Rancid has to focus on now. He'll think about the rest when he's free. The demon easily dodges and blocks his blade.
"You need to be better than that." The beast taunts.
Damn it, what can he do? If he can think of things and it happens, as with the sword, then doesn't he need to think smarter not harder?
Rancid wants to wake up, but he can't until the demon dies.
***
"Ran?" Farron whispers as he watches his friend get up from the floor. The demon that was just on him is gone.
"Get away from him!" Maver pushes Farron back, his sword poised for defense. "That isn't your friend anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Farron whispers.
"He's been possessed by the demon!" Maver shouts.
Farron takes in the sickly color of Rancid's skin, the darkness of his eyes, the black vines beneath the surface. He grins, black blood leaking from his mouth.
"Well, don't just stand there hunter," His guttural voice cackles. It sounds nothing like his friend.
Rancid cracks his neck and then picks up the pole once more, "You're lucky. He's strong enough to fight back," He snickers. "I'll have to use this for now, until I finally devour him from the inside."
Fight back? Until I finally devour. . . Does that mean Rancid is still alive in there?
"No! You let go of-"
Maver shoves Farron back when he starts to charge past him to get to his friend. "Stay back, I said!"
"B-but Rancid is still -"
"He's gone!" Maver shakes him by the shoulders, hoping he'll come to his senses. "Demon possession doesn't happen often, but in the instances that it does, the human counterpart no longer exists."
"But he just-" Farron looks past Mavers' shoulder to see Rancid observing them, swinging the pole between skilled fingers.
"He's a demon!" Maver draws Farron's attention back to him, "Demons lie!"
Rancid laughs, the sound broken. His nails grow into ferocious claws, and his skin splits open as horns grow out of his elbows, spine, and knees.
"He's growing weaker," The demon sings out the taunt.
Maver clenches his jaw. He shoves Farron back, "Go." Then, without checking to see if he'll listen, Maver turns and charges the possessed body.
Maver swings at his head but Rancid ducks down to avoid it.
Rancid darts forward and swipes his left hand along Maver's torso. Blood splatters and Maver jumps back, barely avoiding the pole at the last second.
Rancid doesn't allow him to put distance between them however, and follows after him.
Farron is helpless to watch on the side lines.
Huddling behind them against the wall, Folly stares wide eyed at the ongoing battle. They're all going to die, aren't they? The village is up in smoke, smelling of burnt flesh.
A demon growls and slinks towards her and Palik from the shadows. Its red eyed gleam captures her attention and her heart palpitates. No, no, don't come any closer.
She glances at Farron and Maver, those two are too preoccupied to notice the other beast coming forward. Folly's vision blurs as tears swell in her eyes.
She gets to her feet and fumbles away, eyes glued to the demon hound that now stands inches away from Palik. Her mouth opens, to scream, to get Farron's attention, to scare the demon away, but no sound leaves her mouth. The demon hound sniffs at Palik's face and a wide grin splits its mouth, all the way down to the base of its neck.
She watches in terror as the demon rips into Palik's gut. Blood splatters the wall and floor as it eats at her friend.
"Come here." A hand lands on Folly's shoulder and her knees give out. She lands hard and tilts her head back to see the most beautiful woman she has ever seen.
"A-angel?" Folly whispers.
"It's okay, you're safe now. I'm a priestess, you can call me Jari." She picks Folly up, the girl clinging to her like a life line and runs the other direction.
"No! What about Palik?!" Folly tries to push away, but Jari doesn't let go.
"He's gone." Jari doesn't hesitate to say, ignoring the way her chest aches for the young boy. She puts Folly down against the wall of a building. The village gate is just a few yards away.
"Stay here." Jari gives a mumbled chant and a blue shimmering barrier surrounds the girl. "You'll be safe if you're within my protective shield."
"Where's Maver?!" Another hunter jogs up, stinking of sweat and iron. His weapon, a large cannon gun sits heavily on his shoulder.
"This way. We don't have much time!" Jari leads him to the battle, Maver is bleeding out of multiple wounds, and one of his arms looks broken.
"Took you long enough, Benson!" Maver sneers at his comrade. "Where are Corey and Jack?"
Farron flinches at the name, but doesn't say a word.
"Don't know, Jack went off on his own a while ago." Jari answers. "Corey probably went on a rampage."
"How about we worry about them later." Benson dismisses as he takes in Rancid.
"The boy has been possessed?" Jari gasps at the disfigured young man. "How could you let this happen, Maver?!"
"If you're done being righteous, Jari, I'd love some healing!" Maver shouts in frustration. "Now!"
"R-right!"
Inside of Rancid's mind, the demon circles around him. "You won't last much longer." It chuckles, "Just give up now."
"Never!" Rancid huffs. His left arm is broken, a chunk of flesh torn out of his thigh.
"You won't have much choice." The demon locks his teeth, "More hunters have arrived."
Rancid clenches his jaw. What's going on out in the real world? Is Farron still alive? What about his sister, or Palik? He just wants the demon to go away, and he wants to wake up.
From the bleak darkness, thick ropes shoot out and wrap around the demon's figure.
"What?" He looks down and laughs. "What is this?" He snaps it off with a taloned finger, however just as quickly as he rips them apart, more quickly latch onto him.