Swoooosh…
The cool night air rushed past as Aquila soared through the starry sky, its powerful wings cutting through the darkness with ease.
Damien sat at the front, his posture relaxed yet alert, while Arielle sat behind him, her hands wrapped around his waist and lightly gripping his shirt.
“So, where exactly are we headed?” Arielle asked, her voice raised slightly to compete with the wind.
Damien glanced back at her, a faint smirk on his lips. “That’s the thing—I don’t know.”
Arielle raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”
“Not exactly,” Damien admitted, his tone nonchalant. “I’m just following my instincts. Letting them guide me to wherever the demons might be lurking.”
Arielle groaned, leaning back slightly. “You’re unbelievable. You let me tag along on this trip, and you don’t even have a plan?”
Damien chuckled. “Plans are overrated and you basically wanted to come. Besides, there’s one place I want to check out first.”
Aquila let out a sharp cry, as if in agreement, and adjusted its course.
“What place?” Arielle pressed, narrowing her eyes.
Damien’s smirk faded slightly as he turned his gaze forward. “The cave. The one where I found those captives.”
Recognition flickered in Arielle’s eyes, and she straightened up. “You mean the one where you brought those people from?”
“Yeah,” Damien said with a nod. “I want to see if there’s been any activity there since. It’s a good place to start.”
Aquila descended gracefully, its large wings kicking up a cloud of dust as it landed near the collapsed cave entrance.
Damien and Arielle dismounted, their boots crunching against the rocky terrain as they surveyed the area.
The once imposing cave entrance was now little more than a pile of jagged rocks and rubble. The surrounding area was eerily quiet, with only the faint rustle of the wind breaking the silence.
“Spread out,” Damien said, motioning for Arielle to check one side of the collapse while he inspected the other. “Let’s see if there’s anything unusual.”
Arielle nodded, drawing her short sword as she moved cautiously toward the left. Damien unsheathed his new Double Refined Sword, its faintly glowing runes casting a soft light in the darkness, and headed right.
For several minutes, the two of them scoured the area, their eyes scanning every nook and cranny for signs of activity.
The rubble was undisturbed, and there were no tracks or markings to suggest that anything—or anyone—had been there recently.
After completing their search, they met back at the starting point.
“Find anything?” Damien asked, sheathing his sword.
“Nothing but rocks and more rocks,” Arielle replied, shrugging. “It’s completely dead here.”
Damien exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. “Good. That means no one’s been snooping around.”
Arielle tilted her head, studying him. “You were really worried about this place, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say worried,” Damien said, scratching the back of his head. “Just… cautious. I didn’t want to leave any loose ends.”
Arielle’s lips quirked into a sly smile. “So, Cerbe was the one who brought the cave down, wasn’t it?”
Damien nodded, his expression resigned. “Yeah. It was Cerbe.”
“I knew it!” Arielle said triumphantly, her grin widening.
Damien rolled his eyes. “It’s not exactly a mystery, Arielle, considering it’s the only summon of mine with that amount of fire power.”
“Still,” she said, crossing her arms, “it feels good to be right.”
With the cave confirmed as inactive, Damien and Arielle climbed back onto Aquila. The Griffin let out a low rumble of approval as they settled into place.
“So, where to now?” Arielle asked as Aquila took off, its wings carrying them effortlessly into the sky.
“I’m not sure,” Damien admitted. “But I have a feeling we’ll figure it out soon enough.”
Arielle raised an eyebrow. “A feeling? That’s not exactly reassuring, Damien.”
“Trust me,” he said with a smirk. “My gut hasn’t let me down yet.”
They flew in silence for a while, the landscape below them bathed in moonlight. The vast expanse of wilderness stretched out as far as the eye could see, its rolling hills and dense forests shrouded in mystery. Your next read is at empire
As they traveled further, Damien’s instincts proved correct. In the distance, a faint flicker of movement caught his eye—a shadow darting through the rugged terrain below.
“Did you see that?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Arielle squinted, leaning forward slightly. “See what?”
“There,” Damien said, pointing toward the ground. “Something’s moving down there.”
Aquila let out a low growl, its sharp eyes locking onto the same spot Damien had indicated.
Arielle’s hand instinctively went to her sword. “What do you think it is?”
Damien’s expression hardened. “Only one way to find out.”
He directed Aquila to descend, the Griffin angling its wings as it spiraled down toward the forest. The opportunity Damien had been waiting for was finally here.
Wiiiiisssshhhh…
The wind howled around Damien as he sat on Aquila’s back, the Griffin gliding smoothly through the sky.
His eyes were fixed on the forest below, where faint movement among the trees betrayed the presence of demons.
Without a word, Damien leapt from Aquila mid-flight.
The rush of air tore at him as he plummeted toward the ground, his body slicing through the sky like an arrow. He tightened his grip on his sword, preparing for the impact.
Booooom!!
With a resounding crash, Damien landed on the group, the force of his arrival sending shockwaves through the earth.
Dirt and dust erupted into the air, forming a cloud that obscured him momentarily from view. The ground beneath him cracked and splintered, a small crater forming where he stood.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the demons lurking in the shadows.
Krrrrr….
Their glowing red eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the dust cloud, and guttural growls echoed through the area as they began to close in.
Damien straightened, his sword glinting faintly in the moonlight. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he scanned the approaching enemies.
“Let’s make this quick,” he muttered, stepping forward to meet the first demon.
The first demon lunged at Damien, its claws aimed for his chest. He moved over to the side effortlessly, slashing upward with his sword and severing the demon’s arm in a single fluid motion.
Karrreeeii!!
The creature howled in pain, but Damien didn’t give it a chance to recover. With a swift spin, he drove his blade through its skull, ending its life in one moment.
Two more demons charged him, their movements wild and unpredictable. Damien ducked under a swipe from one, kicking it backward before slashing at the second.
Thwack!
Damien’s blade met little resistance as it sliced through the demon’s neck, the creature collapsing to the ground in a heap.
The first demon recovered and leapt at him again, but Damien was ready. He grabbed it by the throat with his free hand and slammed it into the ground, the impact sending another cloud of dust into the air.
The battle raged on, more demons emerging from the area and rushing toward him. Damien moved like a shadow, his movements precise and calculated.
Every swing of his sword found its mark, every step put him in the perfect position to counter or attack. Every movement wasn’t wasted and it brought down one demon or nearly killed another.
Blood sprayed through the air, the forest echoing with the cries of the dying.
High above, Aquila circled the scene, its sharp eyes watching as Damien tore through the horde of demons.
Kreeeeeii!
The Griffin let out a piercing cry before swooping down, landing gracefully at the edge of the clearing.
Arielle dismounted quickly, her eyes widening at the chaos unfolding before her.
She could see Damien in the thick of the fight, his movements almost too fast to follow as he dispatched demon after demon.
Without hesitation, she drew her sword and rushed into the fray.
Damien glanced over his shoulder as Arielle joined the fight, cutting down a demon that had been sneaking up behind him.
“I thought I told you to stay out of this!” he called out, his tone half-annoyed, half-amused.
“And I told you I can take care of myself!” Arielle shot back, her blade slicing cleanly through a demon’s torso.
Together, they continued to fight, their movements synchronizing as if they had trained side by side for years.
Arielle’s agility complemented Damien’s brute strength, the two of them weaving through the remaining demons with practiced ease.
The area soon grew quiet as the last demon fell, its body hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Damien and Arielle stood in the midst of the carnage, surrounded by the remains of over two dozen Grade Seven and Grade Six demons.
Damien sheathed his sword, turning to Arielle. His expression was a mix of exasperation and approval. “You didn’t have to jump in, you know. I had it under control.”
Arielle smirked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “You looked like you were having fun. Thought I’d join in.”
Damien opened his mouth to reply, but Arielle cut him off with a shrug. “Besides, I told you I could handle myself. Or did you forget?”
Damien chuckled, shaking his head. “Fine. You proved your point. But don’t blame me if you get in over your head one day.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Arielle said, grinning.
Damien let out a sigh, but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he turned back toward Aquila. “Come on. Let’s get moving. This was just the beginning.”
Arielle nodded, following him toward the Griffin. “At least admit I did a good job.”