Bull’s Bargain  

The atmosphere within the 'Electric Scale Prison' popped with tension.

Three Blood Knights: a Platinum Blood Saint and two Golden Blood Knights. They stood in their battle stances, facing a creature of immense power, the Golden Bull Thork.

Each was ready to fight, to die even, defending their honor as warriors of the Bloodthorne lineage.

'Perhaps I should instill a bit of fear into these humans,' Raphael thought mischievously.

He snorted and stamped a golden hoof. The impact reverberated through the prison, and sent the three Blood Knights sprawling onto their backsides with yelps.

"Hahahaha! You Bloodthorne knights are HILARIOUS!" He couldn't contain his amusement.

The absurdity of seeing those proud, arrogant warriors reduced to shivering messes in an instant. It amused him immensely!

Lorial scrambled to her feet. "What did you just say? You… know of us Bloodthorne?"

She'd caught a chilling arrogance in his voice. This was more than just the braggadocio of a power-hungry Calamity. There was a deeper truth lurking beneath its bloodshot eyes. And in that realization, she saw a chance of hope.

The longer she could keep this bull talking, the longer they'd stay out of its mouth.

"Hmph! Of course, I know you snobby bastards!" Raphael's nostrils flared with those memories he'd inherited. It was the tale of the Golden Bull Thork's humiliation, of being trapped by pathetic blood spikes, and a spoiled brat's commands. It fueled his disdain.

"If it weren't for your kind, I'd still be soaking in my Fire Pool within the Blood Forest!"

"The Blood Forest?" Lorial's eyes widened as a memory surfaced. "Could you be… the Golden Bull Thork Calamity… the one that Princess Tajmani discovered?"

Raphael snorted. "HMPH! Don't mention that spoiled brat's name in my presence. Her scent infuriates me. One day, I'll stamp on her corpse! I'll make her bones dust beneath these hooves!"

His hatred was palpable.

Lorial observed his reaction and saw a way forward. It was risky, a dangerous gamble. But the mere fact that we're still alive…?

'Perhaps this hatred could work to our advantage?'

"We may have our differences… but aren't we both… from the same land, from the same origin? We're all Bloodthorne, you and I. Since we are both from the same land, why don't you consider showing us mercy? If you let us go, we promise not to report your location to the higher ups of the Bloodthorne Empire" She hoped he would see them as allies.

"You speak of mercy? You?!" Raphael's bellow shook the prison. "Rubbish! I fear no Bloodthorne! Bring that witch Ewa Nier before me, and I'll show you what true justice is! I'll squash her pathetic self like a bug! Do you hear me!?

'Ewa Nier, our Queen? He knows of our Queen!' Her curiosity grew.' I would appear this bull has a personal vendetta to settle.'

"Senior, please!"

"Please don't anger this bull."

At that moment, Handerson and Fenriss spoke up,

Lorial turned towards her panicked subordinates and told them, "Silence!"

Her unwavering command had them bowing their heads. "I will handle this situation."

"You will handle it?" Her bold statement didn't escape Raphael's ear.

THUD!

He took a step towards them and they all braced for the end, however. It never came. Instead, he plopped onto the ground with a deep sigh and leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Hmm, listen here, you Bloodthorne babies. There's only ONE reason why I rescued you from those bloodsucking bastards. I need those potent Bloodline Arts of yours, especially that blood moon technique. I've never seen anything like it. I MUST have it!"

"WHAT?!"

"Is this brute serious? He wants my technique?"

"He's interested in senior Lorial's secret technique?!" Handerson and Fenris were aghast.

"Yes! I'm dead serious! Don't test my patience."

A tense silence stretched until Lorial, finally composed herself enough to respond. "Even if I shared those intricacies, you wouldn't be able to use it. You're not a true Bloodthorne. It's useless to you."

"That doesn't matter. I want it! NOW!"

He watched as these three humans glanced towards each other. They then nodded before looking up at him with pleading gazes.

"Hmm. Such fear." He paused before relenting with an amused huff, for he was indeed enjoying this dominance he'd never known. "Before we proceed, however, tell me why you've dared to enter Yama Yaguai? Why would noble Bloodthorne knights risk their precious hide in such a place?"

"You mean why are we here in Yama Yaguai?"

"Yes, that! And tell me truthfully. It couldn't possibly be that you were chasing me? NO, NO, NO… surely those orders weren't that desperate."

His question had Lorial thinking, 'He's curious about our mission, perhaps I could use this to distract him?"'

"Well…" She began carefully.

"Our regiment was given a Triple-S-tier mission to retrieve a certain fruit. It bears once every thousand years. This time is the right time for a harvest. We were given specific locations and instructed to come here. To Yama Yaguai."

She added, "Initially, we had five hundred knights! Our mission was progressing smoothly, until… we encountered those Vampsquitoe swarms. They slaughtered everyone. And those that were captured… We heard their screams… It was dreadful, horrifying."

Her voice cracked as the horror of their ordeal flooded her. Her emotions were genuine. She then took a deep breath, calming her soul as she recounted their escape.

"We managed to eliminate a few thousand of them but their numbers were endless. We used every technique, every trick we'd learned. We fought until we were drained. It was the Sanguinary Moon that saved us from total annihilation. But even with those efforts, they wouldn't give up. There were endless waves. The rest of the story. You already know."

"Fascinating…"

Her recount had piqued Raphael's interest, but he wasn't at all curious about her losses, nor their pain and suffering. No, this Golden Bull Thork was fixated on that fruit these humans had been tasked with retrieving.

"What is this fruit you mention?" He licked his lips in anticipation.

"That fruit. We're after the Buddhist Pill Gourd." She'd said it.

"WHAT!?" Raphael almost choke on his own tongue hearing this. 'So these runts are also after the Buddhist Pill Gourd? Then it must be powerful. Hmph! I mustn't let them have it. But I do need those Bloodline Arts. Maybe I can bargain with their life.'

After his pondering, Raphael snorted and addressed Lorial, "Listen, forget about your mission. Your lives are far more valuable than pleasing your elders. I'll provide all three of you with safe passage out of Yama Yaguai in exchange for your blood arts. What do you say? I'm a merciful Calamity." He waited for their answer.

"What...? Are you serious?" Lorial was taken aback by the audacity of this bull. It defied logic, he was offering them freedom! Why?

"Fenris? Handerson?"

Her subordinates were whispering to each other.

"He could've just devour us, you know. But his proposal. Do you think he means it, Senior.?" Handerson whispered frantically.

"Maybe. We have to survive somehow."

"But Senior? Surely you remember our vows before coming here?"

"If sharing it grants us freedom from this hell. We'd be fools to refuse. This bull is powerful! A Calamity, he could easily chew us up and spit us out. And besides, this bull will never be able to use our secret techniques."

If refusing was akin to jumping into the jaws of a hungry tiger, wouldn't giving up what he sought be a worthy price to pay for their life?

She'd endure whatever punishment from her Elders, but death… No, that wasn't an option.

Finally, after a moment of silent debate and a chilling shudder that had the 'Electric Scale Prison' vibrating erratically. Lorial agreed.

"Very well. You have yourself a deal. But you'll have to release this prison first. And tell me what guarantees our safety? What happens when we're no longer useful?"

"Hmph! A valid question." Raphael snorted. It seemed they weren't completely mindless after all.