The growls of demons grow closer.
"Damn it," Rancid grabs his mother's hand and yanks her out of the door, the things in her arms clattering against the floor.
"No! No! What are you doing?" She scratches his arms, her long dirty nails drawing blood. He hisses and comes to an abrupt stop. Growing tired of her hysterics, he slaps her across the face.
"Look around you!" He gestures at the chaos, "Do you want us to die?!"
She splutters, eyes wide as she watches a demon hound rip into one of the elders on their street.
"N-no!"
"Then let's go!" He grabs her hand and they run away from the demons flooding from every corner.
Farron's street is just around the corner. If they can group up, then -
Rancid comes to a halt. Across from him, Farron swings a rusty axe at the demon hound blocking his way. He and his sister, Folly, are cornered.
"Shit, fuck." He backs up into an alley and puts Palik on the ground, leaning his back against the building's wall. "Stay here. Do not move!"
"B-but-" His mother stutters.
"Do you hear me?! This isn't a joke," He glares into her eyes. Her pupils are too small, the veins in her eyes red and yellow, from all the alcohol she consumed. She must still be intoxicated. That's not good.
"O-okay!" She nods her head, pressing her back into the wall, as if she wants to become one with it.
"Good."
"Wait! Where are you going?!" She reaches out for him, her hands clenching the back of his shirt.
He rips away from her grip, "I have to help Farron. Then we'll go."
She whimpers her protest, but he ignores her. He looks around and finds a rusted metal pole leaning against a pile of trash. He swings it, testing the heavy weight. It'll have to do.
He steps out of the alley and chargers at the demon hound.
"Graaaah!" Rancid raises the bar and hits the hound on the head. The beast yelps and jumps back.
"Rancid!" Folly shouts.
"Run! The alley behind me, Palik and mom are there!" He gestures behind him.
Farron grabs Folly's hand and runs.
The hound growls at him, and Rancid takes a cautious step back. It lunges at him, its jaws clamping on the metal pole.
Rancid falls onto his back, the hound standing over him, the pole the only thing keeping it from ripping into him. His arms shake with fatigue from being in the same position all night.
"D-damn it!" He grits out. He wiggles his legs under him, and tries to kick the hound off from the underbelly.
It barely budges an inch.
Crack!
The hound whimpers and jumps back. Farron helps Rancid up, another metal pole in his hand.
"Thanks!" Rancid pants as he stands on shaky legs. He almost died.
"Go fetch, you damn demon mutt!" Farron throws the pole as far as he can.
Rancid is shocked when the demon actually runs after it. "What the, how'd you know that would work?"
"I didn't." Farron huffs, "It may be a demon but it's still a dog, so I took a wild guess."
Rancid swallows thickly, "Fair enough. Let's go before more comes."
When they reach the alley, Folly sits next to a still knocked out Palik.
"Where's mom?" Rancid asks when he doesn't see her with them.
"She. . . She ran away." Folly whispers through a sob. She wipes her face, but the action is useless as more tears continue to flow from her eyes.
"What?!" Rancid glances down the alley, as if she would magically appear.
"We don't have time for this!" Farron says, "Let's just go! She made her choice."
Rancid grits his teeth but nods. He picks Palik up over his shoulder once more, and they make their way through the streets as quietly and quickly as they can.
"Ah, there you are!"
They come to a halt when Jack intercepts them. He's covered in soot and ash, his hair slick with sweat. Black blood covers his uniform.
"You're kidding?" Rancid grunts. "Demons are attacking the village, and you're out here for us?!"
"Like I said, examples must be made." He smirks. "You can blame Maver for me returning."
"Get over yourself!" Farron shouts, "You're gonna get us all killed!" He pushes Folly behind him.
"Oh, not me. Just you four." He chuckles, his sword raised and dripping with bodily fluid.
"Ran, what do we do?" Farron whispers.
"Take Palik." He passes his brother to Farron. "Wait over there." He nods at the alley they just came out of.
Farron makes a helpless sound in the back of his throat, but does as he says. "Be careful."
Rancid takes a stance with his rusted pole.
Jack laughs, "You think you can fight me, kid? I'm a demon hunter! I do this for a living! And you're nothing but a damn sewer rat!"
Jack swings his sword at Rancid's neck. He jumps back and jabs his pole at the hunters torso.
Jack grits his teeth when Rancid blocks his next attack. The blade cuts Rancid's side and blood stains his shirt and pants.
"You have a pole, and I, a blade. Surely you don't think you can win." He laughs.
Jack is playing with him. Jack has the abilities to kill a random sewer kid, but he's dragging it out because he enjoys it. And Rancid has to use that to his advantage, but he must be quick. Jack can change his mind at any moment. He just need to find a quick opening.
Rancid ducks when Jack lunges. Instead of backing up, Rancid runs forward. He locks his leg around Jack's knee and pushes him. Jack falls back. Before Rancid can move, Jack stabs him in the shoulder, right above his heart.
"I missed on purpose." Jack chuckles, pushing the sword further in.
"I was counting on it." Rancid growls through the pain.
Raising his pole with shaky arms, he hits Jack on the crown of his head. He doesn't stop, he brings the metal pole down again and again, ignoring the way his shoulder and arm screams. The blade continues to cut into his muscle and bone.