It started many years ago, demons were ravaging the Earth – they have a never ending hunger for human souls. Around the same time the chosen ones powers started awakening – the powers ranged from super human strength to telepathy to manipulating elements like fire or water. It wasn't long until the government realized they could use the people to their advantage and began to round them up and isolated them in the town of Leore.
It wasn't long before they figured out that once a chosen one had a child they lost their powers, their blonde hair and blue eyes both change to brown almost immediately after giving birth. It was a brief period of time before they discovered the mothers powers were passed on to their daughters - they always had daughters first and the pregnancy rate was damn near 100%.
A law quickly was passed forbidding intimate relationships with chosen ones. Anyone who did so was considered a traitor and was tried and executed publicly. The government forbid relationships with chosen ones until they retired or were disabled and then they took the daughter they gave their powers to.
A myth was passed down the generations that if a chosen one were able to kill 100 demons and eat their souls it would lock in their powers for life. The catch is no one has managed to do it. The closest was 87 demons but that chosen one was killed in battle last month.
"Sam, are you listening?" Nora asked.
"What, no, sorry, what were you saying?" Sam asked and Nora sighed.
"I said that someone needs to push the demons back, it might as well be us. I heard demons were attacking one of the cities on the outskirts recently." Nora said.
"That's just a rumor." Sam said.
"I heard it from Tillie." Nora said.
"Then it's probably true then. Still we could get in a lot of trouble for doing this so don't tell anyone, not even one of your C.O. buddies like Tillie." Sam said.
"Of course not, we have to give this our best shot. So once we get to 100 then what? Even if we get to be together … like that." Nora said, her cheeks reding at the thought. She cleared her throat and kept talking. "Then what, I get pregnant and we're still on the run?"
"We can finally prove or disprove the myth." Sam said.
"Just in case we should kill a couple extra." She says then stops the car. "Here we are. Let's get through six today!" She said excitedly as she got out of the car.
"Are you nuts?" Sam shouted after her. "These guys aren't weaklings."
"If we come back everyday it'll only take a week." Nora squealed excitedly.
"You're really determined." Sam said. He signed and got out of the car after her.
"And you're not?" Nora asked.
"Oh no I am but everyday might be a bit much for you and it might be a little suspicious as well." Sam replied.
"I'll have plenty of time for recovering once I reach 100." Nora said.
"We'll grab a few today then I'll call headquarters to see if there aren't any missions with mass low level demons as a warm up." Sam said.
"Not yet, give it a couple days." Nora said.
"By then we'll have a long mission with one demon of high skill-" Sam was starting to say but Nora cut him off.
"Ok fine, call when we're on the way back." Nora said.
They start to walk towards the town. The first part of any mission, regardless of the intel you get, is to talk to the locals. They can always tell you where and when demons have been spotted recently, what level they are, and other helpful bits of information they don't always send along to the government when they make a report – because honestly it takes forever to send someone and by the time someone made it to deal with the problem the information was outdated.
"It's about time they send someone!" Sam and Nora heard as they walked down the main road in town. A small old woman made her way over to them with the assistance of a cane. "Demons have been here for weeks and attacking for days! We've lost a dozen villagers already…" She said in her frail voice.
"How many demons are there?" Nora asked, a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.
"A dozen I'd say." The old lady's word but a smile on Nora's face.
"Which way?" Nora asked. The old woman pointed to the South. With a smile on her face Nora pulled her shorts up on the right side to show three metal rods strapped to her leg. She took them out of the holder and when she did so they came together. She ran off South and Sam followed her. It only took a few minutes to find the demons.
"Fate smiles on us today Sam. A dozen weaklings, I won't even need your help." Nora said and turned to Sam. Her blue eyes were glowing as she turned her powers on. She ran towards the demons that were already feasting on souls. It disgusted Nora and enraged her at the same time – both she used for fuel to fight them.
She harnessed that energy and slashed through every black shadowed, mangled tooth demon. She swallowed every soul along the way – 11 of them. Everything she was capable of still amazed Sam, watching her dart around with her extraordinary speed and strength.
"That was just 11, I'm one shy. I can still sense you ya bastard." Nora said out loud. Sam noticed her eyes were getting dimmer and he knew she was reaching her limit. She had incredible speed and strength but due to her small stature she could only maintain it for a small time before needing to rest and recover.
"Let me find him, you need your rest." Sam said.
"I will do nothing of the sort. I can sense him." Nora said and started running North towards the demon. Sam tried his best to keep up with her but she lost him even at his fastest run. He continued to walk North until he stumbled upon her devouring the last soul of the low level demon.
She turned off her powers and took her staff apart. She put her staff back in it's holster and walked up to Sam.
"Let's trade good old fashioned labor for a bed." She said with a faint smile.
"Absolutely not." Was the old lady's response when they asked for a room. "I don't need the government swarming through here when you two don't report back in time."
"I'll go call in now. Please she needs to lie down and have a proper rest in a bed." Sam pleaded.
"Ok fine…but you'll need to work in exchange for her room." She said.
"Deal. Where am I needed?" Sam asked.
"The Smith's had it the worst, help them if you can. I'll see to it that she gets a proper rest and meal." She said. The old lady helped Nora to her room, she was so worn out she couldn't walk on her own. Sam did call headquarters to check in, not to inform them that they'd killed 12 demons but to ask about nearby missions they could take on during their trip back to the capitol.
"There aren't any missions in Nora's bracket you know that Sam. Nora is in the middle tier and it's overflowing with chosen ones so missions are scarce. I know she gets antsy but tell her that her turns coming up." Sam's handler, Quincy, told him over the phone.
Sam let out a sigh, Nora wasn't going to be happy with this news.
"When can we retest?" Sam asked.
"Man, that's a rough journey unsponsored." Quincy said.
"I know Quince, but it'd get her off my back and the upper tier is in need of experienced C.O.'s." Sam said.
"It looks like her last test was over a month ago so if you two want to make the journey I can slot her in to retest as soon as you arrive." Quincy said.
"Thanks Quince, I owe you one." Sam said and they hung up.
After getting instructions from the old woman Sam headed over to the Smith's to pitch in. He went back to the inn to sleep for a few hours until Nora woke him up.
"Come on let's go kill more demons." Nora said as Sam opened his eyes.
"I think you're on a soul high, we're done for a few days." Sam said sleepily.
"Come on we only need 24 more!" She said.
Nora wouldn't let up all morning until they were about to leave.
"Come on, there has to be more demons around here. I'm fired up and ready to go." Nora said.
"I-I hate to bother you since you've been so kind already but if you're looking for more demons to kill there are a couple moderate level demons blocking the path to Fiscany. We haven't been able to trade with them for months." She said.
"Show us the way!" Nora said excitedly before Sam could even say anything.
"Wait, has this been reported?" Sam asked.
"And complained about many times to the local agency; it's no easy trip to go there in person either." She said.
"Just as I thought…if you point us in the direction we might be able to help." Sam said.
"It's just due West of here, you can't miss them." She said.
"Let's get going!" Nora said excitedly.