Ren stared at the wall inside his cave. It was dark ,but Rens eyes were adjusted to the darkness. He hadn't seen light in over a while and was at peace. Though far from quiet. The dripping of water hitting the cave floor could be heard in multiple locations. The sound of rats scurrying around never ended. The rats were smart enough to stay far far away from Ren ,and went about their business.
Ren was laying on the ground exhausted after spending 8 constant hours training, only taking brief rests to regenerate. His body was pretty sore at this point. Ren's hands were bloodied to a pulp from hitting the stone walls. One of the good things about being a demon was that his hands healed pretty quickly. So did his sore body. Despite eventually being fully healed he laid there for another hour. There wasn't much else he could do.
After a day had passed ,and nightfall emerged once more Ren finally gained the confidence to leave the darkness of his cave. He'd return ,but this would be a fun experience. The moon was nowhere to be seen. Even outside the cave it wasn't bright. Just another reason to be disappointed. Ren looked around outside. Even if the moon wasn't out, it was still brighter outside than in that cave. Ren almost needed to shield his eyes. It was somewhat bright compared to in his cave. Some travelers were just down the road with a cart ,and a dead boar on the back. The dead boar reminded Ren of himself. The boar didn't choose to be born a wild animal nor to be the targeted prey of some hunter.
Ren was just like that boar, out in the open. The idea of a demon slayer coming to put Ren out of his misery was a somewhat frightening thought. His life wasn't much ,but it was his. Ren meant no harm so why would someone wanna put him down? He even managed to resist the urge to attack the travelers. He watched them cart away the dead boar. Killing them wouldn't have been too hard, they didn't even see Ren standing outside the cave. They were perfect targets. Ren could have dragged them into the cave and cleaned up the blood before anyone else saw the evidence. Quick and easy. Ren could have even fled ,and found a new cave, waited until nobody was searching for him ,and rinse/repeat. Ren could become very powerful this way. It is what he wanted more than anything else, right?
He reluctantly continued heading into the woods when he spotted something worse than the hunters. Another boar. This one was very much alive ,and well. It looked ferocious too ,and stomped its hooves into the ground at the sight of Ren's presence. It didn't seem to like Ren's presence in its territory. It lowered its head, aiming its horns at Ren. It stood motionless for a second then full on charged at him. The boar meant business. Ren barely managed to dodge in time. It lifted its hooves up to stomp down. Ren managed to push the boar back hard enough for it to slam against a tree. The boar fled with minor injuries. Ren's arms healed fairly quickly.
A startled voice could be heard. It must have been a hunter or something. Ren turned and looked at a passer-byer. The man turned towards ren ,and pulled out a crossbow, pointing it at him. The crossbolt hit him dead in the chest. It hurt ,but Ren pulled it out ,and the wound healed. Snapping the bolt in his hand, he looked at the man who was shaking ,and attempting to reload the crossbow once more. Ren closed the gap very quickly seizing the man by the neck. He dropped him to the ground ,and was met with a sharp pain in his leg. The man had a dagger ,and wasn't afraid to use it.
Ren was even angrier at this point, "why was this guy attacking me?! Ren did nothing to him. There was no reason for you to be afraid of me" Ren yelled ,but Ren was a demon and displayed the strength of a demon right in front of him. The boy didn't respond with words. He gritted his teeth in hopes of using his dagger again so he could escape.
Ren caught the dagger with him by the wrist ,and pinned his arm down. In Ren's anger he didn't even notice the blood dripping from his arm was now turning into a mist. Red mist began forming in the air. It wasn't much mist ,but when the mist came into contact with the boys arm he howled in pain at the mist began to cause excruciating pain. The skin on his arm began to burn away, almost as if the mist was eating away at him. Ren leaped back in shock and confusion, untill he saw a trail of mist which was coming from his wound. The boy ran hysterically ,and didn't seem to notice the cliff he was just about to run off of. Ren stood there dumbfounded by the mist.
When he went to look down the hill, the boy was undeniably dead. Nobody else came around that night ,and it would seem there was no witnesses. Ren looked at the young body ,and considered eating him. It was now or never. Ren didn't want to be a monster, so he buried the boy ,and made sure not to leave any blood evidence behind. When the blood mist faded he left knowing there was no proof linking him to the boy. Ren felt bad about the whole situation ,but what was he supposed to do? It wasn't his fault right? Even if the boy was alive, then what? Would he report Ren to the town or the demon slayers? Ren didn't want to have to find a new cave or place to refuge at. He didn't want to run.
All what Ren could do was hope that nobody saw the boy ,and that he'd be quickly forgotten. Quickly forgotten like he had never been born. That is what Ren had hoped. Ren didn't train that night. The next day he would mess around with his arm. He'd purposefully hurt himself to try draw out the mist ,but it didn't happen initially. It took a few attempts before he achieved the mist result that he had wanted. Ren was frustrated ,but managed to create the mist he had desired. Was this something new that Ren could train? What purpose would Ren use this new mist for anyway?
Ren wouldn't try and train his mist ability until a week after the incident. It took an additional month for Ren to be able to use his blood ability at will without becoming angered or frustrated. It was a small cloud of mist ,but it was progress. Maybe one day Ren would be able to make a much bigger mist. Maybe. For now that was pure speculation. Anything could happen ,and the use of his blood magic tired him quicker. Ren needed to take longer rests than usual after using his blood magic. "Guess that's the cost of using this ability, huh?" Ren thought to himself.
Ren was laying on the ground exhausted after spending 8 constant hours training, only taking brief rests to regenerate. His body was pretty sore at this point. Ren's hands were bloodied to a pulp from hitting the stone walls. One of the good things about being a demon was that his hands healed pretty quickly. So did his sore body. Despite eventually being fully healed he laid there for another hour. There wasn't much else he could do.
After a day had passed ,and nightfall emerged once more Ren finally gained the confidence to leave the darkness of his cave. He'd return ,but this would be a fun experience. The moon was nowhere to be seen. Even outside the cave it wasn't bright. Just another reason to be disappointed. Ren looked around outside. Even if the moon wasn't out, it was still brighter outside than in that cave. Ren almost needed to shield his eyes. It was somewhat bright compared to in his cave. Some travelers were just down the road with a cart ,and a dead boar on the back. The dead boar reminded Ren of himself. The boar didn't choose to be born a wild animal nor to be the targeted prey of some hunter.
Ren was just like that boar, out in the open. The idea of a demon slayer coming to put Ren out of his misery was a somewhat frightening thought. His life wasn't much ,but it was his. Ren meant no harm so why would someone wanna put him down? He even managed to resist the urge to attack the travelers. He watched them cart away the dead boar. Killing them wouldn't have been too hard, they didn't even see Ren standing outside the cave. They were perfect targets. Ren could have dragged them into the cave and cleaned up the blood before anyone else saw the evidence. Quick and easy. Ren could have even fled ,and found a new cave, waited until nobody was searching for him ,and rinse/repeat. Ren could become very powerful this way. It is what he wanted more than anything else, right?
He reluctantly continued heading into the woods when he spotted something worse than the hunters. Another boar. This one was very much alive ,and well. It looked ferocious too ,and stomped its hooves into the ground at the sight of Ren's presence. It didn't seem to like Ren's presence in its territory. It lowered its head, aiming its horns at Ren. It stood motionless for a second then full on charged at him. The boar meant business. Ren barely managed to dodge in time. It lifted its hooves up to stomp down. Ren managed to push the boar back hard enough for it to slam against a tree. The boar fled with minor injuries. Ren's arms healed fairly quickly.
A startled voice could be heard. It must have been a hunter or something. Ren turned and looked at a passer-byer. The man turned towards ren ,and pulled out a crossbow, pointing it at him. The crossbolt hit him dead in the chest. It hurt ,but Ren pulled it out ,and the wound healed. Snapping the bolt in his hand, he looked at the man who was shaking ,and attempting to reload the crossbow once more. Ren closed the gap very quickly seizing the man by the neck. He dropped him to the ground ,and was met with a sharp pain in his leg. The man had a dagger ,and wasn't afraid to use it.
Ren was even angrier at this point, "why was this guy attacking me?! Ren did nothing to him. There was no reason for you to be afraid of me" Ren yelled ,but Ren was a demon and displayed the strength of a demon right in front of him. The boy didn't respond with words. He gritted his teeth in hopes of using his dagger again so he could escape.
Ren caught the dagger with him by the wrist ,and pinned his arm down. In Ren's anger he didn't even notice the blood dripping from his arm was now turning into a mist. Red mist began forming in the air. It wasn't much mist ,but when the mist came into contact with the boys arm he howled in pain at the mist began to cause excruciating pain. The skin on his arm began to burn away, almost as if the mist was eating away at him. Ren leaped back in shock and confusion, untill he saw a trail of mist which was coming from his wound. The boy ran hysterically ,and didn't seem to notice the cliff he was just about to run off of. Ren stood there dumbfounded by the mist.
When he went to look down the hill, the boy was undeniably dead. Nobody else came around that night ,and it would seem there was no witnesses. Ren looked at the young body ,and considered eating him. It was now or never. Ren didn't want to be a monster, so he buried the boy ,and made sure not to leave any blood evidence behind. When the blood mist faded he left knowing there was no proof linking him to the boy. Ren felt bad about the whole situation ,but what was he supposed to do? It wasn't his fault right? Even if the boy was alive, then what? Would he report Ren to the town or the demon slayers? Ren didn't want to have to find a new cave or place to refuge at. He didn't want to run.
All what Ren could do was hope that nobody saw the boy ,and that he'd be quickly forgotten. Quickly forgotten like he had never been born. That is what Ren had hoped. Ren didn't train that night. The next day he would mess around with his arm. He'd purposefully hurt himself to try draw out the mist ,but it didn't happen initially. It took a few attempts before he achieved the mist result that he had wanted. Ren was frustrated ,but managed to create the mist he had desired. Was this something new that Ren could train? What purpose would Ren use this new mist for anyway?
Ren wouldn't try and train his mist ability until a week after the incident. It took an additional month for Ren to be able to use his blood ability at will without becoming angered or frustrated. It was a small cloud of mist ,but it was progress. Maybe one day Ren would be able to make a much bigger mist. Maybe. For now that was pure speculation. Anything could happen ,and the use of his blood magic tired him quicker. Ren needed to take longer rests than usual after using his blood magic. "Guess that's the cost of using this ability, huh?" Ren thought to himself.