4 THE SEARCH

The sun was hot at this time of the day, Jaxith, wearing his dark-blue coat, black pants and black shirt under his coat with his long sheathed sword on his back, the sword was about 4.3 feet in length totally and the blade was about 3 inches wide, was riding a horse and has just entered Orstone.

It was somehow crowded more than Lumina given that it's a town not a small village, that's one of the reasons why Jaxith preferred living in a village although he would make more money on a bigger scale like a town or even a city, but a calm peaceful life, that's all what mattered to him.

Jaxith kept moving until he reached a stable, he got off the horse then hold the horse by the robes on his head while walking into the stable.

Upon entering, Jaxith stood for a moment taking a look at the horses before he was interrupted by someone.

"How can I help you today sir?", Said a middle aged man by Jaxith's left side.

"You must be Mr. Desmond, right?", Said Jaxith while looking calmly at him.

"Yes, do I know you or the reputation got you here?", Asked Desmond politely.

"Actually I'm here on behalf of Mr. Albes from Lumina, he told me that you are a friend of him and that you would take care of his horse while I'm here.", Said Jaxith.

"Well of course, Albes is a close friend of mine, just give it to me and don't worry, a friend of Albes is a friend of mine, so tell me, gentleman, what's your name?", Said Desmond while smiling warmly before taking the horse escorting it into one of the stalls.

"Jaxith, it's a pleasure meeting you.", Said Jaxith calmly.

"Oh, it's you, I should have guessed by the sword on your back, Albes told me about you more than once, it's an honor meeting you personally, Jaxith.", Said Desmond while closing the door of the stall and went to shake Jaxith's hand.

"A man doing the good just for the sake of good, you are rare nowadays young man.", Said Desmond politely.

"Thanks, Mr. Desmond, I'm just doing my job.", Said Jaxith.

"Then you must be doing it perfectly to hear all this praise about you, and that brings me to another question, if it's okay of course I don't mean to be rude, what brings a good monster hunter like you in a town like Orstone? I haven't heard about any difficult creature lurking out there that you would come personally to put him down, in other words, I think that you're not here on business so maybe I can help you out in whatever you want, as I said before, a friend of Albes is a friend of mine, so please don't be shy.", Said Desmond politely.

"No rudeness at all Mr. Desmond, and yes I'm not here on business.", Said Jaxith smiling.

"Told you, so, anything you want?", Said Desmond politely.

"Actually I'm taking a little break to rest my mind, you could say, tourism is my goal.", Said Jaxith.

"A big city like the capital would have been better, of course you are more than welcome in Orstone, Jaxith, but even if Orstone was better than Lumina a city would offer a better mind relaxing time, especially the last few days weren't calm in here.", Said Desmond seriously.

"That's somehow odd, Mr. Desmond, what happened?", Asked Jaxith curiously.

"A damn hybrid thief did have the guts to break in the mayor's mansion three days ago and steal something valuable from him, since that incident Orstone literally was turned upside down by the guards looking everywhere for this girl and until now, not a single sign of her.", Said Desmond seriously.

Jaxith started narrowing his eyes taking this conversation seriously now.

"So this hybrid girl has caused one hell of a problem I guess, but didn't the mayor or the guards noticed any of her features which could help them?", Said Jaxith innocently.

"They say she has blue demonic eyes that you could never mistake it, I don't know how a sane person could fall in love with a hybrid or worse a complete demon then have a child, man I just can't imagine it.", Said Desmond disgustingly.

"Whatever, Mr. Desmond, looks like she got herself in a big problem, sooner or later she will fall down, anyway, thank you for the update about the situation in the town but I'm sorry, I need to go now, three days traveling isn't that comfy.", Said Jaxith calmly.

"Of course, Jaxith, there is an inn three streets ahead, they got rooms if you want to rest or meals if you are hungry, your bag looks empty too.", Said Desmond.

"Yeah, I have nearly consumed all the food that I got, excuse me, Mr. Desmond.", Said Jaxith politely before turning back leaving the stable thinking, looks like it won't be an easy task for Jaxith, he barely set a foot in Orstone before finding that his target is a thief and has robbed the mayor!

The next right step to find her fast was to detect where she usually comes out, Jaxith headed for the inn and hoped to find some leads in there as it's known, criminals like to talk much while they are in inns.

"You must be insane, I leave for a fu*kin week and come back to find that you have robbed the mayor himself! Come on, Irene, just give me a single reasonable explanation for what you've done.", Said a dark haired middle aged man with harsh features while shouting at Irene with both Flen and Leo by her sides, they were in a some sort of a large basement which was as large as two houses joined together.

"I told you, Michael it was a bet between me and Leo, that's why I have done it.", Said Irene rudely.

"Then that's not a reasonable explanation Irene, for the great god's sake, did you even know the consequences of your actions? Take a look out there, guards are looking everywhere for you and that doesn't put just you in danger but also every one in here, we are a family and we don't put each other in danger just for a simple, ridiculous bet between some kids.", Said Michael angrily.

"No need for all of this shouting, Michael, don't worry, okay, we are still good.", Said Irene boldly like she did nothing wrong.

"For now, good for now, Irene, but tell me what will you do if the guards went through that trapdoor surrounding all of us right now? Huh? What? Of course you're gonna use one of your little magic tricks to escape then LEAVE EVERYBODY HERE EITHER TO DIE OR ROT IN A PRISON CELL, is that your wonder plan or what, young girl? The shadow seekers guild thieves are like brothers but every time although your great capabilities you just do mistake after mistake and justify your faults by saying we are still good.", Said Michael who was very angry that one of the other thieves went to calm him down.

Irene looked at Michael angrily before storming off towards a ladder.

"Hey, Irene, where are you going?", Said Leo worryingly.

"It doesn't matter, looks like Micheal here is seeing me as a burden for the shadow seekers, and please I don't want anyone following me.", Said Irene before going up the ladder then opening a trapdoor above the ladder directly.

Leo moved but Michael shouted stopping him.

"Leave her, she will calm down alone, probably will go to the local market and pickpocket a couple of people to prove to herself that she is the best, ahhh, that girl is driving me insane, but she has a good heart, that's why I should be harsh in situations like these.", Said Michael to Leo who was worried about Irene, especially that the guards are looking everywhere for her.

In the inn, Jaxith was sitting on a table looking at the different people in the inn, trying to detect any person who might be a snitch or something like that before the inn keeper brought him a meal.

"The finest meat in the town just as you wished, Desmond is a good man so at least I will offer the best for a friend of him.", Said the inn keeper.

"I'm sure you will, but I also have a little curiosity about those two over there.", Said Jaxith pointing with his head towards two men setting at the end of the inn.

"Looks like you are looking for trouble with that big sword of yours, however, we really aren't sure but mostly they are from that shadow seekers guild of thieves, the one that this hybrid is mostly from.", Said the inn keeper in worry.

"That's explains why they are sitting away from everyone talking, any suspicion wouldn't be necessary they may be even talking about the situation of them right now after that girl literally put all of Orstone on their trail.", Said Jaxith who wasn't just expecting, he just needed an assurance of who they are.

Jaxith did have very sharp senses allowing him to even hear whatever they were talking about from that distance through the noise in the busy inn, focus is all what he needed, neglecting all the noise around him and hearing just them only, Jaxith has a lot of skills and this was just a glimpse of his abilities.

"Yeah, that would be a good expectation too, listen I need to go now, I still have some business, it was a pleasure having you here.", Said the inn keeper.

"I'm the one with the pleasure here, thanks for the meal.", Said Jaxith while smiling before returning his eyes to those men and the smile disappeared immediately, he knew what he needed to know.

"Looks like that hybrid name is Irene and she just had a quarrel with their master whose name is Micheal, and right now she is mostly in the local market, well looks like that's where I'm heading to.", Thought Jaxith while looking dead serious.

"I want a detailed explanation on this girl, how on plistura this girl is still free out there.", Said the mayor angrily to guards in his garden.

"Mr. Mayor, we are literally searching every corner of Orstone, she will do a mistake, and she can't escape town because since the time she stole your ring the town doors were all double guarded, everyone is searched well and every carriage is inspected carefully to ensure that she doesn't escape town.", Said the officer of the guards who was wearing a distinctive suit.

"Then you aren't searching well officer Ronald, the ring that this filthy hybrid dared to steal is an heirloom of the Holstone family that went from one generation to another, and tell me officer, how did she enter the mansion? A total of fifty guard in the mansion and she still fooled you all like you are a PUNCH OF KIDS.", Said the mayor angrily while the guards stood silent.

"Listen, officer, since there is no sign of her she must be hiding somewhere secure.", Said the mayor

"We searched everywhere she could hide in Mr. Mayor.", Said the officer.

"Then obviously this place we don't know about, maybe this girl is from this weird guild called the shadow seekers that we are hearing about, right? Maybe you should intensify your efforts to find their hideout.", Said the mayor before the officer started looking seriously like the mayor gave him a good idea.

At this time of day it was crowd in the local market, Jaxith was sitting on a bench in the middle of the market following the movement of the pedestrians in the market, focusing on any odd behavior, of course she won't be the only thief in here, quite the opposite, it's a common place for people like her so he hoped that she will truly come here or the search would be more difficult as he doesn't know their hideout, and another thing is that the market is big so she could be in any other place in the market, but vision wasn't his only tool.

Time has passed before Jaxith suddenly smelled a distinctive scent, his sense of smell was just as good as his hearing, this is a scent of a demon, it was coming from his right, there was a street in there, Jaxith stood calmly and walked slowly towards the direction of the smell with his hands in his pockets, like a predator following his prey, and that's what made the difference between him and a normal monster slayer, for normal slayers the monsters were the predators that could finish them in seconds if not careful, but for Jaxith the monsters are his prey and he know exactly what he was doing.

Jaxith kept moving until the end of the street where there was another crowd, the smell was coming from the left corner he moved and looked at one of the stores overseeing that corner to look freely at that area without attracting attention, she surely is a smart one if she could break in and escape the mayor's mansion and staying three days without getting caught, so if she noticed that someone is watching this area she won't make any suspicious move, but he was sure that she is there, demon hybrids are very rare and that's why it's nearly impossible to be another one in a small town like Orstone.

And finally she made the move that he was waiting for, he noticed a hooded young person getting out of the crowd quickly walking while putting something in her pocket and the scent started gradually leaving the place before a man started yelling.

"My coins sack? I was robbed!", Said the man which in turn made Jaxith sure that he has finally found his target.

Jaxith started following her while walking through different and numerous alleys to lose any one following her, yet she didn't expect that the one following her was depending on her demonic smell, she was actually smart as for any one following he would surely lose track of her except a well trained one of course, just like Jaxith.

Irene was briskly walking in one of those alleys, although Jaxith was very careful, she knew that she was followed , that's why she kept moving fast through these different alleys, she must stop whoever is following her to return safely to her hideout, that's exactly why she choose to stop in this particular quiet alley and turning around fast enough to detect someone at the end of the alley with the hilt of his sheathed sword protruding behind his back.

"Stop right there, why are you following me? And before you lie about anything, you don't want to mess with someone like me.", Said Irene while still hooded in a threatening manner.

"Finally a chance to talk with you.", Said Jaxith while moving closer calmly.

Irene didn't waste any time and before he moved a couple of steps she pulled her dagger, taking two steps back keeping the distance between them.

"Keep your distance and answer my question, idiot, I won't warn you again.", Said Irene in a threatening manner, but Jaxith didn't stop and kept moving towards her like she has said nothing.

Irene started getting afraid from his boldness, of course a simple dagger won't make someone with a built and sword like those afraid from her, his red bold eyes were scary enough, which made her resorted her to this final move.

Irene pulled her hood down swiftly with her other empty hand while the other was still holding the dagger.

"Back up, I'm a demon hybrid, one step closer and I will burn you alive.", Said Irene with serious features trying to intimidate him using her scary side.

"I know who you are, even your name, and you can't burn me, you would've done that to escape the town.", Said Jaxith calmly before stopping, he didn't want to frighten her.

"The only reasons you could know who I'm is that you are one of Holstone's men or one of Lance's men, if you are the first then you are dead meat if you come closer, but if you are the second then prove it.", Said Irene seriously.

"I can assure you that I'm not one of the mayor's men looking for you, your whole league would have been imprisoned, and the other one believe me I don't know who he is.", Said Jaxith calmly.

"You're lying, no one could ever know about me.", Said Irene who started getting worried, how he is not afraid at all from her and also seems to know much about her and the guild.

"I think that I could help you, I know the difficult situation you got yourself into, I'm a normal monster slayer, but I got the skills needed to get you out of this situation.", Said Jaxith trying to calm her, he just can't tell her that he dreamed about her, she won't believe him, Jaxith himself still doesn't understand why he got that dream initially.

"Fog shelter!", Said Irene before her stealth spell was activated and all the alley was foggy, Jaxith stood silent before the fog faded out and of course she was gone, he just sighed in a depressed manner.

"Looks like I got no option but to follow her depending on her scent, and if I was lucky enough, she will lead me to their hideout directly.", Thought Jaxith while looking forward.

Irene kept running away fast as she could, she was sure that her cover was blown up and they will get her and her friends, she needs to tell them as fast as she could to escape before the mayor's guards swarm their hideout, she kept running until she reached the outskirts of Orstone where there were little houses out there.

She ran into one of these houses opening the door fast and shutting it hard behind her, she was panting very hard that it took her a few moments before she smelled a nasty smell coming from the house hall, she started getting worried again the place was very quiet, well it's usually quiet and she should open the trap door at the end of the hall to enter their hideout to find the noise she is used to, but at least two or three persons including Michael should be here acting normally to drive away any suspicions.

Irene started walking quietly towards the hall, "Michael? Leo? Anyone here? Guys I think something bad is going to happen.", Said Irene in fear but no answer came, she kept walking although the smell was irritating enough until she entered the hall where she let out a loud scream for a second before putting her hand above her mouth shutting it.

Blood was everywhere, body parts were scattered on the floor and the furniture, blood was painting the walls and the ceiling, those were her friends, tears gathered in her eyes, her only family was brutally killed like this, their limbs were everywhere, Irene stood in shock and fear, she couldn't move out of fear, just a couple of hours ago they were fine before she returned finding them slaughtered like that.

The trapdoor was opened at the end of the hall, she could expect what happened to the rest of them down there, but from the shock she didn't notice the man standing behind it in the shadows, fear started growing more when she noticed him as her eyes widened, he started moving out of the shadow revealing himself boldly like he was wandering in a local park, 5.6 feet tall male with dark short hair, black eyes with a scar under the right eye, wearing a black leather coat, there was a sheathed sword on his left, he stopped in the middle of the carnage that he caused.

"Good evening, young girl, I hope that this little show I made didn't scare you.", Said the man boldly but Irene was shocked to even answer him.

"Well, back to business, I think that you should cooperate with me to fullfill my contract, my agent needs you alive so I hope we end this quickly, I will just put you to sleep.", Said the scary man while walking in a terrifying manner and having a bold look on him.

Irene's tongue froze from fear that she couldn't spell any word out of her mouth, she started stepping back, tears dropping from her eyes, she felt fear that in all her life she hasn't felt like it before, she was just a few steps away from a horrifying assassin!