[R]Ep1. Ellen McFarlane(Master Hunt)

[SQJ]

[R] - This is rated R for strong themes such as slavery, prejudice, murder, hate, sex, genocide. It is also rated R for swearing, graphic violence and death.

Part one of a master hunt: Research

The birth of Ellen the Master

23 March 1603
Ellen McFarlane is born, a daughter of a close advisor of a highland chief. Her father had the vision to teach her daughter all he knew by whispering it to her from the womb in the hope of making an intellectual out of her daughter. Someone good enough to marry the King of Scotland one day. Far he knew it was question of time before the highlanders were thrown by the wayside by royalty.
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24 March 1603
King Elizabeth the first of England dies. The news carried to James the 4th of Edinburgh that he is now also King of England.
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1604 – Till present day
Ellen is taught to speak fluent Gaelic as her father is a very strong traditionalist when it comes to their language and culture.
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23 April 1609
The highlands chiefs are all kidnapped in an elaborate trap and forced to sign an agreement which in the end undermines Gaelic language and culture.
Ellen’s father is killed and all that he had is lost to him. Leaving her to be turned into a cruel Highland chieftain’s servant girl. It’s an impossibly hard life.
----
“[Where is that girl?]”
“[She’s outside with sacks. You asked her to help.]”
“[I did, of course I did. What is she doing though?]”
“[Carrying sacks]”
“[Carrying them? As in for lifting them up?]”
“[Yes she’s quite remarkable.]”

Ellen lifted the first sack and dropped it on her back. She hunched over into a low bow, her knees trembling with the sheer effort. The chieftain called her in the Queens English but she replied in Gaelic, which made the chieftain’s cheeks flush. His fists clenched.

--
1 March 1615
Ellen lifted two sacks of potatoes brought in from the northern and dropped then over here shoulders. The men around her gaped. She didn’t pay them any heed instead calling to a near maid.
“[Where is he?]” She asked in Gaelic.
“Praying. Ellen.”
“[Of course he is.]”
“[Hey Courtney, you busy? I need your help.]” Ellen asked, a dozen thoughts running through her mind and making her grin.
“Well I’m not busy right now, how long do you need me for?”
“Potentially the rest of our lives.”
Courtney grinned. “You say the strangest things.”

----

5 June 1619
“[I don’t think you should do this.]”
“Of course you don’t. You’re jealous. You made us run away from our homelands and promised us all the wealth in the world yet here I am. The one that is going to give it to you through marriage. You know it is the only way.”
“[ No, I do not trust this man. I think this is a set up. Think about it. You have yet to meet his family. Only his disgusting friends and although you’ve been inside the castle you have yet to see the main halls. Only side passages and secret entrances.]”
“It’s because he is waiting for the right moment.”
Courtney hugged. “Everything will be fine. I love you for being worried about me but trust me on this. I believe in him wholly. I need you too. Please? For me?”
Ellen crossed her arms. A hundred thoughts running through her mind. “Fine. For you and only you.”
Courtney jumped up into Ellen’s arms and was lifted into the air with ease. “I knew you would! You will meet him soon.”

--

10 December 1619
Ellen stood staring at a small patch of could in the blue sky, unable to bring herself to look at the gravesite at her feet. Something strange, something foreign broke inside of her. She didn’t know what it was but when she clung to herself tightly her muscles bunched more intensely that they had only the day before. She felt taller, the cool winter’s air pressed on her exposed back but she felt none of it. She’d been drinking the day before but now as she sat there none of it appeared to affect her. Quite literally millions of thoughts buzzed through her mid being ordered pushed forwards and back, held and deleted in terms of relevance to her emotional state.
What happened had happened. Courtney was dead and the prince Charles was the man behind it all. She’s taken her Courtney away from her and expected no repercussions. If only he knew.

----

19 January 1622
Barrenness Kashia from Russia was ordered to be Prince Charles first wife. Her convey was not as a small one. Six carriages, run by steam engines tore through the path leading to France to get a boat to Scotland.
Ivan Sorel pushed the lead carriage ready to drop his cargo and enjoy all that was Paris. There was a great many rumours of exactly what happened there and he wanted to go back to Russia with the full facts. He licked his lips in anticipation. A small figure in the distance threatened to block the steel carriages path. With a telescope he saw it was a young woman carrying what looked to be some kind of broken tent in her left hand. He blew his horn but didn’t stop. This was a royal convey it couldn’t stop, not for some girl. He looked closer and saw the young woman wasn’t moving. He tried to look at what she was holding, what ever it was was extremely long and covered in a shiny fabric that reminded him of silk.
They were moving too fast to stop they weren’t supposed to stop. He cursed the gods for giving him such a horrible sight to live with and he shut his eyes waiting for the impact of steel and thin flesh. The young woman pulled the fabric off.
She was holding what looked to be the largest claymore he’d ever seen in his life. She lifted it in a single hand, it suddenly glowed blue.

Ten minutes later

The barrenness blinked awake. She’d fainted. It took her a moment to remember why. Her carriage was split cleanly in half. Cool air blew in from the massive whole. But that wasn’t that had done it. It was the blood, she was drenched in the blood of her serving girls. Her once white satin gown was now red and pink with bits of bone and human fleshed pressed into the fabric. She screamed but a hand clamped quickly over her mouth. “Sshh.” A woman her age, maybe a year older said to her. She was covered in twice as much gore as she was. She looked like a butcher. She spoke but it was in a language the barren could not understand. The older woman’s hair was bright red, just like the barrenness’s but that wasn’t the same similarity. They were the same height, she had the same birth mark on her left shoulder. The barrenness screamed again into for her scream to be caught into the woman’s palm.
“It’ll be okay. It’ll-It’ll, it’ll” The barrenness watch horrified as her accent changed.
“Let me go!” She cried.
“Let me go!” The woman copied.
“Please!”
“Please! Yes, that is good. Thank you.” The woman said her voice the same as the Barrenness’s. The woman’s palms stroked the back of her head and the side of her jaw. “It’s nothing personal. I simply need what you have and have the means to take it for my own. I don’t expect you to understand. Few people ever do.”
The woman twisted and the barrenness felt her head twist for only a split second before she heard the snap then there was nothing. Only the glow of Ellen’s golden eyes before death.

---

23 January 1622
A rescue party found the ruins of the dead and in-between the Barrenness clinging to life, barely.

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23 January 1623
Prince Charles married the Barrenness.

---
12 March 1624
“It’s nothing personal. I simply need what you have and have the means to take it for my own. I don’t expect you to understand. Few people ever do.”

---
13 March 1625
King James the fourth is found dead.

The Barrenness gives birth to two boys both future heirs to the throne.

---
12 December 1628 – 1645

The Barrenness changes her name to Ellen to show her love of the Scottish culture and learns to speak fluent Gaelic and forces all who live in the caste to do the same.

Civil wars threatened to erupt but they were quelled by a series of well timed assassinations from leaders to their families counting in their tens of dozens(I like tenths of dozens seems silly but I like it ).

The Fraternity tracked Ellen McFarlane’s history over the course of five years. Once they found her true history they marked Ellen McFarlane as one of the top five most successful Masters in the history of mankind and assembled their most experienced and most promising to kill her. Assuming they could get to her.

[SQJ]

Name: Ellen McFarlane
Age: 43
Age she became a master: 26 Years as a master making her impressively one of the few masters to cross over at the young age of 17. Though the cross over age is unknown to the Frat.
Specialised skill list: All masters are powerful and smart but many specialise. The most experienced a master the more things they are specialized in. (One skill for every 3 years as a master.)
1. She can take in any person’s voice after hearing it for only a few seconds.
2. She can throw her voice pretty far.
3. She’s self trained in stealth but it quite talented in breaking an opponent’s concentration and breaking away an opponent’s sight.
4. She’s faster than most masters and has a running speed that matches a few modern cars.
5. She’s talented in the uses of weapons most especially the large type. Broadswords, lances and super heavy claymores.
6. She has high intellect and uses it to manipulate those around her, giving her a very loyal army.
7. Although her rate of healing is the same as other masters, she ha unnaturally tough skin capable of taking hits at a high level.
8. Highly flexible she can bend and twist her body sharply without second thought.
9. Body perception, her high intellect allows her to record body movement of the slightest kind and read an opponent’s emotive state and intent. In a nutshell she can tell if you’re lying.

[SQJ]

Location:

Maps of London:

Spoiler: 1 

Spoiler: 2 

Spoiler: 3 

Relevant Locations within:

The Grey Hold Inn:

[SQJ]

“London, what a marvellously dreadful place!” Demi said walking into the London’s perimeter. How long had he been walking? He didn’t know. It had to have been a full day at least. Somehow, considering his age he felt an old man speech was relevant. Though taking a deep whistling breath it was hard to admit he felt anything like an old man.

A feeling he could not express to his comrades.

To think the Barrenness was not who everyone had thought her to be. She was nothing of the sort. She wasn’t from those far eastern lands but from the land of the Scots. A Scotsman, or rather woman who’s conquered one of the most powerful empires to ever exist and she’d done it single handedly.

That wasn’t entirely true. She’d had an accomplice. For her to have become a master she must have been a very close one. The death of one near was generally the way most masters crossed over. Something each fraternity member is warned of in advance. Don’t become too close to any single person of the opposite sex. Never, ever fall in love.

Only, that could not have been how it happened. The records had the accomplice as a woman. They were both of the same age so the idea of a mother daughter relationship appeared farfetched. He didn’t know. It didn’t matter. The accomplice Courtney was dead. Long dead, much too long left behind.

Which of course brought up a whole new debate amongst the heads of the fraternity. How long had the woman been at the level of master? There were years upon years of her life missing from any forms of records official or otherwise. Know your enemy was a lesson he taught all the younger fraternity members and they did not know enough about this Ellen. Unfortunately there was no time. The killings were getting out of hand.

He followed the river watching the sun sink beneath the horizon leaving the city in darkness. There are many eyes upon him but no moves were made. He was an old man, not just that but an old man with many possessions and black skin. Trouble followed his type like fleas but no trouble came. His twin sickles blades hang at his waist but still no argument was met. A couple policemen passed, him, they hesitated but walked on without a word. Demi didn’t bother trying to meet their eye. It saved them the trouble of getting hurt or being lied to AFTER getting hurt.

The Grey Hold Inn was a shit hole or rather a spectacular shithole. It was as though all the scum from across London has congregated there. It had five levels to it making it a small building in comparison to the others surrounding it. Every building was pressed next to the other, each one ten floors and up an ancient shell of a structure maintained with greatly advanced technology.

The entrance was made entirely of steel. A steel frame, surrounding massive steel doors which opened and closed electronically, two men quite literally twice his width blocked the entrance. The one to the left held a blue data pad with a hand print which he offered to Demi. Blue light filled the pad when Demi placed his hand and the doors opened for him. He hated this form of pay to the simple exchange of gold pieces or shillings. It always felt unnatural.

An hour later found him in the bar after his bags had been dropped. His weapons lain out on the table. That was the big sign for the fraternity members to identify each other. There were no pictures only weapons, each one more unique than the others.

[bluemoon]

Maire’s head lifted from her crossed arms at the sound of footsteps on the stone floor inside the bar. Her blonde braids swung back with the movement, her brown eyes focusing on the towering form of the man who had entered. His face was familiar, the broad nose and dark skin unmistakable. He was a teacher in the Fraternity, one famed for his ability at making the students feel at ease. She had only met him once, and as of yet had never trained with him. His side to her as he sat down, she stared openly at his profile, picking up on the grey hairs that showed his advancing years. He was one to be wary of, his number of battles having reached the critical point of seven…and everyone knew the transformation to master was only a few encounters away.

A slender hand appeared on the wooden table, lifted from her lap as she reached for her weapons possessively. Before her lay an ordinary sword of steel, the hilt showing signs of wear, but expertly crafted to fit her small hand. Fingers curling around it, her knuckles whitened, the nails showing signs of excessive wear, the quicks exposed and scabbed. Her other hand reached for a staff, the ends covered in ornate silver, rune symbols etched into the dulled surfaces. She cleared her throat and half stood, her leather tunic creaking with the motion.

Her small frame belying her strength, Maire walked over to the man, placing her knuckles on his table, her weapons creating a shadow over his. “Demibya…isn’t it?” She asked, not expecting him to recall her, their previous meeting brief and hardly memorable. She was the youngest member on the team gathering here and she hoped to make an impression on one of the senior hunters. After all, who better to learn from than one so close to becoming a master himself?

[Deadmind]

Matthew waked through the bustling streets of London.His weapons hidden away in his trench coat,so that he would not draw attention to himself."Lively as always.It's been awhile I was here.Father once brought me along here for his 'business' trip" Matthew thought to himself,smirking as he reminisced his past.He turned left at a junction and continue walking,hands in his trench coat's pocket,to the Grey Hold Inn down the street.When he got there,he stood in front of the steel entrance,looking up at the top of the building and then down to the entranceway with its neon sign above it that says 'Grey Hold Inn' before proceeding to enter it.He placed his hand casually on the handprint scanner held by the guards and it turned blue.He thought its a strange way to gain entrance to the building but he doesn't mind at all,he thought it was rather convenient.He withdrew his hand and entered through the door.

He adjusted his spectacles with his fingers as he enter the inn and then scanned the entire place before catching a glimpse of a familiar face.He walked over to where he last seen the face and found Demibya with his scythes on the table.He pulled out his hook swords from his trench coat and placed it on the table."Well,it isn't old Demi.How you been man?" Matthew asked Demibya.Matthew knew Demibya very well,he was one of his teachers in the Fraternity and once went with him in two master hunts.Matthew then noticed another member he doesn't know of yet next to them,a quite young and small one actually."Well who do we have here,you must be a new recruit,right?" Matthew asked Maire.

[Setsa]

It wasn't long after that a woman with a very heavy French accent placed her hand on the scanner that the guard held to her. Flashing a memorizing smile to him before patting in shoulder and walking in removing her cloak in the entryway before opening the door to the tavern. It wasn't hard to notice the trio sitting at the table; undoubtably the others of the team that was summoned and agreed to take care of the master Baroness.

"Demi...Matthew, a pleasure as always to see the two of you again..." smiling softly left hand resting on the hilt of her sword as Clarisa's sharp blue eyes focused onto the younger woman sitting with them. "Maire is it not? Welcome my dear....may you have a long... fulfilling life with the fraternity." This was her way to welcome the new recruits as their life was now forever changed... for the better or worse was all up to each independant person. Pulling up a chair the woman sat down with the party to wait for the remainder of the team to arrive. She was unsure herself whether she would provide knowledge support or go on the hunt with the others as there were new recuits this time and there were many important jobs for the team which together...would help to end the Master's life.

Demibya was one of her own teachers and a dear friend of her father's having been told their many adventures as her usual bedtime stories. She knew his numbers were high...even having her own suspision of how high exactly. But he was already watched and as a fraternity member and her family knowing him....she would make the acception of her own policy to rarely kill to last longer. To give him the honorable death he deserves as a Master or not fully depended on him and the fraternity's decision ofcourse.

[Stryker]

“This place changes slower than a housewife unsure of what to be seen in during a night out…” he softly chuckled under his breath while walking in front of the tavern and stopping to survey the surroundings before ultimately walking in.

It had been roughly 5 years since the last time he was down this street and from what he could remember, not much had changed on the dark and damp street let alone the entire neighborhood. Almost as if this section of London had been trapped in some kind of time freeze of sorts where things around it changed and varied over the 5 years except for this specific area. He didn’t know which feeling tugged at him more, nostalgia for things being the same still or boredom in the fact that he’d more than likely not see anything new to him that wasn’t here the previous time.

Upon entering the tavern, he was greeted by a lot more people than he originally figured to be in the small establishment, kinda made him smile knowing that it wouldn’t just be the team here, that there’d be a little atmosphere.

“Speaking of them…” he whispered to himself after spotting a table of four off near one of the tavern’s corners. With a move of his arm, his right side became revealed behind the cape he wore and revealed both his clothing and the sword at his hip as he made his way over to them.

“It seems that the neighborhood isn’t the only thing that hasn’t changed a bit around here.” He said in his usual jovial manner when around those familiar to him and vice versa. “It’s good to know that time hasn’t claimed you just yet Demi.

[F_is_for_fabs]

Hettar sat in a chair by the window of a room overlooking a dingy London street, surveying a dank and decrepit tavern. He had begun his vigil early in the morning, not long after the sun had risen. breaking only to eat and to relieve himself, he had watch as, over the course of the day, a number of perfectly ordinary individuals had entered at different times. There was nothing remarkable about any of the people Hettar had chosen to watch, save for an identical crest of unknown origin adorned by each in different places about their person. The fraternity, Hettar thought as his gauntleted hand moved over his own identical crest, stamped unobtrusively to the clasp of his belt.
'I believe it's time' he said aloud and stood up with a slight groan. His armor, freshly oiled and shined, glimmered in the evening light that shone in through the window, and the gentle clanging of metal with each footfall as he moved to buckle his sword and take up his shield was the only sign to the adjacent rooms that the one he was in was occupied. Checking finally that he had all of his belonging, Hettar opened the door and swept down the crooked spiraling stairs and into the cobbled street. The stench of rot and sweat pierced him like an arrow and he grimaced for a moment, before spitting once and growling 'Fucking London...'
With his helmet removed and his hooded cloak drawn up over his head to conceal his identity, he entered the tavern and surveyed its inhabitants. The usual rabble of fithly drunks and bar wenches littered the joint, but in one corner he spied the group he had been looking for, the unmistakable weapons that belonged to Demi splayed on the table as a sign to the other members of the fraternity. He walked towards the group deliberately, his hooded cloak still drawn over his head. Their cautious faces suggested they did not yet know who he was, and so with a quiet chuckle and a flourish he removed his hood and looked directly into Demi's piercing eyes saying 'Hello, my old friends. How nice it is to find you in such healthy circumstances...'

[SQJ]

Demi relaxed on his seat sinking in deeper into the to get at an itch. The first of his new party appeared. A woman, as it turned she'd seen him before he'd seen her. Very good, a thought rang in his head. His teacher ways taking a control of his buzzing mind. She'd make a fine hunter, assuming she wasn't one already.

He remembered her, a few things had changed since recalling the image in his head. His mind pulled to that first meeting and her image drew up. Much had changed, not so much in her physical being but in her physical presence. No, she'd had yet to join a master kill. That wasn't too good for her. This wasn't a ideal kill to start out with. Master kills had a knack of going wrong. Clean masters kills were few and far between. But her physical presence was stronger than it had been since their last meeting. A good sign of training. His lips twisted into a smile and he stood up.

"It appears that I have forgotten you're name. I think I vaguely remember you. You will have to forgive me. I am after all an old man doing the work of the young and powerful. I am honoured to hear you remembered me. I only wish I had your name."

Their introductions passed and they sat down to wait for the next. It didn't take long. Matthew came in and he breathed a sigh of relief. He would not have to feign ignorance here. Oh Mathew a good man and a very talented student. He stood up quickly and grabbed the man's hand, letting Mathew's grip win over his own. "Oh Mathe- Yew. I is good to see you!" He'd never been able to pronounce Mathew's name the way others did and always added an extra syllable so it was imperative that he kept that even though he could speak perfect English now. "I could not have imagined a better man for such a difficult fight. This? This is a Maire. A quick starter. I actually found her here when I an regularly the first. Ha! It shows how much time changes things."

It didn't take long at all for Clarisa to come in. He'd been the only one he'd expected to come and the only one in the entire fraternity who most likely suspected him as fully as one should have. It was commendable. It was the reason he'd recommended her to come during the research. phase of the hunt. Also it helped that the two women looked similar, though that fact was not included in her invitation to the hunt. He stood up and put and arm around her. Squeezing harder than he wanted to. It was the case often that he'd use more strength than he'd wanted to. It was as though his entire being was at odds with itself. It hopefully would be rectified by this hunt so he could run away and retire as he deserved, despite all he'd been taught and understood, as a master of his trade. He'd hate to have to kill such fine individuals if they caught on to him. He'd barely let go of Clarisa when another man he'd been unable to identify appeared from the doors. It was the man known as Ryo and not a spy for the current queen for which he knew there must be in such a tavern. He grinned like a child in a toy store. He laughed when Ryo made his entrance. "Oh it is good to know time has not robbed me of a chance to laugh with you. I had not known you were invited to this. Come Clarisa Ryo sit down. We should wait a moment before are introductions are fully made."
The hairs on the back of Demi's neck rose the moment he'd taken a seat. A tall man in a dark hood was moving their way and hat yet to make himself seen before reaching half way there. Hunters weren't trusting of faces they didn't know. Masters weren't stupid, many realised they were being hunted before the hunt had even begun. No matter how hard the Fraternity tried they could never fully conceal themselves. How easy would it be for a master to ambush them when they were in such a tight corner away from everyone else. His mind reeled to the tales and images of the cleaved carriage. Cut clean through the middle. One swing. It wouldn't even have to be head height only was it height would that weapon, it would cleave through the wall and right through at least half of them before the fight had even begun. If this was Ellen or a master Ellen had made contact with they could be dead in a moment.
Fortunately it wasn't. It was Hettar. "You play a very dangerous game!" Demi laughed getting up and slapping Hettar's shoulder. "Come sit down. Introduce yourself. We all should so every man her knows what we are capable of and our main uses in such hunts.
Demi sat down and raised his weapon and spoke in a low whispered loud enough for people in the area to hear but no more. Just to be sure he pulled out a small silver device. It glowed red in the center making the shape of a cross.
"Most of you know me as Demi. but I'm not entirely sure you know about my talents. I am known as the hammer. My main talent is to play bait or push a Master into a trap. I move blatantly to challenge. This is my weapon. With it I cleave all those who would try ambush us. as I am easily identifiable I will most likely not be taking the primary role in this fight. The kill will most likely be mine but I will aid in most of the fighting. Unfortunately strength is not every in a master hunt there is so much more. We'll need stealth, speed and the ability to fully understand our surroundings. I have researched that the queen will be going to Scotland in two days. She will pass through London to the docks and leave. On the boat, which is well fortified she will be untouchable. It does not leave us much time."