บท 1: The First Page Turns (Prologue)

'In a world full of vast wonders and magic what would a deal with the devil look like?'

The City Of Gladiolus...

Thirty Three Years Ago...

The Day A Demon Is Born...

In the center of a large cities capital a massive wooden stand stood tall. On the stand stood a wooden cross. A woman could be seen tied to the cross. She had long black hair and was forced to wear a blind fold, her arm and legs bound in place with rope which kept her in place.

Down below several hundred people all stood many yelling out rude insults.

"Witch!"

"You deserve whats coming to you!"

"Witch!"

"Devil worshipper!"

"Witch!"

"My husband is dead because of you!"

"Witch!"

"I hope you burn in hell with the rest of your kind!"

"Witch!"

That one word. Witch. It seemed to replay in the womans mind over and over again being said again, and again, and again, from all sides, it rammed into, being said as if it was a truth. A fact even. She was a Witch.

"It's..." The woman spoke but her voice barely went above a whisper not being heard by anyone as she was far too quiet. "It isn't true." Small tears began to seep out of her blind fold. "I'm not a witch. I didn't make a deal with the devil. I'm not evil. So why is everyone doing this!"

"My Lord..." A man spoke. Far above the crowd on the balcony of what looked like a large castle several people could all be seen. Most notably though was a man in a throne with messy long red hair who was dressed in a royal outfit. A young red haired boy who couldn't be older than four stood at one side. On the other was a man in black robes with silver hair and a silver beard. His left eye was a light blue while his right was covered by bandages. "I believe it is about time we begin." The man with the Silver hair was the one who spoke. "Please give us the command King La Fay."

"Right..." The man who was apparently King La Fay nodded his head. He let out a heavy sigh. "Very well Captain Venefectus. Begin. Please."

"Of course my lord." The silver haired man closed his eyes as he raised his hand pointing it out in front of him and facing his palm towards the woman. "Row Fire Ignition." He whispered his palm lighting up as a small burst of orange hot flames fired out slamming down into the wooden platform and lighting it ablaze much to the cheering of the crowd.

"B... But father... Why does she have to die..." The little boy asked not able to look at the sight in front of him.

His father, the king, let out a small hum as he ran his hand through his childs hair. "Ren my boy. In this world there exist many magical things, from its creatures to its people. In a world already filled with Magic, how does one decide what form it would take. What do we consider good magic and what do we consider bad magic. It was decided on by King Arthur Pendragon, Four Hundred Years Ago, that anyone who would deal with magic that invoked the Devils and their Demonic Kind, would be treated as an act of war, with punishment in the form of a cleansing by fire. Dark Magic like that is something that must not be allowed to exist. We shall free her soul with flame and allow her to be set forth into the new world."

"Thats right." Venefectus nodded his head as he folded his arms. "Thats just the way this world works. Magic that isn't good. Well its evil. And if you're evil, then you have no place existing in our world. You're better off in the New World."

"Thats... A cruel statement." The boy pouted.

"Ren..." King Lay Fay said turning away from his son and staring down to the burning platform which had began to be engulfed by flames. "Never stop asking questions. That is what will allow us to keep stepping forward. No matter what humans are strong. And. No matter what humans will find a way to keep marching forward even in the face of death. Because life has a way-"

The night air was suddenly filled with a chilling noise that drove everyone silent. The sounds of a baby crying could be heard coming from the blazing inferno before them all. The woman had given birth in the middle of her execution.

"A... A babies cries?" King La Fay said with wide eyes whispering the words. "I don't believe it-"

"GIVE IT BACK!" A purple glow seeped out of the sky as a wave of energy seemed to come casting down from the air in front of all the civilians blowing them all back. A crack in the air suddenly appeared as the space around it became twisted and something reached out of it. A bone like hand. Seconds later the crack grew before suddenly shattering as something stepped out of the space hole. A tall man wearing armor that seeped to be forged from bones it covered him from head to toe and gave him a skull like helmet that hid his form. At his belt rested a bone like sword which glowed with the same kind of energy as the distortion. "How dare you!" The knight of bones yelled out his voice booming across the city. "How dare you take what is mine!"

"One of the four knights of the apocalypse. The White Knight of Bones." Venefectus said with wide eyes. "But they're only supposed to be seen during times when the world is in danger and Fate is on a new course? Why is he here. And what the hell is he yelling about."

Before anyone could even react the knight of bones jumped into the flames going through them and ignoring the heat as he reached the woman.

"Lilith." The Knight yelled.

"O... Ori..." The woman went silent as her head slumped down and she no longer moved.

"Lilith." The Knight yelled again the sockets of his eye glowing with a bright blue. But it was no use. Yelling wouldn't fix anything. He knew it. She was already dead. The sounds of the baby grew louder as the man slowly bent down and picked it up cradling it in his arms now. He stared at the woman once more as the flames grew larger around them. "Goodbye old friend... Till we meet again."

And with a swipe of his sword, both him, and the child, were gone...

***

"~Come on... You're a big strong man. You aren't scared are you?~"

Outside of a large old wooden cabin in an old run down and grim dark town two people could be seen. The first was an old plump rich looking man who's face was as pale as that of a ghosts. The second was quiet the pretty woman with long flowing brown hair and light brown eyes a lustful look in her eyes as she stared at the plump little man.

"O... Of course I'm not scared..." The rich man stuttered. "A... A Whore like you shouldn't have any right going around questioning me. I am a man of the Cloth and one of the people who's funding help keep this city up in times of war. It's just..."

"Just what?" The woman asked her grin growing as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I've heard many rumors about this place..." He murmured staring up at the old building. It was an old church long since rendered empty. "They say a Demon lives there. One who feats on human flesh... Demons are scary. Only Arcane Hunters, warriors with magic, can fight them."

"Oh come now. You don't actually believe that rumor do you?" The woman asked cocking her head to the side.

"I... I suppose it is a silly rumor when said out loud." The man said in a bit of a stutter.

The womans smile grew as she grabbed his hand. "Now come along." She said pulling him to the church. "You don't have long before your wife will come looking for you, and you already paid me. We better hurry."

"O... Of course."

The two of them entered the old church. It was run down and used up. Dust and cobwebs scattering nearly every inch. Even if it wasn't actually haunted it didn't look like the kind of place one would care to lay with someone at. It must have smelled awful as well as the man began to gag grabbing at his throat and making a face. The woman didn't seem to notice however as she had her back to him.

"Y... You really couldn't have picked a better place?" He asked her frowning as his face became green and he fought off the urge to vomit.

She slowly moved over to a part of the floor board not answering him as she reached down and slowly pulled a part of the floor up. "Sorry. Its just quiet here is all. The best place to go. No one can hear the screaming." She said moving the floor board up reviling hundreds of articles of clothing underneath it all.

"S... Screaming?"

She turned back to him her eyes lighting up for a moment.

"So if you two start getting it on do I have to leave or what?" The sound of the voice made both the woman and the man jump when they heard it. They turned finding a new figure standing in the room. The sight of the figure made the mans face pale.

"G... Ghost!" He was out the door in seconds leaving the woman and the figure behind as he ran out the door and no doubt back to his wife.

"What was his deal?" The figure asked stepping into the light and finally showing himself off. He had messy snow white hair and two colored eyes. His left was a strange golden yellow color. His right eye though. It was a plain milky white. As if he was blind in it. But... Most bizarre of all was his mouth which was filled with rows of razor sharp and jagged teeth. Like a sharks maws.

"Who are you?" The woman asked frowning.

"Oh me? Davi Hawker." The man who was apparently named Davi announced as he walked past her and over to a bag that was on the ground. It must have been new as it wasn't dust, neither the man nor woman noticed it when they came in. Davi bent down and began to go through it as the woman frowned staring at his back. The bag was large. Very wide. Something that could fit many things into it.

Such as weapons...

"Let me rephase the question... Who the hell are you, and why are you here?" She asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm a whore and was about to make some money. Your turn."

"Well that was fast..." Davi said flatly. "You just come right out and say it huh? None of the playing coy and hinting? Okay. Well if you must know. I was looking for a place to sleep."

"To sleep?" The woman asked raising an eyebrow.

"Thats right. I'm a traveler of sorts. I heard this place doesn't get many people as everyone thinks it haunted so I figured I'd be alone in here."

"Oh... Now do you have to be alone in here?" The woman smirked.

"Are you offering to keep me company." Davi asked giving a shark like grin as he reached into his bag and found something.

"For the right price."

"Damn. Don't have money. But. I do have a story."

"A story... You want to pay for my body through a tale?"

"Trust me you'll love this." Davi smirked. "Its more of a tale... One of Dragons."

"Dragons? I've heard of them. They were creatures that died off in the great war four hundred years ago. King Arthur hunted them down."

"Thats how most peoples stories go. Mine however... Mines different. You see in mine the dragons didn't go extinct. Most were wiped out thats true. But one... One lived... And he... He created more of his kind. The Dragon Blight. Thats what I call it anyways. I'm sure you've heard tales of Demons killing people and wearing their skin to blend in right?"

"Of course I have. Demons are monsters of the Devil said to walk among us. They kill a person and wear their skin to blend in. Or so the stories go. Only Arcane Hunters or others with magic can kill them."

"Well." Davi nodded his head. "Thats wrong."

"Wrong?"

"For one. They aren't Demons. They're Dragons. And two. They don't steal peoples skins. I'm still not sure how it happens but... Some people become infected with this Blight. The Blight of the Dragon. A thing created by the Count of the New World. It takes them over. Corrupts them. And they become a shell housing the monster. This monster wears them like a suit pretending to be who they once were. It then goes around devouring people in order to become stronger. Or so the rumors I've heard say." He chuckled.

The womans smile faded as she stared at Davi's back a dark look coming onto her face. "I see... And how does one become infected with this?" She asked casually hoping to keep him talking. Her skin began to crack slowly as her back was ripped open and something began to pull itself out of her... It looked like a pitch black metal skeleton with a large 'one' carved into its skull right between its eyes which were filled with a pair of glowing red eyes. She, or rather it, raised its right arm which morphed slowly into a spike.

"Well. I'm still not sure how a person becomes infected and turned into a Dragon." Davi explained still not looking at her. His hand seemed to grab something as his smirk grew. "What I do know is that the people who become Dragons are always those who have dark, sad, or angry lives. Like killers. People who lost loved ones. Or... Whores." Davi's right eye lit up the white fading as the iris became a blood red color lighting the darkness up in a red light.

The creature stabbed down missing Davi who spun around the spike slashing by him as he pulled out a long sword from his bag unsheathing it in a single stroke and slicing the beasts head clean off.

Seconds later the entire monster shattered into a black dust filling the air.

Davi gave a small smile before slowly looking up and finding what seemed to be a glowing blue butterfly. "Time to keep chasing after my dragon..."