Chapter Eight

Raven,April, and Ace set up a tent and take shelter in the woods for a night after a long day of hiking. Ace went hunting while Raven and April worked on getting a small fire started. Suddenly April gets a cold chill.  She turns to see someone standing there.

"Who are you?" asks April, now catching Raven's attention. Raven reaches in her trench coat pocket and puts a hand on the handle of her Demon Blade.

"My name is not important, as I am a soul of the past." says the figure.

"You're dead?" asks Raven releasing the handle.

"Yes, I was wandering through the forest when I found the presence of the Psychic, and I was lucky enough she has the power to communicate with the dead." says the spirit.

"Do you have a message?" asks April.

"Yes. Up ahead are two travelers. One an Angel, the other, a Vampire. They are servants of Sabri." says the spirit.

"Emerald and Matt." says April.

"Do you know if Sabri is with them?" asks Raven.

"No, he was in search of his body. Right now he is using a human vessel." says the spirit.

"If Sabri finds his body." says April.

"He'll be just as strong as Aldemar." says Raven.

"The last thing we need are two beings just as strong as each other and no idea how to stop either one." says April.

"Aldemar and Sabri? The two brothers?" asks the spirit. Raven simply nods.

"I know of them. I have been dead for some time. Avoiding the Reapers is easy out here. They don't venture this way often enough. I learned of them in the young days." says the spirit.

"And?" asks April.

"Aldemar and Sabri use to be Gods. Aldemar of Heaven, Sabri of Hell. Aldemar is the only God to have ever connected the Psychics fifteen times. He retired the position to train the Psychics. He was nearly erased from all history books after he let the Psychic world fall. It was so long ago most people don't know of him at all." says the spirit.

"How do you know of him?" asks Raven.

"I was a historian. We try to preserve history not erase it." says the spirit.

Ace returns from the woods and as he emerges from the tree line he sees the spirit. Not realizing it's a spirit he drops the sticks he found for firewood and draws his bow and puts an arrow in the quiver. He slowly walks up behind them.

"Put your hands in the air scum bag!" yells Ace, pointing the bow and arrow at the back of the spirit.

"Oh let the Gods above ease your stupidity before you put out an eye." says the spirit. 

"What do you want old man?" asks Ace.

"I am here in peace you petty human. I am a spirit, trapped in this world by choice. I have managed to avoid the Reapers in order to pass on the word of the people who can save this whole mess of a universe." says the spirit, who now seems a bit more irritated rather than the happy man he was before.

"Sir, I apologize for my friend. He was only nervous, for he is a Hood. It is his job to protect the Psychics." says Raven.

"A Hood? Deepest sympathies sir. The Hood legacy always helped my society out." says the spirit.

"What society is that, may I ask?" asks Ace.

"I was a member of the Fallen Blades. We are the ones who truly killed off the Dragons. Heaven, Hell,Pagans, almost everyone has claimed to have had finished off the Dragons. But it was us." says the spirit.

"And you guys were historians?" asks April.

"The Fallen Blades were a group of men and women of all species who were hand selected to continue the truthful legacy of the world. To carry on the message of history not as Heaven and Hell chose to tell people, but as it actually happened." says the spirit. 

"When I died, there were thirteen left. Who knows how many are left now." the spirit continues. 

The wind picks up and the trees begin to shake. The sound of foot steps takes over the conversation. April,Ace,Raven, and the spirit look around trying to find the origin of the sound. Finally three bodies emerge fro the treeline. 

""If I had known we were having a bonfire, i would've brought the marshmallows" says Emerald sarcastically with a smirk as Matt walks next to her, and a tall Amazonian looking woman walks behind them, easily hovering over them. She is wearing a metal chest plate, has a piercing in her eyebrow, and attached to the hip of her armor is a sword and shield. 

'Hope you don't mind that we brought a friend." says Matt with a hint of sarcasm.

"Her name is Snake. Show 'em why." says Emerald as the very tall and muscular woman sticks out her tongue revealing one that appears as a snake's would.

"Do that yourself?'" asks April with a giggle.

"I am a servant of Sabri." says the woman identified as Snake. 

"I remember you." says Raven.

"You used to be the Dark Emperor's war general." continues Raven.

"Correct. But since she is in prison I have chosen to donate my service to Sabri. It gives me the thrill to fight." says Snake.

"And let me guess, you guys have donated your time to Sabri as well?" asks Raven.

"Donate? Well no." says Matt.

"Our time is well worth the coin he provides for us." says Emerald. 

"Now the Psychic comes with us." says Snake. 

"Keep dreaming."says Raven, standing up. Ace and April also stand up. The spirit stands and moves behind Raven, Ace and April. 

Usually this forest is quiet and only the few daring travelers are the only ones causing a stir. Animals exist in the forest, but not many. The trees make it a very eerie area. The forest remains dark. The wind remains intense. Emerald draws her claws. Matt his Angel Blade. Snake her sword and shield. Raven her Demon Blade.April raises her fists ready to use her Psychic powers. Finally Ace raises his bow ready to fire an arrow.  

"I'll take the Angel." says Ace.

"Big Betty over there is mine." says Raven regarding to Snake.

"Show me what you got Emerald." says April.

April raises her hand and a piece of wood does as well. She makes the large piece of wood fly to Emerald in an attempt to hit Emerald, but she moves. Snake and Emerald charge, Emerald at April, Snake at Raven. Snake and Raven draw their swords and begin clashing.  Emerald attempts to swing her claws at April, missing because April retreats away from them. Ace shoots an arrow when he sees Matt is distracted with Snake and Raven. The arrow hits Matt right in the left shoulder. 

"Oh! Son of a b***h!" yells Matt in pain.  Ace `runs over and pulls rope from his bag of arrows. He hog ties Matt and leaves him face first in the dirt with his foot on Matt's back. Snake and Raven continue to duel with their swords, and after a few minutes Snake breaks the lock and throws her shield like a Frisbee hitting Raven in the gut, knocking her back. Snake turns her attention to Ace, she charges at him, picks him up and continues running until she reaches the tree line. Snake then slams Ace into the base of a tree. April and Emerald continue fighting hand to hand, punching,kicking, slapping. Emerald knows April down and pins her to the ground, emerald lifts up her hand, claws ready to slash April's face. Raven pulls herself off the ground just in time to see Emerald's hand raise in the air. Raven picks up Snake's shield and throws it as hard as she can. The shield flies through the air and hits Emerald right in her rib cage, knocking her off of April. April manages to get back on her feet. April looks at a tree right above Emerald, she puts her hands out and then quickly pulls them towards her. The tree comes down on top of Emerald, and misses April by only a foot. 

"April!" yells Raven, realizing April's powers have grown tremendously. 

"I, I don't know what happened." says April, as she then passes out and falls to the ground. Snake cuts the rope binding Matt just as the tree fell. 

"Emerald!" yells Matt running toward the tree, trying to move branches to get to her. 

"Come on where the hell are you?" says Matt, starting to cry.

"I'll help." says Snake coming over picking up a good portion of the tree in one pull, then throwing it to the side. Raven helps April up, then April points to Ace, and they run over to him.

"Ace talk to me." says Raven smacking his face lightly.

"I'm okay, how's April?" asks Ace, with his eyes never opening.
"I'm right here Ace, let's get you some medical attention." says April.

"We don't have time to go back to the Capital. I'll be fine." says Ace.

"You're only a Human, your ribs are probably broken." pleads Raven, trying to get him to agree to turning back.

"If I may interrupt" says the spirit.

"Please do." says Raven, trying to get Ace onto his feet.

"An old friend of mine lives in a cabin out here. He is a healer, his methods are a little bit unusual but he gets the job done."says the spirit.

"How far?" asks April.

"Just a few miles north, I'll show you the way." says the spirit.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stanton, but you won't be going anywhere." says a calm male voice coming from behind the group. They ll turn to see a man, they do not recognize.

"All of this noise out here finally made it show up on my radar here to check for lost souls. And what do you know? Mr. Stanton here has evaded us for too long now." says the man.

"You're a Reaper." says Raven with a hint of sadness.

"Please, I only need to help these people for a few miles more." pleads the spirit. 

"Mr. Stanton, you've already over stayed your welcome in this universe. It's time to move on." says the Reaper.

"Wait, you can see me?" asks the Reaper.

"This must be the Psychic of the dead." continues the Reaper pointing to April.

"Yes, she is." says Raven.

"That curries no real favor in my eyes." says the Reaper. He extends his hand out, on his ring finger is a large, gaudy ring, he snaps his fingers and a door appears.

"Come with me, Mr. Stanton. 

"Well, I guess this is it for me. Use what I've told you to stop Sabri. And Aldemar too if he gets out of hand." says the spirit as he walks to ward the door with the Reaper.

"Oh and Raven, don't think you'll avoid this walk with me forever.  Especially the way you live life." says the Reaper, walking through the door with the spirit.