A Bloodborne Tragedy

Chapter 8

After he'd ridden out of town Daniel went further into the new state, making note of landmarks and places that looked secluded in case he needed somewhere to camp out. He'd spent many nights wandering through cities as the civilisation grew thicker and getting run out of them the morning after. For the first few days all he could think about was what Sho had said. "I ate him."
Plagued his every waking moment until it didn't disgust him, but intrigued him in an odd sort of way. Sho had every opportunity to do the same to him, he was even alone with him when he was at his most vulnerable. When he was edging death, Sho was there caring for him. How did Sho know he was there though? So many possibilities he was terrified of hearing, so he ignored those thoughts and rode and stole. Three weeks of it.

In that time he saw a doctor, and surprisingly, Sho's stitches were impeccable. And when he'd taken them out, the scar was faint, barely noticeable. And it was easy to hide when he wore his bandana a little higher. He'd also stolen many things, robbed a rich folks house, and even conned a horse out of poker. He sold the horse though, preferring his shire's stout build instead of a morgan. It seemed his life was back to normal, his kind of normal. Quick thrills and adrenaline to earn a few dollars and maybe survive another day. All to ignore the thoughts nagging at him to go back, figure out your life, remember what got you here! That's why he found himself loitering around bars the most.

It was quite easy to pickpocket drunkards in foux kindness. And after he'd stolen their money, free drinks. But one night, after a particularly good loot, another man caught his attention as he walked in. Just glancing at him gave him chills he couldn't quite explain. Sho was tall, but this man was taller. And sharp in many ways with mid length blank hair, whiter than anything he'd ever seen before. He was wearing odd attire for the south as well. Where most people wore a simple button up and jeans, or even a pair of slacks, this man wore a full suit with thin glasses. He looked like he walked right out of a fashion illustration with his getup. Then he noticed the nails that looked frightfully sharper than Sho's and right next to them on his waist, barely hidden by his coat, a vial of a deep red liquid.

He almost didn't realize he was staring until the man noticed him and began to walk towards him. A slight menacing smirk was all it took to make him dread the conversation already. His skin was crawling and everything inside him was telling him to run. But he stood still and averted his gaze like the man was nothing but a passerby. Daniel knew that he was up to no good the second he leaned next to him. He didn't order a drink, didn't even look at anyone else. "Hasn't your mother ever taught you that staring is rude?" He said in a venomous tone. Daniel swallowed another sip of his beer, knowing that he'd need it to reply to the creepy man. "My mother never taught me much of anything, sir. She passed when I was real young." Daniel replied bluntly, not sparing him another glance. The man frowned slightly, looking at Daniel with something akin to contempt.

"That's rather unfortunate." He said. His accent was just like Sho's. A thick European accent, but much more prominent than Sho had. Daniel nodded, staring down his bottle. He didn't want to be there anymore. The man's eyes were piercing, he could feel them in his soul. It made him feel the same way Sho made him feel when he stared too long. This man knew something about Daniel, and that was never a good sign. So he cleared his throat and stood a little straighter, throwing a few coins on the table to tip the bartender. "Yeah... it is." He looked at the man again, noting his shark-like smile. Teeth sharp like razor blades. "I best turn in for the night." He gave a slight nod and began to walk out. Each step he took, he could feel the man watching him. It made his stomach drop in a way he'd never felt before, and he couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine.

"Before you go," the man began, stopping Daniel in his tracks. "I'm looking for someone." Daniel turned to look at him, making a small gesture for him to continue. "He's quite tall. Has long black hair, fading into white." Daniel froze. It was Sho, no doubt. "You can't miss him." The man hit the target it seems when he himself straightened up a bit. Daniel nodded. "Well, I haven't seen him." He lied. "It's not the first time he's run off, I'll find him." Not the first time? He ran away from this man? Maybe that's why Sho was so strange. Daniel would've done the same if he had to be anywhere near this man for longer than needed. "Not the first time?" Daniel questioned. "He... Well, he works for me. But he has this problem where he just won't stay." Daniel nodded, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Why do you keep him around if he keeps leaving? Doesn't sound like a very good worker to me."

The man stood up straight. It was intimidating having to look up to that man. "I can't just get rid of him. He's important to me." Sho was a part of something bigger than he let on, and somehow Daniel was connected to Sho. "Well, sorry but, I haven't seen him." He repeated, turning around again and walking away. "Have a good night sir." He called back, but left without waiting for a reply. He didn't look back but he knew the man was watching him walk back to the hotel. Not even being held at gunpoint frightened him as much as that man did. He knew he had to get out of that town, and fast. He knew Sho, and it seemed that Daniel was in the middle of something he didn't want to be in at all. Still, the tall, unforgettable cannibal would not leave his thoughts, and it was high time he got some answers. As he left the town, he could feel those eyes watching him, but not following. It made him feel like prey, like he hadn't felt in years. Not since he was just a young boy roaming the streets looking for something he could never quite find.

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Author's note: This was a bit of a longer chapter to make up for how short Sho's POVs were. Chapter 9 is fairly long aswell