Nightmare's End

Past: Filleting Fish

After a month's journey from the outskirts of Yharnam, the travelling company finally began to see signs of the sea. Outriders returned from scouting to report that they could see a village in the distance, proving they were nearing their destination. As the servants packed up the other's tents, Gehrman went to Maria's tent, knocking his cane on the pole supporting the entrance flap.

"Maria, child? I hope you are awake. We are within a day's journey of the hamlet." He peeked inside, blushing and turning away upon realizing she was changing her clothes. He stuttered, "I wish to speak with you."

"I'll be out in a minute, master," Maria called out, buttoning her blouse. She glanced at her cutlass, still without name. The ornate construction of its hilt almost pulled at her, and her hands twitched slightly. Looking away, Maria shook her head. No. The day awaits me; I shan't keep her long. I may dance when we set up camp.

Maria parted the tent flaps and donned her tricorn, carrying the sheathed cutlass in her left hand. "Master?" She called, and Gehrman came out from behind her horse. "Hmm? Why do you hide?"

Virtually teleporting to her side, he whispered to her. "Keep your blade loose in your scabbard today, dear child, for I fear we may not be safe for long. Sweet Flora..." Gehrman turned away abruptly, limping over to his horse, a muscular dappled grey stallion named Evergreen. Maria did as she was asked, nudging the guard with her thumb, a muffled clicking sound reaching her ears. By the blood, his dreams are becoming his only thoughts. It is good I do not dream as he does. She leapt onto her maroon mare, named Maroon, and spurred her, racing herself to the front of the caravan. She laughed as her cap very nearly flew off, but she held it down with her right hand, her cutlass clicking against its sheath. Gehrman smiled at the sight of it, his heart warming slightly. Strange how she still finds joy. I will rue the day she sees the world the way true hunters do...

***

As the stars woke in the pale violet sky, Maria yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes. She thought they would have reached the hamlet by now. Riding next to Laurence, she prodded him again about the College. "What was it you scholars study, again?"

"Many things, pretty one. Many things," Maria blushed as Laurence fixed his curly hair for the third time in under five minutes. "Chief among them being the nature of the gods, and their primordial siblings, the Great Ones. Have you heard of the Great Ones, Maria?"

"Master Gehrman has whispered of them in his sleep... but other than that, no." She looked at her hands, hoping Laurence wouldn't notice her callouses.

"Hmm, I suppose I could educate you a small bit. You know of the gods, yes? How they created us, and they're of immense power, all that rot? Well, many of our students have asked a rather simple,yet very disturbing question. Do the gods love their creations?"

"I would think so, but what about the Great Ones? Why are they important?" Maria raised an eyebrow.

"The great Ones, unlike their celestial superiors, have shown interest in us, proven by their few incidents of contact between them and us mortals. Whether any of them, gods and Greats alike, truly love us, I cannot say, but in recent decades the Great Ones have been the more present parents, so to speak."

"So they're gods, only lesser in power?"

"Just so. They are naturally of immense and nearly immeasurable power, but are obviously little more than children when compared to our nameless gods. This is why we know more of the Greats."

"Hmm, okay. Thank you for telling me."

"Of course, my lady," Laurence chuckled and spurred his horse, racing ahead. Maria did the same, and chased after the red haired scholar. She had almost caught up with him, when she saw a harpoon pierce his horse's neck. The steed collapsed, its knees buckling, throwing Laurence. He rolled and stood, pulling a silver sword from his saddle scabbard. "TO ARMS, HUNTERS!!" He cried, scanning the tree line for opponents. Maria leapt from her mare, twirling through the air as her cutlass rang metallically. As she landed, she deflected another harpoon with her longer blade.

"Woah, that was lucky, lass!" Laurence laughed, putting his back to her.

Lucky, eh? What was the word... Maria recalled the language lessons the castle smith gave her... "Rakuyo!" She shouted, leaping to the skies to slam down on one opponent. The enemy was vaguely humanoid, but otherwise was quite fishlike, even gurgling as though it were drowning as it died. She relayed this to Laurence, who in turn told the hunters that caught up. Gehrman was among them, and called for Maria. "To me, child!"

She ran to her master's side, forming a defensive triangle with him and Laurence. One fishman charged at her, only to have his throat slashed with a crossed slash attack. Gehrman swung the Burial Blade, transformed, and knocked back three more, killing two. Laurence thrust with his sword and pierced another's throat. "For Archibald!" He made a show of pulling his blade free.

Swift as they were, only a handful of merfolk were left by the time the other hunters even reached them. "Thank you for your assistance," Gehrman said, glaring at a young hunter garbed in yellow. "Twas a good thing that good sir Laurence was here to protect us." Laurence spat some blood out, reddening the dirt a little more, and wiped his blade clean on his already stained robes.

"Sorry master Gehrman, there were a few others further back. It seems we were expected." The yellow one took off his cap and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Only one scholar was injured."

"And you're telling me? Go to Master Willem, boy. He's the one needs informing."

"O-of course, sir." He turned and ran, nearly dropping his pistol.

"Barely thirteen, that one." Laurence said, with more than a little distaste in his tone.

"Everyone may hunt, if need be. Ah, but I do wish our children were excluded."

"Well, if all goes well, you lot may be out of a job."

"One can dream, sir, or one can open his eyes."

"Or he may line his mind with more, sir." Laurence, by then a touch irritated, turned to return to Master Willem.

Maria sheathed her cutlass, glancing at her mentor. "Um, sir... I've named my blade..."

"Oh? I wondered when you would. What has the child imagined?"

"Rakuyo, of a foreign tongue, meaning luck." Maria smiled, satisfied with the sound of it. "Fitting for a hunter's weapon, don't you think?"

"Indeed. Now you can call yourself a true hunter." Gehrman patted her head, bending the feather of her tricorn.

Man, I'm proud of how this one turned out. The first draft of this chapter had a lengthy and altogether inconsistent history lesson explaining the Kin and Pthumerians and was quite boring, so I'm glad I went with this instead. Let me know what you fellow hunters think!