Sous

It was five in the morning and they sat at the bottom of the mountain eating a delicious breakfast Alana's mother had cooked for them. They had maids, they had cooks but this was something she had done for all of her children who had went to the mountain, never to return. She had cooked home made meals for them consisting of that child's favorite items.

They didn't talk much and Sous could tell just how nervous Alana was. Her hands shook while she ate and she kept her eyes down casted. It was so different compared to the confident elf she met back on campus. This one was haunted she could die any day.

Alana told Sous the mountain had six levels. The first two levels were easy but she said the third was really the demons go harder, they became more powerful, and their bodies were distorted and mangled, looking more like intangible monsters than demons.

Out of all of Alana's siblings, the eldest son was the only one to make it to the sixth level but when he got to the door. He was killed by the guard. That was what the book said. The book, Day of the Demons was on its 521st edition. The book was updated every ten years after the event took place. So the event had been on going for at least 5000 years.

The event was brutal. There were many, many cases where the higher failed to kill all the demons on all six levels. The demons were allowed to leave the mountain and cause havoc on the island. Thousands would die and was the reason behind their population numbers still be so low compared to other nations.

Sous looked at her empty bento box. Prior to her eating all of the food, it contained white rice, cabbage, shrimp, and goyza. The bottle of water she had to the side of her, she picked it up. After drinking some and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she placed it in her bag. She took that time to pull out her wand to wipe it down, as well as make sure her potions were tight in their pouches on her potion belt.

Little baby basilisk finished eating its mouse and crawled back to Sous' neck where it coiled itself once more.

"Are you ready?" Sous asked. The girls had twenty-four hours to complete this task. There was no losing. It was either apologize to the witch or die. Sous stood up and held her hand out for Alana to take, helping the fifth year year get to her feet.

Alana picked up a green grey staff with two orbs on either end. She had described it as a wand, a staff to be more precise. One that had been past down from generations with each decade. Whoever was climbing up the mountain that decade would have the staff.

Armor also covered Alana's body unlike Sous who wore the same clothes as she wore yesterday. Feeling a bit self conscious, Sous lifted up her arm and pit and smelt herself. She felt fine.

Alana gave the backpack to Sous which contained lunch and dinner if they were lucky. Alana led the way, using her staff as a walking stick.

They stood back to back on the first level within the forest. With her held grasped tight around her staff, she inhaled then exhaled. Sous did the same, holding onto her wand and slightly brushing little baby basilisk. She would set it free if she were to die. Although, she raised an eyebrow, technically it was free. It could leave anytime it wanted.

Laughter began to fill their ears. The demons peaked out from their hiding spot within the shadows of the sun's presence. Their teeth shining white, their horns, and nails sharp with dried blood still caked on from a decade ago. Which of her siblings was it? Alana closed her eyes tighter, not wanting to think of any of her siblings last moments. Especially of her eldest brother who was so close to setting the island free.

Alana opened her eyes-

CLINK!

And here they were. One had raised its hand and brought it down, but causing no harm as Alana blocked it with her staff. She felt the heat of the demon's breath, its drool that dripped onto her hands.

"Gladius!"

The head of the demon fell upon the ground.

"Why waste time? You know you're stronger than the ones on this level." Sous said.

"His eyes were pretty," Alana retorted sarcastically.

Sous flipped over Alana and quickly ran toward the other demons that came from the trees. With her sword in her hand, she was swift with her motions as she aimed for their hearts or their heads.

She landed on a branch and jumped up to the air, doing a downward twist as she yelled out her spells. "Diluvium electricum!"

Rain poured from the sky forming a quick flood in which lightning followed after, electrifying all the demons on ground and in the trees. Once the spell subsided, Sous landed on her feet with a light crouch to steady herself. Diluvium electricum was more advanced to a similar spell she had used when she was eleven: aqua electricitas.

She turned to see Alana fighting off her set of demons. Sous jumped back into the tree and watched below. The way she moved her staff, showcased just how skill Alana was with sparring.

The orbs on the staff, the top one turned into a sword that gave off so much emissions that it looked like a sword made of white light. Even to Sous, it was blinding. She had to hold her hand above her eyes, just to be able to shield her eyes.

Alana slide on the ground, stabbing one of the demons in the stomach, followed by flipping upward to stab another demon in the eye. Although Sous was wearing regular clothes and not armor yet just like with Sous, her armor was beginning to become a canvas, a canvas painted with blood.

Through the visor she made with her hand, she watched Alana take out the demons, her movements like a blur similar to the three sisters. Sous didn't think she was that fast, but she smirked thinking of being able to be that fast.

The staff twirled in her hands and she was able to use several sweeping motions in which combined with a basic element like air, sent the demons flying back. She lifted up her hand and swung it down, drawing sharp needles from the sky that impaled the remaining demons that were on level one. Each needle stuck each one in the head, immediately killing them on spot.

The two girls waited. They waited just in case there was more. All demons were to be cleared out of each level which meant, they were to miss none. This also meant the demons were supposed to search them out and find them.

It was silent with them holding their breath. It was Sous that made the first move. Sous landed next to Alana. They looked at the scattered bodies of the demons that laid before them, dead. When Sous walked up to one to see if she could touch it, it melted with just the slightest contact. Going back into hell in which they came.

There was a rock that had a smooth surface. Alana gestured her head for Sous to come to her. Sous placed her wand in her shorts' pocket and took off her backpack. Although they ate breakfast not even an hour ago, it was important to keep their stamina up. They each took a drink from the stamina potion Sous had on her and then both ate a protein bar that had small fragments of a parry elixir.

They had time left so the two of them just sat there in silence thinking of the next level. Sous believed Alana when she said the third level was when things got hard, but Sous wondered if Alana believed in her own words.

"What did the book say about my siblings?"

"You never read it?" Asked Sous, seeing Alana shake her head. Sous didn't blame her. If there was a book written about her father's death, she probably couldn't bring herself to read it either. Especially the gruesome way he died before her eyes. She rubbed the seal on the side of her neck. She hadn't been paying attention, but there was a little irritation taken place. "That's okay." She continued on with what she was attempting to say, "I think...if we survive the night that you should read their chapters. They would be proud of you." Sous said gently with the little baby basilisk flicking its tongue.

"Tsk," Alana stood up turning her back to Sous. "I haven't done anything to be proud of." Sous walked Alana leave up the mountain. She packed everything up and proceeded to follow the elf girl to level two.