Jonis by Rowan Erlking (manga ereader TXT) 📕

flaming brew in the house, Jonis picked the pot up by the handle and proceeded to go house to house, pouring a few drops of the fire potion in each.

“Seek out demon bird eggs,” he commanded it, clapping his hands.

The brew slipped down into the cracks. Jonis sniffed and listened, raising his hand over the floor to make sure the magic creation was working. He could feel heat rising up under the floors and a sick smelly rank of burning feathers and sulfur drew up with it. There was no odor of burning wood. Drawing in a sigh of relief, Jonis continued to his next spot. 

One by one Jonis attacked, and then sealed the doors of the homes with red paper and his signature. It took most of the afternoon to complete, going from houses to cabins and shops around the square. Each house smoked by the end of the day. Jonis eventually returned to the demon circle to see what was left of the birds he had set afire. He set down the last of the liquid fire om the stone next to him.

The flames from one bird demon had spread to the others, leaving heaps of flaming corpses surrounding the fountain. However, many bird demons rested inside the fountain under the shower of water and on the statues, waiting with long patience for the fires to die out.

Glancing at his sword to see if the spell had potency, Jonis frowned. It had cooled. The spell was gone.

“I see,” Jonis said, nodding at them. “Very clever.” He sheathed that sword and drew out his pistol. “However, you can’t leave that circle, and I’m a good shot.”

He took aim, cocking his gun. Picking off birds left and right, the pistol sounded with an echo against the trees. Most rose from their perches, flapping into the air with vicious caws that sounded like curses in his language. Still, Jonis did not stop until he ran out of bullets. Then he resorted to his bow. When he was out of arrows, Jonis took out his crossbow and stakes, loading it up. Heaps of birds piled on top of the dead burned bodies. Still, when he was out of wooden stakes, Jonis peered at the many surviving demons fluttering over the fountain. The air was no longer black with them, but this set was bad enough. Glaring their beady black eyes at him, most of them dared him to come in close to finish the job.

Looking into the last of the fire brew on the cobblestone, Jonis, dipped his sword tip in again. “Seek out demon birds.”

The fire on the ground leapt into the circle, attacking all the bodies heaped there, burning them thoroughly. The flame on Jonis’s sword blazed up. Squaring his shoulders and sucking in a breath that perhaps could be his last, Jonis jumped into the demon circle, knowing he had to end the infestation here and now.

The black birds sprang at him, talons bared and beaks poised for penetration. They had meant to overwhelm him, but Jonis hacked five, rolled under the others slashing three, diving through the remaining batch with a flip as his sword blazed up and set fire to anything near it, killing ten. Remaining untouched by the fire that was only set to incinerate birds, Jonis fought with every sinew and bone and muscle he had. One by one, by several, feathered demons fell, consumed by the magic fire until nothing was left but ash, tar, and blood. Feathers stuck to Jonis’s sweaty brow as he scrambled through the remains of the demons to kill the survivors. The demons clawed at him, trying to fend off the flames. Some of these scratches dug so deep into the torn suit that it made this once proud looking demon hunter now appear to be a staggering hobo. His blood and the blood from the dead was like glue on his clothes and skin. It seeped through his uniform and collected black fluff until Jonis could have been mistaken for a demon crow himself. But as he fought, bird after bird crashed dead into the pile.

Three left. His sword was no longer flaming, doused by the fountain’s waters during the chase—but he was not going to let that stop him. Whacking in half another demon bird, Jonis slid across the wet paint of the northern spell ward. Two others clawed at his face, scrambling for an entrance into his neck. Swiping his blade, Jonis lopped off the wing of one. The other flew off into the sky, over the trees.

“Damn!” Jonis shouted, watching it escape.

Turning his eyes downward, he saw where his boots tromped on wet paint, the northern spell smeared. The demon circle was broken.

Searching quickly over the blazing heap for survivors, he spotted one more bird demon still alive, staggering on its bony legs to get away. Jonis threw his sword at it, impaling the demon against the marble fountain.

“Oh my! You killed them all!” Jonis heard gasped across the square. He looked and saw the lieutenant standing on the road just outside the tavern, panting with blood on his shoulders.

Jonis hopped up at once, yanking his sword out of the fountain and dumping the demon corpse into the fire with the rest of the dead. “I told you to stay in the demon ward Merkam! Look at your neck!”

Lt. Gillway felt the back of his neck and shook his head. “Don’t worry, I got the demon.”

“Let me look at it,” Jonis said, crossing over with his sword in hand.

Lt. Gillway pulled back. “No way. Look at you! Bloody and covered with feathers! I don’t know if it is Macoy in there or a bird demon.”

Jonis wiped off all the feathers around his neck, smearing the scratches and lifting the back of his hair. He showed his featherless neck. “See? It’s me.”

Sighing Lt. Gillway looked around. His face dropped as he peered over the burning landscape. “All this death….”

“It was worse than we suspected,” Jonis murmured, watching with him. “The trees were full of bird demons. The homes are riddled with their nests. I only hope bird demons don’t lay eggs outside of corpses. Otherwise, we may still be too late.”

Lt. Gillway clenched his fists. “I can’t do this anymore. No more killing.”

“Maybe you won’t have to.” Jonis said, patting his friend on the shoulder as he marched back to their cabin. “You can go back to that town and marry that girl of yours. What’s her name? Irisi?”

Lt. Gillway pushed Jonis’s hand off of his shoulder. He cast a glare at him. “I had no idea you were this powerful. I had no idea you could kill this many.”

Jonis blinked at him.

“Merkam, I told you I have ages of demon fighting in my head. This,” he sighed and shook his head, “This is all strategy. Maybe you could have helped me after all.”

He turned and marched back to where he left his fire pot, remembering he still had it.

“In fact, you can help me now. I need the men to fill the cabins with fire. We have to kill all the eggs, you know. I don’t think I got them all.”

“Leave them!” Lt. Gillway snapped, marching back to their quarters. “I have seen enough death.”

Following him down the road, Jonis shook his head. “You sound tired. Merkam, you know it is policy to burn all the eggs.”

The man did not answer. He marched back to their cabin room, shoving open the door. Jonis was barely on his heels. Lt. Gillway set about ordering the men to pack up for departure. The privates glanced at Jonis. Shrugging, Jonis went about the task of packing up. However, that was quickly done since he had not really unpacked. Taking his things out to the road, Jonis set up another fire circle to make another brew. Following procedure, he sent the other men out to the cabins to fill them with potion. The entire mountain smoked when they hiked down the mountain road.

 

Lt. Gillway was entirely subdued during their march. By the time they reached the nearest village, it had been three days of walking. Jonis checked to make sure no one they met had bird feathers sticking out of their necks. He even asked about any strange occurrences three days previously. Several people replied, “Yes, some of our neighbors just up and died. They were found with their heads off.”

“Did you burn the bodies?” Jonis asked.

“Of course,” the people answered. “That is procedure when demon eaten bodies are found.”

“Good.” Jonis sighed and returned to his group again.

 

They found a bus and rode back into the town where Lt. Gillway had left his lady. Jonis did not see much of him that weekend. Staying at the inn, the hunting group waited for their next assignment.

“I think the lieutenant has lost his nerve,” one of the privates said.

“Who can blame him?” another replied. “Escaping a demon attack. I saw his coat. His sword was all bloody. If I had someone peck at my neck, I think I’d consider leaving the army too.”

“I think he is just thinking about his lady,” Cpl. Emas said. “Poor girl. I bet he realized how worried sick she was for him. The man’s in love.”

Jonis said nothing, propping his chin on his hand and leaning on his elbow as he stared out into the main dining area.

“Corporal Macoy, you seem out of sorts also.” One of the other privates leaned over. “What’s eating you?”

Drawing in a tired breath, Jonis just shrugged. “I don’t know. That last job really bothers me. One bird demon got away, just like last time.”

“What are you talking about? We killed all three bird demons last time,” the private replied.

Nodding, Jonis sighed again. “I know that. I was talking about when I was at Dalis Camp. That bird demon was swearing he’d get me when he flew off. And I was sure I saw it chasing after our bus when I got sent to Ladis. I keep thinking that one that got away was him.”

The men stared at him.

“You have a bird demon out to get you?” Cpl. Emas asked as he pulled back.

Jonis nodded again. “Yep. But many demons shout curses at me before I kill them. It makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what?” the private asked.

Sitting back in his seat, Jonis said, “It makes me wonder when a demon hunter will be sent to kill me.”

They stared at him. Jonis lifted his sunglasses and rubbed the ridge between his eyes.

“Corporal Macoy,” Lt. Gillway called over to him, passing through the inn main entrance. “Good news. We have been invited to Danslik. The Patriarch of Brein Amon wants to meet you.”

The entire task force sat up. Patting Jonis on the back, they congratulated him.

Lt. Gillway crossed the room over to them, not even giving his lady a flirtatious smile, though she watched him longingly. “He wants to personally grant you status as a lieutenant in the Brein Amon army. You are to become a prominent demon hunter for the capitol. Congratulations. You are rising up in the world.”

He extended a hand for a good shake.

Jonis took it, jumping up and laughing, patting his friend on the back. “Are you kidding? Do you know what this means?”

Lt. Gillway remained placid. “No. Enlighten me.”

Laughing, Jonis declared, “This means we can petition the Patriarch for setting up magisters in every village. You know—how it used to be in the ancient days! This is great! Brein Amon can rise out of fear and become a safe place again!”

The other privates grinned. They had heard Jonis’s plan. It was an extension of Mr. Farren’s idea, whom Jonis continued to praise regardless of the annoyance the others felt hearing about him.

“We leave to Danslik tomorrow by plane,” Lt. Gillway added, gazing mildly on Jonis.

Jonis made a face. “By plane? Last time I threw up. Can’t we take the train? I don’t think I want to fly again.”

Lt. Gillway laughed this time as if amused. “The plane will be