Descending Shadows: The Demon-slayer

The shadows appeared suddenly, turning everything in the vicinity cold, almost freezing. It was the time evil lurks, looking for souls to devour. I could feel it in the air, I could smell the stench of rotting flesh coming from the streets. It was time.

I grabbed my sword and dagger, and other gear, before rushing over to wake my little brother up. He was fast asleep, so peaceful… Like a little angel. I smiled before tapping on his shoulder and waking him up.

“Is it morning already, Moon?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Yes, it is, and we have to go now,” I said.

“Where?” he asked.

“I need to drop you at the welfare centre,” I replied.

“You’re going to hunt monsters again, aren’t you?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.

 “Don’t worry, Jason. I’ll be back before dinner to get you,” I said.

“That's what Mom and Dad said before they left and never came back,” he said, sounding skeptical.

“I know, but I’m not them. I’m not going to leave you behind,” I replied.

“Don’t go, Moon, please!” he cried.

“I promise, I’ll come back for you,” I said, stroking his head.

“If you die, I will never speak to you again,” he said, making me laugh.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said as I held his hand.

After handing him over to the lady at the centre, I left with my friends Leslie and Nolan as Jason watched me with sad eyes. I felt bad leaving him like that. He was so sad, and scared for me. But I had to do this for him, and other children like him.

The demons came out of nowhere one day and took our parents. They were taking everyone. The police and military are outnumbered and many of the villagers cower in fear and stay hidden in their homes. But, if everyone hid inside and waited, who would fight? Who would at least try to drive back the darkness that has crept into our lives and taken hold? I knew I had to do something—anything.

And so, I became a demon-slayer. I wasn’t born into this, nor was I chosen; I decided to take up arms and fight for my brother’s sake. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve adjusted well enough over time.

“Serpian!” Nolan shouted and, as we turned, it almost got me.

I hewed its hand with my sword, making it scream in agony as the Zavaryan Salt on imbrued on the blade pumped through its veins, killing it from the inside. It was dead in less than a minute. But the day’s battles were far from over…

More of them approached us, and we managed to slay them all. However, Nolan was injured in the fight; a Serpian had dug its claws into his arm. Their claws contain deadly toxins, and now Nolan had been envenomated. I cut open his arm as he screamed. It was difficult seeing him that way, but it was necessary to keep him alive. He passed out after a minute and I dressed his wound quickly afterwards.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be alright,” I said, seeing how concerned Leslie was.

Nolan was Leslie’s only remaining relative, same as Jason was mine. We carried him back to my place as it was the nearest to reach. After about an hour, Nolan woke up, and Leslie hugged him instantly.

“Don’t worry, sis. I won’t go down that easily,” he said.

“You two stay here. I’ll finish today’s hunt,” I said.

“No, you shouldn’t be out there alone. Let’s call it a day and do this again tomorrow,” Leslie said.

“There are too many of them for one person to handle, Moon,” Nolan said.

I didn’t like it, but I knew they were right.

“Okay, let’s resume this tomorrow,” I replied, “I’ll go get Jason now.”

“How’s he holding up, by the way?” Leslie asked.

“He worries a lot about me. He’s always trying to dissuade me from hunting,” I said, smiling.

“Well, you can’t blame him. He’s only six, and he has already been through more than most children his age ever do,” Nolan said.

I smiled, looking down and thinking how hard all this must be on him. He was barely old enough to even wrap his head around all this, yet he had already lost his childhood to a darkness beyond comprehension.

When I arrived at the welfare centre, Jason ran towards me with open arms, shouting, “Moon! You're back!”

Yes, I did I said picking him up.

Tanya, the lady in charge of the centre, said, “All he ever does is look through the window, waiting for your return. He worries about you a lot, you know.”

“I know, Tanya. But you understand why I have to keep doing what I do. There’s too much at stake here,” I replied.

“Monster!” Jason screamed.

I pushed Jason and Tanya aside, drawing out my sword to deflect the Serpian’s attack.

“Get everyone to safety!” I yelled before plunging my blade into the demon’s heart.

“No, I want my sister! Moon!” I heard Jason’s voice echo through the back halls as Tanya and the others took everyone to safety.