A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see! Definitely been a while, but I was trying to come up with the plot of the story and where I want to take it. Rather than winging it every chapter, a story has to have an end, right? Right…? Well, anyway! Here you guys go, and hope you enjoy the turnout of this chapter. I'll do my best to pump out a couple chapters, so be prepared for that. I'm definitely going to be writing chapters, but uploading them will be a bit of an issue...he...hehe...
*-Disclaimer! I do not own Re:Zero or Bloodborne!-*
"Good graces! These alleys just don't seem to go in a simple direction. I don't like them…" I said to myself, sitting on group of steps. It was already nearing sunset, yet I hadn't even come close to figuring out where I was, or even what I'm supposed to do. I huffed, placing my head in my hands. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay out for long, after all. Once dusk hit, it was only a matter of time before I ran into annoyances I'd rather avoid. I slowly rose, dusting off my pants and stretching a bit.
"Guess the best plan would be to take the main roads. Hopefully it won't be as crowded as it was earlier." I said to myself as I walked to the end of the alley. The city was definitely less lively, but it was still quite crowded. The people walking by gave me strange looks, but merely kept about their business. The venues were still out and about, but many of them were closed down. I simply walked without guidance, letting my mind wander about. My thoughts drifted back to the hunt. It wasn't the best of times, but I had a clear goal. And it was that goal that drove me. Kept me from awakening to the madness that dwelled deep within my bosom. However, here I am, without a clear goal in mind, simply wandering around. I didn't like it, for it left me open to everything and anything.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of snapping wood. I turned toward the sound's direction, barely making out the sight of a wooden beam falling towards a small child. I quickly dashed forward, leaving no hesitation in my movements as I scooped up the child and held it close. The beam crashed down, kicking up dust and wooden splinters. Luckily, I had made it in time, and gently lifted the child and myself to our feet. I took this chance to get a better look. It was female, looking roughly around five or six years of age. She had short, dark hair, a small pin holding her bangs at bay. Her clothes, a plain white dress with a blue ribbon around the collar, were slightly dirty thanks to the tumble we took. Her eyes, however, were the purest form of ruby I had ever seen. They left me breathless for a moment. Quickly checking her for injuries, I sighed inwardly as she looked to be perfectly fine.
"Nira! Oh thank the powers that be that you're alright!" A feminine voice shouted, followed by quick steps. I took a quick look, and saw a middle aged woman running toward us. She had the same hair color as the child, however her's was done up in a bun. She had the same eyes as her daughter, however they were slightly clouded. The woman also wore a dress, though it was a bit more extravagant. I watched as the mother picked up the child and cradled her in her arms, the child sobbing as she finally realized what had nearly happened. I didn't want to stick around, as I felt I had done enough, but I was stopped when a man called out to me.
"Please wait!" He said, growing closer to me. I readied myself, feeling the familiar tingling in my right palm. The man stopped just a few feet away from me, looking slightly winded.
"Are you for hire? We need someone to guide our caravan back to our village. We'll pay whatever you request!" I eyed him warily. Why couldn't he just get one of the guards or some vagabond to do it? I asked myself, looking over the man's shoulder towards a previously unseen group of traders. They eyed our group, some putting on stressed smiles while some of the children waved. I hesitantly waved back, before turning my attention back to the person who required it.
"Why ask me? As you can probably tell, I'm a 't it be better to grab someone who looks stronger or more intimidating?" I asked, prodding the man for a reason. My suspicions were growing more and more by the minute. The man looked me in the eyes, a sense of confusion lingering within.
"Honestly, you weren't my first choice", he said as he rubbed his hands together, "I asked a group not too long ago, but they blew me off. They said they weren't interested in the payment, which is why I'm offering you to name your own price."
"And what will you do if my price is well out of your range?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly, his demeanor changed. He seemed more confident, like he knew exactly how this situation would turn out. It really irritated me.
"Well, we wouldn't be continuing our conversation if your price was over-the-top. You would've only had to take one look at us and left it at that, but instead, here you are."
"Quite presumptuous, aren't you? And who is to say I won't do it now that you made that comment?"
"I believe that is all up to you." He said, giving me a sly smirk. I didn't like it, but what I needed most was information. That bar barely gave me anything, but maybe these people can give me a bit of insight on what and where this place is.
"Fine, I'll accept your proposal." I said, hanging my head a bit as a sigh escaped me.
"Wonderful! Now, how about you meet some of-", the man reached for my hand, but I quickly swatted it away.
"Not so fast. I still haven't given you my price yet."
"Oh, how rude of me. Please, go ahead."
"I expect to be paid by the hour. Two silver pieces, along with any and all the knowledge you have." I stated firmly. He eyed me once more, tilting his head slightly in thought.
"That sounds perfectly reasonable. It's a deal, then?" He asked, extending his hand towards me. I grasped it firmly, making sure not to put too much pressure into it. The mother and her daughter were looking at us with healthy smiles, glad that they would not be traveling unprotected.
"By the way, my name is Ryce. Ryce Oslo. The two behind me are my wife, Yuza, and my daughter, Nira." The two bowed their heads slightly. I acknowledged them back.
"Alicia. Just Alicia. It's a pleasure."
"Let's introduce you to the rest of the caravan. After all, they'd want to know who'll be protecting us on our journey back home."
I walked beside the Oslo family's carriage. Writing notes and jotting down the different creatures I saw. Turns out there are quite the number of beasts that stalk the plains of grass and the forests. Ranging from the Three Great Beasts to the simple minded Wolgram. Ryce also told me quite a bit, of this country's capital, Lugunica, and the other countries that neighbor it. How a witch, after devouring and stealing the powers of her kin, tried to destroy the world. He also commented on how the Great Three banished the witch, and locked her in a prison for eternity. I made sure to tally down everything I could. He also questioned me quite a bit, asking me about family and the like. I only told him the bare minimum, not wanting to get too close to the group.
"Hey, look! It's Flugel's tree!" One of the children yelled, pointing at a gigantic tree. I had to tear my eyes away from my journal, never before seeing such a sight. To put simply, it was quite breathtaking. It wasn't the type of breathtaking that left you quivering in fear, however. It was the kind that left you full of wonderment and beauty. It was a gracious feeling. One that I wouldn't mind having around more often.
"Quite the sight, isn't it, Alicia?" Ryce asked. I refused to take my eyes away from it, simply giving a simple nod of my head as an answer. The way the evening sun hit it was simply marvelous, as if I had witness a great one come down from the very heavens themselves. My time in awe was short lived, however. My vision began to haze over, and a dull headache overtook me. My face became somewhat flushed, and my balance was becoming sloppy. Ryce took notice, as he held me steady with a hand.
"Woah, there! I know the sight is captivating, but it's nothing to get lightheaded about." He said half-jokingly. I merely grunted in response, my vision becoming clearer. I continued to walk, albeit at a much slower pace. Through my bout, I could've sworn I heard something through the ringing inside my head. It left me cold, like the night I woke up inside the clinic. I did not welcome such a feeling, and it only left me with questions.
"That was quite odd. Do you usually get like that?"
"Rarely. It's nothing that'll detriment my work, mind you." I said, finally getting back into my usual rhythm. I could see out of the corner of my eye Nira grabbing a picture of water. Her mother helped her pour a glass, to which the little girl walked to the edge of the carriage.
"F-for you." She said, the wobbling of the vehicle causing her to stutter slightly. In a way, it was kind of cute. I turned to look at her, to which she shied away a bit. I simply pulled down my mask, revealing the lower half of my face. I gave her the gentlest smile I could muster, to which she responded in kind and emphasized her offering once again. I took the cup, placing it against my lips and taking bountiful gulps. I finished my drink, giving her the cup back. She had a hint of a blush on her face.
"You're so pretty…" She said, before taking my cup and walking back to her mother's side. I was taken aback. It had been a while since I was called pretty. It left a lukewarm feeling in my heart. Ryce gave me a smile of his own, before putting the remainder of his attention back to the ground dragons pulling the carriage. We continued to travel in silence, darkness setting upon us like a blanket. It was quite a nice night. Not too warm, nor too cool. The gentle breeze blowing through tickled the exposed flesh of my body, letting me bask in its comfort. Suddenly, a scream echoed a few meters away from where we were. I quickly snapped my head back, noticing one of the carriages being attacked by dog like beasts. I believe Ryce called them Wolgrams.
"Demon beasts!" Someone yelled, to which I immediately sprung to action. I ran as fast as I could, coming upon the pack trying to sink their fangs into some poor soul. I delivered a swift kick to its ribs, eliciting a squeal from it. The rest quickly turned their focus to me, eyeing me warily. I pushed the man into the carriage, his family crying out his name and dragging him inside. I found an opening, dashing past the group of beasts, intent on leading them away from the caravan. Thankfully, they followed.
"Alicia!" Ryce called, worry in his voice. I ignored him, focusing more on the prey in front of me rather than the family man. I halted, the Wolgram's surrounding me in a full circle. I could see the hunger in their eyes, and feel the primal urge they all shared. It called out for one thing and one thing only: Blood.
I could feel all the experience and pain I had overcome welling inside my body. The heat forming inside my palms. In one fluid motion, I raised my arm across my body, and with one quick motion brought it back down, a crackle of black flame producing my weapon of choice: The Whirligig Saw. I smiled at the familiarity, happy to see that my trusty friend was still with me after all this time. I turned my gaze back at the pack, to which they visibly tensed, unsure whether to charge in all at once or to whittle me down one by one. I gave them no chance to choose, instead charging in, raising my club high before smashing one of the Wolgram's head to pulp. It was enough to spur the rest of them on, all charging in at once to get a taste of my flesh. However, I was the fastest of them all, dashing through the gap the one I killed left. I escaped with plenty of time, the rest of the pack confused as to where I had went.
I brought my club up once again, giving a wide sweep of the mace and crushing another of the group's ribcage. It howled in pain, before landing with a dull thud, its breaths coming in rapid heaps before finally stopping altogether. I mentally noted how easy it was to hunt these demon beasts. They were like little cubs, unknown to the fear of being preyed upon. I used that experience to my advantage, taking them out little by little before there was only four left. In my haste, however, I had gotten quite sloppy. I let myself go quite a bit, getting a few knicks here and there. The four were of the more cautious type. Not allowing themselves to be taken out so easily.
One of the smaller looking beasts made the grave mistake of cutting in front of his comrade. I quickly summoned up my rifle, and in one quick motion pulled the trigger. The bullet collided with the smaller Wolgram's skull, piercing through and hitting the other in the chest. Both died within a fraction of me firing the gun. The last two, taken aback by the foreign noise, left their guard down for a second. I took it, switching my club into its saw form, running towards the two while dragging the blade along the dirt. With the speed of a Pthumerian, I reached them in no time, bringing the bladed saw in a long, upward arc, the blades spinning along the way.
Both beasts were torn to shreds, their blood gushing out and spilling along the grass. It was a wondrous site, lasting only a moment before I chastised myself for taking pleasure in the hunt. With the last of the beasts slain, I took a look at myself. I was covered from head to toe in blood, the coppery smell just now hitting me like a rock. The moonlight also paved me in its beauty, reminding me of the night I spent so long in. It made me feel nauseous, yet it also brought a strange comfort. I also did not like this feeling. I looked back towards the caravan, its people looking on at me in wonderment, some even with a hint of fear, as if they felt they would be next.
"Alicia, are you okay!?" Ryce called out, not a hint of fear gracing his face. Only worry. I silently thanked him for that. It was nice not feeling ostracised. I walked casually back to him, wiping some of the blood off my garments.
"I'm perfectly fine, Ryce. It was quite the simple hunt." I said, now standing in front of the group. The others were whispering to each other, but I simply ignored them.
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call that simple. That was quite the amazing feat. Not very many people can take on a pack of wolgrams and come out barely scathed." He said, his smile now back in full force. His family peeked their heads out, looking at me with worry as well. I pulled down my cover and gave them a reassuring smile. They seemed to calm down a bit at that.
"I wouldn't say I'm like very many people, now would I?" I said playfully, eliciting a strong laugh from the man.
"No, not quite. How about we hurry along then?" He said, getting back on his carriage and whipping the dragons back into motion. I gave a simple nod, looking behind me to see the others getting back into their respective carriages. I pulled out my journal from my bag inside the carriage, jotting down a few notes. Specifically about how the Wolgrams acted, as well as some quick sketches of them here and there. We walked on, not bothering to break for camp. Seems like it'll be a long night indeed, I thought to myself as I looked up from my notes towards the vast sky.