Zoran wandered through the streets of Old Yharnam with a calmness that was inappropriate for the location surrounding him. The town, long ago abandoned by humans, was now home only to beasts, who's snarls and growls could be heard from every corner. The stench of burning flesh lingered throughout the city, a remnant of the desperate campaign enacted by Laurence to contain the spread of the beastly scourge and to avoid widespread panic in the rest of Yharnam.
Clouds of billowing smoke were a common sight in the streets, a perfect source of cover for the various beasts that still lingered there, waiting for their prey to come close enough to strike. What was originally a place of constant danger and fear had turned into a place where Zoran occasionally went to collect his thoughts.
He had managed to manufacture a ceasefire of sorts with the town's beastly inhabitants, so they would no longer obstruct his path during his time there. He had coated his attire in the ashes left over from the blaze that enveloped Old Yharnam, which had given the beasts an abnormal fear of flame. Recognizing the scent of the ashes, most of the town's beastly inhabitants had ceased their constant attacks on him, which Zoran could only be content with. He could not bring himself to kill them any longer, not after he had learned the truth.
It had been some time since he was released from Maria's care and during that time, he decided to clean up a few loose ends. The watchdog that had wounded him had been slain, thanks in no small part to the technique she had taught him. After this escapade had concluded, Zoran chose to explore Yharnam for a bit; going of the beaten path to see if he had missed anything. But by now, the city was all but desolate. The silence weighed down on him more and more the longer he stayed out, leaving him longing for any sort of company.
He couldn't help but think back to his last meeting with Maria. Really, the majority of it had consisted of meaningless chatter, but after dozens of meetings devoted almost exclusively to the events of his hunt, it was something that the both of them desperately needed. Just harmless talk. Nothing more, nothing less. But the moment she asked him about the mask, he had decided that the time had finally come to confront that fear that had followed him since childhood. He had long considered showing vulnerability as being a sign of weakness, one that would expose him to endless ridicule. He had been ashamed of the times he had broken down in front of her and especially of the fact that he had to turn to her for help to begin with. He was supposed to be a warrior and there he was, weeping like a child reeling from a bad dream.
But she had laid witness to his lowest points and yet, she took them in stride. She did not shame him. She did not judge. No instead, she had been comforting and understanding, letting him know that what he shouldn't be afraid of being vulnerable. And that bottling up his pain and pretending it didn't exist would only make things worse.
And after it came off, he felt...liberated. Like a mighty battle he had been fighting with his inner self had finally concluded. But other then that, he felt a newfound connection with Maria; one that he hadn't experienced with any other. The fact he had put himself in a position where he was completely defenseless, something he hadn't done even in a place that was supposed to be his sanctuary, spoke volumes about just how deep his trust in her now stemmed. And he found himself wanting more. To find a way to convey his gratitude to her in some form.
As he wandered the streets, casting glances at the various beasts who seemed content to simply rest by the numerous fires that somehow remained in the town, Zoran eventually found his way to what he assumed was once the market square. The area appeared to be devoid of life, but the hunter entered the square with a degree of caution.
The first thing he noticed was that the ground was littered with shards of broken glass and that the various shops that once operated here were irreversibly damaged, both by the claws of beasts and the flame of man. As he progressed further, he came upon a stall that was surrounded by a large pool of dried blood and well as what seemed like hundreds of shattered bottles.
Inspecting one of the bottles, Zoran immediately recognized it as a blood vial. Looking at the display in front of him, he concluded that after the outbreak within the city, the infected citizenry had raided the market square and had focused most of their efforts on obtaining more of the Healing Church's patented blood, in a desperate attempt to cure their ailments. Little did they know that their efforts only hastened the transformation, resulting in dozens, if not hundreds of people being transformed into flesh hungry beasts.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zoran could see a handful of bottles that had escaped the destruction, still orderly arranged. Approaching them, he picked one up and managed to unscrew the cork, taking a brief sniff of the substance inside the bottle. He immediately recognized it as a common alcoholic beverage served in the pubs of surrounding towns, one that had grown rare in Yharnam. The blood was said to be so intoxicating, that citizens began to consume it in greater quantities then alcohol, which caused the stocks within the city to suffer as a result. It came as no surprise that it was sparred the wrath of the beasts.
Suddenly, Zoran felt a familiar scent, which emanated from one of the bottles in a nearby venue. He had consumed strong drinks on several occasions, but this scent was not one of the beverages he had drunk with his comrades after a successful campaign. This was something else, something much dearer to him. Picking out the bottle from which the scent originated from, Zoran took another sniff to confirm his suspicions.
Kvass. Against all odds, the very same drink that accompanied almost any social gathering back home, here in the middle of Old Yharnam. Zoran could hardly believe his luck. This had been the first trace of his native culture he had found in his time here.
Desperate to rid himself of the taste of blood for even a few moments, Zoran was ready to take a swing from the bottle right then and there, before stopping just as the bottle was about to touch his lips. He was uncertain how long ago the ravaging of Old Yharnam had occurred, but with a drink like this, it was best not to take risks. Besides, the presence of this drink meant that a similar, more up-to-date type must exist in the city at large.
Placing the bottle back where he had found it, Zoran turned to leave the market square and moved to make his way towards the surface as a plan began to form in his head.
….
Maria exited the elevator from the upper level of the hall, with a tray carrying a freshly brewed pot of tea she had prepared in the abandoned kitchen on the fourth floor. Since Zoran left, she took it upon herself to do a little house-keeping, replacing the table she had destroyed during their last encounter, bringing back a tall candelabrum to aid with her reading and reorganizing her disgruntled pile of books around her chair.
But through it all, she felt a surge of guilt every time she had to step over a long dead body of one of her patients and she decided she shouldn't leave them lying on the ground like trash. It had been a long and arduous process, but by the end of it, every one of her patients were lying side by side on the bottom floor; resting on a blanket with a cloth covering their head and their hands folded across their chest, each of them holding on to a flower she had picked for them. She prayed for them, wishing that they would finally find comfort and peace. Peace that she had long denied them.
After she had finished, she very quickly realized just how lonely the Hall now seemed. But she chose not to dwell on it, opting to instead do something to keep her occupied.
She took the time to clean the numerous bloodstains off her garb and as she left them out to dry, she decided treated herself to a bath. It was so strange. She used to take things like regular bathing for granted, but doing so now seemed…invigorating. The sensations were exactly what she had felt before she fell into this nightmare, but after not feeling them for so long, it seemed like a completely new experience.
But the silence of the building was deafening and she found herself wishing she had something to alleviate it. She tried some breathing exercises that Yamamura had taught her once upon a time and even tried humming a tune that popped into her head, but it was of little use. And it was then she realized something.
She missed Zoran.
Discussing events that weren't related to their respective duties had been oddly relieving, a welcome change from the seemingly never-ending descriptions of death and misery that seemed to plague their lives. Having been so focused on having him confront his demons, she had forgotten to give him a chance remember events in his life that he looked back on fondly; to remind him that he had been part of the hunt, not one with it. But other then being an effective way of calming him down, speaking with him was…fun. He had always been good at telling stories, but he was at his best when he was describing exploits in his younger years; not being bogged down by the emotional scars his time as a soldier and a hunter had left on him. She scarcely recalled a time when she had enjoyed another's company so, when she did not feel pressured to hide parts of herself away in an attempt to please others. Everything just flowed naturally between them, jumping from topic to topic and never growing bored. It was something she didn't even realize she was missing.
And then, he did something that she didn't expect. He agreed to take of his mask. Oh, how proud she had been of him when he allowed her to remove it. As mundane of an action it was, it was a monumental progression both for him and for their relations going forward. A sign that he has accepted himself for who he is and that he trusted her enough that he would share it. And it felt to her as if a new link had been established between them.
Passing by the lamp that served as his link to the Dream, she softly smiled at the tiny pale creatures that frolicked around it, who it seemed had taken a particular liking to her. Almost as if they recognized her. After she had finally reached the gates of her sanctuary, she entered the supposedly empty hall, expecting it to be completely vacant. Only to be pleasantly surprised to see it was not.
Zoran reclined in her usual seat reading a black-covered book, seemingly unaware she had entered. From her distance, she could not make out the title of what he was reading, but she was sure it was not a piece he had brought for her. But she did notice one thing.
He wasn't wearing the mask anymore.
"Welcome back." She said, causing him to jump slightly in his seat and scramble to hide his book.
"Oh, hello." He greeted her as he recovered from his blunder. "Do forgive the intrusion. The hall was empty when I got here and I wasn't sure when you would be back. So, I let myself in." He explained, though this revelation only heightened her amusement with him.
"No need for apologies. You're free to come by whenever you wish." She reassured him, before remembering the purpose of his last visit. "How is your leg?" She inquired, seeing no sign of injury on him.
"I do believe it's better now. It flares up every once in a while, but I do believe the worst is behind me." He answered, smiling all the while.
"Well, that's good to hear." She said in acknowledgement, content that her treatment seemed to have worked. Deciding to test the waters a bit, she prepared another question. "Have anything else you want looked at?" She asked with a playful smile, with the hunter smiling back in kind.
"Not today, I'm afraid." He answered, not missing a beat.
"The usual, then?" She followed up, still sporting the same smile.
"If that's alright by you." He said in response.
"Off course. Have a seat." She instructed him, moving towards her usual spot. As he took his seat, she set her tray on her new table and set about pouring its contents into her cup. "My apologies. If I knew you were coming, I'd have made some more." She told him as she poured a spoon of sugar into her cup.
"That's quite alright. I have a substitute." He said as he pulled out a pipe and carefully cleaned it with a piece of cloth. She looked on as he did this, having never actually seen someone smoke before; seeing as how the practice had grown out of practice overtime. As he prepared to place a sort of dried leaf into its chamber, he noticed her observing him, stopping the process. "You don't mind, do you?" He asked, taking her action as a sign not to continue.
"No, by all means. Help yourself." She assured him, prompting him to continue the process. Taking the pipe in his mouth, he pulled out a box of matches; lighting one of them and hovering it over the chamber.
As he began taking puffs of the resulting smoke, she sat down in her chair, taking a sip from her cup of tea as the two of them settled in. It hadn't been terribly long since they've had a proper session, but it already felt alien to her after their last encounter.
"So, what brings you here today?" She asked to start them off, leaning forward in preparation for his latest story.
…
Zoran's back was pressed against the wall, his grip on his axe and pistol tight as he waited for the opportune moment to move. His attire was stained in the blood of the beasts that had barred his path, with each kill seemingly invigorating him and giving him the strength to move forward. But still, he had to remain cautious. The rogue hunter at the top of the distant tower watched his every move and was waiting for him to so much as stick his head out so he could mow him down in a hail of bullets, just as he had many times before. But he had managed to find a way around that gave him ample cover from his relentless onslaught; now all he had to do was make it through to the end.
Taking in a deep breath, Zoran stepped out from behind the wall and leapt down to the ground below, just as quickly rushing for another source of cover as he heard the bullets crashing into the wall and ground around him. Once they ceased and the hunter had to reload, he ran as fast as he could towards the other side of the square he found himself in. Another hunter used to block his path here and pursued him relentlessly, chasing him across the narrow structures above the dilapidated church beyond his current position. His pursuit ended once he lost his balance and fell to the ground below; he was left defenseless as a result and was torn apart by the beasts he was supposedly protecting, with Zoran unable to do anything but look on in horror. He was later ambushed and though he was able to fight them off, their poisonous bite ended up claiming his life before he could make any real progress into the city.
Zoran knew he had to deal with the one at the top of the tower; he was an incredibly dangerous obstacle and would hinder his progress indefinitely. And as horrid as it was, the fate of his companion proved he was a fool. He was wasting his breath defending these creatures, who would tear him apart on a whim if they got the chance. Regardless of who they were before, keeping them alive did more harm then good.
Finding a ladder at the base of the tower the hunter had taken as a vantage point, Zoran began to climb. As he reached the top, he spotted his target, who was crouching just by the gattling gun he had used to fire at him, no doubt trying to spot him down below. He approached the man as quietly as he could, paying heed to the fact his shadow could end up giving away his position. Gripping his extended axe with both hands, he continued his approach, yet as he got closer, he could hear a faint noise; almost like some sort of machine was starting up...
Suddenly, his target spun around and thrust his right arm forward. Zoran barely had a moment to react before a massive burst of pain erupted in his chest, sending him flying back several meters. Landing just at the edge of the narrow roof they found themselves on, Zoran rolled of to his right as his adversary attempted to stab him with his weapon. Ignoring the pain in his ribs, Zoran got back on his feet and picked up his fallen axe, which he used to deflect the Hunter's attempt to skewer him with the blade of his unorthodox weapon.
Going on the offensive, Zoran attempted to strike his opponent while his guard was broken, but he had recovered far quicker than he had anticipated and had managed to gain some distance. Zoran attempted to take the opportunity to repair the damage done to his ribs, but before he had even plunged the Vial into his thigh, his assailant had fired off a shot from his blunderbuss, causing him to stumble backwards and drop the vial in the process. The Hunter followed up with an additional shot, but this time Zoran was able to react in time, quickly dashing towards him. As he did this, he activated his axe's transformation, extending it's reach significantly and managed to strike the older hunter in the chest. Not letting up, he then swung his axe two times in a horizontal motion, which his opponent was barely able to evade and followed up with an overhead swing which caused him to dodge to his left.
"Is it the blood, or are you just raving mad?" His opponent suddenly questioned him.
"I would ask the same, but I already know the answer." Zoran quickly retaliated, before spinning himself around, axe outstretched. Unfortunately, the brief moment he needed to recover his senses gave his opponent an opportunity to regain the offensive, charging towards him with his blade. He was just able to stop him from hitting his mark, the two locked in a standstill as the pommel of the axe was trapped in the wedge between the Driver's blade.
"Have you ever spared a thought to the nature of the beasts you kill?" The Hunter said as he continued pushing his weapon towards Zoran's chest.
"I know what they are." Zoran fired back as he pushed the blade away from his chest.
"And yet you still hunt them? Tell me? What difference is there between killing a beast and murdering your fellow man?" Their standstill continued, with the hunter exhibiting an extraordinary strength despite his apparent age.
"The difference-is that they are driven only by hunger, by instinct. If left alone, they will continue to kill without rhyme or reason. And you're a fool if you're unable to see that!" Despite struggling to hold him back, Zoran rebuked him with as much force as he could muster. Despite this, his opponent's expression did not shift.
"Oh, but I do. Which is why I must stop you..."
A sudden pain erupted in Zoran's stomach as his opponent managed to fire of a shot from his blunderbass with his free hand, causing his grip on the axe to loosen and allowing the Driver to impale him through the shoulder. Letting out a howl at the searing pain he now felt all over his body, he narrowly ducked the hunter's attempt to take of his head before again being off guard by a knee to his stomach, taking the air out of his lungs. His enemy's boot connected with his face as he was stumbling back and knocked him to the floor, the limited space on the rooftop leaving almost no room for him to flee.
"I should think you still have dreams? Well, next time you dream, give some thought to the hunt, and its purpose." He said, priming his weapon to deliver the finishing blow.
In desperation, Zoran pulled out the weapon Gilbert had given him and pointed it at his adversary, a torrent of flame being unleashed the moment he gripped the handle. The hunter screamed as he was engulfed in the flames, flailing his arms around as he tried to put them out. As the fire spread across the arm he used to hold his weapon, Zoran snapped out of his stupor and snapped to his feet, desperately reaching out to the man...
BOOM!
He shielded his eyes from the ensuing explosion, coughing as a thick cloud of smoke enveloped the rooftop. It eventually dissipated to reveal the old hunter lying on his back, struggling to draw breath: his weapon arm had been blown off below the elbow and his skin was charred, the stench of his burning flesh making Zoran feel sick to the stomach. In between labored breaths, he somehow managed to look up at Zoran before weakly stating a warning.
"It's you… You're the beast… Think about what you're doing! It's utter madness…" Upon speaking those last three words, he desperately sucked in a few more breaths before going still.
Zoran's eyes remained on his opponent's mangled body, the pain from his injuries all but forgotten as he placed a hand over his masked mouth and sunk to his knees, realizing what he had just done.
He killed a man. Not a beast or murderous creature, but a human being, still in full control of his actions and opposing him based only on beliefs. Even with Gascoigne, he could rationalize his actions; he had lost control and was a danger to everyone around him, with no hope of him ever regaining his sentience. He had to die and if he didn't do it, someone inevitably would have to. But this...this was exactly what he hoped he would never have to do again. So why is it he only felt this regret now, after cutting down dozens of beasts and infected men without so much as sparing a glance at their corpses?
He never even stopped to think who his victims had been. Where they came from and what their names were. And what had led them to the state they found themselves in now.
Was he really any less of a monster then they?
….
Zoran's story had given Maria pause. Though she had long ago retired from the Hunt, she had never questioned for a second that the beasts that plagued Yharnam had to be killed. Even after the horrific things she had witnessed in the Fishing Hamlet, her view on beasts had seldom changed. She did not spare them a second thought as she cut them down, one after another, seemingly forgetting that they were all humans once, who had put their faith in the very people she was killing them for.
"This hunter. Did you ever discover his name?" Maria asked.
"I brought the badge he had carried back to the Dream, where I managed to catch Gehrman rummaging in the Workshop. He told me that he had been a rather odd fellow as far as Hunters go, uncommonly kind and yet dreadfully foolish. Though nobody really knew what had happened to him after his time as a Hunter, he was once known as Djura."
"Do you still think him mad?"
"I can't really say. I once thought that the beasts out there were mere shells of what they once were, that there was no way to bring them back to the light. But after what happened with Ludwig, I… just don't know what to believe anymore." He answered honestly.
"I understand the complexity of the dilemma you face, but you should not let it impede you. No matter what the beasts were once, they will not spare you the same consideration you do them. Avoid them if you can, but if one of them forces your hand, do not hesitate to strike it down. That is all the advice I can offer you." Zoran silently looked at Maria as she spoke, having concluded his smoking some time ago. He took a moment to consider her words before nodding his understanding.
"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" Maria asked, a small part of her wishing to keep her visitor here a little while longer.
"Actually, there was something else I hoped to share with you." Zoran answered after a short silence, seemingly embarrassed.
"Oh. And what would that be?" She inquired.
"It's best I just show you. Please, sit." He motioned for her to take a seat next to him on the stairwell.
Looking back at him in slight surprise, she proceeded to place her cup back on the table before complying with his request. She watched intently as he reached into his bag, not sure what to expect. Much to her surprise, all he pulled out was a pair of rather plain bottles.
"What is this?" She asked, slightly taken aback.
"A small part of my heritage. Back home, we would call it kvass, a beverage that is derived from the fermentation of rye bread. It was something that would accompany almost any social gathering, big or small." Zoran explained, before handing her a bottle, which she apprehensively accepted.
Holding it in her hands, she was unsure of what his intention was for sharing this with her. Trying to hand it back to him, he held out his hand in front of him to signify he wanted her to keep it.
"Go on. Try it." He insisted.
Looking at him with widened eyes, Maria turned her attention to trying to unscrew the cork from the bottle, which proved more difficult then she anticipated. Eventually removing it, she recoiled slightly at the smell that came from the bottle, looking over at her visitor to see he had his own prepared.
"I don't believe I've ever had a drink like this. Are you certain this is still safe to consume?" She asked him.
"I believe so. As long as it's kept at room temperature, it should be fine." He replied, before holding out his own bottle for a small toast. "Na zdorov'ya." He said, a phrase she distinctly remembered her mother saying at some points.
"To health." She said in response, clinking their bottles together.
Hesitantly pressing the bottle to her lips, she took a few sips of the liquid inside, finding it to be slightly sweet, but also somewhat sour. After she had swallowed it, she looked to the side to see Zoran in the process of taking a long swing from his bottle, appearing to be deriving great pleasure from it as well. After several seconds, he set the bottle on one of the steps, a mix of relief and nostalgia visible on his face. Maria could only look on dumbfounded at the display before her.
"Doesn't quite compare to a home-made batch, but I'll gladly take it over anymore blood." He said, causing a small smirk to appear on Maria's lips. The sour taste of the drink still lingered, causing her to slightly pucker her face as she struggled to adapt to its flavor. Despite trying her hardest to appear composed, she heard Zoran slightly snicker before he reached into his bag once again.
"Here. Something to help with the aftertaste." He said as he offered her what appeared to be a thick, rectangular pastry. Accepting the offering, she observed its richly detailed patterns, as well as a writing in a language that was indiscernible to her. before taking a bite from the pastry, finding that it also contained a jam filling. She soon found herself relishing its sweetness, with the tiny treat being the first thing she had eaten in what felt like decades.
As she finished it off, she looked over to see Zoran had already taken out a second one for her to take, clearly taking notice of her enjoyment of them. Not saying a word, she took it from him and took a bite, finding it even more delicious then the first.
"Gods, these are delectable." She said as she held her half-eaten treat.
"Well, well. Someone has a sweet tooth…" Zoran noted as he helped himself to one as well, clearly amused by her enjoyment of the pastry.
"What are they? A local recipe?" She asked him, who appeared greatly amused by her reaction to the treat.
"Oh, no. This is a common treat from where I come from, but this recipe is unique to a city outside of our borders. They were our main source of arms, but their merchants always brought offerings of containers we could use to boil water and their own unique "pryaniks", as we called them." He looked down at the pastry in his hands with an odd look, almost as if he were longing for something.
"I remember saying that as long as they kept supplying us with these, I would happily serve the Tsar until I died."
As pleasant as his offering of food and drink was, she somehow knew there was another reason he had organized this small exchange.
"Why did you ask me here, Zoran?" She asked, with the hunter looking away from his treat with a slightly nervous expression.
"I…very much enjoyed our last discussion." He admitted, with Maria raising an inquisitive brow as she realized what his intention was. "And I was hoping we could…try something like it again?" He asked in light embarrassment, bringing a smile to her face.
"I'd be delighted to." She said, signifying her interest. "Did you have something specific in mind?"
"Not particularly, no." He admitted, before seemingly throwing out an idea at random. "Do you have a favorite book?" He said and almost immediately, a certain story crossed her mind.
"I can't say it's my favorite, but there was this one story that really left an impression on me." She said, fragments of the piece returning to her.
"It's a short piece about a robed traveler, who embarks on a journey to reach the crevice of a distant mountain. As he traverses the ruins of an ancient civilization, he comes across another traveller much like himself and without saying a word to each-other, the two of them continue onwards together. They overcome many challenges, remaining together until they finally reach the base of the mountain. But as they slowly approach the peak, they collapse into the snow in exhaustion, seeming to be on the brink of death." She recalled the general concept as best as she could, until she got to the part that had truly solidified it in her memory.
"And then, as if by divine intervention, they get back up; soaring to the top and stepping into the light." She concluded with a smile.
"Seems like a relatively simple story." Zoran said, appearing puzzled by her fascination with the book.
"In the beginning, I thought so too. But there was something oddly beautiful about it all; starting from simple beginnings and slowly working your way towards a penultimate goal. And then…it just ends. As if you were one of hundreds all heading for the exact same destination. But in the end, it showed me that everyone's journey is unique in its own way, whether we choose to walk it alone or to share it with another." She explained, feeling a strange urge to revisit that world at least one more time.
"And you? Surely your people had their fare share of tales and songs." She asked him, genuinely curious as to what sort of tale that would captivate his interest.
"Well, there was this one story I remember being very fond of when I was a child." He answered.
"What's it about?"
"A young boy born with a pair of horns, who happens upon a captive girl that he helps escape from the castle they're both imprisoned in. As it seems freedom is within their grasp, the girl is reclaimed by her mother, the queen of the castle who wishes to use her body to reclaim her youth. The boy goes back to save her and although he manages to defeat the Queen, he is rendered unconscious as the castle begins to crumble around him." As he summarized the tale, Maria noticed a slight oddity in the tale.
"And the girl? What happens to her?" She asked
"With her dying breath, the Queen reveals that her daughter could never leave the castle. But after she is restored, she carries the boy to a boat and sends him away from the castle, though she herself remains behind." Zoran concluded his summary with a small smile.
"How noble of her." She stated, more then a little saddened by the turn of events.
"And so, I thought too, when my mother read it to me for the first time. Yet no matter how old I got, it's impact never faltered. It's always the simplest tales that leave the greatest impression on you." He said in reply.
"I must admit, I expected something a bit more…grand." She said, prompting him to lightly chuckle.
"Oh, it wasn't one of ours. My father had a habit of bringing back a keepsake for everyone of his campaigns and that book just so happened to be one of them. And when my own time came, I continued the tradition." He explained, igniting her curiosity.
"Tell me more."
And he did. He told of the mementos he brought back from his time fighting in Turkey and Central Asia, as well as the sights he laid witnessed to during both his campaigns and his travels across the empire. After sometime, their conversation branched off into increasingly unrelated matters.
Maria recounted a time when she fell asleep under the great tree outside the Workshop and awoke to find Gehrman awaiting her, having organized a blanket containing tea and baked goods.
Zoran told of a specific instance when he brought back his fellow hunter Eileen to Oedon Chapel, who's refugees had discovered a checker board in the lower room and organized a small tournament after the old-man claimed that no-one there could best him at the game. They invited the two hunters to join, or rather, the little girl pestered him and "Aunt Eileen" into playing.
Then she remembered a time when she, Gehrman and Ludwig surprised Laurence on the eve of his birthday. He had just recently returned from a formal gathering in the Grand Cathedral where practically all members of the Church had gathered to give him well wishes and to hear his address; needless to say, he was exhausted. They had foreseen this and came to his quarters so the four of them could have a simple gathering, having tea along with a pie Maria had prepared for the occasion.
He then proceeded to describe his loyal messenger's strange interest in adornment, paying specific attention to a time when he tested the waters and brought them back a miniature bowl to see if they would accept it. And his reaction to how proud they were of their new headwear earned him a passing scowl from Gehrman, who he had awoken from his slumber.
As the topics of conversation grew more and more absurd, Maria recalled a certain merchant that Gehrman had forged an agreement with during a time when the hunters were unable to receive their materials by conventional means. He had been a sketchy fellow, but he provided them with essential supplies for their duties; albeit at exuberant prices. The strangest part was that he just up and vanished one day, though by that time his services were no longer required.
Somehow, their talk led to Zoran describing a time he came upon a strange woman sitting on a bench in the Cathedral Ward, seemingly not at all concerned about her surroundings. After refusing his offer to escort her to Oedon Chapel, she invited him to sit with her; talking at length about how she knew she was fated to die that day and how knowing the value of the life she would soon lose made the whole thing easier to bear.
She offered a few words of encouragement to him, telling him that as easy as it was to get lost in the misfortunes of life, it's even easier to forget the things that make it worth living. After their exchange had concluded and she bade him farewell and fortune, he asked for her name.
With a pleasant smile she replied, "Teleute".
Her message helped him regain some semblance of hope, all the while a feeling remained that he and the strange woman would meet again one day. But before then, he chose to spend some time revisiting the few pleasant memories he had of his time as a hunter.
"And it still didn't attack you?" She asked him as he described a surprisingly friendly creature he encountered in his travels.
"No. It took more then a little time, but he eventually accepted my offering. I would return to him every once in a while, feeding him scraps of meat and giving him a bit of company. And I'm happy to report that I managed to get him flying again." Zoran smiled as he gave an account of his odd friendship with a wounded crow he had found in Hemwick Charnel Lane, with Maria finding herself doing so along with him.
"Do you still visit him?" She asked.
"Once in a while, yes. He's more then capable of fending for himself now, but if I ever find myself in the area, all I have to do is call his name and he would come flying over." He answered, prompting Maria to snicker.
"Wish the ones in the upper levels were like that. We've been trying to get rid of those pests for months on end to no avail." She revealed, remembering the infestation of carrion crows that had befallen the Research Hall.
"As it happens, I took care of them some time ago." He told her, with Maria deducing that he had slain them as he ascended to the top of the tower.
"Did you? Oh, thank heavens. I remember that the noise was unbearable." She commended him, even though them being gone served little purpose now.
"Frankly, I'm surprised they even managed to gain a foothold with you on watch." He said just before finishing his cup of tea, which he had accepted after they ran dry of his own drink.
"I'd like to agree with you, but…they were rather high up, see." Upon her admitting this, he lowered his cup onto its saucer and looked over to her, a mixture of surprise and amusement in his expression.
"You hunted flesh-hungry beasts every night and heights are what unnerve you?" Despite his less then subtle ribbing, she could sense a touch of fascination in his voice.
"Oh, they always have. When I was younger, the mere thought of climbing up to retrieve a book in the archives used to petrify me. It lessened as I grew older, but I never was able to fully overcome it." This admission seemed to intrigue him.
"Perhaps that is for the best. I remember an old friend once told me that without fear in our hearts, there is little separating us from the beasts." Maria had never thought about it that way. She had always been somewhat embarrassed of her phobia, yet never gave thought to the idea that it was helping her maintain her own humanity.
She didn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed someone's company so much, but in the last few hours had elicited more laughter from her then she'd experienced in the last three years. What's more, seeing Zoran so jovial warmed her heart
Throughout their conversation, a certain suspicion lingered in the back of Maria's mind. Zoran had made it seem that he had been happy before he had come to Yharnam, having friends and family that he had been unwilling to leave behind. Why then did he find himself before her now, so far away from home?
"Zoran, I know it isn't my place to ask, but…why exactly did you come here? To Yharnam, I mean." Her visitor looked back at her with surprise, seeming uncomfortable in discussing his past. "I understand that this is a personal matter. You do not need to answer if you do not wish to."
"No, no it's alright. Truth be told, I…don't ever see myself returning home." He replied, with evident sorrow in his words.
"What do you mean?"
"By the time of my departure, we were but a shell of what we once were. Our freedoms had been slowly eroded and we became little more then vehicles for the Tsar's oppression. The moment I knew we were truly lost was when we were ordered to suppress a local riot during a widespread famine, the severity of which was only amplified by the monarchy's poor planning. I had gone on many raids prior, but with them, I could at least rationalize my actions; claiming they were the other. The enemy. But these were fellow citizens of the Empire; starving and impoverished. But despite that, I couldn't bring myself to simply pack up and leave, to abandon the land that I had inhabited since the day I was born. Until my father fell ill." He solemnly revealed, casting a heavy silence over the room.
"He had been battling the sickness for some time, but the famine heavily exasperated his symptoms for the next several years. We had all but given up hope, until I heard whisperings of a supposedly all-curing Healing Blood in a distant land. My father was far to weak to make the journey himself, so I volunteered to travel there to retrieve it. But when I suggested this to him, he pulled me aside; telling me that he would not stop me from going, but that if I must, I should take Olena with me. He saw that the Cossacks would soon be on their last legs and that there was little hope of a future there for either of us. And the first instruction he gave me was to check the local papers when I arrived here and to cast judgement for myself." He revealed, seeming more downcast with every word.
"And what did you find?" She asked, dreading to know the answer.
"News of a cholera epidemic, which impacted the land close to my village." He revealed, his upbeat demeanor from earlier having completely vanished. That left one more missing piece of information.
"What of your sister?" By this point, Zoran eyes were glistening with tears, leaving her with little doubt as to her fate.
"We were not aware of the plague that had befallen the city, leaving us woefully unprepared to confront it. By the time we finally arrived, the it had grown to a level no one could have anticipated, with not enough manpower to repel them." Suddenly stopping, he looked at Maria with undeniable grief in his eyes. "Olena died because of them, torn apart before my very eyes. I tried to save her, but I was simply no match for them." He revealed, with Maria finally deducing the means he had acquired the scar across his eye.
"I was trapped. My entire family was gone, my home ravaged by famine and sickness and I was alone in a foreign city, wandering the streets with little more then the clothes on my back. I meandered about for over a month, scraping by on the charity of those willing to aid me, but no real opportunity presented itself. So when one of the Church's Blood Ministers offered me a place among the town's hunters, I couldn't possibly turn down the offer. At least then I'd have some semblance of purpose again, a chance to avenge my sister if nothing else. If only I knew it was them that had caused the outbreak of beasts in the first place." He turned his head away then, his eyes locked to the floor.
"I had to cremate her, you know. The thought of burying her in this...hellscape, after she had been by my side my entire life made me feel sick. I swore that I would one day return her ashes to our homeland, but with everything that's happened, I don't...I just don't know if I'll ever..." Maria could see traces of tears in Zoran's eyes as he struggled to finish the sentence.
"I'm sorry. I... I should not have forced you to talk about this." Maria said, feeling guilty for having him relive such painful memories just to sate her own curiosity.
"Don't be. I remember that my father would always tell me is that if every fool wore a crown, we would all be kings. Shame I didn't realize what it meant until it was too late." He said, a weak smile appearing on his face. For reasons unknown to her, he suddenly pulled out what looked like a small box.
"What is that? That box in your hands." She questioned.
"Oh, this? It's but a simple music box. That little girl I mentioned before gave it to me in my first few hours on the hunt after she asked me to find her missing mother; said that it played one of her father's favorite songs. They used it to help him remember them when he came home from the…" He paused then, as if remembering a particularly gruesome memory.
"He was a hunter, wasn't he?" Maria swiftly deduced.
"Yes."
"Did you end up finding the girl's mother?" Maria asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes."
"And the hunter?" She continued.
"It had to be done." He said as he began to grasp the music box just a little bit tighter.
"What did you do afterwards?"
"As you know, I brought her over to the Chapel and after she found out about what happened to her mum and dad, I tried to return it to her. But she insisted that I keep it; whether she didn't want to be reminded of their passing or if she genuinely thought it would be of help to me, I do not know. But after…that night, I almost threw it away." His hands were visibly shaking as he finished the story.
"Why didn't you?" Maria asked him, surprised by the tragic story accompanying such a simple item.
"I see it as a reminder of sorts. If I ever found myself lost in the bleakness of the Hunt, I just let it play; thinking about what happened to that family and what would happen if I ever lost myself to it. For a while, it was the only thing keeping me sane. At first, I found the sound it made to be rather unnerving, but it grew on me after a while."
Looking at the small box in Zoran's hands, Maria could not help but wonder how it worked.
"May I hear it?" She asked him, his gaze meeting hers for a moment as he processed her request. He then began to turn the lever on the side in a circular motion, Maria looking on with a keen interest.
Suddenly, a melody akin to a lullaby began to play, causing Maria to jump at the sudden sound. She immediately understood why Zoran had found the song unnerving, but soon she found herself entranced by the simple notes coming from the music box. She was almost disappointed when the song came to an end, Zoran looking at her with slight concern in his eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
"Yes, it's just…it has been a long time since I have heard music of any kind. Not since I was a little girl." Maria explained to him.
"I see." Zoran then looked away from her, seemingly afraid to say anything else.
Suddenly, Maria had an idea. From what she understood, Zoran's original intention for asking her here was to share something about himself in a more lighthearted manner then they were accustomed to. That was until she had spoiled the moment with her question about his heritage. It seemed only fair that she gets them back on track.
"Would you care to dance?" She suddenly asked him, causing him to face her in surprise.
"Pardon?" He asked, unsure of what he just heard.
"I have said before that I left nothing of value behind in Cainhurst Castle. But there was one thing from there I still have fond memories of." Rising to her feet, she then offered her hand to Zoran. "I may not be as well-versed as I once was, but I think I can manage."
Zoran looked at her with a mixture of confusion and surprise, visibly hesitant to accept her offer. For a while, Maria was worried that she had overestimated how comfortable he was around her, but this fear subsided when he began to wind up the music box yet again. Setting it down, Zoran took her hand and followed her away from the stairs. Turning to face him, she noticed a nervous expression on his face.
"Have you done this before?" She asked him, his seemingly meager upbringing making the question necessary.
"A few times. I don't remember being particularly good at it." He admitted, which surprised her.
"Then I'm sure you understand what to do. Just follow my lead." She said, placing her hand on his shoulder while holding his outstretched hand in the other. In return, Zoran placed his hand on her waist.
The first few movements were unsurprisingly awkward, as the two tried to find a rhythm that matched the rather simple melody playing in the background; complicated further by the height difference between them. But after a while, both of them eased into the dance, gliding around the clock-tower like seasoned performers. Having grown more confident, Zoran matched Maria pace for pace, even twirling her under his arm at certain points, though he still lagged behind in terms of finesse.
Maria smiled at the absurdity of it all. When she had first awoken, the last thing she would have expected was to revisit one of the few positive aspects of her childhood, much less with the one she had spent countless hours attempting to murder. Thinking back, an outside observer could have viewed their battles as resembling a dance, mostly due to her fighting style. Part of the reason she had chosen the Rakuyo as her weapon of choice was that it complimented the graceful movements she had learned during Cainhurst's grand balls. Of course, she never told any of her fellow hunters that.
After several minutes, the music box went silent. The two hunters froze, the yellow light emanating from the Clock behind them casting a brief moment of relief from the almost constant darkness enveloping the room. Despite the bleak situation they both found themselves in, both of them had wide smiles on their faces, hesitant to break their hold on one another.
"You weren't bad at all." Maria complimented her partner, surprised by how quickly he adopted to the waltz.
"And I now understand where you learned to move the way you did. Unless Gehrman was capable of dancing with that leg of his." He joked, causing Maria to laugh slightly.
She knew it was inappropriate considering the circumstances they found themselves in, but she couldn't deny that at that moment, she felt inexplicably drawn to the man in front of her. The smell of his tobacco still lingered, mixed with the peculiar scent that she hypothesized came from his connection to the Dream. The visage he had long hid from the world was adorned with a wide smile, his once empty eyes sparkling with joy. He had come such a long way since they had first met.
Before she realized what was happening, she placed a gentle hand on his cheek, slowly bringing herself closer to him, completely enraptured.
The church bell suddenly rang out, stopping her before she got to close. Zoran had been playing along with her, also freezing upon hearing it's toll. Whatever it was that had overtaken her, it had clearly affected him as well.
"I have kept you here too long. It's time you got going." Maria said to her visitor.
"Wait, there's…something I forgot to mention. In the period since my last visit, I…" Zoran suddenly said, having not broken Maria's gaze for several minutes.
"I went back."
Despite the cryptic nature of his statement, Maria immediately realized what he was referring to.
"To the Chapel, you mean?" She said in order to confirm, with Zoran lightly nodding in response.
"I remembered what you told me about trying to move past it and felt like it was an opportune moment. It took everything I had and a pain-staking amount of time, but I…properly laid them to rest." He revealed, leaving Maria speechless. But this shock soon shifted into something else.
Joy.
She pulled him into an embrace, holding him close as her pride in him reached a fever-pitch. After a brief moment of surprise, she could feel Zoran returning the gesture, taking her in his arms and gripping her with equal vigor. She held the back of his head as she embraced him and as their embrace dragged on, a solitary tear trailed down her face.
"You'll fulfill your promise one day, Zoran. I know you will." She earnestly said to him and if he had a response, he did not offer one.
After staying like that for the next little while, Zoran eventually released Maria and with one more look at her, began to make his way to the gate. After walking several feet, he suddenly turned to face his host one more time.
"Thank you, Maria. For everything." Was all he said before he exited the Clocktower.
That had been the first time she had seen Zoran truly happy. She had originally only planned to help him move past the terrible things that had happened to him and to find some source of purpose in his life, but she did not think she would ever see him smile. A small feeling of pride erupted in her chest, having finally brought about a positive change in someone, even if it was just one person. Turning around to return to her chair, she noticed something.
The music box was still there. Though her first thought was that he had simply forgotten it, she quickly realized what his true motive was.
"Oh, good hunter."
...
Author's Note: Time for another history lesson!
- Kvass is a fermented non-alcoholic beverage popular in many parts of Eastern Europe. The reason Zoran was so fond of it is partly because Cossacks were not allowed to take alcohol on their campaigns, which made it a great substitute.
- A "pryanik" is a popular baked good in Russia, which is made with rye flour, honey and occasionally certain spices. The city mentioned in the chapter is Tula, which is famous for their richly-decorated versions of the good and it's manufacturing of firearms and "samovars", a type of container that is used to boil water.
- The famine event Zoran was referring to is the Russian Famine of 1891-92. It claimed as many as 500,000 lives and produced much public anger against the Tsardom for their poor handling of the situation.
- The cholera pandemic I mentioned lasted from 1881-1896 and affected parts of Germany and Russia. And yes, said pandemic is partly to blame for the scale of the beastly scourge in Yharnam at the time of Zoran's arrival.
While re-writing, I wanted to expand this scene in order to both give them both a few essential character moments and to make their attraction to one another a bit more believable. As it was, I felt like the original was concluded far too quickly. And much like the last chapter, I added a handful of not to subtle Easter Eggs. Feel free to point them out if you want.