Through the Trees [DEMO]

1 - Blood (Gallons of the Stuff)

Jeff swiftly moved to the side in order to dodge the punch, putting his arms in front of him order to block any further attacks. He backed away from the half-demon and got into a fighting stance, knife in hand. The killer charged at him, his speed catching Eyeless Jack by surprise. Before he could do anything else, Jeff tackled him to the ground, both of them hitting the leaf-covered forest floor with a loud thud. The killer kneeled on his chest, the blade of his knife pointed right above EJ's throat. Jeff brought the knife down until it just barely touched the demon's flesh before stopping suddenly, letting the sharp point hover above him.

"Presto. You're dead." Jeff muttered. A sharp-toothed grin slowly began to form on EJ's face.

"Damn... I think that was the quickest you've taken me down yet!" He said, reaching up and patting the killer's back. Jeff carefully got off of him and stood up, pocketing his knife.

"That's 'cause I'm fuckin' awesome." He said, allowing a cocky smile to spread across his pale face.

EJ got up as well, playfully shoving Jeff by the head. "Stop being so full of yourself, it's the reason no one but me will tolerate you." He said jokingly. Jeff laughed, running a hand through his long, now messy black hair. "Yeah, it's too bad that no one else in the Under Realm can tolerate my talented ass."

"You mean your annoying ass." EJ said, grabbing his blue, slightly battered mask that had fallen off partway through the training session. He placed the wooden mask over his face, his grey skin and empty black eye sockets now invisible to outsiders. He began to walk in the direction of their house, going slowly so that Jeff could catch up to him.

They made their way through the Under Realm's forest in silence, EJ listening to their surroundings intently and Jeff gazing around at the foggy air, mind wandering.

Their home was a small, slightly run-down looking cabin in the middle of the woods complete with a small front porch, a back door, two stories and a basement. It was the perfect size for two to three people and a few pets to live in, meaning it was perfect for the half-demon and his murderous companion. It didn't look too terribly homey, but it was home to them and that was perfect.

EJ stepped onto the porch and opened the door, the light skittering of clawed paws being heard from inside the house as the door swung open. The two men entered and were greeted to a large hellhound and husky mix bounding down the stairs, excited that his owners were home.

"Hey, Smile!" Jeff said happily. He allowed the dog to jump on top of him and lick his face, causing the killer to laugh slightly. "Hey, hey, watch the scars!"

Smile got down and, exactly like his namesake, grinned at the man, his tongue sticking out of his mouth like any typical dog. Jeff smiled and pet the canine's head.

"How've you been, buddy?" He said affectionately. Smile barked in reply, wagging his tail in excitement.

"Bagel Bites okay for dinner?" EJ asked.

Jeff gave him a skeptical look. "How do I know you're not gonna burn the house down like ya almost did last time you tried making dinner?" He said with a smirk.

"I told you, I swore I would never try making noodles again!" EJ said.

"You managed to make a boiling pot of water burst into fucking flames!" Jeff reminded him.

"That was one time!"

"One time too many!"

"Alright, alright, how about this: I'm banning myself from using the stove unless you or somebody else is in the kitchen with me. How's that?"