The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

~Kaiźer~

“True love is unknown to me but I feel its heat with each greeting I see. She knows not that I exist but still I crave her hand upon my cheek.”

~Prince Skyler of house Vermilion ~ The Age of Knowledge~

Stepping into his small home, Kaiźer carried Sin’ka to the bedroom. He set her atop the sheets and pulled the pillows out from under the blankets. He then lowered her head onto them. Moving slowly so as not to wake her, he checked her wounds. At first glance, he was confused. She didn’t have the depth of damage he was expecting, but at closer inspection, he watched as a few of her wounds faded before his very eyes. He marveled at her healing capabilities. Even with a full feeding, most shadowfolk took hours to heal, some even days. She was definitely something else, but to think, a vampire. He would never have guessed. Laying a blanket over her, he blew out the single candle that sat beside her upon the bedside table as he stood up and turned to go. He was grateful, but he didn’t think he was ready. Once Sin’ka woke up, he didn’t know what would happen. He stopped in the doorway then, lost in thought, and stood there for a long moment, caught between going through with what he was about to do and walking away.

Frustrated, he closed the door with a soft click and headed to the kitchen. Moving to the center island, he dropped his head into his hands and let out a heavy sigh. He rested his arms on the cherry wood and looked through his fingers at the bedroom door, behind which Sin’ka lay. She had been hurt by his hand, and he felt a pain in his chest that wouldn’t go away. He had promised to never injure Abika, and Sin’ka was her incarnate, so his promise carried to her as well. He dropped a fist onto the pressured tile without another thought. Releasing the countertop, he uncovered the hidden compartment inside the island.

Picking up the item within, he lifted it out, walked into the main room, and sat down in its center. During his visit to the Eternal Pool, he settled in the traditional lotus position and faced the far wall. Placing the item in front of himself, he ran a hand along its length.

Made from Dragonstar alloy, its pure black blade was impervious to damage. Etched along the hilt to flow up to its length, the engraving that gave it its name glowed incandescently. Flowing from deep inside the blade, the etching depicted the dragon spirit that had been trapped inside centuries before. Its incandescent hue lighting the very air around the blade's edge as if trying to break through the metal.

As he gripped the hilt, the dragon’s eyes flashed and moved to look at him. Filling his mind, the voice he’d come to find comfort in the spoke.

~So… you still run from your destiny, young warrior~

“You know I hate killing,” he said, tightening his grip.

~I also know that you know that I know that you know, you can’t turn away from the only thing you know. Take what the seer said and use it. You’re not a Jackal anymore, so be something more~ it stated in response.

Before his master’s master had constructed the black blade, he held now, his companion had run rampant in the world. That had been seven thousand years ago. Thinking back to the day he’d found the sword, he smirked at his ignorance back then. What he’d thought to be a standard sword had, in fact, been a mighty prison. It had sucked his spirit inside itself, and he’d spent the next three days in the blades cage side by side with Kaín Algoria, a black dragon once mighty—but now slave—to the blades magic.

After releasing him, his master had told him that he had decided to let him stay in the blade for a time with his snooping. Apparently, his master had been behind him at the time of his mistake. He guessed his master thought it a fitting punishment for him; to stay in the sword to teach him not to mess with things he didn’t yet understand.

~Hehehe, I remember that. I quite enjoyed your company. It had been a long time since I’d seen a fellow human~

“You tried to devour my soul!”

~I rest my case, quite enjoyable indeed~ Kaín chuckled.

Standing up, he turned in a slow circle, his movements controlled. He swung Kaín in a wide arch, going through moves he hadn’t done in a long time. It was calming in a way, the blade's comfortable weight causing his muscles to bunch and ripple with tension.

~Ha, at this speed, I feel like I’m floating. Still got your steady hand, I see~

Butting into his concentration Kaín began to whisper a multitude of strategies long forgotten to time. With smooth precision, he flowed through them, striking falcon in water, heron bending past crane, sweeping fire to turning sea, and so on until he felt his mind calm and his body relaxed. As he moved, Kaín whispered a group of combinations designed to let the user strike out at the opponent while keeping up an unbreakable block, and he remembered whom he’d last used the fighting style on.

With a start, he dropped the sword as if it had burned him. Kaín had been having him run through the killing blows he had used to fight Darzíel, while his friends had sealed him in the mirror dimension.

Dropping to his knees, hot tears filled his eyes. Letting them flow down his face, he turned his gaze to the ceiling. Kaín lay beside him, a reminder of what he had lost.

“Why did you do that?” he growled.

~You need to face your demons at some point, Kaiźer!~

“Gũnder and Meagän gave her lives because they had no choice in the matter,”—he cried out in agony, falling prostate as the words fell from his lips—“You Know That!”

~They knew how you felt~ Kaín said softly. ~They did what they did because it was obvious you couldn’t stop him if they didn’t~

“If I had known, I would have—”

~You would have what? Tried to stop them? You need to stop punishing yourself because of what happened in the past!~ Kaín shouted back

“Shut up!” he snarled, wiped a hand across his face. “Just shut up…”

Silent, Kaín retreated from his consciousness.

He didn’t know how long he sat there on the floor, but when a loud creaked sounded behind him, he straightened his back, sitting up abruptly. Standing in the doorway to his bedroom, Sin’ka stood silent with a worried look in her eyes.

He turned, hiding his face. “How long have you been there?” he asked.

Moving forward, she came to sit behind him. “When you shouted, I came to see what was wrong. I didn’t expect to find you like such. I’m sorry.” Putting a hand on his back, she traced a hidden design on his skin. He had yet to put a shirt on, and he blushed at the contact.

“It’s fine,” he said softly.

Sin’ka shifted behind him, but she didn’t move. He didn’t move either. He didn’t want to scare her. She thought him a Hunter and didn’t know of his vows, so he let her examine his back, breathing slowly as her soft touch sent shivers down his spine. It had been years since he had felt a woman’s touch.

“When did you get this scar?” Sin’ka asked suddenly. “It looks painful.” Her fingers were trailing along his back lightly, and he realized after a second that she was tracing a dragon. Starting at his right shoulder, it traveled down his back and flowed along his hip to disappear under his jeans.

“Such a scar never lay upon my skin… it must have happened when I was struck by the lighting.”

He began to tell her about his visit to the mysterious garden, telling her what the seer had said about the two of them minus the part where she was Abika’s reincarnation, and as he talked, Sin’ka shifted to sit in front of him. Closing his eyes with a hand, she started to shadow her fingers over his face. With a soft touch, she trailed her fingers over his nose, lips, and jaw to find his old battle scars. In 3570 A.B., he had been following a wild banshee that had been on a killing spree. She’d caught him unawares and had dealt a deadly blow, slashing across his throat, cutting him from his left ear to his right collarbone. He had been near death when he’d stumbled into the streets of a nearby town. He had been lucky to survive.

Sin’ka followed it down to the Y-shaped scar he’d received just the day before when a wild forest daemon had tried to cut out his heart. Jagged and still sensitive, he flinched at her touch. Pulling away, she apologized. He was about to tell her not to worry when her hands grazed his hip suddenly. She’d found it, huh. Moving along its length, she let her fingers delve under the lip of his slacks. He shivered at the sensation as her hand followed its entirety.

“How did you get this one? It looks different than the others.”

At her question, he softly took her hand in his and moved it down his leg. Following the path of the scar that was hidden beneath his jeans, he watched her closely. She blushed at the contact but didn’t pull away.

“During my… training,” he stated, “I would go out to gather and cut firewood. One day I was deep in the woods when I stumbled upon a lone demon. Being alone, I went for my sword, and she attacked, but she wasn’t there to kill me.”

Sin’ka looked at him in shock. Slowly a smile grew on her lips, and she looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

“What did she do?”

Grinning, he looked at her and, with a supple accent, began to tell her the story.

“As I lay in the dirt, my sword out of reach, she straddled me. She was wearing a silk sash that hung from her hips, its ends tied at her sides. Her breasts were bare, and being only sixteen years of age, I was struck dumb at the sight of her. I’d never seen a naked woman before that day, and she took advantage of my predicament.

“I wouldn’t have escaped, however, if I hadn’t had my knife hidden in my boot. I stabbed the lady’s abdomen, but her body self-combusted as I crawled away. My knife was hurled towards me, its blade slashed into my leg, entering mid-thigh to slice up and bounce off my hipbone.”

Sin’ka gasped is horror and, looking down at his leg, stared in wonder. She looked back up at him with bright eyes, and he grew uncomfortable. Her eyes hinted at what he had been feeling since yesterday. Abika had always found his stories fascinating with how he told them, but now he felt awful. This was all wrong. She didn’t know him like he knew her.

He stood up abruptly. “I think I’m going to go and uh… are you hungry by any chance?”

Sin’ka looked stunned, but after a second, she nodded slightly. “Oh, uh sure, I could eat something. What were you thinking?”

Stumbling for something to say, he looked around, suddenly lost. “I don’t know, uh, what about, uh. I have tea and… and some cured meat in the cellar?” He blushed as the words stumbled out of his mouth. Mortified, he stuttered as he tried to find a way to clarify.

Sin’ka became lost in stitches. “You look like the mouse that’s just been caught by the canary, don’t worry, I’ll fix us something to eat. Do you want to help?”

Nodding, he followed her into the kitchen.

Stay calm, Kaiźer; you’re a trained warrior. You held your cool with Abika. At least you did, partly. You can do this!

At least he hoped he could.

Kaiźer was shocked at first. He’d been told the only thing that a ShadoWalker could consume was the blood of others. Sin’ka proved that false! It held no nutritional value and didn’t affect her physically, but all the same, the rumor that food tasted like dust to her kind was clearly not true.

Watching Sin’ka dice up the many colorful foods, he was soon entranced by her fluid movements as she danced around the kitchen. From memory, she created a multitude of dishes and afterward finished with an effortless cleanup. In record time, they were settling down in the main room.

He started by explaining why he was no longer a Hunter, telling her how he’d moved around a lot after leaving the Jackals Court, but Sin’ka kept her thoughts to herself even after telling her about his vows and his wife who’d passed on. She didn’t say much when she did speak, her words short and to the point, till they soon sat in silence while they ate.

Taking small bites, he watched as she fiddled with her food. Unable to take it, he broke the silence.

“What am I to you?”

Looking up, Sin’ka raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, what are your thoughts after…”—he looked at her out of the corner of his eye—“after what happened?”

Sin’ka gazed at the wall for a bit, her mouth opening and closing. She didn’t know what to think. He’d been struck by lightning, and nothing had happened. She had seen a few things since her turning worthy of such, but what had just happened? That far outreached everything so far. He was unscathed except for the dragon that had been burned onto his back. She was at a loss for words.

“I…”

He smiled as if knowing her thoughts. “You’re wondering why I’m unscathed.”

Could he read her that easily? Usually, it was the other way around. However, she couldn’t read him at all. He was a black hole for her. It was as if he’d been hidden from her sight.

“Yes.”

“Well, that is something you will have to find out on your own.”

Sin’ka looked at him in shock, but he only smiled. He had her. She wouldn’t stop till she learned his story. This he knew from experience. “On another note, how long have you owned The Lover’ Bite?”

She dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. “About twelve years now… although… it’s about time I moved on. People are starting to notice my age; I should be forty-three by now.”

“Hey, you don’t age! You should consider yourself lucky. You’re immortal and get to experience the world from a completely different perspective compared to a mortal.”

“Yes, but such a life has been lonely.”

He stood and gestured to the window. The sun was gone, but the moon was bright, and it glowed against the dark night sky. “You’re what, 200 years old?”

“Something like that?”

“Okay, now what if I told you that I’m just under 1,500 years old.”

Sin’ka gasped. “No way!”

“Yes, way! So, I can easily say in total confidence that I know full well how lonely immortality can be without spending it with people. You travel a lot, I’m guessing?”

She nodded. Kaiźer could have said it without hesitation. Most immortals can’t live in one place for long if they’re not with a companion. Most who tried ended up losing something of themselves. He knew from experience and remembered the soul tearing sensation of abandonment.

He could see Sin’ka through the ages, changing with the times, but he kept comparing her to Abika. So far, she was a perfect match in every way, all the way down to the way she smiled.

“If you traveled, I imagine you found someone you relate to, right?”

“I guess…”

He frowned. “You guess?”

“Well, she isn’t exactly your average walk-in-the-park kinda person.”

He smiled at that. “That’s okay, as long as you feel alive while around her?”

“You can say that.”

Sin’ka grinned as she spoke, and he mentally cheered. She had someone who had been there for her then, and it was a lady friend to boot. He hoped that didn’t mean the woman he loved was gay.

“In fact, she gave my life a sense of meaning. It was suddenly as if I was meant for something. You know what I mean?”

“Yep, I definitely do.” Please be but only friends.

Sin’ka looked at him, and he smiled. She was glowing, and it was rubbing off. He felt like he had back in the day when things had been right with the world.

“You know…”

Sin’ka raised an eyebrow. “Know what.”

“You don’t look a day over 100.”

She looked at him for a second, and he began to fear he had said the wrong thing when she doubled over in laughter. Her hiccups came in heaves, and it was so sudden he sat there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Was she okay? He had been sure that…?

Sin’ka sat back up and, giggling, hid behind her hair. “That’s not funny,” she finally heaved with a long breath.

Grinning, he looked at her. “Not funny? Why would I try to be funny? You are beautiful, and if you think I’m kidding, then I’ll show you just how serious I am.”

Leaning forward over the table, he kissed her. Looking down, she didn’t see him till his lips touched hers. At first, she didn’t move, and he feared she may pull away and slap him, but slowly she relaxed, moving to kiss him back. Their lips mingled, and he tasted peppermint. He gathered her into his arms, lifted her up over the table, and rested her in his lap.

Pulling away, he looked at her. “If I thought you weren’t beautiful, would I have done that?”

Eyes glazed and half-lidded, she was leaned forward slightly; her mouth opened as if about to speak. She had lifted off Kaiźer somewhat, and slowly she focused her gaze as he smiled at her, but what he saw made him freeze in place. The silver of her eyes was flooded red in her passion. He knew the fact, but he still thought of the blood lust that usually came hand in hand with that passion if she lost control.

Sensing his hesitation, Sin’ka fell back onto her legs and, with eyes now silver, looked at him with worry.

“Are you alright?” she asked, placing a hand on his cheek. He jumped at the contact, not registering her question. He was too deep in a past memory.

Screams filled his mind; blood swam thick, its sticky texture surrounding him from past kills, and in a flash flood, it tormented him.

He stood in a dark room, surrounded by old allies, their bodies still holding their mortal wounds. A heavy object filled his hand, and looking down, he found himself holding the black blade he’d come to call a friend.

“Kaiźer?” a female voice said fearfully. Looking up, he saw Sin’ka cowering before him, her hands covering her mouth. However, she melted away, becoming replaced by his uncle. Looking at him with cold eyes, his old teacher stood before him, covered in thick leather, his dagger dripping with blood, his wife’s blood. His rage peaked, and he rushed forward, catching him by the throat.

“You, why did you betray me? Why did you betray Maliki?” Seeing his uncle was bringing it all back. “You killed my beloved! We could have found a way that wouldn’t have involved her death.”

He raised his arm unconsciously, placing his sword to his uncle’s neck. “Only a demon would torment me so. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you now,” he growled.

His arm suddenly flashed, and his sword heated. Materializing next to him, a man with reptilian eyes and long wild hair stood gripping his shoulder.

~You can’t kill her, Kaiźer!~ Kaín said insistently. ~Wake up! This isn’t Ryeznya!~

“I must avenge her death,” he yelled at him, tears rolling down his face.

Pulling his arm back, Kaín spoke boldly as flames bloomed in the palm of his hand. ~If you don’t listen to reason, then I pray via pain you will!~

With a flash, Kaín threw his hand into Kaiźer’s chest, burning a ruin into his breast. Crying out, his vision flashes white as his chest sizzled from the magic. When his sight returned, he was back in his apartment.

Realizing what had happened, he followed his arm to where he held Kaín hot and glowing against Sin’ka’s throat. With a soft cry, he let go of her, stumbling back in shock.

He flung the black blade away and fell to his knees, staring into Sin’ka’s eyes as she stood against the wall, her arms covering herself in fear.

He sat silent, unable to speak after what he had almost done. Voice shaking, he finally said.

“You need to go,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I think it best if you… you can’t stay here.”

Stepping forward, Sin’ka moved towards him, her mouth open as if to say something. He didn’t let her.

“Don’t!” he snapped before lowering his voice. “Don’t come near me…”

Closing her mouth, Sin’ka purses her lips, wounded. She turned away and rushed for the door. She gripped the handle but, at the last second, turned. “I know your pain. If you need, I will be here.” She pulled a card from her jacket and set it on the table beside the door. Doing so, she slipped out into the night without another word.

He sat in silence, tears threatening to run free; she had seen his dark side and yet, hadn’t been afraid. Another similarity he noted from times long past.

After he assembled his thoughts, he rose and retrieved his sword from the floor. Walking back to the kitchen, he set Kaín down on the center island and, without taking his hand from the hilt, waited.

~She’s a wonderful woman that Sin’ka. Be thankful I’m a part of you because if I weren’t, I wouldn’t have been able to force you from that vision~ Kaín finally said.

“I almost killed her,” he said as he turned a dial counter-clockwise twice and then clockwise once to open the hidden compartment in the wall. Silent and swift, the wall swung open. Pulling the door open fully, he grabbed the contents within before shutting the door, letting it seal shut with a small puff of air. Leaving no seam, the wall became whole. If someone looked, nothing would be visible but blank stone.

~Yes, but you didn’t~

Dressing quickly, he dawned his dragon scale armor and strapped his gauntlets on. He closed the safe, turning as it slid back into place, the oven racks falling back into place silently.

Facing the island, he slid Kaín into his sheath. Strapped to his back Kaín chuckled. ~So… you’re taking what the seer told you to heart?~

“She told me that my people hunt the very people they should protect. It’s about time I made up for past sins. Besides, Kurai Aka Hoshi is still out there,” he stated.

~Then let’s go, Kaiźer bon Maliki~

Opening the kitchen window, he looked out over the city, his hair whipping around in the wind as the lights below lit the night sky.

~Let’s hunt!~

The two of them jumped into the night’s dark embrace.

Jumping across a broad ally Kaiźer landed in a tight roll. Popping up, he didn’t even lose speed. It had been years since he had done this, and as he had expected, he had stumbled over the first few rooftops, his lands a bit shaky occasionally. Kaín commented on his lack of practice, but he ignored him; he didn’t need the guy’s two cents to know he was rusty. He was running through the slums of Nypheriam with his senses on high alert, and he couldn’t afford to miss even one small detail. Moving with the shadows that draped across the buildings, he passed over the city like a wraith. Reaching the upper-class side of town, he dropped into a thin ally, landing in a low crouch.

Gathering his magic, he cloaked himself in the alley’s shadows, gathering them around himself. The trick was simple enough, allowing him to hide from sight even in a well-lit room. He could stand in a dark corner, and no one would notice until he moved. It came in handy when eavesdropping. He recalled that he had been curious to know what the clan's women did in their meetings. Chuckling slightly, he recalled how he had walked out with a deep blush on his cheeks. Not only had the woman talked of battle, but they had also spoken of their men as if they were talking about knitting; it had taken a while before he had been able to meet their eye whenever he had seen them after that.

Grinning, he stood flat against the wall and peeked out from behind the stone. Right now, he had other reasons for using his Shadow step; he needed info.

Civilians passed by unaware as he stood there wreathed in darkness, and his target, a tiny man in a lord’s coat and breeches, was walking down the street just a few yards away from where he waited.

The man, or should he say the Demon wore a disguise and an expensive one from what he saw. As an assassin, he usually took jobs for the people in the higher-ups. From what he knew, the man had worked with Darzíel for a short time, and it was his hope that he would spill what he knew about the Fallen with a little… grilling.

As the guy passed by, he swiftly yanked the guy into the shadows and covered his mouth, placed Kaín against its spine as he did.

“If you move, you’re dead. If you shift, you’re dead. All I wish for is to know about Darzíel’s whereabouts,” he stated quietly.

“Oíe, watch da skin!”

Kaizer growled under hi breath and twisted the blade slightly. He didn’t have time for this

The demon raised his hands. “Chill, man, if I tell ya, will ya let meh go?”

He pushed on the sword. “If I let you go, will you keep following the young lady you’ve been tailing for the last twelve blocks?”

The man froze but didn’t answer.

“If you agree to stop following her, then I’ll let you go, but only after you tell me what I want to know.”

“Yeah, whatever ya want, pal, ya got it.”

“That’s what I want to hear. Now about Darzíel, tell me!”

Sucking in a long breath, the demon started talking. “I can’t say fo certain, da guy moves round a lot. But I do know dere to be a gathering at the docks in an hour from now. If ya hurry, ya might still catch da show.”

“What kind of show?” he asked.

“How shou I know, agh! Fine. Some low-level demons are summonin’ the guy. They wish ta strike a bargain with im.”

“A summoning you say…”

The demon nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, now can ya let meh go—”

Ignoring his words, he thrust the sword between the demons’ ribs, puncturing his heart. Bursting into flames, his essence was sucked into the black blade. He wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

He cleansed the area of his scent as well as the hellfire scent of the demon’s death, and after one final check, he cast a cloak over himself and merges with the passing crowd. To anyone who looked, he was an average man in jeans and a t-shirt.

He had a show to watch.

Moving over the docks, Kaiźer reached the place he was looking for and, jumping up, landed on a stack of massive crates in a low squat. Just a few paces away, the group of demons his friend had mentioned sat in a small circle on the lower dock.

They flowed as one with their arms locked. They were chanting with mixed voices, and a moment later, Kaiźer cursed. He barely dropped behind the crate in time when the portal opened in a blast of magic. Peeking out from behind the now twisted metal of the container, he looked at the group.

Ruins burned around them from the portal’s forced opening and glowing red-hot; the ethereal anomaly hung within their circle like a canvas of writhing darkness. Kaiźer watched the gash ripple slightly and waited until, just as the demon had said, Darzíel arrived; stepped out like the immortal he was. With wings of the purest black spreading out behind him, the man looked just as he had a hundred years ago, the only difference being the scar Kaiźer had given him just before sealing him away. It had healed, but the skin was raised slightly and stood out against his eye.

Everything else of his screamed elegance and masculinity, even his eyes, which were something he wouldn’t long forget. Hidden under long white hair that hung loose and tangled, they glowed with an inner fire and looked to be carved of stone. Although he frowned at the man’s choice in clothing, or he should say total lack of. He glared at the man’s arousal, still quite the cocky one, huh. Pun not intended on course.

Pushing his irritation aside, he hid his presence as quickly as possible, essentially blocking both his physical and spiritual body from prying eyes. It would do no good if he were spotted now.

He looked up when the demons shifted restlessly. Darzíel had yet to move and stood before the demons, his face a mask of nonchalance. He watched as one of the small monsters broke away from the others.

“Oh, Great One, we wish to serve.”

Looking down at him, Darzíel said nothing, and the little guy fidgeted under his gaze. Even he began to feel antsy. Was he just going to stand there in all his apparent glory? The demon who’d spoken up was about to speak again, and Kaiźer craned his neck in anticipation as Darzíel broke the silence.

“You shall serve…”

The demons breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as Darzíel spoke up again.

“…as my entertainment!” he continued, pooling fire into his hands before his last word was even complete.

The demon’s broke ranks, all attempting to escape Darzíel’s path. One after another, he killed them, leaving piles of smoking ash in their place. Kaiźer watched it all from his high vantage point without a drop of despair for the little buggers. With each demon he killed, Darzíel sucked their escaping spirits into his body, strengthening himself with their essence. That wasn’t a fun fact to know, but he could do nothing without letting his presence be known. He could only watch and wait.

When everyone was gone, Kaiźer surveyed the area's aftermath as the Fallen reopened the portal with a wave of his hand.

When he did, Kaiźer took a chance and drew on his magic once more to study the portal in the magical spectrum. When he passed through into a low realm of the Underworld though he frowned, what business could Darzíel possibly have in the Underworld? He had looked too long already, he knew, and quickly released the magic, but it was too late.

Darzíel turned around in a blur, and even as he let the magic go, Darzíel looked directly at him. He froze.

He’d been spotted! His fear was fleeting, however when Darzíel looked up, his gaze continued past without pause. Letting out a slow breath Kaiźer didn’t move a muscle as the Fallen stepped backward into the swirling portal. As soon as it closed around him, Kaiźer slumped to the stone of the docks. His hands shook with adrenaline, despite everything. He’d been prepared to fight for his life if need be. However, with nowhere to put his energy, he shook from the aftershock. It had been a narrow escape. If he hadn’t cut off his magic when he had, he would have been spotted for sure.

Moving down to the dock, he walked over to the smoking remains of the demons. They had been reduced to piles of ash, some of them not even that much remained. Pulling Kaín out, he began to chant. Magic bloomed along the blade, and with a prayer, he cleansed the area. Once it was complete, he turned and, without a backward glance, headed home. He had work to do. Besides, he knew he would need more manpower to get it done.

He needed Oníx.