Rain poured down the empty street, the constant shower illuminated in the darkness by the street lamps at intervals along the curb. It would be hard to blame anyone for not noticing the lone figure that blended into the rain and inky shadows of the night. The black hoodie they wore obscured all features save for something swinging from their right hand as they silently walked down the street. No one would see the figure as it stopped before a pair of horribly rusted cast-iron gates, a simple chain and padlock holding them closed. With a shake of their head, the figure cast their gaze to the stone walls, eluding no other entrance. Pulling their left hand from the hoodie’s pocket, the figure vaulted over the stone wall and vanished behind it.

Landing with a crouch on the opposite side, the shadow tipped its head back, observing the massive structure that loomed over them. Twin spires pierced the stormy night sky, signs of decay evident on what was once doubtless a beautiful stone theatre; Missing and loose tiles from the spires, broken glass littering the lawn by the weathered steps. Overall, it wasn’t hard to see why it could be condemned. So one could ask why hadn’t it been torn down? That was that very question the figure had come to answer.

Calmly, they walked towards the entrance of the theatre, a shadow amongst the darkness. The massive doors that blocked the figure’s entry almost seemed defeated in their purpose as they leaned slightly on each side, bolts missing from the worn, rusted hinges. The wood itself had deep gashes in it that scarred the once polished oak beyond repair. It was a miracle that the doors didn’t collapse as the figure gently pushed one open and quietly slipped into the former site of artistic expression.

Inside was oddly untouched by the weather, though time had clearly taken its toll. The bases of the wooden pews were considerably rotted, and the once luxuriously red seats were dulled by years of dust. The same could be said for the matching carpet, puffs of grime rising behind the figure as they walked toward the last row of seats and crouched behind them. They peered out from behind the pew at the rain pouring onto the raised center stage, their gaze rising to the jagged hole in the theatre’s roof.

A slithering motion in the shadows caught the hooded figure’s attention, something truly massive stirring amongst the thick beams that crisscrossed the ceiling. A loud, low groan echoed from the inky void above, followed by a sudden explosion of darkness. The sound of flapping wings and panicked, ear-piercing squeaks filled the air as an entire colony of bats that had evidently taken refuge in the theatre began to fly down from the rafters and swarm the stage. They weren’t the only things coming down from above though.

It fell from the beams, plummeting towards center stage. A burst of wind emanated from a flap of the creature’s wings and slowed its descent. Where once an actor would stand to perform a passionate monologue now stood a towering, emaciated figure. Absurdly long limbs braced it against the rain-soaked stage beneath. Its bony, elongated fingers dragged razor-sharp claws across the wood, splintering it.

The beast let out a loud hiss as it reached out to the swarm of bats panicking around it, trapping a few within the creature’s spindly fingers. In a grim facsimile of a smile, it drew back its lips to reveal several rows of jagged, uneven teeth that tripped with saliva as it opened its jaws. The sick sound of chewing assaulted the onlooker’s ears as the monster devoured the bats with glee, blood mixing with the rainwater that pooled beneath it.

Now

Quietly, in the cover of darkness, the figure opened the case it had been carrying and pulled out a gleaming blade; a broadsword with the stoic face of a wolf etched into the gleaming silver hilt. The blazing jewels acting as the wolf’s eyes cut through the darkness in a blur down the center of the aisle as the onlooker took action. They leapt into the air, using the swarm of bats as cover to bring their blade down in a slashing arc onto the monster’s head. The strike was cut short as steel struck bone, the sword bouncing off the crest growing from its head.

The figure swore as they were pushed back by the monster, sliding on the waterlogged carpet near the stage. “Damn, you’re even uglier than I thought,” The low, yet still distinctly feminine voice called out from beneath the hood. The monstrosity released a rabid snarl in return, arching its emaciated frame like a cat. It snarled at her, slamming its reptilian-like tail against the protesting stage beneath it. The girl smirked at the response, reaching up to pull her rain-soaked hood back from her face, revealing short, blazing red hair that curled in towards her jawline. “Awe, did I hit a nerve? Then come and get some.”

Despite her words, the girl charged forward once more, eyes locked on her target as its arm shot out like a whip, fingers grasping for her as she vaulted into the air. With one swift movement, she sliced through the flesh and bone of its outstretched arm, releasing another groan from the stage as the limb crashed onto it. Ichorous blood sprayed from the stump, a horrible wail of agony tearing from the monster’s throat, shattering the stained glass windows as it echoed through the night.

In a mixture of rage and pain, the creature whipped its tail at her. Bracing the blow with the flat edge of her sword, she was sent crashing viciously into the abandoned seats below. Instinctively, she raised her free hand to shield her head from the worst of the impact, even as the wind was knocked out of her as she came to a stop three rows later, decimating everything in her path. She let out a sobbing gasp as she looked down at the torn fabric of her sweater, revealing the lifesaving body armor beneath it..

The beast, holding what remained of its arm close to its chest bore its hatred into her with its gaze, but did not attack. Instead, it spread its imposing wings and with a great flap, it lifted into the air and turned towards the hole in the roof.

“Where are you going?” She snarled, reaching for the holster on her thigh, and drawing a broad, shining revolver. It had a considerable kickback, leaving it reserved for situations like this. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the trigger three times in quick succession. The bullets tore through the fleshy membrane that held the monster’s wing together. With the next downward beat, the bullet holes tore wide open, releasing a haunting screech of agony from the monster as it plummeted, taking some of the remaining, unfortunate bats with it.

The rending sound of wood cracking and splintering assaulted her ears as the stage finally gave in and collapsed underneath the creature. Despite the throbbing pain that bloomed up her arm into her shoulder and probable bruised ribs, she rose to her feet and with an air of superiority she made her way towards the collapsed stage. She peered down into the pit, smirking at the sight that met her. The beast was half pinned beneath the wreckage, its body skewered from multiple angles. It stared up at her with the exact same look of malice and hatred, straining to pull itself free, only to cry out in pain as more blood geysered from its wounds.

Raising her throbbing arm once more, the girl aimed her revolver at the dying creature. “One less daemon in the world.” She muttered, pulling the trigger.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexi woke up late the next day, groaning softly as she sat up on the cheap, springy mattress of her motel room. The thin sheets scratched her bare arms, doing no favors to her left arm, still sore from the previous night. She looked down at her good hand. It was steady.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

No nightmares

Alexi smiled, pushing the uncomfortable sheets off of her before flinging her feet onto the flat carpet beneath. The thought of showering crossed Alexi’s mind, though she had taken one before going to bed. She had needed to get the smell of filth off of her. Now that she was awake and refreshed, hunger was driving her.

Alexi walked over to the chair where she had thrown her gear the night before. She left the frayed and tattered fabric of her body armor where it was, instead going to inspect her hoodie. It was filthy, coated in dust, splinters, and ichor. At least it's dry. Rolling her eyes, Alexi tossed the ruined hoodie back onto the chair. She walked over to her suitcase, rummaging through it for a moment before pulling out an identical copy of the ruined hoodie.

A knock on her door resounded as Alexi stood up, an irritated sigh escaping from her lips. “I’ll be out in a minute!” She called.

“I’ll meet you there.” A muffled male voice called back.

Shaking her head, Alexi turned her gaze back from the door, catching her reflection in the full-sized mirror that stood in her room. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help but look at herself, wearing nothing but plain white underwear. She was shorter than she would have liked at 5’2. Curvy with wide hips and a well-toned butt, the latter she supposed would be natural with years of training. Alexi wished she had a body better fit for fighting, her curves sometimes feeling unnatural and unneeded. She pulled her hoodie over herself, hiding her finer details from view. With a growl from her stomach spurring her on, she pulled her black denim jeans over her hips, before finally shoving her feet into her leather boots. Now fully dressed, Alexi made her way out of the gloomy room and into the bright morning air.

Attached to the motel was a small mom & pop shop, both run by the same people. As Alexi entered the shop, the trill of a bell echoed through the store. She scanned the mostly empty shop, her gaze finally landing on the man who had knocked on her door. In one hand was a still-steaming mug, a letter in the other.

“What’s that, Joshua?” Alexi asked as she slid into the seat across from him, helping herself to the pot of coffee that sat at the center of the table, adding cream and an unhealthy amount of sugar to her mug.

Joshua lifted his head, the wide brim of his cowboy hat no longer obscuring his face. He was older, maybe in his late 40’s with a salt-and-pepper beard that he kept close-shaven and clean. He had a ragged scar running down the left side of his face, from his hidden hairline down to the corner of his mouth. He folded the paper and tucked it into the pocket of the faded red leather jacket he wore. Leaning back in his seat, Joshua took a sip of his coffee.

“It’s our next job. I’ll go over the details later though. I see you’re alive.”

Alexi snorted at the comment and, forgetting just how sore her shoulder was, shrugged and tried not to wince. “I learned from the best. As if a weak daemon like that could actually pose a threat.”

“I went to look at the scene this morning.”

“You don’t need to check up on my work, you know." Alexi responded dismissively, now eying the menu. “I made sure it was dead, bullet through the brain. Oh, the special sounds yummy.”

“I went to the scene after checking to make sure you got back safe and saw the state your hoodie and armor were in. I needed to make sure none of the blood was yours.”

Alexi nearly sprayed out the coffee she had just taken a sip of, her eyes like saucers as she coughed and pounded at her chest. Joshua casually watched with an upturned eyebrow as she composed herself. “Ok, so maybe it caught me off guard at one point. But I killed it in the end. And as a bonus, I came back alive! That’s what matters, right?”

Before Joshua could respond, the lone waitress walked over to their table, notepad in hand. Alexi recognized her from when they checked in, wearing the same faded blue t-shirt and jeans. If she had to guess, Alexi figured she was around 18, the same age as her.

“Could I have the breakfast special, please? With extra bacon? Oh, and put it on his tab.” Alexi said, not looking in Joshua’s direction, even as she pointed. She kept her eyes fixed on the waitress, smiling as Joshua snorted, his glare burrowing into her. “What? It’s not like I can pay for myself. You get the reward for my kill last night, Mr. ‘Registered Hunter.’” Alexi said the last part with air quotes, a severe look on her face.

Instead of quipping back as Alexi had expected, Joshua gave her a long, hard look, before leaning forward in his chair. He glanced over at the waitress who, up until that point had been standing there in silence, the look on her face clearly one of discomfort. “Fine. Put it all on my bill.”

Alexi felt her jaw drop, staring at him dumbstruck. In the ten years she had spent travelling the continent of Deigradus with him Joshua had never given in that easily.

Without bothering to write the order down, the waitress hurried away as Alexi’s gaze turned suspicious. “Joshua…” She said slowly, leaning in closer to him. “What the hell? You’re being waaaaaay too nice. What’s going on? Something to do with that letter?”

He was silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on her. Finally, as if to concede defeat, Joshua closed them and muttered “Fine. You win.”

Instantly alert, Alexi sat upright in her seat, completely focused on his next words.

“I’m enrolling you into Lostvail Academy and-”

“YES!” Alexi nearly screamed before he could finish, slamming her hands down on the table hard enough to spill what remained of Joshua’s coffee, and causing an exacerbated sigh to escape from his lips. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” She cried, reaching over to hug him from across the table.

“Alexi!” Joshua said forcefully, gently pushing her off of him. “Focus! I’m not finished yet.”

Regaining her composure, Alexi sat back in her seat and nodded, once again giving him her undivided attention.

“I have two reasons for finally giving in to the years of your constant begging to enroll you. The first, and most obvious is that I think you are ready for it now. Your work last night, while could do with some improvement, was still a clean kill. It’s clear to me that you’ve at least fully mastered the basics. The second reason is that Lostvail Academy is where our next mission will be.”

Pride turned to confusion as Alexi furrowed her brow. “Wait, what?” She didn’t even notice that the waitress had returned with her food, placing the plate filled with fluffy eggs, buttered toast, and crispy bacon right in front of her. “How could there be a daemon at Lostvail of all places? I’d expect the last place a daemon would want to be is where people train to hunt them down. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Nothing has been confirmed yet, but there has been an uptick in students…well, vanishing.”

Alexi narrowed her eyes at him, the smell of her food finally bringing its existence to her awareness. As he spoke, she began to eat.

“It’s no secret that students drop out all the time, unable to handle the reality of what it really takes in this line of work. Some die on missions. But it’s rare for one to just vanish without a trace as they have been recently. So I have been asked to return to my position as an instructor and investigate.”

“Wait wait wait.” Alexi said, trying and failing to hold in a laugh. “You were an instructor at the Lostvail Academy? You?” Try as she might, Alexi could not imagine seeing Joshua teaching a class like an instructor. While he had taught her everything she knew, she could not see him standing behind a desk teaching students textbook formulas.

“And this is the reason I’ve never told you before. I knew you’d have something snide to say. Anyway, you will be helping me on top of working towards getting your license. We have no idea what or who is behind these disappearances, but if it is daemonic in nature-”

“-Then we stomp it out.” She smirked. It was a win-win situation all around. She hadn’t been this excited about a job in a long time. “When do we leave?”

“The new applicant exam takes place in three days. We leave as soon as you’re finished eating.”

Alexi immediately scooped as much egg and bacon onto a piece of toast as she possibly could, before shoving the entire thing into her mouth, quickly washing it down with her now cold coffee. “Let me get packed.”