"Fall back!" Illise called over the thunderous roar of the demon, but it was impossible for anyone to hear her. The demon slashed it wicked tail and one strike of it enormous paw took out several of the other slayers. Others lay severely injured. Before Illise could call for retreat again, others were rushing to save their injured comrades. Illise watched horrified as the people she had trained with and grow so close to, fall by the claws of the demon. Never had she heard of such a demon. A demon whose very breath made the oldest of oaks tremble and whose paw prints could be mistaken for craters. Even all the most skilled slayers in all the surrounding villages could not bring down this monstrous beast. Illise could do no more than watch helplessly as she became the last of her kind, the last demon slayer. She hid amongst the trees until the demon saw its foe had fallen, lost interest, and moved on. Illise waited for what seemed like days, then she crawled out of the bushes and slowly moved about the carnage. She saw the faces of all those dear to her, all gone in a single moment. Suddenly she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Hope filled her. Perhaps she was not the lone survivor of the beast. She knelt next to the body and turned it over so she could see the face. Her heart seemed to rise to her throat. "Illise." The boy said softly. "Yes brother, I'm here." Illise replied choking back tears. "The demon was to strong. I'm sorry." Her brother whispered using the last of his strength. Illise stayed there, cradling her brother, completely dazed. As she watched him die in her arms, she felt some of her die along with her brother. She also knew somewhere amongst the bodies lay her father. Her mother had died of the plague when she was little and her father and brother were all she had. Her father had taught her and her brother everything they knew about demon slaying, but now they were both gone, along with so many others, slain by the demon. She vowed then and there she would slay the demon that had caused the death of so many good and innocent people. She gently laid her brother down. After she buried the dead, she sought out Sella the wise spirit. Sella told her of a sword that was made of the claw of the great dragon demon that would aid her in slaying the demon. For months, Illise braved through unimaginable terrors and hardships, slaying many demons and traveling through the harshest of places to finally retrieve the sword from the ancient dragon's tomb. At last, it was time to meet the demon once again. After several days of searching, she found the den of the demon in a cave in the mountain tops of the dead mountains. Sword in hand, she crept into its den. The stench alone would frighten even the most brave-hearted of heroes. Even so, Illise did not turn back. The memory of her dear brother and father kept her going slowly forward. Although she mourned them she would not allow her anger to blind her. Her father once told her, "To strike an enemy in anger is like fighting in the dark. When facing an enemy you must not fight in anger or revenge you must fight to protect." She had contemplated this many times on her journey. She slowly made her way deep into the mountain, the bones of unknown animals and humans crunched under her feet. Soon she was face to face with the beast. His growl rattled her very bones but she bravely stood her ground and struck at the demon with her mighty sword. To Illise, it was all but a blur of, claws, teeth, and the fur of the demon. The sword was heavy and the beast was quick and cunning. As the fight raged on she felt herself weakening. Soon she had no more strength left. No, she thought, I must slay this beast to protect the innocent live of those it will kill and to keep people from felling the pain of losing everyone they love like I have had to suffer. Every muscle and bone in her body ached but she forced herself to carry on. She gave one last great heave of her mighty sword with all the strength she had left. She collapsed and prepared to join her brother, but when she opened her eyes she saw the demon lying dead at her feet. Illise had brought down the beast. Her brother and all the others the beast had massacred could finally rest in peace and the land would flourish once more. Illise's mission was complete; the rein of the terrible demon had come to an end. She laid down her sword at the head of the demon, never to be used again. Exhausted she sat down against the cave wall and slowly drifted into peace. She died in the demons den as the last of her kind, the last demon slayer.