Camthalion

The simple things in life seemed of little importance when one is young.  The sun light filtering through pristine clouds, illuminating the pink blossoms over head in ever changing pattern as the wind caused the limbs to sway and bounce.  He’d always loved this spot above all else, the large tree overshadowing his home even as Mt. Jin overshadowed them all.  The small village tucked within the valley, the bulwark between the Elven stronghold higher up the mountain and the ever present demons who wished to claim it.  Though the demon hordes were now only small packs, easily crushed beneath the well trained warriors of his village.

He stood, stretching his arms over his head, kimono sleeves bunching towards his shoulders as he inhaled deeply.  Arms dropping down to his sides as deep emerald hues opened to his home once more, a mix match of human construction and Elven ingenuity, like him, the best of both worlds.  Smiling he dashed towards the large wooden gates.  He had not met a human yet who could match his speed, even on horseback, in no time he was through the gates, through the streets and slid to a halt before his modest home.

Sitting upon the porch he began to remove the woven slippers, but paused when the door slid open.  Peeking over his shoulder through long strands of hair he saw his Master, and his Mother.  Their words were lost as he watched his mother with a brilliant smile, as if he was seeing her for the first time.  When both their eyes were upon the young man, it suddenly dawned on him that they were waiting for him.  Like a rabbit he was to his feet, bowing respectively, and “I am sorry, Honorable Teacher, Mother.  Is it time for training already.”  The pair of adults smiled and his Mother stepped forth, placing a finger beneath his chin and raising his face to meet hers, “Do your very best, little one and mind your studies.”  She kissed his forehead and his eyes closed for a moment, his cheeks warmed and he smiled fondly, “Of course, Mother.  I will make you proud.”  The man stepped forward, snatching the boy from his feet and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of rice.  The pair laughed as they moved away from his house and his Mother, setting him to his feet after a few streets were passed by.

Into the wilderness the pair would go, his final task of becoming a hunter was at hand.  He was to track an animal, kill the animal cleanly, clean the animal and return it to the village where it would be added to the food stores.  Day began to cross into night before he finally caught wind of something.  A boar!  Remembering the tracks and the signs, all adding up to a large boar.  Oh what a feast that would make for his triumph return home!  His Master watched after him, but remained quiet as the boy tracked the boar ever further south from the village.  In the end, the boar was finally cornered and dropped with a single shot from the new hunter’s bow.  By fire light the boy cleaned the animal, securing the meat for the return trip home.

Dawn found the apprentice and Master well underway.  The boy had never been as proud of himself as this moment.  More than once he’d needed to be reined in, leaving his companion kilometers behind him before realizing.  Before long he could see it, the cherry blossoms on the horizon marking just how close they were to home.  His slippered feet could not wait as he sprint towards the tree and home, the hill being taken in only a handful of steps.  Dark green eyes landed on his home… and his heart sank.

The drastic change of the sight before him was overwhelming.  His home was in utter ruin.  The gates had been shattered, everywhere fires burned, blacking out the sky overhead as shadow claimed not only his village, but him as well.  His heart sank as did he, falling to his knees before the sight.  Master finally made the hill, but he had no words.  A calloused hand touched the boy’s shoulder, but there was no reassurance to be had.  Then he saw it.

Among the shadows of smoke and debris, there was something moving.  For a moment he was hopeful, had people fought and won?  Had they survived?  Homes could be rebuilt!  He was on his feet, his pack dropped to the ground behind him as he blindly raced home, “Here, we are here!  We can help you, are you hu-“he slid to a halt, nearly tumbling over himself as he scrambled to stop.  It was not humans, not his people in the shadows, but the perpetrators.  Hideous creatures, fire demons that walked on all fours like a grotesque version of a serow.

Their mauls were coated thick with blood, their scales still held dried gore upon them, and he was awe struck.  For what felt like eternity, demons stared at the half elf, and he stared back.  Surprise became fear, fear became panic, panic as he drew his bow, dropping several the bolt he drew.  He suddenly dropped to his knees, scrambling after the bolt and the demons were in motion.  With fire literally burning in their eyes, they charged the boy.  No… no… he could not simply perish here, run, fight, do something!  He screamed in his own head.

The pack of three came closer, and finally his bolt was on the string.  Rising to fire, taking aim, but he was too late, he would die here and so would end the story of the village beneath the mountain.  A shadow passed and the head demon was tackled, knocked to the ground as his Master filled his view.  The demons paused, but were not deterred.  They circled around them now, and the panic in the boy’s heart vanished… he had to protect his Master.  The arrow shot forth from his bow and hit the demon in the face, but it was of no use.  The bolt ricocheted from the demon’s armor like hide and he swore he saw it grin.

The fiery behemoths charged, two of them landing on the adult and dragging him down.  Fiery talons and jaws searing into flesh as the boy could only watch, tears streaming down his cheeks.  A third demon slowly stalking to the boy a tenth its size and its mouth opened wide.  The boy stared into the mouth that would devour him and every fiber of his being told him to run, but he stood his ground.  Stepped forward, he charged the demon, as the demon’s mouth began to fill with flame, his own mouth filled with a scream.  If he were to die here, he would go down like his Master, fighting til the end.

Flames rushed forth, engulfing the boy, but still he ran.  The demon, surprised, stepped forward sinking its teeth into the boy’s arm and suddenly the world stopped.  He looked to the mouth around his arm, his clothing aflame, but his flesh unharmed, the pain of those teeth intense… then it happened.  A flash of power, lightning flared to life from within the maul of the beast, thunder sounding all around him as the demon’s mouth was blasted open.

The three demons now watched as small bolts of lightning rippled across the boy’s flesh, between his fingertips, streaking from the tears on his face and into the air.  The shattered jaw of the demon was already healing, reforming, as all three circled the lightning clad boy.  As one they pounced, the boy covered his face with his arm as he screamed, the sky opening as a massive bolt of energy rained down, striking him and the demons in one blast.  The anticipated pain never came, his eyes slowly opening to the smoking carcasses of the demon as they began to fade into dust.

The boy looked to his body, and then his hands as the sparks of energy remained, looking beyond them he saw his mentor there and quickly raced to his side, but it was far too late.  He shook his Master again and again, but there was no life left in that body.  Slouching over the man the boy cried heavily, slowly dragging himself to his feet and began into the village, or what was left of it.

No matter where he went, there were only the dead, demons too busy feasting to pay attention to the boy covered in tears, sweat, and blood.  Mindlessly he wandered to where his home was, the door destroyed.  There at the foot of the steps lay a warrior, sword in hand, but with his head missing.  Slowly his small hand touched to the handle and pried the weapon from the soldier’s hand.  The sword was held before him as he climbed the stairs and stepped foot into his home.  There was only the sound of burning wood for long moments, each step taking him deeper.

Each room he searched was empty, until there was only one.  He placed a hand to the door of his mother’s room and slid it open slowly.  The far wall had been smashed in, and there upon the bedding say a large demon, soundly chewing on something.  Emeralds went wide as he saw the lifeless face of his mother, jarring slightly with each new bite the demon took until it noticed it had a visitor.

The clay demon’s eyes met the half elf’s and green hues narrowed sharply.  The demon spun and leapt at the unsuspecting prey, all the more to eat.  He was no swordsman, but still he pushed the blade between himself and the creature, the momentum carrying both in a head over toe tumble before coming to a halt.  The sword jutting out of the back of the creature, small streaks of lightning slipping from it.  Fighting the weight of the demon, the boy pulled himself from the carnage, his breathing labored, and a terrible pain in his rib cage.  Tip of weapon scraped along the ground as he dragged himself back to his mother’s room.

Hours went by before the sounds of feasting and burning dulled, and eventually the world grew silent once more, save for one.  He’d always been stronger than his age, and that strength came into use as he dragged what was left of his mother out of his home and to the very center of the village, but she was not the only one.  For days he poured over his home, collecting all that he could and lay them side by side in the center of their home, wrapping their bodies in what cloth he could find, accounting for as many persons as he could.

Dozens lay before him, and the half elf was exhausted.  He place his hand atop the cloth covering his mother’s forehead and closed his eyes, praying for the strength to do what needed to be done.  As if in answer his hand’s sparked once more and like liquid, flames spread from his touch, along the ground and engulfed all the bodies of the fallen.  The boy stood, taking a few steps back as he watched, his hands placed together, his head bowed.  He paid his respects to the fallen, but his mind was set on one thing and one thing only.  He would hunt down every demon he could and destroy them… he would destroy them all.