Few people lived in the jungles, less visited. Yet Jin couldn’t resist the whispers of a demon, as well as the villagers’ large reward. Traveling the world had taught him that such creatures from the abyss didn’t exist, rather they were invented by the minds of the naive and terrified. But no matter the cause, the villager’s problems were genuine, and Jin could solve them, for the right price.

        The summer sun failed to penetrate the jungle canopy, making it no brighter than dawn over the western sea. The air stuck to Jin’s skin like a warm, wet cloth smothering him. He wore only loose knee-high trousers and sandals. Yet still the sweat coated his body, dripping from his braided beard and making his ponytail cling to his back. The man beside him, more a boy in Jin’s eyes, seemed more content, but Jin wondered if he had ever experienced comfort in such a place.

        “How much farther?” Jin stomped over a fallen log, using his spear as a walking stick over the terrain. He examined the tree line before him, ready for anything. He knew the demon was just a story, but plenty of real dangers lurked in the jungle.

        “Close.” The boy urged him on.

        “You said that back at the village. Not much of a guide.”

        “Yes, guide.” The boy put his hand on his chest.

        Jin kept quiet and continued on. Everyone on the continent spoke the same word, yet sometimes their meanings got lost or changed, and the way they spoke could be near indecipherable. For Jin, the Ancestor’s Word was the most difficult of all. Yet the villagers were kind, and he had traveled enough to not judge for such differences, no matter how frustrating it could be.

        More time passed. When Jin tried to quicken their sloth-like pace, the boy would grab his shoulder and shake his head. A sweet earthly hint of passionflower hit Jin’s nose. “It will be dark soon and I don’t mean to camp out here. We should head back, resume our search in the morning.”

        The boy knelt to the ground, and a moment later his eyes went wide. He held up a finger over his lips. Jin crouched beside him. The noises of the forest had gone quiet, except for a lone bird squawking high above. Jin heard nothing, yet trusted his guide. They stayed still for what seemed like an eternity till Jin’s thick, muscular legs quaked under his weight. Yet he remained crouched, still and quiet.

        Then a branch snapped behind him. He turned to see a blur disappear behind the trunk of a large tree. He stood and flexed his fingers around the shaft of his spear. “Stay here,” Jin mouthed to the boy and turned back towards the blur.

        Each step was taken with care as he took a wide path around the tree with his spear readied. He knew he must see the supposed demon first as most things didn’t need to be killed. But he must be ready to. His last step was quick, but the demon disappeared into the bushes just as fast. It seemed small, from what he could tell by the rustle of the leaves. Still, he needed a better look.

        Jin moved closer and peeled back the brush with the tip of his spear. He dove as a stone hurled towards him, barely missing his skull. The creature screeched, piercing his ears and awakening the jungle as birds took to the skies, and small animals sprinted away. Another small stone flew past him. The third connected between his eyes. Tears streamed down, clouding his vision as the demon leapt from the bushes. It grabbed his leg, nails penetrating the skin. Jin jabbed his spear, missing at first, before piercing its flesh with the second strike. The creature screamed before retreating into the brush.

        A moment later, the boy ran over to Jin, examining the wound on the bridge of his nose and the claw marks on his ankle. “Jin’s hearty, alive.”

        Jin wiped the moisture from his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

        The tip of his spear dripped blood. He collected a drop from his finger, licked it, and spit it into the dirt. The claw marks on his legs had five puncture wounds. “Your creature is alive, and human.”

        “Demon, not human.”

        He held up the spear. “Demons aren’t alive. They don’t bleed.”

        The boy’s expression stiffened. “Not human.”

        Jin sighed and sat against the tree. He waved off the boy as he attempted to tend to his ankle. “It’s fine. I’m hearty.” Jin laughed and rested his head back against the tree, thinking about the creature. “I’ll grant you I’ve never heard a human sound like that, or move that way. We’re missing something.”

        The boy muttered words Jin could not understand. The boy thought and spoke again. “Village.”

        Night was upon them, but Jin no longer had intentions of returning to the village. “That thing didn’t show itself until I smelled the passionflower, and all your stories take place at night. I don’t think we’ll find it during the day. It’s injured. We need to track it back to its home while we have a lead.”

        “Village.”

        Jin took the water strapped to the boy’s shoulder and took a long drink. He stood and grabbed his spear. “You go. I’ll be back by morning.”

        “Guide?”

        “I never need someone to guide me home.” Jin smiled. For a moment, the boy hesitated, then he handed Jin his water-pouch and took off back towards the village.

        Jin preferred company but was used to traveling alone. Over the years, a few bored, wide-eyed adventurers had accompanied him for a time, but most didn’t last long from either wearing out, or worse. Yet that was the risk they all took, and Jin never took it on himself to tell others what they were up for. Instead, he remained grateful for the time they had together and moved on. Like always.

        The injured creature proved easy to track. Jin followed the blood and disturbed foliage as the forest grew darker. He grabbed both the torch and flint fastened to his waistband. Once lit, his sense of otherness increased. The shadows creeping around him sent a chill down his spine; he did not belong here.

        The splatters of blood became tiny drops, then stopped altogether. The tracks gave more questions as the creature seemed to switch between walking on two legs and four, leaving shallow prints in the leaves.

        Finally, Jin heard the trickling of water, and the tracks stopped as he reached a cascading creek. In the torchlight, he saw no signs of the creature. Without a clue to go on, he stood still and let the night tell the story. Owls hooted and far away predators growled. High above, a sloth clung to a tree while small animals darted between bushes below. He listened to the bat’s high-pitched screech and turned back to the waterfall.

        “A cave.”

        Jin brought the torch close, looking beyond the water. Upon first glance, he found nothing unusual. Then a crevice revealed itself behind the curtain of water, no higher than his waist, and hardly a foot wide. He backed up and ran his fingers through his hair, taking deep breaths. “Come on, Jin. This is nothing. You won’t get stuck.”

        Minutes passed as Jin paced. Each glance towards the entrance to the cave made his stomach churn, but he refused to turn back. The torch wouldn’t make it through the waterfall, and the thought of the dark cave only made his dread worsen. “Just relight it on the other side. It must open up if something lives there. You have to know. You have to.”

        Jin grimaced as he extinguished the torch. He found a leaf and wrapped the tip, hoping to keep it dry so his journey into darkness would be short. Upon fastening it to his waistband, he approached the entrance, taking deep breaths.

        First, he tried to slide in his spear, but found the entrance curved. No matter how he tried, the spear couldn’t fit without first snapping it in half. Jin cursed as he tossed it on the bank of the creek. He knelt on the ground and squeezed. As the cave walls closed against his belly and back, his breath quickened. He tried to calm himself. “Think small thoughts,” words his brother used to say. He said them over and over as he pushed through. Jin slid further and felt the cool air from within. With every breath out, he inched forward, and with a final push he burst into the cavern.

        The total darkness of the cave raised goosebumps on his arms. Jin scrambled to his feet and grabbed the torch, unwrapping the leaf that protected it as a high-pitched growl echoed through the cave.

        “Odessa be damned.” Jin fumbled with the pouch on his waistband. He heard a splat of wet feet hitting the ground, then a huff and grunt. Jin braced himself, protecting his face and throat as the creature pounced. It clung to him and they fell back into the cave wall. Claws ripped into his chest and Jin yelled as he pushed it off and fell to a knee. The demon let out a cat-like hiss that reverberated through the cavern.

        Jin braced himself for another attack, but it did not come. Sounds came from every direction, making it impossible to pinpoint their source through the echoes. He spun around, then again, and became disoriented in the dark. Jin reached forward, hoping to feel the wall of the cave. Instead, he tripped and stumbled. When he caught himself, the creature leapt on his back, wrapping its feet around his waist and arms around his throat.

        When Jin struggled, its talons sunk deeper into his neck, cutting the flesh like tiny knives. Jin thrashed and tried to reach behind, but the demon shrieked wildly as they flailed about the cavern. Jin jumped and threw himself down on his back. The creature cried and released its grip.

        Immediately, he hopped back to his feet and swung his unlit torch like a bludgeon, but the demon had disappeared again into the darkness. Then, like a passing gust of wind, the creature swiped at him as it sprinted by. Jin cursed and huffed. Twice more it attacked, once grazing his arm and then his cheek.

        “Not human.” Jin remembered the boy’s words and pictured his face.

        Unable to fight what he couldn’t see, Jin closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Once more the demon passed, slicing his back as it ran by. As it readied its next charge, the creature exhaled sharply.

        Jin yelled as he turned and grabbed towards the darkness. The creature cried as he latched on to its arm. Jin pulled it close, ignoring the pain as it gouged his sides. He wrestled it to the ground with ease, blanketing its small bony frame.

        The creature resisted, refusing to be restrained. Jin tried using a choke-hold, but the sudden stab in his side made him scream as it tried to wiggle free from his clutches. Jin caught its leg and pulled it back before lifting its skull and slamming it into the rocky cave floor. The creature went limp and the cave quieted.

        After taking a moment to gather himself, Jin lit his torch and examined the creature. Its skin looked faded and worn, clinging to its starved skeletal frame. Jin flipped it on its back and shuddered as he saw its bloody face.

        Jin took care in exiting the cave, grabbed his spear in one hand, with the lifeless body thrown over his opposite shoulder. As he’d told the guide, he needed no help returning to the village. The journey back concluded as the sun began its rise; it shone into the village like an oasis in the desert.

        The boy was the first to notice their arrival and, at his call, a dozen more rushed to the village’s edge.

        “Demon!” The boy pointed at the body and the crowd cheered.

        “Not a demon,” said Jin as he pushed past. “It’s a child, and she needs help.”