Conrad Rainier could sense death. He could smell it, taste it, feel it in the very air. Above all, he could see it. It was one of the Raven’s many talents.

Blinking, he channeled his spirit’s magic to his eyes, turning them, whites and all, black as the night sky. He carefully observed the creature below, the thick shadows of Hell trailing off of its grotesque, rotting flesh. This demon was still between realms, its form mostly shadow, unable to feed as it would like and maneuvering slowly through the dark alley. It sought spirit energy, much like many of its brethren, the pure consumption of flesh just out of its reach. That was both a good and bad thing. Fortunately, it would protect most civilians from encountering the creature, but for Conrad and his companions, a demon with a greater connection to Hell would be much harder to kill.

A shuddering gasp was audible next to Conrad, and he released his magic, peering at the teenage boy next to him, his pupils returning to their usual cloudy gray. “Sorry,” the boy, Finn, whispered. “It’s just…your eyes. They look like theirs when you do that.”

“Best get used to it, Mr. Murphy,” Conrad murmured, shifting slightly, the dim moonlight briefly illuminating his dark, slightly wrinkled face, a soft smile beneath his gray beard. He patted the boy on the shoulder, Finn’s ginger hair rustling in the wind as he nodded. “Now, where is this one heading? If our analysis is correct, somewhere near Shell Street. I expect another demon may be in the vicinity as well. If we find it, then we may have our answer.”

Finn observed the beast in the alley below for a moment, hesitating as it appeared to sniff the air. Then, he took a deep breath, channeling his own magic before making a few clicking sounds.

Nothing happened for a few moments, but suddenly, Finn’s eyes lit up as he turned towards Conrad. “It’s faint, but I think I found one near Shell Street.” He made a few more clicking sounds, nodding to himself as he wiggled his ears, waiting for the sound waves to bounce back to him. “Smaller one, maybe, or even less physically formed here than this one. I’ll send word to the others.”

This was why Conrad had chosen Finn for this mission. Mythical Spirit Guides were extraordinarily powerful, but Finn’s spirit was a simple bat, making him capable of exceptional echolocation. Conrad’s other students had been equipped with listening devices that could respond to the sound waves, ensuring quick, easy and untraceable communication among the group.

As Finn sent messages to the other members of their group, Conrad stepped aside, once again peering over the edge of the building they were atop of. He could no longer see the shape of the demon in the alley, so he stepped back, taking a deep breath and channeling his spirit’s magic to his eyes once more. This time, he expanded his range, looking where his physical gaze could not reach. He tensed, sensing the demon’s hunger as it picked up its pace, darting into the open briefly before disappearing down another alley.

Conrad pulled his magic quickly, rubbing his eyes and taking a moment to recover. His ability was powerful, but it could wear him down, especially in his older age. He would need Finn to lead the way in keeping track of the beast.

“You all right, sir?” Finn asked, straightening up, his messages relayed.

“Yes, don’t worry about me,” Conrad murmured, an ominous sense of death still percolating in the back of his mind. “We’d best be on high alert. I fear it’s a night of feeding.”

“If you’re sure it’s one of those street kids, shouldn’t we extract them?” Finn asked.

Conrad paused, struggling to find an answer. There was great risk in doing such a thing too early. An unawakened Spirit Guide taken to their community would very likely result in Spirit Shock, something that could be fatal not only for the user, but those around them as well. The target’s spirit may very well have begun its Awakening, however, hence the demon activity. And, if that was the case, they would need to act soon.

“Stirring spirits will still attract feeding demons,” Conrad explained slowly. “We just need to be on high alert. Should they seek more than dreams, we will extract one or both of those boys immediately.”

“Both?” Finn raised an eyebrow. “We’re only sensing enough spirit energy for one aren’t we? Barely one, really.”

Conrad didn’t answer, dismissing the question with a wave. “That isn’t important at the moment, Mr. Murphy.” He inhaled slowly, channeling his spirit once more and guiding the wind currents upwards as he took hold of Finn’s arm. “Hold on.”

Finn gulped, but Conrad ignored him as he kicked off the ground, leaping off of the building. He strained himself, flying having never been his specialty, but he was still capable of a simple nighttime glide through the streets of a small city with little activity from those who would potentially notice. Of course, it wasn’t quite that he was flying, but rather guiding the wind currents around his body in order to allow him to remain airborne. Another ability granted by his Spirit Guide. His light jacket was modified to make the adjustments much simpler.

“Seek out its path, Mr. Murphy. We’ll head it off before it crosses into feeding territory.” Conrad heard the small clicking noises in response as he aimed for the top of another building to kick off of. Doing so, he managed to increase their pace.

Demons didn’t always need to be directly near their victims in order to feed off of their spirit energy. With this one in particular, its form still between the physical realm and Hell, it would be seeking to feed from a distance. It would perhaps even be in conflict with the other demon in the area should they get too close, another thing Conrad would prefer to avoid, demon fights capable of generating a great deal of negative energy in surrounding areas.

“It’s moving a little strangely, sir,” Finn suddenly called out. “Hold on…” Conrad slowed their glide, almost hovering as they went lower to the ground. “Just got word from Elsa. The other one is moving away.” He made further clicking sounds, cursing a moment later. “They’re heading towards each other!”

“Damn it!” Conrad growled, letting their momentum take them down before kicking off the ground hard and sending them back up towards the nearest rooftop. He kicked off the edge of one and sent them further ahead, speeding up. “Tell Elsa to pursue! We’ll take this one!”

Finn relayed the message, Conrad channeling magic to his eyes once more. They were closing in on the demon. It was moving extremely quickly now, desperation in its stride. Conrad only caught a small glimpse of the other one, noticing Elsa on its heels, her black hair blowing in the wind as she darted along the alley. Her Spirit Guide, a falcon, gave her the same skills in flight as Conrad. Fortunately, she was much more adept at it.

Blinking once more, releasing the magic from his eyes, Conrad trained his regular gaze on the alley ahead. With its form mostly shadow, it was hard to catch, but the demon was now in sight. “Be ready, Murphy,” Conrad warned.

Pulling his knife from its sheath at his waist, Conrad pushed them upwards and then swiftly back down with two wind currents. Keeping Finn behind him, Conrad flicked his coat off, blocking a quick strike as they landed in front of the demon, the beast responding to their arrival with stunning speed.

“Do not engage unless I say so, Murphy!” Conrad ordered, lowering the now torn coat. It would still function, but he’d need to have it repaired once they returned home. He quickly let spirit energy flow down through his arm and into his blade, enhancing the steel so that it could cut into the demon’s realm.

Ssss tck tck tck! The demon hissed before making a clicking sound, its forked tongue poking through the shadows briefly as its lumpy throat bulged like a bullfrog’s. The sound was haunting, heard not only in this realm, but through Conrad’s connection to the spirit realm as well. The beast lunged forward once more, its three-clawed hand striking at Conrad’s weaponless arm.

Conrad flicked said arm, wrapping his torn coat around it before holding it up to block the attack. Using his wind currents, he pushed against the demon, slowing its strike and blocking the arm with little effort. Startled, the demon was left open, allowing Conrad to thrust his blade into its shoulder.

Reeeet! it screeched, almost like a squealing pig. Wisps of shadow leaked from the wound. There was no blood, but a green and yellow pus bubbled up a moment later, nearly making Conrad gag. He’d felled hundreds of demons in his time, perhaps upwards of a thousand. Their grotesque forms still made him sick to his stomach.

Conrad had little time to be worried about the demon’s unsightly form, however, the creature hardly close to defeat. It snarled once more, rearing back as Conrad’s blade was pulled free. It slashed once more, aiming for Conrad’s head. He ducked swiftly, sending a flow of magic to his eyes, glimpsing the demon’s other arm slashing from the side. He rolled quickly to avoid it, darting in behind it and stabbing into the beast’s back.

Ssss REEE! The demon hissed and screeched in fury, the hellish sound reverberating through Conrad’s mind, body and soul, causing him to stagger back. The power of a demon’s cry was one of its most dangerous weapons, and it created an opening for the creature.

“Gah!” Conrad gasped out, unable to get out of the way as the demon slashed his side, leaving a bloody gash under his shoulder.

“Sir!” Finn shouted in worry, starting to move forward to fight.

“Stay back, Murphy!” Conrad yelled, withdrawing more of his spirit’s power, his eyes turning black once more and making the boy flinch. Ignoring the pain as he observed the demon, Conrad smiled. He could see where the beast was unguarded and darted forward, slicing towards its legs.

The demon, licking hungrily at its now bloody claws to gather what little spirit residue was there, leapt back quickly, avoiding the strike. It hissed again, crouching down, before moving to attack as well. It swiped high, allowing Conrad to duck low again, but its legs were readying for a kick which the man was prepared for.

“Hyah!” Conrad grunted as he jumped, avoiding the demon’s muscular leg, swinging his blade towards its neck.

SKREEE!

Conrad winced, releasing his magic quickly and falling back. It didn’t matter, though, the demon’s throat now gushing shadow and pus, its physical form quickly fading as Hell swallowed up its fading vapors. A moment later, all that remained was a small puddle of green and yellow foam and some faint wisps of shadow drifting into the night.

“Jesus…” Finn murmured. “I’m still not used to that.”

Conrad rolled his shoulder, feeling it ache as blood flowed down his side. “You never will be.” He ripped part of the inside fabric of his jacket out, tying it tightly around his wound to staunch the bleeding. The wound wasn’t his biggest worry, of course. His eyes burned, and his regular vision was now slightly blurry. Glimpsing into Hell to shift the fight had weakened him greatly. “How close is the other one? And Elsa?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Finn gulped nervously, but turned and clicked a few times. He hesitated a moment, tensing. “No answer, but I hear her. Hard to track the demon, but I’m guessing she’s engaged in combat.”

Conrad inhaled deeply. Elsa was a fine warrior, having killed quite a few demons already despite her age. Nonetheless, he hated leaving combat to his students if it could be avoided. “Let’s move. Grab my arm.”

Finn grimaced, seeing the blood already seeping into Conrad’s wrapped wound. “Sir, you’re not carrying me like that. We can run. It’s not too far.”

Conrad sighed, but nodded, seeing the boy’s logic. They took off quickly, Conrad keeping his blade unsheathed and Finn keeping a slingshot loaded. Finn took the lead, continuously clicking and listening carefully as they maneuvered through the alleys and darted across a dimly lit street. After a couple of minutes, they noticed a commotion up ahead.

Behind a shabby old restaurant, Elsa was standing atop a garbage can, a demon circling her on all fours. It was different from the one Conrad had killed, this one’s shadows covering its form much more. Nonetheless, with a quick glimpse from his spirit’s gaze, Conrad could see this beast was more like a feral cat than the humanoid demon he’d engaged with.

Elsa seemed to notice them, her blue eyes narrowing and glinting in the moonlight, a warning for them not to get too close. Conrad hesitated, not wanting to leave the fight to her, but knowing that he couldn’t interfere if she was about to strike. Finn began to move forward, but Conrad raised his better arm out in front of the boy.

They watched nervously as the demon prepared to pounce, its yowling piercing their skulls much like the last one’s screeches. Elsa was ready the moment it kicked off, though, clicking her heels together and releasing the blades in her shoes. She spun with stunning speed, her blades slicing first into the demon’s outstretched front legs, cutting them right off, and then into the creature’s belly. It fell limply to the ground, its shadowy form blowing away much faster than the other.

Conrad and Finn rushed forward as Elsa landed, clicking her blades back in. She didn’t appear particularly troubled, dusting off her black skirt and frowning at the ground where the barely visible remains of the demon lay. Her blue eyes were piercing when they finally met Conrad’s, but they softened once she noticed his arm.

“What happened?” she asked.

“The demon we were tracking was a little bigger than yours,” Finn said, grimacing as he looked at Conrad’s wound. “Mr. Rainier wouldn’t let me join in, though.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “We’re trained in combat, sir. There’s no reason to hold us back.”

“If I can protect my students, I will,” Conrad said sharply. “Are the others all right?”

Elsa shrugged. “Heidi’s not cut out for this stuff quite yet, but she’s fine. She was watching for civilians. Mara’s on watch for the target.”

“Good, good,” Conrad said, sighing in relief. “But please don’t dismiss Miss Engel’s talents. She’s maintained a good relationship with Mr. Parker which may make our job easier.”

“I think David’s the one we’re after,” Elsa said. “Cris is different, but…I just don’t sense any spirit activity in him.”

“Speaking of those guys,” Finn said, “what’s the plan here? Extraction has gotta be on the table with two demons in one night, right?”

“They didn’t target them, though,” Elsa pointed out. “In fact…”

Conrad raised an eyebrow, waiting for Elsa to continue. She seemed uneasy about something, though, hesitating. “Go on, Miss Hale.”

“I don’t know. That demon moved strangely. Yours must’ve, too, right?” He and Finn nodded. “I don’t get the sense they were being territorial. It was too quick. Almost…coordinated?”

“That’s impossible, isn’t it?” Finn asked. “They may not fight each other, but they don’t really ever work together, do they?”

Both students turned their gazes to Conrad, waiting expectantly for his answer. He wasn’t sure what to tell them, however. The truth was, as much as he or any of the members of Daedal Academy may know about demons, it was simply impossible to know everything about how they operated. Combat with demons was quick and bloody. Tracking them was as dangerous as it was informative, leaving little room for extensive study.

“As to your first question, Mr. Murphy,” Conrad began, “never assume anything in the world of spirits and demons to be impossible. I learn new things about our world nearly every day. These are creatures from different realms, with rules we’ve only scratched the surface of.” He paused, seeing Finn gulp nervously, while Elsa folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. “So, when it comes to your second question, why should we say they would never work together?”

“Well, they’re not really…intelligent,” Finn said, trailing off as though lacking confidence in his words.

“Knowing where you stand on the food chain isn’t necessarily a sign of stupidity, Finn,” Elsa stated, biting her cheek and looking up at the moon. She tapped her foot, clearly agitated.

“What do you mean by that?” Finn asked, his tone, however, suggesting that he did, indeed, understand.

Elsa didn’t answer, instead casting a quick glance in Conrad’s direction. He nodded gravely, absentmindedly staring at the spot in which Elsa had felled the demon, his vision slowly beginning to recover. “Demons can feel fear as much as any living creature, Mr. Murphy. A sign of a survival instinct. In that desperation to survive, who is to say that they wouldn’t seek some kind of protection? Some kind of leader?”

“Seems like a stretch from one strange run in with demons,” Finn muttered, shuffling his feet nervously.

“Perhaps,” Conrad agreed. “This mission has been unusual, however. Strange spirit readings, an Awakening difficult to pinpoint and demons potentially maneuvering in a coordinated manner.”

“First rule of suspicious missions is to abort,” Finn pointed out. “Or at least extract the target immediately.”

Elsa shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. We need to see if it happens again. Like you said, Finn, it’s a stretch to think anything’s confirmed from one strange night.”

“Caution is wise, Miss Hale,” Conrad said. “But I do agree that this bears further investigation. We’ll have a closer watch on the area from now on, though, and we will be on very high alert come tomorrow evening.”

“What are we doing about David and Cris?” Finn asked.

“Find out which one we’re bringing,” Conrad said. “Tomorrow if you can.”

“And if we don’t?” Elsa questioned further, Conrad sensing the rare uneasiness in her voice.

“Then perhaps the demons will decide for us.”

----------------------------------------

A figure observed the three spirit users from the safety of Hell, the barrier between them and the physical realm cloaking them in shadow. The figure was no demon. They were a creature far more dangerous. Despite the concerns of the three they observed, this creature was well beyond their wildest nightmares.

They were a devil. The shadows of Hell flowed through their veins.

The devil was amused by the spirit users’ concerns. They could admit that they were impressed by the humans’ intuition. A simple, coordinated charge, meant to draw the three of them together in short order. Of course, they had no idea what this stunt had accomplished.

It was only a mere test. The fools hadn’t even considered this. They’d been baited to follow the beasts, leaving the rest of their group in charge of protecting their Awakening child. How simple it would be to cut the boy down in short order. How satisfying it would be.

The devil licked their lips, almost tasting the sweet spirit energy that would flow from the boy’s soul. They would be generous, of course. The devil’s pets would feed as well. Those that survived anyway. Two had been sacrificed on this night. The weakest. Others would surely fall the next day.

The spirit users made to depart, and the devil watched as they left, emerging through the barrier once they were out of sight. They slowly drifted over to the spot where the girl had cut down the second of the demons. The devil tilted their head, their red eyes twitching. A bloody tear slid down their cheek.

“You will be avenged, my beast,” the devil murmured. “May the Gates of Hell welcome you home so that you may feast on the souls of those who wronged you.” The devil waved their hand, the site of the demon’s few remains left in this realm glowing in a dark, red light. The air around it shimmered and warped for a moment.

Turning, the devil walked away, chuckling quietly. The spot was cursed now. Any who walked through there would feel a cold, haunting shiver down their spine and only know pain and despair for the next twenty-four hours. The demon was weak, so the curse wasn’t as strong as the devil would normally prefer, but it would certainly lead to some suffering.

Following the stench of the old man’s spirit, the devil tracked his progress through the alleyways of the city, finding where he had felled the other demon. The devil placed another curse here, this one nastier with the demon being slightly stronger. It would hopefully lead to some poor fool’s death, or at least life altering pain.

Despite these curses, the devil did not hate humans. They were...unimpressed by humans, sure. But hate was not the word for it. No, humans were lovely, actually. Their pain...their suffering...their terror. Oh, their terror. Their sweet, sweet terror. The devil merely needed sustenance as any living creature did. Humans, after all, cut down lesser beings for consumption every day. This was the same. They were cattle to the devil. That did not mean the devil hated them.

The devil slowly emerged onto one of the main streets of the city. There was little activity, but some humans were out and about. The devil was tempted...so very tempted. A feeding was coming, but a light snack could do.

A woman was approaching. She was bundled up in a coat, despite it not being a particularly cold evening. She had a white, plastic grocery bag in one hand and she’d just emerged from a fast food restaurant. The devil guessed she had just finished her work

shift, her pants appearing to match some kind of uniform. They smiled, bowing their head slightly the closer the woman came.

“Excuse me, are you all right?” the woman asked, staring at the devil in concern. “Are you lost?”

The devil was small, the height of a child. Perhaps they had even been a child before they had been turned. They couldn’t remember. “N-No...” the devil answered weakly, ensuring their voice was as high pitched as possible. “M-My d-doggy. S-Someone hurt...someone h-hurt him.”

“Oh dear...” The woman gave the devil a look of pure sympathy. “Can I do something?”

“C-Can you ch-check on him?” the devil asked, pointing down the alley they had emerged from.

The woman hesitated, looking at their watch. This interested the devil. Humans were good at this. Acting like the hero, but hesitating at the slightest hint of danger. They had to admit, though, that the woman’s instincts were good in this case.

“P-Please...” the devil went on, quivering their lip.

This did the trick, the woman taking a deep breath and nodding. “All right, let me have a look.”

The devil smiled weakly. “Th-Thank you, ma’am.”

The devil turned, leading the way down the alley. The woman followed. This was where the fun would begin.

Closing their eyes, the devil summoned the barrier between realms, and crossed back into Hell. The woman’s poor, mortal mind wouldn’t be able to comprehend what had happened, and the devil watched in amusement from behind the barrier as she tried to make sense of the would-be child disappearing into thin air.

“H-Hey,” the woman called out. “Where did you go?” She paused, turning around in confusion. “I can’t help you if you go ahead too quickly.”

It was fascinating. The devil was amazed that the woman could watch someone vanish into thin air right in front of her eyes and tell herself that it was just that the child she was following had run ahead too quickly. Humans were adorable sometimes.

The devil moved down the alley a few feet, hovering near the location of their last curse. They briefly reached their foot into the physical realm, tapping the ground a few times before withdrawing back to Hell. The woman heard the sound, making her way further down the alley. Within moments, she was walking directly into the curse.

“Oh...” She placed her hand over her heart for a moment, shivering, her mind unable to comprehend it, but her body feeling the curse. Her soul feeling the curse. “I-I’m sorry!” she suddenly called out. “I-I think you’ll n-need to find s-someone else t-to help you.” She shivered again, turning away. “I h-hope your dog is all right.”

The devil grinned, trailing after the woman as she retreated. Before too long, she had reached the street again. The only question now was how long it would take for the suffering to begin. There was a chance it could take days, but the devil felt lucky. They were having a good day despite the loss of their pets.

Indeed, disaster came quickly. The sweet, delicious disaster.

A car raced down the street. Now, the woman wasn’t in the street. She was merely minding her own business now, bundled up in her coat as she continued on her way home after her little detour. But, hilariously enough, a dog emerged from an alley on the other side. Coincidences like this were funny. The devil watched the dog as it began to dart into the road, right in front of the car.

Another thing about humans that greatly amused the devil, was their favoritism towards certain creatures. They would stuff some in a cage and feed them slop before brutally slaughtering them. But others, they would pamper to their heart’s content. Slaughter one, and keep the other alive at all costs. It was fascinating. The devil loved their pets as well, so they supposed they could relate to some extent, but their pets did need to die sometimes, just like those they had sacrificed earlier. And another devil wouldn’t hesitate to let them die if necessary. Humans, though, would take desperate measures to avoid harming even a stranger’s pet.

Ah, but a sacrifice was still necessary.

The car swerved. The dog yelped in alarm, but it was spared. The woman, though. Oh dear, the woman. Well, if she survived, her life would never be the same. That was of no concern to the devil, though.

There was no screaming. One surprised yell was all she mustered, before a low moan was emitted.

The devil received a fine snack that evening. An appetizer before the next day’s feast.