Clockwork Island #8
Enter The Donor’s Paradise!
Night and day. Poverty and wealth. The polar opposites described the town the hunter looked upon. Gehrman surmised he was being watched - he was right. The stairs had a silent alarm system, and the hunter had tripped it. He was not stopped or halted. The man walked the streets without nay a hindrance.
The
market was as one would expect. Carved into the middle of town between the buildings, with small tents and caravans riddling the long trek. Many people populated it, the ever growing chatter calling out prices and deals incessant. Gehrman did stick out, and was noticed. Yet, no one did anything. In this city, intro verse and selfishness ruled; they didn’t care about anything pr anyone else But themselves.
As the hunter walked through the market, he could pick up voices scattered.
[Citizen] “My men will bag the 50th body! I will finally be allowed to passage into the palace! All I need is some…”
[Citizen] “With our fair city shrouded from the world, I wonder why our leader Jigra still bows to the Joker. He should just…”
[Citizen] “The guards will find out! Commander Alex is ruthless! They say even his heart is transplanted!
Gehrman heard voices come in and out. He also saw that most of the tents had body parts to sell, and business was booming. Prices were argued left and right, with a promise of modification of self. As the Hunter moved more inward, the guards, stationed around the market, followed him with his eyes.
Eventually, three approached. Suddenly, what seemed to be a wayward cart cut between them. A woman’s hand was placed on Gehrman’s mouth and he was pulled into the alley quickly but gently. The alley was narrow between two large buildings, with only the light from the windows illuminating. The caravan passed, and the guards seemed lost; they had lost sight of him.
From the shadow, a sliver of light from the opposing building revealed a beautiful
young woman with short black hair, pearly white skin, and a raggedly hat. Her nose was gone, cut out. The right side of her face was simply blotched with holes. She was missing fingers, an eye, and the smell of blood was rampant with her.
[Doni] “You’re gonna get killed! Don’t you know to show your replaced body part? It’s law! Otherwise… you’ll be thrown below!”
The woman interjected, taking her hand off his mouth. If Gehrman was indeed attentive as a hunter would, he’d notice she had many body parts that were clearly not hers. One of her eyes, her ear, and fingers were replaced, out of proportion. A scar ran down her abdomen, showing a transplant. If he was really meticulous, he’d notice the transplant’s skin color, size, location, and form - he had seen it once before.
It was Dona’s body parts.