Soul Knights: Amador (Part One)

    It was a cold, wet, and exceptionally dark night when he appeared. The sounds of the city were all but deafened by the footsteps of the creature that approached. The streets were empty; the city dwellers had long since fled into the perceived safety of their homes. They hid inside, blinds drawn, doors locked, and weapons at the ready. They kissed their children goodnight, and comforted them with words of hope. Hope, that the monsters would not be able to get them, that they would be kept away by angels. All the while they secretly kept no hope for themselves, instead choosing to hold on to their children, and their families.

     "The monsters can't get me...the monsters can't get me...the monsters can't get me!" the young repeated aloud.

    Meanwhile, the older children and the teenagers chose to whisper a different mantra to themselves,

    "There's no such thing as monsters. Only children believe in monsters."

     The footsteps grew louder as the evil creature entered the city, walking through the streets, his skeletal figure partially revealed through an opening in his hood. The massive monster breathed heavily as he turned his head slowly, now facing the dwelling of his prey. The shadowy beast slowly began to approach the house, his breathing growing louder with each footstep. Closer now, and closer still. He could read the numbers on the house now, and could see the faint glimmer of the door handle. Closer, he was on the lawn. Closer, he reached for his weapon now as he stepped off the lawn. Closer, as he reached for his twisted blade. Closer, as the glimmer of the handle grew brighter. Closer, as he pulled the blade out, and as it shone with the blood of victims past. He was almost there now, he was practically inside. He reached for the handle, as he held his blade aloft.

    It was time now, as he pulled the handle, as he pushed open the door, and prepared to strike. He was inside now, and it was time to deal out vengeance. He stepped inside, and as he brandished his blade he was met with an unfamiliar face.

    "'Surprise," said the young girl.

     The monster let out an inhuman grunt of shock.

     "ANDREW, NOW!" hollered the girl. In an instant, both the skeletal monster and the young lady were consumed by a swirling blue light, and were swept away by an unknown force. In an instant, the beast was taken from the dark, quiet city to the dim, bustling forest.

    The monster looked around in frustration as the girl reappeared elsewhere, now beside another female, this one significantly older. Both faces were obscured by the shadows of the trees.

    "Alright Sarah, we've got him here. What's the rest of the plan?" asked the younger girl.

    The long-haired woman, Sarah, held what appeared to be a small moleskin notebook. In the moonlight, the word "CODEX" was illuminated on the cover. Sarah opened the notebook, and gingerly fingered through the pages until at last she rested on a page depicting a large, skeletal creature, similar to the one that had been transported to the forest. Just above the drawing, in all capital letters, the word "REAPER" was visible.

    "It's not going to stop until it kills that whole family. Take no prisoners; the Reaper has to be destroyed. It's going to take all of us. Josh and you will go in, while Andrew and I try to get him from behind. Lisa will standby and be ready in case he gets away, in that case. All four of us move in to strike. Whenever you're ready, Mary." commanded Sarah.

    "Got it." said Mary. "Josh, are you ready?" Mary nodded to the young man standing directly behind her.

    Joshua then replied, "Ready. Andrew, standby to transport. We need to draw it into the light. Ready and.....now!"

    In an instant, the fighters and the beast were once again encased in the bright swirling light, and in an instant, Mary and Joshua were now standing face to face against their supernatural foe. In this light, the monster could be seen more clearly now. Under the black hood was the face of an azure skeletal creature, its face covered