Souls of the Fallen

Hope

The crew rests in Harrington for a few days as Reno recovers from his wound. Their new ally in their journey, Akira, spends the days training a new hire at the diner while the boys lay low in Hendrix's apartment. Not much has happened since that fight. As a matter of fact, the gang that Pontus led disbanded. The members felt it would be unwise to try to overcome the Eon that their leader was unable to defeat. That decision has made the recent days quiet at the diner.

Riku walks out of the living room of the apartment onto the balcony. The sliding doors creek a bit but the sound is muffled by the bustling city noises below him. He leans on the black, iron bars near the ledge and stares down. The sidewalks are packed, even at this early time in the morning. Hendrix and Akira are at the diner so it's just three of them relaxing at the moment.

Riku absentmindedly picks at the black paint on the bars, flicking the flakes to the unsuspecting citizens below. He's joined by Lucas.

Lucas flops onto the outdoor furniture like it were a sturdy couch. The chair scrapes against the concrete flooring and the cushions let out an audible puff as they give way to his weight. The ruffling of a bag of potato chips adds to the unnecessary noise he's making. Riku looks back at his friend with an eyebrow raised.

"What's up with you?" Lucas asks before stuffing his mouth full of chips. "You trying to be all introspective or something? Look out into the world... Absorbing the sounds... Feeling the gentle breeze on your skin..." He speaks with his mouth full and crumbs on his chest. Bad posture allows the chips to pool under his chin while he slouches in the canvas chair.

"Chips for breakfast, Lucas?" Riku asks.

"Oh? Now, you're on a health kick too?" Lucas crosses his legs and shakes his head. "I thought I knew you, Riku. The reason I'm eating chips is because no one cooked me breakfast!" He wipes his hand clean on the fabric of the chair then continues to dig for more.

"I just came out here to get some fresh air and to think..."

"About her?" Lucas picks his teeth, examines the chewed food on his finger, then returns it to his mouth. "Your little crush from Warren, right?"

Riku turns back to face the city's skyscrapers in hopes that his friend will drop the subject. He gives in. "I wish there was more I could've done to help her. I see so much of Reno in her and it just makes me respect her sacrifice."

"Whoa? You wanna fuck your brother?" Lucas springs forward, dumping his crumbs into his lap.

"Lucas, get the fuck outta here with that dumb shit!" Riku says out of character.

"Chill your nips, baby boy. I'm only joking." Lucas leans back slowly. "I'm still questioning your taste in girls though. She looked like you and acted like Reno... That's too close to home."

Riku sighs loudly and tries to ignore Lucas. "I just hope they're okay."

He won't know for a while but I can show you how things have played out for the young Magi and her brother. I'll put their story on pause for now and open a window into the depths of the underworld. This place will look familiar to you. It's Caius' castle but not Caius' castle anymore. Damien is in the pilot's seat and has made only a few small changes. Let's start her story riiiight... here!

Shina is being escorted through the halls of the castle. A small set of stairs lead to a pair of large doors. Two demons in black, plated armor hold her by her arms as they step down the stairs. She tries her best to keep her balance as she walks ahead of them. Her wrists are bound by large metal shackles that are chained to shackles on her ankles. The shackles on her wrists are welded together. The weight of the metal forces it to rest near her groin.

One of the guards steps forward and bashes on the large wooden door with metal braces. A short moment passes and the left door opens. A familiar face is on the other side. Anubis holds the door. He looks down on the three people bothering his work.

"What?" he says. His voice makes Shina flinch.

"We were told to bring you the prisoner, Master Anubis."

He looks the girl over and puts his hand on her shoulder. It is almost the size of her head but he's careful not to crush her under its weight. He separates her from the guards and dismisses them before closing the door behind Shina. The eight-foot demon leaves her at the door and returns to his work.

The topless demon walks back to a large table next to a pit of lava. The room appears to be a mixture of a laboratory and a blacksmith's forge. The floor is stone that is as black as coal. It's most likely due to the soot and ash spewing from the pit. Anubis stands on the left side of the room at his work table with beakers and vials placed in a very organized layout. Behind him are a few beds and a cage with chains laying across the inside of it. Beyond that is another table at the opposite wall. It has tools more relevant to a blacksmith thrown about it. Shina watches the demon closely while he moves a few of the vials around.

Anubis pauses then puts the vials down. He turns his head to Shina and leans on the table before him. "Are you just going to stand there and glare at me?" She doesn't respond. He smirks and wipes sweat and hair from his brow. The large demon digs in the pocket of his tattered pants and pulls out what looks like a metal peg. In one swift motion, he wraps his slick hair into a bun held in place by the rod. "C'mere..." He gestures for her to join him at his table.

Shina looks down at her shackles. Her clothes are dirty and her skin isn't fairing any better. She drags her feet slowly until she reaches Anubis. Her eyes remain locked on the floor next to him.

"Your brother..." Anubis says. Shina's eyes snap to his immediately. "He safe. For now."

"Where is he?" she asks.

"He was here moments ago."

"What did you do to him?" Anubis senses the anger rising in her form her tone.

"Getting excited won't help your case or condition, girl." Anubis turns around and points to a vial filled with a red liquid. "I only took a bit of his blood. As I did yours after Luu subdued you with her spell." He points to another vial filled with her blood. "You both are fascinating subjects. An anomaly in both cases."

"What do you want with us?" she asks.

"Me? Nothing... but Damien wants to figure out what is causing your brother's condition and, for you, a way into the land of Jinesis. Unfortunately, you're not powerful enough to get in on your own. You need to get stronger to be useful."

"I'm stronger than you think, demon!"

He looks at her with intrigue. "No. I know all that I need to about you. You can settle yourself though... I feel you getting testy. There's nothing you can do here in your current state."

Shina frowns at him but relaxes. She turns away to examine the cage and bed. "Did your leader say if we will return home?"

Anubis shakes his head slowly. "You can surely forget about that. You belong to him now. Either as a test subject, a servant, or a tool. I recommend the last option."

"What do you mean tool?"

"Make yourself useful." He steps away from her and begins messing with his beakers. "Why do you care for the boy so much? He's not your blood or responsibility."

"Teru is all I have in this world and I'm the same to him. It's up to me to keep him safe. If I don't no one else will care for him."

"But he's stronger than you are... vastly stronger."

"He's only a child. Teru may have power over mine but he hasn't tapped into his potential yet." She steps closer to the demon and realizes he's laughing. "What's so funny?"

Anubis turns to her with a smile. His fangs show for a moment as he lets out one last ha. "If only you knew the truth." He kneels down before her. The demon runs a finger across the shackles holding Shina's wrists. The sound of a rock running across pavement is followed by the clanking noise of braces hitting the floor. He continues this until Shina is completely free. "I'm the only one that knows either of your potentials. I'll keep it that way, Littlefoot." He playfully winks as he rises to his feet. Soot and ash fall while Shina looks down at her broken bindings.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Working on a magical conduit that will -"

"No..." she interrupts. "Why are you being so... nice?"

Anubis turns his attention back to her. "I don't gain respect through fear nor power. I have seen better ways to have people become followers."

"I don't intend to be your follower."

"Mhmm, that would be weird." He continues to work on his project, allowing Shina to roam the room.

"You're the weird one..." she mumbles as she plucks a tube hanging near one of the beds. Anubis ignores the comment. The Magi girl quietly wanders the room. She attempts to lift one of the massive blacksmith's tools but is barely able to slide it closer to herself. After giving up on the tool, she climbs onto the high table and faces Anubis' back. "I know Teru is stronger than me." Shina suddenly admits.

"That's good..." he says, still tinkering.

"I sometimes think he's holding back just to make me seem like I'm the one in charge. In actuality, he's probably been keeping me intact for the most part. It's an uneasy feeling but I've suppressed it." Shina kicks her legs and looks up to the high ceiling. "Do you have anyone that you protect?"

Anubis drops an instrument on the table. Shina leans over to look around the bulky man. A silent moment passes until Anubis picks up his tool again. "Not anymore," he says.

"Did they pass?"

"No," he answers while continuing to work. "My sister, Valdis, decided to abandon her office during the change in leadership here. She and I were... similar to you and your brother. We are blood relatives though. Which is why I found you interesting. Your love for this outsider is apparently stronger than the love I had for my own sister." He holds up a stone to one of the sconces in the room. It sparkles despite the dirt it is covered in.

"Anubis?"

He turns his head to her. "Master Anubis..."

"I'm not used to submissiveness. You'll have to excuse me. Question though..." She hops off the table. "Do you have a plan on getting back to her?"

"No. It's probably for the best of us both." Anubis walks to his forge and Shina meets him there shortly after. "The less attention that is on her the better." Shina watches as Anubis puts the gem he crafted into a socket on a gauntlet. It snaps into place with energy surging between the two magical items.

The door far behind them opens. They turn simultaneously to see who is entering the room. "It's so hard to find good help these days!" Damien yells as he slams the door behind himself.

Anubis places the gauntlet at the stone ledge of the pit. He walks to the middle of the room to join his leader. "What happened this time?"

"The boy you keep telling me not to kill pushed his limits today!" Damien is speaking with his hands in a very animated fashion but his words startle Shina.

She runs up to the demon lord. "Please, don't hurt him! He's just scared!" Shina grabs his arm but releases him immediately as her palms begin to burn. She tucks her hands under her arms as she kneels down in pain.

Damien looks at her with a frown. "What the fuck are you talking about, girl? And why are you not in your shackles?"

"Please excuse her. She must've thought you were speaking of her brother."

Damien looks down at the Magi wincing at the pain of the burns. "Your brother is not to be harmed. He's mine... but I have a nuisance of a general that can't get his shit right." He returns his attention to Anubis. "He attacked Luu this time. His hot-headed temper is worse than mine!"

"What should we do about him then? If he is a threat to our lady, then he must go." Anubis kneels down to Shina and checks her hands. Her palms are bright red and she's breathing hard trying to deal with the intense sensation. "I can no longer make a request in his favor after hearing that." He runs his right hand across his shoulder then across Shina's palms. The soot covers them and soothes the pain.

"The twins suggested placing him in a remote town and using him as the leader of a foothold in the Overworld." Damien walks around the room while Anubis tends to Shina. "I like the idea but he needs more than just him..."

"Are you okay, now?" Anubis asks Shina. She only nods. Damien talks to himself for a moment on the other side of the room, thinking aloud. Anubis gently squeezes her shoulder and rises. "Should I station one of my Chains there?"

"No. You have a reliable crew. I don't want to mess with that." He paces near the blacksmith's table. He snaps his finger and his face lightens up with excitement. "I've got it!" He jogs over to Shina. "You! You're a fighter! I'll send you with him!"

"I don't think those two will get along, my lord," Anubis says.

"That's not my issue. What I want though is for you to report back to me on his progress once we get him settled out there," Damien says to Shina. "Do you understand me, girl?"

Shina looks up to Anubis. He closes his eyes and nods. "Yes, sir," she reluctantly says.

"Damn, Anubis... You have her in line already. I like your speed!" Damien squats next in front of Shina. "Once I have selected a place for him, I'll retrieve you and set you two on your way. Then, if he acts up while you're out there... I give you permission to kill him. No joke... You're more valuable than he is." The demon lord stands up and pats the ash and soot from his coat. "Good talk, guys!" Damien exits the room with as much energy as he came in with.

"I guess you'll have to get stronger earlier than expected, Littlefoot..."