Chapter 9: Caught in a trap

After killing off a few more punks and even a couple of clocks, Helios began to get bored.

"I got an idea! Why don't we try deviruchis?"

Malene swallowed nervously. She had been told about deviruchis, and while an experienced hunter could easily take one down, a newbie may have a harder time.

"I don't know Helios...wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"We'll be fine...just set up an ankle snare trap."

"Erm...sure...just one problem..."

"What?"

"I've never tried using traps before..."

"Oh great...well now you can practice...look, there's one over there. Set up the snare, quick!"

She fumbled through her bag for one of the traps that her brother had given her before she left. She tried to remember the lessons on basic trap laying that their instructor had given them. Since she had to learn by feel, she was never sure if she got them right. But now she would have to do her best.

She quickly went to work on laying an ankle snare trap, quickly jumping back when she heard a deviruchi getting close. She just barely escaped being skewered by its little spear.

"Fire bolt!"

The little devil attempted to chase her, which caused it to get caught in the huntress's ankle snare.

"Double strafe!"

The deviruchi grew weaker which each hit it took from the two. But another deviruchi, enraged by the assault on its friend, appeared from out of nowhere and lashed out at the huntress, its spear slashing a wound across her left eye, shattering the purple sunglasses that she had worn for most of her life. She fell down, sliding from the force of the blow.

"Oh no...Malene!!! Fire Wall!!!"

After stopping the devil in its tracks with his fire wall, he rushed over to help the fallen huntress. Her face was covered in blood, her severed glasses hanging at a weird angle. He pulled the glasses off and ripped at the hem of his cloak, tearing off a long strip of cloth. But before he could tend to her wound, the devi suddenly burst through the firewall, it's skin sill smoking, then quickly jumped at the mage.

"Frost Driver!"

In a split second the little devil was frozen in midair. The large chunk of ice that now contained it fell to the ground, smashing upon impact. The devil was wounded severely, but its misery was quickly ended by a single spell, its power fueled by anger.

"Thunder Storm!!!"

The limp body of the deviruchi lay helpless on the ground, its leg twitching. Its doom was then brought about by the end of a staff being driven directly through its heart.

Upon seeing that the two devils were finished, Helios quickly ran to Malene's side. He wiped the blood away with his cloak and wrapped the torn hem around her head like a makeshift bandage.

"Malene....Malene, don't worry...you'll be okay...I'm gonna get you to a priest or an acolyte...just hold on, alright? Please? You'll be fine...I promise..."

He scooped her up into his arms and fished a butterfly wing from his pocket. He had told her that she would be alright, now all he needed to do was convince himself.