Demon Hunter S3: by Nick Venom (fox in socks read aloud .TXT) 📕

Ashley was born to her beastkin parents, Oliver and Alissa. Her parents took care of her in the beastkin village of Deter, a small hunting village housing the Brown Cat Tribe. She enjoyed her life there, peacefully walking around the large property her family owned and visiting the small pond that was in the middle of the backyard garden. There she watched as fishes swam around the pond, appearing to enjoy their short lives. Ashley stared at them intently as they were imported Bronze Redfins, a species similar to goldfish, that appeared interesting to her. Watching the fish was a daily task that gave her a sense of comfort that her parents reinforced. She was enjoying her life, hoping that it would never end.

Unfortunately, every good thing comes to an end. Bandits attacked the village the next day at dawn, unleashing volleys of magical attacks from magicians and arrows from archers. These volleys weakened the defenses, allowing the swordsmen and cavalry to enter the village and destroy it. The cavalry sliced through the defenders and a few purposely tipped over lanterns, creating an intense blaze that quickly engulfed the entirety of the village within a few minutes. The bandits killed as many men as they could and stole as many women as they wanted. 

Within an hour, the blaze was put out, leaving one survivor in the wake. Ashley. She was the sole survivor, safe because her mother decided to hide her in the basement as the bandits entered. Her parents were either dead or missing and her neighbors fared the same fate. The community she lived in for the last several years was gone. There was nobody to rebuild, only charred wood and the remains of foundations. Everything else was taken by the bandits or the flames.

Ashley, escaping the basement that hadn’t been touched, looked out at her surroundings. She saw what was left, silently sobbing to herself. Her cries and pleads to the gods filled the air for several days before she no longer had the strength to talk or think. There she laid against the remains of the garden, the fishes surviving the flames barely. They were all wounded by the fire and debris, but still swimming. Until dying of natural causes a few days later. Ashley was by herself.

Then she wasn’t. 

A teenager rode into the remains of the village, finding Ashley. He rode a horse, getting off it to confront Ashley. “Are you okay, miss?” He asked her. She glanced up at him, but couldn’t spare the liquids to moisten her tongue and talk. She looked at the pond, not responding. “Does anything hurt? Blink three times if anything hurts. Two if you’re okay” He told her.

Ashley glanced up at the teen, furrowing her singed eyebrows. She blinked three times. The teen then helped her to her feet before getting her onto the horse. He rode away from the village, taking Ashley with him. The last thing she noticed before departing was the fish. The same beautiful brownish-red fishes… dead. 

***

Ashley arrived at a mansion, being taken care of by nurses and maids. She was allowed to recover in a room for a week before she regained her functions. Once she did, she wandered around the large mansion aimlessly. What am I doing here? Where are my parents? She thought to herself as she walked around, unimpeded by the staff. She continued walking, coming across a door left ajar. She walked towards the door, hearing tidbits of the conversation.

“I want her to become my maid, father.” The teen that saved her declared.

“Are you willing to take the responsibilities of a person? She isn’t a stray cat, you know.” His father said.

“Yes, I’m ready.” The teen said. “I will take care of her.”

His father relented, allowing the teen to make Ashley his maid. Fortunately, she happened to be near the room. The father quickly called her in. “Good morning, miss.” He told her as she entered. “What is your name?”

“A-Ashley.” 

“Ashley? What a beautiful name. I am Wyatt Wells. This-” He pointed at the teen. “-is Mandy Wells. My first son.” He said. “He has requested to take you in as his maid. Do you agree to serve under him?” He asked.

“Uh…” Ashley muttered, unsure of what was happening. “W-Why me?”

Wyatt looked at Mandy, telling him to explain. Mandy nodded, stepping forward. “You have nothing else to live for. I want to make you happy. Give you a purpose in life. That’s why.” He said with a small smile.

Ashley furrowed her brows. My parents… they’re dead. Her memories returned to her in quick succession. She dropped to her knees, sobbing. Mandy rushed to her side, soothing her. He calmed her down, helping her relax. She stopped sobbing, looking up at him. She repeated her question. “Why me?”

Mandy looked at her with a big foolish grin. “Because I want to make you happy.”

“Mandy?” Ashley asked, rattling her knuckles on her bedroom door. Mandy locked himself in his room. After acting on his words and having her be educated and taught like the other maids, they lived three years of bliss before everything fell apart. Mandy’s parents died in the war and his siblings all collapsed from infection, leaving him as the sole survivor. Survivor's guilt crushed him.

“Are you okay, Mandy?” She asked. The nearby maids shook their heads in an attempt to stop her, but she didn’t pay attention to them. She continued calling him until he responded.

“What do you want?” He barked. 

“I want to help you. To make you happy.” She said, reusing his own words.

He was not happy. “Shut up!” He barked, stomping towards the door. He yanked it open, glaring at Ashley. “Shut up, you dumb maid! There is no universe where I would allow a dirty maid like you to help me!” He spat.

Ashley cringed but continued forward. “Mandy, I want-” She was interrupted by Mandy striking her. She staggered backward for a few seconds before falling on her butt. By this time, Mandy was seething with anger.

“Oh, you want to help me? Then bring my parents back! Bring my siblings back! But you can’t do it, right? A dirty maid like you can’t do anything. You’re nothing but a waste. I should have never saved you. You’re an ugly beast!” He angrily ranted. He glanced at the maids watching him. “From now on, nobody is allowed to treat this beast with kindness. She’s nothing more than a donkey here. Is that clear?” He ordered. The maids nodded their heads instantly. Mandy, satisfied now, turned around and locked him inside the room.

Ashley, bewildered by the entire exchange, looked around at the other maids. They looked at her with pity and anger. Her life changed for the second time.

Since nobody could go against the Lord of the mansion, the maids treated Ashley with spite. They mistreated her by verbally shouting at her, bumping into her and forcing her to make a mistake, and talking about her behind her back.

Unfortunately, Mandy didn’t help as he enforced this order. He scolded her for little to no reason---yelling at her for making the smallest of mistakes---as well as physically and mentally abusing her. He physically smacked her and made fun of her whenever he could. This drained her enormously, but what brought her to a breaking point was a new invention he created - the spike-chair. It was a normal chair fused with metal spikes that sprouted out from it. He forced her to sit on it several times. It always poked into her skin, breaking it and making her bleed. She couldn’t sit after being on the chair, her butt bleeding. Mandy always laughed at her discomfort and cries. He found humor in it.

However, he didn’t find humor in Ashley’s suicide attempt. After being bullied by all but one person for an entire year, she attempted suicide. Unfortunately for her, another maid found her before she could bleed out. She was taken to recover in her bed. Once she woke up, she knew what the consequences would be for her. Thankfully, somebody was there for her. Corrina, a fellow maid, was there to support her. Corrina cared for Ashley, disgusted by Mandy’s actions, This forced her to choose a side between the abusive Mandy and saint Ashley - and she chose the latter. Her decision led to her preparing a carriage to sneak Ashley out of Mandy’s territory before he arrived. If he did arrive and found her, she would be beaten horrifically. 

Ashley tried to reject the carriage, but Corrina insisted, forcing Ashley to take it. The following night, Ashley was transported out of the hospital and taken out of Wells’ territory; Corrina voluntarily chose to stay behind. 

Later, Mandy, who learned about her escape hours after the fact, grew angry and wounded some of his staff. In particular, Corrina, who, by another maid’s account, was with Ashley before she escaped. She was sentenced to execution and killed two days later. Her final words were, “Good luck Ashley.”

Meanwhile, Ashley fled as far as she could get with the coins given to her by Corrina. She managed to make it to a restaurant within the territory of the Great Wolfstein kingdom. She crossed over the Neutral Zone, escaping from the Asher kingdom.

Now in the Great Wolfstein kingdom, she went to the first restaurant that she could find. Food and water had been scarce throughout her travels. At the restaurant, she pooled the last of her coins and bought herself a small meal. She ate in peace, not noticing several glares at her. Mandy had sent spies to track down Ashley, who now waited for the right opportunity to snatch her. 

Once they found it, they attacked her. They wounded her severely, but, unfortunately for them, Rik and Eric were present at the restaurant. They were all killed instantly.

“Are they tracking us?” Rik questioned Eric.

Eric shook his head. “Doesn’t appear, master. However, they’re aiming for somebody here.”

“It would be that girl.” One of the owners, an overweight man, said. “She’s being tracked by suspicious people.”

Rik nodded, staring at the wounded Ashley. “You don’t know her or if she has a family?” He asked the owner, who shook his head. “Eric, take her with us.”

“You want to save her because she looks like your sister?” Eric questioned.

“Shut up, Eric. Take her and let’s go. Our time here is over.” He ordered. Eric complied, grabbing the wounded girl and leaving to reach a nearby clinic. There, they patched her up. She took two weeks to recover.

Once she did, she was confused about where she was. “Who are you?” She asked her saviors.

“My name is Rik. His name is Eric. What is yours?” Rik asked.

Ashley hesitated to answer, looking around her surroundings. She was laying on a bed in the clinic. “I…. I’m Ashley.” She responded.

Rik extended his hand out to her. “Nice to meet you, Ashley. Do you have any family or are you by yourself?” 

She shook her head. “T-They died.” Tears bubbled at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill out. “They were killed by bandits.”

Rik nodded, furrowing his brows. “Then you have nobody?” He glanced at Eric who nodded his head in agreement. “What about joining me?”

Ashley furrowed her brows, tilting her head. “W-W-Why me?”

“Because… I want to help you. You remind me of my sister… I couldn’t save her.”

“You will save me?” She asked.

Rik shook his head. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise it.”

Ashley nodded, taking in the information. There’s no more money… and I’m being targeted. They protected me… before I became like the fishies. Will they turn out like Mandy or… Will they not? Should I trust them or will they betray me like Mandy? What if they leave without me? No money and no dreams. I will die like the fishies. In a pool of charred water. There’s nothing else I can do. Ashley thought to herself before letting out a sigh. She bowed her head. “Please… Please save me.”

Rik nodded, grinning slightly. “I’ll try. If I don’t,