Nusac

Chapter 9

Faith’s POV

It’s been about a month since I started teaching Namine how to fight with a sword. She’s getting really good. She’s still not confident enough to get into a real spar with me with them. I haven’t even started hand-to-hand combat yet. That’s just a can of worms, which I’m going wait for her to ask me to open.

So we’re practicing and I’m still going about half the speed I usually would. It’s a little boring but I’m still getting all hot under the collar whenever we do this. So I’m attracted to her. Sue me. She goes to attack me at her top speed and I push it away with ease. She’s all hot and sweaty from the exercise and her breathing has picked up a lot. Making her breasts rise and fall very quickly. Down Faith. Mind out of the gutter.

But I’m fighting how do I get my mind out of the gutter? Luckily for both of us the sun shows its first signs of rising in the distance and she calls a halt to the lesson. Saying I need to eat before I go out trying to kill demons. Man this woman knows me. She’s even been able to keep up with how much I eat. Which, lets just say is a lot.

Okay so she gets me all full with some vegetable stew. Right about now I need some meat. The eating kind of meat not the, I need a man, kind of meat. So after demon killing I get to go hunting. I even get to play with a bow and arrows.

I’ve got the bow on my back with the string across my chest to hold it in place and I’m in the woods. I like these woods. There’s always something out here. Even if we haven’t got a heads up this place is always crawling with vampires and demons.

The thick canopy of leaves at the top of the trees blocks out most of the sunlight making the forest floor dim, dank and a little damp. Good for me bad for the demons that don’t have that added bonus of seeing in the dark. Being a slayer I still do.

Namine stayed back at the house so I don’t feel obliged to look after her. I mean I am the slayer. Old habits die-hard. So I’m out here letting my senses go further than I normally would. Giving a lot of my control over to my slayer ‘cause I’m not patrolling, I’m on the prowl.

A loud roar fills the dim forest and I swivel round on the ball of my foot to face it. It’s not far off. Sounds all hungry. I scale the nearest tree the slayer within me not having to look at the branches as she climbs.

Luckily I’ve managed to get my hands on some pants. Everywhere else I have to wear the dammed skirt thing. It’s not easy to fight in one of those things. So anyway Namine doesn’t say a lot when I’m out here like this. I think she’s getting tired of having to patch me up all the time. What can I say? I get in the way a lot.

I jump from one branch to another over on the next tree then repeat this until I’m hovering over the very noisy demon. He roars again and I think my eardrums are close to bursting.

I look down and this thing it must stand about 8 foot tall. I don’t know or care much what kind of demon it is but it looks nasty. It has a thick mane running from the top of its head running all the way to the base of it’s back I don’t mean its hair is long and reaches down there I means it’s growing out of his back in a straight line.

It lifts its head back and roars again. Now I can see its face. It looks almost human. Well apart from its 5-inch tusks pushing out from under its top lip and it has insanely high cheekbones.

Around it, in the small clearing in the forest are several villagers, all tied to trees. Well that is never good. Demons taking hostages, usually ends up in a whole lot of bad. Which means I have to be here to stop it. Fine with me let me get a little action on the go.

However I don’t know if I could take this down on my own. I mean it’s huge and looks wicked strong. Which means I need to even the odds a little bit.

Luckily for me I’ve got that one covered. I take an arrow out and pull my bow over my head. It’s facing the wrong way for what I need to do so I have to get it to look around a little bit. So I run my tongue along the feathered balance at the back of the arrow to wet it just enough for the effect I’m looking for.

I pull back the tense string and release, it flies through the air whistling as it goes. The sudden noise breaking the demons concentration in what ever he was doing and looks around to find the source of the interruption.

Got ya. It turns to the angle I’m looking for and I shoot another arrow right through the back of its heal. That’s gonna hurt like a bitch.

It drops to its knees with the sudden pain and clutches its wound. That should even the score a bit so I drop from my perch to the ground. It still hasn’t noticed me.

Good for me. So I creep up behind it and swiftly break its neck. Why didn’t I beat it to a bloody pulp is what you want to know. I am Faith after all. The answer is that when you live here in Nusac. That’s what they call this place. Back home it would basically mean the earth. Anyway back on topic. You learn really fast that you can’t draw out a fight. That’s a sure way to get yourself dead in a week.

Besides like I said this place is constantly crawling with all this supernatural. Well here I suppose you wouldn’t class it as supernatural as everyone has a firm grasp of what is going on around them.

I cut down one of the villagers from his make shift prison and hand him my dagger. I can make a new one, don’t worry. That one wasn’t very good anyway. “Cut the others down and get out of here, it’s not safe.”

He nods accepting the blade. “Thank you slayer.” And he goes off to do as I said.

Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he have to say that. She has a name you know.’ But that’s who I am here. I can be the slayer. The first time I saved anyone they actually bowed going all ‘slayer we are not worthy’ and all that crap. It was not fun.

So here I am the slayer. That’s more or less what I am to these people. Fine with me, point me to the bad guy and let me fight. The only person who actually calls me Faith is Namine.

I’m in far too much of a violent mood to stand around talking. So I walk off into the deep forest looking for the next demon to cross my path because that was just not fulfilling enough. That would be the downside of getting the fight over with quickly. The good side is staying alive but I need that fulfilling feeling as well. Or I’ll have to get myself off a hell of a lot more. I’m already taking stupid trips into the woods in the middle of the night.

I push my senses out into the dim forest and almost immediately a chill goes up my spine. Told you this place was crawling with demons. Lets go find the big beasty.

It really doesn’t take a long time to find where the demon is hiding out. Well when I say hiding out I don’t mean in the classical sense of the word. What I do mean is it’s racing around with half a rabbit hanging from between his teeth. Looks hungry. And slightly dangerous.

By that I mean it has the physical anatomy of a human. A very thin human at that. Standing at about 5ft5. I can see each rib protruding from its chest. Mostly human. Well apart from the nails which look like they could slice through steel. Its skin has the colour and constancy of stone. Oh and did I mention the wings on its back? I didn’t I’m sorry they are kind of hard to miss. He keeps starching them out as he eats his meal and it looks like a wingspan of at least 8ft.

I’m about to pull an arrow out because with those wings I’m at a bit of a disadvantage. He has other ideas as he spots me. I think he’s fed up of rabbit and wants something a little more Faith sized. This does not look good.

It rose into a standing position still with a rabbit foot in its mouth. It looks like it’s actually stuck to its teeth and it hasn’t noticed. Nice.

Oh dear it’s not happy with just standing up it’s some how managed to stretch out those wings in the dense forest and is now hovering at about 4ft from the ground. I snap out of my thoughts and pull an arrow out and begin to set it up in the bow. Shit am I shaking? I’ve not fought anything with actual wings before what are you supposed to do in this situation?

This thing is fucking fast. From its position above the ground it managed to swoop down while I’m trying to load my weapon and took it out of my hands. Well that was a little useless. Fuck this I’m better with a sword anyway. Well I would be if this thing would give me enough time to draw one. It swooped down again and put both of its feet onto my chest and I fly through the air then my back hits a tree. At least I’m not flying through the air anymore.

I slide down the tree bark a little winded. I kinda need to get up. As it’s coming for me again, this time with those nasty looking claws. Even with what feels like no air left in my body I manage to roll away and it’s claws dig into the bark of the tree. Well now I have time to draw my sword.

Just as I unsheathe the blade it managed to untangle itself from the tree and turns on me and looks down at me with those red eyes of his. That can’t be his natural eye colour. Shouldn’t really be thinking like this while in a fight should I? Focus Faith.

It draws itself up to 4ft above the ground again and goes to swoop down at me again. No such luck this time wing boy. I side step out of the way just as it’s about to pass leaving the blade of my sword out stretched. It slices against its leg as it passes, and does next to nothing to harm it. Yeah it cries out a little bit and its wound has started to bleed. But other than that, its back on its feel turning itself on me again.

For fuck sake I’m still trying to get enough air in my lungs to breathe properly and it’s coming after me again. Can’t it at least limp a little bit to make me feel a little better. I brace myself to block against those killer claws. This thing however has other ideas when it leans back on its left foot and strikes me with its right. Again I’m flying through the air. This time when I hit the ground it stops me as opposed to a tree. Not sure which one I prefer. Shit and I dropped my sword. Unarmed against this very, very strong demon. Could get pointless.

Wow that thing is ugly. I haven’t gone any more crazy I’m only thinking this because it’s positioned itself on top of me and it’s three inches from my face. Those teeth look sharp as well and still with the rabbit foot. “You know what? I’m gonna go ahead and get that for you.” It hasn’t got my hands pinned so I mange to get my arm around and grab hold of the foot and yank it using all the strength I can from this position.

Even with the little leverage that I have I manage to dislodge it. Along with the tooth it was attached to. It howls in pain and jumps off me. Ha that’ll learn ya. It’s clutching its mouth a few feet form me giving me a chance to force some air into my system. Breathing, must remember breathing is good.

Ok then right now I need to get on my feet. Now damnit. Ok, ok I’m getting up. I manage to get onto my knees about the same time as this winged demon is on his feet advancing on me. Should have got up quicker.

It kicks me in the stomach and I once again go flying. The world around me changes and I spin through the air and stop, dead when I land on my front on the floor. All that time trying to breath was all for nothing as I’m winded again.

I feel a push against the back of my eyes as I try to rub away the pain in my guts. I try in vain to push it back. I don’t know what the fuck it is so it’s not pushing its way out without a fight from me.

However what ever is inside me trying to get out has other ideas. It just pushed harder and I have to close my eyes against the slight pain. When I open them again everything has lost all its colour. Everything around me has turned to black and white. Every tree trunk, every leaf on the ground becomes more defined. Almost important in its own little way in my vision.

I push myself to my feet the pain in my stomach gone. I turn on the demon and my shoulders roll of their own accord. I didn’t tell them to do that. That’s when it hits me. This isn’t me anymore. This is the slayer.

The demon falters almost in fear then begins to advance again. Flapping its huge wings making air rush past my ears. After its little intimidation tactic it attacks with its fists.

I watch behind my eyes as my slayer fights this fight. She sees every move this thing makes before it’s even thought it up. She begins to block before the strike has even begun. She sees holes in its defence before they have even appeared. She moves faster than even I can see and this is technically my body.

The demon goes for another strike towards my face and I back flip out of its way catching my foot on its jaw on my way. Which does a lot more damage to it that it does to me. The blow forces the demons very sharp tooth into the hole in its gum line I made earlier.

As my hands land on the floor I feel something metallic under my fingers and I grasp it without even thinking about it. With my weapon back in my hand I don’t even stop to look at it as I swing it around at shoulders height and in one swift blow remove the demons head from its shoulders.