'What the hell is going on in this city…'
Recruitment?
Hope paused.
Should he answer like he was a part of it…?
In his peripheral, Hope could see the hanging man twitch again. His bruised eyes faintly seen through the fog pleaded once more for Hope to uphold his deal. Ironic it was. Rather than the ridiculous possibility of the man betraying him, Hope was instead.
'Hope, you promised!'
'Promise me, darling…Don't go outside–'
'Don't forget and promise me-'
'How…c…o…uld…you do this–'
'Please, Hope–'
'Do what I say.'
"..."
Hope's face remained poised as the chorus rose.
But a sharp sting at the next moment cut through the noise. Through the voices. His left hand was clenching tight enough for his nails to pierce his skin.
'How annoying.'
Drip. Drip.
Hope ignored the people's reaction. Although he couldn't blame them. He willingly caused himself to bleed.
But besides that problem inside his mind, the external problem had to be handled. These strays. Hope could tell the truth that he wasn't a part of some scheme that they so assumed. Whatever the hell this recruitment was. But the truth wasn't always what one wanted to hear anyways. Not when they'd already solidified their assumptions.
His denial would fall on 'deaf ears' as one would say.
Hope then shrugged, flicking the blood off his palm as if it were a nuisance.
"My mistake. A last desperate act you could say of them." Hope said.
The ragged woman frowned from the broken entrance of the building. She emerged completely out of the shadows, shaking her head at him.
"You're a little young to be on your own." She said in a hushed tone. Almost as if emotionally affected by his age. But there was a subtle gleam of smiling teeth as she said those words.
Hope blinked at the sight. "Like I said. They're desperate."
"Ha…Clearly. But look what fell outta the Sector." She threatened her knife at him. "Now move. Step away from the man."
Hope side-glanced at the pitiful hanging man, catching a whiff of stench mixed with wet stone in the air.
The man's toes shifted on the weight of the car. Feet shaking as if he would give way at any moment. His head painfully tilted and pulled as the tight cord, and the scratch Hope made with his sword, drew blood like a red leakage. Hope was already back on the patched ground, but he took seven steps away to satisfy the woman.
"The dead–" The woman began. "–should not claim him. Not so soon."
Death would have made more sense.
But the dead…?
"I know how ghosts are described." Hope said as he eyed the other hanging figures around them. They were like hazy, thick shadowed lines in the mist. A morbid crowd suspended above their heads. "But I'm sure the dead are…dead."
"Oh, an unbeliever are you? A Sector Two person of all people."
"..."
Hope restrained himself from letting out a sigh.
The Sector Two people seemed…believers of sorts.
Like that crossing movement that old lady did at that time, and mentioned some 'light' or 'devil' reference. And also remembering back on those memories, he could hear some of them praying as did the old lady. Forceful gratitudes to suppress any of their negative emotions.
But Hope was sure the dead were dead.
If killing a Dreamer, Sleeper, whatever one would call them, resulted in him taking a part of their soul essence, logically the rest of their soul became nonexistent.
And that didn't sound like a bad thing for him to believe.
"You run for Mave, eh?"
Hope side-glanced at the next person who spoke. Also in a hushed tone, yet his expression was lively as if he relished this cornered situation.
"Probably from them hunting parties, I bet."
"And fancy sword too."
The man made a snarky grin as he pointed a crowbar at Hope's sword. "We'll take that weapon of yours first."
Hope's eyebrow twitched.
'Like hell you will.'
"Not a fair trade." Hope said flatly.
"Pfft. There's no fairness around here, boy. Only survival."
'I'm getting that.'
Hope looked at the men's simple weapons before looking down at his own spine sword.
The rows of pitched claws serving for the blade's teeth looked menacing compared to theirs. Hope supposed his weapon was their idea out of a struggling fight with the monsters to a slightly less struggling one…? Or maybe a pathetic boost of confidence. Survival may have shaped their actions, but Hope doubted that a simple upgrade of a weapon could solve their fighting styles.
But did this mean he have to fight through these men afterall—
Kraaaar~
"…!"
"…!"
The sound of Nightmare Creatures Hope had heard in the distance earlier sounded a little closer. A demented cry not from this world warped in the air.
A mix of a howl and a roar.
"Don't make so much noise now." The woman hissed at her men.
Hope paused. "So you want me to oblige…quietly?"
The woman let out a breathy laugh.
"And what choice do you have, boy? Don't be so ignorant now. These aren't just common people of this area strung up on these cords."
Rrrrrr…
The buildings groaned at that moment. The pole from which the hanging man hung creaked. The shattered windows that gaped into their void stared below like hollow eyes.
The shadows watched. The wind hummed. The fog breathed. The world seemed sensitive to the scene.
The corpses subtly moved like shaky blurs as Hope watched them.
'What did Sector Two do to piss these people off?'
'Your vaolor is sadly a little too early anyway. And almost untamed it seems…'
'It was nice chatting with you, soldier. You'll be of use to me sometime later then.'
'Our preparations seem too slow…'
He paused as Mave's voice tickled in his ear.
Leaving that settlement behind apparently wasn't enough to escape their influence. Some scheme…some trick that even the damn cohort was involved stirred even the strays.
'How unfortunate.'
Hope supposed he left on time when he did after meeting with them. But did he really?
Rustle. Rustle.
They began to close around him as did the mist, coming at each side like a pack of gray wolves. The cold air felt absent and his grip loosened as Hope's eyes scanned between each figure.
"You must ask yourselves then–" Hope said as he looked back at the ragged woman.
Staring into her eyes.
And at that moment, a visible shudder ran through her. As if she was naked. Vulnerable. Standing before not a boy but something else.
She involuntarily stepped back, trying to fake confidence. "What?"
Hope raised his sword. "—Is this all really necessary?"
"..."
"You cheeky bastard." One of the men let out a grunt of annoyance and lunged forward.
But as the man pathetically swung his pipe. And before Hope could even swing his sword in a deliberate arc.
The metal pole again creaked behind him.
Rrrrrr–
Snip…snip…SNAP!
The cord around the man's neck snapped with a loud twang.
He dropped.
That pile of pitiful flesh crumpled onto the car's windshield.
Glass shattered, each fragment screaming as his body sprawled across the shards. His head lolled to one side. The broken cord that once wrapped around his neck like a twisted collar left only a gruesome deep cut.
"...!"
"...!"
"…"
'Shit…'
Everyone froze.
Their eyes were wide enough that they could have popped out of their heads.
Even though Hope wasn't expressive, he stilled as well. Then he and everyone else slowly turned towards the shrouded street where the fog's damp breath limited the space.
From where the monster's howl had first sounded from.
Kkgrraaar!
And it came again.
Then prowling steps.
Muffled at first, but then coming in violent bursts.
At first, it was dull like the sound of distant heartbeats.
Then pounding with speed.
Horrifying heavy footfalls came in a burst, lunging towards where they all stood. And louder and louder it rose with each passing moment.
BombomboMbOMBOM!
There out in the mist, a massive shadow bled through the gray: a tall figure like that of a distorted human ran down the street. Long limbs and an abnormally big head came in their direction. It then jumped on all fours, propelling itself forward like a large phantom.
And that phantom roared.
Kgraaaaaar!
Already the people were running, like bugs they scattered in the street in a panic.
The ragged woman also returned to the building where she came from. Hope was about to follow, passing the corpse which sprawled on the car like a ragged doll—
Whoosh!
!!!
But at that next moment, Hope's cover was gone.
The car flew over his head, its large shadow flying over him as if light itself blinked.
And when Hope turned, dozens of feet away from him, he met face to face with the monster…
Kggrrrrrrr!
Time seemed to slow.
Stretched.
The fog no longer concealed the horrid face as the monster loomed over him, its canines exposed in a menacing growl.
It was nearly twice his height. Dark shaggy fur was made for its pelt from head to toe and a hot wrenching smell stung his nose. A thick neck with a long snout bore numerous numbers of sharp teeth which snarled with predatory hunger.
But its eyes…
It didn't have any.
Hope's sword was already swinging, the jagged edge reaching forward to block the monster's claws. He could see the monster's muscles coiled for its strike as well.
Just as it was about to lunge, another sound tore through the fog.
CRASH!
The car finally slammed down with a deafening crash. Metal crumpled and glass shattered as it groaned, the weight settling as it tilted side to side.
And through that noise, a scream tethered in its midst.
"Aaaaaaagh!!"
A cry of vulnerability, of easy prey, from one of the running strays announced themselves to the monster. The remaining five men around immediately froze. Despite the pale terror on their faces, they swallowed any screams clawing at their throats in fear that they'd also be discovered.
In that split moment, the monster's nostrils flared. Pointed ears flicked from the tempting noise.
It seemed hesitant as Hope stood in front of it, but already the monster's body pulled itself in the crashed car's direction, pouncing towards the pinned human. Towards an immediate prey.
'Move move move—'
Without wasting another second, Hope ran towards the building, where he saw that ragged woman run to. He could also hear another distant echo of running footfalls down the street. No doubt another one of the monster's kind.
How unfortunate…
His legs carried him towards the shadowed building's entrance, the blackness ready to embrace his entry. And the man's screams behind choked into gurgles and drowned from the tear of metal and flesh.
That alone lured the next monster to that grisly scene.
Heavy vibrating beats shook beneath him as he sprinted through the entrance. But right as Hope entered the building, a glint of metal gleamed in front of his eyes like a smile of silver.
!!!
Puiik!
Instinctively, Hope braced his sword up, blocking a thrusted knife at his face. Behind the measly knife's hilt was the ragged woman again. Her face creased into a snarl and eyes filled with disgust as she looked at him.
"You." She rasped.
Hope blinked as he calmly held up against her strike.
'She didn't forget me yet.' Hope thought. Well, not enough time passed anyway for his Flaw. But Hope was prepared for her forgetfulness.
His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark room they were in, the objects outlining themselves and fleshing into readable images as the blackness melted. Hidden in the corners and flanked along the walls were more people. More strays. They huddled against each other, eyes and body worn as they shakily held their salvaged weapons. All their gazes were directed at the entrance in fear of the monsters lurking outside.
It almost looked as if their eyes were on him.
"Turn around and head back if you know what's good for you." She said.
The woman then quietly scoffed and a terrible grin pulled on her face.
"Ha…what fine spoil you would have made…You could've been up there along with your friends haha..."
Hope blinked at her words.
'Tsk. Not going to happen.'
Heading back wasn't an option.
And being lynched along with those bodies—strung like trophy dolls out of their pride or enjoyment—was not in his plan either.
Kgrrrrrrrr…
A growl then reverberated, crawling on the back of Hope's neck. The woman's smile also vanished, and the people's breath hitched. Hope turned his head and stared at the monster.
Sniff…sniff- sniff–
That disgustingly long snout opened.
The monster next to it kept feasting on the pinned man under the car, while the other five men continued to crouch and watch in horrified silence. Not a single person dared to move or even breathe aloud.
The monster's tongue licked the space, tasting the air.
Snap!
And its head snapped in Hope's direction.
Even without eyes, he was unmistakably in its direct line of sight.
"…"
Hope looked down at his arms and hands which were stained earlier from the demon hound's blood. From the time when he butchered its body for soul shards and bones…From when his hands rummaged the innards and dug between the torn flesh.
'Fucking hell…'
Hope immediately grabbed onto the woman's wrist.
Of course, what Hope was going to do next was not in his plan either. But there was no other logical option.
"W-what are you–!"
"If you believe what you said about the dead, then join them yourself."
Thoughts had raced in Hope's mind at that moment.
Blind. The monster was blind. Obviously. But it would be difficult to escape the monster when he carried the thick scent of death. A proper bath would be very sufficient... But what was another sense that the monster heavily relied on?
Sound.
And it had to be a tempting one.
Kgrraaaaaaar!!
The monster burst forward. Its body rippling through the air toward them. Whatever coppery taste or trace of Nightmare Creature's blood on Hope screamed for its attention, a desire that could not be ignored.
Hope tugged the woman outside. Twisting the knife out of her hand, he flipped it in his grip before he stabbed her in the leg.
Her eyes bulged. Body trembled. Pain uncontrollably exploded inside of her. To her heart. To her throat. To her mind.
And she screamed.
A high shrill running out of her throat.
"Aaaahhh!!"
KgraaAAR!!
The monster lunged, claws outstretched.
But Hope was already gone.
It grappled onto her small frame. Jaws stretched wide open for one second. Then closed the next around her head. Her screams quickly drowned out as flesh ripped from her shoulders followed by a bone's terrible crunch.
Wssh-
But while the monster savagely killed the woman, behind it appeared a flying shadow. A spiky weapon pulled back into a swing with the fog clinging onto it like ghostly whispers.
Kggrrr?!
Thud.
The woman's body fell limp, blood pouring out of her neck into a puddle.
And the monster turned. Its soaked teeth in fleshy red bared. Claws unflexed to snatch the shadow.
But bone whistled down first.
Slash!
And a jagged blade fell, connecting to the monster's jaws.
Ripped through the side of its face, a pitched black edge snatched under the shaggy pelt and into the muscle.
And the monster's roar was cut short.
margit_23 and Darp thanks for your support.
'Hope' the rest of ya'll are well all ye Faithful. (yup. I said his name. Whoa)
You're all still here?
Ummmmm thanks. Especially the Disclaimer y'know.
And if you are still here and you're hatefully straining your brains through this story...
You good? Again. I admire your endurance for reaching this painfully far. But if you want pain and endurance then eat wassabi. Or join boot camp and be a soldier.
Better yet, leave a vote.
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