Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Infab]

Soon, Vincent decided to depart from the group. "Get plenty of rest, people. We can scout out the city tomorrow to look for something useful while Takato heals up. Better get used to using the tools of the demonic to slay the demonic while we're down here...iron weapons likely won't last all that long with excessive use." he said, before turning and heading away from them. He stepped over next to a larger crate by himself, and prepared to speak to Tariun. He recited the incantation as she had given them, and soon, a spectral Tariun manifested herself in front of him. "I'm happy to see that you're still in one piece, Vincent. How are the others?" she asked, as soon as she materialized fully. Vincent glanced back towards the group. "They're fine, though Takato was badly burned. The Priest summoned a Fire Elemental which took him down immediately. We killed it along with the Priest and the rest of his guard, however." he stated, before glancing back to Tariun.

Tariun's spectral form nodded. "Good...this effectively cuts off Taranoch's supply of loyal, blind minions. At least on the religious front. It will likely help Ethraeil to the far south, but not very much. There are billions of us here...like I said before, he won't win this war." she responded, before tilting her head slightly as she gazed upon Vincent. "...How are you feeling?" she then asked. Vincent raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine. Why?"

Her expression, from what he could tell, shifted to a look of judgement. "...You know what I'm talking about." she soon said, her voice low. He looked at her for a moment, hesitating to answer, but eventually replied. "...I'm fine." he said, straightening up a bit. She studied him for a few more moments, then nodded. "I hope so." she said, before shifting the topic. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering what your next task is?" Vincent nodded, then Tariun continued. "It won't be long before word reaches the Icons of what you've done here, if it hasn't already, so you need to progress far to the south via train. We'll be avoiding the territories of Sazak and Ralvas for now. Both wouldn't hesitate to slaughter your group. Azgon's northern lands should be safe, as most of his armies are busy in the south with Ethraeil's little war. When you reach Azgon's territories, summon me again. I'll give you the details of what you need to accomplish there. And be careful. There will be demons looking for you and your group now...and not just ones aligned with the Icons. My loyalists have spotted shadow demons mimicking you and your group...as well as a fallen angel hunting Loque."

Vincent's eyes widened as he learned of the shadow demons mimicking them. "Shadow demons?" he said. Shadow demons were a type of Abyssal spawn that could mimic a person almost entirely. Usually, however, they put emphasis on the worst traits of those they mimic. They had already spawned and were now mimicking them this soon? "Yes...the Abyss hasn't taken kindly to your intrusion, it seems." responded Tariun. "...But I know you and the others can end them. Conquer the evils that reside within you all." Vincent nodded after a moment, and soon Tariun vanished like smoke.

Vincent soon made his way back to where the group was, finding where he had set his gear down. He sat down, getting settled in for the night. He wouldn't sleep all that well, however. His mind dwelling on the chaos that these shadow demons could bring about.

 

[Dmaster]

As the night wore on and the stories and conversations of the group died down, the hunter leaned into the support of the large wooden crates and did his best to relax himself once Jakob departed from his little secluded area. The whiskey he had earlier certainly helped calm his nerves, yet such solace would always be fleeting. Consumed by regret, Hudson could never truly forget the things that lead him here today, even if he wanted to. It was true that remembering was important, as his whole reason for becoming a hunter was to atone. Whether or not he had done any good in that time was yet to be seen by him, or if there would ever be enough he could do to finally feel absolved. Thinking on if it would be better to die here or continue on, he leaned his head back and started to drift to sleep.

--​

Pale light broke through the window, the early afternoon light of winter shining dimly with its dull beams of light. Not an unfitting backdrop to a sterile hospital room, the light blending in softly with the off-whites and smooth tiling of the floor. It had snowed just a day prior, the piles of ice still twinkling slightly, remaining mostly unblemished from the steps of commuters. Hudson was for once dressed in his casual clothing of a dress shirt and slacks, the coat he came in with near the entrance of the building. For a fleeting moment his focus was on the environment outside, feeling the need to remember the conditions and details of this day to an almost obsessive degree. Or perhaps it was just to distract himself from his nerves, his emotions all over the place as such a momentous occasion drew near.

The cries of his wife in pain were what pulled him back in, his eyes looking to her as she endured the pain associated with childbirth. Which meant that for once Hudson did not have to do too terribly much about the source. The months before marrying, the two had become partners in the hunt before they steadily grew into lovers. Hudson's admiration for Camille's ideals and drive meant that he could not even think about spurning her affection even though parts of his psyche told him he should. Yet her tenacity pushed him over the edge, and now he had taken the plunge of starting a family. Even now the thoughts of whether or not he was ready for such a thing was on his mind, let alone if he even found himself deserving. Some instinct within him told her to be there for her by her side, hold her hand and encourage her through this. Yet logic told him that was a good way to get assaulted by his wife and her less than pleasant state of mind right now, something he was observing the nursing staff struggle with as he leaned back against the wall and looked on. There was a weak smile on his face, and before long her struggles were over and he started to walk near her bed.

She had birthed a boy the doctor declared, and as Hudson stood by he was speechless, hands at his side as the faintest glimmer of happiness hit him. Despite the cries of the infant he could see the wide smile upon Camille's face, a rarity only granted by moments of overwhelming endearment. Often he joked that she looked much better when she was smiling and should take the advice she often gave him, referring to how his often morose outlook earned him some rightful criticism.

"... What should we name him?" the huntress asked, tired and hair messed from the ordeal she had experienced but no less happy for it. Soon enough the cries of their child lulled into quiet nothingness, nurses and doctor starting to give the couple their space after the cord was cut and he was placed in Camille's arms, bundled and kept warm. Hudson had a name in mind, and he leaned in and took one last look at their infant son before he began to say the name. "Har-"

There came a sharp inhale from their child just then, its once-shut eyes opening wide to reveal orbs as black as night. Gradually its skin shafted from pale to even paler, taking on a ashen tone as it gave a guttural, most inhuman cry with a mouth that grew wider and wider. Hudson took a step backward, but whatever was afflicting their child was happening too quickly to react to. Its mouth kept growing wider and wider, vacuuming most of its facial features away as it became a fleshy pit that sprouted circular arrays of sharp teeth like a lamprey. The infant's limbs contorted and twisted in sickening crackles, becoming thin and limp as six sharp appendages burst forth through its cloth covering. Several meters long and fresh with the blood of this transforming creature, they stabbed wildly and madly as more of those black orbs opened up at random across each inch of its skin.

Camille was in utter shock and awe, the unexplained change on repeat as tears welled in her eyes and she had no idea how to process what was going on. The only thing that snapped her out of it was the fact that the creature gnashed and stabbed at its would-be mother, vacuous maw sputtering bile as it continued to make inhuman, piercing cries. Hudson stood there with his eyes wide and stance stepped back, unable to come to grips what had just happened either. A sudden possession? But there was no bargain, no ritual. How could a soul so young be snatched or corrupted seconds after being born?!

He had no time to think, his wife crying and screaming as she dodged the stabbing motions of the monster's limbs were enough to focus on right here and now. Camille could not even think to throw the creature away from her person, likely too attached to the image of their healthy son just moments before while she scrambled about in her hospital bed. The nurses and doctors were of no help either, as they simply backed themselves against their counters of instruments or against the door in abject horror. With his bare hands Hudson grabbed onto the infant-sized monster, wrestling it as he pulled it from his wife and grappled with it as far away from her as he could get.

The hunter's instincts were in full force now, though he had no weapon to swing he would still protect those while risking himself. Left and right he dodged the scything talons of the beast, some strikes glancing his sides as they came from the lower appendages and caught him off guard. With a shout he thrust his forearm into the body of the monster, laying it flat as its teeth bit into it yet those clawing limbs were sent careening upwards from the sudden impact. He slammed its body into the ground, transitioning his forearm to hold it by the body with his palm as his left hand smashed into the beast's face.

Dark red ichor splattered out from it as those piercing wails continued to ring out, yet behind him Hudson could hear the loud sobs from his wife. Hands over her mouth as the tears would not stop, she was forced to look in for fear of her husband's life but unable to move, rooted by the torrent of overwhelming emotions hitting her. After his first strike Hudson continued to grunt with effort and pain, his punches unrelenting as they continued to batter the monstrous form of what was once their child. In sick and twisted irony, using his left hand had proven to be a most tactical choice, as his wedding ring was providing that much more force and damage to slay the abyssal creature.

The hunter himself was dealing with damages of his own, fighting such a vicious thing with his bare hands cutting open both his knuckles and arms. His blood mixed with the beast as it tried to slash at him, only able to score grazing hits on the larger man as he was on his knees delivering blow after visceral blow. Its razor-sharp teeth broke apart from the impacts of his fists, those crying wails starting to become weaker as Camille's own began to sound over them. As Hudson grew tired and panted his strikes became slower, from a fevered pace to slow blows of intent and malice that finally killed the creature. Those limbs stopped their flailing, falling lower as they grew limper with the loss of life.

Breathing slowly, hands gashed and scraped, Hudson was on his knees as he did not bother to look at his wife. She wailed and screamed with the weight of the sadness in her heart, questioning the heavens on why such a thing could happen to them. While deeply saddened himself, the hunter had questions of his own, still blown away over how their happiness was so swiftly robbed from them while he raised and looked at his shaking palms, coated in blood. Was this punishment? Was it somehow his fault..?

What worried him the most was how little he hesitated. As if he was numb to the innocence he had just seen in their infant. Part of him thought it might have come from past experience, and it terrified him even more than what he just had to do.

 

[Infab]

The next day came quite quickly, and a few membera of the group set out to scout around the city for weapons or other materials. They found little, as the city had been looted likely over the course of several hundred years. It did give Venextos time to fully heal Takato, whom repaired his clothes as best as he could. And soon, another dawn came. And it was time to go. Their small warehouse camp was packed up, and the group made their way back to the train platform they had arrived on previously.

As they walked, Vincent filled them in on where they would be going next. As well as on the new threats facing them. Azgon's territory. Shadow demons. "These shadow demons mimic their targets entirely...down to their memories. We still don't understand how, exactly, but most think its the Abyss's doing." explained Vincent. "They are a version of you at your worst. They know everything about you, and will use that to kill you. And only you can kill your shadow...if someone else kills your shadow, they reform shortly afterwards." He paused for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Tariun said something before she left. 'Conquer the evils that reside within you.' Kinda funny considering what the shadow demons are to us."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson awoke with a start, scrambling into consciousness as he sat back up quickly. Looking about the warehouse he could see the others beginning to gather their belongings and make way to their next mission. He looked down at his hands, some scars lasting from his memory and battles before it as he balled them into fists. Without further hesitation he grabbed his gloves and slipped them on, grasping his weapons next before he put them around his waist.

The hunter kept himself quiet as they began to leave the warehouse, Vincent's description of the shadow demons giving him pause. His worst traits examplified? He thought he made little progress since he joined Velin's Order, so just how alike would they be? Tariun's advice would get him to scoff, however. "What would a demon know about conquering evil?" he piped up. "Even still, if he has my memories he's a right fucked bastard regardless."

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos spent the evening tending to Takato, and even when the Oni seemed alright the wizard made sure to check up on him every so often just to make sure everything had healed properly. As the days passed, Takato seemingly made a full recovery from the battle before and was fit to travel. As they made their way back, Venextos listened to Vincent's information and took it all in before speaking up. Before doing so, he tossed a quick glance towards Hudson in annoyance before turning his attention back to the leader: "It is highly unusual that our shadows have already formed in response to our arrival. Usually I'd expect a few more days, maybe a week at most before they would have begun to materialize... something's changed for the worse if I say so myself."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

That energizing and hopeful feeling Loque had when she woke up on the train yesterday sure as hell isn’t present here. She had thought previously that the day would’ve been better now that they had a clear goal to work towards instead of trying to kill eachother over stupidities, but Inari really managed to send that idea straight to hell, so why would this day be any different? Loque says nothing, she doesn’t even look at anyone, and sheepishly shuffles alongside Vincent as he talked about the shadow demons. She’d encountered some of these shadow demons before, and thankfully very infrequently as they always brought out the worst in people. Every instance she had met one, it ended in her storming away in rage as they laughed at her. If there’s a class of demon she despised more than those of lusts, it was them, and even now she maintains her belief the Abyss really could do without them.

"What would a demon know about conquering evil?"

"Well, I just helped you kill a crooked priest." she says in response.

 

[Dmaster]

"Completely out of the goodness of your heart and not under threat from the goddess who sent you here, yeah." Hudson replied sharply and sarcastically, not missing a beat. "You wouldn't ever risk your hide out of altruism, only if you have something to gain. Just like every one of you accursed monsters."

 

[Breadman]

"If the shadow version is you at your absolute worst, then you have nothing to fear of mine." Henderson scoffed "It will likely be some small weakling to afraid of his own reflection. Killing it would be satisfying."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"You wouldn't ever risk your hide out of altruism, only if you have something to gain. Just like every one of you accursed monsters."

"Tell me, what do you think I have to gain, Mr. Hudson?" asks Loque rather curiously.

 

[Dmaster]

"By cooperating, you get to live just a little bit longer. You had no choice but to help." he explains, rolling his eyes now. Maybe sarcasm was hard for her to pick up on.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"You had no choice but to help."

"Speak for yourself, hunter. Unlike you, Velin doesn't have her bloody hands wrapped around mes particuliers." Now her tone was becoming angrier.

 

[Infab]

Riberta eventually spoke up. "Gods, you're pathetic." she said in Hudson's direction. "You mope about, complain, and try to sink us all down to your level. Nice sarcasm, by the way. Hard to tell between it and the real you."

 

[Dmaster]

Though he clenched a fist over the two women berating him, he stayed relatively calm. "I joined the Order by choice. The only threat Velin has ever made to me is the unspoken and inevitable judgment that awaits me for my sins. I hunt for atonement." Hudson said to Loque with the slightest hint of anger.

"If 'my level' is the terrible crime of speaking the truth about you reprobates I shudder to imagine what yours might be." he shot back at Riberta. "If you feel hurt by my pathetic words maybe you should come and take another swing at me. I'm ready this time, and I won't let a rampaging monster pretend she's above me or anyone else here without putting my two copper in."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"If you feel hurt by my pathetic words maybe you should come and take another swing at me. I'm ready this time, and I won't let a rampaging monster pretend she's above me or anyone else here without putting my two copper in."

"Oooh! Careful, Riberta! He'll call you horrible things like 'filth', 'scum', and may Velin's canned tantrum help you should he say this, 'demon'!" says Loque playfully.

 

[Infab]

"Oh no, mein freund." she responded, with a grin. "If I swing again, you're a dead man. Though that's just giving you what you want." She leaned in. "So I'll do you one better. I'll make sure you live through this. Every. Waking. Fucking. Moment. In this gods forsaken place. And I'll drag you back through that door kicking and screaming, because it'll rob you of that death you're craving."

 

[Damian0358]

After listening on to the final stories told, everyone slowly went to rest, Takato included, as he shifted towards his usual style of sleep. The morning after, after some of the others had departed, he looked outside of their small warehouse camp to look for some mist, of which there was an abundance of. Taking the
'dark' element formed by the hermit arts, Takato collected all the mist he needed. Returning inside, where Venextos waited to continue healing him, the Grand Magus watched as Takato presented to him the 'dark mist' - fully spread out, it acts as mist, just darker obviously, but condensing it further changes its properties. Somewhat condensed allows it to act as a means of hiding oneself, a technique used, and still used, to hide the now-burned down home he lived in on Butoo Mountain. Condensing it more allows it to act as a cushion, not enough to prevent you from still slamming into something, but it should make it less painful. Going even further, now it was dense enough to take proper physical blows, and just turning it up slightly allows it to be as dense as an arm.

Having reached this stage, Takato put the 'dark mist' over his miniscule projectiles of horn origin and pulled them in, presenting their secondary use outside of danmaku - acting as a solid base that can dynamically move through the mist. if he needed a really strong fist, if he needed to protect his arm from an incoming strike even more, whatever, he could put them where they needed to be in his artificial arm. And finally, came the bandages. Venextos watched as Takato formed the projectile-infused 'dark mist' morph into the shape of a right arm, before being tightly wrapped in bandages, with the ends being wrapped around the silver armlet-like item at the end of his actual right arm. And so, seamlessly, Takato had a right arm once more. He revealed that this was his 'dark mist' primary use nowadays, due to the lack of a right arm, and that while he can fight with one arm only, having two arms makes it easier on the soul.

With meditations done and the day passed, Takato was fully healed, those parts of his skin that had been charred, no longer so. Looking over at his clothes, most seemed to have come back together fine enough, though another day spent repairing would fully confirm it. His sandals though, he decided to switch them out for the boots he had taken earlier. Knowing they would depart in the dawn, Takato shifted his meditation and sleeping schedule back, as to allow him to wake up early and finish his business before they departed.

As they approached the train platform, Takato listened intently to Vincent's words... shadow demons. What would a shadow of his be like? If they were him at his worst... what does it exactly mean? He hardly paid attention to the rising tone between group members as he pondered that, since he was unfortunately getting used to it.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob shaked his head as Hudson started to pick fights with Riberta and Loque. "Could y'all stop that nonsense? Boss just told us about a bunch of shadow beings mimicking us, that sounds like serious business." He then looked at Riberta. "...and please don't kill him."

 

[K0mori]

Anya yawned loudly as the bickering with Hudson continued. "Man hates demons. Who doesn't? Good demon is exception to normal, like wolves. Velin is harsh god, yes, but needed... even if she is sometimes unfair. Let him be. I worry about the shadows, more."

[Especially my own,] she added, mentally. The image of a rampaging werewolf, intoxicated with bloodlust and the thrill of the hunt, haunted her.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Man hates demons. Who doesn't? Good demon is exception to normal, like wolves.”

“There are good demons! Like Madame Tariun! Not all of us are deeply interested in ‘spreading our evil across the world’ or whatever you people think we’re up to these days. Maybe Mr. Hudson would understand this if he wasn’t busy having his head stuck in his ass!”

 

[K0mori]

"Did I say there weren't?" Anya snapped. "You hear without listening. If your ears were as big as your mouth, you would bother us less."

 

[Doomevil]

After a series of storytelling, Senya kept her quiet demeanor for the rest of the night, she heard the stories with interest despite how they varied. Tales of war, comfort, and science probably would have excited her younger counterpart. But now, it all seemed very much like reality now. Once it was time for everyone to rest for the next day, she tossed the empty soda pop into her bag and sighed. She walked towards her sleeping spot, laying on her side and closed her eyes.

By the time she woke up, the group was already doing some search parties in the city for anything useful. She wore her coif first, tucking it in her armor while she placed the black helmet on last. Once they finished searching they would pack it up in the abandoned warehouse and leave to the train platform. Before this though, Senya did a little bow to the abandoned warehouse for some strange reason. "Thanks for the shelter at least." Senya stated before turning back, marching up to the group. A few of the same old bickering took place and she didn't really have any comment.

They would be going to Azgon's territory for the next destination. Senya didn't know too much about it other than the fact they will be seeing shadow copies of themselves. She could only make a slight comment, "Sounds dangerous." She said with sarcasm. Though she had to admit fighting a mirror counterpart of the group is pretty serious. Normally she would be worried, but Senya's levity wanted to make this last. The Warden turned to the conversation between, well a couple of them.

"Do you think Velin is necessary for the world?" Senya asked to Anya as she walked along the trail.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"You hear without listening. If your ears were as big as your mouth, you would bother us less."

"And if your brain was as big as your mouth, you'd shut it!" Loque snapped back.

 

[K0mori]

Anya smiled in an ugly way. "Ah, you would know something about brains, would you not?" She then licked her lips and sucked the tips of her fingers before giving a derisive chuckle. She then turned to Senya. "Wolves will not kill themselves," Anya explained, "and world will do better without us. Vampires too... Not all are bad, is true, but is not worth risking. What happened to my family, what happened to me, should never happen, never, never."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson could only scoff at Riberta for the moment, ignoring Jakob's chastizing as he knew that he was only saying such things to keep appearances. "My fucking hero." he responded. "For your service I am sure you will be made a saint. We'll see how hard you commit, how any of you will. When things turn to shit I'm sure I'll be abandoned whenever you lot get the chance." Hudson concluded, staring up at Riberta as he seemed completely unfazed by her looming over him.

"I've yet to see a good demon. Tariun is only doing what she is doing because she wants the Abyss ran a certain way. Conveniently this all is set into motion when they're plotting to destroy everything."

 

[Damian0358]

Takato was in heavy thought, attempting to consider what a shadow version of himself would entail - self-reflection was taking him only so far, and needing to conquer the evils that reside within requires going beyond and realizing it fully. But one thought kept echoing, the point Vincent made about them knowing everything you do, and being able to use that to kill the real one. If one was to consider the fact that they appeared to be born from the Abyss, how much would that impact the shadow demons' willingness to cooperate with one another?

Quite a number of folks in this group were either independently-minded (or at least, minded-in-such-a-way-that-they-were-effectively-independent), and the willingness to cooperate wasn't equal throughout. How much would that impact the shadows? Is their equal origin and goal, to defeat the interlopers, going to allow them to cooperate more, or would the darkness inherited from them prevent that from happening? Because if they would be more willing to cooperate, then they'd be more willing to attack side by side, and more importantly, share info with one another - logically, if a shadow demon can only be killed by their original counterpart, then why not share the original's weaknesses and strengths with everyone else? The issues of prejudice shouldn't effect a shadow demon either, so if Loque had a shadow version, then theoretically a shadow version of Hudson would cooperate, unless said shadow gets angered by them for whatever reason. And this is only concentrating in the realm of the statements made, and not considering elements of his own belief, whether cultural or Douean, such as whether the shadows function on a basis of taking one of their three hun souls or not, or whether the shen spirit is impacted, as it is one of the Three Treasures that needs to be cultivated.

Takato would have to vocalize at least one of these thoughts:

"How certain is it that these shadows spoken of haven't shared the strengths and weaknesses, the memories inherited to the rest? Would these shadows not be more... cooperative among themselves?" pausing slightly, considering the current dialogue going on.