Chereads / Echoes of the Scrolls: Yaegrafane / Chapter 9 - IX: Lazarus' Redemption.

Chapter 9 - IX: Lazarus' Redemption.

While Christos and his war party was traveling to the Drakonian Empire to solve the dispute between them and the Kingdom of Astonia, if successful they would be a valuable ally and peace will finally be done after 5 years of war.

They rested almost near the Drakonian border, it was dusk and so they decided to make camp, and Christos saw Lazarus standing, overlooking the Drakonian border and they decided to talk for a while, and Lazarus finally told his story to him.

Christos was stunned as he listened to Lazarus's story. He had always known that Lazarus was a man with a dark past, but he had never imagined that he was capable of such heinous acts. It was hard to reconcile the friend he had known with the Grim Reaper that Lazarus had become in his timeline.

As Lazarus continued his tale, Christos couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness for him. He could see the pain and guilt that Lazarus carried with him, even if he tried to hide it behind a wall of apathy and indifference.

"I'm sorry, Lazarus," Christos said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I had no idea that you had gone through so much pain and suffering."

Lazarus shrugged off his hand and stood up. "It's in the past now," he said, his voice cold and emotionless. "There's no use dwelling on it."

"But why did you destroy the Eastern Roman Empire?" Christos asked, still trying to make sense of what he had just heard.

Lazarus turned to face him, his eyes blazing with anger. "My father was a good man, a just man," he said. "But he was betrayed by the Empire and was exiled for a crime he didn't commit. I wanted revenge, and so I destroyed the Empire, piece by piece."

Christos could see the pain and anger in Lazarus's eyes, and he knew that there was nothing he could say to ease his friend's suffering.

"But why did you become Death?" he asked, hoping to understand why Lazarus had chosen such a path.

Lazarus sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't know," he said. "I suppose it was a punishment for all the lives I took as the Emperor of the Western Romans. I've been fighting ever since to try and redeem myself, to earn God's forgiveness."

Christos was silent for a moment, digesting everything that Lazarus had told him. He knew that he couldn't judge his friend for his actions, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease about what he had learned.

"I want to help you, Lazarus," he said finally. "I want to help you find redemption and forgiveness."

Lazarus looked at him, his eyes filled with surprise. "Why would you do that?" he asked.

"Because you're my friend," Christos said simply. "And I believe that everyone deserves a second chance."

Lazarus nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Thank you," he said. "It means a lot to me."

Lazarus teleported themselves to the realms of the afterlife, one that can't be done by such a powerful magic. As Christos and Lazarus journeyed through the realms of the afterlife, Lazarus couldn't help but think back to his days as Death. He remembered the battles he had fought against the undead, the demons, and even the angels who had come to destroy him.

The undead had been the easiest to deal with. They were mindless creatures, driven only by their hunger for flesh and blood. Lazarus had dispatched them quickly, without a second thought.

The demons had been a different story. They were cunning and powerful, with an arsenal of dark magic at their disposal. Lazarus had learned to be cautious when dealing with them, never underestimating their abilities.

But it was the angels who had posed the greatest threat. They saw Lazarus as an abomination, a perversion of the natural order of things. They had sent their best warriors to destroy him, but Lazarus had been ready for them. He had fought them with all the strength and skill he could muster, determined to prove that he was worthy of redemption.

In the end, it had been a long and brutal battle, but Lazarus had emerged victorious. He had proven that he was not a monster, but a man who had made mistakes and was trying to make amends.

As Lazarus came back to the present, he looked at Christos, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for coming with me," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Christos smiled back at him. "That's what friends are for," he said.

Together, they continued on their journey, facing new challenges and obstacles along the way. But Lazarus knew that he was not alone anymore. He had Christos by his side, and with his help, he knew that he could overcome anything.

And as they walked towards the light at the end of the tunnel, Lazarus couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and renewal. He knew that he had finally found what he had been searching for all these years: a chance at redemption and a second chance at life.