I circled around soon covering around this area, being confident of knowing where I am. Onwards to the new dirt trails, walking as a mock cat crawler. Being left alone with being a clearly abnormal version. My extra limbs, chucky body build, daggered claw marking up the floor where I walk and larger comfortable length. No way of hiding them. Just my colouring, with blends me in around the place at a glance.
"Trade?" I were met with a real one in my way.
"For what?"
"I give you a good day and possible children. You give me shiny."
"How about your life?" I hissed with the extra jaws on display, "Leave me alone, Cat. I have no qurils with you lot."
"You didn't hear me." They don't have extra but they do seem not the normal one, "Give me you and I let you live."
"I would rather eat you spine." I don't have to be anymore creepy then what I am doing. Only to be on pose to slay them.
"Grave for you."
During first half my fighting, my soft under chin took a nicked tooth under a scale. They were strong and tied my current shape in knots. Both of us kept clicking joint in and out of their sockets for the better swing around with claws. I was being ineffective, hoping they just leave me alone and live by running away. That were the hop as I pry them off my, time and time again. My distractions to the surrounding isn't doing anything for them. I had enough of this, made me altered to my original full colouring and proper shapes. Ground pinning this one on the floor, with a few of their arms missing compare to one scratch on me. They were given the choose of living by running away, but they tried to bite my neck. I only had to snap the neck to kill them.
I spend my time calming down, then doing what I have always. I put them in a sleeping pose before they rig up. Always easy to see the stomach content after, metal always never digests in them. Eyes are good eating, good nutrients and vitamins. It has me on a need to do a food storage check. Leaving the rotten things as prayer gift to the dead here. I always have bury the talking ones… it let be prayer for them, pity them and have my time of remorse be reflected. I will always leave when I sense the grim around.
I will always make sure to not be clear with where I went from the area. By taking tree branches across a few times and then back down on the floor in another shape. Or Flight into the sky. Gliding over branches in a forest. It was to prevent being followed. Today those sorts of methods haven't worked. Scaled fools of the demon sort creeping crawling like the own the floor they walk on. Pride nuts, this particular group of them spouted all sorts of crap about being kings of this untamed dead land.
Short lived thought for them when it came to meeting fake trees, then misfortune to walked into a snake king dean lastly right on my dinner plate. Staked through the worst by being tangled up the spiked cactus traps. I was lucky to pick through them cleanly and pick up the servants out of slavery (without speaking or just taking indirect actions). Stealing shiny items, weapons that I had never crossed before; things I am aware of not being in the touch of living.
There seems a lot of things different when being around the afterlife folks. They still have there untouchable presence to the earth however now I see them as more like living breathing beings. Cloths before were floaty bits of cloth and inflexible expression masked faces. Meeting a Clothus in my current view, they have shape that mocks human postures, the masks were less like their face but the mimic screen on top of a void body. In fact, the cloth tight wrapped their cloudy body unlike before where it was just cloth that floated like a limb should be. Winged angels are less glowing of that saint gentle glamour and demons stick out as more scaled then their pretend beauty wants a human to be fooled into. The wings weren't so easy to hide from me unlike how they just seemed to appear out of no-where when I become aware of the fact. I don't need to guess first but know at a glance.
The rings I had collected this time have a glow on them now. I mean, those rings that shapeshift into weaponry is oddly shaded aura. They change at my will and are interchanging from dagger, arrow or bullet; if the classic plain stuff. A signature ring that changes is always a ornate dagger type or of a in nature of being a tool connected to the important title. Keys maybe more often. I don't play with them to find out anything else. The assassin one's or the fake titles that act to be the real ring; always a coated pointed something in shape change and also a key too. Not playing with that.
In playing about these demon corpses items; all the good stuff was pocketed and what seemed I missed taken by the survivors (uninterested of attacking me). Paper stuff I have a peer at and light poke 'read' but it's never anything that sticks out to me to be bothered with. Their versions of food goes untouched; not interested in trying that. Their charms, necklaces and anything abnormal; all mine.
I came to this last fellow left bleeding here alone. Still alive and to out of it to care. Or is at that moment of praying I end him. I peered in inspecting the fool with not so many shiny bits on themselves. No rings of status that stands out. But this isn't a servant. Not even a poor idiot on hard luck. Pump healthy… demon whom is without any wings. Has the scale affect on the few places. Not a corpse being puppet tricked to act living. None of that other details of being parasite ridden. Not worth the meat to eat and not a soul to be left dead.
I coiled around them, for now. Purr so light and plug up the gaps. Yup, this idiom muttering is very much half concise. So much that I see that this man still has a servant on duty to them.
"Hello stranger, is this half dead afterlife man your concern?" I spoke gently with my purring. My eyes study how they were about to fight me and then instantly lower with understanding I speak, "I don't wish any harm over you or this bleeding demon type. I gathered enough from those around in the corpse pile to feel obligated to help you. Them ex-slaves are mostly not sticking around…"
"Do you know any where safe to settle?"
"I can guide you and friends of yours to somewhere that isn't a false tree's stomach, snake dean or whatever else that could be interested in eating you." I study their intent, "What would you think we should do with this half concise muttering baboon?"
"I wish him to stay alive at the least."
"Oh good, my bandaging isn't a waste." I coiled out and hold him over to them, "Here you go, you take fellow. I don't have any safe methods to carry them." a white lie but I don't want strangers in my shadow, "I promise safety before the moonlight." He take them off my limbs. I danced around with swept a little dust over them corpses and then out with the salt toss it over the corpses. Lastly with making a fire to crisp them good. They are gone in an instant flash of green fire. I hummed about that, "I have never seen fire react so oddly on a corpse before. Very not a living. You lot of afterlife things are weird to the existing laws. Very abnormal… yes, I should note this down." I do so but still maintain my reptile ways… arched with a book and pen in hand claws.
"Not a normal crawller reptile, are you."
"My only honesty I give you about me is you theory is correct. I am a living reptile something." Book away and I study the folks around left, "You all good friends or allies? I don't often find demon folks that rally together so…. Peaceful like."
"Demon?"
"Ok, not the normal scale winged weridos. Dearly noted. Now let is find a good camp ground in a sheletered area." I danced into correct my spin for walking, "Safety is obsure thread line between not being a threat on the locals and that point of being their lunch and dinner. No grim around here going to take them souls…" I looked at the remains a last glance, "A great sadness to be trapped. May they be found and freed. Bless by nature's kiss they become someone new. If anything help feed those around them."
I gave a last sweep of salt over it all and give my prolonged closed eyes in silence. I soon stamped around in a circle around. Just so I got there attention to follow me; walking to the nearest up cropping of earth or denser trees. I may have a moments study for them to catch up or scan the area of issue.
"Are you religious?" soon back on speaking terms with me. This maybe servant to the half awake dude. All oddly dressed folks in style choose.
"You could mistake it, its just some sort of practice I started. Nothing to do with gods or figures of faith. Nature is just the collective energy and being that this land breaths lives and dies. Not a person or one thing." My study of them lingered my own questions, "What do you call your race type? What sort place would you say you homeland to be like?"
They nattered between themselves in that strange language; it made my twitch in their wording. It was like they spoken in fluent Norwegian in helium breath. Pitching being off putting at moments that I would stop more times for danger. Soon breaking into a more relaxed toning, they each grudged about it.
"Post-human war landscape city, fill of officed dedicated to the order of realms that exist or loss existence. There is not a single on type of race or class to call us as a collective. But other existing realms denote us as some sort of undertakers, gods or estate angets for realms."
I give a tree a consideration. Knocking it for any hollow property. It sounded to hollow for me, so I moved on. Scanning about for anything more fitting with this amount of beings. Times getting harsh on them…
"That sounds really cool. You like a directory for all living and dead and mix existences. Very interesting. I learn new cool things this often I fill a new dictionary." My comment highlighted my fascination and glee to be told this yet my tone of worry about looking for the right place is getting to me.
"How about over there?" Someone pointed further along the west side. I lift in tracing the death trap.
"I don't want to be ate by that." I commented, "Not a nice set of floor teeth." They give this stare of like I am the one that is lost it. I peeled the nearest tree side and made it bleed, having it react and lift that jaw out the flooring, "Not being ate by that. No thank you."
"You really are protecting us?"
"You lot talk and have minds that don't just think of survival. You're walking pattrens suggest that you arent the sort whom walk long distances. Tracking for hours with little stopping." I hummed so lightly. Go to the next tree possibility, give it a knock. It were promising but the leaves aren't exactly leaves. I do gently move on, watching that tree intent as I go.
"What was wrong with that one?"
"Them leaves are mocks. Think vampire butterflies that multiply down to bones." I see we are all clear from them, "Nasty bugs. One or two are more like misqutos. A swarm that takes that entire tree is a death wish."
"Wow, interesting wildlife here." I sneered in my expression about that, grimace on how horrid this can be. Then the illusion of pretty it always dang's as a carrot.
I stopped them from passing me, not to be a venus man trap. Gutting and killing this menace before walking on. Gutting it for more metal loot too.
"Not a healthy man trap. So I guess it doesn't get much food here." I look around for it's mothering plant. Like strewberrys, they are clones of one seed while all being alter over age by maturity and polint crossing.
The mothering plant and it's network a dying or dead field. Not enough foods around here; not enough blood to get around. There is in a wide clearing a stone circle left by man humans trying to regress back to simple times.
"We can leave this place with that."
"Really? Well ok. Better you go back to a healer that knows how to work those wounds then some foreign one. You all look exhausted and I feel terrible for making you all walk this long."
"You're very well mannered reptile." They go for it and faded into nothingness in passing the circle edge. I study the site structures… but soon leave them without much else. It's not my world or place they are a part of. Noting to do with me when it comes to this lands laws. Just passing ghosts from other existences. I set up a hammic bed between a higher branchs of a tree. Took sleep here.
The long night has no sounds by the atmosphere playing whistling tricks on my ears. Nothing returned back out that circle. Living things don't stick around it or linger on its grounds. Trees dare not block the paths of light; as if planted in the arrangement to hide the structure while not disrupting the powers flowing here. I felt the need to go sleep in the centre of it but stay here in my safe warm hamic.
A long unnerving gaze from a moment nightmare come to me. As if the grim with the respected title had been in a long stare contest with me… as if standing to the side of me; peering through me. My panic of this work me up; poking a look around for this dream. No. Not here.
The circle does seem weird this morning, the light netting through standing stone highlighted a corridor of existing travel. Stepping out a few groups of angels and some Clothus. All nattering away about abnormal things. Talking as if this safe haven were a god send for them; wishing humans left more of them.
"Horrifying." I peered lowered from my blanket to some strangers looking at me. they backway with my reaction.
"Good morning strangers, what do you lot want of me?" I climb on out untied my hamic and fold it all away. Coiled by my strength alone about this tree.
"I thought you were a corpse of some kind." I tilted with my doubt, "Yeah, given the look. It would be too much effort to put a corpse up there unless it put itself there." I cling about the branch, stretch up the branch with my claw. Only to hang lower to head height. Just four limbs hold above.
"Holy lord, you a very large living reptile." I blinked and looked at them each. To then twist with looking at the stone structure a final time.
"Do you trade?"
"I love doing trading but not my life or soul." My have one side of arm fold into themselves and then back out with all sorts of example trinkets, "My hide is good for holding small trinkets." So they may believe how I manage it. The nearest stepped around me. My tail whipped around the branch above, taking it as my hold. All legs but my new free four are holding all sorts of deemed trading. Circling in a many arms juggle to have them inspected better.
"I like these." A plain dull angel ring, "Do you have anything a bit more tastful?"
"mmm… I want to know why." I crossed all arms with things they weren't interested in – back to storage, "I learned about how them rings sort of something carry not just status to them but are only very important to the races of things they often belong to."
"You are very celver, too well minded to be that fooled." My out with a gun pointed to the one aiming a bow as them all backing away.
"I am a living dweller of this land and I take defence on those that threaten me. If you want your hands, you better ease off slowly. Any fast rash from you and I shoot your interest."
"Which is what?" I pointed a different small bow weapon on the master of that servant. They comply with my demand. I too copy a fold back of weapons.
"We wish to confirm some folks of status to be dead as they are missing in action."
"That's reasonable." My many arms show the many many rings that aren't plain. Separated fakes from real then real into either races or collective ranking.
"Did you ever murder them?"
"No. These were found or traded by others. Often when I find rings, they are on the fingers of very very dead people. Like, it seems a lucky thing to find fingers or bones of fingers."
"Morbid but enough. What of those you trade from?"
"Clothus are often sorts for trading. But I been seeing less of them since I started getting a little half hazardly lost." They peered oddly, "I moved home when I was pestered to much by locals. So my point is looking for new home. New home that is of this land. Not pestered by afterliving folks to often." They were writing up titles they knew about rings but weren't interested in real trading. Just seeing them.
"Is the set row on the right top real?"
"I don't think they are but I am not fimilar with the real sets. I just sense this set are fake by they lesser metal quality or other methods imitations." I have one compare to another real like it, "See the engravings not so clean detailing – despite being different crest. The gems for a status like this are not to be lesser quality or glass mock. The over all feel is rough – as if fresher casting and less woren use."
They have someone come close to see what I mean. They poke to have it changed, see that it wasn't authentic. I react like that is something new I never seen before. They make it go back and I seem lightly focused on how that worked. Poking the same spoke but not giving it the thought. The rest all get hidden away. I jumped my sight with the one moving away from me. Slow on the rest of them gathering all a little more.
I lifted back up on this branch and eyed on them climbing it. Flexed times to click back my bones from the stretch. Hop over to the other branch that hung my hamic. Climbed down that tree to alter to mock a hooded figure. Just a hood like some mute mock, arms crossed within the sleeve. Parting the crowds out my path. I take seat underneath the tree, tilted with wonder if any were interested to come forwards for anything.
"Say Stranger which your clearly the reptile, Why are you hanging around here?" So the majority moved away with the larger strange thing gone. The more worried sticks around and them I had been speaking to this whole time came around in a ring to sit with me. servants of them controlling the crowds around this.
"I had guided some injured folks of your afterlife type here. Then I just stuck around to see what was the circle all about – curiosity. I will be moving on shortly as this location isn't to my taste. Not home enough and much more annoying then my last location."
The one that is most interesting in speaking to me has finally became mouthy enough to do so directly. This lot do wear that uniform look too. Maybe more directory realm folks or their higher sorts. The strict glances to the minor folks is a dead giveaway.
"It's interesting that you can understand and speak back a common dead language." Their eyes may have wondered, study of the reactions of others. Wondering if they also understood me and what they react with. My prolong listening and gentle twists with looking around a minor amount.
"Trading with the afterlife has side-effects. Much like if you folks keep walking the same trails then more likely the world around adapts to such curse." I stare beyond to the stone circle, "The monument is a good example of that. What were a old way of making a large scale calander has became a step through for folks like you."
"You're very knowledgeable." Likely had ignored my extra detail and was back to me in full stare and added smile. Such would make a cat crawller hiss at them, I snickered at them with that smile turning sour.
"Ask away stranger, curiosity is natural. I do recommend a strange thing." They nod, "Do not bare your teeth towards the other creatures around here. To animalist minds, that is a threat to fight. You would not want to become their puppet corpse." They frowned, "Cat crawllers do rarely speak a simple language but they are as named. Cats. Wild at that. Perdiecable or annoying."
They make a note of things on some sort of paper. I looked and thought to do that exact thing.
"Directory to other realms, sort of folks that write about encountering realms." They stopped writing, "I just helps a few folks that got in a terrible misfortune. That's what they would call themselves. You all wear similar strange black clothes."
"Yes, that's whom we are."
"Right, I could correct my notes." Out with the book and pen. Adding about some sort of ranking system that has little evidence supporting this assumption, "You may have well known this realm; it was nicer before the wars… nicer environmental control when humans took everything." I finished up a little on my notes and back that went, "The afterlife system had laws once because the 9 billion earthly populations. What shame of them being gone…. And that the wars have… well."
"Wait, is this where technology started?"
"I don't know about started but it progressively were impressive. Phones, tablets, Ipads, computers, wifi networking across the global, space exploration with metal probs. All gone now. Humans all but a small few. Lost mostly now. Some grims were talking about it. Interesting you folks too do so."
"Grim?"
"Soul collectors, grim reapers, or Death. All the folk tales the living have about someone to pry one soul out from the corpse ad guide them to the afterlife." They stare oddly, "What are you not tracking what crosses over to this land of living? What of them angels, demons and Clothus? I am sure they are called other things to you. Winged beings of feather, scaled terrors to sale your soul and then tricky cloth folks that the opposite of humans."
"Cupids, Demonata and the masks?"
"There were a folklore about one called cupid, the archer with arrows that strike someone into love." They went back through a book, one all finished.
The some stood and looked around confused of where they are.
"Is this a jungle rainforest in afica then?"
"No. this is what remains of the north American continent. This was my guess. But I have been wrong before. No one even maps anymore, and all the tracking tech isn't working like it use to." I see that have something that does connect and work. Getting all shocked and looking around for everything. The half of the group so chasing them in the discovery. I still have this one directly across me wanting answer, "Are you doubting my words or finding my gobbyness odd? It's a reasonable oddity to have. I made words speak with grims before. I still avoid them, despite they are friendly. But no living should be directly speaking to the afterlife, it breaks the reality of laws that used to be here. But I guess them laws broke when humans were slaughtered. It's changed with how the living now hunt you afterlife folks for a source of energy. The horror of this plain has became – it made it a war with you lot."
"What exactly is fighting us here?"
"What's fighting you dead souls is the creatures like myself." I corrected, "I am living soul and if I weren't a clever mind, I would have made you all my meal. But I am more human in my interests. I like knowledge and finding out about you afterlife folks. Grims have been terrifying to deal with but they welcoming compared to the other living things that are out to kill anything that moves."
"Right." He took out a blade and pointed to me, "Are you meant to be dead?"
"Not that I am aware of." He sweep the wrong place and failed to pry out my soul, "You're not normal in the slightest."
"No." I stood and stepped out of the mock of the cloaked figure and into a mock reptile snake, "I would rather you not play around with my soul. It's rude. I refused to be owned like some pet."
"The masks are nasty for their traits of slavery." I prolonged my glare and hold for a defensive strike. He seemed to go put is away. I weren't a fool, moving off this tree by shadow. Sinking away from sight. Into the litter of leaves and hidden by the forest litter. Sneaking away, triggering mass commotion to guard around the momument and have folks returned back from running away with their deivices.
Yet, having going this direct had me stop froze with staring at a grim. My dream wasn't fake? Something off about them, as if this wasn't a real grim, like this were worse then that. That this thing study's me as if hungry and not in the intelligence. I backed away from it and it stepped in following me. I tried sneaking into shadow and then backing up more. It took a larger step.
"Cassy," it turned to the shouting voice that carried. Walking that way. I poked out with watching it leave, "Go poke this." The directing folks – undertakers. This poked a corpse and that corpse turned like it. It reacted scared to be awaken from death. Then were talking in a muttering broken dialect. I moved away from all that.
"Hey reptile, ever seen a dementor?" A what? A scary corpse poking converting thing, heck no. I want nothing to do with it, "Oh, they left." They circled around to their allies at the monument…. Expect Cassy, that thing walked where I was last at. Poking around the litter.
"where are…." A minor froze between watching Cassy and myself. I was altered to my original colours and length, hanging around a 'tree'. Watching it then them. I am aware of them there.
"Lords… Cassy, get away." That dementor moved to their side, "Report a slayer to…" he didn't need to finish. It looked at me and backed away a lot more. They stare at me with how I watched that dementor gone. To then alter to the cloaked figure, sitting in watching them. Tilted in question.
They backed up a lot more with knowing I spoken to them and weren't interested in eating them. Slowly looked around for anything of danger.
"I recommend not coming closer here, Undertaker." I warned, "I am not sitting on a tree but a mock of a tree. A thing that will eat us both." My warning was just in time with them backing in time. The jaw snapped up of the root floor and closing around my right side. It failed to touch me this time. I hoped down and avoided the trigger stems. I my consintraction to not be killed by this tree was greating then worrying then other things. Well, until offered a hand by the dementor. I backed away from them, hissed.
"You never met a demontor before?" a lower rank undertaker is surprised.
"I mean not to be rude, but I find you terrifying." It backed away and a tilt, "You remind me of how short life can be. Just easy one can loss life with the smalls actions." I looked at the floor for stems that trigger and backed more away from not getting stuck between them both, "I sure that if I understood you better, I wouldn't be so antisocial. But do take my acts as wishing to stay alive a while longer." It untwisted out of that and does a cross of arms and points to me, "I am among the living, not the dead like you. I am not from the afterlife. I am a part of here." It studied around here, "This world dispetive, much larger then one can glace to. This spot isn't home. I don't like this spot enough to call this a good place to nest." They shurg to it and walked around to their ally and new corpse friend. I backed with wanting shadow around me, shade I am fade into the environment easier.
"That isn't a tree." The minor informed, "And our talking living here isn't just what it seemed."
"Makes all the more sense if they were the slayer."
"I am still here, please stop being so rude." I hissed, "I wouldn't ignore you if I knew you were around me."
They peered over my direction and around the place as they aware that I wasn't all to clear of being seen. I stepped around in a mock of a human, dressed in scales. A lady of my trading standards. Eyes jumping about their weapons, drawing my lines of false paths and keeping away from them generally.
"You avoid others in a personal sense but approach them as a fair trader. You given nothing of yourself away unless dire, as long is mean life or death to you."
They came back forward in front of me without weapons or any sense of trick to pull. Allies around unsure if this were a wise choose stare me down with words. They are nervous of me, even the dementors had shivered if my glance passed them. They knew something is wrong about me and about my ways. I wasn't fitting into some perfect dictionary definition of 'slayer'. That they blame the effect of this place.
This one's eyes had been on me totally, scanning my breathing and how blankly calm I were facing them. The only denote they were about to take were my mute ways. A moment of backing away with how I changed to a light glare, pinning points about them that looked softer or parts that would be presious to them.
"Anylising me like you know everything is quite…" I didn't have to finish that line, "Do you even understand the meaning behind what those words quantify at all? Does seeing other and many types make you think they align in ways for you fit in categories?"
The intelligent answer had caught them off guard and such a dark glare over them wasn't helping me. They thought I were planing some sort of attack, by being offened by the back chat. Weapons may have been aimed lightly, yet low for the beinfit of their friends here.
"This lost realm proven that we can know a lot from previous times but still it bring forwards new and confusing twists. Like yourself, there are versions of slayers out there that hop along awhere they wish. You connected here and twisted into the rules here. Speaking instead of instant life loss."
They looked to someone joining them, greeted in a hand shake and stared with both looking down on me.
"You're very youth, aren't you?"
"Do you know that we are aware of shadow minpulations?" My prolong silence dragged them through this twisted confusion of what to do about me and why I seemed frozen there. Blankly waiting for something else to happen.
"Are you aware of being able manipulate realm elements?" I don't even know or understand how to learn that. But I wasn't letting this be distracting to how the trees pick up in the breeze, the sounds of living nearby fighting over scraps and the light baking the grounds they stood on. The lone little dust cloud huffed through them; proving they are of the afterlife. Unlike how it sticks around me and muds over me.
"So silent. I would take it that your planing on how to leave this." Maybe another mind reader, been meeting a few of them as of late. They do have the nack of pissing me off, I might consider breaking a bone of them. Call it for each time I am aware of this going on.
Given the stillness, I want to assume this isn't the case. But hearing a gun rattle in someone grip, this being moved away from me as much as possible.
"Consider that thought a warning." I told them directly. They nod gently.
"Oh, so your more calculating then that." I want to strangle you but there your not worth the bloodshed. Just more dust to this wind and more lost souls for some poor scared grim to collect, "Flattery, But I don't think there are any grim reapers around to that duty." Then you have never travels west,west,south, "Why?"
"A trading post full of many things like grims and Clothus. How else would I came to learn of things often? Please stop reading me, I really will snap something." I looked at their hands, "Starting with your little finger."
"Why?"
"You just never realize how important muscle and bones can be until you loss their functions." I creep a grin, "Maybe going for a bone isn't as fun. Make you paralized, that be fun to watch." They back away slowly, "Not really worth the effort today, you all seem to have a duty beyond this realm and my understanding. Best you get on with your time before someone takes it from you. If not me then your own mistakes with playing with the other locals." I backed away from the dementor, "Not all things seem dead. Quite a are line to work out these days. It's no wonders why reapers also dust to the winds here."
"I doubt your words, nothing kills death."
"So blissful and ignorant. Am I really the child?" I tilted with sensing wrong coming this way, "Maybe I should have been." I stepped back and around to shadows. This were to clear my mind and mindless walk through in shadows only to evade Death grims. The timing must be on point to be narrowly missed by a blade. The life of this false tree taken instead.
"Damn, it knew and left." Turned on them around this grim, "Did they say where they were going?"
"Not really. They were thinking of wandering aimlessly until they found a place without afterlife intervention."
"Aren't you lucky to not have a eye gordged out."
"She considered my little finger then somewhere about paralizing me then was about to think of a more dishounoring way. She quite quick to keep her mind cleared and mindless – when becoming aware of mind reading."
"I wonder if shes still around here listening?"
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"This isn'ta cat. This thing could kill gods."
"With a concise and morals of a respectable human; her bark is worse then her bite. Whom knows where she learns her traits… just that she quite a coward in any approach to fighting."
"You are clueless." This long silence must have been from someone or something clueless, "You all never hear of the animal kingdoms bacsics of law. Survival of the fittest, best adapting and to be better colouring?" they really are clueless about that, "For a thing like that, she be worth dying over making owned."
"Enslaving?"
"What is that? No. Children to improve the blood lines, you lot are werid."
"Really?"
"Really."
I don't want to listen to anymore. Sliding off the last few tree distances and taking flight as a mock black feathered hawk bird. Enjoying the breeze in my flight, twirling with the currents. Hovered around the momunet in watching a few folks, then quick to dive into tree for a new flight direction. True south, until I am aching and tired is the goal.
The sky drifted all sorts of shapes above me, hovering and avoiding the top branches – dancing with traps. To meet a clearing and be the only shadow over the ground – lifting into the gliding winds. Taking rest in the breezes as a small dot. Something cold cored me, waking me out of daydream flight and to force landing. Forced to be altered into my normal shape and draining colder. I only started feeling better if I followed in a direct, understanding this was leading to greet someone with my scale. Given the cold shivers, I want to assume it is that of the reaper. The respected grim.
My turn to glare at them from a stone at the momunet, I came in in bird from. Silent to stare at how they wished to greet me if this were a prank being pulled over me. My mind were only icy silence, mindless with whistling wind being all that I thought. That of images that are of my 'friends' which are also here. Here I stay to glare, stay to wait for them to speak first.
"Let's us be more accepting of the fact that they weren't sure with how to react with meeting you all the first time." The reaper knows to look where is my place is, "Still not a crowds sort." He commented and offered my scale towards me. I study those around looking my direction. Altered to a smaller bird, shadow hover over their hand to take my scale. Then to perch a tree, "You know of our agreement."
"Very well, Grim. What are these questions this time?" I spoken softly and with glaring at the few weapon lifts, "Do you mind? It's rude to point a weapon, it's quite a threat around here." lowered again, "You wished to confirm about these rings?"
"You read minds or something?"
"Lodgic sense." I corrected, "Lass intuition."
"You were just here with trading a few rings. So you are expecting that information to carry. Makes sense."
"Snap a rib of yours maybe, poke a few holes and gut trail you." I hummed, "Maybe. That isn't quite enough."
"What so killing someone is acceptable?" The grim asked.
"No, but my mind is my privacy. I hate how it picked through like a book" The grim was at a pause with understanding the dilemma, "Besides, you don't have to kill to make one suffer. In fact, living is the act of prolonging a suffering until met with a grim. Usually. Things have changed since you lost them, maybe your not aware of that. But hear them, in a since of knowing where they came from."
"What are you being all criptic for? It's not like you."
"You're a grim, isn't it your duty to know where souls go?" They all hummed in interest, "I see. My old news is quite a lost bit of knowledge. Ones assume the old stories were simple. War wiped humans. The vaults to save themselves. The metal heavy doors became their tomb and tech cash. Grim came to take them and that seems nothing else. No, life isn't simple. Sorrow is what this land is, to what seemed a dead realm is in fact a realm over crowded of the living. Trapped as the less do their duty. Having to fight a spirit war to be noticed. I have became this open dialect puppet for it and left to be it's protector. I do a terrible job. But talk is all this is. War happens when someone throws the first stone. The scraps so far were to be notice. So you may truly leave us here to rot alone."
"You have a lot of grudges."
"No, not mine. This lands of scars wants no more, but is forced to make monster to fight you that break it. Do you find it funny that those that claim this as thiers seems dusted upon visiting?"
"So the missing here isn't a acciedental."
"Mostly it would be, but what does a population do to invaders that take things from them?"
"Laws."
"Yes, laws exist here. You demons, angels, Clothus, undertakers and the odd girm seem to have forgotten them. You broken them. Now it fends to stay alive – to stay as a living realm. Keep this planet from breaking. Lossing humans were a great weight lifted of nature's stresses. Yet, it also regerted losing them. Builds minds like me to maintain that was lost by human interactions. Creature with duties; unnoticed or oversighted. Yes, this realm is out for blood for the wrongs committed, but wants balance and strives towards a future. I wants grim to collect the souls of dead as you have always. Angels to bring us good and the demons to bring the bad. The clothus to be our nightmares. Whom knows else it invited for a purpose."
"I think we are lost with what your talking about."
"Pity." I commented.
The grim offered a hand out to me, as in to share something to me. I distrusted touch of many.
"I want to fix our deal… as laws are to be kept." I understood this I sensed this had to be, "You can't be both living and dead; it breaks law here. Right?"
"It does, no denial there. But I am not the only soul." He lowered, "Those that fell to dust from other realms. They are trapped here too. Failed to collect their corpses in time. The system is slowly being erased with the lack of your influence."
"Now I understand, you been taking about the realm as a whole. All things like trees, plants, bugs and extra. They have souls and not all of them should have stayed here."
"They hunt you reapers. Hunt you to finish they duty or dust you so you suffer with them." I peered out to the moon climbing, "The night makes them whole again, the zombies that come to beg you."
My words sent cold into them, the reaper on the instant to enact a plan. To fix this issue, to face the dead that should have left. To face the blame this realms believed in happening. The horror of the hollowed is what this night going to bring them. A good introduction into the supernatural of this realm. The first things a living learns of before any other race. To meet the horror of masked white tortured souls; they scream to be found easier – screaming to be taken. The pattern grows with the more aged they become or the harsher the gurdges they withheld within.
I have been aware of my convertion into one from the wrong sort of deal what had been made by the grim. The imbalance let me be sleepless in later nights. Hearing them be tortured by the torment of not dying… a terrible growing hate that strikes why I refuse to kill thoughtlessly. They are what I fear of becoming. I grateful that this reaper's going to try to do something for us, for them.
"We don't hear them at night." Yes, the downside of them. The living hear them just fine. Afterlife, fuck they don't even hear water trickling or wind whistling.
"But you seen them, assume them for clothus." My mask peeled off with my entire face, "You don't see them, do you?"
They all backed away, backed into defence.
"Only in the light of night."
"Or be dusted by the sun; law of the dead among the living. You truly forgotten it, broken it and peel it all for all the benefits."
"All dead or those from dead realms should be dusted by the light of this realm?"
"So does the pain from religions icons, spray of holy believed waters, to be sent back by commend and be trapped by salt. Earlthy salt."
"Like that superitions work."
I looked around for a target and was soon to catch the dagger, turned it to a ring. A ring thrown back at them. All done by my morphed tail, whipped around with my thoughts. Showing a ring of not important meaning made by afterlife. A bag of salt being salt. The ring burning in the salt. My next choose were a new type of weapon I picked, it too into flame by salt. I played and pour it around me. nesting in the grains.
"did you just make a mock 3 weapon burn instantly into flames?"
"By salt."
"What of a corpse?"
"Salt and fire. They no longer see to dust or ash; no instead they disappear. Gone like it were nothing."
"About that, you learnt that recently. Dropped corpse to a different realm by doing that. Am I correct?"
"Yes." I nod, "I am only at theory but you confirmed my belief. This makes that law ever so stronger."
I stopped with looking at they being surrounded by hollows; just how blind are the afterlife to them. As if they don't exist. I tilted with staring at them they mock this.
"Freedom to cross over by choose of being taken by the syth or be bathed in salt and flame." I shouted at them in the common living language. They all clicked between them, such a noise has all them backed away from forest edges, protected by the light.
"Burn them!" one replied, "Freedom."
I looked to the lost folks and sighed, I feel warmth climbing over me. I feel the fires eat away my skins and reshape me to the living flames. Floating and spreading into mass flame, I paint these flames on them. they caught the infection of flame, becoming real to the afterlife. They stepped into light and dared to brave the light so they make peace with cursing them. Curse all the afterliving of their inflections of the sun. All but the grim. Grim were avoided at all cost, even at the end. Even when salted into nothing.
Clouds of nothing lighted to the skies and all that were here are found with balance. My lifeline of flames caught me, now I burned of colouring painted flames. Drived out from the sky and dropped back first into the ground; snapping my neck, so I feel nothing else.
"So there isn't a choose for you with what happens to you." The grim spoken with all learning of the effect of the last light of dawn on them. None were killed but all knew what that meant. Coiled and carried onto the moment, petting me in sorrow. Watching over me when things were becoming darker but my lack of sight. This momument had pulled all my things from my shadows piled in circles arounds if an offering. Items closes to my heart were locked in rigged fingers. A sliver blue cream feather so lovingly light and in deep breath of living. All them rings. My mask and favourite wearing outfits.
"It time to take you…" Out from the earthly shell, locked into nothings. Acceptance. I have hated, ran, barginned and pleaded. No more. It's going to be ok. Time to be free. I sensed that we were all leaving the place I knew; you can't mistaken the difference in feeling for just being dead. I wonder if this is even death with the amount of times I have remember what is to die. This in a sense felt like soul kidnapping and I refuse to agree with becoming someone's little pet, servant or slave.
"The shell would have been worth more then the soul, sir Death."
"A shell among the living, there will be nothing wrong about that." I wonder if my corpse will attract things around there. Nature loves claiming things.
"Hey, is this even a active soul?" I wasn't happy about being handed and and treated ill. With what little that can be done; not breaking is my wish. Any try I will snap at them. somehow.
"Holy crap!" tossed back to the repear, "You really do have a god slayer soul. Those freaks that can alter everything down to the core of themselves." I were stared at for a length of time. Back to plain normal whatever, "You going to callor it?"
"I would be having to collect myself if that were the wish. This Slayer wasn't normal, I wondered if you knew why."
"Whatever they soul is reincarnations of; each time it lived, the souls should carry no power core with them as you know the more power in a soul, more desired for higher things. That once mundane souls be living and reliving; gained a lot."
"Godly?"
"Not that amount but in a slayer, yes. They say slayers are what gods are before they find their purpose in life or something like that. Power in whom they become can often be when a god slaying one or morphed from one."
Moved onwards away, not saying any final words. On to further places, places I can't come to being in. Death finds this odd as he can't walk past into more realms with me in hand. Scratched with what to do about me if I were to stick around this sphere. He tracks around confusingly but then again fails to pass me over around another sphere, to another plain. He takes a different route through divides making it to his orgin, to his realm. Many stare oddly for having to take a route that's uncommon.
Enough to time has pass to be put into something. I wanted to a assume some sort of box. But there were also a body within. So placed into a body that was within a coffin box.
I grasped how this body felt, how my sense had to settle through a tiny shell, my shadow had to turn to cloth – so that all of me can cling around me in whole shape. I felt no sense of touch, but a sense of understand what it is to grasp around things. A numbness like touch were a phantom pain. My face isn't whom I thought of myself, I had to change it. Brown eyes, long dark brown hair. Of course a lady. Of taste in style. My original scales are gone but one will act as if a gem to my chest, mocking a necklance piece. No thirst or hunger. Does this lid open? Not from this side. A little knock will be my asking.
"If you are awakened, would you kindly repeat that?" knocked again in a confident harder tone, "Very moody." Not the one whom put me here. Yet I think I know that voice, "Here." some sort of clicked clasp was peeled, "Not going to hurt anyone if I do? Knock for no." No for one knock and be moody condfent with it. To be a certain sounding answer. This lid peeled, showing this being in a standing position. Given the hieght difference going on, I studied them with stepping out. Inspected my only two hands in a better lighting.
"Hey," A blade to my neck and stare at them, "You haven't spoken." I gasped around the blade, plucked it from their grasp andtook there hand before they can jerk back about it. Flooring them out of being mad. Placing the blade gently on the tip beside them. It didn't hurt them with how it dropped on them.
"That was impressive." A gun now? really? I glared darker about that and had my shadow pulled them into a void to fall on the floor without their gun. Gun dropped infront of them. Shadows back around me.
"I would threaten our new ally, she?" I nod, "She's not what she looks to be." I looked around the place. It's like having a dog's vision here, grayscale colouring the stone works, the grey is all that tans my skin. The only few that have a colour are people. Them that look like humans, these are grim in their natural ways. I was stopped with being handed somethings. Somethings from my other life. The feather, alive of the silver blue hues hidden on white. An egg of my scales, my body returned to a packable shape. The some bits I considered personal and even that tent cloth and threads. I smiled in having them back, hugged them in welcomed in my arms. A smile passed with a nod to the grim.
"You remember what those are?" I nod lightly, "You don't need that." He pointed to the egg and I step away with a pout, "Whatever that is isn't needed." I considered eating it to make sure he isn't going to pester me about it. Instead maybe sinking it through me was my better choose – showing that weren't a hatchling like they thought it were. I felt the adjustments click a few time and then I were fine. walked around him with my height changed to a elder lady, not a toddler.
"Is that what it was and not a child?" I stare with not being any different. I pouted with knowing I can't have children when I am the only one I am of. That my existing race isn't about having children.
"That's quite a sorrowed look." Another noted, "You can't bare, can you?"
I stare with just agreeing and walked around a little with looking at things, stopping to how the ravens and crows seem not grey statues. That they are alive looking frozen in their stance. I offered a shiny tricket and had one jump to me. playing around with it. I smiled with the interactions, petting the bird as it played and enjoyed my company. Reacting with how nature birds always seemed this one to me looked no different. Dispite this being a different realm of rules. This bird seemed just as others before it. A loving soul within.
"merlin?" The bird fluffed up from hearing their name dropped. We stop and finish with a nod, off it goes to duty needed. The next bird took their place to have a little baby time, loved with a little pet.
"seriously?"
"Clearly these folks don't know how to treat you." I commented and light cooing around was a agreement. Others land to my shoulders, muttering some secrets to me. Or the few laws they have here about natural animals like us to have duties normally. The more godly birds being out at the moment with soul requests. In being far I shared a few tips about the best stones to sharpen claws and breaks with. The best way to dust bath after drying from a water bath.
"Excuse me?" I offended someone.
"Yes, little one?" I asked.
"You not human are you."
"No but don't be so scared of me. I am not interested in eating anyone or causing headaches. It be terrible manners." They all looked about each other. One to land on my head to eye them. Off the flock to duty.
"You're alright after the bird attack?"
"Bird attack hardly." I purred, "Lovely proud birds. Not the one's to attack you unless you offend their intentions, duty or identity. Most birds have there self-centred ways."
"Hey, uh. You do have a name?"
"Twilight is my nickname." I purred, "Does it bother you I never gave my real names?"
"Yes." I laughed with that complaint.
"I didn't have the consent to be here. It's why you had to take the other route, isn't it?" the comment was a lot god fearing then I excpected, "It's quite fine. I know my ways back home."
They nattered in a stranger language and I pouted with not understanding them so well. The lack of colour had my eye following the plants that do, felt that they were leading to somewhere dangerous.
I am not going to be the fool to follow them. Death and this little team of clothus or traders I knew were moving along a path that weren't of any colours. Bland grey corridor the the brown wood doors seemed a colour clue to find here. In a full explaining of things, not a word I could understand. He directed to the syth's room and cares within. Warnings painted red on some doors and blue on others. The personal rooms full of door that were of colour; dulling into greyscale. The spare empty one's is where others filed into. I didn't like any of them. Stopped with how a black door voided light that touched it. A sort of abyss that stared back at me. But I knew to move on, watching it as we linger onwards.
"It's of no surprise that no where here is somewhere you claimed to be yours." Death spoke very humanly, as the air carried his voice here. There is a sense that the dead were alive here. That only the dead seemed alive. It makes sense for a 'dead' realm. To act on reversing the life to death scale; it's reason of existing.
He were soon to lead me through other abnormal places directing to the doors of other realms, how colourful they are. But I can't be there. I knew it. How those doors slammed in my presnse coming closer, if my shadow were to brush the touch of the doors. Lock me out, is exactly how they do.
"Interesting that none welcome you."
"I am as much scared of them as they are of me." I corrected, "Whom would want a monster in their peaceful field of lambs?" I was upset with myself for being to scared then they fearing me.
"Wow, look at you." So someone steps from a void door, "Aren't you so special?"
"Temptation fails to be interest." I
complained at them, "Worse they seemed more a stake on a dinner plate then a thing that talks." I hummed, "I find that quite waste, a waste of souls talent."
"Excuse me?" they backed offer and back through that void door.
"Rude much." I commented, "Mmm, Interesting how those doors are nothingness. That these others of colour aren't welcoming to me and the one that begs for me claws at my shadows senses."
"You didn't make any sense." I were told. I let it slide as I see the only few doors ahead are only voids. Each crawled out a thing food hunt. I hummed with not wanting to be so tempted by the offers. But among them were a coloured sort, one that isn't food. That walked to death ever so closer, speaking hushed. Left me behind.
"Help." A light little voice from beyond behind me, "Please hear me. Find me a rose, find me."
"A rose? But…"
"they took my rose." I felt the voice brush around, "they took my soul to them." I could almost see what they meant; how the vines of shadow marked the one of colour speaking to death, "Stole my rose, the devil. He is a nasty trickster. Please be careful."
"Twilight?" Death's only now noticed how far behind I became, "I see, not a fan of the hells."
I may have done my stare from measuring then few around me, walked by them without hearing them. No once did I have to listen or hear them.
"Be careful." That little voice creeps me… as if it followed me around as a child around my leg. I gave my darkest glare went into scanning this god devil; it had some laugh and some turn stone.
"What did I do to you?" He asked, "Hardly anyone gives me that look unless I annoyed or tortured them."
"Not me. No. You took something."
"Uh, how? What are you?"
"You caught him off guard… clever." The voice whispered.
"I beginning to wonder with is real." I muttered on my own, "It's it that the devil whom whispers temptations or the thief for roses?" I hummed and picked up this shadow, "Maybe you one of the same. A thing that hides in itself. You a fallen, weren't you. What a human legend… I thought nonsense."
"I really don't like you." The two were of the same being. I weren't fooled.
"I wouldn't antganize your murderer…" death directed at first towards me but then on to the devil, "She's not a human."
"Right. One of my children?"
"Gravy… you need gravy. Wine gravy." I hummed, "No… roasted devil asisde. I don't like this part of the corridors." I stepped around them and continued to walk on with meaning a white wall. Like touching water. I weren't to surprised with knowing I needed to turn back. To be then picked like a doll and pulled through into it.
"You're perfect."
"For what?" I got up on my feet from being put of the floor. My eyes could seen them or anything all that clearly, finding the bright light harsh on the new eyes. Unafirad to reach out and feel faces of others hand that brushed me. I closed my hands and listened around for how many around me and trying to not act so blind.
"You're not a slayer are you?" One muttered past me, even the voices were spinning around me. They circled around me. If I took a step any direction, the followed. But they seemed also to block me from walking into doors that we all knew I didn't need to be, "You can become one of us. One of us that protect the divides between realms."
"What realms are you from?"
"new is what you are. Youth."
"Take this gift from us, let that be yours. Yours to bare." I backed away from the branding and enslaving services. To my mind I thought of a weapon to slay them with, directed towards them. All back away.
"Since when did you give that a weapon?" I break my shape and changed my eyes so I may see easier. These demons had blinded me, and no longer will they. I have became their nightmare as the light were gone and the void that this corridor has always been showed. Gone were these fools. Back to their little doors. Back to my mock of innocence. Walked as a woman with pride. Still my hands clasp what I believed in. It were my protection in a corridor full of nasty worlds. Back to a mirror surface to walk through. To be without my weapon when walked through. But I could play with shiftering my nails of their shapes and colour. Walking back around past the two still in conversation.
"You turn back or something?" the devil laughed.
"Did I?" I spoke and looked back to the see it all still there, the mirror barrier, "I thought this were the otherside. Never mind." I walked around them and listened at points to the voided doors and to the colours places. I weren't feeling it, nothing grasped to me in saying it needed me. Only that I were back to the coffin room and to dare following the coloured path. Following colours where they took me, I haven't worked out. I stop to listen at the doors. Stops to let the duty pride uniforms walk past me.
"Hey, where are you going?" A hand to my shoulder. I were about to turn to look towards them but find my eyes caught with the way of colours changing. Like the colours had changed where they lead to. My hand slide thiers off my shoulder as I walked onwards with seeing these colours were turning into, "Aren't you listening to me?"
The realms seemed altered, like the grey was being wiped away. Like that, so to were myself. I was changing too. That my grey clay skin was turning. But with the world gaining colour, the flowers and plants were made the more noticeable. How they glimmered brightest then their surrounding. They were soon colours that changed or split into new paths. Red, yellow, blue; flower paths. The void doors were doors of black throned vines. The good realms had hue white flowers; angel feather like.
"Hey!" I was about to step following the yellow, "I think Master Death were looking for you."
I paused in thinking of what I wanted to do. Looked back towards where death is. I heard him walking this way.
"Thank you, Jess. Best leave them be now." They got off my case and I study around with how the plants were lingering, "What as you so out of it, twilight?"
"Nothing partlucarly. Just that my sight changed." My hand hovered around my right eye, "Maybe?"
"sight?" the devil laughed, "Why? Does the world seem grey?"
"You say that like a joke." I commented, "But yes. This world for a while seemed in a grayscale, confusing me." I hummed, "I do like the colour red. But it's often passion, anger and danger. Blue smooths; sad reflection. Yellow envy and attraction for the smaller bugs. Chooses. But none are what I wanted. No. None of them have a shadow. No…"
"What plants are you on about?"
I blinked with being more confused. Gurgled of the foul scent that crossed me, backing into the arms of death. Shrink with wanting to not be noticed.
"Shesh, who got crisped in decay?" the misfortune one was helped along with that one that begged me a moment ago. Lead to be helped into washing them wounds.
"Another fails." Death muttered, "I wonder how many reapers it will take to tame the core."
"Whom was it?" I asked.
"The core? It were once a living thing, that must is known. But none as ever…" I study where that door were and what colours it held. Just looking towards it altered the plant life to wither from the other paths and grow brown stemmed and weak of flower buds.
"Thirsty, isn't it?" I asked but my voice was asking the flowers that sway, "needs water and food."
"What?" the devil was lost, "I about to say you shouldn't try. Right?" he looked at how death were confused about me.
"Maybe there are things that can't be seen by us."
I thought about where if any was a kichten. Hummed with wanting to help. The stems grew around my feet without thrones it were pulling me to there. To find that I am not moving from my spot like it or not. The acted as if a death's realm version of a venus man trap. Clawing with begging for food and for help. To eat things that didn't offer water to them. But then my mind went there with a sudden thought. What if this flowers and plants were of the death fields? The one's of good veg. How would one be trapped here? Muggled through on accident or the soul of one.
"It needs to be looked after." I voiced, "A scared child without food or water."
"She's seems more creepy the longer she hovers about going there." I stepped to shadows and sneak my ways around to other realms. To steal some basic unnoticed reasorces. A hell of fire ( I stole a stone for warmth), a land of ice (I took a crystal snowflake for it's bueaty), a land of forest (took a bag of soil), and a world of foundtions (I took the safe nutreal clear water). I left a mark at each, a claw gash to prove I were at fault. To walked up from the floor to be back at the door. To be faced with death and the devil; here in staring at how I acted strange to them.
That pet the stems of the plant, that sing a little low pitched tone, to waltzed through the door following my reflections. Sung with grace with this song made from nothing. Given each little stopper one of my gifts – so it may bloom so much more pretty then. To came further in and bow in meeting the core of all these roses. My sight was still blinded with only noting that I greeted darkness. My song slowed and soothed; stopping where it repeated me. That it gave me a few gifts in that's. Painted me in something.
"What is it you fear most?"
"What an odd question?" I spoke softer then it was expecting, "I guess, I fear rejection or that the fear of others. Often I am hated for what is and ignored for whom I am. Born from a realm that is survival over pleasures. No more humans, them whom were that to protect us all from the supernational. To there ebeing no more has been more damaging then the radiation they left the world to suffer in. Which seems oddly ironic."
"You're not a grim."
"No. Not at all. They call me a slayer. In fairness, my shapes can seem like nightmares. Yet my soul yearns to be see without fear. A request to allowed to be selfless. Not scared from my burtal strengths." I petted that scar on my neck, "Pity those I have to rid for my survival. Help them that I can speak to like equals. If I were to tell them I were slayer, they flee and that hurts me more then a wound."
"I like you." This core changed everything around and emptied this contatinment void. All into mask in my hand, "Take me as we share the same sorrows. Let me be a part of you, let me shield you and show you what your not seeing."
I held the mask in stare, hummed of choosing.
"Maybe one day we could be free to live around beings and have friends." I commented as it then hummed, "Life seems more worth it's cost when closer to death we become. The thrill and wake up call make us love what is around us me."
We laughed together as I place the mask to the side of my face, it power wrapped around me for now. Something so hollow inside of me seemed to yearn to wear this mask right, to ate it and consume it the strength. To make it a part of me. That feeling made the mask hover off me, for it to study my expression of weighed shoulders.
"You're a god slayer?"
"Yes." I voiced, "Lonely one at that." I picked the mask from the air and leave the room. Back to death and devil, "Did I miss something? I was in a bit of a lala land." I laughed lightly. I crossed my armed around the mask in hugging it.
"So, a slayer walks in and out without a touch of difference."
"Would you ever consider these two friends?"
"Aren't they souled beings like others. Like us in a sense of knowing how to life and learn – despite they duties. Aren't they people too?"
"Who talking to?"
"No one." I smile, "I like rambling, your reactions are amusing to watch."
"Tone the creepy down." The mask asked, "Maybe then you might find to have friends."
I hummed about that. Blinked toward how empty the room is behind me and that the next reaper walked in and back out. Does so several times.
"I think they might be a little confused." I detated, "I wonder if they are looking for that."
"That?" the devil wanted to know.
"Yeah, that." I directed to the room that does still have things in it. Items carried out of the room, "I guess the one that was hungry wasn't, turned to be such a nothing."
"Twilight, where is the core?"
"I walked into a room of nothing, so you tell me. I thought I had to water a plant or help a child. No. I get to walk a empty void room of nothingness. I were very confused." Off they ran to go find the decayed repears, I watched them leaving me behind, "You think they feel of that?"
"Why are you protecting me?"
"Can't we be friends? It's rare I find friends. Friends that mean it. Not them friends that will sale your soul over. No. A friend protects the other and is there for them no matter what. But not to much and that become arkwards."
"Gah, you so human minded for your own good. No wonder death brought you here. To learn from you like he were with me."
"Should we go home? Where is your home anyways?" I toddle off with looking for any signs, "You were the illusions of flowers, right?"
"Yes, that was me. Follow the black roses." I turned around all over the place to look for them, finding them trailing up the ceiling, "What?"
"Doesn't gravity stop you?" I asked.
"What is that?" it played me or was being honest. I give it a try stepping up to the ceiling, finding it no different to the floor. It makes sense with how there isn't any furniture around here. It be confusing if they have pictures hanging on the floor. The black roses were speckled of white, as if to my likeness. A deep void of stars glowing from the gloom. This world I walked through was full of being like this, but they were coloured of many unseen sky's.
Speckled shapes that held a pattern. My new friend was random in speck placement, black as the void that stares and blended into the nothing as if a part of everything. There was a lack of expression in facing anyone, even to them that he knew. How they teased even after going missing.
"Those are them 'friends' that you couldn't make real friends." The mask turned with how I understood them and this loneliness. This depression that took over them and took away their colour, "You're more precious and rare then they are. Sure they have colour but you rock that voild venter black. The impression of endlessness and space. Plenty of room to become something bigger then them."
"I always hated being unquie then the rest."
"I would have picked you anytime for any occasion. You like outer space." The mask didn't understand, "I want to show you something but we can wait."
They continue to direct me around where they lived and told me stories. Talked about the aspects of living among so many. To be a part of the city and be the stranger that been overlook all their life. Nothing was missed. Everything was amazing to learn.
"Do you want to go back?" I asked.
"I am not needed anymore." They sighed watched those with the new fashions of white. White colour becoming the normal.
To rid of colour, what a shame. To cover up who you are for the sake of being among the trend or erasing what they could be so other's do laugh at them. There is a difference between setting a standard for all to shine and to paint over all so all are mindless nobodies. This case was the wrong example of how to be a star.
"It's a shame they are taking away the beauty of what made this place a wonder. I prefer the rainbow of shiny colours hypnotically around then the washed out what takes away from everything." My words echoed quite a bit along with how my step tapped the streets. The dragged silence had me humming softly an old tune; some sort of human song. One of them about being free to be yourself. Carried with me in my hands the mask melted with a blank expression; listening to me and how I sung so calmly.
I have managed to return back around the death's realm corridors. Singing a little more quitter, passing through as if no one special. Walking into a conversations that concerned not myself or this new mask friend. They spoke in quite a dark tone; not making any sense to me.
"What are the laws?"
"Ask the slayer." I guess it does concern me.
"Which?" I make them spooked, "Hi?"
"How long have you be here?"
"I don't know. Whatever long it was when I came out the coffin." They all blinked and looked at death that then muttered a few things then I were back to me, "You don't have clocks around here, so how should I know. I don't see a sky with moon, stars and sun."
"Right, like that matters."
"A whole lot more then you think. My realms very complicated and took many many many years for humans to grasp their understanding. Yet I guess without understanding they would have been no technology to rely on."
"What?"
"That stuff aside, why has the sun been burning the afterlife beings to dust?" they muttered if they said that right.
"Must mean there was order restored with the laws. You whom are the afterlife should only show in the light of the moon. Ghost to our sense, devils of the dark and angelic wonder of prayers. There to never touch or be seen; to exist as a prensense without senses."
"Terrifying."
"Think of the code of conduct around humans and apply that to now." they all suddenly were enlightented by that, "The living can't see dead unless cursed or gifted." They were in a flurry of understanding everything, how things were before the slaughter of humans. when they came at a moments fall.
"Time for you to go home." Death hovered his hand over my face and muttered something. Shattering the shell of the body I were given to exist here. to turn into dust, as a soul, egg, feather and mask.
The soul placed into the egg and placed with the mask and feather. On something of a nest or tree. It's what I would wish it were. But then everything swallowed into darkness and my mind fuzzed.