《The Fallen Magus》
Prologue: Rebellion Part 1
A middle aged man dressed in robes walked briskly up a large and elegantly decorated corridor, lit with bright blue torches feuled by mana, revealing his snow white hair. Two men in similar attire accompanied him, walking beside him with apparent impatience and eagerness. Each man wore elaborate robes with brilliant colours, made of the finest materials. Ranging from the first man''s snow white robe which was lined with blue, to the other two''s darker coloured robes of dark red lines with gold and purple lined with blood red, each robe bearing a symbol on the back representing the respective kingdoms that they hailed from.
Cold wind blew through the massive windows lining the corridor walls, as if it were an omen of what was to come. A large set of stone gates were at the end of the corridor, with carvings of epic battles and beasts of awesome strength. Two guards were standing side by side before the gates and upon seeing the three approaching figures, immediately sprung to action, blue energy appearing in their palms as they prepared to fire lethal spells.
Before the guards could finish, however, they were both incased in blocks of ice which appeared to have come out of nowhere. "Fools. As if they''d even land a single scratch on us." The white robed man said with disdain. "Do not let your guard down, Nexal. We''re dealing with ''him'', after all. Saving mana is critical is we are to succeed." The old man in red robes cautioned. "Of course I know that." The white robed man snapped back. "I only spent a negligible amount on those weaklings. Do you take me for a fool?"
The man in red robes sighed, but didn''t reply. Upon reaching the gates, the white robed man pressed his palm against the gates, mana surging through the massive gates as he opened them. As gates required mana to open, he had no choice but to use mana.
Opening slowly with a loud creak, the gates only served to build up suspense and the once eager and impatient men became apprehensive. Beyond these gates laid their target. However, their target was the King of Mages, a man who had previously defeated all the most powerful mages in order to earn his place on the throne. A man who had defeated all three of them with ease.
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Once the gates had opened all the way, it revealed a large room with no torches or any other artificial light source. With only the light of the full moon shining through the windows to reveal it''s golden decorations, trophies, and the magnificent yet ominous throne made of mana stones and decorated with emeralds and rubies, it was still a sight to behold.
On the throne sat a man with robes more elababorately decorated than all of the three mens'' robes combined. It was a dark green with dark purple lining and a black belt from which hung various bottles filled with strange liquids. The robes were decorated with black and gold serpents coiling themselves around the robe''s sleeves and two silver cobras poised to strike on the back.
While the robe''s hood was low, it could do nothing to conceal the piercing golden slit eyes of the man atop the throne, looking down upon the three guests condescendingly with cold indifference.
"Nexal, Ignis, Malum." A deep voice echoed through the throne room, as if they were spoken by some divine being. "It would appear that you''ve decided to rebel against your rightful ruler. Pray tell, what could you possibly do against me with your pitiful strength?" The King said mockingly, as if the three who stood before him, known to be the three strongest mages in the world, second only to him, were nothing more than ants.
Nexal glared at the King, his icy blue eyes burning with utter contempt as he spat out his words as if every word he spoke to this man were a stab wound. "Arrogant scum. You''re nothing more than a tyrant; a man addicted to his own power. On this night, your reign shall end." The men beside him seemed to have gained newfound confidence upon hearing his words.
"Hmph. Done with your little speech?" The King said in his trademark condescending way before rising from his seat. He leaped down from the steps leading up to the throne, landing without a sound on the hard marble floor. "Then let us begin."
Prologue: Rebellion Part 2
The King immediately cast his signature poison magic. Green, serpentine shapes appeared out of thin air before him, hissing at the three men as if they couldn''t wait to sink their fangs into them.
Immediately, the snakes shot forth, only to be incinerated by a wave of fire.
Two flames covered Ignis'' hands, though they did not burn him. "Do not assume that we''ve been sitting around doing nothing for all these years, Miragus." Ignis said.
Miragus merely grunted, before mocking the old mage. "Training so hard that you couldn''t even find time to shave your beard?" He shot a massive green wave of magical poison, before summoning another set of serpent-like projectiles.
A massive wall of ice was quickly erected from the ground, blocking the wave and preventing it from reaching it''s targets. This caused Miragus to narrow his eyes. "How troublesome. To think you''ve all become so powerful. It would appear that I must use my full power."
Poison mist surrounded Miragus as if it were his aura, and began to spread throughout the room. Countless serpents of massive size immediately began homing in on the three mages, barely getting repelled by Ignis and Nexal''s combined efforts.
One serpent managed to get through, overcoming Ignis'' flames, and ''bit'' his left leg, dissipating afterwards. His leg quickly turned into a repulsive yellow, starting from the area the serpent made contact with, and began to transform into pure mana. Ignis fell over screaming as his body was turned into mana for Miragus to use, before dying mere seconds later due to the shock.
As Miragus was absorbing the mana, however, he noticed that his mana pool was nigh empty. He hadn''t spent more than a 20th of his entire mana pool, and yet it was already depleted. His eyes widened in surprise as the source of his power was almost nil.
A chuckle escaped from the third mage known as Malum. He looked at Miragus as if to say "Surprised?" A satisfied look was on his pale face as he noticed Miragus'' temporary speechlessness. Fitting payback for the man who cut off his tongue.
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The mana gained from Ignis would not be enough to last the entire fight, nor could Miragus cast anything with enough power to break through Nexal''s defenses.
"Defense was never your strong suit, was it, snake?" Nexal spoke rhetorically. Countless spears of ice floated in the air above him. He took one last glance at the crumpled heap of red robes; the last remnant of the fire mage Ignis, with disgust, before firing his icy javelins at Miragus. Anyone who would resort to using such disgusting methods to regain mana should not be allowed to live.
Miragus nimbly dodged the first two icicles that came his way, but failed to avoid the third, which pierced through his left thigh before digging into the hard marble tiles, leaving him stuck where he was. It was almost as if fate itself was carrying out his punishment.
Five more javelins of ice pierced through Miragus'' body, spraying the floors with blood. "You... Cannot kill... Me." He spoke with great difficulty due to his wounds. "I... Am immortal. No matter how many times-" He coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth. "No matter how many times you slay me, I shall reincarnate... And return."
Nexal and Malum were unimpressed, as if they were expecting this. "That is where you are wrong. Your soul may be immortal. However, no longer shall it defile this world with it''s presence." Nexal said matter-of-factly. "Malum, you may do the honours."
Malum grinned as he walked towards the fallen King, taking out an ominous black dagger with ancient runes engraved on it''s blade. Once he was within arm''s reach of Miragus, he raised the dagger high in the air, before bringing it down onto his chest, piercing his heart.
A purple light shined from the wound, and Miragus'' vision faded into darkness. Before his body died, he could''ve sworn he heard Malum speak. "Farewell, your majesty, and may you suffer a fate worse than death."
Chapter 1: Reincarnation
Darkness. The feeling of floating through the void without bounds or laws. These were all very familiar to Miragus who had died and reincarnated thirty-seven times. You would''ve thought he''d learned by now, but when you''re truly immortal, some carelessness is only to be expected. That wasn''t to say he didn''t try, however, as he lost a portion of his power after every death. A minuscule amount, but it was hard earned strength lost nonetheless.
''I was careless.'' His thoughts echoed through the boundless void. ''To think I would die from my own pride and arrogance... The same emotion I used against my foes time and time again. How ironic.''
The disembodied voice let out a deep sigh. ''Had I noticed that Malum had been draining my mana... No matter. I shall simply reincarnate once more, and I shall torture those fools for decades to come.''
The familiar tug on his soul alerted him that his rebirth would take place shortly. It would be an honour for the family that provides the vessel for his soul. They would certainly feel cursed blessed to have assisted the great King of Mages in punishing the heroes rebel scum.
''Hmph... No longer shall I defile this world with my presence? What utter nonsense.''
Rays of light pierce through the endless void, filling Miragus'' sight with a blinding light. His soul was pulled towards the source of the light; upon reaching it, the light faded, and darkness reigned once more.
--
A fair skinned man in regal attire stood by his wife on the bed as she gave birth to his child. His name was Valerius Dei Sidus. He was the King of the Lux kingdom, and today was the day that his first child would be born.
The royal mages had claimed the child would be a boy. Not only that, but they sensed mana from him. An heir with the rare gift to use magic... Only one in a hundred thousand were born with mana. The goddess of fortune was certainly on his side.
The maid beside his wife gently picked up the baby after he was given one final push to enter this world. However, no sound escaped from the child''s lips and the maid frowned, a concerned look on her face as she turned to the king and queen.
"Your majesty... The boy''s eyes are..." She trailed off as she presented the boy to his parents. Piercing golden eyes, with slits for pupils, calmly observing the king and queen. As the boy opened it''s mouth, almost as if to speak, sharp fangs could be seen.
Valerius'' face paled, the child''s silence only serving to make him more anxious. "What... Is this?" Did his wife give birth to a monster?
"Summon the royal mages. Now." He ordered the maid, who obediently nodded and hurried out of the room to carry out her task. He turned to face his wife, who was looking at him with fear and concern in her deep blue eyes. "What''s wrong with our boy?" She asked him. "It''s fine, Elisa." Valerius reassured her. "I''m sure the mages can handle this." But just the slightest hint of doubt creeped into his voice as he looked at his son once more.
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''I''m sure the mages can handle this...'' Valerius repeated in his head like a mantra.
The maid returned shortly with a group of five people composed of three men and two women. They were dressed in white robes with golden insignias on their shoulders, and each carried their own respective staffs. They were the famed royal mages of the Lux kingdom, who served as personal guards for the Dei Sidus family.
A grey haired old man stepped forward and bowed his head in respect. "What appears to be the problem, your majesty?" He questioned the king. Valerius picked up his son, and handed him over to the old mage. "My son... There''s something wrong with my son."
The old mage frowned as he noticed the boy''s eyes. He narrowed his eyes as he inspected the boy, taking note of the sharp fangs and peculiar eyes. As he tried to investigate further by using his mana on the boy, he found that he couldn''t. For whatever reason, it kept getting blocked by something. It was then that he realised that the child was subconsciously blocking his attempts to use mana on him.
"Your majesty... I believe your son may be afflicted with the Devil''s Curse. The eyes and teeth are both known symptoms of the Devil''s Curse. While he shows great talent in magic, I''m afraid that..." The old man paused, hesitating for a bit before finishing his sentence. "That your son may not have much longer to live."
Both Valerius and Elisa paled upon hearing the mage''s words. The Devil''s Curse, also known as Demonification, is a disease famous for the demon-like traits those afflicted would gain. It was almost always fatal, and those who survived who be in constant pain.
"Th-there must be a cure... There must!" Valerius shouted. "You''re mages aren''t you? Use your magic and cure him!" He shouted at the royal mages in desperation. Just when he thought luck was on his side, all of his hopes were dashed in an instant.
The old man looked upon Valerius with sadness and pity, for in his life, he had witnessed the fates of those who had the Devil''s Curse. "I''m afraid magic isn''t that simple, your majesty. If there was a way to cure your son, we would''ve done so already. The Devil''s Curse is incurable."
Valerius slumped to the ground, while Elisa covered her mouth as she wept. Thus the Mage King Miragus was reincarnated once more. Ignorance is not always bliss, but some things are better left in the dark.
Chapter 2: Fallen Star
Immortality, something which has been sought after by nearly every mortal being in the entire multiverse. Never ageing, never dying, no longer bound by life span like mortals.
Yet rarely, if ever, can something obtain ''true'' immortality: immortality of the soul. It matters not how powerful your vessel is; the husk which shelters your soul. But how great your soul is, the very source of your life.
True immortals never die. Their ''deaths'' are merely the expiration of their vessels. As a hermit crab must find a new shell once theirs is lost, so too must an immortal''s soul find a new body to shelter them.
Whereas those who possess immortal bodies are merely mice who have found a hole to hide in. Granted, a nigh indestructible one, but still no more than shelter. The mice within can still die, and so can an immortal who only possesses and immortal body. Should their souls be damaged or destroyed, their bodies will be nothing more than empty shells; abandoned houses left to rot till they''re buried deep beneath Gaia''s flesh.
The requirements to become a true immortal differs in every world. However, in the Magus Realm, the world Miragus hailed from, one must reach a certain level of power, or they must absorb the mana of ten thousand mages after converting their bodies into pure mana.
Miragus had chosen the latter option, and ten thousand less mages occupied the Magus a Realm.
Evil, ruthless, cold blooded, cunning; these were only a few of the words used to describe the man known as the King of Mages.
And yet, this very same man found himself in the body of an infant, being rocked back and forth in his mother''s arms as she spent what she believed would be the last day with her first born child.
''My power has been sealed...'' Miragus contemplated inside his head as he tried to investigate the cause of his lack of strength. It had been three months since his reincarnation, and yet he had made no progress whatsoever. ''It must''ve been the dagger Malum used.'' He concluded.
If he had his original strength, perhaps he would''ve ripped his mother''s arms off to stop her from rocking him and thus, disturbing his thoughts. However, he was unfortunately (or fortunately, from his mother''s perspective) unable to do anything about it.
''The seal is only temporary, however it will take ten years to wear off. That sly old mute.'' Miragus cursed Malum in his head. Ten years was nothing for an immortal. Still, too many things could change in a mere ten years, and he could not allow Nexal and Malum to stay in the realm of the living any longer. A slow, painful death by poison was what he had in mind for these rebels.
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--
Queen Elisa sat on a cushioned mahogany chair, rocking her baby to sleep for what would be the last time in the three months that her son was expected to live for. Valerius, her husband, sat on an identical chair just across from her. His green eyes were bloodshot, and his golden hair showed signs of being pulled.
Elisa was not in a better state. Dark bags were visible under her dark blue eyes; evidence that she had spent day and night on her son, and her raven black hair was disheveled.
This would be the last day that their son would spend with them in the realm of the living. The mood was solemn, and even the flora of their private garden seemed to respect this; the flowers had all lowered their heads in what seemed to be silent mourning for the cursed boy''s short life.
The couple sat in grim silence as they awaited the moment of their son''s passing into the afterlife. Yet it never came. Had the mages erred in predicting the day of their son''s passing?
Even after three months, their son showed no signs of illness or pain, despite having been diagnosed with the Devil''s Curse. On the contrary, he was perfectly healthy, even more so than most children.
Hope. Perhaps the royal mages had made a mistake. The eyes and teeth may be nothing more than a deformity. It would be hard for their son to live peacefully in this world with such traits, but they didn''t care so long as he survived.
And survive he did. In the five months following, their son merely grew up like a normal, healthy boy, and the mages were left in confusion.
Two more names were added to the indeterminable list of names the King of Mages possessed in that time: Demon Prince, and...
"Sirius. For he is our brightest star." Elisa named her son. Sirius meant "Bright Star" in their tongue, and it was the name of Luxian ancient hero.
Valerius nodded in agreement. He was their brightest star indeed. A star that they believed would fade away, but returned when they least expected it, shining it''s brilliant light onto the world below.
Sirius... A name most unfit for the killer of thousands, a man who has fallen into the darkest pits of the abyss. And yet, also so fitting. Like how a star shines in the endless void of night, so too does Miragus, King of Mages, shine in the abyss into which he has fallen.
Chapter 3: Revelation
A young boy, no more than five years of age, sat in a massive library with books lining every shelf; this was the private library of the Dei Sidus family. It was a place that only those of the royal family itself or the royal mages had the privilege to access.
This boy was Sirius Dei Sidus, the ''Demon Prince'', and was a mute with some peculiar deformities. Or at least, that''s what everybody thought.
Every true immortal possessed several unique and distinct traits that would be inherited by their vessels, whether they liked it or not. For Miragus, it was his eyes and teeth, which have earned him many names, both good and bad.
Miragus - or Sirius, as he was now called, - was now finally free from from the supervision of his current parents, and thus, able to whatever he liked. Due to the seal, he lacked the power to go against them.
He was believed to be mute, so they had to ''teach'' him how to read and write from a very young age. Though in reality, it was just Miragus being forced to do things he already knew how to do.
The reason for his lack of speech was because he wished to stay low. A mute and disabled child is the last thing the rebels would suspect him to be, and the rebels would definitely try to find subdue him.
Five years. Five years had passed since his reincarnation, during which Miragus had tried everything he possibly could to break the seal before the time limit. He was almost certain that Nexal and Malum were plotting something. The ten year seal was merely there to buy time in order for them to prepare.
Miragus had no intention of idling and waiting like a sitting duck while the rebels prepared. He needed to know where he was now in order to find his way back to Caelum, the kingdom which he ruled.
After hours of thorough searching, he had finally managed to get his hands on a world map. As far as he could remember, there were three continents divided by the sea. Since the people here spoke the same language that was spoken in Arafis, the northern continent, it would mean he was very close to Caelum.
He had learned that he was currently in the kingdom called Lux. He had assumed that it was an insignificant kingdom because he had never heard of it before, but much to his surprise, it encompassed at least one third of the continent it was on. Which leads to the next problem; there were not three continents, but five. Each one was vastly different from any of the continents he knew.
It was then that the words of Nexal struck him: ''Your soul may be immortal. However, no longer shall it defile this world with it''s presence.''
''No...'' Miragus stared down the map with disbelief, as if he were expecting it to shift and change to the world he knew. "No... This is preposterous!" A deep, intimidating voice rang through the library as the anger which was released from his soul affected his vessel.
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Fortunately, there was no one else in the library, and it''s walls were thick enough to render his voice nigh silent to those outside. Calming down a little, Miragus attempted to calmly assess his situation in order to handle this dilemma.
''Only dimensional magic is capable of such feats and even then, sending an immortal to another realm is only possible for the most powerful of mages.''
As he ran over the possibilities and hypothesised in his head, he remembered the dagger Malum had used to kill his former vessel. A dagger as black as the night, engraved with runes; the mysterious purple light it emitted upon striking his heart. It was one of the legendary artifacts crafted by the ancients. Beings that possessed great magical power who were exterminated by ''lesser'' immortals (those who merely had immortal bodies) who were, in turn, also exterminated after having served their purpose.
The pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. The lack of mages aside from the five ''Royal Mages'', why such weak and inept mages were treated like elites, the lack of any mention of the King of Mages.
However, all was not lost. There was a whole new world out there for him to explore, five whole continents in fact, and plenty of new things to learn. Even if he felt anger from being unable to return to his world, he had the opportunity to gain the knowledge and powers of another world. A Mage valued knowledge and power above all else.
''I only have one regret...'' Miragus thought as he read the map and it''s contents with further detail. ''It is that I can no longer use my favourite poison on those rebels: the Eternal''s Torment. They would be screaming, begging for me to end their worthless lives, while their minds bent and broke from the indescribable pain that would continue till they died of old age.''
He showed no mercy to his enemies, nor did he ever forgive them. Quick to punish, never to spare. Such were the ways of the King of Mages.[/font][/size][/color]
Thus, having learned that he had been sent to another world, he set off with a new goal in mind.
"I shall bring a storm like no other to this world. Poison rain shall fall from the skies, and darkness shall spread it''s wings across the skies, blotting out the sun. Like a raging tempest, I shall lay waste to these lands. I shall become the scourge of this realm, but also it''s sovereign."
Chapter 4: Omen
Miragus sat alone in his room, gazing at the night sky from his bed. A look of clear irritation was plastered on his face. His mother, Elisa, doted on him every day as if it were the last. The only exceptions were when he went to the library or studied.
She was certainly beautiful; enough to cause wars for her hand in marriage. However, he cared not for women, nor did he care for riches. True immortals only cared about power and knowledge. To be able to learn without the limits of mortals was nothing short of a blessing.
With his mother constantly looking over his shoulder, it was nigh impossible to study as much as he''d like to (which, might I add, is all day long). He did, however, learn many things about this world in the five years since his birth. Especially about the various types of poison and venom.
Ranging from the paralysing venom of the Petra Snakes from the southern caves, to the hallucinogenic poison spores released by the plants in the Forest of Dreams, he had read and memorised as much as he could.
With his powers unsealed, a single touch could kill an ordinary man. A single breath could drop several men at once, leaving them unrecognisable from the effects of his poison. With a single bite, even Titans could fall.
Unfortunately, with his powers sealed, he was forced to use different methods. Or at least, he would be forced to use different methods if he ever got his hands on anything even the slightest bit harmful.
Weapons were always out of his reach. The only times he saw any weapons at all was when he was being accompanied by bodyguards.
He always loved to torture the children of such overprotective parents before their eyes as punishment for crimes, yet never had he thought of the suffering they must already be going through. Not only that, but his mother also insisted on personally feeding him and having his ''favourite'' meals prepared.
True immortals did not need food or drink to sustain their bodies. Anything they ate or drank was converted into pure mana, which they would then absorb, allowing their vessels to grow stronger. They could choose to absorb the mana in the world around them, however it is much more tedious to do.
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This was why true immortals tended to eat practically everything in order to strengthen their vessels. Their power was carried over from vessel to vessel due to their soul, so the stronger their vessels are, the more powerful they will become.
Miragus did not, however, enjoy eating or drinking. He considered it to be a very monotonous and pointless task. Something only mortals would do. Instead he preferred to absorb the mana from his surroundings, keeping him replenished at all times and increasing his vessel''s strength every second.
After five years of absorbing mana into his vessel, he had become strong enough to rival the best warriors in physical prowess. Barely enough to keep up with any skilled Mage from his former world.
Mages from the Magus Realm were not fragile old men who did nothing but study. Knowledge and power. With knowledge, you could obtain more power. And with power, you could obtain more knowledge. Increasing your physical strength decreased the toll of casting more powerful spells and increased your mana pool.
Thus, powerful mages from the Magus Realm could crush proud warriors with a flick of their hands.
Miragus was not stupid, though. He was certainly arrogant, but he would not let his arrogance get to him in a serious situation... At least, not all the time. While the people of this world appeared to be far weaker, he was still too weak.
He got up from his bed and approached the window with a frown. A cold wind was blowing, as if it were an omen of what was to come.
A snake hides in the grass, observing it''s prey. Only when the time is right will it strike. A rose, on the other hand, flaunts it''s beauty and fragrance, hiding it''s vicious thorns beneath the facade of beauty and serenity. Miragus would have to play the role of both the snake and the rose well until the day his seal breaks.
But like the prey it hunts, the snake has it''s own predators. Ones that will strike when the serpentine stalker is at it''s weakest. Without realising the snake is just as poisonous as it is venomous, they went in for a bite.
Chapter 5: Infiltration
"Flawed gems must be cut, flawed subjects must be cut down." -Miragus
--
A man in exquisite red robes with white sunbursts paced back and forth in a luxurious room, filled to the brim with golden decorations. His impatience and anger would only be missed by a fool. This man was Valdus Dei Sidus, the younger brother of Valerius Dei Sidus.
Like his brother, he had golden hair, but his eyes were blue instead of green. Despite the thick and extravagant robes he wore, his muscular build could still be seen underneath. He was built like a warrior, and the scar running diagonally down his face was a testament to the wars and battles he had fought.
Not more than an hour ago, he had given a small parchment with a layout of the castle to a team of incredibly skilled assassins. They were to infiltrate the castle and assassinate Valerius and his mute son, after which they would be rewarded generously.
While he was forced to pay a large sum of gold as advance payment, it was worth it. He would sooner sell his soul to Faal than let the object of his hatred live for another day.
''That fool has decided to name a mute as his heir. Not only that, but he even goes as far as to claim that his son has the potential to use magic.'' Valdus'' frown deepened and he began to gnash his teeth in frustration.
Despite his friendly and charismatic outward appearance, Valdus had always despised his ''older'' brother. He was born a mere forty minutes after his brother, a negligible amount.
While he was often believed to be more suitable to inherit the throne and was far more experienced than Valerius, his inferior brother was still chosen to inherit the throne.
Many times had he tried to remove his sibling via the use of assassins. Yet that na?ve, stupid, peace-loving fool with no ambitions to speak of had managed to survive each and every attempt on his life.
''Without first witnessing the horrors of war, we cannot prepare for far greater dangers that may one day approach us. Without experienced veterans, our military will stagnate and become weaker as a whole.''
Cold wind blew through the window of his room, interrupting his train of thought. A shiver ran up his spine. ''Must be the cold...'' He thought, as he resumed his pacing.
--
Six figures in dark attire dashed silently through the castle, somehow managing to remain unseen by any guards or servants that crossed their path.
They were the group of assassins known as the Reaper''s Shadow. Like the reaper himself, once you entered their hit list, your death was imminent.
Rumoured to be demons of the darkest depths of the abyss who consumed the hearts of their victims and devoured babies and children alive, they were often used to scare little children.
They were perhaps most famous for the assassination of Emperor Hydrus of the Anguis Empire. Those who didn''t know about this famous group of six were few and far between.
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But as with all things, appearances can be deceiving. While they were believed to be heartless demons who killed without remorse, they were anything but heartless.
A poor child, starving on the street, would willingly steal from others to survive, but not without feeling a tinge of guilt. Similarly, the members of the Reaper''s Hand kill for a living, but not without remorse for their actions.
The six figures stopped before a sturdy door with an elaborate lock. It was the room of Sirius Dei Sidus, the five year old son of Valerius Dei Sidus, and the prince of Lux.
While the lock was difficult to pick, they had no other options as the windows had powerful magical barriers which nullified attacks and blocked intruders from entering. They were capable of breaking through most magical barriers, however these were made by the renowned Royal Mages of Lux.
One of the figures revealed themselves to be a woman, who promptly began to pick the door''s elaborate lock after taking out two pins from her pockets. After a few minutes, the door was unlocked with a satisfying click.
"Do we really have to this? He''s just a child." One of the figures asked, the feminine voice indicating their gender. "The reward is enough for us to settle down and live peacefully for our entire lives." A man replied.
"Besides, I bet he''s just another spoiled brat like every other kid born into a royal family. So full of themselves, and ignorant to the suffering of others." The man spoke the last sentence with clear hatred in his voice. A type of hatred that the poor child on the street knew well.
Topaz is right, Sapphire." Another man spoke in agreement. "We''ve done this so many times before. We should be used to this by now." The man said, but it was clear that they were not, nor will they ever become used to the feeling of taking a life.
The woman named Sapphire sighed, before crossing her arms. "You know I don''t like killing children." She said, clearly stating that she didn''t want to be the one to perform the act.
A third man stepped forward, taking out a razor sharp dagger made of Wind Steel, a nearly weightless yet durable material, popular among assassins and light fighters alike. "I''ll handle this one then." He said, his deep voice indicating that he was the oldest of the lot.
The others stepped back to let their eldest sibling do the dirty work. The man gently pushed the door open with he free hand, walking in with the silence of a cat.
Strangely, the bed was unoccupied, contrary to what their client had told them. He carefully scanned the room, but saw nothing. ''Perhaps the prince snuck out?'' He thought after having examined the room. ''No, that''s unlikely.''
However, it was not as unlikely as what happened next. The snake hides among the grass and fallen leaves until an unsuspecting wanderer places their foot too close. Then, it strikes.
A Storys End
I am dropping this story as I believe that the chapters were a bit rushed, leaving chapters shorter than they should''ve been. Like I said, this is my first story so I was a bit too excited about writing new chapters.
The character, Miragus, is a bit too indifferent and evil. A mistake on my part as it won''t allow him to make any significant interactions and developments with other characters. The reason for his cruelty is because he is based off the final bosses of video games. I''ve always wondered what it''s like from their perspective.
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However, I do intend to write another story. Preferably with a bit more planning, care, and longer chapter lengths.
Thanks for taking time to read this.