Coming back down he realizes too late that his son was waiting for him and is thrust back into the air by a burst of flames, launched from Virgil’s hand. Striking him in the gut in midair, Virgil sets his father down and points an end of his staff at his father’s forehead. Winded and burned Satoshi says “You... You’ve gotten better. Your p.k. attacks are much faster now.”
“Nah you’re just getting old. I’m just shocked you didn’t pass out!” says Virgil. “how did you use that burst of fire?” asks his father. “I dunno…… maybe I’ll figure that out later. For now, answer my questions. How did you know about my dream?” He says with an air of seriousness. “I already told you.”
“I know there’s more to it than that!” he shouted. “You’re right, every man born into this family has had the dream, and with it the power, memories and knowledge of a legendary hero.”
“What?!” he asked. “Sit down.” Virgil put his staff on the ground and sat in front of Satoshi. “I’ m sure you’re familiar with ‘the war of Armageddon’.”
“You mean world war three.” said Virgil. “Yes, every nuke on the planet went off and it was hell on earth for seven years. The radiation didn’t last three centuries because someone supposedly used alchemy to remove the entire radioactivity after the bombs went off, gaining the trust of every nation in the world as a supreme dictator and leaving the planet with a minor global tectonic shift. After his seven-years of ruling the world, he and his followers vanished in a burst of smoke, leaving only those who opposed him and his views. The impact of the nukes are why the earth looks the way it does today.”
“Wasn’t that four thousand years ago? What does that have to do with us?” asks Virgil. “That cataclysm set the stage for where our story begins. Three thousand years later, the last war in history occurred, ‘the war of the seven fangs’.” Virgil interrupts saying. “Whoa, wait, wait a minute, that guy? The guy who took on the woman who lead the charge to end that war? Are you freaking kidding me?!!! That guy has enough power in his LEFT arm to-”
“To split the sun and shatter the moon in a single swipe.” interrupts Satoshi. “He… was the only one in our family not to have the nightmare. He was the Fang of Shadows, Xion Shade, your grandfather of one thousand years. ” Dumbfounded he says. “I didn’t know his name was Xion Shade! You never mentioned his name in history lessons!”
“That’s because the history cards never knew his full name, so they left that part out to avoid controversy. And I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think you were ready.” said Satoshi. Virgil stares in disbelief speechless.  Satoshi continues. “The woman that he fought was the Fang of Ice Oni-de Terasu-no-Omikami, it’s what she tried to do that forced Xion to obtain the power which causes our nightmares, and they sometimes alert us to coming dangers.”
“His fight with her was easy right? Right?” He then asks his father. Satoshi looks at him with a grim face and says. “Oni-de was the one to train Xion, she gave him one hell of a battle. For what it’s worth their fight literally churned seas and crumbled mountains, I wouldn’t underestimate her if I were you.”
“You say that as if she’s still alive. Eh heh… ” laughs Virgil weakly. Satoshi sighs and uses his staff to help him self up. The fog now slightly lifted revealed the rest of the back yard. The yard was the size of a football field and rested at the edge of a forest. Satoshi was headed to the forest-thick end of the yard. “Follow me Virgil we’re going to solidify Xion’s thousand years of hard work” he then grabbed his staff and got up after him saying. “Oh great, we’re headed to granddad’s tomb aren’t we?”
“Yup, I thought you missed your grandfather.” said Satoshi. “I do, it’s just that I hate graveyards. It always feels like the very atmosphere’s trying to kill me, they send a chill down my spine.”
“Well that’s too bad; you’ll be going inside his tomb alone.” Virgil shouts in protest. “WHAT THE HELL MAN!!!!! NOT COOL!!”
“Deal with it and man up, it was your granddad’s last testament that you have your ascension in his tomb before he died, so let’s respect It.” says Satoshi with a wicked smile. “Why am I the one doing this? What ascension? How do you know it isn’t supposed to be someone else!?” he asks. His father doesn’t answer. Reaching the end of the yard Satoshi pushes his way through some bushes onto a hidden stone path, leading to his father’s tomb. Agitated he asks, “Well?! Why won’t you answer me?” his father answers. “I can’t tell you that, only your granddad knows the answer to that.” Fearing the answer of how his granddad would be involved in this, Virgil asks the question that was burning in the back of his mind since the conversation started, “What does the crimson fox have to do with my dream?”
“The crimson fox was Xion’s familiar during the ‘war of the seven fangs’.  All seven of the heroes from that war had familiars to represent their characteristics when in battle. Xion’s familiar fused its soul with his in order to bring out his full potential when Oni-de tried to take over the world. So naturally your own soul will warn you of danger and give you information when you’re ready for It.” said Satoshi. Now deeper into the forest, the ground was covered by a low level mist though the fog had fully dissipated. This was a sign that they were close to the tomb, also a sign of their approach was the evident paleness that gradually plagued Virgil’s face. As they drew closer to the clearing near the tomb he tries to shake his fears, “So how did mom know about our ‘familiar’?” “She knew about it because I told her about it years ago. In turn she took precautions for any possible disaster.” answered Satoshi. “I’ll tell you what those ‘precautions’ were when we get back to the house.” Upon finishing his sentence they finally arrived at the clearing. The knee high mist, which was now so thick that the ground was no longer visible, encircled the tomb as if it were the eye of a storm. The tomb itself resembled a very small pyramid, its four outer walls were a reflective black marble and showed no sign of a door on any side. Staring at it with a sick, horrified look, Virgil is so pale that his birthmark can longer be seen on his face. “Oh just GET OVER IT!!! I did say you were going in alone, didn’t I?!” shouts his father. He slowly turns his head to his father and says calmly, “Yes I heard you the first time you said it and it’s the most disgusting thing I ever heard. So disgusting in fact, that I literally want to puke.”
“Think of it as payback for all those horror movies you dragged me in to, now hand me your staff.” Said Satoshi. “Huh?” said Virgil dazed. “Hand me your staff.” Repeated his father. “WHY!?!” he shouts. “Weapons of any kind aren’t allowed in the crypt.” “SAYS WHO?!!!” he asks in frustration. “Says your grandfather.” Answered Satoshi. Gripped with fear and fury Virgil stares at his father in contempt and says. “Is there a reason for your ‘I can talk to the dead crap or are you just messing with me?”
“Just give me the staff and enter the tomb, the rest of your questions will be answered inside.” says Satoshi with a tone of aggravation in his voice. Still pale as a cloud, Virgil turns to the tomb and walks up to one side. On the wall there is an engraved image of an open hand, he puts his hand on the engraving and a portion of the tomb retracts into the ground at his feet, leaving a gaping doorway that leads into the crypt. Faced with obscure darkness at the edge of the stairway into the crypt, he looks back at his father. “Go on!” says Satoshi. Taking a deep breath, he Says to himself “And here I thought today was going to be a good day.” And steps down in to the crypt. Reaching the base of the stairs, Virgil examines the room. The walls and the ceiling are identical to the outside walls-blank. The floor on the other hand, has a huge glass panel in the center of the room, revealing a circular stairway that connects to the catacombs of the rest of his family. Now in the center of the room, he can just barely see in the dark his grandfather’s coffin and takes another step forward. The door to the crypt then suddenly slams shut. Alone in pure darkness, Virgil panics and screams out.  “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGH!!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” he runs back to the tomb entrance and franticly slams on the wall. He gives up hope of escape and crouches down on the floor. Wallowing in despair he smells the faint scent of myrrh incense. His fear and sorrow now replaced with curiosity, he turns himself back towards the coffin of his grandfather and sees a dim ethereal green light floating in mid air above it and that the walls of the crypt are illuminated with the hieroglyphics of Egypt. “Fear not grandson, you are in no real danger…for now. Come closer we must proceed with the ascension and fulfill stage one of your destiny.” Called out the light. Staring awestruck at the light Virgil asks. “G-granddad is that you?! What destiny are you talking about?!”
“I am talking about the destiny that Xion set in motion one thousand years ago. But before we continue I must first explain what your father could not, now come closer.” Virgil reluctantly walks back to the coffin and is suddenly blinded by a green flash. Opening his eyes he sees that the crypt has vanished and that he is now floating in the sky above his home. Looking up he saw another vast horizon as a similar image beneath him. Confused by this sight, a soft, deep voice calls out to him. “We are lingering in the realm known as limbo. This is where the ascension will really take place.” He turns to the source of the voice and sees a man wearing a white robe and a black jackal mask. “So… even in death you still have a thing for ancient Egypt and Anubis?” he says trying to stay calm. “Hmph. You were brought here because Xion willed that you take place here not me, you are the only one here because there is no one else. You are the last of the Shade family line. The ‘ascension’ refers to the fusion of your soul to two of the fragments of Xion’s soul from our ancestral blood line.”
“Why did Xion want me here?”
“Xion wanted you to be here in limbo because spiritual energies are strongest here and my crypt was designed to link the life realm with limbo.”
“What do you mean by the fragments of Xion’s soul?”
“Before Xion died, he sealed two parts of his soul into the headband around your neck and gave it to his son to be passed down throughout the ages.”
“But why two parts?”
“One fragment of his soul contained all of his experience as a warrior while the other fragment had all the power of his familiar which enhanced his p.k. abilities and gave him the ferocity of a beast, they were set up this way in order to gain a thousand years worth of knowledge to further strengthen the properties of each. You were chosen not only because you were the last in the bloodline but because you are Xion reincarnated. After the ascension your soul will be whole again and you will gradually re-learn all of the skills he used to defeat Oni-de.” Stunned to find out the truth about his family Virgil asks, “Why go through all the trouble?”
“Xion knew that Oni-de would one day return and once again reach out for world domination, her greatest desire.”
“Why didn’t anyone help him fight her? The other members of the seven could’ve given him a hand.”
“The others could not have helped, they were no match for her and Xion was the only one to know her enough to actually stand a chance. Is there anything else you want to know?”
“Uh… yeah, just a few more things, how many skills are there? And how did dad know you didn’t want weapons in here?”
“There are nine skills. You will soon learn one on your own today, you’ll know it when you need it. As for the weapons …I thought… you would try to attack me when I appeared as that sphere of light and my tomb allows me to be solid so… I…relieved you of the chance. *ahem* I believe its time that we proceed with the task at hand, give me your headband.” Marred by his grandfather’s distrust Virgil unties the headband around his neck and hands it to him. Revealing a couple of completely bandaged hands from the sleeves of his robe he grabs hold of the headband and tears it in two. Virgil is shaken by this action but stays calm, as his grandfather begins to whisper rapidly to him self. The two shredded pieces of cloth soon began to glow and then became engulfed in blue flames in the palms of his grandfather’s hands. As the soft chanting slows the flames start to die down. What should have been the charred remnants of a headband were now two large steel wristbands. The wristbands themselves have small inscriptions in black in an ancient language. Virgil’s grandfather hands the bands to him and says. “Put these on and remember that though you will be alone in your coming fight, you will have the experience and strength five times that of an entire army.” slipping them on the bands shrink to the shape of his wrists and the inscriptions begin to glow bright red. “The inscriptions are a prayer repeated a thousand times on each band. It translates as ‘may the divine light of heaven defend he who wears these gauntlets, give him strength, courage, wisdom, and the gift of eternal life as he walks through the valleys of death in shadows of darkness to defend those who need him most as the silent blade of purity.’ That prayer along with the soul shards of Xion infused within you will help to over come any obstacle.” “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggghhhh!” screams Virgil curled in pain since his wrists are now smoking as the bands melt into him. “Try to resist the pain, this is part of the ascension so you must never give in to the agony! Fight it you cannot give up!” shouts his grandfather. He struggles to say. “E- Easy for you to say, t-this hurts w-worse than g-getting hit in the h-head with a c-cement brick! Argh, it’s unbearable!” soon the burning in his wrists starts to subside and he closes his eyes mentally fending off the remaining agony. He opens his eyes and breaths a sigh of relief seeing that all but the inscriptions from the bands have been absorbed into his skin. “There is one more thing I must tell you grandson. Though you are now immortal you are not invincible, the power inside you makes you more resilient than any normal human but if you overuse your mental energies the resilience will diminish and you will weaken, if you push yourself too hard, you will die. The essence of Xion is dormant and will awaken when you feel you are ready but after it does awaken you must come up with a battle cry to summon it again. Finally you must vow to never fall in love, a warrior in love is a warrior who has doomed himself and those around him to death. Do you understand?”
“I do, at least I think I do. What about the battle cry? How will I know what to use?” says Virgil. “Do not worry you will understand the vow soon enough. The cry to call on your inner strength is in your blood, the words to summon the force within will come to you. As for me, my work in this realm is done. I can now move on.” As he says that a huge stone hourglass with four entwined wyvern gargoyles and white sand appears behind him. The wings of the gargoyles are out stretched across the base and the top of the hourglass with their heads pointed down and towards whoever may stand in front of it. “Is that the gateway to the afterlife?” asks Virgil. The sand in the glass stops running and the gargoyles begin to speak. “We are the guardians of the gate of life and death, we allow passage to those who wish to move on into death and guide those who wish to live back to their bodies on earth. We have awaited this one to find peace for years, Mr. Shade your time has come.”
“Yes… it finally has.” He looks back at Virgil through the blank eyes of his mask seeing tears in his eyes and says. “Do not grieve for me, death is but a long sleep that we all wake up from sooner or later. More often than not we forget who we once were and unwillingly change our appearances after the sleep, I may see you again. Take care of yourself Virgil.”
“… good bye granddad” The glass and the sand in the hourglass behind him vanish leaving only the gateway to the after life, open with a blinding light shining through. His grandfather turns and drifts into the gate, dissolving in its light. The sand and the glass then reappears and the sand resumes running. “Why couldn’t I see anything beyond the gate?”
“You could not see because you are not dead. The realm of death is not meant for the eyes of the living, such a sight can drive one mad and we are not allowed to let those blessed with a forged spirit die so easily.” The hourglass flipped over with the sand changing its color to black. “You should know by now that this is the sand of life. And because you now have an important life’s mission to complete we will personally send you back to your body on earth.” The sand stopped and vanished with the glass again revealing Virgil’s body sprawled on the floor of the crypt. “W-what happened to me!?” he stuttered. “The crypt separated you from your body, without a conscious spirit within, you collapsed. When you return to your body, those markings on your wrists will appear there in the same way they did here. Please step through the gateway, your presence in this realm is disrupting the balance of life and death, we only wish to set things right here.”
“Ok, ok I’m going”
“Wait just a moment.”
“Oh what is it now!? I thought you wanted me to leave!” said Virgil looking up at one of the stone heads in annoyance. “We wish to truly introduce ourselves.”
“Ok shoot.”
“Our name is Suna-jikan, when the time comes we will reappear before you to aide you in your quest, just something for you to keep in mind.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“May I… continue to return to my body?”
“Of course, young one.” Virgil stepped through the portal of the hourglass and immediately felt the cold, hard floor against the front of his body. Opening his eyes he sees the bare feet of his father. “Before you get up and do anything else you need to know that you can’t tell anyone, and I mean anyone, about your power and your bloodline. You got that?”
“Uggh. Man I was thrown for a loop in a tomb and burned at the wrists, but all you can say is don’t tell anyone?”
“DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT GET THAT?!!”
“I got it, geez! No need ta yell!” getting up he dusted himself off and walked with his father back toward the entrance of the tomb. Stepping out into the dull orange after noon, Virgil realized that he no longer had that gut wrenching terror whenever he was near a grave.