A month had passed since the first sighting of the Red Hood. Rumours of them were slowly spreading amongst caravans that took the risk of travelling through Lahara. Many of the caravans and travellers spotted barely recognizable bodies of monsters strung about near the path they were going. Those caravans could only assume it was the rumoured Red Hood.
Other caravans and travellers, reported sightings of the Red Hood after supposedly being rescued by them right before being captured by monsters. As far as rumours go, however, it was only truly told by a few merchants and mercenaries, making the rumour not very well known at all.
The case was different for the mamono however. Reports of mamono going out to seek husbands suddenly disappearing and never to be heard again. Sometimes though their body would be found, but just like the other corpses left by the supposed Red Hood, they were almost unrecognizable.
Within the city of Hehoteb's tomb, the rumours of the Red Hood had reached the ears of nobility.
(-)
Beyond the walls of the city of Hehoteb's tomb, beyond the sphinxes guarding its walls and the entrance to the tomb itself, its residents residing in its oasis, and beyond the mummies guarding it within. The chief Anubis of Hehoteb's court, Inpu, was going to her Pharoah to report.
Inpu walked through the great hall towards her Pharoah, a staff with weights adorning the top of it in hand and a demonic steel blade on her hip. She made it to the golden throne that Hehoteb herself sat upon. a small crack in the ceiling allowed a faint ray of sunlight to shine on Hehoteb's tan skin. A curious look adorned her face as Inpu bowed before them.
"Greetings Inpu, and by what reason are you before me today?" Came a mature voice from Hehoteb, the power of kings coursing through her words.
Inpu stood straight up, a serious look on their face. "I have come to report the current situation of the realm's transformation."
Hehoteb's eyes widened a little upon hearing such news. "Oh? I am glad you have finally discovered something about the current problem of the realm."
"Yes, your highness. As you know, even though by all rights of your awakening, the realm has yet to be turned into a demon realm," spoke Inpu, pulling out a scroll from her hip with their black paw. She unrolled it and continued to speak. "Currently we have been trying to procure as many husbands as physically possible in order to increase the rate of demonic energy. We have even had been trying to trick merchants to travel through here. Estimates show since the start of this plan we have increased production by over 500%, yet still nothing has yet happened."
Hehoteb sighed, "Inpu dear, we have been through such things like this many times before. If you have anything new to tell, please do."
"Yes, your highness." Inpu scrolled the paper back up and placed it back onto her hip. "Our current rate of energy should have increased by now. However, in the past month, it has not changed. In fact, many of our people who go out to seek a husband have never been found again, save for a few who, well... it is best not to go into detail of their remains."
Hehoteb positioned herself straight up upon her throne, now a serious look spread across her face. A serious tone resonating out of her voice, "Do you know the one responsible for such acts?"
"No, your highness." Spoke Inpu, looking down in shame.
"So, you have not a clue on who could've done it?"
Inpu looked back up to her Pharoah. "No, your highness. However, scouts reported rumours of a red hooded beast wandering our land."
A great deal of curiosity could be seen in Hehoteb's face. "A red hooded beast you say?"
"Yes, your highness. No doubt they are just some sort of hero of the order we have not heard of."
Hehoteb groaned when she heard that. That accursed 'order' of zealot fools. How she despised their goals and their 'chief' god. Of course, it would be one of their 'heroes' to cause such upon her people.
Then she thought for a moment. What if it was not just a simple hero? maybe it was something more? Is there someone worthy of her? She couldn't help but think of such a one, but she starting to get impatient. For now, she needed to assess who they were. "Inpu, send to me one of our kunoichis. I have a job for them."
"I will at once, your highness." Inpu bowed before turning around to walk away. She turned back to face Hehoteb soon after though, "Your majesty. After I send them to you and give them my report to them, may I resign for the day to go to my husband? I have a scheduled meeting with him soon."
The pharaoh chuckled a little before replying. "Always so serious, but Of course you may Inpu, may you enjoy the rest of your day with him."
"Thank you, your grace." Once again Inpu bowed, and this time actually leaving the great hall.
A few minutes later, a black-haired kunoichi arrived before Hehoteb. They were one of the few kunoichis whose services she had hired. They bowed before standing up at attention again. "I assume Inpu informed you somewhat?" asked Hehoteb.
"Yes, your highness, something about a rumored beast, possibly a hero, in your lands, correct?"
"Correct, I want you to find this red hood and report to me about them."
"Yes, your highness."
Before the kunoichi could leave, Hehoteb added one other order. "And one more thing. If you believe you can take them, you may, but only if you are confident that you can."
"Very well your highness." She bowed once again and left to begin their mission immediately.
Now that business was done, Hehoteb needed to continue getting things prepared. Just in case it was someone worthy of her. She hoped that it would be the case.
(-)
A few hours later, at the top of a small mountain, the kunoichi Yami watched at a safe distance to observe. She had been following a small caravan that was now below them and was setting up camp. If the report given to them by Inpu was true, then eventually if she followed a caravan long enough, it would be ambushed by some mamono. And if that happened then the red hood would appear, if the rumours were true that is.
Nothing of interest happened, however, no signs of mamono or the red hood. That is until she spotted something in the corner of her eye. She looked towards what caught her attention and pulled out her monocular off her hip. She looked through the monocular and could make out a figure in the distance. He matched the description in the rumors perfectly.
The giant was a bearded man far taller than any man she had seen. He was also wearing some strange looking armor accompanied by some sort of red cloak, or at least she assumed it to be that. What caught her attention however was the dangerously large gaping hole in his chest which looked to be taking a massive bit of his torso. How was he even alive?
She continued observing him, but all he did was stare towards the direction of the caravan. That is until he turned and was staring towards her. She could almost feel his eyes glaring directly at her.
She quickly ducked behind some of the rocks. Had he seen her? But that was impossible, how would he have known. Didn't matter, she couldn't take any risks. Judging by his size and what she was told of him, she would not be able to take him on alone. She had to go back to report to Hehoteb.
She peeked over the rocks and looked through her monocular again. This time, however, he was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? He could not have just disappeared like that.
She heard something behind her, of what she did not know. Her instincts kicked in as she tried to turn around and avoid whatever was heading her way, but it was too late. The moment she turned around she saw for a split moment the red hooded giant before his fist slammed into her skull, knocking her out instantly. Everything went dark
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Yami awoke in some sort of dark place, its only light source being a small bonfire. She tried to move but was unable to, her hands and legs tied up to a large rock. She tried to struggle but to no avail. She eventually stopped, deciding not to waste any energy that way.
Yami began to look around the darkroom, she was not able to see much. As her eyes scanned the room, it eventually spotted a long beard at the other end of the room across the bonfire.
She stared at the beard until it moved forward revealing a little bit more of whoever it was. Now she could only see a giant hood with the long beard coming out of it, its face unable to be seen.
"Finished?" Came an elderly sounding voice, a strange sort of accent was noticeable in its speech.
The kunoichi said nothing as the figure seemed to rise up from its position and slowly walked over to her. Eventually, she spoke up, "What do you want? Do you want to kill me?"
"No... If that was it...I would not have brought you here." Spoke the giant, pausing between some of the words as if trying to remember what to say.
"Then why bring me here?"
"You...are no ordinary...mamono. You did not come for the Caravan." The giant pulled out one of her blades from her gear that was in a pile near the bonfire. He unsheathed it and looked at it for a moment, "Especially so since...you came with such...equipment." He sheathed the blade and tossed it back onto the pile
Yami said nothing to that. Only staring at the monstrous figure before her. The giant spoke again, "You came here...after me...Didn't you?" Yami continued not to say anything, "Who...Sent you?"
Finally, Yami spoke back, "I will not tell you, we kunoichi vow to never tell such info to our captures."
"I see, however... I promise you that I... will not tell a soul, and... I will let you go unharmed if you tell me now." Yami only replied with a dead glare towards them, the giant then got closer to her, putting his hand on to her leg, "Pity... I was hoping...to do this without violence."
The creature grabbed her leg hard and tightened his grip. With a loud snap, her leg was broken, pain throbbed in her leg as she tried to hold in a scream of agony. A single tear came down her eye. "Now then... Will you talk?"
One again Yami refused to answer, she would not betray Hehoteb or break one of the vows they made as kunoichi. "Very...well... Your choice." The giant then grabbed her other leg and broke it as well. Now even more pain was coursing through her as she let out a slight gasp from it. But even still Yami refused to give in.
The creature waited for a few moments in silent, waiting for her to answer. But he got no such thing. "Pity...seems I will have to do something more...drastic."
Slowly the hands of the giant went to her neck, her eyes widened as they got closer. When the hands finally got to her neck, they closed, slowly. Slowly he began to tighten his grip, bit by bit until Yami could no longer breath.
Her vision started to get blurry, her chest began to hurt, and she could hear her heart thumping loudly in her head at a rapid pace. She didn't want to die, she wanted to have a husband and children. She didn't want to go out like this before she could have a family. But she would destroy her honour if she gave in.
Whatever opposition she had left disappeared, however, as her primal desire to live overridden any other thinking. She tried with all her might to tell him to stop, to tell him she would talk. All she could muster was a gurgling sound.
"Will you...talk?" Asked the giant, still holding her by the neck. Yami nodded as hard as she could, causing the creature to let go. She began to cough profusely, trying to take in as much air as she could. The hooded creature merely stood there and waited for her to finish coughing and steady her breathing.
When her breathing got back to normal the giant once again asked her, "Who sent you?"
Yami reluctantly told him, "I was... I was sent by her highness, Hehoteb."
"Who are they... and why did they send you after me?"
"She is the ruler of this land, and she sent me to discover who was bringing harm to her people. That's it honestly."
The creature stood there for a moment or two, thinking. It slowly walked over back to the other side of the room and pulled out a giant and badly damaged looking blade. It raised the weapon in preparation to strike. She closed her eyes, expecting the sudden pain before her death.
Instead, she could hear the sound of stone being destroyed, and she could feel her ropes were severed, causing her to fall onto the ground. She fell onto the ground with a loud thud, her head slamming into the stone ground. once again knocking her out.
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Yami awoke to find herself back in a bed. She slowly looked around to see herself in some form of a hospital. Everything looked to be of similar esthetic to Hehoteb's tomb, but she could not be for sure.
Her legs felt fine now, which probably meant some sort of healer came by and took care of her. She didn't feel like getting up especially since she felt so disoriented. The door to her left opened with a slight creak, Inpu coming out to see her. "Oh good, you're at last awake. Her highness is eager to hear your report."
"Should I really be walking?"
"The priest said it would be fine, now come." Inpu gestured for her to follow.
"May I ask first how I got here?"
"You may ask while we walk to her highness."
Yami complied and got herself out of the bed. For a few moments walking felt strange to her, but it soon felt normal again after a few moments. Leaving the hospital and going towards the tomb, Inpu finally answered her question, "You were found a little bit beyond the city walls, underneath a palm tree near a lake. A mamono that was going to seek a husband found you and saw your condition. they then took you to us."
The two entered into the tomb itself, making their way to the great hall. "I would like to meet them sometime," Spoke Yami.
"Would you want me to schedule a meeting with them then?"
"Yes, I would be grateful." Thanked Yami.
Eventually, the two arrived at the great hall's extravagant entrance, the golden sun adoring the large door representing the Pharaoh's power. Inpu stopped and turned to face Yami, "Now my job here is done, you may go to speak to her highness. I myself have other business to attend" With that Inpu left Yami to do something else.
Yami stood there for a moment until taking in a deep breath and walked through the door as two mummies opened it for her. She walked through the hall and to the golden throne of Hehoteb and bowed.
Hehoteb spoke in her usual commanding voice, "Welcome back, I assume you have something to report of our hooded friend?"
"Yes, your highness."
"And?"
Yami looked up and stared at Hehoteb with a serious look, "I could not take him, and I believe it to be best not to deal with him any further."
This seemed to intrigue Hehoteb, "I see, so then you are saying the rumors are true then."
"Yes, it does your highness."
A faint smile formed on Hehoteb's face, "Good, very good. You may leave now." Yami bowed and left with as much respect as she could. Deep down however she was concerned. Was Hehoteb about to do the opposite of what she suggested? If so then... She didn't want to think of what potential bloodshed would take place. She could not speak out against it anyway; she had no authority over her and Yami doubted she would be able to convince her otherwise.
The door behind her closed and her sister Yuri was there to greet her. "So, I assume you did not claim him?" Came the voice of Yami's concerned sister. Yami only nodded at that. Yuri spoke up again, "Do you want us to mark him for a future assassination?"
Yami only spoke one word, "No..."
"No? Well, then that is unusual. Mind telling me why?" Yami did not reply, instead, she quicked her pace and left the tomb, leaving behind a confused Yuri. She needed time to be alone.
(-)
Hehoteb was glad, granted from what she was told the kunoichi had gone through something most terrible. But that didn't matter, now she had a potential person worthy of her.
She laughed a little. At last, she could use it, something she had been preparing for such a special occasion since the day she awoke. Soon she would have someone to call their own.
Little did she know, she would be dealing with something far more than what she bargained for.