The Stench of Blood
The middle of spring was in full blast, spring break was going on without a hitch, and only 2 people went to the hospital (A new record). Near the outskirts of the town, a nearby river was flowing continuously. A bear was silently fishing in the stream, waiting for a salmon or other fish to swim by, but it jumped in surprise of a loud, hard splash. Looking around, it saw a man floating in the water, wearing what appeared to be a shawl around his head, covering his eyes and ears. His pants and his gloves were caked in a thick red, almost as if he had been in many fights and won them all. He had no top on at all though, making his physique stand out. On his hand was a some sort of weapon, that he held tightly and wouldn't let go of.
The bear, who had been fishing, now suddenly felt like it was in danger. It had run into humans before and had gutted them when disturbed. However now, it felt like it had ran into an Alpha Wolf, only it was sleeping. The bear, cautious of the man, lightly stepped out of the river and proceeded to lumber upstream. The man's eyes shot open as his arm shot out and he slowly lifted himself up. His head ached, and arms were heavy with fatigue. His throat was raw, and his eyes burned in the sun.
"Eugh..." He moaned, and from his throat, a mighty roar filled the air. "RAAAAAAAAUGH!!!" Followed by a more than sickly cough. "Damn that beast... I was just checking in with the Cleric, and this is what I get... I get thrown into a... lake? Where am I, Hintertomb?" He looked at the bear, who had looked back and turned away. "The Woods? Why am I here? No way he knocked me down that far." He said looking around again. Despite living in Loran most of his life, he was familiar with Yharnam's local townships and villages. The Forbidden Forest was where his father grew up after all, he became a hunter before he was consumed by the beast inside of him. The rumor spread around Yharnam like wildfire, that the most hardened Hunter had turned into a beast, one that crackled with sparks and ripped apart anything in way. Oh, it was true, he put down his old man for good, but his old man left him something that he would never forget.
An Abhorrent Beast is what they called him, and the name stuck. But that's when he realized that the scourge doesn't care who you are. Anyone who was infected with the Beastly Scourge was killed, but those who killed them became infected. It was the blood, and people could prove it. But the same people disappeared. Ashened Blood is what the people called it, though, and while try as they might, the Church can't kill everyone. Eventually the name stuck, but the Church urged everyone not to fear it, but it was at that moment that their grip on Yharnam slowly failing. The man looked to his left and saw that the water looked clean, untainted by poison. He scooped a small amount and drank some before he dived into the river drinking from it directly.
Cleaner than the cities water, and more tasteful as well. His right hand gripped the bone like weapon even tighter and before he knew it his left arm changed. It was a ghastly looking thing, the sudden change was making his entire arm bleed, from his fingernails to his shoulder. Being infected with the scourge was one thing, knowing that it had a mind of its own, well...
"Why... of all times, why now?" A voice said out in the distance. Female, young, fresh.... His mind was going blank and soon his whole body exploded and he grew into an absolute horror. Despite this urge to hunt this voice down, he forced himself to the drink the water. The water he was slowly contaminating, but he had heard that it doesn't spread through water. Of course, Loran was completely devastated by the scourge, turning it dry and arid, so no one really truly knows.
"Why can't I do this right?! It's this 'magic'. Maybe Midnight was right... The magic in me is way too powerful.... I'll have to be with her one way or another... But what about Sunset and the others...?"
The voice was closer now, almost as if had he turned his head, he could spot her.
"But I don't want my friends thinking I'm a mon--" The voice and the footsteps accompanying it stopped very suddenly. Despite all this, he forced himself to drink. However his eyes trailed to his left, and he saw nothing, to his right still nothing. He lifted his head to get a better view of his front, still nothing. He began to slowly move his head before he heard a sudden rush from behind him. He turned almost lightning quick just to see a few locks of purple hair hide behind a tree. He smiled a horrible toothy grin. Time for some mind games.
Twilight Sparkle pressed herself up against the tree as hard she could covering her mouth and sweating bullets. That... thing was right next to her. It had giant gangly limbs and it looked like it's skeleton had out grown its whole body. She was shaking so bad that her keys threatened to give her away. Twilight took a few breaths before she slowly peeked from the tree, and saw it that it had turned away from her. She ducked behind the tree again and took another look.
It was gone.
Her breath caught and her skin went white. She slowly look behind and found nothing. It was completely gone. She took her hand away from her mouth and gave a sigh of relief. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. Either it was a hallucination made by Midnight, or it was just her imagination running amok--
Her thought process came to a blistering halt when she felt droplets on her exposed shoulders. Her eye twitched when she saw that it was a murky brown liquid that had landed on her. Her skin went pale once more as she begin slowly lift her head. The almost vague face of a person looked down from the tree she was behind, while blood, grime, and saliva came out of its entire body. Its teeth were wild and vicious, and looked like they could tear anything to shreds. It claws were like daggers, stabbing into tree to keep it upright. Its skin was up like a hood, covering it's head, yet it still looked at her with empty black eyes. It slowly climbed down the tree, but Twilight couldn't move. It jumped off the lowest branch and landed in front of her. Yet she dared not move.
It stared at her, her eyes reflecting back at it. She dared not to move. It moved its head down and it began to stare at her legs. Her head moved the tiniest of movements and saw she had cut her leg on something. The beasts' tongue slipped out and began taste the blood that had rolled down her leg. It growled and she flinched. It lifted a claw and knocked her over, and then firmly held her in place. Its head was still occupied on the leg, yet she could feel its claw cutting into her shoulder. Its nose twitched and brought its head up towards her new wound and began licking there too. It felt... odd.
While she was used to her dog Spike lick her face and her neck, she felt like it was just that; done by a dog. However, this thing felt like it was more.... Human than animal. It was human enough that if one were to look closely they could see a faint blush on Twilights face. The way its tongue was being more precise at the blood rather than actually wound, it reminded her of those dirty videos she catches Shining watching every now and then. It growled again before going back to her cut leg, only now it was licking the actually wound. It stung, like alcohol, yet it felt... healed almost. Same with her shoulder, it felt healed too. It backed away from her, and Twilight sat up. She stared at it for what felt like hours before she attempted to reach out to it.
Only for it place her whole hand in its mouth.
Her breath caught and she suddenly remembered what the thing was. It didn't bite down, but it had clenched her hand hard enough to where it wouldn't let go.
"Please... don't..." She said as tears began to stream from her face. It eyes widened, and let go. Her wrist was bleeding, badly a doctor would say but she wasn't focused on that. Instead she stared at the beast as it gripped its head in let out a wail so loud that several car alarms went off in the distance. The beast began to tear into itself and once it ripped off its right hand it began to falter and eventually fell to the ground. Twilight's head pulsed in pain, and she looked over at the beast, who was no longer there. Instead a man, laid in the dirt in the same position that beast was in, with a strange bone like claw clutch in hie hand. She looked closer at the man and saw a small paper hanging out of his pocket, and saw a name on it.
Name: Jacobson
Age: 35
Sex: Male
Occupation: Hunter
IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO THE YHARNAM HEALING CHURCH OF BLOOD MINISTARTION
She looked back the man, and saw one more thing, a small vile of sorts. She picked it up and saw the golden orange tint it had. A small needle was sticking out of one side, suggesting that it was some sort of odd drug. Looking back at the man and at the small vile she did the only thing she could do: Text Sunset.
You: Sunset are you there?
SunnySideUp: Ya, Twi wat you want?
You: I need you and Applejack at the edge of the woods right now please.
SunnySideUp: Why? What's wrong?
You: I... found someone out here and he needs some help... and So do I.
SunnySideUp: Get the edge, and you'll show us where he is okay? Is he fine, can he walk?
You: No, he's out cold, and he's to heavy for me to drag him. Just come here when you can, please?
SunnySideUp: I'll call Applejack, and see if can bring the truck. You stay with him for now, and we'll come and blast the horn at the forest edge okay?
You: Yes, that's quite fine, I just need make sure he doesn't wake up for while...
SunnySideUp: What?! Twilight waht did this guy do?!
You: OH! NOTHING SORRY IGNORE THAT TEXT!
She flipped the phone off before Sunset could reply, and gave a hefty sigh. Looking back at Jacobson, she saw that hand of the beast was still laying near him, yet his hand was still there... She didn't know why, but it might be useful for later studies. She spied a lone stump a few feet away and sat down waiting for Applejack and Sunset. She looked over at Jacobson who with out, a shirt was covered in numerous scars. some trailed down in pairs of twos or threes, but one set of scars had a unique look. It was a trail of five scars, all consistent with each other, but that wasn't her main interest. Her impromptu studies were halted by the honk of a car horn. She went to the edge and flagged down Applejack and Sunset, who the former had a rope and the latter, a sledgehammer.
"He's this way," Twilight said as she began to lead them into the forest. Twilight showed them the man who was still laying there, unaware of the three girls lifting him. As they put him in the back seat, Twilight went back into the forest to grab the hand, which now stopped oozing blood, and placed it in her bag. The ride to Sunsets house was fairly simple, they decided that he need a spot to stay, and Sunset volunteered. She said her apartment was a three room anyways, and she was happy to help anyone in need. Applejack and Sunset both noticed the bone claw in right hand and seeing as he was unconscious, decided to slip it off of his wrist. Twilight who had his head in her lap held the bone weapon and examined the the way it looked to be hastenly chiseled. From the looks of it, it was made from a beast even bigger than he was...
This did not bode well...
Dear Princess Twilight,
Long time no see huh...Wait, ignore that. Anyways, it's good to talk to you again, I have some... Somewhat pressing news.This worlds Twilight has found a person that... doesn't seem to originate from here. I've never heard of Yharnam(?) before, but I think you would know a little more than me. He was carrying a strange claw looking weapon with him, and Twilight (over here)
said that he was somewhat dangerous to be around. She sat in my bathroom wrapping up her wrist, but when I asked,
she said it was from him. Of course, I knew something was up when she told me to ignore a text she gave me... She gave me his I.D. card a small vial. I don't know what the vial is for, but it looks like some kind of drug. Again I think you would know more.Awaiting your reply,
Sunset ShimmerP.S. Sci-Twi (Pinkie's idea) here, I didn't tell Sunset this, but he seems to drink blood. Or at least savor it... He began drinking the blood coming out of my leg and shoulder, before he bit my wrist. I'm almost sure he was drinking it from there too.
Twilight read the new pages in her book to the three other Princesses. Cadence had a look of concern while Luna and Celestia both shared a look of shock and fear. "What do you make of it Princess Celestia? Luna?" Cadence asked. Celestia gave a snort of what one could guess would be anger and walked off still snorting in anger. The three others watched as she came to a nearby door behind the throne. Her hooves clopped against the marble and when she stood in front of the door she ripped it off the hinges. It was tossed carelessly out of the way, while the three others came running towards her.
"My friends..." Celestia said as she stepped aside to show a very small hand mirror. Despite the size, they could all sense a presence behind it. "...How would you like to join me in a hunt?" She said as small nebula like vortex sucked them all into the mirror.
"Of Blood we become one, of Blood we are free. Of Blood we shall rise, of blood we shall see. Fear the Blood and all that stem from it."