The Shadow Hunter

Monção, northern Portugal. The mist takes over the empty streets as winter approaches. A group of young women walk through the night. With no concern or preoccupation, the three laugh and talk while carrying some

"This night is really creepy." one points out.

"It's not even 9pm yet! Besides, you are coming to my place to watch horror movies! Think of the mist as atmospheric. Don't you agree, Fátima?"

the two girls look for their third friend, "Fátima?" they call. But she's nowhere to be found.

A large silhouette with glowing eyes can be seen in the mist. A lullaby hummed, not loud enough to be heard, but felt.

The mist thickens, a scream can be heard in the distance.

And then, there was silence.

Chapter VII: The Shadow Hunter

Janis reads a newspaper from Portugal. A headline calls her attention

Novos casos de desaparecimentos em Monção

"Disappearances? Again?" she questions herself. As she reads, she repeats some key points out loud:

 "...women below the age of twenty... no eyewitnesses except one girl... large silhouette with glowing eyes? That... it's happening again!" she realizes, with a sense of urgency.

Without doing her usual hairdo and wearing simple slippers over her usual high heels, she dashes towards the common area. Asking around about Atila, whenever she meets someone. "A tall man with a scruffy beard that smells like freshly cut lumber" Is one of the descriptions she gives.

She stumbles upon Karasu, Adel and Alex, as they were about to enter the dorms area. "Thank goodness I found you. Do you have any idea of where Atila is?" She asks as she puts her hand on Adel's shoulder.

The sunlight illuminates her face, her hazel eyes shine alongside a golden and orange aura from her hair. Her expression shows vulnerability, worry and a hint of care.

All three of them blush with this view, whenever they met her, she was always the peak of elegance. Karasu tries to avert his eyes as he speaks:

"He was sent away on a mission this morning. So was Viviane and Margaretta."

She let's go of Adel's shoulder, regains her composure and asks:

"Carlo- Karasu, you are Brazilian, right?"

"Yes." He replies

"Graças a Deus! Vou precisar que junte os novatos, enviar-vos-ei a Portugal, acompanhe-me." She says in a thick Portuguese accent.

Karasu nods and follows her.

Alex's surprised comments: "Oh, so she's Portuguese, I'd never figure this out."

"What did she say?" A confused Adel questions.

Alex says: "Something about sending us to Portugal. I could barely understand her though."

"I see..." Adel says, she then continues. "Get your gear, I will get Leo to join us."

Alex gives a thumbs up as he leaves.

🟆🟆🟆

"Read this." Janis says as she hands the newspaper to Karasu.

He gives a brief read. "Do you think a dragon is responsible for that?" he asks.

She grabs a key-shaped scepter as she answers: "I don't think it is. I'm sure it is. This happened about twenty years ago, that's my hometown."

Karasu puts the newspaper back at her desk and asks: "I assume that's when you met Atila, right?"

She gives a faint smile, "Anyway, I suppose you are familiar with the coca, right?"

🟆🟆🟆

Leo, clearly frustrated while trying to study, is in the brink of tears trying to figure out some formulas. Someone pats his head.

Adelheide smiles at him, she says "Hey dude, wanna punch some monsters?"

His expression changes from that of annoyance to a joyous smile. "Where?"

"Right now, Janis is preparing for us to go to Portugal."

They leave the dinning hall and head back to the dorms area. From between the pillars, they can see the training grounds being used for recreational purposes by other squires.

They meet Alex on the way, with his trusty sword and shield, and a backpack. He waves at them as he waits.

"Karasu went to get his stuff and Janis went back to her room to finish her hair." He points out.

Leo and Adel nod and proceed to their rooms, not much time was wasted. Soon after, Karasu joins Alex in that meeting spot.

"Alex, may I ask you a favor?"

🟆🟆🟆

Later that day, they checked into a hotel. As they leave, Alex leads the way.

"Now we need to find the address in this letter." Alex says as he takes out a paper.

"It's not that far from here." Karasu says as he checks his phone.

"You know... I forgot you are already ranked as a knight." Leo says, not as a form of mockery, but as an ice breaker.

Karasu replies casually: "I'm not that experienced, there's not much I could bring to you that the other three could not do better."

Soon they reach the address. Alex rings the bell.

from the intercom, a frightened female voice says: "Alô?" (Hello)

Alex says in his Brazilian accent: "Oi, falo com Isabel? " (Hi, do I speak to Isabel?)

The woman annoyed replies: "Não farei entrevista alguma! Vão se foder!" (I won't give you another interview, go fuck yourselves!)

Adel and Leo look at each other, not understanding a single word of the exchange, feeling like the two are speaking different languages even among each other.

Alex says agitated: "Espera! Não somos repórteres, somos caçadores!" (Wait! We are not reporters, we are slayers!)

"Como achas que irei acreditar em vós?" (How do you think I will believe in you?)

"Sabemos que o que você viu foi uma cuca... coca... E acreditamos que suas amigas estão vivas ainda." (We know that what you saw was a cuca... coca... And we believe that your friends are still alive.)

The woman turns off the intercom. Alex looks at Karasu, apprehensive.

"What's going on?" Adel asks.

"She might have been pestered by reporters all day long. and some foreigners just knocked on her door, I would be pretty annoyed as well." Karasu replies.

Alex says: "Well, I tried. I still don't know why you don't talk to them at all."

Karasu doesn't reply, he just stares at Alex, dead cold.

The door to the building unlocks. A woman still holding on to the door takes a good look at them. She then opens the door, wearing slippers, sweatpants and a plain white shirt.

"Come in." she says.

🟆🟆🟆

Inside her apartment, some localized messes, a rusty fridge and an old microwave oven among them. the table was covered with grocery bags, filled with instant ramen and cans of beer.

A CRT television and an internet router sitting above it is present on a small table, with a pile of VHS tapes and a player among them, it sits not too far from the couch, covered in blankets. Some old wooden chairs do the role of another sofa.

"Thanks for trusting us." Adel says.

"How did you figure that we are actually slayers and not reporters lying to you?" Alex asks.

She replies: "It sounded too ridiculous to be true" she pauses as she sits down on the sofa. she then continues: "Either way, I took you inside my house, it would be rude to not tell me your names."

"Oh, sorry, well, I'm Alex Camelot. This is Karasu, Leo and..."

"Adel." She interrupts, introducing herself.

"Well, can you talk more about the coca?" Alex asks.

"It's a folkloric monster, it's a dragon that has glowing eyes and mouth. Some tourists come to see São Jorge fighting her during the Corpo de Deus celebration. It's mostly used to scare children, that's why I have been mocked by the news."

Alex says: "We will help you with that, don't worry... Well, it seems that it is seeking young women, Isabel, would you mind..."

"There's no need, I will go with you Alex." Leo says.

"Wait." Isabel says. "May I have a talk with her?" she points towards Adel, "Woman to woman, you know?"

Adelheide nods, the boys leave. "We'll wait outside." Leo says.

🟆🟆🟆

Late at night, Karasu and Adel patrol near the river. The night brings a faint mist, blurring their vision in the distance.

"So, let me get this straight. The same dragon we are fighting in your country is a witch with an alligator head?" Adel asks Karasu.

He replies casually: "Pretty much, though that would classify her as a rank three instead of rank five or four."

Some lights are seen near the river bank, the figure in the mist creaks. The eyes are like lanterns, and the head moves in an uncanny way. tiny wings on a round body can be seen.

Adel readies herself. The scars in her arms open up, forming a gauntlet from the blood that sips away.

"Leave it to me." she says as she dashes towards the figure. The armor forms around her in the same manner.

ADELHEIDE SCHMIDT
24 years old
The Crimson Knight

From her hand, a curved blade emerges. as she jumps into the mist. Adel, slashes through the creature. cleaving its head in a single swipe. The body of the creature breaks down. It's hide, mere fabric, its bones, a frame of wires and wood. From within, two young men shout:

"Pegadinha! Pegadinha!" (It's a prank, It's a prank)

Karasu approaches: "Adel, let me talk to them."

🟆🟆🟆

Alex and Leo patrol the city side. Every commerce they come across is closed. Nothing but a distant humming can be heard.

Alex remarks: "I thought that touristic cities would have a nightlife."

"It's almost midnight. Besides, not every tourist wants to have a nightlife, you know?" Leo replies.

They reach a town plaza nearby a roundabout, an open space with benches. The fog is thick, a nearby restaurant is open, and their customers can be heard from a distance.

"Well, it's almost midnight, and that is open." Alex points to the place.

Leo's stomach growls, he has not eaten since the morning. Casually he says: "Well, I'd go for a meal..."

"Naw, I'm not up to eating this time of the night." he says as they approach the restaurant. The smell of meat is like a siren's song, attracting Alex, who shamelessly says: "You know what, why not?"

Alex promptly says as they approach the : "Oi amigos, estão servindo ainda?" (Hey pals, are you still open?)

🟆🟆🟆

"So, you two thought it would be funny to just pretend you were a monster that's kidnapping women?" Karasu asks.

The two teenagers tremble in fear, they cry as they try to speak: "we just wanted... to appear in the, the headlines of..."

Karasu sighs, he turns his back away as he says with an annoyed voice: "Leave."

🟆🟆🟆

Alex and Leo eat while sitting on a bench at the town square.

"We are lucky he gave us extra lamb for free!" Leo says as he devours his share of the meal.

"Extra? It seems like he gave us the entire lamb! Adel won't be complaining about being hungry with this amount of food!" Alex says as he sits besides the bag with take out containers.

"So, do you think we will be able to find them?" Leo asks.

"The dragons? Probably." Alex replies

"No, the missing people."

Alex pauses for a brief period, the sentiment of not being able to save people rushes in his mind. The hug from a widow, his own cries at night. The tears from Isabel as she hugs Adelheide when they are about to leave... No words from him can be said except: "You know, whenever a dragon kidnaps someone. They hide them in their lair and the heroes arrive just in time."

His false optimism is not enough to break the teenager's cynicism. Leo replies with no fanfare:
"Yeah, but this is not a fairy tale."

They stay silent as they finish their meal.

Alex offers: "Hey, give me the trash, I'll throw it away."

Leo puts all the bones and boxes in a bag, and gives it to Alex, who leaves as Leo waits with the food on the bench.

As Alex looks for the nearest trash can, his phone rings.

🟆🟆🟆

Karasu calls Alex on his phone. The dialing up sounds can be heard due to the dead silence of the beginning of winter.

"Hello?" Alex says through the phone.

"The coca we found was two prankster kids." Karasu says.

"We also found nothing over here as well, just some creepy humming sometimes."

"Where are you?"

"At a plaza, near a memorial. I will send the location."

"Alright, we are heading there."

Karasu turns off his phone.

"Adel, do you remember when Isabel said that it was used as a way to scare children?" He asks

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Do you hear a humming that sounds like a lullaby?"

"...yeah?" She asks. For a brief period, she thinks until she comes to the conclusion:

"We need to catch up to those kids!"

🟆🟆🟆

As Alex is gone, the mist thickens around the bench. From behind Leo, a shadowy figure stalks. Its two glowing golden eyes complement a jagged smile. instead of a growl or a howl:

A lullaby is hummed.