Crimson Knightfall

Chapter 22. Vilus

Part 7 "The Ascent"

Chapter 22. Vilus:

Days later...

A chasm in some open field...

The pit that had opened up and spat out gas, and the smell of sulfur, stretched like a gash in the ground, an angry eye that arced through the floor. Peter stood near it, twirling his fingers, his eyes closed like he was vibing with the souls of the damned.

They stood in an open wide space, a bit different from the previous scenery, an abandoned warehouse with dripping water from the ceiling. There had even been a couple of hooded figures, who had warned that if the grandson of the snake wasn't with him, that they'd crush his soul and use it for dinner.

"I always get this creepy vibe from you when you are doing your soul thing." Vilus muttered as he watched the kid do his work. It had been a little over a year since the big showdown at Skaia, since Alex had taken power, ripped it right out of Mikeala, and taken the throne.

Teachers at school had gone missing for weeks at a time, Bearklaw seemed different, and would occasionally talk about an old lady who he said was his grandmother, but Bearklaw's family still lived on the Island, the main house of his family in Atraeles. Eduardo had also been acting strange, occasionally being erratic and losing his humor, and then going back to his normal banter self.

"I have to do what is needed to fight against a tyrant. If borrowing souls is the way to go, that's what I'll do. Family members have gone missing, you saw how Eduardo was acting last week. Screaming up a storm about what its like to be trapped. I don't think Alex thought her plan through. Everyone was at that party, and hundreds were killed." Peter said.

"You should respect the dead as well, Pete." They both heard a voice from behind them. Peter spun around after harvesting more and more soul essence, putting them in small bottles.

A figure shrouded in darkness, lightning blue eyes hovering in mid-air, where a face might usually be. Slowly, Vilus saw dark hair peer out of the hood, and his tips were blonde, like the guy's hair used to be.

"Richard?" Peter asked, a flash of shock on his face.

"The one and only." Rick smirked, his hands were a gnarled set of bones that clutched at his cloak, a grotesque grin on his face, which seemed a shadow of the boy Vilus used to know.

"Interesting, a reaper. I can feel the difference in your aura." Peter said quietly.

"The same with yours, it's more powerful now. You won't be able to hide anymore, Pete. About a year ago, I sensed a shift in the universe, in the Other-verse. I've been traveling between planes of existence, learning the ropes for some time now. Time passes differently there." Rick replied.

"I can see that." Peter nodded. He continued drawing soul essence out of the pit.

"You have to be careful with that. You could draw the wrong soul. They aren't in the river of the damned for no reason. They are damned souls." Rick warned. "It goes against the tenets of the universe."

"Yeah...I get it. I'm still learning. Where else would one draw from?" Peter asked Rick, genuinely curious.

"Ask your grandfather. I'm sure he'd have a safer place to draw from." Rick replied. "I came here to warn you, I sensed you using your power in this way, and I needed to see it for myself. You've changed."

"Yes, I have. I'm different now, I know. I'm a shadowfang." Peter nodded.

"Just...be careful, Pete. Like an old friend, death isn't a thing to play with. It's something to be respected, to be feared for good reason, but also...to be revered. It's a natural procession of life." Rick said sagely.