1 The Masked Hunter

What a lonely night. The light was dim, and not much sound came around. The bar had 4 patrons lefts on their tables. All demons. Each having their own post-drunk session. Granted by how red their faces were as reeks of alcohol fuming around their limp selves.

"Welcome!"

A small golden bell above the door rang, and two completely different figures went inside the bar. One is a muscular wolf-eared lady about 3 meters tall, clothed in steel breastplate underneath a long black messy cape and skin-tight leather pants. 

The other is a mystery of its own, dressed in no color but black, head fully covered in a bear mask and a scary one at that. His eyes shimmered with cold azure light brighter than the moonlight. Hard to tell what he is, but that shade of darkness can only belong to a demon.

"Evening, dear Hunters. What can I get the lovely two of you?"

The bartender was calm, serving them with a leisured smile. Giving a sign that it was not the first time both of them ever visited. He placed both his hands close to his wooden counter, with glasses lined up inside it.

Offered hospitality, the two hunters walked closer with their solid metal boots, yet not a single clank was heard from them. A clear sign of a powerful adventurer, they're Hunters after all.

"I'll have red wine, master. Keep it neat."

The bear mask ordered with a scuffed monotonous deep voice and sat on the barstool. Comparing him to the bartender, he isn't taller than your average demon, but he sure is a lot more intimidating than the humongous lycan. The trace of his cold heart could be felt clearly by just being in the same room.

"Moon ale for me, master." Lycan lady sat comfortably next to the bear mask after she adjusted her stool a bit as it was too high for her height. "Oh, on the rock, please."

"As you wish."

The bartender wasted no second, grabbed a couple of bottles, and served them as smooth as the river flowed. His eyes were closed, while a faint smile never seemed to cease from his ashen face. Quite a fancy lad for a demon.

"Please, enjoy."

A glass of wine with a color thicker than blood along with sugar-white sparkling ale got beautifully presented to both of the hunters. Then as his smile widen, he walked away, leaving them both alone. 

With privacy struck, the bear lifted his glass of wine while keeping his mask attached. Under it was a square piece of paper with a couple of words written on it. Though the blue eyes on his mask moved, none could tell if he had read it or not. But one thing is for sure, he didn't touch it.

"This might be our last hunt together for a while." A small black portal suddenly opened right before his bear mouth, and he poured his drink straight into it. The sound of him gulping down that liquid could be heard soon after. "Though I won't hold you if you still wanna keep going alone."

"Hehehe… the way you eat and drink will always amaze me." A tender awkward smile painted on the lady's face. "Does duty call you home?" She then asked.

"All-father left for the Nereid Island to spend spring with His beloved nymphs, and that started this morning." The bear put his half-empty glass back down. "I'm thinking of guarding his Sanctuary during his absence."

"What for? I doubt someone's dumb enough to attack the resting place of the literal Creator of this world." The lycan put up a good chuckle before going hard on her drink.

"You'll be surprised."

What the lady said wasn't entirely true. This world was once created by the Goddess and so did our planet. Yet for reasons we might never know, She decided to abandon this Earth. The only things she left were the power of the 9 elements and a single man.

That man later created the continent. Created lives, laws, and concepts. He's what we all called the All-father, the Champion of Nature element, and the King of Nymphs. Staas, the Druid of Spirit Grove.

"Really…? You aren't jesting…, right?" Her smile turned rigid, and the guy didn't even flinch. He just went on with another sip of his wine through the portal. "I—It's hard to imagine him having an enemy, I mean… He literally ended the human-dragon conflict that dragged every single nation and race in the continent."

The masked Hunter took a sharp glimpse at that lady's eyes after that statement.

"Correct. But both of the conflicting sides got ravaged because of that. They lost their wealth, their people, even most lands got abandoned since they no longer possessed enough power to maintain them." Anyone could easily feel a shed of sadness in his ever flat tone. "Some humans and dragonkin are the culprits for most of the attack. They demand All-father to restore their nation with His power of creation."

"And till now, none of those wishes fulfilled."

"Well… can't say I sympathize." The lycan threw away her face and started gulping her ale.

She then let out a tired sigh after dropping her mug to the counter. "Here's the thing… even if you asked me to stop hunting during your absence, I'll still be hunting. I'll become another Hunter's apprentice if I have to."

"My family got wiped for siding with the previous Champion of Lightning— who schemed to kill the All-father.  And now… every lycan in my homeland will scream bloody murder whenever they see me." She gazed upwards, not pitying herself, just feeling sick with all the problems she had. 

"I really admire your secrecy… even after months of being an Apprentice Hunter, I still don't know what kind of creature you are, nor had I seen a glimpse of your skin."

*Smack!*

All of the sudden, the quiet atmosphere got broken by a loud noise at the back of the room. A patron fell from his chair, completely drunk as his face was covered in spilled beer. Although he quickly got up to exit the bar through the door behind him.

As mentioned, the patron was a demon just like the bartender, though with a skinny ashen body and long limbs. They're beings who possessed the element of darkness. There's a wound on his right arm, three stripes of what seemed to be caused by a woman's nails. 

The way he kept grabbing onto it tells how painful it was. That attack was probably coated with magic— lightning, from the shade of pale blue it left. He slowly walked outside, without saying anything, even after the bartender thanked him for coming.

And back at the counter, the masked Hunter glancing at the demon's every move, from the time he fell till when he vanished from the bar. It's easy to tell how hard and cold that Hunter stared, especially with how blue the eyes on his mask glowed.

"Master, I felt a bit dizzy… I—I might make a mess. I need to calm myself outside." The masked Hunter stutteringly (faked) said as he stared at the leaving patron.

That voice he made was chilling to hear, the bartender could feel his intent masked by his act. "Ah, don't worry. I'll clean it up for you, Hunter." He put up a worried smile, knowing fully what he was about to do.

"Thank you, master. Then I'll take my leave." The masked Hunter left five gold on the table and went through the same door as the demon from before.

"Ahh— I better accompany him. Sorry for the trouble, master." The lycan lady followed, without taking the time to readjust the stool which she just turned very short.

"Don't mind it." Even with the sudden tense atmosphere, the bartender kept his smile fresh.

As the two of them arrived outside, they found the wounded patron slowly walking away on the street, surrounded by the short grass coated with cold dew. He was clearly drunk with how all over the place his movement was. He even almost crashed onto a tree.

"Mister? Are you alright?" The masked Hunter approached the demon with a cool tone, coated in (fake) kindness. Truly fits the calmness of the night. His voice didn't even sound scuffed in the slightest.

He grabbed onto the demon who was only a bit taller than him and wrapped that skinny arm around his neck to support his walk. "Do you need help going home? I'll walk you there."

"Ahh, thank you, young one. My vision's a bit blurry." He took the offer, and let the man help him carry his weight. "Ahahaha… *sigh*… I've been drunk all day, and now I'm punished for being such an idiot."

"We all got one of those days, mister."

"Are you a traveler? I've never heard your voice before. I'm sure I'll remember something this pleasing to hear."

"You honor me, mister." His tone somehow carried a (fake) sincere smile to the ears. "I'm actually here for my friend, one of her valued items got lost here in Forgotten Meadow."

"Lost? Poor woman. Only refugees live in this place, someone probably already took it."

"Yeah… I thought so too."

They both sounded gloomy. This place used to be a human settlement, but since the war ended, they abandoned it. Not many humans left to populate the area, so the remaining resident is now living in the capital city of Ratna Kingdom, humanity's last occupied place, for now…

"What kind of item is it? I know most people here, I can ask them for you." The demon kindly offered.

"Really!? Ah, mister, you're too kind." The masked Hunter's tone went up, he (supposedly) felt very happy. "By the way, where's your house, mister? I've been here a couple of times, I kinda know the direction."

"Oh, right… it's right on the corner of the first bridge from the bar. Hehehe sorry to trouble you, young one."

"No problem, mister. As for the item… I think it's supposed to be a crystal ball?"

"Crystal ball…?"

"Yeah, a blue one, with 7 constellations drawn in it."

Hearing the description, the demon suddenly flinched, and his step gradually became heavier to take. He recognized that item, even when his brain was not in its prime due to the hangover.

"I think she said it was stolen by a skinny demon… oh, she also said she managed to scratch his right arm when he ran away."

Fear suddenly hugged the demon tight, as he quickly shifted his gaze toward the guy he was chatting with. The adrenaline he felt reawakened his brain, and his vision slowly became clearer. 

He found it, the face of his helper. It was a bear with black fur, and a bright blue X marked the inside of his round eyes.

"The Night Bear!" As he yelled his fear, the demon's hand went scorching hot with purple flame lit upon his palm. "You— You sly! Curse you, Hunter!"

The demon swung his left hand, trying to hit the Hunter's face with his flame. Soon an explosion occurred after the impact, and smoke started fuming around the place where the two of them stood. Rubles from the shattered street went flying all over the place.

Yet, when the smoke started fading, the demon found himself alone, no longer supported by anyone. In a panic, he let his eyes go wild, trying to find the trace of that Hunter. And as he looked far on his front, he saw the bear… standing still unscathed, and his mask expression has changed, it was sinisterly smiling on his demise.

In a panic, the demon tried to light his flame back, to continue his attempt in getting rid of the Hunter. "HURGH—" But before he could do just that, a giant fist smashed his face hard and threw him till he hit a tall tree on the edge of the street.

"Oh my lustful bones…"

In pain, he glanced at his attacker, and it wasn't the bear who did him dirty. It was his companion, a massive she-wolf with a huge ax in her hand. That weapon's head rested fiercely upon her shoulder. 

In fear the demon stared at her, a lady tall and hairy, with bluish grey wolf ears, and her eyes are the color of the full moon.

"What should we do with him, Dov?"

The lycan approached him, with her eyes looking down on him as if he were a helpless prey. The sheer size alone was enough to send his heart racing, and I can assure you he wasn't mesmerized by her beauty.

"Finish him, his suspicion has been confirmed along with the target location." 

Dov didn't seem to have any bit of care for the demon. Although he was at least kind enough to witness his end.

"Understood."

"Wait— wait wait! You can't do this! I have a daughter!" The demon pleaded, raising a hand gesture for the lycan to stop, while fidgetingly backing off with his ass on the ground.

"Concern yourself not with worries, demon. We chased you with pages of knowledge." Dov quickly replied, and the lycan hold off her ax to let him play some words. "Most who chose the path of the twisted… didn't come to it for the sake of being evil."

"Huh…?" The demon froze when he heard that. Dov's diction suddenly changed as if he was quoting some holy book. His manner of speaking now carried more… power.

"Tulgrolek, 'a petty thief from the Dreadyard of Moon, taking refugee to Forgotten Meadow after his whole family got slaughtered in the war between three Necromancers. Now all that's left is only his sick daughter'." Dov dictated a small summary of the intel he gained regarding the said demon.

"You know about us…? Then how can you be so heartless! I'm one of your kin!" Tulgrolek barked like an edged animal he was.

"Accuse us not for the lack of heart, as your history didn't just happen in one night. We write of you ever since you turned away from grace, taking the things you aren't worthy of." He said another quote. "And all that… only for the fate of your daughter?"

"Sadly even forgiveness has its limit, and you old demon… has clearly gone through it." 

"The crystal ball you stole is a memento of the first Champion of Lightning, an energy source empowering three cities on the human-lycan border." 

Dov walked closer to the demon with the blue eyes on his mask viciously lit up. The mouth on his face went back looking unhappy.

"Thousands of souls now starve under the course of your action, their room turned dark, and their bed turned cold. All because of your idiotic idea and your abyssful lack of knowledge." Dov's tone carried the weight of disappointment.

"I— I didn't know… I just— I just want to feed my child…" Tulgorek's whole body got shaken up, every part around him was now shrouded by fear.

Amid his gradual regress, the lycan lady suddenly lowered herself, "Oh, by the way, your girl's disease is easily avoidable, if only you just took the time to know her, and let her travel away from home. To make it worse, you kept buying unauthorized drugs from some shady seller. Your decisions led up to her being worst than she could ever get." She added more wounds to his guilt.

"All you ever do is brought demise for others."

Every bit of light left in the demon's eyes… instantly perished. All 5 of his senses left him, not even the coldness of this meadow could touch how lifeless he have become. 

"All-father don't need garbage like you on His Earth." Without a single word spoken, an ax swung through his neck, giving an end to his life, and his suffering.

***

"Is the location of his house really enough? He might put the [Lightning Core] somewhere we'll never guess." 

The lycan stated her worries while she stared at the blood flowing out of the demon's severed neck, it was thick and red as the wine Dov just drunk.

"Relax Celene, that ball radiates a powerful aura that can easily be sensed by someone like me." Amid his words, the masked Hunter's attention seemed distracted.

Before they leave to retrieve the stolen goods, Dov saw a black dove flying toward him up in the sky. With care, he immediately lifted his forearm for it to land. There's a bag strapped to its back, containing a letter which Dov pulled out to read it.

"I see… then what about the daughter—"

Celene stopped her question midway. She saw something that she never expected to see, not in a million years. Dov was trembling, even the blue eyes on his mask flickered furiously.

It was a long letter, containing the next mission they both need to accomplish. The content was very detailed, but to summarize it, someone is pretending to be All-father now that he's absent, and that said Pretender is now gathering followers from all kinds of races with one goal in mind.

To eradicate humanity.

"Looks like our hunt continues, Celene."