A Father's Occupation

Until the Hunter becomes the Hunted.

Image by Leo from Pixabay

Ainu gave the tracks a skeptical look. They were large but she wasn’t sure they belonged to the demon that she was hunting. The mud that the demon had stepped into was soft, making the prints appear more visible under the fallen pine needles of the forest. That was something, at least. But still, doubt nibbled at her mind.

Her father’s voice echoed in her mind. If the tracks are too visible, then the demon will make you miserable.

Something that he had told her time and time again when he had taken her through the woods. They had started with deer of course. After all, there was nothing like hunting your next meal while also learning how to track demons. Back then, Father had made her use a bow, despite her begging him to use the twin blades that he carried.

Not yet, Small One. I have several more demons to kill before I bequeath these to you.

And when will I get to use them, Father? Ainu had asked.

He had smiled at her. When the Hunter becomes the Hunted.

Ainu stood, looking again at the tracks. No, these were not the demon’s. At least, not the demon she was looking for. She looked around. The gloom of the forest deepened with each passing moment, the shadows of the foreboding trees growing longer. A light drizzle fell, and Ainu shivered as she felt a cold drop of rain slip beneath her collar and trail down her spine. It would be more problematic to hunt in the dark.

But then again, demons were more likely to come out in the dark.

Ainu cast one more look at the footprint before her, with its three-toed feet, as large as the body of a humanoid child. There were no other signs of disturbance, no cracked tree trunks, no crushed branches or twigs. No, she was being led astray.

Ainu whirled around, a dagger flashing into her hand. She threw it into the brush between the trunks of two trees. There was a squeal and the thump of a body falling on the ground.

Ainu had found her trickster.

***

“Anaparo.” Silver fire appeared in Ainu’s cupped hands. It sat there for a moment, hot and pleasant before she dropped it on the pile of kindling in front of her. The sticks and dried leaves flared into a silver plume casting the small clearing in ghastly shadows before it died down and returned to the color of a normal fire.

The goblin on the other side of the fire scowled, his hands tied behind his back. His side, where Ainu’s dagger had struck, was bandaged. “An elf witch,” he muttered.

“Not a witch,” Ainu said, her deep violet eyes gleaming in the firelight. “I just know some of the Old Magic.”

“Pah,” the goblin hissed. “Old Magic. Such an inferior form of sorcery.”

“Is it now?” Ainu asked. She pulled out a wand. “I found this on you. I’m pretty sure the arcanist who made it used Old Magic. And if it weren’t for the Old Magic, I wouldn’t have been able to heal that wound. And you would be dead.”

The goblin spat. “I’ll be dead anyway soon enough.” He eyed the twin blades on either of Ainu’s hips. “Those pretty swords have my name on them.”

Ainu considered the goblin for a moment. He was bald, as all goblins were, his bat-like ears arched so that his shadow looked like that of a small, horned imp. He stared at the ground, avoiding the she-elf’s gaze.

“What is it?”

The goblin looked up. “What is what?”

“Your name.”

The goblin’s face contorted into an incredulous expression. “Why does that matter?”

“It matters to me,” Ainu said.

The goblin sat silent for a long time. The fire between them cracked and popped, and somewhere deep within the bowels of the trees, an owl called. Finally, the goblin said, “Meldu.”

To Ainu, it sounded like mildew, but she kept that thought to herself.

“I’m Ainu.”

“Whoop-dee-doo.”

“Why were you trying to confuse me?” she asked. “Why were you trying to keep me off the trail of the demon I’m hunting?”

Meldu shrugged. “It asked me to.”

This came as a surprise to Ainu. “It asked you?” She didn’t realize her quarry had the intelligence to speak.

“Well, it was more like it threatened to kill me if I didn’t.” The goblin shook his head. “He was a tall piece of scav, I’ll tell you that much, and ugly too.”

“Did he tell you to kill me as well?” the elf asked.

A look came over Meldu’s face. “Look, nothin’ personal, but if I hadn’t, he would have come after me. And out in here in the Forest of Abomination, it’s every thing for itself, you get me?”

Ainu did, and she didn’t blame the goblin. Unlike many of her kind, or humans, or dwarves, she did not view goblins as the grimy little pests that most people made them out to be. Despite that, she was glad she had sensed the goblin’s presence and detained him before he was able to cast his killing spell.

“Well, you’ve set me back at least a day,” she said. She tossed some leaves on the fire, though she knew it didn’t need it just yet. “Now I’ll have to start from scratch tomorrow.”

“And what will you do with me?” Meldu asked.

“A good question,” she said. “Perhaps I’ll cut you into little pieces and feed you to the owls.”

The goblin’s green skin turned sickly as another owl hooted in the darkness.

A wry smile touched Ainu’s lips. “I jest. I’m more than willing to let you go if you swear you won’t come after me.”

Another incredulous look came over Meldu’s face. “You would trust the promise of a goblin?”

“I would trust the promise of anyone,” Ainu said. “If I find them trustworthy.”

“And you find me trustworthy?” Meldu prodded.

It was the elf’s turn to shrug. “I’m not sure if I would say that. But I’m fairly confident that if you came after me, I would have no trouble killing you.” She paused for a moment. “I have a suggestion if you’re willing to hear it.”

“What is it?” Meldu asked.

Ainu smiled. “You are the last one to see the demon I’m hunting. So I imagine you know where he last was when you found him, am I wrong?”

The goblin looked at her. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Take me to where you last saw him, then I begin my search anew. After that, I’ll let you go and I will consider everything squared.”

“How do you know I won’t trick you again?” Meldu asked.

The elf shrugged. “I don’t. But you don’t have much to gain from detaining me from the demon.”

Meldu gave a small smile. “I guess you’re right. Fine, I’ll help you. Do you mind undoing my bonds?”

Ainu chuckled. “I wouldn’t count on that.”

“But I have to fizz!”

Ainu cocked an eyebrow. She moved over to the goblin who seemed relieved that she was going to cut his bonds. Instead, she adjusted him, he being shorter than she, and righted him so that his arms were now in front of him instead of behind.

“There,” she said. “Now you have free reign. The trees are right there.”

Meldu smiled. “So you don’t trust me.”

“Not completely,” Ainu said. “But we’ll see what happens.”

Meldu nodded and went into the trees to relieve himself, while Ainu sat and stared at the flames, many thoughts going through her mind.

***

It seldom got bright in the forest of Abomination, also known by many as Geo’Lora. That next morning was no exception. A dark-gray aura hung in the spaces between the trees, and it seemed as bright as a late winter afternoon. Ainu had awakened early to see that Meldu had huddled in the roots of a large oak, his snores gentle.

Ainu prodded his foot with her own. “Meldu. It’s time to get up.”

The goblin popped one eye open and lifted himself up, letting out a large yawn that showed his sharp, yellow teeth. “Good. Let’s get a move on. The sooner I can go about my business, the better.”

Ainu nodded. “Lead the way.”

They went deeper into the trees.

“It’s a bit of a walk from here,” Meldu told her as he navigated over a cluster of twisted tree roots.

Let’s just hope we haven’t lost the scent, Ainu thought.

They moved through the forest, the trees close and suffocating, their branches reaching out with their twig fingers as if they wanted to snare the pair of unlikely companions. They walked for some time, Ainu only catching dim gleams of sunlight.

“So, something that I’ve been thinking about,” Meldu said after they had walked the better part of an hour.

“Yes?”

“Why are you hunting this particular demon anyway? Geo’Lora is rife with them. Why this particular one?”

Ainu gnawed at her lip, her fingers slipping over the hilts of the blades on her hips. “It killed someone precious to me.”

“Ah.” Meldu was silent for a long moment. “Someone like a lover? Or…?”

Ainu sighed. “My father.”

“Oh.” Meldu hadn’t turned to look at her the entire time they had been walking, his bat-like ears flapping with each step they took. “My father was a piece of scav.”

Ainu was surprised. “Was he?”

“Indeed he was,” Meldu said. “Beat me when I was no more than two feet tall. Then again, that isn’t so unusual for goblin fathers. Ma was no better. She tried to trade me to a witch for some turnips one time.”

Ainu nearly laughed at the absurdity of the statement but refrained.

“What was your father like?” Meldu asked.

Ainu saw the flash of an image of her father go through her mind. His tall frame, his stubbled face, his brown hair tied back into a ponytail with tresses flowing free. His gentle smile.

“My father was human,” Ainu said. “He too hunted demons. He saved my mother, a Daughter of the Moon Court from being strung up by a harpy. It wasn’t long after that that they married.”

“Sounds romantic. Is  your mother still around?”

Ainu shook her head, though he could not see it. “No. She died soon after I was born. Another demon.”

Meldu turned to look at her, his eyes wide with shock. “You don’t say?”

Ainu gave a grim smile. “My life is similar to this forest. Both are rife with demons. After all, it was my father’s occupation to hunt demons, and he passed everything he knew down to me.”

Meldu said no more. They continued for a while until they finally came to the place. “Ah, there’s that fairy ring,” he said looking at a cluster of red mushrooms under the low boughs of a tree. “This is where I last saw your demon.”

Ainu nodded. “A deal’s a deal,” she said. She took her dagger and cut Meldu’s bonds. “You may go now.”

“May I have my wand back?” he asked.

Ainu considered him for a moment. The wand she had taken from him was an arcanist invention, one that shot black beams of energy. His only weapon in this forest of darkness.

She reached into her pocket and looked at the elegantly carved wand. She then gave it to the goblin. “Farewell, Meldu.”

He looked at her for a long moment, and without another word, he turned and vanished into the trees.

Once she was sure that he was gone, Ainu looked at the tracks and signs he had pointed out. She was surprised to find dried bits of black blood—demon blood. She looked over her shoulder in the direction that Meldu had gone. Had the goblin actually done battle with the demon? It was something he had neglected to tell her.

This was possibly good news. There were also scorch marks in the area, most likely from Meldu’s wand. If the demon was wounded, as Ainu suspected he was, then perhaps she wasn’t too far behind his trail after all. Perhaps it was possible for her to catch up to him, and quickly.

Then she could complete the task that she had set out so long ago to do.

Based on the signs, it looked as if the demon had set out west. That was the path she followed, careful that any step should betray her presence. With her keen eyes, she was able to see here and there that there were more bits of blood, sprayed out on the ground. They were all dried, but from a brief inspection, Ainu knew that they were fresher. Therefore she had to be getting closer.

Her heart beat with anticipation. Would she finally be able to complete her task? Would she finally be able to avenge her parents in their deaths? Her hands slid again on the hilts of her blades, the blades that had belonged to her father. The blades that would see the death of the demon that had taken so much from her.

Whatever the case, that moment was now upon her.

She didn’t even sense the demon. One moment, there was nothing there, just her wandering the trees, looking for more signs of the demon that she was hunting, and then it was there.

I didn’t even hear it!

The demon was huge, to say the least, at least ten feet tall. Its head sprouted many horns, its eyes dark and empty, razor-sharp teeth in its mouth. On its side festered a black wound on its dark gray skin, a wound that Ainu guessed was left by Meldu. But whatever the case might be, it looked angry.

The demon roared, bringing down a clawed fist on Ainu. The half-elf launched into a backflip, spinning through the air. As she cut through the air, the elf reached into her pouches and found her throwing stars. She threw out her arms and the deadly objects went spinning at the creature with a sound like little gales of wind.

The abomination screamed as Ainu landed, the small, pointy things sinking into its flesh, drawing fresh blood. It sank to one knee, heaving, its empty eyes glaring into Ainu’s soul.

The demon spoke, its voice deep and awful. “You dare hunt me?”

Ainu unsheathed her two swords, holding them at her sides in a ready stance. “I do.”

The creature let out a bellow that shook the trees around them, scattering birds from the treetops in a flurry of wings. Gray mist coalesced around the creature. “You will die,” it said.

“Only you will die today,” Ainu replied.

The demon opened its maw. Small tendrils of black flame flashed between its ivory, dagger-like teeth. “Fool!” the creature cried.

Black fire shot from the creature’s mouth at Ainu. She ducked into a roll, the searing, Abyssal heat sailing over her into the trees, setting several ablaze. As quick as a serpent in the grass, Ainu moved so that she was beside the creature, catching it off guard. Her blades flashed in and out, slicing small but effective cuts into the creature’s gray skin. Black blood spurted and the creature roared, lashing out with an arm the thickness of a tree trunk.

Her father’s voice echoed in her head. Keep moving when fighting a demon. They are fast and will grab ahold of you. You must be quick and precise. Move fast, or you won’t stand last.

Ainu leaped, the arm rushing beneath her feet as she flipped. She lashed out with a sword, severing one of the creature’s horns from its head. Another scream as Ainu landed. She dove forward and shoved both blades into the creature’s chest. They sank in easily, like knives into melted butter.

But they didn’t come out.

The demon grabbed Ainu’s wrists before she could yank out her swords. She blinked in surprise. This demon moved faster than she thought.

“You forget that I know your moves,” the demon purred, its ghastly breath blown into the half-elf’s face.

Bones snapped as the creature squeezed Ainu’s wrists in its meaty fists. She cried out, her fingers slipping from the handles of her father’s blades. The pain was so intense that she blacked out for a moment only to shake herself back into consciousness. The world spun around her, as she hung there suspended by the demon’s grip.

“I could bite your head off,” the demon said, looking down at its newly captured prey. “But I like to play with my food.”

He threw Ainu and she went spinning. She tried to use the momentum and the opportunity to right herself so that she could land and nearly succeeded. But she was still pain-sick, and she stumbled and rolled across the ground violently.

The demon looked on from several yards away, her swords still embedded in its chest.

“You tried to finish me,” it said, looking at the blades protruding from its chest. “Color me impressed. Stab the core, end the war. Isn’t that what I taught you?”

Ainu staggered trying to stand and fell to her knees. She tried again, succeeding, but her hands hung uselessly at her side.

“You should know better, Ainu. Those little rhymes were only generalities. You forgot that there is an exception to every rule. Break the rules, lest ye be a fool.”

Tears blurred the half-elf’s eyes as she looked at the creature. There was no expression on its face, no flicker in its eyes to show any hint of the person it once was.

“I didn’t forget,” she said. “But I had to try.”

“I taught you something else didn’t I?” the creature said. It took a step forward, its huge, clawed feet, stirring the earth. About what happens to these swords and when they pass on to a new owner?”

Again, her father’s voice echoed in her head. In your greatest need, it is wise to flee.

Ainu turned, knowing she had no other options, dashing into the forest. She put her broken wrists under her armpits to keep them from flapping about. She went through the trees, trying to escape. There was no way that she could do this now. No way that she would be able to kill the demon. He had all the cards. And he was right.

He knew all of her moves. There was no way she could win.

She went for a while till she heard the cracking of limbs. She looked up to see a huge shadow falling from the sky. Ainu shouted and threw herself out of the way as the demon crashed to the ground. The elf landed on her feet, but when she tried to right herself, he was upon her, a punch driving into her gut. All air left her lungs, and scarlet shot from her mouth as she went reeling back.

She lay on the ground, not able to move. The pain was too great, and she was too weak. What could she do?

“Mine blades shall be mine,” the demon crooned. “Till the hunter becomes the hunted. Yes, that’s exactly the saying I taught you, Small One.”

Ainu coughed, more blood coming from her lips. “Father,” she whispered.

“Oh, I’m sorry little one. You know that your real father has been gone for quite some time. I am only his shadow, the dark desires he tried to keep hidden from you and your mother.” The demon paused for a moment. “You look much like her, little elfling. I wonder if you are as delicious as she was.”

A fist grabbed her shoulder, crushing it, lifting her up. She struggled, but to no avail.

There was a blast of purple lighting that caught the demon in the face. The demon cried out, letting Ainu fall to the ground. He whirled around to see Meldu standing there.

“Let the girl go,” the goblin growled.

The demon eyed the goblin for a moment. “You. You didn’t do as you were told.” He started taking steps toward the goblin. “I guess I’ll have to kill you.”

Meldu’s eyes widened and he threw a glance at Ainu. “Run!”

But Ainu didn’t run. The demon was walking under a fairly rotten tree. So she screamed out a word of the Old Magic. “Nu’nare!”

There was a loud crack and the tree bent in half. It fell on top of the demon, who yelled in pain.

Then all was quiet.

As Ainu approached the demon, she realized what had happened. The tree had driven her blades deeper into the demon’s flesh, finally reaching its core. It was dead.

Ainu looked at Meldu who was standing there with wide eyes, and then back to the demon. Back at what remained of her father.

Emotion washed over her as she collapsed to her knees. Meldu took her in his arms as she wept, mourning the last fragment that had been her father that had expired into nothing.

But even among the sobs, she found herself whispering three words.

“Rest in peace.”