A male and female demon wearing black silk robes with golden embroidery meandered down the streets of Niffle. They both wore mithril medallions engraved with two interlocking horns. The male demon had three red horns protruding from his forehead like a rhinoceros. The female demon had two silver horns sprouting from her temples that curved down then forward like hooks.

“Isn’t that Chad from The Black Hounds?”

“That’s Swirling Wind’s leader, Tina.”

Bystanders whispered and stepped back while lowering their heads as the two passed through. Children sat next to their windows and watched them with open mouths.

The red horned demon grinned and stuck his chest out. The female demon rolled her eyes and turned her head away. She furrowed her brow and frowned as she stopped and peered down a dark alleyway. A pair of golden eyes glowed and glared back at her.

“Hm?” the red horned demon stopped walking and turned towards the female. “Why’d you stop?” he asked and followed her gaze. “Is that a human? Times are really changing if humans are allowed to wander around Niffle.” He frowned and stepped forward.

“Leave it,” the woman said. “It’s just a child. His horns probably haven’t grown out yet.”

Chad snorted and brushed passed her as he made his way to the entrance of the alley. “Hey, you a human or a demon?” he asked, while hunching over and staring down at Vur. “Why’re you naked? Che, street urchins.” He straightened his back and started to turn around.

“I’m no filthy human,” Vur said as he stumbled and slurred his words. “You take that back right now.” He tipped over to the side and leaned his body against the wall.

Chad turned his head back around to look at Vur and burst out laughing. “Check it out,” he said while clutching his stomach. “He’s drunk.”

Tina frowned. “I fail to see how that’s amusing,” she said. She walked over to Vur and knelt until she was face to face with him. She asked, “Where’s your parents?”

Vur blinked at her and frowned. He looked up at the sky and squinted at the sun.

“Can you un-“

“That way,” Vur said and pointed towards the south.

She followed his finger and raised an eyebrow. “There’s only a few shops that way,” she said and pointed east towards the residential area. “Are you sure they aren’t that way?”

Vur nodded and fell over onto his face. “I said they’re that way. So they’re that way,” he said with a muffled voice.

“Just give up, Tina,” Chad said and laughed. “He’s too out of it.”

“I see him! He’s over there, next to the old hag and ugly looking fellow.”

“Ssshhh, you’re too loud! They can hear you.”

Chad frowned and turned his head towards the voices. A yellow orb splattered against his face and steam rose from the liquid. He screamed and clawed at his face.

“Stay away from him, you toad!” Yella shouted and threw another orb. The three fairies hovered twenty feet in the air diagonally above Vur.

Tina’s horns glowed green and the yellow orb splattered against a wall of air and liquid dripped to the floor.

“You know him?” Tina asked, ignoring Chad’s cursing.

“That’s right!” Rella said and crossed her arms. “You better stay away from him.”

“I’ll kill you!” Chad yelled. His teeth were clenched and tears streamed from his eyes. A pillar of black fire erupted from his fist and flew towards the fairies.

“Eep!” The fairies cried out and flew back ten feet.

“Nevermind!” Bella said. “You can have him. We’ll be going now!” The fairies turned around and darted away.

“Don’t think you can get away that easily,” Chad said. He jumped up into the air and a gust of wind launched him towards the fairies. He flew three feet past Vur before his eyes widened and accelerated face first towards the ground. He crossed his arms in front of his face and slammed against the floor, causing a small cloud of dust to rise.

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“Don’t get in my way, Tina.” Chad glared at her. His face was flushed and his horns glowed black as he struggled to stand.

She shook her head. “That’s not me.”

Vur pushed his hand against the ground and raised his body off the floor.

“Killing fairies is bad,” he said as his head fell over to one side. “You’ll get bad luck.” His eyes shined as he turned to look at Chad.

Chad shivered and cold sweat broke out on his back. Tina leapt backwards and raised her hands in front of her face. Her legs trembled and she clenched her teeth.

“Woah, there,” Chad said and lowered his voice. “Take it easy, I was just joking around.” He struggled to straighten his back under the increased gravity. His eyes shifted to Tina and he mouthed out a word. Tina shook her head and kept her hands raised.

The three fairies’ heads appeared from around the corner.

“He’s lying!”

“Kick his patootie!”

“Make him cry!”

Vur staggered to his feet and stumbled two steps towards Chad. A spear of ice flew through the air and pierced through Vur’s left shoulder. Vur took a step forward and steadied himself before turning around.

He roared.

The ground trembled and shingles fell off of rooves as the walls around him shook. Tina paled and fell to her hands and knees. Cracks spread to form a circle in the ground with her body as the center. The cracks grew wider and snapping sounds rang out from Tina’s body as she screamed and her body plastered itself to the floor.

Vur turned back towards the trembling Chad and raised his foot. He stomped towards Chad’s body. A cracking sound exploded and the ground next to Chad’s head splintered into fine slivers. Chad’s lower body leaked and a yellow fluid spread out from around his crotch. Sweat dripped from his pale face,

Vur swayed and placed his right arm against the wall.

“Don’t feel good,” he mumbled. His eyes stopped glowing and drool dripped out of the corner of his mouth. Chad’s face was pale as he lifted his head an inch to look above him. A stream of brown slime flew out of Vur’s mouth and covered his face. His vision went black. Vur fell over backwards, breaking the ice spear lodged in his shoulder. He grumbled and rolled over before starting to snore.

The fairies glanced at each other and shrugged.

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“You lost to a child?”

Tina was sitting up on a bed surrounding by five other women. She nodded. The women were in Genesen, an inn. The room had a red silk carpet and the bed was a king sized. A chandelier with glowing white crystals hung from the ceiling.

“I’m not sure if it was really a kid,” she said. “He used gravity magic.”

One of the women frowned. “Isn’t gravity magic limited to raid classed beasts and above? Are you sure it wasn’t an advanced type of wind magic?”

“I’m sure,” she said with her head lowered. “You can ask Chad. If we wore our gear, this wouldn’t have happened.”

She raised her head and gazed into each of the women’s eyes. “No one is allowed to travel alone and everyone has to wear their gear at all times,” she said.

The members of the Swirling Wind nodded.

“How strong would you say he was?” a blue haired girl asked.

Tina narrowed her eyes. “About as strong as the reaper in the tombs.”

“That’s not too bad,” the blue hair girl said. “We could beat him with if we used potions and buffs.”

The women nodded.

Tina frowned. “He was drunk.”