Tales from Terrestria Chapter 1: The Herald

Chapter 1: The Herald

 

              Once upon a time, there lived a woman who had lived a rather miserable and pathetic life but it wasn’t of her own doing. Her name was Fantine and she was a rather pitiful woman who was born into poverty and had to scrape by to survive. And it was because of her poverty ridden background that she was forced to endure her occupation which involved selling her body. Despite not wanting to take on a job like this, being a lady of the night was the only way she could survive even with the many risks that came with it. Diseases, sexual assault, beatings, underpaid labor and pregnancies were the many, many risks that came with being a prostitute, especially one who was of a lower standing like Fantine. If she were of the courtesan class then she might have had a better chance at earning more money even if it didn’t involve selling her body. Sleeping with customers wasn’t always efficient especially since some of them didn’t exactly pay her that well, nor were they even good at bedding her. If things had been different for her, she probably would have been willing to work as a maid or even a waitress at one of the inns within the kingdom she lived in. Fantine preferred to cook, clean or even make conversations with her customers rather than letting them sleep with her but doing so would get her in trouble with the procurer. She would often be seen with bruises or welts on parts of her body besides her face, as her face was too valuable to be damaged, with most of her money being taken by the procurer or even by more desperate ladies who needed the money for themselves. It also didn’t help that other folks who lived better and less troublesome lives than her would insult or mock her by referring to her as a “whore” despite the fact that some of those same folks would offer to buy her services for a single night. She hated how hypocritical they were to judge her for something she didn’t even want. But she knew that her words wouldn’t do anything to change their minds since her status meant that they could get away with mocking her or worse assaulting her if possible. While she was fortunate to have never been violated by anyone, she still felt miserable when it came to sleeping with her customers as it was clear that none of them gave a damn about her wellbeing. Regardless, Fantine was known for her kind and generous behavior as she willingly gave her money to her fellow prostitutes and even to the poorer people who couldn’t even afford a home or find jobs to help them survive. She was also known for being kind to children, especially the ones who were known for being street rats and orphans, though some of the civilians assumed she would be a bad influence on them with the more self-righteous parents refusing to let Fantine get close to their kids. 

But it wasn’t until one particular customer demanded that she spend a night with him did things change forever. He approached her one night while also having paid the procurer to let him have his way with Fantine but the way he did it was… unpleasant to say the least.

“Is this her?” the customer asked in an impatient tone to the procurer who rolled his eyes in response. As usual, yet another customer and procurer had barged into Fantine’s room, not caring about her privacy one bit. Fantine was in the middle of putting on her makeup as they barged into her room without knocking and frowned slightly before putting her tools away. 

“Yes this is the one that you wanted,” the procurer revealed in an annoyed tone. “Fantine! You’ve got another customer!”

“Yes sir I can see that,” Fantine drawled before getting up from her seat. “Who is it this time?”

“This is the-” the procurer began before the customer interrupted him with a harsh shush.

“Quiet!” the customer hissed. “If people find out that I’ve been sleeping with a whore behind my wife’s back, I’ll be RUINED! You must never tell anyone about my real name, not even to HER.” As he said this, he pointed a finger at Fantine in an accusatory way, causing her to frown in slight irritation. She was used to this kind of treatment as this wasn’t the first time she had slept with men who already have wives or lovers of their own. But the fact that they were willing to do so was what concerned her especially if they had kids of their own. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in any position to speak up about it and was forced to hold her tongue lest she potentially get killed for it. Regardless, she sighed in resignation as she gave her response. 

“What is it that you want to do with me?” she asked in a slightly impatient tone. 

“I’ll be willing to give you a hefty payment if you… let me have you for 1 night,” the baron said in a snooty tone. “Look I’m in a really bad mood and I can’t go to my wife for relief because she is being a bitch at the moment. Just don’t ask any more stupid questions alright?”

“Alright alright I got the drill,” Fantine snarked before going to her bed and laying there in a rather unenthusiastic position. “Let’s just get this over with already.”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” the baron said as he handed the procurer some coins. “Leave us. We need some privacy after all.”

“Fair enough,” the procurer said before shrugging as he took the coins and put them in his pocket. “Just try not to make too much noise while you’re at it.” He then closed the door and left the vicinity, leaving only the baron and Fantine in her room. The baron began taking off his clothes before crawling onto the bed with her, scowling the entire time. 

“First time having a lady of the night with you?” Fantine asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Shut it! I just want to get this done and over with,” the baron snapped before straddling her. Fantine rolled her eyes before letting him have his way with her though she would later come to regret it due to him paying less than he intended. Another reason was due to him being a rather rude and irritating customer even compared to the previous ones and wasn’t even good in bed to begin with. It made her wonder what exactly his wife had seen in him, especially since he was all too willing to have an affair behind her back over some petty slight. But that all paled in comparison when she found out later that the baron was not only sloppy in bed but also got her PREGNANT which did not sit well with the procurer the moment he found out.

“HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!” the procurer asked, slapping Fantine in the face. “You were supposed to do your job and be done with it, not get pregnant in the process!”

“How was I supposed to stop it?” Fantine asked in annoyance while getting back on her feet and rubbing her swollen cheek. “You’re the one who took most of my money and refused to let me buy any more contraceptives! Plus I had already given up the last of them to the other women who, keep in mind, you barely pay enough to set free!”

“Don’t you DARE put the blame on me you little wench!” the procurer shouted in anger. “I’m not the one carrying an unwanted child in my womb like you are. You deal with it, not me!”

“Fine!” Fantine spat before going back to her room, slamming the door the entire time. Once she did, she sat in her bed and curled up in a ball as she wept due to the hormones affecting her mood and because of the stress related to her job. “What am I going to do? My job options are limited! No one else will hire me due to my status. I don’t know what to do!” 

She gazed up at the window of her room with the full moon shining brightly down towards her. How she wished she could fly towards the stars and escape her problems without a care. Maybe even join the Fae Folk who were said to reside in the wild while she was at it. But alas, she was just an ordinary woman who was dealt a bad hand in her life with very limited options. Seeing that there was no way for her to talk to anyone about her situation, she did the only thing she could do at the moment… which was pray. She got on her knees in front of the window and clasped her hands together in desperation as she began to pray for a miracle of some kind. 

“Theos, for years I have prayed to You for years to help me with my troubles,” she began in an exhausted tone. “While I do not know why You have let me suffer like this, I can only ask that You help me when it comes to my baby. I don’t want the baby to be born into such terrible circumstances. That would be too cruel even for them. At the same time, I don’t want to kill them just to keep my job. No one will take my baby in if they were to find out that they were the child of a prostitute. The fact that there are so many homeless children in this very kingdom also gives me doubts on whether my baby will even survive. Lord, if You can just help me with my life this once I will do anything. Anything.”

 

9 months later….

 

        “AAAAAAAGHHHH!!!!” Fantine screamed as she proceeded to give birth in the special room where she was placed in with the procurer and other ladies standing nearby. Despite being repeatedly told to abort the baby, with the procurer supplying her with abortifacients for good measure, she REFUSED to do such a thing. When asked why she chose to keep the baby instead of aborting it by her fellow ladies and even the procurer himself, she revealed how she didn’t want her child to end up dying just to keep her job. Despite the others pointing out how much more difficult her life will be if she has this baby, Fantine stood by her decision as she retorted that there were no places for her child to go and she couldn’t stomach the idea of her child being forced on the streets to die. When the procurer threatened to fire her for this decision, as doing so would be bad for his business, Fantine responded by stating how the procurer wouldn’t get rid of her so easily since she was still “essential” to his business as he once said to her. Plus, she could simply satisfy customers in a different way while she was pregnant given how she was known for her cooking skills in the brothel she was placed in along with serving the customers their food. Realizing that she had a point, the procurer begrudgingly allowed her to keep the baby hence why he stood near her when she was giving birth. 2 other ladies who went by the names “Ilia” and “Silvia” sat beside Fantine, holding her hands as they gave words of encouragement.

            “Come on girl!” Ilia encouraged. “You can do it!”

            “Just a bit more! Just 1 more push!” Silvia encouraged. 

            “Almost there,” the doctor in charge of the delivery said in a calm and encouraging tone. “Like they said, just 1 more push and it’ll be done.”

            “Okay,” Fantine whimpered before letting out a howling scream of agony after giving it all she got. A silence remained within the room after she finally gave birth… only to be interrupted by the sounds of whimpering and wailing. Only it didn’t come from Fantine or anyone else but rather, it came from the baby itself. Fantine opened her eyes as she slowly recovered from the pain and widened them the moment she saw her baby. The newborn had fair skin that was reddened thanks to having been recently born, with the blood and placenta making their skin more splotchy and wet. While they didn’t have much hair on them, judging from its light color, she could only presume it was blonde in a way. But what surprised everyone the most was the fact that the amniotic sac still covered the baby’s head. 

“What’s wrong with its head?” Ilia asked with worry. This caused Fantine and the other prostitutes to get worried though the procurer didn’t seem that concerned compared to everyone else.

“Don’t worry everyone,” the doctor assured the woman before carefully removing the sac away from the baby and cleaning the newborn. “That was a caul birth. It’s pretty rare but at the same time perfectly harmless at least in a state like this. Also congratulations miss, it’s a beautiful baby boy.” 

“A boy,” Fantine repeated with tears in her eyes as she held onto her baby the moment the doctor gave him to her. “He’s wonderful. He’s like a shining ball of light to me.” 

“Are you sure it’s not because he just got cleaned up?” the procurer asked sarcastically, causing the other prostitutes and even the doctor to give him glares. 

“He’s so handsome,” Ilia commented as she petted the baby’s head. “He’s definitely got your hair color, that's for sure.”

“Thanks Ilia,” Fantine replied with a smile. “He’s so quiet despite having been born. Are you sure he’s gonna be alright, doctor?”

“Yes I am sure of it,” the doctor assured the mother. “He is perfectly fine and surprisingly calm for a newborn. Then again, that caul of his may be the reason why he hasn’t suffered any complications during the entire pregnancy.”

“Why is that?” Silvia questioned.

“It is said that children who were born with a caul on their heads are said to be blessed with good luck and bring fortune to those around them, including themselves,” the doctor revealed. 

“Good luck eh? Fortune huh?” the procurer asked with sudden interest. “Maybe it was a good idea to keep the baby after all. He could be of good use to me-”

“NO. Absolutely NOT,” Fantine interrupted in a cold tone, giving the procurer the most withering glare she could muster. “We had a deal. I would take care of the baby while also continuing my work and you stay out of the way. If you even think of trying anything funny with my son, you WILL be sorry.” The way she glowered at the man with all of the hatred and fury in her heart actually managed to scare him into backing away before he turned around in a huff.

“FINE! HAVE IT YOUR WAY!” the procurer scoffed as he was about to leave the room. “He’s YOUR problem now, not mine. Just don’t come crying to me for help once things go wrong for you.”

“I doubt I will,” Fantine replied in a deadpan tone as she watched him leave but not before smiling softly at her son. “My son… my beautiful, wonderful son. Don’t worry, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

“What are you gonna name him?” Silvia asked out of curiosity, with the other prostitutes and even the doctor also looking on with interest. Fantine pondered for a bit before coming up with a name that she felt suited her son the most.

“Jonathon,” she revealed as she held onto her baby. “His name will be Jonathon.”

 

7 years later….

 

            Jonathon had grown into a well behaved, kind and surprisingly well adjusted young man despite living in a brothel for most of his life and being surrounded by prostitutes. Other than the procurer, who ignored him at best and attacked him at worst, Jonathon was actually pretty happy living with his mother and the other prostitutes who served as his unofficial “aunties” or “big sisters”. Even if he wasn’t going to enter a similar profession like his mother did nor would he ever take up the role of a procurer or worse, a flesh trader, he did help out with the brothel at times. Scrubbing the floor, doing the laundry, helping his mother with cooking the meals and even buying the necessary items for the prostitutes. He did all of it with a smile and extra effort which impressed almost everyone in and outside of the brothel. Despite being judged or even bullied by other children and some of the more cruel adults in the kingdom they lived in, Jonathon endured it and rarely told his mother about it since he didn’t want her to worry about him so much. His fondest memories of her were during the times when his mother wasn’t working and they would go visit the plains outside of the kingdom where the grass was green and the trees swayed in the breeze. Even with their limited food supplies, they were happy together and enjoyed spending time with one another with the natural scenery helping them escape from their pitiful statuses for a brief moment.

Though he had an extremely long temper and didn’t show much fear towards anything, which surprised and unnerved almost everybody except Fantine, he did have a sense of melancholy within him due to the state his mother was in. How he wished he could help her in any way especially when he noticed her health was starting to decline. He wasn’t blind to the suffering his mother went through in order to raise him nor was he able to ignore what the other ladies were going through as well  So, in order to help his mother and hopefully find a better way of living for everyone, he saved up some money he could scrounge up from the streets or even from tips the customers would give him and hid them under his bed. While it wasn’t the best plan in hindsight, it was the only plan he could think of in order to save his mother. Sadly, he would find out 1 day that his efforts would sadly be all for naught….

            Jonathon was on his way home after buying the latest groceries for his mother when he felt something hit his back, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. He groaned as he realized it was a mud ball and figured out who it was. 

            “Hey, whore-son!” the punk who threw the mud ball taunted with his gang of bullies laughing as well. “Sorry, I thought you were target practice!”

            “Hello Bartholomew,” Jonathon said in a deadpan tone. “Look, can’t you just leave me alone for 1 day? I need to get this food to my mother.”

            “Right, your mom who works at that whorehouse along with those other whores,” Bartholomew taunted. “Tell me, does she still sleep with men for money? Or does she use her good looks to steal it from them?”

            “She does NOT steal money from people,” Jonathon corrected in an irritated tone. “She doesn’t even sleep with customers that much. Or at least, not anymore. She doesn’t even show her face to the customers nor does she go outside that much.”

            “And why is that?” Bartholomew asked mockingly.

            “She’s been sick these past few months and I’m trying my best to help her,” Jonathon explained sternly. “She works so hard for me and for the other girls and you’re not making things any easier for us.”

            “Well maybe that’s what she gets for being a whore,” Bartholomew mocked in an unsympathetic tone before he and his gang laughed. Jonathon could only glare at them before calming himself down and picking up his stuff. It’s not worth it, it’s not worth it, he told himself mentally before running back to the brothel with the now ruined groceries in his hands. Hopefully we can salvage this for tonight’s dinner, he thought to himself. Once he arrived at the brothel, Jonathon smiled as he entered the kitchen area and placed the food onto the countertop before calling out to the others who were present. 

            “I’m back!” he announced, only to notice no one was present. “Hello? Ladies? Mommy? Where is everyone?”

            “JONATHON!” Ilia’s voice cried out, causing Jonathon to turn in her direction. She barged into the kitchen area with an extremely worried expression. “There you are! Fantine needs you RIGHT NOW!”

            “Mommy? What’s wrong with mommy?!” Jonathon asked with worry before rushing to Fantine’s room. The moment he did, he barged in almost immediately out of fear only to be greeted by a horrific and tragic sight. 

His mother, who once radiated beauty even when things grew bad, was barely recognizable. She was covered in rashes and splotchy marks on her skin with her hair frazzled and her face completely marred by whatever disease she had on her. Jonathon widened his eyes in horror at the sight of his mother being so sickly and disfigured compared to before. 

“MOMMY!” Jonathon screamed in horror as he tried to hug her only to be stopped by Ilia who shook her head with a somber expression. “WHAT’S WRONG WITH HER?!”

“I’m afraid the detriments of her job finally caught up to her,” Ilia revealed in a heartbroken tone. “I’m so sorry.”

“No… NO!” Jonathon cried out as he broke out of the woman’s grasp and went to his mother. He held onto her untainted hand and began to weep tears of sorrow as he saw her growing weaker. “Mommy! Please! It’s gonna be okay! I promise! I’ll go get the doctor! He’ll heal you!”

“I’m afraid…. it’s not that simple,” Fantine muttered in a weak tone. “My disease… it’s gotten too strong to the point where no amount of medicine can heal me. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

 “Why? Why didn’t you tell me you were sick!?” Jonathon asked. 

“By the time I found out what it was… it was too late for me,” Fantine revealed sadly. “Having to service customers who were filthy and didn’t know when to keep to themselves affected me to the point where I didn’t realize it until it was too late. I didn’t want to worry you especially at your age especially since money was tight. I didn’t want to spend the money on myself since the medicine needed for it would have been too costly and I wanted to give what was left of it to you for your survival. Your life means more than mine.”

“Mommy don’t say that!” Jonathon pleaded as more tears streamed down his eyes. “I don’t wanna lose you! I saved up my allowance and earnings to save you! So we could live outside of the brothel! Please… please don’t die…” As he said this, he failed to realize that the 2 had drawn a small crowd outside of the brothel with some like Ilia and Silvia tearing up from the sight of little Jonathon crying for his mother. They couldn’t help but pity him due to how close he was with Fantine, the woman who worked harder than anyone else for the sake of her son.

“I’m sorry my son,” Fantine said as she placed a hand on her son’s cheek in an attempt at consoling him. “I’m sorry that I couldn't live long enough to watch you grow. I’m sorry that I couldn’t provide you with a better life than this. I’m sorry that I had to give birth to you in a place where you would suffer instead of living a happy childhood.”

“Mom don’t say that,” Jonathon pleaded as he held onto her hand in desperation. “It’s not your fault. It’s my fault for being a burden and for not working hard enough and-” Suddenly, he found himself being pulled into a hug by his mother despite her weakened state. She patted the back of his head and teared up as she tried to give him encouraging words before her demise. 

“Don’t,” she pleaded. “Don’t say that. You are NOT a burden nor were you ever a burden to me. You are the sweetest and kindest boy I’ve ever had the pleasure of having given birth to. Raising you even during my short life was the best thing that ever happened to me. You were the light of my life and the one good thing that came out of my job. I love you Jonathon, I always will.”

“I… I love you too mom,” Jonathan replied as he hugged her back, not caring if the illness would affect him as well. “Please…. please don’t leave me.”

“I’m sorry my son,” Fantine whimpered as more tears fell from her face. “I really am. But never forget… that I will always…. love you. Please continue to live…. for me….” The moment she said this, Jonathon felt her body stiffen up before letting go. He slowly lifted his head to see her smiling but with an empty look upon her face. The tears stopped streaming down her face but still remained on her cheeks, staining her clothes and landing on Jonathon’s head. The moment it finally hit Jonathon over what happened to his mother, he could only breathe heavily in response and struggle to hold back his own tears before screaming in agony and grief.

  “MOMMY!!!!” He cried out in anguish as he desperately held onto her corpse with the other ladies watching nearby shedding tears of sympathy and grief while others hung their heads somberly in an attempt at showing their respect to Fantine. The brothel would become a much emptier place without the bright and kind woman who was the only one to ever raise a child. Ever since Fantine’s death, Jonathon could only weep and cling onto her corpse as it remained in her room with the other ladies feeling too sorry for him to move him away. Though it got in the way of his duties at the brothel, Jonathon didn’t care as he was too bereaved to even think of doing his chores now that his mother was dead. He didn’t even care when the procurer eventually found the secret stash of money Jonathon had on him and took it for himself. It got to the point where the young boy refused to eat or drink anything much to the concern of the ladies at the brothel.

Despite the procurer’s attempts at getting rid of the body, Jonathon refused to let him move it as he freaked out whenever he got too close or even touched it. Eventually, the man had to hire a bunch of gravediggers to remove the body while restraining Jonathon so he wouldn’t keep clinging onto Fantine’s corpse. It was bad that they removed it without Jonathon’s permission but the way they treated her corpse by merely flinging it onto a cart full of dead bodies that were once homeless people or criminals for disposal didn’t make it any better. Out of sympathy for him, the ladies at the brothel helped him give his mother a proper funeral by paying the corpse collectors enough money to let them take the body back and bring it to a graveyard just outside the kingdom. It was a graveyard that was mainly for those who were of a destitute or unknown background. In this case, Fantine was somebody who was once known but due to her status, Jonathon knew that the rest of the world would forget about her hence why wished to give her a proper burial and funeral while he was at it. Using an abandoned shovel he had found in an alleyway, he used all of this strength to dig a grave for his mother so that her body can be placed in it safely and respectfully. He could only watch with tears in his eyes as his mother was finally laid in the earth where she would remain and slumber in peace. He wasn’t able to hold back his tears when he buried her corpse but persevered as he was desperate to provide something for his mother to be remembered even in death. Once that was done, he knelt beside her grave and silently mourned for her with the remaining prostitutes also paying their respects before going back to their jobs. They were reluctant to do so but knew that the procurer would give them Hell if they dawdled for too long. Silvia and Ilia were the last to leave but made a promise to retrieve Jonathon and take care of him for the sake of Fantine. Sadly, by the time they did come back to get Jonathon out of the graveyard, they saw that he was gone and became worried sick over where he had gone. All that remained was Fantine’s grave and a single red rose placed on the ground.

As for Jonathon himself, he spent the next few days wandering about the kingdom but was utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Due to his refusal to eat or even drink any form of sustenance, he had grown more famished and malnourished to the point where he resembled a skeleton if anything else. Given how most of the kingdom’s civilians didn’t want to be associated with the street rats nor were they inclined to help them, Jonathan found himself being ignored by passerbys. Despite this, he didn’t care as he had lost all reason to live thanks to his mother’s demise. Even though his mother pleaded for him to live, Jonathon felt that he couldn’t continue living without her. The only good thing that came out of him being ignored was that no one would bully or hurt him anymore but even then it only made his current situation a bit better by a smidge.

I’m sorry mom, he thought to himself apologetically. I can’t keep living without you. I failed to save you. I have no future without you. No one will help me anyways. What’s the point of living anyways? Forgive me mommy. Please forgive me.

“Be careful, don't get too far away from me!” a male voice shouted as footsteps came closer to where Jonathon was. The young boy didn’t move from his spot as he was too tired and heartbroken to do anything but he did glance up slightly when he saw who came by. It was a red haired girl wearing a rather fancy dress which Jonathon could only guess was an indicator of her high status. She was carrying a fruit basket and would have passed by him had she not stopped to take a breather. As she panted in exhaustion, she finally noticed Jonathon and stared in shock over his condition. She had never seen anyone look so miserable and done with life nor had she seen someone so malnourished especially since he looked about to be her age too.

“Are you okay? What happened to you?” she asked with concern, causing Jonathon to merely stare at her blankly.

“My mother is gone,” he revealed in a bleak tone, causing the red haired girl to look on in horror and sympathy. “I wanted to save her from her job at the brothel but I failed. I failed her. I have no reason to live anymore. She was everything to me. I don’t know what to do now that she’s gone for good.” He began tearing up again upon recalling his mother’s death, making him look more pitiful than ever.

The red haired girl could only look on in sympathy before grabbing one of the fruits she had in her basket, which turned out to be shiny, red apples, and gently pulling Jonathon’s hand so she could place it on there. Once the apple was placed on his hand, Jonathon widened his eyes in surprise while the girl smiled gently at him before giving her answer. 

“Live for her,” the girl responded in the most sincere tone he had ever heard. “I’m sorry to hear about what happened to her. Even though I never knew her, I think she would want you to live life to the fullest and as much as you can.”

Jonathon didn’t know why but something about her words affected him a lot more than he expected. He then remembered his mother’s final words to him and how she wanted her to live for him which made him realize what she was talking about. Even if he still felt grief in his heart, he knew that his mother wouldn’t have wanted him to die like this. For the first time since his mother’s death, he found himself smiling again and graciously accepted the apple the girl gave him before taking a bite from it. He nodded as a sign of his gratitude before continuing to eat the apple voraciously, giving his thanks between the bites he took from the fruit as he did.

“Thank you… thank you so much,” Jonathon said in a grateful tone as he ate the apple heartily. The red haired girl smiled before nodding in response at the sight of him eating until she heard someone calling for her.

“AMBROSIA!” 

“Oh right. Sorry, but I have to go. Have a nice day!” the girl now known as Ambrosia said as she bid Jonathon farewell. The young man watched in awe at the sight of her leaving and felt a pang of sadness as she went back to whoever was calling her. Even though he was perfectly content to just sit there and die, a single act of kindness from her was enough to change his mind with his mother’s words still echoing in his mind.

Please continue to live… for me…

“I will mommy, I will,” Jonathon said with newfound determination as he got up from his spot and walked out of the alley with renewed confidence and the will to live. He didn’t know where to start or what he would do next but he was willing to make his mother proud by living his life to the fullest like she had wanted. The Sun shone down on him as he stepped out of the shadows and it seemed to fill him with more energy if anything else. Surely, nothing could go wrong today and it would be a new beginning for him. Or at least that’s what Jonathon thought. 

Suddenly, the sounds of horse hooves was heard getting closer which prompted the young man to turn in the direction of what was making the sound. A fancy carriage was shown arriving at the area where he was though he was safe as long as he stayed at the side of the road. But what he didn’t realize was that the little girl from before had accidentally run into the middle of the road to pick up some apples she had dropped, right when the carriage was about to hit her!

“AMBROSIA GET BACK!” a man, who Jonathon presumed was her father or at least an older relative, shouted as he tried to grab his daughter.

“AH!” Ambrosia screeched as she saw the carriage about to hit her. Because of how sudden it was, she couldn’t move away in time even when the driver desperately tried to pull back the reins so the horses wouldn’t run her over. Witnessing this terrible scene and wanting to repay Ambrosia for her kindness to him, Jonathon did the only thing he could do and acted quickly.

            “WATCH OUT!” he cried as he pushed Ambrosia out of the way…. only to get hit by the carriage in her stead. Before anyone could do anything…

 

CRASH!

 

A crash was heard by almost everyone present with the witnesses screaming or yelling in horror at the sight of the child getting run over. The young girl was pushed out of the road into her father’s arms who held her close but also tried to shield her eyes away from the horrific scene. As for the people inside and outside of the carriage, they experienced a bump caused by Jonathon’s body with the horses finally stopping but only after they had accidentally ran him over. The driver could only look on in horror as he got off his seat and tried to pull away the young man’s body, muttering apologies the entire time. A small crowd formed the area with many of them looking on in concern over the incident with some being more curious as to what had just occurred.

“What’s going on out there?!” an angry voice shouted as a man wearing a fancy suit stepped out of the carriage over the sudden commotion.

“Baron Baumbach I can explain!” the driver pleaded only to be pushed aside by the nobleman who glanced down at the young man before him. 

“So THIS is what was causing the commotion earlier? You couldn’t have stopped the horses in time?” the baron sneered at the driver.

“I assure you I didn’t mean to run him over I swear!” the driver stammered in a panic. “I tried to stop the horses when we almost crashed into the marquis’ daughter and-”

“WHAT?! YOU ALMOST RAN OVER THE MARQUIS’ DAUGHTER YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL?!” the baron shouted as he punched the driver before checking on Ambrosia and her father. He immediately put on a happy face as he approached them despite his harsh behavior earlier. “I am SO sorry for the incompetence of my driver. I didn’t mean for our carriage to almost run over your daughter, Marquis Pomum.”

“It’s alright,” the marquis in question responded as he checked on his daughter. “Are you alright my daughter? You’re not hurt anywhere are you?”

“I’m fine father,” Ambrosia assured him before pointing at Jonathon. “What about him? He looks really hurt. He saved my life!”

“What?” the baron asked in disbelief as he glanced at the young man. “You mean that street rat saved you? By touching you with his dirty hands?”

“They weren’t dirty!” Ambrosia insisted with a pout. “In fact, they looked rather clean if I do say so myself. He pushed me out of the way so I wouldn’t get hurt. We need to get him to a doctor!”

“Oh please, this kingdom doesn’t need anymore street rats running around and causing trouble for everyone,” the baron scoffed. “Besides, he’s already dead anyways. I doubt anyone cares about him.”

“Well WE do,” the marquis said in a stern tone, causing the baron to stiffen up before changing his tune. “And I think my daughter is right. We should take him to the doctor to see if he’s still alive or not.”

“O-Of course you do! Yes we should do just that!” the baron said as he clasped his hands together with an obviously fake smile, causing Ambrosia and even the driver behind him to roll their eyes. They knew a suck-up when they saw one and it was clear as day that the baron was only agreeing to get into the marquis’ good graces. But what neither of them knew was that Jonathon wasn’t dead or at least not fully. Rather… he was in a state between life and death itself.

            Jonathon opened his eyes to find himself in a dark void that barely had any light. He could only look around in confusion and curiosity as he wondered where he was now.

            “Hello?” he asked, his voice echoing back towards him. “Anyone there? Hello?! What is this place? Where am I? I remember getting hit by that carriage earlier after saving that nice girl who gave me the apple and-OH NO! IS SHE ALRIGHT?! I NEED TO CHECK ON HER NOW!”

            “Your mother was right,” a mysterious voice uttered in what could be best described as mild amusement. “You really are too selfless for your own good.” 

            “What?! Who said that?” Jonathon asked in alarm as he turned around to see where the voice was coming from. His answer would soon arrive in the form of a mysterious figure wearing a black cloak of some kind that covered their whole body with only their hands being shown. Said hands were bony white and seemed very thin to the point where they seemed more skeletal if anything else. But what made the figure stand out the most was seeing the greyish-black wings that they had on their back which reminded him of ravens or crows. When Jonathon first saw the figure he was more surprised if anything else but he wasn’t scared of them at all. Rather, he was more intrigued as to who this being was and why they chose to present themselves to him.

            “Who are you?” the young man asked with wide eyed wonder. The figure lifted their head with their eyes glowing an ominous yet warm red before speaking up. 

            “I am a being who has been around since the dawn of humanity, the dawn of the beasts and the dawn of the Fae,” the mysterious entity said. “I am also one of Theos’ many angels who help guard the world by maintaining the balance between life and death. I have gone by many names throughout history but you may call me…. Azrael.”

            “Azrael?” Jonathon repeated in surprise. “That’s a nice name. My name is Jonathon and I-”

            “I know who you are,” Azrael interrupted in a deadpan tone. “And I know who your mother is. Her name was Fantine was it not?”

            “Yes it was!” Jonathon confirmed in shock. “Wait, how do you know her name? Were you one of her customers?”

            “Oh no I have never done anything with your mother nor have I visited that brothel of yours either,” Azrael explained. “I came here on behalf of your mother. She personally requested that I take care of you after she was gone.”

“My mother?” Jonathon asked in surprise. “She… asked you to take me in? Why?”

“Because she felt regret over being unable to care for you and knew that you would live a very short life especially in this cruel world you were born in,” Azrael explained in a sympathetic tone. “Hence why she asked, or rather BEGGED for me to assist you especially considering your noble sacrifice earlier.”

“Noble sacrifice… wait, are you talking about me pushing that girl out of the way earlier?” Jonathon asked to which Azrael responded by nodding silently. “That wasn’t anything special, I just did what anyone else would do.”

“Which is precisely why you were chosen,” Azrael revealed in a tone that was both proud and impressed. “You sacrificed yourself to save that girl from being run over and dying prematurely. Therefore, you have been deemed worthy in the eyes of Theos and myself as the newest champion who will save this world.”

“What do you mean?” Jonathon asked confusedly.

“For years there have been humans who were chosen by me to become agents of death,” Azrael explained. “They were specifically chosen because they have survived events that would normally have killed them in the past had I not intervened. Not just that, they also showed a strong willpower, courage and selflessness to help others at the cost of their own lives. As for who they were, they were known as… Reapers.”

“Reapers?” Jonathon asked in surprise. “I think I heard about them but I thought they were a myth or just made up stories to scare people.”

“Well, most of the stories had been changed over time to the point where people assumed they were only legends when in reality, they were a lot more complicated than that,” Azrael explained. “But you, Jonathon, you have embodied certain traits that have made you a great candidate for the title of being a Reaper. Your unwavering diligence, courage and naturally kind demeanor was brought to my attention by your mother and after seeing your willingness to sacrifice your life to save that girl I have decided to make you my next Reaper but only if you will accept it.”

“What happens if I reject your offer?” Jonathon asked nervously. “Am I gonna get punished?”

“Of course not,” Azrael assured him. “I will simply reunite with your mother in Heaven. I know how much you have wanted that ever since your mother passed away which I am truly sorry about. Either way, it is ultimately your choice. I cannot make it for you.” Jonathon pondered over this development as he knew this wouldn’t be a simple decision he could make lightly. 

On 1 hand, this could be the only way he could see his mother again but on the other hand, doing so would mean he’d have to give up the second chance at life that was offered to him. Though the temptation to reunite with his mother was very strong, he remembered his mother’s words and the advice the little gave earlier before his accident. He had heard about how the Reapers were scary but ultimately good people who helped the innocent while also defeating evildoers which Jonathon wanted to do despite not having the strength or power to do so. If I do this, I won’t be able to see mommy for a long time, Jonathon pondered soberly. But if I don’t, other people will get hurt without a Reaper to help them and I won’t be able to keep my promise to my mom. This may be my 1 chance at getting a better life compared to before. Plus I’ve always wanted to be a hero and help people, especially if they went through similar situations like I did. Though it pains me to do this, I think I know what I must do.

“I accept,” Jonathon said in a firm tone. The angel before him stared in silence as if beckoning him to continue. “All my life I had been nothing but a burden to everyone around me, including my mother who paid the price for it. If I'm going to fulfill my promise to my mother and live for her then I'm willing to do anything to do so.”

“Is that so?” Azrael challenged. “You must understand that being a Reaper will not be easy. It will be a long, hard and dangerous path for you with enemies that can drive a person mad with fear. Can you handle it?”

“I've been beaten, yelled at and scorned by people for being the son of a prostitute almost my entire life,” Jonathon responded in a playful tone. “I think I can handle whatever you throw at me.” The dark angel continued to stare at him before letting out what sounded like a chuckle before answering back.

“You have a strong courage within you young one,” Azrael commended before extending his bony white hand. “And for that, I offer you a second chance at life. May you rise from the ashes anew and be reborn into a new purpose. You will become a champion for all in the world and preserve the balance between life and death.” The moment he said this, Jonathon felt a wave of energy flow through his soul. He widened his eyes in surprise as he saw streams of white, red and silver lights swirl around him before merging with the young man. He felt his eyelids getting heavy and closed them but not before hearing Azrael's words.

“See you soon, Jonathon.”

Meanwhile, the marquis and his daughter along with the baron were in the medical office with the doctor, who just so happened to be the same doctor that helped deliver Jonathon when he was just born. The moment the doctor had seen Jonathon again but in a horribly battered state, he panicked and did everything he could to help him. But considering the injuries he received from the crash, there was no telling if he would even survive. Even so, he would not give up on saving the young man as he patched up his wounds and cleaned them as much as he could after having placed him on a desk.

“Can we please just hurry it up already?” the baron asked impatiently. “We still need to discuss matters of our arrangement.”

“Baron Baumbach, there is a child here that has just been run over by YOUR carriage and all you care about is our business proposal?” the marquis asked in a stern tone while raising his eyebrow in the process. The baron wisely kept his mouth shut especially when he received looks of disapproval from Ambrosia and the doctor.

“Is he gonna be okay?” the young girl asked with fear. 

“Don’t worry little miss,” the doctor assured her. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“But with injuries like those, I fear that they may not be able to heal properly and have a negative effect on his body in the future,” the marquis commented with concern. “I do hope he can recover from this.”

“Whose child was this anyhow?” the baron asked in suspicion. “Couldn’t have been mine since my son would never recklessly go out onto the road like an imbecile.”  

“He is mine actually,” another male voice said, causing the others to jump back and yelp in surprise. A pale skinned man with black, wavy hair that went down to his shoulders and dark brown eyes appeared. He wore what appeared to be a black robe around his person along with some gray and brown peasant clothes. He also wore a rather dour and stoic expression on his face as he appeared inside the office. The fact that nobody heard him come in the room made his arrival even more uncanny and creepy for them. The doctor rapidly looked at the entrance, which was still open, and back at the mysterious man before speaking up.

“What in the…. how did you get in here so quickly?!” the doctor asked in confusion and surprise. 

“I did knock,” the man replied in a deadpan tone. 

“Oh of course you did,” the doctor stammered as he accepted the answer. 

“Azrael? What are you doing here?” the marquis asked in surprise. 

“Shouldn’t you be at that farm of yours instead of creeping around at night?” the baron asked suspiciously.

“Apologies for scaring you all but I came here to retrieve my godson,” the man now revealed to be Azrael responded, causing the others to become even more astonished.

“Wait, THIS boy is your godson?” the baron asked in a baffled tone. “I thought you didn’t have children!”

“I came here on behalf of this young man’s mother,” Azrael continued. “She had passed away recently and her last wishes were for me to take her son in. Jonathon, are you still with us?”

“Yes I am!” Jonathon exclaimed as he stood upright on the table, causing almost everyone sans Azrael to scream in shock with the baron emitting a rather high pitched squeal. The young boy looked around in confusion over what had just occurred before continuing. “What? What’s everyone screaming about?” 

“HE’S ALIVE?!” the baron screeched in shock.

“It’s a MIRACLE!” the doctor exclaimed with joy. 

“Yay! You’re okay!” Ambrosia shouted with relief.

“Are you alright? How are you feeling?” the marquis asked with concern. 

“Huh? Oh me? Yeah I’m feeling better alright,” Jonathon assured everyone before turning to the doctor with a warm smile. “Thanks for patching up my wounds, doctor.”

“Um sure no problem,” the doctor replied, still in a state of shock. “But how is this possible? Those injuries of yours shouldn’t have been able to heal so quickly nor should you have been able to wake up so soon.”

“Yes we thought you were dead,” the marquis revealed. “Thank Theos you’re not. Also it appears that your godfather is here to pick you up.” 

“My godfather?” Jonathan asked until he saw Azrael in person. Despite his human appearance, for some reason Jonathon could sense that he was still the angelic being that he met before and went along with it. “Oh right! My godfather is here to pick me up, I forgot!”

“Yes I am here now,” Azrael confirmed with a nod before pulling out some coins for the doctor. “For taking care of my godson, I thank you doctor.”

“You’re welcome,” the doctor replied in amazement, especially when he saw how shiny and gold the coins were. 

            “Come along now godson,” Azrael encouraged Jonathon. “I must take you to your new home in Apfelholme.”

            “Apfelholme?” Jonathon asked, tilting his head in curiosity over the name. 

“WHAT?!” the baron shouted in outrage. “You mean to tell me that street rat is going to be living near our homes?!”

“Well it’s only fair that he be given some kind of home after all,” the marquis pointed out. “His mother just passed away, which I offer you my deepest condolences by the way, and judging from his appearance and state beforehand, he had nowhere else to go. Oh and by the way, I would like to humbly thank you for saving my daughter earlier and would like to repay you in any way if you please. Just say the word and I’ll do it.”

“Oh… thank you sir,” Jonathon replied in surprise over this sudden turn of events. 

“Guess we’ll be seeing each other more often huh?” Ambrosia asked with intrigue and hope. Jonathon blushed before nodding in confirmation, turning away nervously for reasons he couldn’t explain. Wow, she’s a lot prettier up close than I thought, he commented to himself mentally only to be interrupted from his thoughts when Azrael placed his hand on Jonathon’s shoulder.

“Can you walk?” he asked with utmost seriousness, prompting Jonathon to carefully step off the table he was on and remain standing to his and everyone else’s surprise. 

“How is this possible?” the marquis asked in shock. “I thought he would have trouble walking after getting run over!”

“Is he an Essence user perhaps?” the baron asked suspiciously. 

“No I’m not,” Jonathon denied as he shook his head. “For most of my life I’ve never felt or displayed any kind of power related to Essence or enchantments of any kind.”

“I see,” the marquis replied. “But it is good to see you doing better after that horrible crash. Again, thank you for saving my daughter. You have our utmost gratitude and are welcome to visit us in Apfelholme any time.”

“Is that so?” Jonathon asked with surprise and hope. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmph!” the baron grumbled as he crossed his arms and turned his head away. “If you’re done wasting everyone else’s time, can you please leave this place at once? Some of us are busy enough as it is.”

The others sans Jonathon glared at the baron with Ambrosia pouting at his rudeness. I wish Phineas was here instead of his dad, she thought to herself in annoyance. Jonathon nodded in response, as he was used to this kind of treatment by now, before approaching Azrael. 

“Before we leave the kingdom, can we stop by somewhere first? I wish to say goodbye to some old friends of mine before setting off,” Jonathon asked politely. Azrael immediately knew what he was referring to and nodded in agreement before exiting the office with his godson in tow. Before they left, they heard Ambrosia say something which stopped them in their tracks.

“Bye Jonathon! I hope to see you again soon!” the red haired girl said while waving her hand goodbye. Jonathon turned around and smiled as he waved goodbye as well before finally leaving the office with his new godfather. 

Like Jonathon wanted, he and Azrael made a quick stop at the brothel where the business was still open but only so Jonathon could say goodbye to the ladies there. Just as the brothel was about to close up, Azrael and Jonathon arrived just in time. Needless to say, the sight of Jonathon alive and well was a shock for the procurer who was about ready to close the front doors with Ilia and Silvia being overjoyed at seeing him alive and well.

“JONATHON!” the 2 ladies shouted as they went to hug him to which Jonathon was more than willing to let them do and hugged them back. 

“Oh my goodness we were so worried about you!” Silvia exclaimed as she cried tears of joy.

“We would have looked for you more but the old cheapskate wouldn’t let us leave the brothel for more than an hour,” Ilia explained in an apologetic tone while glaring at the procurer.

“I’m RIGHT here you know!” the procurer angrily stated before confronting Jonathon. “And where the Hell have YOU been? Do you have any idea how many chores you missed out during the week? I had to employ more of my ladies to do the chores that you neglected which left me with less women to help entertain the guests. What’s YOUR excuse?”

“Would you believe me if I told you that I got run over by a carriage?” Jonathon asked in a sheepish tone, causing the 2 ladies to gasp in horror while the procurer continued to look on unsympathetically.

“So what if you got run over? Boohoo! That doesn’t mean you get to slack off from your duties. Now come on!” the procurer shouted as he grabbed Jonathon’s arm and prepared to drag him away only for Azrael to grip onto the procurer’s arm rather harshly. The man groaned in pain as he felt the dark haired man’s crushing grip, forcing him to let go of Jonathon. “Who the Hell are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Azrael replied in a cold tone. “I am Jonathon’s new guardian from today and I would suggest that you let us leave. Fantine asked me to take care of her son before she passed on.”

“Wait FANTINE did?!” Ilia asked in surprise.

“You knew Fantine?! Since when?!” Silvia questioned.

“I don’t care if Fantine made a deal with some nobody who isn’t worth my time,” the procurer snarled as he tried to rip his arm away from Azrael only to find that the man's grip was a lot stronger than he thought. “I own this place and all these whores here and anything that they own also belongs to me, including that brat over there. So I suggest that you leave this place before I-”

Suddenly, the procurer felt something smack him in the back of his head before falling over unconscious. As it turns out, it was Ilia who struck him from behind using the wine bottle she had in her hands. Jonathon looked on in shock whereas Silvia and Azrael were more impressed by her audacity.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a LONG time by now,” she admitted before hiding the bottle in her skirt. “Come on, before he wakes up and finds out what happened.” As for the procurer, they brought his body inside the brothel but placed the bottle next to him, leaving it partially opened and spilled on the ground to make it look like he drank too much. Once they did, the angel explained what Fantine asked him to do while omitting the full details to make it look like it happened before she died, the 2 ladies agreed to let Jonathon go while swearing to keep his current whereabouts a secret. The 4 of them quickly went to Jonathon’s room to pack his belongings despite how limited it was and packed some food for him on his journey to his new home. 

“Are you sure I can't take you with me? What about the other girls too?” Jonathon asked with concern. The 2 prostitutes smiled sadly before giving their response.

“I'm sorry but this is where we belong,” Ilia said in a sobering tone. “Unlike you, we don't have a future nor are we able to free ourselves so easily.”

“But YOU have a future,” Silvia said as she caressed Jonathon's cheek affectionately. “You are young and still have a whole life ahead of you. That's why you have to leave this place as soon as you can. The only thing we can do is provide you a chance to be free. It's the least we can do for your mother.” Jonathon teared up as he hugged both ladies to which they eagerly hugged him back. Azrael watched the interaction with stoic interest. The fact that they were willing to risk their own safety to ensure Jonathon was given his freedom also impressed him if not touched his soul as well.

“Your sacrifice will not be in vain I assure you,” Azrael assured the 2 ladies. “I will find a way to repay you both. I swear on.”

“You really don't need to,” Silvia assured Azrael. “We're just simply looking out for the lad. Please take care of him for us.”

“I will,” Azrael assured her before grabbing Jonathon. “Let us leave now. Farewell you 2. May Theos bless you.”

“And you too,” Silvia replied with a smile. “Goodbye Jonathon. We're gonna miss you and so will the girls. We'll tell them that you left the kingdom a while back. It'll be quite different without you.”

“Goodbye Auntie Silvia. Goodbye Auntie Ilia. I'll miss you too,” Jonathon replied as he gave them one last hug before leaving the brothel as quickly as he could with Azrael. They managed to leave through the brothel’s exit doors and ran as fast as they could until they were outside of the kingdom. Once Azrael got past the guards with Jonathon in tow, they walked a bit further away from the kingdom until they were out of sight. By the time they had left, it was already night time which surprised Jonathon as he didn't expect night to come so soon. The fact that they would have to walk to his new home made it more concerning for him since a walk in the middle of night was bound to cause some trouble. 

“Sir?” Jonathon asked his godfather. “How exactly are we gonna get to Apfelholme? I don't think we'll be able to get there before morning.”

“No need to worry,” Azrael assured him before sprouting his dark wings to Jonathon's surprise. “We won't need to walk.” The moment he said this, he suddenly grabbed Jonathon along with the supplies they were given before leaping into the air. Jonathon widened his eyes at the sight of the landscape down below him and how close he and Azrael were to the Moon and stars. Even the clouds were close enough for him to touch which felt mystical in itself. Jonathon laughed and cheered as he found himself enjoying the flight with Azrael smiling in amusement over his happiness.

“Enjoying the flight?” he asked.

“Yes I am,” Jonathon said with glee. “This is amazing! I've never flown in the air before until now!”

“We'll get used to it kiddo, because this will be one of the benefits of being a Reaper,” Azrael revealed, causing Jonathon to become excited.

“Really? I'm gonna learn how to fly like you?” 

“Heh. Yeah you will. But it won't come easy as there will be trials you must undertake in order to get used to your new powers. You may not realize it yet but you've actually started to display your Reaper abilities already.”

“Really how?”

“Look at the wounds you sustained from the crash earlier.”

Hearing this prompted Jonathon to check on the wounds he had. Thanks to the doctor, he had wrappings around his limbs, stomach and chest to seal the bleeding along with covering the many bruises he had sustained. But the moment he checked his injuries, he was shocked to find that they were gone. No bruising or lacerations were present in his body despite having been there earlier. The fact that he felt no lingering pain from his injuries either made him curious as to what exactly Azrael did to him.

He's right. My injuries are gone, Jonathon thought to himself with surprise. It's like they were never even there! I wonder what this means for me? He continued to think to himself until he and Azrael finally arrived at his new home. Said home was a humble barn, no doubt being used for planting, growing and harvesting crops. The crops grew outside of the barn and could be seen at the side with a smaller house being set up near the barn as well.

“Welcome to your new home,” Azrael said as he gestured to the barn. “As you can see, I run a farm in order to provide for the people living here while also blending in with the townsfolk.”

“I see,” Jonathon replied as he took in the sight. “I'm actually gonna be living here. Never lived on a farm before.”

“And now you will,” Azrael said as he gently ushered the young man inside. “I believe it's time that you rested now. Tomorrow will be a big day for you.” As they went inside the house connected to the barn, Jonathon had 1 thing on his mind the entire time with a smile on his face.

I’m gonna be living here! Thank Theos, I'm going to have a new home. And I’m going to become a reaper too! I’ll make you proud mommy. Same thing for you, godfather.

 

10 years later….

 

“Hey Jonathon!” 

“Hi Jonathon!”

“Good morning Jonathon!”

“Good morning to you! Hey guys!” Jonathon replied as he waved to the townsfolk who greeted him. Ever since he moved to the humble town of Apfelholme, his life had become a lot better than before. Unlike his old home, most of the townsfolk were friendlier and more willing to accept him despite his status as a newcomer all those years ago. Of course it was mainly due to him not telling anyone about his status as an illegitimate child born from a prostitute but still, he preferred to live in the small town compared to the large kingdom that hid its dirty secrets even in daylight. It also helped that the town didn’t have so many sordid secrets compared to his old home and he was able to find proper employment there. Aside from working in the fields of Azrael’s farm by sowing or tilling the crops, he often found himself working in the town as a jack of all trades kind of guy. Helping repair certain buildings, finding lost items, cleaning, cooking, decorating, organizing, egg collecting and many more. You can say that his time in the brothel helped him a lot more than he expected. Of course, his favorite activity outside of his farm was to pick apples. Why? Because it gave him the excuse to help the Pomum Family which just so happened to be the family that Ambrosia was born in. Thanks to Ambrosia’s father, Marquis Damocles Pomum, being true to his word in repaying the young man, Jonathon got employed at the Pomum Residence to help pick the many apples that grew around their estate which was one of their main sources of income. He smiled when he finally arrived at the Pomum Residence where he was let inside by the servants who were employed by the Pomum Family.

“Hey Jonathon,” one of the servants, named Nolan, greeted as they both walked through the lobby. “Ready to pick some apples like usual?”

“You bet I am,” Jonathon replied in an equally eager tone. 

“Hello Jonathon,” the marquis himself greeted as he stepped into the lobby with his daughter Ambrosia and 2nd born son Leopold. Seeing Ambrosia again, and in quite the lovely dress that she had worn, made Jonathon feel slightly flustered to the point where he tried not to blush in her presence. He didn't know when exactly it started but as the years flew by, he began to harbor certain feelings towards her that he knew were more than simply just platonic. The fact that she had blossomed from a cute girl to a gorgeous young woman whose red hair and blue eyes seemed to shine even brighter especially in the Sun. 

“Jonny!” Leopold shouted as he went to hug the older man who laughed and patted his head.

“Hi Leopold,” Jonathon greeted back. “Good to see you too.” The little boy who served as Ambrosia’s baby brother was a ball of sunshine who was friendly towards everyone and had a fascination with rabbits which only made him more endearing to him and everyone else.

“Hi Jonathon,” Ambrosia greeted, causing Jonathon to stiffen up and feel flustered again before calming himself down.

“H-H-Hi Ambrosia,” Jonathon replied with a nervous laugh and wave. “How are you feeling today?”

“Pretty good thanks,” Ambrosia replied with a smile. “So far the coughing has settled down and the headaches aren’t bothering me as much compared to yesterday.”

“Well whatever it is, I hope you recover from it soon,” Jonathon encouraged, causing Ambrosia to smile and let out a light blush of her own due to her pale skin making it more noticeable. The other servants and even Leopold couldn’t help but snicker or grin with even the marquis being intrigued by the exchange between the 2 teens. 

“Anyways, we should get started now!” another servant named Bowen pointed out, causing Jonathon to have to part with Ambrosia to his slight dismay. 

“Good luck out there!” Ambrosia cheered as she waved the servants and Jonathon goodbye. “I’ll be sure to bring some refreshments later on.”

“Thanks!” Jonathon replied as he rolled up his sleeves and got ready to work with the other servants. It wasn’t too difficult since picking apples simply required him to climb up the trees either with his hands or with a ladder and drop them into the buckets down below. Plus Jonathon had shown himself to be quite adept at picking apples due to his body being more agile and durable. The fact that he didn’t get tired during the apple picking sessions, even under the hot Sun, only fascinated and impressed the others with his impeccable strength that allowed him to carry 3 baskets full of apples without any trouble also making them stare in awe.

“Okay I think that’s all of them for today,” Nolan called out to Jonathon and the others.

“Thanks!” Bowen said as he grabbed one of the baskets. “You coming, Jon?”

“Sure give me a second,” Jonathon said as he held up 2 baskets in his hands. “Okay let’s go.”

As the 2 men walked back inside the house to deliver the baskets, the 3 remaining servants watched Jonathon in amazement.

“Somehow Jonathon finds new ways to surprise me everyday,” Nolan commented.

“Yeah he does,” a bulkier servant named Geoff agreed with a nod. “He can get more apples down by bashing against a tree like I can and I’m heavier than him.”

“Not to mention he barely broke a sweat even when we worked during the summer,” the 3rd servant named Dylan chimed in. “He just continued to get the apples without a care. Honestly, I’m surprised the marquis hasn’t fired us for not picking enough apples like he does.”

“Well Jonathon said that he likes working with us and can’t pick all of them at once,” Nolan explained. “But at least he gets things done faster.”

“He’s also helped us too,” Geoff recalled. “Like that 1 time a tree branch almost fell on me and he pulled me out of the way just in time. Plus there was that time when he caught Bowen after one of the ladders broke with his ankle getting twisted despite being smaller than him. And another time he filled in for Dylan after he caught a cold a month ago and still managed to fill that day's quota.”

“Yeah he's a miracle worker in his own right,” Dylan agreed with a chuckle. “Still, it's a good thing that we were hired by the marquis rather than that asshole baron. I doubt I would have lasted long working for him without wanting to punch him in the face.”

“Announcing the arrival of Baron Fritz Baumbach!” someone shouted, causing the workers to stiffen up before grimacing in response. 

“Speak of Diabolos,” Nolan groaned. 

“Wait, isn't Jonathon with Bowen inside the house right now?” Geoff asked with worry, causing the other servants to realize what was going to happen. They all grimaced in pity over the inevitable confrontation that would occur between Jonathon and the baron.

“Oh boy,” Nolan groaned as he knew what was going to happen.

“I feel so sorry for Jonathon right now,” Dylan said in sympathy.

Back in the Pomum Family Residence, Jonathon and Bowen set the apple baskets down before the butler of the Pomum Family. Said butler was an old man who had a noticeable burn scar on the right side of his eye due to an incident where he and Jonathon had to save Leopold after a fire broke out. Sadly, said butler didn’t make it out completely unscathed but could at least still see enough to keep working without too much trouble.

“Here you go, Joel,” Jonathon said. “We picked the freshest apples we could find and made sure they didn't get damaged in any way.”

“We also double checked to see if they had any decay or parasites inside which they thankfully didn't,” Bowen added. Joel smiled before nodding in response as he picked up one of the apples and inspected it to see if it was still fresh or not.

“Thank you both,” he replied in a warm tone. “Oh and by the way, the baron and his family are here.”

“Of course they are,” Bowen groaned with an eyeroll.

“Is Phineas with him at least?” Jonathon asked hopefully to which the butler nodded in confirmation.

“Yes he is,” he said. “Though you may need to steer clear of the baron given his disdain towards you.”

“I will, thank you,” Jonathon nodded as he brought one of the empty baskets back to the orchard. As he did, he walked past the baron and Phineas who were currently speaking with Marquis Pomum and Ambrosia. The baron’s son looked rather glum if not bored out of his mind during the meeting but the moment he saw Jonathon, he perked up and waved at him almost immediately.

“Hi Jonathon!” he greeted happily. 

“Hi Phineas,” Jonathon greeted back only to frown when he saw the baron glare at him before smacking his son on the back of the head.

“Don't say hello to the help you imbecile,” Baron Baumbach scolded only to turn a complete 180 when he saw the marquis and Ambrosia frowning at him. “Oh sorry sorry. Just making sure my son learns proper etiquette. That's all.”

“Right,” the marquis responded in a tone that clearly showed how he did not buy the baron's claims one bit. “Anyways, would you like to sit down? I believe we have a lot to discuss.”

“Yes yes of course,” the baron replied in an eager tone. “Come along, son.”

“Yes father,” Phineas responded reluctantly but not before whispering to Jonathon as he left. “Bye Jonathon.”

“Bye Phineas,” Jonathon replied back with a small smile. How a mean-spirited man like the baron raised a sweet kid like Phineas is beyond me, Jonathon thought to himself as he continued to walk back. 

“Woah, what did I miss this time?” Bowen asked as he caught up to Jonathon with an empty basket in his own hands.

“Eh, just the baron being mean to his son again,” Jonathon revealed in a deadpan tone.

“Somehow I'm not surprised,” Bowen replied with an eyeroll of his own. “Did he yell at you again like before?”

“No, not this time. But he did give me a dirty look when I passed by. I seriously don't know what he has against me of all people. I didn't even do anything to him yet he treats me like a pest to be gotten rid of. The only ones from his estate who are remotely kind to me are Phineas, the Baroness Wilhelmina Baumbach and even the servants they have there like Varney,” Jonathon commented with a frown. “Ever since I came to this town, he's been nothing but antagonistic towards me despite my attempts at being nice to him. Even his former coach driver was nice to me and he was the one who ran me over.”

“Right I heard about that,” Bowen commented. “I'm surprised you even survived that incident to begin with. Most people, let alone kids, wouldn't be able to shrug off getting run over by horses and wheels.”

“I am sturdier than I look,” Jonathon claimed in a playful tone. “But it is sad that the driver got fired after the incident though it was less about me getting run over and more about Ambrosia almost getting killed.”

“Figures he would fire him over something like that,” Bowen replied with a scowl. “I'm surprised you haven't done anything about that incident.”

“What can I do? I'm just a farmhand and a peasant. I don't exactly have the power to do anything to the baron given he's rich and all,” Jonathon shrugged. “Plus I don't want to hurt his family in the process by dragging them into my problems.”

“But you CAN do something for Ambrosia at least,” Bowen teased, causing Jonathon to blush in response. “Oh don't try to deny it, EVERYONE knows you have a crush on her.”

“I DON'T!” Jonathon hisses. “We're just friends and nothing more. Besides, I doubt she even likes me like that, especially considering my low status. It would never work out between us.” The blonde haired man ran past him back to the orchard, leaving the smirking and amused older man behind.

By the time Jonathon finished his job for the day, he immediately ran back to the farm but made sure to not get back too late just to be sure. Even if Apfelholme was considered to be a safe haven for many, he couldn't risk being attacked by criminals or wild threats lurking out in the night. Plus, today was going to be a special day for Jonathon. Namely, the day he would FINALLY be ready to become a Reaper. All he had to do was pass 1 final test and then gain the mantle and true powers of a Reaper from Azrael. At the time, he only received a small portion of Azrael's power such as being a lot more fit and swift than the average human and having super strength as well as immunity to pain. Plus, as he discovered when he was still a child, he could heal from wounds and injuries that would normally kill most people with survivors suffering from lifelong wounds in the process whereas Jonathon didn't even have a scratch on him. It certainly proved to be beneficial for his many jobs around town as he never grew fatigued or exhausted from the labors and chores he did. 

As soon as Jonathon arrived home, he opened the door and went inside only to feel something was off. It was another thing he had developed over time which often assisted in saving the lives of others as well as himself and something he knew would help him with the test. The moment he stepped inside, he suddenly found himself nearly getting hit by sharp needles which pinned themselves to the door before fading away.

“Spirit weapons huh?” Jonathon commented before noticing more of them flying his way. Using his agility and speed, he dodged the flying weapons which mostly resembled farming tools but with a sharper edge than normal. There were others like javelins, swords, daggers, arrows, and some exotic ones like shuriken and chakrams. They flew past him with a speed that normally would have left a person with very little time to dodge even if they did possess Essence. But not for Jonathon. No, he was prepared for this. He jumped onto one of the nearby walls on his right and ran across them with his enhanced speed before landing back on the floor, narrowly avoiding some caltrops left there for him. However, as he continued to run, part of the floor suddenly gave way to a pit of spikes which he managed to avoid falling into by grabbing onto the edge of the pit and climbing back up no worse for where. Though he wouldn’t have felt pain from the spikes, unless they were demonic or divine, it would have meant that he failed. As soon as he dodged that, he saw a large axe swinging about that nearly sliced him in half had he not moved back in time. Suddenly, he felt a certain presence nearby and turned to see a shadowy figure nearby before they moved away, prompting Jonathon to follow. He ran after them while avoiding more traps that were laid on the ground outside which were placed in a straight line like a path along with the arrows that were shooting at him from who knows where. So far, he managed to avoid the traps and didn’t get a single cut or scrape from either of them. Not even the flaming arrows had burnt or singed his clothes too which was a good thing too. To the unknowing person, this would be seen as horrific if not extremely dangerous but he was used to it at this point. He did, after all, agree to endure whatever training Azrael subjected him in order to prepare him for his role as a Reaper someday. As soon as he arrived at the barn, he opened the door and was about to step inside until he saw the dark interior lighten up with flames all around. Once he adjusted his eyes to the brightness, he widened his eyes to see what was basically a death trap meant for him. More axes of the sharper kind hung and swung across the inside of the barn with spiked clubs, large stone cubes that hovered above the ground and a fiery pit with hoops hanging above them being present. As for the shadowy figure, they floated towards the end of the death trap and morphed into Azrael before he spoke up.

“Well done in getting past those other traps I set up for you earlier,” he said in a calm yet impressed tone. “Here is the final test. You will need to use your wits, your skills and your courage to face it all. Can you do it?”

Jonathon replied by giving a confident nod as he went on all fours akin to a racer about to run a marathon. Given what was at stake, he wasn’t too far off though even he doubted that athletes had to go through literal death traps like these. Regardless, he smirked before racing through the course, dodging the swinging axes and clubs. As for the hovering stones, the moment he stepped on them, they immediately tried to shoot up towards the ceiling and crush him only for him to jump off and step on another one. Should he try going down, they would have tried to crush him with a speed that rivaled a falcon or even a rabbit’s. Regardless, he managed to get through them especially since he couldn’t go around lest he fall off the road underneath and be burnt alive by the flames. Speaking of the flames, the flame pit would breathe out large pillars of fire that were enough to reduce anyone into roast beef if they didn’t reach the hoops above them. Fortunately, Jonathon was able to think quickly by jumping off one final stone block before grabbing one of the hoops and swinging his arms to grab onto them as he made his way over the fire pit. He managed to arrive on the landing spot safely and on his 2 feet with the fire pillar shooting up behind him for dramatic effect. Azrael stared in surprise before grinning as he gave a light applause which grew more as the sounds of other people applauding. As it turns out, they had an audience with them inside the barn which became more clear once the death trap inside disappeared with the fires being present but continued burning to provide light. 11 shadowy figures applauded them with all of them having pale skin, red eyes and hair as black as the night. They all wore unique outfits with some taking elements of the West, the East, the South and the North. Either way, they all showed pride and respect for Jonathon for passing the test. Jonathon smiled and took a bow before facing Azrael once more.

“So… how did I do this time?” Jonathon asked.

“You did very well and thus passed the death course,” Azrael commended. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good so far,” Jonathon replied back with a shrug. “Though you could have given me a heads up before you set this all up for me.”

“True but that would ruin the surprise and spoil the test format,” Azrael answered in a dry manner. “But now that you have passed the final test, you are now ready to become a Reaper. Are you willing to endure the hardships that come with the mantle?”

“Yes I am,” Jonathon answered with conviction.

“Can you face the hordes of enemies that will come for you in the future? Can you be trusted to guide the souls of the unliving to their final destinations?”

“Yes I can.”

“Are you able to handle the stench of blood, broken bones and spilled intestines even if it rocks you to your core? Can you face the nightmare-inducing horrors of demons and Magick of the most heinous kind?”

“Yes I will,” Jonathon declared with utmost seriousness. Azrael nodded before he created a shadowy scythe from his arm and pointed it at Jonathon. 

“Very well then. Jonathon, in order for the procedure to occur, you must close your eyes and clasp your hands together. This may sting a bit but you must endure what will soon occur,” he warned, prompting the young man to do just that. 

The audience watched in anticipation as they saw Azrael raise his scythe…

 

SLICE!

 

For a brief moment, Jonathon felt a stinging sensation like Azrael warned but kept his eyes closed while enduring the slight pain. But what concerned him the most was the fact that his face felt… thinner if not looser. If he could pull it with his hands, he swore he could easily tear it off to his surprise and confusion. Other than his face, the rest of his body and skin felt fine but there was still something amiss. As he opened his eyes, Azrael continued to stand before him with a serious expression and remained quiet for reasons unknown.

“So… what just happened? I felt your scythe cut me but I don’t see any injuries,” Jonathon began. “Was I supposed to do something?”

“Yes you were,” Azrael answered. “I granted you my blessing using my scythe but in order to activate it…. you must tear off your face.”

“I’m sorry what?” Jonathon asked in surprise and confusion.

“You heard me. It is a symbolic gesture of you throwing your old self away and embracing your new self in service of Theos. To bring balance between the living and the dead. To endure the pain that will soon be coming your way through your physical body and flesh,” Azrael explained. The moment he said this, Jonathon understood as he took in the angel’s words. Realizing that it was a necessary act for his rite of passage to be completed, the young man nodded in agreement before clasping his hands over his face.

“Okay, here goes nothing,” he said as he braced for the pain that would ensue. He gritted his teeth as he began to slowly tear off the flesh of his face. Despite the flesh having been partially sliced by Azrael to make the process easier, he still struggled to tear it off since it was still attached to his face. The fact that it made him experience a burning pain the more he tried to pull it didn’t help either and he was already immune to pain thanks to Azrael's previous blessing. Come on…. come on! he thought to himself with frustration. It stings but it’s the only way for me to become a full Reaper! I HAVE to do this!

The audience watched in anticipation and worry over what was going to happen especially when they continued to hear him grunt in pain and irritation while the sounds of tearing skin was also heard. 

“Is he going to be okay?” one of the female members asked with concern.

“I believe he will since he did accept the title and went through the course like we all did,” a male member said.

“He is rather young compared to the rest of us,” another male member chimed in with concern of his own. “Is he old enough for this?”

“Well some of us were pretty young ourselves before we became Reapers as well,” another female member stated with a shrug. “We should have faith in our master when it comes to his decision in making Jonathon one of our successors.”

Finally, after a few minutes of tugging and tearing, Jonathon managed to rip the skin off his face with a loud cry of both pain and determination. It felt like his face was burning from the pain even with Azrael’s blessing enhancing his body’s immunity to pain but he endured it despite the fact that his face was now a skull with blood spilling out of the open wound. However, said blood didn’t actually drop onto the ground but rather it ended up levitating in the air and swirled around his body, lifting him up into the air in an eerie manner. His body began to glow bright red with the blood encircling him before wrapping itself around him like cloth. Strong cold winds blew throughout the room while the flames continued to flicker about the room. The blood then seeped into his body and changed his physique in a way that was both uncanny yet epic. His skin changed into a ghostly pallor, his eyes turned from a bright green to a crimson red with a sharper feature to them and his clothes changed from an ordinary farmhand outfit to an outfit more suitable for a Reaper. He wore a black robe with matching black gloves, boots, pants and tunic that also had red outlines on them to make him stand out. Finally, with an extended hand, he summoned a scythe of his own that resembled the farming one he’d use for harvesting but with a sharper edge and a blood red edge to it on the blade. While it wasn’t as impressive as Azrael’s scythe, it was certainly quite lethal and respectable in its own right especially when Jonathon proceeded to test it out by swinging the weapon in various flashy yet practical ways. As soon as he finished his transformation into a Reaper, he landed back on the ground in a light manner but at the same time felt no weight coming from himself. The young man examined his new appearance and abilities with interest as he saw just how different he looked and felt now that he was a Reaper. Woah, he pondered to himself. So THIS is what it’s like to be a Reaper? I honestly didn’t know what to expect. At the same time, I’m interested in seeing where this will go.

“At last,” Azrael spoke up, interrupting Jonathon’s inner thoughts and bringing him to attention. “You have now become a Reaper and will continue the legacy of your predecessors. Are you still up for the task?”

“Yes I am,” Jonathon affirmed with a nod. “So when does my first task start? Tomorrow?”

“Actually, I already have 1 for you right now,” Azrael revealed, surprising Jonathon.

“Wait really? Right now?” Jonathon asked in surprise. “I thought it would happen tomorrow or something.”

“A Reaper can never be too lax as they will need to expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to the issues of ghosts,” Azrael stated before turning to his side and waving his hand to reveal a ghostly couple made up of a man and woman who wore what appeared to be upper class clothing. But upon closer inspection, Jonathon noticed that they not only looked more like those from minor nobility but they also looked more scared if anything else. Was it because they had recently died and couldn’t pass on? Or was it something else that prevented them from leaving? Regardless of whatever reason it was, he would make sure to help them pass on like Reapers were meant to do.

“Hello, who are you?” Jonathon asked with concern and curiosity. “What happened to you?”

“My name is Earl Jacob Schweiz and this is my wife Belinda Schweiz,” the ghostly nobleman explained. “We need your help and fast before it’s too late!”

“Why? What happened to you?” Jonathon questioned with rising worry from the late earl’s tone.

“We were attacked,” Belinda explained with a shudder and a haunted expression on her face. “We weren’t even doing anything wrong. We were just eating dinner in our home with our daughter Goldia. We didn’t even see the attack coming. Brigands…. they broke into our home…. held us hostage… forced us to give our jewelry and money to them. We didn’t even do anything to them or at least I don’t think we did. Our daughter… my baby girl… she was scared out of her mind and wanted to hide but the men wouldn’t let her leave. Not without threatening to slit her throat if we didn’t listen to them. But even after we gave them what they wanted, they decided to slaughter us without mercy. My husband and I tried to reason with them but they wouldn’t listen to us. They just wanted us dead. I remember…. getting stabbed in the chest before having my body torn apart by those monsters with my husband meeting a similar fate. With my last breath, I begged my daughter to run as fast as she could before they got to her too.”

“The last thing we saw was our house being set on fire with us inside. Those brigands managed to escape with our stolen family heirlooms but were also heading to the direction where our daughter was. I don’t know what they intend to do with her but I know it can’t be anything good. I know it’s too late for us to do anything to save her but at the same time we can’t move on unless our daughter is safe and sound,” the earl explained in a weary tone.

“Please! You must save her!” Belinda pleaded as she grabbed onto Jonathon’s shoulders with tears streaming down her eyes. “She’s just a child and the only one we have! I can’t bear the idea of her dying at such a young age and at the hands of those criminals! Please! Please! Please do something before it’s too late!”

Hearing this made Jonathon widen his eyes and feel his heart drop to his stomach. It was bad enough that an innocent family had been murdered by some brigands but the fact that said brigands were willing to murder an innocent child who was only trying to run away made it worse. He also felt his blood boil and clenched his fist in silent fury as it dawned upon him just how monstrous those brigands had to be to go after a little girl and right after murdering her parents too.

“How long have these brigands been doing this?” Jonathon asked Azrael who displayed a similarly grim expression.

“From what I can find, this isn’t even the first time they did something like this,” Azrael revealed. “They’ve been doing this for years, ransacking and pillaging any place they can find. If you think they only target nobles then you’re wrong. They’ll target ANYONE who has anything valuable on them so they can sell it to the highest bidder. My best guess is that they seek to kill Goldia since she’s a witness to their crimes and part of the minor nobility like the earl and his wife were.”

“Where were they now?” Jonathon asked with severity. 

“Our home is near Frosch Village which isn’t far from here,” Earl Schweiz revealed. “Chances are, Goldia might have run into the woods that were close to our estate. If you hurry, you may be able to find her.”

“Don’t worry I will,” Jonathon assured the couple with a nod. “You have my word. I’ll find your daughter and make sure she’s safe. As for those brigands…. I will personally end their reign of terror once and for all.” The moment he said this, his eyes began to glow a piercing red color which momentarily scared the couple but also reassured them since they could tell that he was serious in wanting to help their daughter.

“Thank you,” Belinda said in a grateful tone. 

Jonathon nodded in response before speeding off towards the barn’s exit using his speed. If he thought he had run fast before, then this was on a whole other level. He ran so fast that he felt like he was running with the wind at this point which was only reinforced when he began to levitate and straight up fly in the air like Azrael and the other Reapers would do. The young man recalled how Azrael told him that he would gain the ability to fly once he was ready and realized just how exciting it was to experience it for himself with his own power. But of course, that had to wait as he needed to find Goldia and stop those brigands from hurting her. Because if there was 1 way to truly anger Jonathon besides insulting his mother and hurting people he cared about it was hurting CHILDREN. As he flew over the forest that was close to Frosch Village, he saw a little girl running about with fear in her eyes. She had blonde, curly hair that seemed to shimmer even from the fading sunlight caused by the evening Sun and wore a bright blue dress though it looked ragged. 

“That must be her!” Jonathon exclaimed as he got closer to her albeit without the little girl noticing him. As a result of him gaining the abilities of a Reaper and learning all about their skills and powers, he was able to instantly use them to his advantage such as being able to turn invisible and remain unseen by others. The more he got close, the more it became apparent just how terrified she was especially when he heard shouting in the distance.

“Where’d she go?!” 

“I think she went this way!”

“Don’t let her get away!”

Just seeing the brigands in person made him feel ice cold rage. Not only were they still covered in the blood of the earl and his family, they even had the gall to wear some of the jewelry they had on them along with carrying bags of other valuables with them. Fortunately, it was because they had greedily brought all of the stolen goods with them that slowed them down to the point of losing track of the girl which would end up being the worst mistake they ever made. There seemed to be only 3 of them and while to an ordinary human, they would have been a formidable threat, to Jonathon? They were simply target practice for him. Using this as an opportunity to distract them, Jonathon made himself visible and stood behind her but only after she was a safe distance away and wouldn't notice him. He even made sure to whack a tree using his fist, causing it to shake some leaves and alerting the brigands of his presence.

“Guys! I think I found her!” one of the brigands shouted.

“Then let’s get her!” another one shouted. Pretty soon, the brigands arrived only to be confused by the sight of the mysterious man in black and red standing before them quietly. The fact that it was getting dark and stormy, if the dark clouds and strong winds coming were of any indication, didn’t lighten the tense atmosphere which began to dawn upon the group. It also didn’t help that the Reaper standing before them remained eerily silent but didn’t exactly stare at them face to face. Rather, his face was obscured by the hood he wore on his head and he seemed to be staring at the ground in a pensive yet sinister manner which was starting to fill the brigands with unease. After a tense, silent stand-off, one of the brigands finally gained the courage to speak up. 

“Who the Hell are you?” he demanded. 

“Someone who’s going to give you a warning,” Jonathon replied in a low, cold tone. “Leave the girl alone and MAYBE I won’t kill you.”

Hearing this stunned the brigands into silence yet again… only for them to LAUGH at his claims. Jonathon gave them an unimpressed look but didn’t say anything as their laughter continued to echo through the forest they were in. Clearly these criminals had no idea what they were about to get themselves into but Jonathon was willing to wait until they made their first move. After they finished laughing, the brigand that spoke up, who he presumed was their leader judging from how big and burly he was compared to his cohorts, spoke again.

“What are you? Her knight in shining armor or something? Why don’t you just get out of the way before we kill you just like we did to that uppity couple earlier? I can still smell the flames from the fire we caused,” the brigand leader sneered. 

“Is that so?” Jonathon asked, still speaking in a cold tone. “Then I guess you won’t mind joining them in death huh?” The moment he said this, he finally raised his head to stare at the brigands in the eyes. Before either of them could say anything, they immediately froze up the minute they saw what Jonathon looked like. Thanks to a strike of lightning occurring nearby, the gang froze up when they saw NOT a human face but rather a SKELETON’S on the body of the menacing figure standing before them. Their blood seemed to freeze over from the sheer fear they felt just from looking at the figure with 2 of the brigands outright shivering at his deathly stare. It also didn’t help that for some reason the atmosphere grew chillier than normal which shouldn’t be possible because it was late spring. Despite this, the brigand leader still had the gusto to shake off the fear out of pride (and foolishness) before approaching Jonathon with a dagger. 

“If you think glaring at us is going to get us to back off then you’re wrong! Now get out of our way before I kill you!” the brigand leader demanded as he pointed the dagger at Jonathon. The young man continued to stand there unimpressed before giving his reply.

“Go ahead. I’m waiting,” Jonathon challenged in a deadpan tone, angering the brigand leader into thrusting the dagger into his heart. 

But the moment he did, he noticed that the Reaper didn’t even flinch from his attack, he began to slowly panic and tried to pull his dagger away only for the young man to grab his arm and break it with to the point where the criminal’s humerus stuck out. The brigand could only scream in agony before Jonathon grabbed him by the mouth and clasped his own hand around his jaw to the point of ripping it off to the horror of the other brigands. One of them tried shooting at Jonathon using a crossbow he had on him but the Reaper casually used the brigand leader’s body as a shield before throwing him away to die. The brigand with the crossbow quickly found himself being the Reaper’s next victim as shown by how Jonathon quickly delivered a punch to his chest. A punch hard enough to actually tear through his chest and rip out his heart before crushing it. The brigand could only stare in bafflement as he felt blood seep out of his wound before falling over dead. Jonathon grabbed the dagger he had on him and threw it away in disgust before turning to the third brigand who was already gone. The third brigand had already ran away when he realized just how bad things had become but he didn’t get very far mainly due to him still carrying the bag of stolen wealth he had on him. As he continued to run away, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg which was enough to make him fall over and drop the bag he had, spilling its contents in the process. Out of desperation and greed, the final brigand tried to gather all of the money and jewels he had stolen from the earl and his family only to get one of his hands brutally stepped on by the Reaper. He yelled out in pain as he felt his fingers getting crushed by the merciless young man who looked down on him with sheer contempt.

“Seriously? You couldn’t be bothered to leave the bag alone so you could run away faster? How stupid do you have to be to make such an easy mistake like that?” Jonathon mocked in a deadpan tone. The brigand could only grit his teeth in agony before attempting to glare up at him in defiance.

“It’s not fair! We stole this fair and square and would have gotten away with it if that brat didn’t run off and you didn’t get in the way!” the brigand spat, causing Jonathon’s glare to become sharp once again.

“Really? ‘Fair and square’? That’s how you define stealing?” Jonathon asked in a dangerously calm, low tone. “You not only stole that family’s money but also their lives. You have nothing to be proud of.”

“GO TO HELL!” the brigand shouted as he tried to attack Jonathon using a knife of his own and stab him in the cheek. To his horror, not only did the knife do jack squat against the Reaper standing before him but it merely caused Jonathon to grab the arm that the knife was held in before ripping it off! The final brigand could only scream in agony as he felt blood shoot out of his wound like a fountain before feeling his face getting crushed by Jonathon’s palm. He desperately tried to get him to let go by punching him in the face and clawing at the Reaper’s hand only for it to fail thanks to Jonathon’s immunity to physical pain at the hands of humans. Jonathon took the punches with an unimpressed expression before taking out the knife stuck in his cheek.

“Get this out of my face,” Jonathon deadpanned before continuing to glare at the brigand. “Your reign of terror ends here. Your fellow partners in crime are dead and you will be joining them soon. Any last words?”

“No! Please! Have mercy!” the brigand begged as he felt his head slowly being crushed by the Reaper.

“Apologies but I’m afraid I’m out of mercy at the moment,” he said in a cold tone before finally crushing the criminal’s head to the bloody smithereens. Brain matter along with blood, muscle, flesh and pieces of his skull splattered on the ground along with his eyeballs and tongue. At the same time however, the blood ended up getting absorbed into Jonathon’s clothes just like it did for the other brigands’ before dissipating as well. Well that’s convenient, he thought to himself dryly. At least I won’t have to worry about cleaning up the blood afterwards. Now what to do with the bodies? He was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw the remaining jewels and money left behind by the brigands and was immediately reminded of his assignment. Oh shoot! The girl! I completely forgot about her! he thought to himself in a brief panic. Grabbing what was left of the wealth to be distributed for later, Jonathon immediately ran as fast as he could to find Goldia and see if she was alright. He managed to track her down by sensing her soul and found that she had taken refuge in a humble cottage that was also in the forest. As he looked inside to see if she was home, he was surprised to see her with a family eating dinner with her, with the mother sharing some of her food with Goldia. But what surprised him the most was the fact that said family was made up of talking BEARS of all things. Even so, judging from how friendly they were and how civilized these bears were acting compared to most bears, he could only assume they were either humans with bear themed Essence, a type of bear themed Fae Folk (which would explain why they lived in a forest than a town or city) or humans that somehow got turned into bears for whatever reason. He would make a note of this as he reported back to Azrael once he got back home but for now, he continued to watch as the scared little girl smiled and laughed while chatting with the 3 bears inside the house. She seemed happier and safer compared to before and he could tell that the bear family would take care of her. Seeing her smile made Jonathon relieved and happy as he was glad to see that she had a family of her own to look after her despite her parents having died recently. Though he knew he would have to keep checking on her just in case, he was content to see her safe for now and made sure to drop the bags of wealthy items for her and the bears just in case before leaving. Eventually, he arrived back at the barn where Azrael, the other Reapers and ghostly couple waited for him. 

“What is your report?” Azrael asked expectantly.

“The threat has been dealt with, master,” Jonathon replied in an earnest tone before turning to the ghostly couple. “As for your daughter, rest assured she is safe and sound.”

“Oh thank Theos for that,” the earl said in relief.

“Yes thank goodness,” Belinda agreed. “But where is she now?”

“I found her in a cottage with another family who appear to have taken her in,” Jonathon explained. “Judging from the atmosphere and their behavior, they seem to have taken a liking to her and adopted her as one of their own. I also recovered the stolen wealth that once belonged to you and gave it to Goldia and the family for them to use later on. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to check on her from time to time and make sure she’s okay.”

“Thank you,” Belinda thanked with a tearful smile. “I’m just glad to see my baby is alright.”

“Yes she is,” Jonathon assured the couple. “You won’t have to worry about her being in trouble ever again.” 

“Well done Jonathon,” Azrael commended his godson. “You have proven yourself to be diligent, courageous and unafraid to do what needs to be done. You have succeeded in your first assignment and are worthy of being given a title for yourself.”

“A title? Like the ones the previous Reapers held in the past?” Jonathon asked in excitement. 

“Yes,” Azrael confirmed with a small smile. “From this day forward, you shall be henceforth known as…. the Herald. You will be a being who will strike fear into the hearts of his enemies and herald their doom while also serving as a bringer of hope for the innocent. Because only a herald is capable of bringing both deliverance and devastation to those who deserve it.”

Jonathon smiled as he heard this with the ghosts and other Reapers also grinning and nodding in agreement. Herald huh? the young man thought to himself. I kinda like the sound of it actually.