To the world, Ethan was nothing more than a menial work of a large retail store. We woke up every morning, clocked in at work, worked 8 hours, and then returned home. He was an average guy, working an average job, living an average life. Ethan preferred it this way. So much easier to explain that, then explain that there are demons that attack while you are sleeping, and Ethan's order was the last line of defense against them. He was, in truth, a Night Hunter, a person gifted with the ability to enter the Night Realm, charged with keeping the demons found there from taking over the Waking Realm. The retail store he worked for was just a front, he wasn't the only Night Hunter there. However, it wasn't only Night Hunters that worked for the store, so keeping their night lives secret was paramount.
It was a hard day of work, and Ethan was ready to head home. He pulled the pallet jack, loaded with a precariously stacked pallet, off the truck, spinning it around and slipping it off to the side to be down-stacked by that particular department's workers. It was a hot day, and Ethan was soaked in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and ran his hand through his short brown hair. He turned, his hazel eyes scanning the inside of the truck. Two more pallets, he thought bitterly. Dang it. He sighed, stepping forward and pulling his pallet jack behind him.
"Ethan!"
Ethan spun, seeing a portly old man waving at him. It was his manager, and he knew what the folder the man was carrying meant. It was a new job. A new hunt. "Kyle, take this." Ethan called to his co-worker, pointing at his pallet jack, and began towards his manager. Ethan set his square jaw straight, watching as the manager turned and disappeared into an office. Ethan rubbed his chin, covered in light stubble, idly wondered what his new job would be able. An imp, maybe? They were the most common. Of course, Ethan wouldn't have been called over to office over an imp. He would have been handed the folder when he clocked out. Had to be something bigger. Maybe a devil of some sort? No, that was beyond his skills. He was a demon-level hunter, couldn't handle the bigger things. Succubui and Incubi didn't bother the South as much, so it was unlikely that it as well. What could it be? Ethan slipped into the office, taking a seat across from the manager, who looked up at him with a smile.
"So, got you a new target. You are gonna move to the city for this one," the manager said, nodding. "All ready have you an apartment rented, fully stocked for the length of this job."
"Wait," Ethan interjected, shaking his head. "Can't someone from the city store handle this? I'm hardly at that special."
"Powers that be requested you, specifically." The manager pushed the folder across the desk. "Maybe you'll see why. I didn't see anything special. Just an Incubus. Nothing that any other DML coudn't handle." DML, or demon-level, was a designation for Hunters with Ethan's power level.
Ethan reached across and took the folder from the desk, flipping it open. The first couple of pages detailed Incubi in general, explaining their goals and how they usually did things. Incubi generally hid in the daylight as incredibly attractive men. Their sole goal was to coax as many women as possible into bed with them. After sex, when they were asleep, the Incubi would enter the Night Realm and eat the soul of the girl. The sex was an integral part; something about sex with an Incubi releases the girl's soul in the Night Realm for the Incubi. Ethan had dealt with a few since becoming part of the order, and he didn't consider them a major challenge.
"You get the rest of the day off," the manager continued. "Go home, and pack. You move tomorrow."
"The boys won't be happy about that," Ethan said, point back towards the loading dock.
"They'll live, but the Incubi's target might not. I think I know where the priority is."
Ethan laughed, looking back down at the folder. He turned past the pages detailing Incubi and came to the last page in the back, the page detailing the leads to finding the demon. You couldn't tell a demon from a human until you entered the Night Realm. With exception to hunters, they were the only other things moving around. They were usually hideous monstrosities, so it was near impossible to mistake a Demon for a Hunter. He read the leads, shut the folder, thanked his manager for the target. He walked out of the office, clocked out, and then went out to his car.
When he slipped into his car, he threw the folder to the side. God damn it. he thought. The sole lead for the Incubus was someone he had hoped to not see again. A woman that had taken his heart and smashed into a million pieces. It had never fully recovered.
At least now he understood why they had picked him.
It was a hard day of work, and Ethan was ready to head home. He pulled the pallet jack, loaded with a precariously stacked pallet, off the truck, spinning it around and slipping it off to the side to be down-stacked by that particular department's workers. It was a hot day, and Ethan was soaked in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and ran his hand through his short brown hair. He turned, his hazel eyes scanning the inside of the truck. Two more pallets, he thought bitterly. Dang it. He sighed, stepping forward and pulling his pallet jack behind him.
"Ethan!"
Ethan spun, seeing a portly old man waving at him. It was his manager, and he knew what the folder the man was carrying meant. It was a new job. A new hunt. "Kyle, take this." Ethan called to his co-worker, pointing at his pallet jack, and began towards his manager. Ethan set his square jaw straight, watching as the manager turned and disappeared into an office. Ethan rubbed his chin, covered in light stubble, idly wondered what his new job would be able. An imp, maybe? They were the most common. Of course, Ethan wouldn't have been called over to office over an imp. He would have been handed the folder when he clocked out. Had to be something bigger. Maybe a devil of some sort? No, that was beyond his skills. He was a demon-level hunter, couldn't handle the bigger things. Succubui and Incubi didn't bother the South as much, so it was unlikely that it as well. What could it be? Ethan slipped into the office, taking a seat across from the manager, who looked up at him with a smile.
"So, got you a new target. You are gonna move to the city for this one," the manager said, nodding. "All ready have you an apartment rented, fully stocked for the length of this job."
"Wait," Ethan interjected, shaking his head. "Can't someone from the city store handle this? I'm hardly at that special."
"Powers that be requested you, specifically." The manager pushed the folder across the desk. "Maybe you'll see why. I didn't see anything special. Just an Incubus. Nothing that any other DML coudn't handle." DML, or demon-level, was a designation for Hunters with Ethan's power level.
Ethan reached across and took the folder from the desk, flipping it open. The first couple of pages detailed Incubi in general, explaining their goals and how they usually did things. Incubi generally hid in the daylight as incredibly attractive men. Their sole goal was to coax as many women as possible into bed with them. After sex, when they were asleep, the Incubi would enter the Night Realm and eat the soul of the girl. The sex was an integral part; something about sex with an Incubi releases the girl's soul in the Night Realm for the Incubi. Ethan had dealt with a few since becoming part of the order, and he didn't consider them a major challenge.
"You get the rest of the day off," the manager continued. "Go home, and pack. You move tomorrow."
"The boys won't be happy about that," Ethan said, point back towards the loading dock.
"They'll live, but the Incubi's target might not. I think I know where the priority is."
Ethan laughed, looking back down at the folder. He turned past the pages detailing Incubi and came to the last page in the back, the page detailing the leads to finding the demon. You couldn't tell a demon from a human until you entered the Night Realm. With exception to hunters, they were the only other things moving around. They were usually hideous monstrosities, so it was near impossible to mistake a Demon for a Hunter. He read the leads, shut the folder, thanked his manager for the target. He walked out of the office, clocked out, and then went out to his car.
When he slipped into his car, he threw the folder to the side. God damn it. he thought. The sole lead for the Incubus was someone he had hoped to not see again. A woman that had taken his heart and smashed into a million pieces. It had never fully recovered.
At least now he understood why they had picked him.