"The hell did you say?!" James yelled at the UN official, who he had raised up in the air with one hand. pointing his naginata at him with the other.
"We're far from shore." He cried, "I thought it'd be a wise decision to go on..."
"Away from the nearest reinforcements?! Are you out of your mind." James dropped him to the floor, shaking his head. "DAMNIT!"
James walked out of the bridge and up to the middle deck. "The guy's out of his mind. We're far away from shore now."
"Well that's great." Rachel groaned. "We could barely handle the daemon that came and now this!? Can I not beat the crap out of him now?"
"So what do we do if things get bad?" Brandon asked.
"Then...well, what are we going to do? This isn't like there's no way to call for reinforcements, there is a way. Just that the ship is to far away for them to come." James said as he sat down, "If push comes to shove, you'll have to abandon ship. Everyone."
"That just makes us easy prey." Rachel said.
"Then easy prey we will be."
"So is there really nothing we can do?" The woman from earlier asked, holding her other arm. "We really can't get back to shore?"
"Yes." Brandon said. "But we could find a way. We could go somewhere close."
"True. Cameroun is close." Rachel said.
James sighed. They were too optimistic. Well, he couldn't blame them. They hadn't seen that much action anyway...or had they. He heard that two recruits had some nasty experience with the half-breeds. He just didn't bother to find out which ones. He was beginning to doubt if these were the ones.
Brandon was too naïve. While he was a superb fighter, his outlook to situations was quite concerning. He was more concerned with saving others than killing daemon. Rachel on the other hand was level-headed; had her eyes on the prize. But on there was this look in her eyes. It was hidden, but was there. She looked like the kind of person who, out of desperation would flee and leave her comrades.
"Um..." A man called out to them.
"What?" James asked.
"There's a weird sound coming from that corner." the man said. James stood up with his naginata and followed the man. The other passengers watched, with Brandon following his movements. Good to know that while he was naïve, he was still a good fighter.
"It was coming from this room." The man said, "Sounded like a car engine."
"Really? Sure didn't mistake it for anything else?"
"I work on cars. I know the sound."
"What's a mechanic like you doing on a luxury ship like this one? Stowaway?"
"Well..."
A loud sound emanated throughout the middle deck. James turned to the man and then to Brandon.
"That's a daemon." James said under his breath. Rachel and Brandon immediately stood to their feet, readying themselves. James and the man slowly made their way back to the rest of the passengers. The sound came again, accompanied by the scream of two people. This time the sound was clearer. The sound of hoarse laughter.
One of the passengers screamed as two bodies dropped down from the ceiling, their torsos gone. The crowd began to panic, spreading out to the corners of the room, while a few others rushed below deck. James stood his ground, waiting. Brandon and Rachel made their way to him. They never made it though.
The cry of the woman sent everyone into panic. Brandon and Rachel froze. The look on their faces told James everything he needed to know. Or rather, he knew the moment it had arrived. The daemon's presence had alerted him already. And had told him one thing. It was a sin.
James stood rooted on the spot, not blinking and barely breathing. He could feel the daemon looking down on him, his gaze haunting him, its breathing wrapping around him as the strong scent of blood almost to suffocating for James. James closed his eyes. looking up at the middle deck's roof. How far would he make it out without getting injured. Would he be able to live?
Clenching his fist around the naginata and biting his lower lip, he turned around to strike. But the victor had been decided the moment the daemon arrived. James didn't see the attack, nor could tell that the daemon had even attacked. All he saw was the hole in his abdomen. He slowly looked at the daemon, blood leaking from the sides of his mouth. The daemon was muscular, and completely white. No fancy whips or blade. Just a well-built body towering over him. No eyes, no mouth. Just a plain face.
James looked down on the floor again, going down on his knees. His hands shook violently, realizing his final hours were near. It had been a long regretful ride.
"Should have just gone to that shop like uncle told me." James said.
Another hole erased half of James' face and a third followed, riddling the inquisitor with holes, his tattered body fell to the ground.
Rachel whole world came crashing down as she witnessed what transpired. She fell to her knees, shaking violently in fear.
Rage began to fill up in Brandon. James had just died. Right in front of them. An inquisitor had just died right in front of them, again. First Aaron, now James.
"DAMN YOU!!!!" Brandon cried, whipping out his nunchunks.
A mouth appeared on the daemon's chest, a wide smile forming.