Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Part 3

In the meantime, a crowd of people had formed in the village square.

To the half-demon’s surprise, they were engaged in lively conversation.

“This is madness!” complained an elderly gentleman.

“Can you think of anything else?” asked a young man angrily.

What has Leuven done now? Evan asked himself, looking for the merchant in the middle of the crowd.

He emerged from the crowd with a pale face and pushed his way past some villagers.

The most terrifying face he had ever seen awaited him. Evan awaited him like a mother awaits a child who returns home too late.

“Can you explain this to me?” he asked angrily.

“I swear to you, I have nothing to do with it,” Leuven replied sheepishly. “They have something planned.”

»Something planned?«

“Yes, they want to hunt down the monster themselves. Today.”

“Hey, you!” the young man who had just argued with the old man noticed Evan. “Are you the one the fat man was talking about?”

Evan looked at Leuven indignantly. “Not your fault, right?”

The only answer he could think of was an embarrassed shrug of his shoulders.

“Are you an experienced hunter?” asked the young villager.

Evan looked at him critically. “I wouldn’t say I’m a hunter, but I know a lot about all kinds of creatures. Probably more than you.”

The young man looked annoyed for a moment, but then he examined Evans’ armor and the sword in its sheath.

“You must have traveled a lot,” he said finally.

“I am. And if I can give you all some advice: don’t do anything rash. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“Your companion said that you are an excellent demon hunter. You are said to have killed seven in one blow.”

“He said that?” Again he cast a dark look at Leuven.

His face turned whiter than the snow in the depths of winter.

“My companion is exaggerating a little. But yes, I have had to deal with all sorts of creatures. That’s why I say you should stay away.”

Another young man joined the conversation. He was thin, more skin and bones than healthy fat. His skin was pale, his teeth were crooked.

“You came to help us, didn’t you?” he asked.

“First and foremost, I came to learn more about this creature. And if you can’t help me, I guarantee you: only death will await you.”

“It’s a bird!” a woman suddenly said, pushing her way out of the crowd. “Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. It was a big bird. An eagle, I think.”

“A bird?” Evan pulled a confused face. “It can hardly have been a bird.”

“Yes, yes, listen to me like that. That was shortly after Emilia disappeared. That’s when I saw it. It had huge wings. I had just come back from picking mushrooms in the forest,” the woman said.

“And who is Emilia?” Questions upon questions swirled around in Evans’ head.

A middle-aged man stepped forward. He had a long, gray-brown beard and thinning hair. “My daughter. Emilia was… she is my beloved daughter.”

Evan rubbed his chin. “Let me guess, then you’re the miller?”

“That’s me,” the man replied. “And that monster just snatched Emilia, in broad daylight. I want him to pay for it!”

“Tell me more first. You said she disappeared during the day. Did anyone see anything? Where exactly was she last seen?”

“Well,” said the miller, “she wanted to go to Jakob. That’s her fiancé. The wedding was coming up, they had to discuss something, wasn’t that right, Jakob?”

A young man standing not far from the miller lowered his head with a sad expression. “Yes, Albert, yes, that’s true. She wanted to come to me.”

Evan looked around the crowd. “Does anyone else know anything?”

No one spoke up.

“And you?” Evan spoke directly to young Jacob. “What did you do?”

“We? – What did we do?” he stammered nervously. “We only saw each other briefly. Then she wanted to go to the river.”

“Nothing more? – You didn’t accompany her?”

“No. I couldn’t. I had to take care of the animals.”

“Animals?”

“Yes, sir. My father owns the farm up the road. I look after the cattle and the fields. My father is not doing very well.”

The miller intervened. “He’s got gout, poor fellow. Jacob is helping him as much as he can. He’s a good boy. You can believe that.”

“Then don’t be so stupid,” Evan hissed. “Don’t risk your life. Nobody knows what’s lurking in the forest, which only makes it more dangerous.”

“But it kidnapped my daughter!” growled the miller wildly. “I know she’s still alive, I just know it. So don’t interfere in our affairs, stranger! – We’ve discussed it for a long time and we agree that if the demon hunters won’t help us, we have to kill the monster ourselves. If you don’t want to help us either, then at least don’t try to dissuade us. I have to save my daughter!”

“I can understand your pain.”

“Can you do that? – Hardly. Someone like you cannot understand the pain I am feeling right now. My wife died three years ago, and now my daughter has been kidnapped. She is all I have left.” The miller’s tears ran and he raised his rough voice. “Help us or leave us alone, but don’t dare to stop us from protecting our village and our loved ones!”

It became quiet in the village square.

The half-demon looked into the determined faces of the villagers. Only a few of them turned their faces away in shame.

He thought for a moment, then looked over at Jakob. “Have you thought it through carefully too?”

The young man swallowed the saliva that had accumulated in his throat, then nodded nervously.

Evan couldn’t believe it. This group of inexperienced villagers actually wanted to go monster hunting without having any experience or even knowing what kind of monster it was.

“Very well.” The half-demon sighed. “I will accompany you, but one thing must be clear to all of you: I give the orders. If I say run, then you must run.”

The villagers looked at each other questioningly for a moment, then each of them nodded hesitantly.

“So get ready, we’ll be leaving tomorrow morning,” Evan said.

“No,” objected the miller.

“No?” the half-demon looked at him, irritated.

“We’re going hunting today. We know that the monster hunts during the day, so we should catch it when it thinks it’s safe.”

Evan looked up at the sky. The sun was at its highest point. But at this time of year it was getting dark quickly. It would take them until evening to walk.

“So you want to march off in the dark with pitchforks and torches? Why don’t you all just hang yourselves from a tree?”

“We must kill the monster when it is most vulnerable,” snorted the miller, folding his strong arms across his chest. “We will not discuss that.”

Evan looked angrily at Leuven. A chill ran down his spine.

The half-demon turned to the villagers again. “There are easier ways to take your life than such a crazy hunt. None of you are experienced in battle, especially not against an unknown monster. You are playing with the lives of everyone, but your foolishness is paralyzing your thoughts. Very well. I will accompany you, but my word is law. If it becomes too dangerous, we will make a quick retreat.”

The miller nodded in satisfaction. “We will.”

Evan, on the other hand, was not at all satisfied. He was torn and did not believe the miller’s words.

Ultimately, however, he knew that the villagers were determined whether he would accompany them or not.

The crowd in the village square dispersed. Every villager headed home.

Some of them were gathering anything that could even remotely be considered a weapon, while the others were anxiously hoping that the haunting would soon be over.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Leuven asked his companion cautiously.

Both of them stood for a while in the village square. They were silent for a while.

“This is the worst choice they could have made. A few peasants armed with pitchforks, knives and wooden clubs. This will end badly,” snorted the half-demon and turned around.

He walked over to Ida, who was taking a big drink of water from a trough. Evan climbed onto the coach box and disappeared behind the tarp.

“And what are you planning to do now?” asked the young merchant.

“Well, what do you think?” Evans’ voice echoed from the carriage. “I’m getting ready for the evening.”

»And what should I do?«

“You? – You will stay in the village. Take care of our provisions, which I have already asked you to do,” the half-demon emerged from the tarpaulin with his duffel bag in his hand. “And don’t tell everyone that I’m some demon hunter. Just don’t get us into trouble.”

“It wasn’t my fault. Really!” protested the young merchant.

“Of course not.”

“Nobody listened to what I said,” Leuven continued. “They had already made their decision. Planned long in advance, I think.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” groaned the half-demon, checked his arm and leg guards, and then jumped down from the carriage.

“Just don’t do anything stupid,” he finally said to his companion.

Dusk had already set in when half a dozen villagers, led by Evan, left the village towards the forest.

The miller had selected only younger men for this hunt, among them Jacob, who kept looking nervously back and forth without saying a word.

“Have you killed many monsters yet?” asked the miller as he picked up the pace so as not to be left behind by Evan.

“Some, yes,” he replied curtly.

»Must be an exciting life.«

Evan looked at the miller sharply. “Now stop it. You should prepare for your death rather than trying to have any more conversations here.”

“Forgive me. I just wanted to know who I was dealing with,” the miller replied meekly.

“It doesn’t matter. We don’t know what we’re dealing with. So we don’t know when it might attack.”

The miller fell silent, but the flickering light of the torches revealed his pinched features. Their surroundings were filled with an eerie silence as they penetrated deeper into the dark forest.

Night had engulfed the scene, and the torches cast ominous shadows on the ground. Evan trusted his demonic senses rather than the flickering flames that gave them a false sense of security.

“Listen to me,” he whispered quietly, but with a sharp voice. “Stay close together. And above all, be quiet. These torches make us as conspicuous as the dawn. And when I tell you to disappear, you do so without argument.”

The villagers nodded nervously, but Evan had his doubts as to whether they really understood what they had gotten themselves into.

As they moved deeper into the dark forest, the atmosphere changed. The vibrant energy of the day had given way to an eerie, lurking feeling. The wind rustled through the trees as if whispering to them that they were not alone.

There was a feeling of tension in the air, and the hairs on Evan’s neck stood up. Something was out there. Something waiting for them.

Then he heard it—a faint crack in the treetops. Inaudible to the human ear, but like a loud bang to his demonic senses. He stopped abruptly, held out his hand, and the troop paused. The men looked around nervously while the torches flickered restlessly.

Evan’s eyes began to glow ominously. He tried to spot the monster, but it remained invisible, hidden in the darkness of the trees. The wind picked up, making the leaves dance, and then Evan felt it—a quick gust of wind rushing past him, followed by a sudden storm that ripped through the night like a roaring beast.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the darkness. A torch went out. Panic immediately spread.

“What the hell was that?” one of the men shouted breathlessly.

“Joos! It’s Joos!” croaked another in excitement.

“Damn it, shut up!” hissed Evan.

But it was too late. Panic had already taken hold in the men’s hearts. “We are lost! The monster has found us!” screamed one man as he stumbled backwards.

Evan stepped forward, his eyes blazing, sword drawn. “Stay together if you want to live.”

There was a crack above them, followed by a heavy thud as something fell from the treetops and landed with a thud in a pile of leaves.

“What… what is that?” asked one of the men in a trembling voice, pointing the torch at what lay before them.

A scream of horror rang out as they realized what lay before them: the severed head of Joos, his face twisted into a grotesque grin.

Chaos broke out. The men stampeded around frantically, overcome by fear. Evan felt his control of the situation slipping away. “Stay calm!” he shouted, but his words were drowned out by the tumult.

One of the men, mad with fear, started to flee. “I will not stay a moment longer in this accursed forest!” he shouted and ran. Others followed his example. The lights of the torches flickered and disappeared in the darkness of the forest.

Only the miller and Jacob remained with Evan, both pale and trembling, but too determined to flee.

“What now?” asked the miller hoarsely, his eyes wandering nervously through the darkness.

“Let’s hope they make it out alive,” Evan muttered grimly. “There’s nothing left for us to save here. We’re turning back.”

“No!” hissed the miller angrily. “I will not turn back. I am here to save my daughter and I will do that. We will go on.”

Evan’s demonic eyes gleamed in the dim light of the remaining torches. “Your hope is in vain. You have seen what happens when we go deeper into the forest.”

The miller growled. “I don’t care. I will get my daughter back. You promised to help me.”

“And you promised to obey my instructions,” Evan replied coldly.

The tension between the two men was palpable when Jakob finally spoke. “Arguing won’t get us anywhere. We should keep a cool head.”

The miller snorted. “If you had accompanied Emilia, she wouldn’t have disappeared! You failed.”

Jakob’s face paled. “I… I couldn’t have known…”

“That’s not an argument,” growled the miller. “But I’ll tell you one thing: if we bring Emilia back, the wedding is called off. You’re not worth it.”

Evan rolled his eyes inwardly. “You can put your wedding plans on hold – if we get out of here alive.”

Just at that moment, another scream rang out through the forest from a distance.

The scream came from the east, a few hundred meters away from them.

“It doesn’t matter what it is. A giant bird or something else. If we stay here, we’ll end up like the others,” the half-demon said urgently. “One by one, we’ll be caught. We’re not the hunters here. We’re the mice in the open field.”

Jakob nodded in agreement. “You’re right. We should…”

“Nonsense!” yelled the miller. “There is no honor in either of you.”

“It has nothing to do with honor,” Evan said. “Believe me, I’ve seen all kinds of things. Ghosts, horrible creatures. We’ll track it down and bring it down, but not today, not now.”

“Senseless chatter!” The miller held out his torch and marched on.

»But Albert, we should…« stammered Jakob, looking indignantly after the miller.

“Leave him alone,” Evan’s voice was cold. “I’ve met enough people who are suicidal. Once they set their minds on something, it’s hard to dissuade them.”

“But we can’t just let him walk to his death!” protested the young man, gesticulating wildly with his arms.

“No.” The half-demon sighed. “I’ll follow him, but you should go back to the village. Stay on the path and try to be as quiet as possible.”

“You don’t want to let me go through the forest alone, do you?”

“You still have the choice to follow Albert and save Emilia.”

The tension was written all over Jakob’s face. “Do you think she’s still alive?”

Evan thought for a moment. They had only been in the forest for a short time, and they were the last of their group. He didn’t really believe it, but he didn’t let it show. “Who knows.”

“I, I would like to believe it,” Jakob stammered. “That would make everything easier.”

“In what way?”

Jakob jumped up. “I meant that we could then bring them to safety, back home.”

“That would be the plan, at least.” Evan went ahead. “It’s your choice. Go or come with me, but keep quiet.”

Jacob was visibly uncomfortable. He looked wildly in every direction, bit his lip and finally followed the half-demon.

“We should catch up with Albert before we lose him too,” Evan said with a serious look.

They wandered deeper into the forest, eyes and ears focused on their surroundings.

At every unusual noise, Evan raised his head, urging Jacob to be alert.

The half-demon could only guess in which direction the miller had gone.

He paused.

Jacob almost bumped into him, staggered, but managed to stay on his feet. His torch flared up threateningly.

“Be careful. Or do you want to set the whole forest on fire?” Evan asked darkly.

They continued on, over hill and dale, over rotten tree trunks and moss-covered hills, before they reached a small clearing.

Loud screams and powerful roars could be heard.

Evans’ senses were sharpened, he quickly moved towards the clearing and saw Albert waving his torch around with effort.

Long, feathered wings and sharp, deadly claws were revealed.

Albert’s roar rang out in the forest like a war cry. With his torch and his axe he struck at the monster, which repeatedly tried to grab him with its claws.

Evan quickly went to the miller’s aid, quickly drew his sword from its sheath, tried to strike the beast, but missed.

With a shrill scream, the monster rose into the air and disappeared between the dense treetops.

“What the hell is that?” asked Albert, gasping for air. “I saw it, I saw it.”

“What do you think?” Evan asked, looking around intently, wary of the possibility that the monster might return.

“It was a bird, but also a human, a bird-human. I’m sure I’m not mistaken!” snorted the miller, looking extremely upset. “That face, it seemed so familiar to me.”

Evan looked intently at Albert. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir. Just like I told you!” said Albert.

“Then I know what we’re dealing with,” Evan replied seriously. “It can only be a harpy.”

At that moment Jacob screamed.

Shocked, Evan and Albert looked over at him and watched as the monster’s sharp claws dug into the young man’s shoulder and slowly lifted him into the air.

“Help me, please help me!” Jacob called to them.

He turned around like a fish out of water.

There must have been unbearable pain running through his body as the beast lifted him higher and higher.

Evan sprinted toward the monster, but it was already too far away.

With a loud crash, it flew over Evans and Albert’s heads into the forest. The young man’s painful screams echoed behind it.

“Damn it, we have to go after it immediately!” the miller thundered and was already about to follow the harpy before he noticed that the half-demon wasn’t moving. “What’s wrong? – Quick, we have to be quick.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Evan snorted. “If we follow her, the same thing will happen to us.”

“But,” Albert stammered, “we have to save him, save Emilia.”

“We are dealing with a harpy here. A powerful curse is at work here. It would be foolish to continue acting rashly. Besides, you gave me your word that you would obey my orders,” the half-demon replied demandingly.

The miller shook himself and reared up. “If you don’t have the balls, then get out of here. But I’ll follow you.”

Confident and full of anger, Albert ran forward, not knowing whether it might cost him his life.

“Stop!” the half-demon yelled after him. But he didn’t hear and disappeared into the dark undergrowth, only a bright beam of light from Albert’s torch could be seen.

The half-demon was torn. Should he go back to the village and work out a plan or just follow the poor fool?

He hated himself for it, but he did not want to let the miller run to his doom alone and followed him, growling.

The forest was dense and an eerie aura surrounded it.

Despite his enhanced senses, the half-demon could hardly see anything in the thicket.

But a penetrating smell rose into his nose and a short time later a heated rush.

Evan was immediately alarmed. He pushed through the thick branches that were in his way and finally reached another clearing, or so he assumed.

Suddenly, meter-high flames flickered around him. He was immediately transported back to the moment when he stood in the cathedral of Rabensberg and had to defend himself against the deadly Eldári.

“Shit!” he cursed. “Not again.”

In the middle of the blazing conflagration, Albert wildly struck at the harpy with his axe. “You bastard, where is my daughter!”

Evan came to his aid. At least he tried.

Again and again, the beast stretched out its long claws towards the two of them and rose into the air again when Evan and Albert struck at it with their weapons.

“This is pointless!” cried the half-demon. “What have you done here anyway?”

Albert looked at him intently. “What do you mean? – It wasn’t me. Jacob must have dropped his torch when that monster dragged him away.”

Indeed, there was no sign or sound of Jacob. This only led Evan to conclude that the harpy’s nest couldn’t be far away.

“Let’s go!” he shouted at the miller. “We know now what we’re dealing with.”

But Albert didn’t listen to his words. He firmly grasped the handle of his axe, swung it and tried to hit the monster.

Screaming, she stretched out her claws towards him, grabbed his body and lifted him into the air.

“No, let me down!” Albert screamed when he could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet.

Desperately he twisted back and forth between the claws, but the more he fought, the tighter the beast’s grip became.

Evan tried to reach him, but the harpy rose screaming into the sky and disappeared into the darkness with Albert.

The last cries for help echoed to the ground.

“Stupid fool,” the half-demon gritted his teeth. But as soon as he had said the words, he realized that the danger was far from over.

Flames blazed around him like living beasts, mercilessly surrounding him.

Escape seemed impossible. The glowing ring was getting tighter and tighter, as if the fire wanted to devour him.

Evan looked around, his sharp eyes searching feverishly for a way out. But it was in vain. The fire surrounded him with a deadly persistence.

The heat was oppressive, almost overwhelming. Sweat poured down his face. He fell to his knees, despair gnawing at him as he felt time running out.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a gentle breeze suddenly brushed across his heated cheek.

It was as if nature itself was touching him, only to escalate into a wild, uncontrollable storm the next moment.

The wind swept through the flames, making them dance as if they were the hissing tails of angry snakes preparing to attack.

With a loud hiss, a passage opened in the middle of the raging fire.

The blazing flames retreated, forced by the immense power of the storm, forming a burning swath that continued to grow.

A black silhouette suddenly appeared in the seething inferno. Behind it, a second figure emerged from the swirling flames.

Evan recognized the blue sparkle that suddenly flashed.

A woman’s gentle voice rang out and the surroundings were bathed in a light blue light.

It blinded the half-demon.

The light faded and he gradually made out the outline of a person in front of him.

“Evan!” Leuven’s delighted voice rang in his ears.

The young merchant helped him to his feet.

“I have to admit,” said the half-demon, a slight grin spreading across his face, “for once I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.”

The woman’s gentle voice rang out again. It was the voice of the village witch. It turned into a malicious, fiery speech. “That was foolish! – No, absolutely stupid of you. I expected nothing else from the men of the village, but at least you should have known better.”

She pressed her fists against her hips. “What did you expect would happen?”

Evan looked at her dryly as he brushed the soot off his armor. “I couldn’t let the men go alone. But I didn’t expect a harpy to be waiting for us out here.”

The sorceress opened her eyes in shock. “A harpy?”

She put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. Her mood had completely changed and the anger disappeared from her face. “A harpy. I already suspected it, but to turn a human into a harpy requires a deep knowledge of dark magic. That’s why I had ruled it out. Why would a dark wizard get lost in these woods?”

“Maybe a witch?” Evan asked stoically.

“No,” replied the young woman. “I would have noticed. Besides, there would have to be a reason why someone would do something like that to someone.”

“Wait,” Leuven interjected. “Are we talking about a real harpy here? Long wings, human body, harpy, whoosh?”

He made a strange arm movement, as if he wanted to use it as a wing.

Evan shook his head. “Are you really that surprised? – We met a Hintz, we met Eldári.”

“You are what?” asked the sorceress in astonishment. “You really met Eldári? I never thought they would ever appear in these lands again.”

Leuven proudly raised his index finger. “But that’s true. Have you heard about the fire at the cathedral in Rabensberg?”

The young woman looked at him questioningly.

Before Leuven could continue, Evan cut him off. “Enough of this. We don’t have time for stories.” He turned his gaze to the sorceress and continued. “Your powers are impressive, I knew you could do more than just sew clothes.”

The sorceress, distracted by Leuven and the conversation, looked at Evan in surprise. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized what he was saying. “I didn’t believe it anymore myself,” she replied quietly.

Evan nodded. “Don’t waste your skills.”

He brushed the last of the soot from his shoulder and gave her a quick, serious look.

For a moment, Leana seemed speechless. Then, very slowly, a small but sincere smile crossed her face. “Thank you,” she said finally. Her voice was calm and full of new insight. “I think you’re right. Maybe I was too stubborn after all. But if we had arrived a little later, the fire would certainly have spread further.”

“Why did you decide to follow me?” asked the half-demon.

“Well, your friend here asked me for help. I told him the same thing I told you, but he was much more persistent and, I must say, more whiny,” she replied.

Evan laughed briefly. “Yes, that sums it up perfectly.”

But Leuven didn’t like that at all. He straightened his back and wrinkled his face. “That’s not true at all,” he spat venomously.

“By the way,” the young woman smiled, “you can call me Leana.”

The half-demon acknowledged her words with a nod.

“It’s great that we’ve all introduced ourselves now,” Leuven snorted, looking excited. “But we shouldn’t forget that there’s still a harpy lurking here. So we should hurry.”

“You don’t have to be afraid. She won’t hurt us,” Evan replied dryly.

“What, why?” asked Leuven. The question marks were written all over his face.

The half-demon and the sorceress looked seriously up into the dark sky. Then Leana spoke in an explanatory voice. “She has what she wants. We are of no interest to her.”

“She has what, who, where?” The young businessman seemed completely confused, unable to even form complete sentences.

“Leana is right,” Evan agreed with the young woman. “The harpy had no interest in me at all, but she did have interest in Albert and Jakob. That means that as a human she had a close connection to both of them. That in turn means…”

Leana interrupted him. “That means that it is most likely Emilia.”

She looked cheekily at the half-demon.

“Emilia?” Leuven grimaced. “Ah, the miller’s daughter and fiancée of this Jakob.”

“Right,” Evan said. “We just need to find out what happened.”

“But we should go to the village first. We won’t find a solution at night. I could look in my books to see how we can remove the curse from a harpy.”

Leuven and Evan agreed.

They moved for a while through the gloomy forest, whose trees stood like sentinels in the night, until they finally reached the main road.

Ida was already waiting for them there, her figure barely visible in the darkness.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

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