Blood Drunk Hunter (Shadow Slave/Bloodborne Fic)

Gehrman hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't a mansion. 

A towering and grandiose building stood behind a beautiful garden that Gerhamn now sat. The whole property was enormous, and it was kept well maintained…at least, it looked that way on the surface. 

Due to Gehrman's unique eyesight he could tell that the place was faltering. Several of the rooms that Gehrman was able to understand due to his Aspect Ability showed signs of abandonment. 

The garden held an abundance of exotic flowers, ponds with beautiful fish, and clean running water. All of which created a serene atmosphere.

And yet, two hundred meters away, there was a series of servant bedrooms that were completely untouched, a kitchen that wasn't supplied, and a training room with nothing in it. 

He sat completely still on the wooden bench as he considered the implications of this. 

"It seems he wasn't lying," Gehrman muttered. His thoughts wandered back to a certain encounter he had with Han Li Caster. 

…

"I have come here today to make a request of you. I want you to come with my cohort, and help us on our journey to the end of the Forgotten Shore."

Gehrman stared dumbly at the smiling child before him. 

"Hell no. Why would I do that?"

Caster blinked slowly, his face slackened. It seemed that he hadn't considered being turned down. 

"...It's an opportunity to journey with Lady Changing Star, with her leading the way, we will undoubtedly reap great rewards and have our survival ensured," he explained. 

"...or I could just stay here and definitely reap rewards and also definitely survive. It seems to me the only reason I'd be doing this would be for your pleasant company. And I will be honest, you not coming here till now makes it seem less appealing," Gehrman offered a playful smile. "Honestly, the first time you visit me it's to ask me to join you on a job? If I didn't know any better I would say that you don't think we're friends."

Caster's eye twitched. 

 Gehrman wore a passive smile. 

In truth, he wasn't trying to aggravate the child. Gehrman was well aware that these kids did not have the time or energy to uphold politeness. And yet, he was filled with the childish desire to tease the boy. 

He had never forgotten that first night when Caster had unwittingly shown his true colors. Though the boy had done his best to gaslight Gehrman into believing otherwise, he knew that he was a rather unpleasant fellow on the inside. 

Despite only seeing that side of him once, it was much more real than the kindness that he portrayed around the other Sleepers. 

"Of course…we are friends, Gehrman," Caster said slowly. 

"No we aren't. You hate me, in fact, you probably want to kill me."

"...would you please stop talking like that?" the boy's voice became terse. 

"Would you please stop acting like an idiot?"

"What do you want from me, Gehrman? I have been nothing but kind to you. I support you, answer your inane request for paper of all things, and the only reason you aren't attacked when you come by the Outskirsts is because I assure them that you mean no harm. And yet the only thing you give me in return are insults and curses," Caster snapped. 

His breathing became ragged and he emanated a barely suppressed rage. 

He was at his breaking point. 

When the boy first arrived he had clearly shown signs of mental fatigue and stress. Something was weighing heavily on him, and it had been for a long time. 

"I want you to lose your cool. Scream, cry, or even attack me. Just abandon that altruistic act and rest for a damn second. You're going to die if you keep this up."

Caster's face contorted. 

"I'm going to die? How would that happen? Who could possibly kill me?" The pride in his voice was astoundingly toxic. The shift slowly crept into his words as he continued. "You think you know who I am and what I am capable of? I have been holding back for so long–"

"Then cut the shit and stop holding back," Gehrman interrupted. 

Caster took a single step forward. His gaze was lowered to the floor, and his shoulders trembled. He was doing his best to avoid falling apart. But there was one major issue. 

Caster did hate Gehrman. 

He wanted to kill the brat. The filthy child was brash, rude, disgusting, and vile. He wanted nothing more than to cut him to pieces. 

"Tell me, Han Li Caster, why do you want me to join you on this journey? Will you use me as a scapegoat, perhaps? Will you use me as a tool? Or will I simply be a human shield in case something goes wr–"

Gehrman's voice abruptly halted as a fist dug deep into his throat. 

Caster had moved at incredible speed, seemingly teleporting to Gehrman's location and delivering a powerful blow. 

For any other Sleeper it might have caused them to pass out. Weaker ones might have even died. 

But Gehrman was a Demon with three Soul Cores. 

His eyes suddenly gleamed dangerously, and chill ran down Caster's spine. 

The two broke apart, Caster fleeing back after sensing danger. Gehrman reeled over and started coughing as his throat returned to normal. 

"Is that all you got? You little shit?" Gehrman asked in a strained voice. 

Immediately, Caster's anger flared once more. 

Once again he was in front of Gehrman, this time delivering a kick that would shatter his opponent's kneecaps. 

But before he could land the blow a heavy fist connected to his stomach. 

It had been a long time since Caster received a blow head-on like that. In fact, it hadn't been since the Academy that such a thing occurred. And at that time he had still been holding back. 

Caster's speed from his Aspect Ability was truly monstrous. Most people, and even some the higher Ranked creatures in the Forgotten Shore couldn't follow his movements.

And yet he was flying backward after getting hit by a thirteen year old child. 

He instinctively blocked another blow, and then his thoughts disappeared as he entered a state of mind fit only for battle. 

The only thing on his mind at that moment was murder. 

He launched another attack.

…

Four hours later, both boys were breathing heavily. They were both splayed out on the floor, completely worn out. 

They had reached their limit two hours ago, but rage and pettiness kept them going. 

All the while Caster had tried to murder Gehrman. 

But Gehrman's only goal was to beat the shit out of his opponent, and do it in a way that wouldn't leave any noticeable scars. 

"You feel better?" Gehrman asked.

"No," Caster responded coldly. His voice was incredibly strained, and though he was still seething, he was unable to muster any real anger. "How…how are you so strong?" 

"There's plenty of reasons. The most obvious is simply experience. I've fought beasts at least 20 times longer than you have. But at the moment, it's because your mind is so clouded. I can tell that something is weighing you down."

After a long beat of silence, Caster actually addressed this point. 

"I have a mission. One that I must complete. It was the reason I was even at the Academy in the first place…I've been training all my life for the Great Clan Valor…but the task they gave me seems impossible. Especially here. To accomplish my mission and also return home…I don't think I can accomplish both."

"Great Clan Valor?" Gehrman asked. "I thought your family was Han Li?"

"You really don't know anything? Even after spending so much time around that Song Princess?" 

"What does Seishan have to do with this?"

Caster made a sound that was a combination between a grunt and a sigh of defeat. 

"You seem to have a misunderstanding about the Legacy Clans. There are three Great Clans, and they have dozens of vassals. The reason that no one can touch the Great Clans is because those numerous vassals all serve that single will. The Han Li Clan is merely a vassal of Valor…and it's a weak one at that. We have only been able to produce a single Master in the last decade. Lady Seishan is an adopted daughter of the Song Clan Matriarch. We aren't anywhere near equal."

"I fail to see your point."

"My point," Caster gritted his teeth. "Is that I can not fail. If I return home without completing my mission my clan will be removed from Valor, everything we have will be lost, and my family will disown me."

Gehrman blinked slowly, and then suddenly all of his strength returned. 

"Wait…are you serious?" He stood and walked over to where the boy was laying down. Caster was glaring at him, his malice and disgust evident.

And yet, Gehrman didn't feel insulted at all. 

"You realize how fucked up that is right? That much pressure should never be put on someone your age. I mean, c'mon how old are you? 18?"

"16," Caster growled. "And don't you say a word against my family. Someone like you, some piece of filth who grew up without honor or pride could never understand."

"I know plenty about honor and pride," Gehrman spat. He kneeled over the other boy, looking at him deep in his eyes. "I know that honor is a chain. One that holds people back from committing evil, but also one that holds them back from creating change. It holds you in place, it keeps you from doing something that might make you vulnerable. I know that pride is poison. It makes you feel superior to all others, and in doing so closes your eyes to everything else."

In all of his past lives, Gehrman had seen the rise and fall of the strong, and each of them were burdened by words like honor and pride. 

"Only the absolute strongest can use those words. Only those who can never be challenged can wield them with purity and grace. You are just a child, Caster. If you hold onto these things then you will find a sword in your back and a nameless tombstone above your head."

These words stoked Caster's fury, and in an impossible feat he raised himself from the ground. This time, he actually summoned his weapon. And a sword glinted with a dreadful aura. 

…but it was knocked out of his hands easily. 

Before Caster could swing his blade he was on the floor once more, and a terrifying Hunter stood over him. 

For the first time, Caster felt his pride well and truly shatter as he fell totally and completely. At that moment, he recognized how outmatched he was compared to Gehrman. This child had also been holding back, and their entire fight was nothing more than a spar for him. 

"Do you want to know the reason I kept antagonizing you, Caster? Do you want to know the reason I never believed that you were a good person?" Gehrman asked cooly. "It's because you are strong. You are skilled with the blade and have amazing passion and a powerful Aspect ability. If you escape here, you may very well be the death of millions of Nightmare Creatures. But at the moment, all I see is someone rushing towards their own death."

Gehrman took a large step backward, allowing Caster to sit up slightly. 

"I don't know what your mission is, and I don't care to know. But I guarantee that you have more worth living than you do dead after fulfilling one measly task."

"It is not a measly task," Caster snarled. "It is my life, and the life of my clan."

"Then let me ask you this, Caster," Gehrman crouched low and looked the boy in the eye. He no longer held malice, annoyance, or childish pettiness. Instead, Gehrman simply talked to Caster as a senior would an aspiring young talent. "Would the Great Clan Valor prefer this task completed, or would they prefer to have a human of the 5th Rank at their service?"

Caster's entire demeanor changed into one of bewildered confusion.

"How…what are you talking about?" 

"I am talking about living up to your potential. With your power you should be able to reach that Rank. You should be able to go where no human has ever gone before. All you have to do is abandon this childish notion that your life matters less than some dumbass mission. If you do that…then I will make you Supreme. This, I vow."

…

"You?"

Gehrman turned on the wooden bench and looked back toward the owner of the voice. It was full of disbelief and horror. The owner, was of course Caster.

"I guess the Government has been doing a pretty good job if you hadn't realized I had come back yet."

Gehrman stood up and took off his top hat. It was a mundane one that he had made. In fact, his entire ensemble was made of normal clothes, not a Memory. 

Gehrman had decided to wear an outfit similar to ones that Laurence would wear at banquets or fancy parties. It was similar to the old, stylish garb of Yharnam, or at least, it was similar to that era. Naturally Gehrman couldn't have the exact outfit remade, since he would stick out too much. 

Instead, his vest, bow tie, and top hat were all simply distinct. It was definitely an odd fashion choice for anyone else, but Gehrman pulled it off well. The monochrome colors matched his fading grey hair well, making him seem much older than he was. 

Caster seemed to be impressed by it, since he had been staring at Gehrman with mouth agape ever since he had laid eyes on him. 

"Hello again, Caster. Long time no see."

He expected the boy to start yelling, ask questions, or even attack him. But something about him seemed very different.

Instead of saying anything, he simply walked up to the bench Gehrman had been sitting on, and took a seat with a long sigh. 

"Hello, Gehrman. Are you back from the dead or has my insanity started to manifest hallucinations?"

Gehrman raised an eyebrow and grinned. 

"Well, I talked to that nice lady who said she would go fetch you. Since you're out here I'm assuming that she also saw me and was able to send you out here to meet me. And if this is the case…then I am probably back from the dead."

Caster laughed, but there was no humour behind his voice. 

"I wonder…why am I not surprised?" The boy leaned back in the chair, and Gehrman was able to get a better look at him. 

Awakening was supposed to make an individual far more glamorous, healthy, and powerful. The results were obvious when comparing individuals like Sunny to his Sleeper self. 

And yet, Caster seemed to have deteriorated. He looked far more lifeless than he ever did on the Forgotten Shore. 

Of course, he was still an objectively beautiful person. But it seemed that all the vitality and will he had left him. 

"I've been wanting to talk to you for a while," Caster eventually said. "I wanted to curse you, and blame you, and hate you…but when I see you all I feel is the reminder of my own ineptitude."

Gehrman remained silent, and let him continue speaking.

"That day, when I invited you to come with me to the end of the Forgotten Shore. I was planning to use you, I was going to make it your fault that Nephis died. I didn't even have a full plan, but I thought that your presence alone would be enough. Because you were so small, weak, and annoying. That's what I thought about you…and then you kicked my ass."

Neither of the two smiled. As they both recalled that day, neither of them had especially pleasant feelings. 

"After you died I tried to forget everything you told me, but it was stuck in my brain, playing on loop. I thought I could just ignore it. But at the end, when the Gate was finally open and I had the opportunity to return, I almost took it right then and there…but I went back to kill her anyway…at that point…I didn't really want to. We had spent enough time together that I realized why Valor wanted her dead. She was strong, and she gathered people around her. She overthrew the Bright Lord. After seeing that, I thought it might even be possible for her to someday overthrow the Sovereigns." 

Gehrman blinked. He was curious about the unfamiliar term "Sovereigns" but he didn't want to interrupt, so he let him continue his reminiscing. 

"But even then, I couldn't understand killing her. She might be a threat, but…well it didn't matter. I went back anyway. I was ready to cut her head from her body and return, proclaiming that she had died to the Terror. But that little brat from the Outskirsts stood in my way. I didn't think anything of him. Even after traveling with him for months I never considered him a threat. But while I fought him, I felt it again…"

Caster trailed off. Then, abruptly he looked sharply into Gehrman's eyes. 

"I felt death. I felt the same fear that you taught me that day, when you completely overpowered me. If I hadn't known that fear I would have simply done my duty. I might have even won…but I didn't. I ran away like a coward."

"You survived," Gehrman finally raised his voice. "You did the right thing. You still have the chance to–"

"To become stronger?" Caster interrupted. Finally, some venom dripped into his voice and his malice showed once more. "You really have no idea how this world works, do you? You spoke of becoming a Supreme…but I won't be able to even become a Saint without their say so. I didn't return here because I was strong. I didn't come back here to prove my power, and my life was worth more than hers. I came back because I was scared."

He spat the last couple lines, and then he stood up. Mustering all of his malice, it appeared that he was getting ready to attack Gehrman. 

But he saw, deep within the young man's eyes, there was a silent and terrible pleading. It was a sorrowful and desperate request to do something. 

"...I made a vow," Gehrman said. "I intended to keep it. I don't know who could possibly stop you from taking on the Nightmares and rising in Rank, but if they get in your way I will stop them. If no one will join you in the trials then I will make you dangerous enough that you can pass them by yourself."

The anger in Caster seemed to reach a boiling point, but suddenly, it all dissipated. He fell back down onto the bench and held his head in his hands. Just like before, he had simply become…empty. 

"I can't," Caster whispered. "I can't use my Aspect anymore."

Gehrman frowned at his words. 

"What are you talking about?"

Caster winced terribly as he seemed to internally debate something. After a long moment, he seemed crestfallen, and he started speaking. 

"After returning, I panicked after seeing all the others at the Academy. They were all asking about Nephis and I…I ran. I ran back home and tried to explain what had happened to my father, the patriarch. He was able to strike a deal with Valor. If I could get at least 100 of the Forgotten Shore survivors to swear allegiance to Clan Valor then the Han Li clan could be restored. Otherwise, it would slowly lose resources, and eventually our ties with Valor would be cut. I tried to go back and recruit the members who weren't already pulled to Song by Seishan. But they had all been organized under Cassie, and she must have gotten wise to what my true intentions were, because she quietly ostracized me. Not a single one of them offered allegiance to Valor."

"How does this affect your Aspect?"

"It dosen't…but as a form of collateral, we had to return the strongest Memory that they lent to us. It was a Transcendent Charm, and it had the power to stop the wearer from aging. It was given to the Clan specifically because of me…and my Flaw."

"Ah," Gehrman had a sudden realization. Each individual Awakened had a Flaw, no matter how powerful an Awakened was, it was a constant. Most of them had simply done a good job of hiding it or managing it. 

Effie, for example, had all of her human needs multiplied. Meaning she needed to consume a frankly ridiculous amount of calories in order to function. This was tough, but not debilitating. 

There were very few Flaws that made one's power unusable, but as it turned out, Caster had one. 

"Each time I use my Aspect, I am accelerated greatly, and I become incredibly fast. But in that state of speed, my aging is also accelerated. If I am not careful, I could become an old man in less than five minutes. Without that Charm…I'm useless."

Gehrman pressed his body into the back of the bench and let out a long breath. It was truly a devastating Flaw…but it didn't have to be. 

"I think there is a very obvious solution you are overlooking," Gehrman said.

"If you thought of a solution, then I doubt it's sane, and it most certainly is not obvious," Caster laughed. And yet, there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"From what I have seen, the higher in Rank you get, the less age applies to you. Some of the current Transcendents are fighting without any issue despite being near 100 years old. I'd say it's likely that your Flaw becomes inconsequential if you reach the 5th or 6th Rank," Gehrman smiled. "So all you have to do is not use your Aspect, and conquer a couple more Nightmares."

Caster gritted his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And how am I supposed to do that without my Aspect?"

"I've seen plenty of warriors in my Nightmares who are way stronger than Corrupted creatures while not having any Aspect. Those Hunters used the sheer strength of Transcendence to accomplish feats that are more than enough to take care of anything that comes your way. So long as you have enough skill, and you have the right team, I don't think it will be an issue…and I'll give you something else to make it even more manageable."

Gehrman greatly appreciated Caster's honesty, and he appreciated his tenacity even more. All his life the boy had been held back by the poisonous pride of his weak family and society that surrounded him. Without any of those limitations…what could he become? Gehrman really wanted to see what monster would be born from Caster's monstrous potential. 

For that reason, he decided on making a rather dangerous investment. 

A whirl of white sparks suddenly appeared. But this was not because Gehrman summoned a Memory, it was because he cut it from himself completely. 

He could not transfer Memories, but he could abandon them. 

Just as the First Lord of the Bright Castle had abandoned the Dawn Shard in order to give it to future generations. 

Now Gehrman did the same with one of his most powerful Memories. 

Of course, it wasn't one that Gehrman was confident he could make full use of. But given Caster's specific situation, he was sure that this talented prodigy would be able to use it up until he became Transcendent. 

As the white sparks disappeared, a single black feather appeared in his hand. Attached to its end was a simplistic, lightweight piece of black wood. And yet, it emanated an aura of solemn strength that made it seem unbreakable. The wood ending was attached to a miniscule chain that made the Charm usable as an earring. 

"This is [Crow's Vow]. A Transcendent Charm that offers great power in return for a restrictive Vow. I don't much care for such things, but given your situation, I think it's quite fitting to swear off the use of your Aspect."

Caster's eyes widened to a comical degree. Transcendent Memories were ridiculously valuable, and just a single one could buy a mansion. And now Gehrman was offering him one with such ease. 

"Think of it as a temporary handicap. It will hold you over until you can use your Aspect again. I expect you to at least become a Supreme human, so this will eventually hold little value." 

Despite his obvious awe, Caster hesitated to take the extraordinary Memory. 

"What do you want in return?" 

Gehrman smiled. This was something he had thought about for a long time. His current "job" for the Government was great, but it didn't really address his long term goals. 

Back in the Forgotten Shore, he had wanted to train some other Sleepers to become Hunters. This tendency might have been born from Old Gehrman's desire to be a teacher, but it was also reinforced by his other experiences. 

Due to his exceptional nature, Gehrman could do many things by himself. But slaughtering the millions, if not billions of Nightmare Creatures that populated the Waking World and the Dream Realm was never something he could accomplish alone. 

"I am going to start a New Hunter's Workshop here in the waking world. It will be a place for certain people to live, train, and learn. It will start with just mundane people, but eventually it will have Awakened. I want you to help me throughout its construction. You will act as a manager of sorts. Though they will be autonomous, they will need someone to watch over them while they grow. I can't be in multiple places at once, so I will need someone else to pick up the slack."

Caster frowned. "You want me to be a babysitter?"

Gehrman shook his head and chuckled. "I want you to be a Hunter. Until you successfully record 10,000 Nightmare Creature kills, you will be under my direct command. Though the Workshop is a priority, it is ultimately secondary to your own advancement. Everything is secondary to your own individual strength."

Gehrman stood up and reached out a hand.

"Abandon your clan, abandon Valor, and abandon your honor and pride. Do this and you will gain unparalleled power."

A breeze blew between them at that moment. The wind of change was on the horizon. At that moment, when the two young men shook hands, the fate of the world was altered.

A spark of lights appeared once again. This time, they entered Caster's Soul Sea. 

A short while later, after reading the runes of the Memory, Caster nodded. His forlorn face now full of dreadful conviction. 

He had felt death, felt unbridled shame, felt his own powerlessness. And in the crucible of the Forgotten Shore his connection to his clan had slowly but surely withered away. After reading the description of the Charm enchantment, he steeled his resolve. 

[Deadly Vow] 

Enchantment Description: [The wearer of this Charm must make a promise to themselves that binds their soul. The more restrictive the promise the greater power this Memory grants. Those who break this promise will immediately die. Removing the Memory will result in its breaking.]

This time, when the white sparks of the Spell appeared, they did so around Han Li Caster's ear. A small hour glass once hung from that ear. That Charm had been a chain to a family that had sought to use him and throw him out. 

The small crow's feather that was now attached to him was the opposite. It was an opportunity to grow beyond even those who ruled this world. 

And so it was that a Hunter by the name of Caster made a solemn, and deadly vow. 

"I Vow that I will not use my Aspect Ability so long as I wear this Memory."

In the gardens of the Han Li residence, the first Hunter of the New Workshop was born.