He Who Hunts Demons Chapter 3: 3-In The Basement

Read chapter 3 of He Who Hunts Demons by A_Random_Turtle on NovelPedia.

3-In The Basement There was an elf in the building. She was seated behind the front desk, wearing blonde hair the color of straw, round glasses similar to mine, and had—the one that caught my attention the most—pointed ears. As soon as her green eyes found Gaston, she jumped to her feet and bowed. “Welcome back, sir,” she greeted. “Trust the mission went well?” “Mission?” Gaston chuckled. “We went to bring back a recruit. Hmmm… I guess that counts as a mission as well, depending on how you think about it. But, anyways, yes, Alma, it did go well.” He gestured at me and Alma followed the path of his outstretched hand. Her eyes found mine, and for a second we gazed at one another like we were both some sort of prize to each other. Then I cleared my throat and turned away. My curiosity had gotten the better of me since I hadn’t seen an elf before. They were, like dwarves, rare around these parts, especially this far into Fitzroy. But it was rude to stare at a lady for too long, elf or otherwise. “Where are the others?” Lue asked as the silence stretched on. “In the basement,” Alma replied. “Ah, playing poker?” Gaston chimed in as he strutted forward a bit. “Yes, sir,” said Alma. Lue clicked her tongue, irritated for some reason. What I was more curious about though was why she still had her mask on. “It must be so boring that they left you up here all alone,” said Gaston. “I offer my condolences.” “You needn’t, sir,” Alma replied. “It isn’t like we have very much in common anyway. The quiet suits me.” Gaston turned to me, nudging me by the shoulder with his elbow. “Elves,” he chuckled as I turned to him, my attention stripped away from the picture of who I assumed was the Bishop of the cathedral of Ur hung on the wall. “Always so reserved.” I raised a brow. “You sound like you’ve met a lot of elves.” “Do I?” He wore an oblivious expression, but I instantly recognized that as an act. A vampire who worked for the church and was acquainted with an elf, a race rumored to despise demons even far more than humans? There was no way he didn’t have more than just a few secrets. What was so special about him? “Should I get Oz to prepare it, sir?” Alma asked. Gaston turned to her, and so did I. She gestured at me. “For the new recruit.” My forehead creased. “What’s she talking about?” Gaston turned to me, took a second, then snapped his fingers. “Ah! I totally forgot to tell you.” Like hell I believed that. “But I’m sure it’ll be no problem. You do want to become a Transcendent, do you not?” My heart skipped a beat as I jerked back slightly, wearing a dazed expression. For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong. “A Transcendent?” I mumbled. “Well, yes,” said Gaston, heaving a deep sigh as he sat down on the sofa in the reception room, and crossed his legs. “Humans don’t hunt demons, Transcendents do. You were honestly lucky to have escaped death all this while.” “I highly doubt it was anything as fantastical as luck,” I replied, refusing to let my achievements be dumbed down to something so stupid. “My preparations were what made my victories decisive.” Gaston eyed me. Then he smiled. “Whatever you think, you cannot carry on as a hunter unless you are a Transcendent,” he said. “The church has to ensure your survival rate is as high as possible.” “My survival rate is currently at a hundred percent. The last time I checked, that was high enough.” I stole a glance at Lue when I said that, cautious that she might attempt a little bit of aggression to persuade me. She had shown such signs back in my room. But she was quiet, only staring straight at me through her mask. “Don’t worry,” Alma said, noticing my probing gaze despite how I tried to be inconspicuous. “Lue rarely hits anyone. Not especially during a negotiation.” That was reassuring. Gaston sighed heavily once again, and my attention snapped back to him. He shifted on the couch as he locked his fingers together, placing them on his lap. “What do you know about demons, Elmer?” he asked. I p