Fatetaker

Fantasy

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

Written in response to: "Write a story about a character who believes something that isn’t true." as part of The Lie They Believe with Abbie Emmons.

Fatetaker is the Underworld's Hellseeker who is imbued with unnatural powers. He uses these powers to stalk his victims in Mid-Realm of Gondwana. How he does this is as follows.

First he isolates his victims in a terrible storm that he brings. Then he takes his victims one by one and seals them in an orb in the Underworld. In these orbs they live in a perpetual state of limbo in time and space.

For thousands of years Fatetaker has reaped the fates of many dragons. To punish them for their deeds they have committed. He does this with the assistance of his helpers, the creatures of the Underworld.

Though Fatetaker's greatest strength is that he is immortal. He heals from any wound and even severed limbs.

Before Fatetaker became a Hellseeker, he was an ordinary dragon. His name was Saxor and he was born into the royal family of Diamondbacks. His father High King Xerxes ruled the united supercontinent of Gondwana over the lesser kings of each tribe. He has done this as his ancestors before him have done for many generations throughout time.

Saxor had three other brothers, Molech, Feldspar and Luxor. Each brother had his own unique set of armor they were betrothed. Molech had blue mithril, Feldspar a black titanium armor, Luxor a green adamante and Saxor had a silver colored unobtainium.

Saxor was the eldest of the four brothers and as such, was next in line for the throne as High King. With the incoming inauguration, he felt the mounting existential pressure of anticipation. Saxor sought out an oracle, to see what his future beheld him.

The oracle looked into his future as was requested and told him his incoming fate. She told Saxor news that he found exceedingly favorable as he had hoped. All the hopes he had as the next High King would be a reality.

The oracle told him that his succession as the new High King of Gondwana would be next to none. His rule over the Great Kingdom of ten nations would elevate him to being the most powerful dragon the supercontinent has ever seen. His rule would go down in history and stories would be told throughout the ages.

All this good news gave Saxor the peace of mind he was hoping for. It inflated him with certainty of the incoming kingship he would soon be. When Saxor was relishing in the prediction that the oracle was making, she told him the rest of her premonition.

What the oracle would tell him next would drive Saxor to order a most heinous act. An order that would see the genocide of an entire clan. Saxor would see to the deaths of many innocent dragons.

What the oracle told him was that at the height of his power to be. That a clan known as the Malice Clan to the south of the region. They would be the destruction of his kinghood.

In his paranoia and determination to avert this situation from coming to light. Saxor ordered the Diamondback army to move on to the Malice Clan without the High King's knowledge. He ordered the army to kill every dragon and dragonet in the entire clan.

This would go down as being the single worst, self inflicted atrocity the Diamondbacks have ever seen. So much bloodshed that took the lives of many innocent dragons.

When Saxor returned to Zion, his father eventually found out about the atrocity. He berated his son, even though Saxor tried to defend his actions with the oracle's prediction.

But High King Xerxes was not having it and made commands that left Saxor in disbelief. He expelled him from the line of succession. He was disowned from the royal family. Finally he was exiled from ever returning to the capital.

Saxor became enraged by this and committed yet another horrid act. He took his anger out on his father and slayed him in the palace.

Saxor's brothers witnessed this and were horrified by such a vicious act of betrayal. The three banded together and attacked Saxor in retaliation. Working together they overpowered their eldest brother and badly wounded him but left him alive in an act of mercy.

They would allow him to live through the rest of his life banished from the region. They even let him keep his unobtainium armor but made three scores on the forehead of his helmet. This was to indicate treachery for all to see.

This act of mercy though would lead to the downfall of the Great Kingdom. Not killing Saxor in this moment would lead to a most unfortunate event that befell the supercontinent.

Saxor would swear vengeance on those that banished him. That would set his wrath on his brothers, now enemies. He vowed they haven't seen the last of him as long as he lived. What he would do would seal their fates.

Saxor returned to the oracle and berated her. He told her that she was wrong about his future and told her everything that happened. Saxor was enraged and yelled curses at the oracle.

The oracle listened quietly to his fueled aggression towards her. When he was done she didn't answer directly, in the manner of speaking. She placed a globe on the table between them.

Saxor questioned her on what the orb was for. She replied that with the globe he would have far more influence, even though he wasn't going to be High King. Once he takes it he'll gain supernatural powers and be able to alter the course of history.

The oracle told him he will be able to create storms, open gateways to the Underworld. He will be able to ensnare the fates of others. She told him that he will also become immortal.

Saxor was easily seduced by the powers he would obtain. He took the globe and immediately started to feel himself change. His wounds healed at an accelerated rate. He felt the fear of mortality lifted. His eyes turned from green to red.

Saxor was born anew, he felt the power within. Then he returned to Zion to exact his revenge. His brothers and all that stood in his way, were shocked by his return. Saxor cut through everyone in his path with the help of the creatures of the Underworld. Then he sealed his brothers in the orb.

With all lines of succession now destroyed the Great Kingdom would fall into chaos. The lesser kings would go on to fight for the spot as the new High King. This event was the catalyst for the start of The 400 Year War, which ravaged the supercontinent of Gondwana. A war that would cost the lives of many millions in its course.

Saxor tried to take this opportunity to seize power and become the new High King. The oracle would show up and told him that he will not rule over Gondwana, but to be a servant of the Lord of the Underworld. The oracle then transformed into her true form and appeared as the Lord of the Underworld herself.

She told him that by taking the globe he inadvertently tied himself to the fate of doing the wishes of the Dark Lord. In the haste to seek revenge and taking the orb, he made a pact he didn't fully understand. In exchange for unnatural powers and immortality, he unwittingly signed his life to eternal servitude.

Saxor was branded with the Lord of the Underworld's mark and his name was changed to Fatetaker. He was told he couldn't escape his fate as her servant for all eternity.

Taken aback by this, Fatetaker tried to fight back against the Lord of the Underworld. But it was an impossible fight and beaten badly and was dragged to the Underworld to be tortured for insubordination.

Fatetaker knew his life was permanently tied to the role as the Lord of the Underworld's Hellseeker. Despite that fact though, he still makes attempts to break free against the Lord once in a while. But he was always beaten back down and punished.

Fatetaker has worked as the Lord of the Underworld's Hellseeker for thousands of years. Doing the bidding of the Dark Lord, to reap those in Mid-Realm who try to lie and cheat their way through life. Those that gain power, wealth and vengeance through unnatural means.

Posted Mar 22, 2026
Share:

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

4 likes 0 comments

RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. All for free.