I roused the dead but at what cost.
The next few pages were filled with that frantic writing, dissolving into illegible, smudged scribbles. Chiyo flipped pages until a legible entry came up, which was written a month after that freak-out.
XXXX 4th, 18XX
I have terminated my creations, but their shadows still follow me. I can barely stand being awake, I can hear their screams in my head, but sleep is no better as visions of their agonized faces fills my dreams. I have tried blood-letting but it has done nothing for my ailments. A voice inside urges me to just give in, succumb to these new devilish feelings, but I must remain strong. I am… with child. I appear to have been with child since a little before I had consumed R.'s blood. I pray that the devil inside of my blood does not affect her, my little Charlotte.
From there, the entries were talking about her 'urges' and the 'devil' inside of her. It seemed like towards the end, Nona began to blame her unborn baby for her actions, and by the time the child-Chiyo's mother, she was sure-had been born, Nona despised it.
The last passage recorded was as followed:
XXXX 8th, 18XX
I will no longer reject the power I've been granted. Tonight I will attempt a spell that will ensure my power will pass over my cowardly offspring. If things go well, it will be bestowed upon her firstborn. May it be stronger than she ever will be.
There was nothing, after that. The rest of the pages were blank, no update as to whether or not it worked. Though, there was no way it could have worked, because Chiyo was her mother's firstborn, and she had no powers to speak of.
With her mind spinning, she closed the book and set it aside. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, staring towards the wall as she thought over all of the information she'd just recieved.
The only information Chiyo had ever received about her grandmother was that she was a horrible woman, and that she was dead. To read all of that was… jarring, to say the least. She'd need time to process all of that, but she knew that as soon as she could, she needed to find that man again.