This story is not of the events of the real Darksiders story. It takes place in some of the locations as Darksiders 2 and The Abomination Vault but the premature apocalypse has not yet happened in the events of this story.
For Fanfiction only! I do not own Darksiders!
Raven-
Well, here I was walking through the forest clumsily playing follow the leader in some unknown land. Of course I had been complaining and of course I was making him mad. Him as in, Death. Yes, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Reaper of souls. Believable? I could care less. I had been dragged into this against my will and taken away from my life because of some stupid demons disturbing "the Balance".
I often thought back to a time when I was unsure if angels, demons, and even the almighty Creator was real. And after all this, I was still stumped and confused. Indeed angels and demons were real, and even many other races and planets. Worlds you would think of only in your imagination and worlds that humanity will soon be a part of.
The Creator however, hadn't even been spoken of. Still a mystery to me. But figuring that out was not my biggest worry at the time. Either way I still prayed silently in my head for this all to be over with and for me to be back home safe. Though I doubted seriously that I would live through this. If they weren't planning on killing me anyways after they find out what the demons wanted to kidnap a human for.
Of course I already knew but I wasn't about to tell them. When the time came I would act as surprised as they were. Or... so I hoped I could.
Back on subject. I thought I had tripped over every rock and root there was by the time we got to our destination. He would surprisingly stop and wait when I started to fall behind, but I knew he hated his duty and as of that moment, he hated me.
He was very irritated with my horrible coordination. At one point I thought he might have just picked me up and carried me the rest of the way. Which would have been fine with me because as soon as my feet hit the solid concrete of our destination I collapsed with exhaustion (or perhaps laziness) to the ground.
Death turned to look down at me through his mask and rolled his glowing orange eyes. "Get up. Alya's right there," he pointed with his bone figured gloves and clawed fingers to a stone gazebo-like structure, "Then as I speak to her you may rest." His tone was hard but not as scary as it had been earlier. Whether it be him getting tired of trying to use it or my getting use to his voice, I might never know.
Though at this point I might have tried to argue with him he scared me enough to submit me into doing it. I hoped that my fear of him would soon go away.
I pushed myself up to my knees then fully upright and I gave him an 'Alright then, let's go jerk' kind of look and walked beside him. It was easier to keep up with him on this flat terrain but I still somehow managed to trip over my own feet on the way.
The building we were headed for was strange and obsolete looking . Of course ever since I was taken from Earth everything looked obsolete. From foul smelling demonic catacombs stacked with lost soul's bodies and bones, to this Maker's castle. I suppose while these people study magics and are stuck in the stone age, humans are more into science and development and think magic is only science fiction. So basically we evolve our buildings. They evolve their magics.
We reached the steps and I went up first using my last reserves of energy to reach the top and I practically threw myself against the side of the wall and put my arm over my eyes to block out the sun and that hideous back of his out of my view. I never went to sleep but I felt I was somewhat rested when Death lightly tapped my foot with his. So lightly I couldn't help but think he honestly didn't know his own strength and didn't want to find out on my leg. But, it gave me confidence to know he wasn't harsh enough to try. Or at least not in front of other people.
The woman he called Alya was huge. Not in weight -even though she was very muscular- but in height. Much taller than Death and I. She was covered in armor with long red hair. And a more weighted man, (her brother I was guessing) was also covered in armor. They surprised me at how human they looked, despite their size. If these people were what humans call aliens then I think there is some serious photo-shopping going on on Earth.
I sat up but never got up. I was more tired than I thought. I looked up at Death and he crossed his arms. "I'd prefer getting done this year." he said while tapping his foot. I continued to look at him lazily. "Alright then." he said setting his hand on one of the twin scythes dangling off his belt.
I hopped up quickly and motioned for him to lead the way. I followed him over to another woman on the other side of the large castle-like building. This lady was strange and gave me unusual-however not bad-vibes. Her eyes were covered with a blue cloth and she wore armor like the others only instead of fully covering her it ran down her body turning into a white-blue robe with runes in the design and she held a walking stick. When she was done talking to Death about something (I didn't know what because I was zoned out) she 'looked' down at me.
"A human?" she asked seeming surprised.
I looked up at Death and rolled my eyes thinking 'duh', glad that she couldn't see me...wait how did she know I was human?
"Yes. An annoying, lazy human in fact." He looked back and forth between us.
She kept her covered eyes somewhat pointed to me as she slightly bent over. "Not lazy," she spoke softly, "Exhausted."
She straitened up and held her arms up slightly and whispered something unintelligible. Blue sparkles started flickering off of me. I must have looked like an idiot being freaked out by this. But I was starting to feel happy and energized and my surprised look turned into a dopey smile.
"Wow!" was all I could say when the little light show had ended.
When we left there I asked Death were we were headed as I skipped along beside him joyfully. "Where are we going? Who were they? What did that woman do to me? I feel amazing!" I asked all at once.
He never made any indication of looking at me or even of hearing me. We both kept walking...and skipping along. I was just about to say "Hello!?" when he answered.
"We're going to find out what those demons did to you. Remember?"
"Oh, yeah." I said recalling what the Charred Council had sent us both out to do. Death was the only one who took the job. Strife didn't care enough to do it. Fury was on another mission. And War didn't want any job dealing with something that didn't involve fighting. Either that or he just didn't like kids because so far there had been enough fighting for me. And I wasn't a kid, I was a teenager. Besides, technically they chose Death as much as letting them decide for themselves. He was the oldest and the leader of the Four Horsemen and much more suited for the job.
When I first arrived at the Charred Council's domain they had transported me and several demons who were around me at the time of transportation, in a black cloud of smoke. One that even surprised the Horsemen because it was apparently a hard magic to do. I was on the demon's lab table one second and the next we were in front of the Council. Or so I heard, I was unconscious at the time for the demons had been doing several 'tests' on me.
"And those people?" I asked in present time.
Death looked over at me, "They were helping us find someone who might know. That woman used a magic to give you energy to answer your other question. And right now we are headed to see Vulgrim. Perhaps he should know, he specializes in very unusual things."
"Where will we meet him at?" I asked more calmly this time.
"Somewhere in a cave in these woods." he answered waving in the direction of it with his hands.
The trees around us as we walked downhill were tall and a beautiful green. Rays of light came down from the canopy and sparkled with dust. Every one that we passed I would put my palm up to it and let it soak my hand in sunlight. Death passed under them without acknowledging their presence. I wondered if he even had a soul to recognize beauty anymore.
After a while of walking we eventually reached the cave. It was wide and gaping, formed from a tall wall of rock. Grass and bushes grew on top of the wall and I wondered what it looked like up there.
We walked into the cave going from soft grass to hard solid rock that thudded under out feet. It was round at the mouth of the cave with a flat surface much like a stage. It had two tunnels going deeper into the cave that were lit with a dim ominous glow. In the far right corner of the circular "stage" was a large metal square, very much out of place. Inside the square was some kind of rune.
Death walked up to it as I followed and out of the rune on the ground blue smoke formed and who I guessed was Vulgrim appeared out of the smoke.
"Welcome!" he said with enthusiasm. He had two large horns coming out from atop his head and two bulky wings wrapped with some sort of gauze hanging behind him. He didn't seem to have legs, instead in their place only more blue smoke under some sort of tunic with scrolls rolling off of it. He had blue skin which in this light looked very much like Death's. And also like Death he wore no shirt, revealing everything above his belly button.
"Care to browse my-" Vulgrim began but Death cut him off in a harsh tone.
"Were not here to shop, demon. I need help on something. Information."
"You know the requirement Horseman." Vulgrim looked down at me and smiled.
Death stepped in front of me as he spoke, "I have the souls for you."
"Hmmm," Vulgrim grumbled but accepted. I couldn't help but think he wanted my soul instead.
"I need her. She's the reason I'm here." Death said confirming my thought.
"I like young ones much better." Vulgrim grinned at me then looked at Death, the smile all but disappearing from his demonic face, "But I'll accept, What do you need?"
"I need to know about-" Death paused and looked at me and walked with Vulgrim further into the cave signaling me with his hand to stay.
Unbelievable! He won't even let me hear about my own situation!
I sat there for a few minutes and began to get bored so I walked out and back to the forest not far from the cave. I looked around for signs of wildlife or anything interesting. What I heard was running water . The thought made me remember how thirsty I was. I had water in my backpack as well as food that I had completely forgotten about. 'Eh, no need to waste it' I thought and I walked towards the sound of the trickling water.
Behind some thick bushes a drop off revealed large rocks, a white sand bed, and a beautiful creek with clear blue water. My eyes practically sparkled. I trotted down and jumped on the rocks to reach the water. I almost fell into it on the last jump off the rock but I recovered and reached down in the creek. The feel of the water was cold. I filled my palms with it and tasted it. Best...water...ever! I reached into my backpack and poured out my old water. Far away from the creek of course, not to mix it in with this holy water from Heaven.
I looked back up towards the cave but it was too far up to see. I didn't hear them so I shrugged my shoulders and went to fill my water bottle and drink more. I sat there staring at it for a minute when something hit me. How long had it been since I bathed? I had no idea. From the time the demons took me away to when I woke up in front of the Council and for several days after that I had been walking with Death! Yikes! 'I wonder if anyone else noticed?' I thought. Well he still wasn't back yet so, what the heck?
I dare not risk taking my clothes off but instead left them on. I removed my knee-high Converse shoes and then my socks and waded into the water, clothes and all. The pool was deep enough to where if I sat on my knees it would just barely cover my head with water.
I swam around for a bit rubbing my arms and face trying to get the crud off. I didn't spend too much time in the water though, just enough to get soaked and wash my long black hair out. When I was done I got out and sat in the sand. Bad idea! The sand stuck to me like white on rice.
My clothes were a bit tattered. Of course I had been wearing this dress since I got kidnapped. Well, I guess you could call it a dress. In reality it was all one piece and came down like a skirt but it had shorts under it. It came down right above my knee.
The top part had tank top shoulders and a hood. The entire thing was tight around me everywhere except my legs (good thing, because we had done a lot of running) but it was comfortable.
I sat there still listening for Death, keeping my feet in the shallow part of the water wondering what they were talking about. Then I started to think about how silently he moved. I might never know if he left the cave. Oh well, he'd find me. After all he couldn't finish the mission without me...could he?
Death-
I looked at Vulgrim wondering if he had truly earned his reward. "Very well," I said after a long pause of thought, "here is your souls." I raised my left arm and released them. They floated around for a second before Vulgrim sucked them up and grunted with delight.
"Tasty," he smirked, "Now, any items you'd like to buy?" I started to walk back to the mouth of the cave and he followed silently behind me.
"No, I must continue my mission and take the girl to-" I froze in my tracks.
"It appears she has run off." Vulgrim stated.
"Really?" I asked sarcastically with grinding teeth behind my mask. "Or...,"
I walked out of the cave and started to step silently on the leaves looking and listening for any sign of her or other beings that might be interested in a human. Though very few people knew of the human, word seems to get around quickly somehow and many people would be curious. Some might even be willing to kidnap her just to feed their curiosity. And the demons who were in on kidnapping her in the first place would certainly be aware of her and be looking for her.
"Good luck on finding her." Vulgrim said from the mouth of the cave. "And on your mission. Feel free to come back and trade with me. You know where I'll be."
I didn't answer him. I continued to look around until I heard the splash of water so I walked towards the sound.
I kept my hands resting on Harvester (my scythes) which hung on either side of my hips unsure of who it was and if I'd need them. Though I relaxed shortly after when I heard the soft hum of a girl.
As usual, as I'm hardly ever wrong, I pulled some brush back and there she was sitting in the sand near a spring with her hair wet and white sand covering her clothes. I jumped onto the nearest rock silently and plopped down on the sand, this time intending to make noise. She turned her head slowly towards me and looked up. And I noticed she had something in her mouth.
"What are you doing down here Raven? I thought I signaled for you to stay put?...And what are you eating?"
"Bread." She said innocently. And then she started chewing slowly and pulled it back from her mouth to make an innocent smile. She almost made me laugh.
Almost.
"And why is your hair wet? Surely you didn't just go for a swim without me did you?" I asked sarcastically.
"No," she giggled, "I...I stunk so I just washed off." she admitted. "You probably need to too. If you've ever even had a bath." She got up and brushed the sand off of her clothes.
"There's no time for that, smart aleck. Get ready, let's go." I commanded.
"Okay, okay." she said pulling on her socks and shoes. She put her bread in her bag, zipped it up, and threw it over her shoulder looking up at me. I stepped aside and signaled for her to go up first. She looked at the huge boulders in front of her for a second and then tried to climb up. She couldn't even get on the first rock.
But the boulders going back up were tall so I lifted her up and gave her boosts at times. I had forgotten how weak and unable the humans were compared to other races I had met in my time. But who is a Horseman with supernatural abilities to judge?
Raven-
I expected him to yell at me but he was surprisingly calm about it. I wonder if I would have packed real slow if he would have said or done anything? But I was too scared of him to find out, even though I tried my best not to show it.
I had pulled my fresh socks on and then my shoes and packed up my book-bag slinging the one strap over my shoulder. I tried to do it with attitude but he didn't even seem to notice.
I went to look at the large rocks I had climbed down earlier and I didn't recall them being that tall. I went to get on the first one and struggled. I put my hands up there and tried to pull myself up but they were too wet and slippery (excuses, excuses). I felt a push off my feet suddenly and I landed on my chest on top of the rock.
I stood up and turned to see and he was already beside me. I looked up at him and turned to go up the next with no success. He sighed and jumped up to the next boulder like it was nothing and reaching for my arm. I hesitated for a second and then gave him my hand. He pulled me up to him, grabbed me by the waist and threw me on top of the next rock like a little kid. I couldn't help but blush a little at being weak and incapable.
I had just gotten up to brush the leaves and dirt off when Death pushed me to the ground and held my head down.
"Hey!" I yelled and he quickly put his hand over my mouth and leaned down over me. His oily black hair brushed the ground next to me and he pointed. Through the bushes there were demons scavenging around and looking at the ground, no doubt trying to find our trail.
Above them squawked Dust, Death's crow. The demons didn't seem to notice the crow or just didn't realize it was the Reaper's bird, and continued on with their search.
"Shh," he whispered to me. I nodded behind his grip and he released my mouth. I pushed up on my elbows and looked up at him. He was looking left and right searching for a way out.
"Why don't you just fight them?" I asked in the quietest voice I could manage. So quiet a cat might even have trouble hearing it, but not a Horseman.
He leaned down to my ear knowing I wouldn't be able to hear a whisper as low as the one needed to stay hidden. Since the demons have a very acute sense of hearing. "Too risky for you. If I let my guard off of you once you would have no way to defend yourself."
'Gee thanks' I thought. "Your Death! You can do anything! Besides I'll wait right here. They won't even know I'm with you."
"Hardly," he said claiming he couldn't do everything and then paused for a second thinking on it and looked over at the demons who were still searching around. "Very well. Stay down! And this time don't go anywhere." He reached for his scythes.
"No way I'm missing this!" I said still whispering.
He leaped to his feet and started running swiftly towards the demons. They looked up surprised and the lead demon (I was assuming) raised his jagged axe into the air and charged. All the smaller demons followed his command like dogs in a pack and ran for Death. He zig-zagged around them all and climbed up one of the thick trees past all five of them.
He did a back-flip off the tree and landed with two scythes, one in each of two of the demons like something off of Assassin's Creed. The other three paused for a minute a few feet from Death. He looked up and pulled the scythes out spraying the dead leaves of the forest floor with blood.
Death charged forward at the rightmost demon. In an instant Death's scythe became a huge hammer. He swung it as if it were light as a feather and hit the demon square in the chest. The demon groaned falling to his knees, with his mouth dripping blood. Behind him Harvester had transformed back into a scythe, this time however as one whole blade. The blade's staff was taller than its wielder and had a jagged edge.
Death's body started to smoke in a purple cloud and he phased slamming Harvester into the ground slinging dirt. The dirt and dust cleared and he was in his Reaper form.
I was bewildered at what I saw. His wings of bone propelled him across the ground like a bullet. He swung Harvester and split the smaller demon in half with no delay.
Death flew to the next and last demon and released one of his hands from the staff of the scythe. He blocked an attack of the demon's axe by grabbing it. The blade shook as both of them struggled only for a second and then Death snatched it from him and tossed it across the forest. It flew in an arch until it slammed into a tree, stuck in its place. He grabbed the demon by the throat and in another cloud of smoke he became his original form.
He held his weapon at the demons throat and I guessed, since his mouth was hidden behind a mask so I couldn't tell, he had asked a question. I did not hear his voice but I heard the booming voice of the demon's.
"We only want the girl! She must die!" It growled through sharp teeth like a canine's. Another pause and the demon answered another silent question. "Go ahead! All of the demons know of her and they won't stop until she's dead." With that Harvester stabbed into the demon's chest. He made a sick blood choked laugh and went limp falling off the blade of Harvester.
I may have been smiling at first but now I was afraid. I wanted get up and run to protection from the very person the entire universe fears. How corrupted I felt. I sat up slowly looking around for any sign of danger and sat back down on my knees.
'The demons want me. They want me dead.' I thought over and over again in my head. Death was right, I couldn't stop them nor protect myself. I wouldn't last a second against them. I sat there for a moment with my head in my hands trying not to ball up and cry. Why couldn't I be a normal girl who meets death when I get like 90 or something?
I uncovered my eyes and jumped back, my veins pumping with adrenaline and muscles tensing ready to run or fight to the death. But...it was only Death who was on his knees in front of me, staring. 'Oh yeah, it's only Death sitting in front of me literally staring me in the face. No big deal.'
"Quit doing that!" I yelled.
"Doing what?" he asked innocently and I knew behind that expressionless mask of his he was smiling.
"Popping up out of no where, like Bagul from Sinister! You look like him too! Faceless and creepy and...and...stuff." I growled.
"Who? Never mind...So, did I scare you?" He tilted his head a bit.
"No! It's just..."
"Just what?"
I paused for a long minute thinking of an excuse. But I had nothing. "What the demon said." I gave in.
"What about what the demon said?" He asked stupidly.
"Nothing just the part about him wanting some cookies!" I yelled sarcastically, "Every demon's out to kill me!" I groaned and looked away from him burying my face in my hands.
Death-
I had the slightest feeling of pity for the poor girl. I was deciding on if I should really let the pity take over me and if it would affect my mission if I did. 'Of course it would!' my conscience flung at me. But as I looked at the girl I had an urge to make a long speech to her about how the demons are out to kill their own mothers, but I was no conversationalist so I just sat there and watched her.
I was half waiting for her to start crying and half waiting for her punch a tree and slap me. She kept looking angry one moment and in pain and afraid the next. The look on her face continued to twist with even more emotions. Ones I wasn't even sure I had ever felt or had felt in a long time.
She eventually came to her senses and got up rubbing her eyes. "Hmm, it's getting dark. Let's find a place to let you rest for the night." I said trying to make it easy on her for the rest of the night. Human females can get quite temperamental under stress. In fact all females can. Sometimes it's like I don't even know my own sister, Fury.
"Okay," she grumbled slumping over sleepily.
I set off to find a safe spot while she dragged along. I decided I wasn't going to go through the hassle of sticking her in a tree. Then I'd really have to be on alert to make sure she didn't fall out of it. Besides I would be up all night to stand guard on the ground anyway since I didn't have to sleep. It was only a choice.
After walking around for a while with the light slowly fading I had found a good thick part of the forest to stay the night. It was near the creek if she wanted water and was surrounded by bushes that hid us from sight.
"Here should be fine." I told her and she dropped her bag and started moving leaves out of the way. She cleared a large area by a tree and sprawled out in the dirt, moving this way and that until she became comfortable on her side facing me. She closed her bright green eyes and after just a few moments she asked a drowsy question. "Death?"
"Hmm?"
"My parents...," and without another word her breathing slowed down to sleep.
I paced most of the night, unsure of anything else to do. I wasn't about to leave her by herself to let the demons come and kill her. The Council had given me hard words that if the girl was killed they would not only burn away my soul away for all eternity but my brothers' and sister's as well. And I may be Death and had done some terrible regrettable things but killing a child was not on my list and I didn't plan on putting it there. Especially a child of the third kingdom of which at no matter what age would be defenseless.
She wasn't as much a burden as I expected really. Questions here and there, expected of anyone who had spent their life kept from the truth, very few complaints which had mostly been my fault, but other than that she obeyed well.
But I feared for what the Council might do when my mission is complete and we have the answer. And even if we could find out what the demons had done or had tried to do would the Council still kill her? Surely they wouldn't let the human return to her life as if nothing had ever happen would they, expecting her to keep her mouth shut? Or perhaps they would just wipe out her memory. If she even survives this which I fully intended on keeping my soul so that wouldn't be a problem.
Oh, well. Only time will tell.
After a few hours of pacing around I began to get bored. Me. Death. Bored. I was loosing my mind. I looked over at her and seen her bag behind her. I walked over to it and slowly quietly unzipped it trying not to wake her, though I doubted it, it had been a long day for her so she'd be sleeping well.
Inside I found some water, food, and something else. It was a pendant. I held it up to my mask for a closer view. I had never seen such a symbol before. It seemed to be a wolf holding a ball in its mouth. The wolf was black with red eyes and the ball had a purple liquid inside of it. In the middle of the ball was some sort of rune. I squinted at it for a moment and then tried scratching at it but it was melted into the pendant.
Raven sighed and rolled over onto her other side, now facing me. So I put the pendant back and zipped the bag back up quietly, just in case. I didn't want her to see me snooping through her things and I'd ask questions later.
I went to the closest tree beside her and sat down, folding my legs close to my body and sat like that the rest of the night, listening for any sign or clue of the enemy.