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Chapter 1

Dark Prophecies

The King of Tamreal, The God of the Nothingness, The Demon called Cravixs, the man once known as Fellius Mammon, and as Crow sits on his thrown in the tower, at the top of the world, that is at the center of all realities, the river of Mana before him, the tree of Beginnings behind him. His long black coat dripping with blood, one hand cradles his side, his flaming velvet eyes fixated on his window looking down on his kingdom. His flawless white skin looks like marbled stone, his raven hair flows down his back like a river of dusk silver. He watches as the sky is torn asunder.

The vales of reality brake away like drywall, the river of Mana is drank half dry as a rain of souls march into Tamreal. All the bravest warriors of all the free world fall in prepared for one final push to free the web of the multiverse from the god of hunger. This game that has been being played since before time is drawing to a close.

But the march of these hero's is not unopposed. The scores of the dead, from all of time, all that have given in, the dishonored, the disgraced, the old and the ill, the soulless, all flock to Cravix aid.

Night against day, light against dark, freedom against order. All things come to an end. A halfhearted grin finds Cravix face as he watches the armies square off. He has seen this happen already, twelve times in fact. Mammon's elder brother Laus-dayO is a poor looser, time and time again Cravix has won this war. Light has yielded to darkness. It is the only possible outcome.

** *

Charlie Belmond is the first to exit the gate followed closely by Lances Jacob; then David Jazzmen, Hetatsubatchi Una, Cinder, then tens of millions of other. The final battle is at hand and Charlie has gathered every world to fight by his side, Belmond cannot possible loose. The middle aged Warlock drapes his mighty whip 'Souleater' down at his side and points off to the fields ahead proclaiming "Yggdrasil lies ahead."

The army has already been tampered in the fire of war. Even though Belmond is their leader he needs give no orders, everyone already know the part that they must play.

David Jazzmen pulls the giant 'Demon's Blade' from his back as he marches forth, his wavy silver hair drifts before his glowing green eyes as the first wave of Cravix slaves step forth to block the invaders path, Jazzmen pulls down on his crimson coat slightly adjusting it. The slaves freeze in place, they can feel evil power that flows through Jazzmen. Jazzmen smiles darkly as he introduces himself to the slave army. "I am David Jazzmen, The Prince of the Kingdom of Dis, The Man called Devil. Who of you is brave enough to face me?"

The slave army backs away slightly recalling from the diabolic prince. Jazzman points the Demon Blade, "not one stands in my way?" he holds the sword overhead gripping it in both hands like a samurai "Very well! Then I will fight all of you!" Jazzman dives into the wake of battle to draw first blood.

Cinder, missionary of Vishnew, floats forth to fight by Jazzman's side. Her skin is made of wood, her hair of fire, her gown of flowing sands forged into a cloth. The Prince and the missionary side by side make a force truly worth fearing. Cinder waves her arms in a dance fire and water trailing her movements in walls of elemental wrath. "Charlie my beloved" Cinder calls back "do not trouble yourself with these befouled souls, go forth and see to it that god bleeds"

All out melee brakes out, the armies of light make room for their heroes to sally forth. Lance, Hetatsubatchi and Belmond push towards the tower till Cravixs angel Harm steps between them.

Harm the vampire child of the goddess Akash outstretches his arms in a taunting prayer.

Hetatsubatchi, the mighty white Warg with the flower tattoos fails to allow the vampire to speak as he picks up the monster in his jaws and pins him to the ground. "Tiny god." Hetatsubatchi snarls, "I have sunk my fangs into more than one of your kind."

Jacob looks back to Hetatsubatchi offaring his aid in this battle "Tatsu?!"

"Stay with the Belmond, I can pluck this birds feathers just fine."

Lance and Charlie fight their way to the gates of the tower with hardly another backwards glance. Charlie place is hand to the door and using the power the king of Tamreal gave him oh so many years ago forces the gates to crumble before him.

When the gates fall a group of twisted souls cloaked in shadows reach-out for the two men. Jacob pulls his 'book of prayers' from his satchel and a blinding light erupts form his chest pushing the monster back into the shadows. Up the stairs the two run, Charlie pointing the way as Lances walks backwards holding out his book to see to it that they are not fallowed.

** *

Cravixs slides over to his window looking down on the world "Fools, all of you, I am the sun and the moon, I am the dusk and the dawn, I am all of creation manifest! And you point your swords at me?!" Cravixs reaches one hand overhead his force of will gripping the moon in the sky and with a thrust of his arm throws the moon into the earth, the world itself set ablaze, only the tower and the tree of beginnings protected from the wraith of the god of hunger. Souls without number sent into annihilation. Hero and villain alike drawn into Cravixs chest. All life returning to the sources in barley the blink of in eye.

** *

Lances and Charlie are blissfully ignorant of what has happened as they reach the top of the tower. Charlie looks to Lances "this is as far as you go old man. Watch the door."

"Charlie" Lances protest

"you couldn't fallow me even if I wanted you to. Crow won't allow you to enter his chamber." Charlie smiles at his old friend as he steps up to the door. Cold light bleeds into the chamber as the door creeks open. Charlie Belmond walks forth to meet his destiny

"Fight bravely my friend. My we meet again in better times." Lances whispers to himself turning to look back down the steps.

** *

Belmond walks through the open door his fist wrapped tightly around his whip his eyes go cold as he takes a deep breath, the huge marble room overlooking all of creation outstretched before him. Slowly he steps rolling his eyes side to side, the room feels empty, but Charlie knows well that Cravixs is waiting for him.

Charlie has barley taken five steps before he freezes in place, he feels moister rolling down his chest. One hand finds his rips and then pulls away as he feel blood rushing down his body and the moon shaped blade of Gloom, Crow's death scythe.

The shadows behind Belmond melt into the sexless beauty that is the king of Tamreal. "I know what you are thinking, let me help you vocalize your thoughts. 'I don't understand, I did everything right, my souls is on fire, my heart overflows with indignation, a hundred generation my fathers paved the road that would lead me hear and not even am I aloud to look on to your lovely face' Let me help you understand. You are strong, you are brave, but you are mortal, you are flowed. Never where you worthy to stand eye to eye with me. Never where you meant to win this fight, you are nothing more than a sacrifice to my divinity. Belmond son of Belmond the last of the keys of salvation are almost within my reach and once I have them no king or god will ever be my equal again, and you have made that possible ."

Slowly, softly, silently, the scythe is drawn back, pealed all so gently from Belmond's breast. Charlie kneels, his eyes turning upwards to look at something that is not there. Crow lets loose his blade as it brakes way as a flock of birds returning to the never from which it came. Crow slides around in front of Charlie and knees to face him. "I am sorrowful for what I have done, make no mistake of that, I only ask that you try to understand, try to comprehend the incomprehensible. I offer you friend from another life, that which my brothers where far to cruel to allow me. I am a companionate god, I offer you finite life, and finite death. Your heart has already stopped, there is no blood in your vain, you were dead before I pulled out my scythe. But you can still feel, still think, for a few moments longer."

Crow reaches one hand out to push the hair away from Charlie's eyes "at this moment you're watching you dreams play out backwards in your thoughts, the world is turning gray and red as your thought bleed out onto the floor with your blood, you think you are in pain, but the pain will only last as long as your will to fight. Soon you will see your first thoughts, your earliest memories flake away and then in your last second, as the last of what you once where has left your flesh you will feel true peace fill your heart."

Charlie falls onto his side. Crow stands back up "I free you from the bounds of infinite rebirth, I give you the gift of solidarity, and annihilation. I envy you. I wish I could join you."

Cravixs walks the empty halls of the tower. Down the steps, and out the door to find Lances Jacob standing mortified on the battle field, only now seeing what has happened. Jacob hears Crow's step behind him and spins to face Crow with a scream as he brandishes his book. For the briefest of moments Jacob shutters freezing as he looks into the glowing purple lights that are Cravixs eyes, he remembers their last meeting, Jacob's rage mounts as he begins to recite a spell from his book.

"... and so on the 40th day the king of the night stands before the king of light, the king of night holds forth his hands..."

Crow rolls his eyes back and whispers "Lances, my boy, why do you not love me?"

"... I need not your bread to fill my body for my soul is filled by passion and grace..."

Crow continues as the two men have to conversations against each other "I have been nothing if not kind to you."

"...IF not my bread that you eat, then my wine you must drink, fore for forty days thou has thirst..." "I simply cannot understand why you turn away from me. I gave you direction, I gave you a feeling of inclusion, of autonomy..."

"... King of the night, I send you away, Back, Back, I command it, in the name of the Light! Cower before me! Feel the drag of sin and kneel!"

The king of Tamreal's eye go cold as he takes a step forward forcing Lances to step back "No, not this time. Let me tell you a secret Lances. That book in your hands, it has no power. You can be holding anything and it would have the same effect. The power was yours form the beginning. You have my blood in your veins, that is why you can control my monster. But your soul is old. You are running out of power. Ten years ago, maybe you could have stood a fool's chance but..."

The book in Jacob's hand grows larger and heavier till Lances can no longer hold his grip and so the book drops to the ground shattering the holy light that Lances believed was holding the demon at bay. With a manic howl Jacob throws open his coat and draws out his curved hunting knife. Holy rage fuels his wraith as he steps forth to strike the evil god.

Crow brings up his right hand to grab lances by the wrist and his left he thrust out into his biracial plexus tie-in, a half step back, and crow has dragged Lances into the ground. "Love me, worship me, that is all I ask, and I will take away all your ills. I am the one true love and the one true peace." Crow grins, he is playing with his food, he is already in side Jacob's mind binding his will "no man shall serve to masters, lust he hates one and loves the other.

Jacob tries to look away, tries to close his eyes. Jacob can't hope to fight Cravixs, in this supernatural arm wrestling contest Cravixs is a boxer in top fighting form, Lances is a sickly child. Crow can kill lances at any moment.

"Lances my boy. The Key, I cannot take it from you, you must hand it to me" desperately Lances tries to come up with one last act of defiance, but there is nothing. Crow shatters Jacob's will, his eyes turn dead and white, his zombie hands close, as they part a key forms in his grip, a non-corporeal key that only Crow can see Crow reaches out for the key.

The stars in the sky start to spin, the key vanishes for Crows grasp as does Jacob. Crow shouts into the nothingness "Lous-day-O! you fool! How many times do you want to watch this day replayed? I have crushed your army! Slain your champion! And mocked your gambit! My victory today is the only outcome. Lay your toys to rest and face me already!"

***