They don't understand, any of them.
The thrill of the Hunt. The smell of blood in the air and in the water. The flow of the wind over my skin.
He's close already. My prey is far from the weaklings I've savaged before. They paid me to do this, but truth be? I woulda done it anyway. The
challenge, the struggle....this is going to be fun. He's walking forward now. The chattle follow around him,
shouting words, waving signs that mean nothing to me. I'm no mindless animal, though. But their causes? Their bitching? Not worth crap in a can over this
Hunt.
I remember, years ago, they didn't understand. Not when they looked at me. All except for one of them. Miss Dusanny. She looked at me and she understood. And she was afraid. That's why they sent me away. Again and again. I came back. At the end, she got to see what I
really was, and I know she saw what she was afraid of and more.
He's getting close to my hiding place. Just about in range. The poor bastard doesn't know what's coming. Not that I care. I leap outwards, going
right for him. Hardened claws gouge through flesh and the bloodscent from before flows even deeper. I feel my pupils dilate as my brain smells the food like I
do and everything in me tenses up for the kill. Duck around clumsy swing. Bite a shoulder, kick off. Slit the throats of a few of the cattle, then dive away.
They can't follow me. Not without abandoning their old plan. And I go back to waiting. Watching. Ready to strike.
The old crew didn't understand either. They thought of me as muscle, and I was, back then. I didn't have no ideas. No goals. Aimless. The captain,
though, he took me in. He showed me the place....the place I'd been dreaming of. The songs from the water....I ain't into new-agey bullshit, but
there's something down there. Something powerful. Something I want bad. The captain gave me purpose. Gave me a goal. For that, he died quick and in his
sleep. Of course, they never found the body....
The prey's getting close, and I jump out again. They're waiting, this time, but they're too slow. Way too slow. They move like humans. Like cattle.
Like meat. And the guys throwing bombs at me go down in sprays of blood. It's all over me. Coating my skin, running over my eyes. The smell. The gore.
It's intoxicating. I want more. But I gotta keep it together. I run. Stab the prey in the back. Maul his sides as
he reaches around to hit me. Slice at his legs. He's bleeding from a dozen cuts and furrows now. I see the realization in his eyes. He can't beat me.
He's too slow. But he's gonna try anyway.
Stupid heroes.
I vanish again, and I think about the dreams. The weird call from the water. I knew all along that was where I belong. My body just took time to catch up to
it. Now I'm ready. Now I can finally find It. Assuming that Arachnos don't get in my way. They're tougher to kill than those coral things. And they
can hurt me...for now. Power's what it comes down to. I want more. And when I have it, nothing will be able to survive me. Nothing.
Strike from the shadows again. I gore him, but then jump away. He tries to fight back, but he's hurt so bad he can't. I decide to have a little fun.
The look on his face as I tear into his protest line is priceless. I run my tongue over my teeth, tasting the blood. It's almost time to finish this, and I
can see he expects me to. He stinks of fear and anger and fight or flight instinct, but he's staring me down. I don't care. All that means is that if I
kill him here, everyone's gonna talk about his heroic last stand. That bullshit won't fly. I fade out again, letting them march on.
Pier 7, huh? Maybe I should remember that name. Everyone else is gonna. They're making some kinda speech. I hate speeches. Probably bugging the boss. So I
move. Adrenaline surges as I leap out. Covered in blood, fangs glinting. I probably frighten half the protesters to death right then and there. But not the big
guy. Not my prey. He stands his ground. But he's weakened. Blooded and bleeding. In a one on one fight, he might've been a challenge, but that's
stupid. Now? Now he's chum.
I tear into him and the blood sprays. My senses seem to extend as I rip into him. Sight. Smell. Hearing. There's gasps of horror all around. The stench of
vomit as people get sick watching me. But above all that is the blood. The smell, the texture, the sound. The sopping, schlorping, dripping of the blood.
It's on me, in me, all around me. The scent drives me wild as I tear and claw and bite. Bones crack. Organs rupture. I dig in and tear out a length of
something. He's already dead, his body just doesn't know it yet, but I can see his eyes focused on me. Let 'im watch as I eat his damn heart!
It takes a while....a long while....to get out of the frenzy. I may've killed a few of the boss's men that came to pay me. I dunno. The meatsacks all
look the same after a while, and they bleed the same too. The boss's happy. He's paying me extra....and there's black armor waiting. The BIG boss
wants to talk to me. Something about a job.
He wants me to be his on call killer....I knew that Recluse guy was alright.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
The thrill of the Hunt. The smell of blood in the air and in the water. The flow of the wind over my skin.
He's close already. My prey is far from the weaklings I've savaged before. They paid me to do this, but truth be? I woulda done it anyway. The
challenge, the struggle....this is going to be fun. He's walking forward now. The chattle follow around him,
shouting words, waving signs that mean nothing to me. I'm no mindless animal, though. But their causes? Their bitching? Not worth crap in a can over this
Hunt.
I remember, years ago, they didn't understand. Not when they looked at me. All except for one of them. Miss Dusanny. She looked at me and she understood. And she was afraid. That's why they sent me away. Again and again. I came back. At the end, she got to see what I
really was, and I know she saw what she was afraid of and more.
He's getting close to my hiding place. Just about in range. The poor bastard doesn't know what's coming. Not that I care. I leap outwards, going
right for him. Hardened claws gouge through flesh and the bloodscent from before flows even deeper. I feel my pupils dilate as my brain smells the food like I
do and everything in me tenses up for the kill. Duck around clumsy swing. Bite a shoulder, kick off. Slit the throats of a few of the cattle, then dive away.
They can't follow me. Not without abandoning their old plan. And I go back to waiting. Watching. Ready to strike.
The old crew didn't understand either. They thought of me as muscle, and I was, back then. I didn't have no ideas. No goals. Aimless. The captain,
though, he took me in. He showed me the place....the place I'd been dreaming of. The songs from the water....I ain't into new-agey bullshit, but
there's something down there. Something powerful. Something I want bad. The captain gave me purpose. Gave me a goal. For that, he died quick and in his
sleep. Of course, they never found the body....
The prey's getting close, and I jump out again. They're waiting, this time, but they're too slow. Way too slow. They move like humans. Like cattle.
Like meat. And the guys throwing bombs at me go down in sprays of blood. It's all over me. Coating my skin, running over my eyes. The smell. The gore.
It's intoxicating. I want more. But I gotta keep it together. I run. Stab the prey in the back. Maul his sides as
he reaches around to hit me. Slice at his legs. He's bleeding from a dozen cuts and furrows now. I see the realization in his eyes. He can't beat me.
He's too slow. But he's gonna try anyway.
Stupid heroes.
I vanish again, and I think about the dreams. The weird call from the water. I knew all along that was where I belong. My body just took time to catch up to
it. Now I'm ready. Now I can finally find It. Assuming that Arachnos don't get in my way. They're tougher to kill than those coral things. And they
can hurt me...for now. Power's what it comes down to. I want more. And when I have it, nothing will be able to survive me. Nothing.
Strike from the shadows again. I gore him, but then jump away. He tries to fight back, but he's hurt so bad he can't. I decide to have a little fun.
The look on his face as I tear into his protest line is priceless. I run my tongue over my teeth, tasting the blood. It's almost time to finish this, and I
can see he expects me to. He stinks of fear and anger and fight or flight instinct, but he's staring me down. I don't care. All that means is that if I
kill him here, everyone's gonna talk about his heroic last stand. That bullshit won't fly. I fade out again, letting them march on.
Pier 7, huh? Maybe I should remember that name. Everyone else is gonna. They're making some kinda speech. I hate speeches. Probably bugging the boss. So I
move. Adrenaline surges as I leap out. Covered in blood, fangs glinting. I probably frighten half the protesters to death right then and there. But not the big
guy. Not my prey. He stands his ground. But he's weakened. Blooded and bleeding. In a one on one fight, he might've been a challenge, but that's
stupid. Now? Now he's chum.
I tear into him and the blood sprays. My senses seem to extend as I rip into him. Sight. Smell. Hearing. There's gasps of horror all around. The stench of
vomit as people get sick watching me. But above all that is the blood. The smell, the texture, the sound. The sopping, schlorping, dripping of the blood.
It's on me, in me, all around me. The scent drives me wild as I tear and claw and bite. Bones crack. Organs rupture. I dig in and tear out a length of
something. He's already dead, his body just doesn't know it yet, but I can see his eyes focused on me. Let 'im watch as I eat his damn heart!
It takes a while....a long while....to get out of the frenzy. I may've killed a few of the boss's men that came to pay me. I dunno. The meatsacks all
look the same after a while, and they bleed the same too. The boss's happy. He's paying me extra....and there's black armor waiting. The BIG boss
wants to talk to me. Something about a job.
He wants me to be his on call killer....I knew that Recluse guy was alright.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."