The large, demonic bats weren't hard to track. Hell, they seemed to share the same smell that came with the normal beings upon which they seemed to have based their present forms. It wasn't long before he and his group had stopped near a large cave after following the wretched scent of the beasts.
They had only begun tracking them today, but they had known about the beasts for awhile. Gabriel could remember when the bats were first reported to him from several messengers from another village. The beasts, led by some giant species, had been destroying towns left and right and it only seemed that the small village that housed Gabriel and his people was next. Of course, they had to put a stop to it, and who else but the prodigy would lead the charge into battle.
Gabriel scratched his chin as the scouts that he had sent to the cave entrance arrived back in the underbrush within which the group resided. "We were unable to spot anymore of the bat-like demons," one of them reported in their native language. "However, we did manage to spot a faint light within the cave. It was far in and seemed to be coming from a torch."
"Did you two bother going in to check?" The leader of the group asked him.
"We went far enough in to see what appeared to be another hunting party, sir," responded the second scout. "We also considered the fact that they were possibly possessed by demons as well. We assumed that it would be better if the rest of you made your move before we found out for certain."
"That was a good decision," Gabriel told the older man before turning to another member of the party. "Paulo, what do you make of the situation?"
Paulo was a lean man well into his forties. His dark hair and tan skin shown in the moonlight. It was rumoured that he was handsome once, however, the large amount of decay upon him showed just how long he had been in the game. He was a veteran and an efficient mentor in the world of demon hunting, and he definitely looked it. "I say we move in and find out," he answered simply, a smile upon his face.
"Then follow my lead, old man," Gabriel told his mentor as he signalled for the rest of the group to follow. They were going to put an end to this demon's reign of terror tonight.
*****
It wasn't long before they had made their way deeper into the cave. They somehow managed to not catch any sights of the demons that should have infested the cave, just as the scouts had reported. Gabriel could only assume that there was a large antechamber that housed the large monsters. However, it wasn't long before he and the others found the light about which the scouts had told them.
He was slightly worried about what exactly they were going to find. Even if it was merely another group of hunters, things could end up badly if no one paid enough attention. Nonetheless, the young man tightened his grip around his two daggers and moved closer towards the light.
Gabriel let out a sigh of relief as he stared at the group of five. It was none other than Naid.a. He practically tackled her in a hug, lifting her off the ground. He smiled as he hugged the girl from the other party. "It's good to see you!" He said in Portuguese. "At first, we couldn't tell if you were another hunting party or a group of demons at first." It had been awhile since he had seen the Peruvian girl whose village resided on the other side of the border. It had probably been several months by now since they last worked together to take care of another demon that terrorized the small countryside. He felt her attempt to get out of his clutches and let go of her with a laugh. "I assume you guys are here for that bat-like demon?"
"Sim," interjected another girl in Portugués, she held out her hand to Biel with a smile and batted her eyes at the teen. "O meu nome é Andrea, como você se chama?"
"Gabriel," the young man answered with a smile, not giving the girl much else to go on. "It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand in order to shake hers. She was definitely beautiful, and most people would be able to notice the mass of charisma that she seemed to have. She grabbed his hand, only taking it away when Naida began to speak.
"What she said," Naida responded in Spanish, a huff escaping her lips at the end. "We were just about to head in, when Ederch pointed out your presence. We're glad you're not a group of demons, which have oddly been sparse."
"We noticed that," he said to her. "There is probably an antechamber or something farther inside, but... I thought there was going to be more traffic coming and going as well."
"Right," Naida said as she looked over her friend, focusing on the several sets of scars he seemed to have accumulated since they had last seen each other. "Shall we get started?" She asked, taking her eyes away from him.
"I'll let your group lead the way," Gabriel said people in front of him. He noticed Andrea's continuous gaze and smiled back at her once again. He was rather confused at the prolonged stare of the girl, but didn't give it much thought. He motioned his hand towards the innermost parts of the cave as he watched the other group move ahead. This was going to be a good battle.
It wasn't long before the large group found themselves where they needed to be, a large group of flying demons seemingly waiting there just to greet them.
"Looks like we've found the spot," said Paulo in his husky voice.
Almost immediately, Gabriel signaled for his men to move out. There were quite a few demons, but judging from their looks, his group wouldn't have too many troubles.
He looked around the room for the demons' leader as Naida summoned her large familiar beside her. It was a bear. Or… It would have been to the regular naked eye. Fortunately, he was normal, and The Sight offered him the ability to see what the bear really was, just like the mass of "bats" that flowed around the room.
While the rest of the group dealt with the minions, Gabriel would try and go for the source. After all, he loved getting up close and personal. Unfortunately, the big one was no where to be found. There was a large hole in the center of the room, but he knew better than to snoop around just yet. Even the most skilled warriors could be killed if they do not act smart. With a sigh, he put away his pair of dagger and pulled out the longbow that hung from his back. Reaching for the left pouch of his quiver, the young man positioned himself next to the other group before firing off a few shots here and there.
By now, demons were dropping like flies around the room with each hunter seemingly have taken their own fair share down. For the most part, things went smoothly for everyone without any injuries that couldn't be healed by the healers that were with them. Of course, they still needed to deal with giant beast that caused the majority of the damage to the outlying towns and villages.
*****
The beast fell rather quickly with the combined efforts of the two separate groups. Eleven against one gave them quite a bit of power, and it didn't help that they possessed several skilled hunters on their team. Of course, that wasn't the end of it.
It turned out that one of the men in his own group, a man in his late twenties with a decent amount of decay, wasn't originally from his village. To be fair, Gabriel hadn't recognized him at the beginning of the hunt, but an extra man to help was never a bad thing. He was, however, a part of some order known as the Order of the Morning Star; a recruiter for them, in fact.
Apparently, he had noticed the abilities of the summoner and ghost that worked together and believed that they would be able to earn a place in the order of his. It was a hard decision. Gabriel didn't have much blood family left, but he saw the entirety of his village as kin. How could he leave them?