#just imagine the horrified faces of demons and slayers alike

[imkazz]

remembering genyas goofy ahh run then shuddering when i imagine that he learnt it from gyomei

[iwritewithanaxe]

The Fire Hunt, Volume Four, Chapter 1

           —This time you won't escape! —Ellanher, the dragonslayer, roared wrathfully.

 His rival just laughed. His voice was nothing but madness and rampage.

 —Ellan! —Emer, the huntress, called him, aiming an arrow on her bow. The young man understood immediately.

 He moved barely a few inches to one side, and the projectile flew next to his head, reaching his rival. The draconic raider didn't notice the shot until he received it in his neck.

             —… Is that all? —he said, plucking the broad head of the arrow from his throat—. Is that all you can do?! —and laughed again, louder than before.

             —No! —shouted Leofsige, the demon, striking such a ferocious blow from his battle-axe against one of the many enemies that, before he noticed it himself, he had beheaded two others—. There's much more!

 A fire was growing in the village, but there were still huts and plantations far from the fire, it was not too late to save it.

             —Run! All of you run! —Cunobelinos, the druid, roared at the curious ones who still watched the battle—. And take the animals away!!

 Seeing such an enormous man become a beast as he shouted, his arms turning to a bear’s and his face to a wolf’s, his body covering with hair and two antlers growing on his head, the villagers preferred to do as he told them. Releasing horses and taking sheep, the last remaining ones near danger escaped.

 Only battle and fire remained in the place.

             —You can still choose, little one! —the raider shouted to Ellanher, approaching him, hooking the huge spear with his stone axe—. Remember, to serve them as warriors!

             —Shut up already! —the dragonslayer roared, pushing the maniac with his shield.

             —Or as food!! —faster than a blink, the raider removed the shield from his path and charged. His axe reached Ellanher's chest, forcing him to pull back.

             —Silence!! —the voice of the young dragonslayer was a war cry. His movements were swift and precise, and his spear attacked brutally. The raider even flew a few meters into the air, landing on his head.

 Turning and swinging the huge weapon in an arch, Ellanher swept away two opponents, then impaling a third as he advanced a few steps. The whole fight was surrounded by flames, but the four companions were surrounded by worshippers, minions, and madmen, all allies of the draconic raider. Only he was well armed, with his imposing stone axe and Celtic shield, while the other enemies wielded tools, if anything at all. Their real strength was the frenzy. They were completely given in to a battle trance, shouting and throwing themselves into the fight with monstrous fervor, praising the fire and praying to the dragons.

 The druid was surrounded, but his opponents could not even get him to flinch. Even if fifteen men threw themselves at him, with sickles, flails and pitchforks, his paws and antlers quickly finished them. Even while dying, with horrifying open wounds, the worshippers continued to shout and laugh.

 Near him, the demon struggled to roar louder than the rivals. The bandages covering his right hand, the hand with claws and thorns of his ancestors, were stained red. The blows of his axe were so fierce that each one of them fell at least two enemies, and he even reached five with a single, brutal slash.

 The huntress moved quickly and nimbly in all directions, staying away from the enemies while her companions allowed themselves to be surrounded. Her arrows were extremely effective against opponents who did not try to dodge, did not wear armor and wore barely some clothing. None of them had the slightest intention of staying safe, they just wanted to do harm, to extend and destroy, to be just like fire.

 The dragonslayer was the only one facing a single opponent, engaged in a duel against the draconic raider. In addition to fighting, he focused on shouting one battle cry after another, doing his best not to hear the inhuman laughter and mad words of such a rival.

 As soon as the savage rose, he charged against Ellanher and reached him in just a few seconds. The heavy head of his axe moved too quickly, his entire body was extremely strong, his shield was long and he kept a good distance. Instead of aiming at his opponent, the raider knocked away and deflected his spear, rammed him with his shield, and kept moving around. The dragon slayer could hold on without a problem, his armor was more than enough and his own shield, in addition to protecting much of his body, was covered with dragon fangs and reinforced with metal.

 Finally, with his fiercest scream and most accurate attack, the young man managed to stick his huge spear’s head into the savage's stomach. Before, he'd only hit him with the pole, throwing him through the air. Before, only one arrow had been stuck in his neck. Now it was the broad, sharp head of the dragonslayer’s spear that pierced his skin and flesh, sticking out from his back.

             —… Hrm —grunted the raider in surprise, looking at the open wound. Then he looked up at Ellanher. He no longer laughed or howled, but there was more fire in his eyes than ever before. All his madness and rampage had turned to anger.

 With subhuman grunts and an increasingly primal expression, he struck the pole again and again with his axe, to no avail. His strikes were brutal, carried by an increasingly incredible force, but he barely managed to leave any marks on his enemy's weapon. Impatient and furious, he threw his shield away, then wielding the axe with both hands, and even so it failed to produce results.

 The dragonslayer only held his enormous weapon, staring fixedly at the raider as a smile formed on his lips. The grunts and roars no longer distracted him.

             —You'll never be able to break this weapon —he said calmly.

             —Shut up!! —was the answer of his rival.

             —Where have I heard that before? You can try anything you want, you'll bleed to death there before you nick it.

             —I'll split this piece of crap and then I'll break you and your companions and the whole world!!

 Ellanher said nothing, only responded with a swipe of his spear to a side. Still impaled on the blade, the raider hit the ground.

             —You can choose —he said to his rival, looking down at him—, die from the open wound if I pull out my spear, or keep bleeding while you fight until you can't move.

             —It doesn't matter —those words were a blow to the face of the dragonslayer—, it doesn't matter what you choose either. Tonight everything will burn.

             —Look around you.

 There was no longer a single ally of the draconic raider. All the worshipers, minions and madmen had died. The huntress, the demon, and the druid were almost done putting out the fire.

 The savage coldly held Ellanher’s gaze, then smiled, showing sharp, darkened teeth. When the slayer plucked his spear from the wound, tearing skin and flesh alike, instead of a dying scream, the maddened man burst out laughing. Though the blood falling from his torso covered him to his knees, he rose, walked a few steps backward, toward some flames that were still burning, and disappeared into the fire.

 When the four companions finished extinguishing it all out, and the villagers began to approach slowly, there was only a trace of soot and blood left.

             —How does a madman survive such an injury? —Leofsige was the first to arrive with the dragonslayer.

             —He left his shield behind —then came Cunobelinos, holding the weapon with one hand.

             —Ellan —Emer called him as she approached the three men—, what's going on?

 The young man had his gaze lost, with a mixture of anger and bewilderment on his face, static, in silence, as if only the trail of the raider existed before him.

             —He said everything would burn tonight —he finally spoke after a moment.

             —Then we must follow him, as fast as we can —the huntress replied, staring at him. He looked back at her, saw her smiling with confidence, and came back to his senses.

             —Let’s go.

 The trail was clear. Blood was still fresh, the soot was in the shape of footprints.

             —This madman not only survives the wound —de demon commented—, but also runs with it. How far can he be?

             —It will start snowing soon —said the druid—. I cannot imagine if that will slow him down or help him.

             —The closer he gets to the north, the worse it will be for us —the dragonslayer replied.

 The others looked at him in silence for a moment. He was at the head of the march, on his horse, while Cunobelinos advanced a few meters behind him, in his bestial form, and Emer with Leofsige closed the march on the cart.

             —How so? —the huntress wanted to know.

             —He’s escaping to the north. The dragons originated in the north.

 Then his three companions noticed. Although they had begun a journey to the south, they were not yet far from the snow-covered north. They were in Germany, Ellanher's homeland.

 Further north were the British Isles, the Scandinavian kingdoms, and the Slavic steppes. As far as the companions knew, from different points in all that vast expanse of land and ice, once in the past dragons appeared.

             —We can only hurry —concluded the huntress, and the small caravan advanced as fast as possible.

 The night extended through the sky. Leofsige lit a couple of torches, throwing one at Ellanher and holding another one up high from the cart. There was no other light in there, the clouds completely covered the moon and the stars.

             —… But what…? —murmured the huntress, looking up.

 Her companions did the same thing almost immediately, noticing it too. An almost magical flash had just gleamed from across the clouds.

 Then came the roar.

             —It can't be —said the druid.

             —Damn it… —the demon grunted.

 The dragonslayer only clenched fists and teeth, while a second roar was heard farther than the first, and then another, and another.

             —By my rotten ancestors and those who do not rot —Leofsige began to say, but Emer interrupted him.

             —Going forward is our only option.

 The draconic raider had left a trail of kilometers, but the marks of his steps did not show that he had slowed down. His blood reflected the brightness of the torches unnaturally, and every drop shuddered when a roar pierced the clouds.

             —We're going to need an army —said Leofsige, trying to keep his usual tone and failing. His three companions realized that he was afraid.

             —The earth itself is rising —Cunobelinos replied.

             —And can it raise an army?

             —I feel the army approaching. I just hope there is not too much fire…

             —Have you counted the dragons? Because I tried and I couldn't.

             —Maybe it will be enough anyway if…

             —If what? —the demon was completely losing his cool—. Of course, it won't be too much fire, it will be more than that, it will be something disproportionate, something legendary, it will be a bloody catastrophe!

             —Shut up, Leo!! —rarely did Emer's voice carry so much strength.

             —But…!

             —Nothing!! —she had the tone of a veteran general—. We've faced worse and with less!

             —Tell me just one…

             —I don't need to!! You know well what we do, so by my ancestors keep calm, and by yours, damn it, forget the fear.

 Clenching his right fist against his forehead, the demon nodded.

 They went on for almost anothe, in silence. They only heard the occasional roar in addition to their cart and horses. Not much further on, they could see the smoke rising towards the clouds. After that, they could also see the winged silhouettes descending.

             —They are less —said the druid suddenly, before he began to laugh with the voice of a wolf.

             —What's with you? —the demon wanted to know.

             —They are less than we thought! —the enormous man continued to speak as he laughed—. I can feel it in the roots and the wind! They moved so swiftly through the sky, roaring and exhaling fire, that they seemed countless!

             —You see, Leo? —the huntress asked, looking at him confidently—. Our luck isn't always that bad.

             —I hope it stays that way, because otherwise…

 Then they saw several silhouettes surrounding them, though they had not heard their march.

             —It seems you could use some help —the voice of a hidden face was heard, covered by a fur hood with wolf ears and fangs.

             —Now more than ever, leader —Emer said to her, smiling from the cart.

 End of Chapter 1