Chapter 29: The Demon's Hideout
Anthony and the Sheriff walked down the busy streets of Nonagon, shoulders brushing the crowd, street lights on every turn, the city was filled with fruit sellers, merchants, guards, shops that sold different varieties of goods and most importantly the scent of food that was possessive to the nose. His stomach grumbles at the thought of eating the delicacy that gave such wonderful scent, but this wasn't the time for that... Maybe after he beheaded the demon he would treat himself to some fried plantain and egg.
"This place is wonderful, but we don't have time pertaining to compliments," Anthony said with a stern voice, "may we speak of the demon?"
The sheriff gave a light chuckle amused by Anthony's grit, "you hunters really are something else," the sheriff took a cigarette from his coat and lit it with a lighter, he puts it into his mouth and puffs out smoke from his nose, he was calm and was watchful of his words. "Every night people, mostly girls of high caliber in beauty go missing. I've investigated and found out the disappearances only happen in a few streets but there are two streets that the disappearance happen much frequently, I'll take you there hunter."
They tore through the crowds for minutes before reaching a less busy road.
"So what is a sheriff?" Anthony breaks the silence after a long while.
"A sheriff?" The Sheriff seemed dazed by his question, he took his time before replying "it's a detective that finds clues on crimes and solve them."
Anthony scoffs "sounds like something a child made up."
"Krrch!" The sheriff growls.
"Don't expect an apology I was only saying what I felt, that's what makes me truthful. Besides why did you become a Sheriff?" Anthony senses hesitation from the Sheriff, just as he expected. Something was truly enigmatic about him.
"Ugh..." The sheriff was lost of words.
Anthony's hand found his hilt instinctively, this only meant one thing... "What!" Anthony's eyes goggled in shock as he caught the sight of a green haired hunter walking far behind the Sheriff.
"James!" He yells at the top of his voice charging him joyously.
James hears the call and turns around with a lifeless expression on his face as he caught sight of Anthony.
Anthony reaches elated, he never expected such a coincidence to play in, but was more than happy that it did. "James! Great job surviving, I am so glad to see you!"
James scoffs as he scans through Anthony as if he was a mediocre, "shut up idiot, I see you barely made it past your own mission, why have you decided to be a nuisance pestering fool."
Anthony's grin extends even more "James, I'm happy for you, for doing way better than me... You must be really awesome!"
James growls angrily, "shut the hell up I don't need your compliments! Have you forgotten what I did..."
"You're so awesome I wish I could match up to you," Anthony interrupts raining compliments on James.
James is dazed by this, he couldn't comprehend why Anthony acted so... Kind to him. How foolish, why was he happy to see a man that attempted to murder him? The last they saw Anthony had declared him unworthy to wear the Western Kingdom but yet he acted as if none of that happened... What an idiot.
"This is so cool! Are we on the same mission?" Anthony asked his grin widening even more, finally he would be able to see James in action, compared to him James was twice better in sword art.
"Shut Up! We aren't friends! Why do you care?" James grabbed him by the shirt "I rather die than accompany you! I hope you die from this mission! Bye!" James shoves him away storming away, disappearing in the crowd in an instant.
"Thank you," Anthony turns away, "did I say something wrong? Or was I too pestering?" Anthony ran a hand through his hair shaking off the feeling of being rejected.
He notices a shift in the air and perceives the presence of... The Sheriff's presence was gone. "Sheriff!" Anthony yelled out "she..."
"I have a name, you care to know?" The Sheriff came from behind "Godfrey."
"Like I care to know?" Anthony scorns, the Sheriff was trying to evade Anthony questioning him, as he predicted the Sheriff's reputation had more than bargained for. "Where were you?"
"Well you left me in the crowd with no warning what'd you expect?" The Sheriff defended confidently. "We are almost at the street, shall we go? We can't waste moonlight."
The Sheriff left him not waiting for a reply. Anthony growls, whatever he was trying to hide, after this hunt he was going to have answers.
....
Anthony and the Sheriff entered into a dark alley at the latter of the long term trek through Nonagon.
"This is the alley," the Sheriff says "how kind of us to volunteer to be the next appetisers don't you think."
"Tell me about the alley," Anthony snarled voice full with authority. The alley was filled with dirt and rubbish, the stench was unbearable, but more disgusting was that vile smell he had grown a little farmiliar of, a smell of a demon... A huge one.
Anthony crows his head around to a large fence, it was breached looking melted like metal too enigmatic to pass by without noticing.
"The alley is..."
"What's down there?" Anthony interrupts pointing at the wall.
The Sheriff takes a glance at the wall and the building far behind it. "It is an old abandoned alehouse... That's not where we are headed."
Anthony ignores him walking to the melted wall. Behind it was nothing but darkness and an omnious wooden shack which gave of a weird demonic Aura he could sense. He walks past the wall sensing the vibe even more, whatever was terrorizing Nonagon surely concealed in here, he needed to take caution if he didn't want to loose the element of surprise.
Anthony's hand found his hilt. He cases every inch of the tardy Shack, the texture and form it took, it was surely abadoned.
As Anthony closes in his hears picks up a vile cackle from the shack which he quickly he discerns. It was the demon's voice.
He broke into a sprint reaching the door of the wooden shack in seconds, it looked eaten up by thermites. He threw his foot through the thermite weakened wood shattering it in one strike. He enters the shack immediately scanning around it's dark crooks and crannies for anyone. He sees one, a huge fat bald bulky man, dark in complexion, wearing a black pair pant with no shirt revealing his sagged stomach. The fat man stood in front of a large metal table where three humans layed head facing up and chains holding them in place. Two of them were dead, disembodied and feasted upon with flies and maggot all over them, it was a gruesome sight. The last a lady who squirmed and cried as she struggled to break free.
The fat Demon lodges his claws into the girl's slightly revealed clevages igniting a ear piercing scream from the lady.
Anthony flared up at the sight of it, he was too late to save two. He lunges forward with a great speed withdrawing his sword. He couldn't bare to see a human suffer so much.... Not while he watched.
Anthony's feet made a creaking noise as he runs through the Shack and reaches the demon unnoticed swinging his sword down for it's hands. With ease he cuts through amputating them "You're finished!"
...
The woman's face was pinned with fear, her eyes welling up with tears, but she held a slight sense of gladness. Anthony turned to the demon head down and fixated at the lady, it didn't even pay any attention to him even after breaking the door and cutting his hands off. The demon's face was well concealed in the darkness of the night considering the poor lightning of the bar that only had a few bulbs and fewer that actually worked.
Finally the demon breaks the silence "Uhhhhhhhmmm?" The demon grunts eyes still locked on the lady "I was feeling less entertained so I figured digging out this woman's breast would at least entertain me, but... You came to dinner on the right time," The demon raised his head to glare at Anthony.
Anthony was jolted by the demon bearing two heads abreast each other, and more pressing was the bloodlust that gave him goose bumps. The demon sounded so nice yet so hostile.
"I am Kaan," The demon Introduces his face still clear of emotions "who are you?"
"I don't bid your games, you have taken a lot of souls," Anthony clenched his sword with his hands "I shall not spare you."
Kaan's mouth fell agape and out came dozens of black tentacle like tongues. The tentacles launched for Anthony streching tremendously with a great speed.
Anthony recedes backward swinging and slicing all the tentacles all at once before they reached him.
The tongues retract into Kaan's mouth "you bore me insignificant bug, I've lost interest..."
"Shut up!" Anthony yelled with all his might feeling disgusted by the demon already. He sprang for the Kaan sword raised high.
Before Anthony could get far he felt a tight tug around his ankle, something tough as rope had wrapped around his leg. Before he could comprehend it, Anthony is taken by the feet and hurled to a wooden wall.
"Tsk!" Anthony crashed into the wall face first.
Before he could react he felt the tug again pull him out of the wall, hurling him to the roof. He shatters through it in an instance.
"Ahhhh!" Anthony groaned feeling wood peirce through his skin, he had let his guard down and needed to recoup back. Anthony bit hard on his lip as he catches glimpse of a tentacle around his ankle, linked to Kaan's toe.
Anthony swings his sword with all his might cutting the toe with ease. "Tsk!" Anthony lands on his feet a sharp pain igniting in his leg.
"Just as I thought, another small fry to kill," Kaan shook his head "that would make the sixty eight Veken I killed if I add you."
Anthony's eyes goggled, if this demon killed such numbers, he was not to be trifled with. "I will take your head first you beef bag, I'll avenge the lost Vekens!" Anthony stood his ground knowing very well, if he didn't study this demon well, he would fall victim of it and...
Kaan gave a slight scowl of disapproval "I hope you rot in hell!"
Anthony picks up multiple vibes of incoming object fast, this demon... Was another chapter to be dealt with.