1 Demons of Night

Chapter I: Eyes of Shadows

Who thought demons really existed. The so-called hell spawn that supposedly run around in our world on a day-to-day basis. Some question the inquisition and the church but those who did were quickly labeled as demons and slain on the spot. The country was in a panic and people began to point fingers at anyone who acted even a little suspicious. Though no one has ever seen even one of these so called demons these idiots believe that without doubt demons exist and it is there job to exterminate them. All but the people who were still in high school are running around and “hunting” for demons. Being that I just got out of college you would assume I’m one of these fanatics but I can really care less.

I had several degrees in the occult and was fascinated by the different religions and magic that they held. Though to my disgust I was forced into the inquisitorial department. They said that the department admired my knowledge of this and decided to teach me about demons. Though I was very interested in this, the priests that taught there kept trying to convince me that they are evil. I found this to be very annoying but I didn’t feel like being a suspect and went along with it. To add to the teaching they also started to train me in the marshal arts.

Personally I welcomed the physical training; I was even taught how to use several weapons. Though my personal favorite was the katana I was given two handguns and several clips of ammunition. I advanced through the rank of the church quickly and I didn’t like it but the desire for me to learn more about demons and magic kept me going. I was even sent on a few missions but they were minor ones like collecting taxes and other things like that. I was told to keep my weapons on me at all times and I had no choice but to agree. The bullets were tipped with silver that has been blessed by a priest of some standing.

Something strange stirred inside my head as the days progressed telling me to get out and leave this dammed place behind. I ignored it at first but then I began to get headaches. Minor at first but as the days passed they got worse. I foolishly asked a priest about it and he said my body was being cleansed. I asked him what about me needed to be and all he did was shrug and told me to go rest. I ignored him since that’s what they always said and now matter how often I rested it never made a difference. The only thing that was decent about the church was the pay. To say it was a generous amount was an understatement the church had so much money from taxes and donations that people of the lowest rank could live a richly life.

One day I walked home from weapons training, still having a pounding headache. It was night and the air was warm with the coming of the summer winds. I had my weapons holstered at my side but hidden from sight under my red shirt. I saw a girl walking alone on the other side of the street. She was young about the same age as me and she had long black hair that stretched down to her lower back. Suddenly my headache was gone and the thing that told me to leave the church was now telling me to go join this young women. She turned her head and I saw red eyes. She immediately turned away and cupped her hand in front of her face. These red eyes were obviously contact lenses designed to change the color appearance. They were also sign that she was a rebel of the church and one of the many who secretly fought against it.

I didn’t care really as many of these were my friends and I’ve seen them before with the red eyes. I walked over to her and she started to run, for some reason I gave chase and followed her around a corner. I saw a strange amulet hanging from here neck as she ran, it had a simple gold chain and medallion that was ridden with small rubies. I wondered what this thing was and I continued to run towards her. Though when I turned around it she was gone though and a stray fox that probably lost its way from the nearby forest was lying on the sidewalk. I looked around and she was now where to be seen. All that was there was a lone fox that sat in the shadow of a nearby tree. I left the ally and continued the walk back home, as I turned the corner I check one more time and now that lone fox that was down on the tree was gone.

I was puzzled really but dismissed the thought and convinced myself I was seeing things. And so I left the ally and back home as my headache came back. About halfway there I began to feel a little strange and looked around. I saw something that scared me, it was brief for a second but I could’ve sworn I saw something jump into the shadows as I turned around. I ran the rest of the way home, back to my small house that was big enough for myself. As I opened the door I turned around one last time and saw nothing. I let out a sigh and proceeded into my home. I locked all the doors and windows quickly and ate a small meal before going to bed.

As I climbed into bed I took one last look outside my bedroom window and saw nothing. I sank into the sheets and lay down for a minute before going to sleep. My dreams were anything but pleasant and they began to scare me. In my dreams it usually showed me fighting demons of sorts and always becoming the victor, though this time was different. This time I was a demon and I felt a thirst for blood and vengeance as I ran around slaughtering my fellow clerics. Then I burned down the church trapping the priests inside. Through a barricaded door I watched them burn and scream as there bodies we set aflame. They ran around screaming until they dropped dead and all I did was laugh at them as they died.

I woke up in a fright and my body soaked with sweat. I walked down to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face. I starred at myself into the mirror and something didn’t feel right “What’s happening to me?” I said to myself before walking back up to my bedroom. As I opened the door I saw that the window was open. I jumped back as I slammed the door shut and jumped for my gun. I quickly checked to see if it was loaded before proceeding into the room. I kicked the door open and had the weapon ready. I found nothing unusual inside so I closed the window thinking it was just the wind. I lifted up my bed sheets and I saw I letter that was sealed in blood.

Carefully I retrieved and opened it, what was inside was just a folded piece of paper that scared me to no end. It read, “We are the night, and we are the shadows. We have been watching you human and have decided that you are the one we seek. Our eyes are every where and we have noticed that though you are of high ranking in the inquisition you do not share there hatred for us. We ask you to meet with us where the meaning this letter will be explained latter on. We know that your parents died and how they did as well though we were not part of it human child. We not ask that you fight for us Mark, we only wish to speak. What your course of action you choose is dependent upon what you think of our situation and what you believe. I hope you make the right choice child or should I say HALF-DEMON” those words that were outlined inbold caused me to drop the letter on the bed.

Every reasonable thought in my head said I should burn the letter and be done with this. Whoever wrote this was insane or just trying to make me go crazy. Maybe the department noticed that I had no interest in demon hunting and decided to test me. Thoughts rushed through my head and the only one that stuck out the most was to pick it up and go. I picked up the letter, my hand shaking as I touched it, and examined it carefully, nothing was on it. “How much do they really know about me and why did they call me a half-demon” I asked myself. It was true that I had an unusual amount of strength and reflexes for my age but that was about it.

I decided that I was going to test the letter itself for any magical properties so I took some ingredients out of the churches alchemic storage the next day. It was true that they did ban all religions except there own but that’s only half of it. They permit that all of those who achieve a high rank of cleric like myself are aloud to practice magic under the careful eye of a magic proctor or an expert on the occult. To myself I was considered an expert and I knew many spells of all kinds though most of them were healing and restoration. I brought the items back to my house and placed the letter on the hardwood floor. I drew a circle around the letter with white chalk, placed a green candle next to the letter, and lit it. I grabbed a small, red oak leaf and placed it above the flame. It lit and turned to ashes that fell on the letter. Next, I grabbed a small pouch of black sand and took out some of it.

As the last of the leaf ashes fell onto the letter I blew the sand towards the letter. The sand landed on the other side of the it as the wind took the ashes and put the flame out. Then I starred at the letter, should it contain any magical properties it world soon reveal itself. I sat there and waited for around ten minutes then gave up. I began to walk out of the room but tripped and didn’t notice how nervous I was until now. I fell and knocked down a very small vase that crashed on the floor in front of me. My hand fell onto the pieces of destroyed pottery and was cut by a sharp piece. It was a small cut on my finger but it was enough to bleed just a little.

I picked op the pieces and threw them away and then began to clean up the mess around the letter. Sweeping the sand and ashes into a dustpan I began to remove the chalk from the floor with a wet cloth. Then I took the candle and placed it somewhere up on a shelf. I reached down for the letter and grabbed it opening it one more time to see if anything had changed, nothing had. “Of course nothing happened it was just a scam to scare me.” I said to myself hoping I was right. I flipped over the letter and closed it; the blood seal was till intact and had a weird shaped fingerprint on it. Without realizing it my curiosity took over and I took my cut finger and rubbed over the seal.

The letter suddenly came to life turning a bright blue and then burst into flames. I jumped dropping the letter on the floor and it continued to burn till the fire consumed the letter. A pile of black ashes was all that remained and I looked closely at them. A strange wind appeared out of nowhere and swirled around the ashes. All I could do was watch as I was amazed by the phenomenon as the ashes blew around in a circle. Then the wind disappeared and dropped the black ashes on the hard floor beneath them. They landed in two separate piles on each side. Something snapped me back to reality and saw a map that I drew a while ago.

I had dreams about something and decided one day to write down the places I traveled in them and as I did the dream kept continuing where it had left off until I reached a dark ally at night and that’s where it ended. I picked up the roughly draw map and looked at it, then at the ashes. They were apart of the map I drew the one location was where it started and the other was where it ended. I penciled in where two dots on the map and put it aside. Apparently the starting location was my house as I looked at it and realized that it was somewhat related to the streets of the city. I put the map aside and thought to myself for a minute as I began to eat. For some reason, the thought of the girl and the fox from last night kept popping in my head.

It was about eleven at night when I decided to head out of my house. I followed the map carefully and it led me through the streets and alleyways of the city. It wasn’t long before I saw my destination I saw the dark ally that was in my dreams and that’s where the map told me to go. I put the map into my pocket and started off towards the ally, hands on my katana that I brought with me. The sword remained sheathed as I looked down the ally. Nothing was there other than a door at the back. I proceeded carefully as I walked up to it and knocked on the wooden door. There was silence for a minute then, footsteps coming from inside.

My hands were shaking as a part of the door slid to the side revealing only the person’s eyes. They were red and a female voice spoke that was kind and sincere. “Who calls to thee?” she asked. I didn’t know what she meant but something strange popped into my head and I spoke it.

“The blades of blood and the night of the sky. It toles to thee that the Demons of Night shall remain free” I felt assure that this was the answer to her question and I spoke confidently. It was strange I had no idea that such ideas even existed inside my head. The part of the door closed and the sound of locks coming undone. The door opened and the girl I saw from the night before was standing in front. Her eyes were red and she looked a little different, the woman invited me in and I accepted.

“Welcome to the night half-demon” she said in a low tone as I entered. Inside was a common bar that looked very modern. Plasma screen television sets were hung on the walls about the place. The bar itself was empty except for a man that was sitting on a stool. He was wearing a black trench coat and a black cowboy hat that covered his face. He was drinking a bottle of whiskey and he beckoned me to come sit by him. The girl stood at the door locking it, this made me very nervous as I gripped onto my katana that was on my belt.

“Sit down cleric and have a drink” the man said his voice had a hint of sorrow but it was clear that he was serious. I sat down as he poured me a drink from his own bottle “So, why are you here?”

“I...I can’t answer that” I replied as I lowered my head and looked at the drink he offered me. It looked ok and I didn’t see him put anything else into it other than the whiskey.

“It’s because your demon side told you to boy” the character of the man’s voice was revealed as he spoke in a deep voice that made me even more nervous and I gripped the handle of my blade tightly. “Now, now calm down kid I’m much too old to fight anymore,” he said laughingly. “Common I want to show you something.”

“Show me what,” I asked

“The reason that I asked you to be here” the man said as he stood up and walked behind the counter. I followed carefully but closely behind the tall, dark man. He pulled a lever and part of the wall slid open. “Welcome to hell kid.”

“Hell!” I boasted out, all the thoughts of what could it be rushing through my mind. Dark, fiery, lost souls, Satan etc. were all running through my head.

“Calm down boy it’s not what you think. In fact it’s the exact opposite... well at least up here it’s nice.” the man said as he walk through the opening. Inside was a puddle that looked like a gate of some sort. It hung vertically in the air and the man walked through it and I foolishly followed him in. Inside was a valley that was beautiful with lush and plant life. Creatures of all sorts ran around it happily. “No human has ever been to Hell or can ever travel here themselves. The only reason it is perceived to be a bad place is because demons inhabit it. Along with many human souls as well.” the man explained as he took off his large coat. The man revealed himself to be a demon that was a liger, a combination of a lion and tiger.

I was stunned at what I saw, was this really Hell? It was such a beautiful place, how can anyone get the idea of what was usually planned out. “Wait then how can I be here?” I asked the demon.

“Simple Mark you’re a half-demon”

“How can that be both my parents are human!?”

“Not true your father was a fox demon. The inquisition found about him and slain him as well as your mother who was human. Whatever they told you was a lie as well as whatever family they put you with. Your real name is Axel Black, and this portal to Hell was created by your father as well as the bar behind it” the liger continued to explain. “The young lady out there is also a fox demon, her name is Sirus Jade.” as he said her name Sirus ran through the portal.

“Serge they found us. They must have followed him.” she was in a panic and ran up to the liger while speaking.

“Dam... alright standard procedure, close the gate and burn the place down. Take Axel and get him out and away from here!” Serge spoke quickly as he started towards the portal.

“Sir, what about the” Sirus tried to speak.

“We’ll do it later but right now we need him alive. He’s our only hope for survival.” Serge said as he ran through the portal. Sirus then turned to me and grabbed my hand, we ran out of the portal and into the bar. Serge was up against the door holding it as the inquisitorial soldiers rammed at it. “Hurry and close the portal Sirus!”

“Right” Sirus said as she grabbed a red colored sword and started chanting. Here I was surrounded on all sides just now finding out that much of what I had learned was false and that demons were really real. I just entered and left Hell, which was one of the most beautiful things, I’ve ever seen, and to top it all off I was about to die, killed by my fellow clerics.

“Hey wait, why do you need to close the portal? I thought you said no human could enter Hell.” I turned towards Serge hoping for an answer but I’ll I got was several grunts as silver tipped bullets started to go through the door and into him. He was about to die but he showed no signs of it as he held the door shut. Sirus finished her chanting and cut the red sword through the portal. It then disintegrated along with the sword; I turned back towards Serge and saw a bullet go through his head. He fell down on the floor dead, but his body still blocked the door but it was being pushed aside.

“Common damn it, lets get out of here” Sirus said as she grabbed my hand and led me upstairs. We came to a rather large window and she opened it. Sirus then grabbed my arm and tossed me out of the window onto a roof that was some distance away. She jumped from where she was over to me and picked up a bow and arrow and shouted a word that was to hard to understand but sounded something like rizengar (r-I-zen-gar) the arrow glowed with a red light and she shot it. It hit the building inside the room I was just in and it exploded into a burst of flame. The fire spread quickly and I heard the screams of men as the entire building caught fire. “Burn you swine” Sirus said before she stood up and began to walk away on the rooftops. She turned toward me “Are you coming or are you going to stay and watch them burn? Whatever you decide I don’t care, I need to find a place to sleep.”

“Ok I’m coming... not much sense to stick around here” I said as I stood up and walked behind her.” we traveled along the dark alleyways for about an hour before we came to an old apartment building. She walked in and up several flights of stairs; I of course followed closely behind her. We came to a door marked room 207 and she opened it with a key she kept in her pocket. As soon as she took a few steps inside a burst of flame came up on her body. I was shocked by this but as quickly as the flame appeared it went away. The Sirus I knew wasn’t there, what now stood in her place was a fox humanoid. This was apparently her demon form, her fur was a vibrant blue that glistened in the night as she walked over to a window and closed its curtains and looked towards me, holding the strange amulet from the night before in her paw by the chain.

“What, you can’t expect me to wear that disguise forever can you?”

“No I guess not” I replied to her gesture and she walked towards me. She still had the same cloths on before she reverted back to her demon form. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a plain black shirt, which fit loosely on her. She walked over to a nearby bed in the one room apartment and laid there. I assumed she was tired and I walked over to a couch that was small but I fell down on it. Sirus went right to sleep as soon as she hit the bed leaving me alone to my thoughts. Though I did have much to consider I didn’t think too much which isn’t like me. I started to dose off and the last thing I noticed about myself a said quietly to myself “Headaches gone”