Daniel Xander: Prologue

A single house stood past the fields in the old countryside. The family living there was by no means a wealthy one. They were able to produce just enough to keep themselves fed.
The head of the family had gotten older. He feared it wouldn't be long before the sons of death found their way to him. He thought it over as he exited the house. The summer air was hot and humid. He irritably walked down the stairs of his house, trying to ignore the calls of his children.
"Son of death..." He muttered to himself, "if it's true, then we are all done for."
"You fear so?" Came a feminine voice, from somewhere in the field.
The old man scratched his scraggly beard, a bored look on his face as a young woman, dressed completely in white, with a scythe in her hand materialised into existence before him.
"Lady death." The old man said tonelessly.
"Nameless." She said, formally bowing.
"I would rather you don't address me in such an unflattering way." The old man said gruffly, walking past the woman. To the left of him were his wheat fields, stretching beyond the horizon. To his right was an empty plain of grass, bare of anything else.
"Unflattering, is it?" Said lady death, walking alongside him on the weathered path. "Mother told me that was the name you picked for yourself."
"Your mother likes to run her mouth." Said the old man dismissively.
"That so?"
"Doesn't matter." Said the old man, irritated by lady death's repeated gratuitous remarks. "We have, as of now, more pressing matters to deal with."
"I have no obligation to help you, I hope you have realised." Said the woman.
"Oh? But won't you willingly help me out if I tell you that your child is finally on the right path to overthrow you?" The old man said.
"You lie?" Said lady death, her voice almost inaudible. But something was different. The temperature had dropped several degrees. A single cold wind blew, sending a ripple in the field of wheat. Lady death's face was a mask of pure, unfiltered fury.
"My child, overthrow me?" She said, her voice echoing in the old man's head.
"Be calm." The old man said in a commanding voice, completely unfazed. "Even you can't take down an entity in its domain of power."
Instantly, the air returned to it's original temperature. Lady death's expression turned back to neutral.
"Listen carefully, lady death." Said the old man, "Your son won't stop at anything to get what he wants. Smaragad will use anyone he finds as a tool to extract what he wants."
"And you aren't going to tell me what he seeks?" Lady death asked.
"I am cautious." The old man said, "At this point in time, Jazuel is monitoring all planes. And I am not sure of his fidelity."
"The very immortal of time could be against us?" Lady death said.
"I said I am not sure."
"Fine then, nameless. Tell me all you can tell me."
The old man hesitated.
"I don't know much." He said, "The future I have sworn myself to is the future of the second plane. The third one is difficult." He paused, as if daring the woman to mock him. When she said nothing, he went on.
"In my sleep, I heard just one name. One name which came up again and again."
"Mother showed you these visions?" Asked lady death.
"No. Not her." Said the old man. "We haven't talked in centuries. I doubt she would deliver something like this to me."
"Why can't mother kill Smaragad and get it over with?" Asked death.
"Entities won't ever directly interfere in affairs of their descendants." The old man informed her. "The semi mortals are not my descendants. Consequently, I can interfere. But again, not by myself. I have to interfere through you."
"Right. What is this name?" Asked lady death, "And how is it useful?"
"I don't know how it's useful." Confessed the old man, as lady death made an impatient noise. "I just know that soon, he will have to meet you. And he will be the only one who will be able to meet you. The last Xander."
"A descendant of my useless brother?" Lady death said, an edge to her voice, "How do you know he will be able to meet me?"
"I have no clue." Said the old man, "A course of predetermined events will take place, allowing him to do so."
"Predetermined events?" Lady death echoed, "Who's determining them?"
"Most probably, Jazuel is." Said the old man.
"Alright, give me the name." Said lady death. "I will keep it in mind."
"The name," said the old man, "is Daniel Xander."