Requium Begins

M..mmm…mornin'...let's see what day it is? Yawns, let's look at my phone. DAMN IT it is dead how did I let that happen‽ I guess I'll put it on the charger now. Mmh guess I will have to hope it's not monday. Otherwise my students will hate me for skipping on them the day before exams. I should probably get dressed, shouldn't I? Okay I guess since it is the weekend…Probably, I can just wear some Sweats and a gray shirt with my plated black hoodie over it. Yawn WHY AM I SO TIRED today? Ima just go look for someone to ask about this. Maybe John will know. As the doorknob twists and I walk through the threshold Images of light and dark swirl through my head and then blank. Light returns to my eyes as I wake up. Oh yes…I forgot this was my predicament. I had been stuck here for 18 years now after that event that keeps haunting me.

The whole realm I live in at the moment thinks I am a Demon Lord like you would find in one of my students books even though those books seemed childish to me they seemed to enjoy them. What is worse is the name I must go by now. Which is…AXAR HELP THE SERVANTS ARE FIGHTING AGAIN. There it is Alright Seth slow down what is it? THE SERVANTS ARE FIGHTING OVER WHO WILL YOU CHOOSE AS A BRIDE. Seth tell them to get back to work rather than speculating rumors. I don't feel the need to be married as soon as I can. BUT SIR! NO BUTS SETH They are just excuses and if they say anything more of this matter just tell them to leave the house by order of the Prince. Sir, is that not excessive? NO it is not It has been long overdue. Maybe being raised again made me a bit more cruel but eh I am still the 9-5 man I have always been. This place is a mess. Have the servants worked at all today? Even in the past I had not had this much dust in my room otherwise I would feel dirty. Swiping his finger across the windowsill Axar's hand looks virtually clean besides a few particles of dust.

SETH!!! Yes Sir? WHY IS IT SO DIRTY HERE. Sir, you have employed the best servants money can buy on this side of the Diox river. We would need to cross the river Diox to find new servants.However no one has passed from one side of the river to the other for over 200 years. Seth you act as If I don't know this. Thinking aloud Axar lets out "It is strange that its name is similar to Dioxide though" Sir what is Dioxide? CO2 how is this world not totally obliterated by now by radiation Axar thought to himself. Let us look at what the court scientists think about this. SETH WE SHALL SALLY FORTH! "Sir, what are you planning?" WE SHALL ASK THE MAGES IF THEY CAN THINK OF HOW NEUTRALIZE THE RIVER GASSES! "Sir, how would you neutralize a river no Demon nor Humans has been able to do that for the past 200 years." WAIT There Are Humans In This World? "Yes there is, however they have been split from us by the river" Why did the river Diox form 200 years ago? "No one knows written records at this point" Damn it all why is everyone from that time dead or senile!

Sir just because they are over 1000 doesn't mean they are senile. Seth I would love to go over this with you but unfortunately we must go to the scientists now. As Axar walks at a brisk pace Seth barely manages to keep up with him Axar orders Seth to go deal with something besides being his shadow. Breaking through the doors of the Lab the young prince…Young KING THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Axar screamed to himself for no reaso…OLD MAN I CAN HEAR YOU. As the young "king" breaks through the Palace research center's doors. "Prince Axar!!"Murphy struggles. Yes Murphy, is it? Anyways I order you to gather some of the river Diox's water in large quantities and some 100 stones of Lye. Sir you know Lye is an irritant right? Yes but that doesn't matter I need to create a pathway but tests must be done to guarantee its success just wear protective clothing. SIR. MURPHY. Yes sir…understood. Can you get this all done before lunch please Murphy? Sir it shall take at least a week to find those minerals. FINE, I shall wait just don't disappoint me. But sir, how shall we gather the water from the river Diox? If the gas blinds us Demons and the air around it becomes poison how will we get your materials? Simple Murphy, Just use hazmat suits and… The young P…King trailed on forgetting this world has no such developments. YOU COULD HAVE SAID THAT SOONER OLD MAN! Murphy with a sign of worry looks at the young prince not knowing who he is yelling at. KING…It is, young KING… You know what Axar I will leave the rest of this story to you to figure out. "Good now I won't need to worry about your interruptions." Axar muttered.

"Sir?"Murphy said in a hesitant tone "Yes Murphy?" Axar replied with a Glare. "W..who were you just talking to?" Oh Murphy, don't worry about that charlatan. He shan't be bothering us anymore. "Understood sir. Now what about the solution?" Let me just get the court tailor in this issue. Merry, come here you brilliant fool! "Axar you fool what do you want?" Merry you best be glad I don't punish you for your insolence. "Axar we both know you won't do anything to me as I made your strange attire." It is comfy okay. And no one else was willing to try to make it besides you. I do appreciate it. ANYWAYS… I have a new mission for ya. "What is it Ax? Two things Merry: Never call me Ax, and I need you to make me a few things. "Axar, remember what I asked of you last time you had a strange request." "Fine Merry." Axar said, rolling his eyes. As Axar stops rolling his eyes, "Good Boy Ax" Merry says. "MERRY I SAID….YOU KNOW WHAT WHATEVER…" Axar ferociously lets out. I Shall design the suits and masks on a paper spanning through the night, with yells of anguish being heard from Axar's quarters. "MERRY, COME HERE NOW!" Axar triumphantly screeched. "MMM...mmmm Ax yah what is it?" Merry sluggishly states. "Could you have called me later in the day AX?" "JUST TAKE MY DESIGNS." Axar says just before a loud thud could be heard throughout the estate as Axar fainted due to exhaustion. As the hours pass, Axar's fainted consciousness returns to reality. As if on schedule Merry Enters Axar's chambers holding A white bodysuit measured to Axar's requested proportions as well as a leather mask akin to that of a plague doctor, however rather than petals filling the beak it is filled with a filtration system made from simple cotton. "Merry you shall not be forgotten" Axar proudly says as he pats Merry's shoulder in triumph. "Now AX NEVER ask me to make you any more specialized clothes EVER." Merry exasperatedly let out. "Come on Merryether It couldn't be that hard" Axar chucked out heartedly. "It is JUST MERRY, AXAR!" scoffed Merry, Rolling his eyes and snatching the unusual garments from Merry. "Thank you Merry." replied the still half asleep Axar. Prince Axar left for the laboratory to gather the previously requested materials. "Prince? Is that you?" Murphy Hesitantly questioned. "YES DO YOU HAVE THE MATERIALS I ASKED?" Axar yelled "Y…yes We do sir However we used castle funds as it is your experiment your father had allowed it"Murphy mumbled. "ALLOW ME TO GATHER THE LYE" Axar yelled as he didn't realize how loud he was talking. "SIR, You are yelling. And yes here is the materials you asked for" Murphy said meekly. "THANK YOU MURPHY!"Axar replied, ignoring Murphy's comment on the yelling. As Axar gathered the Lye and YELLED "SALLY FORTH MURPHY WE SHALL BREAK THROUGH THE DIOX RIVER AND GATHER THE MATERIALS FROM THE OTHER SIDE. AND MEET THE RESIDENTS!" ROARED AXAR "Sir there Isn't anyone living on that side of the Diox for 200 years." Murphy said.

Axar runs down to the River Diox running with the 100 stones of Lye giddily like a child. Placing each stone 1 meter away from one another for a length of 11 meters as the Lye dissolves in the Dioxide and neutralizes it Azar continues placing stones further into the river equidistant from the first line until a solid bridge of sodium hydroxide. Axar then chants an incantation to solidify and transmute the bridge into stone and form a glass pathway similar to an overpass in his past life from the excess lye. "HAHA NOW IT IS TIME TO EXPLORE" Axar thought aloud. Walking through the week-long bridge project Axar wondered why, when transmutation and magic exists in this world no one had tried to neutralize the river, and why hadn't the half life of the Dioxide run out as its only around 74 years Dioxide should react. WHAT WAS HAPPENING? As Axar Runs through to the other side of the murky bridge what could be seen was so unlike anything on his domain. It was rolling fields and a town out to the distance surrounded by stone walls akin to those towns in his students' books he had confiscated for them not listening to the lesson on thermodynamics or whatever it was that day.

Axar ran down to the Town covered head to toe in the hazmat suit and mask with a specialty helmet that would be too large for him if it weren't for his elf-like ears and demon horns. To be cautious as neither side of the Diox had been traversed by one of the other sides for 20 decades Axar decided to come up with a pseudonym that was in actuality his old name James-Alex-Pharnes but will keep his middle name acting as his first. So just Alex. Walking down to the town. "I can't wait to meet the new residents," Axar muttered to himself. When walking to the walls guards posted throughout the perimeter of the town all kept a keen Eye onto Axar in his unusual outfit. "MEN LET ME THROUGH" Axar demanded. "Papers please," One guard said. "I have no such items." Axarr mumbled. "GRAMPS YOU GOT TO STOP FORGETTING YOUR PAPERS AT HOME" A woman said running from inside the walls. "WHO YOU CALLING GRAMPS?!" Axar scowled. The woman apologizes profusely to the guards. And grabs Axar's arm and pulls him through the gates easily. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING COMING OUT HERE WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION PAPERS?" The woman scolded. "I came from the Diox river I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT PAPERS!"Axar retorted. "WHAT! YOU BROKE THE BARRIER"The woman whisper-screamed. "THE RIVER DIOX WAS NATURALLY FORMED MRS…what?"Axar contemplated aloud. "Diox? What are you talking about? That river is a barrier to keep out the demon realm to keep them from invading."The woman said "also its Maria". "My name is A…John" Axar says. "John, what were you doing on the other side of the Barrier?" Maria asks hesitantly. "Well I was finding a way to break the "seal" after I had been trapped on the other side." Axar very unconvincingly says. "MHM SOOOO… What is with that outfit "JOHN" Well it's so I could get close enough to experiment what could break the barrier…It was Lye that stinging substance" Axar lets out. "So a barrier that needs a human sacrifice every 50 years can be broken with rocks?!"... "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK" Maria lets out. "What? It only consisted of Dioxide and water? NO SACRIFICES NEEDED" Axar replies as if he had seen the sacrifices. "HOW DID YOU SURVIVE FOR SO LONG WITH THE DEMONS? Didn't they want to eat you and use your bones for magic?" Maria let out. "I don't know what they have taught you all, however the demons over there act as humans would without the sacrifices to a river of poison." Axar yells out. "Pfft yeah demons "NICE" As if that would happen. They would scorch the lands and eat the young the church taught us at a young age." Maria cried out. "Damn Discrimination" Axar Muttered to himself. "John?I have a question for you" Maria stated. "Wh…Oh yes what is it?" Axar replied, forgetting his pseudonym for a moment. "Are…are you human…S…SORRY IF THAT SOUNDS RUDE IT'S JUST WITH YOUR OUTFIT BEING SO STRANGE." Maria stumbles over her own words. "We need to go somewhere less public to answer that question" Axar states. Okay let's go to the orphanage I live in ...Lived at, I need to move out very soon as I just turned 18." Maria whispers feeling down. "Yes let's go" Axar concurred.

The two of them walk to the old orphanage. As they walked in the hectic air of the orphanage reminded Axar of his old classrooms before the bell. "Well this place feels eerily familiar" Axar mumbled. "How so John?" Maria asked. "I…From when I went to school." Axar replied "You went to SCHOOL? NO WAY!" Maria said in shock. "Anyways…Let's get to your room so we can discuss this further" Axar spoke. "Yes let us."Maria leads the way to her room "sorry about the mess I…was not expecting a guest today." "Maria…I must say I am" "DON'T SAY IT I ALREADY KNOW."Maria stumbled "It is…SO CLEAN HERE!" Axar had said with a glimmer in his eyes, even though Maria could see them right now she understood. "Oh I see. It must be due to that time on the Demon's side of the barrier." "Maria, I must tell you something… However I want you to promise me you won't scream or tell anyone else okay?" "Yes What Is It I Promise To Keep It A Secret" Enthusiastically Maria let out. "Okay well here goes…Well everything" Axar takes his plague mask off to reveal his silver eyes and black and red hair[a][b]; and pulls down his hood to reveal his horns each which resembled the night sky in color if not darker. "Sorry Maria…I am not who you thought I was..I worried you would call the guards on me or that I would have caused a commotion outdoors." Axar said, trying to compose himself. "Well That is…A problem BUT HOW DID YOU BREAK THE BARRIER YOU DEMON!" "Chemistry," Axar replied quietly. "And well alchemy." "What are you going to do, you foul scum?" "What nothing, I was looking for something to do so I broke through the Diox out of said boredom.Well that and…" "AND WHAT pray tell would a Demon want with humans besides destroying them?"Marria huffed "I Don't know how you view us but Maria, us demons are very akin to humans besides the horns,Which hold our mana the darker the horns the more concentrated and powerful the mana. " Axar then whispers "and the wings'' Maria, not hearing nor caring for that last part shouts "WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?" "Stop screaming. I set us up in an actual barrier to protect us from eavesdroppers. So please take a breath and understand when I came here it was not out of violence but out of curiosity." Maria tries to open the door to no avail simply as if it were locked from the outside in. "GOD! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU DEMON!." "PFFT HOW YOU ARE JUST A HUMAN, your mana won't be enough to even scratch me." "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE US HUMANS YOU SCUM!"Maria Raises her hand and lets out a call "DIVINE LIGHT!" As the command is let out so does a brilliant flash of light that surrounds Axar. "WHAT IS THIS BARRIER OF LIGHT?!" "No records have ever mentioned anything like this." "WELL That is because it is a spell I created by myself. JOHN IF THAT IS EVEN YOUR REAL NAME." Axar knocks his hand against the barrier, as he does such it stings him with what feels like static electricity, yet it feels somewhat stronger. "AH! What was that?" Maria triumphantly harrumphs "HA you won't be able to break through that barrier like you did with the river. I created this one with pure Divine Magic. No wonder you were injured while touching it. The Church taught us well." "Us…do you mean there are more people with this static barrier?" "YES, HAHA tremble in fear as you realize how powerless you are to our Sta…STATIC?! THE BARRIER IS SUPPOSED TO HURT WORSE THAN THE RIVERS OF THE UNDERWORLD." "Maria darling I grew up in that 'underworld' you are supposedly stronger than that was not more than a shock of static electricity." "B-but I was supposed to be a holy warrior…The strongest one in generations AT THAT!" Maria let out in disbelief. "If that is true let's hope that was one of your weaker spells." Axar chuckled.

"YOU DISRESPECTFUL BEING WHAT IS YOUR TRUE NAME?" "Axar…Sigh It is stupid I know. I only gave up that information willingly to have you understand I pose no threat.All I wished to do by coming to this side of The River Diox Is to Find a subtitle housekeeper as my current ones are…well lets just say not up to my standard." "WHY WOULD A DEMON CARE OF HOUSEKEEP?" "Just as humans do, us demons run on structure and we like things in particular ways." "So you were planning on kidnaping some poor individual?" "No, no I was going to make them a job offer, that is if this side still uses gold,and silver as currency" "We do, yes. Now what is that offer you were going to give them?" "Alright, I can give you a copy of it. I do think you could do a good job with it." Axar pulls out a paper that has been scrolled up. "Please let up this barrier so I may hand this to you." "FINE but don't try anything. "I promise you can rip out my horns if I do anything suspicious" "W-what? Those things are full of demonic magic you could try to curse me with them" "Fine I will rip them out myself…Also its just magic not demonic magic…Also it hurts like hell when you rip out someone's horns and they don't regrow the magic will just dissipate into the world. Only outright heinous criminals have them torn out for that reason. However due to your distrust I shall put it on the line. Even as the Demon King's first-born son." "Fine" Maria lets down the barrier. "Now give me that paper!" Axar hands Maria the paper and sits down on the floor waiting for her to read the paper.

It reads :

To whom it may concern the Prince of the Demon kingdom of ____ Has hereby Hired ______ (Sign here) To work for him as a Housekeeper for the duration previously verbally decided upon and written here____ . Both Parties understand that these conditions can be changed at any time with a mutual conscious of both parties as which the first three may be labeled here:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

As which in the terms labeled above MUST be agreed upon by both parties finalized by a signature. The Main purpose of this contract is to explain the job criteria of the housekeep.

They must work on every odd numbered day cleaning and every even numbered day is theirs to do with as they wish

They may leave the estate however with permission to do so to protect their Identity as a non-demonic entity

They must show respect to those in their vicinity

They shall be paid 5 gold every week they work however failure to show up unannounced shall result in a penalty that week

Sick days shall be provided with no punishment if there is proof. And they shall be attended to by the medical staff of the estate at no charge.

Both parties must acknowledge the termination if the employee wishes to resign; however, if they are to be terminated they only need the employer's permission.

The parties of this agreement

Employee:_________

And Employer: Axar

Both agree to these terms and conditions.

[Money scale: copper coins->silver coins->Small gold->Large Gold->Platinum coin]

"So is that alright enough for you to not force me to dehorn myself?" Axar looks up at Maria "Fine I guess these terms are acceptable. Even if they are short and vague." Maria rolls her eyes and starts to sign said contract. "WAIT MRS.MARIA I DIDN'T GIVE IT TO YOU TO SIGN!" "Well SIR I need a job and this has Good enough benefits. And it gives me a better chance to kill you, you wicked fool." "Fine lets as our first addition to the contract" "What do you mean?"Maria asks "Every 30 days of work you and I shal duel"Axar recommends "Sounds lovely, so every 2 months we shall duel." We both must sign it as such, to finalize this agreement hand me your quill. So I can sign it." "Fine. Just don't break it." Axar rolls his silver eyes "sure thing Maria. And it wasn't specified directly in the contract but private living quarters shall be provided." "Okay that seems…WAIT WHAT? WHY would I need to live there? Why not just allow me to commute?" "Maria, that commute would be too dangerous as both sides don't know about my passageway as well as the demons' side's love of fighting and the human's side of fear. They fight for fun but we maintain order as well and courteous and have designated places for such activities. Allow me to escort you to the other side." Axar bow's and lets down the barrier around the room. Maria gathers her things into a spare bag Axar had brought along with him, packing all of her belongings into the nearly bottomless bag. "Worry not Maria as your things are being transported directly to the manor in the room designated for you. However don't try to get there through the bag as we have lost many scientists that way…I keep telling them teleportation of living creatures is impossible but NO Prince Axar has to be wrong it has to be possible…sorry for that rant anyways notify the head of this housing of your departure and we shall sally-forth." "Alright Axar we will venture out to the Demon realm which by the way does it have a name beyond just that?" Axar ponders the question for a bit and replies…Well i have heard it referred to as Axtavia (Ox-TA-VE-a) but like who cares everyone just says Demon realm to make things easier." Maria looks at Axar confused and puzzled "Anyways, how will we make it so they don't want to, you know… Eat me?" "Maria we don't eat non food creatures like Brogs (Bird-dog hybrid) we eat things such as basilisk"Maria looks at Axar in shock "Sorry bad joke we usually just eat like chicken and other human food like I had said before we demons are just humans with extra magic. But if you are truly worried about it" As Axar says that he snaps his fingers and hands Maria a mirror. In the Mirror Maria see's she now has golden horns very different to Axar's. "WHAT IS THIS!" "Worry not they are fake Golden horn demons are the weakest yet smartest having only 300 more magic than a basic human." "WAIT 300! That is what a common Human has so they have 3 times the normal human! EVEN ME A HOLY WARRIOR HAS ONLY 275." "Make that 575 now as those horns are not only for show. I will teach you how to use that magic later." Axar and Maria walk from the gates of the town. Cloaked and running the two heads across the plains. Axar picks up his pace. With Maria surprising Axar by keeping pace. "Maria, you think you can keep up if I Increase my pace?" Axar asks looking back at Maria who is briskly running with their cloak covering her golden blonde hair that is around shoulder length. "YES OF COURSE I CAN YOU IDIOT" Maria scolds Axar "AND STOP LOOKING AT ME YOU WEIRDO." Maria lets out. "Maria, we are almost at the breaking point in the river."Axar lets out.