Heart part 1

Chapter 10 - The Blood Guzzler part 2.5: I am The Blood Guzzler

For this chapter, we'll be taking a brief detour from the main story. The year, date, or time is unimportant, but let it be known that this story takes place far back in the past.

***

A man by the name of Tim Rose walked down the corridor, heading to his next class. He was 20 years old at the time and a student at a college in Fei. He was born and raised in a wealthy family that got their claim from preparing and selling meat. Just one 180g (grams) steak from his family's store would sell for over 200 gold (roughly $700 U.S. dollars).

This was because the meat they sold wasn't just any meat, but special meat they procured from special cows they raised in their privately owned farms. They're called Spotted Dune Cows. Although, these creatures were more closely related to buffalo than actual cows.

The Rose Family had traded for these Spotted Dune Cows from a wandering herder who came in from the distant country of Dunadrea to trade his cattle for grain or for any food so he could feed his family. The Rose Family has long been a part of the meat-selling business and their knowledge was extensive, even compared to other older businesses. But they had never seen such cows, with their spotted white black hides, ever before.

The meat of these cows was truly a hidden wonder of the world. No other meat procured from any other cattle or any other animal could even compare! The taste is described as being "Pure harmony", as if everything in the meat, the savoriness, the beefiness, the fat, everything is just the right amount.

The Rose Family took this "perfect meat" and decided to prepare and sell it, while never revealing the source of where it comes from. Due to the meat's taste, it was an instant hit among those who could afford it, which were always heavy-pocketed royals.

From the day he was born, Tim Rose had grown up learning about the many techniques and knowledge that he would need to take over the family business one day. When he was 20 years old, however, a crisis occurred that none of his previous lessons had ever taught him how to deal with before.

Somehow, through some unknown means, the Rose Family's entire herd of Spotted Dune Cows tragically and suddenly died. When this happened, the family was sent into a state of panic due to the sudden loss of their primary source of income. And it was during this panic that Tim Rose was thoughtlessly given a job by his parents to go travel out to Dunadrea to search for more Spotted Dune Cows.

Wanting to make his parents proud, he of course agreed, but he would soon regret this decision. Shortly after embarking, Tim Rose had gotten lost traveling across the Staf Desert in search of some of these mystical cows. For several weeks he was lost out there, without any food and water, wandering blindly across the Staf Desert's endless dunes. The rations he was given did not last long, only for about a few days.

While he was wandering through the desert, barely surviving off insects and the water he was able to scrounge up by smashing up the roots of the few plants that littered the area, he eventually caught sight of a city in front of him.

In a flurry, he ran as fast as he could, slipping and sliding down the sand dunes. Sprinting into the city, the aroma of freshly cooked meat filled his nose. He followed the scent to a small open stall. Throwing his entire purse filled with coins onto the countertop, he nearly bit the stall owner's arm off as they brought him a freshly cooked skewer with several chunks of meat poked onto it.

As soon as he got the skewer in his hands, he began to eat the meat like a wild animal, tearing into it with his teeth ferociously. With every chunk torn off, he slurped and swallowed it down in an instant. As he feasted, his eyes happened to glance to the side at something hanging off of the stall's shambly top.

When he realized what it was that was hanging off of the stall's top, immediately, Tim Rose stopped and froze.

What was hanging off of the stall's top was the small bodies of two young children. You see, the city that Tim Rose had run into was suffering from a meat shortage.

Due to Dunadrea's poor economy at the time and the very few means that it had to support itself, this left most of its cities and people largely in poverty. Famines and shortages were not uncommon sights for the people living in this country. Some may ask why the Dunadrains never left Dunadrea if this was the case, but the fact is that many have tried. But due to their one and only neighbor, the country of Cyend, which landlocked them against the coast, and because of the high amount of money that it costs to cross the border, few ever decide to leave and even fewer make it out of Dunadrea.

It was because of its poor economy and lack of any strong military force that things such as theft, murder, and crimes of all sorts were allowed to happen with very little interference. The people did what they needed to survive.

As he sat there with the greasy handle of the skewer resting between his fingers, with what was potentially human meat poked through it and swashing around in his stomach and mouth, Tim Rose sat there and trembled. He didn't want to eat anymore, but his hunger growled like a tiger at him. The taste was like poison, a sweet poison that caused him to go in for another bite.

As he continued eating, even after he was long done, the flavor remained in his mouth. Tim Rose then proceeded to buy another skewer.

It wasn't until a few more days after this that he returned to Cyend with a full stomach. Never did he once find the cows that his parents had sent him out into Dunadrea for. Soon after he had returned home, he began to learn about the true nature of the Lods an Van Festival.

And thus, The Blood Guzzler was born.

***

The Blood Guzzler sat with a crooked back in a chair, hunched over a book he was duly writing in.

"...Three girls...5'3, 91 lbs...5'2, 82 lbs...5'3, 84 lbs..." He muttered to himself as he wrote the words on the page. 

His white gloves were off and resting on his desk beside him. Each stunted nail on his fingers ended in a thick yellow line. To make up for the lack of nail, the hyponychium had become thick and was no doubt infected with some kind of fungal disease. Some of the edges of his nails bore red aching sores where the skin had been recently pulled.

Once he was done, he closed the book and gave his back a stretch. Out from the darkness behind him, several ghostly floating eyes floated towards him.

" Hmm...you must've thought you were being really sneaky, Heart, but little did you know..." He gestured for one of the eyes to come closer to him. "...that I had my 'eyes' on you the entire time!"

Without holding back, he began to laugh and slam his hand against his desk. Once he was finished, he brought back his composure and stood up from his seat.

" I think it's time for me to start preparing the Lidias now..." The Blood Guzzler uttered in a whisper as he let out another wretched cackle.

Even after 15 years, the taste still remained in his mouth.