Chapter 123 - God Of Death

"Alright I will." Zell said. "If only for a while I promise to bring Neuval into an age of prosperity that has never been seen. But only after I have dealt with the gods and my sister."

"That is good to hear." The old king said. "I shall just remain here should you ever need me, for advice or for company. Since I am forever bound here to this place."

Zell sighed. "Would you like me to find a way to free your soul?" Zell asked.

The old kings lit up with hope at Zell's offer. "Do you really think you could?!"

"Yes, I do believe I can." Zell said. "Where is the object that has you bound and separated from the cycle?"

"I only know that it is located in the tomb." The old king said. "I think it is below, where the fog is coming from."

"Then it was an honor to meet you, grandfather." Zell said. "I am glad that we got to know one another before you passed on. I will free you from this suffering now." Zell started to leave the room.

"Wait, grandson." The old king yelled out as Zell was starting to leave. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Zell just nodded in response and continued out of the room. He walked over to the stairs that the fog had been coming from and began to descend them. The dense fog wrapped itself around Zell as he walked down the stairs. He looked closely at it, and it was infused with creation magic of some sort. He was far too strong for the magic to affect him, so he did not know what purpose the spell served.

Annoyed by the low visibility the fog was providing him he used his breath to blow it out of his way. With just a quick gust from his mouth he created a powerful wind that pushed the fog back to its course. An old skull was placed on a pedestal, and it had been inscribed all over with runic circles and strange writing. The eye sockets of the skull possessed an eerie green flame and it looked as if it were watching Zell as he approached.

Zell reached down and touched the skull, he intended to study the magics that created it so that he could learn to safely destroy it. He feared just using brute force could damage his grandfather's soul and wanted to find a better way to separate his soul from the skull. As he touched the skull however, he found himself transported to another location.

It was a large circular floor that was lifted above the ground. It appeared as if he were in a massive bubble and the platform was somehow suspended in the very center. In the middle of the platform that same fog was being released. It covered the entire platform and fell off it like a waterfall into the darkness below.

"Who dares enter my domain?!" An angry whisper said.

The fog swirled again as it did with Zell's grandfather, only this time it formed a fully formed man with pale gray skin and white hair. He wore a gray robe that touched the ground and carried a wooden staff. He looked Zell over as if he were studying him.

"Who are you?" He asked. "You are not one of the gods that I know, and you are far too strong to be one of the lesser gods."

"My name is Zell." Zell answered. "Who are you?"

The man laughed as he walked in a circular motion around Zell. "You entered my domain without knowing who I was? How foolish of you."

"How foolish of you to put a door to your domain where anyone could find it." Zell replied. "Now who are you? I will not ask again." Zell started to show a fraction of the power that he possessed, and his aura filled the bubble universe that they were in.

"Sorry!" The man said, beginning to cower from Zell's might. "I am the god of death, my name is Brakus."

Zell's eyes became more intense. "Are you also known as the god of destruction?!" He shouted out, his power growing, beginning to shake the very universe they were standing in.

"No!" Brakus yelled out. "The gods of creation are the ones who are known by that name! I only handle death. I only take the souls of the mortals to where they need to go so that they can rejoin the cycle. I promise you I have not done anything to deserve this level of rage from you."

Zell calmed down a bit and the universe stopped shaking. "I am sorry for that then." Zell apologized. "The gods of creation and destruction have caused my family and myself a great deal of pain and suffering. My heart is filled with rage towards them."

"I can see that!" Brakus answered. "So, Zell, why are you in my domain? Is there something I can do to help someone as great as yourself?"

"I was looking for a way to free my grandfather's soul." Zell explained. "It has been disconnected from the cycle and he is trapped as a ghost in his tomb."

"I see." Brakus said. "Must have been one of my disciples of death. They are the only ones capable of keeping a soul from joining the cycle."

"He said it was a reincarnated woman who did it to him." Zell said.

"Yes, I use reincarnated souls to go to planets and add more points of connection for me so that I can collect souls more easily." Brakus explained. "They need a bit of my power so that they can complete their task, so they would be the only ones capable of doing what you described."

"Can you free my grandfather then?" Zell asked.

"I cannot, however you can." Brakus said as he reached up to his staff and removed a splinter from it. "If you give him this it will transport him here and he will be returned to the cycle. I cannot go on to that world myself without a willing vessel, and I believe you want results faster than the years required to find a suitable vessel."

Zell took the small piece of wood into his hand and held it. "Thanks."

"A favor before you go." Brakus said. "If you decide to kill the gods of creation, please allow me to renew their souls in the cycle. I know you do not feel as if they deserve another chance at life considering all of the horrible things they have done to you. But all souls, no matter how wicked, deserve a fresh chance at happiness."

"I will consider it." Zell said. "But I make no promises. How do I return to my grandfather's tomb?"

Brakus walked over to Zell and sniffed him. "Oh, so that's the world you are from." Here allow me to open a portal back to where you were." Brakus did as he said, and the fog swirled up in the center of the platform and formed a portal. "Please think hard upon my request."

Zell nodded and walked through the portal.. He found himself back at the entrance of the tomb containing the bones of his grandfather.