Death After Life

Death

I stared blankly at the perfect male in front of me.

Who was I?

Could he not see I was coated in mud and had just been through agonizing pain? I tended to expect the best out of people, so when he had opened those plump lips I imagined he would offer to help me up, give me sympathy, or at the very least call for help. Instead, he wanted to know the name of the grimy girl who had just crawled her way through mud while simultaneously drowning.

He titled his head and drew his eyebrows together.

"Do you even know your name?" he asked.

"Yes," I snapped. "But typically when you see someone escape from drowning alive, you let them catch their breath before demanding their name."

He chuckled a melodious laugh. It was throaty, masculine, and infuriatingly sexy.

"I think it'd be more appropriate to say 'drowning dead' in this case," he replied, laughing all the while.

"Good one, sir!" I heard from somewhere behind the man before me. The man in front of me turned, showing me his profile as well as the odd, squat creature he had been concealing.

At first glance, he would appear to be a man. He had short legs, a long torso, and a large belly. He was dressed similarly to the man in front of me, though the buttons on his shirt were barely holding together, and in the open spaces between them, thick white fur was poking through. In fact, the entire man was covered in white fur except for a large, circular bald spot of skin surrounding a black horn protruding from his forehead.

He was gripping a pad of paper and a pen. The longer the man in front of me looked at him, the more nervous he seemed. The patch of skin on his head started sweating.

The greek god pursed his lips, then quickly turned back around and smirked at me once again.

"Well, don't leave us on the edge of our seats. The anticipation is absolutely," he paused, smiling wide " killing us."

I stared at him, slack-jawed.

Did the devil just make a dad joke?

This was more shocking than the plump, balding unicorn man (manicorn?) standing behind him.

"Of course, I could always assign you a name. What would suit you?" He assumed his original position with his hand upon his chin. "Hmm, let me think. Nothing too obvious. That wouldn't be any fun." His eyes flicked to the wet, mud-ridden mop on my head. "This image does give me a lot to work with, though." He chuckled again.

"Are you enjoying this conversation you're having with yourself?" I asked.

"Shhh. I've almost got it," he said. He sat there briefly, before snapping his finger excitedly. "Alicanto. Yes. We shall call you Alicanto."

"The perfect name, sir. It suits her well." The unicorn man's voice echoed through the open space.

The beautiful man's lips once again pursed, though this time I saw his red eyes blaze as he exhaled smoke from his nose.

"What's an Alicanto?" I asked, sensing the need to distract from the anger brewing in his eyes.

The god-like man finished blowing out his breath full of smoke before he smiled and said "Ah ah ah. I asked you a question first, one that you have yet to answer."

"Fine," I said. "My name is Terra."

He grinned, victoriously. "Dimness!" he called.

The portly manicorn rushed forward. "Yes sir?"

"Do we have a Tara on our list?" He asked.

"Terra" I corrected.

Dimness flipped through his notepad quickly. "I do not see anyone by that name, sir."

"Interesting," the god replied. He stood up and brushed his pants off with his hands. "Alright then. She'll have to come with me."

Dimness's face transformed to one of shock. "To your home, sir?"

"Come with me, Alicanto." He held his hand out to me.

I reached up, noticing how dirty my own hands were, and hesitated. This man had basically breathed fire because Dimness complimented him. What would he do to me if I got his hands dirty?

"Don't worry about the mess. It'll be easy enough for me to clean," he stated.

I guess he noticed my hesitation.

I placed my small hand in his as he helped me stand. He held my hand so delicately, but I could feel heat radiating from his grip.

"You're taking her to Necromanteion, sir?" Dimness asked.

I recognized that term from the numerous conversations on Greek mythology that I had with my parents. Necromanteion was Hades's castle. Did that make this gorgeous man the god of death himself?

The descriptions I'd heard of him weren't even close.

"That is where I live and I did say I would take her with me. Your skills of deduction have improved, Dimness." He said smiling, accentuating a dimple on his right cheek. I had this urge to poke it but realized that he was still holding my hand.

"Sir, perhaps we should contact one of your brothers on this matter. They might-" Dimness's voice cut off as his master's hand (that wasn't holding mine) shot out and grabbed his throat.

"Who do you serve, Dimness?" the god asked calmly.

"Y-y-you, sir," Dimness choked out.

"You serve me. Very good, Dimness," he taunted. His words were soothing, but I noticed his grip getting tighter on the furry throat. The signs of his anger, blazing red eyes, and smoke-filled breath began as he continued. "Answer me this now: why do you think you are capable of giving orders to me?"

"I-I-I was only suggesting. I-it is m-my j-j-job to-"

"Your job of overseeing others does not extend to me. If I am in need of advice from a blubbering brown-noser then I will ask for it." His hand tightened again, though now the hand that held mine began to tighten as well.

I had a sharp intake of breath as the pain of it hit me.

The red eyes were on me now. Fear gripped me. Had I done something wrong?

He dropped my hand along with Dimness, who fell to the ground coughing and wheezing.

"Time to go," he stated. "Dimness, come with us. I'll need you to help our guest get settled."

He briskly started to walk away, and I watched as he lifted his hand and it lit with a blue flame. The flame danced across his skin until the dirt caking it had been burnt off. He held the flame in his palm as he continued walking.

I offered my hand to help the manicorn stand, but he acted like he didn't see it.

"Are you alright, Dimness?" I asked.

"My name is Nimbus." He began rubbing his neck as he stood.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought he called you-"

"His Highness may call me whatever he pleases, but you will address me by my name during your short stay here." He started walking after his master and indicated that I should follow.

I began thinking about the name I was assigned, and how the god-like man in front of me had yet to tell me his name.

I caught up to the white-haired portly man. "Nimbus, is that man Hades?" I asked.

He looked up at me while we walked. "I suppose that is what you humans have referred to him as."

"Is that his name?" I asked.

"I am not at liberty to say," he replied, sticking his nose, and horn, in the air.

"You can call me Michael," I heard from in front of me. I could no longer see him, only the blue flame flickering in his palm. He had walked through an entryway in a wall made of stone. The stone itself was pitch black with ridges running up and down it. It looked like the black tourmaline my mother often wore on a chain around her neck.

"That's unexpected," I mumbled to myself.

"How so?"

Crap. He'd heard me.

"I just expected something more interesting from a guy who seems to place a lot of value in giving other people names," I replied, hoping he wouldn't get angry with my response.

"That's why it's perfect. A common name for the man with too many," he said.

I had no idea what he meant by that, but I was reminded of the question I had asked earlier.

"What's an Alicanto?" I asked again.

His white teeth flashed in the darkness.

"A bird that can't fly."