The nimble that we kids can be, have ease to push though between crowded gatherings. A sort of announcement being exclaiming around. The angels, clothus and visitors all staring at judging way some god of unknown origin.
The kit of clad plating was ethereal and powerful in tension. The very taint of blood and ashes of things the guy murdered had a law breaking side affect to the very ground they stood on. Unable move without more damage to the area. The strange figure held that aura of a god. A common trait with power influences are most recognized for that aura and without doubt was felt everything nearby. The angel announcer trips and struggles with reading the full title of this guy... keeping strong to have it finished. The crowd has a lot of folks... some whom stare in ponder if this god had the right authority to fix the law problems clothus were facing.
"Welcome back whisper of gods." Grey wings interuppeted the announcer angel in mist of being twisted over the fancy long titles. I bow carefully like the angel, hands still held together while my other hand cradles the prince. The clothus snarled in being beat to the punch of speaking up.
"The tome was sad when you left without saying anything. I was worried what may had happened." The sigh of being glad I wasn't among the forgetful ones. Taking a plate off heavy armor to greet us. The resulting clatter of what scrap remains of the gluantles and chest piece brust into a spray of powder over the floor. All so we can do hand shake exchange with grey and me. The gasps of the gathering crowd as the more came forwards in witness of me and the angel.
"You are doing a fantastic job at keeping the worlds from collapse when I told ink to not interfere." Scruff heads, "Ah the ender I was seeking." removes the prince from the pouch, "Its almost... Well you understand. One moment you were a corpse and now you a infant. That they are all ignorant of paying mind to." holding them and then gifting the tome, "Here is you soul tome... Well the half of pages that I had a war over." The happy smile from the prince, "Dont mention it. We are know how unfortunate it is to be the one to break the rules for other souls."
The pages of that book spray open and smacked in attaching over the infant, aging them and making them age rapidly. The clothing turned from magic and damn making. He stands himself, much older looking the me and the angel. He frozen at the spot with thoughts and gathered memories.
"Yes... this is all the names missing." He declared, "You are amazing talent for a broken soul... the ender whom watches you home must be extremely unfortunate." He casted a ton of other magic stuff around and was pulling tons of items from storage. Muttering with whatever part of history he should ahead been expreince. Ink a fast acting snatcher to sudden tare this ender out of history really quick. So good at it that fact of the prince never being born was the only present change. My mission to guide the followers and learn to be a private servant to someone among the family is unchanged.
"I wonder how long it was for the dream world." My angelic ally beside me asks. I meditate on this with flashed images of what I needed and what was changed. Whom I served now instead, Mark has a son. This son is older then me and refuses to have me around. Age thing. Many attempts to avoid being seen by him while doing my servant duty. The son wouldn't be here... he currently off island. However... we will cross paths with hanging out with Mark.
"Stone delivery?" We looked to a confused set of angels, "Its destined here. Anyone expecting a stone delivery?"
"We are." I shouted. It was rolled over with annoyance. The god whisper does us a favour of breaking it into the dish bowl that was requested. The massive platter dish is cleaned up and sterilized by me with magic casting. The archangel coming forwards took up handling it from there.
"Amazing..." I noted with not continuing, "I was going to say more but I shouldn't here."
"The impact of force taken could have shaved off the training stone at camp like butter." Better worded from feather here as we awe in the amazing size of the clean slice.
"I don't think it was that impressive."
The dish is quickly sorted to the nearest kitchen are for the pure ingredients of a specialist meal. The preaperations was almost a war in itself with elements of the more true to elemental laws. Plants, creatures and minerals stewed into a holy relic of a dish. The myth is that the taste of this dish depends on the purity on one's soul, it complements ones personal tastes or punishes them.
"Can anyone of us eat something like that?" I asked with following my nose at it. The grey feathers posed in meditation of thoughts. It were the god whisper whom snickered.
"All the time without fail." both me and the angel think about that... and then collectively as a soul. Sighing in knowing exactly what it flavour is. No... how it feels to eat it, not the taste.
"Servant." I turned around to the group I should have been with this entire time, "What are you doing and ho did you cross here? You're godless."
"Mmm... Not exactly but to you, yes I am." I nod with the angel. We give bow with the whisper of gods. Walking over to the party of a time that all the adults (more exactly the living are having) in rally over where to walk from here.
"Well if I remember correctly. I have someone to met us where the Omen God went. Something about a object needing removal from the area." I shouted over all of them and the ring of silence.
"We know there a pathway that takes you to the river of the passing."
"We have trade with the ferry man to give anyways." I continued, "He will drop us a few realms up stream."
"I heard that it would be a short but dangerous crossing with slayer reptiles."
"whom also have trade with us." I add in, "We be protected by them to the god of omens." The nod of both grinning.
"I totally forgotten that you had contact with the whispers. A odd group whom have nothing in common with each other." That of wafted hands, "I had no clue that a whisper was among you already."
The many have had their speaking time with the gods whom protect them. The angel give me a blank stare with nod. We let go of hands and he runs off to do things. He goes out of sight, he seems to be avoiding to much fame with the high ranks. He was in perfect timing too as I had all the attention from everyone.
"A faithless and strange child. You are to young and beyond your abilities to be here alone." I give my bow towards them all as no matter whom is here. They all out ranked me by one way or another, "However, a reputation of being a whisper does put some kind of assumptions. You would be the only one here whom could categories and name things here." A hand waved to the table, "So this is my test. Order these items accordingly to value."
I am picked up and put to the table height to see. A lot of things a human could not know. I stare at each thing, regardless of assumptions of being a living human. How I even leaned to look at things the right way around without touching anything is made folks unnerved.
"The simple answer would be that our asking the impossible." I straighten up and look at this requester, "Your asking me to judge the values of things that are priceless. If I am going to be truthfully honest, I am not skilled as a hunter or grim reaper. Its not my job to... We would only value something based on the effort it took to save or find them... not the worth that they are." I pause in thinking, "There is some expectations to this due to the strange trades you make when being a wandering places. My example is the most dangerous," I pointed to the jar of black sand, "Such sand at that amount would be enough to summon a lot of harmful things."
"I already like them." The clothing of the fella home said that was someone whom belong to a past culture for another period of time. They had that lost practices about them that carried in the accent and hand waved manners. A god of a lost tribal culture or someone akin to the world that culture of nomadic lifestyle lead. Many ordements of charms hung on hand woven cloth and was hunter armour. Wisdom in their eyes but face hidden by a ornate hand craved from skull of some creature. My words spoke strong of their way of seeing other souls and not putting value of soul status, "A broken one... but... you are strong."
"I would say well travelled and above what awareness I should be." I bowed to them in my reply, "My physical age does no reflect my many roads of existence." The fella is nods a lot in agreeing.
"Tell me then..." the wavered in worry, "You whom are a whisper. You will know of others. You will know of the one that has protected my people from harm... a lone wolf." He takes out a item... a claw. I ask for it and he is hovers in fear of me touching. I nod with being very sure, taking it. I study this for a long while.
"Oh, they were looking for this. Well I am glad it wasn't used for something wrong." I nod in sighing in relief, "I know what you mean. I know thier nickname. All of us whispers have nicknames. This fella is... Well... If you got to the wrong side, you be his clothing decoration. He protects a void space... Something a existence that could not be recorded natural to human belief. A monster whom respects the fear of gods." I smile about the claw, "Thankfully it wasn't a fool whom collected his claw. A fragement of body that doesn't belong." I look to him, "May I please have this?"
"Your words pays the value." He nods. I nod with letting the claw melt into my own body. I carefully took out something else. I pass it to him, "My lost dagger."
"Something to say sorry for scaring you. Meant no harm with returning the ones whom belonged." He take it with pride and back to his belt.
"Whispers are mysterious folks. They all do that weird knowing thing. You ask about another whisper to tell one something. You will find the next whisper had heard it too."
I look at the table of items again... looking at them with how soul fill each it. A mask plate of a damned, a blade of a.death god, the scale and skull of a slayer... the necklances of lost god followers and trade coins that could make gates to places. Each one is unique and so interesting. A plant from the air element realm. The lamp from some sort of abyss where the flame is black. The statue sat to the table wrong because it up right out knock anyone out with a headache.
"Servant, where is the next nearest whisper?" I frown with this sort of question because I have to lie everytime.
"You don't want the nearest one. Instead there is five around here. The most important is the whisper of gods, he was nosing in the kitchen a moment ago. He went somewhere else by now." I tilt with peering at the fear whisper taking away another as its duty and straighten up again with looking to a clothus group nearby. Among them is a whisper whom wants my attention. He gestures a lot in telling me something, my view blocked by ink. He studies me.
"Why so active?" He asks.
"I personally haven't a clue. But the clothus one does. You interrupted him." the move of peering at where I looked originally as the clothus all start to the one making moves alone straight to me. I give my greeting and nod.
"I am OK. Its rather boring to wait for poeple too." I said because I can't replica clothus language so well, "The court must be a mess to send you around like this. Just how many worlds are in cross fire of such a political mess."
"All of them." The agrivation and noting of the people around me, "They say talking to living people is important to the case yet were denied such talks. Worse it that it can't be the god followers."
"Being blind, I get it." I agree and smile, "No way. Can we trade?"
"You know the rules." fluttering hands of how that breaks so many regulations.
"Oh man but that would be great my next commission. The Styx wants it." The long stare, "We off to hell by the slayer bypass and the abyss eaters."
"Your a nut case." the look up, "Not meaning it with harm but here. You lost this." Passing over a dagger, "Stop leaving it to idiots of hell court. I can not tell you the amount of assassinations have been a nightmare." A bunch of gesturing laws and education. More importantly the glare of wanting to punch ink across the face.
The snarl increasing as the more insulted the clothus is with ink over something in courts. That of instant stare into the hist whom is the cause of the issue.
"You..." Snarling, "Do not ever ask a Clothus for trade or anything else. You have officially black listed from the whole legal side of society. Only idiots and the desperate would dare make any deals with you." Leaves instantly at that.
"Lord Mark, you broken 19 laws of the Clothus. Its no wonder they hate you. His words that I translated." I bow. The slide at him, "He said a lot of not nice things about playing around in other beings games of chance... whatever that means."
"See, you upset a whisper. Most of the rest if them will too. It doesn't matter what shape or form they are in."
"So if I ask this servant why the tome of souls is hard to navigate." Looking to me. I looked behind him to the fear whom knew the answer and was by gesture stating the arguments that I had with my creative self over the issue.
"You have really upset the whisper of the category you were looking for. Is the translation I can offer as the answer." I look to Mark, "There is more to the matter then just what I could ever explain. The tome you asked about is a complication in many ways to get any proper information about or from. I don't know what else of a answer you need from me." I sense the anger of my other parts, "If I spoke freely in ways of disregard of my place between royal and nobility... There is to much I would say."
"A polite answer." Ink disappeared to be around Mark and in turn alter his appearance as the elder ender in human shape. I didn't hold any fears about him unlike the many whom gasp by issue of him revealing this. I jump off the table and stood straight in waiting for the waves of emotions and arguments to rage. That of the other enders of other tomes pulling back the unaware for safety. I make the only one around here that didn't move away or react so much. I weren't pulled back because he is my ender of my time. His harm over me would be a duty for something else.
"Indifferent. You belong to my time zone." inks voice spoke in notation, "We have a promise don't we. It would be why you not shocked." He forget again, likely was playing about in a time cut and was aware once again for him to sound forgetful, "I could murder in front of you and you don't even bat an eye. You would be a fragement of soul that I dealt with all that long ago."
The dagger he been handed is something made to slay gods with... Well it has properties to remove god titles from host god bodies which would kill a immortal. Its that sort of thing that doesn't kill a gods persona but the person that acts as the persona. Made by slayer claw or teeth, slayers are creatures whom exist between realms to protect souls passing over. Its more complex then that.
"Tome pages..." He points it to me and at speed of making sure I am not going to dodge or escape. I didn't need to.
"Mark is always hard headed and doesn't think things out so much." The god whisper making commentary and at the nod agreement of Philip whom was a infant not to long ago.
"Always never out the realm sort of thinker. It elder was to tell his host everything, they would have worked it out by now." The one I gave the pages to, well the god whisper gave soul tome pages to, "I request for the other half of the pages instead."
"Bold to assume I would..." The dagger has already pierced through and was being twisted about different areas and stabs. I just let myself endure the pain and side effects. I know I can survive this pain and wounds and injury... or just not fear what happens to myself after.
"Bloody morons." Sean then... death it is. I am not fussed. The corpse I leave behind dropped and peaceful... not at all reflective of the pain, "I still don't understand why this soul chooses to trust a blood thirsty murderer." Sean dislikes Mark too but copes with interaction with ink, "Its your fault." My soul fragement to ink, "You better make it up to him." Sean leaving to his other death god duties. He doesn't like standing around Mark.
"I did look forwards to see him more around longer." Ink pouts at me, "No regrets then?" this fragement fades by way of being stolen by the powers of damned. I have already a portion of existence as a damned. More influence as now a dead soul damned, simple chanced my rank from a blank to a noble.
I took a tare through shadows to navigate back around to the conversation... I would have skipped a lot with being to busy dying. To edge by by storage pocket of the clothus of me.
"Deal." finally we exchanged items. He takes carvings I made and I get the stone chuck he collected from his law travels. The room of snarls and anger for the living to be murdered on sacred grounds. No one has moved my body... no one would be able. Not even living... not that they tried. Ignoring fighting and adjusting my shadow form to puppet my corpse convincingly. A bunch of thrown words by clothus interference as witness to such acts. Souls whom are angry that peace is broken by the one being whom has excuse to murder wherever and whenever.
"I feel so treasured that they care about me." I pass comment to my god side. Whom sighed and agrees, "Should I?" He disapproves. The clothus of us also stood in great greed to see harm come of Mark, a little payback for that pain. The clothus fluttering excited of the fight.
The fear whisper of us looking at the mess and just unable to collect lost souls among the fighting... staring in boredom of waiting. Its of angels that pushes everyone away from fighting each other. Joining the stance of staring is grey wings... blood of his mouth from the impact of feeling the murder over my once living state. He had the same wounds as me and some issues of the posion converting some of the feathers into scales.
"I still trust the title." I announced to the other fragements.
"See, that makes sense." The god fragment proves a argue, "We collective hate the host." A lot of nods of agreement.
"I think the next place was the river Styx. Best we get a move on. Leave Mark and inky to whatever they have to do with the clothus appeasing." I make my split from this standing around to the other living followers, greeting and directed to show the way. The visible hurt and discomfort of looking at me. I bow to be sure and the group does move on. The king looking back to Mark.
"Dont worry about the elder or your brother. They know the laws and layout of the realms." I had made him spooked, "The dead tell no tales... so they say." The frowns of confusion of looking at me, "I did die... I died with my regrets. I am just to lawful standing to stay silent then the other masked one." It were enough to satisfy. Leading the way and trading goods.
I do well to do things to preserve my body and make preparations to store it away. I can't walk my corpse around hell without it causing problems... so it is necessary to make this effect. They follow behind me but away from my twisting and shape shifting.
"I hate the host." A hand shake later and some final touches. I formed to make my self older and taller. Unhindered by the shell shape of a once living corpse. The group was much more comfortable to walk closer to me. It could also be the survival to not be ate by the many creatures that lay around here... heaven gate keepers. They are interested in people whom leave. No turning back now. Plenty of manifestations of fear and regrets crawl in watching at the back of us... warning to not turn back.
The Omen follower stops at a tree close by... its not a tree but it not going to eat him. He reaches up to the branch above at the hung threads of future telling left here. A mark of the god of omens warning something to his follower ahead of time.
"No turning back now. No future lays in the past of what has been." His emotions tasted sweet and smoothing... like a slow sip whiskey. I were even mesmerized for a little while in the flavour. I shook from it with recall of why I taste emotions at all. Coming forwards and moving him away.
"It was never meant to been the way history has been." I agree, "Beyond all hope there is one light and comfort. Even the darkest of hells and twisted things of monsters are nothing different to you and me." He seems freaked out with me touching him. But I have my reasoning... I pat a shoulder and continue to purr along with my commentary, "Withou fear we would not be human. We would never dare to strive for things or dream at all." I got him back to the group safe like and I had let him go when I did. Stood in watching them reacting, I sense it easy, "For as hunger monsters can seem... some actually hate murder for survival." My hand lowers with pick up some trade, "And no... you can not eat my corpse. I am the living contact... My corpse belong to the living. Got it?"
"Mmm... no fun. No fear. Tasteless banter. Fine." Takes things from me and puts others into hand... walking away, "We make our own futures." I smile in the leave, aware that I am frowning. I bow lightly and go back to guiding once again.
"Live now to die another day... is what I should have told you black bird." I say in walking past the follower of omens. He gasps at me and goes to argue something. He lost steam when making to a black sand embankment with char wood decking. The movement of what seems water steady with ease. I pose in asking them to stand back and walk onto the deck alone. I make many gestures and then took bow to the movement of the surface disturbed.
"Little soul, back again. I want my mail." So demanding but I kneel with posing forwards the mail. A delivery of sorts... a crate of boat gear. It plucking through leisurely with taking what it likes and dumping a vase of coins in return of delivery and pay for items. With this sorted the form lowers back into the water and drags forwards the ferry man. A thin body under ton of torn cloth, a stirring stick held up and out of the way.
I stood with passing the ferry man his mail. I wave over everyone else to follow. In the mute way of words, shouts gestures of conversation towards me. Babbling happy that someone else speaks their language like them. Talks of what should have been secrets of overheard conversations. Playful in how idiotic some gods, visitoring mortals and the occasional oddity says to the ferry man.
"Where are we going?"
"Wherever fate and life guides you." The ferry man speaking up his own mocking wisdom.
"A certain bird of future words has been fluttering down in misery pits looking for something. The bird so assumes that a whisper like us wouldn't have thought of it already. Let me hope that he isn't going to be unreasonable. Last thing I wish is for a stubborn important soul get so mad at me saving him that he bites me." I sighed again.
"He bite you already." the ferry man snickers.
"I wish not to mock him... but seriously..." I pose a cupped hands, "He gives no choose. Such a angry mind."
"So what are you?" The king of the living mages asks me.
"I am a whisper. I am everywhere where souls gather most. I listen and share. I protect and break. I trade. I were both living and dead. I am now damned and undying. I carry sins and make my own ways to penitence for what has been erased. I seen how time starts and what you call a end. I am just a whisper. I echo once in many of lives. I am waiting for when things should have been."
"Cryptic." They chatter among themselves with wasting time. I stand at the side of ferry man, stood watching the shores and eating away emotions passing. Strongest is hell realms where nothing but flavour is here. Whole realms are a feast for a damned like me. So much misery and sorrow to eat.
"Someday these halls will be tasteless and dull... I say. I look forwards to the moment I starve when walking the bowels of hell." My mind speaking prayer then anything else, somber and hurt. A childish wish... because souls are strange things. None of this pain would exist if souls didn't beleive it.
"Damned leading the living... must be a noble." I sigh with this addition on board the boat. Hades. The cause of headache for most enders. A soul whom loves his place but hates his life and duty. A fussy soul. I can only stare at the god prolonging his discomfort and awareness that I am watching him.
"Hades, don't you have a lover that's missing you?" A human asks. The god laughing at them, at how stupid the notions of love for someone like him. He does even stop at all when docking to the destination. The imp beyond made with how annoying the god was, tested his luck in punching the guy cold. Left on the boat unconscious... out of sight of humans for good measure.
"I will regret nothing." the grey imp snarls in my crossed arms of him overtaking me, "Dont you dare."
"I go fetch him then... idiot." I go to pay the ferry man and wake Hades up. Have the god helped out the boat and guided to the area.
"If you do not unhand me, I bite you again!" The hiss of squawking tones that peels flesh of your ear drums. The bird handed over to the follower, "I..." the long freeze of realizing things.
The slight eyes looking at his followers necklace charms. Beak soon pecking in stealing one... cooing in just triple testing. Make g bird croaking and odd echo pea shooter sounds.
The form of the demon and the damned of myself here to help the monster whom hides at the edge of time... healing and bandaging their flesh bitten hands.
"Are you done now?" Inky on his own... he left Mark with something, clearly. No... Mark was storage away for the time being. The sound of rage banging on stone walls is definitely from within Inks form, "My lord of Omens needs a little more trust in the broken soul. Whispers are scary beings of their own rights." The god cleans up his act and jump to sit on his followers shoulder. Wearing the necklace he took from the follower.
"I bet it were Loki or Anasi with their tricks again." The follower being a mediator without realizing the whole issue, "I am glad that your mark was found once more."
"I guess coming to hell wasn't necessary for summoning the prefect demon for a job." The king walking over to the imp, "Deliver this ticket to its owner... Tell them to find me." On inspection it were a ticket of my craft... but I knew exactly which version he was looking for. There is stare to other fragements for that confirmation... nod of indeed it is.
"The fear eater is also a whisper." The imp clarified, "What would your message be exactly to convince them?"
"A soul curse." The king shows us a bite Mark of a god slayer on him.
"Mmm... Fine..." The mask of my damned face removed and that of pulled forwards the dream image of myself... far more powerful and existing then the edge whisper or the imp. A man whom it swallowed whole, drowned in my aura and spat out... spat back to the land of the living on the church floor of the summons room. The clasp of giant hands pushing all these mortals home. The bird god in the cross fire. The last touch of my corpse place at the summon circle... and the release of my fragement to hover over it until a reaper collects me... the way it was intended for the land of the living.
"You little soul made me a promise." my wounds and status forced to awaken alive. At that thread of just barely... pain once more that awakens weakness and unthinking choose making. Scrambling confused of the grip over my chest. Life breaths her chances into me again, locked in a grapple of nearly death with Ink (in marks body).
"Get him off." Monks around and priest. I am rescued. In frantic panic of being soothed on magic and lead away on a stretcher.