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Chapter 38

“Ebony! Ebony, wake up!”

Pain drags my mind back to awareness as my eye opens revealing Chase standing above me shaking my shoulders. A growl rumbles deep in my chest as I feel my arms move but not under my control. A mix of panic and fear surges into my mind as I watch my claws come up before my face and flex before a voice much deeper than my normal one echoes from around me and out of my mouth.

“Ebony is alive, but currently taking a back seat.” My vision shifts as my body moves first into a sitting position, then standing.

From the side of my field of view I see Chase step back a look of concern on his face as he asks, “What do you mean?”

Dae turns to face him fully though our combined vision is still half obscured by the bandage over my right eye. He studies Chase for a moment before answering, “My bonds have grown weaker in the past few weeks and when Ebony lost consciousness on the way down I was able to take over.”

As he shifts to examine my body and the various cuts and scrapes along it I hear Chase whisper, “Dae… But… Where’s Ebony?”

Spreading my left wing out with a wince that sends a jolt of pain through both of our minds Dae examines the ragged fist sized hole torn through it. Grunting Dae stretches out a claw and begins tracing a series of blood red runes in the air as he answers, “Ebony is fine. He’s currently watching what’s going on in fact. But I am in control for the time being.”

As he finishes the last of the runes a wave of heat flows over my body and I feel every injury begin to knit itself back together. Before my eyes I watch as the hole in my wing shrinks then vanishes all together. With a grunt Dae reaches up my right claw and tears the bandage from my face blinking as my right eye adjusts to the open air again.

“How did you do that?” I ask into the space around me, though I have no voice at the moment.

A loud chuckle reverberates around my mind as I feel my mouth again move as Dae answers, “Did you think all I did was float around in your mental prison all day watching a world I could not interact with? No, I spend most of my time practicing spell work and developing what magical skills I can for those rare moments you let me free Ebony.”

Growling I mentally cross my arms and glare causing another chuckle from Dae, “Don’t worry your furry head, you will be back in charge soon enough. But first I intend to find the ones who shot us down.”

At that Chase steps back in front of us with a stern look in his eyes, “Now you listen here. You are not just going to go on a rampage through the forest. For all you know it could have been a lone hunter who thought you were a bird or something.”

Dae snarls at Chase as I feel my lips curl up exposing my fangs before he growls out, “You listen to me Chase and listen well. While I am in control of this body the demonic power at my command far out strips any that Ebony has allowed himself to wield. I do not do well with threats, intimidation, or attempts to control me. You have been given a promise that no harm will befall you, your pack, or your home and to that promise I am bound. But any who threaten me or those to whom I am bound do not have the luxury such protection.”

He moves till my muzzle is right beside Chase’s ear and growls barely above a whisper, “Am… I… Clear?”

I can almost taste his fear as Chase gives a slow nod. Pulling back from him Dae glares down Chase for a long moment before saying, “As for who shot us down, I promise you, that was no simple hunter out in the woods.”

Dae turns and begins to scan the area around us lifting my muzzle up in the air before breathing deeply of the scents around us. Just as I am trying to figure out what he is searching for I feel my head whip hard to the right and narrow down on a faint hint of burning wood.

Turning to march through the trees in the direction of the smoke I hear Chase move to plod next to us with a grumble, “How can you be so sure that wasn't a normal arrow then?”

Dae barely glances down at him before answering, “The size of the hole for one, and the fact it was able to pierce dragon hide for another. While Ebony and I are only part draconic we still have exceptionally tough skin. Only an extremely sharp point of fine metal or magical material could have pierced it so easily. Far sharper than any simple hunter would need.”

Chase thinks on that for a moment before conceding, “Very well I give you that much. If you don’t think it was a hunter then who do you think it could have been.”

Dae snorts, “Oh it is a hunter, just not one you have ever dealt with.”

With a growl of his own Chase grabs my arm and turns Dae and I to face him, “What do you mean? If you know or think you know who this is you need to tell me right now before we go any farther.”

With more than a little hint of disgust in his voice Dae asks, “And why should I do that?”

Smirking I reply, “Because he will never stop pestering till you do and you are technically bound to him now as we have been accepted into his pack.”

As though to drive my point in deeper Chase snipes back, “Because you and Ebony are part of my pack making me your alpha. As such that puts you under my charge.”

I feel the gears grinding through Daes mind as well as his anger at being bound in such a way yet again. With a snort he turns and starts walking again, “Very well.”

After a few feet he explains, “There are only two main threats in this world I know of who could have done what just happened. Demon hunters or Agerex.”

Chase falls in step as he asks, “Either one of them could have done it then?”

Dae nods as the scent of smoke grows thicker, “They could, but I am betting heavily on it being a group of demon hunters. Agerex does not like to make camps.”

At that Chase sniffs the air as well before his eyes widen, “Camp fire, but I saw no flames from in the air.”

With a hint of satisfaction flickering in his mind Dae answer, “Very good. Neither Ebony nor I noticed it either, though with the tree cover that is hardly surprising. My guess would be this is a younger group lead by a senior hunter.”

Following the trail of smoke Chase asks, “What are you going to do when you find them?”

I feel my lips curl up in a sadistic snarl, “I plan to toy with them, then hunt the hunters. After that… maybe have a snack.”

I feel my tongue run across my lips as Dae savors the potential for an entertaining hunt. Chase stops in his track, “You plan to just kill them?”

Dae turns to bring Chase back into center view, “Of course that’s my plan. They are not under any protection I am bound to respect. They are free game. Had they not attacked first they would never have even drawn my attention, but now…” A low growl of anger and excitement rumbles my chest, “They are the prey.”

Turning back to the path and moving forward I hear Chase call out, “And what if I forbid you to kill them? What then?”

Dae glances over his shoulder, “They are not your pack, they are not under your protection. You would just waste your breath with me.”

Chase growls out a swear then rushes to catch back up, “Will you at least agree to give them a chance to surrender? Can you do that much at least.”

I call out from within my mental confines, “Just do it Dae, we both know hunters will not surrender but it will keep Chase from hating you more than he already will for doing this.”

For a long moment there is silence as Dae considers the request and my words. Slowly he stops then turns and lowers my head till he is even with Chase. After a moment of staring him in the eyes Dae says, “Very well. Just because I like you and Ebony respects you so much, I will give these hunters one…” He holds up a claw between us, “ONLY one chance to surrender, apologize, and leave this forest forever. But if even one of them attacks me they forfeit their lives. Understood?”

I watch as Chase glares down Dae before he nods one, “Fine.”

With a snort Dae turns and starts moving again before saying, “I see why Ebony loves you. You’re tough and stand up for yourself.”

For several more minutes we trudge through the silent forest before we near the edge of a small clearing with a campfire under the branches of a large pine tree and a few small tents around it. Moving around the camp are four humans all clad in armor with weapons strapped to them. Next to the tree is a small portable ballista. Suppressing a growl within my throat I know Dae is aware that is the weapon that shot us down.

Two of the humans are sitting on a pair of logs by the fire, a third is leaning against the tree sharpening his sword, and the fourth is stirring a pot of boiling food over the fire. From this distance I can hear muffled sounds of their voices but not what they are saying.

Turning our head Dae says to Chase in a low whisper, “Stay here, do not interfere and do not let yourself be seen. I promised you would be safe and so you will be.”

Dae steps out from the trees and I feel a cold deeper than the night air wrap around my body as the color fades from the world leaving my vision in a sharp monochrome. Calling out I ask, “Dae what did you do?”

Chuckling mentally Dae answers, “You formed a blood bond with a hellhound, did you never think we got some of his traits just like he got ours? I have cloaked us just like Ranger does. Another little trick you conveniently locked away with the rest of your powers.”

Grumbling within my own mind I can’t do anything but watch as Dae strides into the hunters camp and takes a seat on one of the logs next to the fire watching as the hunters talk.

“Does no one else find it strange we weren’t able to find where that demon went down? We know it was injured we all saw it fall.” The man sitting next to us on the log asked his companions.

The one stirring the pot answered, “You saw the size of it, even if we did seriously wound it the creature could have still managed to move on for quite some time before we found it. We will locate its trail in the morning, by then the injury and cold will have made it easier to kill.”

A grumble from the one sharpening his sword answers, “Besides, you know how hard it is to follow tracks in a forest during the night. We obviously misjudged where the creature went down so we will just try again in the day light.”

The wind shifts bringing with it a slight scent of fear as Dae focuses on the fourth hunter sitting on the log opposite us. After a moment that hunter says, “Something still doesn’t feel right about this whole thing. I know you guys think I’m just being paranoid, but I’m telling you, that was no ordinary demon we saw tonight. And what about the figure it was carrying with it? What about their life or do none of you care?”

The cook stands from the pot before grabbing a pile of bowls and begins to ladle stew into them, “It isn't that we don't care about the victim Michael, it’s just that once someone is that close to a demon they are good as dead anyway. We likely did them a favor by ending their suffering.”

At that I feel a low growl vibrate from Dae as he says out loud, “Is that what you you think? That the one I carried was my victim? My… Dinner?”

All around us the four hunters dive for their weapons as they roll away from the fire. The bowls of stew dropped to the ground forgotten. The cook, obviously the senior hunter based on his stance was the first to be ready for a fight. He holds his sword ready in front of him as he faces out to the forest in the wrong direction from us as he calls out, “Show yourself demon.”

Dae chuckles again low and deep causing the hunters to all shift and turn directions trying to find the source of the voice, “Now why would I do that? You obviously want to kill me and my kin. Why should I make things easy for you?”

At that all four hunters pull a silver pendant out from under their armors and hold them out before them before chanting what sounds like a prayer or spell. Each pendent is a silver disk with a central cross surrounded by moons, stars, and stylized animal carvings. Dae and I watch in curiosity as the pendents all glow in unison before a wave of white light spreads out through the clearing causing no more than a slight tingling on our skin.

After a few moments Dae asks with genuine curiosity, “Was that supposed to do something?”

The three younger hunters, clearly shaken by the lack of results, grip their pendants even tighter and begin to shift nervously before the senior answers, “That was a revealing spell.”

Dae lets out a low sound, “Ah, you thought to find me with that did you? Here let me help you out with that.”

Dae reaches forward and picks up one of the bowls still containing stew from where it sits just inches from the senior hunters right foot. As he does so I feel my body stand up until it is towering over the hunter, my vision nearly double his height. As the color of the clearing returns to my vision I feel the cloak around us fade away as my body once more becomes fully visible to the world.

I would have found the look of sheer terror on the senior hunters face to be hilarious had I not known the seriousness of the situation. Dae stands there in full view stretching our wings out behind us to block the view of the trees and sky beyond. Holding the bowl before the hunter he says with a sadistic grin, “I believe you dropped this.”

Dae tilts our head back and opens our mouth wide before dumping the remaining stew down our throat. He licks our lips once before saying, “Needs some salt.”

As the senior steps back rapidly, all three of his juniors trip over themselves trying to get away and the one called Michael very quickly begins to emit a rather unpleasant odor from his pants. Growling, Dae lowers my horned head closer to the hunters before saying, “I will ask my questions once, and only once. Why did you attack me? Why are you here? Why should I spare your lives?”

The senior swallows hard before regaining some of his courage, “You are a demon, we are hunters. We exist solely to drive your kind to extinction.”

Snorting Dae blows a smoke ring from one nostril into the hunters face, “A most technical and rehearsed answer, but I smell no lie from you. Though you hunters are abysmal failures if you think you have even put a dent in the demon population. Now answer the rest of my questions.”

With visibly draining color at Dae’s remark about the demon population the one who had been sharpening his sword spoke up, “W…we were… We were sent to follow rumors there was a demon that would be appearing in these woods tonight.”

Tilting our head slightly in curiosity Dae asks the senior, “Let me guess, these rumors came from the highest levels of your organization did they not?”

He gives a nod of assent before Dae continues, “That’s two of my questions answered. Now about the third.”

The senior and two of the juniors exchange glances before their faces harden, “We outnumber you four to one demon. We have shot you down once already, we are not afraid to die if need be.”

Dae considers them all slowly as two of the juniors finish getting back to their feet weapons at the ready. His eyes linger momentarily on Michael before asking, “And what of you pup? Do you agree with your friends here? Do you think you four are capable of killing one unarmed demon? Answer truthfully and think hard. But before you answer know this, the only reason you all even know I was here is because another argued for your lives to be spared. I agreed to give you one chance to convince me to spare them. Three of you have failed to pass that test shall we make it four?”

Six people watch Michael closely though he is only aware of four. Slowly he swallows hard and Dae watches his Adam’s apple bob up and down his throat as sweat pours from his head, “I knew coming here was a bad idea, I tried to argue against it. But the elders said we had a chance to stop a terrible demon that it was just nerves. I saw this moment, I knew this would happen but they didn’t believe me…. No one ever does.”

He closes his eyes and turns his head from all of us, “I know I am a coward, but I couldn’t… I don’t want to die…”

“Traitor!” The yell comes from one of the other junior hunters who moves to swing his sword down at Michael. Moving faster than even I could tell Dae transposes our body between the two hunters and catches the blade in our right claw. The hunter and I both watch in horror and fascination as dozens of flaming runes circle around our claws and lower arm protecting the flesh from the blade even as the metal begins to glow first red, then orange, then white hot before finally melting into two pieces as the point of the sword falls to the ground.

I feel my lips curl back in a snarl of supreme glee as Dae lowers our body and spreads our arms wide causing more runes to begin appearing across our arms and legs as he begins casting some of the most complicated spell work I have ever seen with no more effort than it takes to breathe. With a laugh dripping with venom he says, “Ha ha ha, so you three have chosen to meet your maker tonight while Michael here has agreed to my protection. This is going to be fun…”

As though waiting for an unseen command the three hunters square off against Dae in a defensive posture before acting on an unseen order and attacking at once. The senior hunter ducks down and swings his blade in a slow arc aimed at our legs, while the second swordsman swings his high in an attempt to catch us jumping over the first attack.

Instead Dae simply steps backwards with enough speed to allow the attacks to cut harmlessly through the air. Laughing out loud he moves around the pair and grabs the third hunter, who was trying to dive for another weapon, by the throat and lifts him in the air. Turning with speed far beyond the hunters Dae puts the young man directly in the path of the senior hunters second attack.

Dae allows the young man to hang from our claws for a moment before looking down at the six inches of blade now sticking out of his stomach dripping with his crimson blood. As the hunters eyes go wide Dae lets go of the mans throat before growling, “That’s one.”

As he falls off his seniors blade there is an anguished cry from the other junior hunter as he dashes in, “YOU MONSTER!”

Dae dodges side to side easily avoiding each strike as he toys with the enraged man. When one strike manages to come between our muzzle and left horn, shaving a whisker off Dae growls, “Monster am I? For defending myself?”

He grabs hold of the mans arm taking special care to make sure our razor sharp claws dig deep into his forearm causing blood to rapidly flow out of the now mangled limb. With a loud snap of bone Dae crushes the arm causing the man to scream out in pain as the bones within splinter. While he is yelling Dae raises our other arm up in the air and I can see for a moment that my normally black claws are now glowing red hot and the edges seem to be molten like magma.

Dae sneers down at the wailing man saying, “I’ll show you just how monstrous I can be.”

With that he drives the claws tip first deep into the mans chest. The armor melts and burns away rapidly as the skin and muscle beneath cooks instantly filling the area with the smell of burnt flesh and boiled blood. Nearly instantly the claw burrows clean through the mans chest and burst out his back covered in slick red blood and tissues. The body goes limp against us as the man dies from having his internal organs both shredded and cooked at the same time.

Letting the corpse fall from our arm Dae turns to the senior hunter, blood dripping from each talon saying, “That’s two.”

Slowly he stalks his way towards the senior hunter as he locks eyes with him, “You do realize their deaths are all on your head and the heads of your so called elders right?”

He swallows hard before holding his sword between us, “No, their deaths are on you demon. Your kind knows only death and destruction everywhere you go. Only beings of pure evil would do what you are doing?”

Dae stands up straighter feigning insult, “Oh really? I never realized shooting people out of the sky for no reason was such a virtuous activity, or that defending yourself and your home was a tenant of evil.”

A tiny flicker of doubt flashes through the hunters eyes as Dae continues, “Or is the greatest evil you people can find is that of someone just wanting to be left in peace with those he cares about?”

Before he can answer there’s a loud click drawing our attention behind us. As we turn my left shoulder erupts in an explosion of pain. Howling in anger Dae looks down to our shoulder where a long shaft of wood is jutting out from the joint. The tip is capped in a barbed razor sharp arrow made of white bone. From the barbs small bits of flesh and fur are hanging as they drip the black ichor of our blood down to the ground.

Turning in rage Dae whips around looking for the source of the attack. Behind us, sitting against the tree with the small ballista between his legs is the first hunter who had been stabbed in the stomach. The trail of blood from where he had fallen revealing his struggle to get to the weapon he is now struggling to reload with one hand while the other clutches at the wound to his gut.

Growling loudly as smoke begins to billow from between our teeth and nostrils Dae yells, “YOU NEVER ATTACK FROM BEHIND IF YOU DON’T HAVE A KILL SHOT!”

Opening our jaws wide I feel an intense burning sensation come from deep in our chest as Dae unleashes a tremendous roaring jet of red and black flames that shoots out from our throat and rockets across the campsite to catch the injured hunter square in the face and chest. The flames consume his body, armor, and the weapon instantly filling the whole area with intense heat.

After what felt like an eternity spanning only a few seconds Dae closes our mouth and cuts off the flow of flames. As our vision clears the devastation of the attack is revealed. Stretching out in a cone before us there is nothing left save burned cinders and blackened ground going for a dozen paces or more. In the center of the cone are the charred remains of the hunter and tree he had been leaning against. Little more than a pile of smoking bones and molten metal.

Turning back to the last remaining fighter Dae growls low and deep before grabbing the shaft of the arrow in our shoulder and pulling it free with a sickening sound of tearing flesh. Once he has it free he looks down at the jagged hole as our arm hangs limply. Slowly the muscles begin to knit themselves back together as the skin regrows over. With a smirk he says, “Looks like my healing spell was still working. Good to know.”

Lifting the arrow up with our right hand he studies the tip as the wound continues to heal, “Dragon bone arrow head? That must have cost you hunters quite a lot to acquire. No wonder it managed to shoot me down.”

Finally giving his attention back to the senior hunter, “Now where were we…”

For the first time the senior hunter is letting his fear show openly on his face. With two of his fellow hunters dead and the third removed from the fight before it began, the realization of his fate has finally sunk in. On trembling legs he takes cautious steps back saying, “You just prove us right… You just killed an injured man…”

Dae walks up toward him and slowly moves our left arm as feeling returns to it. Snarling he answers, “You really are screwed up in the head, the whole lot of you. You shoot a dangerous creature out of the sky for no reason. He offers you a chance to leave unharmed and you attack. You shoot him in the back intending to kill and then dare call him evil for retaliating? No wonder so many of my kind make it a hobby to hunt the hunters.We may be violent and bloody, but we are honest about it and don’t try and hide what we are.”

Dae gets right in the hunters face before continuing, “Only a true monster hides his murderous intentions behind words like "good", and "noble", and "for the protection of others".”

The hunter tries to swing his sword at our neck but Dae knocks it aside with back of a claw like it’s an annoying insect, “You should have all listed to little Michael over there. He has the gift of foresight your elders keep hidden from the rest of you. He knew what was coming if you kept on your path. So did your leaders I’d wager.”

Dread fills his eyes as he realizes he has been used and sent to his death needlessly. Letting a sadistic snarl spread over our muzzle Dae finishes up, “But you will not be living long enough to regret the path your life took.”

The hunter tries to attack again but this time Dae just catches the mans wrist mid swing and twists it with a horrific crack, shattering the bones and shredding the tendons within. As the man throws his head back and howls with pain I realize what is about to happen a split second before Dae attacks.

The sounds of the hunters screams of pain is abruptly cut off as I feel my elongated fangs pierce into his throat severing skin, muscle, arteries, and finally his wind pipe. As the coppery yet sweet taste of blood floods into my mouth it causes my stomach to roil in a mix of revulsion and hunger. Dae thankfully does not drink the blood allowing it instead to flow freely from the gaps between our teeth. He does however run our tongue over the convulsing hunters throat tasting the hints of fear, sweat, and traces of smoke left there.

Through the muscle I am able to feel the hunters rapid heartbeat begin to weaken and slow as his frantic struggles die off. After a long minute the body finally goes fully limp and the flow of blood through my mouth ceases. The last of the hunters who chose to fight has finally lost his life.

Opening our maw wide Dae drops the carcass from our jaws and spits out the last of the blood in our mouth before saying out loud, “That makes three.”