Rye snatched Crow from the corner as she whipped past Markku to the flocking lvines as there screams were awfully high pitched, causing her and Crow to cover their ears. There were few bodies lying upon the ground as the gory sight held heads away from their bodies, body parts strew all over as there was the heavy stench of burning flesh.
“Oh shit, we are in some major trouble.” Rye held her breath off and on as the smell was almost nauseating.
“Lord Markku!” Four younger stallions trotted up as there were deep blood wounds branded across their bodies, making Rye reach back for her blade.
“Boys what is happening?” Markku had shooed Keira back into the tavern. Panting from the pain dwelling down their bodies, one near the middle finally gave up as his eyes rolled up into his skull. Falling onto the ground with a sicken smack, the skull of the beast split open.
“Lord... we tried to stop it, but it’s unstoppable!” a red dun mustang cried as half his right ear was torn as the blood stained into his eye, causing him to be blinded from it. It wasn’t permanent, but it caused some strain for him. “We have a rouge demon in town... and it’s not a normal one either!” the mustang coughed as Markku commanded the boys to find shelter.
“Guardian I need your help. I know nothing about rouge demons and I do not want any more of the people to be killed.” Markku pleaded. “But I want you to rid of Destyn!”
Rye shook her head. “I’ll help you Markku you will forget about Destyn! He is with me, I will not allow any harm to him.” Rye warned. Before Markku could even protest, Rye turned towards Crow. “Crow I need your help in this. I want you to go with Markku and you two find survivors. Get them out of town or into any stable shelters. When you two finish, find me in the stadium.”
“But why in the stadium and why do I get stuck with him!” Crow asked rapidly.
“Cause I said so Crow and I’m going after the demon myself. I want to have him in a closed place and then I will be able to hunt and kill him.”
“Mistress I can’t...” Rye torn off without listening to him. She wasn’t in the mood to deal a bossy lvine. She just wanted to rid of this demon before he began to create more.
The last rouge demon hadn’t been seen since Demot and Aurail fought... so how did this one become created? Skipping over the light blood of a decapitated lvine, Rye heard a scream to the right of her, as a young white lvine scampered across the dead bodies. Peering back over her shoulder, Rye tripped over a fallen merchant tent. Sending herself smacking into a wall, Rye blinked some as the clips of hooves came up to her.
“What are you doing? Get up!” her young voice came loud and demanding. Shaking her head rapidly to rid of the blurred vision, Rye stared at the brown woman lvine as she helped Rye stand up.
“What do you mean, what am I doing? What are you doing?” Rye asked as she began her pace again. Following after her came the woman.
“I’m going to go after the demon. I hate it when I am interrupted in something.” Rye blinked. “And I guess you are after it too.”
Rye nodded, “Fine I could use your help. Names Erinna.”
“Ryden.”
Erinna smiled sweetly as she picked up the pace as Rye matched it easily. Dodging and jumping over obstacles, Erinna shoved her to the left of the next turn as she obviously knew where she was going.
“Ryden, do you know how to get up onto that building?” Erinna pointed towards a deathly tall building as it was leaning before the town square. “Cause I can lure the rouge into there and you just have to shoot it down with your bow!”
Rye smiled, “I can get up there.” Erinna nodded as she took off in a different direction. The building seemed to be taller and taller each inch she came closer to it. Skittering to a rough stop, Rye grabbed the jagged dagger from her belt as she drove it deep into the wall of the building.
Using the method repeatedly, Rye soon found her way onto the top of the roof as the wind swayed and sung to her, as if it was trying to lure her off the roof. Lowering down into a spider crouch, Rye inched her way over to her edge. The town looked so damaged from above as smoke from fires had begun. She wished she knew how a rouge demoil came to life, but it wasn’t something she knew.
Drawing her bow, Rye nocked a red hatch arrow carefully against the bow string.
‘Rouge demons have three signs of them being a rouge.’ Rye reminded herself. ‘They are said to have double pair of fangs, their canines and the tooth behind that one. There eyes glow a strange colour as they loose there pupils and there hair seems to darken into a grayish black.’ Rye began to remember why rouges were dangerous; they were blessed with not just one demonic charm, like being a forest and part water demon. They had all the demon essences, causing them to have extreme power to wipe out cities at a time.
Rye shuttered at the thought. They were thankfully wiped out in the Nojae war as they had some strange mission... ‘What was it?’ Rye tried to recall it. Rye’s eyes sprang open as she had the memory of it ringing throughout her mind. “They’re able to phase in and out where ever they want, meaning they could bring forth the underworld again.” Rye cursed, “If they knew were the serenity gate or the eternal gate, they could bring forth the god wars again.”
“Who are you talking too?” Rye nearly fell off the roof as she grabbed her heart as sweat slipped down her face. Blinking slowly, Rye whapped him upside the head as she really wanted to drop him off the building.
“Crow how did you get up here?” Rye asked as she positioned herself to lie on her stomach against the roof. Aiming her bow again, Crow crouched down beside her.
“I climbed up here, isn’t that how you did it?”
“No I flew!” Rye rolled her eyes.
“Really! You can fly!” Crow replied sarcastically. Looking towards him, Rye grabbed his chin to turn it towards the square below. This wasn’t the time for joking around. They had a serious beast on their hands and it needed to be taken out, quickly and merciless.
“Crow could you just keep an eye out for a brown horse. She is supposed to be leading the demon here.” Rye requested. “So keep your eyes peeled.”
______
The air grew thick and heavy against their backs as the sun was high above them. They had been lying on the roof for the last fifteen minutes just waiting for Erinna to show up and bring the demon with her. Looking across the square, the visible heat wave lines, bobbed and waved. The heat had become intense as the smoke from the fires below formed a thick covering to increase the suns merciless burn on them. Her arrow tittered back and forth as Crow was half hung over the building, just wishing they had water up here.
Liquid hot smell of fresh blood hung close in the air as it was a horrible stench to ever get use to. Markku had somehow herded most of the living citizens out of the city, to wait at least 4 miles away. Crow had returned to help her, but it seemed that the sun would kill them before they could get rid of the demon. Rye had a hard time not falling asleep as time began to slow and stop at the beat of a heart.
“Are we dead yet?”
“No”
“How about now?” Crow beckoned.
“No.”
Rye turned a weary eye over to face Crow; shrill screams of fear rose up high to strike Rye awake. Crow slunk back over the edge as he barely had an eye peeking over the bridge of the structure.
Erinna swift figure came into view as even as far as they were away, Rye could clearly see the slit of an open wound, down the left shoulder of her. Blood had glided down her legs as Erinna was more than ready to collapse.
“Damnit,” Rye stood up as she glanced down to see if there was a merchant tent below. “Time to make a new plan!”
Before she could jump off the roof, Crow snatched up a fist full of her shirt to pull her back in. “What do you think you are doing!” Crow demanded. Rye shook off his hand as she stepped backwards. Her heel hung off the edge as she smirked.
“Erinna is weak and I’m tired of sitting around anyways.”
“Rye... wait!” pressing herself off, Rye had her back facing the ground as she had to flip over and land on the small merchants tent. Time slowed in the air around her as Rye arched her back to force herself into a back flip. Throwing her leather booted over her head, Rye turned herself upright. The merchant’s tent came too soon, as she bounced once on it then through it. Rubbing her back some, Rye rose quickly to over turn the stand to the merchant table. The demon’s aura came closer as it began morph into many demonic essences. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on head, as Erinna had found a hiding spot.
The air became red, thick and heavy as Rye could feel the sweat gliding down her nose. Her hand ached and sweated underneath her leather gloves. But she didn’t dare to remove them, this demon had more than anything the element of fire on their side and her gloves were the only fire resistance material she had.
‘Fire element on their side.’ Rye smiled softly as she hid behind the overturned merchant table. She slipped a hand around the hilt of her blade as her eyes shot open. Her voice was strained as she nearly wished she wasn’t here now. “Fire element! No it can’t be!” Rye peered up to the building as she could faintly she the shadow of Crow. “Grey... no... It... No!” Rye shook her head as she let go of her hilt. “I won’t... I can’t... this is not allowed!” Rye held her hands to each side of her temple as she couldn’t even find the right words to curse this. The heat grew as Crow was suddenly yelling at her, but Rye couldn’t hear what he was saying.
A hand snapped around her neck, as it dragged her up slowly to gaze at a bright yellow pair of eyes. Strangling her hands around his one hand, the longer claws dug deep into the nook of her spine. Kicking her feet out, Rye closed one eye as she could feel the sticky red mess slip down her back. A grin formed across his demonic charms as the obvious double pair gleamed at her. “Dam...damnit!”