Chapter 1: Demon!
"Oi, Geta, wake up, you lazy bastard! We got another demon on our hands!"
The loud voice cut through the peaceful morning air, jarring Geta awake from what had been an excellent dream involving a feast, a beautiful woman, and a giant, golden pig that was definitely talking for some reason.
Blinking blearily, he turned toward his best friend, Vigo, who was already halfway out the door, adjusting his ragged cloak as he grinned with excitement.
Another demon? Already?
"Wait, wait, hold on," Geta groaned, rubbing his temples as he forced himself upright.
"Didn't we just purify one three days ago? The one with the glowing eyes? I thought that was supposed to bring us good luck!"
Vigo snorted as he tightened his belt. "Luck? Hah! The only thing it brought was that freak rainstorm that ruined half the merchant goods!"
He slapped a thick palm against the wall for emphasis. "I told you, Geta, these bastards ain't omens, they're curses walking on two legs. You wanna know what's even worse?"
"Enlighten me," Geta grumbled, dragging his boots on.
"This is the third one this month!" Vigo threw his hands up, his voice laced with exasperation.
"Three! Do you know how many demons got caught last year? Six. That means in just this one month, we've already seen half of last year's numbers! It's like they're spawning out of thin air now!"