Demon Hunters

Wartime III

Damn. They must have seen the smoke.

Not knowing who to expect, Jonah drew his sword and prepared himself for anything. He held his breath as the door slowly creaked open.

"Identify yourself!" a man clad in a colourful uniform and toting a musket bellowed.

Jonah relaxed somewhat. The men at the door were soldiers and judging by how they wore their uniforms – that is to say, properly – not deserters, either. Most likely, they were sweeping the area for any leftover enemies. As such, they weren't a threat to Jonah – but as their uniform was clearly distinct from Jean's, the same couldn't be said about the young man. Indeed, when the soldier at the door spotted Jean, his eyes narrowed.

"We got one, sir," he yelled.

The young man froze stiff in fear, his eyes reflexively turning to Jonah – much to the displeasure of the demon hunter. For a brief moment, Jonah considered simply handing him over to the soldiers. After all, it was not like he would be executed on the spot, and to someone like Jonah who had no stock in the war, this was the obviously correct course of action. However, those damned eyes made him feel so guilty that Jonah could hardly stand it. Though he was convinced he was making a mistake, Jonah stepped between the soldier and Jean.

"You have found what, exactly?" he asked.

The soldier at the door looked confused and couldn't say anything in response before he was shoved aside by an officer who entered the hut. He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Jean.

"You are a demon hunter, I presume? Surely you realize that the man on the bed is a member of our enemy's army?"

Jonah crossed his arms and let out an exaggerated sigh.

"See? I told you this would cause issues," he groaned, glancing over at Jean. "Why did you ever think that wearing a disguise was even necessary, to begin with?"

The officer, a pompous-looking man with a finely groomed moustache, looked at Jonah with an incredulous expression.

"Am I to believe that the man on the bed is actually another demon hunter?"

"That he is – though an idiot as well. Terribly sorry to have caused such a commotion... Man's always liked to wear uniforms, but I promise to make him lose this strange habit of his!"

The officer lowered his hand on the hilt of his sword. His expression was not amused.

"I'm not sure if I believe you," he said. "I think we're going to have to bring your friend over there for questioning. I'm sure you understand."

Once again, Jonah questioned his actions. By default, everyone in the service of the church had a considerable amount of diplomatic immunity so that they could carry out the will of the church without any interference. Still, there were limits to this protection, and sheltering an enemy soldier clearly crossed the line of acceptability. Were he to give up Jean now, he could most likely not have to suffer any repercussions. However, a voice Jonah had always attempted to bury – his conscience – wouldn't allow him to give the kid up. Instead, he crossed his arms, and his expression became deadly serious.

"As you might see, my companion here is wounded from our battle with a demon, and I am very tired. I do not have the patience for this."

"I do not mean to be disrespectful to a servant of God, but..."

"Yet that is exactly what you are doing," Jonah interjected. "If you insist, I can hand him over and you can freely waste your time. However, I am in a very foul mood right now, and should you decide to do that, I will personally make sure that you will never command anyone again."

The officer's outraged expression made his feelings toward Jonah's threat abundantly clear – the man looked just about ready to shove his sword through the demon hunter. However, reason must have prevailed inside his head, as he took a step back. Evidently, he wasn't willing to risk his career over a single soldier.

"Well, if you can vouch for him, then I suppose I have no reason to doubt you. I advise disposing of the uniform immediately. Not everyone might be as... understanding as I am," he huffed before storming past his confused underling.

"Will do. Have a good night now, officer."

The door was slammed shut with such strength that dust fell from the roof. As the sounds of the footsteps grew fainter, Jonah sat back down and fished out his pipe. Once again, he had made the baffling decision to stand up for some soldier he didn't know.

I'd better get this kid to his camp as soon as humanly possible. It is pretty clear that being around him is not good for me, Jonah thought to himself as he filled his pipe.

Jean slowly sat up in the bed and looked at Jonah with a puzzled expression.

"Why you help me?"

Jonah lit his pipe and took a long drag from it. As he blew out a plume of smoke, he shook his head.

"I do not know. I really don't."

***

Jonah blinked his eyes and stretched as he saw sunlight shining into the shed through the thatched roof. He hadn't really slept during the night, and though his demon hunter training had left him prepared for acting with little to no sleep, the fatigue he felt was never pleasant. As he brewed coffee for himself, Jean started showing signs of stirring. Against all odds, the man had somehow fallen asleep almost as soon as he had eaten, though he had clearly suffered from nightmares. The young man rubbed his eyes and looked on with great interest as Jonah filled two cups with coffee.

I suppose he has never seen coffee... Must be from the countryside, Jonah mused

He handed the other cup to Jean who cautiously accepted it and eyed the inky liquid within with great suspicion. Eventually, curiosity overcame him, and he took a small sip. The scrunched-up expression he showed afterward almost made Jonah laugh out loud – it seemed as if Jean wasn't one for bitter drinks. The two wordlessly enjoyed a very modest breakfast made from Jonah's dwindling supplies, and when they were done, the sun had already risen high into the sky.

"Well, then," Jonah huffed, standing up. "Weshould get moving."