Demon Hunters

Casus Belli VII

19 years earlier:

Gabriel flopped onto the ground, completely exhausted. He rolled onto his back while gasping for breath and hit the ground with his fist, cursing his weakness. How could he, the adopted son of the family von Richter, possibly lose in a fight? He could still remember the smirking face of the victor, as he had walked away. True, his opponent had been older than Gabriel, and certainly, the fight had been even until the very end. However, his opponent had insulted the name of the von Richters, and Gabriel should have been able to defend that honour – especially given his adopted status. Especially infuriating was the fact that Gabriel could have easily won if he could have just used his demonic powers.

No. Father has forbidden that, Gabriel thought, shakily standing back to his feet.

He scanned his environment. The forests surrounding the monastery he was currently staying at were vast, and Gabriel could immediately tell that he had gotten lost. Evidently, his mind had been too preoccupied with his defeat for him to be able to keep track of his surroundings. Moreover, he had snuck out for this extra training, and as such, no one knew where he was. Panic began to seep into his mind, but Gabriel immediately dismissed the feeling.

I have to remember what I have been taught. If I can retrace my path here, I should be able to find my way back.

Gabriel glanced at the way he had come from and felt something squeeze his heart. The undergrowth was thick enough to have already hidden any tracks he might have left. Gabriel squeezed his fists and moved on to the next plan. He knew that the monastery was located south of a vast lake. If he could just locate said lake, he would also be able to find his way back home. He glanced at the nearby trees and made not of which side was covered with moss. Making his mind up, Gabriel started to make his way North – or, at the very least, the direction he believed to be North.

I can't have been running for that long... This shouldn't take too long.

As Gabriel trudged through the forest, he felt unpleasant memories return - they often did when he was left alone. His recollection of the time before being adopted by Bruno was hazy, but perhaps that was exactly the reason the images he unwittingly conjured up were so very frightening. He was haunted by an unclear vision of a room full of corpses. He recognized one of the bodies as his mother's – malnourished and bruised – but there were also others. One of them, in particular, the cadaver of an old man, made him feel both fear and hatred at the same time. He remembered looking down at his hands, which were stained with blood. Had he killed these people? Had he killed his mother? He could faintly remember the smell of something burning as he stood there, motionless. He reached up and felt that something had sprouted from his forehead – a pair of small horns.

According to Bruno, Gabriel had been five years ago at the time, which helped explain why he couldn't recall many details from his time as a member of the cult. Nevertheless, the feeling of utter, crushing despair he felt at that very moment was something he could never forget. Gabriel didn't know what he would have done if he had been left alone, or if he would have even done anything. Thankfully, however, it was at that exact moment that Bruno had first appeared before him. He could still remember the expression, or rather lack of one, on Bruno's face as he stood in the doorway, the light from the fire raging behind him making him seem almost otherworldly. Gabriel felt his resolve return to him. He had been given the opportunity to become someone – and he was most certainly going to use it. He quickened his pace, and after a brief period of walking, he came across a road.

This is good – it is bound to lead me somewhere recognizable. The question is: which way should I go?

There was no telling which direction was better, as Gabriel did not recognize the road. He would need to make a good choice here, as it was already starting to get dark. If he didn't get back by roll call, he would most certainly be punished quite severely. This wasn't all too bad by itself – Gabriel already had a good tolerance for any kind of pain – but such a thing would certainly reflect poorly upon his new family name. Just as Gabriel was about to make a choice, he heard the sound of approaching hooves. Initially, Gabriel decided to just stay on the road, and perhaps ask for directions. However, he soon started to feel anxious. What if whoever was approaching was some sort of brigand? The sound of the hooves was growing ever closer and seemed to be coming from behind a small hill to his left.