The Spectral Sword

Prologue

  Magnus Turner stood at Death's door, literally.

The Grim Reaper's tower rose high above the rain-filled clouds, its black obsidian material blending in with the grey atmosphere. Magnus knocked sharply on the door three times. When there was no answer after a moment, he cautiously pushed at the door. It creaked open ominously, revealing a circular entryway room lit with only torches.

Magnus strolled inside, his long, dark grey trench coat brushing against the doorway. His exaggerated shadow hung on the wall, flickering in the torchlight. Magnus was tall and fit. He had dark hair cut short, and wore a black shirt, boots, and pants underneath his trench coat.

He was also a vampire. His orange eyes fixed on the bottom of the spiral staircase, where a hooded figure was walking down slowly, making no sound whatsoever. The figure held a long scythe in his right hand, tipped with an obsidian blade. He had only a skull for a head. In the distance, Magnus could hear the sounds of the souls of the dead, chattering happily.

The Grim Reaper walked down the stairs, stopping a few feet in front of Magnus.

"Please don't tell me there's more terrible news, Magnus," The Grim Reaper said. "I don't think I have the guts to take it."

Magnus facepalmed. "Unfortunately, that's exactly what I came to tell you. Even more terrible news.

Reaper looked down grimly. "What did Destrian do this time?"

"The unthinkable," replied Magnus darkly. "His forces have advanced too far. I'm afraid our dimension is doomed to destruction."

"Absolute destruction, hm? I never thought Destrian would get this far."

"I think we've underestimated the powers of the Solitary Spectre, as they're calling him now. His forces have extended to only a few miles from here. I'm afraid the only way we can survive is to move to the Lower Realm.

Reaper's head shot up. "No. No, not a chance. We can't."

"Why not? If everybody except Destrian and his advocates move, then they'll follow orders and keep themselves away from humans. It's better than being obliterated completely by Destrian Grenville, isn't it?"

"Well," Reaper said thoughtfully. "Perhaps if it's the only choice...." His eye sockets stared unsettlingly into nothing. He tapped his scythe's handle on the ground. "Alright. Mass everybody that's going here at the tower. Have them ready in an hour. By then I'll open the portal for five or so minutes, and then I'll close it-- no exceptions."

Magnus nodded curtly and turned away, his coat billowing behind him as he walked through the rain.

***

An hour later Magnus returned, various creatures following. Reaper opened his front door, and was met with the most company he'd experienced in his life. Not that he'd ever actually been alive...

"You have everyone?" he asked Magnus, absently twirling his scythe. Magnus nodded. "Come in, then. I suppose we can finally arrest the Eerie Eight, now, eh?" Magnus gave a small smile. Reaper moved silently to the back of the room, next to a giant, empty square imprinted on the obsidian. He let the shadows flow through his scythe, and then he tapped the four corners of the square with its sharp, black blade. The inside of the square lit up with a purple light, and then it opened into the wall, revealing a clear blue sky beneath it. "Hurry," urged Reaper.

Dragons, werewolves, leprechauns, and all sorts of creatures surged through the portal, and Reaper kept his scythe planted firmly against the wall, urging the portal to stay open. Magnus stood off to the side, watching the creatures go through.

Suddenly, the door broke down to reveal Destrian Grenville himself, The Solitary Spectre.

When Destrian had been alive, he was one of the most notorious criminals in the entire world, almost living up to Count Dracula's infamous legacy. He had been planning a large and complex heist on the Bank of Dragons when Magnus had intercepted him and taken him by surprise. Destrian had no time to react before he was run through by Magnus' silver-hilted rapier sword.

For some unexplained reason, Destrian had not died permanently that day. He had returned as the first and only Spectre to ever exist-- earning him the title of Solitary Spectre. Each day he had discovered new abilities; Destrian could control ice, generate sparks of electricity, move heavy objects with his mind, and much more.

Destrian charged through the empty doorway, flanked by millions of other creatures, creatures who had faith in Destrian to change the world-- unfortunately not for the better. Magnus unsheathed his rapier and started battling an attacking Werewolf. Reaper held the portal open while simultaneously punching and shoving Destrian's minions with his free hand. Destrian's minions were growing ever-closer to the portal, and not even half of Destrian's enemies had entered. The small, circular room was quickly filling up to be uncomfortably crowded. Magnus fought off the werewolf and moved to Destrian himself, stabbing at him in vain as his sword passed through Destrian's transparent form. Destrian shocked Magnus' hand and he sheathed his rapier quickly, retreating swiftly.

Suddenly, a booming roar could be heard outside of the tower, and Magnus leapt to the window, finding that the great Dragon King, Arcturus, had been unleashed. He sighed, then dodged a block of ice Destrian had thrown his way.

"We're definitely doomed," muttered Magnus. Arcturus flew through the air, his rusted red scales contrasting with the grey sky. He then burned the outside to a lifeless cinder, grass and trees and buildings burned into nothing but ash; and the dimension was almost completely destroyed. The world was chaos; creatures ran left and right, fire fell from the sky, and ground and rock split open.

Everything was affected, everything except Reaper's black tower.

Reaper couldn't handle the numbers anymore-- Destrian's followers were mingling with Magnus' followers as they tumbled through the portal. "I can't let any more through!" he shouted to Magnus. "I have to close the portal!" Magnus made one last desperate sprint to the portal and he jumped through, Destrian right behind him.

As soon as Destrian entered the portal, Reaper had removed his scythe. The shadows crawled back from the scythe into his black, tattered robe, and he sat down to rest. If he'd had lungs, he would've been breathing heavily. Destrian had escaped to the Lower Realm. This meant nothing but chaos.

***

Magnus free-fell through the sky along with the thousands of other creatures, of all sides. Destrian flew ahead of him, bursting down to the ground. Suddenly, one of the infamous Antmen landed on Magnus' back, trying to bite the back of his neck. Antmen were only called Antmen because they were ants...the size of men. Magnus figured they were every myrmecophobic's worst nightmare. He unsheathed his rapier once again, using it to counter against the antman's monstrous pincers. The ground was quickly growing closer and closer with every second. Magnus pulled a pair of black sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on to shield his eye color, in case any humans happened to see him. He landed in a damp blanket of grass, the antman still locked in battle with him. He tried to stab the antman's eye, but it countered and knocked the rapier out of his hands, then pinned him to the ground.

Magnus watched in horror as the antman prepared its pincers for the death-dealing bite.