"Outside the imperial palace, onlookers sang the praises of the imperial princess. She was a beautiful woman with Flowing black hair and glittery gold eyes. A woman of intelligence and beauty, a goddess worshiped by the people. She was loved by the people of The Celestial Empire as she blessed them with happiness and wealth. Though not everyone loved her, she was hated by the people of the Skull-fallen Mountain. Resulting in her Empire being burnt to the ground."
The man flipped another painting ending his story. Mothers and fathers threw the man some coins into a hat. Children whispered and played. I flipped him a coin of my own and tilted my hat up to peek at him.
"Lady Rinko. we didn't have time for stories" my attendant whispered. I glanced back at the man and nodded.
We walked past him through the small village. "Jin, tell me what you recall of the empire," I told him as we trekked through the crowded streets. I glanced back at the boy who had black hair and bright blue eyes.
"Of course Lady Rinko. The Empire was the most developed of its time, often compared to Heaven. with crystal places and golden engravement. The place was bright and peaceful." he looked down at the ground "If you don't mind, why do you ask my lady?" Jin looked up at me.
I shrugged "The place seemed... familiar." whenever I tried to think about it my mind was filled with flames and my head became fuzzy.
Jin nodded, not pressing any further. I haven't felt the presence of any demons around, that was a good sign. "Do you think the master might have been wrong?" I finally stopped looking around us.
"Of course not, you should not doubt the master Lady Rinko." Jin shook his head.
"right!" I shook my head looking around. The master had never been wrong before, but this felt different. I couldn't sense a single demon, but there was a dark presence.
A villager waved us over from a small shop. "Hello travelers, are those demon hunter emblems? they are! She smiled meeting my eyes. "What a pretty woman, are you sure you're a demon hunter?" she giggled.
Her compliment made my cheeks heat up a bit. I had long white hair and sharp golden eyes. It wasn't a look seen very often. I smiled leaning over the counter "I assure you I am indeed a demon hunter, and what would a cute girl like you need from us?"
"Well, it depends. Are you here to hunt demons or are you just passing through?" she leaned a bit closer. "because there is a high-level demon lurking around here." she whispered.
I locked eyes with Jin who slightly nodded. "and how would you know that? how would a girl like you have any knowledge of demons?" Jin stepped in front of me.
The girl stepped back for a moment, and I placed a hand on Jin's shoulder. His demeanor calmed a bit but he continued to glare. The girl took a deep breath and pulled at one of her pigtails.
"You see, my father was a demon hunter. Most people here don't know about the existence of demons. But I do... I was accompanying a few of the local adventurers up to the demon cave when It came out. Almost everyone in my group was taken. Except for me and one other person." her face darkened.
Jin raised an eyebrow "What happened to the other person?"
"He was a frail old man, so he and his family moved to one of the bigger cities to get him more advanced medical help." she vaguely pointed at the village gate entrance. "Many adventurers pass through here to explore that cave... but they all end up never coming back... but nobody would believe me when I tried to say anything.
"What's your name girl?" I held out my hand. "We'll take care of your demon issue" I smiled. This must be the demon master is talking about. If the demon was in a cave it would make sense that I couldn't sense it from here.
The girl smiled "My name is Kohana, please defeat that demon, and save the adventurers there!" She bowed and shook my hand.
Smiling, I quickly patted her head. "Consider it done, let's go Jin." I turned around walking towards the village gates.
"wait! Lady Rinko! Do you really just trust her? we don't even know if what she's saying is true! what if it's a trap?" he hounded me as we walked. Despite his child-like form, I'm pretty sure Jin was older than even I.
I chuckled as he followed me "Oh please, everything we'll be fine. I'm not an amateur. besides, I have you with me" I winked. Jin frowned but stopped arguing as we left the village gates and went off to find the demon cave.
When we found the cave it was dimly lit and had only one entrance. "Jin, do you mind?" I smile and he frowns creating a small light with his hand.
We entered the cave surrounded by darkness on all sides but where the light led us. "Keep your guard up Lady Rinko" Jin glanced up at me.
"Right," I nodded as we walked through the cave. I grazed the wall of the cave but found nothing suspicious until my fingers brushed over a large gash in the wall. "wait..." Jin stopped and I beckoned the light closer.
Jin furrowed his brow "That girl was right... there is most definitely a high-level demon here." The incision was deep, clear, and enormous, much larger than the average demon.
Pressing my hand against the mark I looked onwards into the dark "That means it's close by, and we'll have to take care of it!" I gave a thumbs up.
With a sigh, Jin shook his head but smiled. "You really are a bit too optimistic sometimes my lady." he drew his blade as we continued to walk further into the cave.
As we ventured deeper into the cave, the air grew heavier, suffocating me with a sense of foreboding. The dim light from Jin's hand trembled, casting eerie shadows that danced across the rough walls. Every step echoed in the silence, amplifying the weight of the unknown lurking ahead. Despite the creeping unease, I had faith in the master's training.
I'd only ever fought one high-level demon and I almost died. I had Jin with me this time though, we could do this!
With each passing moment, the whispers grew louder, invading my thoughts and unsettling my senses. The darkness seemed to take on a life of its own, swirling and twisting. Goosebumps prickled on my skin, and I tightened my grip on my weapon, ready to face whatever awaited us in the depths of this forsaken place. Nothing would deter me from my mission to vanquish the demon and protect those in need.
"fu, hu, hu! A demon hunter? oh no, two demon hunters!" a voice rang throughout the cave.
The demon's aura was strong and I could feel the magic flow throughout the cave. Jin took a step back and I pulled out one of my talismans. "Lady Rinko..."
"I hear her" I squinted trying to pinpoint the location of the demon. I squinted harder and harder until I could practically see the magic molecules around the room "There!" I threw a talisman at the demon fully revealing its centipede-like body with the face of a baby attached to its head.
Jin jumped forward attempting to slash the demon. The demon sped out of the way wrapping itself along the wall before springing at me. but didn't the demon have claws?
I dodged the attack, turning back to Jin, "be careful, I don't think this is the only demon here!" but Jin was gone... "Jin?" a black substance rose from the floor and I could feel myself getting pulled in "Jin!"