Swords & Claws

Demons

It is a beautiful morning. Birds are singing along with the wind blowing the trees. The flowers still wet with fresh dew are blooming. Half the golden sunlight made through the very fabric of the yurt. Giving the interior a tint of yellow.

The smell of his mother's cooking and the noises of the busy morning in the village wakes up the young mixed wolf, Ajag. He yawns and stretches on his bed before getting off, scratching his belly. Although the air is cold, he washes his face with the water in the bucket by the central mast. He makes sure to scrub his eyes and his ears just like his mother taught him.

Rubbing his eyes on his way out, he opens the curtains to his yurt. The smell of steak and satay spoils his nose. He can feel the drool behind his lips.

"Good morning mo..."

Ajag stares, body stiff as a statue, at his mother's standing limp body. A long metal staff, sharpened to a long spike at both ends pierces through her. A figure, in all black, except for the white gloves and white bunny mask is holding the weapon which stole his mother's life. Her blood flows down the shaft and drips from the lower end.

Only now does he realize the sounds aren't from wolves doing their morning business. They are running, screaming, and crying in fear. Figures in black-and-white wielding long deadly weapons slaughter all the villagers, painting the yurts, grass, and trees crimson. Wolves are being cut, sliced, crushed, stabbed, and exploded.

The bunny mask turned to him. They're staring at each other. Ajag wants to scream, but before any noise comes out, his throat is shut by the other end of the bunny's weapon, piercing through his nape.

Ajag knows what these creatures are. They are demons. Demons that all hatch from one giant egg. Demons that live beyond the great wall. Demons that will get him if he goes too far from the village. Demons that, though smaller than a wolf, especially when one stands upright, their weapons are deadlier than anything. Just like in his mother's stories.

There are two ways to get away from the demons. One is to hide and hold your breath until they're gone. Ajag can't do that now. The other way is to let them hurt you, very, very bad, then pretend you're dead. So, Ajag, despite being so scared he's literally pissing himself, despite being in so much pain, both from being stabbed and from seeing his mother's lifeless body being stabbed, his eyes become red waterfalls, stays as calm as he can.

He relaxes, goes limp, and falls down. Though the metal sliding on his bloody flesh is painful. Though the spike cuts his lips as he falls off. Ajag holds back his scream. His own blood drips on his face as he lays unmoving.

Bunny-mask looks at him. He holds his breath. A few seconds later the demon looks away, points around, and chases another wolf. Ajag keeps playing dead.

There are still so many demons. A whole army of them. His tears mix with blood. Both coming out of his eyes. He's too scared to feel the otherwise unbearable pain from his hollow neck.

1 minute passes. 2 minutes pass. 5 minutes pass. 10 minutes pass. He feels it. The rumbling. The ground trembles as the great-roaring-cart-beasts approach. They are gigantic. They look like 4 wheeled carts but move on their own, and they always roar whenever they move. From these beasts come out more demons. Cart demons. They collect wolves who were killed by demons. Once they carry you away, there's no coming back.

3 are approaching Ajag. He needs to go away. How? What can he do? He's a mixed wolf, and his parents are also mixed wolves. He has no talents. He's not as strong as a summer wolf, he's not as quick and agile as a spring wolf, he can't breathe fire like a summer wolf, nor can he shoot ice from his eyes like a winter wolf. What can he do?