"We are hunters. We hunt dangerous, city-destroying beasts, rogue hybrids, and lastly, we occasionally hunt demons." Elijah proudly declared, his tone carrying both weight and pride.
"Hunt d...demons?" Max stuttered in shock, his eyes widening as he stared at the man across from him in pure amazement and disbelief.
"Yes." Elijah replied with a short sigh, his sharp eyes scanning the alleyway as if expecting something to jump out of the shadows at any moment.
He even tilted his head upward, checking the rooftops above them, before fixing his gaze back on Max. "I know you have a lot of questions, so instead of wasting time, I’ll give you a brief summary. I’ll also explain why that demon came after you."
"I think I already understand why the demon attacked." Max said confidently, though a faint trace of unease lingered in his voice. "Because I’m a dragon."
Elijah gave a slight nod. "Yes. That’s the simplest way to put it. All dragons are considered a threat to the demon race. You see, five hundred years ago, dragons and humans coexisted in this world.
You know what?" He suddenly cut himself off, eyes flickering to the end of the alley again. "Let’s head somewhere else. What I’m about to tell you... isn’t something you’ll be able to process properly here."
"Fine by me." Max shrugged casually, though his mind was restless. With that, the duo walked out of the narrow alley, their footsteps echoing lightly as they headed off in search of a quieter, safer place to talk.
After several minutes of wandering through the streets, Max and Elijah finally found themselves inside a bar that was still open late into the night. It was moderately crowded with people who were either drinking away their sorrows or celebrating something meaningless.
Bright lights hung from the ceiling, bathing the interior in a warm but slightly hazy glow. In one corner, soft music played faintly, providing a calm rhythm to the lively atmosphere.
Opposite the entrance stood a counter where drinks and food were being served, bartenders moving busily behind it.
Max and Elijah made their way through the chatter and clinking of glasses before finding a spot at a booth. They sat across from each other, the table between them barely large enough to hold their presence.
Without hesitation, Elijah ordered drinks for them both, his tone so familiar with the bartender it was clear he had been here before.
A few minutes later, two glasses were placed before them. Elijah didn’t waste a second before lifting his own, taking a sip with a satisfied expression on his face.
"So?" Max finally asked, staring at the untouched drink in front of him. His mind was still spiraling, trying to wrap itself around all the hunter in front of him had said a few minutes ago.
Elijah set down his drink and leaned back slightly. "Yes. Five hundred years ago, dragons and humans coexisted. Though they had their own settlements, their own hierarchy, and a leader—the first and most powerful dragon to ever live. They weren’t just beasts of power; they were guardians. Protectors."
He tapped his glass lightly, his eyes narrowing as he remembered. "They served as our shields against the dangers of the world. And in turn, we humans gave them shelter, met their needs, and treated them with the respect their might demanded."
"Wait, wait, wait." Max suddenly leaned forward with a raised brow. "You’re talking like you were there five hundred years ago. How old are you even?"
Elijah froze for a moment, then slowly turned to look at Max as if the boy had just asked the dumbest question alive. His eyes narrowed in clear disappointment.
"And here I thought you had some brain cells. I’m twenty-two, you dumbass." His voice rose sharply at the end, almost shouting, before he quickly calmed himself down.
"Oh!" Max muttered with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
"Anyway," Elijah continued, exhaling deeply. "We all lived peacefully without any worry. That is... until..." His voice trailed off as a shadow crossed his expression.
"Until what? You said the dragons protected you all, right? Protected humans from what exactly?" Max pressed, his curiosity now fully hooked.
"From beasts." Elijah replied, his tone heavy. "Monstrous and dangerous creatures we had no knowledge of how to fight. Remember, five hundred years ago the world wasn’t as civilized as this.
Humanity had no advanced weapons, no trained hunters. Without the dragons, we would have been wiped out." He paused, then took another long gulp of his drink, his throat bobbing as the liquor slid down.
"So what happened next?" Max asked, leaning in closer, the intrigue in his voice clear.
Elijah placed the glass back down, staring at the faint ripples of liquid still swirling inside it. "The demons struck." His words carried a chilling weight, almost as though he was reliving the tale himself.
"The demons never planned to attack the dragons. Heck, they didn’t even know dragons existed at the time. We—humans were their true target." He paused, narrowing his eyes as though the memory left a bitter taste.
"Why? Why were humans their main target?" Max asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
Elijah only shrugged, though his expression suggested he knew far more than he was willing to share.
"No idea. They planned to eliminate us all and only leave a few of us to serve them until the dragons interrupted. Then, a full-scale war between both sides erupted.
It was so disastrous that the ground they fought on has now become the Arcane City, the very place where the kings live today. The war was devastating beyond imagination. Slowly, the dragons were pushing the demons back with the help of the first dragon.
But then everything changed when the Twelve Echelons stepped in." Elijah sighed heavily, his eyes dimming as if replaying the events in his mind.
’Twelve Echelons? Aren’t those the demons that one I fought against spoke about? Are they really that strong?’ Max thought, a frown deepening on his face.
"The dragons were now losing, even with the help of their leader. And so, when the leader knew it would lose, it did something unexpected. It sealed the demons back in their realm using all the souls of the dragons that had fallen, and even half of its own power.
That was an unimaginably powerful spell. The leader was already on the brink of death, yet it sacrificed further. And then, it also did something else... I don’t know what exactly, because the master refused to reveal it.
But that day, the dragon’s body shattered into countless tiny blue particles and it disappeared from this world forever." Elijah said as he took a swig of his drink, which had nearly finished.
’Blue shimmering particles? Why does that sound so familiar?’ Max rubbed his temples. Then, it suddenly clicked. ’Wait! Isn’t that exactly how Pix appears and disappears? Don’t tell me... Is Pix...’
"No! Don’t even think that way. I’m not the first ancient dragon or some all-powerful being. I’m just a normal guide, nothing more." Pix quickly cut Max off, her tone unusually sharp.
’Then how do you know so much about demons, huh?’ Max pressed inwardly again, but this time, he was met with silence. Pix refused to answer.
"Anyway. In order to honour the dragons’ valour, some of the humans decided to form a faction. They called it the Hunter Association, where men and women took up arms to hunt beasts and keep the rest of humanity safe.
Though originally, the faction was known as the Demon Hunters’ Association, because remnants of demons—strays who had slipped through the cracks still lurked in our world, spreading chaos and destruction.
Eventually, those remaining demons were eradicated. Afterward, humanity slowly became more civilised, and the association gradually shifted its purpose until we became what we are today, which is beast hunters." Elijah continued, finally draining what was left of his drink.
"Hunters, huh? So what exactly do you want with me?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow. Everything Elijah said was overwhelming, and he still found it hard to fully process.
"To recruit you." Elijah replied with a small but knowing smile.