Amity

Chapter 45: The Man in Black

"So, has the King of Elements been found?" Death asked.

Michael looked at Dre, who looked paralyzed with fear.

Death hovered towards Dre. His eyes were completely hidden by his glasses, but Michael could tell that he was staring in Dre's eyes. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to kill him, or if you wanted me to." Dre glanced at Michael, looking as if betrayal had cut through him like a sword.

"Kill?" Death asked, walking towards Michael. "You must have misinterpreted why I told you to find the King. When you agreed to work under me, I told you to find him to protect him and ensure that he fulfill his destiny. You are not a Reaper yet, but an Oracle, a vessel to help save Amity and Earth from the evil forces of Aggaron the Dark. Whether you receive your life back or find eternal peace is up to you and the King."

"What about the other part of the deal? About being a Reaper?"

Death stared at him, his face as hardened as ever. Finally, he said, "Is that what you want? To be a mercenary under my wing? That isn't an easy job, young one. You'd have to kill the vilest of humans, some that would make you want to turn your back on humanity. It is a job that could easily corrupt your mind, make you go mad with rage at your own people. I will not be held responsible if that happens."

"I don't care about that." Michael lowered his head. "My scar's been bothering me for years now. It burns with rage every time I think about him and what he's done to me." Snarling, he looked at Death. "I don't want to just sit on the sidelines while more innocent people go through the same hell that I've been through! I want to be able to help them if I can!"

"Hm..." Death murmured, sounding almost amused. "I will think about this. For now, focus your attention on protecting the King. Only after the war will I decide your fate." He turned and walked away from Michael and Dre before he vanished in thin air.

Time began to move normally as the dark clouds above the school evaporated. Dre fell to his knees, still staring at where Death had vanished. "Are you alright, Dre?"

"Wh-what... who just happened?" Dre sputtered.

"Don't you mean, 'what just happened'?" Dre nodded, his mouth still agape. "We just had a conversation with Death."

"Death?!" Dre cried, finally turning towards Michael. "You mean, like, the Grim Reaper? Dude, are you evil?"

Michael exhaled. "If this is about me working with Death, then no, Dre, I'm not evil. Neither is Death. He's just someone who has a job to do. If he was evil, then don't you think that tyrants and murderers would still be walking, even after their time was up?"

"Well, yeah, but maybe Death made a mistake."

"Death makes no mistakes, Dre. Why were you looking for me, anyways?"

Dre thought in silence for a moment. Why was he looking for Michael? He gave a shy chuckle. "Well, this is embarrassing. I kind of forgot."

Michael glared at Dre. "Is it really embarrassing, Dre? Or, is this just from your lack of brain," he stated as he walked back towards the school.

Scowling, Dre followed. "Hey, I do have a brain, you know. Just like I have feelings. Guess which one you've just hurt."

~~~~~

Dre's eyes fluttered open later that night after he'd return home. He was laying on the lone island, staring up at the sky of the mirrored world, the same world that he'd met Hiro. Groggily, he picked himself off of the grass. The tree seemed to sway in slow motion, filling the still air with its languid applause. He looked at himself in the mirror-like ocean. His hair was straight, as if he hadn't been asleep. Despite this, he was still wearing his plaid pajamas. Was this a dream?

"Ah, you've finally arrived, Ke'Undre Wolf." Dre's head snapped behind him, seeing Hiro walked from behind the tree. "I've been waiting for you."

"Seriously, you've got to stop sneaking up on me like that. You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

"My apologies," Hiro chuckled. "I'm sure you're wondering why you're here." Hardening his face, he said, "As much as I wish it was for a friendly visit, I'm afraid that I have some grim news." Dre's heart pounded. Of course, it had to be bad news. "Since you've only known about your heritage for a month, I'll fill you in on some details. There's a cult on our planet called the True Amians, and they're bad news. They were originally founded by a man named Tidus Boltz. Tidus was as much of an evil man as he was charismatic. He theorized that the five Elder Sages brought up this world to keep us separated so we don't become too powerful to overthrow them. He went from town to town, with the sole purpose of amassing a grand army in his name. Not a lot of people took him seriously, at least, not at first. He managed to persuade five people in Ekaruke Town. Since then the group spread like wildfire.

"Many were executed who weren't purely a member of their elemancy genus. Of course, since the five elemancy factions united, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who was 'pure' in his eyes. However, there was one."

"There was? But how?"

I'm not sure. I've asked Tryphosa, the Elder Sage of Spirits, about it, but she refused to mention it. I'll come back to that later, however. For decades, the number of True Amians have been in the millions. People were constantly paranoid about who was with them and who wasn't. Soon enough, it began to tear asunder the very fabric of Amian life. Finally fed up with it, the sages banded together to find any members of the True Amians and imprison them. Thousands were incarcerated, and the ones who wasn't went into hiding. All except for one man; Tidus. Being the ringleader, he had a Limiter placed on him, restricting him from using his elemancy. Eventually, he went mad and took his own life. "

Now onto the reason I've filled you in on this history. The second-in-command, Abraham Swordsworn has been spotted. He's a man that is purely a Spirit Elemancer, and yet, he is not. Whereas Spirit Elemancers has a peaceful aura, Abraham's is dark and chaotic, giving him the name Abraham Shadow-Dweller. Though he isn't as charismatic as Tidus, he has one thing that makes him a force to be reckoned with, something that would make a lone soldier petrify a whole army."

"What does he have?" Dre questioned.

"He has Aggaron." Suddenly, Hiro stood, his hand placed on his katana strapped to his hip. Dre stood just as fast, looking around, as if Aggaron was in the world. He found nothing but an endless sky, connecting to the mirrored ocean. "Darkness stirs. It gives weak-willed people a false sense of strength. As the days pass, he grows stronger and stronger. It's now your turn to grow." He pulled the sword from its sleek, red scabbard, and held it out to Dre. "Take hold of this sword, Ke'Undre Wolf, and reap a small sample of your power, your right: the power of the King of Elements."

Dre gazed at the glossy sword, feeling its power drawing him in to it. He brought his hand to the handle of the katana, looking at Hiro's stony face. Gulping, he grabbed hold of the blade. The moment his hand touched the handle, he felt power surge through him like a jolt of lightning. The world flashed, transporting him to a world of endless skies. He no longer felt like the weak, incompetent Dre from before. This was a much more confident, brave Dre. He saw that the sword was changing shape. The blade grew wider and straightened into a broadsword. The handle shorted to barely fit both hands. The hand-guard flared upwards, centered with an emerald. A chain slunk out of the pommel, bearing the insignia of the Spirit elementals at the base.

The Suscéptor.

Just as the power began filling him, a tunnel of darkness began to swallow his vision. He panicked as he swung his sword haphazardly through the darkness. "Do not be afraid," the disembodied voice of Hiro seemed to come from all directions. "You have only taken your first step in being the warrior that Amity and Earth truly needs. You will receive many trails and hardships as you prepare for the great battle against Aggaron. But do not be afraid. You have generations of Kings who are here to guide you through your hardships, to guide you through the pain. To guide you through the darkness.

"Do not be afraid."