2 Ancient Creature

Granger paid no heed at the creature's grotesque corpse. However by the sight of its gleaming dagger, he knew he couldn't let an opportunity to collect a demon's weapon be passed.

Granger approached his master upon carefully sealing the dagger in cloth. The sight of Alucard's weakened body startled him as he made his way towards the lone-hero. By the looks of it, Alucard was too weak to walk by his own, yet alone the injury he has contributes to this.

Hastily he hoistered his master for support. As soon as he learned of the invading demons, he knew his master would be present in the field, having combat with their enemy for years. Demons. One he also loathes the most.

Silence lingered as they made their way to the temple of light. Granger felt the heaviness dawning into him as he carried his senior by the arm. Alucard was getting weaker by the seconds and when they arrived, the gates of the temple unbarred, revealing the two side by side.

Noticing the appearance of the two lone-hunters, a few stewards approached their way.  Alucard was almost limping by his arm, his face pale and clammy. In an instant of seeing how rough the demon hunter's condition was the stewards instantly called for support.

"Master Alucard needs medical aid! Call the others!"

The trainee demon hunters whom were training by the temple grounds heard the issued directive and rushed in and followed orders. At the same time a few temple guards chimed in and guided them along their path to the temple's chief cleric.

They quickly hoistered Alucard along their backs and half-carried the weak hunter across the temple grounds.

The gate closed and the sound of gongs invaded the vicinity. It was a sign they all dreaded. A siege.

The trainee demon hunters brought Alucard to the chief cleric of the temple where they were immediately greeted. At the sight of his almost lifeless body, the Cleric ushered them inside the temple quarters for immediate treatment.

"What happened?" Concerned, the cleric asked while preparing a water basin.

A demon hunter trainee spoke in reply. "Demons. We heard that there were demons by the borders."

"Demons? How is that possible. This temple is a sacred ground that no evil can step into."

For a thousand years, there was only one recorded incidence where the pronounced abyssal demons found their way inside the temple of light and mass slaughtered an entire legion of humans and elves. The scenario was all too familiar, and to think that history might be repeating itself made him appalled.

"It seems as though there will be a change in order of what is to come. We will inform the higher ranks of what happened today at the temple borders. For now, we will try to stabilize the situation and send in other minions to battle." The temple guard replied.

Concerned with his senior's state. The trainee spoke again in a worried tone. "Anyhow, we don't know much of the details. But master Alucard is badly injured."

The chief cleric responded with a nod and carefully examined the injured arm. Truthful enough, the gash was not that deep, yet it seems as though it was draining all of Alucard's energy.

"I believe that the demon hunter was poisoned." The cleric said while examining the wounded hero.

"Although I do not know which type of poison it is. I have never encountered such a poison before." He added to his dismay. His experience with poison were plentiful, but this was a rough case.

Granger looked at the chief cleric. He seem to notice his difficulty in identifying the kind of poison it is, therefore he reach out in his duffel bag a cloth and clasp the dagger he obtained, offering it to the chief cleric in return. Hoping that it would be of help in instantly knowing the kind of poison it is.

The cleric quickly took note of what Granger was implying to and scrutinized the dagger's unfamiliar insignia and design. Just like what he suspected, the dagger was laced with the viscious fluid that Alucard's scar was oozing of.

"It is what I hope it is not. This is a poison I have never dealt with in the past."

One hunter spoke again. "Then can you heal him?"

The cleric gave a shake. "This poison... I have read it once before. Back when I was still training to be a healer."

He heaved a sigh before continuing "... I read it from an ancient text in the book of traditional medicine. I believe it is a poison that belongs to an ancient lineage of powerful creatures that has been extinct since. The shadow demons..."

"Helcurt." Alucard spoke in a breathless tone despite weakness clutching his consciousness. He heard enough to understand what the cleric meant.

To his knowledge, there is one existing shadow demon that still ravages the world beyond. And Helcurt, a foe he had heard of before who was in alliance with the demon prince, was the creature mentioned.

Grief stricken, the cleric worridly stared at the heroes. "I cannot handle the gravity of this poison. I only know one person who can heal this type of ancient poison."

Granger looked at him in confusion.

"The ancient one. The one who is in deep slumber."

The trainee hunters stood bewildered.

"The Elf King Estes."