Blood is the currency of the soul and we've all heard what has been foretold. This substance can save the sick to the old, miracles for all until the bell tolls.
Welcome one and all to the next chapter of Hunter to Huntsman. Watch and be amazed as a past is revealed, a deal is struck, and a new power enters the fray.
I'm back and now I'm winding down with my last two weeks of school. My finals might interfere with my upload for chapter 8, figured I better give y'all a heads up encase it isn't finished on time. Dropping some exposition and a backstory while trying to fill in the blanks that follow the Hunter in Bloodborne. Managed to hit those points for this chapter and I think I got all I needed here to set up the next few ones. Hope you all enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer I do not own RWBY or Bloodborne both pieces are owned by their respective publisher.
Ruby found herself lying on the ground, looking up she saw the workshop right in front of her along with Doll. Standing up she finally got to see the moon that hung just above the workshop in all its shattered glory. Looking out over the edge the world appeared much clearer with fewer clouds obscuring the moon.
"Miss Doll it's good to see you again." Ruby happily stated reaching out with one hand to shake hers.
Looking at Ruby confusingly she mimicked her gesture only to have her hand grabbed and shook in an up and down motion. "It is nice to see you Huntress. It seems that you've finally returned to the dream with your full self."
"I've been meaning to ask, why couldn't I do anything last time?"
"Some Hunters have such a strong connection to the dream that they are drawn here in soul only when they rest. Most have to either die or find something to pull them into this world completely. Now that you're here the Little Ones would like to give you some gifts." Motioning to the stairs all Ruby could see was something silver bubbling out of the stairs.
As she approached four grotesque malformed beings rose from the surface holding up a bound journal. They were human in shape with their mouths twisted and teeth showing. If it wasn't for their small size Ruby would have found them terrifying. Reaching her hand tentatively forward Ruby snatched the journal from their upheld hands before backing away from the scene. "What exactly are those things?"
"Those are the little ones or Messengers as past Hunters call them. Beings who worship Hunters, they can hold your messages for other Huntresses, like to dress up, offer you treasures they found, and help you rid yourself of blood echoes." Ruby held her hand up to interrupt her.
"Can you repeat that middle part?"
"They hold messages for fellow Huntresses."
"After that part."
"Offer gifts that they've found."
"Before that part."
"They enjoy dressing up."
"Can they even feel enjoyment? They just seem a little odd to put it lightly."
"They like to imitate the Hunters and pretend to be heroes. In a way they are like children only wanting to help and be praised for their work. They don't speak words but still aren't they sweet?"
"Sweet isn't the word I'd use, but sure why not." Opening the Journal Ruby went over every page finding it completely empty without even the slightest indication it was previously owned. "Thank you Messengers." Even Ruby couldn't tell if she was really sincere while looking at the creatures.
"Usually they'd offer a weapon to the Hunter they follow however it appears that they don't have any to give you." The messengers tilted their heads downwards in what appeared to be disappointment or sadness. Without any eyes though it was difficult to determine for sure how they were feeling.
"It's ok little guys you don't need to give me a weapon." They looked up momentarily only to go back to pouting. "I already have my awesome weapon Crescent Rose." Pressing the button her weapon unfolded to reveal its majesty that was a sniper scythe while striking a pose with it. The messengers looked up in marvel and began to clap their hands in appreciation before going back into the ground vanishing.
"They've seem to take a liking to you."
"That was nothing they just needed a little something to cheer them up." Ruby bashfully said putting her weapon back behind her.
"Why have you visited Huntress?"
"I'm just trying to get away from someone at the moment. Is it ok if I stay here for a while?"
"You are free to stay as long as you wish Huntress this world is as much your home as it is mine."
Ruby started to wander around the dream looking for something to pass the time. The books all were composed of strange lettering that she couldn't read. Looking around she started to notice some slight differences between this workshop and the one she came from. For starts this one lacked most of the devices along with the glowing lantern that were present in the other one. She did find a few messengers in the corner holding onto a note.
'To escape this dreadful Hunter's Dream, halt the source of the spreading scourge of beasts, lest the night carry on forever.'
With nothing to do Ruby walked over to Doll. "So how long have I been in here with you?"
"The concept of time here is difficult to understand since it is always night here." Looking up to the sky Ruby saw that the moon hadn't moved at all and was oddly whole perfectly shaped unlike what she was accustomed to.
"So I just touch the grave and I can leave?"
"Yes, many Hunters would use the tombstones to travel all over Yharnam. Often they would use this dream as a hub of sorts between locations so they wouldn't have to walk the entire way."
With new information Ruby was determined to make it back with no complications. "Ok then tombstone, take me to Beacon." As Ruby left Doll couldn't help but feel that she hadn't properly explained the lanterns and how the transport system worked.
Ruby reappeared out of the blue mist and found herself standing in front of the same lantern she used to get to the dream. "I was supposed to go to Beacon."
"Still trying to work the kinks out of dream traveling?" Ruby recognized the voice and immediately made a move towards the lantern only for her arm to be grabbed and pulled back away from the object. "We're going to talk like a pair of mature calm adults, think you can manage that?" Ruby's response being her vigorously shaking her head in agreement. "Now let's disuse what you saw over there."
"I just talked to Miss Doll I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be there." Ruby responded frantically like a child who was just caught doing something.
"You have just as much right to go to that dream as I had when I started as a Hunter."
"I'm not a Hunter though and I've done nothing to even be considered one especially if they're all like you."
"Unfortunately the dream doesn't lie. You are a Hunter and once the path is taken it can't be undone."
"I never decide to be one I'm a Huntress in training."
"Well I didn't make the choice either. It was forced on me once I entered Yharnam, but I did everything I could with the title and saved as many people as possible before killing that abomination of a god."
"So if you weren't always a hunter what were you before becoming one?"
"Now that is a fun story. Do you know what an ark wright is?" With Ruby shaking her head Dunstan proceeded. "It's a family name for ship builders that was what my father did and his father before him and so forth. My dad wanted me to make something of myself though so I went to school and became a student to rise above the family name. Even my first name was a way to break away. I mean who has ever heard of a ship built out of stone." Ruby started to laugh while thinking over what she just heard. "What's so funny?"
"I'm just imaging you as a student sitting in a small desk maybe with a pair of oversized glasses."
"For your information I was a great student. Before all of the hunting I even had an aversion to blood. Couldn't even stand the sight of the stuff or the prick of a needle, now I practically bath in the stuff and rely on the occasion injection to stave off death." Ruby remembered the first time she saw him with blood dripping off of his clothes.
"So what happened to make you," Ruby paused momentarily trying to find something to describe him that wasn't terribly offensive, "well you?"
"I got sick along with a few other people at the school, now this wasn't a normal sickness this was a terminal illness I was living on borrowed time with every minute I lived. So I traveled in search of Yharnam a town of miracle medicine where every sickness had been cured and unfortunately I found it." Before he could continue Ruby spoke up.
"So you found a cure isn't that a good thing since your still alive?"
"Nothing is free Ruby and I may have been cured but it was more of a side effect of me becoming a Hunter. I was given a blood transfusion that was supposed cure me and even though it did I was bound to the hunt." Sure he left out a few key details here and there including the unholy horrors that were all over the city, but this was no time to possibly scare off some much needed new blood. "So what made you a Huntress? I doubt they let children join, unless of course they're so despite anyone can get in."
"Well I trained at Signal for two years before being moved up into Beacon. I managed to stop a robbery and after headmaster Ozpin saw me in action he let me into Beacon to finish my education. Before all of that though my Uncle Qrow taught me everything there is to know about Scythes." Ruby finished her statement by bringing out her weapon and slamming the blade into the wooden floorboards. "I'm sorry I'm usually outside when I do this and it's a habit of mine when I'm relaxing so I don't have to hold her entire weight." Ruby stammered quickly realizing she just ruined his floor.
"It was due for some new boards anyway I'll just add it to the list." Looking at her weapon Dunstan noticed that it seemed to only have one form for combat combining an oversized riffle with the original Hunter's weapon design. "I see you appreciate the classics with that weapon of yours."
"I wouldn't call it a classic since it is a customizable high impact sniper rifle." Pulling back the bolt she ejected a bullet catching it in her hand to show off the caliber. "Most people view it as impractical and overly designed."
"I wouldn't say overly designed is a bad thing and any weapon is viable in the hands of a good Hunter or Huntress in your case. It takes someone very skilled to use a scythe in combat. Unfortunately I never had a knack for the weapon. I've seen what a master of the art can do with one though and it was impressive to say the least." Dunstan thought back on the weapon thinking about how he experienced its blade first hand.
"Who was the scythe wielder you mentioned? Qrow and I are some of the only people who still use a scythe or a variation on it currently."
"Just my old mentor Gehrman. He helped me along the way with some advice, but he used a mostly hands off training method. Threw me to the wolves and told me to fight my way to the next lantern. Can't argue with the results though, I learned rather quickly how to best use my cane and its features."
"Hearing that makes me thankful uncle Qrow had me first get the basics down before he had me kill a Beowolf."
"Well you know what they say a weapon is forged through fire and tempered against your enemies."
"That seems a little dangerous though. What if you couldn't handle it?"
"Then you'd get eviscerated by the beasts and try again, a lot of trial and error went into making me who I am today."
"Wouldn't that normally cause death?"
"Yeah it would, some Hunters would kill themselves just to get it over with quicker. Disembowelment is not the best way to go it's a little on the slow side of death." Ruby started to think about what Dunstan just said and imagined hundreds of untrained Hunters storming into battle with only a few dozen coming back alive. Then those Hunters going back out until only a handful of the elite remained with Dunstan being one of them.
"Not all Hunters have to go through that, It's completely optional to throw Hunters against impossible odds before their official right?"
"Well being a Hunter never required any formality with only a few workshops making their Hunters go through a trial. If someone wants to be a Hunter then poof they're a Hunter, hopefully they survive long enough to make an impact. Now if you had considerable abilities you might just get picked up by a recognized workshop and learn their trade."
"So I get a full title that doesn't end with the phrase 'in-training' that's seems alright. Anything else I should know about being a Hunter?"
"Well we have a tendency to fall to insanity, becoming a blood crazed monster that would even kill their own family, seeing things that shouldn't exist, and an increased ability to take some damage. Also if you being a Hunter is anything like the others I've known you probably don't want to give your blood to others. We tend to carry around a plague in our veins." Dunstan stated using his fingers to keep count of the important things that came with being a Hunter.
"I'm dying!" Ruby yelled back at him clutching her chest as if she was having an attack.
"We're all dying Ruby, most of us from age. We Hunters just take the plague with us to our grave."
"How long do I have?" She gripped him by the collar shaking him back and forth.
"Most people don't make it past 40, but that's not unusual. I think that's a nice full life span." Dunstan said since living to 40 was a nice time frame giving someone plenty of time to do whatever they wanted.
"How is that long? I'm already over a fourth of the way there I refuse to die from this."
"The plague isn't what's likely to get you if you manage it properly. It's the beasts you'll die from and after that just age."
"Who dies of age at 40? That's an absurdly low life span, most people live to be 70 at the youngest. Sure Huntsman and Huntresses have a habit of dying young, but that won't be me."
"Out of everything I said you're concerned about your lifespan, not the insanity or the crippling bloodlust. What's the logic behind that?"
"This is important besides how bad could it be? You seem sort of ok." Ruby said slightly unsure if Dunstan even was fully there anymore.
"I have an idiot for an apprentice, I can't believe this." Dunstan took off his head ware and started to rub is face as if this was some twisted illusion.
"I'm right here you know."
"Please tell me I wasn't this bad when I first met Gehrman." Dunstan was looking up at the ceiling pleadingly for a sign.
"I never agreed to be your apprentice anyway. I'm still training to be a Huntress not," Ruby paused to find the appropriate word, "whatever you are."
"Unfortunately you won't have much of a choice. I barely made it out alive and having someone nearby to help you work through the changes could spell the difference between well-adjusted and mass-murderer."
Ruby stared at her own hand trying to imagine what could even lead to such an outcome when she saw a flash and her hands were suddenly covered in blood. Looking around she saw Weiss and Blake lying on the ground covered with blood soaked wounds. Each injury looked like it was done with a single curved blade but the sheer number of wounds made it looked like a mauling. She felt something shift in her left hand, turning her head she saw Crescent Rose with Yang impaled on it trying to get off of it.
"Yang please don't die."
"This is your fault you monster you killed us. Even Blake and Weiss all we wanted to do was help you and you stab us in the back. I wish you died back in that forest." Yang stopped struggling and let the wound take her before slipping off.
Dropping her scythe Ruby collapsed to the ground with tears falling from her eyes. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her own ears and feel it pulsing in her head. Looking over the bodies all she could feel was anger at herself for letting something like this happen. Before she could do anything though the world seemed to fade to black.
Looking around she was sitting on the floor with tear soaked eyes. Rubbing away the tears she looked up seeing Dunstan cleaning his cane. Noticing her attention Dunstan set his weapon back down.
"Waking nightmares are never fun. Not entirely sure if you should be having them after going to the Hunter's Dream, but who am I to know. I never did get a chance to do much research besides what I experienced firsthand."
"I just killed my team and you're joking about it!" Ruby was full of anger, angry at herself and everything around her. She reached for her weapon while Dunstan stared her down.
"It was just a bad dream now try to calm down. You need to focus on something you cherish a memory or possibly a family member." Ruby thought about Yang and how she'd always be there to keep her safe. The fire in her eyes vanished letting her body relax from whatever just happened to it.
"What happened to me?" The sound of her voice was that of sadness and defeat. With tears once again flowing from her.
"You had a hallucination I had mine after the transfusion and you just had yours. They usually cause us Hunters to get overly aggressive and if left unchecked we start to lose ourselves. They should stop for a while now though so there's nothing to worry about."
"I just hallucinated that I killed my own sister and my best friend there is plenty to worry about. I don't even know what's going on and I'm terrified of what's happening to me." Ruby clutched her own arms trying to comfort herself with some semblance of a hug.
"I know this isn't what you want, but I can help you through this and a Hunter is never alone. I have some techniques to help you stay you and keep some of the more unappetizing aspects of Hunters at bay." Putting his hand out Ruby looked at it before turning her head away rejecting the aid. "Look you need my help, what will it take for you to accept it?"
"Let me look at your weapons." The offer was short, slightly mumbled, and sounded like the request of a child wanting to have a treat.
"Alright just don't break any of them. I don't have duplicates for all of the weapons in storage." Ruby reached out and took his hand letting Dunstan pull her up off the ground and to her feet.
"So when do I start this training for being a Hunter?"
"There's really not much to teach. Like I said anyone can become one the tricky part is standing at the end of the night. I just have to find a way for you to come here regularly without your team wanting my head on a pike."
"That might be tough. Is there any way I could use the tombstones like the other Hunters did?"
"I assume Doll told you about Yharnam then."
"Just about how they would use them to move around the town with the Hunters Dream."
"Well you'd need a lantern up at Beacon and I'm not even sure how they were built in the first place. As of now you can only come here using the Hunters mark and one way trips aren't what we need." Ruby raised her hand to grab his attention. "What is it?"
"What's a Hunters Mark?"
"Of course you wouldn't know. You've only used it twice to get back to that lantern." Dunstan said sarcastically fully expecting Ruby to understand what she had already successfully used twice.
"Well you're a Hunter you should know. Besides I just became one recently."
"Okay then, when a Hunter focuses on the image in their mind they travel to the last lantern they traveled from. Just close your eyes and focus on the symbol letting it whisk you away." While Ruby was closing her eyes trying to focus on the image a knock came from the front door distracting her.
"Were you expecting a visitor?"
"No, but I have a good guess as to who it is." Opening the door Dunstan was greeted with the sight of Ozpin. "Good to see you Headmaster." Dunstan gave a polite bow to his new guest.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I believe one of my students has returned to your Workshop." Ozpin could see Ruby behind Dunstan nearly cowering from his sight. "It's good to see you Miss Rose. Your sister was quite worried when you pulled that disappearing act of yours."
"Sorry I didn't mean to vanish it just sort of happened." Ruby said as she moved up next to Dunstan.
"Well let's get back to Beacon we can't keep your sister waiting for too much longer."
"Before you leave Headmaster may I ask you if their punishment has been decided yet?" Dunstan asked trying to formulate a plan to get Ruby the lessons she'll need.
"No it hasn't yet. They were to receive their punishment once I returned to Beacon." Ozpin said as he readjusted his glasses.
"Would it be possible for me to offer a suggestion for their punishment?"
"I thought you weren't interested in them receiving any punishment for their actions last time I saw you."
"After talking to Ruby for a bit it seems that they are going to get reprehended either way so I figured I might as well be compensated by them."
"Is there something particular you had in mind?"
"My entire yard looks like a warzone currently. Would they be available to help repair the damage they caused?"
"I think something can be arranged to help you out. What would you do for us if I agreed?"
"If you'd allow it I would like to add a small feature to Beacon's garden perhaps."
"That seems fair, you can expect some help to come your way within the next few days. Now come along Miss Rose we can deliver the news of your team's punishment once we return." Walking out the door Ruby followed shortly after waving goodbye before closing the door.
With some more free time on his hand Dunstan began inspecting the lantern and looking over everything that composed it. From the two bells that hung from the top to the string that bound them to the curved pole. Sure it didn't seem like much, but every little detail mattered when it came building something like the lanterns. Going around the Workshop Dunstan began collecting anything of use that would help him with his new endeavor.
Somewhere outside of Vale a small transport truck drove into one of the outlying towns. It came out of the forest on the dirt road leaving behind a trail of dust as it played carnival music from its speaker. Pulling up into the town center the trucks side opened up to reveal a small platform along with a shelf lining the back wall. A lone man was stood in its center wearing a clean white suit and a top hat.
As the town gathered around the vehicle he pulled out a microphone. "Come one come all and see the amazing miracles that I can provide each and every one of you. Broken arm, see it heal in seconds. Have a bad hip, watch as you gain some pep in your step the moment you receive treatment." The speech continued on for a few minutes until a sizable crowd was present.
"I come to you from a faraway land where a unique healing method was developed said to cure any illness and even bring someone back from the precipice of death." He held up a vial of the red concoction for all to view.
"We have no need for a snake oil peddler like you here!" A member of the crowd shouted out against the man.
"Let me offer a free vial to any of your crippled then. I have only more to earn once I prove the value of this medicine." The man seemed fully confident in his words.
"I'll take you up on that offer." A man using a crutch for support worked his way forward through the crowd.
"No need to humor the man Cruor let's just kick him out and be done with it." Someone said to Cruor as he pressed forward along with his crutch.
"I see we have a volunteer. Would you state your name and injury to the crowd?"
"You all already know me I'm Cruor and my leg was crushed by a falling tree." The leg was certainly broken in multiple locations and slowly healing although it regaining full functionality seemed unlikely.
"Now if you would be so kind, just relax while I work my magic." In one quick motion he slammed the vial against Cruor's thigh and let it inject its contents while the crowd gasped in shock. Cruor fell to the ground from the sudden numbness that radiated from his leg. "Now be amazed as it grants this man the ability to walk."
Cruor grabbed the man by the collar lifting him up off his feet. "You bastard what did you do?"
"Fixed your leg." He stated as if it was the dumbest question possible. "Now who wants some of my vials?" Cruor dropped him as the crowd cheered in amazement about the miracle that just happened in front of them. "Price is negotiable depending on what you have."
The rest of the day was spent with the entire town coming out to see the traveling medicine man who sold miracles in a bottle. The sick could walk the streets and no injury short of amputation was healed. AS the sun began to set the Truck was sealed back up and on the outskirts ready to leave when one of the townsfolk approached the vehicle.
"We can't thank you enough for what you did for us."
"All in the name of goodwill and science. I'll be back in a month or so to offer you more and see the results."
"I never did get your name Stranger. I feel it's only right to thank you properly after all you've done for us."
"If you must know you can call me Floes Cadges." He gave a polite bow while tipping his hat.
"Isn't your name a little feminine for someone like yourself?"
"It's more of a title than anything, now I must be off If I hurry I can reach the next town in a few more days. Until next time I hope your town gets to see firsthand how wondrous this treatment is." Walking into his truck the man took off into the forest to leave to town to its own devices.
And we have our set up for a good portion of this story. A mysterious suited fellow spreading vials around the land along with Team JNPR and RWBY getting more time to hang around Dunstan without them trying to kill each other. Who doesn't love doing some hard manual labor like digging up trees and filling in a trench? I might have a fight scene next chapter if I manage to hit all the points. Either that or end it on a 'oh shit' moment and have chapter 9 dedicated to the fights.
Thanks for reading and hopefully I can keep to schedule for next week.
Edit notes: Grammar and Punctuation. Once this series is over and the epilogue chapter is released I plan on releasing my Story Organizer/Rule Book so that those who want to can see the outline for the entire story. Fun fact every character I've listed to die in there will die if I didn't do it that way I'd chicken out and give a happy ending to all our favorite heroes. Character deaths are the one thing I won't reveal if asked by the way. Don't expect a rewrite.