count the stars [open]

The stars were growing fainter as night slowly faded into dawn, the edges of the horizon blooming into a warm pink, which meant it would soon be his turn to guard the entrance of the encampment. He wasn’t often included in the rotation, as the elders thought him to be reckless, but as rash as he was, he was still part of the clan. Besides, even if his insolence and impudent actions were not always condoned by his fellow slayers, there was no doubt in his level of skill and prowess of the hunt. He would not let a beast slip past his keen eyes.

He tread quietly through the grass, approaching the vast woodland that sheltered the village. All his senses were alert, eyes sharp, ears straining, but every now and then he allowed his gaze to wander skyward. The mysteries of the stars never failed to mesmerize him. Some said they were the sun’s children, small and white, and that one day they would grow just as large as their brilliant parent, but Shiro preferred the old elders’ tales. That the stars were the spirits of those deceased, watching over the earth from high above. If so, perhaps his kin were among them.

As he arrived at the wall of trees, stepping cautiously into the shadows, he heard a voice echo through the undergrowth, and his lips twitched involuntarily, pursing in amusement. Talking to herself again, was she? Shiro moved with the stealth of a wolf, inching ever closer to the woman. Unfortunately, it was dark, and his leg brushed up against the branches of a bush, spoiling his position. He cringed, silently cursing, and as the female scrambled to her feet, he briskly circled around the tree she was leaning against. He stood silently on the opposing side of the trunk as she called out, raising her weapon as she prepared to charge into battle.

“A big, bad demon,” came the wily reply, and he reached out from behind the trunk to squeeze the woman’s shoulder.