~ Give light and people will find the way. ~

- Ella Barker.

~~|||~~

"Show me ya tits' girlie!"

"Looking good, as always Miranda!"

A woman, in her early 30's chugged down her 10th beer with ease. She slammed the big glass down to a wooden table and wiped her mouth, giving the men behind the finger.

"You should go and search a job, Cliff." She slobbered to them, but she was only lightly drunk. She handled the boose like she handled men. "Oi, boy, give me one more." She ordered to the bartender behind the desk, probably a new guy. The young man ran to get her what she ordered, very aware of her scary reputation.

"Ya gonna pass out at that rate!" The men kept calling to her, but she desided to ignore them. She could take them on any day.

Who was this woman? Miranda Heartfilia, one of the best warriors of her guild. She had been drinking the entire week, something she did quite often. But tomorrow she had to take on a job, and earn some money to drink some more. The taxes had to be paid too.

"The drink gonna come today or tomorrow, huh!?" She snarled, what she lacked of was patience. The boy flinched in fear and handed her the full glass, the woman shooting after him a dangerous look. "Young ones..."

What she failed to notice however in all the rumbling and guild's lively atmostphere was the shadow in the back of the room, eyes fixed on her. A person, almost unnoticable character was watching her, eyes fixed hungrily. Under the hoodie no one could suspect what tormenting thoughts he had.

Miranda swallowed the last drops of her beer and slammed the glass down again, wiping her mouth and getting up. "Alright, gotta get some sleep before tomorrow. Night guys." She waved to the men, as she headed outside.

"Night Miranda." The big men playing poker said, they were her party's members and were- as usual-, not going to get any sleep before their job.

Miranda took her cloak and put it on her, she looked quite impressive for a mere mortal, but she was a mutant, granted with the power of crushing people by bare crush of her palm. She was powerful, and that was why everyone admired and were scared of her.

Even the Stranger was drawn to her because of that.

Miranda left her guild, walking into the night. Her house was right two streets down, but her walking was quite sobber. She could handle booze, but tonight it felt like she took too much. Tomorrow was going to be a hangover, and she'd complain all about it to her teammates.

What she failed to notice, was someone following her. Hiding in the shadows.

"Ah, sorry Miranda--!" Two young kids almost crashed to the warrior woman with their bicycle, quickly fleeing before she could grab them and teach them a lesson. It wouldn't be a first time.

"Argh! Damn you, kiddos! Watch where ya goin'!" She snarled after them, cursingly continuing her way. "Fuckin' younglings, could someone teach them a lesson-?" She shoved her hoodie on her head and turned from street to right, to a dark valley. It was her shortcut which led directly to her small cottage.

Miranda continued forward looking down at her feet, her mind fuzzy. Until she rose her gaze and saw a person, just waiting her along the way. A male figure, with dark accessories. Miranda ignored him, probably a Stranger who was waiting a dawn to break as she continued heading towards him.

"It's creeping people out if ya stand there like that, mate." Miranda slobbered to him as she passed by him, not even sharing a glance. She didn't notice the red eyes staring her the entire way, calculative. "Seriosly."

Suddenly, her arm was grabbed and she was pushed against the rock wall with light speed. Miranda regained fast to see the Stranger shove her head to one side which exposed her neck area, and fangs formed up. Her eyes grew wide.

"... I'm sorry. I'm fuckin' hungry." The deep voice said and before Miranda realized it the fangs sunk down to her skin, all the way to her vein and begun to suck. Miranda gasped for air and struggled against the stranger, but in vain. The male was heavily built and strong, a certain aura left him which confused her even if the very life in her was being sucked out.

Her last thought was, 'a demon, but vampire?' before her body fell numb, and her heartbeat slowed. Her eyes closed automatically as the stranger kept on sucking, the blood delicious to him.

Under the moonlight, this village's torment was only beginning.

~~|||~~

[Faith]

... Unbelievable.

My eyes were fixed up at the night sky, stars igniting the blackness and the moon, which shone very bright. Usually I'd be heavily sleep by now, when I haven't slept well lately- but I was not.

Another loud snore of Chris' annoyed the last bit of my patience as I glared at his direction, watching his sleeping body all spread out like a starfish, his arm laying lazily on his torso. His snores were louder than anything I've ever heard before. His mouth was wide open, as he kept snoring.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and rose my head to glance at Alchadar's direction, he seemed to sleep very well. We were all sleeping around our set up campfire, as in triangle. It was safer that way I had been told. Alchadar was sleeping without his helmet on and now since Chris broke his armour he was out of it, looking almost like a normal human being. What was abnormal about him was his huge size and the horns stucking out of his head, but everything else. Now when his eyes closed, he looked peaceful.

I sighed quietly, turning so I laid on my arm, trying that way to die down Chris' snoring. Noup. I still heard it. I slammed my backpack around my head and pressed it against my ears, then listened. Goddamn it, I still heard him!

"In the name of God--" I growled and scurred up from my place, standing there for a moment. Neither of them woke up, they didn't even stirr in their sleep. Woah, if I got kidnapped silently they wouldn't even notice. I sighed again, until headed to the woods beside us. I had to pee, might as well do it before it annoyes me.

I doved down a tree's branch and continued to move through the thick woods, moving over branches and rocks, until I found a good enough place. Away from the guys, and no one in sight. With quick movements I got done with my needs and pulled my pants back on, tightening my belt on my jeans until sudden rustling earned my attention.

I froze like a deer in headlights, my head slowly turning towards the source of the noise. I saw bushes moving, something was approaching me. And fast.

Almost automatically I reached for my back, until I realized I forgot my bow and arrows.

Shit!

I took out Alchadar's blade and waited for an attack, crouching up in a silent position. What scared me to death was a deer jumping out of the bushes and right over me, running for it's life of something. But it scared me enough to have me slump down on my butt, as I breathed heavily.

"Damn...!" I groaned, realizing I was in a mudpond now. I brushed the dirt off my hands and got up, starting to brush the dirt off my body. But completely new footsteps were heard, and I didn't caught onto them until it was too late. My head rose up in warning, only to see a man jump out of the bushes holding a pickaxe in his hand, but he wasn't expecting me to stand on his way.

His speed was too inevitably fast for me to dodge.

"Oh shit--!"

Perhaps the loudest crashing was heard as the man crashed to me and we both were send flying to a tree, where birds flew out of their nests expecting danger. But my concern? Damn it hurt like hell.

I groaned in pain and looked down at the man laying on my lap, shaking his head. His pickaxe was too close to me. His gaze then flew to me, as he held his head a bit and rose on his knees. Damn, he didn't own a shirt either, showing off his broad muscles like they were made from God himself. But- he was a normal human?

"Are you okay?" He asked in concern, as he got up to his feet. He offered me a hand, which I stared at for a moment before grabbing it.

"Yeah, sorry." I offered him a faint smile, knowing I was the reason this even happened. "Didn't expect you to appear out of nowhere and bump into me."

He chuckled a bit too, but that relaxed atmostphere was there.

"Faith!"

I looked back to see Alchadar jump in front of me fast, as Chris jumped down the small cliff to get to the guy's face. "What the hell'd you think you're doin'?" He snarled, pointing his chest once. My eyes grew wide of these two.

"Oi, he didn't do anything, guys!" I rounded Alchadar and reassured them both, giving as normal looks as I could. Alchadar looked down at me with a look that if I dared to lie- nothing good would come of it. It made me shiver. "I mean it. It was my fault in the first place, he bumped into me because I stood on his way. He's cool."

I locked eyes with the friendly face who looked between Alchadar and Chris little varily, but overcame it. I know what he thought, a human girl accompanying a Demon and a Demon Slayer. What a weird group indeed.

"I apologize, I failed to notice you in time." He said, nodding to me in regret. "I was too focused on chasing after the deer, that I didn't expect anyone around here."

"We're travelling, you couldn't of know." I reassured, Alchadar and Chris exchanged dumbfounded looks.

"... I might've killed the deer already for you." Chris rose his blade up hesitantly, showing blood. I widened my eyes in disbelief at him, he shrugged and pointed at a direction they came from after following me. "It startled me."

"You're such a baby!" I accused with a laugh. I better not throw myself out when Chris is on high-alert, he will accidentally kill me. Alchadar relaxed finally and put his humongous blade back in place, granting me some space. He had stood behind me the entire time, ready to pull me out of the harm's way.

I like this protective side of his.

"It's your prey," The stranger with us shook his head, putting his pickaxe away. His face kind of disappointed. "I can't take it."

"Oh, we have plenty of food, don't worry." Chris reassured, he was a people person obviosly. He was nice to the people who deserved it, and unkind to the ones who didn't. "Living this high up in the mountain must be tough, you should take all the food you get."

The man looked at him long, then at me and Alchadar. I nodded with a smile, Alchadar barely mimicking my action. He was not too trusting, I guess that's Alchadar for you. He had trust issues, it took some time until he finally started to relax with anyone. Until suddenly the man got down to his knees, lowering his head and doing a bowing cycle a few times.

Oh my-

"Thank you. Thanks to you, my family and village can finally eat properly." He said gratefully, but that was so not necessary. A simple 'thank you' would've done it.

"Ah, you don't need to do that- please." I had to be the only one of us who was uncomfortable of his action, Chris kinda liked the attention while Alchadar simply stared his eyes wide. Fools. I walked forward and shook my hands a little nervously around to get him to stop, which he eventually did. "... You wanna have breakfast with us? We could drop by your village too, my partner is in need of blacksmith to make him a new armour."

"Armour?" He questioned, looking at Alchadar a little closer. My partner simply stared, I didn't know was the lack of sleep making him like that or the fact that strangers kept popping up out of nowhere lately. Even at night. "... I do have you a guy who can make you a fire proof armour, for free. Thanks to the latest attacks to our village we have been very short on food, and now when we can finally eat I'll ask Pete to make you a perfect armour."

"... That'd be great, but--" Alchadar said, kind of dryly. We all had heard it, and it didn't sound too great. "May I ask, what has been attacking to your village?"

The man put his pickaxe back and looked between Alchadar and Chris, lastly to me. Then he untied one leather belt from his side and gave us a clear image of a deep wound, but the scar wasn't healing properly. It wasn't bleeding either.

"Dybbuks."

        "I have a bad feeling about all this."

Chris-- he didn't put my mind at ease at all. We strolled down a small side walk right beside a cliff, which fall was at least 50 meters. The chances of surviving that was 0.001%, which was the reason I walked as far away from it as I could.

"Can someone tell me what the hell are Dybbuks?" I asked, the whole 'conversation' part being shared again by mindconnection which I clearly didn't seem to be a part of. I didn't know how men did it. "Alchadar?" Since Chris and Matt-- the hunter, avoided my gaze I recoursed to my partner. Never heard of such things.

Alchadar gave a deep sigh, they had managed to avoid the conversation as long as they possibly could-- but not anymore.

"Dybbuks are evil, they are malevolent possessing spirits that only depart their vessel after accomplishing it's goal." Alchadar answered, it took me a while to absorve the information. "It would seem someone from Matt's village died carrying grudge to everyone, and by the looks of it quite amount of grudge to have so many Dybbuks summoned at once."

"So, these 'spirits' are like Genie in a bottle, they grant people's wishes? But like, in a bad way by killing them." I asked, Matt saving us a bare glance as he listened. Chris was staring in awe at the rock cliff beside us, sometimes I wonder had he everyone alright up there?

"No." Alchadar said stern, walking over a small wooden bridge before I did, making sure it wasn't going to break and let us fall to the freezing river. "There always comes a certain prize of what you ask spirits to do, whetever it is your departed soul brought back to become one of them or for them to have it devoured, it's up to what you ask. But it never promisses good."

Alchadar gave me a glance over his shoulder, as we moved up a trail, and found ourselves walking up a bunch of stairs.

"What happens to the 'vessels'? Dybbuks are just borrowing a human being's body, right? They can't harm them?" I knew the questions were a little bit too extreme, but not only did I have to get stronger, but also wiser. What harm does some knowledge do?

"Oh, no, no-" Chris chuckled dryly behind me and suddenly his arm was wrapped around my shoulders, as he showed me to follow his arm. "Once a Dybbuk devours a soul, it can never be restored again. You die, as simple as that." He showed me nothingness, I brushed his arm off and rolled my eyes, jogging after Matt and Alchadar.

Jackass.

"So, what'd you think their task... is?" I asked, reaching the top of the stairs. Alchadar had frozen on his spot, calculatively looking at his surroundings. A village opened before us, but it was surrounded by thick fogg and quietness, an eerie atmostphere which reminded me of a ghost town. I walked closer to Alchadar and looked at what he was, a blood trail on the concrete.

Not too far away laid a human corpse, stuck on a wooden spear like a freaking ornament.

I knew Alchadar watched my reaction, but I had seen worse. Far more worse. But it happened to be a thing I was farely concerned about. I turned to Matt who was also looking at the corpse, bowing to it in respect.

"We can't bury the dead." Was all he said, feeling our gazes on him. "No matter how we bury them, under mud, rocks or seal it with a Magician they always dig up the bodies and hang them around the village as a warning, to let us know they're coming for us."

"Why don't you burn them?" Chris digged his ear, searching for ear wax. That's nasty when we were discussing of such a subject.

"We never burn our people. It's bad luck this high up in the mountain." Matt said, continuing past the corpse. "The main cabin is up here, that's where we stay at."

I slowly walked past the male human, his body had already started to decompose, rotting there and being eaten out by birds. I shivered but ignored it, this whole place gave me the wrong kinds of vibes.

"If the Dybbuks are hunting your people down, why're you out hunting then? Don't they come after you?" I asked from Matt, looking around at the death smelling village.

"They do, but the thing is they can only go so far as our village's lands, woods are not included." Matt said, glancing at me again. "I need to feed my people, I can't let them starve." He carried the deer on his shoulders like it was light weight though.

"How many have they killed so far?" Alchadar asked, another corpse came our way and this time it was a woman, hung the same way the other one was.

"14 of our people. They have no mercy on us, six of them were children." Matt said his voice cold, I flinched even more. Killing children? That was just pathetic and cruel.

"Man, that's a serious issue." Chris growled, the idea of women or children being hurt didn't set well with this Demon Slayer. I guess it was how he was, protecting someones weaker than him. Handling them like they were as strong as he was.

Finally, what felt like an eternity we stood by the biggest building of the village, which was boarded up heavily. Wood planks were surrounding the windows as well there had been set up sharp wood spikes around the area, to keep the danger at bay. I followed Matt and Alchadar inside, Chris having our back as he kept looking around varily, keeping his hand on his sword just in case.

Matt knocked on the door three times, and suddenly it was flown open, people inside looking at his return in joy. What confused them were our party members, but they didn't question anything as they hurriedly let us in, and closed the door, boarding it from inside with three wood planks.

I looked around to see men standing there to face us, a few women covering in the corners and with some of them had children hiding behind their mothers. I saw all kinds of weapons with them, and only a small amount of food and supplies, things must've been rough.

"Matt, thank god!" A woman a little older than me launched to Matt's arms, hugging him very deeply. By the looks of it - how they embraced, she must've been his wife, and they had been united once again. It was just me assuming things, don't blame me. "I thought you were... we didn't hear of you for two days--!"

"I'm fine. I got us some feast, and it's thanks to them." Matt said and turned to us with a smile, the villagers relaxing a bit more to know we weren't a danger. They even lowered down their weapons.

"What a warming welcoming comittee..." Chris wondered to himself, rubbing the back of his head. I nudged his side hard to remain quiet, these people had the right to be suspicious. I didn't blame them.

"Are they here to help us?" An elder man asked with hope, he looked so haggard I thought we'd lost him at any minute.

"Did someone finally respond to our call?" Matt's wife asked too, looking at us like we were going to be their heroes. It hurt to know that I wasn't able to help them, and even if I convinced the guys to go, I wasn't sure enough would they. Or would they dare to leave me with suspicious people? They had been looking after me like I was their child.

... But if there was a chance...

"No, I'm afraid they can't do anything." Matt said, sounding helpless himself. "Joe, I need you to make this big guy an armour, I think we owe them that much for helping us."

A man in his late 50's stepped out, looking at Alchadar's heavy built with amazement. I think the look even made the Demon a bit nervous. The thought of that made me grin alone.

Not enjoying the attention?

"Actually," As Joe got to take Alchadar's measurements I was surprised to hear him speak up, turning to him. "There is something only we can do to help your situation."

I widened my eyes to hear that, Alchadar was willing to help these villagers? Out of his free will?

"I agree." Chris stood up from laying against a wall, stepping forward. It appeared that he had had enough of listening. "Dybbuks only go after your people, but not strangers. I believe we're your only livable options left, if you are to survive out here any longer." His deep green eyes looked around the people, until he and Alchadar locked eyes. "I won't allow your torment to continue any longer."

"You'll help us?" Matt stepped forward, making sure the guys were absolutely sure of it. "... We won't be able to pay you enough--"

"The armour will do just fine. Perhaps something as welcoming gift for Faith too," Alchadar nodded to me, for the last couple of weeks everywhere we went I had begun to collect things from our trip, it didn't matter was it a rock or a rip of a clothing I took it, to remember what we had experienced. So hearing him say that had my heart skip a beat, as I smiled brightly at him. This Demon-- was unbelievable. "But nothing more."

"We are forever in your debt." All of the villagers bowed, damn I hadn't gotten used to it.

"Ah, there's no need for that--" I started again, awkwardly swinging my arms for them to stop. "Concider us as your friends, you don't need to bow to us."

"If you wanna, I won't stop you..." Chris said looking up at the roof in innocense, this guy was really testing me, wasn't he?

"Oi, shut up."

"Are you a human?" A woman asked beside me, earning my attention. I turned to see bunch of eyes on me now, awkwardly crossing my arms to look more serious than that.

"Yeah, but I can handle this. I have them with me." I nodded towards my companions, who nodded in agreement. That was what I thought, they wouldn't leave me here, not while so many Dybbuks loomed outside just waiting to attack the building. I wasn't too concerned, I'd protect the villagers with all I had, but it would've been a lot faster to deal with this by all of us going out.

... That was what I hoped at least.

"I don't know is that a good idea," Matt interrupted, stepping up. "They can possess any human they want, whenever they want. You'll be put in more danger than they will."

"We don't give them a chance for that. Besides, that girl's soul is very powerful." Chris reassured, crossing his arms while looking at me. "Her heart's even bigger than that, they can always try but we'll stop them."

"Faith won't be in danger. In fact, she'll pull the biggest role of us." Alchadar seemed to already plan an attack, and I didn't know did I like the sound of it. "I won't let anything happen to her."

I flashed them a smile, these guys were something else. I was grateful that I had them by my side.

Now when that out of the way, I turned to Matt.

"So, where's their nest?"

|~~|||~~|

Here's an update for you guys, I hope you enjoyed.

~ keep reading.