I Am Death (Chapter 1)
Hell-Quake
It was late, somewhere around 12, in the dark city of New York. Two men were hiding in a dark alley, stalking their next victim. Waiting for their person to appear, they heard footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw two red eyes piercing into their souls. The men were frozen in terror for a moment then turned and ran for their life, literally. As they sprinted out of the alley, one man looked back and there was nothing there, but when he looked back to where he was running…there he was again; right in front of both of the men was the same figure which was just with them in the alley only seconds ago. They both fell back in fear as a voice came from the frightening figure, "You see this hourglass? It means your time has come." The figure swung a scythe that he was carrying at one of the men and cut him in half, separating his torso from his lower body. The other man stood and ran for his life, but did not get far. This now 'murderer' began to raise his hand and the ground started to shake. The higher he raised it, the more the earth shook. The sprinting man paid no attention to unstable ground. As the murderer's hand was near above his head, he clenched his hand and the earth split open. It cracked right in front of the terrified man, but he did not have time to stop. His foot got caught in the gap, and just as he began to crawl out, multiple burning hands grabbed him and started to pull him back into the hole. The hands burned his flesh as he was barely hanging on to the edge. The man looked up and saw that figure standing over top of him; it would be the last thing he would see on this earth. The cold, bloodied blade swept down and amputated the man's hands, and was completely engulfed by the fire that came through the gap. The murderer then closed his hand again and the closing of the hole followed.
This dark figure or 'murderer' was the infamous Death or the Grim Reaper as some would call him; the Devil's puppet or the Shadow of Death. This Reaper was once human though, Tim Wakes was his name, but human was not the best way to describe him. He was a ruthless serial killer who killed all who dwelled in his home. He destroyed his father, ripped his mother's head off, blew apart his brother, and mutilated his sister; soon after he was taken to an asylum where he would spend the rest of his life. But one night, Death came to him with an important message, "Lucifer needs a new Reaper". Frightened but obedient, Tim followed Death into the depths of hell and stood before Satan himself. The Devil did just as Death said and transformed him into his new Reaper. Tim proved to be an effective Reaper; taking on a guardian angel with barely any experienced and managed to survive. After a year of this 'occupation', Lucifer sent him back to fight that same guardian, but this time with help. He sent Semiazas, the demon of war, to assist him. He was of great help and detained the guardian while Tim took the soul of who the angel was guarding. When all was over and done with, Semiazas, who was the most powerful being in hell next to Lucifer, promised to teach Tim all that he knew.
Decades upon decades have passed since that day; eighty years to be exact. I was now a well experienced Reaper. I had learned quicker than the previous Reaper because of Semiazas's training. Along the way, Satan granted me great powers. One thing that did not change, of course, was my Devil's scythe: my signature weapon of destruction. Through all the bodies and bones that it tore through, it did not once dull. Lucifer told me that it would remain sharp for all eternity and would feed on all the souls that it came in contact with, therefore, making it stronger with each mortal I slew. And now I had two more souls to deliver to my master.
"You're doing quite well Death. Not even the last Reaper was as efficient as you are." Lucifer complemented me. "You are greatly pleasing me. I also see that you're taking a liking to that new power I gave you." "You mean the hell-quake?" "Wait, you're naming them?" "Well it's easier than saying the power that splits the earth open and pulls down anything in its path." "I suppose that's true, but it is your power and you can do with it as you please." "How did it go Death?" Semiazas said as he approached from behind. "Did you use the hell-quake?" "Both of you are calling it that now?" Satan said. "Why not? It makes sense and has a nice ring to it." Semiazas responded. "Yes I did use it and it was highly effective, I will remember it for the future." "Good, now come, back to training; I still have a lot to teach you." I followed Semiazas to the makeshift arena that he created centuries ago from the spikes protruding from the ground. "I am going to teach you a valuable technique that you should only need to use against a guardian. It is disarming your target, although it will be difficult to teach you while you use the Devil's scythe." "I am still willing to learn Semiazas, continue with the lesson." "Very well, as you saw before, my axe is specially designed to disarm my opponent. You see these gaps? They are just large enough to fit a sword through. I use that to my advantage and, with a little force, can remove a weapon from my enemy. But you, however, wield a scythe; you are both difficult to disarm and do the disarming to someone. Try this." He showed me an option as to how I could take the weapon from my opponent. He demonstrated by flipping the scythe upside down and using the edge and curve of the blade to get behind my opponents arms and pull forward, leaving my opponents weapon to fly from his hands and land towards myself. He returned my scythe to me and, with practice, performed the move flawlessly. "You learn very quickly; I am rather impressed by your progress. Go to Lucifer and when you return from your next assignment we shall have a duel. You and me, all out, no mercy, but not one to the death of course. What do you say Death? Apply all that you've learned to the one that taught you it all." "I think it would be enjoyable, I'll be sure to return soon." "Remember Death; show no mercy on the condemned!" Semiazas said as I walked away, eager to quickly return for our duel.
"Master, you have a new assignment I hear." "Yes Death, but it's a challenge. I'm sending you after another guardian, but this time you're going alone; see if all that training was really worth it. If you fail to release that mortals spirit than don't expect a great return. If you fail then it shall be me that you will duel, not Semiazas." "It will not have to come to that master." "You better hope it doesn't." With Satan's threat in mind, I immediately departed for the surface. All I knew is that when I did return, whether or not I failed; I would have and all out duel, no mercy.