The moon hangs high over a quiet, blue lit graveyard. The air aflame as stone tombs melt under the bright blue light.
Amongst the singed grass lays a boy resting inside a circle of sapphire flames. His glowing eyes stare into the sky, focused, the screams of villagers striking his mind.
Images of a bloodied dirt path trail in front of him.
He follows, the screams getting louder and louder the deeper he goes, the flames around his body begin to burn black as the trail of blood stops at the feet of a man. Clad in white bloodstained lab coat, his devilish smile etched into the boys mid as he holds a young girl's almost lifeless body.
Suddenly the flames around the boy roar into the sky as his arms burn a bright white. Scorch marks rend into his body as the flames continue to burn hot.
"That's enough" a voice echoes from beyond the wall of flames as they disperse.
The boy sits up.
"Sorry Grimm..."
"You saw her didn't you?" Grim asks as he crouches down next to the boy.
"Not just her but Karia too," The boys' hands dig into the ash beneath him.
"Don't even think about it Lasarious." Grim scolds as he taps Lasarious with the but of his scythe.
"Your souls' too out of sync with your body and mind. Remember you're a prospect now, just let her go."
"You know I can't do that," Lasarious eyes focus on the coffin Marking on the back of his hand, "I know she's still alive, she has to be." His eyes flash over an emerald green, as his body becomes surrounded in that same flame. healing his scorched body, leaving faint scars in its wake.
Grim sighs as he stands back up. "and stop using her flames. You don't want to rush things more than you have already. Focus on your..."
"Focus on my black, red and blue flames right?" Lasarious smirks, cutting Grimm of before his attention becomes drawn to the forest around him.
"Hold that thought Grim I just wanna check something out" Lasarious said, His feet infighting in a blue hue as he bolted across the lit gravestones. The sapphire flames returning to him as he reaches the graveyard exit.
Grim smirks as he watches him make it to the tree line, his hollow eyes looking around at the half-melted tombstones. "You kept those active all that time. You really are a scary kid."
Amits the canopy in the forest, demons of the night stalk their prey. The stench of rotten animal corpses mixing with the sickly acidic blood of demons.
Lasarious patrols the woods, demons parting in his presence, forcing them to hide as he comes to a sudden halt on a sturdy tree branch, his head on a swivel as he scans the area.
"What the hell, I know I sensed at least a few demons enter the forest." He sighs to himself before slumping down against the tree, "maybe Grim's right and my soul really is out of sync." Rolling his head back against the trunk, closing his eyes as blue embers begin scattering from his body across the forest.
After moments of complete stillness Lasarious gathers all the embers but one, in a single deep breath his body becomes engulfed in blue flame and swaps places with the last ember. His stomach churned at the sudden movement, covering his mouth as he held in the urge to vomit.
A large thud was heard at the base of the tree, followed by demonic chuckling, Catching Lasarious' attention.
At the base of the tree, grotesque demons loom over a young girl around about Lasarious' age, their tongs hanging out of their mouths, tendrils holding her pinned, their discussing hands grip and claw at her clothes as she wriggles and struggles against them.
"You basterds really think I'm gonna make this easy for you just because that bitch marked me." The girl smirks as she sinks her teeth into a demon's tong and tears it from the demon's mouth, making it scream and recoil in pain.
Lasarious chuckles as he watches the events beneath him, the amused sound attracting the attention of everyone below.
"Need some help down there," Lasarious smirks down to the girl, but before he can get a decent look at her face, another demon forces her to look at them instead.
Lasarous' eye twitches as he becomes silent, leaping down in a blue blur, placing himself between the group of demons and the girl.
Her gaze snapping up to as the tendrils keeping her restrained turned to ash. The hand that had grabbed her face not mere seconds ago falling limp to the floor. Forcing the demons to back off.
Hiding a sigh of relief behind the demons screams of pain, before returning to her usual bravado. "What the hell are you doing kid I can handle these guys..." Her voice trailing off as she notices the blade made pitch black fire in his hand.
"Then why didn't you kill them before they pined you to that tree." He says, looking over his shoulder.
The girl's breath catches in her throat as his eyes glow a hollow black, piercing straight to her soul. "I... uh... I Ran away from Lust, and she sent these guys to track me down... "
The tongueless demon leaps towards Lasarious, its claws poised to strike at his throat, just before the creature's claw can reach him, his hand snatches the claw, tightening it as he snaps the demons' fingers.
"Say no more." Lasarious, turning his attention to the demons "Let me handle these guys,"
Lasarious delivers a swift kick to the toungless demons' skull, making it spin off leaving it completely beheaded. Before the body could fall to the ground he appears behind another, beheading it with one swing of his fiery blade before plunging it into the final demon. Leaving a blue trail of flaming footprints in his path.
The girl struggles to register what she just witnessed. The way the color of his eyes matched the flames, reminded her of an old legend in Mystalia, she presses her back against the tree wanting to run, but her legs refused to move from under her. The blue flames spread and consume the dead bodies leaving nothing but a silhouette of scorched grass where they once lay.
"Y... You're not human, are you?" She asked as she watched as the skin on his face flake and burn to ash.
Lasaroius looks back, his eyes returning to piercing blue as he cocks his eyebrow, "What kind of question is that, of course i am," he says walking over, the flaming sword vanishing from his palm as he holds it out towards her.
The girl glances down at his palm, A line of singed flesh scaring it to the bone as small green embers patch up his skin.
"Oh yeah, i never got your name," Lasarious says, snapping her attention to his voice and now emerald eyes.
His smile was warm, calming sight to her as she slowly reached out her hand to take his. "The Names Zenith."
Her eyes widen, his hand was cold, ice cold, before she could question anymore the sudden reprieve causes her to fall forward into his arms, her head and body feeling heavy from the days of running.
"C'mon let's get you somewhere you can rest up without any demon hunting you," Lasarious says as he cradles her in his arms with little resistance as he carries her through the canopy of the forest.
"So what's a white knight like you doing in a forest like this?" Zenith chuckles, as she senses the demons parting in Lasarious' wake.
"What's with the sudden question?" Lasarious replied.
"What? Can't I at least ask that, considering you still haven't given me your name." She smiles inhaling his scent.
Lasarious sighs, but couldn't help but feel a seance of familiarity. "The names Lasarious. Lasarious Strife"
Zeniths eyes widen, her arms slightly tightening around his neck "Wait THE Lasarious, the one that survived the massacre of Moter village?"
"How did you...?"
"You have quiet the reputation in Mystalia, facing off against Pride, almost killing Gluttony, your quiet the wanted man among demons for... many reasons." She giggles; her eyes beginning to wander, only catching glimpses of him in the moonlight.
"Grimm's going to put me through the field for this." He mutters under his breath.
Suddenly Lasarous' head snaps towards the approaching opening into the graveyard, his feet planting onto a nearby branch as the shimmer of Grimm's Scythe flies through the dark. Conjuring his blade once more, deflecting it into the tree behind him.
"What was that?" Zenith asks, peaking over his shoulder before the ice-cold fear radiated though her spine, "Lasarous... why is the grim reapers scythe in that tree?"
"It's okay he's just mad i bought someone to his graveyard, he did this when I bought Fenrir back." lasarious chuckles as he continues towards the graveyard.
Zenith blinks, unsure whether to let go and run, or stay out of sheer curiosity.
Grimm stands at the gates to the graveyard, his arms folded under his cloak. "She looks a lot like her." He says as Lasarious carries Zenith past him and leaning her against a nearby tombstone.
"Yeah i know?"
Grimm smiles and taps him on the shoulder, ushering him away from zenith.
"I'll be right back." he says before following after Grimm quickly falling in line with him.
Once a good distance away Grimm calls back his scythe and swings it at Lasarirous who quickly responds by blocking it with another black blade. Their hollow eyes locking as grim lets out a soft chuckle and lowering your scythe.
"Pack your things you leave for Cullenhal in the morning."
"Wait what?" Lasarious says, his weapon vanishing immediately.
"I need you to investigate something for me, apparently Anubis has gone missing and, the dead souls aren't being guided to the underworld." Grimms tone was serious. "I need you to find out where he's gone and what happened."
"And what will you be doing while im gone, i take it you want me to take Fen and Zeith with me?"
Grimm nods "I'm still regaining my power right now not much death happening around these parts. once I'm able to leave I will join you in Cullenhal."
"Right well, guess I'd better get ready, it's about a days trip to the nearest town so the sooner I leave the better." Lasarious says, turning away from Grimm and heading into the shack at the far end of the graveyard.
Once inside Lasarious slings his backpack full of books, and provisions over his shoulder.
A small wolf emerges from under his bed, its fur black with molten red claws, holding a small dagger in its mouth, rubs up against his leg before sitting next to him.
"There you are fen." Lasarious smiles, kneeling and giving fen a stroke behind the ear, taking the blade from his mouth holding it aloft, Fens tail wagging and he tries to reach the dagger, "You ready boy... Fetch" Lasarious tossed the weapon up into the ear, taking a step back as fenrir leaps up into the rafters and snags the handle before grecefuly landing back down.
"Good boy" Lasarious chuckle pulling out a peice of meat from his bag and feed giving it to Fenrir. Once finished Fenrir treds over and sits infront of him, his molten tail wagging, spraying embers everywhere, "alright that's enough boy we gotta get moving."
Fenrir whines and lays down infront of the dagger, "i know you don't like traveling in your dagger fen but we both know how much of a trouble maker you can be, once we get to cullenhal I'll let you out for a nice long run okay" Lasrious says giving him another stroke before fen fades into the dagger.
Once ready lasarious heads over to Zenith holding his hand out, "Can you walk?"
.