Prologue (Deus Humana)

Prologue
Selina Gravemore  raced down the street, boots scrapping against the cobblestone. Behind her, the beat of the horses’ hooves rung through the air. Almost all the street lamps were out, a few pillars of smoke arising from their extinguished flames. Selina turned a corner, the bundles in her arms moving slightly as she did. The gray brick houses towered up above, some of the windows illuminated with light. Her shoes splashed through a puddle of water as, she came out into another street. Here, however, a few lamps were lit.

Looking from left to right, Selina took the right path and continued running towards her destination. Way high above the town, a giant hill towered over everything. Atop the hill was a giant temple- her destination. There, she would be safe…as would her children.

Still keeping a perfect pace, she looked down at her children. They were twins, a boy and a girl. Both had only a few slicked streaks of black hair atop their tiny heads. Their eyes were opened, showing off their glowing gray irises, and surprisingly- despite all the ruckus- they remained calm and quiet. One was wrapped in a blue towel and the other was wrapped in a red one.

The temple, now growing closer, was just in front of her. She could see the two, skeleton head torches in the distant, each flickering with green flames. Now the only obstacle in front of her was the hill…

Crawling and climbing up the brown grass hill, she could see the piercing, gothic towers of Mortem Temple slicing through the clouds…

And then a giant fire ball came out of nowhere. It flew into the earth just above her head and singed the grass black. Steam rolled off of the dirt patch that had surfaced near her, and Selina flipped around.

There he was, The Reaper. He was a cloaked figure with a human body, and a hooded skeleton head. His shadowy black cloak was ripped in the front, revealing huge biceps and pecks. A long blood gash was spread across his chest, spurting black blood. The pointed hood hung low over his bone face, which had two dark eye sockets filled with burning, purple flames. A large scythe was strapped across his back. The weapon seemed to be alive and moving, oozing green slime from the organic pustules that covered its body.

The Reaper was sitting atop a flaming horse. It seemed to be a horse made entirely of black bone, with flaming eyes, nostrils, hooves, and tail.

As The Reaper reared his mount to a halt, he noiselessly floated off the horse and landed slowly next to Selina. He did not open his bony jaw, but instead a hissing sound went through Selina’s head- like nails scrapping across chalk board.

''Selina Gravemore…you have been charged by the Court of the Dead…for the crime of… the creation of children of the death god…and the breaking of Deus Concordant… ''

Suddenly she snapped. She felt her heart beat faster and she fell to her knees, the babies in her arms. Tears escaped her eye lids, dripping down her cheeks and chins.

“Please!” she begged, the death escort staring down at her with lifeless sockets. “Please don’t take my children from me!

Selina Gravemore…you have been charged by the Court of the Dead…for the crime of…the creation of children of the death god…and the breaking of the Deus Concordant, The Reaper repeated in her mind.

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“B-but…I did not know he was who he was…he tricked me…I didn’t know that he was the father! I didn’t know that Hades was their father!”

''<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Lies…you spit laws from that hole you call a mouth…you will be punished for your crimes against the Court of the Dead and the Council of Nature… ''

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“N-no…” Selina cried, burying her head in her hands. But begging did not help her case. The Reaper reached over his shoulder, and drew his scythe. Bringing it up in an arch, he swung-

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And a flaming green arrow lodged itself in his chest.

''<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">GAHHHHHHH! ''

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Reaper stared down at Selina, and she looked up, as curious as he.

''<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Who in the name of-? ''

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But The Reaper’s voice was cut off as a flaming silhouette appeared over the hill. As her vision came into focus and, after wiping away the tears, she saw her.

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">She was a tall, well built, teenage girl with flowing brown hair. She was clad in silver garments, covering everything but her legs. A small, silver skirt came down half way above her knees, and a quiver of silver arrows was strung across her back. Her eyes were a dark black and a bow was gripped in her hand.

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Reaper growled out loud and lunged. However, before he could barely take three steps, three arrows were lodged into his face. This seemed to do the trick. Plumes of green fire shot out of his mouth and eyes and suddenly it was as if he was being dragged back down into the underworld. A slimy, shadowy portal of blackness erupted from under his feet and he began to sink down and down-

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then The Reaper’s hand snatched out and grabbed Selina’s leg. She screamed for help, and the archer girl raced down the hill. But it was too late. The girl wasn’t fast enough, and there was only one way to save the children…

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Selina Gravemore dropped her children on the ground just a few feet from the portal. “Take them!” she screamed. “Take them to the camp! Keep them safe! Make sure they live!”

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The last thing Selina saw before she died was the nodding head of the girl…

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