10 The Guild Part 4 Hell Graduation

I woke with a start rolling to the side on instinct. A dagger was plunged into the position my head occupied previously, my hands moved like flowing water drawing daggers in a smooth motion to deflect incoming blows from both sides

Shriiiiiiing! the shrill sound of clashing metal echoed out

"I didn't ask for a wake up call you know"

Attempting to make small talk while panting

I used my imprint to enrich the oxygen content of my blood while trying to by time through a series of rapid fire parries alternating hands and gradually increasing my speed and rhythm blade singing in conversation

"you'll get lazy if you make a habit of sleeping late you know, I don't wan't people seeing my student's bad habits, I would be a stain on my reputation"

she threw out a few daggers while speaking

"student my ass, victim more like"

dodging out of the way and pitching myself out of a window my eyes glowed violet briefly firing off a shot with a flintlock on my right into the shacks point of death, the shack collapsed in a heap of splintered wood.

"URGH! that hurt, sometimes I want to gouge out those pretty little eyes of your's"

gaining some breathing room with the smoke and the chaos caused by the shack collapsing , I decided to retreat for the time being

"I have 20 seconds maybe"

I shook my head

"Probably fifteen"

moving into the forest I found a vantage point in one of the tree and loaded the spent flintlock in a hurried but practiced motion it took 3 seconds

sure enough the shack erupted in a hail of splinters shortly after I finished my reload Shansa appeared briefly before fading out of existence

"surly can you help me track her movements"

ding!

the system will attempt using sonar to determine the assailants approximate location

I started my retreat in the forest, even if she is faster than me I can create no small amount of obstacles for her

"behind you"

I dropped out of the tree without looking back reversing the grip on the dagger I twisted my waist and parried the last of the incoming strike.

my head towards the ground I reached a hand toward the forest floor I slashed down using the back pf the dagger to hook a raised but strong root that had been exposed. Moving forward at a downward angle, I cartwheeled a few times before slowing down just enough to change directions.

Shansa had already caught up with me by now I still had plenty of stamina, none of my muscles were aching either, with the increased oxygen in my blood I can extend my engagement time by a large margin, and have a harder time tiring

blocking a slash with my left and throwing a dagger to my right with a flick I tried to gain a bit of distance arming my right hand with a curved dagger in forward grip for offense and holding the other in reverse still to give me more options when parrying.

"two can play at that game"

Shansa threw three daggers in succession she had one bandoleer with fifteen knives instead of the ten apiece I had on my 2 her height let her carry a longer bandoleer for knives and therefore she was able to carry more in one

I threw down a smoke pellet

"nice to see you using more than one method of making smoke"

Over the past few days I had been looking for other methods to make smoke so I could track her movements. Flintlocks just weren't a sustainable solution I only get 4 shots with the flintlocks and they're likely to be the only black powder weapons I'm ever going to use. I wont be keeping them around forever and the smoke clouds offer too many options to abandon.

Ignoring her comment I moved forward applying pressure with a flurry of slashes alternating between left and right

I snapped out a kick to gain distance, the blow didn't land of course but the brief opening caused by her

"nice mix u-"

I threw another smoke pellet into her open mouth

*cough cough*

" its customary to treat a lady to breakfast after she's shown you a good time... still you could hardly be called a lady"

taking the opportunity to retreat as I ran past her doubled over figure I added a little something to the pellet making it 'extra spicy'

after about a minute of running I felt a chill and heard surly again

"she's to the right this time"

I ducked sending out a sweep kick with my leg in the indicated direction the air distorted briefly, jumped apparently I darted underneath and felt a burning sensation across my back and some numbness

" poison huh"

I started forcing out any affected blood the wound looked a lot more ghastly as a result

"blame your bad cooking"

Ignored her and turned to receive any incoming attacks blood dripping out of the air indicated the position of one of her daggers

"and your a terrible lover, whats up with the ears anyway, I know your not beastkin"

I saw some dust kicking up from the same spot three times It looked like she was stamping her foot in indignation If I could see her face it would probably be pouting

"they're for my hubby"

"someone married you that's a surprise"

I suddenly felt a danger that far exceeded anything I had felt previously, I backpedaled, my instincts were screaming telling me that I need to run NOW

I darted to the side blocking a very fierce slash with my left hand dropping a smoke pelet did nothing she was already behind me before it landed snapping out a back kick out of reflex I felt a burning pain and numbness in it.

"I'm sure we can talk this out, BOLIN"

I heard a refined and gentle voice call out from the distance

"sorry kid you brought this on yourself, her late husband is a bit of a touchy subject"

wait a minute 'late' husband

oh... shit

with my mobility hindered I can only hold out until she calms down

I started trading blows without any regard for offense everything from this point on was parries she overpowered me in terms of raw strength

" Oh god I'm so sorry, I didn't know"

"GOD HOW DARE YOU BRING UP GOD IN FRONT OF ME!!! I AM YOUR GOD BITCH"

Bolin called out again sounding rather nonchalant

"I forgot to mention that the church is partially responsible for her husbands death, I'll tell you the rest of the story later"

"IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF YOU TOLD ME SOONER"

I yelled out in a panicked fashion while blocking a rather close blow

at this point i was cutting a pretty sorry figure clothes in taters and covered with my own blood daggers flashing I was doing well to block every third strike.

" um.. the cat ears look very good on you"

"I bet that's what you tell all the pretty girls"

Continuing to fend of the dinosaur in human form, I was slowing down, losing momentum . It's just not something I can keep up with for long even with the hemomancy imprint to limit the loss of blood and stamina I could only delay the inevitable and prolong my own suffering. Her agility and strength far exceeded my own, the distance between us was a wide chasm one imposivle for the current me to cross, especially wounded. Blackness encroaching upon my vision I kept up as best as I could until I eventually collapsed from the blood loss. I couldn't help laughing out before fainting

then...

I woke up

"I'm alive"

"of course, you didn't think I would really kill you, did you"

"well....."

"fine don't answer then"

She threw me a bronze coin with a wire threaded through it, and a laminated card

"congratulations you've passed that's your rank token and guild card the card serves as identification and the coin is used to indicate your rank and identify you if something happens on a mission"

The card read "Blood Hunter" and had a picture of my new face

"Blood Hunter what the hell kind of name is that"

"your adventurer name is mostly used to identify your role in combat, at a glance its just an alias but it also tells a mission leader know where you can serve best and whether or not you are appropriate for a mission"

" blood is used to identify your ability to use hemomancy, Hunter is used to denote a rouge with both ranged and concealment capabilities"

"this name seems very... generic"

"well you're not the first blood hunter, but you just so happen the only blood rouge the guild has seen in a while. The class has been extinct for years, if the planar consciousness hadn't gifted you with an inheritance it we probably wouldn't have been seen again any time soon. Even in its heyday it was unpopular because of its harsh restrictions on bloodline fusing and reliance on consumable items."

"does the planer consciousness do this often"

"most transmigrators get gifted a class suited to them or are given the option to choose one of many classes"

"what are classes exactly"

"classes like disciplines represent a school of thought rather than just a simple set of abilities"

"blood rouges are considered the bastards of hemomancy, rather than being immersed in the pure unadulterated study of blood runes and emulating their effects through spells blood rouges follow a similar philosophy to the now extinct vampires and lycanthropes of old opting to imbibe the blood directly"

"what's so bad about it"

"all power comes with risk, in the case of blood rouges its beastificarion at least in the classes early stages of development, later on they the risks were almost completely mitigated, with the use of specialized alchemy"

"this alchemy would eventually lead to the rise of witchers, a type of magic who used a combination of blood rouge alchemy and modified beast organs to create deconcoctions and implants. most witchers have access to one or more blood sigils depending on the organs they implant"

she took a breath and continued

"I suggest you find a witcher and consult them on alchemy most of the potions that use beast blood as a base can be used by a blood rouge without issue but I recommend getting a Du sang vulture kidney implanted it raises your resistance to poisons and toxins. having a beast organ already in can also reduce your risk of beastification as long as you monitor its condition. doc provides the service but you need to go through Silbar first."

She finished throwing me a buckled satchel and some form fitting Grey-black Leather armor

"I had this made, it matches well with your combat style since you like using smoke so much, the satchel contains a portable alchemy kit"

collecting the armor and thought for a moment leaving like this just wasn't right, when it was finally time to go I realized that this crazy lady had begun to grow on me.

heading towards the the door and stopping in front of it

"I truly am sorry about your husband, thank's for everything. I'll put your teaching to good use, see you around"

"come play with me in the future then"

I stumbled out of the door legs shaking

" I.. Uh.. Have something... veryimportanttodobye"

closing the door and making my escape, I gave a sigh of relief while making my way to the showers on the guilds second floo