The Holy Church

The town was called Havenbrook and it was bigger than the usual villages that Belialthorn was used to seeing. With different buildings made of stone and red mud. Some buildings jutting through the air, with their towers.

A huge wall of stone surrounded the building with a big metal gate in front. Belialthorn followed the flow of traffic leading to the gate looking around him as the smell of humans hit him, he suck in a breath.

"Sorry, Thorn," Griffin said beside him. "You must not be used to a town like this. This is even relatively small compared to some cities and towns to the west."

"Yes, my village was small." Belialthorn was finding it hard to adjust to the smell of humans packed tight with him. The smell of food.

"You'll get used to it in no time," Serena said, her tall frame cleaving the way for them in the front. A lot of people took a look at their armor and avoid them, giving Belialthorn a strange look as he was in the middle of Hunters.

"Just be careful of what goes on around you. Havenbrook is a Hunter's town where a lot of Hunters receive bounties. It is tight-packed with criminals who will rob you for the price of ale." Karina snorted.

Belialthorn shot a nervous glance around, he wasn't afraid of the of robbers or criminals but the people around him were giving him a look and he was beginning to wonder if his disguise was slipping. But the system didn't notify him about such changes.

They soon joined the line leading to the gate and soon it was their turn. The guards took one look at Serena and waved them in but called loudly as he saw Belialthorn. "Who is this? I don't know him and he had to pay to go in!"

Belialthorn opened his mouth to protest but Griffin raised his hand. "Let me handle this, Thorn. He's with us." He told the bored guard.

The guard grunted. "Tell that to the Lords that made the rules."

Freya sighed. "Just pay him already. I'm dying for a hot bath."

Serena nodded in agreement and Griffin angrily produced two silver coins that he flipped to the guard who then waved them in.

Inside, it was worse. People were packed from building to building and the smell hit like a punch to the gut. Not to mention the sound of shouting and haggling, murmuring, and animal crying.

It was almost too much for Belialthorn until Freya put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you Okey?"

Belialthorn took a deep breath and shoved it all away. He was a Noble Demon! And all he saw here was nothing but walking meat. He grimaced. "Yes of course."

Freya nodded and started guiding him with the others through the streets. Until the mass of people lessened, and bigger better buildings started showing.

Then they came upon a large building with the sign of plate and spoon painted on it. Belialthorn could smell sweat, food, and alcohol from the building.

He could almost feel the Hunters all relaxed beside him.

"Home finally!" Serena shouted and threw her hand out wide.

While Freya shouted. "Hot bath!"

The men grunted with the rest and led the way in, inside was what Belialthorn had expected from the little information he knew about humans.

Chairs and tables filled the big room with different humans either eating or drinking as they wished. It wasn't the only thing Belialthorn noticed, the room was full of Hunters.

Belialthorn almost hissed with his fangs before he realized he was now human and he was also with a Hunter's party.

"Why don't you have your bath after the ladies?" Griffin said. "You can eat as much as you like till then!"

Griffin led the way to a table after the ladies went upstairs to take their bath. He ordered food for himself, Karina, and Thorn. The poor he he must be hungry again, he had swallowed his meat last night. Griffin thought.

They were served food and Belialthorn was given a spoon to eat his food with. He handled it awkwardly and asked a question. "You are a Hunter team. Why do you help a burden like me?"

Griffin frowned. "It's not like we had better things to do then. We are hunters, not bandits."

Belialthorn noticed that he hadn't corrected him on being a burden. "Well, I heard Hunters are all about hunting monsters and taking their treasures for themselves. And leveling up."

"That's mostly what we are about," Griffin pointed a spoon at him. "But it's not like we wasted our time either."

"Why?" Belialthorn was beginning to get an idea of how to use the spoon. They ate very differently in the Demon City.

"The Demon left a lot of spell books behind. A lot and we will sell them for good money." Griffin shrugged.

"So those books were treasures after all! I shouldn't have left them behind." Belialthorn thought.

Karina grunted, his eyes glinting in satisfaction as he sipped his ale. "At least that would keep some of us well-fed for a while and keep us housed too."

Griffin could do nothing but agree, they had struck a little luck there in the Demon's temple where they didn't find the monster and had found something to sell instead. Too bad they couldn't find real treasure. "I'm still going out there to hunt the Demon though. I'll have to inform the Holy Church that we might not be able to capture the Demon and only kill it."

Karina snorted. He didn't think the Church would agree to that but what opinion did they have? Jaxon's team had been killed like it took little effort. "The Holy Church wouldn't agree. They want the Demon alive for their experiments."

"The Holy Church?" Belialthorn had heard the name before but he couldn't say where.

"Yes. They practice the divine way and conduct a lot of experiments. Do you know Demons have high regeneration power? You can keep cutting them and still keep them alive. Even when their bones are removed or their flesh removed. They've been used in different products and their blood is especially useful in alchemical products..."

Karina trailed off as he saw the look of disgust and hate in Thorn's blue eyes. This boy must have been so traumatized by that Demon. Poor thing!

Belialthorn was feeling anger mixed with hatred. He thought furiously "So you want to kill me because of this! For my blood and bones. A Noble Demon Prince like me!"

He wondered which poor bastard they were experimenting with but then he dismissed it. It was none of his business, what concerned him more was the insult to his being.

Belialthorn smiled savagely. "Where can I find this Holy Church?"