Sailor Moon Chronicles S
Temptation of the Demon Hunters
Joshua Windblade is a fifteen year-old Night Elf who lives in the beautiful and serene city of Darnassus. Being a Night Elf, he has glowing eyes. His are yellow. Pale blue is his skin tone. Green is his hair color. His home life isn't one of an average child's. He lived alone with his mother while his father was on the battlefield. When he was four, his mother died after getting poisoned by Webwood Spider in the forest. After his mother died, Josh's father abandoned the boy in Darnassus. Josh now doesn't remember either of them. He was adopted by a man named Fandral Staghelm. Fandral works as a skilled druid and is the right hand man of Malfurion Stormrage. Even though Josh has a new father and a new home, he is still unhappy. Fandral doesn't treat the boy with enough love or tenderness. He insists that Josh become a druid and forces him through long and grueling training. Luckily, he can escape from his troubles by meeting with his friends. Unfortunately, his interests are vague. Josh has yet to have a single dream for the future.
The waters were placid and glass-like on the lakes of the Temple Gardens. The sun was surrounded by a colony of approaching clouds. Josh lay against a tree with a piece of straw in his mouth. His eyes were closed. Every unnatural noise was blocked out. The sounds of the birds chirping made the soundtrack of his relaxation under the shade of the tree. He wore a grey vest and light grey pants. His feet were bare. Josh had just finished a training session with his adopted father and felt exhausted.
The sound of voices broke his mediation. He opened one eye and saw that his two friends, Atticus and Vincent, were coming. Both boys were his age. Vincent, a hunter in training, was taller and skinny. His hair was dark blue while his skin was light blue. All he wore was a blue shirt and a pair of brown pants. Atticus was the muscular one of the group and a warrior in training. He is not the most reasonable person. It was obvious that he tore the sleeves off of his white shirt just to show off his muscles. His skin was light purple, and his hair was dark blue. He wore tan shorts. Both boys wore sandals.
"I knew he'd be here," said Vincent. "It's my hunter instinct."
"Or it's the fact that this has always been my hangout spot," said Josh. "How are you guys?"
"We have really cool news," said Atticus. He was so excited that he was nearly yelling. "Right now there is a demon hunter at the Maple Tower Inn. We saw him."
"It is so rare to see a demon hunter in the city," said Vincent. "They always stay to themselves."
There were good reasons to why the boys made such a fuss. Demon hunters are not pleasantly welcome among civilians. They are dark warriors who draw their power from demonic forces and use the power against demons, but they are not demons themselves. The ritual to become a demon hunter is ghastly. It is required to capture and sacrifice a demon to seal a part of its spirit in the warrior. The person then needs to burn his eyes with a magical blade to keep the demonic essence in the body. Once the eyes are gone and all that is left are mutilated sockets, the demon hunter can still see. Since their powers come from demons, they are feared by society.
"That's cool," said Josh. He was fascinated with demon hunters. His reason for this was because his real father is a demon hunter. "We have got to go there now before we miss him."
The boys went in the direction of the inn. Josh's excitement increased his speed and left the two boys several steps behind him. There were clumps of people gathered by the windows of Maple Tower Inn, whom were most likely trying to catch a glimpse of the demon hunter as well.
"There are a lot of people," said Vincent. "Maybe we shouldn't go in."
"Are you kidding?" said Josh. "I have gotta meet this guy. You don't see a demon hunter everyday. I just want to talk to him."
"Wait!" warned Vincent, stopping Josh at mid step. "If Fandral finds out that you were with a demon hunter, he'd beat you."
Josh quickly thought about the consequence and ignored them and continued walking to the inn.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Atticus" said Vincent.
"Let him go," said Atticus. "If he wants to go, let him. There is a chance that it's his old man."
A worker in from the inn shooed the people away from the windows. The doorman was not there, so it made for an easy entrance. There was a clerk behind the front desk. He inspected Josh, looking at him from head to toe.
"What is your business here?" asked the clerk. He sounded irritated. It was most likely caused by the commotion outside. "If you are not getting a room or already have one, you should leave. I have had to send several people out of here who wanted to see the demon hunter. What a bother allowing him here was? If he didn't have pockets full of gold, we would have not let him have a room here." The clerk seemed to have trailed off into a rant but soon came back to earth. "Well? Why are you here?"
Josh was a very skilled and competent liar. "My parents and I got a room here last night. It was late."
"Oh!" said the clerk, feeling ashamed. "I am terribly sorry. I didn't know. You must have seen the night clerk. Go right ahead. Enjoy your stay."
"Thank you," said Josh. He turned away and grinned with a job well done.
He made his way to the inn's restaurant. There was no one there due to the fact that it was late afternoon. There was no one there except for one person. It was the person Josh had come to see. The man's presence was a foreboding one. Though Josh was excited, he felt a twist of fear along with his anxiety. The Night Elf demon hunter had a black blindfold over his mutilated eyes, which was the norm. There were to small slits in the blindfold. A small, yellow glimmer glistened from inside the slits. The man had white hair in a long ponytail, and his skin was dark purple. White hair does not correlate with age for Night Elves. He was young, probably in his late twenties or early thirties. He didn't wear a shirt like most male demon hunters. His arms, which put Atticus's to shame, and chest bared the tattoos of a demon hunter. There were bandages wrapped around his hands and feet. He only wore a pair of black pants. As soon as Josh saw the demon hunter, he froze. The man had his arms folded across his chest there was nothing on the table in front of him. Josh's heart jumped into his throat when the man's face turned in his direction. His face was positioned to be looking right at Josh.
"Why are you here, boy?" asked the man in horse tone. "Have you come to gawk at me?"
Josh slowly walked forward. "I don't want to stare. I want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"I want to know what being a demon hunter is like."
The man seemed to be looking at every feature of Josh's body. He smiled.
"You seem perfect for the art of the demon hunter," said the man. "First, let me introduce myself. I am Roderick Calmroot. What is your name, boy?"
"Josh Windblade," he answered timidly. "Why do you think I can be a good demon hunter?"
Roderick motioned Josh to come closer. For that moment, Josh only heard the sound of his heart pounding. When Josh was beside Roderick, Roderick leaned closer to Josh. "You have sadness, emptiness, and rage," he whispered. Those chilling words shook Josh to his core. Those completely accurate words made his whole body grow cold. A complete stranger had easily tapped into Josh's secret feelings. Josh wanted to run. No one else was there. No one was at the windows. The clerk had left. Josh was alone.
"Don't be afraid," said Roderick, as he touched Josh's shoulder. "My new eyes allow me to see deeper than normal ones. If you're not my enemy, you have no reason to fear me."
These less frightening words made Josh feel better.
"Come to the abandoned temple outside of town at midnight," said Roderick. "We will begin your training as demon hunter. Do you really want to become one?"
"I have to think about it," said Josh.
As soon as he said that, Josh dashed out of the door as fast as he could. He never looked back. His once strong admiration for demon hunters was mixed with uncertainty. When he finally stopped, he was right outside the Cenarion Enclave where he lived. His legs felt like water. A cold sweat coated his skin. He nearly fell onto a bench. Josh sat there for quite a bit of time. His hands were between his legs, and he stared at the ground.
"You look like you've been spooked," said a voice.
Josh slowly looked up to see that Scarlet Claymore's beauty was shining down on him. She was human and Josh's age. Her parents were priests and moved to Darnassus to study in the Temple of the Moon. Scarlet could turn heads of both humans and Night Elves. She always wore a bright red-short-sleeved top with a white or black shirt underneath with a black skirt. Her black shoes were always shiny. Her hair was long and golden like a field of grain during a sunrise. Her gemstone blue eyes were only surpassed in loveliness by her smile. Josh fancied her quite a lot. He blushed whenever she spoke to him personally.
"Hello," said Josh awkwardly.
Scarlet giggled. "What freaked you out so badly? Joshua Windblade, I saw you run as if a Webwood Spider was chasing you."
Now Josh was really embarrassed. Scarlet saw this and tried to make him feel better. "I was just on my way to go pick some flowers. Would you like to come with me? You're a druid after all. You should now some things about plants."
"I am not that great of a druid," said Josh modestly. "I couldn't help you find the right plants."
"That doesn't really matter," said Scarlet cheerfully. "It would be fun to hang out together."
Josh grinned. "That'd be awesome."
The two of them ventured into a forest area still within the city walls. A meadow in the forest was carpeted by flowers of uncountable types. Scarlet blissful frolicked in the flowers while Josh watched.
"Come on, Josh!" she called to him.
Courageously, he went to her. She laughed and he laughed with her. Scarlet spun around and fell onto her back on soft bed of daisies. Josh fell back beside her. They laughed in perfect serenity. They looked into the sky. The clouds that nearly blocked the sun earlier had disappeared and left the sky blue.
"It is amazing how flowers can make everyone happy," said Scarlet. "Don't you think flowers are amazing, Josh?"
He looked at her. "Yes, amazing." He was actually referring to her.
While Josh was staring at her, a shadow covered him. The shadow was wide, so it belonged to someone large. Josh took a gulp as he knew who it was. He slowly sat up and turned around to see his adopted father, Fandral, staring down at him. Fandral was taller than most Night Elf men. His had very strong arms. His skin was pink; he had long green hair and a beard. He wore a brown robe, and his feet were bare. His face was distorted with anger.
"F… Father…" said Josh in fear.
Scarlet got up and saw him.
"Mr. Staghelm," she said happily, not noticing his cross expression, "what brings you here?"
"I have come for my son, Miss Claymore," he said in a coarse tone. "You are not involved." He turned back to Josh. "Come with me."
Josh didn't move, which was a bad choice. Fandral grabbed him by the arm dragged him away. Josh was nearly knocked off his feet a few times. Josh looked back at Scarlet. She just stared at the two of them as they left. Josh's house was near the forest, so no one saw Fandral dragging his son by the arm. Once inside, Fandral let go of Josh's arm. It was bruised where Fandral's hand had been.
"Sit!" commanded Fandral.
Josh scurried to the nearest chair which was a custom-made wooden chain for Fandral. It was so high off the ground that Josh's toes barely touched the floor.
"Do you have any idea how mad I am?" barked Fandral. "I taught you never to go near demon hunters."
"How did you find out?" asked Josh.
"The clerk at the hotel told me," he answered. "He over heard your conversation and rushed to inform me. How dare you defy me? I took you in when you were alone on the streets with nothing. I raised you as though you were my own blood. I will not have my son become a demon hunter."
"Why do you hate demon hunters so much?" asked Josh. "They fight on our side. I want to become one."
Fandral swelled with rage and struck Joshua. Josh fell onto the ground.
"NEVER!" shouted Fandral.
Rage swelled in Josh as well. "I hate you! You're not my father. I don't need you anymore. I will become a demon hunter and be a hero!"
Fandral was so cross he didn't know what to do. He grabbed Josh by the harm again with more might and threw him into his room.
"I will lock you in here until you come to your senses!" shouted Fandral.
He slammed the door so hard that the room shook. Josh's rage had gotten the better of him. He made the decision to leave and meet Roderick at midnight. He only needed to wait until midnight. Then he could start a new life where he would be happy. He went to his desk and began to write a going away letter to Vincent and Atticus. The letter stated that he would come back sometime in the future.
Time was a vindictive menace that loved to torture the desperate. Josh sat on his bed with his knees to his chin for hours, waiting, waiting. The sun set outside his window. It cast red light over his face. When the sun was finally down, Josh gathered his things in a backpack. Luckily, Josh's room was on the first floor, and Fandral was out that evening working. Josh trekked through the forests in town to not be spotted. Once he got to the gates to the city, he was free. The temple that Roderick told him to go to used to be a temple used to worship Elune, the Goddess of the Moon, but a band of furlogs raided the temple and destroyed it.
He was now in the forest outside of the city. A path led to the temple. It was winding and empty. When Josh finally arrived at the temple, he was amazed to see that a house was built to the left of the ruins. It was an average sized house. Smoke was slowly floating out of the chimney. Candle light gleamed through the windows. Roderick didn't mention anything about a house. Was it his house? Josh made a gut call and decided to see if he was in the house. When he came to the door, he knocked on it three times.
"Come in," someone called
Josh reached for the knob and slowly opened the door. Roderick was sitting in an armchair by a fire place. There was a cup of tea on the stand by the chair. Aside from the blindfold and tattoos, he looked like normal man enjoying a quiet evening. This ordinary scene made Josh feel oddly at home.
"Take a seat," said Roderick.
Josh made his place in a chair opposite of Roderick's. Roderick didn't say anything right away. He took a sip of his tea.
"I didn't mean to scare you at the inn," he said.
"Sorry," said Josh.
"I came on too frightening. I didn't intend for that to happen. I guess Fandral has traumatized you with talk about evil demon hunters or something. Anyway, it is time for you to learn why your father left you to Fandral."
Josh attention was grabbed by that statement. "How do you know my real father?"
"You see, Joshua, I have been working with your father since before you were born. It was so unfortunate that your mother died. This brings me to why your father left you. He is one of the best demon hunters to climb the ranks. Some say that he is like Illidan was when he was young. His life style is one that a child could not grow up in. When your mother died, he knew he could not raise you on his own. That is why he left you with Fandral Staghelm. Don't think that he left you ultimately. He has been watching you as you have grown into the teenager you are today. You are now old enough to begin training has a demon hunter and fight along side your father."
"Where is my father?" asked Josh quickly on the edge of his seat.
"He is in the temple," said Roderick,
"I need to see him," said Josh anxiously.
Roderick smiled. "Certainly."
The two of them walked to the temple. Vines dangled from the roof to the ground. Ivy had slithered around the columns. The inside was completely different. Four touches illuminated the altar. Before the altar, a Night Elf stood. His back was to the two that entered. He looked truly demonic against the ritualistic backdrop. He was tall and muscular. His hair and skin were the same colors as Josh's. He wore only a pair of black pants. He turned around. It was Josh's father, Sebastian Windblade. The black blindfold was over his eyes and the tattoos were on his torso. Aside from the blindfold, he was an older more muscular version of his son. It took Josh a moment to process that it was his father, the man that abandoned him to keep him safe.
"Father?" Josh asked weakly.
"Come here, son," said Sebastian.
Josh didn't know what to do. This man was his father, but he has no memory of him. There was still a father and son bond between them. It was what drove Josh to embrace Sebastian.
"I missed you," said Josh.
"Me too," said Sebastian. "Don't hate me for leaving you. I did it to keep you safe."
"I understand," said Josh coolly. "I am ready for the ritual. I am ready to become a demon hunter like you."
"That's my boy," said Sebastian with pride. "Let us begin."
That night was a change for Josh. It marked a new time his life. The loneliness and sadness was gone now that he was with his father and away from the oppression of living with Fandral. It wasn't too late for Joshua to still see his friends. Even though his new profession would be ridiculed, he could still walk among the people of Darnassus. He could even see Scarlet.
It was two days afterwards that Josh returned to Darnassus. Scarlet, Vincent, and Atticus were discussing where Josh could have gone.
"I don't like this," said Scarlet. "He could have gotten hurt in the forest. Is Fandral looking for him?"
"He sent some scouts the morning he was discovered missing," said Vincent. "They didn't turn up anything around the city."
"I hope he is all right," said Scarlet. "I don't know what I'd do if I learned he was…he was…" She teared up a bit.
"Do you like him?" asked Atticus tactlessly.
Scarlet's tears vanished immediately. Scarlet went crimson. "I don't know what you mean?"
"I said 'do you like him?'" repeated Atticus.
"Well, he is a very close friend of mine," said Scarlet, embarrassed. "We got along really well."
"Stop teasing her, Atticus," said Josh.
The three teens jumped. They could not believe that Josh was back.
"We thought you were gone forever," said Atticus ecstatically as he rushed to hug Josh.
"You're demon hunter," said Vincent with an open mouth. "That is so cool."
While the two boys took Josh's attention, Scarlet was feeling multiple emotions. She was glad he was back. She scared thinking about what he went through doing the ritual. She was furious that he left them all without much of a word. Fury won over the emotions.
"How are you, Scarlet?" asked Josh.
"How could you leave us like that?" snapped Scarlet. She began to cry again.
Josh was really clueless to why she was crying. "Don't cry. I am back now. Don't be sad."
Scarlet let go of all her anger and enter a high of an unexpected feeling. She could not tell what it was at first, but once her arms were around him and she felt the beat of his heart, she knew what the emotion was. It was love.
"Forget it," said Scarlet. "I am just glad that you are back."