REAPER: The Young God

Chapter Three

In the centre of Tykonia were portals leading to other major cities in other realms and more importantly, to the Citadel. Tylinn escorted Royce who was being held by the two other reapers.
He was everything he said he'd be. She thought to herself.
As they stepped through the portal they entered the Citadel. The citadel of reapers had an ominous and foreboding appearance. The citadel was situated on a bleak and barren hilltop, surrounded by a dark and misty forest. The walls were made of dark stone, rising high into the sky, and adorned with intricate carvings depicting death and destruction. The gates were made of black iron, constantly guarded by hooded figures wielding scythes. Within the citadel, the halls were dimly lit and filled with the sounds of creaking floorboards and whispers in the shadows. There was a massive building that was filled with shelves upon shelves of ancient tomes, detailing the history and duties of the reapers - as well as of angels and demons. At the heart of the citadel was a throne room, where the Grim Reaper and the captains sat and dispatched reapers on their missions. Overall, the citadel evoked a feeling of dread and fear in those who approached it, befitting the ominous nature of its inhabitants. Reapers were all around going about their lives, some were on a day off.
As Tylinn and her escorted party showed up, they were greeted by other reapers in golden cloaks. The First Division.
"Contact Trent to arrange a cell for this criminal," Tylinn ordered.
"Acolyte, ma'am, Captain Trent has not yet returned from his quest." One of her division members replied.
"What? Well where is he?" she asked.

Far away in the eighth realm is a canyon in a wasteland which is barren and desolate, with towering cliffs of red sandstone and other barren rock formations. No vegetation or greenery can be seen, with only fine, dry dust covering the ground. The sky remains a constant pearly hue from the bright full moon, illuminating the desolate landscape and casting deep shadows in the valleys. The air is dry and still, with only the occasional gust of wind blowing the dust around. The silence is broken only by the occasional sound of a rock falling, echoing through the canyon. A group of reapers surrounded a giant shard that was covered by a tarp, with its edges peaking out. Beside them, a few of the reapers were digging a hole big enough to bury the gigantic gem.
"Remind me again why we can't just blast the ground open?" one of the reapers asked.
"We can't make it obvious as to what we're doing here. Besides, we may risk destroying the shard."
"Then why didn't we bring a weaver? This is going to take forever."

From amidst the rocky formations, a snake slithered its way out, its movements unnoticed by the reapers stationed on guard duty in the canyon. The snake swiftly descended into the ground like it was made of water. It slinked its way over to the giant shard that lay buried in the earth and touched it with its head. The shard began to glow and the souls who had been busy digging around it soon took notice, calling out to others to witness the phenomenon.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently, causing the reapers to lose their footing. Before they could even react, a thick, massive snake coiled itself around them, trapping them in its deadly grip. As they struggled to break free, the snake's head rose up from the ground and locked eyes with each of the reapers, leaving them paralyzed with fear. It hissed menacingly and then, with a gaping mouth, spat out a toxic liquid that started to burn away at their insides, reducing their bodies to nothing but essence. As the reapers screamed in agony, the snake shimmered with a bright light and transformed into a man, dressed in a captain's cloak from the Citadel, with a snake-carved staff in his hand. The essence that remained of the reapers flowed into the staff.
"That was hardly subtle, Cap!" remarked a fiery red salamander nearby, who soon took on the form of a woman with fiery red hair, wearing the cloak of an acolyte, adorned with five black stripes on either sleeve. It was a clear indication that she belonged to the Fifth Division.
"Subtlety is no longer needed, my dear," replied the man, shrugging off her comment. "We have what we came for, and now we must return it to Ogmios."
"I despise being a Tykonion's lapdog," retorted the woman, spitting on the ground in disgust.
"Robyn, we are bound to the royals. It's not a choice we get to make, but it gives us purpose," the man explained.
"Ah, Captain Trent, the undying loyal reaper," she said, admiration evident in her voice.

Just then, a messenger reaper from the Citadel appeared, summoning the captain and acolyte back to the Citadel. Trent was determined to finish his quest, but he reluctantly followed the order, instructing someone to dig out the shard and deliver it to his quarters.

As they vanished in the blink of an eye, the messenger reaper informed them of a surprise return by Acolyte Tylinn, who had brought with her a prisoner named Royce, a member of the infamous Bludniv guild. Both Trent and Robyn were surprised to hear this and shared a knowing grin. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Trent remained determined to complete his mission and return the shard to Ogmios, no matter the cost.