Welcome to my newest venture in writing. I hope you enjoy. Goes without saying, but I own nothing but the desktop and keyboard I wrote this on.
It was unlike anything she'd ever encountered, the building in front of her. It wasn't a wooden hut like humans so often lived in, and it wasn't the castles and fortresses human and demon lords often stayed in. No, it was a building too distinct to be any she'd seen, with its stained, colored windows, art itself where there should have been empty space. Fine stone work, carved intricately as if it was made for a wealthy lord, yet she could tell such craftsman ship was normal here, wherever "here" was. There were strange… pillars atop the roof, which were also different than what she was used to, each sprouting at the corners of the remarkably tall building. She shook her head; whatever this building was, it wasn't normal.
Regardless of that fact, it was the most normal thing about this place she'd found herself in, which said quite a lot. The sky itself here was… wrong. There were no stars in the sky. The moon was beautiful and very visible, yet it wasn't night or even dusk. It was simultaneously day and night, from what she could tell. Gravestones stood out alongside a stone staircase, candles lit in front of them. Who had lit them, she couldn't say. White lilacs seemed to cover everywhere there wasn't stone, and even sprouted up in the creases between two stones.
Strangest of all was the doll, sitting up against one of the walls. It was very… life-like. It was her second stroll around this place, trying to figure out where the hell she'd woken up to. And, of everything here, the doll was the only thing she thought to study more of. The books in the building were all written in a language she didn't recognize, and the weapons lining the wall, while intriguing, looked… disturbing.
More suited for a butcher than any swordsman she knew.
So yes, she opted to take a look at the doll. It was so damn real looking, she could practically see it walking around and speaking. It was a marvel, if nothing else. Kagura sighed, turning her back to the doll and giving another glance around the clearing.
Frustrating enough, she had little to no idea on what to do here, or even where here was. Last she remembered was closing her eyes, going to sleep on a bedroll in some castle. WIth nothing else to do, she huffed, crossing her arms and becoming content enough to wait. She'd thought about setting off, using her feather to carry her, but all around her was nothing. It was as if she was on a floating island in the sky, above the clouds. Strange.
Waiting for something to change was the only thing she could do, because she didn't feel like taking a third stroll along the stone walkway. And, as it happened, she didn't have to wait very long at all. Something was actually happening, right in front of where she decided to wait. How convenient.
Though, as to what was happening? She had little to no idea. She could see some strange apparition beginning to form, starting as a strange, white mist. She tensed, whipping out her fan. If it was hostile, well… it wouldn't remain that way for long.
As it turned out, the mist took the shape of a human. She almost scoffed, watching as it finished materializing. The only reason she didn't scoff was because she'd never seen a human do that before, so there was a chance it was a demon, and thus, a possible real threat to her.
The figure finished turning physical. She took in what he, and it was definitely a male, looked like. He was tall, for one. A strange coat covered nearly his whole body, cutting off around his ankles. It was grey, as was the rest of what he was wearing. He had a tri-fold hat atop his head, and a mask covering his face. She could see some blonde hairs peeking out against his forehead, which was somewhat worth noting. It wasn't a common color. On cue, his eyes opened, and she found herself staring into deep, grey eyes.
The moment he registered her, she watched his whole body tense. She couldn't stop from smirking; could he tell she was a demon? If so, she might actually be impressed. If he was a human, at least, and the more she looked, the more she figured he just might be.
"Welcome home, Good Hunter," a feminine voice called from behind her, and Kagura's neck snapped backward to see who the hell had snuck up on her. The only thing there was the doll. The now standing doll, her hands held in front of her politely.
What the hell? Kagura took a step back, her gaze snapping from between the human and doll. They seemed to know each other. Had he created her? She had greeted him. Kagura readied her fan, prepared to cut both of them down if they made a single wrong move-
The human spoke, in a language she didn't recognize. It sounded so strange, so different, she nearly dismissed herself as hearing things. But he kept talking nonsense. Kagura flinched, barely able to keep her fingers from twitching and cutting down the doll creation when it suddenly spoke. "I do not know. She does not belong." Were they talking about her? She spared a glance at the human, who had a brow raised. He chuckled, reaching up and pulling down his mask to reveal a remarkably young, and distinct, face. His features weren't… normal, though not in a deformed way. A stronger chin-line; his eyes weren't quite normal, either, even going beyond their color.
He gave her a small bow, and she thought about killing him there and being done with it. Something stopped her, though, and as the human's mouth moved, saying words she didn't understand, she felt her annoyance spark.
"Say something that makes sense, damn it," she demanded, hands going to her hips. This place was already confusing enough- the last thing she needed was some human who couldn't even speak the right language.
He seemed equally confused, turning towards the Doll. He asked her something, though again, she couldn't understand a damn word of it. "If that is your wish, Good Hunter. Please, come close." The human moved closer to the doll, giving Kagura a nod as he passed by her. The doll reached out, touching him on the forehead. A moment later, the human stumbled, one hand clutching his head.
Kagura felt something in herself, too. Had that damnable doll done something to her, as well? Kagura narrowed her eyes, staring at the blank features of that creation.
"Well, that was hardly pleasant," the human muttered, and it took a moment for Kagura to realize she could actually understand what the hell had just been said. He turned to glance at her, and upon seeing the look on her face, smiled softly.
"Aha, how rude of me," He said, "It is a pleasure, miss. I am Vasyl, a hunter of this place" he greeted, giving yet another small bow. She gave him an unimpressed look, turning to look at the doll again. Somehow, that thing had made them able to communicate. It was watching all this, a blank yet peaceful expression on its face.
"I don't give a damn who you are. Why did you bring me here?" She demanded, stepping closer towards Vasyl.
He frowned. "I'm afraid I've nothing to do with your being here, though you have my sympathy in being forced here against your will."
Keeping her gaze locked onto those grey eyes, she decided he was telling the truth.
"Hmph. How did you create this thing and this place?" She asked, gesturing towards the doll and not feeling a need to introduce herself to a human.
Vasyl scratched at his chin before speaking, "This place confounds me as well. I, much like you, simply… found myself here, not too long ago. I also have nothing to do with the Doll's existence," his hand returned to his side, and he gave a small shrug.
"My memories are all rather hazy, to be frank with you. I'm surprised I remember my own name sometimes." So, he was worthless? Kagura sighed in frustration. Whatever damn thing had brought her here would pay. Neither her nor Vasyl said anything for a few moments. He coughed, clearing his throat in the silence of the clearing.
"Kagura," she finally introduced herself, "of the wind." He nodded, testing the name for himself too quietly for her to hear.
"A beautiful name, Lady Kagura," he obliged, and she dismissed his words as worthless, if correct. Of course her name was perfect; how could it not be? She gave him another glance, trying to gauge the threat he might pose if she decided he needed to be disposed of. She caught sight of a weapon on his back, a sort of… bladed axe, only the blade had jagged teeth that looked more suited for ripping rather than slicing.
At his side was one of those strange… block things. She didn't know what to make of them, only that, given she'd seen them by all the other weapons in the building on the hill, she reasoned they had to be one too. "I can see you're a bit confused, about as much as I am. Perhaps Gehrman can help us both, hm?"
He began to move towards the house above, gesturing roughly for her to follow. She gave the doll, with its blank face, another look, before deciding the human would be of more use than whatever abomination it was. Following at a leisurely pace, she entered the stone building to find him looking around.
"Blasted old coot," he muttered, giving the interior another look around. He glanced over his shoulder back at her, sighing softly. "I apologize, it seems Gehrman is not here at the moment. I will… endeavor to explain things the best I can."
Removing his hat, setting it down on a workbench he was now standing over, she saw he had distinct curly and blonde hair. "This place we are now in," he began, hefting that axe on his off its strap and onto the workbench in front of him, "is known as the Hunter's Dream." He reached into his coat pockets, pulling out a few distinct, red shards. They smelled vaguely of blood, though he seemed oblivious to it. How strange...
He set three of the shards down next to his axe, opening a drawer and retrieving a tool which use eluded her. "It's… well, I'm a bit confused about it still, but suffice to say, I find myself bound here. Regardless," he said, waving off his own previous words, "this place, as I know it, is connected to the city of Yharnam, which is undergoing the night of the hunt."
Pausing, Vasyl thought for a few moments. "It's… a beast scourge, of sorts. People get infected, turn into monsters of the night. The purpose of the hunt is to cull them, so life may continue during the day."
Kagura rose a brow, a bit skeptical. It was, she supposed, possible that a demon was tormenting this human village. She wasn't familiar with any demons who could turn humans into demons, but it wasn't out of the question. More impressive, though, was that the humans organized a hunt to actually deal with them. Usually humans floundered about, died in droves… it was pitful, really.
"I'll be going out there, into the fray, once again. It is the only way to free myself from here, to hunt and end this blasted night," Vasyl continued, finishing up whatever it was he was doing with those blood shards and his weapon. "I can take you to someplace safe. I only recently discovered it, myself."
She scoffed. "I don't need anyone to protect me. I'll leave this place myself if I need to." As if anything here could threaten her…
"Forgive me. You don't have the demeanor of a hunter, nor the wear," he explained, getting up from the workbench and fully turning to face her, "I cannot allow you to to try and leave the city on your own. It's too dangerous-"
As he was speaking, she flicked her wrist, her fan folding out with the motion and conjuring a bit of wind that cut a thin line against his cheek. He reached up, feeling the cut with his gloved fingers. He looked at the blood stained leather, then her.
She crossed her arms, daring him to try and attack-
"Amazing," he laughed, flicking the blood from his glove against the floor, "I apologize, Lady Kagura. I didn't realize you had such capabilities. Though, I am a bit curious as to how…" He gave her an expectant look, which she didn't dignify with a response. As if she'd explain anything to a human, much less one she'd just met.
"Regardless, Lady Kagura, care to accompany me on this hunt? Even if you long to leave, we will be safer together until you do so." He asked, trying to keep a trace of hope in his voice untraceable. She caught it anyways. It was no wonder, him having seen her control over her namesake, that he wanted her help now.
Hmm. Well, it would probably be more interesting than this place, and besides, it'd let her see this human in action. She'd admit, while little more than a passing curiosity, she did want to see if he was as capable of putting down demons as he seemed. "It's bound to be better than staying here," she mused aloud, giving him a nod.
It wasn't like she had anything else to do, and he was implying her could get her out of here. She'd see what to make of wherever they were going, then fly back home before Naraku noticed her absence and decided to assume she'd fled.
He smiled. "Perfect! It'll be nice, having some company that isn't trying to kill me," Vasyl joked. She gave him a small smile. Oh, she didn't know about that. If he proved a bit too irritating, or too boring, she might just split him in two and go on her way.
She'd even take his hat as a souvenir.
"O-Oh, mister Hunter!" Greeting some… thing. It looked like a frail old man, its skin grey and wrinkled beyond belief. Frankly, she could see it being some sort of weak demon far beyond its prime, "back so soon, eh? Sure am glad to see you- that I am," it continued blabbering on.
"And I'm glad to see you, friend," Vasyl greeted amicably, and it was at this moment that the thing noticed her. She gave it a disdainful look, though it seemed to have trouble registering it. She noticed its eyes were glossed over. Was it blind?
"A-Ah, already brought someone here for the night? Y-Yer a good one, Mister Hunter," the thing said, surprisingly cheerful. Yes, it definitely couldn't see the look she was giving it.
Vasyl shook his head softly, giving her a side glance. "Not quite. This is Lady Kagura, and she's here to help with the hunt," he introduced. She gave the… thing a long stare, its blank eyes zooming in on where she was, yet she could tell he was blind. He wasn't really looking at here, just where she was.
"Yo," she greeted, and he stammered something in reply that she didn't bother listening to. Instead, she took to scanning the strange temple they were in. She assumed it was a temple, anyways, given the statue of some robed woman she was staring at. The architecture of the place they were in was vaguely similar to what she'd seen in the dream, though obviously there were some stark differences. It was much larger, for one.
Vasyl said some parting words, promising to keep an eye out on anyone out during the night. As they created distance between the thing in the red robe, Kagura turned to stare at him. She'd never understand humans.
He pulled his mask up as they walked and removed the axe from his back, undoing a strap and flicking it out like she did her fan. To her surprise, it extended, turning more into a long cleaver. His other hand removed the odd block thing, so she was correct in assuming it was a weapon.
"You will see some of the townspeople," Vasyl explained, voice muffled to some degree. "Most will not be sane. I'm… sorry to say," his voice dripped with… something that Kagura had trouble placing, "beast blood is not the only thing spilled on the hunt."
"Yet," he continued, voice returning to normal, "they are on the doorstep of beasthood. Little more than mad-men. It's a mercy, ending them now. Yes." She didn't particularly care how many humans died on this hunt, but it seemed as good a reason as any to kill them if they were bumbling mad. Not that one really needed a reason. Humans were like gnats.
He led them through a door out to the left, and Kagura gave a look at her surroundings. It was, for lack of a brother word, otherworldly. Stone buildings that stood as tall as some cliff-faces, bunched together so tightly it was like being in a maze. Stone walkways everywhere, not dirt like where she came from. Statues seemed to litter the ground, small stove carvings of things she couldn't quite understand.
Eventually it registered to her that she had stopped walking, her eyes scanning the wonders around here. Where was she? This was nothing like anything she'd ever seen. Judging by the way Vasyl was giving her a confused stare, she shouldn't have been as impressed as she was.
Shaking off her shock, Kagura schooled her features, tearing her gaze away from the towers of stone and towards the plaza directly in front of her at ground-level.
As fascinating as her surroundings were, her eyes slid over to a singular light. It was a man, extremely tall, and dressed in a tan coat. He had some sort of mask on, a weary, white face its image, and a cane in one hand, lantern in the other. Vasyl took a step forward, and as the masked figure met his gaze, Kagura made herself content to watch.
The figure moaned something out, moving at Vasyl with long-strides. He struck out with a spike, and with every step, the bell hanging from his neck rang. Vasyl expertly sidestepped the blow, cutting with his cleaver at the man's side and pulling back, painting himself with crimson blood as the jagged metal tore through flesh like a saw through wood.
It didn't care, accepting the blow without care, and struck out with its spike again in an overhead swing. It was easily dodged, again, Vasyl dashing backwards and his cleaver transforming into its more compact form with but a click. It shuffled forwards towards him once more, a horizontal blow meant to behead him. Vasyl ducked beneath the swing, his axe briefly scrapping the stone beneath and creating sparks as he brought it up, slicing it across the thing's neck.
It fell back with that, dead. Kagura blinked, not overly impressed, but somewhat surprised at the… brutality. As she watched, another one of those masked men shuffled towards Vasyl. The bell on its neck didn't ring, however, and she almost said something in warning.
But if he was going to be taken down so easily, she wanted to know now so she could leave. It lumbered forward and tried to stab where he was standing, almost stumbling with the force of the blow. In fact, she saw its spike dig deep into stone. If nothing else, the masked man was strong.
Still, Vasyl stepped to the edge and avoided the blow, twisting his body and flicking out his saw cleaver in the same motion, the blade extending to its natural length. He quickly brought it down upon the back of the hunched over figure's neck in one clean stroke. It fell dead, and Vasyl looked unbothered as its head rolled towards a well in the middle of the small plaza they were in.
Kagura regarded the… thing on the ground, re-categorizing it in her head. It certainly wasn't a man; no man she knew had the strength to pierce stone like that, and secondly, the way it moved wasn't natural. She was glad Vasyl had killed it, otherwise she would have just for it being strange.
"They're cumbersome guards," Vasyl commented, regarding the two figures he'd just killed in quick succession, "but quite strong, and unflinching in their madness." Yes, she hadn't expected the one to shrug off having his innards spread around the streets. Still, that was neither here nor there. Her attention was on something more fascinating.
"I've never seen a place like this, with buildings so tall…" She'd never admit it aloud, but Kagura was impressed. If this was what humans could do… demons needed to catch up. Still, where were they? If something like this existed, everyone would know about it. They'd have to.
Kagura made a decision, then. She'd be sticking around, just to figure out what the hell this place was. That and… well, she didn't have any idea where to go. She couldn't even feel the vague pull of Naraku, his presence always working like a marker. She could always feel him, but not here. Strange, and very intriguing.
"It is an impressive city, " Vasyl said, knocking her out of her thoughts, "if one were to ignore the residents." He took another glance around, trying to see if anything else was going to try their luck. It seemed they were safe for now, and Vasyl gestured roughly for her to follow.
He flicked his axe back into its more compact form. "I've already explored the other path. Giants patrol the streets over yonder," he gestured roughly to his right as they approached some stairs, "and up the stairs is a locked gate. I've little idea how to gain entrance, so I think it prudent to explore our other avenues."
She briefly considered telling him that she could probably just bust the gate down, or even fly over it. Though, considering what she'd seen of the buildings here so far, maybe she couldn't. This was beyond what she'd expected, and as they reached a railed edge, she glanced at the 'city' in all its glory.
It seemed to stretch as far as her eyes could see, and there were buildings as tall as mountains. Rooftops gleamed in the setting sun, and she could see the shine of metal everywhere. How did they have things this numerous? It didn't make sense. With every step, more and more questions rose in her head. The chirping of crows was the only thing to be heard- though Kagura thought she heard a baby crying, if only for a moment- as Vasyl stepped beside her.
Unable to help herself, she glanced behind from where they'd come, and she had to crane her neck to see how high the building they'd just exited went. She could barely see where it ended. Kagura shook her head. "Unbelievable," she muttered, and nearly flinched when Vasyl put a hand on her shoulder.
"Lady Kagura," he said, "perhaps it's best if we keep moving." A part of her wanted to ignore him. A part of her wanted to conjure her feather and fly away like her namesake, see this city from as high as one could go. Yet… she wasn't so sure if she wanted to see that. Perhaps it was best she stayed here on the ground, where she could only see the streets.
Nodding in agreement and shaking off her own wonder, she readied her fan. They continued down the stairs, and she saw Vasyl sneaking glances at her. He was not terribly subtle, and she nearly sneered at his misplaced concern. So she had a bit of wonder about the city? It was expected, considering how radically different it was to anything she'd ever seen before!
"Three ahead," Vasyl whispered, though whether it was to her or himself, she didn't know. She followed his line of sight, seeing two villagers and one dog. It was hard to make it out perfectly from this distance, but none of them seemed exactly normal. One held a torch and some sort of over-sized knife, and the other, a pitch-fork.
Kagura flexed her fingers as Vasyl began his approach, and she decided it was her turn to impress. Taking aim, she called forth the wind, sending gusts forward that formed into visible crescent, dancing blades of wind. The dog barely had time to yip in pain before it fell dead; the two villagers fell right behind, their heads parting from their bodies as her wind strikes rang true. She mused whether to make those corpses dance to her whims, deciding against it.
Vasyl looked at her in wonder, then back at the corpses. "Lady Kagura," he began, "remind me not to anger you." She smirked at that, closing her fan with a click.
"Be sure not to forget," she replied back, and he chuckled.
"It would be hard to, I think."
With that, the two set off further ahead, Vasyl positioning himself in front of her. He moved differently, she noted. He didn't make any sound with his steps, and his shoulders were always tense.
They were in a relatively open field, another of those fancy buildings in front of them. It looked vaguely like a temple; she could see an entrance at its front, as well as a staircase wrapping around to its left. Vasyl was walking more towards the staircase, so she opted to follow.
She heard the growling and barks of dogs before she saw them, and barely managed to deflect the dog that leapt to tear her throat out with a gust of wind. Vasyl was already moving, intercepting it while it was sprawled on the floor and tearing it apart with some sickening noises.
Its whines stopped quickly, but another one was rushing at him; Vasyl backhanded it with the flat side of his cleaver with enough force to crack its neck. Kagura scanned to see if there was anything else, and she spotted it just in the nick of time; some villager standing atop the stairs, aiming at her with some strange tool. She couldn't very well make out what it was from this distance.
Still, it was clearly a ranged weapon. She readied her wind, and when she heard an extremely loud bang sound, she made to deflect it with a gust of wind. She had only just let her gust of wind go when she found herself wrapped up and pushed aside. Vasyl bit out a small curse, and she felt her fury grow.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She snarled, and he gave her a confused look. She was about to say something again when she heard a strange clicking noise, and noticed Vasyl had his pistol out. He peeked out from the side of the wall they were now behind, immediately ducking back as a bit of it got chipped off, moments after that extremely loud bang went off again.
He leaned out himself, his hand-held block aimed at the villager atop the stairs. His finger twitched, and the weapon banged loudly, just like the other one had. Vasyl lowered his weapon and hand, and Kagura gave a curious look at it before glancing at the now dead villager.
"Lady Kagura," Vasyl began, and she idly noticed there was some bleeding at his shoulder, "impressive your abilities may be, they won't stop a bullet." A bullet? What was he going on about now? So many damn questions!
She watched as he fiddled with his own wood-block, messing with some pin atop it and fitting a silver shard into a slot built into it. "Just… avoid those with firearms." So, that was the name of the thing he was holding? A firearm?
"What… does it do?" She eventually managed to ask, leaning forward to examine his so-called firearm. Vasyl blinked, looking at her for a moment longer.
"You've never seen one?" She nodded in confirmation, unable to stop from scowling. Of course she hadn't seen one- she wouldn't be staring at it so intently if she had, would she?
"Oh. Well, a firearm,… it uses gunpowder and a few other mechanisms to launch bullets, essentially metal… shards, at extremely high speeds. This one is a bit different, mostly due to a more quick reload feature," Vasyl explained, allowing her to look at the firearm.
He handed it over to her, and she took to examining it more closely. "This here is a pistol. I favor it due to some precision and its smaller size, though-" Kagura turned the gun at her, staring down the strange metal tube. So, that was where the metal shards came out fro-
Vasyl snatched the pistol out of her hand faster than she could blink. "Never stare down the barrel of a loaded pistol, Lady Kagura. A misfire would leave you without a head." She… admitted he was right, and was unable to keep a bit of red from lighting up her cheeks.
Coughing, Kagura mustered back up her confidence. "Whatever. Let's get moving," she said, storming ahead of him. He followed behind her quickly, stepping side by side with her within moments. She watched how his eyes constantly darted from corner to corner, rooftop and even behind them.
He slowly opened a door, somehow able to keep it from even creaking, and entered with silent steps. She did her best to imitate, but it wasn't a skill she'd ever seen reason to train before. They skulked around inside for a little bit, not seeing anything especially interesting. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. So far, nothing she had come across seemed anymore threatening than what she dealt with regularly.
Though, the firearms did concern her. She wasn't entirely sure she believed that her wind couldn't stop them. She certainly hadn't been hit by the last 'bullet' fired at her, so she assumed she'd deflected it. She'd try again later. Kagura was confident her wind could win.
Vasyl continued exploring, eventually opening another door that lead to an upper floor of the building they'd gone around. His neck snapped to the side, and in the same motion, he brought his 'pistol' to bare and fired. Kagura turned to face whatever it was he'd just shot, discovering a dead villager who had looked ready to pounce. There wasn't much left of his head, and Kagura gave another glance at the pistol. She'd been staring down the barrel of that?
Paling just a little bit, Kagura shook off her own doubts. It was a lesson learned, and a valuable one. She was still confident her wind could stop it, but what she'd done earlier was just reckless self endangerment.
Vasyl reloaded his pistol, the action taking a handful of seconds. His grey eyes scanned their surroundings once more, and he nodded in confirmation to himself before moving off towards the left of the walkway. There was a lever on the wall, and he pulled it without a moment of hesitation.
He was tense after he pulled it, though, so perhaps he had some caution. Then again, it wasn't like he was ever not tense. They both waited for a few seconds to see if anything would happen, and sure enough, a tomb below began to shake. It started to slide backwards, opening to reveal an underground path, and she could practially see a grin beneath Vasyl's mask.
A hidden path was definitely intriguing. This place was at least a change of pace from running Naraku's little errands, even if some of what he had her doing could be fun. Kagura looked down below, stepping up onto the railing in front of her and then off, using her wind to slow her approach to the ground. Vasyl whistled in appreciation, and she smirked. "Fine. I'll catch you too," she promised, briefly entertaining not actually catching him. It wasn't that far a fall, anyways.
His trust was absolute, though, and he jumped off the railing without a care. She gestured vaguely with her fan, wrapping him in some wind and slowing his descent to that of a feather. "That," he said, looking at her with some appreciation, "is a rather captivating experience."
Of course it was! The wind was captivating. Free to go wherever it wanted; it was in all places, and could be strong enough to uproot villages! All that power at her fingertips… though she was not as free as she wanted to be. Kagura frowned, only taken out of it as she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She quickly identified it as a villager, on his knees in front of some statue. It was clear he was mad, though, so she wasted no time in shooting out a flurry of wind blades to slash him to pieces.
It was no real contest. Vasyl gave her some silent praise in the form of a nod, maneuvering himself in front of the tomb that had shifted. There were some stairs leading beneath it. He had to duck to avoid hitting his head, and she followed behind him down the long hall. The light faded as they moved further in, so Vasyl reached into his coat, pulling out an unlit torch after holstering his pistol.
He scrapped it along the metal of his saw cleaver, sparks igniting it after a few attempts. It lit up the hallway, and Kagura was once again astounded at the sheer number of statues she saw. Vasyl seemed off-put by them as well, which made her feel somewhat better. They moved through the halls slowly, doing their best to keep their eyes open and steps silent.
"Something is wrong with this city," he muttered as they entered a slightly more open space, more statues prominent, some holding lit candles. Who had lit them, she wondered. It made her clench her fan just a bit tighter. It also smelled awful, though she quickly realized it was because of a corpse. A corpse Vasyl was fast approaching, lowering himself onto a knee to examine it.
"A hunter, it seems. These wounds are reminiscent of the beast-men I've encountered before," he commented. Beast-men? The villagers they'd come across so far had been a bit hairy, but nothing so distinct. She vaguely recalled him saying something about the purpose of this hunt, a scourge of beasts.
"The claw marks are larger, actually. I recognize them, from the bridge…" his voice trailed off and his brows furrowed together. "We ought to proceed with caution." Giving the dead hunter one long look, Vasyl reached out and closed his eyes in death. Kagura wasn't sure what the purpose was, really. He was long dead.
Rising to his feet and giving the room another glance, he picked up his saw cleaver. "Stay behind me, Lady Kagura." It made the most sense, tactically, so she didn't protest. Besides, if he wanted to be her meatshield, she'd gladly let him.
They proceeded through the series of tunnels, Vasyl's torch providing enough light for them to navigate. It seemed to be some sort of storage space. They came across no small number of large boxes, as well as cages. The cages didn't make much sense, though Kagura idly noticed only some of them were open. What sort of thing even needed a cage that large?
Kagura, in a stroke of luck, heard it before Vasyl did. A single wooden board creaking. She didn't hesitate, flipping out her fan and conjuring a series of crescent wind blades. They slammed into something in the darkness, sending it staggering back. Vasyl immediately turned his torch towards it and illuminated the beast. A large, mutated wolf that looked more ferocious than most wolf demons she'd seen.
It was staring at her. Then it leapt, only for Vasyl to intercept it, his extended saw cleaver's flat side slamming it off its course. He didn't stop his assault, dashing after it and bringing the jagged edge of his saw against its spine. He pulled it out, ripping blood and flinging it behind him in the same motion that he extended the blade, before bringing it forward again, the metal scraping against stone before cutting up through the underside of the beast.
Kagura barely managed to deflect a claw meant for her midsection with a quickly summoned crescent wind blade, and she found herself skidding back regardless of her deflection. There was another one of these wolves, apparently. Kagura took a step backward, shooting a gust of wind at the beast. It clawed the stone beneath it to keep from getting thrown away, instead only skidding back a few feet at most.
She conjured more wind, her dance of blades slamming into the beast and making it bleed profusely. It didn't drop dead, though, and it limped towards her. She conjured one more blast, splitting it at the skull. That killed it.
Vasyl approached her, checking her for any injuries. She noticed that he had blood staining what small part of his face was visible, splattered against the bridge of his nose and around his eyes. "Good work catching those beasts," he praised, giving the two a hateful glance. "They can be remarkably discreet for such grotesque creatures."
"Those bastards don't die easily," she muttered, staring at the wide open eyes of the wolf.
Vasyl stared at the skull she'd split in half for a few moments. "The scourge of beasts is truly a terrible thing, to turn men into… this," he mused. Kagura was inclined to agree- whatever demon was doing this, she had half a mind to kill them. Especially because one of its creations had attacked her.
Yes, she'd kill whatever had created these things. Maybe after learning how the demon had done it, though. If they could be controlled, they probably had their uses.
She watched, unnerved as Vasyl seemed to notice something and reached inside one of the wounds she'd inflicted on the beast. He reached into the cut, pushing flesh and fur aside and pulled out one of those strange blood shards, pocketing it like that was normal. Perhaps here it was.
Holding her comments, she fell into step behind Vasyl as they continued moving deeper and deeper to… wherever the hell they were going. Did he even know?
"I'm going where Gehrman directed, believe it or not." She realized she'd spoken aloud, though it was somewhat calming to know he wasn't just blindly wandering. "He said to seek Old Yharnam, telling me of the secret entrance here, and where to go from the Cathedral Ward."
"I am not so rude as to lead you blindly, Lady Kagura." They kept walking in silence, moving down some discrepant stairs and ladders to somewhere. It was a long time before anything worth noting happened. They started to hear something again, and they silenced themselves as they neared the bottom of some stairs
Turning a corner, Kagura found herself face to face with someone just as ready as they were for trouble. Blonde hair framed his face, and pale, fair skin complimented his white robes well enough. In his hands was a large… wheel? Kagura wasn't sure what to make of that, though she did notice he didn't seem mad. She also noticed that Vasyl hadn't immediately attacked him either.
"Oh! Sorry, you startled me," he said, lowering his weapon and loosening his posture. Vasyl followed suit, and she did as well, though a hair more hesitantly. "You must both be hunters, yes?" Vasyl nodded, and Kagura did as well to keep questions at a minimum.
"I knew it. I started out much the same, long ago." He paused, blinking as something occured to him. "Ah, pardon me. My name is Alfred. Protege of Master Logarius, hunter of Vilebloods." Giving a small bow, Kagura tried to make sense of his titles. So he served someone, and hunted… vilebloods? It must have been some sort of specific beast.
"I am Vasyl, and this is Kagura. We're both hunters on this night," he provided, and Kagura saw no need to add anything. She was busy taking in how comfortable his robes looked.
Alfred nodded sagely. "As I thought. Well, while our prey might differ, we are all hunters. I propose a brief respite, so we might discuss what we've encountered and learned. Sane souls are a rarity on the night of the hunt," he reasoned. Kagura was far too curious to do anything but agree.
"Indeed. I've only encountered a handful of souls with their wits still about them. One was a child, whom I directed to a place of safety," Vasyl said, and Alfred began leading them deeper into this place. He seemed to know where he was going, at least.
"More luck than I, truthfully. You two would be the first two I've seen out and about, not raving mad. And, forgive me if I overstep my boundaries-" Alfred began, his gaze turning towards her, "You do not seem to be from here, Miss Kagura."
"You're sharp," she drawled, though decided to be serious if he was going to be with them for the near future. "No, I'm not from here. I don't even know how I arrived. Really, I'm only here because Vasyl was the first person I came across that seemed worth following."
Vasyl looked a bit sheepish at that, scratching at his covered chin.
"A good thing. Most Yharnamites don't take kindly to outsiders." Vasyl chuckled, nodding along at those words. "Ah. I see. A pair of outsiders, you two. Well, you certainly picked a bad time to visit."
They found themselves in a mostly cleared out room, once more what looked like it was used for storage and, perhaps, a dining hall once upon a time. The three settled down upon a bench, Alfred setting aside his weapon. Vasyl set his onto the table in front of them.
"Alfred," Vasyl began, "what do you know of the healing church?"
He considered the question, crossing his arms. "It's the foundation of blood healing," he said, "I'm but a simple hunter, really, unfamiliar with the inner workings of the institution. I have heard, though, that the holy medium of blood healing is venerated in the main cathedral. And that councilors of the old church reside in the high stratum of the Cathedral Ward. If you seek blood healing, and the church is willing, you should pay them a visit."
Vasyl nodded, humming to himself. "I attempted to venture that way, though the gate was closed."
"Ah. A shame, that. The gate is only to open when the captain bearing the talisman returns from the hunt. Normally, that would be fine, but things are worse than in recent years. This hunt is different. I can feel it," Alfred muttered.
Kagura decided to input her own question, this being the first she'd even heard of this 'healing church'. "Blood healing?" Kagura asked, and Alfred spared a glance with Vasyl.
"Hmm. You really must be a foreigner. Very well, listen closely.
"Blood healing itself… well, they say it can cure anything. Blood, blessed by the medium, able to rid people of any sickness. It also is rumored to remove… imperfections in us, to push us all towards the physical peak of the human condition. Some even say it can push us beyond, though I'm not so sure I believe that."
It would explain why the humans here were so strong, Kagura mused. Even Vasyl, for his build, seemed to be surprisingly strong. Could this blood strengthen her, too? She could only imagine it amplifying her own speed and strength, already far beyond a normal human. Such a thing might make her capable of standing with even the strongest demons, and she wasn't exactly a slouch as it stood. Naraku didn't create weak demons.
Maybe finding herself here could prove to be worth it...
"Blood healing was discovered by a group of old Byrgenwerth scholars," Alfred continued, stirring her from her wayward thoughts, "Byrgenwerth being an old academy of learning, now deep into the forbidden woods outside of Yharnam and towards the sea. They discovered the tombs of the Gods, and within it, the holy medium. This is the foundation of blood healing, and the healing church itself.
"In essence, everything in Yharnam can be traced back to Byrgenwerth. Unfortunately, the healing church has declared it forbidden grounds. A guard stands watch, and only the old scholars know the password to gain entry. I've tried getting there myself, but it's beyond me."
Vasyl nodded, taking in all of this information with ease. He decided to pass some information of his own.
"The Cathedral Ward is something of a safe haven, at the moment. There is a kind gentleman who keeps candles lit to ward off the beasts of the night. Should you need respite, it's a fine place to rest, and perhaps you can direct others towards it if you come across anyone.
Vasyl snapped his fingers, a look of realization dawning in his eyes. "Ah, and beware giants who patrol the streets. They stand as tall as some of these buildings themselves, and are quite dangerous, if a bit slow. I've cleared out most of the rabble in Central Yharnam, including a large beast that was quite the challenge on the bridge."
Alfred's eyes widened. "You fell that monstrosity?" Vasyl nodded, and Alfred clapped in appreciation.
"You truly are a fine hunter, and especially for an outsider. Well done." Alfred rose from his spot with a stretch, giving them both a nod. "I don't know what lay beyond those doors," he gestured towards the far side, "though a note warns that hunters are not welcome here. Rather… suspicious, in my opinion, though I've little need to be down here. I was merely following up on a clue I got, but it's no matter."
Dusting himself off, Alfred bent over and grabbed that enormous wheel of his. It had to be a weapon, but how such a thing worked was so far beyond Kagura she didn't even want to think about it.
"Until we next meet. Good hunting to you both," Alfred bid them farewell, which Vasyl returned while she didn't, moving towards the way they'd come from.
It had been an insightful discussion, though not because she learned much. Rather, she'd learned what she didn't know. And apparently, her guide knew more than he let on.
Kagura instantly turned to Vasyl when Alfred was out of hearing distance. "What haven't you told me? Healing church? Blood healing?"
Looking vaguely uncomfortable, he shifted in his seat, so she pushed further. "I will not be used! I am like the wind, free! You will tell me everything you know, or I'll leave you where you stand."
With a sigh and a glance off to the side, Vasyl scratched at the back of his head before removing his hat, placing it on the table and running a hand through his curly blonde hair. "It… well, it started with a note I read when I first woke up here. 'Seek Paleblood to Transcend the Hunt.'..."
Kagura allowed him to explain what little he did know, mostly information he got from a man called Gilbert. It seemed he wasn't keeping much from her, only that Gilbert had told him to seek out the Grand Cathedral, and Gehrman directed him towards Old Yharnam to see an old-chalice, for what purpose, he did not know. Gehrman had only told him it would grant him strength to see the night through.
"I am… bound to the dream," he admitted, and she could vaguely recall him saying something like that when she'd first encountered him. "Chained, really. The only guidance I have, that I can be sure of, is that if I wish to be rid of my chains, I must stop the scourge of beasts."
Giving a humorless chuckle, he stared at the ceiling above them. "Quite insightful, yes? To be free, I must stop the scourge of beasts that has infected Yharnam for years."
It wasn't much to go off of.
Still, it was more than what she had on how to get out of here. If she couldn't even feel Naraku's pull, what hope did she have in returning before he crushed her heart? She was as chained as he was, she realized.
The explanations managed to ward off her anger, and by the end of it, the two were left sitting in the dark room, only the lantern's light to illuminate anything. "We should continue on," Vasyl said, rising to his feet and retrieving his hat from the table.
Not seeing a reason to argue, she stood and rolled her shoulders. Both of them turned to look at the door, and the note stuck on it at the far side of the room. She remembered Alfred's parting words. Vasyl seemed to be thinking on them as well, as he spoke up without prompting.
"I agree with Alfred. This city is not what it seems; if there is a note attempting to ward us off, it seems likely something worth investigating is beyond."
She agreed, deciding that, if she couldn't feel Naraku's connection, then he probably couldn't feel her. This place was as free as she was going to get, so she might as well explore it. Maybe she could even figure out why she couldn't feel Naraku. Then she could truly embrace her namesake.
Though, if she was going to be stuck here, she might need to change. She grimaced at the hard floor, giving a glance at Vasyl's own wear. Maybe she could adopt some shoes, at some point.
Approaching the double doors, Vasyl pushed them open without a care. He was stronger than most humans she'd ever met, that was for sure. All thanks to that blood, she mused. As they stepped through the double doors, she and Vasyl found themselves looking at an open courtyard. Kagura grimaced at the sight of a few decaying carcasses, mostly of horses, but there seemed to be some beasts nailed to wood throughout the plaza as well.
In the distance, she could see a large tower, and again, an endless number of buildings, really. This place was fascinating in that respect. Stepping fully out into the courtyard, herself and Vasyl scanned for any threats. It didn't take long to spot one; a beast man, fully transformed, though not like the ones they'd just killed before encountering Alfred. It still vaguely resembled a man, just… different.
Vasyl's saw cleaver transformed with a click, and he approached it with silent steps. It was… well, Kagura wasn't sure. It was alone in a corner, staring at one of the other beasts strung up to a wooden pole while sitting down.
A jagged blade met its spine, spilling blood across the street and endings its life in the same swing. She took in how it looked, and really, it was easy to imagine that it had once been a man. Its eyes were yellow, and the fur covering its body was black as night. There were a few blotches of bare skin, almost like an underbelly, but even its skin had turned into a dark grey. Stranger, still, was that unlike the beasts they'd encountered on their way here, it looked like it was built to stand upright like the man it once was.
Judging by the way it had been sitting, it was capable of standing. Its claws were sharp enough to match any demon she could think of, and she could see sharpened teeth like a canine. Even its spine had changed; it's posture, even in death, was naturally hunched forward.
Vasyl regarded the corpse for a second, turning his gaze to look about the rest of the courtyard. "I don't like this place," he commented with a low mutter, and Kagura couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
There were corpses thrown about- some of men and women, most of beasts, that looked like they had been burned alive. "Come. Let us move quickly," Vasyl said, tearing his gaze from the surroundings and to the bridge ahead. Kagura followed him at a sedated pace, and both tensed as they heard the patter of beast claws on stone, coming towards them.
Rushing from across the bridge came three beast-men that looked like the one Vasyl had killed a moment ago. And, as she suspected, they stood on two legs, hunched over and rushing at them in some crude imitation of man. Kagura conjured her wind, sending a flurry of wind blades as they approached. To her surprise, two of the beast-men dodged; only one was hit, and it wasn't enough to down the creature, only send it stumbling. Vasyl intercepted them as they closed the distance, and Kagura prepared another dance of blades… yet realized she couldn't.
She frowned, only now recognizing that Vasyl's need to be up-close and personal stopped her from actually doing anything. She was left to watch as he dispatched them with surgical precision. One found its arm dismembered in a quick cut, its chest cut open a moment later. The second threw itself at him in a mad flurry, and he expertly dodged a series of swipes, reaching out with his leg to trip the beast. As it fell to the ground, he slammed his cleaver into its spine in a downward thrust, the jagged edge practically going through to the other side.
Seeing an opprotunity, the third beast-man rushed at him, too. He let go of his saw cleaver, grabbing the pistol previously holstered at his side and firing a quick shot; it staggered the beast, leaving its guard open. He stepped forward, and his hand plunged into its neck. He tore its throat out, blood gushing as it fell to the street, dead.
He removed his saw cleaver from the back of the second beast man he fell, flicking some blood off the blade and ignoring the blood soaking his leather gloves. "Hmph. More ferocious than the villagers, but they lack the strength of larger beasts." The more she watched, the more he unnerved her.
It was strange, seeing him fight compared to his polite demeanor. And really, he fought like no human, or even demon, she'd ever seen. Kagura was not a particularly old demon, mind you, being created from the flesh of another demon. She was not… as free as she would have liked, either.
He was strong. Maybe…
"I feel as if we're being watched," Vasyl mused, looking about the open courtyards. "I don't like this place, this plaza. We need to get to the streets below," he declared, and she was glad that he sensed whatever was watching them, too.
"When you and Alfred were talking," she breached the topic, unable to get the idea out of her mind, "you mentioned slaying a monstrous beast. Mind explaining?" Vasyl fell into step beside her, though his ever watchful eyes didn't stop darting around for threats.
"Ah, yes. It towered over myself, easily as tall as some of the buildings we've seen. One arm was… different, as thick as a tree trunk, if not more so, while the other much more limber. It was capable of leaping hundreds of feet into the air. Truly a terrifying beast," he muttered, almost pausing in his steps but stopping himself from doing so. "Yet a beast is but a beast, no matter how large. They bleed; they hurt; they die," he finished with a whisper.
She mused on his words as they walked down some steps, entering another small balcony front. What was the purpose of this place? It reminded her of a courtyard in some of the larger palaces she'd been in. Was that what it was? A place of leisure? She tried to picture the place without the decaying corpses and beasts. Imagined humans walking around, enjoying the open space.
It wasn't too hard to picture. It was rather breath-taking, the sights.
Something was walking up the stairs to their right, Kagura realized. She waited to see what it was, blinking at it being some sort of… short beast, a cloak of some sort making it hard to identify. She glance at its feet, seeing the tale-tale signs of it being another beast by its claws. Kagura wasted no time dispatching it with a series of wind blades, being sure to send more than usual. It fell, dead, its cloak in tatters.
Another moved up the steps besides it, and when it saw them it roared. Her damn ears hurt from how loud it was. Vasyl cursed, crossing the distance between them and the beast in a second, cutting it apart in a series of quick slashes.
"It likely alerted every beast in the area as to where we are," he told her, giving the thing a small kick born of irritation. "We need to move." They moved down the stairs it had come from quickly, Vasyl leading the way. As they rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, three of the man-beasts, like those from the bridge earlier, were sprinting at them. She knocked them away with a quick gust of wind, sending them sprawling across the open courtyard.
Two of those cloaked monsters were approaching them too, though much larger. Vasyl dashed forward to engage them, ducking underneat a swipe of a clawed hand and slamming his saw cleaver, in its compact, axe form, into the creature's chest before stepping back to avoid another rabid lunge.
He extended his blade, swiping at his opponent to create distance. Kagura focused on the three beasts she'd sent away, sending a series of wind blades at them. One fell dead, but the other two closed the distance between them far too quickly. She pushed one away with another gust of wind, but the other leapt at her with its claws. She deflected with her fan, a blade of wind materializing to block it.
It moved at her in a flurry the moment its legs met the ground, swiping without pause. She was on the backfoot, barely dodging the rapid attacks. Her back hip hit a rail, and she nearly tumbled backwards over it. She didn't have time to glance behind her, but she knew it was a long fall. Her opponent charged at her again, and she deflected its first strike, before finding its other claw ripping into her shoulder and drawing blood. Cursing, she had enough of this bastard!
With an upward swipe of her fan, wind formed beneath it and launched it over her and falling down the side of the courtyard cliff. She sneered at it as it fell to its long death, eyes widening as she realized there was one more she hadn't dealt with.
She turned to see it a dozen or so feet from her and conjured a dozen wind blades to match its distance, launching it at the beast-man without care. Some slammed into the stone, launching up dirt and leaving imprints, but she didn't care. The important thing was that it fell dead long before it reached her.
Vasyl had finished up his own fight, and flicked some blood off his cleaver. Wasting no time, she found him in front of her, examining the claw marks on her shoulder. He muttered something to himself silently, reaching into his coat and pulling out a vial of… blood?
He undid the top, pouring it onto her wound before she could even protest. And, to her shock, she watched as the wound closed. The cuts of the beast claw clotted over and reformed into skin within a minute, and he hadn't even used much of the vial. Was this the blood healing they were talking about? She'd never seen anything like it.
"Sometimes the blood must be drank," he told her, still eyeing her wound, "to heal more serious wounds. But, for superficial wounds, merely pouring it over can suffice." Nodding to himself, as if sure she wasn't going to drop dead, he scanned their surroundings.
"Incredible," she said, poking at her own wound. This place was fascinating.
"Good work taking care of those beasts," Vasyl commented, eyeing the corpses she'd created.
"It was nothing," she said, a bit unnerved that one of those things had actually hurt her. Vasyl was limiting her; if she didn't have to worry about hurting him, she could just turn this whole place asunder. Definitely his fault, though he had healed her injury, somehow.
Vasyl gave a glance around, his gaze getting stuck on the largest building in the area. Kagura followed his line of sight, noticing a… gleam atop it. She squinted, and before she could do much else, Vasyl had grabbed her by the hand and was rushing over towards the guardrail she'd thrown that man-beast over.
She heard something slam against stone from behind them, and an instant later, the distinct boom of a firearm. Repeated booms, actually, and she could hear more of those bullet things impacting the stone behind them as they rushed the edge.
He launched himself over, pulling her with him, and she quickly conjured her wind to slow their descent. Bits of broken stone from the railing they jumped over rained around them, bouncing off her clothes and Vasyl's. She slowed their descent until they landed on some balcony, far below. The gunfire had stopped by the time they reached the bottom.
"Damn it," Vasyl cursed as he glanced around, and she quickly realized why. There was a dozen of those monsters in cloaks, as well as beast men, surrounding them. Twenty-four, she counted. Vasyl unfurled his blade, and she didn't waste anytime to flick out with her fan, her dance of blades cutting through over half of the beasts before they could realize what was going on.
The other half began to rush at them, and Vasyl moved to engage. Kagura focused on trying to take out the ones Vasyl wasn't engaged with. The cloaked-monsters died easily enough, but those transformed monsters seemed to have some instinct and were able to dodge her wind half the time.
Those that dared to approach her were often cut down by Vasyl before they were any real threat. What had started out as two dozen beasts was now down to six, and Vasyl's pistol marked the end of another beast, only five left. Four of the beast men, one of those still draped in clothes.
She moved in closer to Vasyl, deciding that it would be more efficient. A point-blank wind blade formed, slicing through one of the beast men with ease. Vasyl ducked beside a lunge, twisting his body and bringing his saw cleaver into the skull of the cloaked monstrosity. He pulled it loose, chunks of grey matter splattering on the stone.
Three remained, and Vasyl was thrown to the ground as one managed to tackle him. He held it back with his own strength, and she knocked it off of him and over the edge of the balcony with a strong gust of wind.
Two left, both beast-men. One rushed at her while Vasyl returned to his feet, the other clambering to attack him. She cut the one rushing at her down with her flurry of wind blades, and Vasyl easily sidestepped and gutted down the last one, thrusting his saw cleaver's extended blade into its chest cavity.
Staring at the corpses around them, Vasyl chuckled grimly and pulled out his cleaver. "A partner is a fine thing to have," he said, walking closer and putting a bloodied, leather glove on her shoulder. "You're a blessing in this cursed city, Lady Kagura."
Unable to stop from smirking, she flicked her hair, a bit of blood dripping off it with the motion. "Of course. You aren't too bad yourself." It was true. As far as humans went, he'd wipe the floor with those she knew from her home.
"I don't know who was manning that gun above, but we best be careful as we approach." Kagura decided to reveal one of her cards. Grabbing the feather in her hair, she removed it, moving to enlarge it.
Nothing happened. She tried again and again, but her feather, her transport, stayed the size of a normal feather. Cursing, Kagura saw Vasyl staring at her in confusion.
"I was trying to do something to surprise that bastard above," she muttered, staring at the feather in her hand before scoffing, returning it to her hair, "but it seems it's not working. Damn it."
Vasyl waved off her concerns. "It's no matter. Together, I'm sure we can overcome whoever it is that stands guard above."
Now that Kagura thought about it, her control seemed… weaker here. Could it have been where they were, the streets? It was enclosed, cramped; the wind moved in gusts, guided by buildings and walls, not of its own accord. Perhaps it had to do with her lack of connection to Naraku?
Giving the small balcony they were on one more look, the two moved inside through the door. It was dark, and Vasyl fiddled with something on his hip. A moment later, a small lamp turned on, illuminating their surroundings, but only barely. "I'd prefer a torch, but needs must when needs must, hmm."
Kagura didn't comment, instead scanning their surroundings. She saw some red, glowing eyes in the darkness, and didn't hesitate to cut whatever it was down. Turned out it was one of those monsters draped in cloth from before, if a bit larger. They moved like that for a time, exploring the interior of this building and cutting down what few beasts were still inside. The sunset didn't provide much light, but it combined with Vasyl's small lantern gave them some measure of comfort.
Vasyl found himself staring at a corpse, this one clearly a former hunter by what he was wearing. A note was in his hands, likely written with his last breath. "The red moon hangs low, and beasts rule the streets. Are we left no other choice, than to burn it all to cinders?" He read aloud.
Humming, Vasyl pocketed the note. "This is the first note I've found referencing the red moon. Another one referenced the healing church leaving its people here, to burn and die. Old Yharnam…" he mumbled, giving the hunter a long look.
"How long ago did this occur? This place makes no sense. Was it a year ago? Ten? Why do these corpses seem so fresh?" He tightened his grip on his saw cleaver.
Curious, yes. Kagura was equally confused, if not more so.
"If they burned this place to the ground," Kagura began, giving a look at the dead hunter, "the question is why?"
"It seems the beasts grew too numerous. Perhaps no sane souls remained," Vasyl observed, but shook his head. "Still, even that seems off. The beasts here, too, are strange. They don't resemble the beast-men I encountered above."
He searched through the pockets of the dead hunter, eventually finding another note. "The tablets are worthless. Ashen blood incurable, purge the unclean." It sounded like orders, and judging by the neat handwriting, it had to be just that, Ashen blood? Another mystery, it seemed. This city was full of them. Vasyl pocketed that note as well, giving the hunter a disgraced look.
"Little more than a tool, it seems." He observed, chuckling lightly. "Though, I suppose I am as well." Kagura didn't say anything as they continued up the creaking stairs, not encountering any other beasts. They eventually made it back up towards the courtyards, though there was still a wall between them and that gun. They hadn't given away their position yet.
Kagura spared Vasyl a glance, seeing that he was fiddling with that gun of his. There was a broken part of the wall to her left, and she needed to know.
She stepped out, watching as the gleam of the gun above turned towards her. Whoever it was up there, they were observant and vigilant. She unfurled her fan, summoning a gust of wind. She could see the bullets as they left the barrel of whatever firearm was up there. She saw their red gleam as they flew at her at a rapid pace, and she made to swat them away in panic. They were practically already in front of her!
Still, once she proved her control absolute, she'd turn her sights to the man on that gun and cut him to pieces.
Wind met bullets, and the bullets didn't stop. Her eyes widened, and she barely realized what was happening as she found herself tossed to the ground. It took a moment to realize that it hadn't been the bullets that had done it.
She watched as they slammed into Vasyl, a dozen of them, easily, across his whole torso. He was thrown against the stone wall by the force of the impact, his blood painting it red, before he fell forward onto his knees.
Those grey eyes turned to her, and he started to reach out with a hand before he collapsed forward, dead.
He was dead. She was alive. That could have been her. It dawned on her, suddenly. She could be dead.
Her gaze narrowed, and she didn't like the feeling inside her chest. Whoever was up on that tower was going to pay. She was going to skin them alive, and play with their corpse.
Before she could follow through with her threat, though, something caught her attention. She watched as these… small, white things appeared, crawling over Vasyl's corpse. She almost knocked them away with a gust of wind, but something told her not to.
One of them crawled towards her, a hat not too dissimilar to Vasyl atop its head. It latched onto her feet, and she watched as the others grabbed Vasyl, and his body began to dissipate. Her vision started to whiten, and she desperately tried to fight it-
Kagura's eyes shot open, and she sat up from her bedroll breathing heavy. It took her a moment to register that there was no corpse in front of her, no dead Vasyl. She glanced around, finding herself back in the room she could remember before all that had just happened. What? As her mind raced, her labored breath slowed, and her tense muscles relaxed.
Had it all been a dream? Kagura rose to her feet, glancing around. It had felt so real! There was no way it could have been fake. How could she have even imagined such a strange place, such strange things like a gun? There was no way it could be fake. It just… couldn't be.
Her eyes darted to her shoulder, and she saw that her robe still had the clawmark of that beast. Yes! Yes, it had been real. Then that human, Vasyl… he had saved her, at the cost of his own life. She idly traced a hand along her body, visualizing where those bullets had sliced through Vasyl. That could have been her.
It would have, too. It should have been, yet he had... Kagura closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. A part of her was glad to be rid of that nightmarish place, and a part of her wanted to go back, to slay that man who had dared kill Vasyl. She wasn't sure why. He was, after all, a human.
She wasn't exactly mournful of his death, either. They hadn't been together for that long, but he did have a certain charm. In the end, she was glad it was he who was dead and not her. The issue, then, was that she was still angry that the idiot had died due to her and whoever had been on that tower.
Sighing, Kagura sat down on her bed, folding her arms. If she ever found herself back there, and she was sure it was a real place, due to the tear on her robe, she'd mutilate whoever it was who had killed him, if only to return the favor for Vasyl saving her life.
...She felt the pull of Naraku in her mind. Here she was, a bird in a cage once again. Whatever she thought of that place, at least there she had been free. Confused, yes, but free. A cruel fate, to taste freedom and have it grabbed from her in the same bite. She hadn't even managed to figure out that blood-thing, which might have been able to make her even stronger than she already was.
"Hmph. What a shame," she muttered aloud, tensing as she felt something latch onto her foot. Giving a glance down, she saw it was that same white, skull-like creature, a tricorn hat still atop its head.
She reached down and picked it up, staring at the odd thing. "Aren't you an ugly bastard," she said, looking at the wrinkles and otherwise… lanky appearance of the creature. it didn't seem to understand her too well, either. It vaguely resembled a person, or perhaps a skeleton with white flesh clinging to it.
Well, if the wound on her shoulder hadn't made it clear enough, whatever that place had been, it was real. Far away, maybe, but real.
She laid back down, the white-thing still staring at her from the foot of her bedroll. The sun was beginning to rise, and as her mind sorted through everything she'd gone through in that brief time, she reflected on what she was supposed to be doing now.
Naraku had tasked her to deal with some thorn in his side, a wolf tribe and some other demon, and she'd deliver. Her life was, after all, in his hands.
'Little more than a tool.' Vasyl's words echoed in her head. She felt a slight headache coming on, and decided that it would be best to throw herself into her task. She was no longer free, after all. It might even help take her mind off the strange feeling in her chest.
An idea that popped into my mind recently. I'm usually hesitant to post things, due to often struggling with long-term plot development, but I've actually mapped out where I want this story to go for awhile. So, i shall post it, and hopefully people will follow and help motivate me to keep working on it. Cheers.