I observed the struggling boys with disinterest. It was a foolish thing, wandering out this far from their village during hunting season. Demons came out from their hellish hovels since the seasons were in the midst of changing from summer to fall. The time was ideal as the veil between the human world and the demon world became thin and occasionally let more demons out than usual. All hunters and mikos would be out to vanquish them before they did much harm.
But these boys were just foolish troublemakers; they were of no threat nor deemed to be of one in the future. The wolf demon clan kept to themselves and the halfling was already shunned by both races - besides the young miko. She was one that sparked my interest. Her aura was special, untainted and filled with kindness and a fierce protectiveness I admired. And she was young, innocent, and honest. It was a rare thing to find these days.
I pulled back my arrow and held it steady, aiming for the top of the rope. A moment later it flew through the air with a 'whoosh' and cut the rope, freeing the boys who scattered together without hesitation, back the direction they came from. I sighed and prayed they would make it back home without another mishap. For now, I would have to deal with the task at hand.