S'got a bit of violence folks. Bloody visceral violence.
“We have heard, that you are one who hunts monsters?” I slowly tilted my head back to look up at the elegantly dressed man who had swept up to my table. I was currently sitting in a decent tavern, but far from a fancy place. This man, in his fancy garb and his long sweeping hair, and his admittedly wrinkled skin, was an outlier, even more so than I was. I at least was quiet and kept to myself, and this old man was - well. He was coming to talk to someone else, in his rich, drawing voice. But - he wasn't wrong.

“You have been informed correctly. I am the Huntsman, or the Good Hunter. Hunting beasts is my calling.” I folded my hands together atop the table and watched as this stranger practically flowed into his chair. My eyes narrowed behind my glasses. There was something off about his movements, a strange, almost inhuman quality to them.

That could just be because he was moving so smoothly at his age, though, as what I knew of humans meant that normally when they looked as old as this particular specimen did, they normally became stiff and slow. Still, I would keep an eye on him.

“Excellent. My associates and I have recently learned the location of a particularly foul monster that has been plaguing us for some time - we have, thus far, proven incapable of taking the thing out ourselves, and so, we turn to… Outside help.” Oh? So it was a particularly dangerous beast to hunt then? Beneath my mask, I felt my lips slide back from my teeth in a grin of anticipation. A good Hunt made my blood stir like little else.

“Well then. Tell me of your beast, and where it resides.” I gestured with one hand, indicating for the old man to speak. With an obvious air of distaste, he did so.

“It is a thing masquerading as a woman. Some kind of blood-consuming monstrosity, we are sure that it is running rampant even now, draining people and moving on.” He spoke of a vampire. Oh, a glorious Hunt indeed if one of the nightwalkers had gone over the edge into their bloodthirst.

“Oh, now this does sound like a Hunt. Tell me where.”

-------

The city was choking with the crowds of people. I stood out here, in this city - my midnight black skin and white hair drew attention from the citizenry. I suppressed my urge to belittle the for staring so blatantly at me - did these people know nothing of subtlety? Fah, at least it meant it would likely be easy to follow rumors to my prey. As I slowly paced through the crowds, people clearing away from me a bit as I did so, I turned over the information that I had been given.

The ‘woman’ was bloodthirsty, and according to them should either be engaging in blood drinking as frequently as possible, or gorging itself. Either one would stand out in the city that it had apparently hidden itself in. I was also given a brief physical description of the flesh mask it wore: sharp, aristocratic features, full red lips - to hide blood stains from its feasting no doubt - and vivid green-gold eyes. It was likely those last that would let me identify my target - eyes of golden hue were fairly unusual.

I made my way to a bar, and tucked myself in, ordering some food and some drink. It was easiest to blend in and be ignored if you were doing what people thought you should be - and I was here to listen to rumors, not draw attention. I accepted the mug of whatever foul brew the bar was serving, and took the bowl of thin, watery soup with a grunt. It would serve to sustain me, even if it was unpleasant. I cooked better, with wild monster meat. Sad.

By the time I had finished my poor excuse for a meal, I was beginning to feel stirrings of irritation. There were no signs of a vampire having run amok, at all. They were fairly distinctive when they gave in to their blood thrust - desiccated bodies littered their wakes. So either I had been misinformed, which I absolutely detested, or, this one had managed to retain some of its unnatural cunning even in the depths of its depravity.

It seemed I would just have to put in leg work. I I stood up and returned my Saw-Spear to its holster under my cloak, and swept out of the bar. I almost froze in shock as I walked out the door. No, there was no way my luck was that serendipitous. A curvaceous ‘woman’ with golden-green eyes was walking towards me on the street, though she didn't seem to actually be paying attention to me. I tilted my hat down and stepped to the side, out of her way, and she hurried past, apparently trying to get away.
Beneath my mask a cold smile curved my lips. Perhaps I had not been misinformed after all.

Let the hunt begin.