𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 28: 𝕴𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝕹𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓
"Demon rank is as follows, from the highest to lowest, Monster rank consisting 6 members, Plague 7 consisting 7 members. Though there are only two ranks there is one particularly higher than the others but rarely seen and since the dawn of demons they have never lost a member; the Hellhold rank consisting of 3 members."
"Then there is the first lord of all Demons; Remunta Azaha who has plagued the humans with his demonic curse. Through his blood and rituals, he could make and transform humans and other beings to demons... It is our mission to put an end to his reign and we must never stop till we accomplish this! till death!" Vindacurve turns to the recruits all sitting wide eyed as he briefs them. The cold wind blew in softly and the fire warmed them up but still they looked fragile and pale like a snow storm had blew in. "The job of a hunter means a death call, eventually we'll all answer! Cowards will die a long agonizing death alone, but the brave dies with an army by his side, choose your destiny, don't let your destiny choose you."
...
The path was broad filled with brown rocks and pink grasses, the atmosphere was peaceful with the purple sky and sun that blended beautifully.
The trees had red leafs and it's bark were thick brown, the environment had a cool scent that sweetened the nose. Anthony savours every part of it, he had never set his sights on something more stunning than this, the birds were even different here, they took the form of peacocks but their feathers bared the colours of the rainbow and possessed four eyes. They chirped happily through the forest with little care of the world.
He left Mouta a day ago as his hawk instructed, "go southwest," it said. Now he was venturing Southwest with no true mission, who knew how the hawks operated?
Anthony could still feel his wounds aching a little, thanks to Andrew who insisted and paid healers to help relieve his wounds, he would have died of bleeding. And as a parting gift Andrew gave him a bag filled with delicacies. "Andrew mi you're such a good friend," Anthony said with a happy tone tugging on his bag.
Now all he priotized was praying for his friends to do better than he.
There came a screeching in the sky, a hawk Anthony was farmiliar of. It doves down fast it's mighty wings crescent in the sunlight, it decreases in pace nestling on Anthony's shoulder.
"Good morning messenger," Anthony greeted blissfully.
The hawk ignores him and said "congratulations on your first mission. Head south..."
Anthony sighs in frustration, "not this again I have been heading south for so long! Gaahhh! What a pain in..."
The Hawk plated it's sharp claws into Anthony's cheek dragging hard making him groan in pain.
"Ahhhh! What the hell was that for!" Anthony bit his lip enraged by the hawks actions.
"Shut up idiot! When I talk you listen! I'm ten times older than your sorry ass!" The hawk releases it's grip. "Head south to the city called Nonagon!" It pauses for a whilr to see if Anthony was attentive. He held his cheek with his hands consoling himself. The hawk hisses "go quickly for countless females and male teenagers are going missing. Be there before nightfall arriving late carries a penalty."
Anthony furrows his eyes wondering what penalty might be posed on a demon hunter, more pressing "how far is Nonagon?"
"You pestering fool!" The hawk spreads out its' wings in an attempt to take off "more than 10 kilometers away, you have limited time! Idiot!" The hawk took off disappearing almost immediately into the sky.
"Damn! At this rate I won't reach Nonagon!" He broke into a sprint as fast as his legs took him headed south.
....
Anthony gasped for air, his head down and his back hunched. After a long time of running he finally made it. A wooden sign that read 'Nonagon the city of peace and prosperity down this path.'
Time was of the essence the moon was out and the sun gone, there was no time to catch his breath now. Anthony continues his journey racing down the path.
It didn't take long before he reached the city fenced by a huge wooden wall and a gate of metal texture with four hefty men in front armed with swords and halberds. The city was silent from the outside only the mumbles of the guards could be heard, the atmosphere was true to it's description, peaceful.
Anthony scans through the guards wearing a fine silver armour holding torches and looking tough, the question on his mind "would they bother a stranger."
As Anthony closes in they became alerted by his presence, soon their hands found the hilt of their sword and the environment became hostile.
"Ugh... Evening," Anthony began "I am a demon hunter, Veken rank and I am here about the demon."
A guard growls his face holding a deep scowl, "you're not welcome here! You shall not enter and destroy our beloved city like your peers have done others!" He said with a mocking tone.
Another one snarled drawing his sword and pointing it at Anthony "you tyrants aren't welcomed here, surrender your miserable life to me! I haven't had a full of vengeance of what your peers did to my family last year in my home town! I'll end you swiftly..."
Before he could complete Anthony lunges for him faster than he could comprehend landing a punch on the guards face.
The guard drops to his bottom sprawling, dropping his sword as his face reddens. He froze for a moment before retaliating "you brat!"
"You dare insult a demon hunter!" Anthonyclencges his fist feeling enraged. "An insult to me is a direct insult to the demon hunter symbol!" Anthony grabs the guard by the shirt, what had the Demon Hunters done to deserve this, all they did was their best to keep everyone safe and this was how people thanked them, how disgusting. "If you aren't satisfied with our efforts then I will like to see yours!" Anthony shoves him away.
The other guards withdrew their sword's pointing it at Anthony with a threatening expression across their face.
Anthony frowns "your weapons won't do you any good, please stand down I want to avoid shedding human blood! We should be fighting the demons not ourselves."
"Like we care!" One of them yells out.
"You're even more annoying and resilient than the other one hag Bastard!"
"All we want now is to hang your head on our walls!"
Anthony shook his head squeezing his fist tightly, as a demon hunter he never expected such treatment, but same as Mouta people valued less demon hunters. It wasn't Hunters fault they weren't able to minimize the damage posed by the demon, making this fight between man and hunter inescapable.
"You see men will always be men, just kill them all! Maybe then they'll understand inevitable is inevitable! Hehehe!" He heard Karema's voice within him.
Anthony shook his head, "I guess I would just have to smack some sense into you!"
"Men! We fight!" The guards raised their weapons giving a great battle cry as they charged Anthony.
"Hey! Drop your weapons!"
They all paused as they hear this. At the gate stood a figure in a dark coat. "You heard me clearly!" He warns with his dark loathing voice.
They obey throwing their swords to the ground, knowing clearly the superior force. Little after they bow their head in submission.
Anthony narrows his eyes in attempt to picture the man in the dark. The man
Wore a brown coat, dark hat, white shirt,dark trousers and brown shoes. He was dark in complexion a badge on his chest and a sword strapped to his waist.
"Sorry," one of them said reluctantly "sorry sheriff."
Sheriff? Anthony stared at the man a smile was on his face. "What is a sheriff?" Anthony whispers to himself, something about the sheriff gave him a feeling of foreboding. His scent was thick and strange, tainted strongly by other scents, and his face looked pale.
"You," the sheriff points a finger at Anthony "Veken, come we have urgent matters to discuss."
Anthony shook his head, something about this didn't bode well. "Why should I trust you? You don't seem to be the kind to be trustworthy, why should I follow?"
The Sheriff gave a slight smirk "I know you Vekens have a code of honour. I respect that," the sheriff turns his back to Anthony "we have a urgent case in Nonagon, the hundreds in the city will become appetisers if we aren't keen with time."
Anthony thought for a while, the Sheriff was right he surely had no time to loose. Anthony walks past the guards sensing the loathing and their bloodlust from them, they all wanted to gouge a hole through him, too bad they wouldn't have that.
"Don't worry, I'll renew your hopes of the Demon Hunters, I'll make sure to make you cling to the Hunter Association's name, I'll save all of you from this demon no matter what with no unnecessary casualties," Anthony said loud enough for them to hear. He could hear them growl in disbelief and hate but held steadfast to his words. "I promise you!"
He reaches the Sheriff stopping beside him "tell me all you know."
"Let's do that on a stroll through Nonagon, shall we?" The Sheriff urged.
Anthony thought for a while before nodding. He still had high suspicion of the man's scent, it wasn't demon and surely not human, whatever it was he couldn't let his guard down of it.