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This chapter may contain descriptions of violence that are upsetting for some readers 😎😎

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Cozbi and I slowly approached the two demon children, hardly making a sound as we glided across the forest floor. We soon rounded the tree on the edge of the campsite, startling Orion, who sat awake.

"Cozbi-??" The demon whisper-shouted, noticing me a moment later. "And Y/N?!"

"Sup." I raised a hand as I moved around to the other side of the tree while Cozbi began untying the rope that loosely held the children in place.

I shook the little girl demon awake, who rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Hey." I whispered while she came to. "Don't freak out." I quickly spoke when her eyes welled with tears. "Your momma asked me to help you get back home. I'm gonna need you to listen to your friend right there-" I gestured to Orion. "-they're gonna run you all the way back home, kay?" The young demon girl nodded along nervously to my words. Just as I heard stirring in the campsite, Cozbi succeeded in freeing the two children.

"Aha!" a demon exclaimed. "There they are!" Demons quickly swarmed from the tents and Cozbi and I sprang up, placing ourselves between the kids and the bandits.

"Go!" Cozbi hissed over her shoulder while they began to surround us.

"But what about-" Orion began, but Cozbi shook her head.

"Head to Lambda once you've taken her to the village. The others are waiting there. We can handle ourselves, so get going!"

Orion nodded their head solemnly and grabbed the hand of the other child, dashing away from the camp. "They're getting away!" A demon called, gesturing to the children.

"Let them!" Another bandit exclaimed. "They've served their purpose already." The demon who spoke stepped forward, as the gap that allowed Orion and Addy to slip through closed shut, and Cozbi and I found ourselves completely surrounded. "So you two are the one's who've been raising hell here these past 3 months."

I hummed, pulling a knife into my hand. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." I tilted my head, finding myself back-to-back with Cozbi as we surveyed our enemies. "I just followed you here after you kidnapped my little demon friend."

The demon bandits scoffed. "A likely story. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Anyone who messes with our captives is dead meat."

"Ohmygod Y/N they called you "dead meat."" Cozbi spluttered. She began to explain what was funny when she didn't see me laughing. "You know, it's funny because-"

"You shut up right now." I exclaimed cheerfully, a deadly edge to my voice.

"Yep. Yeah, I'm just going to shut my mouth. Good point." Cozbi nodded, slowly unsheathing her sword. The demon bandits began to step forward, readying their own assorted weapons. "Hey, whaddya say we make another bet?" The blue haired demon offered, glancing over her shoulder at me for a moment. "See who can take out the most of 'em."

I tilted my head, eyes focused on the approaching bandits. "What are the stakes? Considering we might not live to see another day."

"Let's leave it at if we survive, loser owes the winner a favour."

I raised an eyebrow. "Any boundaries?"

Cozbi shrugged. "We can discuss that should we make it through tonight alive."

"Fair enough-" I had just enough time to respond before the bandits were upon us.

Immediately I ducked, slashing through the ankles of the one closest to me. While it stumbled and bellowed in pain, I raised my knife and yanked off it's mask. I turned to another demon approaching me and slashed my saxe knife up it's chest. While it regenerated, I turned to the first demon once again, and plunged my blade in it's center eye.

Before the second demon could finish regenerating the gash in it's chest, I used my two knives and hooked them under it's mask, flinging it off from below. I drove my knives into it's center eye, immediately ducking out of the way of a spear and spinning towards a new enemy.

As soon as I dealt with that one I threw a glance over my shoulder, seeing a maskless demon about to take a swing at an unprepared Cozbi. I threw the throwing knife in my left hand at it, but before I could even have the chance to see if it hit, I was hit from behind- a spear slicing through my cloak and cutting my left forearm slightly as I attempted to dodge the attack.

I stumbled forward and grunted, hoisting a second throwing knife from my belt, pivoting and placing the two blades together in the defence position Sonju had shown me long ago, against the jarring blow of the spearman's next attack.

In the moment I was caught underneath the weight of the spear, another demon approached dangerously. This time, Cozbi stepped forward and sliced through his head easily with her sword, then plunging her blade right through his head- mask, center eye, and all.

Before I could see her final blow, I leapt forward with sudden speed and strength, sending the unprepared spearman tumbling back. I gripped onto my saxe knife, and stepping forward further in a low crouch, spun around, slashed my knife against it's arm and chest then springing up, using my throwing knife to lever the mask off the demon in one consecutive movement. The demon continued falling backwards, hands flailing dangerously as it tried to keep from falling. I stepped forward with my right leg and threw the throwing knife with chilling accuracy, hitting the demon dead-center in it's skull.

I spun around, seeing no new demons approaching me. The rest of the bandits stood at the sideline, eyeing Cozbi and I nervously. I suppose they had no immediate desire to join their companions' dead bodies that littered the ground. I crouched down and yanked my throwing knife out of the demon's skull, placing it back into my belt.

"How you holding up?" Cozbi asked, approaching me from behind. As I turned to her, she held out the knife I threw earlier. I spoke while I grabbed it from her hand.

"I've been cut here and there, nothing too serious yet." Taking my chance while the bandits contemplated attack, I ripped the lower part of my cloak and tied it tightly around my forearm, where the spear had glanced across my skin from behind. It stanched the blood flow, but began to soak red. It would have to do, for now. "I've also taken out 6 so far. You?" I asked the demon girl.

"I've taken out 7." She grinned excitedly and i rolled my eyes. "I'm doing pretty good. I've lost an arm already, but it's grown back since." Cozbi chuckled a moment, then paused, blinking. "Wait, I just remembered that you can't regenerate limbs. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

I raised my eyebrows. "A good idea? No. But what else would you have me do?"

Cozbi hummed slowly, an idea forming behind her eyes. "Okay, hear me out. So, you know how these guys like ransoms, right?"

"Absolutely not." I quipped, wiping my bloodied knife off on my pants, for no reason other than because it felt wrong to leave it soaked in blood.

"But if we tell them-"

I spun to my demon companion, placing my hands on my hips. "And what if they decide a "public execution" sounds like fun instead?"

"That won't happen." Cozbi answered shortly.

"Who's to say?" I shook my head. "Considering their open rebellion against Mujika's rule, I don't think they like me much."

"Pretty sure those fellas like money more than they dislike you." Cozbi raised an eyebrow.

I pursed my lips. "It's not like Mujika has any money to spare. I told you this earlier."

Cozbi grinned. "Doesn't mean she can't pretend."

I sighed. "We're doing okay with fighting for now. Why take the risk?"

The blue-haired demon's eyes narrowed. "You and I both know that if they choose to come all at once, we're dead."

I chewed the inside of my lip. "I don't think it's a good idea. So many things could go wrong. We should stick with this plan."

Cozbi shook her head, sighing in relent. But just as I relaxed, the idiot opened her big, stupid, mouth. "Okay, Y/N!" She shouted, a little louder than necessary. "I'll listen to whatever you say!"

"Idiot!" I hissed, clamping a hand over her mouth. But the damage was done, and quiet murmurs already spread throughout the bandits lying in wait.

Cozbi snickered, dancing away from me to keep me from stopping her from saying anything else. "After all, I swore to Sonju I'd protect you till my last breath!" She called, causing the commotion to rise a little louder.

"Now that they mention it, her hair-" I heard a demon whisper fervently.

"Okay, now you're just making s**t up, a**hole!" I yelled, waving my knife in Cozbi's direction.

Soon the clamouring died down and a single voice called out from the bandits. "Are you the Y/N who lives with the royals?" They asked.

"I don't have a single clue what you're talking about." I spat back, my brow furrowed.

Cozbi approached me, resting a hand on my shoulder, I turned to her with a deadly glare, but she opened her mouth once again, shaking her head sadly. "It is no use, my lady." She spoke like a crappy shakespearean actor. "For they have already found out your identity." A slow grin spread over her face, spiky teeth lined in a row. "-My bad."

"Capture them!" A demon roared, and all the bandits ran towards us at once.

"Motherfu-"

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"This is your fault." I directed at Cozbi, now up to present-time and tied sitting down against the very same tree Orion was tied to earlier.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. I take full responsibility for the fact that you are still alive." Cozbi muttered from the other side of the tree.

"Alive for now." I shot back. "And also tied to a tree. And they confiscated my knife belt! Don't forget that part."

"Alright, alright!" Cozbi sighed. "I, Cozbi, take full responsibility for temporarily prolonging Y/N's life at the cost of her being tied to a tree and loosing like 80% of the knives on her person. Happy now?"

"You're insufferable." I muttered.

I could practically hear Cozbi grin from the other side of the tree. "Thanks! I do try."

While we sat waiting- not like we had any other choice, we tried to listen to the conversations of the remaining demon bandits. While a few still wanted us dead for killing a decent handful of their companions, the rest unanimously wanted to ransom us for a hefty amount of money. They had more loyalty to riches than their fellow bandits, I guess.

I prayed that whenever and however Mujika got the message, she would react quickly and ask to see me in person. That way, we'd need to travel- which would give me many chances to escape.

Several hours passed in our uncomfortable position- at one point in the night I must've became so tired I dozed, as Cozbi's voice along with a small commotion caused me to drift back awake. By now the sun was up, and an early morning mist had settled in the air.

"Oh, s**t." I heard Cozbi whisper and I perked up, my heart thudding in my ears.

"What." I asked, craning my neck to try and see what she was looking at.

"You're awake." She acknowledged before expanding on her earlier comment. "Erm- I don't know if you can see, but some new "bandits" have arrived."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What about them?"

"Well, they just so happen to be those clan members I mentioned a few months ago..." The demon girl elaborated and I sighed, beginning to see where this was going.

"And?"

"Those guys? Those guys might actually want you dead more than they care about money."

I leaned back and bumped my head against the tree with a quiet groan. "You ass."

"See, that?" Cozbi nodded along solemnly. "I deserve that this time."

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See, this chapter is a great example of why Cozbi and I would get along great. We both have the same fav pastime of terrorizing Y/N.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net