I slipped into the warehouse, moving like a shadow among shadows. The demon hadn't noticed me yet, which was either a stroke of luck or a testament to how dense these things could be. I crept forward, breathing quietly, letting my eyes adjust to the dim light. The place was a dump—rusted beams, stacks of crates, and the smell of mildew. Real demon chic.
As I moved further in, I murmured under my breath, "Years of martial arts training, endless hours on the mat, bruises, broken bones… and it's all so I can sneak up on… this thing?"
I peered around a corner and spotted it—hulking, grotesque, and thankfully oblivious. I ducked behind an old, rusted cabinet, keeping an eye on my target. I sized it up, taking in its mottled, grayish-green skin, bulging muscles, and a pair of yellow eyes that were unsettlingly too far apart. Long, razor-sharp claws tipped each finger, and its mouth was lined with rows of needle-like teeth.
"Oh, it's a Baelithon," I muttered to myself. "I hate these guys."
The Baelithon was one of the nastier types. They were strong, quick to anger, and resistant to most human weapons. The only things that could cut through their thick skin were silver and a whole lot of luck. Plus, they were notoriously hard to kill—they had a habit of regenerating if you didn't burn them to ash.
"This should be fun," I said with a smirk, barely containing a chuckle. I'd be adding its tooth to my collection of souvenirs by the end of the night.
With that, I sprang from my hiding spot and tackled the demon with all the force I could muster. My shoulder hit it square in the back, and the thing lurched forward, staggering with a guttural snarl. Unfortunately, that didn't last long; it whirled around, eyes blazing as it tossed me across the room like a rag doll. I hit the ground, rolling to my feet just in time to see it charging at me, claws outstretched.
"Oh, did I make you mad?" I taunted, pulling my two silver knives from their sheaths and giving them a quick spin. The silver gleamed under the dim lights, and I grinned. "Bad idea, pal. I don't go down easy."
The Baelithon let out a low growl, its yellow eyes narrowing. It charged at me again, swiping its claws in a wide arc. I ducked, rolled, and jabbed my knife into its side. The silver blade sizzled on contact, and the demon howled in pain.
"Yeah, that's right! Silver burns, doesn't it?" I laughed, dodging another swipe. "What, you thought I'd show up with a butter knife?"
The demon roared and lunged at me. I sidestepped, slashing at its leg as it passed by. "Oh, come on, big guy. At least try to make it interesting," I said with a smirk.
It whirled around, swiping again, and this time its claws grazed my arm. I winced, feeling the sting, but kept my grin plastered on. "Alright, alright, fair hit. But don't get cocky. You're still ugly as hell."
The Baelithon snarled and threw a punch with its massive, clawed fist. I ducked, drove my knife into its side, and twisted. The demon screeched, stumbling back, clutching its wound.
"You'd think they'd train you guys better," I said, circling it. "Or at least give you a manual: 'How Not to Die to the Sarcastic Guy with Silver Knives.'"
It launched itself at me, knocking the wind out of me and pinning me to the ground. Its rank breath hit me full force, and I gagged, shoving it off and rolling away before it could sink its teeth into me.
"Easy, Cujo! I don't know where that mouth's been," I quipped, flipping back onto my feet.
It lunged again, and I feinted left, dodging around it and jabbing one knife into its shoulder, then the other into its chest. The Baelithon howled, and I yanked both knives free, kicking it square in the chest to send it reeling back.
By now, the thing was bleeding profusely, thick black ichor oozing from its wounds. It stumbled, then growled and bared its teeth in a last-ditch effort to intimidate me. I rolled my eyes, brandishing my knives like I was in a fencing tournament.
"What? You think I'm scared? I've fought demons twice your size who smelled half as bad," I said with a grin.
It lunged at me again, and this time, I saw my opening. I dodged its claws, twisted, and in one swift motion, sliced clean through its neck. The head rolled to the floor with a thud, and the body collapsed right after it.
I wiped my knives off on my sleeve, catching my breath. "That's what you get for skipping demon boot camp," I muttered, sheathing my blades.
---
Outside, I dragged the body into a secluded area and doused it with petroleum. Demons like this had a nasty habit of regenerating if you didn't burn them properly, and I wasn't about to deal with this guy again. The amount of showering I would have to do to get it's stench off me was hard enough already.
I struck a match and tossed it onto the body, watching as the flames roared to life, consuming the Baelithon in a matter of moments. The scent of burning flesh was... unpleasant, to say the least, but I'd gotten used to it over the years. Occupational hazard.
With the job done, I leaned over and plucked a tooth from the Baelithon's jaw before the fire claimed it. A nice little memento for the collection. I inspected it in the moonlight, admiring the way it glinted like some twisted trophy.
"You're going on the shelf next to the big guy from last month," I said, tucking the tooth into my pocket with a satisfied grin.
As I walked away, I glanced back at the smoldering pile. "Rest in pieces," I muttered, heading off into the night. The streets were silent, the sky just starting to turn a shade lighter. No one would ever know what happened here, and that was just the way I liked it. Panic doesn't help anyone.
I got back home really late and had a feeling I was going to have less than the five hours of sleep I had last night. All these years of killing monsters and I've not been able to find the one that took my mother from me. I'll definitely recognize the ugly face when I see it. Dad wasn't even making things easier for me, keeping all the relevant information from me. Maybe because he thinks that I'll go after the demon and maybe he was right because there's no way I was letting the thing that took my mother survive another day.