Once the sun had finally settled under the horizon and the sky had turned dark, I pulled my brown cloak over my shoulders as I snuck out of my house. My mother was lightly humming from her bedroom, but she didn't hear me leave. I would make it quick, I thought.
Rika only lived two streets away from me and the majority of people had already turned in for bed. My boots were padded against the grainy cobblestone as I made my way. I was temporarily distracted by some tavern patrons when I bumped into a short girl. She fell to the ground, her cloak hood falling off of her head. Her hair was bright blue. Wait, was that Yuko? The teacher's pet?
The girl jumped to her feet, pulling her hood up in one solid motion. She glared at me.
"I'm sorr—"
"Watch where you're going!" She hissed as she shoved past me. I didn't have time to respond. I just watched her as she trekked away. If that really was Yuko, I had no idea why she would be sneaking around at night. I decided to shrug it off and keep heading towards Rika's place.
As I approached her home the smell of coal dust and molten iron burned my senses. Her father's forge was always working on something, and it always had a thick air around it. I saw Rika sitting on the ground next to the forge's door, wiggling her feet up and down while waiting for me. Her eyes met mine and a grin spread across her face.
"For a second, I didn't think you were coming," she whispered.
"It took awhile for my mom to go to her room. You know I wouldn't stand you up like that," I said as I waved the notion off. "But, I think I just ran into Yuko sneaking around."
Rika pursed her lips at me. "Yeah right, I bet she goes to bed while the sun is still out after studying for hours on end."
"Yeah... probably," I replied, deciding to shelf the topic. "Alright, let's see it then. The oh-so-amazing blade."
Rika's grin grew wider before making our way quietly into the forge. The smell was much more intense on the inside, accompanied by man sweat. I don't think the smell even affected Rika anymore, it was her home after all.
"It's in the back room," Rika made her way to her dad's office as I followed suit. Once we entered I felt my breath catch in my throat. Perched on the wall was a medium sized blade, but it was like nothing I had ever seen. The blade was a stark forest green and seemed to light up against the dark room.
"What the hell?" I couldn't help but walk straight up to the sword. The hilt was plated in gold with black and green fabric woven around it. In the middle of the handle was an encrusted black gemstone, like obsidian.
"Don't touch it!" Rika hissed. I stopped in my tracks.
"It's enchanted with that gem. It is only allowed to be handled by the blacksmith and the owner," Rika finished.
I stood in awe at such a sight. "What happens if someone else touches it?"
Rika shrugged. "Probably nothing good. But, see what I meant? Have you ever seen anything like this? It's a mana-infused blade. I bet it can only be wielded by mages."
I knitted my brows against the dark room. "Why would a mage want a blade?"
Rika shrugged again. "Who knows? My dad has been super secretive about the client."
I turned to my friend excitedly. "I bet it's a Monarch Knight!"
Before she could reply there was a loud crash outside in the distance, followed by a chorus of laughter that sounded like hyenas. It made my hair stand on end. Rika and I looked at each other wide eyed.
"What was that?" I asked.
"I don't know. Let's go check it out," she replied as we made our way out of the forge. We crouched behind a large water barrel and peaked down the side street. What we saw made our hearts sink and our stomachs twist.
Yuko, it was definitely Yuko, struggled to get back to her feet. Her hood was knocked down. The moon cast enough light for us to get a clear picture of everything. She had dirt on her knees and scratches on her face. She scowled, looking up at the roof of a nearby house. Our eyes followed to see what had hurt her.
My breath caught when I saw them. Three humanoid beings. They had bat-like wings that protruded from their shoulder blades and black twisted horns that sprouted from their heads. The one in the center wore a black baggy cloak, but it was cut short at her upper thigh. Her fingertips were stained black and she harbored claws on her hands and feet. Her hair was sharp and straight, short and a vibrant bright green. But, it was her eyes that chilled me to the bone. Her eyes were a haunting yellow with cat like slits. A fanged smile was plastered on her features.
The other two assailants weren't as impressive as their leader. They had disheveled hair and they were scowling. Dull cloaks clung around their bodies. They had the same claws as their leader, but they were overgrown and dirty. They looked more like unkempt beasts. They also looked starved. However, they had the same icy eyes that were hyper fixated on Yuko.
My heart hammered against my ribs. What the hell were they? Vampires? Demons? Something else entirely? I heard Rika draw a sharp breath.
"Demons," she hissed, as if reading my thoughts.
"What? Why are the all the way out here? And how could they be awake right now?"
Rika and I pressed our backs against the walll of the building as hard as we could. The look on her face was like she was trying to solve a complex math equation.
"I'm not sure but," she whispered, "my dad once said something about some demons who are unable to hibernate during the summer like the rest of them. Those demons are especially cranky and out for blood. Much like a bear who can't hibernate."
My eyes grew wide at the realization. "They're gonna kill Yuko."
Rika swallowed hard. "They're gonna kill our whole village."
If my heart was hammering before, it was now a jackhammer chipping away at my chest.
"No," I hissed. "No, we have to do something."
This couldn't be it. This couldn't be how I went out, not after everything I had been through. Or the whole lot of nothing I've experienced, rather. For the first time ever, I wasn't only scared of losing my memories, but I was scared to lose my life.
With another crash, we heard Yuko cry out. Not the kind of cry you'd expect from someone calling for help, but more so a cry of enduring. That's when we realized that they weren't just simply attacking her, but rather engaging in a battle. Rika and I dared another glance.
One of the lackeys came down hard from above with its foot at the ready to plant itself in Yuko's skull, but she was too fast. She had rolled, her cloak furling around her. She was able to use the momentum to get back to her feet as her legs shook. The demon's clawed foot had buried itself straight through the cobblestone where her head once was.
The demon growled as it struggled to release itself from the dirt and rocks. Just then, Rika and I noticed a peculiar leather bound book that Yuko was clutching desperately.
"Where's my sister?!" She yelled toward the leader who was still watching from the rooftop.
"Your sister? Oh the Monarch gal." Even though the demon's voice was melodic, it was also dripping with malice. "Is that why you attacked us?"
"I said where is she?!" Yuko's voice cracked. The lackey demon had finally freed its foot and advanced once again towards the young woman at an alarming speed. Yuko held the book close to her chest as she threw out her free arm towards the beast.
I felt my eyes water as a bright blue beacon of light sparked all around her as a blast of water expelled from her open palm. It was a direct hit. It was like seeing a toddler go head to head with a real-life fire hose. Except the fire hose blast that Yuko produced had only lasted a fraction of a second. The demon was blown out of sight with a blink of the eye.
Although I was shocked that little Yuko could produce such magic, I was floored by her ability to do so. I shot a look of victory at Rika, who's expression was still in between somber and disbelief.
"We won't be able to touch them without prison magic," she said out loud, though I knew she was talking to herself. "That demon will come straight back until she's too fatigued to go on. It's like a cat toying with a mouse. It's disgusting."
My smile faded as the weight of her words sunk into my skin. "Well, we can't do nothing. If we go out, we go out fighting. Like little Yuko."