Demon World

The fight for humanity. It was something that Aiden had grown up on. For three centuries demons had overrun the earth, pushing back against the humans. At first it was a kill here, a kill there…a demon slipped into the skin suit of a human that was high ranking, controlling them and changing the world as humans knew it. Slowly the world changed. The cities fell. Society as it was told in the crumbling history books became something of the past. Aiden as a child watched his father fight in a group called the Guardian Initiative. In a civilized world without such war they would be deemed extremists, vigilantes…they acted upon their own law.

It had a simple rule. Every demon was an enemy. Every demon must die. Aiden was raised to believe this. His father bore it into his mind and he learned to hold a gun before he could even take his first steps. His father raised him to follow in his footsteps. To join the Initiative. The trouble was Aiden watched the demons storm what was left of civilization when he was a young child. He watched his own mother torn to shreds by diggers. Vile creatures that fed upon the weak. It had happened so quickly, they had swarmed around them and his mother tossed him forward, but a toddler. His father caught him and he watched over her shoulder as she was ripped to shreds. A horrific death for anyone. Something that Aiden didn’t wish upon anyone.

He took his father’s place in the Guardian Initiative, following directly in his footsteps. Vowing to wipe the demons from the surface of the planet. He showed no mercy. He didn’t back down. There were fights that he had been in where it was 6 to one. Or even more. With the skills that he had gained throughout his childhood he was one of the best soldiers that the initiative had ever had. So it was only fitting that he was chosen to head hunt leaders within the demon clans. He was sent after a particular demon, the one that had killed his own father. It was a revenge that he had dreamed about for nearly five years, the initiative had finally spotted the demon in one of the fallen cities. A scout had informed him and the leader of the initiative bestowed the mission upon him to bring the demon to his knees.

Aiden stood upon a barren once grassy knoll. The trees around him were black, the limbs reaching up toward the skies like long skinny fingers stripped of all live. The city could be seen in the distance as a rain began to fall from the skies. Aiden looked up slightly. He wore military like garments that would have been used in riots or war before the civilization fell. Though, the pieces didn’t quite match, his gear was pieced together over his years of life. He wore a rifle over his back shoulder with a pistol on either hip. His hair was kept, but it wasn’t shaved short and he had a rugged but kept beard upon his face. He drew in a breath as he surveyed the area. He had traveled nearly three days to get to this point. To finally see the city that the scouts claimed his father’s killer to be in felt almost unreal.

Though something caught his eye. Something, or rather someone lay in the mud as the rain continued to fall from the skies. The pale white hair was the first to catch his eye. He moved forward as he pulled one of his pistols. He walked with stealth like that of a panther closing in on its kill. As he approached he noticed the agonal gasps of the person. A woman. But. Her features weren’t quite right. Aiden knelt down his brows drawn together. He’d never quite seen something like this. He tilted his head slightly as he poked his gun against the shoulder of the woman. He looked to the cuts…the bite marks. Memories of his mother’s death flooded his mind. He knew exactly what attacked this woman. But. She was a demon, was she not?

Aiden furrowed his brows, demons attacking their own kind. They were vile creatures. But he had not seen such a vicious attack like this upon their own kin. He glanced to the city in the distance before he glanced back down to the woman. Thought’s of his mother once again bombarded him. No one deserved to die like that. He grit his teeth as he holstered his pistol. “You had better not try to kill me.” He spoke in a gruff voice, though he doubted that she could hear him at all in her state. For the first time in his life…he was saving a demon.

The mercenary glanced about as he carried her. He held her close to his body to shield her from the cold rains the best he could. Aiden eventually found shelter. He carefully cleared a bunker. It was small, but it would hold. He barricaded the door before he scooped the woman off of the cold concrete and carried her to the bed within the bunker. He set her down and looked over her wounds before he let out a long sigh. Aiden pulled his pack from his back and rummaged through it. He hesitated a moment as he stared to her before he began tending to her wounds. He worked swiftly, but carefully. His eyes would glance to her face every now and again until he had bandaged her body quite well with salve to help heal her wounds as well. Something of a rarity to find in the outlands these days, the Initiative had an old herbalist that lived with them, they had their own garden. So they could make their own medicines.

Aiden moved and lifted her body slightly, leaning her back against his chest. “I know you most likely cannot hear me. But I’m going to give you something. It tastes like hell, but it will help you recover.” He spoke as he held a small vial of medicine to her lips. He tilted it gently and then gripped her jaw to keep her mouth closed. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to care for a wounded individual. He’d seen his fair share of death and injuries. Once he was certain that she would not choke he moved across the bunker. He sat down at a desk and pulled his rifle from his back and began taking it apart. Cleaning it piece by piece. A ritual that he did every single night even if he had only fired a single bullet. His father firmly believed that taking care of the weapon outside of battle would assure that the weapon would take care of its user within battle. So far his rifle didn’t jam like others. He would lift his eyes to look to the demon every now and again as he carefully cleaned the pieces.

Aiden clicked the magazine back into his gun and was polishing the outside of it when he heard the groan from across the room. His eyes lifted slightly. The demon had been so close to death. Over the past few hours he had fought with himself, why had he chosen to save a demon? A demon of all creatures. His father would have him skinned at just the thought of saving one of the most vile creatures upon the soil of the earth. His hazel eyes watched carefully as he slowly moved his rifle into his lap, just in case. He wasn’t about to trust a demon, even if he had saved her life. They weren’t to be trusted.

He watched as she weakly lifted her arm, his eyes never tore away from her. Though as the light of the room seemed to shudder he stood slowly, his finger upon the trigger of his rifle as he held it close to his body, though he did not aim it at her. He drew in a long breath as he watched the shadows swell beneath the demon and lift her from the bed. He had never seen such a power. He’d fought demons. He’d killed hundreds. He’d lost count of how many he’d killed but power like that? He’d never even imagined it was possible. Aiden stood his chin lifted slightly as he looked to the demon, his eyes stared to her. He didn’t allow the fear that he felt to show. He’d had years of practice with this. He never allowed a demon to see his fear. That was the easiest way that the demons could win. Fear was their best friend. Just as the darkness was his enemy. When she spoke he tilted his head slightly.

“That’s an awfully aggressive tone to be used toward someone whom just saved your life.” He replied, his finger still played upon the trigger of his rifle. In an instant he could have it aimed on her and the trigger would be pulled. One demon would not end his life. He wouldn’t let his own stupidity kill him. He had stupidly saved a demon. “You’re well aware of Triton I’m sure.” He spoke and searched her violet eyes. “We are just about 3 hours of a walk from there at a leisurely pace. I found you in the withered forest of Sieve about an hour west of here. You were clinging to life.” He nodded to her bandages. “I bandaged you up. Gave you some medicine. Without it you would have died.” His hazel eyes did not move from her, his body was tense as could be. He clenched his jaw slightly, this was not a good idea. He drew in another long breath. “I uh…I’m Aiden.” He spoke then as his trigger finger still played over the metal trigger of the gun.

Aiden watched the demon before him. When she muttered something of the diggers and it being better to be alive than taken by them his expression softened slightly. Though as he watched her he could tell just how weak she truly was. Her movements were almost robotic in a way, like that of a machine that was heavily in need of repair. He took a step forward when she nearly fell, but he watched as she caught herself with the crates. His hazel eyes looked to her nails that pierced into the wood easily. His skin wouldn't put up much of a fight against such daggers. He narrowed his brows slightly as she questioned him. "Oh yes of course, I was just betting on your good humble nature." He didn't seem very intimidated by her at all. If anything his fear that he felt and the knot in his stomach had begun to subside as he watched her struggle.

He watched as she failed to even take a step, like that of a freshly wounded deer. He watched as she fell upon the bed and he grimaced slightly to her hiss of pain. "Perhaps I thought you might be a bit different from the other demons? Hm?" He took another step forward his eyes focused upon her. "You're certainly the least monstrous that I've seen." He stepped over to his bag and pulled out a small vial filled with a tick green liquid. "Why I'm wasting my time on you?" He rolled his eyes slightly. "I felt compelled to save you, for whatever unholy reason..." He then took in a breath and stepped over to her and set the vial down on the bed next to her leg. "That should numb your pain." He took a step back from her then as she addressed him.

Aiden pressed his lips into a flat line then as he looked to her. "You know. If someone saved my life, I would at least be thankful for it." He spoke as his finger continued to play over the trigger of his gun. "I save you, you seem quite unmoved by such a thing and yet you ask me to make myself useful and gather hearts for you?" He scoffed slightly. "You're making me regret my brief lapse in judgement. I don't feel any creature should die to diggers, but perhaps I should have left you there in the mud for them to find you. Surely they would have found you sooner or later? Hm?" Aiden had his brows tucked together as he glared at her. "I know the pain those pests cause, I've watched too many of those I love torn apart by them. Now let's try then again, shall we?" He stared at her for a long quiet moment. "You can call me Aiden. If you want me to help you, at least tell me your name."

Aiden shifted his weight to one foot as he watched her lift the vial. He shook his head to her comment. “Yes pain can push the mind in many ways and the mind is much stronger than it wants you to realize.” He spoke his eyes honed in on her. “Though, the vitamins in the supplement might aid you in healing.” He shrugged, “It seems to have helped so far.” He scoffed slightly and shook his head. When she spoke that she hadn’t asked to be saved he drew in a long breath. Well I didn’t ask to find you. He wanted to reply, but he was the fool whom had saved a demon. Of all things to save. A demon. He shifted his weight once again as his finger tapped over the trigger lightly feeling the bounce of the spring. He knew just how far to pull it to cause the action to click and engage. The rifle was almost like an extension of his own body with how in tune he was with the weapon.

The mercenary gazed into the violet eyes of the demon as she returned her gaze to him finally and spoke her name. Ira. It was different. But then again, wouldn’t most demon names be different to a human? Her voice was like that of a still lake at midnight in the dead of winter. It was cold. It held no inflection when she’d spoken. He imagined that she seemed to be quite irritated that he’d saved her. He wondered why. Why would a demon be so aggravated by continuing its life? Especially if the death of said demon was to be by the lowest of scum, the diggers.

His thoughts came to a sudden halt as he heard the sound of scratching and loud quick breathing from the other side of the door. “Great.” He muttered, his tone full of aggravation. He was careful when he was outside of the walls of the Initiative’s stronghold. He moved swiftly, he never stayed long at one place. But most importantly he didn’t normally carry around a bleeding demon for other demons to sniff out. He grit his teeth as he heard Ira speak his eyes looked to her. That wicked grin upon her lips. His brows narrowed. “Oh just what you need huh?!” He snapped he had already taken several steps back from her, positioning himself as he glanced to the door once again. “Perfect timing then.” He stood so that he could keep an eye on her as well as the door.

Then, she did something he did not expect. His eyes moved to the shadows of the room as they seemed to quiver and before he could say anything the door was pulled open. The creatures rushed into the room, clicking came from their vocal cords and screeches came from the others. Horns protruded from their head, sharp fangs within their jaws. Their skin was thick and leathery. They held pointed ears and bat like wings upon their backs. Aiden didn’t hesitate as he aimed down the sites of his rifle. He pulled the trigger in quick succession at the diggers flooded into the room. He downed one and another flew forward attempting to grasp onto his rifle, he buried the barrel of the rifle in the neck of the demon and pulled the trigger. The shots rang out in the concrete bunker like a flash bang sounding off in a field.

Aiden took a step to the side and kicked the body back as others flooded into the room. His aim was immaculate. His focus was unlike that of most of his kind. His magazine came to an end, but the onslaught of demons seemed to just be beginning. He slammed the butt of his rifle against the head of a digger and kicked another as he slung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled his pistol. One managed to claw into his arm but he was quick to off the creature. One more silence fell over the bunker. Nearly a dozen bodies lay scattered throughout the bunker floor. Aiden took in heavy breaths as crimson blood ran down his arm from the deep gash in his deltoid muscle. He holstered his pistol and pushed the door shut once again before he pushed the objects back in front of the door to barricade it. Aiden looked to Ira then as he pulled his knife from his calf. He leaned down and stabbed into the chest of one of the diggers and viciously carved the heart of the demon from its chest. He didn’t flinch as the black blood oozed over his skin. He stood and stepped to her and shoved the heart against her chest. “Will that do?” He spoke in a gruff voice as he grabbed the green vial before he turned and stepped to the table where he replaced his magazine quickly and he pulled bandaging from his backpack.

Aiden grit his teeth as he cleaned the wound. There was nothing worse than the infection that a digger wound could cause. He’d seen soldiers lose limbs over the pestilence that would spread through their bodies. He drank down the vial and his nose wrinkled to the foul taste of the substance. After he had finished wrapping his arm he looked to her. “Fucking diggers.” He spoke, a bit of a chuckle came over his lips then. He was high on adrenaline from fighting the demons. It was what he lived for. He stood and searched over her a moment. He couldn’t get over the fact that she looked so much like a human. Perhaps that was the true reason he’d saved her. The cloak of innocence that she wore cause him to feel pity for the demon. He cleaned the blood from his hands on a towel that hung from the wall. “So do your wounds heal if you eat those?” He asked then, a bit of curiosity in his tone. He had truly never spoken to a demon. It was always point and shoot. Kill first ask questions later. This, was quite the predicament that he had placed himself in.

Aiden watched in what looked like awe as the tendrils enveloped the heart that he’d given her. He watched as it shriveled and turned into a dust that seemed to disappear. His jaw was slightly loose, though his eyes were carefully trained upon her. He had not let his guard down, not even an ounce. He stiffened slightly as the shadowy tendrils reached out from the demon to the bodies that lay strewn about upon the floor. He even took a step back as he held his rifle in his hands, his finger once again honed over the trigger. Though, could he truly stop the demon from ripping his heart from his chest?

Fortunately for him, he didn’t meet his end in that moment. Aiden watched as the hearts of the diggers shriveled up and melted away into dust. He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard the voice of the demon. His hazel eyes turned to her and he drew in a breath. “I’ve had a bit of practice.” He replied his jaw tightened slightly. He furrowed his brow slightly, “I’ve grown up in this shithole that we so endearingly call home.” He scoffed slightly. “But I’ve other business to attend to…I assume you’re not going to die now.” He motioned to the diggers. The scene was grotesque. Blood splattered across the room.

Aiden cleared his throat slightly as a thought came to his mind. What if she could aid him in getting into the city? In drawing out the demon. “Do you know of the demon Altiri?” He questioned. “I’ve heard he has been spotted in the city…I’d like to kill him.” He smirked then. “A favor, for me saving your life? Hm?”

Aiden could feel the demons’ eyes upon him as he spoke of leaving. He watched as her eyebrow crooked slightly to his comment. Unfortunately. An odd term for a creature to use in regards to continuing to live. He still didn’t quite understand why the demon seemed to be displeased with him saving her life. A human of course would be more than thankful. Lay their life on the line, offer to aid him in any way possible. Anything to repay him for the generosity of saving their life in such a hostile environment, where friends are much less common than foes.

He shifted slightly when she spoke that she didn’t know the demon that he spoke of. He was nearly certain that most demons, given their stature would know of the alpha demon. From the information that he gained from his scouts it appeared that Triton was now under the reign of the demon Altiri. This could pose a huge risk to Aiden, but that wasn’t something that he was worried about. The comment that she made however caused him to furrow his brows. “You don’t bother to learn the names of those that you hunt?” An amused chuckle came over his lips then as he watched. “Are you insinuating that you…a demon…hunt demons?” His expression was filled with both curiosity and confusion.

The way that she spoke of demons was interesting to him. Then again, this was the first conversation he had truly ever had with a demon. Most met him with screeches, some of the higher ranking demons spoke but he honestly didn’t allow many words to come over their lips before he dispatched them from this world. Aiden watched almost hesitantly as the demon pushed herself up from the bed, no shaking…no struggle at all. Truly the hearts of the demons that the shadows had consumed had fueled her in some way, allowing her to heal. His eyes looked to the bandages, but he’d done such a fine job of wrapping her injuries that he couldn’t tell if even a scar remained beneath the gauze that was methodically wrapped around much of her body.

The demon spoke of this encounter that was to come simply as stretching out healing muscles. All she requested from him was the heart of the demon? Once again, he was perplexed. Aiden gave a bit of a nod, “Certainly…I won’t have any need of the heart…I suppose you shall put it to more use…” He raised a brow slightly. “Though I was truly hoping that you knew this demon, or at least had some connection to the city of Triton…if you do not.” He weighed out his options. “It could be quite difficult to enter the city. If you do not already know this Triton is one of the strongholds of…your kind…” He searched her violet eyes. She was so different from other demons. It was so strange. It made him want to trust her, but his better judgement told him that wasn’t a good idea. His finger tapped over the trigger of his rifle once again as he seemed to think. “My scouts have reported that this demon has taken hold of this city and is acting as the leader of the lesser demons. Now I clearly do not know much of your kind. All I know is what I am told to hunt, and I hunt it, I kill it. End of story.” He glanced toward the door. “But either way we need to get moving.” He hesitated a moment as he looked to her, almost as if he expected her to attack him.

Aiden drew in a breath and gave a nod. “We’ve some time to decide exactly what we would like to do.” He spoke as he walked from the bunker, stepping over bodies of diggers as he did so. “But as I am sure you know staying in one place for too long is never an option.” He climbed the stairs and gazed up to the dark skies, a wind whipped through the air around him which caused him to lift an arm to block dirt from flying into his eyes. Aiden walked forward after a moment once the wind died down a bit. He moved his eyes about the landscape. He was alert, listening. His finger played over the trigger, tapping away as he seemed to lose himself in thought. He glanced to the demon then. “Why is it so unfortunate to be saved?” He asked his hazel eyes locked on hers then.