Prologue

I ran through the town streets. Running so fast it felt like my feet were barely touching the ground. It was cold and my breath was coming out in white puffs. I could hear them about a block behind me snarling and clawing at the ground, coming after me. I burst through the gates of the park, quickly latched it behind me and took flight again in search of a place to hide. I knew I wouldn’t be able to outrun them, but hopefully I could hide out here in the park and maybe slip away. My eyes scan the trees and bushes looking for some place that may both conceal my body and mask my scent. My eyes fixed on the large pond in the center of the park, it wasn’t to far away. I ran for it as fast as my legs would carry me. 

If I got in the water it would probably help to hide my scent. But I would have to remain completely still so as not to make any noise. And if they did find me it would be hard to run through the water. I quickly looked around for another option. A few yards from the pond laid the entrance to the hedge maze I used to get lost in when I was younger. I don’t think I would be able to lose them in there. They could just climb over the tops of the hedges, I on the other hand would be left to run around trying to find my way through, there is a chance but it’s not so great. They would surely catch me. My best bet is the pond.

It had a small dock with reeds growing all around it. I slid quietly into the water, worked my body under the dock, and hid myself within the reeds. Only my head was above the water, so I could breathe. I was shivering it was the beginning of winter and the water was cold. I could only hope that the reed would hide me well. I waited in silence, and then I heard them again the scraping of their talons against the gravel as they walked. The were getting closer. 

They know I’m here! 

I figure they know I’m somewhere nearby, the pond couldn’t mask my scent entirely, especially since they are no natural creature. If I’m lucky they don’t know where I am exactly, just somewhere in the vicinity. Maybe they will go into the maze and I can make my escape. Just then, I heard the scraping, but this time it was on the wood of the dock. I could hear it making its way down the dock sniffing and huffing. Then a low growl, as its talons curled around the edge of the dock right next to me. 

It’s gonna look under the dock and find me!

The demon put its face down and sniffed the air by the edge of the dock. A low growl came from deep in its throat.

 This is it its gonna tear me out from underneath this dock and end my life right here. All because I got mad at my parents and stormed out of the house.

 I prepared internally for the feeling of my flesh being torn from my body as it tore me apart. But it never came the the beast leapt off the dock and I could hear them run off in the direction of the maze. Seizing my opportunity I got out from under the dock crawled out of the pond and was about to run when I heard a “SNAP!” behind me, I turned around to see one of the demons climb down from a tree. It was 8 feet tall and stood on four legs. It was reptilian and had shiny black scales. It closely resembled a dragon yet it had no wings, a very short neck, and a pushed in snout. It’s face was sunken in and held tight against the bone. It was almost as if smooth black leather had been plastered to its skull. Its eyes were beady and black, they held no hint of a soul within them. It flicked its tail like a frustrated cat, and I noticed that it had a barb at the end of its tail just like a scorpion. Only the barb was translucent, enough that the moon offered plenty of light for me to see that there was fluid inside. Venom.

There was a certain look to its eyes that-

It’s amused. 

It stalked toward me tallon’s clicking against the cobble stone path, it’s tail making a stomach churning noise as it drug it along the ground. I backed away, turned on my heel and took off, I probably only got about 12 feet away when it ran past kicking up dirt, and swirled around to face me again. I skidded to a stop my heart and mind racing trying to find a way out of this. It threw its head back and let out a screech that sounded like tires on asphalt. Within a minute the other two demons had come back and were now surrounding me. These two were smaller than the other one. They looked more like oversized wolves with their fur only covering some of their body, hanging off on the rest. Their faces were nothing but bone with a little flesh hanging off their jaws, they had antlers on their heads and spikes on their vertebrae that protruded from their backs. They started to move in on me but the larger demon growled and snapped its teeth at them, making them instantly stand down. It then walked toward me again in a confident demeanor. It stopped directly in front of me and leaned in close its face an inch from mine. It then cocked its head from side to side, breathing in through its mouth that slightly hung open. 

Its breathing in my scent.

Trying to taste me.

It pulled back a little and gave a nod to the two behind me. Pain flooded my thoughts as the two demons grabbed my wrists in their jaws and pinned me to the ground. Their Superior moved to stand over top of me. I struggled to get free but only succeeded in getting the two Hell-hounds to clench my wrists tighter between their teeth. The demon lifted a talon and brought it down over my face, right above my left eyebrow. Then pierced the skin and drug it down the side of my face. I screamed in pain, my heart started beating even faster in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Unfortunately not enough to dull the pain. 

Meanwhile, a few blocks over a man and women dressed in form fitting armor, equipped with weapons frantically search the streets. 

“She has to be here somewhere,” said the woman to her husband. She normally gave off an air of confidence and superiority, the man noted, right now she looked anxious and unsure of herself and the situation they were in. This would surely cloud her judgement, they had to control their emotions and 

“Don’t worry Lira, she will be alright,” he said. “We will find her before they do”. The pair were out searching the streets because their daughter had ran off into town after an argument they had. Not long after, they got a report stating that demons had been sighted in the town, and that soldiers were being dispatched to take care of the situation, but that everyone should stay indoors until they have a confirmed kill. Their daughter was in grave danger.