"The smell was unbearable," Irene shuddered, her voice filled with disgust. "I never imagined finding them like that. He was standing there in the shadows behind the trapdoor, watching me like a predator. He said I'd easily led him right to me."
Jaxith noticed the strain in her voice, the effort it took to recount the horrific scene. It was clear that the trauma of the event was still fresh. "The incident at the mayor's house, you mean," he said solemnly.
"Yes, exactly," Irene replied, her voice trembling. "He said his employer needed me alive. Does that mean he's working for the mayor?"
"No, the mayor wouldn't send a lone assassin," Jaxith mused. "He'd send a whole squad to capture your allies alive, not slaughter them. Besides, the assassin is a Scarlet Summoner, a very dangerous, shady person that can easily end the mayor's career if he knew him. It's unlikely the mayor would be associated with such a man. Perhaps the mayor has been corrupted, and although I hate politicians, that's mere speculation. The real question is, did he ask you about the ring?"
Irene shook her head. "No, he didn't mention it at all."
"Then the mayor isn't the culprit," Jaxith deduced. "if he was the one then he would have prioritized the ring. If he wanted to capture you to make an example of thieves, he would secure the ring first, or he could have kidnapped you without killing all of them. You said he wanted you alive, I think that this assassin would have found you whatever you have done, he said that your robbery helped him find you, which means that he was already tracking you, you just quickened the pace, your robbery merely accelerated his plans. You unwittingly played into his hands." Jaxith's analytical abilities are excellent, an unmistakable sign of his amazing intelligence as a hunter.
"Perhaps you're right," Irene admitted, her voice barely a whisper. Her gaze drifted to the blanket covering her legs. "Maybe Hoslton isn't the one behind this."
Jaxith placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What's done is done. Don't blame yourself for the death of your friends. This wasn't your fault, it's just a coincidence. The assassin would have found you eventually, regardless of your actions."
"I'll take my time," Irene replied while looking up again, her tone determined. "But thank you. The most important thing is to bring that bastard to justice."
Jaxith raised an eyebrow. "No, the most important thing is to identify the mastermind behind this. Who is the one really after you? Do you have any enemies?"
"I don't think I've made any enemies powerful enough to hire someone like that, you called him names that I don't remember, but it sounded really expensive to hire," Irene replied, her confidence wavering slightly. "I'm sure that I'm not worth that much trouble."
Jaxith raised an eyebrow. "I called him names?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yeah, don't look at me like I'm a total idiot," Irene retorted, her voice laced with mock indignation. "I may not know all these fancy terms, but do know that I was the smartest one in the Shadow Seekers. Don't underestimate me, mister, I'm the genius here. You said he was a spiritual Summoner, right?"
Jaxith leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips while stroking his beard. she is a clever one, and surely troublesome, he's already familiar with this type of personality.
"You've got that completely wrong," Jaxith chuckled. "But you do have a point."
"Told you I'm a genius," Irene boasted, a smug grin spreading across her face.
"Why would a powerful Scarlet Summoner target someone like you?" Jaxith pondered, his gaze fixed on the ground. "You're not exactly a high-profile target." He calmly looked back at her after a moment of thinking.
"We don't have enough information to point fingers, and we can't just throw random accusations," Jaxith said, his tone cautious. "Our best bet is to interrogate the assassin, force him to reveal his employer."
Irene nodded, her expression thoughtful. "How do we find him? Can you track him?" she asked.
"We're not," Jaxith said, his voice as smooth as a cat's purr.
"What?" Irene replied, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"He will," Jaxith continued, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"He will what?" Irene asked, her voice rising in frustration.
"Not that genius I think," Jaxith said with a sarcastic smirk.
"You're not funny," Irene retorted, rolling her eyes.
"I've never been," Jaxith replied, his tone deadpan.
"Wait, I got it," Irene said, her face lighting up. "Do you mean he is the one who will find us?"
"You have to be quicker than that, genius," Jaxith teased. "And he will find you, not us."
Irene groaned. "I hate puzzles."
"Puzzles are for geniuses," Jaxith said, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"You're not gonna make me regret saying that, are you?" Irene asked, her voice laced with warning.
"I'm just qualifying your cleverness, genius," Jaxith replied innocently.
"I swear I'm gonna throw anything at you if you don't quit the smart boy role," Irene threatened, her voice rising.
"Sure you can do that? You have nothing to throw in your reach," Jaxith taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was trying to lighten the mood, to distract her from the dark thoughts that were consuming her.
"Ahhhhhhh, just stop, okay!" Irene yelled, frustration boiling over. No matter how intelligent she was, she could never outsmart Jaxith's witty banter.
"Fine, time to tell you what I'm thinking about," Jaxith said, his voice serious.
"That's better, and much more important, I'm listening," Irene replied, her impatience evident.
"That assassin will find you, not us. You, alone. In other words, I shouldn't be with you," Jaxith explained.
"Hey, didn't you say that you aren't leaving me? You're just going to abandon me for that crazy butcher!" Irene exclaimed, worry creeping into her voice.
"Hey, hey, relax. You need to learn to be calm," Jaxith said, his voice soothing. "I'm not abandoning you. As long as I'm with you, he won't appear. He might be outside that inn right now, waiting for you to come out. No one here knows who you are, and I made sure he wasn't tracking you when I brought you here. For him, you're alone, and he thinks I didn't find you because you went too far."
"Why wouldn't he appear when you're with me?" Irene asked, confusion evident in her voice.
"Cause I made quite the impression," Jaxith replied, a hint of arrogance in his tone.
"And a boaster too," Irene retorted, rolling her eyes. "Quit being arrogant. If you were that strong, why haven't you killed him?"
"Because you were getting far enough for me to lose you, and also, I wanted him to inform his employer, maybe he would come," Jaxith explained.
"And he just let you go?" Irene asked, incredulous.
"Told you I made quite the impression," Jaxith said proudly.
"By the gods!" Irene retorted, she covered her face with her hand, but Jaxith noticed a faint smile on her lips. Finally, he had managed to make her smile. She lowered her hand and looked at him.
"By the way, how did you find me? I was sure that no one was following me. The sound of that demon was far away from me. I was sure I left you both behind. The same thing happened when you came to the Seekers' house," Irene questioned.
"I have a little talent that helped me, but if you went too far, that talent would have become useless. Maybe I'll teach you someday, but the important thing is how he will find you, not me," Jaxith explained.
"That's strange too. Well, the Seekers, he somehow found them through the criminal underworld. How would he track me now if he didn't follow me after I escaped, just like you did, because he didn't want to engage in a fight with you?" Irene pondered.
"Listen, he has a rare gem. This gem is filled with dark energy, for dark magic users generally, not just the dark casters, or whatever they're called. One of its properties is tracking down any person if a drop of their blood touches it," Jaxith explained.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
"And how did he get that drop from me?" Irene asked, her eyes widening in realization.
"Your hand," Jaxith said, nodding towards her injured hand.
Irene looked at her hand. She had completely forgotten about it. The events of yesterday hadn't given her time to stop the bleeding or do anything. But now, she noticed that her hand was patched and covered in a clean, tight cotton bandage, as if an expert doctor had done it.
"He used the blood drops that fell due to the wound from the glass shards," Irene realized.
"Exactly. He would surely do it. I recognized it when I interfered. He must have noticed it when you fell. That's one of the reasons he didn't try to summon another beast to stall me and go after you. Because he had it all planned. Why would he lose another one or two for nothing? Making me lose track of you was his plan to reach you safely without any complications. Sadly for him, I know how he thinks," Jaxith explained.
"Who made this?" Irene asked, raising her injured hand.
"Me, of course. No one should know that I'm keeping you with me. The whole town is looking for you. I told the innkeeper that I brought my little sister because my father is traveling. Thank the Gods she didn't ask questions," Jaxith replied.
"I didn't know that monster hunters were good at medicine too. I literally feel nothing, like I wasn't even injured. What did you put in that bandage?" Irene asked, amazed.
"Of course, a monster hunter should be good at wound treatment. We're injured all the time. This bandage contains some medical herbs," Jaxith explained.
"Whatever. I don't like to say thank you too much," Irene muttered, her tone a mix of gratitude and defiance.
She regarded him intently, still perplexed by his altruism, why is he helping her? Despite her previous attempt to probe his motives with the offer of money, it was clear that his actions were not driven by financial gain. He didn't ask for a certain amount of money, and, he didn't ask how much money Lance would pay him after returning her safe. That's why a thought occurred to her.
"Hey, Jaxith, could I ask you a question?" Irene inquired, her voice laced with curiosity.
"Go on," Jaxith replied, his expression neutral.
"Do you know my parents? And please, don't lie," Irene pressed, her gaze fixed on him.
Jaxith was taken aback by her question. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes, understanding the implication behind her words. "No, I really don't know who they are. You think they sent me to help you, right? Don't you know them?" he asked.
"Yes, that's what I thought," Irene admitted. "The timing of your arrival to save me is just... curious. And about my parents, I really don't know anything about them. Lance found me when I was still a newborn baby at the entrance of the Akremon forest. He and his wife raised me, so you could say this question just popped into my head."
"No, really, I'm sorry that I couldn't help you. At least you have Lance; he seems to care deeply about you," Jaxith said, his tone sincere. The situation was becoming increasingly complex. She doesn't even know her parents. What if one of them was trying to reach out to her? But actually, it isn't uncommon for demon hybrids to be abandoned in such a manner. They lacked the power and purity to be accepted by demons, and their tainted blood made them outcasts among humans. Often, they are left to their fate, and usually, most of them perish.
"Yes, Lance is a very good person. Now, tell me about your plan," Irene said, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Okay, listen carefully. You can't be seen with me. You must get out of here before me. If he's watching the inn, then he mustn't notice me at the same place he tracked you in. I don't want him to be prepared for me. A surprise attack will yield the best results," Jaxith explained.
"What if he has a backup plan?" Irene asked, her concern evident.
"He won't. He will keep watching you after you leave to ensure that you're unprotected. But in case he does have a plan, we'll need to improvise," Jaxith replied confidently.
“Okay, I’ll trust you with that. What about you? I’ll leave, and he’ll be watching me. What will you do?” Irene inquired.
“Wait,” Jaxith replied simply.
“Wait for what?” Irene asked, confused.
“For him to directly appear. Listen, he will keep watching you until you go to a secluded area to easily capture you. I need you to go to the hills, but you need to move through the streets of Orstone for a few hours first to give me time to reach the hills and wait for you. Just before sunset, start moving towards the hills where I will be waiting for you. Enter the hills from the market direction, as that’s where I’ll be. I don’t want to lose you. Just when he appears, I will interfere,” Jaxith explained.
“So, all I need to do is get out there, waste some time, and then move to the hills before it gets dark. Won’t he try to do something while I’m alone?” Irene asked.
“No, he won’t. Just stay in semi-crowded areas, neither too crowded so as not to give him the ability to reach you stealthily, nor a quiet alley where he can easily corner you. Just do your thing and steal. I want him to think that you're collecting money to escape town. And trust yourself, don’t be afraid of him. You can do this. And in case something happens, keep this in your pocket,” Jaxith said, handing her a tiny blue gem, no larger than a fingertip.
“What’s that?” Irene asked curiously, taking the gem from Jaxith and examining it closely.
“It’s a tracking stone. It’s connected magically to this one,” Jaxith explained, showing her another identical stone. “These two identical stones are connected by a divine tracking magic. A friend made them for me a long time ago as a gift. I can keep track of you with it. All you have to do is keep it with you and don’t let him recognize it if he catches you. Its range extends beyond Orstone, so don’t worry at all, Irene. Understand?” Jaxith said, his tone reassuring. He was trying to calm her, but he could see that she was a brave girl. She thought for a moment, her gaze locked on his, as if silently conveying her trust in him.
“Okay, I think you know what you’re doing. I need to get going,” Irene said.
“Wait, you haven’t had breakfast yet,” Jaxith interrupted, standing up and walking to a table in the middle of the room. He picked up a small food tray and handed it to Irene. “You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. You must be hungry,” he said.
Irene took the tray, realizing that she was indeed hungry but hadn’t wanted to admit it. “Fine, I’ll eat and go,” she said.
“Take your time. It’s still early,” Jaxith replied.
And so, the stage was set. Jaxith and Irene were about to embark on their first joint endeavor. A young girl, placing her trust in a stranger who had merely saved her life. For Jaxith, he was following a haunting dream, uncertain of its meaning but resolute in his belief that saving this girl was the right course of action. She possessed a kind heart and did not deserve such a cruel fate.
Irene finished her meal and began to execute Jaxith’s plan precisely. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred, which was a relief to Irene. Although she felt occasionally surveilled, she couldn’t definitively identify a specific stalker. However, her instincts were correct. Amidst the bustling streets and vibrant market, the assassin was closely monitoring her movements, his grip tightening around the ominous black gem. He observed her actions, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of Jaxith, who remained conspicuously absent. The girl deftly navigated the crowds, stealing and waiting with calculated precision. As dusk approached, she began her ascent towards the hills.
“She’s attempting to flee Orstone. I’ll summon the hounds to secure the area. There are trees in the vicinity where this mysterious figure might be hiding. They’ll either capture him or at least corner her. She’s a slippery one, and those trees could provide her with an advantage,” the assassin mused, watching the young girl exit the market towards the hills.
Night descended, the moon casting an ethereal glow over the hills. The chill of the night air was more pronounced here than in the town. Irene moved cautiously under the lunar light, anxiety creeping into her mind. Had Jaxith missed her? Had she made a mistake? Or worse, had he abandoned her? No, he wouldn’t do that. Suddenly, a rustling sound emanated from the bushes to her right. She turned, fear gripping her heart. Was it a rabbit?
She sensed a swift movement behind her, accompanied by a fleeting, beastly sound. She whirled around, but nothing was there.
Fear seized Irene. She began to perspire, her left hand clutching the stone in her pocket that Jaxith had given her. She yearned for his appearance, desperate to escape the mounting tension. Though the assassin remained unseen, she couldn’t bear the suspense any longer.
A figure materialized on the path before her, facing away. As he turned, the moonlight illuminated his face. A few meters separated them. It was the assassin. He began to applaud.
“What a plan, acquiring enough money and then escaping town. But I still don’t know how you’ll navigate the perilous cliff ahead, especially if you’re avoiding the town guards. Regardless, you’ve done me a great service by coming here. And don’t even think about escaping. See this?” the assassin said, gesturing towards a massive, crimson coloured hound that emerged from the shadows beside him. “There are five more circling you right now. One wrong move, and you’ll become dinner for these hungry demonic hounds.”
“Demonic hounds! What is that monstrosity? It could swallow my entire head!” Irene thought, fear gnawing at her. “Did he say five more? Does that mean Jaxith was killed by those creatures? He didn’t appear,” she realized, her heart pounding. She felt trapped in a snare of their own design.
“What do you want from me?” Irene asked, summoning her courage. She glanced at the hound, its hungry gaze fixed on her, awaiting its master’s command.
“I don’t care about you, actually. I’m just doing my job. The one who needs you alive is very special. He even gave me this beautiful black gem to retrieve you,” the assassin explained, displaying the glowing black gem.
“This gem is a conduit for the dark summoning art, the Scarlet One, a powerful and forbidden practice. It even helped me track you when that rude intruder interrupted us. By the way, who was that man?” the assassin inquired.
“I don’t know. At least he gave me another day to live,” Irene replied, her hope for Jaxith’s appearance dwindling. Could he be dead?
“Whatever. If he’s here, he’ll surely perish. The hounds here will kill any living thing they encounter, except for you,” the assassin boasted.
“Do you mean these?” a voice interjected. A silver-haired man emerged from the trees lining the road, tossing a large bag that burst open upon impact, spilling the decapitated heads of several hounds.
“Jaxith!” Irene exclaimed, relief washing over her as he jumped off the trees by her side. “I thought those things got you. I was starting to worry you wouldn’t show up,” she said, her wide smile reflecting her immense relief. Despite knowing him for barely a day, she felt safe in his presence. Jaxith’s gaze locked onto the assassin’s, his expression cold and unwavering.
“Sorry I got occupied by some business. A monster hunter can’t ignore lurking beasts in the hills,” Jaxith replied, his gaze fixed on the assassin, his confidence and calm demeanor increasingly unnerving the villain.
“You killed all five hounds! Not even a monster hunter could do that. They were SCARLET HOUNDS!” the assassin exclaimed, his fury growing.
“How did you do it?” Irene asked, bewildered.
“I have my methods,” Jaxith replied cryptically. “Now, I’m more interested in your employer. He must have offered you a significant reward for capturing her. I’m sure you know the value of that gem. Let’s cut to the chase. Tell me who sent you, and I promise a quick death. It’s the least you deserve for your actions,” Jaxith threatened.
“Who are you? What are you? But I won’t tell you anything. I still have my trump card. Let’s see what you’ll do. ATTACK!” the assassin ordered, and the hound lunged towards Jaxith and Irene. Irene clung to Jaxith’s coat, seeking refuge behind him.
Jaxith reacted with lightning speed, drawing his sword and shifting his body to shield Irene. With a swift, precise motion, he intercepted the charging hound, cleaving its head with a single, effortless stroke. The creature’s severed head tumbled to the ground. Irene’s eyes widened in awe at his incredible skill and prowess.
“Wow! He’s toying with them. Is he some sort of knight?” Irene thought, her eyes wide with admiration. She had believed the hound would devour them whole, but Jaxith had dispatched it with effortless grace.
Jaxith raised his sword, pointing it at the assassin. His eyes, a fiery crimson, radiated a menacing intensity. “I suppose you prefer the hard way, then,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.