The mountains were cold that night, chilly from the approaching autumn, enough that Quinn had to break out their long rabbit-fur coat. Despite the cold, though, it was a beautiful night, clear save for a few misty clouds that did nothing to hide the full moon and glittering stars. And way up here, at the mountain's peak, one could see for miles in any direction--though currently the view was rather black.
Bundled up, Quinn had just finished setting up camp for the night and lay stretched out beside their fire, cushioned atop a simple bedroll. Arms folded beneath their head, they stared up at the night sky, watching for shooting stars, something that always helped them relax and drift to sleep. Many people might find the sort of work they did lonely, since it involved a lot of travel, and a lot of solitude, but Quinn enjoyed it; it was a nice, peaceful break from the usual violence of their work.
The calm before the storm.
And Quinn needed that, because they were on the path of something nasty, something that had been coming down from the mountains weekly to feed on unlucky villagers.
With a yawn, Quinn let their eyes drift shut and was just beginning to nod off when a low rustle in the bushes made them jerk upright, at once tense and on guard. They reached for the chain of their scythe and squinted into the dark, frowning. It could just be an animal. More than likely, it was a rabbit or some other harmless thing. But here, at the mountain's peak, Quinn was closer to the demon they hunted, and had seen more and more evidence of its existence--like fresh human bones, bits of meat still attached.
Quinn wrapped their chain around their wrist and took hold of the scythe, drawing up into a crouch. "Someone there?"
Another rustle, this one behind them, and then another, off to the side. Quinn held their breath and tensed, because now they could feel it, feel the strange, vile energy wafting into the area, a horrible aura that felt like being covered in slime--and Quinn knew that if not for the protective wards they wore, they would have gotten sick. And then, the creatures revealed themselves, and Quinn saw their eyes glinting through the darkness around them, eyes like stars, bright and shining like no animal's eyes were.
Quinn adjusted their grip on the scythe and rose to their feet, expression grim. These weren't the beasts they were hunting, but some minor demons.
Minor, but no less dangerous, especially since they attacked as a pack.
"Guess it's too much to ask for a full night's sleep, huh?" Quinn muttered as they twirled their chain. "Well, come on then, fuckers. Let's get this over with so I can enjoy my bed!"
