Reaping Feared Demons
In a dimension unlike our own, there was once a traveler. Scars and tattoos covered his body and reflected that he walked through hell. Every scar and tattoo represented the battles he had been through. The oldest tattoo showed the defeat of the wicked witch. The broadsword carried by the traveler holds the power of the witch within the iron. This power can only be controlled by Alex the Reaper himself. With this power he promised to only kill to help the good people live in peace. Maintaining peace greatly cost Alex. The pain of his soul could be seen in his stone-grey eyes. As the pain followed, he had one last mission to finish out before he would be free of this misery. His mission: assassinate the one hundred soldiers of terror. These soldiers of terror were highly trained and skilled individuals. Knowing this still did not bring fear to his heart.
"Hehe if you slay me in a battle I shall give you the strength of one hundred soldiers and you will successfully defeat your opponent at daybreak," said the voice from the woods.
A loud screech came from the demon and stunned Alex. He then heard an evil laugh that sent chills through his spine. This chill was the closest thing to fear Alex had felt in years. The Reaper defeated many demons in the past but never one like this. Its power radiated through the air and felt like vibrations pulsing through the Reaper.
"So you have seen my kind before?" the demon snarled.
It was like the demon was reading his mind.
"Once or twice," replied Alex, "but nothing as ugly as you. What is your name, demon?"
With an evil grin the demon replied, "I have many names, but my real name is Kraelin."
Alex smirked, "So it shall be known, Kraelin was defeated on this night by the Reaper himself. You will perish forever and never return to this world."
At this moment the demon became angry by the Reaper's remarks. Now furious, the demon dashed towards Alex and slashed at his right leg. The hit dropped him to his knee. He was surprised at how fast the demon had moved. Though the demon was fast it only took that one attack for Alex to track the movement patterns of the demon. Having analyzed this so quickly he gripped his sword tighter and the edges of the sword became red hot.
As the demon disappeared before the Reaper's eyes he slashed left knowing the demon was going for the other leg. The edge of the blade landed right in the middle of the demon's skull, and cleanly sliced through. The demon burst into flames and burned to ashes in an instant. The night felt calmer and the Reaper laid his head to rest for at daybreak he had another challenge to conquer.
Alex was traveling off the regular path through the tightly packed trees of the deadliest forest known to man. Dangerous, but the only way that he could surprise his enemies.
Nightfall soon was upon the Reaper so stopping to rest was his only option for he had a week's travel through the forest. He kindled a small fire from a cloth from his waist pouch and sticks that he gathered earlier. Alex drifted off to the low crackle of the flame.
A loud bang awakened him from his slumber near the third hour of the early morning. Aware of his surroundings he slowed his breathing and stayed motionless.
"Mmm a tasty meal laid out for me," said a deep voice.
Before Alex knew it a hand with half flesh and half ragged bones grabbed him by his throat. Immediately Alex slashed this figure with his iron broadsword. The Reaper could not fully see the figure before it vanished into thin air because of the faint light from the fire.
Five nights later on his last night before the attack of the army, the assassin once again was awakened. This time it was just a feeling of a cold wind, not just any cold wind but one of a harsh winter. The figure from nights before was nowhere in sight.
"Keep your distance for I am armed!" exclaimed Alex.
Unable to see the dark figure as he had before he clenched his sword tightly and exhaled a deep breath. His breath became visible in the cool air.
Unable to see the dark figure as he had before he clenched his sword tightly and exhaled a deep breath. His breath became visible in the cool air.
"Hehe if you slay me in a battle I shall give you the strength of one hundred soldiers and you will successfully defeat your opponent at daybreak," said the voice from the woods.
"I accept your challenge," said Alex.
The figure appeared and was a skeleton with partial flesh covering the hands and shoulders. It had five arms and glowing red eyes and a mouth that oozed black goo. It moved in twitching motions, almost as if it teleported small distances. At this sight the Reaper knew exactly what he was dealing with. "Demon," Alex whispered under his breath.
A loud screech came from the demon and stunned Alex. He then heard an evil laugh that sent chills through his spine. This chill was the closest thing to fear Alex had felt in years. The Reaper defeated many demons in the past but never one like this. Its power radiated through the air and felt like vibrations pulsing through the Reaper.
"So you have seen my kind before?" the demon snarled.
It was like the demon was reading his mind.
"Once or twice," replied Alex, "but nothing as ugly as you. What is your name, demon?"
With an evil grin the demon replied, "I have many names, but my real name is Kraelin."
Alex smirked, "So it shall be known, Kraelin was defeated on this night by the Reaper himself. You will perish forever and never return to this world."
At this moment the demon became angry by the Reaper's remarks. Now furious, the demon dashed towards Alex and slashed at his right leg. The hit dropped him to his knee. He was surprised at how fast the demon had moved. Though the demon was fast it only took that one attack for Alex to track the movement patterns of the demon. Having analyzed this so quickly he gripped his sword tighter and the edges of the sword became red hot.
As the demon disappeared before the Reaper's eyes he slashed left knowing the demon was going for the other leg. The edge of the blade landed right in the middle of the demon's skull, and cleanly sliced through. The demon burst into flames and burned to ashes in an instant. The night felt calmer and the Reaper laid his head to rest for at daybreak he had another challenge to conquer.
When Alex awoke that morning he prepared for the attack on the soldiers of terror. Only a few hours later the army fell by the Reaper's blade. As promised, the hundred soldier strength surged through his body. He stood there staring at the slain bodies with a sense of relief. The Reaper was finally free from his pain and started a new life away from civilization. Finally, he was at peace.
Alex the Reaper
Photo provided by Pexels
Author's Note: This story is a creation forged after reading The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost. The original story was of a man on a quest of war, confronted by a ghost multiple nights in a row. The ghost in the original story was a shapeshifter because it took on different forms each night it appeared, but it did not have the speed or strength that the demon did. The man wrestled the ghost and won in order to defeat his enemy. The story that I recreated was similar in the plot but it was changed to accommodate my imaginative style of writing. I changed the story into my own version by adding more depth into the detail because I felt the darker it was, the more interesting it was going to be. The original story was not dark. It showed the ghost more as a lost soul that wanted to be free. While the ghost was strong, it wasn't "powerful." I also decided to change the ghost to a demon. The demon idea came to me because demons are more deceitful and mysterious than ghosts are. I chose the image above to portray what the night looked like as the Reaper stood there after defeating the demon. This story was added to my portfolio because it is my favorite creation so far in the semester and I think it really will make the reader want to dive into my other stories. The story itself is meant to show a shady character (which most people tend to stay away from) that is actually a hero. It reveals that someone can go through hell in their life and still turn the bad things that happen to them into good things for others.
Bibliography: "The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost" from Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson Web Source