Screams of agony and fear could be heard from miles away as demons were attacking and chasing the last remaining villagers of the village that Daniel, Ramielle and Ethan was about to approach.
"We can't go in there, it's too dangerous. We'll never be able to take them all on at once," Daniel said to Ethan. Ethan nodded, "You're right. But the only detour is through the mountains and that will take days." Ethan pulled his fingers through his hair, glancing at Daniel and Ramielle's current attire, "Plus, temperatures up there are even more unbearable than down here. Here it's so hot you can barely breathe, but up there we'll freeze to death." Daniel let out a nervous breath, throwing a glance toward the village in the distance. "We'll just have to take the chance. It's either die by frost or die by those disgusting things. I'd rather freeze."
"But what about the people?" Ramielle asked in a worried voice. Daniel and Ethan stared at her. "We have got to save them." Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but Daniel interrupted, "It won't be any help. We can't take on all those demons. Even if we save some people, we won't be alive long enough to get them out of there."
Ramielle's breaths came out in quick, small huffs, "We cannot just leave them..." Ethan placed a giant hand on her shoulder, "The faster we get to Danica and Hector, the more deaths we would prevent. We should stay alive and get to her because we're the only hope the world has."
Ramielle seemed to be in a brutal battle with herself, and Daniel hated to see it. He wished he could do something to save these people that she so desperately wanted to.
"We are wasting time. We are strong enough to kill off each and every one of those vile creatures," Ramielle said in an anger filled, shivering voice. Then she ran in the direction of the chaos-filled village.
"No!" Daniel and Ethan shouted together, darting after her.
Ramielle entered the village, dagger in hand. Daniel and Ethan was somewhere behind her, but she knew that they were strong enough to defend themselves. These people running around, losing loved ones and children having to watch this horror... They could not defend themselves. So Ramielle was going to protect them.
A giant Mantis-Demon made its way toward her and she ran, leaping up and driving her dagger through its throat and cutting through all the flesh and bone until its head fell to the ground. She landed gracefully on her feet, ready to move on to the next demon.
Ethan and Daniel fought off all the demons that tried attacking her from behind. Ethan slashed them in half with his great ax, while Daniel fought with his katanas in a scissor-like manner, slicing the demons into pieces.
Ramielle caught sight of a little girl running toward her, shouting, "Lady! Help me!" The child had tears streaming from her green eyes down her face, and her pink dress was torn and dirty. She had lost one of her sandals, and her one foot was bleeding. Her blonde hair wipped behind her as she ran.
Chasing the girl was a demon that looked like a giant beetle. It had a black protective exoskeleton which shined where the sun hit it, and it had one enormous mouth with rows and rows of teeth.
Ramielle ran toward the girl, leapt over her head and landed on the demon. Ethan pushed the little girl toward a man that was running toward where they had entered the village. The man picked up the girl and ran with a few other people to exit the village.
Ramielle tried to pierce the armour of the demon, but it was like trying to stab a slab of iron. Even as she attempted to drive her dagger through its head and neck it was in vain.
"Get off of it and flip it around! Its weakness is its stomach!" Daniel shouted from somewhere near. Ramielle jumped off the demon and Ethan dashed forward, slashing clean through a few of the demon's many legs with his great ax. The demon shrieked and fell to its side, exposing his underbelly, which was like that of a worm.
Daniel switched to his guns and shot at the demon's stomach, causing it to scream and spasm, before it desolved.
Ramielle, Daniel and Ethan fought through more and more demons, until the demons were starting to surround them. With the demons' attention turning to the three fighters, the remaining villagers could flee.
The three fighters slashed, stabbed and decapitated. Adrenaline was keeping them from feeling the exhaustion that they should have been feeling. Before long they had killed off every one of the demons until there was nothing but ashes.
Ethan leaned against his ax, Daniel was bent over with his hands on his knees, and Ramielle sat on the ground - all heaving.
"I can't believe we just did that," Daniel said between breaths. Ramielle gave a weak smile, "I told you we could take them on." Ethan breathed a chuckle, "Nothing beats your determination, Ramielle."
Daniel and Ramielle glanced toward Ethan. "You always talk in this way that suggests that you know her. Just tell her how you know her, I'm sure she is dying to know - you know, with her MEMORY LOSS AND EVERYTHING," Daniel said to Ethan. Ramielle grinned sheepishly, "Well, I am not literally dying, but I would like to know. I would like to know why and how you know me, Ethan."
Ethan's lips tugged upward, "Not yet. I can't tell you yet." Daniel groaned, "Oh my god. Why the hell not?! This 'being clouded in mystery'-thing you got going is REALLY annoying."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, "To me it sounds like you're the one that's the most curious about this rather than Ramielle." Ramielle hid a giggle behind her hand, "And you are one to talk, Daniel. You are just as mysterious. I have known you for longer than Ethan, but I know less about you than about him."
Daniel cleared his throat, "I - uh - just don't have much to tell."
Ethan laughed, shaking his head, "Everyone has a story. But if it helps, we can save yours for later, when we get out of this village and find somewhere to camp."
Daniel didn't answer, he just cleared his thoat again and started walking towards the way that they were meant to go. Ethan helped Ramielle up, and they followed him, both smiling to themselves at Daniel's reaction.
When they reached the exit gate of the city they stopped in their tracks. Before them, the gate was blocked by a boulder so big it reached higher than the village's walls.
Daniel cursed and Ethan sighed heavily. There was no way to get over the walls or the boulder.
"It seems we're going to have to take the mountain route," Ethan reluctantly said. "No wonder the villagers all ran to the entrance to escape," Daniel realized.
"This wasn't here when I passed here a few days ago," Ethan observed. "This is new." Ramielle frowned, "Do you think that the demons blocked the exit... and that they knew we were coming?"
Ethan's visible eye filled with concern, "I hope that they didn't get to Danica and Hector. It's highly unlikely, but still a possibility."
Daniel rolled his shoulders and turned to walk back into the village, "Well, let's not waste any more time. We should search the village's houses and gear up for the cold."