A young woman named Jedd, roughly 180 centimeters tall with braided brown hair dressed in chainmail, a pair of metal greaves, a sword on her hip and a simple round shield on her back climbed out of the dinghy that had taken her from their massive frigate. All her gear was adorned in several places with a simple triangle split into two by a line running from the point to the bottom flat line, looking much like an arrowhead pointing upwards.

Beaching behind her were several others stepping out of small boats, some her age, either dressed much like her or in robes of pure white. Those not her age leaving were also dressed in either armor or robes, some in plate and others in chainmail. The one thing they all shared, however, was the symbol of the split triangle pointing upwards.

After 20 people had left the boat the young woman spoke to her friend, a man, or perhaps boy would be a better description. 160 centimeters tall, dressed in flowing white robes, rather thin, medium length messy brown hair on his head almost reaching down to his green eyes.

"Remind me again why we just spent nearly two weeks on a boat travelling to the blasted lands."

Before the boy could answer, however, one of the older people there answered her half-whispered question in a booming voice quite at odds with his stooped back and elderly appearance.

"Because it is important that you all see what would happen, should we fail in our mission of holding the demons back from our continent."

The tense whispers from other youngsters instantly ceased and all eyes focused on the old man dressed in robes as white as his wispy hair and beard.

After a moment of silence, he continued.

"Look around you, young paladins and priests. This is what would happen, should the demons ever gain a foothold on our continent. Nothing would live, only grey skies, stone and sand would remain. This was once a thriving jungle in times before the demons settled here. I know the journey was harsh, my young students. After we return you will all have earned the right to call yourselves paladins or priests of the order."

Taking a moment to consider his next words the young paladins and priests to look around them, taking in the lifeless lands and dull grey skies.

"Now we make camp and rest until morning. Tomorrow we set out to hunt."

Murmured prayers and a few bows from the younger members of the party were the only replies he received before everyone began setting up their tents and preparing firestones for cooking.

Growing impatient at not finding any demons after hours of walking in this blasted desert Jedds stomach rumbled.

Instructor Samantha, a paladin with greying hair chuckled at the sound and said.

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"Alright, we rest here. Eat some of your rations and we continue in 15 minutes."

The 15 priests and paladins in training practically collapsed on the ground, their stats could not keep up this death march in their gear. The sand fighting them every step.

Jedd lay on the sand flat as a board and staring straight up catching her breath when her eyes caught movement. Something small and red moved right above them. After a moment of thought, she pointed straight up and shouted

"Contact! Possible demon straight up!"

Even when tired and startled the recruits knew what to do, the many drills they had done over their four years of education made sure of that. They all scrambled to stand up and cast their magic.

Prayers were spoken, domes of yellow light shimmering into view, weapons were drawn and blazed with holy light.

The Instructors made nary a move other than to look up, their eyes quickly locking onto the small red blur moving against the grey canvas above.

"Well spotted recruit Jedd."

Said Samantha.

"Is it just me or is that demon getting closer?"

Asked one of the recruits.

"Brace for impact!"

Shouted one of the priest instructors.

A second later the red blur had already reached them. With a mighty womph that shook the ground and scattered a cloud of sand the red blur landed in front of them, not twenty meters ahead. A tense few seconds passed as the cloud dispersed.

A sudden wind picked up the remaining sand and swept it away. At the edge of the crater stood a humanoid demon, skin as red as blood, black horns curving up and back from its temples, Black hair reaching its shoulder and sharp grey nails adorning its fingers and toes. Its eyes were twin spheres of pale blue flame in their sockets. After a tense moment of staring, the demon's mouth split open into a grin revealing hundreds of needle-like pure white teeth. It spoke in a deep, gravelly voice that sounded like the raging flames of a furnace:

"Vänn?"

None of those gathered knew what that word meant, they did, however, know that some demons could use words to curse humans. Falling back on their training the priests and paladins in training all sent out their holy magic in a dazzling display of light straight at the demon. A roar of pain and fear echoed off the cliff walls in the distance as the light faded and the people there regained their vision having temporarily blinded themselves with their own power.

After only a few moments Jedd spoke.

"We have to check if it’s dead and finish it off if it’s not."

The other recruits turned their heads towards her, many of them with fear in their eyes. A few tense nods later she started walking, trusting in the soon to be priests to keep the barrier up as they moved.

The group reached the crater and saw the demon that had been blasted back into it.

Or what was left of it.

A torso with half an arm lay there. The flames in its eyes dim as they wept black fluid, much like the stumps of its arms and lower torso.

The instructors had, of course, followed along to help in the case of an emergency, Samantha wondered briefly what kind of demon this was, having never seen one quite like it before. Activating her [Identify] she saw:

Vänn. Blaze demon level 14

Total level of all evolutions: 34.

Age: 1 year 12 days.

Briefly stunned she considered, a demon with a total level of 34, rare in these parts. That was, of course, the reason they came there every year, whatever demons could be found there were rarely above a total level of 20. Not to mention that it was a named demon and that it had reached that level in just over a year, this was a calamity nipped in the bud. Named demons were far rarer than their unnamed counterpart, and more often than not they were far more dangerous. This one's behaviour struck her as strange though, she had in her many years faced many demons, some of them named, simply standing before a group of warriors and simply saying its name. What was going on here?

Her musings were however intruded upon by Jedd's question,

"Should we put it out of everyone's misery then?"

Before she promptly charged her sword with divine energy and threw it at the incapacitated demon, spinning end over end.

Time seemed to slow for the demon named vänn, or friend in his language. He saw the shining blade lazily arcing towards his chest. His final thought was a simple question.

"Why?"