Unlikely Heroes-Draft 1

Chapter 1

A hooded figure knelt in the center of a vast and forgotten temple, broken statues of fish, frogs, and snakes overlooking the shattered azure tiles that once made the floor look like the deepest parts of the oceans. Lotus shaped pillars held up the crumbling roof as the figure coughed wretchedly, a spatter of shining golden fluid sprinkling the book they clutched.

A shaking hand reached out, though it was barely recognizable as a hand anymore. It was skeletal, the bones a deep black that reflected no light, but that dripped with more of the same golden blood. Carefully it wiped the spatter off of the crimson leathery cover, revealing a strange stain. It was black, vaguely looking like a capital D.

From a darkened corner of the temple, the shadows seemed to move of their own accord, coalescing and condensing until they took on the shape of a man. He wore a tunic style shirt and simple slacks, his long dreadlocks pulled back from his face. He rushed to the side of the kneeling figure, "Argus...Father!"

"Taluus...", the figure coughed again, "He was there...in the Akashic Record..."Taluus frowned, placing his hands on Argus's shaking shoulders, "You are hurt...""It's the rot...I do not have much time..."

"I will take you to the Shadow, you'll be safe there..."

Argus coughed again, but clutched onto the book tightly as Taluus guided him to his feet, "Has Amenta...made her choice?"

"She has Father, she fights Lucifer now for the rights to his soul."

"Good...good. Then the testing shall begin..."

"You have made your choice?"

"I have. If anyone is stubborn enough to resist our enemy, it is this one", Argus laughed weakly as his son guided him to the dark corner of the temple. They vanished a moment later, disappearing into the Realm of Shadow.

A man lay in the middle of a meadow, appearing for all the world to be dead if it weren't for a small wisp of blackened smoke that escaped his lips as he exhaled slowly. He began to stir, rubbing his eyes and rolling onto his side. He patted his hand behind him, "Hey Dollface let's go to that new chicken place downto-", he lifted his hand up and whirled around to look behind him, "Dollface?"

He realized that he had not been patting blankets, but instead had been touching long grass, and in fact he was not in his bed next to his lover, but was in fact alone, outdoors, in a small patch of long grass surrounded by tall trees. He stood up, looking around himself, his silver and black eyes darting wildly. He ran his fingers through his tousled black fauxhawk, "What the fuck? How the hell did-Where am I?". He looked down at himself, instead of being in his shorts and socks, he was fully clothed in his standard outfit: a red tshirt marked with a splattered black stain, black jeans, and heavy black boots.

He looked up at the sky, stroking his carefully trimmed beard, it was dark out, but clear enough to see the stars...but there was something else there that made him take several steps back. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, thinking that perhaps he was hallucinating, but when he opened his eyes again there they were, two moons, one massive and grey-white, the other smaller and bluish.