Reaper

Chapter 7

“This is is so beautiful.” Someone whispered just beside me.

Still laying on my side on the bed as I watched the book flip in front of me. Entranced by the lights beaming from between the pages, I listened to the disembodied voices of the living. The whispering of souls surrounding drowned out as I heard the beginnings of a very heated conversation.

“Don’t you dare touch that!” I heard Fernie whisper.

“It’s just a book.” It sounded like Myria. “Nothing bad ever happened from reading a book.” I saw the ghostly apparition of two hands reaching towards the book. Still unable to move as the hands grasp on to it but pull away as a loud, shrill, pain filled scream erupts from Myria.

“Myria!”

In that moment, I pull myself out of my meditative state and sit up on the bed. My head foggy from how long I’ve been out. Looking to the left of me and seeing Myria on the floor, her hands horribly burned and the flesh peeling off and blistering.

“My-my hands. Oh my god! My hands!” She cried.

I let out a half hearted sigh and drag myself off the bed, waving my hand over the book that levitated over her head, making it disappear. I look to her, c*****g an eyebrow at her, feeling very uninterested in her situation.

“I told you not to touch the book.” Fernie says solemnly as he quickly leaves the room and comes back holding a silver jar with some casndecent salve inside.

He kneels beside her, beginning to apply the salve to her hands and she lets out a bitter sob.

“Why-why,” she looks up at me. “What kind of magic,”

“My magic,” I say coldly. “You should have known better than to be touching things that don’t belong to you anyways, little witch.”

“Bex please, heal her.” Fernie looks up at me, hurriedly applying the salve to her wounds.

“No.” I say curtly, moving out of the room. “Let her suffer a bit. She should know to not think herself greater than death.”

As I move towards the lab, the loud sound of banging echos through the place. The lab doors shaking with effort as someone pounds hard from the other side.

I head over to open it to find Emperor Demethos and his guards. The guard at the door nodding his head to me before stepping aside and revealing the dragon king. We stare at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say to him I simply step aside and allow them in.

“Fernie!” I shout down the hall.

“I’ll be there in a moment, your majesty!” Fernie says as he peaks his head out from the room I was just in. “Just a moment.”

“Where’s Jadious?” I mutter to myself looking around the wide room. The Castor’s glass above my head dancing beautifully in the light. Examining the tool, I see small specks of light glinting in the sunlight, it seemed almost natural.

Almost.

“You’re finally awake.” The emperor snaps me out of my train of thought but my eyes stayed glued to the Castor’s glass. “To update you on-“

“Detus and Noen have been following the trail of magic and have followed them far west.” I say cutting him off. “It seems as if this person is intentionally using necromancy to preserve and animate the corpses.”

I recall upon the memory, as I stare at the moving beams of light that cling to the glass ceiling. Remembering Detus and Noen whispering into my ears as I laid on the bed in my mini coma.

“How are you so sure it’s necromancy?” The emperor moves closer to me.

“The magic,” I say as I notice a few more tailing beams of light dancing in the glass. “It felt dirty to me. Unnatural and insane.”

“She is correct.” Turning to see Jadious emerge from the kitchen, the magic of life, gleaming and bright clinging to him. “I was unable to sense it as the magic had long faded before, but she is right. Who ever is attacking these spirit workers are intentionally using necromancy. I hadn’t seen this magic used in years.”

“Because it’s banned.” The king says firmly. “No one has been allowed to practice necromancy in thousands of years, and I know because I implemented the law. Who would have the audacity to break it?”

“Someone who doesn’t know, or someone who simply doesn’t care.” I speak up. “Only time you ignore an order is if you think you’re above it. Obviously, someone who is not from here is going around reanimating corpses and using necromancy to do it, but why? What the hell is his end goal?”

“It’s strange.” Jadious pads around the room. “I haven’t seen this in years, the last time I did,” he stops himself.

“What?” I prod.

“The last time anyone used necromancy, they used it on a dragon, and that resulted in someone of great importance being greatly punished.”

“And who had the balls for that?”

“Mathis.” Jadious hums. The guards behind the emperor all let out a low growl. Smoke coming from their mouths and noses as their skin lights up like smoking embers from the inside out. The emperor remained impassive. Stoic even.

“I’m going to go figure out who that is.” I say as I head over to the side of the room, pulling myself up on an examination table that sat pushed up against the windows. The view displaying the horizon of wild green forests and bizarre creatures that moved in between the trees.

“There is little to know on him. Those that did are dead.” The emperor says as I make myself comfortable, leaning against the glass as I cross my legs. “Even I barely knew him.”

“Dead men tell all tales, Demethos.” I say smoothly. “They have no interest in keeping secrets.”

And with that I fall under, letting go of the influence of life as my book appears in front of me.

Who is Mathis?

It feels like hours have gone by as I slowly begin to pull myself out of this wormhole. Souls of the past and present clinging onto me to stay and see more, but I’ve already seen all that I needed to. Listening for life, hearing Jadious and Fernie deep in conversation, muttering to themselves.

I pull myself up with a stifled groan as the book lays itself on my lap. Opening my eyes to find the King standing close, staring at me.

The blurriness clearing from my eyes, blinking it away as he comes into focus. The day is half gone seeing the sky turn a hot orange as it sinks behind the horizon. I fix my eyes on the dragon king and c**k an eyebrow at him.

He was close. Too close. Staring him down, he backs away arms crossed over his chest under his long deep red cloak that hung off his shoulders.

“What does that book say?” He asks jutting his chin to the book that settles itself on my lap.

“Nothing you’d ever need to know.” I say and clapping my hands together the book disappears in the blink of an eye. I hop off the bench and head over to the kitchen, coming back with a glass of red wine, I take a sip sighing.

“Mathis is a god.” I say plainly.

“We know that.” Jadious says.

“An old one.” I say raising my hand to the Castors glass, the entire dome turning completely black. Empty like the vacuum of space. The ribbons of color and light disappear. Fernie gasping as the entire room turned dark. The image of a man appears in a beam of light standing in the middle of the room. Demethos staring at the hologram.

“By the gods.” Jadious circles him.

The man stood tall, broad shoulders, stone faced and handsome. Something you’d see carved in stone, almost unreal. Entirely too perfect to be human, dark hair, and an overwhelming presence that reeked of violence of domination. Looking at him, even if it wasn’t him, made me angry.

The dragon king moved closer, peering into the face of the hologram.

“Is this actually-“ Fernie whispers.

“No, but I had to show you what he looked like. When I was communicating with a few old souls, I was able to see how exactly he looked. He chose unrealistically handsome, and you can feel how volatile he is. One thing remained the same with every soul I talked to. They all said they never felt safe with him, or even happy.” I say and take another sip of the wine.

“This is definitely him.” Demethos grumbles. His warriors behind him huffing and puffing their disdain as more smoke emerges from the noses and mouths.

“Tell your lizards to simmer down,” I say. “We don’t need them running the risk of burning down my friends lab. What happened to Myria by the way?”

“She went home.” Fernie says lowly. “She was certifiably shaken up. Safe to say that you are the first person she’s ever come to fear.”

“Good.”

“It was cruel not helping her.”

“She should have kept her hands to herself. No one told her to touch the book.” I shrug feeling no guilt over her situation.

“Still. You still have a beating heart. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little empathy.”

I roll my eyes but say nothing. Moving to the center of the room getting close to the hologram, peering into its eyes as it stare straight ahead. Demethos peering at the thing in disdain.

“It looks so much like him.” He growls.

“The dead say that he was banished from the Afterworld.”

“You’ve been to the Afterworld?” Jadious asks fascinated.

“How do you think I do my job?” I retort c*****g an eyebrow. Moving to the side of the room and pulling out a chair as the rest of the room stares at hologram Mathis.

“What else did the dead say?”

“He was apparently trying to overthrow the supreme god. The Mother of Creation. She wasn’t having it, and he threw a tantrum which apparently is his forte, and after he killed two other gods she kicked him out.”

“He tried over throwing the All Mother?” Demethos looking at me with a skeptical brow.

“Is that so hard to believe? You’ve met the man, he’s using necromancy to reanimate corpses, he’s still out there killing innocent people. Does it really seem that impossible?” I ask him surprised by his question.

“And you got that little story from the dead. In the Afterworld of all places. We all know that if you go there you don’t come back.” He says, his voice challenging me. “Why shouldn’t we believe that you aren’t just some trickster witch trying to get a rise out of us.”

Smirking over my wine glass as Fernie gives him a sympathetic look.

Jadious moves in between us roaring in the kings face. Demethos steps back lowering his head refusing to look him in the eye.

“Watch your tone!” He roars. “The fact that she hasn’t killed you yet is your saving grace. I see what your thinking dragon.” Jadious moves closer to him. Demethos eyes locking with his, almost panicked. “The influences of life do apply to you just as much as anyone else. But you’ve been alive too long not to know how to be civil. Maintain yourself or risk death herself.”

Influences of life?

The dragon looks from Jadious, then to me. Silently watching them with a smirk on my face as I watch him turn beet red. Walking away as his warriors follow behind him. And soon we hear the hard flap of wings. I clear the darkness from the castors glass and through it we see the dragons take off back to their home.

“What was that?” I ask.

“He yearns for you.” Jadious notes. Fernie looks embarrassed, fiddling with his glasses and clearing his throat.

“I’m going to go fix some tea, Jadious would you like some?” He doesn’t wait for an answer as he disappears from the room.

I turn my attention back to Jadious who walks to me sitting at my feet.

“If it’s lust you’re talking about, there are better way to handle that.” I say not at all effected by his remark.

“In my time, I’ve noticed that dragons have a very difficult time expressing their emotions. Of course it’s difficult for that one.” Jadious huffs.

“So what’s his problem?” I ask.

“He’s engaged.”

“HA!” I shout out loud, tossing my head back as my shoulders shake with laughter. “Ooh that poor little lady. Please tell me who.”

“She’s elven.” Jadious says his voice filled with humor. “The dragons and the elves are often known to marry each other. Especially those of higher rank. Demethos especially since he is engaged to their princess.”

“If this were a reality show, I would be all over it.” I say.

Jadious laughs rubbing his head affectionately against my legs, like a cat would.

“I’m actually quite found of reality shoes myself.” He says crossing his paws over each other. “They’re very much glorified and unrealistic but they are hilarious to watch nonetheless.”

“I would be surprised if they had something like that here.” I say continuing to sip away at the red liquid.

“They don’t, that’s why they have parties. The drama always happens at one of their soirée’s. But last time nothing happened. I think it was because Demethos was expecting you to show up and cause a stir.” He says looking up at me, his tiger eyes bright, and somehow very comforting and warm.

“I don’t do parties. I have enough interaction and mingling from the dead, I don’t need it from the living too.”

“Except for me of course.” He says jokingly and I laugh nodding along, and he’s right. Aside from Fernie, I genuinely do enjoy his presence.

“So the dragons marry the elves.”

“They do, and have for hundreds of years. I thought you would know this.”

“Dragons and elves don’t die unless they want to, or unless I want them too. I don’t care that much and none of them seem to want to, so that’s not really my fault.” I shrug.

“Well the elves initially came up with the idea as a sort of way to maintain their power.” Jadious goes on. “They liked the idea of being linked to the divine.”

“Dragons are not divine.”

“To the people here, they are.” Jadious retort. “Dragons are the most respected people in the Otherworld, they are the only physical link to the Afterworld. Aside from you and me of course. At one point they were believed to be gods.”

“Demethos, a god?” I say stifling my laughter as I feel the wine getting to me. “I’m sorry, he just seems like an ass with a god-complex.”

“Not anymore I’m sure.” Jadious says and stands. Padding around the room, chuffing, his tail swishing around in the air. “I have to ask, do you feel no desire for him? You’re interactions are pretty intense.”

“He has the nerve to constantly question me. I’m not used to that nor do I like it, so not really.”

“I feel differently.”

“You can’t know what I’m feeling Jadious.” I say skeptically.

“I know everything that breathes. Everything that moves with life, everything with a beating heart. Yours is very much undecided, but you feel something. Either Malice or genuine s****l desire.”

“You can’t tell?”

“One thing about life that you should know Bex, it’s that it’s often times very confusing. I could tell within a mere mortal without even trying. But you’re my equal so it makes my job a little bit harder. But I do love the challenge.”

“Don’t treat me like a lab rat Jadious. I don’t like it.” I say flatly. He pads towards me, once against rubbing his head against my legs, chuffing.

“I meant nothing by it. But it is what I am and what I do.” Hearing Fernie move around in the kitchen, mindlessly humming along to whatever tune he had playing in his head.

“I can’t believe he called me a trickster witch.” I snort.

“His mind is clouded in confusion. He believes he is navigating the situation as best as he can, but he’s never had to deal with something like this.” Jadious says smoothly.

“So he’s taking it out on me?”

“He believes you’re the reason why it’s happening. Your magic is impossible, your talent for things that no witch or warlock can do, is frightening to him.”

“So I scare and turn him on. How hilarious.” I retort flatly finishing off the wine.

“I find it quite funny as well. Truly. Demethos has been around for a long time, but he’s never had to deal with someone calling him a lizard to him face.”

“Because he is. And his name is too long, I’d rather call him Lizard.”

“His name is a mouthful, but it’s for the public. He has another but you can’t use it unless he gives it to you.”

“I wouldn’t want it anyway. I’m sticking with lizard and he’s just going to have to get used to it.” I stand heading for the kitchen. “I’m been making too many jokes anyways to really call him anything else.”

Moving into the kitchen where Fernie was whipping up some food on the stove. Humming to himself as he tossed spices in a boiling pot what looked to be soup.

“I thought you’d be waving your fancy stick around in here.” I say as I grab the wine bottle pouring myself another glass. Fernie laughs as he shakes his head.

“No. I tried that, magic is actually disgusting to eat. I prefer cooking anyways, makes me feel close to my wife.”

“Henrietta would have been proud with how you mastered a good pot of gumbo.” I say sniffing the air, a smile sliding onto my face. “Smells delicious as always.”

“Thank you.” He chuckles. “I follow her recipe step by step to perfection every time. Myria would have been around to enjoy it if she wasn’t so scared of you.”

“Did you and Myria almost, Y’know,”

“No.” He shakes his head. “She tried to initiate something but I didn’t have the heart for it. She seemed to be doing it more out of a place of vanity, like she could have anyone and chose me. But I love Henrietta still, and having anyone else would feel like I’m cheating.”

“Henrietta gave you specific instructions to keep on living life. I think that was her telling you that it was okay if you found love again.”

“I had no attraction to Myria.” He retorts. “She was very vain and arrogant when we first met. And seducing me seemed like a game to her, like I’m a chubby, short, not very handsome guy. And I’m old!”

“You’re barely seventy.”

“Well your generation treats seventy likes it’s a hundred.” He mutters. “Either way, nothing would come of it. I love Henrietta too much, she’s still in my heart every day.”

His hand touching his chest with a sigh. Looking to the floor as I move over to him, wrapping my arms around him from behind. Hugging him as he stirs the pot slowly.

“You’re a good man, Fernie, and Henrietta loves you every day too. She keeps telling me to tell you that but you know my rules.” I say.

“I know.” His hand touches mine. His thumb grazing over my wrist. “Thank you.”