“Put the woman down, Duskwalker!”
Humans. He could smell two, but not a shred of fear from them. Demonslayers.
Some humans had suppressed their fear to such a degree the smell of it was unable to be tracked by Demons, allowing them to remain mostly hidden as they traversed the world. These people often became Demonslayers; members of a guild of humans that hunted the creatures with tenacity and an unbending will.
In his more recent decades of trying to find a companion, they had begun targeting him. They thought Orpheus was evil, that he was nothing more than a monster like the Demons they hunted.
He bent over to lay Reia in the snow. Not because they told him to, but because Orpheus began to change his shape in rage; hungry and vengeful. His clothing morphed with him, seeping into his skin like his body was eating the
material. His cloak remained since it wasn’t pressing firmly against him.
The further he morphed into a different shape, the more it felt as though that numbing hand began to squeeze his brain and rendered his thoughts disturbed.
Forgetting completely about the human woman as though her presence no longer existed past his wrath, he launched for one of the two men who emerged from behind the trees holding bows and arrows. With claws bared and mouth open, ready with his sharp fangs, the intent to destroy and maim those that hard dared harm him gripped him firmly.
Mindless, like he was nothing but a bloodthirsty animal, Orpheus attacked.
Reia flinched when an arrow shot through her vision right in front of her, accompanied by a disgusting schlucking noise as it embedded itself into Orpheus.
Her eyes widened at the shaft quivering right in front of her eyes. That almost hit me!
Then she gasped, the tightness around her stealing her shock as the Duskwalker tightened his hold on her to the point she felt like her body was being mashed.
She tried desperately to suck in a breath through her collapsing lungs.
“Too tight!” she managed to strangle out with the last of her breath.
His hold softened before he placed her on the ground.
Parts of her were torn in what she felt. Sympathy cut through her as he started to shake around her. She understood that he must be in great pain. A moment before, she’d felt a sliver of tenderness at his reaction to her saying his name a second time.
She didn’t know him at all, but she’d almost thought it looked... euphoric with the way his orbs darkened to black and his head was tilted back. She hadn’t known what his reaction meant, but she’d felt for whatever emotion it was.
If he were human, would she have been able to decipher it? Was it a sign of contentment, sadness, loneliness, or something else entirely?
Whatever it was, she felt she could relate to it, understand it.
He’d been kind enough to her so far. He’d been considerate holding her, allowing her to sleep calmly instead of making her trip after him like a cruel master.
So, when the arrow embedded into his shoulder, Reia almost reached up to touch at his chest around it. She was about to ask him if he was okay, but then a gut-tightening sound began to come from him. It was a growlish snarl, and she instinctually knew that was dangerous.
Oh... My... God! Her eyes widened in horror when he started to change. His bony head remained the same all throughout, but his clothing seeped into his body like a goo sinking into mud.
After he placed her down, his claws extended as short fur, much like the kind from an antelope, grew over his forearms. Then it became thicker and longer, like wolf fur, over the top of his biceps and shoulders.
His legs took on a new shape, dog-like, but she could see a long, deer-like tail swaying between his legs, pushed down by the black cloak he wore. Fish-like fins hung from the back of his elbows and the heels of his dog-shaped legs. Rib bones protruded outside his chest like the cage was resting over the top of flesh rather than beneath it. They also covered the knuckles of hands and feet.
And with his eyes glowing such a blood red colour, Reia realised nightmares were real, and it had just been cradling her!
The arrow continued to jut from his shoulder, and her mouth fell open. Humans? Her heart soared at being rescued.
He leapt for one of the Demonslayers, his human hands and wolven legs working in unison to ensure he was fast.
More arrows loosed, but he dodged around them and continued to sprint forward. The humans drew their swords as they prepared themselves for the attack.
Both were tall and appeared strong, like they spent every waking moment training to fight against monsters. They wore black clothing so they could hide in the dark of night while they hunted Demons. They were covered from head to toe, even their noses and mouths were covered. They had cloaks that hid the rest of their heads, and all she could see was a slip of human where their eyes were.
Orpheus’ companions were nowhere to be seen, as if they’d disappeared.
Reia shuffled back as she watched his right arm raise behind him, planning to strike one of the humans with his large claws.
The other human was running towards her as though he trusted his companion to take care of the Duskwalker while he came to her rescue. I can run away. They will help me.
She got to her feet and started walking towards the Demonslayer.
“Thank you,” she wheezed, a torrent of emotions swirling inside her heart. Relief, fear, fuck, just everything all at once. Reia didn’t know how to feel. The snow wasn’t cold around her feet as adrenaline coursed throughout her body and filled her with warmth. “Thank you so much.”
She’d been planning to seek out Demonslayers if she ever managed to get away from Orpheus. Reia knew she had never been much of a frightened person, and she’d been hoping she could train with them one day.
She’d wanted to become one of them. Demons had killed her family, had ruined her life, and she wanted to get revenge for them, for herself. She’d been hoping to turn the fear that did grow inside her into something fierce, into anger and determination.
The Demonslayer grabbed her wrist and spun her so he could press her back against his chest. A choke cut through
her when the edge of his sword was placed against her throat.
