The Demon Slayers

[The Dapper Mog]

A warm breeze caught the chimes in the window of a small cabin. The summe heat baked the roof of the miniscule building, sounds of the farm animals occasionally being brought in on the wind. Dark chocolate colored eyes slowly fluttered open, seeing the mildy run down roof above them.

A young monk lay in a cot, a thin blanket overtop him, a cool and damp cloth on his forehead. A shot of pain flared up his chest, his face wincing slightly as a groan escaped his lips. Once his vision cleared, he slowly sat up, allowing the cloth to fall onto his lap. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the random details surrounding him.

A table with a cup of water on it was beside him. Further to his right, he noticed his robes hung up outside the window, no doubt drying after being cleaned. He hadn't noticed that he had been unclothed, but, he supposed with the pain, he had been wounded during the attack on his monastery.

His left hand rose to touch the wrapping around his chest, another wince when his fingers touched the wound. The young man slowly rose to his feet, moving over to the window to look outside, seeing a number of people working. It was evident that this village had a lot of farmers. That was good. Farmers were typically proud and hardworking people.

Deciding it was best to speak with someone and get some information, the monk stepped outside, speaking to the first person he came across, a young woman who seemed to be weaving. She looked up at him with a smile.

"Ah, it is good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

At first, his expression was puzzled, but a slight smile crossed his lips as he replied.

"Better, thank you. I'm guessing you are the one who took care of my wounds?"

The young woman nodded, giggling briefly.

"Yes. I am glad you are recovering. My I as your name?"

"Jin Xiu. I'm a monk. My home is...was, the Four Pillars Monastery in the east. Where am I?"

The young woman frowned at him, shaking her head.

"It is a shame. We were saddened to hear of the attack on your temple. This is Lian Yu, a small village to the north of The Four Pillars."

Jin nodded briefly. He'd heard of this village before. It was known as the Slayer's Refuge. Many people had been known to deal with Demon Slayers there, and often times, slayers would settle down there. Many of it's inhabitants were former slayers.

After a moment or two of thought, Jin bowed politely to the young woman.

"Thank you again, for your hospitality. I owe you my life."

"Please. You owe me nothing. Just live well, maybe do a little work, and I will be happy."

Another small smile crossed his face as he nodded to her. So, now what should he do?

 

[Crow]

A young woman with a qipao walks across the village. despite appearing slender and mature, she was actually in her early teens. A fast grower indeed, unlike some people. A few men ogled as she walked past them. But that wasn't important.

She seemed to be looking around for something in this simple farming village. It looked like a regular village, but it might be something more. She had a little hunch about her next location. She then snuck between two houses - an area with no one - before making a few stances, allowing her to alter her shape into a little insect. Her clothes did not adapt, however, and were shed like a snake's skin.

The insect flies into a certain house where she heard some conversation.

"... We were saddened to hear of the attack on your temple. This is Lian Yu, a small village to the north of The Four Pillars."

"Thank you again..."

Well, from what the insect gathered, this village, Lian Yu, was north to The Four Pillars, which had a temple that was apparently attacked. By what, perhaps? If it was demons, they were probably rummaging the place by now, making it their personal demon utopia.

Ah, maybe that's something for later. For now, it's time to take a break. With that, the insect flew out of the house towards the back of the house, where no one appeared to be present for the time being. The slender woman, except now fully nude, took its place.

"Well, good thing I always keep spares," she speaks.

"You act as if you have an infinite suppy," a voice emerged.

"Why thank you," the slender maiden reached towards a hand holding her qipao. As she grabs her qipao from those hands, she turns towards the source. It was a familiar face.

"Nezha! I almost didn't notice you, little guy. Using your size to sneak up on me? You are a sneaky little pervert after all~ teehee~"

"We're going at this again aren't we?" the short, little one blushes as... he? She? Well, he looked away.

"I guess growing boys need their dose~ Maybe you are a boy after all~"

"Goddamnit just put your clothes on you monkey," Nezha as he calls himself speaks.

"Looks like you've seen me naked~ You'll have to-"

Nezha had enough.

"SUN WUKONG, SHUT UP AND PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON ALREADY!" Nezha was red from both embarassment and anger. He was almost ablaze, metaphorically of course.

"Yeesh, you could've just asked nicely," the slender woman, 'Wukong' as she is called, proceeds to don the qipao as she continues talking. "So, what brings you here anyways, Nezha?"

"I heard that this village was likened to Demon Slayer Headquarters. Perhaps I could find some information, or even hear about Aoguang's return."

"Aoguang? Didn't I kill him the other time?" Wukong questions.

"I did too," Nezha comments, "wait, don't tell me you don't know he keeps reviving. He isn't called the Immortal Dragon Demon Aoguang for nothing."

"Oh yeah, that. Wonder how he is. But really though, were you eavesdropping like I was?"

"Yes, I was. But demon attacks aren't really that rare," Nezha speaks, "they're always happening somewhere. Depending on type of demon, they either stayed or moved on to find something else to terrorize. Wait, why am I talking to you?"

"Because you're into older women kid," Wukong winks.

"Sh- shut up!" Nezha blushes, "I'm the older one here!"

As Nezha storms off, Wukong just shrugs her shoulders and whistles.

~~~

"That Wukong thinks she can make fun of me. Well, I'll show her," Nezha angrily storms, before the androgynous, child-like one bumps into someone taller.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" Nezha then covers his mouth, "I mean, sorry about that.... ummm..." His vision was a little blurry for a while so he didn't know the right greeting.​

 

[Grothnor]

The wine was gone.

That had come as an unexpected and unwelcome revelation the day before. Kareth had expected the wine to last him a few days more, but guessed he drank more than he intended. It was the last thing he had purchased with the money from his last job and now it was gone, a mild headache left in it's place. He wished for many things, but right now, he wanted his headache gone and his wineskin filled.

Kareth sighed. No use wishing for what can never be. He thought tiredly, shouldering his pack and continuing onward. It was a decent trek to the slayer village and rather out of the way, but since he completed all the contracts in the area he was in before, he had nothing better to do. Besides, after that last one had nearly got him with the illusion, he figured he should learn more about them, and probably find some work there too. The demons he had faced were pretty much human: they breathed like men, they bled like men, they died like men, only you often had to stick em in the ribs a bit more than most.

He crested the hill and saw the village. Nothing about it seemed particularly exceptional, so Kareth thought he had come to the wrong place. He looked around and saw two youths messing around. "Hey, brats," he called, "Is this the Village of Slayers?"

 

[emmalee.dreamer]

She stepped into the pale day as the sun was on the rise. Her hair, as usual, was like a vortex of black around her once the wind hit. She pulled back her long strands into a loose braid, her ice blue eyes keeping an eye out for any threats. Even in the so-called "Slayer's Refuge" there could be danger lurking. When her hands came down, her left came to land on the handle of a long broadsword. Wind was it's name, and she trusted that it would defend her no matter what happened.

Neera began to walk down the path, towards the center of town.

"Walk towards injustice, and defend innocents with your last breath," were words she could still hear spoken by those that raised her, and their words spurred her onward. She had heard rumors that a nearby monastery had been attacked by demons and that there was virtually nothing left, except one sole survivor. She aimed to find him, to see if the rumors were true. If they were then she would glean as much information as possible from the bystander, and hunt the demons down. She would reduce them to nothing, and if she couldn't then she would die trying.

She was going a brisk walk until she heard a voice speaking to what seemed to be small children. She ran to the nearest building and laid her right hand to rest on the hilt of her sword. If this was a danger, she would take care of it quickly and then go on her way. If not, then she would walk on as if she had never been there.

 

[Hitomi Forsyth]

Luna was conspicous and she knew it as she walked into the village of Lian Yu the black cloak she wore forever shielding her strange appearance from anyone who dared glance her way. She wished on some level that she could be prideful of her differences but yellow eyes...and pale pastel purple hair were not signs of a 'normal' human being, though she would assure all that she was indefintely human but had come from somewhere mysterious, even the young woman didn't know where she was from, nor did she honestly care. She had been raised in this village and it had been awhile since she had been back, though she made no effort to speak to anyone, not that they would.

It didn't take but moments for the whispers to start, this 'Refuge' felt unwelcoming to the silent person beneathe the cloak, whispers of a 'demon in disguise' having entered the village, until one child dared approach the cloaked figure the little child's mother watching in horror, the child laughed and raised his arms towards Luna who let out a soft and lilting laugh that sounded quite beautiful to the ears of any who happened to hear but she spoke softly and clearly to the child, "Go back little one, you will be safer with your mother, do you understand me?" The little thing simply nodded and Luna moved on remembering why she had come here in the first place. The Four Pillars Monestary had been attacked by some demons wiping nearly everyone out but one person. That was the person she sought out.

Luna wandrered the whole village in a few moments, having run and observing everything as she moved around avoiding people where she could. Until she came upon a small home with monk robes hanging in the window and she smiled to herself under the cloak, walked around the building and spotted a man bandaged up and speaking to a young woman who was weaving. Her cloaked body moved quickly over to him and before he could panic she raised a hand from under the cloak, the long fingers and nails and smallness of her hand indicating to him she was a female, though she spoke up fast so she could cut off any unneccessary questions, "Are you the one who survived this attack sir? Ah...I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Luna Starlight." That is all she says though and doesn't even have the decency to offer him a handshake though she wasn't purposefully being rude, she waited for his answer smiling under the cloak as her head rose a little only revealing the bottom half of a pale face and the smile she wore.​

 

[Crow]

Nezha decided to speak up upon bumping into a bigger man. "Why yes, this place... I believe it is Lian Yu, the village of Slayers. We just got here, it appears that you did too." As he proceeded to clear his throat, he spoke. "My name is Nezha. And this is my rival whom I happened to meet here, Wu-" Nezha turns behind, only to notice that Wukong had run off without a trace.

"Not again..." the androgynous youth speaks, "anyways, what might your name be? I believe that since we have both just arrived, we could... tour the place a little."

~~~

"Ah, I've lost the kid. Now I can continue looking around for information. If this is a Village of Slayers, shouldn't wanted posters be a thing here?" Before even thinking of heading to the planned destination - The Four Pillars - Wukong needed to perform other jobs first. Perching on top of a roof, Wukong slid down before asking a civilian about a few matters.

"Excuse me, young sir, might I know where the job board is? You know, the thing with all those Wanted Posters and 'Hiring' Posters..."

"Oh, those? The Wanted Posters go right there Miss," the civilian says before he leans a little closer. "You look new here, thus, I must warn you, some of the 'Wanted' demons have high yield, but they are pretty dangerous to battle alone. A little advice - take a few comrades along."

"I prefer an alone job..." Wukong speaks, "but I guess I have to thank you for the advice."

Wukong then peers at the available posters, bustling with demons and criminals alike. "No Aoguang? Damn. Oh, what's this? Some classic 'rescue the damsel in distress' mission? Normally, I'd let one of those growing teenage boys with those kinds of fantasies handle this one, but I've got a beef with the big bad behind this little story..."

Wukong rips the poster from the board, not realising that there were a dozen more copies of the same poster on the cluttered notice board. She then decided to head off...

"Ah yes, The Bull Demon King. Maybe we'll finally see who's stronger..."