text: Maybe it's paranoia, but what kind of brain-dead retard wouldn't rather be safe than sorry? You take out your sword and leave the bed room, checking every corner as you do so. This pays of as you notice a shadowy figure standing outside your bedroom. Is that... Lars?
  
  "Your senses are very good, demon. I knew you were possessed, how else could you have heard me?"
  
  "The annoying door squeak, for one. Also, it's fucking freezing so I knew someone let in the cold."
  
  "More lies! First you tell me you survived the cold from pure luck, now you tell me your heighten senses are nothing special?
  
  "Lars, you have no idea what you're talking about."
  
  "Stop pretending, I know your secret. You've been possessed by a demon; how else could you survive the frigid cold?"
  
  Not wanting to fight a former friend, you decide to tell him the truth.
  
  "I haven't been possessed by a demon, but one did save me. It all started once you left... "
  
  Later
  
  "So that's why you were at the drunk tortoise? I admit, you've never been one to drink."
  
  "Exactly! I'm glad you understand."
  
  "What now? You're going to come clean to the captain and convince him to give me back my job, right?
  
  While the captain may give Lars his job back, you would probably be fired. Coming into direct contact with a demon and living to tell the tale is a no go. He'll probably think you made some sort of deal to avoid being killed. Regardless of what you plan to do, you say,
  
  "I will definitely do that tomorrow."
  
  Lars nods but still looks a little unhinged. His hand twitches and he gives you a half grin.
  
  "Ok I'm holding you to it, because if you don't, you're gonna wish you froze to death last night."
  
  You gulp as you have no doubt Lars could kill you if he wanted. He leaves and you hear the door squeak once again. The cold breeze has expanded throughout your house and you could use some heating up. After securing to house to make sure Lars isn't still lurking, you fall into bed.
  
  You're super tired and debate whether you still want to see Catia. It's been a long day and if you have any intention of talking to your captain tomorrow, you should go to sleep.
  > go to sleep and visit the captain first thing in the morning
  You close your eyes and drift off to sleep. You dream of a bright forest with playing children. Everything is nice and everyone is happy. Then one day that changes when a portal to another dimension appears in the middle of the forest. Out of the portal comes abominations to mankind. A collection of arms and legs attached on to a giant ball of flesh. This ball rolls around destroying the forest, killing everyone and growing stronger as it does so. The ball then comes rolling at you. You don't have time to scream before... 
  
  You jolt awake and find yourself covered in sweat. As much as you hate nightmares, they do a great job at waking you up. You look outside your window and notice the sun rising. This rising ball of fire reminds you of the ball from your dream. You throw on a clean pair of clothes, grab your sword just in case, and make your way to the captain's quarters.
  
  It's an uneventful journey and you arrive within a few minutes. Not wanting to wake the captain, you pull out pen and paper. It goes as follows,
  
  Dear Captain Dario,
  
  I am writing to you regarding the firing of guard Lars. I was on the same shift as him before he left. The windchill was approaching deadly levels and he decided to head inside as a last resort. I stayed out only because I feared the repercussions. As I sat out there, my muscles began to freeze until I could no longer move. I passed out minutes later.
  
  I would have surely died had a traveling merchant not stopped by. They started a fire and warmed me up. I would have died otherwise and thank the heavens a demon didn't wander by. Due to my own experiences, I recommend you rehire Lars and if anything, fire me for putting my life on the line when it wasn't needed.
  
  You are in such a rush that you slide the letter under the door before signing it. You decided against telling the truth as Captain Dario is a hard ass for rules. Not only would you have been fired, but also forced to undergo a purging to ward off any demonic influences.
  
  With that out of the way, you decide to head to a local armory. Your city issued sword is no match for a demon, as Catia pointed out. Not knowing if your parents will ever return, you see no problem with using their savings for your protection. You take a stroll to the armory and find it to be quite crowded for this early in the morning.
  
  "I need something that can scare away demons," a farmer says
  
  "Scare away? Why not something that can kill?"
  
  "Look son, I've never been one to resort to violence. I just need something to protect you and the Misses."
  
  You zone out their conversation and take a look around. They have swords, maces, axes, and even a trident. However, what catches your eyes is a bow painted red and black. It's the only one in the store and seems rare.
  
  "Excuse me sir, what's the price on this bow?"
  
  "That would be 500 gold sir," replies a dwarf with steel encrusted teeth.
  
  "What's so special about it?"
  
  "We brought it from a dark elf mercenary. They have great craftsmanship, especially when it comes to bows."
  
  "How is it different than all the other bows for sale?"
  
  He pauses and turns red,
  
  "I hate to admit it, but I've always struggled making bows. That red and black one has much finer strings and sturdier wood, giving it a greater firing range."
  
  You thank the dwarf for the information and continue looking around. Nothing else catches your eye, so you decide to buy the bow.
  
  "Pleasure doing business with ya."
  
  You leave with your new bow and 500 gold poorer. You hope you still have your guard job as your parent's money won't last much longer. You go to the guard barracks and decide to get a meal there. Even if you've been fired, you doubt any of the servers will know. You arrive to a mess hall and find it more empty than usual. Two men eat soup together and another man sits alone.
  
  You grab a cup of soup and take another look around. You recognize the two men sitting together as Herbert and Andy. Herbert is an older man with a gray beard who has always been kind to you. Andy is around your age, mid twenties, and is already going bald. Both are good chaps and would be happy if you sat with them.
  
  The man sitting alone is someone you don't recognize. He is a very thin fellow with patchy hair and missing teeth. You could try to find out who he is, or sit with Herbert and Andy.
  > sit with the skinny man
  You walk over to the skinny man and and ask,
  
  "Mind if I sit next to you?"
  
  He is startled by your presence and jumps up a bit. He mutters something incomprehensible before saying,
  
  "I don't mind."
  
  The hot soup burns your tongue as you eat a spoonful.
  
  "So what's this town's name again?"
  
  "Ashton, why do you ask?"
  
  "You might not believe me, but I came face to face with a demon. When I finally got away, I ran to the city walls."
  
  "Trust me, I believe you. I encountered a demon while on guard duty."
  
  You tell him about how you passed out and met a succubus.
  
  "That's wild."
  
  "Sure is, now tell me about the demon you met."
  
  He grits what few teeth he has and begins,
  
  "He wasn't pleasant at all like the one you met. I was going for a walk in the forest. I know, it's not the smartest thing to do in times like these, but it's one of my few sanctities."
  
  His voice gets lower as he describes,
  
  "I knew something was off the moment I entered. An unholy energy made me feel weak and tired. I started hearing voices and couldn't tell what was real. It was like I was in a trance."
  
  "Did you actually see a demon?"
  
  "No, but he made his presence known. He tired to coerce me into letting him take over my mind. I almost did it too, but something broke me out of my trance."
  
  He pauses for dramatic effect,
  
  "A bird fucking shat on my head!"
  
  You stare at his head and notice white flakes clumped in his hair.
  
  "Once I realized what I was about to do I ran like hell. I wasn't thinking straight and went the opposite direction which I came in. I'm lucky I ended up here."
  
  His experience is vastly different to your own. You suppose he encountered a demonic sprit, rather than a full fledge demon.
  
  "Perhaps this all was for the best. My city was running low on food, hence my frail appearance."
  
  "Are you planning on staying in Ashton?"
  
  "I don't know. I would need to get a job and a place to sleep at night. Would you be able to help me out in any way?"
  
  When your about to answer you hear someone call your name. It's Captain Dario and he wants to speak with you immediately. You get up and tell the thin man,
  
  "It was nice talking to you."
  
  "I hope you can come back when you're done. My name's Eric by the way."
  
  You wave goodbye and follow the captain into his private quarters.
  
  A rush of anxiety hits you as your still not sure if the captain bought your story. What if Lars told him the truth?
  
  "Please, take a seat."
  
  You sit and find yourself starring at the gray haired captain. He stares back, unblinking as you both wait to see who makes the first move.
  
  "First things first, you're not fired."
  
  "That's a relief."
  
  "I'm sure it is, but what I say next may not be. I have no intention of re-hiring Lars."
  
  "Wait what? Like I said in my letter, he did the smart thing and could have died had he stayed."
  
  The captain sighs and says,
  
  "While that may be true, I've been wanting to fire him for awhile. He's lazy and incompetent. The only reason he still had a job was because guards are in high demand right now. The problem now is finding a replacement."
  
  "What happens if you don't?"
  
  Dario frowns and bitterly says,
  
  "Then I might have to rehire Lars."
  
  You could mention your new acquaintance, Eric, and vouch for him to replace Lars. On the other hand, who knows how Lars will react if he finds out you played a role in replacing him. There may be no reasoning with him.
  > mention Eric
  "I may know of a potential replacement."
  
  "No need not to not speak in absolutes. Spit it out sonny."
  
  You stumbled a bit, not because your scared to tell him, but because his syntax confuses you.
  
  "Erm...  I—I...  his name is Eric."
  
  "Who is this so-called Eric?"
  
  "He was the man I was sitting with. He's looking for work and seems like a good fellow."
  
  "That's all I need, tell him he's hired. Oh, and he starts immediately. 11pm tonight tell him to go to the city walls."
  
  "Tonight? Isn't this all happening a bit too fast?"
  
  "Nonsense, plus he won't be doing it alone. He'll have you to teach him."
  
  You tense up as Dario continues,
  
  "Lighten up, kid! I took the initiative and brought fur coats for each of you."
  
  Hell of an initiative considering you almost died two nights ago.
  
  "Thanks for taking the initiative... "
  
  "You're most certainly welcomed! Now that that's settled, get the hell out of here!"
  
  You stand up and leave his office. Eric does a one tooth smile as you walk over to him.
  
  "What was that all about?"
  
  You have a sly smile on your face when you say,
  
  "It was about you, congrats you're now a guard!"
  
  He gives you a look of confusion and asks,
  
  "What the hell are you talking about?"
  
  You explain how guards are in high demand and that you mentioned him to the captain. 
  
  "And I almost forgot, you start tonight."
  
  "Wait what?"
  
  "Don't worry, I'm on guard duty tonight as well. Plus, I've only ever seen demons one time..."
  
  "That one time was last night!"
  
  "Actually two nights ago, but never mind that. Anyways the captain brought fur coats for the both of us so no freezing to death tonight. C'mon, let's get rolling."
  
  "Alright but don't act like this is permanent, if I don't like it, I'm quitting after tonight."
  
  "Trust me, it'll be much easier now that we won't be freezing. I have a feeling you'll stick around."
  
   
  > 1 month later
  "You really don't have to do this," 
  
  "Blasphemy, I've seen what you can do with my bow, you deserve one of your own."
  
  "Yeah but you don't have to help me pay for it. Anyways, I'm not that good with a bow," Eric says humbly. 
  
  "Well you'll have plenty have chance to practice, let's get going."
  
  The past month in Ashton has been quiet, but demon sighting have increased in the nearby forest. Eric and you need to be as prepared as possible for when they strike. In addition, you have grown to like Eric a lot and are happy to help pay for his bow. You're hoping they have one that's as good quality as the one you brought last month. You arrive at the armory and note it being a lot less busy than it was last time. In fact, you're the only two here aside from the dwarf who runs the place.
  
  "Where is everyone?" you ask. 
  
  "I about ran out of equipment. With how trade has been recently, its impossible to get the material needed to craft weapons."
  
  You offer your condolences and tell him why you've came here,
  
  "You wouldn't happen to any bows for sale?"
  
  He half smiles, then says,
  
  "I might have a few, but none of my own creation. Those sold out the fastest due to their cheap price."
  
  Eric gives you a concerned look knowing the cheapest bows are all sold out.
  
  "Well let's see them," you say.
  
  He lays out a few bows on a table and describes each of them.
  
  "This one right here was specifically crafted to kill orcs, but it should be fine for just about anything."
  
  "What about demons?"
  
  "I see no reason why not!" 
  
  He shows you a few other bows, mostly made be other local blacksmiths, but one other thing catches your eye.
  
  "Hey what's that?" you say pointing to a crossbow on display.
  
  "She's a beauty, isn't she? Crafted by the capital's smartest black smiths, though its a few years outdated. It doesn't have the most range, but it sure packs a punch. I reckon one shot from it could bring any creature to near death. That is, if you're a good enough shot to hit your target dead on."
  
  "How much?" asks Eric.
  
  "800 gold."
  
  "Are you crazy? That's more than I made last month working as a guard."
  
  "Higher prices, higher quality."
  
  "What about the orc killer bow?"
  
  "Those are pretty common, 300 gold would be a fair price."
  
  "We should probably just get that one, don't want my friend going bankrupt."
  
   
  > insist you buy the better bow
  You help Eric buy the better bow and he is apprehensive.
  
  "Thanks man, but now we're both broke."
  
  "Better broke than dead."
  
  You leave with the bow and get ready for guard duty. 
  
  5 hours later
  
  It's been a quiet night so far and warmer than usual. Eric stands up and draws his crossbow towards the forest.
  
  "Do you see something?"
  
  "Yeah I do. It's like a bat but much larger."
  
  You look where he's pointing and something comes into view. It's a succubus, but unlike the one you met before, it no longer resembles a human. It has blood stained skin and humongous bat wings. 
  
  "Holy shit."
  
  Don't just stand there, fire!" you say.
  
  You and Eric unleash a flurry of arrows at the creature. It manages to dodge almost everything, but Eric hits it dead on. 
  
  "Got it!"
  
  It falls from the sky and lands awkwardly. You waste no time laying it to waste with arrow after arrow. You don't stop until you're sure its dead, and it soon looks like a half-bat, half-porcupine monstrosity. You did it, you killed a demon. 
  
  "That was an amazing shot, I'm not sure we would have brought it done had we brought the cheaper bow."
  
  "Yeah, thanks again," Eric says with tears streaming down his face.
  
  "What's wrong?"
  
  "I just can't believe we survived. You hear tales about demons destroying entire cities and yet we were able to bring down one with only two of us."
  
  "We make a good team."
  
  "We sure do, we sure do."
  
   
  > epilogue #2: Succubus Slayers
  You two are lauded as heroes and given a big pay raise. 
  
  "And to think, I almost kept that loser Lars!"
  
  Speaking of Lars, want to know what happened to him? He and his whole family starved to death. Better him than the whole city am I right? On the bright side, you and Eric continue killing demons as sightings become more common. After word of your legacy spreads, a local lord hires you as demon hunters. You decide to take up the name Succubus Slayers as a reference to your first kill. This is a rather ironic turn of events considering you went from being saved by a succubus, to killing them for a living.
  
  Who knows, maybe you'll have to kill Catia one day?