'These demons are not normal, they aren't human,' Rufus said with conviction 'They are true abominations, and the world needs some way to keep it in check, that is where we come in. The inquisition created the demon hunters who are responsible for dealing with demons in any way that we see fit. We don't have any rules in our method of killing demons as long as our actions, if deemed destructive or obstructive to the everyday lives of others, is concrete. So-'

'Why-' Lily began but quickly stopped herself, looking embarrassed 'sorry I cut you off, continue.'

'You may ask your question, better now than never.'

'No, no. It wasn't related at all.' Lily said hurriedly

'Ah... Ok' Rufus said before continuing 'we are allowed to do just about anything to kill demons, although, those who know our purpose or have knowledge of demons are to be silenced in case of the spread of knowledge.'

'Why do you brainwash people?' Lily asked with enthusiasm 'Wouldn't it be better for them to know of the threats?'

'No, it would be worse if people knew.' He answered 'Demons have an innate connection to the dreamworld, that is a world that exists as a constant throughout all people and things and their dreams, it is highly unstable and can result in particular aspects of the human psyche manifesting, namely the strong and volatile feelings such as lust and greed. The manifestations are demons and can range from imps to succubi. If demons receive enough conscious thought, they can break out of the dreamworld and enter our world where they terrorise people. People knowing about demons would mean there would be a lot more conscious thought about their inner flaws and as a result, more demons.'

'So, you and I have demons?'

'Certainly, I struggle to combat specific demons over others due to an aura and their character. If theirs relates to my flaws, then I can struggle. Of course, everyone is somewhat flawed in every aspect but many flaws are more easily overcome than others. So just think about your flaws, you share them with so many other people around the continent.'

'So now that I have knowledge of demons, I will create more demons?'

'Temporarily, you learn to not think about it so much.'

'Can't all humans do that?'

'Not if we don't want demons overrunning the world.'

'So this job you are in will never end and that is why you are so old?'

'Well... When I signed up for this job, I wasn't expecting it to pan out the way it has. It is true that I'm nearing three hundred years, but I feel the same vigour that I did when I first joined at twenty five.'

'You still look twenty-five.' Lily said, Rufus looked directly at her green eyes, and she looked into his. Rufus was glad that if she decided to continue demon hunting, her eyes wouldn't change colour significantly and instead would become what he thought would be more spectacular.

'It is the elixirs.' He answered

'Do I get to drink it?'

'Um, sure. I personally wouldn't recommend it.'

'What do you mean by that?' Lily said with a sudden and new tone in her voice, Rufus recognised it as a caring but stern tone.

'It doesn't mean anything; it is just that...' Rufus sighed loudly 'Doesn't matter.'

They both sat in the snow encrusted clearing, small flakes of fine sleet were falling onto the earth. In their extended silence that didn't meet eyes and instead watched as Grongon showed off his sword skills to Theo a fair way in the distance.

'You know he will be safe.' Rufus said calmly, he felt bad for the way he had ended the previous conversation.

'I hope so... You said that demons enter our world, how do they do that.'

'The Inquisition's research points to a gateway between the dreamworld and reality. People have managed to travel to the dreamworld by, of course sleeping but also taking other methods to be completely conscious while sleeping. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. It is like being in a shallow sleep where you can control your dream. The same way we go to their world we assume demons do the same and their materialisation takes place in a gateway as we call it. No one has found one, but it is heavily backed by the facts of the case. Some demon hunters are assigned to hotspots which are mainly in cities, so it is expected that gateways are located all around the continent, but they are more in areas that is best oriented for the entry for demons. In other words, it is in a place where more conscious thoughts are which is where the people are at.'

'You are well experienced and skilled aren't you, why aren't you in a hotspot, I assume only the best get there.'

'You are correct in every instance, but the inquisition sees me better suited to field work. Being one of the eldest in the game, I started out the demon hunting game very differently to how it is begun other times. In the past demons where common knowledge in my home. Everyone knew they existed but not how they worked. I was put into a demon hunting squadron as opposed to the war and I was completely normal, no enhancements or anything, I spent over seven years killing demons. I was still doing it a year after the war was over and the unified trio was established. It was that year after that the sorcerers divined the true nature of demons and then began making augmented soldiers as well as taking authorities measures to wean the knowledge of demons out of the common mind. It was of course difficult for my country most of all, as the demons first began rising there and this was before the inquisition was established and cracked down upon secrecy.'

'Sorcerers? I thought they were in fairy tales, like Marbuk'

'Yeah, just like the one you read about in fairy tales. Except they aren't perfect like the stories show. There was a purge done by the inquisition to exterminate the sorcerers from existence. It was stupid because they ignored the principal aspect of sorcery. Just one of the inquisition's many low points.'

'Does field work only include killing monsters? You just don't seem to be doing too much killing or tracking or anything.'

Yes actually, it does. The field work also involves me training new recruits for the inquisition until I deem them ready and then I rotate.'

'Is that what Grongon is?'

'Yes, but I've kept him around because he comes in a lot of handy, he is adept in combat. Just lacking a certain skill of tracking, I'd rather transfer him to the city but that is a dangerous line of work. Well... More dangerous.'

'So you are very skilled?'

'I guess. Being skilled in killing demons isn't the only thing that one should be skilled in, I've spent many years studying a wide range of educations and I'm well versed in literacy. I like to do other things more than kill.'

Lily went quiet and looked at her shoes. She was wearing a new set of clothes that where thick and warm. It was also in no way feminine, it wasn't a dress or skirt, just pants and a shirt with a thick vest. Rufus looked at her in an unexpected adoration and noticed her eyes welling up slightly.

'Hey, Lily.' He said softly 'You, ok? Something you want to talk about?'

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

'No.' she said indignantly and wiped her eyes with her fingers. She crossed her arms and turned her face away from his in embarrassment.

'Alright, well, rest up for a bit and then come and join me and the others for the plan and basics of using a short sword.' Rufus said standing up and walking away, but not before he glanced at the girl huddled up in her own arms.

The rest of the day passed quickly; the sun was hidden behind thick clouds that threatened to create a blizzard. Strong winds whistled through the trees, stinging the skin it met with. The day turned dark as the clouds smothered the light and with the diminishing of the day the tensions rose.

'just follow me, and closely.' Rufus whispered to Lily, his sword was held aloft, the gloomy light shining through the clouds reflected eerily from the polished silver. His firm hand clasped the hilt tightly, but not too tightly. Just right.

A strange clicking sound began slowly, it was joined by a second. Both of the clicking noises sounded nearby and rose slowly in speed until they reached a crescendo, like an army of cicadas.

'That's them, one at three o'clock and the second at twelve.' Rufus said confidently 'Stay on the opposite side of me.'

Lily glanced at the two locations he had pointed out and couldn't see anything amongst the snow. They had exited the trees and now tread slowly through a small clearing coming closer and closer to the clicking. She stole a glance at Grongon who had Theo tied safely to his mammoth sized back. He wielded a large axe that he held with both hands. She was surprised with the agility and silence that he was able to keep, the enchantments that lay upon him made everything about him and Rufus surreal, almost as if they didn't exist.

The lean demon hunter stopped suddenly and stood up straight. The clicking was almost unbearable in its pitch and volume now and Lily winced as she stood silently behind Rufus. Several stumps lay before them, scattered randomly around the edge of the clearing. Rufus' eyes narrowed; his pupils contracted.

'Grongon!' he suddenly yelled, 'The two hollow stumps!'

Just as he finished his sentence small creatures burst from the stumps and darted towards Rufus and Lily.

'Duck!' The hunter called as he spun around and pulled Lily to the ground with him.

Grongon roared as he shifted his battle axe in his hands before sprinting towards the creatures that flew speedily through the cold air. They were well disguised in the black backdrop of the trees and night sky, and Grongon's first swing missed entirely.

The Imps broke up and flew in two different directions. Rufus deftly jumped to his feet and punched an imp that screamed as it neared him. It fell to the ground and flopped into the snow, rolling over a few times and leaving a small imprinted trail. Lily watched in horror as a grotesque creature stood up, emerging from the white and displaying its charcoal black skin that was wrinkled and textured like leather. It had a long, skinny nose that ended in a sharp point, a pair of eyes accompanied the nose and had deep orange irises that had streaks of blood red in them. The pupils were black like onyx, their complexion impenetrable. It had a small humanoid torso the size of a skinny baby, small spiky ridges covered its back and a large spike protruded from its shoulders. Two clawed hands hung beside goat like legs. Its mouth opened which was full of rows of razor-sharp teeth, and it squealed. Lily repulsed at the sound and scrambled over the ground away from the small creature that filled her with a fear she couldn't control or understand. She rolled over onto her stomach and pulled herself upright and began to run away from the fight. She heard a rapid whooshing behind her and panting before she fell to the ground with a great gash in her back.

Her whole body froze, and she couldn't move. Warm blood began seeping its way into her clothing and spread out through the thick layers. The blood soon became cold and she wanted to shiver, but her body could move.

'Lily!' She heard someone in the distance cry before her vision clouded and she passed out.

She pulled a book from Harry's cabinet of books, she was forbidden from touching all of them but she couldn't resist the urge of knowledge. She had pulled a book on economics. She opened the thick book to the first page and began reading, familiarising herself with the economic terms and theories. She had snuck that book to her room that night and stayed up late reading it, diligently memorizing everything she read. The next day she sneakily returned the book, making sure she didn't make a sound. She looked at the rest of the books and saw all of them as lessons, a way to learn new skills. She gravitated to astronomy, then poetry, then history and finally she found a book she was truly captivated by.

She let her fingers slip underneath the cracked leather cover. The inside page contained large and bold lettering. "Vilidelman's Fauna" it read and in small text beneath it; "A complete guide to the fauna of the continent". Lily would spend many nights reading that book, the weighty tome was as thick as her fist and she never relented in her lust for knowledge until she finished reading the very last page.

She woke up suddenly and violently, her whole body convulsed as if she was having a seizure. She spewed a projectile of last night's grub that was mixed with a stew of blood. She was propped up against a tree. She felt beads of sweat all over her forehead and felt clammy all over. Rufus sat against a tree across from her, he was calm as usual but when she met his eyes, she saw relief.

'Ugh,' she moaned, 'Fuck.'

'You okay?' Rufus asked, his voice full of concern.

'I feel like shit.' she groaned

'That's better than dead.'

'Where is Theo?’ She asked surveying, her surroundings.

'He is okay, it seems Grongon's method of keeping him safe was very effective.'

Lily looked at her hands that were encased in gloves.

'What happened?'

'You got scared and ran away, the imp saw prey and attacked you. They have paralytic claws, it's what they use to down food before they feast.'

'Thanks... For saving me.'

Rufus nodded his acknowledgement and stood. He walked silently over to a cauldron that hung over a small fire that crackled superficially. The fire ran on no fuel and instead was powered by a cantrip that both the hunters could cast. He pulled a ladle hanging from its side and put two big scoops into a bowl. He held the bowl out to her and she tried to reach out and grab the bowl but her arms didn't move. She panicked suddenly and began breathing hard.

'My arms!' She said in a quiet panic. 'I... I can't move them.'

'Calm down Lily,' Rufus said as he slid down the tree next to her and put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. 'You will be fine; you are still paralysed by the imp's cut. I applied a ointment to your back to stop it from hurting for a while. I didn't expect you to wake up so early either.'

'You put something on my back?'

'Yeah, I hope that's ok,' Rufus said quickly 'I didn't do anything, just applied the ointment.'

'Uh, yeah of course.' She looked into his face and smiled. 'Thanks. Now, are you going to give me that food? I just realised I'm starving.'

Rufus scooped up some of the soup and lifted the spoon to her mouth for her to drink.

'I can imagine you spewing, freed up some space.'

'I think I would have been hungry either way. I'm starving.' She took another slurp of soup. 'When I passed out, I remembered home. I dreamt about that first time I picked up the encyclopedia of fauna, it was always my favourite book.'

'You have an interest in animals?'

'Yeah, there are just so many amazing creatures all over the continent, especially in the deserts, one of my favourites was always the sand shark.'

'Mm, yes. They are interesting creatures, I've hunted a few in my time, they make good food, they have a delicious taste, I could show you some day.'

'I'd love that, you came from the deserts?'

'Yes, I did,' Rufus shuffled uneasily and scooped another spoonful. 'I haven't told anyone that in a while so don't tell Grongon or your brother.'

'Why? Why don't you like the desert?'

Rufus sighed and turned his head away for a moment. 'Lily, I was once as bad as the monsters I hunt today, you just can't forget some things, much less when you are wholly responsible and let things happen when it is fully in your power to stop it. When the Inquisition finally caught me, I went through hell, but I made a vow and it has kept me bound to the Inquisition ever since.'

'You aren't a bad person Rufus; you are being nice to me.' Lily felt a pang of sadness spread throughout her insides. 'You are the nicest person I've ever met.'

'It doesn't change the horrible things I've done in times gone by, I'm sure you understand.'

'What do you mean?'

'Have you said something, done something or failed to do something, and it has hurt someone.'

Lily paused.

'I know the feeling, yes. But then they are gone, and I can't do anything to take back what I said or what I failed to do.'

'I'm a monumental screw up if the truth be known Lily. The times I have let someone down is uncountable, I like to think I've left them in the past but they hang over me like a heavy mist. I feel saturated by my own horrors and just for once, I wish to do right by someone, and I'll be damned if I don't start with you.'

'What about Grongon?'

'He is my friend for sure, but he doesn't share friendship in the same way as I do. He is shallow, I guess. You won't tell anyone what I've said right? Grongon will rip my spine out.'

'No, I won't, don't worry, I've practiced holding my tongue for my whole life.'

'What about you? I mean what's your story. And look, the silence is mutual.'

'It was only two days ago Rufus; I'm still trying to figure out what happened. I'm sorry, I just need time to think. I feel so sorry for Theo.'

'That's fine, you know shit happens. I'm sure that you aren't to blame, so don't think what I know you are thinking.'

Rufus held the spoon up to her mouth again. She slurped up the warm broth. She longed to spill everything that had happened, but the truth was that she did not know what had happened, she was still in shock and her mind swam anytime her mind drifted to the event. It was a cataclysm that burnt a hole in her very humanity. But Rufus was right, she blamed herself, she brought up the notion of cancelling the wedding and she failed to stop Harry from killing her mother. She felt empty. She sipped the last spoonful of soup up greedily. Rufus stood up to leave.

'Stay... Please.' Lily implored him.

'Ok.'