Lianne snapped her eyes open, emerging from the darkness with a gasp. Her hand gripped onto the knife on her leg, knuckles white. She quickly scanned the room, taking in the surroundings. The air was drearily filled with the sounds of her heavy breaths as she calmed herself. She rubbed her eyes and pulled her legs off the bed as bits of sunlight streamed into her room. She groaned through the grogginess, the beams of light flowing through her window and blinding her as she got up and went back into the bathroom. She sighed, catching sight of the still disgusting clothing.

Picking the coat up, she examined the damage done once again. Luckily she had gotten most of the blood off of it, only leaving a bit of a stain on the shoulder which still had holes in it. After cleaning it up as much as she could, Lianne moved into the room, searching the drawers for some scraps of material. She found a piece of rough leather from the satchel that used to be intact, she lost a lot of things when it was destroyed in that run in with a stalker nest.

Pulling out her knife and some strips of sewn twine, she sat down and got to sewing the leather over the damage. It took her a moment to get into the rhythm of it. Her hands moved by themselves, the muscle memory kicking back in. How long ago did she have to repair her clothing like this? A week? A few days? It didn't matter really. The whole process was as tedious as ever, with each stitch needing to be twisted, tied, and cut.

Lianne started to hum a song. A familiar one, one she heard multiple times before. Its tune was somber yet optimistic, a reminder of the past. While the lyrics of it were lost to her, it's melody remained ingrained in her lips.

Memories of a quiet room and softly creaking floorboards flickered in her mind, glimpses back to another life. She stopped humming, her hands pausing, tightening. Everything started to move, needles stuck into the back of her neck and the shadows started to gather. The stagnant room echoed, and with a quivering inhale, she shook her head and continued to stitch again. Pain pricked at her skin as the knife hit her thumb, cutting it. Cursing, she continued to stitch once again, attempting to get back into a flow. As much as she tried, it was in vain; her focus was gone, and any attempts to reinstate it were futile. Lianne dropped the clothing on her lap and threw the knife beside her, grabbing onto her head with both hands.

Stop it, stop it, stop, stop, stop. Shut up.

Asphyxia built in her throat as her vision swam. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see. A scream tried to claw its way up her throat but failed as she curled herself tighter. Her fist slammed to the bed frame, causing a shock to run up her arm. She tried to ignore the flashing images in her head as she attempted to recall the ability to breathe. Lianne sat in the darkness, clutching her head, waiting for it all to end.

~

Sirius wandered through the town, his whole body shrouded in his long deep blue cloak. He kept his longsword sheathed on his back as he checked his surroundings. He stood out uncomfortably, and he could feel everyone watching him. Brushing his light brown hair out of his eyes, he continued down the street. His cloak covered his patched together armour as he pulled the cloth close to his body. The plates of metal on his right arm clinked together, and the pauldrons on his shoulder stood out. He was bigger than almost everyone here, and the blue fabric he wore made him look even larger. Maybe it was just because everyone here was malnourished, or maybe it was because most people were hunched over or collapsed. Whatever the reason, being the centre of attention wasn't a good thing.

He felt something softly hit the back of his legs and he stopped walking. Turning around and looking down, there was a child staring up at him. They were dirty, barely even a skeleton with skin. The fear in their eyes was evident, and they stood petrified. There was a small toy by Sirius's feet, a doll of some sort, he couldn't tell exactly what it was from the messy patchwork and grime. Slowly kneeling, he picked the toy up and offered it to the child.

"Is this yours?"

Their eyes darted from the dirty toy, to the shrouded armour, and then to the sheathed sword. Sirius opened his gloved hand around the toy further, displaying it in front of the child. The child took it without a word, looking up at him with a glint in their eyes. Sirius smiled at them and stood back to full height. As they ran off, he took in his surroundings once again and checked the pouches on his belt. It was getting late, his meeting would be soon.

The journey from the nearby town wasn't too arduous, but he didn't get why he was requested to come here specifically. It wasn't too bad though, he was running out of bounties to do and this town would hopefully have more. Now that he was here, what was he supposed to do? He still had some time left, but not enough to do anything job related. Maybe the blacksmiths could help him out with his armour, who knew.

Cold wind rushed through the muddy corridor, blowing into Sirius and sending a shiver down his spine. The howl of the breeze echoed through the empty streets. He knew it was going to be desolate here, but not this desolate. How did any of them survive? The guards at the gate looked like they were ready to drop dead at any moment. There was a forest nearby on the other side of the town that looked ominous enough, that was probably where all the monsters came from.

"Excuse me." A voice called from beside him.

Sirius turned to see a small elderly man, his limbs thin with drooping skin.

"That armour... Are you a soldier from the city?"

Sirius shifted his feet, moving his cloak closer to his body.

"No, I'm sorry. Were you expecting soldiers?"

Soldiers usually didn't visit towns like these. Instead, they sometimes roamed the roads and checked the progress of larger towns or trade centres. The man straightened his back, his scratchy beard clinging to his lips.

"Well, we were hoping for soldiers. They put down a rebellion a while ago and told us they would be back to take care of the monsters."

"How long ago was that?"

"... I don't remember."

Sirius nodded somberly, scanning the man's decrepit frame. The man shook his head as he spoke.

"It's been so long since I've seen armour like that, I doubt most people here even recognize what it means."

"Yes, the army seems to focus their efforts elsewhere."

Sirius continued, choosing to brush past the insinuation the man was making. With a dark tired eye, the man walked away from him.

"Good luck with your travels."

"Thank you, be safe yourself."

After watching the slim frame slink along the sides of the road, Sirius continued through the streets, letting out a sigh as he watched the sun begin to descend. Ruffling his hair, he looked around for any other interesting buildings. All he could see was rundown shacks and others which reeked of depravity.

Turning the street corner, he spotted what could only be the town hall. It stood out like a sore thumb, its carefully crafted stone steps splattered with dirt. Sirius took a moment to stare at it and then shook his head. Out of all the things they could do with the money they had, they built a building. Unbelievable, were aesthetics that important? How much did they think hunters cared about the looks? Maybe it was just for their own ego, whatever the case, it was a waste.

Sirius's ears perked up to the sound of angered yelling nearby. It was close, he quickened his pace towards the source. The voices became clearer, at least three men.

"You had one job, one goddamn job!"

"Can we kill them now? They're useless anyways."

He turned into an alleyway, eyes falling on the confrontation. There were three of them, large and probably armed. At their feet was a familiar face, the child from before. Sirius drew closer, his voice low.

"Stop this."

They turned around, looks of confusion and anger crossing their faces.

"Who- Oh, well that’s funny."

All of them assumed battle stances towards him, the one at the back kicked the child to the floor. Sirius narrowed his eyes and put a hand on his sword.

"We'll do it ourselves then." The one at the front chuckled, his smile stretching out a disfigured scar on his cheek.

The wind blew behind Sirius, billowing against the back of his cloak. He waited for their move, eyeing each of their weapons carefully. They handled their blades like toys, untrained, undisciplined. While they obviously had some experience, they didn't have enough. He could kill them all, just like that. His gaze fell to the child on the ground and he frowned.

The one at the front launched towards him with a stab, his whole body pushed into the thrust. Sirius easily ducked the stab and grabbed the arm, slamming his elbow down onto the back of it. The snap came before the man's scream as his body crumpled to the floor. The other two hurtled towards him, blades swinging. Sirius pulled his sword off of his back, sheath still on it. Grabbing onto the length of the blade, he swung the pommel into the first one's stomach, driving him back into his friend. They toppled down, losing grip on their blades. Sirius unsheathed his sword, pointing the tip at the two of them.

"Don't try it." He stated, stopping them from picking up their knives.

His sword shone brightly in the sunlight, its long silver edge keenly glinting. He held it and rested the blade on his arm, it's balanced weight helping him keep it still. The meter and a half longsword dwarfed the men's knives which lay in the mud as they raised their hands, the bloodlust gone from their eyes.

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"Take your friend and leave, and don't come after this child again."

He motioned to the exit of the alley, where the man with a broken arm still writhed in pain. Watching them scamper away, he resheathed his blade and slung it over his back. He walked past the discarded knives towards the child who cowered on the floor. He knelt, outstretching his hand towards them.

"Don't go near those men anymore, they won't bring any good with them."

The child looked downwards, tears welling up in their eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Sirius cocked his head to the side.

"Why?"

"I tried to steal from you."

Sirius looked at their small figure with a sad smile.

"I know, but you didn't and right now you're safe. That's what matters."

He looked around and saw the toy again, lying on the dirt. Picking it up, he handed it back to the child.

"Do you have a safe place you can go back to?"

They nodded, getting up to their feet. Sirius rose as well.

"Do you want me to come along with you?"

They shook their head and looked up, struggling to get their words out.

"Um, thank you."

"You're welcome, be safe."

Sirius watched as they ran off the opposite end of the alley. Turning to the blades on the ground, he picked them up, throwing them under some broken down debris. Was that really the best outcome? He bit the inside of his lip, thinking about the possible scenarios. What if the men came back for the child? Would the child still try to steal from others after this? Should he have killed those men after the fact?

Sirius walked back onto the street, trying to come up with a concise answer to his own questions. Maybe it would have turned out better if he hadn't intervened so quickly, learned more about them. Instead, he rushed in like an idiot. Cursing himself, he put a hand to his forehead and quickened his pace. This shouldn't be his main concern, he had a contract.

It was getting late anyway, might as well head to the location now. In all honesty, he was hesitant about this. Who would request him for a contract? Surely he wasn't renowned enough to warrant such attention. Sirius checked the signs on nearby shops and buildings. He continued past a butchers shop with little to no meat inside it. Rounding the corner, he spotted his destination, the Dead Crow. It looked reasonably in shape, with fully intact walls, operational door, and unbroken windows. The establishment wasn't big, but that might be for the best.

Entering the bar, he was greeted by the musty smell of sweat and liquor. The patrons paid him no mind and kept drinking. He scanned the room, taking note of the types of people who sat around the tables. Some were obviously idiots, fumbling, spilling their drinks everywhere. There were exceptions though, figures who lurked in the shadows, speaking to each other in low grumbles.

Sirius spotted a character looking at him out of the corner of his eye. They quickly averted their gaze, hood obscuring their face. He slowly made his way further into the bar, carefully keeping watch on them. That cloak, there was something about it he recognized; the muddied grey, the patched fabric, the torn edges, all the features wouldn't be out of the ordinary for any other cloak, but it stood out in his memory.

They reached their light-skinned hand out to grab a cup on the table to take a sip. They were wearing reinforced fabric, maybe some type of armour. Sirius shook his head, curiosity overwhelming him. Who was this person and why did he remember them?

Walking over to the table, he stopped just a few meters away from them. They didn't move or even acknowledge his presence. He took a seat across from them, trying to get a better look. Black hair draped out from under their hood, a woman by the looks of it. She glanced up at him, a single cold blue eye glanced at him. Immediately, Sirius remembered who this was.

"Lianne?"

She looked up at him, scanning his sword and keeping her posture low.

"Do I know you?"

Sirius leaned forwards on the table, making note of Lianne's slight recoil away.

"Yeah, I'm Sirius. We worked together along with a few others hunting an elder oni."

She crossed her arms, visibly struggling to remember while keeping watch on his movements. Moving her hand downwards out of sight she spoke in a deliberate tone.

"Why are you here?"

"I have a contract, was told to meet here."

Lianne narrowed her eyes and scanned around the tavern. Picking up her mug, she took another sip from it. Sirius shifted in his seat, adjusting the sword on his back.

"What are you doing here?"

"Not your business."

Her response was almost instant, presumably planned out or just habit. As much as Sirius wanted to dig deeper or strike up an actual conversation, he knew she probably wouldn’t endorse it. She kept drinking, eye dimly staring downwards, her sight quickly shifting side to side and then returning to its neutral state. Watching her drink gave a feeling of unease, as if something was going to erupt at any moment. Sirius took his sword off his shoulder, causing Lianne's attention to snap to him. He lay the sheathed blade onto the edge of the table and leaned back in his chair, watching her cautiously take another sip from the corner of his eye.

"I see the two of you are already here." A voice called from behind Sirius, causing him to tense his body as he quickly turned.

It was a tall lanky man with a hood on, bits of a greyed beard showing on his shrouded face. Sirius hadn't noticed him when he first entered the bar, where was he sitting previously? The man continued, taking a seat next to Lianne, who had her mug set down and hands below the table.

"It's a bit early for the scheduled time, but it seems that you wouldn't mind if we began earlier, yes?"

He looked from Sirius to Lianne, letting them respond. Sirius relaxed his posture, folding his arms.

"You're the one who asked for me?"

"Well yes, both of you."

Lianne moved her body away, glaring at the man in front of her.

"I wasn't told this was an open contract."

"Well it isn't, it's just you two."

She didn't respond and kept glaring at him. Sirius tried to examine the man's body encompassing robes for weapons.

"What kind of monster would specifically need us?"

The man smiled at Sirius, lacing his fingers together and propping his arms on the table.

"Not a monster exactly-"

Lianne stood up from her seat, adjusting the twin swords on her hip.

"Not my line of work."

She started to move backwards as the man bore a grin on his face.

"I have a feeling you might be interested though."

Lianne turned away and started to walk from the table as the man continued.

"A certain beast, with wings of an abbadon."

She stopped in her tracks. Sirius's eyes widened with shock.

"You want us to kill an abbadon?"

"Not an abbadon, a hybrid of sorts. It's about the size of a human with 2 wings instead of the usual 6. Still quite dangerous though."

Lianne turned around, a deep-seeded concentration set in her glare.

"I'm listening."

The man clapped his hands together, a wide grin spread across his still obscured face.

"Good! Let's talk business then."

Sirius kept his composure in his seat, trying to not reel from the prospect of facing an abbadon. Lianne stayed standing, gaze completely focused on the man.

"Ah, where are my manners, I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

He stroked his chin while he spoke.

"You can call me Alastor. I presume you both know each other already?"

Sirius nodded and let him continue.

"So, I've already mentioned the target, but I want the body intact and brought back to me when the job is done."

He started to rummage around in his robes as Sirius spoke.

"Is there any more information about the target other than what's already been said?"

Alastor smiled and chuckled.

"I'm glad you asked, the target is extremely strong physically and in terms of ether manipulation. There's also an accomplice who escorts the beast around, so best be wary of him."

Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Who is this 'accomplice'? How is he able to escort the target without being killed?"

"That information isn't necessary, all you need to know is that he will try to get in the way."

Lianne stepped forwards, crossing her arms as she looked at Alastor.

"Where is it."

He pulled a folded parchment from his robes, holding it up in the light.

"Everything you need to know is on this piece of paper, don't worry about all of that."

Sirius leaned forwards.

"You haven't mentioned one thing."

"What would that be?"

"The pay."

Alastor chuckled and set the parchment on the table.

"Ah yes, forgive me for not mentioning that. 500 gold each."

Sirius sat in silence, trying to figure out if the man was being genuine or not. There was no way he could pay that much, not in a few lifetimes at least. Alastor rummaged in his robes and continued.

"If you allow me to ask for a small favour, I'll pay 100 upfront."

He set two bags down on the table, the thud of metal hitting wood ringing out. If anything, he was confident, that was for sure. Sirius sat back in his seat, undeniably interested now.

"What's this... favour."

Alastor smirked at him.

"I want alghoul needles."

"You want alghoul needles?"

He just smiled back at Sirius and turned to Lianne.

"What do you say?"

Lianne stared back at him, body posture stiff.

"When do we start?"

Alastor let out a laugh, leaning forwards.

"If you're ready, you can start now. There's a ghoul nest down the path in the forest, a bit after the second signpost, you'll smell it. Once you completed that, give the needles to me and I'll give you the money and more information."

Sirius started to get up, pulling his sword onto his shoulder.

"How many needles do you want?"

"As many as you can carry."

Lianne took a look at Sirius and then back to Alastor. She said nothing as Sirius nodded and turned to leave. He took a few steps, turning back to check on her.

"Are we leaving?"

She remained silent as she turned around and briskly brushed past Sirius and out the door. He caught a glimpse of her face, it was stone cold. Following her quick pace, he exited the bar behind her and let out a sigh. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Hey, hold on."

Lianne didn't listen and kept walking ahead of him. Sirius jogged over to her side.

"We should make a plan before we get there."

She kept her sight forwards.

"Don't get in my way."

"What?"

"I won't repeat myself."

He tried not to be baffled by her response and stayed behind her as the wind from outside blew into his face, the dusk slowly encompassing the sky.