"He's gone! Rancid stop!" Farron grabs the bloody pole and yanks it out of his hands. Rancid stares down at the now unrecognizable man. His skull has caved in and blood stains his chest and ground.
"I have to pull the sword out." Farron says. Rancid leans back against the wall and nods his head.
Farron places one foot against Rancid's chest to keep him in place, and on the count of three, pulls the blade out. Farron takes his shirt off and rips it into strips. He quickly ties it around Rancid's shoulder, ignoring the blood flowing through it.
"We don't have much time, we have to move." He mutters as he helps him back up.
"I'll carry Palik, you watch my sister." Farron throws the younger boy over his shoulder and they continue on.
They're almost towards the gate that leads out of the village when a hound bigger than the last notices them. Spikes protrude from its back, blood drips from its fanged snout and the stench of death surrounds it.
"Damn it," Farron mutters.
"Don't stop! Keep going!"
Rancid glances over to see Maver charging at the beast and successfully capturing its attention, drawing it away from their group.
"Go, go!" Rancid says, pushing Folly to run faster.
Demons are everywhere though, and they are quickly blocked from the village gate.
"Hide!" Rancid says. "I'll distract them, you all get out!"
"But-" Farron tries.
"It's either that or we all die! Fucking go, Farron!" Rancid screams, his heart pounding out of his chest. They are so close to getting out alive!
"I'm not leaving you damn it!" Farron puts Palik down in a nearby alley. "Stay with him! Don't move!" He orders Folly.
When she gives a shaky nod, Farron comes to stand by Rancid, both clutching metal poles.
The demon lunges at them. Farron and Rancid jump apart, dodging sharp claws.
Rancid hits the beast on the head, but it barely flinches.
"Where's the rest of your team?!" Rancid shouts at Maver, who is busy taking on two demon hounds.
"They're a little busy!" He shouts back as he stabs one in the under belly. It wretches, and while trying to get away, rips its own belly open. Guts and black blood flood out and the demon falls limp.
"Rancid, pay attention!"
Rancid falls back, a heavy weight pressing against him.
"Well, aren't you a wonder."
Rancid's blood runs cold at the guttural voice. The demon stares back at him and licks his furry chops.
Farron is too busy fighting off another demon.
"You can talk?" Rancid whispers, his heart stuttering in his chest. Demons aren't supposed to talk.
The beast laughs, "Why wouldn't I be able to? I've been looking for an abled body, and I've been watching you. That dumb hunter ripped into you're shoulder, and even through the pain you were still able to move your appendage. How very strong willed you are, indeed."
"Wh-what?"
"You don't mind if I borrow your body, do you?"
The beast begins to shift, plumes of green smoke hisses from it, and then the demon sinks into Rancid's body, disappearing.
He hears someone calling out to him but falls into darkness.
***
In the darkness of Rancid's mind, hands wrap around his neck and squeeze. Claws prick at his skin, drawing blood. He blinks up at a shadowed figure, its mouth splitting into a sharp toothed grin.
"Wow, I expected more will power." It cackles, its voice a deep gurgle. The figure is thrown back and Rancid coughs. He rolls to his side as he heaves.
A laugh echoes in the darkness and Rancid gets to his feet. He looks around at the vast emptiness, trying to understand what's happening. Wasn't he just against a demon hound?
It talked to him. Demons aren't supposed to talk.
"What-"
"No!" The guttural voice laughs. "No talking." Then the figure kicks him in the gut. Rancid stumbles back, his breath stuck in his throat.
What the hell is going on? He needs to get a grip!
"Wow, you have time to get distracted?" The shadowy figure blends with the darkness. "This will be easy!"
Damn it! If only he had a sword!
Clang!
Rancid looks down to see a sword. It looks exactly like the hunters used back in his village, the blade sharp, the hilt gleaming despite the lack of light.
"Ooh, now you're thinking!"
Rancid quickly picks it up and takes a stance that he saw Maver use.
"Where are we?" He demands to know. He scans the dark emptiness, trying to catch a sign of where it is.
"Where?" It snickers from behind him. Rancid spins around, but no one is there. "You're asking the wrong questions, boy."
The shadow appears out of thin air and lunges. Its hands shape shift into black blades.
Rancid raises the sword in time to block the attack.
"It's not a matter of where, it's a matter of who!" The demon jumps back and disappears once more.
"Who? What are you saying?" It's not making sense. Rancid barely manages to block a left swing and pushes forward, knocking the figure on its back.
"You're the demon." That much is obvious. He remembers the way it dissolved into smoke and entered his body. "This. . ." He takes in the empty dark space, "Is my subconscious?"
"Strong willed and smart," The demon whispers, "I am most pleased."
He's trying to possess him then. Demons possessing humans doesn't happen often. But when a demon has reached a certain level of consciousness, they're able to transfer into the human body.
Rancid can't let that happen. What would happen to Palik, who doesn't have hands anymore? What of Farron and his sister? Are they out in the real world fighting? Or are they dead already?
Panic begins to swell, but when he sees the malicious grin of the demon before him, he snaps. He doesn't have time for this! Pushing all of his feelings into a box, he takes a deep breath and strikes.