Where The Dead Ones Go Book 1 -Magistracy-

Chapter 1

"Vivs, you have a very important delivery for me tomorrow at the Hellenic Citadel. Hurry up and get a move on, ok? This is a very important delivery and they specifically requested someone who can get the job done first thing in the morning," Ms Irene told me, the owner of Iris Delivery Services, the company that employs me as a delivery girl.

I nodded before I ran out of our office to start my job.

The moment I stepped out of the door, I heard a loud and familiar voice shouting to me from above, "Duck and cover!"

I automatically followed the warning and duck before covering my head bracing myself for something while protecting the delivery box on my lap.

A few moments later, a handsome teenager wearing blue pants a white shirt flew above me bringing the cold winds of behind his wake.

"Take care, Vivs!" he shouted happily before waving goodbye and zooming into the deep blue skies leaving trails of snowflakes behind him.

I stood back and waved back at Boris, the demigod son of Boreas, the God of North Wind who seemed to have just returned from his home country located at the far north for the start of the classes.

The Land of Eternal Cold, Magistracy of Pagos where an eternal winter is a norm. 

Many people said that it's the demigod children of Zephyrus, the God of East Wind is the harbinger of the spring season. But for me? It's the son of Boreas' appearance that reminds me that the long, cold winter is finally over and it's time to welcome a new warmer season for the country I am living in.

Every time I hear him flying overhead I always knew that the bitter winter is over and it's busy time again for my job.

I walked towards my motorcycle and carefully put the delivery box on the compartment before stretching my limbs and breathe in the fresh spring breeze.

During last winter, I thought I was going to hibernate for eternity on my apartment. Even if it's paid, we don't have any work at all during the winter season since that is also the time when our Patron Goddess and namesake of our company takes a well-deserved rest once every four seasons every year.

I really love this job, honestly speaking.

It is owned by Ms Irene Iridis, demigod daughter of Iris, the Goddess of Rainbows who is very welcoming and motherly when I woke up at the doorsteps of her company more than a year ago with no recollection of anything about my past and owned nothing except for the clothes on my back, lost and nowhere to go.

She proceeds to give me a home that I can call my own, clothes, foods and a job in her company to give me something to do. I am really grateful for everything and does my best to give back to the woman who took me in no questions asked.

Oh, I guess I do remember something, after all, my name and age. 

Vivet Viviere, thirteen years old. Since I don't know where in the underworld I am from, Ms Irene decided to register the Viceroyalty of Auralia as my birthplace for formalities sake since that is also her birthplace and the location of the headquarters of her multinational company.

I am homeschooled by my foster mother during winter seasons and workschooled by my workmates during break times or idle time. I owe it to them my basic education that is good enough and acceptable for someone who doesn't even remember anything past her name and age.

Normally, children of my age are preparing for entrance examinations in specialization schools or the cream of the crop education institution in the world of Gaia, the Hellenic Citadel where only the best of the best mortals and demigods can enter and learn inside its historic walls.

Speaking of Hellenic Citdale, I really have to get going so I can deliver this package and get further orders from Ms Iris. My workload is lighter than the other delivery boys and girls before I handle very important person deliveries. If my company needs to send someone to deliver things to high profile mortals, demigods or gods forbid,  immortals, it is me who they send to do the job so I can focus more on quality over quantity.

That and immortals are less likely to kill or curse young mortals as studies suggest. 

Thankfully, I have never experienced and hope that I will never get to the point where I will need to grovel for my life.

I rode my white motorcycle with a rainbow emblem on its exhaust that cutely spews rainbow clouds of smoke and started riding it down the busy streets of the city. 

A certain Mr Travels who lives in the central district of Aurapolis, the capital city of Auralia, where only the most powerful and influential mortals and demigods lives.

Even the Gods themselves are said to live there when they come down to Gearth for business or to do random godly things.

I have been there for work several times and the houses and buildings there are really gorgeous and expensive looking. You will really never get tired of looking at them all no matter how many times you've been there before.

They are really built only for those who belong to the upper crust of society and they are not shy to show how rich and influential they are through their extravagant mansions and villas.

Maybe I could take pictures when I get there for a souvenir.

By the way, the country that I am in right now is located at the center of the biggest continent in Gaia called Gearth. The Viceroyalty of Auralia. The largest and most populous country in our world. The home of the Olympians, the ruler of the Gods and Goddesses are located right here in our country. The majestic Mount Olympus which is only visible to those who are the children of those that live there and mortals who are allowed to bask in its glorious beauty.

Funny.

They said it is located well inside the Aurapolis city but just invisible.

Really, when you are an all-powerful being, you can easily hide a whole mountain smack dab in a city easily, huh?

As I am traveling down the busy highway with my motorcycle, I see several children from different countries playing with their magical abilities at a city park.

This world of Gaia is full of magic and elemental affinities among other supernatural and fantastic abilities.

The most common ones that are easily usable by regular mortals are the elements of wind, water, earth, fire, and ice along with their direct derivatives.

Other elements like lightning or intangible powers like supreme intelligence and luck are unique only to the Gods and Goddesses who have absolute control over them and are passed on weaker, watered-down versions to their mortal children.

Me?

I can use a bit of fire magic, a unique ability said to have originated from the Land of Eternal Harvest to the east. 

The Cretonian Democratic Union. 

Ms Irene was about to register that country as my birth of place when she found out that I can use it, albeit barely. However, she decided against it, in the end, stating the fact that there are a lot of fire magic users also in Aurapolis because of its geographic center and openness to all foreigners. 

A minority of Auralians can use fire magic that can be traced to their Cretonian ancestors that have come and migrated to the Viceroyalty a long time ago. She decided to do an educated guess that I have a Cretonian ancestor or parents or something and leave it at that.

Sadly, my proficiency with fire magic is poor at best and downright useless at worst. I can't even produce a small flame for cooking much less anything for self-defense against monsters.

I am that poor in magic.

A strong gust of wind hit me and I looked up only to see several Auralians who are flying among the skies on their way to their work.

The citizens of Auralia are very proficient with wind magic. Those who are really adept at wielding it can fly freely on the skies. Some can even partially control the weather to some extent for personal use like summoning the heat of a hot day to dry their clothes or maybe a bit of snow to cool them down.

How I wish I can do that especially now that I am about to melt in the heat of the highway pavement.

Well, no use crying and feeling miserable about my woefully useless magic and just get this errand over as fast I can.

As I travel the busy streets of the city, I saw the nine children of the Muses, Goddesses of the Arts, giving out a live and free musical performance and being cheered on by countless crowd.

I also saw some children of Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, who are encouraging the plants around them to grow quickly while there is an airshow of the children of Zephyrus, God of the West Wind, bringing his gentle breeze to our city and harkening the official beginning of spring season.

Even if the air outside is a bit polluted because of the countless vehicles, the scenery, and people that I saw around me makes the effort of delivering things worth it. Day by day I am seeing something interesting and eye-cathing, magical even! Different faces, different kinds of people, mortals, demigods and if I am lucky, or unlucky, Gods and Goddesses.

I don't know why but there is just something in me that makes me feel happy just to be alive and experiencing these things even if for others it is normal and mundane part of their daily lives in this world of ours.

The feelings of joy, vibrancy, and excitement are always flooding my heart whenever I step out of the company office and imagine what kinds of things and scenes I will be encountering next to the point that my other workmates are saying that it is a bit weird.

For me, it is far from that.

I just want to enjoy each and every moment of my life and am thankful for the deities for the chance to experience these kinds of happy feelings.

Even if the children of Triton, God of the Waves, who are playing at the sidewalk with their waters and accidentally drenching me, I didn't mind it in the slightest because I was dried up quickly by a roaring fire that escaped the workshop of one of the children of Hephaestus, God of the Forge, nice and toasty anyways.

You surely can't experience that often and that's what makes small things like that special and memorable.

Just a few moments and I will finally rich the central district of the capital city. It is surrounded by a huge and magnificent wall made of bricks and metal said to be built by the very hands of Poseidon, God of the Seas, in honor of his beloved elder sister Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, and patron of the Viceroyalty of Auralia.

Located at the center of our city is a tall brick tower simply called "The Hearth". This is where the coals of our Patron Goddess are kept burning and the single most important place in our country.

The security around it and the central district is very tight and I have to get past several checkpoints with fully armed soldiers and their guard wolves before I can get inside the district proper. 

Thank the Gods, I finally got past the almost never-ending checkpoints and proceed with my delivery finally.

I stopped in front of a beautiful manor that looked like a house of a diplomat or something. It is very big and luxurious.

What's weird is that there are numerous cows grazing on the front lawn and tortoises swimming peacefully on the large fountain just behind the tall metal gate with two snake statues perched on top of it.

I got off my ride and opened the compartment to check the label on it.

Mr Travels, 11 Immortals Street, Central District, Capital City of Aurapolis, Viceroyalty of Auralia

I looked around and saw the street sign and the house number. 

Yep.

I am in the right place.

Now, to ring the doorbell and finish this delivery in relative peace and safety.

"Thank you for waiting. I actually just arrived here myself and I am pleasantly surprised that Iris sent the thing I asked her for quickly. Excellent!"

Out of nowhere, a young man appeared before me and I even barely have the time to be surprised.

I am one hundred percent sure that he is not a mortal nor a demigod judging by the suffocating yet dazzling aura he is emanating. He just looks around the same age as me wearing a simple ripped pants, sneakers with small pairs of white wings on them and a white shirt with a huge G.P.S company logo on it and a caption below saying, "Grecian Parcel Services. Dead or Alive Delivery Guaranteed."

His face is otherworldly handsome. Like a boy just transcending to teenhood with his mischievous smile that you can never guess what he will do next after smiling at you. Either he will c***k a dumb joke or kill you in a flash. 

But as they all say, immortals can take any form they want and the God of Messengers is well known for this juvenile form he always prefers to use when dealing with mortals.

Instinctively, I kneeled on one knee. Bowed my head as low as possible and put my right hand in my heart pray.

Pray that he is in a good mood today and will not decide to kill me or worse, turn me into an animal make me suffer for a long time before dying a painful and slow death.

The very first thing that my foster mother and workmates have taught me is that you will never ever understand the way immortals think.

Simple reasons don't work on them and the concept of right and wrong don't apply to their kinds at all. They don't follow the basic moral code we mortals and demigods do. Their moods can never be predicted because they are very wild and erratic to put it lightly.

Sometimes, you may find them in a very good mood and they will shower you with praises and might even give you gifts and favors before sending you away safely. But if Tyche, Goddess of Luck, is having a bad hair day in that exact moment you met an immortal then it is for the best that you accept one of two fates that are waiting for you.

Die instantly or suffer a slow, excruciatingly painful death.

Right now I have already accepted my end. At least I enjoyed the trip on the way to my final destination.

"Relax, Vivet. Iris and I have an agreement that we don't go around killing our employees. Bad for business, you know? Besides, why would I do that to you? You arrived before me. Speaks volumes of how Irene values punctuality like her mother," he said cheerfully before motioning me to stand up, "Now, deliver me the package already, Vivet. I am excited with what Iris has in store for me this year's spring."

I stood up immediately and gave the God the box he is asking for and when I looked at the label, the recipient is no longer Mr Travels but it is changed to Hermes, God of Messengers.

"Can you also sign this for me?" I asked humbly while shaking in fear as the impatient God began removing the packaging of the box rather savagely as I showed him my clipboard with the paper asking the recipient to sign and confirm the delivery of the package.

He just nodded without looking at me before saying, "Done."

In a blink of an eye, a symbol of white staff and two snakes intertwining it appeared on the space where his signature was needed.

I kneeled respectfully in front of him which he thankfully didn't notice because he is still busy opening the box.

I take it as a job well done and stood up carefully and was about to turn around when a huge explosion surprised the heck out of me.

It came from the box I delivered that he dropped the moment he opened it and out came a beautiful and awe-inspiring bright arc of light made of seven flashing colours shooting from the box straight to the blue skies above.

It is a majestic rainbow and Iris' signature symbol.

"Awesome!" the God exclaimed happily before jumping and flying quickly to the skies following the arc of the rainbow to wherever it leads, I don't know.

I also take it as my cue to leave in peace so I quickly ran towards my motorcycle and rev it up before riding away from the beautiful home of the God of Messengers alive, non-transformed, unscathed and successful.

Not all mortals can expect the same every time they have the opportunity or bad luck to meet an immortal. I heard horror stories from my workmates about unlucky mortals who suffered in the hands of Gods and Goddesses that they met in their lives.

Finally, it's time for me to return to our Head Office and report my last successful delivery and call it a day.

I thought I will not experience anymore delays on my way back but it turns out that I am wrong. A security patrol car suddenly overtake my motorcycle and slowed me down gradually before stopping completely.

"Vivet Viviere of I.D.S, right?"

I just heaved a sign and nodded quickly to the female officer that got off from her car and smiled at me.

Random road check, maybe.

"I got a call from my dad saying he forgot to give this to you," she said before giving me a ticket for something, "He said that he really appreciates your punctuality and hoped that you will enjoy the show."

She just grinned at me mischievously before saluting and getting in her car and driving it quickly away from me.

I just noticed the last minute the caduceus sticker on the bumper of her ride and it dawned on me.

Of course. 

With a mischievous smile like that and the caduceus, she is surely a demigod daughter of Hermes. 

I looked down on the ticket that she gave me and read it.

"Exclusive Pass for the Viewing of the Scythian Emirate Entourage"