Now even though most of the dealings of the Reapers stay a secret, this one was quickly spread like an inferno blazing. There wasnt a soul in this District that didnt know what was going on, and in true Reaper fashion, they upped the stakes even further. Not only was the most senior Crimson Hood now forced to enter the Inferno Trial alongside Griff, another Crimson Hood was chosen, as well as two from the remaining ranks of the Reapers. Now I might not have explained that well enough but for each of the ranks of the Reapers two were chosen at random and forced into the Inferno Trials once more.

  This made a great many people afraid once the Deaths Heads started searching and sifting the ranks for any whom they deemed needed, a refresher, as they called it. In total there were twelve others, Griff made thirteen total, who would be put through the Inferno Trials and either keep their hood, or a new Reaper would be named. This time round was a special thing, and it was a dangerous thing. The Reapers were slowly falling apart at this time, but during this Inferno Trial it was still holding strong. This was the only time this had ever happened, and I dont think it will ever happen again.

  Now to prepare for the Inferno Trials many things must be put into place. Things such as clothing sizes, so those that made it would have their Reaper attire ready to go as soon as they stepped out of the trial. In this case however, all aside from Griff, already had their attire made, so the Deaths Heads came up with a plan. Skeley and the other Deaths Heads made a special outfit, specifically for Griff. This outfit was one that was a mixture of every rank within the Reapers, and its hood was that of a Deaths Head. This move made many Reapers angry even though they supported Griff all the way up until this point, and some still supported him. This was one of the most amazing Inferno Trials that I have seen, and sadly, there are not many left who have seen it and remember it as I do.

  I have seen nearly the last twenty or so Inferno Trials, and this one was by far the greatest since, and in my opinion, ever. This was, as I had said earlier, the only time that had ever happened, and it was more than a big deal. This sent a wave over all of Hydrexen, even reaching the ears of Oasis at one point no doubt. We had folks comin from the Tidelands to watch, and im sure you dont need me to tell you how far they are from us. I only wish I could have seen it one last time but sadly, it rests in my memory, as good as that is nowadays. Now, onto the preperations of the Inferno Trials.

  Once all the basics were hashed out they needed to prepare the area that the trial would be held in, and since this was a special occasion, the area must be a special one as well. This took place in this very city, the arena still dug out, no doubt filled with sand and unrecognizable to any who werent there. Its about thirty miles outside the city on Razorback Valley. This valley as it goes was the first place Reapers showed their hooded selves. It was a trade route early after the War and was a hotspot for thieves and goons. It gets the name from an old general that survived the War, Harvey 'Razorback' Callen. When his convoy went through the valley he had nearly a hundred men with him.

  The Reapers at that time were very small but they were getting desperate, and this was a last ditch effort. A group of Reapers attacked this convoy, and keep in mind these were Old World soldiers outfitted with top of the line weaponry being attacked by men with measly old handmade Irons. The Reapers used the valley to their advantage and picked off the Generals men until only twenty remained. Then they sprung down on the Generals vehicle and killed him without the last men of his battallion even knowing, stealing everything he had.

  To this day no one knows how it happened but I have a feeling there wasnt really a hundred men but it makes for a good story anyways. This put the Reapers on the map from that day on, sending folks in droves to join and be a part of the greatness the Reapers would become. Anyhows Im getting a little sidetracked with the nitty gritty details, happens when your old. Youd be right in saying when your drunk to but give an old man the benefit of the doubt on this one and lets say its an age thing.

  So, Razorback Valley, a place that defined the Reapers, will once again play a large part in the Reapers history. That arena was nearly a mile long and filled with all kinds of perils but more on that in a bit. I helped dig out part of that arena in fact, it was more of a indirect way of saying help out, if you didnt you were forced to work until you died, they we buried you under the arena. We lost nearly two hundred building that arena, and their graves were right under our feet as we walked the long way back home.

  I remember diggin out the final area of the arena when we hit something of a rather strange metal. We tried to dig up around it but that would have took to long to do and instead we built a pedastal around it, which is where the Iron sat that would be the final prize for the Recruits fighting to join the Reapers. In this case it was different and while there was a Recruit fighting to join, there were Reapers, fighting for their place to stay within the ranks. This final area of the arena was nearly sixty feet around and the pedestal itself we made out of ashenwood. We smoothed and polished that wood for many days until it shone with such a brilliance the Deaths Heads were happy with it.

  Once that was done the Deaths Heads got together and discussed how they would go about placing the Iron on the pedestal. They searched and thought until Thunderfist came up with an amazing idea. He brought up the idea of using Vengeance as the Iron in this Inferno Trial. If you remember Vengeance was the Iron the one Reaper used to kill two of the Deaths Heads with before, and when he did, he left Vengeance behind. He dropped it in the sand as he walked into the Wilds never to be seen again.

  The Deaths Heads loved that idea and drug Vengeance from the vault they kept it in. They placed it on the pedestal and brought all those who were part of the trial and spoke with them a few days before the actual trial. I just happened to have been there, finishing on the cleanup, and burying of the dead. I only heard part of what they said, as it is wise not to lend an ear into any Reaper business. If you know their business either you are one, or are at the end of one of their Irons. Not sure about any of you but I much liked living and listened until I couldnt anymore.

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  It started with Skeley saying, "This Iron is a very special one. It is the only Iron that we know that has killed two Deaths Heads, and for that special reason we have chosen it for this Inferno Trial. This particular Iron was made by one just like you all were at one point, a Recruit freshly through the Inferno Trial. Well all of you but Griff as of right now, but anything can happen. This Reaper made it his mission to get back at the Reapers as a whole. He spent the next five cycles preparing and readying himself for what he would end up doing..."

  "...As far as Reapers go this one was one of the best, on a fast track to become a Deaths Head himself but he had other intentions. When he was granted the Crimson Hood he challenged two of the Deaths Heads to a duel. Now as our rules go any duel that is challenged happens then and their, no questions. He challenged both at the same time in fact, and dueled them at the same time. When they lined up in the street as they called draw the Crimson Hood drew so fast he killed the Deaths Heads faster than they could even move. He unloaded Vengeance into them, four rounds each, dropping them in the street..."

  "... He dropped Vengeance at his feet and walked out of town, as everyone that saw watched in both horror and awe. He was called the Reaper with No Name as when he first came into the Reapers he gave no name, nothing. This gave rise to a bit of a hard time to the Reapers as it showed weakness. If the Deaths Heads could be killed so easily by a lower ranking Reaper what about the Riders, or Oasis. This is when we became even more strict on how we ranked up Reapers, and how we handled recruits, so this could be avoided in the future. I was a Crimson Hood at that time, and I watched that duel and I too was left in shock by what I had just seen..."

  "... I was the second most senior Crimson Hood at the time, and soon was the next Deaths Head with very large boots to fill. It was not easy building the Reapers to be stronger than ever and to be left with the constant reminder that there might be someone like the Reaper with No Name that had his Iron set on me. A thought that grew less and less as the cycles went and the Recruits flooded through the ranks and we grew. I am telling you all this because of one fact, your rank, your experience, means nothing in this world. You could die walking down the road by stray Iron rounds flying wild, or a Gvarna could tear you to shreds. You are only as strong as the Iron at your side, and the grit in your gut."

  " As you, Griff, are fighting to gain your spot amongst the Reapers, your fellows fight to keep theirs. This is a very important time for all of you, and in turn for the Reapers. All of you must prove yourself but only one of you will be a Reaper after this, and only one of you will be remembered." As Skeley finished his speech of sorts it made all of those who heard start to think. The one who thought the hardest was Griff. Griff thought of the story of Vengeance and how much impact one had on the history of the Reapers had merely by killing two members. Sure those were two of their leaders but still.

  Griff came to the conlclusion that he wanted to be a Reaper. Did he want it more than the others wanted to remain Reapers he was not sure, but he was determined to rise above and prove himself. He knew this would not be an easy road ahead but he had come so far, and he was damned if it were for nothing. He set his mind at ease and shook of the thoughts of losing, and became focused, deadset in his goal. He would become a Reaper and nothing on this planet would stop him from that goal.

  The day before the Inferno Trials served as a sort of rest period after all of the preparations leading up to it. Recruits dont get much offtime and if they make it this far they are given a full day to gather themselves, or in Griffs case, time to train a little more on his own. The Recruits are drilled nearly every day they dont have an event or a test of somekind and most take this day as a break but there are those who go above and beyond, Griff was one of those. Griff went to the training room within the Reaper stronghold and began running drills.

  What Griff did not know was that the Deaths Heads just happened to be watching from an overhanging balcony where the room in which they held meetings in was placed. Thunderfist was the first to notice Griff and grabbed the attention of Skeley and Destroyer so they might see as well. Soon all three Deaths Heads were watching Griff train and Skeley was the first to speak, "I will say what I did at the feast, I like this one. His dedication is far above most Recruits that come through wouldnt you say boys?" Thunderfist said, "It would seem so, Griff should be resting and preparing himself for tomorrow, not training." Destroyer then said, "He trains because that is all he has at the moment, I would rather train than to take time doing nothing. Doing nothing gives you only one thing in this world, and thats a quick road off of it. I like this one too, he has a fire within him, and he has the want. He will make a good Reaper should he come out victorious tomorrow."

  Skeley said, "He will be victorious tomorrow, and he will make a good Reaper." Thunderfist asked, "How do you know that?" Skeley said, "Look around Gerault, do you see any of the others out here maintaining their skills? Griff is preparing himself for tomorrow, in the only way that one should. He is honing his skills and getting his mind into the correct place. After all tomorrow could be the last day of his life, and it shows he wants to live, and wants to be a Reaper. This could be the one thing that gives him an advantage over the others. Let us leave him be, we have other matters to attend to." As Thunderfist and Destroyer left the balcony Skeley stayed for a moment. Skeley was filled with a sort of pride from Griff not taking a moment to relax, and wanting to become better. Skeley laughed to himself and rejoined the other Deaths Heads at their meeting.

  Griff had stopped training for a brief second, and felt as if he was being watched. He looked up to the balcony and only saw for a split second a figure turning and walking out of sight. Griff could only assume who it was but then focused once more on his training, going harder and faster. Griff had trained until the sun went down and his body ached all over. He made his way back to his room and slumped down onto his bed, his mind on only one thing, becoming a Reaper. As he sunk into his dreams, he dreamed of being victorious, and hoisting Vengeance high above his head with the bodies of the others competing against him laid below, lifeless. He was surrounded by fire as well as the cheers and applaud from the crowds that came to see the trial. These were the dreams he had, and sooner than he would have liked to he was woken from them, the time had come, the time for the Inferno Trials.