The Black Saint is My StalkerCh92 - Debris that pricked her soles

2 extra chapters for B.K0036 for winning the draw in the CG 10k contest! Enjoy!

Han Li dreamed of a dark horizon and hunger so deep, it could devour the entire world three times over. He dreamed of peering eyes and lost souls, as black as the pit of hell. 5DfcPi

He woke up feeling hungry, his brow damp with sweat. But when Han Li pressed his hand to his belly, he also felt that he had no appetite.

Outside, he could hear milling about, sharp voices and commands, information being announced and passed.

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Shit. Han Li checked his wristwatch. It was already 9:00 pm. They were due to depart at 9:30 pm. No one had bothered to check on him or wake him from his slumber. Classic. 

With a frustrated hiss, Han Li jumped to his feet, tearing apart his luggage to find his gear. SqiPsY

Trusty talismans, check. Weian, check. His enchanted jacket, check. The right footwear, check. Han Li shrugged everything on at record speed before rushing out of the room. The team was already assembling in the living room, ready to depart.

“Oh!” Leonie bounced when she spotted him, sporting her standard customer service smile. She had changed out of her civilian clothes; gone were the plain orange skirt and the boring shirt and instead, she wore standard hunter’s equipment. Dark military trousers tucked into combat boots and a magically enforced jacket that rested over her shoulder.

She also had a large weapon strapped to her back which looked a little like a high-tech version of a medieval jousting lance. Or maybe just an oversized umbrella. Aside from her weapon, there was also a small case strapped to the belt around her waist. For such a tiny woman, she sure had a lot of strength. Yet still, Leonie invoked the same energy as a pleasant suburb housewife.

Leonie tilted her head a little. “I was just about to wake you, Han Li. We’re going to depart.”

Trevor rolled his eyes and stormed out without another word. And it took everything in Han Li’s body to smile back politely at the captain. “Yeah, uh, next time it’d be nice if you wake me up a bit earlier…please?”

“I didn’t want to disturb your rest,” Leonie said apologetically, giving him that signature pat on the shoulder.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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“I could say the same to you,” Han Li jokingly replied.

The paladin shrugged and thankfully did not appear offended as he strolled out the door after Trevor.

After him, it was that tall dirty blond-haired man who lumbered past, only to paused to give Han Li a weird look. The two of them stared at each other, an awkward silence hung. Even Leonie merely watched, not saying a word to interfere with the stifling awkwardness.

The man, who Han Li remembered had a strange name he had never heard of before, was staring at him with a subtle frown. It was as though he was contemplating something without being able to come to a decision. 4Su8CV

But eventually, he said, “Ah, I’m Valtteri. Scout. Uh…sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier, I was…”

“He was busy,” Leonie helped supply him with a small chuckle.

“Oh, uh yeah… I was busy…” the way he spoke didn’t sound very convincing. Especially not when he was looking away and scratching the back of his neck.

But Han Li had clearly seen Valtteri work, so he had no idea why the scout made the truth sound so sarcastic. He decided not to question it and replied with a casual and friendly demeanor, “Yeah, it’s cool dude. Don’t worry about it. I’m Han Li, your vanguard, but you probably already knew that.” Z7pedM

Valtteri nodded and accepted a handshake. Though the meeting was a bit awkward and a bit late, Han Li didn’t mind too much. Valtteri seemed chill, more so than Oscar, and compared to someone like Trevor, he deserved an award for personality of the year.

Uncomfortable introductions out of the way, the group set out. Their first stop was the rooftop.

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The team lined up along the ledge while their captain stood front and center. Lyrchester’s sky was dark and dreary but nighttime still remained bright with light pollution. The wind blew and mused their hair and clothes but everyone stood at attention.

Han Li had no idea what was going on because no one bothered to fill him in. Without many options, he only stood there awkwardly and awaited orders. It did not escape his notice that his teammates had radios when he did not. Z8xIJ

“Where the heck is mine?” he hissed at Valtteri, who was standing next to him.

“Huh…?” Valtteri blinked lazily, taking him a moment to realize what the younger vanguard was referring to. He frowned and reached up to his own earpiece and replied slowly, “Oh…this… Did Leonie not give you yours? Or wait…I think she told Trevor to give it to you.”

“…What,” Han Li deadpanned, unimpressed. He took a peek farther down in line and grimaced. Trevor wasn’t looking any more friendly than when Han Li first met him. The exorcist had his arms crossed with a permanent scowl on his face. Honestly, Han Li would probably have to beat the man dead first before he could get his radio. Yeah, uh, no thanks.

Valtteri followed Han Li’s gaze and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. At least one soul out there who felt sympathy for Han Li’s plight. “I…actually have an old spare on me so…you can use that. It’s a bit buggy though, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t work all that well…” ktxD7m

“Thanks, Val,” Han Li sighed with relief. He would take anything at this rate. Anything was better than nothing.

After securing the radio and fitting the earpiece to his ear, Han Li turned his attention back to the captain.

Leonie stood at the center of the rooftop, planting her weapon into the ground; the handle-side down. The lance unfolded like an umbrella, metallic arms fanning out similar to the arms of a satellite. Green dots of light lit up on the side, the DASR logo visible.

Once her lance was set, Leonie flexed her hand. A set of rings lined each finger. Aside from the glittering sheen of her polished wedding band, the rest were made of wood. Three of these rings were plucked and Leonie held them in her palm. XpS5lL

Eyes closed, she breathed out an incantation, summoning three low-leveled desire demons to her feet. Dark wisps of miasma rose from their canid-like bodies, their shoulders as high as Leonie was tall, muzzles long, teeth sharp and eyes red.

Unlike her brother, Leonie never had a grasp on controlling wrath demons or summoning the sheer numbers he had been capable of when he was alive. But she had her own merits; Leonie’s ability to sync and control her minions was something unrivaled in her entire family.

“Seek them out,” Leonie commanded. Sharp howling responded. The demon bowed before whizzing off into three separate directions, their black pelt melded into the gusting wind.

The green lights on her lance continued to beep. The weapon was a custom piece of technology that was built for her, courtesy of her Board member husband and his convenient network of ‘friends’. Amplifying her command and control over a larger range, the lance made Leonie a spectacular scout, despite her favored position as sentinel. vi JdM

It only took a few moments for her gaze to perk up, her alert incited. She turned on her heel and gave the group of men one of her easy-going smiles. “It seems that we’ve a hit! Let’s get moving, quickly.” Her demeanor was so damn cheery that Han Li almost forgot that he was on a hunt. Feeling whiplash, he blinked and shook his head, trying to snap out of it before marching off after the rest of the team.

Privately, he held a lot of concerns about this team.

But Han Li kept it to himself. For now. 

For now, he would obediently follow. 6CWRdT

…

In the city outskirts there stood a lonely church. It hadn’t seen any visitors for months and was due for demolition. Within the pew-less halls, a single figure stood at the altar. She hummed an old tune, twirling on her tippy toes as she swayed to the beat.

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Her strawberry blond hair trailed behind her, so long that it almost draped to the floor. An emerald dress cloaked her figure; donning her in her favorite color. Velvet fabric hung loose on her bosom and a wreath of white lilies wound with crimson mistletoes decorated her hair. Her bare feet drew footprints into the dusty ground but she was rather unconcerned about the debris that pricked her soles.

“Aoibhinn,” a melodious voice singsonged from the other side of the vacant church. Footsteps approached and the Crimson Witch halted her dance. “Did I not tell you to put on some shoes?” 0E8njw

Fervent excitement brightened her verdant eyes as her partner strolled down the empty nave. Perhaps madness glimmered in those eyes as well. “Oh, are you finally ready? I thought I might die from wait!” Without any regard to the comment of her footwear, or lack thereof, she skipped down the altar. “Let us depart! We’ve a battle to attend to.”

Andraste threw her head back and laughed, “Of course! Of course! Let us go, Princess of War!”

Aoibhinn: ( •̀ ω •́ )

Andraste: ヽ(*^ｰ^)ノ 07FyK4