Demon Hunter 5

"Weren't there five?" she asked. "Where's the fifth one?"

As if to answer the question, a vampire sailed from somewhere on top of the boulders to the ground. Its face was bloody and four wounds, all from the same shin blade, were imprinted on his chest and bleeding.

Dillon stepped into view, dusting his hands off. "There he is. Bastard tried to sneak up on me." He dropped from the boulder and changed himself back to normal. He stared menacingly at the coward leader huddling in fear. "You will tell us where to go to get to the castle. If you don't...well, I think you will." He lifted his right hand, making the blades on his fist glint in the light.

"Just follow the path that way. Please don't hurt me!" the vampire answered, pointing towards the horizon. It was the way they had come on the path.

Alex answered first. "Well, just because we thought to go to the same place doesn't mean we'll show up in the same place. Besides, Jeff only told us to go through first to talk to her for a moment. Trust me. Let's start heading towards the castle."

Without another word, the three started off to the castle.

Chapter 3: A New Friend; Stronger Enemies

Jeff and Ashley had watched the whole fight from the other side of the castle. They clapped at the performance, even though the three other Chosen couldn't hear them.

"If we follow this path, and head towards the castle, we should meet them at the front gate. Shall we start?"

Ashley started walking without him and called over her shoulder, "Are you coming?" Jeff jogged up next to her and they followed the path chatting all the way.

"Hey!"

Jeff's bat was out in a flash, his eyes white. He stood with his feet apart, twisting his head. Ashley followed suit, her chain out, and eyes white.

"Get outta here! Cowards! You weren't doin' this shit ten years ago, were you? Does pickin' on a crippled man make ya feel big or somethin'?"

Jeff spotted the commotion first. Off in the distance was an old building, white and peeling, with a crooked cross on top. At the front of the building, a heavy wooden door stood cracked open. Broken windows lined the sides, and a white picket fence surrounded the outside. At the edge of the fence were two Blackwings; they were throwing rocks at the building, or rather, the man standing at the door.

The man was tall, scarred, and lanky. His face was ripped up by scars on the left side, and in his left hand was a cane. Somehow, it looked to long and thick for a cane, but it worked for the man.

Jeff tapped Ashley on the shoulder and pointed. "Anyone in the Underworld that lives in a church is a friend of mine," he whispered. "Whatsay we say ...hello'?"

Ashley and Jeff floated just inches above the ground and moved towards the two demons. Soon, they were close enough to hear the pair.

"...out, old man!"

"Yeah! You were pretty cocky when you could still use that leg, huh? Well, now it's our turn!"

The two continued to heave rocks unmercifully. The injured man suddenly whipped up the cane and snapped at the nearest rocks, slapping them back at the demons. Both hit home, smacking the evil duo square in the face.

The demons stepped back in pain, but quickly recovered. "You-" they yelled horrendous insults at the man who was nearly doubled over laughing.

With out warning, both picked up rocks and hurled them at the same time. One went high towards the man's face while one ducked under and headed for his stomach. The man whipped his cane up and something flickered like steel as it unexplainably elongated. The flashing part caught the rock heading to his face, but the other hit home.

He winced, rubbed his stomach, and hobbled off to the inside of the church.

The Blackwings, laughing, had to lean on their swords to keep from falling.

Jeff crept up behind one and tapped him on the shoulder. "Who's the old man?" he asked.

The Blackwing, smiling, answered cheerfully, "Some old washed up Hun-" His face of joy turned to hatred in a split second. He wheeled around, aiming high for Jeff's head with the sword, but missed. Jeff leaned backwards as the sword's blade cut the air in front of his face in the second swing.

"Fast, but not fast enough!"

As the Blackwing swung the blade for the third time, Jeff swung his fist and caught the demon's wrist. The sword flew from its hand and clattered to the ground a few feet away. Jeff caught the demon's other hand, balled into a fist, and squeezed. He heard the bones crunch, even over the demon's howling. He decided it had had enough. He reared back an arm and let fly. The punch sent the demon airborne. The Blackwing smacked into the church wall and just disappeared. No blood, nothing.

Ashley had not let her demon have the chance of turning around. As he stared open-eyed at his partner swinging at the Hunter, a hard blow whomped him on the head. His knees buckled, and as he dropped, he was twisted around by some powerful force and uppercutted backwards.

Ashley watched as the demon spiraled into the air and fell back onto the church's red dirt lawn. It, too, disappeared as it hit.

"Listen, you two, I have no idea who you are, but you'd best be leavin' if yer not Hunters!"

Jeff stared at the man. In his left and was most of the cane, and in his right he held the curved top with a blade protruding from it like a sword.

"We are Hunters, my friend! Why else do you think we helped you?"

The man thought for a moment and sheathed the sword. It slid easily into the shaft of the cane he leaned on, and when he twisted the handle, the blade locked into place. He walked to the fence and motioned with his finger for them to come closer.