The Ferryman

The Gatekeeper

“Grave.”

“I thought you would just be silent or simply switched off the radio, what is it Sheppard?”

“Do you.. Do you like what you do?”Grave looks up to the dark sky for a moment.

“It is not about if I like what I do. Every Paladin, Bishop be it Arch or none, be it Chaplain, be it the Inquisitor’s Blades and the Saint’s Shields. Even Crusaders. It is the duty of a Priest, to guide and to deliver these lost souls to their rest.” Grave says as he walks down the road, following whatever it is to the castle on the hill. As he steps closer and closer, the darkness begins to thicken the air. As Grave keeps walking, the world that is getting closer to the gates of the castle is turning into pitch black.

Grave could see a smile at the front of the gate,a literal face by the gate. It’s true nature hidden by the pitch black darkness surrounding it.The darkness usually would enter the lungs of those who are weak willed, then turning them inside out. Such darkness would usually kill a normal person.

“This is interesting. For a human like you to not be enveloped in the darkness or to even be in pain. You should be crawling on your knees right now.”

“Who lives behind you, Gatekeeper?” Grave asks as he looks at the creepy smiling face, which it turns to a scorn.

“What business would a human like you have with my master?”

“That is not your business now is it, Gatekeeper?” the scorn burns with a red fury, igniting its true form.

It is a large skeleton, its ribcage being the door. The arms that are pillars have now pulled itself from the ground.

“You dare to mock me human!?”

“I will not let you pass with your life intact human! Attack him!” now, the environment is clearer for view. Grave could see that the whole walk here, it is a graveyard. Convenient for the Gatekeeper to call forth the skeletons as his army.

The Skeletons approached him and stopped in their tracks.

“What?” Grave unzips his calf pocket again, bringing forth the same set of flowers.

“Grimmoire, as a servant. I plead and pray for your grace to guide these souls to rest.” Blowing it to the wind, thereby the skeletons and the flowers burnt to ash.

“How… They are controlled by me, their souls should be bound by me! They should not be able to be delivered!” The Gatekeeper lashes out as he swings his arms down, shaking the ground yet Grave stands still. Unaffected by what the Gatekeeper had just done.

“What!?” Grave looks at the Gatekeeper as his hair turns white and eyes turning red.

“A mask, white hair. Red Eyes.. You.. You’re the Ferryman?!” Grave loads the Deliverers pointing it to the Gatekeeper.

“If I kill you, I will need to deliver you to your Dark God. If I am not mistaken it is Diskenth.” The Gatekeeper looks at Grave with confusion.

“You know…You know… Of my gods?”

“There are many souls roaming this world, they need to be delivered. For the non demon races, it would be Grimmoire along with the many names that he has. For the demons, devils and such.. It would be Diskenth with his named variations.”Grave answers calmly, lowering his pistols as the Gatekeeper looks to the side, a sad expression of sorts.

“I have been summoned for aeons, I have turned countless human souls into my skeletons. Yet, I have lost my masters. If I let you pass, Ferryman. Will you honour a promise?”