Chapter Text
It was a peaceful day, the sun slowly setting down in the horizon as soon as the sky turns into a navy dark sky with stars and the moon shimmering above a village as villagers rushed into their homes while the scouts go down the pathway.
"Remember, everyone!" Said one of the scouts riding on a horse. "Keep your windows and doors close, not a single peek or crack to it!"
One of the scouts noticed children playing in a tree as there was a child in the tree, laughing and clearly clueless of the danger that will creep in the night.
"Young children! Please return to your homes this instant!" The scout told the children, pulling his horse's reigns to stop.
"Aw, but we want to play more!" One of the children begged, the addition of the other children whining as well.
"Can't do that. Go home." The scout said sternly and gently, causing the children to whine but they went back home as helped the kid to get down from the tree, placing the child in front of him.
"Why can't we play outside more?" The kid asks as the scout brings him to his home while the other scouts followed close behind.
"Because.." The man hesitated, unsure on how to tell a young kid why they aren't allowed to play outside especially late at night. For now, he has to go to the usual lie. "Because there are demons and monsters lurking around, and it's not safe for young children like you to be involved in the scary night."
They arrived at the child's home as the man puts the child down from the horse. "You don't want the scary monsters to gobble you whole, would you?"
He immediately winced when he saw teary eyes of the young child before the boy just straight up crying and ran to the house where his mother was waiting for him. The young man just sheepishly smiled as the woman takes the child inside while shaking her head, closing the door behind them.
"You need to stop scaring children like that." An elderly voice spoke up, causing the man to turned around to see a man with a bald head wearing plain clothing with sleeves reaching below his hands.
"High monk. Are the seals secured?" An older scout asked the monk, trotting his horse over to them.
"Yes. Let us just hope that this works this time." The old monk says; and though his tone was hopeful there was an edge of doubt in it.
"I'm sure it will, high monk." The young man said, reassuring the monk who just sighed.
"I sure hope so. Be safe in your homes, may Buddha protect you." The old monk says, bowing his head to the three scouts and they bowed their heads back to him. "We can't lose more of you warriors."
"You too, monk. Please return to your Monastery where your students reside as we hope no more are stolen this night." The elder scout says.
The monk just nodded before he walked down the road as the three men rode on their horses, trotting down the village as the sun sets--setting the atmosphere to a midnight setting.
It was quiet.
Too quiet. But they're used to unusual and oddities surrounding their home.
"Scouts," the elder scout says, "Do not let this night blur your sights. Be on guard."
"Yessir." The two young scouts nodded their heads as they continue walking down the pathway, keeping their guards up.
The patrol was peaceful, occasional small talks between the young scouts as the older scout keeps an eye out at the forest that lay side by side next to their village. Then, something caught his eye causing the older scout to hop off his horse as he unsheathe his sword as the two young ones looked at them.
"Sir?" The other scout says, worry etched in his voice before the leaves and bushes rustle in front of the forest.
The two instinctively hopped off their horses and unsheathe their swords as their companions took a step back, neighing softly with whines. The three men had their guards up, keeping their eyes on the forest but what they're unaware is what approaches behind them.
Their horses immediately neigh loudly, bucking their legs causing the three men to turned around too late as a figure grabs the second scout by the collar of their hanfu and they darted into the forest as his scream echoes through the night.
"Master! Brother Sun is harassing me!"
"Am not."
An annoyed sigh escaped from a man's mouth, wearing a patterned robe with a pilu hat holding his khakkhara staff in his hand. His robes consisted with a patterned robe of gold, red and white fabrics with his pilu hat matching the colours. This is Tang Sanzang, or rather be called as Tripitaka.
He also rode on a white horse with a green mane; that is the Great White Horse Dragon or the simple name Ao Lie.
Tripitaka glanced behind him, a monkey with a mix or orange and brownish fur with a circlet around his head wearing a tiger skin-pelt with a simple monk tunic and beside him is a pig wearing a dark blue robe with his stomach exposed with a sash holding up his pants loosely.
These two are Sun Wukong; the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the legendary Monkey King. And Zhu Bajie. A bastard who doesn't know when to shut up.
"Brother Bajie, please don't say that." A voice spoke up from a fish demon. He simply wears a simple monk robe with a skull necklace around his neck with a sash around his waist that hangs firmly on his pants.
"Enough fighting you two." Tripitaka said sternly, cutting through the atmosphere of his two bickering students. "This journey is to meant for us to have no arguments or fights, it is to help us understand each other; not accusing, Zhu Bajie."
Zhu Bajie grumbled, crossing his arms while Wukong simply had a smug look on his face as they continued walking down the road. Anyone who sees them would dismiss it as a strange group; often avoided by the three demons and would only ever approached the monk.
In truth; they are on a journey to gather the scriptures of Buddha from India consisting of Tripitaka; the reincarnation of the Golden Cicada to reach enlightenment with his four disciples to be redeemed of the causes they did.
Soon, they arrived at a village where the two scouts were talking and they noticed before the older scout puts his hand up in front of the group.
"Halt!" He says, stopping the group. "Forgive me, travellers, but you are not allowed to pass through here."
Tripitaka frowned in confusion as Wukong approached the scouts. "Uh, excuse you. The map clearly says we have to pass through here where the village is. It's only one night."
"Then I'm afraid that you might have to find some other village to rest." The older scout said firmly, causing the simian's brow twitches.
"Why you.."
"Wukong, enough." Tripitaka stops him making Wukong to huff and walked back to him.
"I think they're hiding something from us, Master." Sha Wujing whispered to the monk.
Tripitaka hummed before he gets off the white horse, his staff rings jingling softly. He approaches the scout, he asked, "May we ask why we are not allowed to?"
The two scouts glanced at each other before looking at Tripitaka. Reluctantly, he sighed, "There is a demon in our village. We do not want travellers to be caught in this."
"A demon? Really?" Zhu Bajie raised an eyebrow, doubt in his voice.
"You do not understand," the young man said, glaring at the pig demon, "This is a demon unlike any of us has seen before."
"Can you describe it?" Tripitaka asks, brows furrow in worry.
"We do not have a description of this.. demon. All we know it appears at night and kidnaps one of our scouts; occasionally monks from the Monastery as well." The elder scout explained gravely.
Hearing that made Tripitaka to shiver slightly; he had experienced what it was like being kidnapped by multiple occasions and nearly getting eaten is something he can relate. But hearing that a demon kidnaps monks and warriors is something that he hasn't heard of.
"Okay, then why didn't you give it offerings? Easy, done and simple." Zhu Bajie said carelessly and he received a kick from the emphatic horse.
"We did. We gave it offerings, half of our livestock, even offering a bride." The young scouts says and Zhu Bajie looks at him at the last part but the man sighs. "But it doesn't work. The demon kept taking our scouts and monks, and it would..." The man stops speaking and just looks away uncomfortably.
"Eat them, right?" Wukong said bluntly earning a harsh glare from Tripitaka and he raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Unfortunately yes," the elder scout sighs. "But it's far worse than getting eaten. There are traces of injuries and wounds on our scouts, sometimes the monks as well."
"Sometimes?" Sha Wujing asks confused.
"Yes, with the exception of their flesh torn out." The elder scout almost casually.
"How long has this been going on?" Tripitaka asked.
"A few months. It has taken our scouts and many monks, only fourteen of our scouts are left injured leaving only I and Jian being the only ones left to defend our village." The elder scout explains. "We do not want travellers to be involved in this conflict."
"Ah, good enough for me. Let's go." Zhu Bajie says as he began to walk away but Ao Lie grabbed his collar, stopping him.
"Well, that is not our job. Let us help you resolve this problem." Tripitaka said.
"You will?" Jian asks hopefully.
"Yes, we will." Tripitaka confirmed, nodding his head.
Jian and the elder scout turned to each other and whispered to each other before they turned to the group. "Alright. But don't say that we did not warn you of this demon."
Tripitaka just nodded and the group followed the two scouts into the village, unaware that they're being watched from the forest.