I see that there was a healthy response from the last chapter, and that joys me very much to be able to bring you, the readers, the next one in this (hopefully) many shorts. I don't have much to say besides that I will update this one on a faster pace than anything else since the moment an idea flows into my mind, its instantly on paper. Writing this at almost midnight sends the thrill and motivation I must write this chapter. Let's get on with it, shall we?
I do not own Bloodborne or RWBY and each belong to their respective companies.
"Blood to Hunters Borne to Beginnings; Blake Belladonna and the Watchful Crow"
The first Hunter of Hunters came from a foreign land, and gave the dead a virtuous native funeral ritual, rather than impose a blasphemous Yharnam burial service upon them, with the hope that former compatriots might be returned to the skies, and find rest in a hunter's dream.
The Raven Hunter: A hunter with an unusual pair of warped swords. Wears a raven mantle and a doctor's mask, uses bizarre swordsmanship. Well, she seems to be an ally…
The forest wasn't always quiet.
There were times when there was an occasional scream from an unfortunate passerby that had the unfortunate case of wondering off the path and deep into the forest; only to be attacked by the beasts that lied within.
The screams would only last for a minute or two, and in that small amount of time it would only attract more of them.
An hour or so after the forest had died down, you could go to where the source of the screaming began and stopped and find things such as sacs full of various goods that the victim threw away in hoped of escaping. You could never find the man/woman whose screaming attracted this fate of theirs, but instead it was always a small pool of red that lied in a spot where claw marks lay.
There was always one rule whenever you wanted to follow the screams and hopefully gather what was lost; never stay on the ground for too long. Being young gives such difficulties in terms of strength and dexterity, and just those two could change an encounter with the beasts from death, to a chance of escaping with your life alone. That's not always the case though, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Even after making your way to the source, there was still a problem of collecting the possessions of the former owner.
I was always taught that survival is the key to life, but I've always taken to heart that you should respect the dead. I guess today was the day I was the one screaming, not on the outside but in my heart.
All I could hope is that someone would treat my possessions like I did the ones I found, with complete and udder care.
The young girl tripped on a branch and fell to the cold hard earth that was beneath her. The fall from the towering tree and the sudden stop on the ground set a shock of pain through her body. She slid on the ground, throwing up dirt in the process as she left an indention in the ground. A soft grunt came from the girl as she lifted herself off the ground. Small things such as leaf's and twigs stuck to her body, in which she began to remove from herself.
She was more annoyed by her mistake than anything. After cleaning herself off the various items, she glanced around and noticed a bright yellow bag in the clearing across from her current position. It stood out in the daylight on a nice-looking bush.
The bag stood out much more than it originally would because of the comparison with the almost empty black forest that stood behind her. She squinted towards the bag to make sure nothing was to strange with it, and accepted that it was safe; for now, that is.
She reached for her waist and let the small object and her hand mold itself together. The small knife contrasted her white skin as the brown handle matched the dirt that was still somewhat on her. The slight glare off the blade showed quality and management of the blade after each use. It was small and simple, and that purpose was known to the girl. For protection and that only, taking a life and defending one's own are very different, and she acknowledged that fully.
Without thought of being watched, she began to dash across the opening between her and the bag, each step carrying her a distance much closer. Her eyes darting left and right for any possible dangers to come.
Within arms-length of the bag, time almost felt as if it was stopped for her. The young girl's eyes met with a pair of red pupils in the darkness in front of her, and the slight familiar white that was surrounding it as well. A thought came over her,
'This was a trap, and I fell into like a mouse to cheese, and this beast was the cat waiting all along'
She quickly ducked beneath the claws that came for her, and the body mass that followed along with it. An immense sense of dread came over her as she saw the beast in the sunlight as it regained its footing in front of her after failing to capture its prey. A quick snarl was directed towards the young girl, and was quickly followed with a howl towards the sky. Her eyes went large from the realization of the situation she was in.
More and more black masses came into the clearing, each one adoring a white mask and red pupils that hit behind them as well, and it just continued to increase with time. Fear… Fear is what brought more here towards her. These monsters were that of Grimm; an embodiment of darkness, bodies that consisted of that of nothing but dark energy, and always attracted to negative emotions.
She quickly looked to her right; Grimm, and then quickly to the left; even more Grimm. She didn't dare look behind her since a much larger presence than one she had ever experienced before rested there from the beginning.
She stopped thinking and thought over the last statement, Grimm do not have souls and thus cannot have a presence such as this one, meaning only two things. Either someone was about to watch her die to these beasts around her, or they would join in in her fast death and hopefully end it much faster than these beasts could.
She quickly pushed both ideas out of her head as both seemed highly implausible. The closest Grimm in front of her let out a much lower snarl towards her as it then leaped forward for the kill and in return she brought up the knife that she had on her since the beginning of this predicament. A sudden heaviness fell upon her instead of the expected slashing of the claws, and the pain that would come with it.
She looked up at the black mass that rested atop of her, and noticed the weight begin to disappear. Black mist started to flow upwards around her and the knife that was impaled within the beast as well. She turned her head and noticed a black clothed shoe. Her eyes followed the black cloth up the leg that was connected to the foot up, and saw a more humanoid black figure.
'Was this the presence that was behind me that entire time?'
The young girl wondered as the figure walked forward towards the beasts. From the back, she seemed to be covered in black feathers, and in her hands, was a strangely shaped sword that looked like a weapon that they designed themselves. The Grimm began to step backwards as she turned her back towards the young girl and knelt.
"Don't be scared young one. Without fear in our hearts, we're little different from the beasts themselves."
The young girl began to uncurl herself from the positon she was in and look at the mask the figure was wearing. It was that of a crow, and in turn made her look like one as well. This made the girl shy back slightly and scoot away.
A soft chuckle came from the crow.
"Hmmm, I know…" She reached up into what looked like her coat and pulled out a small medallion. "Here, for you." The girl took ahold of the medallion and held it close to her without taking a single glance towards it. She already began to feel much safer than she originally was.
She stood up and turned around. The Grimm took a defense stance in front of her as if ready to pounce. The young girl was already hiding up in a tree watching the bout to begin. A single Grimm jumped towards her, and a flash of sparks appeared where her blades once where, and now there were two that stabbed into the chest of the beast and was thrown off easily. The cruel designed blades seemed to give a quick and graceful death upon the striking of the blade.
The crow danced around the other Grimm in the area slowly diminishing their numbers one by one. Quick successions of dashing inwards to stab with both blades and swing with them once again, then dash backwards out of another Grimm's reach.
This was repeated with each one, and each one fell just as fast and with as much grace as the last. The crow truly seemed to glide across the ground with each movement like that of a professional Hunter. By the time the girl finished her assessment of the combat in front of her, everything was already finished.
Her eyes trailed the now empty clearing and noticed that the crow was leaning up against a tree, and was injecting a strange red liquid into her thigh. She hopped down from the tree and began to make her way over to the crow. The crow noticed her and lifted itself off the tree and met her halfway.
"I'm afraid I've made a bit of a blunder." The girl looked at her with saddened eyes as she could realize the pain she had taken while fighting the beasts. The crow noticed this and kneeled while patting her on the head. "Oh, don't worry. I've taken enough blood. Enough to save an old woman."
The girl wondered what she meant by blood, but passed it off as a simple medicine that old people use.
"Now tell me girl, what might be your name?"
The girl looked up at her and said shyly, "My name is…Blake…Blake Belladonna"
The old woman shook her head in agreement. "That's a good name young girl. Remember mine as the Hunter that saved your life just this once; Eileen the Crow, and nothing more. You got it in your head?" She pointed towards her head with her finger.
Blake shook her head in acknowledgement. "Good. Now there is one thing I want you to know before I head off." Blake listened closely. "Prepare yourself for the worst. There are no true humans left. They're all these dark creatures left." Blake came over with a saddened face. "That does not matter in your case it seems. Remember this and take it to heart," She pointed towards the medallion that Blake held in her hand. "Being a Hunter of Hunters is a job not many can do, but that right there symbolizes that you can become one. Just always remember that Fear is what keeps us separated from the beasts, and there is nothing wrong with that. Please make this life of yours of which I saved important."
She stood up and shook back her cloak that rested on her shoulders. "Hold onto that until the time is right, and trust me, you'll know when that time is."
Eileen began to walk off into the forest until Blake shouted. "Will I ever meet you again?"
A small chuckle came from the old crow. "Hopefully young one; I never want to see another Hunter such as yourself ever again." A much louder laugh could be heard from her as she went deeper into the forest until it eventually stopped, leaving Blake alone in the clearing with the bag near her feet and silence surrounding her.
She looked down at the medallion that hosted a sliver crow that sat on the front with its wings spread apart leaving an opening above it. Her finger traced the wings and a smile came upon her face.
Blake Belladonna was going to become a Hunter to the world of Remnant.
I really hoped everyone enjoyed reading this little thing I put together, and how it incorporated a wonderful character from both series. Any questions, complaints, or comments just go ahead and leave them where ever. I really enjoy seeing and reading them. Professor Pancakes sighing out until the next chapter.
"Blood to Hunters Borne to Beginnings; Yang Xiao Long and the Infamous Powder Kegs