Chapter 2: Arriving At The Gates
The black church hunter lashes out with his threaded cane, twirling it around in a vicious dance of blood and evasion.
Karigan had been quite shocked when she fell off of a platform while fighting an enemy, expecting a swift death, but only to land on another nearby platform that she hadn't noticed. However this platform also offered a chance at a swift death, as a crazed hunter had been lying in wait.
He was overly aggressive, chasing Karigan down everytime she tried to put some distance between him and his deadly weapon. Not only that, but he had poison knives as well, throwing what seemed to be an infinite supply.
"Why are you doing this!? You and I are of the same ilk, we both hunt beasts to cleanse the streets, what has happened to turn you into this?!" She yelled while dashing out of the way of a well aimed shot to her head.
"Curse you, curse you! It's all your fault!" The Hunter screamed, his voice cracked with rage and hate. His eyes were frantic and his mouth foamed.
Karigan shakes her head. "What is my fault? Please, tell me!"
His only response was another incomprehensible scream while he lunged. He was too drunk on blood. She knew she wouldn't be getting any answers from him.
The two hunters continued their deadly dance, until a well timed parry brought the crazed hunters cries to an end. Karigan wipes the blood from her brow before walking around to the other side of the small circular platform. She lets out a small gasp when she almost plants her foot into a bag-head that rests on the ground. Bodyless.
"Plip plop, plip plop. Lady Maria I'm a Robin. Will I ever curl up and become an egg?" Karigan's eyebrow's knitted together from hearing such strange words. "What say you, Lady Maria? Lady Maria? Say something, anything."
"Lady Maria? No I'm not her. Who is she?" She questioned the bag-head while kneeling down to it. The blob however had nothing more to say. It just repeated the exact same dialogue, writhing around on the floor.
"That's not the first time I've heard that name. I wonder who she is, did she experiment on these people, or did she take care of them?" She ponders aloud as she recalls the many patients, strapped to beds, crying out for Lady Maria with outstretched arms. Their voices dripping with desperation. "Well they seem to speak fondly of her."
Karigan stands back up and walks to the edge of the platform, jumping down to the staircase below with a soft thud. A grand set of metal doors, decorated in rust and grime stand before her. Karigan's stomach knots as she eyes up the door. She knows all too well that large, grand doors tend to have powerful adversaries hidden behind them. Along with answers. And she has so many questions. With a groan she pushes the massive doors open. They resist at first, the hinges squealing in protest, but sure enough the doors open.
Karigan steps through the entrance and is shocked to find herself standing outside in a courtyard filled with flowers. Massive Lumenflowers tower in the center of the field, their drooping petals slightly swaying in the wind. Brown and blue clouds rolled angrily in the sky. A broken moon, poking through the blanket of clouds, shone dimly. Amidst the surprising scenery, a large blue creature stood with its arms swaying. To Karigan's surprise it resembled the Celestial Emissary, however the creature that stood before her was slouching, its head bulging and its knees bending under its weight. It turns slowly and begins lumbering towards her with heavy steps.
She two-hands her greatsword and advances toward it. The things long lanky arms lash out but Karigan dashes under them, bringing her sword into it's back as she turns. It stumbles a bit, but continues to stand.
"Oof!" She cries out as something slams into her from her back. She gets back up to her feet, shaking her dazed head. "What was that?" She glances up and sees another celestial being towering above her. And another. And another.
"Four of you!?" She yelps as a bright blue beam explodes the ground to her right, showering her in dirt. She rolls away as the four creatures advance.
It takes her some time, but she manages to eventually fell one of the arcane shooting celestials.
She allows herself a smile of satisfaction. "Hah, one down, three to go!"
Much to her dismay, that is not the case. Her light green eyes widen as another giant celestial emerges from the ground, a cloud of smoke curling around it's feet.
A pit of despair sinks into her gut. Her satisfaction and optimism eradicated from her now pale face. "How? How can I kill something that can respawn itself?"
The fight continues. It's a war of attrition. Everytime Karigan kills one of them, another one rises to take its place. Frustration begins to brew in her stomach. Anger blazes in her eyes.
Suddenly they all stop. They raise their arms up the sky, her eyes following them. The sky rumbles and darkens. A shroud of purple and blue covers the sky. The soft yellow light from the moon shines through in beams. A cosmic swirl of stars fill the air. Sensing something coming, Karigan sprints away. Bright crystalline meteors descend from the sky, destroying the ground where they land. Karigan frantically rolls and dashes out of the way, just barely making it in time. Much to her fortune the meteors stop and the dark clouds dissipate.
All of the celestials stand still for a moment. Recuperating from their devastating attack. Seeing her chance, she attacks with new fervor.
"I've got to end this fight soon. I won't be able to handle another attack like that and I'm down to half my blood vials."
After what feels like a painful eternity of dodging and using blood vials, she ends the fight with a jump attack, bringing her transformed blade crashing down onto the celestial with a brilliant flash from her Holy Moonlight Sword.
The giant celestial comes crashing down, blowing her trench coat and swishing her bangs that cover her left eye over her face.
She bends over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath. "Thank the good blood that's over." With her eyes on the ground she notices a intricate iron key. The Astral Clocktower key. She picks it up, feeling its warm weight in her palm.
"Must be important." She tucks it away into the pocket lining her coat. Taking in her surroundings she notices another set of massive doors. She walks up to them, activating the lantern as well. The doorway is intimidating, intricate designs are carved into smooth pillars, the doors displaying a crisscross of markings. She tests the door, pushing with her hands. It doesn't budge.
"Wait, the key!" She pulls the key out and places it into the door. She pushes with all her strength and the door slowly slides open. The grinding sound of steel against concrete grates the air. She walks past the door and up the small set of stairs. A cavernous rectangular room lies before her. Soft green and yellow light leaks through many holes inside what looks to be a huge dial on the far side of the wall. She steps in and makes her way further in. Wooden planks creak under her feet, small beams of white light seep through the cracks between the floorboards. Candles line the walls, resting on wooden shelves, their flames flickering in the air.
Halfway through the room she notices a figure slumped in a tall chair. A feeling of uneasiness creeps into Karigan's mind. As she makes her way closer to the figure, she realizes it's a woman. Her face is bent toward the ground, obscuring her features. Hair so light it looks blonde, drapes over her eyes. A cap with long feathers hanging off it rests on her head. Karigan notices that the woman's garb resembles Hunter attire. It's somewhat frilly with deep rich colors that remind her of Cainhurst. Her entire front is slick with blood, especially around the neck, which must be the source. It drips off her hand that hangs limp off the chair, into a puddle on the floor. A empty goblet on a table rests beside a picture smashed beyond recognition.
She looks dead, but that doesn't stop Karigan from reaching out. Something about this woman intrigues her.
A hand shoots out and grasps Karigan's outstretched wrist. Karigan lets out a loud gasp as the woman pulls her close and brings her face to her ear.
"A corpse...should be left well alone." She softly speaks. The woman softens her grip and let's go slowly. Her hand trailing Karigan's in a fashion that reminds her of the way the Doll does when she exchanges Blood Echoes. The woman lifts her face to look into Kariagn's. Light Green eyes meet pale grey ones. The woman's eyes look tired and are filled with pity. Recognition slams into Karigan like the kirkhammer. She starts backing up, her eyes widening, not believing the sight before her.
"Oh, I know very well. How the secrets beckon so sweetly." She speaks as she slowly stands. Drawing a twin blade to her side. "Only an honest death will cure you now. Liberate you, from your wild curiosity."
The blade she is holding splits into two in her hands.
"Wait...I... I know you." Karigan is still backing up, trying to comprehend the woman before her.
The blonde woman unexpectedly dashes forward, blades thrusted outward. Karigan leaps backward. "Wait, please stop! I only want to talk to you!"
The woman stops, looking right at Karigan, but only for a moment. She shakes her head and with inhuman speed, pierces her blades right through Karigan. Karigan lets out a soundless scream and slumps into the blades. The woman pulls the blades out gently, and Karigan collapses at her booted feet. She can feel herself dying, her lifeforce spilling onto the wooden planks. She takes one last look up at the woman's face. She's looking down at Karigan, Her mouth held in a tight line, her eyes empty and sad.
Karigan's vision blurs and the world fades to black.
-Author's Note: And Maria makes her debut! Let me know what you think