The forrest of certain death lived up towards it's name as there a multitude of different monsters and subhumans who lived within it. The forrest was the one thing everyone in Mewnie could agree on, that taking territory or adventuring inside would be foolish and the best option for everyone was to go around it or use Heckapoo's dimensional scissors. Sadly only the royals had active scissors from the blacksmith goddess or they were earned through her trials which left many broken or dead, this however did give a twisted advantage towards criminals who ran from the punishing grip of the law.
Not many have the skills to survive the forest let alone thrive, but a gang that had lived made a house in the deepest darkest part of the woods, it was perfect or so they thought. The house was a large two story tall building that on the outside looked as if more could be desired, but the one thing that stood out about the house was the flags that flaped on the side and the seven tents that surrounded it. A flag of a white skull and gold crown a top it's head and a sword at the very bottom representing the beheading of the royal families.
Rowan knew this flag well, while the invaders who came from a different dimension attacked everyone and anyone on Mewnie, let it be common people, merchants, mercenaries, or royal bloods. A huge faction in these invaders were the blackened sky and this flag ment they openly wanted the royal family dead entirely, and it appeared that the gang had joined in that mission.
It wasn't anything personal or for the betterment of the invasion it was simply chaos for the sake of chaos. Rowan knowing what this gang was capable of and only had one thing on her mind, revenge.
"Marco" she said in a hushed voice looking up at the young man crouching on a tree branch ten feet above her. "Please tell me we're here to kill them"
His red eyes glowed as he watched the ongoings of the criminal gang as they drunk and ate the night away, clearly celebrating after a successful event, based off the cart full of gold, weapons, and blood on their clothing. "Stick to the shadows, we'll work our way in from the left side of the house, take that guard that's away from the group and remember if you find the target don't kill her, her family wants her back alive."
" Ah yes the target, say master why did we do this again i don't really understand why we need to take jobs when we were doing just fine a week ago, also these guys have resources already plundered I'm sure no one would mind a little... Social cleansing."
" Rowan I understand why you may think we were doing fine but we weren't, first off I need money to buy things we will need or want and bounty hunting pays well. Second thing while this is a search and rescue mission this girl is a low ranking noble with money to pay for her return, her father has vowed and placed his honor on it and we all know how nobility is about honor, plus Mewni has eyes all over this kingdom therefore we need cover stories to stay hidden until we want to reveal ourselves. "
Rowan gave a smirk while looking back at the house." I get that but why here we're too close to the capital of butterfly and the forest of certain death isn't a great place to be."
" It's not the girl herself we're after, it's the house that I want, you may be fine with living in a cave but I am certainly not doing that, it's unsanitary and disgusting" Marco stated.
" Says the man who eats and sucks the blood of people and animals." Rowan remarked an insult towards him.
" That's a matter of food, now is your little helper with you because it's time to send it in." Marco looked up watching the clouds crawling closer towards them. "Once the moonlight is covered and darkness surrounds them start from the outside and work your way in, find the girl and keep your pet within the same room, any other room is a threat so kill anyone else that's alive."
" Understood Master. " She said going inside her small pouch on her left side pulling out a small seemingly sleeping rodent, "Wake up little guy it's time to work for master," she whispered into it's ear, the mouse opened its eyelids reviling the missing eye on it's right side, "alright max I know you heard master Marco you don't have long so find that target quickly and stay in the room with her, you remember her from the picture correct." small squeaks came from the undead creature as it stood on it's hine legs and gave a salute before running off.
Rowan sat criss cross and closed her eyes and began to breath deeply, Marco still up above her watched as the girls eyes and her mouse servant became one," Max is in the house."
" He got in rather quickly even for a mouse" Marco said looking at the two story building.
" Yes master but remember this house is kinda old so they're plenty of holes inside and around the building, but do you plan to fix it when we take it over" she said looking through the mouses one good eye.
"We'll turn some of the corps into undead zombies and have them repair anything that's broken, now focus, do you see the target?"
"Yes! She's tied up in third room on second floor by the left side right next to the study."
" Good" He said looking noticing lights moving towards them from a distance and stands on the tree branch. "Oh great! Just what we needed more people to make this more taxing, but then again it has been a few days."
As the moonlight gave more to his appearance Rowan noticed his slithering movements under his clothing grow restless, a red tentacle slowly rose from his clothing and excitedly squirmed for what would come next. "You must be ravenously hungry master."
Marco looked over towards her as the tip of the tentacle split open forming it's jaws of teeth smiling at her, "I am!" He quietly shouted showing his hunger as he crouched and jumped away to handle with the unexpected guests and soon his hunger.
No one POV
As the sounds of men joking and laughing went through the forest as they rode their horses on the path as it finally died down the mood sifted as one of the men rose his fist in the air silencing the group of seven. This man who demanded obedient silence looked around his surroundings and then towards the others, "this is the place where the criminals home base is located, remember that the girl is our only target as ordered by our noble leader her father anyone else is simply a liability and useless to me, do as you see fit, our orders and this area are not being regulated." The leader smiled not needing to finish as his men began to get excited at the thought of the upcoming battle, they could take as long as necessary as long as they don't do anything to the daughter.
"And captures captain, will they split between us or alls fair" the gruff sounding member stated to his leader getting head nods of approval and agreement from other members of the group.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with the mission and my money I don't care, just have your brands ready so no mixups happen" the captain stated. "Now listen this is the most important point"He looks around to make sure everyone is listening, "As you all know the noble in his rush for his daughter put a captured bounty out in hopes that hunters would intercept her captores before they returned to their base, all the hunters that officially responded are now dead" it grew increasingly silent in that exact moment, none of the men spoke a word, the wind and trees remained still and the animals made not a sound as if they disappeared.
"I-Is there any information they gained, ANYTHING! Letters, clothing, weapons, marks on the bodies." a knight to his left asking hoping to gain so form of knowledge.
"No. We've gained nothing from them and it seems-" The captain stopped as the deafening swallowed the area. "Did you hear that?" He asked in a hushed yell getting his men confused.
They looked around at each other and the darkness around them, "we don't hear anything sir" as looked at him worriedly.
" That's the problem, since when have this forest ever been so quiet once in the entirety of Mewnie, no this has to be a trap." His words rung through the others as they realize that he was right, there wasn't a single sound to be heard around them.
As the silence reigned over them a sound finally broke the deafening abyss they were in, as one of the member's armor began to shake and rattle.
The leader looked over towards him and noticed he was staring at something in the trees, he followed his eyes and the he saw them. Two crimson eyes delving into the man's very soul, as if the being staring at the soldier breathing became louder as their breaths began to show as if a cold engulfed them.
As all eyes focused on the dual beauties that were the crimson eyes in a flash they backed away as the armor stopped rattling and a thud was heard as the turned over towards the soldier to see his lifeless corpse face first in the dirt. A hole in the soldiers back started spurting out blood like fountain as the situation became clear the danger that lied in wait for them.
"Does anyone see anything"
Crunch
"His hearts been ripped out"
Crunch
"EVERYONE SHUT UP! Do you all hear that?" The leader said angry.
Crunch GULP "aaaaaahhhhhh... still hungry"
The remaining six men stayed back to back with each other to ensure they couldn't get snuck upon, as the silence reclaimed the area snow began too fall as the darkness surrounded them as if they were in the eye of a storm. Every so often red would fall from the sky to assist the small snow fall that had enveloped the group, the silence still holding strong in the forest as darkness swept the area completely with the only light being the snowfall and a pair of red entrancing eyes.
"What is the meaning of this, I know I saw the eyes, but this is insane!" Crunch.
"WHAT IS IT TELL US DAMN YOU, WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Crush.
"It must be a magic user of some kind, or an illusionist picking us off one by one." Thud.
"Vampire! I know it is! It has to be, Captain what are our orders-" splat
"Captain! Captain! CAAAAAPTAAIN" Boom
In the darkness the leader heard it all but the death of his comrades was meet with no resistance or reaction as he stared at the red eyes. With snap of a finger the darkness was swept away with the wind and the captain's trance finally came to an end.
Finally with the Captain's mind clear and his sight returned he could defend himself or at least understand the situation given to him and his men. He stopped and looked ahead see a young man with what appeared to be tentacles made out of flesh and blood form from his back holding the severed heads of his comrades in arms as he sat in on the ground.
"I'm going to let you know now, you're not living past this moment, it's nothing to do with you personally it's just when the hunger comes the anger is right behind it, always" He said the last of his sentence with a sigh.
"What are you" The captain asked? "Who are you and how...how did you do this!"
"My name is Marco and you know exactly what I am." He explained showing more interest in the severed head currently in his holding.
"You're the beast the queen sent that alarm about...a vampire...but this...No, This is too much, it's not like the legends at all it's far too demonic and chaotic...you must be lying."
" It doesn't matter anymore anyway because of all my faults this is not one of them" he explained to the knight as slight sounds of nighttime creatures and crawling animals started to make show their existence.
The knight placed his hand on his sword and ripped it from his scabbard, being swift he pointed his blade towards Marco hoping that he could survive the ordeal. "What is the meaning of this!? What have we done to you to deserve this, TELL ME MONSTROSITY!"
"I've already told you, you and all those who happen to have the misfortune of crossing my path while I'm in such hunger are simply food, nothing more and nothing less." Marco let the information sink into the man letting him marinate in the scene knowing death was coming for him.
"Well you've clearly had your full of people with my men-"
"Yes I have, however I clearly see you are a far higher ranking member of your group and far more knowledgeable. My training and abilities can get me far but I need info if I plan to survive in this world for a long time and so I have decided that your service will continue after death by your knowledge." Marco stared at the man waiting for his reaction, his sword started to glow a white light and while it was faint, the glow annoyed Marco's face with a burning sensation.
"I WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" He screamed as he rushed at the still sitting Marco, "DIE BASTA-" Thud.
Back to Rowan
The light was small but she felt it from a distance as it poked and prodded her senses, and an annoying feeling overtook her for just a moment.
'What was that?' She thought as she stared at the direction the light came from, it slowly died down as quickly as it appeared and yet her body had goosebumps forming from the light graze of the flash, she heard a small squeak from below her and saw her pet.
Max stood on his hind legs and salute his master as she kneeled down to outstretched her hand allowing Max to climb on her, with moment of silence Rowan locked eyes with her pet as the knowledge he gained in became hers to use in her mission.
Rowan stood there on the ground as the wind blew more violently, 'There are innocent people in the place' she thought sadly a grim expression forming on her face as the scene played in her mind over and over again as she slowly began to see herself as the captives being held underneath her future home.
"Master has made his instructions clear that all others are simply in the way, but" she paused remembering the dead that laid around her in her old home. "He prefers to kill everyone that sees us because even he doesn't know the full extent of his power (and hunger) and even now he's of slaughtering due to his lack of control." She looked up at the moon remembering all that Marco taught her when he was able.
"He doesn't even know why this is happening or what truly caused it, only to watch out for a pail lady with blood like abilities and that the ancestors are always watching us."
"Whatever, I still need to finish the main job, I'll save the captives for when he returns." Walking into the shadows the darkness overtook her as she began to work through the enemy camp unnoticed.
There was no noise that came from the area, the forest itself seemed to understand what was currently happening and remained silent, even the trees wished not to be involved in the fluid dancing massacre.
"It's moments like these that make me question the gods."
Back to Marco
As the blood splatter colored the snow covered ground into a scene of ruthless murder the captain looked up at his assaulter as his vision began to fail him and his body started to grow numb from the cold. "I see", he said realizing what he had just failed to kill, "those crimson eyes reveal the hell and souls that they hold and I have failed to recognize that you while having a face of a man is in true form that she devil's hound" he whispered with his last breath as his body went limb in Marco's arms.
With Marco's mouth covered in blood his eyes glowed a radiant red, the snowfall began to pick up as the winds grew stronger. Nevertheless he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the veins in his body began to pulse and memories began to show themselves in his mind, "This is quite the valuable information, dishonorable apprentice of the holy order."