Today was the day that everything ended but, you never knew that! A casual day became a pure nightmare...
You did what usually did on a Saturday. Sat on a bench in the mall watching random bystanders. Your little sport was entertaining, but lonely. You never had friends and probably would never have them. Your temper was too hot and your people skills too shattered. It was lonely but you could deal with it.
A woman's scream was heard on the first floor. She was dripping profusely with blood, crying and wailing in agony. Many people tried to help her, but you watched her from your top floor perch.
She collapsed to the ground, having bled out. You turn, furred trench coat flapping in the air. Wasn't your problem, you were Hestia fucking Nyxreme.
Until you heard another scream as the woman's corpse devoured a man clutching her. Blood and entrails squirting everywhere.
Oh shit.
Today was strange in two ways. The first being that you went to the mall. You never go to the mall. Too many people. The second reason is that it was where the outbreak began. You were sitting on a bench on the top tier of the mall. You had spotted a girl on the opposite side, sitting as well. You tend to watch people. You have an uncanny ability to tell a lot about a person by watching them perform any task, especially sitting.
You didn’t have much time to observe. Soon after you sat down, a woman screamed below. The shriek dwindled, then was resumed by a different voice. You look down to find that a dead woman, presumably the one who screamed, was consuming a man next to her. Looking up, you see the sitting girl has risen, and is leaving. Something tells you to go after her, and you do so quickly. You aren't one to ignore instincts.
You won't panic. Nyxremes don't panic. Ever.
Your heavy military combat boots clunk as you enter a shitty oriental store. Stampedes of people go up the stairs, children cry, victims scream. You don't care. They'll die with those tactics. You notice a boy following you a few paces behind. Motioning him inside, quietly telling him to help you barricade the door.
"You best not be one of them. I'll kill ya' without a second thought if ya' are." you scowl.
"If I were one of them, would I have followed you instead of attacking any other person here? I am Cai," you say, offering your hand, "Cai D'Varim."
"Ain't no time for introductions, Cai. We gotta survive." You blink and lessen your scowl just a bit. You search the currently abandoned shop for anything useful. Bottled water and gross foreign candy is all the provisions you have on a light search.
Probing around further helps you find a somewhat decent katana. You smile viciously.
"Now we're talkin'!"
You look down at the dubious instrument, then you smile as well, spotting a weapon more your style. Sitting in an umbrella stand was a bow. The quiver was leaning against the wall, fully stocked. You also select a sturdy ironwood staff, as tall as you are. You would like to test it, but it is impossible in these cramped quarters.
"Now, madam, shall we aggress?" You look back at the girl, staff shouldered, bow in hand, and quiver slung across your back.
"Ya crazy? Let the commotion die down. Then we aggress." her voice is as smooth and cold as steel. She sits down on a ridiculous ottoman, holding the sword to her chest.
"I am Hestia Nyxreme. I ain't got a special story." she eyes Cai apprehensively. "Ya know your a good lookin one." she chuckles with her bizarre British sailor voice. It's melodic and warming.
"Sh!"
"What?" You look towards the door, and see one of them clawing at the display window. "The glass is strong, it will hold." You slowly lower a thick curtain over the window, then walk quietly back to Hestia. It is eerie how quiet you can be when it's called for. You pick up a chair and move it across from her ottoman. "I thank you for your honesty," you whisper. "It is appreciated in a world where it is frowned upon to say what you think. May I ask what an attractive young woman such as yourself is doing at the shopping center alone?" You examine each of the arrows, concluding that they are definitely not for show. Every arrow has a wicked edge; they're all business. The bow is fine quality, as is the staff. Surprising, considering the lower grade of the souvenirs surrounding them.
"If your tryin to flirt with me, it be flatterin but, it ain't workin." she smiles daggers at him. "I was waitin for my brother to get his ass movin. He's alive. I raised him right. He ain't stupid."
You hear the groan of the glass. It may break soon. The lights are dim and it makes the world hazy. Hestia unsheathes her katana. The better be ready for hell.
You rise and return the sharp smile. "I was only reciprocating the level of interest you showed in me, albeit in a more elegant manner." You nock the arrow you are holding. The quiver has a clever loop of leather in which to hold the staff. The glass creaked and moaned even louder. You draw the projectile back, building force.
"It seems we both came here for the same reason. I was scheduled to meet an old friend. But she is more than able to care for herself." You suddenly have an idea. You grab a box of matches off of an antique side table.
"Ya tryin to blow our heads off" you chuckle scornfully. "T'was an observation."
The glass makes loud cracking noises. It was to burst at any second. "Hope you're ready playboy!" you both laugh and snarl as the glass shatters and 5 zombies stumble in.
You just smile in reply, putting the matches in the back pocket of your black jeans. Now is not the time. You revert to the firing position, taking careful aim. Within a second of releasing the arrow, a ghoul fell back with the projectile in its forehead and another arrow had taken its place on the string. You dispatch two more zombies in this manner.
Looking to your right, you see Hestia has made short work of the other two. The three you shot are on the ground, lying on their backs. You retrieve your arrows, then one by one, smash the skulls, and consequently the brains. This appears to have the same effect as cutting off the head, which was what Hestia was busy trying to do with the less-than-adequate katana.
"Are you trying to behead them or make mince pie?" you say irritatedly to her. The second zombie's neck was severed all the way to the spine. You take the rest of it off with a sharp swing from the staff. The cranium was separated with a crack that sent the slightest of shivers down your spine.
"How rude. I was thinkin ya were a gentlemen." Hestia smirks rudely. The blade itself was kinda shitty. Weight was off and the blade could only cut a tomato. Sad. She rummages through the other swords and hisses a happy sound coming from the back room. Hestia comes back with a beautiful blade.
"Now we're talkin!" she cracks a satisfied smirk.
You look upon the weapon with admiration. "That, my dear, is a blade worthy of the word, and a name of its own at that." Something in the flat of the blade catches your eye. "But I dare say that has been taken care of already."
"The Sword of Skaia. Rather nice ring to it. A bit familiar I gotta say." Hestia runs two fingers across the blade. It is the palest steel she had ever seen with odd carvings in the hilt. A Spirograph and 4 pearls on the end. 4 other symbols were carved in it as well.
Hestia didn't know why but, she immediately knew what they meant. Soul, Truth, Dawn and Flesh.
The final symbol was so familiar it hurt. She had no idea where it was from though... Wracking her brain never changed anything, she could only feel the strongest déjà vu she had ever felt. It wasn't a katana no, it was a sword fit for a knight.
"Skaia..." she murmured like a prayer.
You can read the runes too, but the first strikes you. "The girl whom I was supposed to meet, her last name means 'soul'!" You know this is no coincidence, that the sword was meant to be found. You suddenly think back to the staff. How would such a high quality item end up here. 'It must have something to do with that sword,' you think. Entertaining the possibility, you take a second look at the tip. There are symbols carved into the solid ironwood.
"Look," you say to Hestia, handing her the smooth walking stick. "The top."
The top of the staff was a round orb with the same spirograph. And the same pearls. This was, this was too much for a coincidence...
"My mum used to tell me a story when I was little. Have you heard of the book, 'Land of Endless Horizons'? I loved the characters so much... Ah, nostalgia." Hestia cracks a smile. Memories flood in. Most hurt, but the ones with Lucien are the happiest...
"No, I do not believe I have. I grew up in a very different setting, I believe. We would not have experienced the same things." You glance back to see if any more ghouls have noticed you. There were none.
"So, tell me about this book. I have the strange feeling it will become important."