Fair fangs [Yoonseok/Sope]

4th part

It was an odd bunch of people that closed up to the demon lord's castle in the early morning.

A crowd of all ages. Each and everyone carrying tiny bottles of holy water on a string around their necks. These had been distributed to all the volunteers earlier. Some of them had chosen to ignore the professional beast slayer's warning and were, together with their bottle of holy water, wearing woven garlic braids around their necks too. A few men who were at the back of the bunch were clenching their fists holding wooden stakes, and another bunch had crosses, a few had even dared to bring weapons such as swords, daggers and crossbows.

If there was one thing that all the different faces in the crowd had in common, it was rage and determination. These were emotions following the common goal and interest between all them: to get rid of the vampire lord that had contaminated their village.

Their presence slowly filled the empty sunrise as they ran up the grassy hill. The grand stone castle on top of it made a giant shadow break out over the horizon, taking up meters on meters of the village beneath it. One that had once been filled with people.

The stone walls were staring back at them, so big that when they were standing close enough, they couldn't even see the end of the big fortress, only endless meters of gray, stony walls.

Hoseok started up at the giant wooden door in front of him. It was probably twice the size of the slayer. He had to admit that he found the abnormal size of the object to be a bit intimidating, he knew that was mostly because it made him wonder what the matching vampire would be like.

With a sigh he turned around. Looking at the crowd of villagers, that despite their heavy breathing, still had resolution and determination in their eyes. He had never fought with an army before and the fact that this one was built up by a bunch of inexperienced volunteers made him bite his lips harshly. He had been foolish to take them with him, that much he was painfully aware of. All of this, all of these lives at stake, just because he was a man who never went back on his words no matter the occasion. The fact that he had allowed himself to get drunk the night before a mission and even promised an old man the death of the village in his drunken state, had all been stupid and he knew he was going to regret it.

"This will be your final chance. If any of you are having second thoughts, please leave now." He told them. Afterwards the slayer looked up at the crowd once again, studying them closely. Deep down he hoped that the majority of them would get cold feet and leave at his words. But as he studied them, nobody moved, nor even batted an eye at his words. They had guts, that much was obvious. Or maybe, he thought, maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe they just felt like they had no other choice in the situation. This might be the only way for them to save their families, their village and to live a happy and calm life again. Maybe it wasn't guts, instead it might have been their only option for happiness.

With a final sigh Hoseok said the long anticipated words, the words the army took as their invitation to finally start this battle of their homes. "Well then, prepare to fight and prepare to die." After exclaiming these words, the slayer turned around, took a grip around the metal ring handle of the door and ripped it open. "Let's save your village."

At that villagers rushed past him as he held the door open. Battle cries echoed in the almost empty castle halls that met them. The room on the inside was huge. Dark, tall walls building it up. Other than the two flights of stairs, each on a different end of the room, there were metallic armors randomly lined up against the walls in the castle. The seemingly almost endless sone floor beneath them, was in some places covered by patches of different colored and sized animal hides. The villagers seemed to pay no mind to the interior, all running up one of the two flights of stairs, weapons and water bottles ready to brawl.