We then transition to a midnight shot of a sleepy village in the lonely Prussian countryside, a whispy mist creeping from the nearby woods and into the town. The bottom of the screen shows, in a cursive font, "October 31, 1892," and "Barten, German Empire" in quick succession. The streets are abandoned at night, with only the quiet whispers of the wind and some animals of the night heard. A black cat suddenly dashes across the street, and, as a loud clatter bursts through the air, we smash cut to a middle-aged man, a gnarly scar on his left cheek and light stubble on his face, shooting out of bed and aiming a pistol at his bedroom door with his left hand. His eyes wide and his breaths ragged, he holds the position for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh of relief and gently placing his gun back on his bedside drawer and next to a picture of the man with a woman and a young boy.
Running his hands over his face, he slowly gets out of bed and sidles over to a nearby window. Sticking his head out to get some fresh night air, he looks out at the nearby houses and sees the cat from earlier standing on the roof of a nearby house. The cat makes eye contact with the man before scampering off and toward a small cottage further down the road. The man watches the cat before his eyes catch something in the distance. Walking off-screen, the sound of a drawer being opened and closed is heard before he returns with his spectacles on. Squinting, he sees that the door to the cottage is unlatched and slowly swinging back and forth to the wind, large claw marks having been carved into the wood. His eyes minutely widen at the sight before hardening almost immediately after, and he quickly hurries off-screen again.
We then transition to the man as he quietly and cautiously makes his way toward the house, having donned a dark brown coat with patches sewn onto it and a belt containing his pistol and a silver knife and brandishing a rifle with a bayonet attached to it. His steps slow and purposeful and his finger wrapped around the trigger, the man sneaks over to the side of the front door and presses himself flat against the wall. Keeping as silent as he can, he overhears snarling, slobbering, and chewing from inside and tightens his grip on his weapon. He then slowly and carefully peers into the house and discovers a grim sight. A pitch-black werewolf hunched over an unseen body and gorging himself on it, a splatter of blood on the wall in front of it, with its back facing the door.
A fatal mistake.
Taking in a deep breath, the man silently rushes forward and thrusts the bayonet into the beast's back, the werewolf howling in agony at the sudden pain. Its howling only sharpens when the man fires his rifle point blank into it, and it backhands the man before falling to the ground. The man crashes into a table and some chairs leg first, letting out a groan of pain as he struggles to get back up. The werewolf, adrenaline coursing through it, now snarls in rage as it turns and pounces at the man, who quickly rolls under it as it too crashes into the table and chairs. Drawing his pistol, the man quickly fires off six shots into the werewolf's back, causing it to fall to the ground in even more pain. Then, pulling out his knife, the man rushes forward and slashes the werewolf across the eyes, causing it to let out an agonizing scream as it claws at the man wildly. It manages to cut the man's leg, who sucks in a sharp breath. Not taking any chances, the man then drives the knife into the werewolf's throat, finishing the job as the creature slumps to the ground dead.
The man raggedly breathes in and out as he pulls out the knife and adds some more wounds to make sure the werewolf really is dead. Once he's done, he turns to look at the body that the werewolf was eating, which seems like that of an old lady. Holding in a disgusted gag, he walks over and kneels beside it, his eyes full of sorrow as he prays for the poor person's soul. As he finishes, he hears something coming from a nearby closet and whirls around. Brandishing his knife, the man cautiously approaches the closet and, with a shaky hand, reaches out for the closet handle before yanking it open. Inside is a terrified little girl, no older than ten, shaking in her nightclothes, her eyes wide with terror as she scrambles to get away from the man. Clutching a silver necklace with tears in her eyes, she whimperingly asks him if the monster's gone. The man's heart melts at the sight, and the knife slips out of his fingers as he tries to reassure the girl that the monster is dead and that everything is going to be alright. Smiling as softly and compassionately as he can, he slowly reaches out his hand and asks if he can hold her hand. The girl's eyes flicker rapidly between the man's face and hand, not sure whether or not to trust the strange man. After a few seconds, though, she stretches her own short arm out and curls her fingers around his.
We then transition to a worn down dirt path in a thick woodland as the sun begins to set, the bottom screen showing "April 12, 1904" and "Forest of Fontainebleau, France". Two tired travelers clad in large dark red coats, the girl and man from before, can be seen making their way down the path. The girl, wearing a white blouse, brown knickerbockers, and cowboy boots, has grown into a tall and pretty young woman, with her mahogany brown hair flowing to her shoulders, while her shorter, gruff-faced adopted father, wearing a plaid shirt and worker's pants, now possesses a small limp as well as a bushy, but well-kept, beard. Clinging onto their coats to protect themselves from the cold, they trundle their way across the road in relative silence. The man, however, accidentally trips on a bump and stumbles before being steadied by his daughter. He roughly complains about how his limping leg can't take an extra kilometre of this damn walking, to which she rolls her eyes fondly and remarks that his leg isn't that bad. Yet. The father huffs and admonishes her as a girl yapping at her elders, though the glint in his eyes and smirking visage tell a different story. The two chuckle and continue to playfully rib at each other as they walk, the sky illuminated with vibrant shades of pink and orange.
Suddenly, the two halt as distant clip-clopping can be heard coming from up ahead. Serious expressions wash over their faces as the man turns to his daughter and tells her to get ready. She simply nods before rushing off into the nearby woods. Her father stares after her for a second before turning back to the road and taking in some deep breaths in preparation. We then cut to the girl as she climbs up a small hill before unclipping her coat, revealing various weapons on her person as the coat falls to the ground. Grabbing a sniper rifle from her back and a satchel from her waist, she tosses the satchel onto a nearby rock before getting into a kneeling position behind the rock. Lowering her rifle onto the satchel, she takes in slow, deep breaths and calms herself in preparation. Looking through the iron sights on the rifle, she waits for a few seconds before seeing four beautiful snow-white unicorns come into view and make their way down the road toward her father. They would seem like any other unicorn if not for the fact that the unicorns were frothing at the mouth, their usually golden manes were now a mottled grey, and their eyes had turned cloudy with monstrous rage. Bucking around wildly, the beasts neigh rabidly and gnash their teeth in anticipation of being able to feed on the man's flesh, who simply unclasps his cloak. Unholstering a revolver and cocking it, he aims it at the unicorns, and giving a wordless nod, fires six shots in quick succession. Though his aim is true, the unicorns are able to dodge the bullets with remarkable speed and, with a terrifying cry, thunder towards the man.
The man, still unfazed, calmly spins his revolver and holsters it before grabbing a silver-tipped spear from his back and unfolding it so that it nearly doubles in length. Seeing this, the girl quickly takes in a deep, calming breath before aiming at one of the unicorns. After a few tense seconds, she fires and hits the unicorn directly in the head, causing a good chunk of it to fly off as the corpse tumbles forward into a sprawling mess. Seeing this, the unicorn right behind it lets out an enraged bellow before turning and running towards where the girl is hiding, causing her to curse her misfortune as she quickly reloads and before opening fire on the rabid beast.
We smash cut to the man, who stays calm and ready to strike as the other two unicorns continue to barrel towards him, though his eyes flicker towards his daughter for a split second. As the unicorns swiftly cross the distance, the man suddenly jumps to the side and, with a calculated thrust, shoves his spear right into the leg of the unicorn, causing it to collapse to the ground whinnying in pain. The other unicorn, now thoroughly enraged, quickly wheels around and charges the man, who lets go of the spear and quickly leaps out of the way just in time. He then reaches for the spear and pulls it out of the prone unicorn, which attempts to rise to its feet but ultimately collapses due to its bleeding flank. Realizing that it's not a threat anymore, the man then turns to face the other unicorn.
We smash cut back to the girl as she continues to fire rapidly at the unicorn, the crazed creature dodging shot after shot. Once it's made it just a few feet away from the girl, the unicorn leaps at the girl, who quickly rolls out of the way and tries to shoot it. Her rifle jams at the worst possible time, however, sending her into a small panic. She quickly recovers, fortunately, and uses the rifle as a makeshift club, cracking its stock against the unicorn's head and dazing the creature. Tossing the rifle aside, she quickdraws two revolvers and fires off six shots at point-blank range, killing the beast almost immediately. The girl lowers her guns and watches the corpse for any possible movement, her breaths quick and her hands twitchy. Suddenly, a cry of pain in the distance snaps her into reality as she wheels around, her eyes widening when she realizes her father is in trouble.
We smash cut back to the man, now clutching his right arm, as he stumbles against a tree, his spear clattering on the ground some feet away. His sleeve is stained with blood, and his teeth grind together in pain as the unicorn wheels around and charges once again, the tip of its lustrous horn gleaming. As it is about to skewer him, however, the wily man leaps to the side at the last second, entrapping the unicorn's horn inside the tree. Tumbling to the ground and spraining his ankle, the man lets out a groan of pain before quickly hobbling toward where the spear is, all the while the furious unicorn struggles to pry itself free from the tree. Shakily grabbing the spear, the man stumbles toward the unicorn and prepares to land the killing blow on the beast. Before he can do so, however, three gunshots ring out, startling him into dropping the spear. The unicorn lets out one last defiant cry before slumping to its side.
His breathing shaky, the man slowly turns to see his relieved daughter at the edge of the woods, both her revolvers clutched tightly. Holstering the empty one, she points the other one at the unicorn with the wounded leg, still bucking wildly on its side, and puts it out of its misery. Once she's done with that, she turns to her father and rushes toward him. Enveloping him in a big hug, the worried girl asks if he's alright as she checks him over, to which the man reassuringly replies that he's suffered worse. Separating from the hug, the man then grins and jokes that this pony has more than one trick up his sleeve. The girl groans in mock disgust and, palming her face, calls her father insufferable, though a faint smile can be seen under her hand. Her father simply laughs in response as the girl grabs some medical supplies from her satchel and begins to tend to her father's wounds.
We then cut to a few days later as the two arrive at the Grand Hrunting Lodge located on the outskirts of Paris, an expansive and opulent building. They're stopped by some guards and a guard dog, who demand identification before they can enter. The girl, a sack slung over her shoulder, replies affirmatively and pulls a silver medallion out of her pocket with the symbol of the Hrunters: a European dragon coiled around the sword of Beowulf, Hrunting. One of the guards inspects the medallion for a second before signaling that the two can go in now, opening one of the doors for them.
Inside the lodge are several stores with various supplies and a large tavern where other Hrunters can be seen eating, drinking, and making merry. The two pass by the tavern and head straight to a row of counters where one of the workers, a female dwarf named Amandine with fiery red hair and missing a finger, waves them over to her. Flashing a toothy grin, Amandine heartily welcomes them back to the lodge, during which we find out that their names are Leopold and Eleanor, and asks if the job wasn't too much trouble. Leopold suavely smiles back and, sending a small wink her way, replies that seeing her again made it more than worth it, which causes Eleanor to gag a little and roll her eyes outside of his sight. Amandine giggles and, blushing a little, says that he flatters her too much as Eleanor places the sack on the counter. Amandine takes the sack and unties it before inspecting its contents until she's satisfied with what she sees. Sighing and shaking her head in faint sadness, Amandine laments that it's always a shame when such beautiful creatures have to die, although it was probably a mercy given the job's description of them. Eleanor nods in agreement as she hands a copy of the job contract to Amandine and remarks that she'd always wanted to see a docile unicorn at least once. Amandine replies that it's an experience that stays with a person as she grabs a nearby rubber stamp with the Hrunter symbol and stamps the bounty. Neatly placing the bounty into a nearby cabinet, she hands a receipt to Leopold and says that their payment will arrive shortly.
Eleanor and Leopold nod in thanks and turn to leave, but they're stopped by an approaching guard. The man explains to the two Hrunters that the Huntmaster wants Leopold to come to his office as soon as possible, though she does not know why. Nodding in understanding, Leopold then turns to Eleanor and tells her to get her rifle fixed in the forge and buy some supplies while he meets with the Huntmaster, to which Eleanor says she will before walking off.
The guard then escorts Leopold to the upper floor of the lodge and down a hallway to a large, fancy doorway, where two other guards keep watch. Leopold's escort knocks on the door three times, and after a few seconds, a resonant, suave voice with an Occitan accent calls out from behind the doors and invites them into his office. Leopold and his escort enter into a magnificent office furnished with luxurious, but not gaudy, decor. A giant circular window behind an Italian Maple desk gifts a breathtaking view of the surrounding area, with bookshelves lining most of the office's walls. The guard stands at attention and reports that he has brought Leopold Keller. A large buccaneer hat with an ostrich plume pops out from behind the swivel chair facing the window and thanks the guard before dismissing him, who salutes and closes the door as he leaves. Leopold turns to the hat, or rather the person wearing the hat, and, with a cheeky grin, asks, "It's been too long since I last talked with you, old friend." The Huntsmaster chuckles and replies that it has indeed been too long as the chair swivels around to reveal the Huntsmaster of France: Puss in Boots, the legendary Toulouse outlaw and "Fearless Hero of Gevaudan" turned Hrunter and an anthropomorphic Chartreux cat wearing a musketeer's coat and buckled boots.
Jumping off of his seat and onto the desk, Puss stretches his arms out wide and mock-disappointingly asks if he's not going to get a hug, to which Leopold rolls his eyes good-naturedly before gently hugging Puss. After a second, the two separate and sit down, with Leopold taking a nearby seat. Puss grabs two glasses and a corked bottle of wine out of a drawer. Uncorking the bottle with his claw, Puss asks if Leopold would like some as he pours some wine for himself. Leopold politely accepts, and Puss pours him some wine too before putting the bottle away. Quickly lapping up some of the wine with his tongue, Puss wipes his mouth with a cloth as Leopold asks him how Costantino is doing in the Middle East, to which Puss eagerly regales him about how he and Costantino saved a chieftain's daughter from savage bandits. Puss then asks Leopold how he and Eleanor are doing, to which the man softly smiles and says that they've been doing well for themselves. "We're always able to pay rent at the very least," he comments, to which Puss scoffs good-naturedly and remarks that that's because Leopold has Eleanor to keep him from going on the drunken escapades of his youth. Leopold retorts that Puss would happily join in said escapades to get away from the paperwork, which prompts the two to erupt into laughter as Puss shakes his head in regretful agreement.
Chuckling as he laps up some more wine, Puss's face suddenly becomes serious, and he states that as much as he loved catching up with Leopold, it is not why he asked to see him. Leopold purses his lips in contemplation and nods as Puss states that the lodge had just received a telegram from England about an important job and that it specifically requested some of their best Hrunters for the task; given that Leopold and Eleanor are already familiar with the region, they seemed like the perfect candidates. Puss then explains that about two weeks ago, a private investigator and the police led a raid against a child kidnappings and trafficking operation disguised as a traveling show led by one "Honest" Giacomo Cocchiere, a conman and thief wanted over in Italy. Leopold's face darkens in utter disgust at the mention of child trafficking, and he practically spits out that the bastard got what was coming to him, to which Puss sagely nods. He then continues and says that when the police interrogated Cocchiere, the crook divulged a name known to the Hrunting Lodge; Remus Volkov.
Leopold, in the middle of sipping some wine, freezes slightly at the name reveal and, slowly placing his glass down, asks if they're sure that... he is involved in this mess. Puss lets out a sad sigh and replies that Cocchiere had revealed that he would take the kidnapped children to Volkov but nothing more. As such, the police were now stuck with an end they could not pursue, and so the private investigator, one Jack Seward, had turned in desperation to the Hrunting Lodge for help pursuing the lead on Volkov. Puss blithely adds that there's also a hefty reward waiting for the ones who complete the contract. Leopold clasps his hands together and becomes lost in contemplative thought, the monotonous ticks and tocks of a nearby clock the only sound heard. After a few seconds, he turns back to Puss and, with a dour expression on his face, asks if Puss knows about Eleanor and her past, to which the Huntmaster replies that he's heard some bits here and there. Leopold lets out a sigh before saying that while he won't divulge the story, which is for only Eleanor to reveal, he will say that the scars from then have still not faded.
Clenching his fists until his knuckles are white, Leopold solemnly says that he wants to take this job and make sure Volkov gets his due, but he's worried that the scars left on Eleanor could be reopened if he accepts. Puss listens attentively and, when Leopold has finished, softly says that though he understands Leopold's position and that he would do the same if he had a daughter, he suggests that perhaps Leopold should take the job because of Eleanor's scars instead of in spite of them. He then swiftly raises his paw and asks that he be allowed to explain when the confused Leopold tries to interject. When Leopold indicates for him to continue, Puss thoughtfully states, "Hrunters cannot hide from wolves, Leopold, and there is much worse out there than wolves. As it stands, this job could serve to slay multiple beasts if you do it right." Leopold runs a hand over his face and frustratedly responds that he knows that, it's just... he doesn't want to see her hurt, not again. Puss's face softens considerably when he sees his friend's distress, and he hops onto the desk before gently placing his paw on Leopold's shoulder. When Leopold turns to look at Puss, the Huntmaster smiles and reassures him that he is not wrong to want his daughter to be safe. However, he must also accept that Eleanor is not a little girl in need of coddling anymore, but the strong and cunning warrior that she has molded herself into. As far as Puss is concerned, Eleanor is more than capable of the task at hand.
We cut to Eleanor as she takes her now-fixed rifle and examines it carefully for any chips or imperfections. When she's satisfied with what she sees, she reaches into her satchel and hands the arms master of the forge, a tanned half-elf with an eyepatch, a few coins, thanking him for the quality work. The arms master gruffly grunts and says that he's just doing his job before walking off to work on another weapon. Eleanor walks out of the forge and quietly lists everything that Leopold asked her to do to see if she's forgotten anything. Once she's convinced that she's done everything, she rubs her hands together with childish glee and says that after all that hard work, she's earned treating herself to something special. She swiftly makes her way over to the tavern and, placing some coins down on the counter, asks for some extra sweet blueberry muffins. The worker takes the money and tells her to have a seat, which she does excitedly. After a few seconds, the muffins are served to her on a plate with a fork and knife, and Eleanor thanks the worker before beginning to quickly stuff herself with the muffins.
As she finishes her second muffin, however, Leopold suddenly appears from behind her and, with an amused grin, asks how the muffins are, which causes Eleanor to drop her fork and jump a little in surprise. Turning to her father, she sheepishly chuckles and mumbles that they're rather delicious, to which Leopold says that he's sure they are before turning to the worker and, placing down some coins, ordering some muffins for himself. Taking a seat, Leopold turns to Eleanor and asks if she's done everything he asked her to already, and she responds affirmatively. Leopold thanks her for being prudent as his muffins arrive before telling her to get ready to leave tomorrow as he also begins to eat. When Eleanor asks where they're going, Leopold, still chewing, answers that they'll be heading to Sion, Switzerland for an important job that he'll explain later. Swallowing, he lingers on the taste for a few seconds before remarking that they're sweeter than he expected. Eleanor stifles a giggle as the two begin to make idle talk with each other.
We then cut to a short montage of Leopold and Eleanor traveling to Sion via train as they read, sleep, and eat in the same train carriage. After a few seconds of this, we cut to the two, each holding a suitcase, disembarking at a train station in Sion as "One Week Later" is shown on the bottom of the screen. Leopold hails a nearby carriage and, after paying the driver, boards it along with Eleanor. As the carriage drives toward Sion, Eleanor asks where they'll be staying, to which Leopold answers that they'll simply be staying at a nearby inn. Eleanor nods in understanding before fiddling with her cloak as a conflicted expression washes over her, one of her hands reaching for the silver necklace under her blouse. Noticing this, a concerned Leopold asks if she's alright, which causes Eleanor to turn to him in surprise before nervously replying that she's just thinking about something that he doesn't need to consider. Leopold isn't convinced, though, and Eleanor, panicking mentally, quickly changes the subject and asks what Leopold meant when he mentioned having fought Remus Volkov before. Leopold raises an eyebrow to indicate that they'll be having a discussion about this later before replying in a deadpan matter that, as he remembers it, he did most of the fighting while Volkov had done most of the running.
Eleanor chuckles a little as Leopold then explains that their confrontation was before he met her and was rather unimportant, so she'll have to forgive him if he forgets a detail or two. Eleanor teases that she won't hold Leopold's age against him, and her laughter intensifies when Leopold shoots a mock glare at her before smiling as well. He then continues his story and recounts that Volkov had been part of a particularly sadistic band of Cossacks in Russia that Leopold had taken care of, during which we suddenly transition to a flashback to about twenty years ago, where Volkov and his fellow Cossacks are sacking a town and slaying people for the fun of it. Volkov, a burly, balding man with impressive sideburns and wearing a stolen army uniform, drags a screaming woman by the hair into the village square, where the rest of his marauders have gathered. Throwing her to the ground, he grins as he tells his men to make an example, and four step forward with no good intentions in mind. As they approach her, however, they're all gunned down immediately, prompting the rest to turn to see a younger Leopold holding two pistols and sporting an unusually cocky grin as he challenges them to face him like men. Volkov, initially startled by the new arrival, sadistically grins and dismounts his horse as his men surround Leopold. He tells the young Hrunter that he's got a lot of guts to confront this many men alone, to which Leopold retorts that doesn't say many men but a pack of wild animals. Volkov just laughs as he slowly transforms into a werewolf, growing in size as his fingernails warp into vicious claws. "Perceptive, aren't you?" the werewolf mocks in a disturbing predatory tone.
The Cossacks then rush at Leopold on the signal of Volkov, who immediately begins firing again. A fight then ensues as Leopold uses up the rest of his pistols' ammunition before utilizing them as makeshift clubs, dodging gunshots and swords left and right. Grabbing a sword from one of the bandits, he quickly dodges a swipe from Volkov before quite literally disarming a charging Cossack. He then turns around and attacks Volkov, who blocks and dodges Leopold's attacks with ease before slashing Leopold's left cheek and backhanding him into two other Cossacks, which sends them crashing into the ground. Volkov snorts and mutters about the "stupid boy" and turns to give orders to the rest of the Cossacks–
BANG BANG BANG
"Volkov put up a good fight," Leopold remarks as gunshots suddenly ring out in sync, and Volkov lets out a howl of pain, stumbling forward to reveal a still-conscious Leopold with a pistol in hand. Smirking through his own pain, Leopold staggers up and, grabbing another sword, charges into the fray. Though wounded, Leopold is still more than a match for the remaining bandits, and he begins to turn the tide in his favor. Volkov, still bleeding from the back, takes the opportunity to flee and lick his wounds later, tossing a nearby corpse at Leopold before running off. Leopold makes to pursue, but Volkov's remaining men delay him long enough for Volkov to make his escape. As Leopold cuts down the last of Volkov's men, he scornfully watches as the cowardly werewolf flees into the distance as the smoldering ruins of the village behind him continue to burn, blood flowing from his cheek wound.
"I'd thought that was the last I'd see of him," Leopold states as the scene fades back to him and Eleanor inside the carriage, Eleanor practically clinging onto every word he says, "courageously fleeing with his tail tucked between his legs. It seems, however, that fate has an odd sense of humor." He then warns that Volkov being a coward is not an excuse to underestimate him, to which Eleanor rolls her eyes a little and says that she doesn't have to be reminded for the I-don't-bother-counting-anymore-nth time. Leopold chuckles and remarks that constant reminding keeps the lesson stuck in one's head as the carriage pulls up to the inn they'll be staying at. The two quickly exit the carriage and thank the driver before entering the inn.
We then cut to the two the next day as they carefully scout the surrounding countryside for Volkov's camp, with Eleanor complaining about it being too well-hidden for them to find. Leopold snorts and states that Volkov is a coward, not an idiot, which prompts Eleanor to mutter that it'd be helpful if they were the same thing. The two continue to canvass the area for a few seconds, with Eleanor quickly stopping to pick and smell an alpine flower. Soon, however, Leopold spots a hidden trail and some pushed-down grass in some thick woods nearby and, signaling to Eleanor to follow him, wades into the woods with his pistol and short spear in hand. Warily trodding down the bumpy, worn-down, and weed-infested path, the two eventually spot a large clearing next to a small mountain cave where a large camp with shoddy wooden palisades surrounding it has been erected, with a few guards stationed around its perimeter.
From the bushes they're hiding in a few yards from the camp, Eleanor quickly grabs a notebook, pen, and binoculars from her satchel and pushes the notebook and pen into the chest of a surprised Leopold. She tells him to write down what she tells him is in the camp, and Leopold's eyes widen as he understands her purpose and quickly flips the notebook open. Looking through the binoculars, Eleanor notes that, counting the guards, there seem to be about forty to fifty men in the camp, with the tents in the center of the camp and next to the cave. Surrounding the tents in a horseshoe formation are various wagons for transporting cargo, forming a sort of makeshift second line of defense. The camp has two entrances, with one facing a flat meadow with no cover in sight and the other connected to the trail Eleanor and Leopold had traversed. Eleanor states that they'll have to approach from the latter entrance since the former gives no opportunity to ambush, to which Leopold nods and replies that he thought just the same. He then asks if she sees any sign of Volkov, to which she shakes her head and says that he's probably taking a nap in one of the tents or gone on some business outside the camp.
As the two continue to observe the camp, Eleanor notices a horse wagon filled with crates and three goons leaving the camp and heading towards them. Leopold spots them too and, sending a knowing look toward Eleanor, sneaks alongside her to some shrubbery further down the trail. As they crouch behind some trees, Eleanor pulls out a knife and brandishes it in an icepick grip, which prompts Leopold to ask her what on earth she's doing. She responds that it's for if the brigands discover their presence, and Leopold, a slightly conflicted expression on his face, frowns a little before asking that she please not do anything rash, to which she responds that she can't promise anything. As the wagon slowly comes into view, Eleanor slowly peers from behind the tree to get a better look at the crooks. She then turns to Leopold and is about to say something when a sudden crash from the road startles the two severely, causing them to turn around to see what on earth is going on.
"For God's sake, Werner," one of the smugglers, Peter, bemoans as it is revealed that a rope has gotten loose and that many of the crates are now lying on the road, "How many times do we have to tell you to tie the ropes properly?!" Werner complains that no one's bothered to tell him how to tie the bloody rope in the first place, to which the third crook Alessandro rolls his eyes and tells the two idiots to shut up and put the crates back in already, they're gonna be late meeting the buyer. As Werner and Peter grumblingly begin to reload the wagon, Eleanor mutters under her breath that it'd be easy to make quick work of these fools, which Leopold catches as his eyes widen. Turning to Eleanor, he quickly grabs her shoulder and frantically whispers that it's not worth it. Eleanor, her eyes angry and her grip tightening on her knife, retorts that they're trafficking children, to which Leopold responds that he knows and that he wants to knock their teeth out as well. But Volkov will certainly notice if three of his men and a wagon full of goods suddenly goes missing, and if he gets spooked, he might increase security or do a multitude of other things that'll make it harder to do their job.
Eleanor tries to retort, but Leopold interrupts her and states that they'll be attacking the camp in a few days anyway; all he asks is that she be patient for just a little longer. Eleanor weakly glares at Leopold for a little before faltering. Sighing quietly, she runs her hand through her hair and replies that she's sorry for getting mad, it's just that... She trails off, and Leopold compassionately places a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly and reassuring her that he understands. She smiles back and thanks him for putting up with her, to which he simply responds that she puts up with him as well so it's only fair. The two quietly chuckle before turning back to the three smugglers, who have finished reloading the wagon. As Werner and Peter hop back onto the wagon, Peter mentions that he'll be hoping to get some candy when they're in town in order to get the batch of kids coming in two days to shut up, causing Leopold and Eleanor to freeze. Alessandro shivers and tells Peter not to remind him about all that; he'd just gotten the image of the buyer's... representatives out of his head. Werner asks what he means by that since he's just joined. "All I'll say is that those uncanny-looking freaks are about as ugly as your mother," Alessandro remarks as they drive down the trail again, passing by Eleanor and Leopold. Once the smugglers have gone out of sight, the two Hrunters step out of the thicket and share grim looks as they make their way back to Sion.
We then cut to later that night as Leopold and Eleanor are fast asleep in their inn room, with Leopold sprawled all over his bed and snoring loudly as he clutches an open book in his hand. The shot then pans over to an asleep, but distressed, Eleanor as she tosses and turns in her bed, sweat drenching her nightclothes as she begins to whimper and her breathing becomes ragged. "No, no, no..." Eleanor whispers, clutching her bedsheets in horror as sudden, distorted flashbacks of the night her grandmother died begin to flash on-screen. She remembers her grandmother shoving her into the closet and telling her to not make a sound; she once again hears the ferocious snarling of the werewolf as it cornered grandma and the cry of terror that was almost immediately silenced; the rusted scent of blood overbearing her senses as she covered her mouth through gasping sobs; there's no escape, No Escape, NO ESCAPE–
"NOOOOO!!!"
A terrified shriek escapes Eleanor's lips as she shoots up from her bed, throwing her blanket off of her and causing Leopold to fall to the ground in shock. Cursing initially, Leopold freezes when he sees his daughter clutching her chest and violently hyperventilating, tears streaming down her face as she struggles to control her breathing. Without hesitation, Leopold rushes over to Eleanor's side and reassuringly says that he's here for her and that it'll all be okay. He then tells her that he's going to count to ten and that he wants her to count with him. "One..." Leopold begins, and after a second or two, Eleanor replies, "O-one..." They repeat this as Eleanor slowly calms down until she's stopped hyperventilating. Snottily breathing in with her nose, she wipes her eyes before yanking Leopold into a tight embrace, which he gently reciprocates. She sniffs and apologizes for waking him up, but Leopold immediately replies that she has nothing to apologize for at all. The two sit there silently for a few seconds, with nothing to interrupt them.
We then gradually transition to two nights later as Leopold and Eleanor, now clad in their Hrunter outfits, prepare to raid Volkov's camp, with Eleanor excessively cleaning her rifle while Leopold makes sure they've got enough ammunition and supplies, checking over some sticks of dynamite before placing them in a satchel that he attaches around his waist. Once he's finished checking, he turns to face Eleanor, who's finally finished cleaning her rifle, and asks if she's ready to go hunting. Slinging her rifle over her shoulder, she nods and responds that she's ready. Leopold nods and simply says that, as a simple piece of advice, he's found bayoneting werewolves before shooting them to be an effective strategy before staring at her with a blank expression. Initially confused, Eleanor's face gradually widens in realization of what Leopold is implying, and she turns to look at a nearby wall before muttering that she doesn't intend to let them get that close. Leopold sighs and, slowly approaching her, softly replies that he knows she will. He then places a hand on her shoulder and, when she turns around, smiles softly before asking that she save some for him. Though surprised, Eleanor snorts slightly and softly smiles as well before saying that she'll save two or three, four if she's feeling generous. The two chuckle as the tension leaves the air, and Leopold jokingly tells Eleanor off before opening the door to their room.
We smash cut to two guards as they lazily patrol around the palisades of Volkov's camp, with one yawning heavily and stretching his arms out wide. Letting out a bored sigh, he remarks that when he'd joined, he'd expected to do stuff that was... you know, less boring. The other guard, carrying a torch, scoffs a little and retorts that boring is good when you're a criminal; you're less likely to be caught. As the two continue to bicker while walking away, we transition to a scowling Volkov, now sporting an eyepatch across his left eye, in the center of the camp as he impatiently stares at a timepiece and smokes an oversized pipe. The sounds of clip-clopping and wheels bumping cause his ears to perk up, and he turns around to see two caged wagons entering the camp; their contents are frightened children, about ten in each wagon. The incensed Volkov stalks over, utterly enraged, and begins to verbally assault and harangue the wagon drivers for being late, yelling that their incompetence will drive away clients and make him look like a moron who can't complete the simplest of requests.
One of the drivers, somewhat shrinking into himself, defensively replies that they got lost on the way, to which Volkov barks out a harsh scoff before retorting, "And I bet your limp prick gets lost trying to find the rear-end of a bent-over blonde barmaid as well, you inbred lump of flesh." He lets out a howl of frustration before pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperated resignation and ordering his men to just get ready for the buyers so that they don't embarrass him. As the kids begin to cry, with many wailing about wanting to go home, he rolls his eyes and adds that the man who shuts the whelps up will get their pay doubled for a month. As some men rush forward eager for an easy payday, Volkov sighs and lets out a puff of smoke as he waves his quartermaster over and asks for a general report on their profits for the past few months. As the quartermaster subsequently drones about the report, Volkov coolly relights his pipe and takes in a deep breath before–
BOOOOOM!!!
A sudden and thunderous boom rocks the camp as part of the palisade suddenly explodes and debris and dust are sent flying in all directions, with a large chunk of wood slamming into the quartermaster's head and killing the man instantly. Blood splatters onto Volkov and startles him into silence as the rest of the camp bursts into a frenetic flurry of activity, with men rushing to grab their weapons before running to where the explosion happened. A drop of blood slowly trickles onto Volkov's upper lip, which the man slowly licks. Smacking his mouth, his eyes suddenly grow dark and predatory, and his breath hastens with excitement. Sniffing the air wildly, a grin of sadistic glee slowly morphs onto his face. Accidentally crushing his pipe as he suddenly begins to transform, Volkov excitedly growls, "Oh, this is going to be wonderful..."
We then cut to Eleanor hidden behind a log and some shrubbery, her rifle lying on the satchel on the log as she calmly watches Volkov's camp fall into disarray. She sees a good portion of the camp, including Volkov, rushing forward into the part of the woods where Leopold is lying in wait. Taking a deep breath, Eleanor then takes aim at the camp and swiftly picks off five smugglers isolated from their companions, using the general chaos and noises all around to mask her gunshots. Unfortunately, when she shoots down a sixth man, one of the crooks sees him fall to the ground and, in sudden realization, cries out that there's a sniper in the woods. Eleanor quickly shoots him down, but it's too late as several smugglers now aim their guns in the general direction of the forest and open fire, causing Eleanor to curse and forcing her to retreat to better cover. Dodging the many bullets fired in her direction, Eleanor scrambles behind a tree and takes the opportunity to frantically reload her rifle, flinching from the heavy fire all the while. Once she's finished, her mind races to find an escape as she struggles to calm herself; suddenly, her eyes widen, and her lips curl into a confident smile. She lays herself flat against the ground and, being careful to not be seen, crawls through the shrubbery toward a large rock to her left, all the while the smugglers continue to fire at her previous position none the wiser.
Once she's reached the rock, she grips her rifle tightly and takes careful aim before firing, shooting down four more men before she's spotted once again. As the men open fire on her, we cut to Volkov and the rest of his men, about twenty, racing through the woods, with Volkov occasionally stopping to sniff the air before restarting the hunt. As they make their way deeper into the forest, six gunshots ring out as five of them are suddenly gunned down in rapid fashion, and they all turn to see a confidently, but not cockily, smiling Leopold, gun in one hand and spear in the other, emerge from behind a tree. Volkov sneers and, signaling to his men to hold their fire for the moment, remarks that he remembers the smell of Keller's blood on his claws, to which Leopold coolly replies that he also remembers spilling Volkov's blood with his sword as he holsters his pistol and pulls out another one.
Volkov, eyes narrowed, growls at the memory of his embarrassing defeat and spits at Leopold's feet, wiping his mouth with his arm. A creepy, sadistic grin then slowly fills his face before he dangerously replies, "Enough talking; it's time to FEAST!!" He then suddenly leaps at Leopold jaws wide, who swiftly rolls out of the way as Volkov's men start firing at him. Firing back and taking down two of the smugglers, Leopold quickly unfolds his spear and swings it at a charging Volkov, forcing the werewolf to dodge as Leopold shoots down a third thug. He then shoots his last bullet at Volkov, hitting him in the chest, before charging toward Volkov's men. Clubbing the nearest thug with his pistol, knocking him to the ground, Leopold stabs him in the chest before ripping it out and slashing two others. Nimbly ducking to dodge another leap from Volkov, who crashes into a rotting tree, Leopold makes quick work of Volkov's remaining thugs, breaking his pistol against the last smuggler's nose at one point. Tossing the remnants of the gun aside, Leopold quickly turns to face an irritated Volkov, who is rubbing his somewhat bleeding nose in mild pain.
Volkov quickly shakes off his annoyance, however, and flashes a vulpine smirk as he mock-disappointingly asks Leopold if he feels Volkov is not worthy of his attention. "On the contrary, you are very much worth my attention," Leopold simply retorts as he grips his spear with both hands, "All of it." The two then charge at each other and begin to clash one-on-one, with neither side giving ground. Volkov wildly slashes and claws at Leopold, who expertly dodges and blocks before countering with his own attacks. Eventually, though, Leopold manages to get the drop on Volkov and, with a hefty swing of his spear, sends Volkov stumbling down the small hill they've been fighting on. The werewolf eventually stops rolling when he hits a corpse, letting out a small yelp of pain at the sudden stop. Leopold grabs a revolver from one of the dead thugs and, after quickly checking if it still has ammo, opens fire on Volkov, who grabs the corpse next to him and uses it as an impromptu shield for the first three shots. He then roughly chucks it at Leopold as he did at the Russian village, and Leopold, now more experienced, quickly sidesteps the thrown corpse before rushing forward to close the distance. As Leopold does so, however, he's suddenly shot in the shoulder, and the Hrunter falls to the ground in shock and pain, revealing Volkov awkwardly cradling a revolver with his massive hands. He mumbles under his breath about how unwieldy his claws make everything as he tosses the gun over his shoulder, the gun firing off another shot as it hits the ground behind Volkov. Rising up from the ground, the now sadistically grinning slowly stalks over to the prone Leopold, who dropped his gun when he fell, and towers menacingly over him before wrenching the spear from the Hrunter. Leopold's breathing hastens, and his eyes widen in terror as Volkov, eyes filled with bloodlust, licks his lips slowly and sniffs the air before predatorily remarking, "I just love the smell of fear."
We cut back to Eleanor as she fires back at Volkov's camp before dodging back into cover to reload, flinching as shots land far too close for comfort. Reaching into her satchel, she silently panics and realizes that she's almost out of ammunition. Closing her eyes and muttering some mild curses, she calms herself down and quickly reloads her rifle before getting ready to return fire. Before she can, however, she sees a self-satisfied Volkov stalking out of the woods, who drags a struggling Leopold behind him and yells at his men to stop wasting bullets already, they couldn't hit a mountain at this rate. As the men hesitantly lower their guns and Eleanor's eyes widen in utter terror, Volkov yanks Leopold up by the head and forces him to stand in front of him before turning to the general direction of where Eleanor is. Flashing a vulpine grin, Volkov loudly yells that while this has all been good fun, playtime's now over. "Come on out of the forest slow and steady with your hands up, and I might just let your friend live," Volkov all but orders as he hovers a claw in front of Leopold's neck for dramatic effect, "Though I can't make any promises."
Eleanor's eyes harden, and a scowl appears on her face as she quickly aims at Volkov's head. Oblivious to this, Volkov haughtily tuts and states that if he dies, his men will put more holes into their hostage than Swiss cheese, so the choice made needs to be a wise one. Leopold, still struggling under Volkov's grip, all but begs Eleanor to not listen to the bastard and to send him straight to hell. Volkov quickly covers the man's mouth with his hand and, with a mocking tone, loudly whispers to Leopold to let his friend make their own decisions. Eleanor's entire body shakes as she mentally debates what to do, her eyes uncertain and her lips quivering. Back with Volkov, his men, and Leopold, Volkov taps his foot impatiently and growls a little as he mutters that he doesn't have all night. Painfully long seconds pass by as there is no response or sign from the forest, the tension in the air oppressive as Volkov's men shuffle around in anxious anticipation. Finally, after an agonizing half-minute, Volkov's ears perk up at the sound of leaves and branches crackling, and he turns to see a hesitant and stiff Eleanor slowly walk out of the forest and toward the camp with her hands up in the air, one of them tightly gripping her rifle.
Volkov's initial surprise at the sight of the young girl quickly morphs into sadistic glee, and the werewolf turns to a horrified Leopold and cheerfully remarks that he should have told him about his little companion. "After all, you know how much I love little girls," Volkov darkly chuckles as he licks his lips before turning to look at Eleanor, who has entered the camp and is surrounded by his men. Volkov flashes a toothy grin and asks what her name might be, causing Eleanor to shoot a glare at him and curtly replies that it's none of his business. Volkov's grin grows wider as he remarks that he likes a girl with a spine even more, which causes Eleanor's face to subtly twitch in disgust and the men around him to chuckle. He then tells Eleanor that as much as he'd love to continue bantering with her, he's a little put off by that rifle in her hand; so, if she could please toss the rifle away, he would be most happy. When Eleanor promptly rejects the notion, her eyes subtly flickering around in a calculating manner, Volkov smirks before non-lethally slashing Leopold on the neck, causing Leopold to hiss in pain and Eleanor's breath to hitch as the girl recoils in fear. He then stares directly into Eleanor's eyes and condescendingly asks whose camp they are in right now. Swallowing a gulp as sweat begins to trail down her face, Eleanor shakily returns eye contact and replies that this is Volkov's camp, who nods in smug acceptance. Loosening his grip on Leopold just a tad, which Eleanor notices, Volkov says that he'll once again ask that she toss the rifle onto the ground. Taking in deep breaths, Eleanor silently mulls over what to do before her eyes just barely light up with realization. Her lips slowly curling into a small smirk, Eleanor turns to a somewhat surprised Volkov and replies, "As you wish," before tossing the rifle to the ground.
BANG
The gun goes off and shoots a thug in the foot, distracting everyone long enough for Eleanor to quickdraw her two pistols and open fire on Volkov, managing to land several shots on him but not quite killing him. The werewolf lets out a howl of agonizing pain and releases Leopold as he stumbles backward into a pile of crates and barrels. Nimbly dodging fire from Volkov's men, Eleanor skillfully returns fire before rushing for Leopold. Grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him behind a wagon, the frantic Eleanor worriedly asks her father if he's okay, to which Leopold groans that he's certainly seen better days. Eleanor grabs some medical supplies from her satchel, as well as a pistol and some ammo from a nearby corpse, and hands them to Leopold, telling him to stay put while she takes care of the rest of the bastards before running out into the open guns blazing. Leopold shakes his head in fond exasperation as he begins to dress his more serious wounds, humorously muttering about how his daughter will be the death of both of them.
We smash cut to Eleanor as she rushes in and out of cover and dodges through enemy fire, though she does take a clean shot through her arm. Shooting down five more thugs, she is forced to take cover behind a wagon and tries to reload. Before she can reload her second pistol, however, two of Volkov's men decide to rush toward her and engage in melee, with Eleanor dodging one of them before being punched in the face by the other. Staggering backward, she takes one of her pistols and clubs the one closer to her before shooting the other dead, though he does manage to graze her cheek with a knife. As the clubbed man pulls himself up, Eleanor smashes his face with the pistol again before executing him. As she steadies herself, she notices movement in the corner of her eye and ducks just as a thoroughly-angered Volkov lunges at her, the werewolf instead crashing into the wagon. He manages to make a swift and graceful recovery, however, and skids to a halt next to the palisades as Eleanor guns down two more of his men.
"You're a clever one, girlie," Volkov growls as he turns around, a feral gleam in his eyes as he stares her down, "Far too clever for my liking." He then charges at her once again, forcing her to leap to the side before quickly firing at him. Volkov dodges these shots with contempt and snarls before charging once again at Eleanor, all the while his men continue to fire on her. Realizing that fighting with Volkov while his men are shooting at her isn't going to end well for her, Eleanor frantically retreats and leads Volkov on a wild chase in order to buy time. As Volkov's men continue to fire on Eleanor, one of them is suddenly killed by a bullet to the head, which shocks the others into temporary inaction.
We then smash cut to Leopold behind cover with his pistol in hand, having managed to bandage his shoulder wound. Turning to Volkov's men, he loudly insults them and dares them to see how they'll fare when they're not up against a little girl. Shooting two more thugs, he then ducks back into cover as the thugs begin to fire on him instead, closing his eyes and uttering a small prayer for Eleanor before returning fire. We cut back to a panicking Eleanor as she continues to run and leap around the camp, Volkov hot behind her heels despite her best efforts to shake him off. She's running out of steam, though, as sweat begins to stain her clothes and her breathing turns to gasping. She fires off the last of her bullets in a last-ditch attempt to kill Volkov, but the werewolf dodges them with contemptuous ease and predatorily stalks toward her with a malicious grin. Eyes wide and breath quickening, Eleanor frantically hurls her pistols at him, which he lazily grabs out of the air before crushing them in his hand. Eleanor then grabs a knife from her belt and shakily brandishes it as threateningly as she can, but Volkov condescendingly leers at her and swipes the knife right out of her grip before backhanding her toward a nearby pile of crates.
Letting out a sharp cry of pain as she crashes into the crates, a dazed Eleanor, a cut now present on her forehead, desperately tries to crawl toward a gun beside a nearby corpse, Volkov watching in amusement as she claws her way toward it. Sudden, distorted, and painful flashbacks begin to flash by of the night Eleanor's life was turned upside down, and Eleanor lets out an agonizing cry as she crawls for her life. As she is about to reach the gun, however, Volkov simply walks over and kicks it away from her, cackling at her tears of despair. He then roughly pushes her onto her back with his foot and, stretching his arms out wide and yawning irreverently, sadistically remarks that he's worked up quite the appetite from chasing her around like that. Brandishing his claws, Volkov, his eyes tinted with bloodlust, flashes Eleanor a toothy grin as he raises his arm into the air. Eleanor, realizing that she won't make it out of this alive, closes her teary eyes and accepts her–
BANG
A sharp howl of pain pierces the air as Volkov suddenly staggers to the side, clutching his waist as it begins to bleed profusely. Opening her eyes at the sudden cacophony, Eleanor turns to see her father standing nearby with a shotgun aimed at Volkov, his body outwardly calm but his eyes burning with utter rage. "Keep your filthy hands off of my daughter, you son of a bitch," Leopold says with barely concealed rage as Volkov turns to look at him with shock and Eleanor begins to cry tears of joy. Volkov's shock quickly turns to feral fury, however, and he lets out an enraged snarl before staggeringly rushing toward Leopold. Leopold, expecting this, simply points his shotgun toward Volkov's legs and fires, blasting the werewolf's knees and sending him tumbling to the ground in utter agony. As Volkov begins to cry out in intense suffering while also cursing out Leopold and his daughter, Leopold pays the werewolf no heed and rushes to Eleanor's side, gently tossing his shotgun away. Engulfing her in a tight embrace, he shakily smiles at her and thanks everything good in this world that she's alright, and Eleanor weakly smiles back and replies that she's thankful for him saving her. Pressing a tender, loving kiss to Eleanor's forehead, Leopold says that she would do the same for him before taking her satchel and, grabbing some medical supplies from it, treating the cut on her forehead.
