"Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes" Comic Review

     Growing up in the 90's was a time that I wish I could relive again. Although I was born in '85, I was already growing what Freud called the "Ego;" something that allowed me to perceive my surroundings and start to grow a consciousness. I recall speculators on the news saying "Now is the greatest time to be alive in the entire history of mankind," and I think some people would agree. Nothing for me screams 90's than Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Published in '89, Sandman was redefining how we read comics before its time. In my opinion nothing can can compare to it even now; perhaps that is because of the impact this story had on its readers. It seems most people have come to expect the unexpected and shock value no long has a value. At the time, Gaiman took the taboos of society such as the occult, religion, serial kills, and the mystery of dreams, and added a twist that only his mind was capable of producing. The result was a story that started as revenge and became so much more. "Sandman" quickly became a cult phenomenon that many readers still enjoy today. Sandman is written for a more adult audiences, but not really for violence, but mostly because of its disturbing stories; most of which make the reader think instead of perceive.
     For the sake of time I will be focusing on "Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes." This was the first book in the graphic novel line of ten and can be considered the origin story. Sandman starts off with an occult group, hellbent on capturing and containing Death herself in order live forever. However, during the ritual of summoning and containing Death, they instead got Death's younger brother, Dream. Sealing Dream in a containment bubble and circle, they removed his helm, his magical jewel, and his bag of dust and left Dream to suffer within his prison until he was willing to cooperate. Since Dream is an immortal he needed no substance and therefore all it would take is time before he would be set loose to take his revenge. Upon his initial capture, phenomenon started to take place around the world in certain individuals. Some people who were asleep remained sleeping without waking and others who were awake were doomed to never sleep again. Dream's relics were quickly moved around the world and each has its own tale in which Dream has to divulge in order to regain enough of his power. After 80 years a small mistake causes the circle, which contains Dream, to be shattered and he sets forth on his mission to reclaim his relics and set right the wrongs his capture caused.

     The art is what drove me to initially read "Sandman." Some people say not to judge a book by its cover but I find that to be rubbish when it comes to comics. Sandman had haunted me from when I was a child looking through old "Wizard" magazines, and I would see this poetic depiction of Dream with his darkened eyes. It still brings me chills. I can honestly say that the images from Sandman are ones that will stick with me throughout my life; the abstract faces, the horrific images, the grime, and the humor are all mixed into the perfect dream.

"Half Breed"

"Half Human, Half Ogre, All Rage!"

     At Gem City Comic Con this year I met two aspiring creators, writer Dustin Carson and artist Ren Mckinzie. These two had teamed up with one of my friends, Victor Dandridge, on a few of his books; and so I felt it was only proper that I learn more about these two impressionable fellas. Like most professions, sometimes its about "who" you know and not "what" you know; the comic book industry is no exception. Dustin and Ren have been working on "Half Breed" for over two years; and with the help of colorist Jeff Balke, letterer Brant Fowler, and editor Vincent Watkins, issue 1 had finally made its way onto shelves with a beautiful eye catching cover.

(Jacob Newell, Dustin Carson, Victor Dandridge, Ren McKinzie)

     At their panel, "The Collaboration of the Comic Book Page," Victor, Ren, Dustin, and fellow artist Jacob Newell, each described their own perspective of working with one another. Because the panel was so informal it was really great to see a bunch of guys bashing on each other and laughing at their own failures and success'. I could tell right away that these guys were great friends and could trust one another to do their part in creating a successful comic. But even then there are times when their communication would get jumbled up, much like a game of "telephone." As Dustin pointed out, the last page of "Half Breed" turned out to be a very skewed image of what he had original envisioned. The artists of the group made their argument that all they needed was a very cut and dry idea of the image, but what they got from Dustin was a very intricate novel excerpt, which as a writer myself I can totally appreciate; we try to paint pictures with words, to put emotion where it is devoid, but in the artist defense, sometimes less is more. By giving less it leaves the artist to paint "their" picture and fully submerge themselves into their art.
     The first thing I noticed about Ren was his hair, he had a mohawk very similar to that of the Half Breed so I knew immediately that he liked to put a little piece of himself into his work. Ren is a very talented artist; I had a chance later in the day to stop at his table and look through his portfolio, so if you get the chance check out some of his work. I recall a series of illustrations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which had a nice realism to them; needless to say I immediately fell in love with them. Most Indy creators need something to pay for their appearances at shows; lets face it, just because you make a comic not everyone will buy it. As Ren had stated at his panel, most people look through his portfolio and like what they see, but its usually the big name characters that draw their attention. It isn't what artist necessarily want to do, but it pays the bills. I did pick up some chi bi-esque character cards which was Ren's bread and butter for the con.

 

     I caught up with Dustin a few hours later at his panel on writing. Not only was it a panel, it was a classroom. Dustin was able to walk the audience through a series of texts, images, and comic panels describing the writing process to show how comic writers make their work iconic. One of the examples he used was the first page of Alan Moore's "Watchmen." In that first page, Dustin was able to show us how the story began, what was going to happen, and how the story was going to end. I had always loved that first page, but never did I see that message. Dustin was a really nice guy to talk to and very passionate about his work and the work of others. He invited me back to his table, but sorrowfully I completely got lost doing other things that day. I am still regretting it.

     Disclaimer: As always I read comics in the way that I understand them, that being said, what I see may or may not be exactly what the creators intended. With criticism brings reflection. 

"Half Breed"

     So lets talk about "Half Breed." First off, the cover is what drew me to this book. The art is fantastic, the colors are smooth, but not blinding, and there is an awful lot of blood. Just a warning, this book is for adults only, there is nudity, beheading, skull crushing, and even eye popping on the very first page. That being said, I found the book to be an easy read. The story was not too complex, but it did leave me wanting to know more. The story of "Half Breed" begins with the Halfbreed's death (Yes, he has no mentioned name). Within the first page, much like Dustin mentioned in his panel, the author tells us how the book is going to end; but its not so blatant that you don't want to continue reading it. Upon his death the Halfbreed is sent to what I can only describe as Purgatory, much like Dante's Inferno, where he meets a giant, anatomically correct, version of Helen of Troy. The remainder of the story is of how the Halfbreed was born and sets a nice back story for the second issue; hopefully it will be available soon. I did find one or two spelling errors amidst the book, but nothing unforgiving; and at times I felt the story would have greatly benefited from being in color. There were a few times when the transition from locations left me re-reading the passages trying to make heads or tails out of where we were. The art is beautifully done and the details are spot on; but again, due to lack of colors it was confusing as to what I was looking at because it was such a zoomed in shot. Most of the panels are dark and the characters shaded. I assume most ogres are green and that's how I envisioned most of them being. Halfbreed is actually yellow on the cover, this is explained to be that he is half ogre and half human, but it is never mentioned who his father is. The large illustrations really accent the vastness of the scene in some areas of the book; however one particularly sticks out to me of a dragon which was a zoomed in shot that didn't let me fully appreciate the art.
     The text is very legible and the story is easy enough to follow; if you have seen Lord of the Rings, you should be just fine. One thing I wasn't a fan of was that near the end of the book many new characters were mentioned but never shown on the pages. I think its great to have characters to look forward to seeing, but without something to make a connection with the first time they are mentioned, readers will be stuck asking "Who?," when they do show up.

     Halfbreed was a fun read and I look forward to reading a second issue whenever its available. The story for this book was mainly an origin story; unfortunately it felt like the Halfbreed was missing from his own origin story and his mother became the main character. Even as a newborn baby the Halfbreed was only seen in one small panel which begged to be larger. I expect the second issue to be much more action oriented and with any luck, be fully colored. If you would like to get a copy of "Half Breed" you can purchase one at... 

WWW.DUSTINCARSON.COM

also check out Ren Mckinzie's art at...

WWW.DARKNESS33.DEVIANTART.COM

colorist Jeff Balke at...

 WWW.JBALKESART.COM

and Letters-Logo-Layout person Brant Fowler at...

WWW.GONZOGOOSE.COM

If you would like a comic of yours reviewed here you can contact the owner at C.Kouse@yahoo.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/angelicomics

"Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands"

     Twilight Star Studios is an independent publisher in the Springfield, Ohio area that has been creating independent comics since being started in 2009. Currently they have a library of over 30 comics that are available to the public; if you are interested in learning more about their publication you can head over to TwilightStarStudios.com for more information. I first heard of Twilight Star Studios a little over a year ago while attending one of their panels at the Gem City Comic Con 2012; and I can attest that these guys know their stuff; and It wasn't until that panel that I decided that it was even possible to create comics on a smaller scale. What started out for them as a hobby has grown into a profitable business and has garnered them respect amongst the comic book community.
     I was privileged to speak with one of the owner's, Bill Gladman, and his daughter, Raichal Gladman (authors of "Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands"), at this years GCCC; and was able to express my gratitude for the encouragement they allotted me the previous year. At this years convention I made it my business to reach out to the local community of creators in hopes of becoming more grounded in my understanding of how to promote my own book "Requiem". After only two years of attending conventions, especially on a smaller scale such as GCCC, it's not too far fetched to consider everyone family; we share our faults, our successes, and even feedback with one another in hopes that through experience and encouragement we can make a better book. What better way to encourage one another than by taking that leap of faith and buying a comic from one of these local vendors and reviewing it; and that is why you are reading this now.

 

       Disclaimer: As always I read comics in the way that I understand them, that being said, what I see may or may not be exactly what the creators intended. With criticism brings reflection. 

     I had never read one of Twilight Star Studio's comics before, so although this review is how I read "Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands," it does not mean that my interpretation is entirely accurate. There is a lot of back story to many of these books, and a common theme with small publishers is that they want to tell a story; and without knowing if there will be a sequel, sometimes we push as much of that story into one book. A good book of any kind will succeed in telling a beginning a middle and an end, if you do not accomplish those things, then the reader is felt like they were cheated of the story; and at a cost of five dollars a book, taking that risk with a publisher may be the last. Luckily "Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands" does have a full story. I did read through the book twice because there were a few terms that I didn't understand; I contribute this to not reading the "Prodigy" comic, (also produced by Twilight Star) before reading this title. However Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands" is considered to be a one shot and does a wonderful job at setting us up for the story with a recap of the world on the inside cover. The story surrounds a beautiful, young woman named Ray-Chal', who has the ability to walk along the time stream; similar to astral projection. We do discover that Ray-Chal' is related to Noheim, a prophet who traversed the universe, also known as the Territories. During Noheim's journey's she kept a journal which later became known as the book of Noheim, a text of 12 books that were found to be controversial among the people; regarding them as religious artifacts and delusional works of madness to others. The story has a hard time explaining why things are the way they are in the physical world. Besides the palace in which Ray-Chal lives and the ruins of the village Drerry, we never learn of how important the books of Noheim really are. Most of the story is set in the Timestream which is beautifully created, similarly to the world of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman." The Timestream is depicted as a flowing river of tall grass that flowed amongst a multitude of galaxies, a unique twist which I found enjoyable and refreshing. In regards to the writing, I found the story very original, never once did I think I knew what was going to happen next. However, I did find some of the script to be unnecessary; at times the characters would say exactly what they were doing, when the art was doing it for me. I do think that it is necessary to explain what is going on, especially to someone who knows nothing about the world that has been created, but this is where you show the reader instead of telling them. I did find it interesting that Ray-Chal' was the princess of the sands, and likewise her friend Cherise, the witch of the winds; even the dead had a wind, if there were a few more it would be like the Wizard of Oz. I would have guessed that Ray-Chal' would have been called the princess of the sands because of the idea that time runs like sands through an hourglass, but since the Timestream in which she walks is more of a tall grass, it leaves me to wonder what sands she is princess of.

     The art done on "Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands" was wonderfully done; it truly looks like a unique universe that would take more than one lifetime to explore; so it is completely believable that Noheim's journey would have been one that meant something to the characters. There were a few exceptions where the art looked distorted, usually it was different poses that were just not physically capable of the human form. These were few and far between and did not interrupt the flow of the story. I did notice one or two spelling errors, but unless your a stickler for that sort of thing you will still find the story entertaining. Overall I would give "Ray-Chal' Princess of the Sands" a positive review for its unique style, both art and story. I would like to see more of a back-story to the characters before they are launched into the fray of battle, but this could easily be done with a sequel; most good super-heroes do not have their history revealed until their second appearance anyway. I am sure we have not seen the last of Ray-Chal; the Twilight Star Studio has a long list of characters which can make a crossover into the others universe. With that being said, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy mystical stories similar to Dr. Strange or Sandman. For more information about publications of Twilight Star Studios, visit them at 

WWW.TWILIGHTSTARSTUDIOS.COM

(Pictured Left: Bill Gladman, Raichal Gladman)

If you would like a comic of yours reviewed here you can contact the owner at C.Kouse@yahoo.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/angelicomics

Gem City Comic Con 2013

     This past weekend I was privileged to visit the Gem City Comic Con in Dayton Ohio; and what a successful venture it was for fans and creators alike. This is only the 8th year of the con, but the first that it has ever been held at the Ervin J. Nutter Center. Prior to this year, the GCCC was held at the Wright State University campus; and after last years convention, it was prevalent that they needed much more room due to its ever growing popularity. Who could blame them though, getting big name guests such as "Kingdom Come" author Mark Waid, "Usagi Yojimbo" creator Stan Sakai, and comic artist Sean Forney are all guaranteed seat sellers; but the heart of the convention lies within the local community.The real purpose of the GCCC is to inspire, promote, and encourage the underdogs of the industry. Being one of those underdogs myself, I can think of no better way of promoting my own writing than the convention scene. Meeting like minded creators, sharing stories, and even offering positive criticism once the convention is over, makes this one of the friendliest conventions around. New additions to this years con included a costume contests (both adult and childrens), an increase in celebrity panels, and a much larger Magic the Gathering tournament sponsored by local comic and game shop, Bell Book and Comic.

     Over the next few weeks I hope to review some of the local Indy comics I had managed to pick up over the two day event. Not many people understand how hard it can be for local artists and writers to afford all the trips back and forth to the conventions to promote their work. I was happy to see the return of some of the smaller publications, such as Twilight Star Studios and Vantage Inhouse Productions, and the follow ups to the titles I had picked up last year. What is so great about the smaller companies is that you can build some strong friendships with their creators; and to come back the following year, its like seeing an old friend. I highly recommend for anyone interested in getting recognition for their work to check out the smaller tables at any convention first. Don't get me wrong, I think it is perfectly okay to show off your work to people who have had success in the industry, but with an understanding that you are not going to be an overnight success, it is worth it to make friends when and where you can. And always keep in mind that it is perfectly okay to take a chance at buying a four dollar comic from a local vendor; branch out from what you know, and come to realize that the Justice League and Avengers are not the only characters out there. I have found that most of the unknown work is very fruitful and rich with uniqueness; I know what I am getting when I pick up my monthly Batman title at my comic book store, but sometimes your pallet changes and you need to find sustenance elsewhere. Not to mention that when you purchase a comic from a local vendor you are making an impact in that person's life. Selling your work can be an uphill climb and each dollar becomes a foothold to reach a higher plane. I love it when people review my work and I love it even more when they tell me I am doing something wrong; and its the same with these smaller publications, they want your feedback too. So stay tuned for more updates as I go through some of these wonderful local publications over the next couple of weeks.

 

"Requiem" Chapter 5

 ***********************************STOP***********************************

If you haven't read the story from the beginning CLICK HERE

By

Christopher A. Kouse 

Chapter 5

           

            Grissum stepped off the elevator and examined the long hallway that stretched the entire length of the apartment building. He looked down at the piece of paper he had torn from his notepad and tried to make out his own handwriting. Rachel Saibot, Abraham Plaza, Apt #203.

            Grissum had never been any good at informing families that someone they loved had been killed. One time he was even booed while giving a eulogy for a fellow officer. Why his superiors felt it was best to send him on these errands was beyond him, but usually it came down to rock, paper, scissors; sometimes that was the case, just not this time; this trip was to find any information that could help further the investigation. The police had been very careful as to not allow any members of the press to discover the crime scene three nights ago; but as always some underpaid detective would drop the story to the highest bidder and then it was leaked just in time for the 11 o’clock news.

Since that night Grissum had been working around the clock trying to make sense of things. Phones had been ringing off the hook with concerned religious leaders and supremacists all wondering if someone was trying to send a message with the way Valen’s body had been displayed. The thought of religion made Grissum laugh, he had all but given up on faith; one too many times had a premonition of the end of days came and went. People would evacuate their homes for bomb shelters, and then blow their savings on one last hurrah. Lies, that’s all they ever were; and then those people would crawl from the hole of their embarrassment and expect the church to make things right again. Grissum hadn’t even stepped foot in a church since his wedding day and even then it was to make his wife happy. His life wasn’t what had been promised to him and so he made do; he did what he felt was necessary to assure the survival for his family, but even then they had betrayed him.

            One of the security cameras from a restaurant near where Valen’s body had been found showed Valen with a young woman the night of his murder. One of the waiters from the restaurant had seen Valen’s photo in the paper and had called in the tip. Things had started to look up. Upon further investigation Grissum learned that the young girl from the video was Rachel Saibot, who was also Valen’s girlfriend. Although Rachel was a suspect for in Valen’s murder, Grissum had no substantial evidence that they were together at the time he was killed; yet alone, if she was even capable of crucifying a 160 pound man by herself. Her record was clean, minus a few parking tickets and it was noted that she worked for a respectable employment service agency. Grissum never even second guessed his decision to speak with her alone.

            Looking up from the piece of paper, checking to make sure the numbers matched, Grissum knocked on door 203 and prepared his condolence posture; to anyone but him it was a ridiculous sight to behold. He would stand straight up and would look down as if he was going around from door to door looking for his lost puppy. Then he would proceed to put his hat under his left arm and from time to time he would make a sniffling noise followed by a pause after each sentence; he felt it made him appear sympathetic.  Grissum listened intently as he could hear the latches begin to unlock from the inside of the apartment with the exception of the chain which became taught as the door was cracked open.

            “NYPD, I am here to speak with a Rachel Saibot,” Grissum asked while holding his badge in plain view.

            “One second,” said the tiny voice from behind the door.

            Rachel undid the chain on the door and swung it open slowly.

            “Y-yes?” She asked.

             Grissum didn’t even need to ask if she knew about Valen. The smeared mascara on her face said it all.

            “Excuse me Miss. I don’t mean to take up your time. You are Rachel Saibot I presume?” Grissum asked.

            “Yes,” She replied.

“My name is-”

            “Sgt. Grissum, yes; I saw you on the news,” Rachel interrupted. “You’re investigating Valen’s death?”

“I am afraid do. I am so sorry for your loss Miss. Saibot, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Valen?” Grissum sniffled.

 Grissum tried his best as to not upset the girl any more than she already was.

            Rachel just nodded her head and opened the door farther for Grissum. She walked back into her apartment and sat down on her sofa. Grissum closed the door behind him and walked into the living room where she was sitting.

            “I’m sorry, I would offer you something but-”

            “No I am fine thank you,” he responded, wanting to make the interview go as quickly as possible.

            Grissum looked the girl over in the light that illuminated her from the window. Besides the runny makeup, Rachel was absolutely beautiful. Grissum made out her features; long strawberry blond hair, perfectly tan skin, gorgeous green eyes. For a moment He was reminded of his own two beautiful daughters.

            “Miss. Saibot I don’t want this to be any harder for you than what it is, but I was hoping to gain some information that might help in finding the people that did this to Valen.”

            “Yes; absolutely.” The girl recomposed herself wiping the tear from her eye.

            “Could you tell me about your relationship with Valen? Our reports mentioned that he was blind; is that correct?” Grissum asked.

            “We had been dating now for little over two years but I think he was getting ready to propose to me; the other night we went out of for dinner and he was acting a bit happier than usual. He was making jokes about moving in together and having children; but that’s what I loved about him, he always knew how to make me laugh.” A smile came over her face. “Three years ago I was volunteering at the employment service office in Manhattan. At that time I was working as a receptionist when Valen came in one day to apply for a job. I was struggling to send a fax and I couldn’t figure out the machine and that’s when he offered to help me. He ran his hands over the fax machine and I watched as he felt the raised keys. He explained to me that each key had its own designated texture for the blind. He cupped my hand in his and ran them over the keys so I could feel the textures he was talking about too. After he helped me at work I offered to buy him a cup of coffee as a thank you. I also thought he was pretty cute for a blind guy.” Rachel blushed.

“We ended up discussing all sorts of sounds that day, like the way you can tell birds apart from their chirp and how to tell if a car needed an oil change by the way the exhaust pipe rattled. Then he told me how he knew a girl was beautiful just by her laugh.” Rachel let out a laugh and took a tissue from the box on her table to dab her dampening eyes.

            Grissum could see how lost in a trance Rachel was while talking about Valen; even he sported a smile while remember how he felt about his ex-wife the first time they had met. Grissum thought that maybe he wasn’t as heartless as he had come to think; and he could tell Rachel was truly in love with Valen just by the way she described him. Her story gave him all the more reason to find his killer. He knew he couldn’t ease her suffering, but if the least he could do was stop her tears, it would be worth it.

            “Rachel, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Valen? Someone who may have been jealous of your relationship? Perhaps, someone who may have been dealing with the occult?” Grissum asked, hoping to spark a memory.

            Rachel just shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, I can’t think of anyone who would do such a thing.”

            “Would you mind telling me what went on after you two left the diner, that night?” Grissum asked.

            Rachel looked toward the floor motionless. Grissum could see she was struggling to find the memory.

            “That’s just it; I can’t remember anything that happened that night after we left,” she said.

            “What do you mean you can’t remember, you mean like amnesia?” Grissum asked.

            “My mind is just… blank; like a record skipping. I'm not even sure how I made it home that night, and the first I heard of Valen’s murder was on the news. I would have called the police sooner but every time I picked up the phone, something stopped me. I don’t expect you to understand what I am saying; I don’t even know what I am saying; but it’s like something is trying to erase Valen from my mind.” Rachel looked up at Grissum. “Sargent, do you believe in God?”

            Grissum straightened his posture and took a deep breath. Deep down he didn’t want to start this conversation; he wasn’t going to have this conversation.

            “Well I won’t take up any more of your time Miss. Saibot,” he said trying to avoid the question. “I know things are painful now but if you need anyone to talk to, the NYPD has a counseling hotline.” He handed her the card from his jacket pocket. “On the back is my number if you can think of anything at all.”

            “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” Rachel saw that the Seargent felt uneasy about her question and decided it best that she  give up her pursuit.

            Grissum started to see his way out when one more question struck him. He turned to look back at Rachel who had gotten up from the couch to follow him to the door.

            “I‘m sorry; I have one last question if you don’t mind. Do the words, separated by design, unified by revenge, three to harmonize, one to remand, make any sense to you?”

            Grissum watched as the girl’s face stared back at him in horror. He knew without an answer that he had struck a chord. With no warning, Grissum watched as Rachel passed out and fell to the floor.

***

            Valen felt the wind knocked from his body as he was slammed into the ground. Every attempt he had made at trying to attack the beast floating overhead had issued the same results. He would jump thirty feet into the air only to be sent plummeting thirty feet from the sky just to scrape himself off the floor again.

            “You have a strong will; but you lack imagination,” The angel mocked Valen telepathically.

            Valen knew he had to come up with a better plan to take down the beast. If he hadn’t been so rash he would never have freed him from the hammer that kept him grounded.

            “Don’t you see that I’m wearing him down?” Valen tried to defend his losing strategy.

            The reality was that Valen was beginning to feel a light headed from replacing his armor so much. The creature had in fact been wearing him down. Every time the creature knocked off a piece of the requiem he would have to use more of his own blood to replace it. Sooner or later Valen was going to run out of blood; he knew he had to come up with a better plan.

            Valen looked around the room trying to see if he had missed anything that might be of some use to him, but of course the room was empty and in ruin. The sword that he had drawn from his right arm earlier was still intact, but he couldn’t find a way to get close enough to use it.

            The creature overhead, still looking down upon Valen, began to emit a dark glow from its mouth. Valen wasn’t sure what to make of the monster’s change in strategy; up to this point he had only knocked back his advances, but this was something entirely new.

            The dark energy began to omit more light from its devilish grin, and with the smile separating for the first time a massive ball of dark energy went flying towards Valen. He jumped away as the blast came crashing through the chamber’s interior; punching a hole through the wall. The air began sucking at the contents of the room as if someone had opened the door of an airplane mid-flight. Valen felt his hair blowing rapidly against the current that tempted to send him plummeting into the pit of lava that rested so far below.

            A light bulb clicked in Valen mind; if he couldn’t get to the beast, he would make the beast come to him.

            “I think your starting to use your head,” Karninfaux said, knowing fully well what Valen had in mind.

            Valen rose to his feet with a new determination. He watched the beast, still hovering above with the same grin and beady eyes. Without looking away from the monster Valen stumbled to where the wall had been broken open and two pieces of jagged metal were protruding forward. Valen knew he was running out of time and blood. If he wanted to stop this monster it had to be now. Valen plunged himself onto the jagged metal protruding from the wall and let out a scream that echoed throughout the room.

The metal cut deep, but only for a moment.

Valen slid off of the spikes impaling his back and fell to his knees, trying to focus beyond the pain. Within seconds a perfectly matched set of wings had formed and molded themselves to the requiem. The blood hardened and Valen shook his head trying to dislodge the faint feeling of dizziness.

            “Clever boy,” The angel said, clearly impressed.

            Valen was impressed with himself as well. He would have patted himself on the back, but it hurt too much. A faint smile come across his face with the intent of intimidate the beast into following him. Valen then proceeded to leap through the hole in the wall.

            As he took flight, Valen felt as the hot wind gave him the lift he needed for his wings to work properly. Minus the fact he was being chased by a giant monster that would stop at nothing to see him dead, Valen enjoyed his new wings. He took a quick look behind his shoulder to see the creature plummet from the spire, breaking the hole even wider to fit its massive frame.

            Valen looked forward just in time to avoid contact with the lava that poured from Karninfaux’s body. Maybe if I could get the creature under the lava flow it might slow him down, he thought to himself while looking over his shoulder again to see if the monster was still followed. To his shock, the creature was nowhere in sight. Valen turned his head forward again, revealing the monster waiting for him; its claws wide open waiting to embrace its prey. Valen let out a yell as he collided with the monster. The impact had done little to the creature, but Valen had the wind knocked out of him once again. The requiem began to crack upon the impact. The monster breathed heavily down upon the boy with its evil grin which appeared to slowly open again; Valen knew it was going to shoot another energy blast. With few options, Valen noticed that the bag of nails the monster had used to fix the walls was still wrapped around the monster’s waist. He ripped his left arm free from the monster’s hold and reached into the abyss of a bag, grabbing one of the massive nails that lay inside. Valen’s strength was wavering due to his loss of blood, but he knew he had to give it his all to break free from the creature. Valen lifted the nail and shoved it into the monsters mouth blocking the dark energy’s escape.

            The monster released Valen’s other arm in a last ditch effort to attempt freeing the nail from its massive teeth but Valen took the opportunity of the beast’s vulnerability and plunged his sword into the demon’s chest. The creature’s mouth filled with the dark energy, but it was being trapped behind the nail. Valen kicked at the beast’s chest, freeing himself from the proximity of the monster and at the same time pushing it under the lava pouring from the tower. The lava splashed upon the creature’s hands, burning them away from its mouth. The Second Beast, feeling fear, frantically scrambled to remove the nail from its mouth but it was too late; the dark energy exploded and blew the monster back against the wall; as it fell toward the pit it smashed into the rocks on its descent towards the massive pool of lava. Valen listened as he heard the sound of a million condemned angels’ cry out in anger, and then they grew silent.

            Valen made his way back to the throne room of Purgatory. His strength completely left him as he landed before Karninfaux. His legs gave in and he collapsed before the feet of the skeletal figure.

            “Well done Valen Saint. You are truly worthy to wear the requiem. Go now with my blessing. Find the tree that I once created and rejoin with your love; Rachel awaits your return,” Karninfaux said.

            Upon hearing her name, Valen found a renewed vigor for life. He had defeated his first demon and retrieved the key. Although he was unsure of what trials awaited him, he knew that he could overcome any obstacle set before his path.

            Valen walked over to the hammer that lay on the floor, and with the remainder of his strength he lifted the key over his shoulder. Across from where Karninfaux sat rested a door that depicted two Angels in a garden with a tree separating them. That was his destination; the tree of knowledge would be destroyed by his hands. Valen lifted the key from his shoulder and held it with the same ease that the Second Beast had once shown. With a mighty swing and a yell that commanded the requiem’s power, Valen slammed the key into the door. The door bowed at his might and opened before him. Valen let the hammer fall to the ground and took one last look at the angel sitting high on his throne, his flesh pierced by the thorns, the socket-less eyes devoid of sight. No words needed to be said between the two, but Valen insisted.

“What I do now, I do for her; I want you to know that,” he said turning towards the door again and walking into the light.

***

“Well that was entertaining,” A feminine voice arose in the chamber as the figure of a tall beautiful woman appeared from behind Karninfaux’s throne.

            “Are you sure you know what you’re doing with this one?” Riesen said, slipping from the shadows.

            “Do you take me for a fool?” Karninfaux said as a massive arm covered in lava reached through the hole in the broken wall. The arm flexed and pulled its weight into the room revealing itself to belong to the Second Beast, still alive. The creature had visible scars on its stomach where Valen had impaled it with his sword. The monster clutched the area with its right arm and its evil grin now subsided back within its dark veil that covered its face. Its battle was over for now.

            “But now, it is time for you to hold up your end of the bargain… brother.”

Riesen hopped towards the doorway of Purgatory, his ears bouncing behind him. The tiny demon looked back one last time towards Karninfaux, causing the light coming through the archway to turn his eyes blood red for a fraction of a second. Riesen gave a twisted smile knowing how much fun he was going to have.

“Indeed, brother… indeed.”

To Be Continued…

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