My name is Jax, and I am a Demon Hunter. Unlike the Demon Hunters portrayed in films and television, we are not human. We only resemble them.
Since the Mythological Era, our kind has stood in opposition to the Abominations. The Blood Clan, werewolves, Thunder Giants, Shadow Demons and others once roamed the world, proclaiming themselves gods. They posed as figures of the Norse Pantheon and other so called divine orders, enslaving humanity as they pleased. Under the leadership of our Saints, we waged relentless crusades against them. We shattered the Egyptian pantheon and struck Ra's solar barque from the sky. We stormed Mount Olympus in another dimension, destroyed its energy nodes, and severed its connection to Earth. We marched into Asgard and reduced Odin's Golden Palace to rubble.
In the end, it was we Demon Hunters who brought the Mythological Era to a close. The Abominations were driven underground, forced to carve out hidden sanctuaries where they could survive in secrecy. We followed them into the shadows, continuing the hunt. Humanity rose to become the true master of the Earth.
As centuries passed, human history blurred into myth and legend. The truth of those wars was distorted beyond recognition. But we have never forgotten our purpose. We still hunt Abominations.
2017, Lunewood.
Both Demon Hunters and Abominations are long lived. Ancients who have survived for a thousand years, even several millennia, are not rare among us. Over the past century, whispers of a coming Day of Return have spread through the ranks of the Abominations. According to the rumor, when that day arrives, they will return to their place of origin, reclaim their lost power, and usher in a new Mythological Era.
Our intelligence indicates that a group of Abominations will soon arrive in Lunewood to search for clues about this so called Day of Return. There is even a possibility that an Ancient will appear. To intercept them, we have come under the leadership of our own Ancients, Sumir and Tilon. Our objective is simple, eliminate them all in one decisive strike.
Demon Hunter camp.
A rabbit had been skinned, skewered, and set to roast over an open flame. I sat off to the side, watching the man tending the fire with intense focus. He held the wooden skewer in his right hand, slowly turning it, while his left hand shook a small bottle of seasoning over the sizzling meat. The scent drifted through the camp, rich and tempting enough to make me swallow.
After a while, he lifted the rabbit away from the fire. Drawing the sacred silver dagger from his waist, he sliced it cleanly in half from head to tail in a single motion. He handed me the left portion.
My lips twitched as I accepted it. "Renn, if your father found out you were using a sacred silver dagger to carve roast rabbit, do you think he would skin you alive?"
Renn only grinned and winked. "Jax, if your father discovered you were using sacred silver crossbow bolts to hunt rabbits, would he break your legs?"
I scratched my head, conceding the point. "Fair enough. We took a week off school for this mission. Do you think we will be buried in makeup assignments when we get back?"
"Hard to say."
Renn and I belong to the new generation of Demon Hunters. And neither of our bloodlines is particularly pure.
Within our race, talent and combat potential are largely determined by bloodline purity. Effort matters, but it can only take you so far. Abilities such as wielding the Holy Flame, short range teleportation, enhanced physical strength, or crafting talisman cards with one's own blood are gifts of lineage. Without the right blood, no amount of training can fully bridge the gap.