The air was thick and musty probably caused lung damage but that was how it was in the boonies of Havenstale. The streets were muddy, narrow and at every corner you could see either blood or feces, sometimes both. Sewage pipes burst to unload a trail of green sludge that ultimately gave the floor its color and buildings made a habit of offering the streets debris from time to time but that didn't mean Havenstale didn't have its charm. It was one of the only towns that had little to no daemons roaming around, which was good for people with no magic or elemental affinity. That way they could stay safe for free but at the cost of a disease-riddled environment.
The Galestadine government had purposely left Havenstale off their radars because one, it housed less than fifty people in total which was less than one percent of the tax revenue gained and the second reason being everyone who had housed here was like mentioned before, had no magic. However today was different, it was loud, filled with excitement or rather fear. Buildings fell to the ground and even more blood splashed against the pavement. Daemon.
Igor Dragonstead vaulted a fence and ran away from town toward the outskirts of Havenstale commonly called the RUINS, he drifted toward an abandoned condo with an interior that housed more insects than dust. he hated bugs. He waited, listened, before finally letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm almost out of mana and I haven't landed a single blow on that thing. What is it, tiger class?." He slid his katana into its scabbard and rested his back on the door panel, Igor was a hunter, used to be anyway and what was chasing him wasn't a loanshark it was something less frightening than that.
Igor could hear the sound of its feet pressing against the mud, the greedy breaths it took after running for about a mile. It was looking for him but he wasn't eager to be found, it was a lower-level daemon he could tell from its smell. It stood like a gorilla that had pitch-black fur, claws sharper than that of a leopard, and a face that had no flesh just white bones that connected to a neck of fur. It prattled towards the building slowly. It could smell mana but it couldn't pinpoint its exact location. Igor knelt still against the door frame, He peeked out and returned his head once the daemon moved.
"This might just be the last one," He slid his hand across his sword. [Enchantment magic, Act one: Strengthen] This magic act changed the durability of the sword, it became lighter whilst becoming considerably sharper, he dropped the scabbard loudly as a distraction before getting into position.
The daemon attracted by the noise cocked its head towards the house Igor was in, letting out a growl as it dashed right through.
"Got you." Igor jumping through the window swung his sword at the daemon, perfect slice. not. The daemon hardened its muscles and the blade got stuck in it, it began to spin around effectively slamming Igor face-first onto the concrete. Scratches and bruises piled up on his body, but none of that would matter if he was eaten by the daemon.
The daemon walked toward him slowly, approaching like a predator would its prey. The distance between them was no more than three meters, the hefty being tore Igor's blade out its arm and immediately it did that Igor smiled. [Enchantment magic act one: Strengthen tenfold],the daemon's hand got trapped beneath the blade as it fell to the ground like the hammer of Thor, but now Igor truly was spent. He bled from every orifice he possibly could and every count of stamina he had was spent. "You've done well." A voice with a tone that seemed almost melodic said. "Let me finish your battle just this once Dragonstead." [Battle magic Act three: Frozen blood].
The daemon stopped moving.
"Who are you?" Igor said with a hint of fear as he slowly crawled away from the daemon.
"Liric. Liric Titanfall." He said as he punched a hole through the daemon and pulled out its heart. "It's not dead till you do this by the way."
"What do you want from me, what are you doing here?"
"So many questions, so many answers, Igor Dragonstead" He jumped atop the daemon's back and sat on its frozen corpse. "First thing's first, I know who you are and I want to scout you." He put his palms together and blew warm air into them. "Secondly, you're wasting your life here."
Igor stood there puzzled, if this person could use magic up to the third act then running would prove pointless, stupid, unnecessary. not that he could even if he wanted to.
He took a deep breath to ease up his nerves, he imitated the man and blew hot air into his palms. "What do you know about me."
"Well I know you're not dumb, and secondly I know your father was a daemon." Liric looked into the heart of the city, Havenstale was an ugly place.
Igor was silent. He had made a habit of throwing around quips and catchphrases at every opportunity but now he didn't know what to say. He is in all honesty, the product of a daemon father and a human mother and because of that, he was cast out of most places immediately after they knew he had the slightest bit of daemon blood in him. It was a stench he could never get rid of, a smell that plagued his every move. As his mother once told him before she died. "You were born with handcuffs." that's the reason he found himself here. In Havenstale.
"Igor Dragonstead." He slid down the back of the daemon like a child would a slide. "Join me."
"Why would you want a half daemon," Igor shook his head. "We couldn't even walk through Nox or be allowed safe travel through Galestadine, trust me I tried. This is the only place on the planet that doesn't give two daemon tails what I am."
"If you become a hunter, that won't be an issue ever again."
"Yeah. Trust me that was my reasoning as well," He didn't want to say this but he already had. "Become a hunter and work my way up the ranks. Then walk and live like a normal human born in this world. Even though I was granted passage through the city gates, I wasn't a part of its citizens. They stared, gossiped, alienated me, but why? wasn't I part of the sworn defenders of the city? Trust me that didn't matter one bit."
"So you quit being a hunter."
"I'm not protecting people that would throw rocks at me once the daemon is killed."
He put his arm up and a snowflake emerged on it, made of ice it glittered but ultimately melted. "So what are you doing here?"
"What?"
"Who are you protecting by taking the daemon into the ruins." He walked closer to Igor. "You had multiple chances to run when it trailed behind, you could've run into the city effectively masking the scent of your mana but you decided to take it away from everyone and fight it alone."
Igor was silent.
"Tell me Igor Dragonstead, who are you protecting."
Igor now imitating the frozen daemon with how still he stood.
"It wasn't a rhetorical question, but I believe you already know the answer deep within you." Liric brushed his hair aside and looked deep into Igor's eyes. "Will you join me and become a hunter once more?"
He tried to move his lips, they shivered like he was the one trapped in ice. He saw his life flash before him every time he had held back his emotions, every time he had saved someone but was met with immediate disdain. It came back and what he truly realized was that no matter what happened to him in Nox or Galestadine. He bore no hate for anyone.
Liric didn't say anything. He wouldn't rush a response.
"I'll do it, not because you told me to but for my own reasons. "Igor said and as he did he saw Liric crack a smile. "I'll change the way this world thinks, by my own hand."