A/N: Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I planned to release this earlier which is why it's been published outside the usual weekend timeframe, but I have a massive family so the holidays are very hectic. Still no word on the job, but then it is the Christmas Period, so I'm not really shocked that they're taking their time getting back to me. Anyway, enjoy!
The next morning, the Five, Hunter and Po were all set to awaken early in the morning. However, before they did so, Hunter and Tigress were, of course, still sharing his tent after Po had forgotten most of the tents for the group. Waking up early as usual, Hunter noticed he had actually turned over in the night... and had an arm around Tigress and was holding her close, or maybe she'd moved closer in the night... His heart rate suddenly became rapid and he slowly lifted his arm with the utmost care, as if lifting a diamond from the pocket of a noble... not that he'd ever done such things of course... Of course.
In response, Tigress shifted a little and ended up turning over, giving him the opportunity to move his arm back to his own side. Although he did wish he didn't have to remove it and he could pull her even closer to him... 'Best not to dwell on that, Hunter...' He thought to himself as he looked down, seeing Tigress' serene look as she slept. It actually brought a smile to his face. 'First time you've had anyone in your tent, and of course it's her. Just your bloody luck.' After a bit of relaxing and watching her sleep, he saw her beginning to stir and quickly closed his eyes, regulating his breathing so it seemed like he was sleeping...
Tigress finally woke up from her rather peaceful slumber, and at first was rather shocked to find herself next to someone... Before remembering that Hunter had rather courteously offered to share his tent with her for the night since Po had forgotten most of the tents for the Five and even himself. Seeing Hunter laying there asleep was odd to her... Seeing him in such a vulnerable position almost as well as seeing him looking somewhat peaceful for once. She found that it was actually quite nice having someone next to her, almost like an extra layer of security, and it filled something primal within her. Probably a pack mentality, safety in numbers and all that. There was something else too, a warmth inside of her, but she wasn't going to dwell on such things right now... Or ever.
After a few minutes of waking up and enjoying the sleep in, Tigress finally got up and left the tent... Or she would have normally, but today she found herself oddly reluctant to get up for once in her life... It was odd sleeping in what was actually a bed made from another animal's furs, but it actually was rather snug and comfortable. Or she told herself that was the sole reason she didn't want to get up... Again, she didn't really want to dwell on it right now.
After some contemplation, Tigress decided to wait even longer before getting up, feeling she might as well enjoy it while it lasts without the gong and Shifu there to make them wake up. She turned onto her stomach and stretched out, extending her claws and arching her back before curling up, much like she would do as a cub. Although it did somewhat make it look like Hunter was spooning with her, Tigress still found herself pressing back into his, for lack of a better word, embrace. She almost even let out a purr before realising what she was doing. Her tail was also more active than usual...
After realising she was getting slightly carried away, Tigress quickly got up and left the tent, trying to shake off the oddly warm and pleasant feeling permeating through her as she emerged into the daylight. The sun had clearly not long risen, so they'd likely get to Viper's village before lunchtime, or that was the hope anyway... Hunter emerged from the tent not long after, stretching out and twisting, cracking his bones into their proper places. "Good morning." he said to her, his voice lower than usual as he looked at her.
For some reason Tigress couldn't meet his eyes and sat down by the burnt out fire. "Yes, it is." she nodded in response. The others appeared to still be asleep in the other two tents so it was just the two of them.
Hunter sat next to her, although not too close for comfort. "Sleep well, Kitten?" he asked, although the way he said it this time sent shivers through Tigress and she wasn't sure why. Maybe just the chilly morning air... Right?
Nodding once more, she answered. "Yes, thank you. You- that is, your tent, the bedding, is very comfortable." She said to him, attempting to remain neutral in tone despite her slight slip.
The others started emerging from their two shared tents now. "Thank you. I made it myself." Hunter said to Tigress as he took out a container from his bag which presumably held his breakfast.
Looking slightly weary as she began to prepare her own meal, Tigress had to ask. "How? And out of what?"
"Or who?" Mantis added with his usual humorous tone.
Hunter gave a chuckle at the questions. "Good question." he said. "I made it out of a female Leopard. A Demoness named Tàihú Fūrén to be specific." Hunter informed the Five and Po. "She'd captured some people for some ritual or something. I didn't really ask." He pointed out. "It felt like a long night..."
...
Cautiously trudging through the darkness in a muddy field, Hunter pushed open the door to the large barn in said field while drawing his blade from its sheath on his back. It was dark and foggy out, as night had not long fallen upon China. As Hunter checked each corner while opening the door, he finally fully pushed it open, letting it swing on its own, the creak of the hinges sounding out as he fully entered now. There was hay all over the wooden floor and a few barrels and carts strewn about, as well as a hay loft above looking over the entrance.
Hunter scanned the room carefully, looking around the room in a circle expectantly. Nearer to the walls there were cages with unconscious villagers inside of them. 'Later.' Hunter thought to himself before he could start over to them. There were currently more pressing matters to deal with... That, and they were asleep by her magic, currently impossible to wake. If they did wake up, freeing themselves would be fairly easy since she was not counting on them doing so.
As he stepped further into the barn, Hunter could feel himself being watched by something... or someone. As if on cue, a crate shifted in the hayloft and Hunter threw his hand out, some kind of bomb of light exploding up there. It revealed a Leopard, but not a normal one. Her fur markings were incredibly intricate as if they were the writing of some long dead language, her eyes black while her irises were red, her pupils yellow. Leaping down into the barn proper, she snarled at Hunter viciously, her body in a ready position instantly. "I don't suppose you'll just... Let them go?" he asked as she unsheathed her claws to prepare for the fight. "Well, it was worth a try."
Moving like the wind itself, she was very suddenly in front of Hunter, who anticipated this and headbutted her hard, leading the Demoness to quickly move backwards before spinning and attempting a slash with her claws. Hunter blocked with his blade before moving back and rearing for his own blow and swinging only for her to drop like a limbo player out of the way and quickly standing back up straight in an incredibly unnatural movement that would be impossible for any mortal.
However, despite her quick and almost jerky movements, Hunter had already prepared his second attack, this time going lower, but the Demoness was ready for it, blocking with her claws as Hunter threw his pommel up, smashing the Demoness in the lower jaw and sending her reeling a little as he brought his blade up, slashing her face a little as a follow up. However, her reeling was a ruse as she used the opening from him bringing his blade up to sink her claws into his side.
As she snarled and dug her claws deeper into him, Hunter grunted in pain before grabbing her arm and easily picking her up with a yell, smashing her into the floor and leaving a small crater before attempting a quick finish by stabbing downwards at her. She easily rolled aside from the attack and got up as Hunter brought his blade to bear once more. Going for another swing, she grabbed his arm and slashed down his chest, leaving a deep gash. Hunter spun away and kicked hard outwards, sending the Demoness flying backwards and through a wheelbarrow and also knocking himself to the ground, the two of them slightly winded.
Getting up a little slower and swaying a little bit from his injuries as he stood, Hunter looked around with his blade outstretched as the Demoness had seemingly vanished into the darkness once again. Casting his gaze around the barn and turning around in a 360, he suddenly turned around and slashed out with his blade, the momentum making him crouch as he sliced in half a crate thrown his way from the other side of the barn.
Seeing the Demoness there, he stood up and ran at her, and she at him. Meeting in the middle in extremely close quarters, the two were a blinding mass of spins, kicks, slashes and stabs. Hunter stabbed out with his blade only for the Demoness to just about dodge, while she slashed out with her claws only for Hunter to jump backwards just in time. This went on for some time. However one hit got his arm, and another got her leg. It was almost like a dance between the two of them as they both tried to one-up the other.
However, Hunter managed to get the upper hand when he tossed his blade upwards, sending it spinning in the air, and while she was distracted by the movement, he grabbed the Demoness and threw her through one of the barn walls. As she got up and tried to pounce at him, he easily countered and used her own momentum to throw her through yet another wall. As his sword came down from where he'd thrown it, he snatched it back in mid-air and as she once again ran at him to attack, he spun in place to avoid the hit and ran her through with the blade.
The look of utter shock and surprise on her face was almost tangible. However, despite the surprise, she managed to slash his upper shoulder near his neck and down to his chest. As he reeled backwards, the Demoness attempted to scamper away and out of the barn, still with his sword buried in her abdomen, but a thrown knife stopped her in her tracks, piercing her back as she fell to the ground. Throwing another knife to the prisoners so they could free themselves when they woke, Hunter limped out after the Demoness, a trail of blood following her, and him.
Finding her not a few feet away from the barn, Hunter trudged towards her whilst unsheathing a larger knife. He approached the Demoness as she lay in an expanding pool of her own blood as she stared off to the side, still in shock and awe and still with a sword and knife embedded in her. Severely wounded from the fight and dropping the knife, Hunter then collapsed to the ground beside her. He then rolled onto his back with a heavy groan and closed his eyes, falling still beside her...
Hours later, as the sun peeked over the hills of China, both of them still lay there unmoving after last night. That is until Hunter's eyes snapped open and he sat up suddenly with a gasp of pain and shock, his wounds having seemingly healed well. Looking to his side, there was the Demoness, her body lifeless, her dead eyes boring into him still from the previous night. Standing up carefully, Hunter took his blades from her body and picked up the larger knife from last night which he had dropped, and began cutting the Demoness open, skinning her, to create what would become his bedroll...
...
"Wow. Holy Shit." Said Mantis, clearly shocked by the story. "One hell of a one night stand."
Po was sitting in rapt attention, his eyes sparkling from the story as it was told to him. "So awesome!"
Tigress was equally enthralled, although did seem to have questions. "How did you kill a Demon? That is said to be an almost impossible task." she pointed out to Hunter.
Hunter then looked at the embers of last night's fire. "My sword. I'm not sure where it came from, but it is seemingly capable of killing Demons. Some of them at least." he explained to the group as they all finished their breakfast. "How do you think I got this?" Hunter rolled up his sleeve, showing his branding that said 'Demon Slayer'. It was the most anyone other than Po had actually seen of Hunter beneath his clothing.
Crane chuckled a little then. "Well you definitely earned it." He nodded to Hunter.
Monkey nodded as well in agreement with what Crane had said. "Yeah, I don't know anyone who's killed a Demon. Probably because they're so rare." He said thoughtfully.
Hunter scoffed at that. "Which we should be thankful for. Here in China anyways. Trust me, that was not an easy fight." he said to them. "It almost cost me my life."
While she enjoyed the story, Viper was clearly eager to keep moving. "We should get going." she suggested. "Hopefully we can reach my village by nightfall." Viper said hopefully as the group all prepared to continue onwards.