Reaper

Chapter 4

Walking back into the lab, wearing sunglasses on my face as I carried I grocery bag full of random items. My flip flops from home smacking against the floor as I walked in through the mirror.

“That took a while.” Fernie says. “I figured I’d save you the trouble and get breakfast too.” I say handing him a bag. “Bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel for you, and a BLT for me. Jadious!”

“Yes friend.”

“Do you like ribeye steak?” I say tearing into the plastic of prepackaged meat.

“I do.”

“Fabulous, otherwise I would have bought this for nothing.” I grab the meat and throw it in the air, with swift movements Jadious leaps into the air catch the steak in his mouth swallowing it in one bite.

“Well you didn’t need to throw it in the air like that. I’m not a circus animal.” He says. I take another piece of steak throwing it his way, he catches it in his mouth making me smirk behind my sun glasses.

“Down kitty.” I say jokingly as I fish out the ground coffee I bought. “Where’s Noen and Detus? And the giant lizard man?” I say noticing the king isn’t anywhere in sight.

“They went for their own breakfast.” Fernie speaks up. “And Bex, I’m going to need to you show that man some proper respect. No more with calling him a lizard and none of the slick comments.”

“It’s damn near impossible for me not to have a few jokes under my sleeve with that one. He may be a great emperor but he’s very easy to make fun of.” I say shouting from the kitchen, putting the coffee to brew. Back Fernie’s desk with my own cup, I sit in one of the guest chairs. Kicking up my feet as I snap my fingers the book hovering over the wooden surface of Fernie’s desk.

“The book,” Jadious moves closer. His tiger eyes locked on to the flipping pages. “It records all souls you come across, correct?”

“It records all souls in existence.” I say blowing away the steam from my cup as I take a gentle sip. The refreshing taste of the ground up coffee beans bringing me comfort. Leaning back with the feel of the sun on my face.

“So you spend a lot of time practicing your magic.” He says coming to sit beside me on the floor. Crossing his paws over each other, looking at me with curiosity. “To record all souls must be tiring.”

I hum looking back at him. My face neutral as I stare into his eyes, feeling a certain type of magnetism coming from him. I sigh and with a roll of my eyes, I say.

“What ever you want in regards to the book is no.” I say firmly.

“I know I have no right of asking. Most Reapers I’ve met had always had something to record souls with. Some did tallies, some did it by calculations, one Reaper even used the stars.”

“Still no.” I say.

“Please. Just this one favor and I will never ask again.” He says. I sigh looking at him with an annoyed expression. What is it and everyone suddenly wanting favors from me?

“Who are you looking for?” I ask.

“I only have a name. Loretta Wilson.” He says and I look towards the book whispering the name. The pages freeze like they did before, floating in the air before flipping backwards. The book going farther back than I thought it would go, the pages stop.

At the top of the page it read, Loretta Nene Wilson.

Her last words written on the page, long drawn out sentences that rung of anger and pain, before it fell into words of regret and pain filled love. Jadious standing in front of the book as the words on that page whispered themselves to him. Me listening in, mostly because I had no choice.

Loretta was definitely a passionate woman. Soon her letter ends and the book resumes flipping. Jadious standing there in awe of the book, but with an air of sadness hanging on his face.

“Who was she to you?” I ask.

“A friend.” He says. “One of the kindest people to ever live.”

“This ought to be an interesting story.” I say and I see Fernie coming to stand by the door, listening in quietly at our conversation.

“Centuries ago, after another meaningless war for an empire destined to fall, my troops and I were banished into the wilderness to die. Most of my men passed from infections to their wounds, or bled out days before. Soon I was the only one left. In the wilderness I came across a tiger greater than anything I’d ever seen.

I was killed in an instant and my new life began. I had taken form of the animal that has killed me. Whatever plan the gods had, had given me new purpose. Years and years after I had wandered into the human world and was captured by poachers in the jungles of the sss. Shipped all over the world before I landed in a zoo in Los Angeles. There I had met a wonderful zoo keeper. Loretta. And it was with her that I found the wonder in what the gods had made me. A keeper of life.

Loretta was the kindest most charitable and loving soul I had ever come across. But one day she left and never returned. I was always worried for what happened to her. Her note was quite distressing. I need to ask, did she cross over.”

Looking at him with a sigh and nod my head. “It took her a minute but yeah eventually she found peace.”

Jadious nodded his head to me. “Thank you Bex Veline. You’ve brought peace into my life.” He says.

“Sure dude.” I say with a shrug and lean back in my seat closing my eyes. Falling back into the recesses of my mind, I hear the world around me go on. Talking to soul after soul as time seemed meaningless. The whispers of souls surrounding me and filling my head with years of knowledge and wisdom. Seeing the lives of people long dead, it’s almost as if I lived it with them. That’s how intimate this job is.

“Reaper.” Someone whispers and I open my eyes to see Noen and Detus.

“Are you two ready?” I ask.

“We don’t want to leave just yet.” Detus speaks up. Obviously he was a headstrong person when he was alive.

“We want to know who killed us and what it was for.” Noen says calmly.

“Well,” I sigh. “I can’t force you to cross over if you don’t want to.”

“We would like to help in this investigation of our deaths. It would be wise to have us.” Detus says.

“I’m not sure if you two know what your getting yourselves into. I still don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into.” I say crossing my arms over my chest.

“Reaper,” Noen says catching my attention. “I all I know is that I was killed. I died before I was ready to, and I don’t want to give the man that did it the satisfaction of thinking he got away with it. I want justice.”

“I can only do so much from my position then. I don’t know where to tell you to look, I don’t have any idea who killed you except they’re using magic I haven’t seen before.” I say. “If you want to start anywhere, start where you died. You might find something.”

Without a reply they both disappear leaving my alone once again. Without realizing it I’m soon being woken up by Fernie.

“What happened?” I sit up with a jerk. Groaning at the sunlight beaming in my face.

“You were working again.” Fern says gesturing to the book floating in mid air. “The dragons have returned and Jadious just got three more bodies.”

“What?” I say and stand following Fernie back out to the lab. Turning the corner from his office we see three more bodies laying on the examination tables. The dragons standing over them, sniffing around their dead bodies with confused expressions.

“Excuse us gentlemen.” Fernie says. He slaps on a pair of gloves and walks over to the three bodies with a syringe in hand. I move, pushing passed the wall of muscle to get a closer look.

“Bex would you please,” Fernie looks at the corpse nervously.

“Sure.” I say.

Fernie clears his throat and positions the knife over the dark protruding vein on the arm. Just as he’s about to pierce the skin the corpse come screaming to life. Everyone in the room jerks back and Fernie stumbles back gasping in shock. Before it can attack Fern I hold up my hand freezing the thing in place.

It sat halfway off the table arms stretched out hand clawed and poised at Fern. Face stretched in an expression of screaming rage. And it’s eyes were completely black. The dark veins reaching into its face, wrapping itself around the corpse’s features. Lips purple, skin pale, a half dead thing.

“So in any attempts to remove it,” Fernie adjusts his glasses as he tries to calm his breathing.

“The liquid will animate the corpse and attack the offender trying to remove it.” I finish as I rub my eyes in exhaustion.

“The question is,” Jadious chimes in. “Who or what put it there?”

I move around to get a closer look at the half dead thing. Raising my hand to its throat I start to move it back onto the examination table. It pushes against me but I manage to get it down with ease. The screams bouncing around us, muffled with the force of my magic. Fernie quickly rushes over, as I force its arm out.

The monster thrashes against me with all its strength, but it feels like the effort of a newborn. Fernie sticks the needle into the arm, the dragon king moving closer, peeking over his shoulder to better see.

I watch as Fernie pulls back the syringe the cylinder filling with the gooey black substance. I cringe as it fills the syringe to the very top, the substance turning solid and caving in on itself. Becoming like how I first saw it, a small sticky bug like thing that fought against the glass of the syringe. Throwing out a web of black goo before pulling back and trying again in an attempt to get free.

The half dead thing finally stops moving and I sigh, shaking out my hands in relief.

“That never gets any less disgusting, does it?” I ask looking at it as my skin prickles.

“I’m afraid not.” Jadious says and huffs at it in disgust.

“Well your majesty,” Fernie says turning to the dragon king with the syringe in hand. Putting in a protective cap on the needle as he holds it out to him. “If this is not reason enough, I don’t know what will convince you.”

“This,” he says taking the syringe from Fernie. “This is reason enough. I will take this back with me to have it studied, and as a show of good faith I shall invite you three to dine with us.”

I see a wide smile stretch across Fernie’s face and he bows his head to him. “Thank you, your Majesty. I’m very honored and I humbly accept your invitation.”

The king looks to Jadious. “Of course, Demethos.”

Then to me. I stare back unfazed by his burning gaze. I knew he was only trying to intimidate me, but I found it more amusing than anything else.

“Of course I’m going, I have to see what the fuss is about.” I say leaning against the table unfazed by the now dormant corpse.

“Then it’s settled.” He says and turns taking the syringe with him. The other five guards following him out. “We shall see you tonight, someone will be by to fetch you.” And with that he leaves, in a split second I lift my head to see six massive dragons take flight.

The biggest one glinting in the sunlight of a reddish gold color, and for some reason I felt it watching me.

“Fuck.” Fernie and I say in unison.

“I was not counting on being invited to a feast with the dragons.” Fern says leaning against the door. “I’m not prepared to deal with spending the evening with dragons and elves.”

“And the elves will be there, why?” I ask.

“Elves and Dragons are a sort of package deal. Both can wield the strongest magic, dragons being the stronger ones but elves are more fluent.” Jadious explains. “They spend a lot of time with each other, mostly for image and status.”

“That sounds pretentious as fuck.” I say with a sneer.

“It is.” Fernie breaths out. “I would much rather show good faith from the safety of my laboratory. Here I am not a socially anxious mess.”

“Babs loved you for your social awkwardness.” I say with a smirk. Fernie looking at me, his face looking slightly warmer as he give me a small smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” I nod. “It gave her the assurance she needed to know that you wouldn’t cheat.”

Jadious bursts into laughter and Fernie wags his finger at me as he chuckles. Laughter bubbling in my chest and for a moment the air feels lighter. Better.

The evening comes and we are waiting in Fernie’s lab. The three corpses had been moved and the souls had been ripped out, which made for a very annoying afternoon. I was still nursing my headache with a much needed glass of bourbon that I brought from home.

Fernie was indulging with me as he dressed in a long over navy blue overcoat with intricately embroidered designs on the hemline. Buttoned up as he wore matching slacks underneath with black shoes.

I wore black baggy silk pants that were tied around my waist and fell to the floor covering my feet. A matching top that stopped at my midriff and clung to my breasts, and a match king black silk robe that hung off my shoulders covering most of my body. The sleeves falling down my arms and covering my fingers. My hair pinned on one side with no more effort than me running my fingers through it to tame it. It looked fine to me.

“Did they say what time they were supposed to be here?” I ask as I sip away at the alcohol. Fernie shakes his head as he nurses his own glass.

“This is all I need for a fun night.” Fernie slurs holding up his glass. “I’m not much for parties. I’ve never been. That’s part of the reason why I wasn’t very popular in high school.”

We both laugh, Fernie propping his face up with his hand as he leans against the desk.

“I hated high school.” I laugh. “I hated parties. They’re so unnecessary. Why did we say yes to this one?”

“Because,” he sighs. “We were afraid of offending a celestial. Truth be told I don’t think they’re coming to get us. I think he only said that just to say it.”

“Me too.” I nod. “Honestly, I would prefer it if they didn’t come. I’m having enough fun getting drunk here with my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend too.” He says and we laugh clinking glasses.

And hour later we’ve started blasting music as Fernie activated the Castor’s Glass. We were dancing as music boomed through the lab. Fernie two stepping as he sang the lyrics. I stood on the table dancing with my glass in hand.

Singing along with Fernie as we danced under the shimmering waves of light and color.

Whipping my hair about as I rolled my hips to the song. The feeling of the alcohol taking over, neither one of us hearing the banging coming from the door. When we do we see that it’s completely open and Jadious is standing there. He lets out a chuff and Fernie pulls out his wand waving it in the air making the music lower.

“I came as soon as I realized you weren’t at the feast, but I see that you are in high spirits. This brings me joy.” He strides in, his tail waving around in the air. “Doctor, I’ve never seen you so energized.”

“I would be a lot happier here than at that silly little feast anyways.”

“Yes,” Jadious hops up on one of the examination tables making himself comfortable. “When I had realized none of the warriors had come to collect you, I came to make sure you were alright. Seems as if I had nothing to worry about, despite your earlier statements.”

“Let’s not focus on that anymore.” I huff in annoyance. “We don’t need the attentions of a huffy little flying reptilian. The point is we got them to see what they needed to see, so mission accomplished and let’s set sail.”

“I wonder what they’re mage will find in the matter we extracted from the corpse. I doubt they’ve seen anything like it.” Fernie says. “I tried running some tests myself but the matter proved to be very temperamental. I couldn’t even get it out of the petrie dish.”

“I hate that disgusting little thing. It’s gross to look at and it contributes to something unnatural.” Jadious growls, licking at his paws and rubbing his face.

“Most of the time Jadious when I think of unnatural, I mostly think about that the fact that you’re literally a giant talking tiger.” I say and Fernie let’s out a wheezing laugh which makes me giggle. “And I’m supposed to treat that with a grain of salt.”

Jadious let’s out a deep chuckle as I lower myself to sit on the table. Purring as he rolls onto his back.

“Aren’t they going to notice if you’re gone?” I ask stretching myself out to lay down on the table.

“I suppose so. But I have the habit of disappearing and reappearing usually whenever I want.” He says yawning lazily.

“And his royal majesty doesn’t say anything?” I ask as I suck my teeth.

“Dragons may be celestials but you and I help maintain the balance of life and death. Light and dark. Duality amongst life throughout the cosmos. You and I are in a sense much more than they are.”

I stare at him as I process what he’s told me. Propping my head up on my hand as I down the rest of my drink.

“So what are we then?” I ask wiping at my mouth as Fernie comes over with the last of the bourbon refilling both our glasses until the bottle is empty.

“Celestials. Dragons are celestials but not as much as you and I.” He says.

“I wasn’t planning to add celestial to my resume.” I say with a half hearted laugh. Fernie and I tap glasses and shoot back our drinks. Fernie letting out a deep rumbling burp while I groaned in satisfaction.

“Jadious do you drink?” I ask.

“Not lately. But I do crave a glass of your finest wine. I miss a good drink.” He says.

“You are the most posh mannered tiger I’ve ever met in my life.” I laugh as I move myself off of the table. “I’ll be back with whatever I have.”

The night drags on and Fernie is passed out, Jadious and me lugging him to his bed. Getting to his room he flops down on the bed face first. Laying his head on it’s side and removing his shoes, I toss a blanket over him and quietly exit the room.

Stumbling through the hall back down to the lab, I see Jadious spinning the empty wine bottle. He drank four and was now as he put it “properly put out of commission.”

“Bex,” Jadious slurs my name. I stop by the table picking up the unfinished glass of bourbon. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I ask c*****g an eyebrow at him as I lower myself to the floor.

“I’ve been so alone. For years. I always knew I was supposed to have a partner to bare this responsibility. The responsibility of protecting the cycle of life and keeping the balance. And now that you’re here, I feel less alone.” I stare at him unsure of what to say. Strangely enough he was right.

I always felt somewhat alone in the short twenty-one years I’ve been alive. The only person I really had was Fernie. Jadious seemed different. I felt the same was about him, that I feel less alone with him around.

“Ditto.” I say raising my glass to him.

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I found myself once again in the recesses of my mind, conversing with souls once again.

I felt the warmth of the sun on my body, the feeling of the floor beneath me but cuddling against something large, soft, and warm. Slowly waking up as the light of the rising sun became too impossible to bare.

“It’s too fuckin’ bright.” I grumble turning over into what was keeping me warm, only to open my eyes and find a wall of orange and black. “Sorry Jadious.”

“Never mind that Bex.” Jadious said with rumbling laughter. “It was a comfort for me too.”

I pull myself off the floor just as there comes a knock at the door. Groaning as the knocking persists, I stumble as I pull myself off the floor. Feeling the oncoming effects of a hangover as I shield the light of the sun from my eyes. Finally making it to the door as the third round of knocks starts.

Yanking it open with an annoyed huff, I see the dragon king with two of his guards. Rolling my eyes as I push the door open for them to enter.

“Jadious it’s your boyfriend!” I shout as I walk towards the kitchen but I can still hear them as I prepare a pot of coffee.

“Don’t flatter him. He hasn’t even asked me out on a proper date yet.” Jadious says humor lacing his voice.

“So this is where you disappeared to, friend.” The king walking in and one of his guards closing the door behind them.

“I rather didn’t like that my associates were disregarded after you personally extended an invitation in front of four of your personal guards. None of them felt it necessary to carry out your demand and have them brought here.” Jadious says Cooley from his position on the floor. “So I came to make sure they were well. Come to find they were much in high spirits and I was even able to join in on the fun.”

I lean against the door way as I wait for the coffee to brew. Watching the exchange, silently.

“I deeply apologize for the trouble. You are right I should have paid better attention to my guests.” King Demethos nodding his head to Jadious.

“I would expect nothing less from a dragon. It was surprising to say the least.” Jadious sounding almost condescending, I cover my mouth to hide my growing smile.

“What brings you by after your feast?”

“To follow up on anything the doctor might have discovered. Also to discuss the substance he extracted yesterday. My mage’s couldn’t decipher what it was made from or what magic was used to construct it.” He says.

“Hmm.” Jadious looks off to the side. “I was hoping you’d be able help find the answer to that specific problem.”

“I’d figure that would be the case.” I hum, moving my hair out of my face as I hear the coffee go off and turning to get myself a fresh cup.

“I’d imagine you’d have some sort of brilliant idea then Reaper?” The king shouts after me.

I roll my eyes as I pour the coffee out, I head back to the lab. “Fernie showed me a sample of that s**t days ago, I’d imagine by then that he’d try to do a couple of experiments with it to figure out what the hell it is. And I was right because he did. But he go no results from it either.”

“We’ll your doctor is human, he wouldn’t know the properties of magic anyways.”

“You just admitted that not even your oh-so-smart mages could figure this s**t out. Get the f**k off your high horse, it makes me want to slap you.” I snap coldly. The guards behind him looking taken aback by my curt comment. The emperor however gave me a dangerous look.

“Easy Bex.” Jadious hums.

“Sorry,” I chuckle as I roll my eyes at him. “I’m not the nicest person when I have a hangover. I’m also not the nicest person when the fucker we’re trying to help is consistent berating someone who is trying to help him, for some unknown reason.” I move towards the king, cup in hand my eyes boring into his.

“I don’t know why Dr. Ferdinand Moses is taking the time out of his precious life to help you maintain yours. But be thankful that he’s a smart enough man to see the s**t you couldn’t, and have the heart to face discrimination against your dragons and your elves, to tell you that s**t isn’t right. Otherwise you’d be none the wiser and possibly maintain your title of the dumbest f*****g monarch I’ve ever met.” I say with a huff and turn walking towards the mirror.

“Won’t you stay until the doctor wakes?”

“No, because that one annoys me and I need a shower!” I say and pass through the mirror back home. Trying my best to leave my thoughts of that dragon behind.