Don't Fear The Reaper

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Matthew looked below. They had spotted a nightmare and followed it. The mare had led them to a small Estonian town that was surrounded on all sides by a dense dark forest. The Reaper dipped closer to the tree tops trying to spot the nightmare.

The blond spotted a flicker of black reflecting the moonlight out of the corner of his eye. He grabbed onto a branch, but had too much momentum. He used his wings to slow down and dropped onto the branches below so he could see the forest floor. Jack, Sandy and Tooth landed next to him while North and Bunny circled overhead in the sleigh.

"See something?" Jack asked. Matthew nodded and pointed into the forest. Sandy sent a firework of dreamsand to signal for North and Bunny to land. The Reaper slipped off the branch and landed in a crouch on the forest floor. He camouflaged well in the darkness, but his bright gold feathers stuck out.

The forest was fairly quiet accept for the breeze blowing through and rustling the leaves. The blond listened carefully trying to hear the sound of hooves, a neigh or even the sound of the fearlings. He knew they were close, but couldn't pinpoint where. When a soul is made into a fearling it becomes a lot harder for the Reaper to track.

Matthew stood up and quietly walked through the underbrush. Jack landed lightly beside him staff ready to fight. It didn't take them long to find the entrance to Pitch's lair, it was a hole wide enough to fit a small car. The winter spirit waved for Tooth and Sandy, who were still waiting in the trees, to come down. North and Bunny popped out of a rabbit hole not to long after.

"Let's go!" North yelled excitedly. Matthew tucked his wings behind his back and gripped his hockey stick tightly before letting himself drop down the hole. It was pitch black and the Reaper couldn't see a thing. He used his magic to create a low purple glow; just enough to see what was in front of him. Jack, North, Tooth, Sandy and Bunny followed. Sandy's dreamsand gave off enough light to see the rest of the small cavern they were in.

The cavern looked natural and untouched by Pitch until the Reaper spotted a trail of nightmare sand leading into the small tunnels that sloped further into the ground. Matthew started to follow the trail, Jack right beside him.

"How far do you think this goes down?" Tooth whispered.

"No idea." Bunny replied. "I don't like this."

"What's the matter Bunny, scared of the dark?" North teased. The Reaper rolled his eyes and focused on finding the souls. They seemed to be somewhere on his left and deeper underground, some of the fearlings felt different from others.

They came to a fork in the tunnel and Matthew immediately started down the left one. "We'll split up here, Tooth and Sandy will come with me, and Bunny'll go with Jack and Matthew."

Bunny looked like he was about to complain, but ran down the tunnel to Matthew's light before it disappeared. He stomped closely behind the couple, a grumpy look on his face.

"Getting close." The Reaper said looking around eyes glowing violet under his hood. The tunnel started to open up into a bigger cavern again. Matthew walked slowly forward. Suddenly the ground ended and dropped off straight down. He couldn't see how far down it went, but he sensed souls. "There are fearlings down there."

"Well, not going down there then." The guardian of hope said. Before could he say anything else, the Reaper and winter spirit had jumped off the ledge.

"It's not too far down!" Jack yelled up. His voice echoed. Bunny signed and hopped after them.

The blond squinted into the darkness. He could feel someone else's presence nearby.

"Boo." Pitch said stepping out of the shadows face to face with the Reaper. Matthew swung his hockey stick at him and Jack shot a blast of ice, but the nightmare king had already disappeared back into the shadows. "That's no way to treat your host." Pitch laughed. "I have an offer to make you, Reaper, Frost. Join me and we can-"

"No." Jack and Matthew said in unison.

"Fine." Pitch said reappearing with a menacing grin on his face. Bunny and Jack tensed taking a step backwards. "Then I will just have to eliminate you."

Nightmares and fearlings surrounded the trio. The light from Matthew's hands reflected off the sand of the mares. He waved his hand and the fearlings among them disappeared. Bright multicoloured orbs of light floated out of them than also disappeared.

"Haven't you learned after almost an eternity of fighting Grim Reapers that fearlings don't work against us?" Matthew asked with a smirk grabbing Pitch by the collar and throwing him back into his nightmares. Pitch got back to his feet with a growl and directed the nightmares towards them.

The black horses stampeded in a wave neighing and nipping at them. Jack shot a blast of ice and froze a quarter of the mares and Bunny threw his boomerang at the ice shattering it.

The rest of the nightmares charged forward. Matthew picked up two of them with his magic and threw them at back at the other mares. The ones he threw crashed into two others dissolving all four. The Reaper kept the sand in his magic and moved to towards the ceiling. The dull purple glow lighting up the cavern. He put it at the back of his mind making sure the room stayed lit.

The blond jumped back as a mare reared up and snapped at his arms. He hit it over the head with his hockey stick and turned to hit another before it got to close. Pitch appeared next to him, scythe in hand, but Matthew was ready. He dropped into a crouch and swung his stick knocking Pitch's legs out from underneath him.

The Reaper was about to jump on top of Pitch to pin him, but a nightmare tackled him. He ended up on his back, hockey stick gone, surrounded by angry stomping nightmares. Matthew covered his face with his arms and tried to roll away, but one stomped down on his wing. He yelped as another nightmare stomped on his other wing, pinning him down. The reaper was too preoccupied with keeping the room lit at he couldn't use his magic to get the horses off him. He looked up to see Pitch looming over him.