Children of the Four: Book 1: Grim, a Child of Death

Chapter III

Grim had awaken to see Sorrow flying above him. He sat up noticing he was on land when he dug his fingers into the sand. He rose to his feet and called Sorrow down. The ghostly raven swooped down and perched on Grim's shoulder.
He remembered Dread vanishing in fear the last time he saw him, but he knew his trusted steed would not abandon him. He grabbed the air from between his feet and swung his arm straight upwards. Dread appeared in a fiery blue aura under Grim and the air he grabbed turned into the horse's reins. He reared back happy to see his master alive and they rode off.
As Dread walked through the jungle part of the island, Grim checked to see if his scythe was still with him. The skull on his belt that could change into his scythe was still clipped on which he let out a sigh of relief.
He moved his hand to his chest and the cut his possessed sibling made into his heart was completely sealed leaving a huge scar.
He glanced up to see where they were heading. He saw some stones stacked onto one another with ancient carvings on them, each and every tree had holes with a shiny emeralds in them, and on the ground were a bunch of different weapons of all kinds piled everywhere.
Suddenly, the sounds of grunting, shrieking and crashes were coming from somewhere not too far ahead of them. Grim held tightly onto the reins as he told Dread to speed up. They quickly reached the area where the noises were coming from and saw a big, rock creature swinging a massive hammer at a few bird women, known as Crow Harpies. They had oily black feathers, long bird legs that resembled a stork, an exposed chest with fairly large breasts, and a bird-like skull over their faces.
Grim stood up on Dread as he galloped forward and lunged at one of the crow harpies. He grabbed both of her wings and ripped them clean off. The harpy fell to the ground and he landed on her head crushing both the skull she wore as well as her skull itself.
The second crow harpy swooped behind the rock giant attempting to scratch through it's stone skin. Grim grabbed his scythe and threw it at the harpy splitting her in two.
The third crow harpy the rock giant was struggling with flew away after witnessing her sisters be brutally murder by Grim.
She spun around and said, "soon, we will get what we wanted, rock man!" She turned back around and soared off.
"Yea you better fly away you oversized pest!" The rock giant said. He looked over him, noticing Grim standing there. "Ah, a child of Death. What has brought ye here outside of yer land?" He said in a surprised tone.
"I have been floating around, seeking for the Doors of Death," said Grim. "Now tell me, who are you and what is this place?"
"I am Mavrock, the last of the Hardstones, and this is Forgia, where all of creation's greatest weapons of destruction are forged and repaired," Mavrock said.
"So is that why you carry that massive hammer?" Questioned Grim.
"Aye, with one hit of me hammer, I can repair any item, and crush me enemies to dust. Ye wanna hold onto it?"
"No thanks," He said right after Mavrock spoke.
Mavrock placed his hammer on a steel workbench and said, "heh, you're the first person I know that didn't want to carry or steal me one thousand pound hammer."
"Well, that's because I'm not interested in your little play thing. Now, I must continue on my journey," said Grim as he was mounting on his horse. "Farewell," he continued to say.
Mavrock stopped him. "Wait!" He said, "I need yer help with something."
"Didn't I already help you with something?" Grim said sarcastically as he pointed to the two dead crow harpies.
"Aye, but this one is really important. The creation I made known as the Arminor had gone berserk. I was able to rip it's arm off before took me shield and-"
"you want me to retrieve your shield. Well to answer your question, no. I'm neither a gatherer nor a dog," he said interrupting Mavrock.
"How 'bout this then," said Mavrock, "ye give me the shield, and I give ye coordinates to someone who knows where the Doors of Death are located".
It took Grim a while to think about his offer until he said, "you're quite the bargainer my friend. Fine, I will get you your shield back if it will make you happy".
"Ye made a good decision, and here, take this with you," said Mavrock as he walked to a wooden desk and grabbed a revolver and tossed it to Grim.
He caught it in mid-air and examined it more closely. The gun had a skull biting onto the two barrels with a ragged blue cloth wrapping around the gun.
"She's a double barrelled revolver, I modified her me-self. Hope she's to yer liking. She won't help you against the Arminor but she'll definitely help ye along yer journey," Mavrock said impressed with his creation.
Grim moved his eyes off of the gun and stared at Mavrock, "how come you want me to destroy the Arminor instead of you doing it yourself?" He questioned.
Mavrock let out a sigh and said, "it, the shield, and me hammer are made of the same indestructible materials. I cannot destroy it even if I wanted to."
"Very well, I shall return with the shield. Or die trying," said Grim getting onto Dread, riding off.
Mavrock waved goodbye, "farewell child of Death!" He shouted.

Grim continued to check out the skull gun he named Bloody Maria while Sorrow was flying up ahead. Dread came to a halt when he spotted an automaton with one arm completely torn off.
Grim smiled behind his mask and said, "you must be the Arminor".
In a second, He bent his back backwards as the shield the Arminor threw soared over his head. He straightened himself as the shield ricochetted back only a few inches away from from him. The automaton grabbed the shield in the air and started chuckling.
"You think that's funny, do you?" Said Grim as he transformed the skull on his belt into his scythe, Death Eater, and continued, "I'll show you something you could laugh at".
He jumped off of Dread and dashed towards the Arminor. It placed the gigantic shield in front of itself and waited. Grim stood facing the shield and started slashing at it but it did not scratch or break.
"Hm.. Time to try out Bloody Maria," Grim said as he brought out the double barrelled revolver.
He backed away a bit from the shield and charged right at it. He jumped off the ground onto the shield and ran up it. At the top of the shield he flipped over it and pulled the trigger.
The gun spat out two flaming bullets at what now Grim realized to be nothing behind it. He landed on his feet and was still confused of how the Arminor disappeared.
Suddenly, he noticed that his shadow was strangely growing bigger. He rolled out of the way as the Arminor smashed into the ground.
The automaton was stuck in the big hole it had created.
"Now's my chance," said Grim.
He pointed Bloody Maria's double barrels at the Arminor's left shoulder and fired. Two flaming bullets shot out and exploded on contact.
Oil gushed all out of Arminor's shoulder and it's whole system shut down.
"Thought you'd be a lot tougher," Grim said.
He picked it up the large shield and mounted back on Dread, riding back to where Mavrock was.

Mavrock was repairing a holy cross-like sword when he spotted Grim, "ye returned, I'm sure that ye brought the shield," he said.
"Yep," said Grim as he chucked it to Mavrock. "Now, where are the coordinates to the one who knows the location of the Doors of Death".
"Here," Mavrock threw a map to Grim, "ye've earned it, comrade. Just to let ye know, ye should start looking in the United States," he said.
Grim looked disappointed and said, "but that's a long ways to go."
"Aye, but there is a teleportation device in Western Forgia connecting to the States. Alas, it is guarded by another one of me creations, but I know ye can handle it," Mavrock said repairing the sword.
"Thanks," said Grim.
He was about to walk away until he realized who that sword belonged to.
"That sword," he said, "that sword was cousin Chaos's Sacred Cross during the medieval era. Where did you get it?"
Mavrock pointed at one of the weapon piles, "I got it from over there, it's been in there for many generations," he said.
"May I please have it," pleaded Grim.
"Hang on there child of Death, just one more strike from me hammer and it be good as new," Mavrock said placing the sword onto a steel workbench.
He raised his hammer high into the air and as he hit the sword with it, gold sparks exploded from the impact.
He looked behind him staring at Grim, "it is finished," he said handing him the sword.
Grim held his cousin's sword in his hand, "Thank you, for the directions and my cousin's sword," he said.
He mounted onto Dread and Mavrock said, "not a problem, good luck on ye journey."
Grim nodded and rode away into the forest, searching for the teleportation device.