The sun is already setting when you wake up, Irene is dressed up and hurrying you:
- Get up, it's almost time!
- Ok, ok.... (You can barely open your eyes but still manages to get up).
After jumping off the bed you take a quick shower and then begins to get dressed, in a matter of moments, Irene's sister arrives and whilst putting on your boots, you hear them talking:
- I can't thank you enough for coming.
- No problem, it feels like it was yesterday that was I who was asking for your help.
- Tell me about it, time flies... And the family, how are they?
Having finished getting dressed, you go to the living room to say hi to your wife's sister:
- Hi Mélanie, thank you for coming. (You greet her with a hug).
- Please, I'm just returning the favour.
- So are we ready? (Irene asks you).
- Yes, ready.
After saying bye to the baby and Mélanie, you and Irene head towards the village.
The music is contagious, people are dancing, there is no shortage of food and the atmosphere is full of happiness, upon arriving, Irene leaves you for a moment to find her friends whilst you make your way to where the food is, predictably finding Jean there:
- Didn't knew you were coming, are you “hunting” as well? (You joke).
- What? Nah, too much work...
- But you know me, I go wherever is food. (He adds whilst filling a plate to the edges).
- Haha, yes! Indeed.
As you two continue on talking, three guards run past you with a worried expression on their faces.
- What's up with them? (You ask).
- Don't know, probably someone having a little too much fun, people are so happy today that it's somewhat scary...
- Perhaps... (Although something in the back of your mind is telling you that there is more to this than just some drunkard).
Seeing the guards disappear midst the crowd, the music changes and Irene surprises you pulling your arm and asking Jean:
- Do you mind borrowing me him for a moment?
- He's all yours.
- Man, prepare yourself for the silliest moment of your life hahaha. (He jokes as Irene pulls you towards the dancing crowd).
There, your mind quickly tries to focus on keeping up with the dance, for the first time in life Jean is correct, the dance is quite silly and difficult to learn. With you fighting to stay on rhythm the pace changes once more, however, it changes for something rather more romantic this time and so, just like all the others, you and Irene start to dance together, on this moment you look at her noticing how beautiful she is.
- What?
- What what?
- You're giving me that funny look again.
- Oh... It's just that you're looking really beautiful toni...
Before you can finish your sentence, the music stops and a member of the Council of the Inhabitants of the Village starts speaking:
- Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this celebration. (He makes a brief pause and then continues).
- Not long ago our dear village was reduced to ashes and its citizens to their very worst... Lives were lost! Families and friends turned against each other! And our history, almost lost... But the Nameless God heard our prayers and His Majesty, the one chosen by him, did as instructed and freed our lands from thieves, rebuilt our walls and brought back peace to the people. To this and to the memory of the friends and relatives that were lost we celebrate today... Drink! Dance until your feet hurt! For today marks the beginning of a prosperous and united age.
He moves closer to the crowd:
- And what best way to celebrate the beginning of a new era, if not with music?! But not just any music, no... This night we bring you a very special guest, one which is said to be the greatest Virtuoso of the Virtuosos, one who doesn't need to practice, some even dare to say that he sold his soul to The One Who Resides At The End Of The Nine Hells in exchange for unimaginable skills with the violin... Ladies and gentlemen! I bring to you, the one, the only, the great, the Devil's Violinist!
As he moves away and the lights are dimmed, a slender man of long hair takes the stage playing the violin. With quick strokes of the bow, uncommon sequences of notes, this man makes the violin sound like a completely new instrument, differently from the songs the strings quartet played, he plays compositions you never heard before. The women shine with the intricate habitabilities of the musician, indeed, his music is like the words of the devil, invading your mind and preventing you from doing anything but to listen to them.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a drunkard covered in blood shows up running and bumps into the musician, after getting back up, he grabs the musician by the neck of his shirt and begins to scream desperately with an expression of extreme fear on his face:
- RUN! The demon... The demon of the fire is back!
- Get off of me! (The musician pushes the drunkard away).
In a fraction of a second, whilst the drunkard gets up once again to run, a tall and wide shadow with amber eyes lacerates his throat with a single move of its claws splashing blood everywhere and causing the crowd to panic. One by one, the shadow attacks, you quickly gab Irene by the arm and begins running to the gates, the shadow, killing everything that moves notices you two and gives chase, not daring to look back you can hear it getting closer and closer. Upon seeing a line of guards in front of the gates pointing their weapons at your direction you abruptly pull yourself and Irene out of the way a split of a second before shots begin to be fired, and fall through the main entrance of the tavern immediately getting up and running towards the back exit.
- It's locked!
Irene tells you trying to open it. With the sound of glass shattering, a severed arm flies through the window, causing you two to desperately look for a place to hide.
- There!
You point to a table to your left. Not long after you two hide underneath it, the shadow busts through the front wall and begins to scour the area, on this moment you hold Irene's hand tightly and gesticulate for her to be silence. Completely ignoring the chaos outside, the demonic creature moves between the tables smashing whatever is in its way getting more and more agitated when suddenly, the sound of something moving comes from the other side of the tavern, it's the musician and just like you and your wife he's hiding underneath a table too. The shadow begins to growl and prepares to attack but, followed by the sound of the door on the other side of the tavern unlocking, a barkeeper opens it only to meet face to face with his doom, the musician takes the opportunity and begins to run attracting the shadows attention, so you soon tell Irene:
- Run!
And begins to run to the front entrance but the shadow quickly notices you two and changes its course, before you can get through the door, the shadow pushes you and Irene with so much force that Irene is knocked unconscious and you are launched a few meters away from the tavern. Whilst you're still on the ground, the two amber eyes glowing midst the darkness that fills the tavern focus on you and the shadow jumps in your direction...
Closing your fists in a hopeless attempt to fight, you prepare to meet your end but at the exact moment the shadow reaches you, bullets hit it completely stealing its attention, you take the opportunity to move away as three horsemen coming from nowhere begin to chase the shadow that is now running towards the woods. Wasting no time, you run to Irene.
- What happened?! The shadow.. We need to run!
She panics upon waking up as you hold her in your arms.
After leaving the village and heading towards home, Irene desperately runs through the front door, straight past her sister and into the baby's room.
- My god, what happened?! Are you alright?
Mélanie asks you as she sees the blood on your clothes.
- Something attacked the village, are you ok? Did you saw or heard anything strange around here?
- Yes, I mean no... It has been quite calm ever since you two have left.
Irene comes back to the living room with the baby in her arms, you three sit down in the couch and begin to talk about what happened. The more Mélanie listens the more worried she gets until she leaves to check on her family that also lives in a farm near the village. After her departure, you and Irene turn your attentions to take care of each other's wounds, luckily they're nothing more than mere scratches and light contusions. For the rest of the night you stay at the porch with your bow in hands and your mind in state of alert.
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