Chapter 1
A turn of events
4 months earlier
The wars that once ravaged the underworld are now a thing of the past although there are still some small skirmishes every now and then but there has not been a full scale war for one hundred and fifty years. The full scale wars were stopped when overlord Virgil defeated the remaining clans and the underworld was unified for first time ever in demon history and by doing this nearly all of the demons in the underworld answered to him and Virgil answered only to the prince of darkness himself.
However there was one clan which hardly any demon alive to this day knows about and that’s my clan. “Go get reaper he needs to hear this” ordered the clan chief, the messenger went to find reaper and as usual reaper was training in the fields of damnation. Reaper is the son of the clans last demon master, he is roughly 7 foot 9, average build but has more muscles on his arms and legs, long black hair with the colour of fire along the edges of his hair, he his trained in all forms of hand to hand combat, trained in the ways magic and he is the best sword master in the village.
“Reaper the clan chief wants to talk to you it sounds like a matter of grave importance” shouted the messenger
“OK give me a minute” replied Reaper as soon as he finished his reply he closed his eyes and started a chant his hands began glowing, Reaper snapped open his eyes they were glowing the same colour as his hands he jabs his hands forward and speed that’s hard even for a demon to reach when he is near finishing his set of fist strikes, he brings back one of his fists lets the energy build up darts towards a small hill and jabs his fist towards it as soon as he does that a demonic dragon head shots from his hand then blasts the small hill into rubble.
“Nice” says the messenger
“Yeah nice but not what I was going for” sighed reaper
“Well what were you going for” asked the messenger
“If you really want to know I was trying to summon a dragon and get it to give me one of her eggs to me” Reaper
When Reaper gathered up is belongings he followed the messenger to the hut of the clan chief.
“What is it that you wanted to talk to me about chief” asked Reaper
“It’s about your father and what he told me may change the course of demon history” exclaimed the clan chief
“Well what is it” asked Reaper
“He wanted to make you his successor after he had his accident” mournfully said the clan chief “He also told me about another part of the prophecy and where to locate but it was just to dangerous to get to it at that time with all of those new arrivals”
“He wanted me to be his successor why, my father and I never got along why he made me his successor and what’s this about that old myth” growled reaper
“It is no myth the demon that told us about the prophecy was one of the founding members of our clan and became our clan’s first demon master” told the clan chief
“What my father never told me that. He told me that the demon who announced it was closely tied to our clan but I never knew that he was one of the founding fathers” said Reaper
“Well now you know” said the clan chief “the reason I called you here was about your father and the prophecy but I have a mission for you”
“OK what is the mission” asked reaper
“The mission is about the next part of the prophecy” ordered the clan chief “and take this with you” the clan chief handed over a map to reaper.
“Go to the location on the map but be care full and take those new arrivals with you it is time we dealt with them only you can go with them no one else that was born in the clan you got that” ordered the clan chief
“Yes sir and about the issues of me being our clans right full demon master when can I take up the position” asked reaper
“You really want to lead the clan don’t you” asked the clan chief “OK as soon as you get back from your mission I will alert the entire clan that you are going to lead the clan”
“Great so when do I leave” asked Reaper
“You leave tomorrow morning tell the others who going with you the basics of the mission but leave the parts about the prophecy out you got that Reaper” ordered the clan chief
“Yes sir” snapped back Reaper and with his mission set before him Reaper went home to get ready for tomorrow’s mission. As soon reaper finished packing his stuff up he went to tell the others about their mission and what it involved but he left out the parts about the prophecy.
Reaper could not get any sleep that night he was going over what the clan chief told him in is head.
“Why would dad make me his successor we never got on” Reaper said to himself “it just does not make any sense”. He went though all the possible reasons why his dad would make him his successor, we had not spoken to each other since Reaper’s mum died.
When morning came reaper was a bit tired from last nights thinking but he was ready to go when the time to leave was nearing. Reaper and his squad set of at 10:00 on the morning.
“How long to we get to our destination” asked Vein. Vein is about6 foot 5, scrawny not much upper body strength, long flowing red hair and is tattooed over much of his body.
“About 2 week’s in all a week there a week back so not that long really” said Reaper and with that all said and done the squad made there way across the southern part of the plains of damnation and began marching at a steady pace.
“What did the clan chief want to talk to you about Reaper” asked Vein “does it have anything to do with our mission”
“What the chief and I talked about is none of your concern and if you keep on asking me the same question I will take your soul now shut up and keep moving or else” growled Reaper. When Reaper said this to Vein the rest of squad decided to shut up and do what Reaper said because they know not to get on the wrong side of Reaper. Especially with a nick name like Soul Reaper, he reaps the souls of foes and absorbs them into his own soul to make him more power full.
By the third day Reapers patience is wearing thin Vein keeps asking Reaper the same question about what did you and the clan chief talked about. Reaper decided to take the brunt of the questions and just shrug them of for now.
When they arrived at the location on the map they went into the cave with caution because they did not know what to expect when they went in there. Reaper went into the cave first sword drawn just in case they run into anything in their Vein followed after him and the rest of the group followed in after him. The group came to a halt in a anti-chamber there was no exit any where in this room, the group took a few more steps towards the other end of the chamber, one of the members of the group accidentally stepped onto a pressure sensitive panel and the entrance behind snapped shut.
“Oh that’s just great now what are we supposed to do now mister fearless leader” said Vein sarcastically
“Well the first thing that we are going to do is” growled Reaper “the first thing that we are going to do is cast a spell that goes into every slab and panel to find the ones that pressure sensitive”
“Why would we want to do that” sneered Vein
“Well we are going to do that so we can find the panel to open up the entrance and to find the one that lets us continue forward you got that” ordered Reaper
“YES SIR” the group said together.
“Now focus your magic into the panel in the middle of the floor and then let it spread out OK” ordered Reaper and with that the group began chanting the words and their magic seeped into the middle panel and within a moments the panels that were not pressure sensitive stayed their original colour and the ones that glowed were the pressure sensitive ones.
“Right every one go to one of the glowing panels strike when I give the word” ordered Reaper and with that the group nodded and they went to one of the glowing panels.
“NOW” shouted Reaper they heard a great cracking sound, the way they came though reappeared and another door at the other end of the chamber.
“Now quickly everyone get to that new door now” shouted Reaper and with out heisting they dived towards the door. All of the squad managed to get though before the door shut behind them, they resumed their march though the dark and dreary corridors of the cave.
After walk that seemed to take for ever they made it into another anti-chamber and on the far side on a pedestal there was a chest with our clans seal on the front.
“Is this what the old coot sent us to get” sighed Vein “a old box with our clans mark”
“Yes this what he wanted to us to get” sighed Reaper “now what was your real reason for joining our clan 20 years ago”
“We new when you first came you were not some pilgrims who came to join us, we know that you work for the overlord demon master Vein” growled Reaper
“What… how did you know that” growled Vein slightly taken back from what Reaper “and how long have you known”
“since you got here, you know all of those meetings when you had to sit though with the high council” exclaimed Reaper Vein nodded “well during those meetings I scanned thoughts to find out your intentions and that’s when I learned that you were in fact demon masters and I found out what came here to get”
“Impressive” said Vein “but you don’t have all the facts straight. Yes you are right we are demon masters and yes we sent here on orders from the overlord but did you know that we are on his war council”.
“You bet come now stupid do you think we are on seconds don’t answer that” laughed Reaper
“OK we did not know that part but now we do so come get some if you think your tough enough” growled Reaper
“OK time to go to work boys” roared Reaper and draws his twin katana blades, then spins them around the stops suddenly.
“You whelp do you honestly think that you can beat us hah” laughed Vein
“Yes and I got something to tell you lot” sneered Reaper
“Oh and what would that be” growled Reaper
“Well you are now looking at my clan’s new demon master” laughed Reaper
“What you’re lying” shouted Vein
“No I’m not that’s what the clan chief wanted to talk to me about. He said that my father made his successor but under the odd circumstances of his death a senate was made until the time I was able to rule” sneered Reaper
“OK it is time to let you in on one of our little secrets” sneered Vein
“Oh and what’s that” asked Reaper
“We killed your father” laughed Vein
“What …… NO YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT” roared Reaper. Reaper was starting to lose control of his magic and the souls of those has captured, his muscles bulged, his fists changed into sickle blades, his hair turned into pure fire and the rest of his body went under transformation like the other ones. Until he no longer looked like a demon he now looked like a demonic dragon.
“Now do you think you can take me you motherless scum” growled Reaper his voice is breaking up the stones that make up this chamber. “Come on” and with that he spread his wings out and charged head first towards Vein, just before he made impact Reaper vanished into thin air.
“WHERE ARE YOU REAPER” shouted Vein
“Here” shrieked Reaper. Vein looked towards the ceiling and there was Reaper mocking him with a big cheeky grin on his face.
“Why you, you dare make mockery of me” growled Vein. Reaper dropped from the ceiling on top of one the demon masters and plunged his sickle blades into the spinal cord of his victim.
“Now give me your soul” demanded Reaper. Reaper’s victim’s body dis-incarnated and his soul circled around Reaper’s head then it dived straight into him and his power grew by ten fold.
The battle lasted a few mere seconds then it was a showdown between Reaper and Vein. They were evenly matched in all forms combat and magic.
“Give up you can’t beat me” sneered Vein
“Well we see about that” laughed Reaper his sickle blades grew and changed again this time they changed into a pair of giant broadswords.
“Now then ready for round 2” screamed Reaper. Reaper darted towards Vein and did another disappearing trick on him.
“Where are you this ugh” screamed Vein Reaper’s blades went straight through Vein spinal cord and came through the other side of his body.
“This is for my father” growled Reaper he then twisted his blades into a horizontal position and then ripped them out of Vein body. When the fight was over Vein was in 2 pieces.
“Your soul is not worth taking” said Reaper. Reaper then went forward and picked up the chest then made his way out of the cavern.
It took Reaper twice as long to get back home because the fight against Vein and his comrades had drained him until he was running on just fumes. When Reaper finally found him self on familiar land he realized it was not that long till he would be home.
Reaper arrived home just after the clan chief told his clan that Reaper was their demon master. Instead of reporting back to the clan chief like he was supposed to he went back to his home he made his way to his bedroom put the chest down by his bed. Reaper pulled his legs up onto the bed and fell asleep in an instance.
It took Reaper a full 2 days to recover from his fight with Vein and the journey back home, When Reaper was at full health he made his way to the clan’s main temple where the clan chief would be waiting.
“Who is it” asked the guard behind the door.
“It is your Demon master Reaper here to report to the clan chief about my mission I would have been here sooner but I needed to recover for a few days” said Reaper
“Enter” shouted the guard and the doors swung open and Reaper went forward as soon as he was thru the doors they snapped shut behind him.
“Where have you been Reaper you were supposed to be back ages ago and did you get what we discussed about” asked the clan chief
“Sorry for that I got back two days ago but I was totally wiped from my mission and the fight that took place so I needed to recover at my home and yes I got what you asked me to get” retorted Reaper
“Well bring it forwards please Reaper” asked the clan chief Reaper made his way forward to where the clan chief was sitting. The clan chief began to examine the chest.
“Did you find a key or anything that looked liked it could open this chest” asked the clan chief
“No I didn’t but the chest was in a room that looked people had been there 21 years before I arrived there with the traitors so who ever was there must of taken the device to open this chest” told Reaper.
“How could you tell” asked the clan chief
“I could tell there was some one there before us because there were stains on the floor in the chamber before the one were the chest was located” said Reaper
“Well seeing how we can’t read the contents of chest without the device that opens it you are going to have to find it and bring it back here” ordered the clan chief
One month to go
“Go and fetch Reaper at once I may have the information that he is looking for go get him at once” ordered the clan chief
“Yes sir” said the guard and with that the guard sped of to find Reaper and he was training on devils Spine Mountain.
“Reaper the clan chief is asking for you he may have found the information that you are looking for” shouted the guard
“OK I’ll be down in a few hours go tell the clan chief I’ll be there then” ordered Reaper
“I don’t think you understand sir, the clan chief now knows who and where the device to open the chest is located and he wants you to get it right now” exclaimed the guard “also he said that the longer you delay retrieving the device the more likely some one else will get to it first”
“Well why didn’t you say so I’ll be their in five minutes” shouted back Reaper and in five minutes he darted down the mountain through the village and stopped just in front of the main temple.
“Open the doors this instance I have no time for your games” shouted Reaper he kicked the doors and they swung open.
“Where is the device to open the chest who was there before me” asked Reaper.
“Clam down Reaper I will tell you but you may not like what you are going to hear so sit down” asked the clan chief when the clan had finished trying to clam Reaper down he sat down and the clan chief began telling Reaper what he had learned.
“We found out who their was some one their 21 years ago and where the device may be now” said the clan chief
“Well who took it” asked Reaper
“It was your father who was their before you we completely forgot that he went on quest to find some information, that he was looking for and he came back with so me thing and hid it some where in your house” exclaimed the clan chief
“NO WAY NO #!$%ING way if my father did bring the device back with him why did he not tell you when he was telling you about the chest it does nOT MAKE ANY SENCES” shouted Reaper he was beginning to lose control of his powers again and this time the very room was changing becoming more mangled and rustic.
“REAPER CLAM DOWN THIS INSTANCE” shouted the clan chief and slowly but surely Reaper calmed down “I do not know what happen to you but every time you get angry now you begin to lose control what is happening to you did you tell me everything what happen in the cave”
“No there was some thing I did not tell you” said Reaper.
“Well what was is it” asked the clan chief
“Vein and the others that joined us 20 years ago they killed by father” said Reaper it looked like he was going to lose control again but he stayed in control this time.
“Why did you not tell me this when you reported in” asked the clan chief.
“I did not tell you because I thought I could deal with it my self but I was wrong forgive me” asked Reaper.
“I forgive you but what you were going through is understandable all of us have lot some one dear to us over the years” mournfully said the clan chief “Now lets put this behind us and get back to why I called you here, I believe the device to open the chest is in your house some where so its up to you to find it so we can read the next and final chapter of the prophecy”
Reaper rushed home to begin his search for the device but there was just one more problem he did not know what it looked like or what shape it was. So the first place he searched was his father’s study he tore through the draws, the cupboards, the books in case it was placed in side one of them and when night was drawing in he had only searched one room at out of the ten and in the one place he hoped to find it was not there Reaper went to bed in a distasteful mood.
Other the next 3 weeks he searched through training room. Reaper checked all of the closets, draws and inside the training equipment as well but still to no avail. Reaper had a break around midday after his break he started to search the sitting room, Reaper went through all of the books he had almost given up hope but when he finished checking the last book a piece of parchment fell out Reaper picked it and read it. It said “if you are looking at this my son then it is time for you to face your destiny, the device that you are looking for is the sword I gave on the day I got back from my trip all those years ago. If you already have the chest then heed this warning if you do not step up fight the in the war that will some day come, then the demon world and the human world shall surfer the consequences but know this what ever you chose I will always be proud of you good bye my son”.
When Reaper had finished reading this tears came to his eyes and try has hard as he might he could not hold them of. “Thanks dad” sobbed Reaper.
It took Reaper another 6 days to find the sword that his father gave and on the seventh day he found it in chest that he had not opened for years, he lifted the sword our carefully and noticed along the edge of the blade were groves like that are on a key. Reaper then took the sword and placed on his chair on the other side of his bedroom.
“Tomorrow we find out what the final chapter in the prophecy says and I will also ask the clan chief what my father said about a war that may come some day but those questions shall wait until tomorrow” Reaper said to himself as soon as his head hit the pillow he went to sleep it’s the best nights sleep he had for 3 weeks.
When the morning came Reaper looked refreshed and re-energized he bounced out bed and went down to the training area to get a few hours practice in before going to see the clan chief. When it was 10:00 Reaper went down to see the clan chief he had the key blade strapped to his back and he made his way to the temple doors.
“Who knocks at the temple door” asked the guard
“It is Reaper I have what the clan chief and I have been looking for the past month now let me pass” asked Reaper. The doors opened and Reaper made his way to middle of the main chamber and waited for the clan chief to arrive. The clan chief got to the temple at 11:30, Reaper waited to address the clan chief while Reaper got the key blade from the holder on his back and took out the parchment that had his fathers note on it and read again.
“Reaper have you managed to the device to open this chest” asked the clan chief.
“I have and it is on the floor before me but before we open the can you read this for me” asked reaper
“Of course I will Reaper pass it to me then” ordered the clan chief it took the clan chief a few minutes to read the message from Reapers fathers. “I think you will understand your fathers message if we read the final chapter of the prophecy because when your father was still alive he let slip that in this part of the prophecy there is some mention of a war but I have no idea what he means by “if you do not step up fight the in the war that will some day come, then the demon world and the human world shall surfer the consequences” so your father thinks that you are the key to finish this war when ever it comes to be and he also thinks that you are the key to lock the door between our world and the human world for ever” explained the clan chief.
“I never knew that my father thought of me so highly he never showed that he cared for me” sobbed Reaper
“I know but now you know that so stop those tears it is time to read the prophecy, guard go and bring the chest and Reaper go and ring the bell at the top of the temple all of the clan should here this” ordered the clan chief. Reaper and the guard went of in different directions when Reaper got to the top of the temple he started to ring the bell he continued to do so for a further 5 minutes when he finished ringing the bell he jumped through the window and landed on the street bellow and ran back to the temples main doors. When Reaper made back inside he picked up the key blade and gave to the clan chief then made his way to the back of main chamber.
“I have called all of the clan here because it is time to read the final chapter of the prophecy” shouted the clan chief the guard then stepped forward with the chest held high above his head the clan chief then picked up the key blade slide it into the lock on the chest the gave it a sharp twist to the right until he heard a clicking sound then the lock just fell of the chest.
“Please stay quite while read this” asked the clan chief “it says in this part of the prophecy that it is a member of our clan that the first part prophecy is written about and his name begins with S and R and that his own clan shall disown him and the clan shall join with the currant overlord and if the betrayer does not step up to fight in the war then both worlds shall suffer the consequences” continued the clan chief and Reaper felt the clan chiefs eyes rest on him for a few moments because what he just read was word for word what his father wrote to him in his letter.
The clan chief continued to read the remaining parts of the prophecy they were just repeating what the first chapter of the prophecy said. After a couple of hours the clan chief called the meeting to an end all of the clan went back to what they were doing before the meeting started and on the way back to their jobs they were trying to figure out who’s name began with S and R but both Reaper and the clan chief knew who it was it was Reaper his war name began both S and R Soul Reaper.
“Reaper come here please” shouted the clan chief over the noise of moving feet. “Do not tell any one else about the letter from your father and both of us know that it is you I just read about my powerful Soul Reaper” Reaper nodded and as he was making his way back to the mountain he noticed one of the clans spies they started to use spies since Vein and the others came he must be reporting into the clan.
“Spy Basch and his team reporting in I have information on the overlord’s movements” shouted Basch. The doors burst open Basch and his men ran straight in Reaper wanted to hear what the spy had to report but the guard would not let him in so Reaper went round to the back where the bell tower is and he began to climb up the walls as soon as he got to the top of the tower he ran down the stair case and through several corridors until he came to the door that led into the main temple chamber.
“Speak Basch” ordered the clan chief
“My lord I have troubling news” reported Basch “the over lord has revealed his plan this is what we have found out”
“the overlord has revealed his plan to his followers he plans to make a portal to get them into the human realm so he can rule them as well but there is one down side to his plan” said the Varin
“What’s the flaw to his plan” asked our clan chief
“Well the flaw in his plan is that the portal can only be opened in the human realm. He has found several weak minded people that he may use but he is not doing anything until his army is ready for total conquest” growled Basch
“Thank you, you may leave all of you I must talk with our council about what to do next” said the clan chief and with the chief saying that all who had been in that room left.
The council went though there plan I heard bits of it but what I heard disturbed me our clans leaders are going against our clans teachings so they can kill the over lord take charge of his clan rule the human realm instead of him. I could not believe what I was hearing I decided there and then to stop the overlord and to stop my clan. I would betray all the demons.
One demon against billions….
I have to betray them all….
But I can’t do it alone…
Or can I …
Chapter 2
Journey to the top of
Devils Spine Mountain
After hearing what the council was contemplating Reaper knew what his father had told him in the letter had some thing to do with this but he was not sure. Reaper made his way back to his house and spent nearly all of his free time training and reading his fathers journals in case he put some thing about all of this in there. One day he came across some thing in very last entry that his father made which said “I have just returned from my journey to Devils Spine Mountain and what I saw in the crater some how told me that it was time to retrieve the key blade from the chamber and leave some false trails inside there as well. As soon as I return I shall write my will telling the clan chief who my successor will be and to ever is reading this in the many years after my death if you ever need your questions answering go there and answer the riddle the beast gives you and if the reader is my son the journey to the top of the mountain is perfect for training the body physically and mentally”.
After Reaper finished reading his fathers message he knew what to do, so he began packing for his trek to the top of the of mountain. As soon Reaper was packed and ready he decided to leave early tomorrow morning before any one else was awake. When morning broke in Reaper was already half way to the mountain he could hear the demons in their homes stirring and he knew that there was not much time before they notice him leaving.
It was about 12:00 before Reaper could see the base of the mountain and the dangerous path that goes up to the summit of mountain. Then the treacherous climb to the bottom of the crater but it was the only way that he could get the answers that he eluded him.
