The Following episode will be featuring Sergals. Sergals are a creation of Mick39 as part of her sci-fi world Vilous; this story is a fiction all its own, and the lore is unrelated to Mick39’s creation. Posted with permission.

Written by: Epicstu Wyvvernwriter

Snow fell eternally in the Realm of the Damned where Aleister had gone to save a life that should have never been lost. “Nope,” the Devil laughed. “That is not how this works.”

Aleister had been holding Ember’s body in his arms, the future that could never be without her flashing through his mind in a loop, “What do you want?”

“She sold her soul to me long ago,” the Devil threw Ash out just behind himself, her twin, Frozen, remaining in the Devil’s left hand. The Devil pulled back on the chain attached to Ash. The Wyyvern charred dagger of Hell returned, her chains wrapped around the soul of Ember Fray. Ember’s soul was transparent, made of fire, and seemed depressed, “You want her soul back now? Then I need a soul in return,”

Aleister could not think of anyone, then he saw balance. An evil unbound by fate in need of binding and a young hero who must rise and needs a villain. He smiled, “reminds me of another’s fate. Alright, if he comes back alive, I have a soul you may find far more willing than she ever was.”

The Devil laughed, “And who might that be?”

*           *

“Let her go!” Jessy shouted as Slim locked her chains uptight.

With both Jack and Jessy bound in chains, Slim got real close to their ears and whispered, “We’re gonna…” What Jack and Jessy heard made their eyes grow wide with fear and anger, then shrink to the crushing realization that there was nothing they could do about it.  “Kul, you got first dibs,” said Slim. Jessy screamed, Jack just hung his head. Kul walked to a cabin that Jack and Jessy were forced to face as he laughed loudly.

*         *

“We must go back for them,” Dolan insisted.

“He is untouchable,” Roil argued.

“Something must be done,” Criinos interrupted. “We cannot simply allow them to die.”

“Quiet, all of you,” the Nameless’s ear twitched. “Everyone back to back, now!” Criinos and Dolan lit up with their elements as the wind roared around Roil and the earth shook under the Nameless.

“Wow, that was dramatic,” said Aleister as he approached. Criinos was the first to strike as he spun his entire body like a disk of flame. His foot broke upon impact with Aleister sending him to the ground. Aleister walked up to Criinos, healed his foot, and said, “Please, I need your help.”

“What do you need?” the Nameless asked.

“I’ll explain on the way,” Aleister insisted, “your friends do not have much time.”

*          *

Dracula spread his wings and took to the air dodging Sarah’s headbutt. Suddenly he found his face being smacked by a familiar weapon, “God’s left hand? How is Gabriel? Oh, that’s right,” Dracula laughed. Michael flicked his wrists, and the blades of his dual axes multiplied, rotating around the shaft of each weapon until Michael held twin maces. Flicking his wrists again the blades enlarged. He glared at Dracula, and they both flexed their wings “Come here and let me remind you why you all once feared the dark,” Dracula laughed as he blocked and parried Michaels attacks. Then Dracula saw an opening in Michaels assault and swung his blade to take advantage. A streak of purple lightning struck Dracula, again and again, it struck him from every angle until Dracula finally caught her by the throat, “and who might you be?”

Snow glared at Dracula, “I know what you want, fiend.” Zesrial’s lightning flowed from her scaley taloned hands and wrapped around Dracula like vines. Snow pulled the lightning tight binding Dracula, “You will never sit upon my Lady’s throne, not while I draw breath.”

“A Succubus fighting for Heaven? Ha!” Dracula taunted. “Now I have seen it all. Tell me, who did you have to blow to get in, heh?” he laughed breaking loose of Snow’s hold on him. Snow came at him again, and he readied his Wyyvern sword, but she would not move. Snow struck him again, this time sending him back to the ground. Alexandra flew from Dracula’s hand as he impacted the ground and, with all her might, resisted Dracula’s pull as she attempted to get to her true master. She stopped mid-air, “NO! No, you do not!” Dracula pulled at her with all his will as the Warpriests of Heaven and Hell hit him with everything they had. Shrugging off every hit he kept his focus on Alexandra, “I will not allow this Fate to slip away from me!”

Zesrial had been stringing her lightning together forming the Sigil of Hell. She held out her left hand and called to him she loved above all else, but no snow fell. No answer came, “Why won’t you come back to me.”

*          *

In the infinite tundra that is Hell, “hey, Edward!” Ember ran up to him and gave him a hug, “I’m going away for a while, and we may not see each other again.

Edward noticed her hood was gone and she had no control over Hell anymore, “You died.”

“Yup, but I’m getting a new life thanks to your brother.” Ember put a paw-like hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we will meet again. Victor says Wyyvern agents get to do what they want so I’ll look for you along my travels.” Before Edward could say anything Ember started to disappear, “It is time. Go save Zesrial, Hero. It was a pleasure working for you.” Then Ember was pulled from the realm and Edward listened for Zesrial’s call, but he could hear nothing. He looked up and saw Zesrial’s fight, she could not summon him, but one there could. One who’s bloodline went back to Hell itself. “Say her name and when she comes to you, stab her, blade first, into the ground before you.

*          *

“Can you feel it, Soothslayer?” Slim asked, “your daughter’s fate leave with her innocence?”

“You’re a monster!” Jessy spat at him.

Slim wiped the spit from his face and looked to the cabin, “actually, it has been longer than expected.” He walked to the cabin and opened the door, then he backed out slowly. His fur stood on end, but no one could see what he was backing away from. “You cannot harm me, I do not have a fate.”

Aleister smiled and spoke so everyone there could hear him, “You do now, blood of my blood, but first you must die,” with that he disappeared.

Rya and Ty were readying their weapons as Slim glanced at them for a moment. When he looked to them again, they were on the ground in a bloody mess. Massive disks of earth formed a barrier around Slim, and he heard Skinner’s voice saying, “run Slim, I’ll hold him offffah!”

The disks stopped, and the earth returned to the ground. Slim shuttered as he watched Skinner’s body fall, dead, off Aleister’s axe. “I am not afraid of you!” Slim shouted as he drew his revolver and emptied the clip. Aleister dodged every bullet and tilted his head, ever so slightly. Then the world around Slim became white, and he, himself, became an insignificant shadow. Looking up at Aleister, he saw the end of all things. Then he saw his new Fate, “I do not understand.”

Aleister pinned Slim to the ground by his neck with the six-inch retractable claws on his right foot. With his left foot, he held Slims left arm and with his axe’s blade, he held Slims right arm. “You have been sold. It is time for you to meet your new master.” A pair of daggers, one frozen and one charred rose from the ground beneath Slim on chains that wrapped around him. With cackling laughter and the screams of the eternal damned, Slim was ripped from the Realm. Aleister turned to Jack and Jessy, and they were unbound instantly, “Your daughter is untouched and with the Sergal Elders. Go home and allow Katherine to claim her destiny.”

“No,” Jessy interrupted. “I almost lost her once, I will not again. I am coming to help.”

“Me too,” Jack insisted.

“Why are parents are stubborn?” Aleister put his hand to his face. “Come on then, the ritual is nearly complete. In fact, we should arrive just as he returns. I need you both to promise me that you will not intervein.”

“That is my daughter!” Jessy argued.

“And this worlds only hope for balance,” Aleister replied. “They’re war will make this world strong. For where there is good there must also be evil, and where there is evil, there must also be good. Balance must exist.”

Jack put a paw-like hand on his wife’s shoulder, “she can do this,” he smiled. “After all, she is our daughter.”

Jessy smiled back because she knew he was right, “then let’s show our support.” Jack and Jessy ran South as fast as they could.

“Why couldn’t you just let her go,” Aleister asked softly behind them. They did not hear the question.

The Sergal Elders stood in a circle round Katherine, but what she saw was a terrible end for all peoples in the Lands and the World that held it, “This is what will happen if either of you did not exist,” Aleister put a hand atop her head and ruffled her hair. You are very young, but already capable of so much and your skill and knowledge will only grow. Be the Hero this Realm needs you to be. Just don’t’ forget that without both good and evil there can be no balance. If an evil falls a more powerful evil will always rise to take its place.”

“Now what?” Katherine asked.

“You wake up,” Aleister replied.

With the ritual complete the Elder Sergals tried to wake Katherine as the ground rumbled and many roars could be heard echoing from below. Slims laughter could be heard echoing over it all. Aleister put his ax out in front of Jessy and Jack, “wait, she must do this herself.”

“Why isn’t she waking up?” Dolan asked. “Damn it Aleister!”

“The Villian must always arrive before the Hero,” Aleister said as he kept Jessy and Jack back. “Have faith in her.”

*           *

“You are very young,” A voice began as Katherine Harris stood alone in a dark room. “When you wake up you will be able to summon disks made of elements just as the Sergals of the Lands do. Not just earth, air, fire, and water either. Steel and stone, lighting and thunder, hot and cold. If it qualifies as an element, you will be able to use it. I have been asked to inspect you.” A Coyfox of autumn red fur swung at Katherine with a creature, like the one with Dolan, made of ashes and dust following her punch. Katherine dodged. “I need to be sure that you can handle yourself. You have your father’s skills, Katherine,” the Coyfox continued to swing at Katherine, trying to get her to hit back, but she only dodged and evaded. “Use them!”

*          *

Sarah, Pip, Michael, and Snow surrounded Dracula, the powers of Heaven and Hell surging between them. Dracula kept his focus on Alexandra, but she would not return to him. He noticed the sigil around him, “You think you can summon anything from the depths of Hell, Saint. Only those whose ancestry can be traced to Hell itself can summon anything from the Realm of the Damned. The rest of you must go down and drag what you want back out or be damned trying.” Zesrial knew he was right. She could call Edward from anywhere, but not Hell, and Heaven cannot enter Hell. “If what you need to defeat me is in Hell,” Dracula taunted, “then I am afraid you are out of luck.” Then he felt something pull Alexandra as he held his will on her. She was slipping, “I am Dracula! Father of all Vampires! Who dares dispute my right to be the Wyyvern Knight of Vampirism?!”