The Blade of Kenai

Part 1: Chapter 3

      As the sun began to set over the town, Kenai and Kazdyn made their last preparations for the long night. Most of the time patrols were boring, you were lucky if more than 3 Demons were flying around the village. The rest of the night was normally spent walking up and down the streets trying to not fall asleep.
      It's ridiculous that they give us the day off after the shift. Part of Kenai couldn't understand the purpose of training so many boys in the village to fight so few Demons. At least it means there are less shifts for everyone. Kenai concluded as he finished pulling his boots back onto his feet.
      He gave a final glance at the mirror in the corner of the room before turning to Kazdyn who was running his hands through his hair, tousling it so that it was just right. Kenai rolled his eyes.
      "You know there's not gonna be any girls running around at night. Right?" Kazdyn's obsession with impressing every person he came across could be irritating at times, but then again that was just Kazdyn. A stray shoe hit Kenai in the shoulder, a retaliation for his snide remark.
      "Hey, I'm just telling the truth." He held up his hands in surrender as he turned to look over a Kazdyn, who had his face scrunched up. Kenai's headache hadn't returned since his talk with Kazdyn and he intended to keep it that way.
      "Let's just go," Kazdyn said, taking one last look at himself in the mirror before following Kenai out the door and into the hallway. They joked as they made their way to the academy's entrance until they pushed open the heavy front doors, revealing the small village that was laid out in front of them.
      A gate surrounded the school, although it was always open. The path from out of the school split in 2, leading to different rows of houses, and from there a larger path led toward a large building in the center of the island. Various shops including a bakery, general store, and a potions stand. There were always plenty of supplies in the city, and it seemed a bit silly to charge customers for services when there was such an abundance of everything needed.
      Daithe's house was closest to the academy, off to the right. The soft light from Daithe's room stood out against the rest of the windows. People were usually in bed fast asleep by the time the patrols started so they had little chance of having an encounter with a Demon. Kenai wondered what she was doing up so late, but then scolded himself for allowing himself to become distracted. I am a knight right now. No distractions. He looked back at the path, following Kazdyn's footsteps.
      They eventually came to a stop when they reached the town square, which was behind the various assortments of houses. The Lake of the Goddess shimmered as the moonlight reflected off of it. The quiet sound of water lapping up against the shore was calming, making Kenai's eyes droop with exhaustion.
      "Where do you want to wait?" Kazdyn broke the silence with a whisper, being sure to keep as quiet as possible on behalf of the sleeping town.
      "Let's just lap the streets around the marketplace for now." The brother's steps crunched against the gravel, a sound that anyone would quickly grow sick of.
      "Who else is supposed to be patrolling tonight?" Kadzyn asked with curiosity. His question was answered before Kenai could respond as they rounded a corner of one of the shops. Devin stood in front of them, leaning against a wall.
      "I didn't know both of you were gonna be out tonight. I thought only 2 knights were needed for the patrols," Devins's voice was filled with scrutiny, but he was right.
      "I wasn't feeling well, so Kenai offered to join me. Y'know, in case I pass out or anything." Kazdyn took the blow, leaving Kenai relieved. Devin wasn't likely to make a scene out of Kazdyn's false claim, no one wanted to be disliked by the popular boy.
      "Oh, alright," Devin huffed, pushing himself off the wall. "I was gonna take this section and the town square, so you two can go lurk around the houses." Devin began walking away, not giving them any chance to reply or make an argument. Everyone knew that the town square got the most action.
      "Ooaakay." Kazdyn drawled out, looking back at Kenai. "He can be such an ass sometimes." Kenai quickly corrected him.
      "All the time." They chuckled quietly as they continued their walk to the houses. It was quiet and no sign of an intruder allowed Kenai to loosen his shoulders. They had been taught to strictly keep an alert posture at all times during a patrol, but it was incredibly easy to sag your limbs when you knew no one was watching.
      Kenai and Kazdyn went to the regular position they were supposed to assume for this section of the village and stood in silence. The night seemed to go by even slower than usual with company. It drove Kenai crazy that they were not allowed to speak, and he could tell that Kazdyn had the same feeling. Both of them constantly fidgeted with restlessness despite the exhaustion that combated it.
      Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Kenai felt the heavy anxiety consume his body, his head didn't ache but the rest of his body seized with a strange sort of agony, much more intense than anything else he had endured that day. He let out a loud gasp that he had tried to hold back and fell to his knees on the ground. No no no no not now. Kenai begged. Kazdyn crouched down and put his hand on Kenai's back.
      "Okay you're right, this is freaky." Kazdyn ran his fingers through his hair, looking around for help, forgetting that everyone else was asleep in their beds. "Listen I think we need to go back to the academy, you look really bad." Kenai glared up at him, even in his immense pain he was able to respond with sarcasm.
"Gee, thanks." He winced and drew in a deep breath once again when another wave of terror coursed through his body. But then it stopped.
      Kenai lifted his head to meet Kazdyn's eyes with confusion. I hate this. Kazdyn still looked shaken, but relief washed over his face when he realized the episode was over. Kenai only had to make it 2 more hours, and he was determined not to wuss out on his duties.
      "Let's just finish this out, we're so close." Kazdyn opened his mouth to argue with him, but before he could start his sentence a scream erupted from one of the houses.
      Both of them looked at each other with pure terror in their eyes. They stood frozen in fear for a few moments before they snapped out of it and began running towards the loud screeches.
      "Can you tell where it's coming from?" Kenai asked as they ran, unsure of exactly which direction to be going towards. They slowed to a jog as the night filled with silence again.
      "C'mon, we have to keep going. Go check around every house." Kenai turned to split off from his partner, but before he got far Kazdyn called out to him.
      "Don't do anything stupid!" Kenai hurried away, unable to answer because of how out of breath he was. He stopped in front of the first house and then proceeded to take a lap around it. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
      Kenai repeated this for the next three houses, his heart beating faster every minute he couldn't find the source.     
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a white flash caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks and quickly turned to face an unfamiliar man. He wore a long, black tunic and had pale blonde hair, which spilled over his even paler face. His bright blue eyes pierced through Kenai's, and he gave a devilish smile.
      He hadn't realized with his initial evaluation, but Daithe's limp body was thrown over his shoulder. Her white nightgown was covered in dark red blood. Kenai's heart stopped. Tears filled his eyes as a singular thought went through his head. I love her. The realization shocked him, but his body was soon consumed with rage for the Demon standing in front of him.
      "Put her down." Kenai demanded, clenching his jaw and pulling his bow out from behind his back. He knocked an arrow and held it up to the Demon, aiming for the center of his forehead. He only laughed in response.
      "Foolish human child. You don't know who I am, do you?" Kenai knew he was trying to distract him, but his entire focus remained on the pale stranger.
      "KENAI!" Devin and Kazdyn shouted together from close behind. Their footsteps stopped suddenly and they muttered words of confusion to each other.
      "Kenai, what are you doing? What's wrong with Daithe?" Kenai kept his arrow trained on the Demon, who was now smiling with amusement.
      "Dude, what are you aiming at?" Devins's scolding voice filled his head. The Demon suddenly spoke in an icy tone, and Kenai could hear Kazdyn and Devin's shocked reactions.
      "They cannot see me Kenai." He mocked his name as if he found it amusing. "I'm afraid I must go now, I have the girl and can now return to the surface. Thank you for your time." He bowed, slinging Daithe over his shoulder again. Devin and Kazdyn let out yelps of fear. Kenai watched as the Demon slowly crept closer to him, his lip trembled but he forced himself to look fierce.
      The Demon's chest was now only a few feet from the arrow in Kenai's bow. Let go. Kenai released the string from his fingers and watched as it buried itself deep into the Demon's shoulder. He didn't yelp, he only looked at it with a sick sort of amusement.
      "You really shouldn't have done that. Now I'll have to return the favor." Before Kenai could react, his forearm seemed to boil from the inside with pain, he dropped his weapon and looked down at it. He watched as a purple hand-printed burn mark spread up and down his arm, stopping at his wrist and reaching up to his elbow.
      When he looked back up Daithe and the Demon were gone.