The Demon Wolf (Book 1 of The Devil and the Huntsman)

Chapter 64

Before they could think about something else to remember, a few demonic voices were being heard in the forest. Julius and Harald continued to hold the handles of their blades and be ready for an onslaught. They may have lost the great battle against the demons, but they both still had the strength to fight their opponents. They refused to surrender to the ones who have done enough damage in their lives and refused to bow to them. They did not care if they had to rip their enemies in half with their bare hands; they would rather die a thousand deaths than watch them take over the rest of the world.

Julius and Harald were determined to lift the curse of Midland and bring peace back to their homes. They heard many voices that were both hellish and human, but they did not run away from it. They knew they would die anyway if they began running, so they stayed still and keep their distance.

"Harald. We must stick together!" Julius shouted. He turned around to make sure that the earl stayed behind him and did not become left behind.

He hoped the night would not last forever because he did not want to lose another thing or another person all at once. Harald looked in every direction he was facing and found nothing but trees and shadows lurking everywhere. Julius was more of a demon hunter than Harald because he fought as many demons as possible as he could ever ask for. The purpose of a demon hunter has always been to hunt the night and make the creatures suffer. A few seconds later, Julius saw many footsteps and chanting coming his way, and he became ready to fight back.

It was when Julius and Harald knew that they would face many night creatures before they could reach the castle. The castle was their only destination, and their only chance to defeat the one who started it all by killing the king and usurping the throne. Suddenly, a night creature came running from the shadows and ready to kill either Julius or Harald. The demon hunter lifted his greatsword and cleft the demon open before it could land a decisive blow. And during that fateful time, an onslaught between Julius and Harald against the monsters begins as the full moon shines in the night sky.

A dozen demons face Julius, and another dozen meet Harald as he stood behind the demon hunter. Julius waits for them to come to him as Harald dashes towards them to kill all of them swiftly and justly. He held his sword in the air and made sure it was the last thing the night creatures will ever see. He had many things to do and many more things to achieve after he finishes killing his opponents. He swings his sword, and it slices off the arms and legs of only a few of them, and he slices off some of their heads.

Julius fought more fiercely but less cunningly than Harald because of his brute skill and strength. The time for mercy has already passed; the path to the light was nonexistent for the night creatures after everything they have done. Julius parried, blocked, and dodged every attack that his foes were throwing at him during the night. He was always victorious in killing the lower-leveled demons, but it takes so much skill to kill the more formidable creatures. It would take much more than a stab to the chest to destroy the demonic beasts of higher levels.

That is why Julius could stand up to them and bring them to their knees, and he was sure that every demon would fear him. Julius and Harald continued to kill every monster and make the forest run red with their blood. The blood and gore stained the blades of the earl and the demon hunter, and they watched as the demons fell on the gore-stained ground. Julius still looked at Harald as a brother despite already knowing the truth about his past; he was still loyal to the lineage of King Lancelot. They went their way and killed a few more night creatures until they could not see any more of them.

None of them could see who was controlling the creatures and why they came to attack Julius and Harald. The only reason they even came was to stand in the demon hunter's way and prevent him and the earl from going any further. And so, the onslaught between Julius and Harald against the demons ended, and they both went north on the trail leading to the castle. The castle was only ten miles away from Loftain, yet it seemed like it would take the entire night just to get where they needed to go. Julius and Harald continued holding onto their swords in case if more demons stop them in their traps.

The two of them stayed together and allowed the moon to guide their way to the kingdom of Midland.

"It's as if they know we are coming for them. It's like they are telling every creature they've ever known to hunt us down. I'm not deceived that they will send more after us," Harald said.

"Then we must be prepared for them to come and take us on. Simply going after them is pointless in the middle of the night. It would just give them more of an opportunity to finish us," Julius said.

"The castle shouldn't be too far. I'm pretty sure anyone can tell how big the castle is by just looking at it. The demon king remains to be found and to see if he knows who we are."

"We will find him, Julius. We will kill him along with his servants. That vile creature has lived long enough to watch us both suffer before her wrath."

"Julius, when we find him, the kill is mine. That beast, the demon king, has slaughtered was my father. When he dies, I shall be the one to sever his head from his shoulders."

"That's why I brought you along with me. I'm here to make sure you succeed on your path of vengeance. I don't know what will happen next, but I don't care."

Julius made sure that Harald stayed faithful to his task and did not have anyone stand in his path. Harald looked down at himself and knew everything that will seem to happen to his body after killing the demon king. Julius and Harald had no idea what they will be in for, but they knew that it will be triumphant or tragic. They both continued the long path towards the castle and did not look back during the night. They both had different reasons for being the victor over the demon king and the things they will think about.

"The people of Loftain are counting on us all. But I don't believe they will think about coming over to Midland after its current state. It's like the demons are testing our patience," Harald said.

"The demons have always tested and tempted us since the beginning. Nothing has changed about them. They will keep coming for us until we are old and weary," Julius said. As they walked, they could both see the castle from a long distance, and the path ahead would only take about a few more minutes.

The time of vengeance would soon be over for Harald because of how much he has despised the demons. He only realized the demon king responsible for Lancelot's death as he became the usurper of Midland after Julius told him these things. They did not hesitate to walk the trail leading to the castle's entrance; they did not know if the other leaders of Loftain survived the battle or not. As they walked, they could tell that they have not set foot near the kingdom's area for what seemed like an eternity. The ground reeked of death and agony because of how much land the demons have taken over.

The death of many humans has made the demons become viler and have the demon king's unspeakable power, so it is no wonder why it is nearly impossible for people to fight the monsters and reclaim their home. Julius and Harald went to the castle of Midland because they thought of themselves to be powerful enough to defeat the demon king. To their surprise, they could not see any night creatures coming in their direction; they must have all went to Loftain to defeat the knights. Julius and Harald were already so close to reaching the entrance to the castle to face a foe far more potent than they realize.

"Are you ready, Harald? Ready to face your greatest enemy?" Julius asked.

"Since the very beginning," Harald answered.

"Let's not waste any more time. We do this for King Lancelot, our family, and the earth."