Me and Deep - In war an enemy can be an ally

Werewolf x Hunter Yaoi RP ^^

Under the cover of nightfall, a lone hunter moved steadily through the brush on the outskirts of a border town. The piercing light of the full moon, the only source that aided him on his journey, was just enough for him to make his way in the darkness without running headfirst into a tree. Had he not have been on a mission he would’ve found the cliché humorous, hunting werewolves under the full moon seemed like just the sort of coincidence that occurred in children’s tales. Though as he dwelled on the thought he found that he honestly wished the story of his entire profession was nothing but a tale to scare off children as at the moment he wanted nothing more than to be spending to evening downing pints at the local tavern and making a fool of himself. Things had gotten so weird lately, which might be an understatement, as it had been long since he’d been able to just relax and enjoy life. If he wasn’t being sent on yet another mission, he was forced to entertain the bloody tales of his comrades of how they slowly, meticulously beheaded some poor soul or the dark joy they got out of torturing a family one by one before watching them all bleed out. It had never been like this, they were originally employed as protectors, their efforts largely in reaction to attacks on their own kind. However, somehow someway their work had been transformed into some sort of depraved sport that he hadn’t any other choice but to be caught up in.

At twenty-sex years, Jaden was hardly the superior of is squad but still responsible for the vast number of deaths that were reported back. A professional, he took his job far more seriously than his brethren, showing no mercy when tasked to kill while simultaneous granting his victims a clean, quick end. Naturally his style didn’t mesh well with the sadism that now poisoning the ranks, there were more than a couple of heated arguments that were had over him staking some vampire or impaling a werewolf before his mates had a chance to toy with them. As a result, the man was now largely tasked to work alone as a means to keep the peace. His comrades were still around, somewhere supposedly scouting but most likely decapitating some unlucky creature that crossed their path. The thought alone sent a chill up his spine, that people could be so twisted and still get away with it all without consequence.

It didn't take long for the hunter to catch sight of the cave that he was told sheltered a nearby werewolf. His good arm had already begun to reach for the silver sword strapped to his back without even thinking, already beginning to tense as thoughts of the incoming battle came to mind. It was mercy killing at this point, he thought to himself as he crept slower, still crouching underneath the brush. It was far better for him to be the one to end it before the others arrived, heaven only knew what new method of depravity the bastards of his 'squad' had concocted while they were surveying the area.

( i am currently posting from my phone so until i tell you i have posted via pm consider this not posted to )

Jaden had continued to creep silently in the darkness of the cave, the light of the moon just barely capable of reaching the inner depths. It wasn’t until it was pitch black that the hunter began to feel a sense of unease. Wolves and their like had no need for illumination, perfectly capable of seeing in darkness as well as daylight, and that was what was most troublesome. As he crept deeper and deeper, the cave growing darker and darker, he released that he should have been attacked by now. The wolf would have been able to sense him, he should’ve been ambushed from the darkness and it would’ve been promptly cut down in one fell swoop. Alas, nothing of the sort ever came to pass and it made absolutely no sense to the human. Keeping his wits about him he continued to press forward, figuring either that something foul was afoot or that this entire ‘mission’ was either a trap in disguise or a wild goose chase.

It didn’t take long however for him to enter the main sanctuary and release just how right he was to exercise caution. When even the moon’s light had gotten too dim for him to press forward he was forced to draw his weapon, the silver broadsword clutched in both hands released a dull, though penetrating white light that was just enough to provide the human with enough illumination to be aware of his immediate surroundings. Despite this, nothing. No attack, no ambush, not even the slightest hint of movement had graced his ears, however the pungent stench his blood immediately pierced his senses and only grew stronger the deeper into the cave he went. Many different scenarios went through the man’s head as a result: the wolf had recently fed on the town’s populace, other hunters might have beat him to the punch, a bizarre cult was using the cave as a mean to practice nefarious magicks. His mind only continued to wander as he inched closed, but a sudden bolt of lightning that echoed from the outside briefly, but immediately revealed just what had come to pass inside of the cave.

The grizzly scene was enough to even startle a veteran fighter like Jaden, who immediately took a step back and took on a more defensive posture. Among the corpses there was just one still standing, the silhouette of whom he could barely make out from the light of his sword. “This land truly is transforming into a demon’s paradise” He muttered under his breath, almost sure that the salvage scene was committed by one of his own. However, he had neither the position nor the concern (anymore, at least) to call out his brothers for their crimes. His words had always feel on deaf ears, raising more of a ruckus would result in nothing but a punishment against himself. He had a job, this was merely one scene amongst many he had to deal with in present time, the least he could do was spare this final wolf some mercy and allow it to depart from this world without the pain he rest of its kind must have endured.

“They’re gone” He called out, waiting. He’d only fought an enraged werewolf once or twice in his lifetime, the battles were some of the ones he didn’t look back fondly on. Words meant little nowadays, but if he could reach out to someone with but a smidgen of common sense… “You will be too if you stick around, there will be more on their way. They get their hands on you and you’ll be no better off than your kin, perhaps worse if they decide to bring you in alive” Though he maintained his stance, still anticipating an attack, he honestly couldn’t help but feel a touch sympathetic. Not enough to interfere with his duties, but he would allow the wolf this one opportunity to flee. “Run, your life would serve far greater purpose spreading word of what occurred here. Don’t throw it away now”

The wolf was fast, way more than he had anticipated. Cursing at having been disarmed so easily, he used the movement from the shove to roll along the ground and jump back to his feet. Had this not have been a life or death situation he would’ve laughed, crack a joke at how shitty of a negotiator he was. Granted there was no chance he’d be able to reason with a mad wolf surrounded by the corpses of its kin, but it’d make a good story later in life to have some laughs to go along with a couple of pints. He just needed to survive this attack and actually live long enough to be able to regale bar patrons with tales of his triumph and failures.

Back on his feet, Jaden was quick enough to avoid the lunge that would’ve ended him, though once more cursed after realizing he had dodged in the opposite direction that his sword had been thrown. Without any other choice he reached into his cloak and pulled out his second weapon, a small hand-sized crossbow, already loaded with a silver bolt that shimmered with the same light as he sword. Though he aimed at the wolf, his hand and aim surprisingly steady, he didn’t immediately fire, using the weapon instead as a means to keep distance between the both of them. Granted he had to question himself why he hadn’t immediately fired while he had the element of surprise and just ended this entire ordeal, concluding that the sympathy was actually beginning to cloud his judgement.

“Calm the fuck down and listen” He warned, far more strength in his tone now. “I had any easy shot and I chose not to take it. Right now you could be pinned to the ground while I wait for the rest of my group to come in and do gods know what” His gaze narrowed. “Save your energy, get away. This scene doesn’t have to get any worse but it will once the others catch up”

Jaden heaved a deep sigh when the massive wolf began to back off before suddenly darting away. He wondered if this could have even be counted as a victory after he very clearly disobeyed orders and allowed for a wolf to escape right when it was in his sights, to shoot it after everything he saw however just felt…. wrong. Heaving a sigh, all the man could do was shake his head and stow his crossbow back within his cloak as he went over to retrieve his sword. That was how all these missions felt now, wrong. No matter how much he wanted to goof off and drink away his troubles the fact of the matter was that something was going on, something dark. Missions had never felt this way before, and he wondered just how long he’d be able to continue on with this line of work.

Not long after, just as he warned, the rest of his squad caught up. Their reaction to the scene however was far different from Jaden’s, the bloody corpses and signs of murder were all met with cheers, some even going in for a closer look to actually inspect the craftsmanship of the torture the wolves had to go through. All eyes fell on Jaden, quite pleased that their so-called ‘softie’ wasn’t losing his edge and finally fell down to their level of bloodlust however their gazes quickly turned to disappointment and irritation when he corrected that he had come across the scene as is and had done nothing more than canvas the area of hostiles. Questions were of course raised about the lone wolf that the town had summoned them to kill, but the man merely shrugged and stated that the dirty had been done long before they had even arrived.

-

Times didn’t improve as the months passed. The bloodlust of his comrades seem completely insatiable, and Jaden had all but fall out of favor with everyone in his organization for his refusal to go along with their depraved acts. He wasn’t much of a political person but he could’ve swore that the hunters were gaining power as well, public approval was quite high despite how brutal their kills were now. Anyone who spoke against them, or the brave souls who dared voice their sympathies had all vanished, all traces of them and their families completely gone overnight. In the end, the man found it all pointless. He was still being paid after all, though he was certain that the only reason he too hadn’t vanished was because of his combat prowess and the efficiency in which he carried out orders.

That night was unlike most others in more ways than one. It was one of the rare moments Jaden had some free time, having not been assigned a mission. This evening was one he was going to make the most of: hop from tavern to tavern with his newly received pay, gather a crowd to listen to tales, and live on top of the world up until he was flat broke. Alas as he made his way to the first of many towns he’d be touring that evening, he stumbled across a badly beaten traveler at the middle of the road.

“Goddammit...” He muttered to himself softly, craving just one evening where he didn’t have to be responsible and act a fool. Even now, just looking at the battered soul he could hear the whispers of his comrades, urging him to finish the job or make the person suffer far more than they were currently. Man, woman, beast, their need for violence didn’t seem to even respect race anymore.

Looking around, as if there would be some other traveler on the roads in the dead of night that could possibly help them. Grumbling under his breath that he’d be the only one capable of the task, he stepped forward, dreams of a foolish, drunken evening already broken. “Ey” He spoke a conversation level before speaking again louder, in case the soul were deaf. “You, uh, still alive? Cause I got things to do and-“ He huffed, and heaved a deep sigh, he really didn’t have a choice but to help them. Kneeling down he did what he could to make the man up and supported him as best he could. “You still able to walk, yeah?”

“Don’t remind me” Jaden grimaced, a touched relieved that there was at least one another amongst the ranks that wasn’t utterly insane. It was only a small solace however as he realized the man probably wouldn’t last long in the field, to be so brutally attacked and still not be able to classify the attacker was the sign of a novice. It wasn’t of much surprise however, the Northlands Hunter’s guild accepted anyone and everyone who was interested. This he knew firsthand, the group accepted himself without batting an eyelash even though he had been a recent immigrant to the country at the time. “Word of warning though, best keep your opinions to yourself. Negative sentiment of the guild these days is enough to have a blade be put to your throat”

 

Jaden remained silent as he readjusted his balance to support the injured man’s weight, and continued down along the trail. They moved far slower than he wouldn’t liked, but at the very least the town wasn’t that much further up ahead. “Was planning to rent a room at a tavern at the inn up ahead, you’re free to stay. There aren’t any healers there that I know of, but the local apothecary should have an herb or two to clean you up so you’re in luck. God knows what might be in your system now after those wounds of yours. Depending on the severity you’ll either be good by morning or bedridden a couple of decades” He chuckled. “Guess we’ll be seeing just how long this luck of yours is gonna last”

 
----
 

As expected, the town wasn’t too far ahead though the trek took a notable amount of time due to him having to support an injured man. Despite the late hour the village was lively, townspeople coming and going as they checked the wares of the various vendors on the side of the road and merry groups of drunken men and women sung off-key bards-tales and filled the town with laughter. The sight immediate caused Jaden’s heart to break in two as he’d fully intended to be a part of those groups and embracing the merriment.

 

Instead he turned into a far quieter side-street into what looked like a sleepy residential district and then into a dimly lit cottage that was far away from the hustle and bustle of the main square. “Got an extra room, Beatrice?” The man called out before checking to see if anyone was home. He knew the owner well enough that he could barge in uninvited and he’d like to think that she was familiar with his voice by now. “Ain’t this a bit early for ya lad?” Off to the side of the small inn, was an equally small bar being tended to by homely looking redhead, curly locks falling at either side of her soft features at she glance over at her newcomers curiously. “Ya stumble in typically at daybreak- after the town has had its fill of your coinpurse, ‘acourse. Decidin’ to turn the leaf finally?” Jaden chuckled under his breath sarcastically. “You embarrass me in front of my guest”

Beatrice glanced from Jaden to Damien, noting the injuries than nodded toward the door across from the main entrance. “Ya being helped by a fool of’a man, ya are” Turning back to the mug she was shining she treated the two to an audible ‘tsk, tsk, tsk’. “I’ll check the stocks for’a poltice o’ two, ya just hang tight there. Keep’ur eye on that one though, spends gold like it leaks from’a whore’s teet” Her eyes fell back on Jaden as she frowned deeply, the hunter returned the gesture with a bright smile as he made the way into the room. As much as the woman sassed him she never asked questions, and was why she kept his business.

The moment he entered, Jaden slid his pack off his shoulder and onto the corner and took a seat at a nearby chair facing the window. As quiet and secluded this part of town was he could still hear the yelling and laughter of the square and just watched with longing in his eyes. He had expected the man to take the opportunity to rest and recover but he could feel that he was being watched. “Someone’s going to have to watch over you” He answered, his gaze not leaving the window. He wanted to drink and party but at the moment that was out of the question. “Gauge your condition, make sure you don’t suddenly start growing fangs, wings. Gonna have to cut ya down if you go crazy on me” The man honestly didn’t mean it as a threat though it might have seemed as such, his tone was actually pretty casual. “Nothing personal or anything, you’re actually pretty alright in my book” He couldn’t really judge character based on their limitation interaction, but based on the man’s earlier comments on the Hunter’s he figured he had at least some sense to him.

 

Eventually Jaden forced his eyes away from the window and slouched in the chair, doing what he could to not show his utter disappointment at having to play guard duty on his rare night off. “What brought ya to these parts anyway?” He questioned, curious and wanting to break the silence. “Hardly any work to be had nowadays, what with everything in hiding. Thought all you loner types were heading down south"

"I absolutely live to serve the injured and needy" Jaden stated jokingly, as he got up. The man's request was understandable, though he was still more than a bit cautious. At the very least he'd like to think that things wouldn't immediately turn south if he stepped out for just a couple of minutes. "Public baths are out in the halls, if I remember right. Would be a good time for me to pick up those herbs anyway, I'll check in with Beatrice to see if she has any spare rags lying around" He shrugged, not even sure if she actually did then made his way out the room. "No funny business" He stated finally before heading out into the halls and closing the doors behind him.

As Damien got himself situated, Jaden let Beatrice in on just what had occured and warned her to be wary of any stray sounds or broken furniture as he stepped out for a bit. The woman was more than a touch agitated that he was leaving her with what could potentially be a monster, despite his constant reassurances that he was leaving and coming right back. It didn't help those that in her anger she started throwing curses and calling him out again on his irresponsibility, which only made the hunter leave the establishment faster. Though she was right in her indignation he wasn't going to simply leave her with a man whom was potentially infected. The moment he was outside he made his way briskly toward the local Apothecary with a brief detour at the tailors to see if they were even open.

"You know what they say in this town" Jaden threw the cloak he had purchased over his shoulder then reached into the inner pockets of his cloak and dropped a generous amount of golden coins onto the counter. A more thrifty person would've been quick to point out that the hunter was paying more than needed, but he honesty didn't have a second thought over just how much money he had given the tailor in that one setting. "Silence is golden .... Eh? Get it?" He beemed at the old man, barely able to contain his own amusement but the wrinkled features of the shop-keep didn't budge and the man could've sworn that the other's frown became even deeper engraved into his face. "Guess I'll be taking my leave now" He sighed and quietly left out.

He honestly surprised that the tailor and apothecary were even opened as the rest of the shops had all closed earlier, wishing to keep out the riffraff and ruffians that might have found the way to their storefront from the main square. Though he had only made off with a cloak he was sure that with a bit of pestering he could get Beatrice to cough up some clothes as well, at the very least the stranger wouldn't have to go that night cold.

Entering back into the inn, the hunter was met with more choice words from the owner before quickly excusing himself back into the room as she hurled away more curses. After finding the room empty he quickly deduced that the stranger was still inside of the baths and made his way there instead. "'Ey! What did I say about you any funny business?" He called out loudly, bringing the silence and serenity of the springs to an abrupt halt. Folding his arms as he watched the resting man he noted that he honestly didn't look half bad, he had a nice physique though it only made him wonder again how he ended up getting beaten so badly.

"I joke though. Apothecary was open" As he walked over he reached into his inner pocket and took out the small leather pouch and stooped down closer to Damien's level. "You're in luck too, last batch of holly extract. Not sure how concentrated it is but clears away the more common stuff... usually" Taking a small bottle out, he set it right beside the edge of the spring then laid the cloak beside it. "Should wear that when you get out, I don't disapprove of the sight but you'll might just give our hostess a heart attack if you strut around with nothing on. Her blood pressure's already a notch too high already"

Jaden raised a brow when the man had gotten out without even taking the herb. Glancing over he found that the wounds didn't look all that deep honestly now, however he definitely knew that they had looked far more severe than when they had first encountered each other. Suspicious, maybe, but he still seemed plenty in control of himself, and it wasn't like it was an impossible thought to come across a human with enhanced healing. At the very least he'd just have to keep his wits about him. "Jaden" The hunter answered in turn, gathering his supplies and following afterward. Following behind, his eyes finally the lines of muscle along Damien's back and he almost chuckled that already he was failing an exercising caution and getting distracted. "You clean up nice for someone just at death's door"

"That's what I figured" Jaden replied back with a nod. Experimental procedures, 'enchancements' as he liked to call them, weren't all that uncommon. They were pricey of course, particularly some of the more higher quality processes, but not to the point of making them completely unheard of. "You wouldn't be first- nor the last, might wanna do a bit of a better job watching your back though. All that healing won't do you any good if you end up six-feet under" He chuckled, giving Damien a friendly slap on the back as he entered into inn alongside him. "And I'd like to see you try" He smirked in turn at the bite remark, playing along.

As he entered he sunk back into his same spot by the window, no longer hearing the yelling from the square anymore as the town seemed to steadily die down as they entered into the later hours. With the scene outside being less-than-interesting at the moment now he turned his attention back to Damien curiously, realizing that the man was either completely oblivious of his own nudity or simply didn't care. It certainly hadn't phased the hunter, who took it all in stride. The stranger was well-built, attractive he'd even say, and as his eyes trailed downward he found the man's length to be pretty... noticable, even while soft.

"And had I been anyone else" Jaden brought his attention back upward as he watched Damien dress. "You'd have been attacked, I did warn you about stating your opinions so freely" With a sigh the hunter lounged backward into his seat and rested the back of his head against his hands as he looked up at the ceiling aimlessly. "But you're right" He spoke after a bit of silence. "This land's a madhouse nowadays. All of 'em got the bloodlust of starved vampires, and everyone else only encourages it. The ones who take a stand- well, you don't hear about them for much longer afterward" The man let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, this was an issue he had thought long and hard about but ultimately concluded he was powerless to stop. "I've given up asking questions. They pay me, that's enough to keep me satisfied. Wouldn't be surprised if you really were attacked by one of our own though"

“They pay me” Jaden replied honestly. “Well” Stretching out, he got up then moved over to the corner where he pack was and stooped down. With it being dark out and the festivities of the town around beginning to die out it seemed he would have to turn in for the night. Reaching to at his neck, he steadily began to unlace the scarf woven around him and then worked on unfastening his cloak. “I didn’t join for ‘honor’ and ‘glory’ I did it cause it paid” He shook his head as the cloak came off then jammed it messily into his pack. Without the hood on his dark hair could be seen cut short, an organized mess of sorts. The back-cotton turtleneck he had underneath didn’t reveal much, but did show that he had a pretty athletic build, signs of scars and parts of a tattoo likewise were partially visible at the parts of his arm where the sleeves were partially rolled up. “That hasn’t changed, even now. I just don’t ask questions anymore, it’s just not worth the trouble” With a nonchalant shrug he kicked off his boots and glanced back over at Damien. “This ship’s going down, that’s all I know. You picked a brilliant time to get involved”

Watching the other man, Jaden tilted his head curiously at how restless he looked now. He still seemed calm and composed from his tone, the way he spoke, but in a way it looked to be that he was now fidgeting over something. “You alright?” He questioned. Part of his want to go over and check the stranger out, but he wasn’t completely naïve and found it better to keep distance between the two of them. As calm and casual he had been, anything out of the ordinary was enough to immediately to make the man cautious, his profession taught him at least that much. “Looking pretty under the weather there all of a sudden” Though his voice remained casual he watched the man carefully, scouting for any signs of his body morphing or transforming.

Without tearing his focus away, he reached back into his pack and pulled out the vial or herbs he had bought over and tossed them onto the bed before resting his hand against the hilt of his knife stashed away in his side pocket. “Might be a good idea to take that”