The Fallen Kingdom

by heinkmeister

The child of Pluto, The Roman God of Death, Reaper, loses his kingdom due to a lack of responsibility. Determined to regain what he has lost, Reaper sets out on a quest to regain what he has lost. However, he learns many things on the way... This is the first legitimate story I have ever written. It is still a work-in-progress, and I need some reviews as I write the story.

Chapter I: A Lost Kingdom

There was a king not so long ago named Reaper who thought he was good, but really he was bad. In the real world, he was called Reaper because he, being the son of the God of Death, Pluto, was called upon at the age of twelve to be the new Grim Reaper. He was given at that time black robes and a large Scythe of Souls, which the handle was made of Human Skulls, and the blade made of darkness. After being given these tools, he noticed many changes in his body. Going from being a somewhat-chubby young boy with brown hair and hazel eyes to being a strong and fit young man with jet-black hair and red eyes. He was gifted with becoming the king of a powerful and large city-state. After three years of his reign, he discovered the internet. Over a matter of months, he grew addicted to the use the social networking on the web. He eventually believed that he lived in the real world, being on the internet, but in fact, he really lived in the fantasy world of the internet. Spending all his time surfing the net and mindlessly using social media, Reaper ended up squandering his life away as his subjects grew ever frustrated with his lack of attention to his royal duties.

One day, Reaper looked around him and saw that his internet was malfunctioning, and that the subjects of his kingdom had abandoned him. So Reaper set out to regain his beloved internet and role playing world, however, when Reaper looked to find his trusted army of genetically-engineered super-soldiers, he found that they were no longer there. Reaper then went to the Temple of Minerva, and asked the Goddess of Wisdom for advice about how to regain access to the internet. Minerva, being the Goddess of Wisdom, realized that Reaper didn't really need the internet, but that Reaper needed to get a real life instead of a pretend one.

Minerva then said to Reaper, "The internet is a vast and amazing place where many things can be learned, if used wisely. But the internet also has many traps and trolls looking to waste your time. Once you've spent a minute of your life on the internet, you now have one less minute of your life left. Yes, my king, the internet takes your life from you, so you must ask: What am I getting in return?"

Reaper said, "My Goddess, the internet brings me much happiness. I treat it as my escape from reality. Indeed it is a mystical place."

"Is it really?" Minerva replied.

"Yes it is. It is also where I have made many alliances. That is how my army is unstoppable," Reaper said boastfully.

"And exactly where is your army now?" replied Minerva.

Reaper sighed and responded, "Alas, they have abandoned me. Probably for some lesser king."

Minerva responds "And that young one, is what you need to pay attention to. No sane being would leave a strong leader for a weak one. With the sacrifice you made, you have forsaken your kingdom, and made yourself weak. That is the true problem. That is what you need to find out for yourself."

He began to laugh. "Oh, then explain why I've always been feared for my wrath? Explain how and why my subjects have always shown gratitude towards me for putting up with their insolence over the years?

Minerva shook her head and cast down her gaze, in frustration with Reaper's foolishness. "You feel this way yet you are in a time of need for your kingdom. Only a true weakling and fool would do such a thing."

Reaper sighs in agreement and says, "I guess you are right…" He looks down at his hands and says "What have I become really? Who am I really?" He looks up and nods at Minerva "I now know what I must do. I must go, and begin my quest to regain my kingdom." He turns around and exits the room, into the dark walkways out to the rest of the land.

Chapter II: The Great Journey

As he walks out through the dark halls of the Temple of Minerva Reaper stumbles and falls down into a dark sub-tunnel. He begins to start hallucinating, as the darkness warps his mind and causes him to lose his sanity. He starts laughing uncontrollably, as the darkness ceases his normal thought process and makes him start hallucinating of horrible things such as humans being ripped apart, tortured, and brutally murdered, all as he began to laugh uncontrollably.

Several times, he would try to stand back up and continue on his path, but he would keep falling. It was almost as if some being, darker than Reaper, was trying to inhibit his chances of leaving the Temple of Minerva and go about on his Great Journey.

Then, Reaper hears a loud crash. He regains enough sanity to keep himself going, and gets up, fully alert and ready for combat. He grabs his Scythe of Souls and readies it, waiting for some being to appear.

He hears a loud bang and sees a bright flash in the distance. He swiftly dodges the assumed projectile with inhuman speeds, and quickly mumbles, "I may be immortal by being the son of the God of Death Pluto, but that was a close call…I need to pay more attention."

He then is struck from behind, and flung against the tunnel walls. He immediately breaks out of the grip, opens his eyes, and sees that he is up against a tribe of goblins. He then realized that the Temple of Minerva was built on top of a cave goblin complex! Now Reaper had heard all the stories of how dark Cave Goblins were, and what powers they had, but he never believed the stories, and now he was up against a group of them!

Reaper then reacts with little to no notice, catching all of the Cave Goblins off guard, and then using his dark powers to knock all of the goblins into the walls, and encased every one of the goblins in a small rock tomb within the walls, trapping them within the walls.

Reaper then looks up and sees the hole that he fell through. He jumps up with no effort and lands on the far edge of the hole. He murmurs, "And now to get started on my journey. Hopefully no more incidents like that happen for a while…"

So outward he marches. Out back into the light of the land, and back into the outdoors of the realms he used to own. He begins to march westward, towards The Forest of Romulus, which leads towards his cousin's castle.

Chapter III: The Forest of Romulus

As Reaper walks through the dense underbrush of the Forest of Romulus, he begins to feel frightened by every noise made, and he begins to lose his sense of direction. He looks up and sees the sunset, while the forest begins to fill with darkness, and is illuminated by the dark light of the waning crescent of the moon. He noticed the moon's cycle, and began to fear the fact that New Moon was approaching, for he had the power to control darkness and dreams. He could lull any creature to sleep at any time, and give it horrible nightmares, but worst of all, every New Moon he would lose his sanity and go on a "Nightmare Spree," giving all creatures horrible and wicked nightmares, causing them to cringe in fear, as he would laugh at the fact that he was unstoppable.

Reaper then looked back down from the skies, and continued on his journey. He heard a loud howl, realizing that he was not alone. He grabbed his scythe from his back, and looked around, fully aware. He saw dark, green eyes gazing at him from the bushes, knowing that they were wolves ahead. He thought of three ideas to get past- climb up a tree and sleep for the night's passing; fight the animals; or call upon the God of Time, Saturn, to slow time a for short while so he can pass by the wolves unharmed.

He chose to go with his "plan B" and as he readied himself for the fight, he saw the pack of wolves emerge from the bushes, circling him. They were growling, baring their teeth at him, showing their fangs to attempt to scare him out of the forest.

Reaper showed no fear, and instead scared off two of the more timid wolves with the fire that burned in his eye. The Alpha Female looked at one of the hunter dogs, and barked, commanding it to attack Reaper. The dog obeyed, and jumped head on at him. Reaper reacted quickly, hitting the trigger on his scythe to straighten the blade to make it more of a spear, and he stabbed at the hound mid-air, slaying the being and collecting its soul into the scythe. The next dog attacked from behind, and Reaper ducked down, and beheaded the second dog as it landed in front of him, and collected its soul.
The third, fourth, and fifth ones attacked, and Reaper was knocked to the ground from behind by the sixth. He jumped to his feet, and lulled the four of them to sleep, and killed them in their sleep.

The Alpha Female was left, and stalked slowly towards Reaper, showing friendliness towards him. In his head, the Alpha was using telepathy to communicate with Reaper. Reaper was shocked at the fact that a mere wolf could do such a task. It required an extremely strong mind to do so, and only the Gods could communicate that way. The Alpha Female began to have a conversation with the young child of death, and explained why she was being so friendly towards him.

"Thank you for taking that burden of my shoulders, Reaper," the wolf said. "Why thank me? I just killed your pack! And how do you know my name? And what is your name?"
The wolf replied, saying "I know your name because everyone alive knows you! You're death itself! I am thanking you because truly, ever since I was a pup, I wanted to roam around myself, as a lone wolf. My parents wouldn't allow me to do so because they claimed that here in The Forest of Romulus, it would be too dangerous to go alone. So, eventually, my father died, and I was to be his heir. However, it was unusual for a female to be the Alpha of the Pack. There was a lot of controversy, but the rest of the pack got over it. However, I'm not just any type of wolf, I'm a werewolf."

"But I thought that werewolves were supposed to be a biped species. And even the females were really hairy," Reaper added.

"Oh you'll see," said the werewolf. She then transformed into a beautiful woman, with a bit of darkness swirling her as she transformed and stood up. She was wearing something that closely resembled a woman's lingerie set, made of large ivy leaves.

Reaper was speechless for a short while. He was dumbfounded by her beauty. "I stand corrected," he bluntly said.

The werewolf walked coyly up to Reaper, hugged him close to her and began to talk again. "I see it in you that you already like me because of my looks, and I can guarantee that you'll be in for a love story unlike no other," she said.

She looked up at him, winked at him, and said, "And I know that you have been looking for a woman, and I've lately been looking for man…"

Reaper slightly blushes with shock, saying "Erm….yes….I have….and you know this how?"

The she-wolf looked back down. "I know many things," she says, "and where are my manners? My name is Forma."

Reaper then calms slightly and begins to act in a more seductive manner. "I can see why you're named that…anyone else could easily mistake for you to be the child of Venus," he says.

Forma then hugs Reaper, and pins him up against the nearest tree, saying, "I've heard of you…and meeting you, I've already fallen in love with you…I want you to take me with you…I want to spend the rest of my life with you…I want you."

Reaper is surprised by Forma's seductive behavior, and in a way feels some love towards her- an emotion that Death never showed or felt. Reaper was shocked by it, but he liked the feeling that it gave him. It made him feel as if the void in his heart was being filled.

"Well you're in luck…I've been looking for a woman, and you've been making me fall for you...," Reaper said.

Forma then stands on her toes, reaching her lips up towards Reaper's ear, whispering, "Then the deal is sealed."

Forma then gently grabbed Reaper, and laid him down on his back on the soft forest floor-

Ok people, this is a bit too much information here! I'm just going to skip this, and move on to the next chapter, and we'll just leave the rest of this chapter to your imagination…

Chapter IV: Forma

As they lay down on the soft forest floor, shoulder to shoulder, holding hands and watching the sunrise, Forma breaks the silence with a giggle.

Reaper turns his head, and sees Forma looking up into the morning sky, with her beautiful green eyes making slight movements as her eyes scan the sky. Reaper smirks, then turns his gaze back to the skies. He then realizes that there is now time to get out of the forest and head on towards the next kingdom. "I think we should get up and move out. We need to head for the next kingdom," he says to Forma.

Forma makes eye contact with him, nods, and says "That is a good idea. I have also heard about how your kingdom abandoned you…I want to help you on your quest."

"I know that…you told me last night…" Reaper says, "And judging by the location of the sun, north should be to our left, and the next kingdom we must go to, being the Southern Kingdom should be to our right. Probably about a 50 kilometer travel by my judgment."

"That is not correct. The Forest of Romulus is a very odd place. The forest is a very dark place, and you lose your sense of direction. You still have your basic direction, but not for navigation. East is South, North is West, West is East, and South is North," Forma quickly responds with.

"Ok then…so to the left we march!" Reaper says brightly, turning left and running.

Forma runs after Reaper, finally catching up to him. "It would be faster if we were to both change forms…"

"Good point you have. I will take to the skies and be your 'eye in the sky' for now; just attempt at telepathy for communications. I will establish the first contact, and you will get used to it," Reaper added.

Both of them changed from their normal human forms, into animal forms. Forma back into a wolf, and Reaper took to the skies as a large raven, soaring through the skies, and looking down below.

Reaper then decided to teach Forma how to use telepathy so the two of them could communicate over long distances in the future. He decided to make first contact with Forma.

Can you hear me? Reaper said.

Silence.

Just think of what you want to say. That is how telepathy works. Basically, our minds are connected, and we can hear each other's thoughts. Reaper added.

Yeah I can hear you as if you were right by my side. Do you see any signs that the Southern Kingdom is near? Forma said.

No. Reaper said.

Any hostile animals near me?
Nada.
So should we just keep moving in this direction?
Exactly.

Reaper had heard a loud scream, and dove down to the ground where Forma was. He saw her lying on the ground, with a large gash on her side.

Reaper sighed, and walked up to her. "Be more careful next time. Keep your eyes on the ground ahead of you. Watch out for roots and dirt holes."

Forma hopped back up onto her side, saying "Ok, ok, I will next time. Just focus on looking for the Southern Kingdom and looking for hostiles nearby. There are a lot of hiding spots and ambush points in this forest. And let's get out quickly. The longer we are in the forest, the bigger it seems to become."

Reaper nodded, then jumped into the sky and became airborne with two strokes of his wings.

Let's do this. Reaper said shortly.

I'm ready for action. Forma added.

Hey! I see the Southern Kingdom! They are about 30 Kilometers off. If we hoof it we may just make it there before dusk! Reaper exclaimed.

Really? Then what are you waiting for? Let's speed it up! Forma excitedly declared.

The two of them rushed forward, and Reaper began to lose focus on the ground as he enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing against his face. He stopped flapping his wings, and began to glide through the air seamlessly, with his eyes closed. But in the few seconds that he closed his eyes, a pack of wolves was closing in on Forma. Reaper noticed the hostile wolves and panicked, diving down, landing, and changing forms to human to be ready to attack. But he was too late, for the wolves already began to rush the two of them. Reaper was knocked to the ground as the wolves continued to circle Forma.

Reaper jumped onto his feet, and used his dark powers to knock the hostile wolf pack into the trees. Forma thanked Reaper for the unneeded assistance, but he ignored her remark and rushed towards the wolves, killing every individual wolf swiftly.

When one wolf was left and running away, Reaper stopped it in its tracks by taking control over its mind, forcing it to stop in place, then he surrounded the animal with darkness, so it could not see. Reaper then teleported behind it, and stabbed his scythe blade through its neck.

"Thanks for saving me back there! I would have been- oh, Jupiter knows what would have happened if you didn't show up," Forma said.

"No need to thank me. It's all instinctual because my love for you commanded me to perform that act of valor." Reaper calmly said in a loving voice.

Forma chuckled and replied, saying "Well I love you too…if it was you being attacked though, I would have skinned every one of those wolves alive with my bare hands. No one ever lays a hand on my boyfriend."

"Wow goes to show how loyal you are to me," Reaper said, shocked by how Forma just explained how brutal she would have been if the roles were swapped in the fight.

Reaper then picked up Forma in his arms, holding her with her legs in one arm, and her torso in another. Forma then reciprocated the loving act by placing her arms around Reaper's neck, and kissed him on his cheek as they continued marching on towards the Southern Kingdom.

Looks like it's nothing but a clear path from here, Reaper. You've done good. I will have Mercury waiting for you at the Southern Kingdom with a package for you, said Reaper's dad, The God of Death, Pluto. Reaper was able to hear Pluto by telepathy. …And congratulations on finding Forma. She is a very beautiful woman. Take good care of her. I will be watching you from here on out, Pluto added.

Thanks, Dad. And I will be sure to take good care of her, Replied Reaper.

Chapter V: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

The Southern Kingdom appeared to become closer and closer to Reaper and Forma. Forma was becoming excited that she would be going to a large kingdom for the first time in her life, but Reaper, although on the outside he was happy about reaching his first destination, something was bothering him on the inside. He felt as if something was not right. He felt like he was being followed, as if he was being watched, as if he was being hunted.

Reaper cautiously searched the forests to the sides of the pathway to the Southern Kingdom, looking for evidence of other humanoids. He looked at the grounds, looking for footprints, but he saw none. He looked to the bushes for small movements, but the only swaying in the bushes was caused by the wind. Then Reaper thought that maybe his supposed hunters were taking to the treetops, jumping from branch to branch. He looked up at the surrounding evergreens, and he noticed some movement in the trees behind him. He listened to the birds for unusual calls, but he heard none.

Reaper then shrugged his shoulders and moved on, hoping that the movement in the trees was just a large bird flying off of its roost.

As they moved on, Reaper became more and more fearful of what the "gift" that Pluto had told him that he was going to be given at the Southern Kingdom.

Forma noticed Reaper's tenseness, and innocently asking him what was bothering him.

"Something is not right here…I feel as if we are being followed," said Reaper.

"What makes you say that? There aren't any odd bird calls, there are no footprints anywhere, and there is no movement in the background," Forma calmly stated.
"True, but look to the trees."
"What about them?"
"There is movement there."
"Maybe it's just the birds…"
"It's not. The tree sway is too great to be birds, or winds."

"Peer closer into the treetops," Reaper stated, "tell me what you see."

Forma's eyes widened in panic, noticing that there were in fact, bounty hunters after them. "Bounty Hunters! They must be after us to stop!" exclaimed Forma.

Both of them turned around, and prepared themselves for a fight. Forma transformed into her wolf form, and Reaper changed into a different form; a form that only the dead have seen. He changed into his "Dark Octopus Form," which is a form in which he has eight tentacle-like appendages that reach from his back, reaching the ground and supporting him, allowing for himself to dangle from the tentacles, hanging from his back, with four tentacles coming down from his left and right.

In his physical arms, he wielded his scythe, ready for combat.
The bounty hunters were not afraid, and dove down from the treetops down onto the ground. There were four of them; all males, seeming to be around the age of twenty-seven. The rookie male of the squadron peered into Reaper's eyes, filling him with rage, forcing him to rush forward at Reaper, to his own demise. Reaper lifted up one tentacle, knocked down the rookie to the ground, then stabbed the tentacle through its chest, picking up the body, and flinging it at the group.

The bounty hunters scattered, dodging the dead body with swift speeds. With the bounty hunters distracted, Forma had snuck around and attacked the third one from behind, knocking him to the ground, biting into his face, and ripping his face to shreds.

Reaper then took over the leader's mind, forcing him to collapse onto his knees before Reaper, screaming with horrid sounds at the terrible thoughts that were being forced into his head because of Reaper. After about twenty seconds or so, the Leader had lost his mind, pulled out his blade, and stabbed himself in the chest, killing himself to escape the madness.

There was one last one, and Forma was ready to attack him. Reaper called off her attack. "Let him run to his leader and cry about how powerful we are. That should scare them off for a while," said Reaper. "But isn't that dangerous? Won't they just attack with a greater force next time?" questioned Forma. "That is possible, but with how scared that little human was, they will not bother us for quite some time," stated Reaper.

Unbeknown to Reaper, the person who had hired the bounty hunters was quite powerful and rich, and these bounty hunters were just expendables compared to the others.

"Never mind. We need to get back on our way to the Southern Kingdom," Reaper declared.

Forma nodded, and both of them formed back into humans, turned around, and were back on their way to the Southern Kingdom.

Chapter VI: Arrival

As Reaper and Forma approached the Gates to the Southern Kingdom, more and more traffic along the trail began to appear. It was then apparent to Reaper that the traveling caravans of merchants were headed for the same destination.

As the two of them were within arm's reach of the gates, City Guards approached them and asked for their names, their location of birth, and their purpose for being at the Kingdoms.

"My name is Forma. I come here from the heart of the Forest of Romulus. I am here travelling with my boyfriend, Reaper," Forma explained.

"And what of you, 'Reaper.' Where were you born and what is your business for being here at the Southern Kingdom," one of the guards asked.

"That information is for me only to know. You will let us pass without question, or there will be consequences," Reaper calmly declared.

"Ha! You hear that? This kid thinks he can just pass by us whenever he pleases without giving us his basic information! What a fool!" The First guard jokingly stated to the other.

"Yeah what a fool! No one ever-" the second guard said before being cut off.

"Enough of this insolence. Do you even know who you are talking to? Do you even know who you're dealing with?" Reaper interrupted, questioning the guards' attitude, "Look into my eyes. Do you recognize this gaze?!" His eyes were burning with a fire in them.

The second guard, shocked, looked deeply into Reaper's eyes. "Oh no….You're-!"
"Exactly," Reaper swiftly replied, cutting off the guard.

"Listen man, just leave him be unless you want to die! He…he's death itself…" the second guard frantically warned the first.

"'Death itself' my ass. That's a load of bullcrap. There ain't no way that this kid is death itself. And we all know that death is a part to the cycle of life. It doesn't truly exist as a being," The first guard said to the second in a cocky manner.

"Man, you're crazy! I'm outta here, man! I don't want to die!" The second guard panicked and ran off as he warned his co-worker for the last time.

"You should listen to your friend, Charles," Reaper intimidatingly said to the lone guard.

"H-how do you know my name?" the guard said, shocked.

"I know every living beings' name. I know everyone, and everything. I know of them because I am the son of death himself;" Reaper said, the fire in his eyes beginning to die down, "you will let me pass or you will suffer."

"Oh-okay, Death. Just please don't kill me! I have a wife an-"
"I know that. No need to explain," Reaper again cut him off.

Forma and Reaper then walked through the large gates to the outskirts of the city.

"You do know you didn't have to be so rude back there… You're not trying to become their new leader, are you?" Forma calmly inquired Reaper.

"If I didn't assert myself, we would still be back there…" Reaper replied.

Forma sighed. "You have a point there… Where are we going to, anyways?" She said.

"We are headed to my cousin's throne room. He is the king here. He is my mortal cousin though… His mother was raped…little did she know she was raped by Neptune, the God of the Sea… It was quite odd for Neptune to be the rapist though… Typically it would be my Uncle Jupiter…" Reaper explained. "But we are headed to the Keep. My cousin has a love for heights and views. Especially the view of the sea to the west of the town. This kingdom was built originally as a small port town. There wasn't very much economic traffic through here. Now it is a flourishing town with a thriving economy. You won't find a single tramp here. Except for the poorly educated," He added.

They walked for a while, and they reached the market. Forma saw some dresses being sold, and she told Reaper that she was going to go shopping for a new dress. Reaper handed her a coin purse filled with gold coins.

"Stay safe," Reaper said.

"I will," Forma replied, happy that she could finally go shopping again after 7 years of her life, almost her entire life.

Reaper began to wander through the marketplace without any certain destination, for he had about three hours to kill before he needed to see his cousin.

As he was walking through the marketplace, he was pulled aside by someone. It took Reaper a fraction of a second to realize who it was, but then it struck him that it was Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods.

"My father informed me that you were waiting. I do believe that you have a package for me," Reaper leisurely stated.

"Yes, I do, actually. Your father wanted me to give you this," Mercury said, handing Reaper a somewhat small package, "and also, he wanted your companion to come along too," Mercury continued.

"Who, Forma? She already is accompanying me for this quest," Reaper said, confused.

"No. Better," Mercury said, opening a large crate behind him.

Out of the package came Reaper's dog, Cerberus, the three-headed hellhound.

"Cerberus!" Reaper exclaimed the dog's name, enthusiastic about the reunion with his companion.

Mercury chuckled at Reaper's enthusiasm. "I'm glad you are enjoying being with your hellhound once again," he said, "now open up the box and see what's inside."

Reaper nodded, and without delay, opened the package. To his surprise he found an onyx amulet, and a black diamond ring.

"What am I supposed to do with the ring?" Reaper asked.

"Oh, I don't know. What the hell do you think you should do with a ring when you're in love with a beautiful woman?" Mercury said sarcastically.

"Erm….yes…I should…and then what of the amulet?" Reaper said.

"It's yours to wear. It will give you more strength; it will enable you to reach into other peoples' minds and cause them to go insane; it will enable you to control organic matter, all with one thought; it will enable you to eavesdrop on people, even through the thickest of walls," Mercury said.

"Thank you for delivering Cerberus and this package. It means a lot to me," Reaper said, thanking Mercury for the almost too-easy task that he had performed.

Mercury saluted Reaper, running off to return to his normal duties.

"Who was that?" Forma asked Reaper asked as she walked up from behind him.

"A deliveryman. Gave me this amulet, and he brought along Cerberus," Reaper explained.

Forma nodded, then crouched down and started to play with Cerberus.

Cerberus was being extremely friendly towards Forma, a sight unfamiliar to Reaper, considering that hellhounds were always brutal towards living mortals.

But in the back of Reaper's mind, he knew that Cerberus must have picked up on Reaper's love for Forma, and thought of Forma as Reaper's queen. After being given a ring that was crafted to fit a woman's hand, Reaper knew what to do.

After a half hour or so of "bonding time" between Forma and Cerberus, Reaper interrupted the two and stated that they needed to move on, and reach the keep of the Kingdom, which would take them about an hour and a half of walking.

The trio then walked for a while, aimlessly meandering through the streets, instead of taking the main route to the keep.

"Are you sure you know where we're going? I feel like we've gotten lost," Forma said.

"Yes I am sure that we are going the right way…Its easy to get to the keep of any kingdom. Just head towards the center," Reaper replied.

"Alright…I trust you on this…" Forma innocently replied.

They approached the base of the keep, unaware that they were too late to get in as citizens, for the door was heavily guarded.

"I have never seen any keep with that much guarding after dark. Does your cousin live in the keep or something?" Forma asked.

"I guess….but looks like we are going to have to break in somehow…" Reaper suggested.

"And exactly how are you going to do that?" Forma questioned.

"I do not exactly know….Maybe I can try something…." Reaper trailed off.

"Like try what?" Forma asked.

"Ever heard that 'death has many riches?'" Reaper said.

"Erm…no….I don't believe I ever have heard that…" Forma said, embarrassed that she had forgotten that Reaper was a very wealthy young man.

"Watch this," Reaper said, walking towards the already-frustrated guards.

Reaper slowly approached the guards, trying not to anger them even more, considering that they must be upset that they have the night shift and have to stand on guard for the entire night.

"I could be at home, listening to some music right now. But noooooo… I have to be here, on the nightshift, standing in one spot, staring off into the distance. I mean really. What is the point of this? No normal citizen would be up this late at night, prowling the streets. Most of the citizens have meaningful jobs. And as long as the gatekeepers survive and keep the gates closed, there is no need for us being here!" one of the guards ranted on about.

Reaper quietly chuckled at the guard's meaningless frustration, and continued on forward.

"I mean reall- …oh…Just move along citizen…nothing to do here…if you wish to pass through, you must state your identification, and what your business would be with being in the keep this late at night," the ranting-guard said to Reaper, noticing him mid-rant.

"My name is Reaper. I am Aecor's brother. I came here to talk to him. I brought my hellhound and girlfriend along, too, if you don't mind them being inside the keep also," Reaper calmly stated, acting more of his physical age rather than his immortal and ancient true identity, trying not to scare the guard like he did the guards at the gate to the city.

"Oh yes, Aecor has been expecting you." The guard opened the door. "Go right on inside. You will see a spiral staircase-" the guard said, being cut off.

"Thank you, but all I needed was permission to go inside. I know where my cousin would be located…" Reaper said, slightly amused that the guard forgot that Reaper and Aecor were the children of Gods, and could easily tell each other's presence when in proximity range.

"And what is your name? Sir Rants-A-Lot?" Reaper said humorously as he was walking into the keep.

Reaper, Forma, and the hellhound walked into the keep, looking around at the masonry and carpentry, searching for the stairwell.

It only took Reaper ten seconds to find the spiral staircase, which he walked into the center of the stairs and looked up at the three-hundred foot tall structure.

"This way," he said, dashing up the stairs.

They reached the main chamber of the keep, which was Aecor's throne room. It had large, ebony wood doors, with gilded brass lining on the handles, outline, and hinges of the doors.

Reaper leaned into the left door and pushed it open, nearly falling on the floor when the door reached velocity, swinging open on its own.

The trio walked into the throne room, looking around at the banners and portraits.

Forma was shocked, thinking that no one was in the throne room, for there was no king on the throne.

"I don't think that anyone is home," she said quietly.

Reaper smirked. "Oh he is here alright…." he said.

Aecor walked in from the balcony, with his albatross, Aestus, perched on his shoulder.

"Welcome, Reaper. I have been expecting you," Aecor said, "and I see you brought Cerberus, but who is this woman you brought?"

"This woman is my girlfriend, Forma. And I see that Aestus has grown. At least he's grown since last time I saw him," Reaper said, "and how is your Queen?"

"Oh she is doing just fine. We are expecting a child, however; a little girl, really," Aecor said.

Reaper was surprised. "Wow, it's amazing how mu-"

Forma cut Reaper off. "Oh how cute!" She said in a very high-pitched voice.

"Erm…as I was saying," Reaper said, looking at Forma before looking back at Aecor. "I have lost my kingdom. I discovered the internet, which I then-"

Aecor was now cutting Reaper off. "Wait, wait, wait. You found the internet? Just now? Where do you live, under a rock or something? The internet has been around for decades now! Erm…and sorry for cutting you off…please continue…." He said.

"Anyways, if I can just finish without interruption….as I was saying, I then started using the internet excessively, which then I ended up involuntarily forsaking my kingdom, and then while riots occurred, and my kingdom slowly fell apart, my loyal subjects began to leave me. And now here I am, on a quest to get back my kingdom, and regain their loyalty." Reaper continued.

"Well you ain't getting back your kingdom for sure, that's what I can tell you. You might as well join my kingdom, and we can begin a Republic. Just the two of us, two cousins, Consuls of the-"

Sophia walked into the room, wearing dark green maternal robes, cutting off Aecor.

"That would be an unwise decision. We would have to call for all the men in the kingdom to step forth and exercise the rights they would have under a Republic Democracy. It would be completely new and foreign to them. They would have no idea what to do, and the kingdom would collapse. As for Reaper, he does have a chance at regaining his kingdom." Sophia said, "he mustn't give up. He must try his hardest."

Aecor spun around, shocked that Sophia was awake.

Sophia then looked at Reaper.

"You must continue on your quest. Stop at nothing. Charge forth, and regain your kingdom," She said.

Aecor returned to talking to Reaper and Forma.

"Anywho….I personally think that it would be a great idea to set up a Republic government here…" He continued.

Sophia turned around, sighing, and beginning to talk to herself. "No one ever listens to me…" She said.

"No….your Queen is right. I must continue my quest. But you are more than welcome to come along on the journey..." Reaper said, "we could use more people…"

"I'm afraid I cannot help you, no matter how much I wish I could. For there is another kingdom who is planning a siege on our kingdom. Things have certainly gotten hectic ever since you lost your kingdom," Aecor replied, shaking his head.

"I've got plenty of time….I could aid you in any upcoming battles…" Reaper suggested to Aecor.

Aecor nodded, agreeing with Reaper's suggestion. He then looked behind Reaper, at Forma and Cerberus. He pointed at Cerberus, where Forma was crouched over him and rubbing his belly vigorously. "Uhh, Reaper, what in the name of Jupiter is your girlfriend doing to your dog?" Aecor said, staring at Forma with a puzzled look.

Without even looking, Reaper knew what he was talking about. "Giving him a belly-rub. What, did you not know that canines love having their belly pet? Forma, of all people, would know this; she's a werewolf herself. I can tell that she and Cerberus are going to become best friends in a short amount of time."

Aecor winced. "You're only fifteen, yet you have made love to a beautiful woman?" He looked down. "You lucky-as-hell kid…personally I wish my woman was a werewolf…" he mumbled.

"And yet you are only fifteen and you have impregnated a woman, and you are expecting a child," Reaper replied, laughing sarcastically.

"Well that's because the-"
"I can guess why, Aecor. No need for explanation"

Aecor rolled his eyes, somewhat amused that Reaper had assumed what he was going to say.

"Anyways….How about a sword duel? I can supply the blade covers for us…" Aecor suggested.

Reaper shrugged. "Why not, there's nothing else to do anyways; plus it will give Forma and Sophia some time to socialize…" he said.

Chapter VII: Sibling Rivalry

Aecor and Reaper start walking towards the sparring ring, covering their weapons with leather sheaths to prevent any injuries during the fight, Sophia and Forma following behind, leaning up on the cedar wood side-bars of the arena. Reaper calmly opens the gate and walks through, Aecor following behind, closing the gate after him.

The two boys turn and face each other, staring each other in the eyes as they get into a fighting stance, their weapons ready. "No killing and no using your abilities. Got it, Reaper?" Aecor commanded to Reaper. "So no cheap-shots… Got it," he bluntly responded, gently caressing the bone staff of his scythe.

"En guard, Reaper," Aecor said, smirking, determined to win the fight. Reaper replied with a subtle growl, he then lunged at Aecor, giving a swift side-slash towards him. Aecor swiftly dodges it, quick-stepping to the side, lashing out at Reaper with his lance. Reaper looks at him in the corner of his eye, slapping Aecor's arm upward, then grabs his shirt and head-butts him, crashing their skulls together before letting go. Aecor stumbles backward a bit, shaking his head. "Very good, cousin… You have become much stronger since the last time we met," he says to Reaper. Reaper laughs. "Well that's what happens when you are the son of the God of Death!" Reaper arrogantly and tauntingly replies to his cousin.

The clashing of swords can be heard in the background, Sophia and Forma leaning up against the side bar. "So you're a werewolf?" Sophia innocently asks Forma. "Yes… I was part of a wolf pack in the Forest of Romulus… I was the daughter of our Alpha Male… I never got to meet my mother, however… My father says that she died during a hunting trip…" Forma explains. "Oh… Well I am very sorry to hear that," Sophia kindly replies, almost apologizing.

Aecor and Reaper stare each other down as the staff of Reaper's scythe and Aecor's sword clashed together as they fought back each other's blades. "It seems as if I've fallen back on my sword fighting skills, too, eh Reaper?" Aecor sarcastically asks, then roughly twists his blade, knocking each other back slightly. Reaper grins, twirling his scythe around in one hand in an intimidating fashion. "Or maybe I'm just too much for you!" Reaper exclaims, lunging at Aecor with inhuman speed. Aecor just barely manages to duck down, sending Reaper flying over him. Aecor then gets back up, his back faced to Reaper as he flips mid-air, landing elegantly on the ground. "I think not," Aecor mumbles, the two cousins turning around to face each other simultaneously.

"Your lover seems to be quite the combatant," Sophia kindly remarks to Forma. Forma giggles. "If he can survive fighting off an entire pack of wolves on his own with nothing but his scythe, then I'm pretty sure that he is a very skilled combatant. The fact that he is better than anyone – including his father, with a scythe indicates that he is one of the best warriors out there. But you are aware that he used to be a king to his own kingdom, right?" Forma softly remarks to her.

"Oh, I am quite aware," Sophia remarks, "he ruled one of the richest city-states in the entire word!" She exclaims, congratulating Forma on being the lover of such a rich man.

"Heh… He used to, Sophia… You see, he found something that distracted him too much from his kingdom…"

"The Internet?"

"Bingo."

"Figured… It distracts many people from their everyday duties," Sophia sadly states to Forma. She begins to whisper in her ear. "I even heard that it's more addictive than all the illegal drugs combined," She rather silently states. "Just 5 minutes with it can hook you for the rest of your entire life…" Forma spins around and looks at Sophia, shocked, stammering as she tries to speak. "A-Are you crazy!? Certainly it mustn't be that powerful!" Forma exclaims, forgetting all about the duel. "Oh, but it is," Sophia softly replies.

Reaper growls, fighting back a slash from his cousin's blade. Aecor laughs. "Certainly you mustn't be tired already! A little weak without you powers? Heh, your father would be disappointed with you-" Reaper quickly cuts him off, elbowing Aecor in the solar plexus before grabbing his head and smashing it into the staff of his scythe. Reaper uses this opportunity to bluntly whack Aecor on the head with the other end of the staff of his scythe. "Looks like I win," Reaper says arrogantly to Aecor, letting him get back up to shake his hand. Aecor smiles and shakes Reaper's hand, chuckling. "That certainly was an exhilarating fight with you, 's your secret, may I ask?" Aecor asks Reaper, grinning proudly. Reaper smirks. "A true combatant never reveals his tactics to anyone," he says, evading the question. "Certainly you must be joking, right, Reaper?" Aecor asks, insisting that he tells him. Reaper simply stares at him, silent as the night. "Well then," Aecor mumbles, "shall we be on our way? I am certain that dinner must be ready." "I guess so," Reaper quietly states, loosening up after the fight. Aecor leads Reaper out of the ring, then places his sword back on the rack. Reaper looks at Aecor for a second, then placed the staff of his scythe on his back, the blade disappearing as he did so.

"That was an excellent fight, you two!" Sophia exclaims, briskly walking towards them. Forma trails her, smirking as she knew that her boyfriend had won the fight. "He's the one and only child of Death himself, what do you expect?" Forma snobbishly stated. A servant of Aecor's walks through the door. "Well, I think we should be on our way to the dining room. Dinner's ready," Aecor says to the three of his company, beginning to walk out of the armory and into the dining room out of assumption. The rest of the group quickly follows, headed for the dining room as well.

Chapter IIX: The Feast

The room was quiet. The table was set. Aecor, Reaper, Sophia, and Forma all walked into the room from the armory of the keep. Aecor sat down at the head of the table. "Go ahead, sit down and eat," he said, gesturing for the rest to sit down. Sophia took her usual spot at Aecor's right side. Reaper decided to sit across from Aecor at the opposite end of the table, Forma quickly following behind to sit beside him.

"So, Reaper, what is it that brought you here in the first place, Reaper?" Aecor asked, placing his hands under his chin as he waited for the dinner to arrive to the table. "I came here to request assistance on my quest, Aecor. I'm afraid that my kingdom has abandoned me, for I have abandoned them by ignoring their cries for help as I was leading them," Reaper responded.

"Ah, So they left you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Forma cut in. "He discovered the internet. He started using it too much and had begun to ignore his kingdom rather than care to it and make sure all was well," Forma said to Aecor, answering his question. Aecor nodded and glanced between Forma and Reaper. "How tragic," he said. "I wish I could help, but I don't know how to, Reaper."

Three servants walked into the room, carrying a large boar on a platter to the table, it's skin brown and tender, cooked to perfection.

"You can help by giving me advice, Aecor," Reaper said, looking across to Aecor, gazing him in the eyes. Aecor noticed that Reaper was staring at him, so he tried taking his mind off of Reaper's cold but sincere gaze by beginning to slice some meat off of the boar for Sophia and himself. "Uh, Reaper, we both know that I'm not the greatest person for advice... Why don't you go ask Uncle Jupiter?" Aecor replied, not looking at Reaper, attempting to avoid Reaper's gaze. He remained vigilant, constantly starting down Aecor without moving a single muscle. "That doesn't help me out in any way, Aecor." Reaper growled. "You and I both know that Jupiter will do nothing but scorn me for abandoning my responsibilities!" Reaper remained calm, grabbing a knife to cut off a piece of pork for Forma. "Aye, I'm afraid you're right, Reaper," Aecor said, giving into Reaper's arguments before making eye contact with him, "however, I will not do all of the work for you. I refuse to be used as a mere tool. I will, however, be willing to accompany you on your quest." Reaper blinked three times. "That won't be necessary, Aecor. I've got Cerberus and Forma to accompany me." He looked over to Forma and smiled, then looked back to Aecor. "Anyways, is there anything that I could help you with?" Aecor shook his head in reply.

The group finished their feast together, talking about their lives and childhood. A servant brought some silver goblets for the group, as well as a few bottles of a variety of different wines. Reaper licked his lips. It had been a while ever since he had an alcoholic drink. Aecor noticed that he was looking at the wine, and laughed a bit. "Eager to drink, huh Reaper?" Reaper nodded and grabbed a goblet and a bottle of merlot. He poured the cup to the brim, then took a gulp of the wine, letting out a sigh of satisfaction afterwards. He wiped some of the dripping wine from his lip with the sleeve of his robes. He grinned as his eyes glowed bright red with his satisfaction. "That's really good wine, Aecor. Where'd you get it, may I ask? It tastes a bit like the wine that a well-known artisan from my kingdom would make... Is he here, by any chance? His name is Caeles Faber." Aecor tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. "No, I don't believe so," he replied. Aecor then called over a servant. He commanded for the servant to see if Caeles was there. A couple of minutes passed, and told them that there was not a citizen of The Southern Kingdom that was named "Caeles Faber." Aecor looked back to Reaper. "No, he isn't here, Reaper... I am very sorry." Reaper nodded in acknowledgement. "It's okay, I can understand that," he said, grabbing his goblet again to have another drink. Forma and Aecor grabbed their goblets and filled them up and drank. Sophia mostly sat beside Aecor, remaining silent, listening the whole time. They all continued their talks and enjoyed their drinks, then all decided to go to bed after finishing their drinks.

Before they went their separate ways for the night, the group said their goodnights. Forma and Reaper were led to a guest room at the top of the keep while Aecor and Sophia went to their bedroom somewhere else on that same floor.

Forma and Reaper entered the room, then headed straight for the bed. They took their clothes off and left them neatly folded on the chest at the base of the bed, then got in bed together and embraced. Reaper smiled softly and whispered in Forma's ear "Goodnight, Forma," then closed his eyes and slowly started drifting off. Forma smiled and softly whispered back to him "Goodnight, Reaper," then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Reaper sprung out of bed, breathing slightly heavily. He looked around the moon-lit room, seeing nothing out of order. He looks down beside him, seeing Forma on her side, asleep. He gets out of his bed, grabs his robes, and walks towards the chamber's doors. He silently walks through the room, just quiet enough to keep Cerberus, who was at the foot of the bed, asleep.

"Reaper? Is something wrong?" Forma asks groggily. Reaper spins around, seeing her upright in bed. "No, nothing is wrong, Forma," he calmly replied, "I was simply going to go out for a walk around the keep." Forma gets out of bed, wearing nothing but her ivory-colored lingerie. She walks up to Reaper, then places a hand on his chest. "Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" She asks, half awake, half asleep. "Come along if you wish," he says. Forma smiles, goes back to the bed, puts on a set of robes, then, almost dancing, returns to Reaper. Seeing her so happy, he couldn't help but smirk at her actions. The two walk out of their temporary bedroom, then start walking up and down the halls of the Keep.

"So, Reaper, what's it like, being the son of the God of Death?" Forma inquired, looking slightly downwards, her eyes half closed from her fatigue. "It has its perks," Reaper shortly stated. "It's nothing all that special. All you end up with is being rich, being powerful, and being immortal." Reaper sighed, somewhat regretting his existence.

Now, this was common for Reaper to be chronically depressed, being the child of Death Himself.

Forma grabbed Reaper's hand, then laced her fingers between his. "Are you happy to be who you are?" She asked. "I am not proud of being such a hated person. So many people resent Death, even his own child. People love life, but hate death. I, too, sometimes despise myself, yet I still admire life…" Reaper's voice trailed off as he looked down. He walked to a wall, pressed his back against it, then slid down to where he was sitting down, against the wall. Forma frowned a bit, then sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "But why do you love life, but hate yourself?" She softly asked. Reaper looked up, looking at the full moon through a window. "Because life is a beautiful lie… And I am a painful truth."

Forma nearly started crying for him when she heard this. She was not used to Reaper being so negative about himself. She only wanted him to be happy, not sad. She turned to him and hugged him tightly, trying to console him. "There is no need to hate yourself so much, Reaper… You're not just a 'painful truth.' You may be the son of Death Himself, but you and your father do something wonderful for mortals: you end them of their misery in life." She let go of him, then held his hand again. "Life may be a 'beautiful lie' according to you, but it also has so many miseries. These are the things that make people kill themselves; they just can't handle life any longer. Life may be a beautiful thing, but it is also one giant obstacle. One that not everyone can overcome…" Forma's voice trailed off. She looked down the hall, hearing footsteps. "We should probably go back to our room, Reaper. The guards are coming, and they might think we're trying to kill Aecor and Sophia." Reaper nodded, then got back on his feet. The two of them then silently ran back to their room.

After closing the chamber doors after them, Reaper reached into the pocket of his robes. He looked at Forma, whose back was turned to him, then slipped his hand to his pocket. He thought to himself: No. I'll ask when this is all over. Reaper took off his robes, hung them up, then got in the bed beside Forma. She smiled as she felt him get in bed. She scooted closer to him, and Reaper put his arm around Forma's waist, pulling her close right after. Forma whispered to Reaper "Good night, Reaper. I'll see you in the morning."

To be continued…