Reaper has a minion!

Spike the Allruin

Her earliest memories are hazy, the smells stronger than anything: smoke, brimstone, sulfur. You’d think she grew up in Hell – and in a way, she did. Infernium was one of the dark kingdoms, ruled by what people fearfully referred to as the demons. There was no such thing as Heaven or Hell, not in the way people thought, but there was darkness and light. The place that Reaper was born to was one of the deepest of the dark places. The land was harsh, dry and unforgiving. Crops wouldn’t grow, and what passed for grasslands were toxic to nearly everything that tried to eat them. The ground was prone to split asunder beneath your feet, fires leaping up from the lava flowing deep beneath the kingdom, happening often enough that the occurrence was given a name: ground flares – like sun flares but actually close enough to kill you if you weren’t paying attention.

The people who made Infernium their home were just as harsh as the land they lived in. Crime was more of a way of life than legitimate business. Trading with other kingdoms was necessary, but dangerous for the others – half of what they brought to trade was often stolen or lost to the ground flares – it was a wonder anyone even bothered trying to trade with them. But of course, it was a kingdom rich in other ways. Jewels, gold, themselves...when milk and wheat were impossible to gain in this land, you’d trade anything for food. Reaper was born in the palace, daughter of the king and his current favorite wife – a human he’d bought and married – the woman loved him for it. Reaper would never understand. Once, her mother tried to explain that the king was kinder to her than the people she came from and the life she’d been facing, but all Reaper could do was ask why she didn’t fight for her freedom, kill the king and run. Her mother swore that one day she’d understand, but even all these years later she never did. Her first instinct when trapped had and would always be to fight and flee. She would never live her life as a slave, well-treated or not. But that was neither here nor there anymore.

Because she was the daughter of his favorite wife, the king bestowed the title of Princess on her. Princess Shadow, Lady of the Spined Keep, Heir to the Demon Throne of Infernium. A lot of nonsense titles in her opinion. The other royals called her Lady Shadow, refusing to acknowledge that she was heir apparent, she was half-blood and she knew that if anything happened to her father, she was as good as dead. Which really suited her just fine, she didn’t want any part of this place. If she had her way, which she intended to, she’d be gone from here long before anyone realized what she was plotting. Her preparations had her nearly ready, weapons and jewels packed away and hidden, her tiny companion whispering warnings in her ear whenever it seemed someone might get too close to her. His instincts were better than her own, after all. She had a tendency to become…distracted.

She should've run sooner, if she was being truly honest with herself. She hadn't because of the man who'd put himself in her way. Born to two demon parents, Agaliarept had a harder time disguising his true nature by comparison. But even with his obvious appearance, she knew he wasn't the same as most of the demons born to Infernium. He had aspirations bigger than this country and she's been working on him, trying to convince him the best way to achieve his goals was to leave. Not that she confided that it was her plan to go as well - despite her desire to be near him, she knew better than to risk giving away her secrets. The time was drawing ever closer though, her father ailing and the grand council beginning their own whispers in the darkness. She knew better than to think they'd let her abdicate the throne or allow something so simple as to just have her deposed. No, if she wants to survive she'll have to run, it's the only way. Her only hope is that she'll be able to bring Gali with her. She thinks tonight is the last hope, perchance, to convince him. She'd seen her father earlier in the day and knew he was closer to death than he'd ever been. If he lasted to the morning it would be the kind of miracle her people weren't known for believing in.

When Spike warns her in his tiny hisses, she swallows hard and then chooses to ignore him, just this once. Her bags are packed, and she wastes no time in slipping weapons into her garments, arming herself before grabbing her bundles, allowing Spike to alight on her shoulder before she murmurs a simple buffeting spell, dropping out of the window and letting the magic help ease her to the grounds. She hopes nobody is around to notice, though she doesn't bank on it, hurrying through the darkness to the walls that surround the castle, making use of the passageways she'd explored as a child that afforded the royals seemingly secret egress - though she has her doubts about that as well. It's quick work through back alleys and darkened streets until she's slipping through the gate to Gali's home. Here, at least, she doesn't worry so much about being seen - the people who live here make it a habit to intentionally not notice the things going on around them. None of it matters much though, because when she manages to slip inside the tiny one room house, it's vacant. Not just of it's occupant, but of everything. She knows he wouldn't have left without saying something, but it's clear he isn't here and hasn't been, possibly in days, probably since the last time she spoke to him. The empty room is heavy with a sense of foreboding, and though she knows this really does mean she should flee the country as quickly as possible, she won't - not until she has some answers.

Spike whispers doom and gloom in her ear as Reaper sneaks back out of the home, taking more care now, working her way out of the city that surrounds the palace. She'll have to remain in Infernium for now, but that doesn't mean she needs to stay so close to her former home. She's just made it into the wilds that surround the city proper when the bells in the palace chapel begin to toll, the dirge announcing the death of the king. Silent tears slip free even as she turns her back to the sounds, allowing the wilderness to swallow her up.

Profile by Ziva

Art by Zevran - Boy's Commissions

Story and Character by Reaper

Lyrics from Arsonist's Lullabye by Hozier

Transparent background on Jollin by Reaper & Muerte

Age: Unknown

Race: Half-Demon

Height: 5'3"

Occupation: Unspecified

Ablities: Can use magic in various forms to affect the world around her - always learning and growing in that respect.

Weakness: She's blind when it comes to those she cares about, having trouble seeing their flaws.

Flaws: Quick to anger. Sharp tongued. Occasionally rude. Sarcastic. Blurs the line between wrong and right when she thinks she needs to. And will wilfully ignore things she doesn't want to deal with.

Strengths: Loyal, adept at her magic, charming (when she feels like it), intuitive.

Characteristics: Charismatic (whens she feels like it), smart, strong-willed, not really straight.

Personality Traits: Snarky to a fault, loves her friends fiercly, compassionate, and a lover of the wild animals - except definitely not spiders. Those don't count.

Physical Appearances: Curvy, short, hair and eyes most often violet, pale.

Dislikes: Most people.

Likes: Smoking, drinking, reading, and her dragon.

Motavations: Better to not ask that.