Chapter 22 THE DEMON THAT WASN'T ALONE
Xyra just sat there, her eyes a bit wide as she focused on the fire in front of her. However, she didn't really see it. She was still thinking about what Darren had said. Such harsh words had really hit hard. I'm not like that…am I? She raised her head and looked over to Magnus. He was proceeding to sit down near the fire, a smile on his face. There always seemed to be one there. His eyes lifted to hers, and it fell a bit.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked, genuinely sounding concerned. Xyra only shook her head and focused her eyes on the fire again. A sigh escaped her lips as she watched the flames flicker and the wood spark. Darren was wrong, she knew he was. He had to be…but if she was so sure, then there wasn't a reason to have such doubts. However, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She took another glance at Magnus and noticed that he had fallen asleep. The more she looked at him, the more she thought about it. Darren's voice echoed in her mind. "You probably wouldn't even care…if he died."
"We're getting close," stated Magnus as they walked along the trail that would eventually lead them to the next town.
"Are we?" questioned Xyra. "I thought you said it would be another day?"
"He doesn't mean that," said Darren. "We're getting close to where that demon was sighted."
"Oh…" She should have known that, that's why they had both seemed so happy. Hunters loved hunting demons, and these two were no exception. However, didn't they even care that she would rather starve herself than take on a demon? Apparently, her thoughts on the idea didn't really matter. Then again, she really didn't have anything to worry about. Magnus and Darren were capable. They'd kill the demon before it could even swipe its claws.
As they continued along, they found themselves in another forest. The second they entered, both Darren and Magnus tensed up. They were walking upright and aware, their eyes glancing everywhere. It was obviously a hunter thing. They were probably trying to sense the demon that was lurking there. Hopefully, they would find it before it found them.
Magnus suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, covering his mouth and his nose. Darren and Xyra were a little confused as to what had made him stop, but when they came up next to the sorcerer, they reacted similarly. What they saw sent their minds reeling and their stomachs churning.
The area reeked of blood, a very nauseating smell. Just ahead they could see why. There was a rather large puddle of crimson on the pathway. It had yet to be absorbed by the dry ground. It was still wet and fresh. Someone had been killed here recently.
"What do you think?" asked Darren, his voice a bit muffled due to his hand covering it.
"It's close," Magnus stated, his voice sounding very much the same way. "It must be the demon Gareth mentioned."
They all stood there silently, waiting and watching. Whatever had made that bloody mess was still close. It was probably observing them, waiting for the proper time to attack. The silence was proof of that. No forest was ever dead silent, but this part of it was. There was nothing there right now but them.
Magnus felt a small pulse from the pendant around his neck, much like he had when the dragon had appeared. He took a quick glance at it, seeing that it was glowing blue. The sound of leaves rustling followed instantly.
"Move!" he shouted, and all of them jumped away just as a demon leapt to the spot where they had been. It hit the ground with a loud thud, kicking up dust from the dry trail. Its body was either heavy or big. It was a bit hard to tell with the light mist of sand particles in the air. When they finally settled, the hunters evaluated their situation. It was one demon, a canine-like demon that was about the same size as the usual ones. However, its body was white and sleek, and its claws were a bit different. However, its bloodlust was exactly the same.
"This must be it," said Darren, his eyes still roaming over the demon. "Doesn't look like much. You'd think a hunter woulda killed it off by now. It's way smaller than I thought."
"Don't underestimate it," warned Magnus. "This thing's killed a lot of people, hunters included." However, something doesn't add up. It doesn't seem like much of a threat. Were all the hunters that came through here that weak?
The demon growled fiercely at the three of them, its claws digging into the ground. It arched its back a bit and then suddenly stood up on its hind legs. It showed no sign of struggle by doing this. Now it was no longer like the dog demons they had fought. Its size was double, and as it prepared its deadly claws, Magnus couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. This thing's huge! Maybe I shouldn't have suggested this…oh well. No going back now.
Magnus got down on one knee and slammed his palm onto the ground. Almost instantly, a pillar of lightning shot up from under the huge, dog-like beast. Its body was being torn apart, and its scream was painful. Eventually, it could no longer protrude sound, and before long it was completely obliterated.
Darren and Xyra were both just standing there, staring in awe at what had just happened. They hadn't been needed at all to exterminate that demon. Either they had greatly overestimated its strength or they had underestimated Magnus's. He was by far a powerful sorcerer.
"Well, shall we get going?" he asked as he stood up. However, before he could make a single move, something appeared behind him. The pulse from his stone alerted him of the danger that was there. He ducked down, narrowly avoiding a swipe from a sharp set of claws. When he finally got far enough away, he stood up and looked at his attacker only to find that it was the demon he had just destroyed. Impossible…
The pendant pulsed again, and Magnus looked to his left. Standing there was another demon, the same kind as the other. Before long, there were five of them. He and his company were surrounded. So that's it. They all look alike, so people thought it was the same demon. What a cheap trick.
"Be careful," he whispered to Xyra and Darren. Both nodded and drew their swords, preparing themselves for the battle ahead. They just waited for the demons to make the first move. It was easier that way. However, the demons weren't moving. One growled a bit at the three humans, digging its claws into the loamy soil.
Suddenly, without warning, a demon dropped from the trees above them. If it hadn't been for the snapping of one of the branches, they wouldn't have been able to get away in time. All three of them dodged, jumping back. However, this brought them closer to the surrounding demons, and the creatures all began attacking.
Darren and Xyra were able to parry most attacks with their swords, but Magnus was limited to simple dodging. He ducked and swerved, getting out of the way at just the last second every time. He quickly got behind a tree as one of the demons pursued him. Its claws swiped towards him, but all it cut was the tree.
As Magnus made his escape from the demon, he noticed that the wood of the tree was turning a sickly black color. His eyes widened a bit, but he couldn't dwell on it for long. A demon was coming up behind him. He had to dodge quickly, so he ran back towards the area his friends were still fighting in. They had managed to collectively kill two of the six beasts.
"Don't let them touch you!" he shouted, drawing their attention. "Their claws are poisonous!"