Splash!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
(The next day)
Nacht: "Hmmm."Kisa: "Our first trip on the wagon… I still can't believe we'll finally see somewhere other than the Black Forest."Diego: "How many regions are there?"Nacht: "There are 13 known regions."Diego: "Known."Nacht: "Newbie, a lot of Magiya still remains undiscovered — about sixty percent of our world."Diego: "That many?!"
Diego thought: wow, that's a lot.
Nacht: "That's how it is."Kisa: "Hmmm."Diego: "Which region is the largest?"Nacht: "Without question, Britannia. If you look at inhabited regions. The largest region with few inhabitants is Les Metaniy — also called the Region of Thrown Things, basically trash."Diego: "Oh… and where are we headed?"Kisa: "I think Lobnic, right?"Nacht: "Yes — the region closest to Les Metaniy."Diego: "Why do we have to go there?"
Nacht handed him the job sheet.Diego: "A… monster made of thrown objects — metal, paper, instruments. That can be a Vinka as well."Nacht: "Of course. We explained that before."Diego: "And will we turn it into a Vinka?"Nacht: "Good question."
Nacht thought as they rode in the wagon.Nacht: "There's a rumor that items sometimes wake to life. Objects can gather and form monsters. The strange part is we still don't know exactly what causes an object to become a Vinka. One theory says dark forces are involved — the Gargamel curse that makes those things happen. Whether that's true is unclear; Gargamel himself may not even be a single dark mage."
Meanwhile…
Patch, patch, patch. Grin.
A dark figure in a suit, only eyes and mouth visible — all else was shadow.Patch! Haaaahhhh. "Hey… Grimm."Grimm: "Hmm?"
A woman with white-grey hair and pale eyes appeared. About 164 cm tall, wearing a long cloak. The book reads: Grimm: The White and the Black Bride.Grimm: "Haahhh… I see. You want me to get started slowly… A black robe."Grimm: "All right. Soon it will be time."
(Back to Diego, Nacht and Kisa)
It was evening; they decided to rest.Kisa: "Shall we sleep?"Diego: "Huh?"Nacht: "Is it okay with you that we're so close?"Kisa: "I don't mind if we share a room. You're my friends — I trust you and I'm not afraid."Diego: "(Cute!)"Nacht: "(She's an angel!)"
A few minutes later — Zzzzzzz.Diego: (snore)Nacht: "Hahh…"Kisa: (soft breathing)Kisa rose up.Kisa: "Ugh… I can't stand it."
Splop!
Blood leaked from her back. She stood and briefly left the wagon.Kisa: "hahhh… gahh…"
Diego and Nacht woke.Diego: "Hey, did you see that?"Nacht: "That's normal for her… her illness."Diego: "Illness?"Nacht: "Oh — didn't you know? Kisa suffers from endometriosis, a condition that only affects women. I asked Master Isolde and she explained it like this:"[Isolde's explanation is paraphrased]: tissue similar to uterine lining grows outside the uterus — on the ovaries, in the abdomen and pelvic cavity, on the bowel and peritoneum.Diego: "Ugh."Nacht: "Kisa clearly suffers from it."
Kisa: "Ugh… hahhh…" — she sweated and fell to the ground with intense pain, hands on her belly.Kisa: "Ghhh… haahhh…"
Diego was worried.Diego: "Ghh."Nacht: "Stop. Don't go straight at her."Diego: "Why?"Nacht: "When these symptoms hit, it can embarrass her. You don't want to invade that privacy. Also — she's only wearing a single pair of pants and a belt; even though her chest is covered, these moments can be awkward for her."Diego: "But she's in pain. Why do you just stand there? I thought she mattered to you."Nacht: "Exactly because she matters. Sometimes it's better to give someone privacy in those humiliating moments. Master Isolde told me that, and my late little sister had the same condition; she hated being seen during attacks. I think it's embarrassing for girls. Wait until it passes, then help."Diego: "You might be right."Nacht: "When it's over, you can ask. Go back to sleep; I'll watch her until it's done."Diego: "Okay."Nacht: "Hey, newbie."Diego: "Hm?"Nacht looked at him.Nacht: "I have to admit — you're kind to Kisa. Do you like her?"Diego: "Huh?… Yes."Nacht: "Hmph — we agree on something."
(A few hours later)
Diego slept. The wagon had four bunks. Kisa's moaning stopped.Nacht: "So it's time."
He rose, stepped outside — found Kisa collapsed on the ground, drenched with sweat and burning with fever. He carried her in his arms.Kisa: "hahhh…"Nacht: "Hmmm…"
He laid her on a bed and stroked her hair.Nacht: "This always looks so painful."
He returned to his own bedding, still in his black suit.Nacht (thinking): Is there no cure? It's an incurable condition — I know that — but surely something can be done to help?
(The next day)
Travel resumed. Kisa still slept.Kisa: "Hahh… haaahhh."Diego: "She seems tired."Nacht: "She slept only four hours earlier. She normally needs at least eight."Diego: "Hmmm."
While they traveled to Lobnic they passed magnificent scenery: mountains, lakes, huge trees, and the most astonishing thing — giant sunflowers and flowers as tall as the Eiffel Tower, grouped like a single enormous garden. Strange animals wandered; portions of the region were even sand.Diego: "Wow."Nacht: "Lobnic is a marvelous region."Diego: "Incredible."Nacht: "We're almost there."Diego: "Huh?"Nacht: "It's a very small district; Lobnic is mostly villages."Diego: "I understand."
(One hour later)
They arrived; Kisa woke.Kisa: "Huh?"Diego: "Good morning, Kisa."Kisa: "Morning."
They left the wagon and walked down toward the village near Les Metaniy (Slingshot Forest).Nacht: "Ugh…"Diego: "Hmmm… what is it… Ugh!"Kisa: "Hahhhh!"
The village was full of corpses.Nacht: "Damn."Diego: "What the hell happened here?!"Kisa: "A Vinka… I can feel it. A very evil Vinka."Nacht: "Hmm?"
He looked at Kisa.Kisa: "It probably ranks C or D. Definitely not E — the aura is far too strong."Nacht: "Understood…"
He examined the bodies. A little girl stumbled forward.Kisa: "Huh."Diego: "Hey — there."Nacht: "A survivor?"Kisa: "Hey little one, are you okay?"Girl: "Ouch…"
She extended a hand. Kisa: "Ugh."
Splopp! Her arm was torn in half.Girl: (sobbing) "Aua…"Kisa: "Hahh."Nacht: "Damn."Kisa: "Quick, show me."
Kisa bandaged the wound fast.Kisa: "It'll be okay, little one."Girl: "…"
She fainted; Kisa caught her.Nacht: "Ugh."Diego: "Hey."Kisa: "Hey, hey — little one."Nacht: "Check her pulse."
He checked.Nacht: "Unconscious. No need to panic. Amazing she held on this long."Diego: "What could do this? How strong is the Vinka that does such things?"Kisa: "It's more brutal than usual. Strange — look at the corpses. It didn't eat them; it killed them deliberately without devouring the bodies."Nacht: "Ugh…"
Nacht scanned the village; Kisa was right.Nacht: "Weird. The houses are intact. Vinka usually destroy everything — unless…"Kisa: "It has human-like intent."Nacht: "Or someone ordered it."Diego (sweating): "Why does Kisa seem almost as sharp as Nacht all of a sudden?"Kisa: "Mean! When it comes to Vinka, I'm as good as Nacht! Mmm!" (pouts)Diego: "Sorry! Sorry… hehe."
Kisa turned serious again.Kisa: "Nacht — do you think it's rank D?"Nacht: "Too early to judge. We only know a Vinka attacked — a slingshot-type Vinka. They're cunning. No… I think someone else attacked the village, either before or after the job."Diego: "Huh… I smell something — the scent of a girl."Kisa: "Do you mean me?"Diego: "No. You smell like apples. She smells like a dead flower."Nacht: "Hmmm?"
Patch! Patch!
They heard footsteps.
A woman approached. Long coat, blue hair, yellow eyes, several wounds.Mona: "Hello, hunters. My name is Mona. I've been waiting for you."Diego (thinking): (Is she pretty?)Mona: "I don't need to explain what happened here."Diego: "Were you responsible?"Mona: "I was."Diego: "Ghhh."
He drew his axe and lunged.Diego: "Bitch!"
Ding!
A spirit intercepted his strike.Mona: "Curses… You can't kill me. I am Mona — the proklyataya devushka, the cursed girl."Diego: "Why did you do it? Why did you harm the villagers?"Mona: "No reason. The reason is simple: chaos."Diego: "Grrrrr."
A pale, grinning spirit with a long sickle hovered behind her.Mona: "Hmmm."
She transformed.Mona: "Ah — the werewolf. So you're the werewolf."Red Riding Hood: "Hehehe."
She grinned evilly.Mona: "Finally I found you… Big Bad Wolf. Transformation!"
She drew her book — the cover read: Mona: The Black Bride. She produced a pistol and a sword.Mona: "Come into my hands, Big Bad Wolf."
They struck simultaneously: a double blow that shook the village; houses crumbled from the shock.Mona: "Ghhh."Diego: "Rrrrrr."Mona: "Finally I have you. With you, I will make him happy — my master!"
Slash!
Mona slashed her own belly.Splach!
Diego: "Grrrr… huh?"Mona: "Ouch… that hurts…"
Her body rebuilt and she put her head back.Mona: "I told you — I'm cursed."Slash!
Diego: "Urk…"
She stabbed his chest; he fell to his knees and began to transform. She placed her hands on his cheeks.Mona: "My dear wolf… I finally found you. You are my savior."
She hugged him.Mona: "You poor wolf… you must have been so lonely. People treated you badly."
She tried to draw out his rage and manipulate him — whispering promises and urging him on. Diego wavered under her influence, confused and almost overwhelmed. Mona tried to bind his fury to her will.
Suddenly Diego lashed out and slashed at her abdomen with his hand.Schlitz!
Mona: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
The scene's vision collapsed.Diego: "Haahhh… hahhh… ugh."
Mona clutched her wound.Mona: "You bastard… you damned wretch… I only used you. It should have worked. My manipulation — damn — it won't stop bleeding. Why doesn't it heal? It must be the werewolf legend. Elaine — transform me!"Elaine: "Yes!"
Mona transformed: chains appeared, an eye-covering mask, chains everywhere. She armed herself with a shotgun and a large dagger.