The Hunter was alone.

No army, not even another soldier anywhere. Llyr had scanned the area thoroughly with his eyes that penetrated everything, and had seen no demons in hiding.

“Is the Clan cheaping out on you?” Llyr spoke informally. “Leaving you to deal with the two of us alone.”

Why would they not send everyone? They were known for going overboard in their strength. It wasn’t like them at all to put so much on the shoulders of just one Hunter.

“Do you think this Kilbas can not take you both?” He boasted, seemingly unfazed by the situation. If anything, he seemed a tad bit pleased, which puzzled the two.

“Stand aside, Hunter, and we will not pursue you. Our enemy is the Clan itself, not a sole soldier of their cause.”

“Kilbas, our fight is not with you. You do not have to face us both.” she pleaded.

He was not someone they would want to fight, for more reasons than one.

Stand aside? Do not have to??” His tone took a more threatening hue and he reached out his arm, cracking his knuckles.
“This One needs no aid!”

His demeanor growing more menacing by the second, he stomped his cloven foot against the hardened snow; “It has been centuries since this One had a prey worth hunting.”

The Hunter laughed eerily, full of confidence and bloodlust. A sound Tanith had never heard escape his lips. It echoed in the silent forest.

“Do not disappoint me!”
In his elation Kilbas even forgot his arrogance.

Llyr gave Tanith a look that said it all, and with that they were in understanding.

She nodded. They were ready.

Right now, their enemy wasn’t all of the Clan. It was Kilbas alone… he might not even have told them of her betrayal. That would explain why there was nobody else here.

And so, without warning Tanith kicked herself off the ground.

But Kilbas evaded her weapon with ease, an eerie smile playing in the corner of his lips. Tanith thought she could hear him sneer.

The large weapon was heavy to swing and once it passed, the Hunter had plenty of time to draw his sword and retaliate.

Tanith managed to evade his piercing attack -which in the end, was only a feint.

Kilbas’ real target was the other demon.

But his eyes caught the change in direction in time and within the last fraction of a second he evaded the blade.

And counterattacked with his elemental magics.

Ever since the ritual he could conjure elements with speed like never before.

But the Hunter was nimble and well-versed in battle. Every evasion seemed to be done with ease.

The battle went on for minutes, neither side sustaining injuries. And though the rogue couple had trained rigorously in the past months, the Hunter could keep them both at bay, and at the same time prevent them from performing stronger strikes.

His trength was real, and he wasn’t called one of the Clan’s strongest for nothing. Despite not having the advantage of numbers or magic, he had the terrain and the experience of battle. This could be a very long battle, leaving the survivors exhausted.

Tanith retreated against a tree, trying to lure Kilbas towards her and create and opening for Llyr to attack with his magics.

But she had not seen him conjure another weapon from the void.

Thrown toward her, it pierced through the air at near lightning speed.

Tanith managed to just evade it at the last moment.
She recognized the dagger as her own, and a realization hit her.

But too late. A second’s distraction was too much and Kilbas was already within reach of her.

His blade had slid cleanly through her abdomen before she’d even realized he was there.

It had been their mistake to think that the Hunter would be primarily after the Clan’s fugitive, Llyr.

Tanith gasped.

And then looked at her former companion. “Kil… bas…”

“You should have killed me when you had the chance.” he said with an eerie smile smirk on his lips.

All this time he had been harbouring a personal vendetta.

“NO!” Llyr gasped.

The Hunter pulled out the blade and Tanith could feel her strength draining with it.

Kilbas took barely a moment to ready himself for attacking her companion, but the demon of magics was there already.

In his rage, he conjured the fury of darkness and send it growing towards the Hunter, not fearing the backlash it could cause him.

It hit Kilbas head on and sent him a hundred meters through the air.

His flight was finally broken by a large tree standing his the path.