Bada-boom, bada-bing, here we go, fight time!

Enjoy!

Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A Fiend's Night

Yu stared in stupefied horror as the creature let loose a second guttural roar, the tip of it's pincers chipping away the stone at it's feet. Around them, the candles flickered ominously, some even going out as if the sheer presence of this creature was too much for them, plummeting the room into a deeper darkness than before.

"W-w-what is that . . . " Yosuke's voice was barely above a whisper, hands clutching the sill tightly, as if letting go meant falling.

No one answered him, words frozen in the backs of their throats as they beheld the horror that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the town square. It wasn't a Shadow. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't a Shadow! Barring Teddie, Shadows were mindless creatures, fragments of egos driven by instinct and the desire to make themselves whole. But no Shadow anywhere had true conscious. No Shadow anywhere could claim to know or understand vice or virtue.

But this thing . . . this thing exuded pure evil. A malice so potent it choked the air, so visceral it felt alive. This creature knew it was a monster through and through, and it was completely unapologetic about it. He genuinely feared to know just how far this monster could sink in depravity. How far it would go in it's cruelty until it was satisfied, if satisfaction was something it ever felt. And what in God's name would it do to a small village like this?

His heart pounded in his chest, true fright filling him as he beheld the monster standing in the square. When it's blank white eyes passed over their window, it took everything in his power not to quail and scream.

The portal behind it rippled like a heat wave, and they could only watch in silent terror as a second monster just like the first emerged, joining it's vile kin in the square. To his amazement it spoke, a greeting of some sort spoken in a harsh language that sent shivers down Yu's spine. The portal then twisted in on itself like a rubber band and snapped closed, disappearing like a shadow in the night.

That was when another roar filled the night, but not from the monsters. Below them, Yu saw the heavily armored figure of Korval streak from the tavern door, hammer up and charging at the two fearlessly. Two other shadows slipped around the sides, skirting the edges of the shops as Korval distracted the creatures. One was Tirin, who was only visible for a few brief moments before slipping into the darkness, and the other was Nyras, the silver tips of her crossbow glinting as she moved. Rhysana stayed near the inn, strumming a tune on her harp as her voice rose to join it, a sonnet that swelled with power and made Yu's heart race with something other than fear.

The first creature roared again and lashed out with a pincer, the attack only grazing the edge of Korval's left pauldron. Before it could swing again, Korval's hammer crashed into it's sternum, the creature stumbling back a step as a piece of splintered bone erupted out of it's side. It didn't seem to care, merely going in again, attacking with it's smaller claws in quick succession. One missed, but the other caught Korval in the jaw, taloned tips tearing through his skin like wet paper. It then leaned in, sharpened teeth crunching on the vambrace of Korval's arm before pulling back. Korval barely seemed to register it, hefting his hammer again despite the dents in his armor that dug into his skin and slamming it into the monster's shoulder.

It's partner stepped in to help it, only to shriek as three golden bolts hit it directly in the face. One hit it's eye, the sharpened head puncturing the organ and releasing copious amounts of blood that spurted over it's monstrous face. At the same moment, Tirin appeared behind it. Using it's spines like a ladder, he scaled up the creature's back and stabbed a dagger right into the juncture between it's head and back, black blood spurting through the air in a malodorous cloud. With a scream of anger, and a surprising amount of dexterity, the monster reached around with giant pincer and grabbed Tirin by the waist, ripping him off it's back with one violent pull.

Yu felt his heart seize up, breath catching as he watched as the creature threw the gloaming into the stone hard. For one painfully long moment, he lay frightfully still as the creature made to strike down at his prone form. Then, out of the darkness, the familiar shadowy shape of Xirskam materialized and jumped onto it's turned back, claws digging into the hide. The monster reeled around, lashing out with a pincer that struck the shade in the chest, knocking him back. But that seemed to be the plan, because that was when Tirin smoothly rolled back onto his feet, now flanking the creature from behind. Together, the two attacked as golden bolt sailed over their head, lodging into the creature's stooped back.

Meanwhile, the first monster Korval had engaged pressed it's own assault, lashing out with both pincers in an attempt to skewer him. Korval just got his hammer up in time, pincers catching on the haft of his hammer and stopping the lethal tips a mere inch from his face. But the monster's dactyl's clamped down on the length, locking them both in a grapple and pushing down in an effort to throw Korval off balance with it's greater size. The half-orc held his ground, muscles straining as he pushed back, the sound of Rhysana's song rising even higher and more poignantly. Several other bolts flew, some sticking into the monster's arms and one in it's shoulder while the rest bounced off it's hide.

All of a sudden, a miasma the color of charcoal began to bleed from the hides of both creatures, the cloying cloud oozing over the stone floor like a thick, oily mist. It spread out over a range of forty feet, catching everyone except Rhysana in it's clutches, and whatever the foul mist was made of, Yu could see that it wasn't pleasant. Nyras covered a portion of her face with the back of an arm, cringing in noticeable pain but shaking off the worst of the assault to take another shot, the fire in her eyes burning even more acutely. Korval's knee nearly buckled, but he rightened himself at the last minute before the monster he was fighting could bowl him over. Tirin seemed to get it the worst, limbs becoming noticeably more wobbly as the two unified attacks hit, looking sickened by the fetid fog even as the last of the fumes dissipated. He barely avoided a pincer strike from the monster he was facing, but it's claws nailed him both times, one digging deep into his armor while the other tore at the bare flesh of his arm.

Below them, the tune and tempo of Rhysana's song suddenly changed, losing it's faster rhythm and being replaced with a more soothing melody. The soft, lulling words washed over them all like a lyrical balm, cool and calming and so very sweet.

A true magic was laced within the melody of her song, because the gentle sound seemed to lessen the afflictions on the others, the sickness brought by the greasy miasma lifting. At the same moment, a ruckus of noise came from further down the road leading to the docks, and Yu saw that a small platoon of soldiers were running forward in a controlled line, about twenty strong with swords drawn and shields up. Nyras shouted something to them, gesturing sharply to them as if telling them to leave, but they paid her no heed.

The second monster noticed their approach, and with one slash of it's pincer, it rent a hole in the air as if it were made of cloth. Then, to Yu's horror, two other monsters emerged.

They were much smaller than the other two, but that didn't make them any less terrifying. In shape they resembled very tall humanoids, but the black, scraggly wings erupting from their backs and their vulture-like heads betrayed them as anything but. Their long, gangly arms end in hands capped by four wicked claws, their clacking beaks bearing a serrated edge like that of a saw. A long, sinuous tail flicked over the stone beneath them, and their heads twitched and jerked as they sized up their prey with a pair of deeply set red eyes.

Then they screeched.

Yu clamped his hands over his ears as the sheer volume bore into his skull like a blunted chisel, the pane trembling before a giant crack rent the window in two. Several of the soldiers stumbled and tripped, stunned by the noise, and the troop was left staggering as it tried to reorient itself. That was when the creatures fell upon them.

It was a chaotic mess of shouting and flailing swords, sounds that just as suddenly gave way to screams as the vulture-like beasts savagely tore into the unprepared regiment. Yu saw blood paint the ground in dark, sweeping stains, and then no more as he tore his eyes away from the grisly scene, swallowing back bile. He caught glimpses of his friends faces, all wearing the same mask of appalled horror; Kanji with his hand clamped over his mouth, the other clutching the sill in a white-knuckled grip, Yosuke with his eyes closed, face turned away and pinched with distraught anger, Rise with her back pressed to the wall, teary-eyed and lips pursed tightly to stop herself from screaming along with them . . .

He heard Korval roar in anger, the cry punctuated by a wet crunch that made Yu look out again. Korval had freed his hammer, the blunt edge of which had left crack in his enemy's skull, the hide torn as ichor splashed over the hammer's haft, the blood having slicked Korval's gauntlets even as he pulled away. He swung again, this one fueled by a potent rage that lent power to his strike, and the blunt edge of the hammer hit the creature in the head again. This time, it split entirely, bits of shattered bone and brain matter oozing through the wounds in a chunky slop. He didn't stop, swinging a third and final time with enough strength to crush the left half if it's face in completely, blood spraying out in a viscous cloud that spattered over the ground and over Korval. But that was it. With a groaning creak, the monster toppled over, pincer catching against the statue at he heart of the town. The stone cracked underneath it, taking away the arm and a portion of the man's chest in it's collapse. Then the monster's body dissolved into a sooty cloud of ash that vanished into the night sky, the only sign of it's presence the broken stone that littered the square's heart. Nearby, Tirin rolled under the feet of his own opponent, dodging it's irate swings as Xirskam took another chunk off it's side. Growling, the creature turned and bit into the incorporeal creature's shoulder, teeth gnawing against the shadows. Tirin barked something, and Xirskam vanished in shadow, pulling out of the fight. At the same time, Tirin pointed at the monster, lips moving, reciting something Yu couldn't hear.

Shadows rose around him, warping up to his hand before coalescing into a tiny orb at the tip of his finger. The next moment, that orb inexplicably exploded into a shower of tiny, scintillating shards, each thin sliver as sharp and sturdy as a diamond. The shower breached out into a wide cone, and the monster was caught right in the middle of onslaught. The slivers tore into every portion of visible hide, tiny shards embedding themselves deep into it's suddenly vulnerable flesh. By the time the burst had ended, the monster was little more than a pincushion of shimmering shards, it's body dissolving into a sizzling pool of acid that sunk into the stones soon after.

While that was happening, Nyras gave a sharp, strident whistle, running towards the beleaguered regiment while pulling a small flask out of her pouch and pulling out the stopper with her teeth. A high whinny answered her call, and Yu heard the distinct sound of breaking wood before two other shapes appeared from the leftmost side of the inn. Bone and Aira.

Bone charged headlong into the fray, leaping over a fallen soldier to stand fearlessly before one of the vulture demons, his flailing hooves bludgeoning hard into one of the creatures sides. Aira, meanwhile, swooped next to her master, who quickly hauled herself onto the horse's bare back with ease. The two then charged ahead, Nyras holding up the flask she carried and throwing it as they ran in close. Preoccupied as they were with Bone, the two monsters failed to notice in time.

The flask exploded in a halo of brilliant light, the square, the buildings, everything becoming casted under a layer of white. The creatures reeled away from the flare, screeching in agony, but everyone else looked completely unaffected by it. Freed from the attack, the troops were given time to fall back and drag their wounded away from the fight as Nyras and Aira turned back to their enemies.

Nyras had a dagger in her hand, one they had not seen on her person before, the blade gleaming sterling silver in the lamplight. Aira, seemingly not needing any instructions, ran until the two nearly brushed sides with one of the creatures, both still dazzled by the blinding light from before. In perfect sync with her mount's movements, Nyras held the dagger out and jammed into one of monster's throat's as they ran passed.

The dagger flared a brilliant white, a light that seemed to perforate the creature from within. It screamed, gurgling on it's own blood as the light engulfed it completely, and when it faded, all that was left was the silver dagger laying in puddle on the ground. Whether it was water or blood, Yu did not wish to know.

The last creature had recovered by now, but seeing itself greatly outnumbered and alone, it took a step back. Then it suddenly disappeared.

With the battle over, the square fell deathly silent and still, as if the world itself were afraid to disturb it.

"Is . . . is it over?" Rise asked, not having moved from her place on the wall.

Yu forced himself to swallow, mouth feeling like it were made of sandpaper, "Y- . . . yeah. It's over. They won."

Rise nodded, but didn't move.

"What . . . what the hell were those things?" Chie asked, her voice soft and sounding strained by tears. She looked profoundly disturbed, pointedly not looking at where the bodies lay. Yukiko had rested her head against her friend's shoulder, a hand over her mouth and a few frail tears slipping down her cheeks. Their hands were clasped together, squeezing tight to hold on to whatever comfort they could find.

No one answered her. No one could.

The spell of stillness broke when Rhysana ran ahead, stooping beside the bodies of still soldiers with Tirin at her side. Still soldiers . . . dead soldiers, he realized. This was not the first time they'd encountered death, but never had any of them actually seen a dead body proper. Let alone ones so . . . so torn and bloody and broken . . .

His lower lip involuntarily trembled as his heart gave a sharp pang, and he looked away again.

"We should have done something . . ." Yosuke murmured, his stare a guilty one, "Then maybe they . . ."

"No," Naoto said, the only one who looked the most outwardly calm. But her voice held a slight tremor, and her face was drawn with sadness, "If we had interfered . . . we would have only died too. I'm sure of that . . ."

Yosuke bowed his head, but said nothing more.

Nyras, meanwhile, had dismounted Aira and marched to the regiment, barking orders he couldn't understand. There was a harshness in her voice that wasn't usually present, a tremble of anger lacing every word. The soldiers nodded before rounding up the ones who could still walk and setting off down the alleyways and the streets, vanishing from sight. But even as they left, the tightness in her stance didn't lessen, snatching her dagger up with more force than he thought necessary. Korval came up to her, Bone at his side, and it was only when he placed a hand on her shoulder that she relaxed.

Somewhat.

Shapes began to appear on the fringes of the lamplight, and Yu saw that some of the townspeople had crept back out into the open. There was stillness for a moment, as if no one knew what to say or do. That is, until one of the crowd suddenly broke away, a despondent wail flying from her lips as she collapsed next to one of the bodies. Her hands grabbed at his breastplate, still wailing as she pressed her face against the rent and blood-soaked armor. The sound tore at Yu's heartstrings.

Others gathered around, some offering condolences, others whispering gratitude to Rhysana and Tirin, while still others began to gather provisions to carry the bodies away. They didn't get to do so for long, as Nyras appeared next to them, speaking urgently before gesturing to the inn. With nods of farewell, the two followed the ranger back inside.

It was as if a collective breath was released, for everyone moved away from the window then at the exact same time, not wishing to observe the mourning and blood outside. The sound of sobbing continued to echo through the glass, made more prominent by the crack that now marred its surface. So shaken was he that it took him a moment to realize that the quiet sobbing was also a little closer to home.

Teddie was sitting beneath the window, his back to the wall and his hands clamped tight over his ears as if the battle was still raging for him. His face was buried in his knees, and he hiccupped softly as his shoulders quivered.

"Ted . . ." Yosuke murmured.

Yu knelt down, placing a gentle, consoling hand on the boy's knee, speaking as softly as he could, "Hey . . . it's over now, Teddie. They're gone. Everyone's alright."

Teddie shook his head violently at that, but didn't speak, or even whisper. To Yu, that was more disturbing than noise.

"Teddie-"

A knock on the door distracted him.

"It's me," the sound of Rhysana's voice echoed from the other side of the door, "Can you let me in please?"

Yu glanced at his friends, who only stared back until Naoto went and undid the bolt. With a click, the door swung inward, and Rhysana made her way inside. Her face was somber, eyes filling with a melancholy regret as she took in the ring of downcast and sullen faces.

Rhysana lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that."

"What . . . just what the hell were those things?" Kanji demanded, "What the hell was any of that out there?!"

Rhysana seemed hesitant to answer.

To his surprise, it was another voice that spoke in her place, Nyras pushing inside as well, "Those were demons. A pair of Glabrezu and Vrocks, to be precise. Powerful demons, to be sure. We're lucky we got away with as few causalities as we did."

Her voice was unusually cold and to-the-point, yet her eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire as hot as any brand. She also seemed to be looking passed them rather than at them, like she was examining something only her mind could see.

Shock settled around him, shock that slowly melted into a somber acceptance. For what other name fit to those creatures that attacked but the name 'demon'. The fact that those creatures could have done even more damage had their counterparts not been here . . . the thought made him sick.

Rhysana glared at the other woman, saying something in her tongue with a brush of annoyance clipping through. She nodded her head pointedly in their direction, then fell silent. Nyras finally seemed to notice the scared and worried faces around her, for her gaze focused and the fire in her eyes dimmed, "Ah . . . I'm sorry. I forget that this is your first time ever witnessing something like this. I should treat that with the delicacy it deserves."

"Will there . . . will there be more?" Rise asked softly, but her eyes were focused on Teddie, who still hadn't risen from his spot. Yosuke had taken a seat next to him, trying to coax him out of whatever shell he'd locked himself in. It was only marginally working . . .

"No," Nyras' words felt as if they'd lifted an anvil off his shoulders, "What happened tonight was . . . odd, to put it simply. Demons normally cannot enter the material plane without the help of a mortal, let alone so many and ones so powerful. But do not let that trouble you. We will be looking into it, I promise."

"Don't let it trouble us?" Naoto cut in, "How could we not? If such occurrences like the one tonight have even a slight chance of happening again, we need to learn as much as we can about it!"

"Naoto-" Nyras started.

"She's right."

Everyone turned to Yu, who's eyes had narrowed in grim determination, "Even if what happened tonight isn't a usual thing, there's still plenty of danger in the world. You told us that yourself. And what if something happens that means you can't be there? What are we supposed to do then?"

Nyras had pressed her lips together, but there was a spark of interest in her eyes as she spoke, arms folding over her chest, "What are you trying to say?"

He knew he hadn't gone over with the team like he'd wanted. He knew the idea might not appeal to all of them. But after tonight, after what he'd seen, he knew with absolute certainty that they needed to do something. So he let the words fly, "We need to learn how to fight."

He felt the weight of his friends gazes on his back, but none of them spoke up. Rhysana and Nyras regarded him coolly, and the silence reigned heavy until Nyras spoke, "What you propose . . . is not a bad plan. But for now, the night wanes, and we have things we must see to before it's end. We shall talk more of this in the morning. For now, it would be better for you to get some sleep."

With that, she turned and left, pulling her hood back over her head as the door clicked closed behind her. He thought he heard another pair of boots join her, a deeper voice asking the woman something, and he wondered if Korval had been standing there the whole time.

Rhysana remained, and without prompting, she walked forward until she stood in front of Teddie. Kneeling down, she reached out and touched his shoulder, whispering something in a language he couldn't understand. At first, the boy did nothing. Then, he finally stirred and lifted his head, sniffing softly.

Rhysana smiled, using the heel of her palm to gently wipe his tears away. But when she spoke, it was plain that she was speaking to all of them, "I know it's scary. And I know, after tonight, you must be wishing you were home instead. I don't blame you. This world can be pretty frightening when it wants to be," she rose, gently pulling the bear up with her before continuing, this time looking at them all, "But you have to have courage. You have to be strong. Because even in the bleakest darkness, if you keep that courage with you, you can find a way out of it," A knowing smile crossed her face, "I'd tell you more . . . but something tells me you already know what I'm talking about."

She walked back to the door, cloak sweeping over the floor with a gentle rustling, like dried leaves over a wooden floor. Before she left completely, with one foot out the door, she leaned back and said, "Goodnight."

They were left in silence, no one hurrying to leave yet not knowing if they should stay.

It was only when Teddie finally spoke for the first time since the fight ended that the silence was broken, voice a timorous whisper, "I . . . don't want to sleep by myself . . ."

His words resonated with Yu more poignantly than he wanted to admit. After what had happened, sleeping alone in this cold, confining, and dark room was . . . incredibly unappealing. If he even got to sleep at all . . .

The feeling was mutual with everyone, it seemed.

"Yeah . . . me neither . . ." Chie admitted softly.

"Ditto . . ." Rise murmured.

Yosuke and the rest didn't speak, but their faces said enough.

"Can we . . . room together?" Kanji put in, "Like camping?"

"I . . . don't think there is enough room in here for all of us," Naoto added, shifting uncomfortably as if the idea of sharing a room with people was uncomfortable.

"For once, I don't care," Rise said, moving towards the door. Her hand paused over the handle, looking back somewhat sheepishly, "Is . . . is it alright if we share a room together, Senpai?"

Everyone looked at him, and Yu only shook his head, "I don't mind. My room's open."

Rise smiled in something like relief, then vanished out the door.

Someone grabbed his arm, and he looked to see that it was Teddie. The boy was still unusually quiet, sniffling against the sleeve of his shirt. Yu gave him a small smile, "You can stay too, Ted. Like I said, my room's open."

Teddie managed a shaky smile in return, "Thanks, Sensei . . ."

Yosuke opened his mouth, then closed it, looking hesitant.

"You too," Yu told him. Perhaps despite himself, a faint blush crossed Yosuke's cheeks.

His words had opened a spring, of sorts, because his room soon became a nesting ground of straw mattresses and blankets pilfered from the other rooms. Everyone had clambered inside, vying for space, with girls on one side and boys on the other. Under any other circumstance, the girls wouldn't have ever dreamed of sharing a room with them. But these weren't other circumstances, and none wanted to be too far apart from another now. But no one complained about the company. With everyone around, up on his cot looking over everyone, Yu felt much safer. So much safer . . .

But actual sleep was another matter entirely. Too often, as his mind drifted, it would go back to the dark scene that had played out in the square, of demons and blood and death and he would jerk back awake. His friends were not faring much better, grunting in half-sleep and occasionally gasping as an unseen fright jolted them awake. The distant sobs outside did little to help.

That is, until he heard music. The soft, gentle thrum of a harp, and the equally soft, gentle voice of Rhysana rose to join it. He didn't understand the words, but in his mind's eye he beheld meadows and streams, distant mountains and forests and living things, all under a blanket of dazzling stars that twinkled like diamonds against a bed of black velvet.

It was only then that his mind fell into true sleep, a sleep blessedly devoid of dreams.

Hope it was fun! :3

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