Hunter continued his slaughter of the Outpost. Aided by Aquila, he avoided the tiefling patrols and killed each and every occupant of the settlement. By the end, he was killing demons while they slept. It wasn’t the most honorable way to die, but Hunter already knew that honor was for suckers. In a life-or-death situation, there were only winners and the dead. He didn’t want to end up the latter, and that meant killing unarmed and vulnerable opponents.

When he exited the last house after slaying a sleeping couple in their roughly-hewn bed, Hunter took a deep breath of the night air. The flickering emerald torches made it even more difficult for roving patrols to find him. The light made more shadows than they dispersed. Hunter couldn’t have asked for better ambush conditions. He felt safe wrapped in Shadow of the Black Wind.

The only individuals he hadn’t defeated were the roving guards, the mayor, and his grandparents. If he were honest with himself, he wouldn’t seek out his grandparents unless they purposefully put themselves in his way.

He felt like he could justify self-defense. Actively seeking them out why they slept was an entirely different manner. Hunter looked up at the night sky. He couldn’t see his floating companion but could feel the bird’s presence.

Hey Aquila, where’s the nearest guard?

The bird’s reply was bored. Around the corner on the main path.

Hunter didn’t blame the eagle for his boredom. Aquila hadn’t seen any action during this hunt. He was mostly relegated to a support role, and Hunter could feel it chaffing at the eagle. Aquila was surprisingly bloodthirsty for a relatively fragile animal. The bird was all speed and talons—just as much of a glass cannon as Hunter himself.

Thanks, buddy. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see some action soon. It would be too much to hope for the mayor to go down quietly. I’ll probably need your lightning then.

The eagle didn’t reply, but Hunter felt the anticipation in their bond.

The young warrior ghosted down the central path. It was almost natural for him to shift from shadow to shadow like a cloud passing over the sun. The trick to stealth wasn’t darting or moving quickly. Too many people thought that speed meant stealth. In reality, like all predators, human beings tracked by motion. When things were slow and steady, the brain tended to tune them out and save its resources for quick engagements. Hunter did not doubt that tiefling brains were the same.

Since stealth was the name of the game, he was slow and methodical as he made his approach to the central thoroughfare that ran through the center of the Outpost. As he reached the edge of the road, he saw a tiefling marching along it. Luckily the demon was coming in his direction, so Hunter crouched low and channeled black wind to his fingertips.

He had learned over the course of the night that his staff impeded situations such as these. It was better to use his hands for this kind of work. In the future, Hunter planned to convert a dagger for assassinations. He had bagged a couple of promising ones on his raid through the Outpost. He was tempted to transform one of them now but didn’t want to rush familiarity with a weapon when his Claw Grab and Talon Punch were enough.

When the tiefling was close enough that Hunter could smell the man’s breath and hear the creaking of the leather straps that bound the demon’s armor, he struck. He used his legs to push off the ground and bring his claws to bear faster than the man could possibly react. Hunters talons chewed through the armor surrounding the man’s collarbone before continuing upward. The teenager cleaved through blood and bone until his victim’s head was little more than cracked bone and ruined flesh. The dead tiefling loudly clattered to the ground in a jumble of armor, sword, and shield.

Hunter hissed at the noise but knew it couldn’t be helped. Now that he was exposed, he needed to accept the reality that there would be more noise than normal that might give him away. He could control sound in a limited fashion but hadn’t learned how to extend it much further than his own body. Maybe once he grew in levels, he would have better control over his surroundings.

One can hope…

Killing complete, Hunter dragged the body away from the road and stashed it in a shrub nearby. He went through the usual post-battle ritual of condensing a soul gem and draining it of any residual energy. As he was finishing up, Aquila rang the alarm.

Three black-hearts are on their way. They heard the noise and are investigating.

Hunter cursed quietly as he peeked around the corner of the building he was sheltering behind. Sure enough, three tieflings were quickly striding down the road. There were two women and one man. One spell caster and two warriors based on their equipment. The two warriors were using mace and shields. Shields were a pain in the ass for Hunter. They hampered his mobility in a fight and were adequate defense against his quick piercing strikes.

The warrior sighed as he considered his plan. If he wanted to get the drop on them relatively quickly, he would need to strike before they could see him. They weren’t grouped that closely, maybe a pace or two between each, and they were warily glancing at the shadows around them. In short, he couldn’t whittle down their numbers to make the fight easier.

Overwhelming force it is, he thought before addressing Aquila.

I’m going to try and take them out in sequence. Be ready in case one of them tries to make a run for it or call for help. Don’t use your new lightning ability unless you have to as a last resort. Otherwise, the sound will raise the alarm for everyone else. I like our chances, but I want to get out of here without alerting my grandparents, if possible.

The eagle’s only response was a bloodthirsty, as you wish.

Hunter returned his attention to the approaching targets and planned his approach. He would need Black Wind Augmentation, Talon Punch, and Wind Walk to accomplish his goals. Hunter waited for a minute. It was only sixty seconds, but those seconds felt like an eternity in battle. When they reached the part of the road that Hunter had marked in his mind, he acted.

Hunter sprung from his hiding place as the black wind flowed along his body. It energized his every step as he burst into motion. He sprinted to the first demon’s position while the wind created claws on his hand. He used Wind Walk to step into the air and give him the angle of approach he needed. His first strike took the demon in the unprotected part of his throat. When Hunter landed on the ground behind the tiefling, the demon’s head was hanging on by a ragged strip of skin and bone.

Each movement was a sinuous continuation of attack. Each footstep was just another errant breeze blowing with the scent of blood and death. The second combatant had time to open her eyes in surprise before Hunter had summoned his staff and thrown it like a javelin. A wind blade coalesced on the tip before it plunged into the woman’s heart. Hunter used her falling corpse as a springboard to attack his next victim.

He leaped into the air and dove down with two hands outstretched in an approximation of an eagle’s clutching talons. The last tiefling was only wearing the cloth robes of a spell caster and was entirely unprepared for Hunter’s blistering attack.

A set of claws raked down the tiefling’s face. Her face was ravaged, and one talon pierced the soft orb of her eye. Hunter knew it wasn’t a killing blow. He activated Gale Strikes, and his arms became a blur of shredding claws and blowing wind. In seconds he had reduced the demon to a mutilated mess of inky blood and torn skin.

Hunter felt the moment she died. Energy was rushing into him from the three slain demons, and Hunter was riding the high of his victory when a great crack pierced the air, and black lightning descended from a small silhouette in the sky. Hunter heard guttural screams as the weaponized electricity found its target. Half a second later, a bell was ringing in alarm.