Chapter 16 - Audience with Death

In the middle of a pile of books sat the lonely Staxius, sleeping, waiting for someone to reach out. The hunt for a place he could call home was always a dream of his, returning to a place where someone who patiently awaits. The dream, good yet evil, a face familiar yet foreign, stood in the middle of a grandiose stairwell which seemed to stretch into the heavens, Sophie Mirabelle, a person he could both call a sister and a teacher. The blissful yet agonizing dream came to a sudden halt when Undrar jokingly toppled over the carefully balanced literature whom only a god had access too.

"Staxius, wake up young master, you've been held up in here for four days now," Her melodic and gentle voice effortlessly severed the chains binding our hero from his dreams.

"Ouch… my head, it hurts," He replied still half-asleep.

"This will definitely wake you my dear young master, the god of death has returned from Draebala, a world he created with Lord Kronos, the god of time. Your worries shall be wasted on godly matters, master has requested your presence at once."

With the long-awaited meeting closing in, Staxius woke, with the thought of returning to the place he now calls home, he rushed, with all the knowledge he gathered. Guilt had begun to consume his conscience from the inside, little by little, it bit off every single ounce of pride he held. Speaking ill about the one who took him in was not polite, it was an insult to him as well as the teachings of his father, Tempest.

"Undrar, I've something bugging my mind since I've entered the hall of rebirth."

"Speak your mind, however, be quick, we'll be meeting with the death reaper soon."

"Why do I feel like my mind is about to break, I'm positive that I can feel emotions no longer, yet, why does it eat me from the inside?" He asked while slowing down his pace so that the lovely Undrar had time to reply.

"Dark arts, something Tempest Haggard devised, the instant you stepped foot into the hall of rebirth, it stopped. You see, only true magic is allowed to exist here, that sham you call dark arts isn't worthy to be in our presence."

Their walk, short but seemed like eternity brutally stopped. Staxius couldn't bear the insolence and unnecessary affront directed towards his father, angry, he snapped.

"Undrar, hold your tongue this instant, my blood, it boils, is this anger? Who knew the true power of anger could push a human's body and instincts to a bestial almost berserker stage. I feel as if I could defeat even the strongest foe, everything is bloodshot red, help me, I can't control this pain resonating with every heartbeat, please, Undrar, let me forgo this burden called emotions, I beg." His tone varied from angry to calm, it was a conflict of both his calm and rational persona against the inhuman and destructive state of being.

"Your request has been heard my dear young master, however, tis a wish I cannot fulfill. Why not grit your teeth or shout like normal humans? Said vile and uncivilized actions won't be judged as you are only but human. "

*Bam, Bam, Bam.* Three loud punches reverberated throughout the hall leading into the study where his master waits. Calmed, he resumed the walk towards a new future.

"Before we enter the study, Undrar, retract your previous statements about my father's invention being vile and unworthy, I care not if you are a demi-god. My father is my father, none has the right to judge this great man, I dare not say I can defeat you, however, I'll never let such disrespectful words tarnish his image." He demanded.

"Fine, your father was a great man, I apologize for sending out the wrong message, now step in, the time has come."

*Creeeeek,* The pressure of a godly entity was overwhelming, our hero dared not stare into his eyes for fear of repercussion. The description of him wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe was completely false. The god of death had normal clothes on, shocked our hero chuckled.

"Why does this man laugh at a god who has been deemed the most powerful being since creation itself?" The death reaper turned his gaze towards Undrar who in turn chuckled.

"SUCH DISRESPECT, I SHALL person-ALLY BURN YOU BOTH INTO THE VOID FLAME." He screamed, the forced deep voice he spoke cracked, it was hilarious, no longer able to keep a straight face, both the young master and Undrar broke into hysteria.

"Excuse me master, but can you kindly return to your old self already, this farce has lost all its humor," Undrar spoke monotonously.

"What are you doing, isn't this guy supposed to be the strongest, does thou not feel fear?" Staxius whispered.

"Drop the old dialect already, old geezer death isn't that scary, he's just playing around." She winked.

"Undrar, my dear dragon, you once were so majestic and powerful, yet now, you naught but try and vex my poor self. Can't an old man have some fun, isn't death too grim for your taste, Staxius."

Mentioned verbally by a god practically made our hero jumped, neither did he expect to be acknowledged nor be known by name. "Ahh…" Clueless, Staxius weirdly nodded and shook his head in an attempt to say both yes and no at the same time.

"Fear not my child, I've had my meal already, however, if you insist on remaining silent, I still have a place for dessert."

"Master, please let the boy gather his thoughts, you know full well how immense your presence is, despite that, you still endeavor to further confuse and bring fear into his young heart." Undrar

voiced.

With a hand gesture signaling Undrar to stop her pointless argument, after a big inhale, our hero finally spoke or rather, laughed.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, oh boy, is this what you call a godly aura, man I was scared for nothing. I do acknowledge that you have power in your voice alone, I probably won't stand even a second against you in combat, however, trying to intimidate me won't bring you anything but silence." He smirked.

"Excellent, just what I expected from my heir, now what is your reason for this almost unexpected visit. Notice that I say unexpected, this is because I knew that we would meet sooner or later. However, even I didn't know that it would arrive so early." He smiled.

With enough courage gathered up, Staxius finally took a good look at the god of death's face. Black hair, grey eyes, a pointy nose, sharp jawline, a handsome man, but something was off, said face felt familiar. The answer finally clicked as if someone snapped their fingers, it was the face of Tempest Haggard.

"F-father?" Staxius asked.

"Yes, Stax, it's me, your father, yet, I'm no longer the dad you once revered. I'm only but a face and memory. That is to say, I, the god of death, isn't your father, I've gotten all the memories he had once he passed away, from his days as a soldier to the day he became a dad and until he died, he was a truly noble man with good convictions."

"If your only but using his face and memories then why not allow me to call you father, saying death reaper is a waste of breath." He continued the conversation.

"Call me what you want, now, what is the purpose of your visit, my prodigy."

"I've had the dream of the world ending for a long time now, it continually ails, thus my quest to find the one who calls me heir, the one who awoke inside me when I nearly died, my true master, otherwise known as the death reaper. I wish to study under you, please teach me the way to master the death element."

"What about Sophie Mirabelle? She stood against my constant attacks and proved to be powerful herself, why the sudden decision to leave?"

"To answer frankly, she served her purpose into getting me admitted into Claireville Academy. From the first day I met her, I schemed my way into her good graces, yes, she was but a tool for my own benefit. However, that changed when she accepted me as her own, so I want to protect her with all my might. People have only been an instrument for me to use how I want, sadly, that side of me will probably never change. I'm a failure as a human but I want to keep my promise in protecting her. Hence my plea to get stronger by learning from someone whom I can't hope to ever defeat."

"You manipulate people, use them how you see fit, dispose of them either by killing or ruining their mental state. Staxius Haggard, you're the definition of despicable, that is why you're fit to take my crown as the Lord of Death. Too long have I sat on this lonesome throne, waiting, hoping and wishing for someone as dreadful as me to be born. Then you, someone who doesn't have a care in the world about human emotions, morality, and belief, came to exist. Your birth made my dead heartbeat once again, I rejoiced in the idea of you being my successor, that and your soul also passed the trial to attain divinity. Therefore, I see no reason why not to teach you the ways of mastering the death element. Come closer my child, this will only but take a few moments."

With each step Staxius took, his feet felt heavier, it was a sign that everything he dreamed, hoped, and lived was going to be altered forever. In front of him stood his true master, imposing. With the index finger placed onto our hero's forehead, the god of death began reciting in the ancient tongue a powerful incantation. Every word he spoke, shook the whole study, the darkness inside the death element began to grow, blood vessels turned black, eyes changing from dark-brown to white, tears of blood flowing down the now black cheeks, our hero felt death, the ultimate fear. Undrar's insignia vanished, the engraving on his chest began to grow, more and more characters were added, the scythe on his right palm changed into a pentagram, similar to the once he saw when he first fought against an SSS combat robot, drained, our hero fell, his life force was depleted.

"Master Death, did you just kill your own heir?"

"Nicely spotted, this boy had the die for the death element to fully activate, I only took away his life force and transferred some of my own into him. Yes, momentarily he died, he was face to face with the ultimate fear, but I've reanimated him. His soul is truly one of the greater ones who ever walked this universe, no wonder he passed the test to attain divinity."

"He's no use passed out though,"

"He'll be fine in a week or so, let him rest, all the knowledge he acquired in the study will come in handy once the death element truly awakes. The only step required is for him to return to the mortal realm. With this, my job is done, I shall leave for Draebala, Kronos awaits me for our chess game, and Undrar, you're free to do what you want. I've set you free for millenniums now, why not return with him to the world of mortals, I've caught you spying on him since he was born. Why not experience life with him? After all, you're going to be named god soon, tis only but a suggestion, nevertheless I'm off.

"Maybe I will, thanks for answering my call, master, you truly are a father to me." With a smile, the death reaper vanished, leaving the unconscious Staxius drooling onto the cold marble floor."

Face to face with death, the face which popped into Staxius's mind wasn't his father but Sophie Mirabelle, she truly was important to him, a family member he never had, a home he never had, and a life he could but dream about. Sadly, all that in the end was only just an illusion, the tale of Staxius Haggard has now begun.