Ruby Red - Chapter 13

As the crystals the pair of Hunters were encased in shattered, Daniel turned to Chris, hitting the shards away from his face as they arrived in Etholia. Daniel looked upon Chris with serious eyes, something that Chris recognised from the day that Daniel had saved him from the Demon in his house.

"Chris, do you know what you just faced back there?" he asked.

"The Leviathans?" Chris replied puzzled.

"No, I mean that "man" who opened up a portal to the Other Side"

"No, what was he and how was he able to do that?"

"I think he was a Human/Demon Hybrid, or a Deman for short, hence why he was able to use Demon techniques. But being able to command Leviathans... something seemed off about that, like he'd trained them or even... made them fear him"

"A Leviathan? Fearing something as small as him?" Chris said, laughing at the thought until he stopped as he saw Daniel standing angrily, the seriousness of the subject almost flowing out of his body "How could he be dangerous?"

"A Deman is not born naturally, it's what happens when a Human cuts out their own heart and replaces it with that of a Demon's" Daniel explained "Their numbers are low because most people don't have the willpower to survive. They simply aren't strong enough to fight off the Demon as it tries to take over. If they succeed, they gain aspects of the Demon like their strength, their magic, even parts of their bodies"

"So why did he look human?"

"He must have been using some kind of magic on himself to conceal his true form. Underneath that shell, I fear something most beastly resides..."

-----

As a gentle breeze blew through the quiet air of Etholia, Chris was drinking from nearby pool of water, filling up a bottle with the ever fresh liquid. He noticed Daniel was sitting on a tree branch, staring blankly into space.

"Daniel?" Chris called as he pulled the bottle out of the water.

"Hmm?" Daniel replied, looking out into the distance.

"How are Demons born?"

"You've never been told?"

"No"

Daniel dropped out of the tree, landing on his feet. He then proceeded to walk towards the pool, sitting down next to his friend.

"A Demon is born from negative emotions. Fear, sadness, grief and anger. They're the four main emotions that create those things. But they're a vicious chain and they know it themselves. When they kill someone, all four of them emotions will be created somewhere, allowing their numbers to multiply. They're smart which is why we kill them as quickly as possible, to slow down the numbers at which they grow" Daniel explained, looking into the cloudless sky above.

"So it's hopeless then?" Chris asked, disheartened to hear the origins of their enemies.

"Each bad tale you hear, each bedtime story that involved a monster is true. And every Hero in those stories, they were Hunters like us. Only we can stop these creatures from killing. So in answer to that, yes. It is hopeless to try and stop them from being born but we sure as hell won't give up trying to kill them before they do any harm!"

-----

"I'm sick of waiting Daedalus, where is the child you promised you'd bring me?" said an angered blackened figure sitting on a chair in the corner of the darkened room.

"Please just give me one more day!" the withered old man said, panicking as the anger in the other person's voice rose.

"Either you bring the child or I'll have to use you instead" as a pair of winged shaped objects burst out "NOW GO! GET HIM OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"