Several years have passed since Raxyas took down Zal'kator, the last member of the Thirteen.

A single golden bolt of lightning strikes from above. Coming from the dense, oppressive clouds of Mortmundus, it falls upon an ancient tomb, landing with a thunderous echo that resounded even in the most distant of lands.

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Built on one of the deserts of the world of the dead, the tall, obsidian tomb stood as a testament to the power and might of one of Mortmundus' greatest heroes. What should have been the final resting place of this famous warrior would now serve as the gate that would return him to the very world he so desperately wanted to be freed from.

Inside the structure, an anguished undead stood in front of the ornate coffin where this tomb's famous warrior had been laid to rest. He had azure eyes with white, hollow circles for pupils.

Azure Circle: This hurts me more than it hurts you, old friend [https://img.wattpad.com/a53bb8fd48f8c84cdd326967769e8a2182c40741/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f66434450754758536468784566673d3d2d313139373432343232362e313732383633356239383763383230303539383732303735363432342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Azure Circle: This hurts me more than it hurts you, old friend...

The lightning's energy had been fully channeled into the black, ominous coffin. Through the cracks between the lid and its body, golden rays of light filled the room. The lid begins to open, revealing a dormant undead within. As it opens its eyes with cross-shaped pupils, their color is revealed, and it is as golden as the light that showered the room.

As it opens its eyes with cross-shaped pupils, their color is revealed, and it is as golden as the light that showered the room [https://img.wattpad.com/a09cca572b7de457b37b68b93745b9299563dd4a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6150434a38514d43427671506d773d3d2d313139373432343232362e313732383633623161613037326435343937393937353238343437302e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The combination of these two attributes, pupil shape and eye color, could be used to uniquely identify any undead. It was unmistakable: this undead was Raxyas.

Azure Circle: The master wants to see you... You failed, Raxyas.

Raxyas was still dazed from his sudden awakening. Many years had passed since his soul had entered the world of the dead. After catching his breath and fully coming to his senses, he speaks.

Raxyas: ... This... Was not the world I was expecting to wake up to...

He had a serious, angered tone of voice. It was clear he was not pleased with his return to Mortmundus.

Raxyas: You better have a good reason for this, Xayn.

Xayn knew how explosive Raxyas could be. Still, he had to tell him.

Xayn (Azure Circle): Reports have been arriving at the citadel for the past weeks. There have been sightings, some of them only recently confirmed... According to them, it would seem that you were unable to destroy the Thirteen. The master is furious and demands that you be brought back before him to answer for your failure.

Raxyas: Failure...? Ah...

Raxyas stops himself for a second, before he bursts out laughing.

Raxyas: AHAHAHAH... !

Xayn tries to talk over his seemingly unending fit of laughter.

Xayn: It is hardly a laughing matter, Raxyas. There are rumors that you made a pact with them, that you staged their annihilation to fake the fulfillment of your mission, so that you could gain an easy re-entry into the circle of life. Not that I believe that personally, but-

Raxyas stops laughing. Xayn is caught by surprise by this sudden stop, leaving his sentence unfinished. He looks at Raxyas, who was staring back at him with blazing eyes. Then, in a violent motion, Raxyas turns back and strikes the coffin with great strength. The force of the impact sends a shockwave that resonates throughout the tomb. The upper half of the coffin, where the blow was dealt, splits from the bottom half and is projected into one of the walls, hitting it with so much force that it embedded itself in the stone. Raxyas' pupils were fully dilated. A cross covered the entirety of each of his eyes, as they glowed even brighter. He approaches Xayn and speaks.

Raxyas: Is this some sick joke, Xayn...? Those who have been sullying my name with their lies will pay with their lives. I will not let the cowards who hid behind the safety of their citadel's walls run their mouths, not while I risked my life to save what they couldn't hope to protect. I will NOT stand for their insolence.

Raxyas was livid. This entire situation seemed outrageous to him.

Xayn: Calm yourself, please... I realize that their insinuations are baseless, knowing you as well as I do. But Raxyas, not everyone has had you as a partner for centuries, have they? They are quick to run their mouths because they hardly know anything about the one who did the heavy lifting. With that being said, barging into town like a raging maniac will do nothing but get you taken down and constrained... Or worse.

Raxyas: I'd LOVE to see them try.

Raxyas shoves Xayn aside, and hastily exits the tomb.

Outside, a strong, cold wind blew, kicking up sand from the soil. A sandstorm was forming.

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Raxyas was making his way toward the citadel, with Xayn following behind.

Xayn: Raxyas! What do you suppose you'll do? Kill everyone in town?!

Raxyas: Don't be ridiculous... I'll just mangle up their vessels so badly they won't be able to move or talk for weeks! They should be back to normal around the time I wrap this mess up and get back to rest.

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Xayn: Oh! Go back to rest? Where, exactly? Inside the coffin you just destroyed?

Raxyas: SCREW THE DAMN COFFIN! SCREW THIS DAMN TOMB!

Raxyas stops in the middle of the trail to Mortmundus. Xayn stops too, only a few steps away.

Raxyas: You know better than anyone how much I've sacrificed to leave this place. To lose all that I've built... Over what? Rumors and false reports?! Is that all it takes to destroy centuries of hard work? What, did they think I couldn't do it? That I was too weak? Is that why they think I've allied myself with THEM? Well, if I'm so frail, they won't have a problem facing off against me, will they? THEY CAN COME AT ME. ALL. AT. ONCE. It makes no difference. They will fall like the Thirteen fell.

Xayn: Raxyas... The Thirteen really haven't been destroyed. Those aren't rumors... It's the truth. You really couldn't finish them off.

Raxyas: BULLSHIT XAYN, BULLSHIT!

Xayn: Is it, Raxyas? How can you be so sure?

Raxyas: Oh, FUCK you Xayn! You don't know half of it, you were too busy doing what? Reading books? Researching rocks?! Whatever the shit you were doing while I, the one redeemer in MORTMUNDUS who could actually face off against the Thirteen, was busy doing a little something called protecting everyone, YOU included by the way, from an eternity in the void. So maybe everyone should give their savior the benefit of the doubt here, instead of jumping the goddamn gun.

Xayn: You know... Don't you ever get tired of being such a cocky asshole...? Maybe if you stopped sparring and battling and kicking up stones and dust so much, and actually bothered to spend more time with the people you were seemingly so invested in protecting, they would know you at least well enough not to accuse you of being a traitor. But no, mister lone wolf must always do everything by himself! Well Raxyas, right now, if it wasn't for me, you would be by yourself. Completely.

Raxyas: Oh some company you've been... And don't lecture me about spending time with people! All you ever did since we became redeemers was stay inside the walls reading! READING! You couldn't stand people, not before, not now, not ever! I may be a lone wolf, but at least I fight to protect the people of Mortmundus. You spend your life leeching on knowledge just to sate your selfish appetite for it.

Xayn: You? Fighting to protect someone...? Right, of course... Look, I am not continuing this, Raxyas. If you want to go into Halgorth screaming, kicking, and swinging your sword around, then be my guest. Master Za will bring his cleaver down on you soon enough, and then he'll do what he should have done in the first place and assemble a squad of warriors to take down the Thirteen. Actual competent warriors...

Raxyas: You know damn well the masters have made an oath to never fight in any capacity! Za could never use his cleaver to harm another undead.

Xayn: Not in battle perhaps, but to punish one of his own soldiers...? Do you really think he wouldn't do it, after seeing you run rampant in his citadel?

Raxyas manages to take a deep breath.

Raxyas: Can it, bookworm. Seriously...

His pupils return to their normal size, and the glow on his eyes decreases in intensity.

Raxyas: Always trying to be the voice of reason... That gets so damn annoying. Can't ever fucking vent, can't ever be fucking upset. There's always some logical solution to the problem, it's always so easy for you, so obvious. Sometimes, you don't wanna give a shit about solutions. Sometimes you just want to scream and break shit. Is it really that hard to understand?

Xayn: It is. It is irrational.

Raxyas sighs.

Raxyas: Well, fuck you too.

Raxyas looks up toward the sky. Above them, watchers flew in circles. The dark, foggy skies of the world of the undead were home to these mysterious, ethereal beings. They resembled flying manta rays, and their translucent bodies emanated a certain glow.

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Raxyas: Watchers... What are they doing circling like that?

Xayn: They showed up not long after the master decided you were to be brought back, curiously enough. They have been circling your tomb ever since.

Raxyas: Great... They must have wanted front-row seats for the shit show...

Xayn was about to make a witty comment regarding this, but decided against it, so as to not spite Raxyas further. Some time later, they reach the end of the trail, arriving at Halgorth.

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Halgorth was one of the citadels of Mortmundus. Its master, Za, was known for training some of the best fighters in the world of the dead. The citadel itself had a gloomy aura. Gothic architecture and fog as far as the eye could see. In the distance towered an imposing building. It was the cathedral, the home of the citadel's master.

Xayn: Home sweet Halgorth...

They entered Halgorth and walked to its cathedral at a rapid pace as countless undead inside the citadel gawked at the redeemer that had attempted to fool the inhabitants of Mortmundus. Some yelled insults, others threw stones, and others turned their backs on Raxyas and continued their occupations as if they hadn't acknowledged him. Raxyas was boiling with anger. He was one of the few to put their souls on the line to destroy the Thirteen. Yet now, those too weak to do anything were punishing him for failing to do what they could never hope to do.

Finally, they reach the cathedral.

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Upon their arrival, all the undead inside gazed at Raxyas with dismissive eyes.

Raxyas: Oh please! Is that how it's going to be? If you wanted them destroyed so badly, maybe you should have tried doing it yourselves, you worthless piec-

Xayn violently flings his arm at Raxyas' skull and a massive cracking sound echoes throughout the cathedral's nave.

Xayn: Raxyas, you are now in the presence of master Za. From this point onwards, you will speak only when you are allowed to speak.

Raxyas' skull cracked wide open. He was clearly in pain. Still, he continued to walk along the cathedral. Shortly after, his head had already regained its shape, as if no blow had been delivered. Such were the regenerative properties of vessels, the bodies of the undead. Vessels are usually carcasses of mythical humanoid creatures, composed almost entirely of bone and tissue.

Upon arriving at the cathedral's crossing, a titanic entity with a massive cleaver was seated on a throne built with bones from many different creatures. It had red eyes, with the omega symbol for pupils.

Red Omega: Are you angry because of them? Or is it because of your own failure, Raxyas? My most promising redeemer... Accused of betrayal by the same people he was supposed to protect. And as their ruler, I am left with a very difficult decision in my hands. I cannot simply brush aside this unshakable collective conviction of theirs, lest I risk having an upheaval in the very streets of my kingdom. So, tell me, was it worth it? Was this a part of your plan, too? Let me guess, you must have assumed that once your soul had left this world, it could not be brought back to Mortmundus... Well, what terrible luck you have.

Raxyas remained silent. He knew better than to interrupt the master.

Xayn had now left Raxyas placed himself beside Za.

Xayn: His majesty Za will now judge Raxyas, for his crime against Mortmundus. He has been charged with treason, for conspiring with the clan of the Thirteen and forging an alliance with them, in an attempt to fool the entire kingdom into thinking he had destroyed all of them and effectively damned their souls, when in reality not a single member was harmed.

Za (Red Omega): If you want to save your skin, this is would be your one and only chance. So choose wisely... Any last words before you are sent to the void, Raxyas?

Raxyas began chanting repeatedly.

Raxyas:

"The antidote

Once, the poisoning of Mortmundus had begun

With their fall, chains torn from the wall

Death's shackles undone"

The whole cathedral went silent. Za grinned. He knew what those words meant.

Za: Good... Rumors be damned. I am postponing this trial until solid proof is found that Raxyas is, in fact, to blame for his treason. Until then, I want no one propagating rumors that he is a traitor to the kingdom. If I so much get wind of anyone that goes against this, I will personally damn that undead. We're done here.

The entire cathedral was appalled, petrified completely. Xayn seemed relieved.

Xayn: You've heard the master! Leave the cathedral at once!

Slowly, the cathedral started to empty until it was devoid of any undead.