The water startled Scarlet awake as it splashed across her face. She sputtered, breathing rapid as her head darted back and forth. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness around her, letting her see the details of the room she was in. Her hat was gone, there was a large bed to her left, what looked to be a closet to her right, a carpet beneath her and...was that blood?!
She felt her blood run cold as the familiar scent of iron hit her nose. She tried to stand, but her arms and legs refused to move. A glance below revealed a taut, brown rope tied around her legs. It reached all the way around the legs of the chair she was sitting in. She could feel the same material on her wrist behind her. An ache from her stomach made her groan. She looked down and saw clean white cloth wrapped around her midsection, no hint of blood on them. She kept her eyes on her surroundings while trying to squirm free of her bindings. Her mind raced as it tried to catch up with what her body was experiencing. She slowly began to piece together the events that had transpired up to this point.
She had come to Pran, got information about a Vampire living on the edge of town, found her walking into her home with two children, confronted her...and then...
"Are you awake? Good."
Scarlet's body stiffened at the voice. Its tone was sharp, feminine, and frigid, with an edge to it that sent a shiver up her spine. She focused her gaze in front of her, the owner of the voice leaning on a chair identical to hers. The stranger (it was clear they weren't a Vampire by this point) wore a long, gray coat that ended at their waist. A long cape that split down the middle fell down to their ankles. What looked like two long, black wings followed every movement they made. The feathers fluttered in the air as they bent over and placed a bucket on the ground.
But the thing that stood out the most about the stranger's attire was the long bone white mask on their face. She couldn't place the smooth material it was made of, which only made it more menacing. As the stranger approached her Scarlet couldn't help but try and scoot her chair back. Remembering how she had felt at the end of the battle, coupled with the knowledge that it had all been done by the figure coming towards her, was too much to bear.
She unconsciously whimpered as the stranger stopped in front of her chair, the beak of the mask pointing down at her with malevolent intent. What felt like hours passed by with neither of them saying a single word. Scarlet kept quiet out of fear. She wasn't sure about her captor.
She nearly jumped when the stranger knelt to her level, the revealing pitch black holes for eyes that even the Dhampir's enhanced vision couldn't see into. The stranger spoke in that same, clipped voice, "Now then, I'm going to ask you a few questions. You are going to answer them truthfully and to the best of your ability. If you do so, no harm will come to you. If you do not..."
A fist, faster than Scarlet could see, smacked her in the center of her face. She grit her teeth, feeling the chair underneath her tip backward before the stranger pulled it back. She heard the chair's legs hit the floor at the same time a sharp pain rocketed up her thigh. Her eyes shot towards her right leg, widening at the lengthwise cut that was leaking crimson onto the rug below.
The stranger grabbed her chin with two fingers, moved her face to be level with hers, and produced a knife that dripped the same red ichor as her thigh, "I trust you understand me?"
Scarlet was fully awake now. Multiple emotions shot rapidly through her brain at once. Hammering heart, dry throat, chaffing arms and legs, and a captor who wasn't afraid to cause her severe bodily harm? It was all too much for her to bare. So, she did the one thing that made sense to her terrified mind at the moment.
She fainted.
----------------------------------------
"...Damn. I overdid it."
The Huntress removed the wooden mask, the smell of incense leaving her nostrils while she paced around the unconscious Mamono. While her objective was to scare the monster, she did not mean to make her pass out. Merely scare her to the point where she would give truthful answers to her questions. The threat of harm does wonders to loosen lips. Showing that you are willing and able to inflict that harm even more so.
But this was never her intention. Not only did it slow her interrogation, but it could mean that the monster, Scarlet she believed was her name, was too frightened to even form a cohesive thought. If that was the case, then the Huntress would never get any answers out of her.
The Huntress sighed as she stood up and moved to the chair across from the monster. She placed the mask back on, sat down facing the creature, crossed her arms, then waited. Her gloved fingers tapped against the soft feathers of her "wings". She closed her eyes, as the incense in the beak of the mask entered her nose. Eileen's visage appeared in front of her eyes, that stoic demeanor she always wore bringing a smile to the Huntress' face. The memory of the Crow advising the Huntress on what it truly meant to be a Hunter was a fond one. Wistful nostalgia came over her as time passed by.
The pained groan shook the Huntress from her reminiscing. She waited until the glaze around the waking Mamono's eyes cleared before she spoke, "Let that be proof that none of my threats are idle ones. Now, are you going to answer my questions?"
Scarlet furiously nodded her head yes. The Huntress returned it, leaning back in her chair as she spoke, "The war between the humans and the Mamono. What's the Mamono's side of it?" At the clear confusion on the monster's face, the Huntress continued, "In war, both sides always go in with a clear reason for why they fight. I learned something of why the humans fight, but not your kind. Why are you fighting this war? What do you gain from it? Why go out of your way to seduce and transform humans?"
The monster tilted her head to the side, confused frown still on her face. The Huntress was about to move on until Scarlet shook her head and said, "Love."
It was the Huntress' turn to tilt her head in confusion, "Excuse me?"
"We...well, the Mamono do it for love," Scarlet spoke with utter conviction, "All they want is to be loved and love in kind. They want to better both their and humans lives. They don't want to fight. They want to love."
The Huntress was silent for what felt like a long time. Scarlet watched her captor, until she felt a drop of sweat fall into her eye.
She blinked once.
And then the Huntress was in front of her with a blade to her neck.
The Mamono yelped at how quickly the Huntress had closed the distance. She unconsciously angled her neck away from the blade, eyes widely shifting between it and its wielder.
"I thought I made it clear," the Huntress delivered each word slowly, emphasizing them by moving her blade closer, "that you are not to lie to me."
Scarlet swallowed loudly, speaking with a shaky but determined voice, "It-it's no lie! It's the truth! Why would I lie about something like that?!"
The Huntress' eyes narrowed behind the dark holes of her mask. She searched her captive's face for any signs that she was lying. A twitch in her eyelids, breathing through her teeth, or her eyes constantly moving away from the Huntress covered face.
None appeared.
The Huntress stepped back from the Mamono. She took in a deep breath, placed a hand on her forehead, then let out a long, drawn out sigh. She made her way back to the chair while massaging her temples with one hand. She kept it up as she sat down, exasperation in her voice as she said, "Care to elaborate?"
Certain that she wasn't about to lose her head, Scarlet answered, "Well, like I said, all they want is to spread love through the world. They want to love the humans, make their lives better and bring them happiness. Through that the humans give them love, make their lives better, and bring them happiness. All them want to is give them the love they deserve."
"And that includes rape," the Huntress cut right to the heart of the matter, "So, for your kind, completely subverting a human's free will is love? Forcing a man to have intercourse with you, even if he doesn't consent, then using magic to make him enjoy it is love? Filling a female with so much lust that she will accept any kind of relief, even if it transforms her against her will, is love? Conquering an entire city and turning its populace into raging, sex crazed lunatics, is the Mamono consider love? Because if so..."
The Huntress leans forward in her chair, her hands gripping the arms with barely concealed rage, "Then you monsters are sicker than I ever imagined."
To her shock, her captive furiously shook her head at the assertions. She looked...hurt when she turned to face the Huntress again, "No! That's not true! Well...I mean, not for all of us."
The Huntress raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her seat while motioning for the monster to continue. Scarlet let out a tired sigh, "Let me explain. Yes, there are Mamono who do behave like that. But there are also those who want to fall in love with a human naturally. No magic, no potions, no rape. Just plain romance. I should know, I'm one of them. I'd love nothing more than to find a nice young man, go out to dinner, talk about nice things, maybe buy each other gifts and-"
The Huntress coughs into her hand to get the Mamono's attention. Scarlet shakes her head free of her fantasies, "Right. Sorry. My point is that there are Mamono out there that don't try and force people into relationships. They don't want to be apart of the war. They just want to live their lives with the ones they love, and raise families together. Everyone wants a family that they can love and care for, don't they?"
The Huntress' reply is cut off by a soft knock on the door to her room. Her glare tells Scarlet to be silent as she stands up and walks to the door. She lifts the mask off and hides it behind her back before opening it.
Gloria stood there in her still tattered and dirty white jerkin, her large brown eyes staring up at the Huntress. Dealing with the Mamono forced her to postpone finding a stream to bathe them in, else she wouldn't have made it to the Market before everyone went home. Luckily she managed to catch a produce seller before they went home and bought a basket filled with apples. It wasn't much, but it was healthy and would tide the children over until the next day.
The Huntress bent low so her eyes were level with the young girl, a gentle smile on her face, "Is something wrong, Gloria?"
"S...Scared," the young girl hands balled up the hem of her jerkin, whole body trembling, "Scared to sleep...alone."
The Huntress reached out and rubbed the child's head, "Aaaww. Well, I'm busy with our guest at the moment. Why don't you go to your brother's room for now? You can lay in his bed until I'm done, then I'll come get you and bring you to my room. Does that sound ok?"
Gloria slowly nodded in. The Huntress removed her hand, "Do you know where his room is?"
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Another nod, then the girl said in her squeaky, tired voice, "Uh huh. Goodnight, Ms. Cynthia."
"Goodnight, Gloria," the Huntress watched the young girl walk to her brother's room. She didn't close the door until Gloria had closed the door to the guest room.
Then she put her mask back on, turned around, and walked back to her chair. She ignored the smug look on Scarlet's face, sat down and said, "Point taken. However, would I be correct in assuming that you are not the majority?" If they were, her first experience with the Mamono wouldn't have been so hostile.
"Well, no," Scarlet hangs her head in shame, then brings it back up and quickly says, "But that doesn't mean they all do it on purpose! Some are just following their instincts. They don't know any better. And then there are the extremist making things worse for all of us."
"Extremist?" the Huntress felt a headache come on at the mention of that word. She could things were about to get more complicated.
"They're exactly what they sound like," Scarlet frowns, "They go out of their way to find humans, rape them, and then transform them into more monsters. You heard of what happened to Lescatie, right?"
"That was them," the Huntress said with a nod, "I see what you mean, but aren't they simply 'spreading their love', like you do?"
"Do NOT compare me to them!" the force of the Mamono's stomp was lessened by her bonds, but it got her point across, "I understand what love is! I know it's more than grabbing a man and riding his brains out! It's a warm, kind, gentle, fiery feeling that goes far, far beyond even Mamono comprehension! Sex might come from love, but it does not signify it!"
Scarlet took a moment to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling with each intake and exhale. Behind her mask the Huntress' eyes had shifted slightly in surprise. She had not expected such a passionate speech from the Mamono. Especially considering her current situation.
The Huntress waited until the Mamono calmed down. Then she held up a hand and said, "That's enough about the Mamono and the War. Let's move on my second question, which is a bit more pressing. Why did you attack me?"
The Mamono shrugged, "I thought you were a Vampire."
"And what exactly is that? I can tell it's a monster like you, but I would like details."
Scarlet tilted her head in confusion, "Details? Shouldn't you-"
Scarlet caught herself as the Huntress began reaching for her blade. The Mamono shook her head, "Sorry! Sorry! Um, well, a Vampire is a Mamono. They only come out at night because they're weak during the day, are some of the oldest Mamono, need to drink blood to live, consider themselves nobility, look down on humans, and are super arrogant and prideful. Some tend to disguise themselves as human nobles to have better access to a food supply."
It was the Huntress' turn to be confused, though the mask kept it hidden, "You speak of Vilebloods?"
"What's a Vileblood?"
"A race of blood obsessed creatures, known for thinking themselves nobility, and famed for drinking others blood for sustenance," a sense of dread made its way into the Huntress' mind. If this monster was anything like the Vileblood from her world, then she would need to deal with it. Quickly.
The confusion on Scarlet's face returned, "You just described a Vampire. I thought you didn't know what they were?"
"I don't," the Huntress replied while crossing her arms, "And what I described was a Vileblood."
"No, a Vampire."
"No, a Vileblood."
"Vampire."
"Vileblood."
"Forget it," the Mamono shook her head, "Anyway, I'm sorry I attacked you. I hunt Vampires, and came to this town because I heard rumors one was nearby. I caught wind of a noblewoman purchasing this manor at the edge of town, then I saw you with blood covering your clothes and...well, you can understand where my mind went."
The Huntress nodded, then stopped when she analyzed what the Mamono had said, "Hold a moment. 'Hunting' a Vampire? But, aren't you a monster? Why would you hunt your own kind?"
Scarlet smiled, showing off her elongated canines, "Don't you remember what I said? I'm a Dhampir. Half Vampire, Half human. Technically, I'm an accident. Vampires don't like humans, especially human men. They go on and on about how inferior humans are, and most only ever sleep with or marry men that have been transformed."
Her smile curled upwards as she leaned forward, "But drinking the blood of men increases their desires. Sometimes those desires overflow and they bed the first man they lay on eyes, usually the one they enjoy feeding on. And, through that intense night of passion, there's a chance a half breed will be born. Monsters with all the upsides of being a Vampire, none of the downsides, and a better understanding of both the Mamono and human perspectives of this whole conflict."
"I see," the Huntress absorbed this information with gusto. However, it did give her more questions than answers. Why is it that the majority of Mamono births are other Mamono, but there are rare cases such as Scarlet? Is it a defect? A possible mutation? Or something more?
She'd have to find those answers later.
"That still doesn't answer my question though. Why hunt your own kin?"
"To give them a better life. Vampires loathe human men...on the surface. In truth, they're just like any other Mamono. They want to be loved and have a husband. But their pride gets in the way, and makes them transform their lovers into monsters. Even if they love the man as a human, they won't tell him. They'll go on and on about how they don't have feelings for him when they really do. That's not how a relationship should be."
Scarlet shakes her head, then lifts it up with a determined look, "So, I've taken it upon myself to teach them the error of their ways. I'll show them that hiding their feelings from their true love is a mistake. To be true to themselves and-"
"Understood," the Huntress interrupted. Scarlet blinked twice, clamming up as the wind went out of her sails. She grumbled in frustration and began to pout. The Huntress rolled her eyes behind the mask.
"Last question," the Huntress stood up and walked over to her bed. The Dhampir's eyes followed her as knelt and reached underneath the large mattress. When she stood up, Scarlet's eyes widened at the sight of her rapier in the Huntress' hand. The taller woman strode back to her seat while running her gloved hand along the rapier's gleaming blade, "Could you inform me of the material this weapon is made from? It it not one I am familiar with."
Scarlet didn't answer. The Huntress shot a glare her way, eying the already healing cut on her thigh and the likely still tender hole in her gut. Then the Dhampir sighed in defeat while shaking her head, "Demon Realm Silver. It cuts through armor without injuring my opponents, and fills them with my Spirit Energy when I hit them. It's how I get Vampires to surrender."
The Huntress hummed while turning the blade over in her palms. Ideas began running through her head as she beheld the weapon, until Scarlet's next question broke her out of her reverie, "So, if that was the last question, can I go?"
The Huntress froze in place.
Her head slowly moved to regard her captive, as the one thing she hadn't been considering made itself known.
What would she do with the Dhampir? Should she let her go? After all, she had answered all her questions. And the attack was a misunderstanding. She didn't mean any harm by-
'Do you truly believe that?'
The Huntress felt her skin begin to crawl.
'Half breed or no, she's still a monster, isn't she?'
Darkness consumed the room until the only she and the Dhampir remained.
'She could be lying. Who wouldn't to save their own skin?'
The scent of the incense disappeared from her nostrils.
'She never said she couldn't be controlled by her desires. What if she snaps one day? You'd be at fault for letting her live. Just like if you let those children live.'
The Huntress' put down the rapier.
'You know what you must do.'
She stepped closer to the Dhampir until her shadow fell over it.
'You know what you do is right.'
She unsheathed her Blades of Mercy, snapping the single blade into twin daggers.
'You know what you do is for the good of all.'
She crossed her arms, blades gleaming in the sunlight as she looked down at the monster in front of her.
'...You are a skilled hunter.'
She froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Briefly, she was taken back to that place. Where the Beast walked with blankets over their heads, their eyes either bright red or completely empty. The smell of gunpowder getting stronger as she got closer to the tower in the distance.
'Adept. Merciless. Half-cut with blood. As the best hunters are.'
Her body trembled as the voice cut into her like a knife. Her grip on her blades waned.
'Which is why I must stop you!'
The sound of a gunshot snapped her back to reality. The darkness retreated, uncovering the room right before the Huntress' eyes. Her head darted to and fro, before settling on the Mamono in front of her. Scarlet was shaking, her eyes closed, and tears streaming down her face. In between sobs she let out pleas for mercy, apologies for her transgressions, and cries to be sent home.
The Huntress' arms felt heavy. She lowered them to her sides, Blades of Mercy held limply within. One final sentence came to her. The last words of a man who only wanted to defend the peaceful life he had found. A Hunter who had grown tired of the Hunt, and wanted nothing more than to defend the people he once helped put down.
A man she had killed for standing in her way.
'It's you...You're the beast...Can't you see what you're doing? It's madness...'
The Huntress stood there for an hour.
She was doing it again.
She was killing everyone she came across.
She was letting the Blood control her.
She was repeating everything she had done in Yharnam.
She had not changed.
Nothing had changed.
...No.
No. She wouldn't let it be that way.
Things would change. She would make them change.
Then she walked around to her captive's back, and cut the rope binding her hands and feet with one swift cut. As Scarlet rubbed her wrist and ankles, the Huntress pointed towards the door, "Come with me...please."
Trembling, Scarlet stood up from the chair, stumbling slightly as feeling returned to her legs. The Huntress turned and lead her out the door. The walk was quiet and entirely too short to the both of them. When the reached the entrance the Huntress said to the terrified Mamono, "Thank you for your assistance. You may leave."
Her voice was stilted and unsure, but Scarlet didn't mind it. She simply nodded, waited for the Huntress to open the door, and walked out with a smile on her face. The Huntress knew it was forced but didn't say anything. She just watched as the Dhampir walked out the door and into the dark streets of Pran.
She closed the door and sighed in frustration.
'Why did you do that?'
"Because this isn't Yharnam," she said to the empty air around her, "And I plan to keep it that way."
----------------------------------------
"Umm, how much did you say was in here?" Maggie whispered while weighing the heavy bag of coins in her hand. The light from the candle on the table made her shadow dance on the wall behind her.
Nick smiled at his sister, arms crossed and head held high as he answered, "Six. Hundred. Enough to pay rent and keep us fed for months! It'll be smooth sailing for a while now, Mags!"
Maggie shushed her brother, looking behind her at the rickety door to Marcus' room. She sighed in relief when it remained closed, before turning back to Nick with her mouth agape, "But..how?"
"A noble," Nick didn't bother hiding the pride he felt, "She asked me to guide her around town. Offered me three hundred to do it, then gave me a bonus for finishing the job. That's right, I earned all this from simply walking royalty down a few alleyways! Am I good or what?"
"Alright, but, what about the Vipers?" Maggie's voice was filled with worry, "They've been more active ever since six of their members were killed in the slums today. And the guards have started upping their patrols."
"Tell me about it," Nick groaned in frustration, "I was late getting back because those fuckers stopped me on three separate occasions. They usually just sit on their asses all day. Why are the so jumpy tonight?"
Maggie took the bag and began counting the coins, "I'm not sure. But there have rumors that they're asking around about a large person wearing black clothes who walked around town covered in blood yesterday. I don't know if it's true, but if it is then..." She trialed off, not wanting to consider the idea that came to the back of her mind.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Nick sat down in the chair across from his sister, laying his head on the table with a smile, "Even if they do find her, they're not gonna be able to do anything to her."
"Her?" Maggie looked at her brother in confusion, who simply smiled at her with a cheeky grin. Then the answer dawned on her.
And she felt her blood run cold.
"You...you don't mean that..."
"Heck yeah!" Nick pushed himself to his feet, "The one who killed those Vipers and has the guards scrambling, is the same woman who gave me the four hundred gold! And I'm in her good graces now. Do you know what this means, Mags?! We've got a fucking noble in our corner. If we play our cards right, we can get rid of Montgomery and get ourselves out the slums! This is our chance!"
"No!" Maggie's surprising shout made Nick step back. Confusion filled his face, while his sister put both hands on her mouth. Her head swiveled to Marcus' door, watching it for what felt like half an hour. Then she turned back to Nick, sweat dripping down her face, "Nick, you remember when I came home and told you I had sold three of my statues?"
"Yeah," Nick said slowly as his eyes narrowed, "You said some really tall, dark, and scary person had bought them from you for thirty gold. Why are you bringing that up?"
"Because, I think that person was the noble you're talking about," Maggie started to wring her hands together, "We shouldn't get involved with her, Nick. She's...dangerous."
"Not get in...do you not see the gold on the table?!" Nick pointed towards the aforementioned bag filled with money, "That's enough to pay the rent and then some! It might be enough to buy an actual house! Not to mention that she killed SIX Vipers, on her own! Why should we avoid her?! She's our ticket out of here!"
She looked away from her brother, biting her bottom lip to stop it from shaking, "One thing I didn't tell you, Nick, was what I saw that day when I looked into her eyes. The eyes reveal many things about people when you stare directly into them. You'll sometimes see things that you don't want to see. Do you want to know what I saw in her eyes?"
"What?"
"The eyes of someone with no regard for their own life. And if they don't care for their life, why would they care for ours?"