I do not own Witcher or any of the characters.
Demon
Eldin walked into the village, the full moon glowing brightly overhead as a single man wearing ragged clothes moving to meet him, his eyes glittering like jewels in the moonlight. "I was wondering what classification of werewolf it was. You were born as one, then?"
"I was," the werewolf nodded. "I take it you've been hired to kill me?"
"That's right," Eldin nodded.
"And what about those who followed you the entire way here?" the werewolf asked.
Eldin turned, looking back as a dozen soldiers wearing red and gold armor stepped out of the trees, moving to fill the street behind him. He narrowed his eyes as he recognized a couple from the elf girl's cell. "So, let me guess. You were sent to make sure the werewolf kills me?"
"That's right," the knight in front nodded, drawing a silver sword. "But, of course, we're also here to make sure you take it down with you."
Eldin sighed, shaking his head. "I don't suppose you fancy life as a mercenary?"
"Well, I fancy life," the werewolf said, stepping up beside Eldin as Eldin gripped his sword's hilt. "I'm Dorn."
"Eldin," Eldin said. "Would you like to start, or shall I?"
"Please, be my guest," Dorn said, holding an arm out invitingly.
Eldin started forward, keeping his sword in his sheath. The lead knight of the group gestured one of the others forward, and he charged. Eldin waited for the knight to come to him, then stepped aside from the knight's wild slash, drawing his new blade in a crimson arc, the knight crumpling to the ground in a rapidly-spreading pool. The other knights all stared in surprise before all drawing their swords together and charging. Eldin heard Dorn beginning to change shape behind him and sprinted forward, his sword out to his side. The first pair reached him and Eldin slipped past their blades, spinning to his left as his blade drew a lethal line across both of their backs. As he got facing the front again, he raised his blade, holding the grip with both hands as he held the blade back beside his shoulder, allowing the next knight's blade to slide along his blade past him before slashing back to the front. The knight's head spun into the air and three more moved to meet him, only for Dorn to leap over Eldin, his claws raking all three aside across the face. Another moved to stab Dorn, only for Eldin's blade to knock his to the side before sweeping back out the other way and removing the knight's left arm. Dorn's jaws clamped around the knight's throat instantly. Another pulled his arms back to slash Dorn, but Eldin's blade swept up behind him, and the knight's arms both fell to the ground. Then, Dorn leapt past Eldin again, tackling two more, his arms' brute strength crushing their heads against the ground before Dorn returned to the now armless knight as Eldin charged the last. He moved to kill Eldin, only for Eldin to slash the soldier's sword out to the side before slashing back the other way and splitting the knight across the side. Eldin slowed to a stop, ripping a piece of his cloak off from the bottom and used it to clean his blade. As he did, he glanced at Dorn as he shrunk back down into his human form, pulling one of the soldiers' pants off, leaving the leg armor but pulling the pants on.
"That sword of yours is impressive," Dorn said. "It cut through their armor like cloth."
"It's magic," Eldin said. "I got it from an elven mage."
"I see," Dorn nodded. "Very impressive. So, now that you've been betrayed, what will you do?"
Eldin's eyes narrowed. "Now, I become a demon."
Dorn raised an eyebrow, and when Eldin climbed onto his horse, he pulled his new pants off and passed them to him before transforming again. They raced through the woods and into the mountains before slowing to a stop outside the cave where the elderly elf was waiting.
"Welcome back," the elf said. "So, are you ready to do things my way?"
He tossed a scale tunic and pants to Eldin, who caught them and raised an eyebrow. Both were completely flexible, but as light as cloth.
"You're sure this will be decent armor?" Eldin asked.
"Has my sword been disappointing?" the elf asked.
"Valid point," Eldin nodded. "I'll change in the cave and head back to the city. We should arrive just before dawn. If they haven't moved up her execution, we'll make it in time to save her."
The elf nodded, and Eldin carried the armor into the cave, stripping down to his underwear and pulling on the armor. It was as soft and smooth inside as silk, and more comfortable than his clothes, despite being extremely form-fitting and sized perfectly. He walked back out once he had his other clothes back on, only to find Dorn had transformed again.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"You'll never make it riding your horse," Dorn growled. "Get on."
Eldin nodded, climbing up onto Dorn's back, tangling his hands in the scruff of fur around his neck and shoulders. Dorn took off running instantly, moving far faster than Eldin's horse could. They sped through the forest as the sky above darkened and the full moon made a trek across the sky quickly. Finally, they city's walls swam out of the darkness ahead of them as they sky was just beginning to lighten again. The streets of the small village around the city were deserted, but as soon as they were inside the wall, Dorn slowed to a walk, snarling at the army of soldiers between him and the castle.
"So, not only have you returned, but you've returned with that mangey beast!" the king's voice echoed from the castle. "I had hoped you and that thing would kill each other, but I suppose if you want something done right, send your entire army to make sure it's done thoroughly!"
"I'm going to slaughter every one of them!" Eldin warned.
"Kill him!" the king ordered. "I want to get on with this execution!"
"I don't fucking think so," Eldin snarled, reaching into a satchel wrapped hanging at his side and pulling out a dragonbone mask.
It was as black as obsidian, peaked down the center slightly and angled back toward the sides, and styled in the form of his current job. A demonic skull mask with pointed teeth, slightly more angled, intimidating eyes, rides running front to back along the sides, and the dragon's horns recreated on the mask's top. As Eldin pulled it on, he forced his emotions to be silent, forcing himself cold as he painted every single soldier between him and the castle the same shade of blood in his head. Every single one of them would die on his blade. Every last one.
He snarled angrily, drawing his sword as he let out a low growl. "He wanted a demon, he'll get one! Let's go!"
Dorn roared, charging just as all of the soldiers drew silver swords. However, before they could strike, Dorn tore into them. Eldin leapt off of Dorn, blasting a soldier with Aard, slashing the one next to him down the front. As He landed in a crouch, Dorn leapt over him, only for Bertrand to step out of the army. He growled in effort, his silver greatsword flashing upward and got embedded in Dorn's chest before sailing past Bertrand along with the fresh corpse. Bertrand drew his longsword as soldiers surged toward Eldin. Eldin spun, his blade tracing a circle across the entire line's chests before Bertrand blocked it. Eldin stepped backward, allowing their swords to disengage, and Bertrand lunged, grinning victoriously and slashing down at Eldin's shoulder. Eldin smirked, and as the blade connected with Eldin's armor, the blade shattered. Bertrand's eyes widened as Eldin's sword opened his torso upward to his right shoulder like a seam.
"You're a...demon!" Bertrand choked out as he collapsed.
The other soldiers all shrank back, but the king's voice shouted a repeat order.
"Kill him! Rip that monster apart!"
Eldin snarled, and as the soldiers behind him surged forward, he reached up, pulling his hood up and stepped backward. All of their blades shattered against his back before he spun, slashing them all. The last three behind him each burst into flame as he waved his hand at them. More blades shattered against his back as they tried to stab him, and he spun, tracing an arc across their chests. Then, he shot forward. The soldiers all roared in a mixture of hate and desperation and rushed inward, only to feed the monster he had become. His mask was his face, his armor his exoskeleton, and his sword his claws and fangs. One after another, any fool who came in range fell, the bodies rapidly piling up as Eldin carved his way toward the castle. By the time he was half way, the word "demon" had reached the king's ears, and his mask had become the face of death itself. Any who saw even a glimpse of the mask died. As Eldin rapidly slaughtered his way along the street, his progress visible to the king and his personal guard only by the sprays of blood and severed limbs before the bodies collapsed, none remained alive. Not a single soldier allowed him to pass unchecked, and not a single soldier survived stepping into striking range. Finally, the last twenty soldiers flooded inward, only for an especially powerful blast of Aard to explode into them all, crushing their ribs.
Eldin slowed to a stop, eyes narrowing inside of his mask as the king fumed in front of him, a knife held to the elf's throat, and the king's personal guard drew their swords. As one, all eight of the personal guard charged, only to die just as fast as everyone else that had challenged him. However, just as Eldin pointed two fingers at the King's dagger, heating the handle and forcing him to drop it, one last challenger stepped out of the castle. Eldin stopped, staring at this new challenger's shoulder-length white hair, the scar down across his left eye, the square jaw, the silver bastard sword in his right hand, and the pitch black leather armor.
"Geralt," Eldin snarled.
"Eldin," Geralt said coldly, his rough, scratchy voice sounding as much like a growl as Eldin had let out. "We don't kill kings. You know that."
"I have a life debt, Geralt," Eldin said. "I was tasked with saving that elf."
"And I've been paid handsomely to stop you," Geralt said.
"Step out of my way, Geralt," Eldin warned. "I'm not here as a Witcher. I was hired to be a demon, and to slaughter anyone who stood in my way."
"Your path ends here if you don't leave now," Geralt said. "Take the elf, but the king survives."
"No," Eldin growled. "He tried to have me killed instead of giving me the elf. He double-crossed me, and then when that failed, he set his entire army on me. He dies."
Geralt growled in irritation, shaking his head before raising his sword. Then, the Witcher and the demon lunged, their blades clashing furiously. Each time, sparks flew and Geralt's sword slid off of Eldin's carefully angled one. Eldin's blade flashed past Geralt's shoulder, scratching his armor but not harming him. Geralt's blade sparked across the front of Eldin's torso, failing to pierce his armor, but knocking him back several steps. Eldin snarled, lunging and deflecting Geralt's blade to the side before slashing. Geralt blocked it, only to stab at Eldin immediately after. Again his sparked against Eldin's armor, along with two more strikes before Eldin's blade carved another shallow scratch across Geralt's chest. However, as he looked past Geralt, he saw something that truly infuriated him. The king and the elf were both gone.
"Get out of my way!" Eldin roared, blasting Geralt with Aard, sending him crashing into the wall beside the door, cracking the wall.
He charged into the castle instantly, hearing the elf girl screaming from a stairway to his left. He sprinted after them, charging up the stairs rapidly before reaching the top of the stairs just as the King wrapped a rope around the elf's throat. Now that he was up close without anyone in his line of vision, he could see the elf's bare body bore many obvious signs of torture ranging from bruises, cuts, dried and fresh blood, and burns. Her pale skin was marred all over her body, her nose was broken at an odd angle, and her reddish-orange hair was tangled and matted in blood.
"Take another step, and the little elf bitch dies!" the king snarled.
"You push her, and instead of just killing you, I'm going to burn you alive," Eldin warned. "Let her go, and I'll make it painless."
"Fuck you!" the king snarled, shoving the elf.
However, in the split second it took her to pitch to the side, Eldin slashed the rope just shy of her neck, then caught her by the arm and spun, hurling her back toward the stairs as his sword drew a line across the king's abdomen. The king's eyes went wide, and he staggered backward, clutching at his stomach as his intestines spilled out around his hand. Then, he pitched backward and fell off the wall. Eldin spat after him, then picked up the rope, using it to clean the blade and sheathed it before walking over to the elf. He pulled his cloak off and held it out to her. She reached up gingerly, accepting it while she watched his mask in silence, until he reached up, pulling it up off of his head, the mask wrapping back around to the back of his head, almost qualifying for a helmet more than mask. Her eyes narrowed slightly more as he stored the mask again, and offered her his hand.
"You have my father's sword," the elf said. "And your armor and mask are made by magic. Who are you?"
"I'm a Witcher," Eldin said. "And I'm only here because I owe your father a debt."
The elf glared at him, but sighed, pushing herself up to her feet. She wrapped the cloak around her shoulders and held it closed. "Take me to him."
Eldin nodded and walked down into the castle with her. They stopped at one of the many random rooms so that the elf could get clothes. Once she was properly dressed, she returned his cloak and they left the castle, finding Geralt waiting with a trio of horses.
"Geralt," Eldin said.
"No hard feelings," Geralt said, offering them the reins for two of the horses. "My benefactor's dead, so my employment's ended."
Eldin accepted the reins, glancing at the elf. "Can you ride?"
"Yes," the elf said, taking one of the horses.
"Good," Eldin grumbled, swinging himself onto his own horse.
They spurred their horses away from the city, moving into the forest quickly, heading for the cave where Eldin had left the elderly elf.
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