The air in the hideout was thick with the aftermath of battle blood, sweat, and the lingering stench of demonic energy. The fire in the makeshift hearth crackled softly, its warm glow a stark contrast to the cold tension that filled the room.
I could feel the dull ache of my injuries with every breath, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. We had captured one of the demons alive, and it was time to get some answers.
Nathaniel stood beside me, his face set in a grim expression. The playful banter that usually lightened the mood between us was gone, replaced by a steely resolve. The hunters, now our temporary allies, formed a loose circle around the bound demon, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of wariness and anticipation.
The demon was chained to a heavy iron post, its wrists and ankles shackled with enchanted cuffs that pulsed with a faint, silvery light—wards designed to suppress its powers and keep it from escaping.
The demon was a grotesque sight, even more so now that it was subdued. Its skin was a sickly shade of gray, marred with deep scars and patches of festering wounds that oozed a dark, viscous fluid.
Its eyes, once blazing with malevolent fire, were now dull and lifeless, though there was still a flicker of hatred in their depths. Its mouth twisted into a snarl as it bared its jagged teeth at us, a low growl rumbling from its throat.
Nathaniel took a step forward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, though he made no move to draw it. "We have questions," he said, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of authority. "You're going to answer them."
The demon hissed in response, its voice a raspy, grating sound that set my teeth on edge. "You think I'll talk, human? I'd rather die than betray my kind."
I exchanged a glance with Nathaniel, both of us understanding the weight of the demon's words. Demons were notorious for their loyalty to their own kind, a twisted sense of honor that often led them to choose death over cooperation.
But we needed answers, and I wasn't ready to give up just yet.
I stepped forward, ignoring the sharp pain in my side as I knelt down in front of the demon. I could feel the eyes of the hunters on me, their silence heavy with expectation.
"You don't have to die," I said, keeping my voice steady, though my heart was pounding in my chest. "We're not here to kill you. We just want to know what you're doing here. Why are you attacking these villages? What are you after?"
The demon's eyes flicked to mine, and for a moment, I saw something in them—fear, maybe, or desperation. But then it was gone, replaced by that same cold hatred. "You wouldn't understand," it spat, its voice dripping with contempt.
"You humans think you can control everything, that you can hunt us down and wipe us out. But you're wrong. We're stronger than you think. We'll never stop."
I could feel the frustration building inside me, a hot, simmering anger at the demon's refusal to cooperate. But I forced myself to stay calm. Getting angry wouldn't help us now. I glanced over at Nathaniel, who gave me a slight nod, a silent encouragement to keep going.
"Who is leading you?" I pressed, trying a different approach. "Someone must be giving the orders. Who are they? What do they want?"
The demon's lips curled into a cruel smile, its teeth glinting in the firelight. "You're all fools," it sneered. "You're blind to the truth. There's a power rising, one that you can't stop. You'll see soon enough."
A shiver ran down my spine at the demon's words, a sense of foreboding that made my stomach churn. There was something in its tone, something dark and ominous, that told me it wasn't bluffing. Whatever this power was, it was real, and it was coming for us.
Nathaniel stepped forward, his expression hardening. "We need specifics," he said, his voice edged with impatience. "Names, places—anything that can help us stop this."
The demon laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the room. "You think I'll just hand that over to you?" it taunted. "You're more naïve than I thought."
I felt a surge of frustration, my patience wearing thin. This demon was toying with us, playing some twisted game, and I didn't have the energy for it.
But I couldn't let it win. I leaned in closer, my voice low and firm. "You don't have to die here," I repeated. "Help us, and maybe we can help you. We're not your enemies. There's a way out of this for both of us."
The demon's smile faltered for a brief moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing its face. I could see it wrestling with the decision, torn between its loyalty to its kind and its own survival instinct. But then its eyes hardened, and it shook its head.
"I'd rather die than betray my kin," it said, its voice resolute.
Before I could react, the demon bit down hard on something hidden in its mouth—probably a shard of cursed stone. Its body convulsed, its eyes rolling back as a dark, oily substance began to pour from its mouth and nose.
The hunters sprang into action, but it was too late. The demon's body shuddered violently, its skin turning a ghastly shade of black as the curse took hold.
"Stop it!" Nathaniel shouted, grabbing the demon's shoulders, trying to force it to spit out whatever it had ingested. But it was futile. The demon's body was already breaking down, its flesh dissolving into a thick, tar-like substance that pooled on the floor.
Within moments, all that was left was a twisted, contorted shell of what had once been a living creature.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the heavy breathing of the hunters. I stared at the remains of the demon, a sick feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. We had lost our only lead, our only chance at getting answers.
Nathaniel let out a frustrated sigh, his hands clenched into fists. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "They're willing to die rather than talk. This isn't just a rogue group. There's something bigger going on here."
I nodded, feeling a sense of defeat wash over me. The demon's final words echoed in my mind, a chilling reminder of the danger that was looming over us. Whatever this power was, it was real, and it was coming for us. And we were no closer to stopping it.
"We need to regroup," I said quietly, pushing myself to stand. The pain in my side flared, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the task at hand. "We need to figure out our next move."
Nathaniel nodded, his expression grim. "We'll report back to Leora," he said, his voice heavy with determination. "She needs to know what we're dealing with. Maybe she can help us make sense of this."
As the hunters began to clean up the remnants of the battle, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over me. The demon's death was a stark reminder of the lengths they were willing to go to keep their secrets, and it left me with more questions than answers.
But one thing was clear: we were dealing with something far more dangerous than we had anticipated. And if we didn't act fast, it would be too late to stop it.