This expansive winded road that lead to this wood cabin was from moments covered in tree lining or framer fencing. There was way more sycamore trees that mocked maple leaf shapes then other tree types. The framers were constantly having to tarp pull over crops in protecting crops from the tree sap. Not many plants like the sap. The long stretched dirt road is still often to far to walk down even for the household here in charge of farming the vegetables they needed to get by with.
Her ladyship and the two company had left about two hours ago someplace near by. They didn't take the car but with quad bikes instead. They have simple survival gear and that's just about it.
The wood cabin was the home of the doctor healer guy that helped. Just seems normal person with family else where. Photos, cross stitched cloth with a moto and hand painted canvas on many walls. There was even a large frame of postcards that had short lovely messages from family and friends. The main room was open living and dinner. There two guest bed rooms ans a main master. There was a indoor toilet that used roof drainage as the flush.
The slide back door leads to a pump well, water - isn't tapped here. There a few rain catchers too. A compost heap. A truss with herd garden. None mage herbs, cooking herb more. The roof is solar panel covered, a small wind turbine at the top too. There a small shed for the energy to be battery charging. There a near hung branch tree that has a rope hung to it, not a swing but used for meat hanging likely. Or not... there isn't any trace of fire or animal blood. The rope might not be anything in particular, a lonely person might used it to workout. Whom knows without asking anyone.
"Something is off about them being gone." Lord of Omens pondered, sitting the left shoulder.
"We might as well go seek them out. You recon I could borrow their car?"
"The petrol would be a waste. Fly." Mattu nods and jumps into bird shape, the two flutter in watching the tree areas and signs of off reading tracks. It wasn't long for a bird eye view to find them, the three of them stood in conversation. Mattu softly landed onto the nearest quad bike, he tilts about the area inspecting it of danger. He see his lord take seat at a branch looking down at them three, cooing noises and raspy hoking. Ahhing them to not say certain things.
"The divine crow is back..." The biker huffed in the irritation of being interuppeted.
"Mathew." Her ladyship right over with letting bird Mat hop to her hand, "We left you at the cabin to rest." He coos lightly at replying but not human way. Tail wags with itching a good spot. He pats a wing at her to spot, as she was about to touch his face. It were defensive of protecting the soul cutter wound.
"Wow, it really is him. The blind right eye and all." the doc was impressed, "How does conversion of organs and loss of mass work?" Mattu knew this answer but wasn't going to explain it.
"Mustn't trespass into someplace you don't belong." Mattu spoke clear for a bird and in English. The two stare backwards and then back to him.
"But we were invited." She sighed, "We can't turn down a gods favour."
"You can if it threats more then just one life. Death and Life dislike messy accidents between worlds." Mattu dances about as he said this, exaggerated his point of warning, "You shouldn't cross... not this soon. Think of them, not just you." She was wide eyed for being told the obvious.
"Your freind of feathers isn't wrong." A phantom of the spirits. The biker is the only one looking around confused from where a whisper came from, "Mother earth prefers her children on her soils. She is angry when that is broken." the wise proud native from the oak tree. Mattu give a gentle nod of greeting the elder great spirit once more, "You do you job well eater of the condemned and feathers white skin. You wouldn't be here if someone wasn't to do wrong."
"Not all spirit visitors are as the look, even you know that trespassing visitors aren't always humans." The lord omens swooping on land of the right shoulder of the phantom. They two were then talking a lot, Mattu could tell where it was awkward silence for the others.
"Someone from off the spirit lands has asked you three here... it seems the dead of someone you love has came for a exchange... but we of this land wouldn't normally allow. Energy exchanges disruptive powers can be threats to our ways." the wise spirit spoke with gesture, a native local way of understanding words easier if followed with thier own sign language.
"Not to mention the displeasure that things cause when involves unborn. Mustn't play with growing lives." The lord of Omens narrows at her.
"Walk no further in... if you want to kept safe. The soil of earth is the only protection that works around here." The three stood still and in shock.
The frown of a Clothus among the trees annoyed of not getting its wishes, a shame... a soul sacrifice like that was the perfect gift to raise rank in society. A shame that the slave attempts to snatch the souls failed. Yet now it stares, scheming once again... calculations of when best next to try again. Limit time before this soul is born... so opportunity is worn thin. Mattu look right at the Clothus with the correct sighted eye to see it, annoyed that such dirty Clothus played these games.
"The being you wished to meet doesn't belong to your time. The being is a meer version of someone you knew from a different time. You must leave." The lord of omens flutters a wing, "My little follower... you may snatch the fool for me. Drag them to the void."
"With Pleasure, sire." Mattu bolted right off her ladyship and straight through the trees, the Clothus and him shuffled a little.
Off timing the connection the Clothus has to this moment, throwing the invader off timeline in way of being snatched by oath hunters and damned. Mattu makes flight back to the land he belongs with ease, landing in a twirl of becoming human shaped. He stands in bow to the spirit and his lord, indicating his done the deed.
"Foul invaders... must not become a victim of invaders like that. They do not belong to our universe... No of my world or yours." The spirit elder left with these parting words.
"Invaders? as in there is existence beyond the afterlife." The doc is perplexed by such fantasy.
"I have been to hell and back many times... Nothing is all that terrify everything." Mattu comments, "Shame though... such a good soul whom is misunderstood and thus misunderstands."
"Excuse you?" The biker pointed, "But since when did you arrive?" The man looks around confused and with shivering. Dislikes the shade and moved to the quad bikes, "Well whatever. Are we done talking to air? Can we leave?" Lord Omens lands on the right shoulder of Mattu, eyeing back the area of where another is snatched from time.
The Queen is steered away from the forest depths, not to watch the person disappear behind her. She is seated on the quad bike, the doc being driver. Mattu gave a tilt at her and line grin. She narrows at him with pulling the callor, "This better not be some scheme you sold yourself with Wels." She mean Welwick.
"No, he can fall for this sort of trick to by the beings whom invade our existence." Mattu gets her hands off, "He nearly did if I hadn't messaged him." She holds on to the quad bike moving they left Mattu behind.
"You do a great job of protecting us all." The great spirit give his blessing, some wards and energy pass through Mattu. No in sight when being washed of spiritual connection. The soul cut across the face was now visible to normal people, a clean gash that was still healing. Closer to his inner self - inside and out, thanks to the great spirit elder of the American spirits. This boasts his god contract to his lord, whom also felt the benefit too.
"We must go to our next small favor." Mattu is a willing man to trust his God, enough to be snatched through a god door and dragged backwards through a short cut to some other side. To be thrown up right on MAC company branch. Its hard to say if time passed at all, if he was still in loops of time jumping or if he was back on track to what he was meant to be. The hood is flexed over, strides onwards with purpose made anyone back out of his way. Low key intimidating for all, if not with his aura but maybe with his lord sitting on his right shoulder again.
"At what cost is to be paid?" Mattu strolls on past the many he should have bowed to, mostly a bunch of Darkwood and corrupted nobility trying to snatch advantage over the lower class and outsiders. He were thankfully mistaken as a message passer as he walks right up to Welwick. Flicked the demon on the ear, and narrows over the fake face illusion... staring past it to creep the devil some common sense.
The silence stand off is eventually broken off with Welwick standing up and offering his seat. Mattu sitting down in the place. Plenty of paperwork to file through, uses magic and unbridled focus, utterly ignoring this table.
"Advicer of the queen... we weren't expecting you here." The person that just spoke was off the seat on the floor with the sudden bird placement. Omens inspecting everyone here for any Clothus tricks, being a lot less godly about it. The very apparent shape of mocking puppet paper bird is enough to make most doubt it was the god aviator. Adding to the manners is the use in shadow walks to each person one in turn seated around this debate table, inspecting each living with the mask of damned clay hiding the bird face underneath.
"Wel, you are to never trade what you have. In a strange way, this demand isn't from me or my lord. You said that you would like to be warned to never trade what you love for anything petty. Not even one soul, your exact words. Call it a message from another timeline whom regerts your possibility of mistakes now." The papers that are here for the moment were sorted, "Do not be fooled by false faces of invaders whom don't belong. The only creep we have to worry about it the one that breaks time space for stupid things." Mattu stands, "By the way... Has that reaper been around here? that one whom has silver eyes... Judge is his nickname."
"The silver cat is back at deaths domain, his presence isn't among humans." Mattu flutters a hand and stands. His lord back to his right shoulder, together they walked a god door.
"So annoying." His lord huffs, "Them invaders are getting worse with foul tricks of blending in."
"like a bruise, it looks worse as it gets better." Mattu spoke fluently from within his deep thoughts.
"Yes... I guess your not wrong fledging." The lord posing wing or talon at the beak again, pondering the strange events as of late... and the lack of progress to see Twilight. They walk at ease of the mix of divine powers gifted by Omens and the burdens of shadow curses.
"It may not be my place to speak so... exact of the topic. But it will help to know. Help me to help you. I understand now. Gods are by soul the same as human. That what changes us is the realms, responsibilities and gifts a soul is expected." Mattu spoke softly of this topic carefully. His lord knows where this was going but isn't the one whom has the answers. This topic is another type that wasn't human knowledge...
If anything, Mattu shouldn't have been told about gods souls and such. But he was, and has known for a while. He is the only soul that Omens has ever taken underwing. Mattu may have died and been reborn many times, aware of that in a dream way. Mattu's abilities as a bird shifter is due to dying on worlds he should have been to.
Yet... what would kill a god title? this has been a bother for a while. Was it due to the soul tome? Or was it a punishment of some kind? that doesn't seem right as a punishment. Did they both go somewhere they shouldn't have and in consequence, the god title was damned.
Being a dead soul is a requirement as a damned, Mattu knows this from witness of many damned souls before. The cursed Darkwoods are a misfortune family... The damned powers attached to them is due to a undead ancestor, thus its taboo to stay on the mage royal tomb - also called the city of undead. Such secert was lost even to the royal direct bloodline of the throne - not able to recall a ancestors memories of how that happened.
"I too have pondered this... and now that you can translate from the damned language, maybe we can learn together." The host of the god title speaking independent for a moment, "I understand things that no divine god should be privy to... I understand why folks like the Ender and Judgement of souls exists. It never was my privy to know... but now I do." The host is whom is doing all this posing... so the title was busy else where or resting. Damned need sleep and to feast on negative energy.
"So we both want to ask the same thing... what happen or is the cause of the titles curse but not so curse?" Mattu stops with being a little lost in the corridors of the damned, looking around at the shadow ways confused of what wall existed or not. The lord directed wing and Mattu continues walking this direction.
"Yes, its the same question. But... the title is silent." Omens waved a wing to burst energy through to open the door way for them. Mattu stepping in was altered into a bird. Almost nearly over a banister railing and down the depth of the tower core bellow.
"Smells like wood renovations." Omens twirled Mattu the other direction. The surrounding was mostly desks of many administrative staff checking or filling feather quills of ink. Each assessment on the names written on the tome section they work on.
Dead languages mostly shouted from what would be assumed randomly. It were on timing of the tome itself Snapping closed and open again, the person doing editing shouting at the book for slowing their progress of name editing.
"It takes a pinch of..." The most worn desk that has been repaired many times with a new top surface is that of the lord of this domain. Currently there is two death gods whom share the true title. One younger one is teaching the nearly a crumbling corpse of the other.
Mattu posed in thinking that it should be the other way around... yet... in the hunters guide book. There's a statement about reverse aging happens in this realm. The younger they look, the older they actually are. A statement true in talking about all Grim reapers.
"We aren't here to play any bother to you my friends." Omens jumping straight onto the desk edge and speaking complex with the death gods. Mattu tilted inspecting the shelves this tower is built of... forget a building of walls or even a roof. The walls are the shelves. He was about to tilt a different angle when he shuffled away from the reptile towering beside. A abnormal creature that didn't seem to belong among grim or death.
"You..." The thing looked like a dinosaur in the flesh, scales and claws. Some sort of hybrid flying type and predator. Something with teeth like that would be a fish eater. The wing span wasn't easy guess when its all tilted inspecting Mattu little size, "You are god follower. A living human." It backs off a little with being satisfied. Mattu looks around perplexed on why none were bothered about a reptile being here. It was massive... the weight shouldn't hold on such banister. Mattu looks to its feet... sees that it lacked a afterimage. He looks at the reptiles eyes once more... hollow dark and empty. Almost soulless. But that isn't true. It has existence and independence, as all souls do.
"A sort of manifestation shape... a ward to prevent any jumping then?" Mattu guess, it be annoying for death gods to splatter on the floors bellow if nothing guarded the central banister.
The reptile hums, a almost purring sound. A little posed gesture of head tapping Mattu. Praising the follower for bravery and guessing so well.
"I shouldn't tell you things. But if you had something to ask about these lot. I might know it better then the god itself sitting here." Mattu posed with finding that strange. Unless it had meant, due to what it is - it knew things that gods are privy to. Maybe its job of banister just meant overhearing things.
"You would know where to find the reaper with silver eyes... one that protects the special tome for soul names." Mattu asking... daring even.
"Sean..." It posed knowing then, "They scythe that pretends to be a grim. He is around but not in the sight of Death. He walked the shadow areas to a restricted section in the basement level. You should as the Golems for permission or of they could pass on your message. The ink has been to low to send a death page letter." Mattu nods as it spoke to him, forgetting about death being across from him.
"You're follower is rather cursed to be speaking to the nightmare. The creature is invisible to us all... and hardly speak to anyone." The younger looking one huffs, "You would happen to find it at all concerning?" Omens looking back to sees the reptilian nightmare speaking to Mattu openly and back to the master death. The apprentice took pause for a moment in staring to Omens, narrowing gaze of light confusion.
"My current predicament requires us both to be burdened with curse. Yet... so far it hadn't been all bad. Rather... a eye opener. A change of perspective." Omens looking to the apprentice, "Why do you hate Twilight anyways? Did the god eater freak you out to much in something?"
"I don't recall anyone of us telling you." The master Death crossed arms with a pout.
"She doing well by the way. We all a bit annoyed with the soul tome holders. They been slacking duty a bit to the extreme lately. One them has even left the universe for something. A mad broken fool." Omen made both deaths snarl and back off from the desk, "mmm..." Omen taking notes of the extreme reaction, "Its not like you to be so emotive. The freak that breaks things isn't around doing his job, so you can't be snarling about that." Omen see no changes, "Its fine. I will drop the topic."
Only then was the master daring to step forward and check the death tome on the desk, a scared poke of the book. Omen tilts watching this, amusing that death feared the very tome he works hard to write in. Which then made Omens ponder how death knew the tome was that sensitive to oddity at all. All grim are aware of the occupational hazard of tomes... but it wasn't ever to the extreme of fearing the tome like this. Not from true death... unless... Omens studies around here closer.
Indeed... traces of damned. Omens isn't the only god with the issue. Hosts are having to guess their jobs with aid of the whispers the true titles gave. Death being the holder of tomes would be this fearful due to the true titles extensive knowledge of the books themselves.
"Fledging, ask where the title is." Omens ordered behind at the banister, the reptile tilted perplexed.
"You haven't seen a damned hovering at this desk have you?" Mattu asking. It folds more in thinking about it, "The darkest place of this realm would happen to be where this Sean went?"
"It is and indeed the scythe did go there. I will guide you to the nearest golem if you like."
"My god needs permission I think... of thats how it works."
"You have a good point." Omens overhearing it all depends looking to the two, "I wish to find someone whom happens to gone down to your basement levels. In order to not be mistaken as intruders... may we have you permission?"
"I dislike the idea that you lord of omens has interests in my basement. But... you have my permission. I doubt that you can convince the golem. They been acting oddly for a while... and none have been allowed through unless for scythe selection. Promise there no funny business, you will not be taking anything or messing around."
"We have no reason to upset scythes, golem and hidden. We only seek the truth, seeking into the matter of what is going on. Why are God titles acting strange..." The master of the two death gods stares darkly and in check that Mattu didn't hear, "He knows. I had to tell him in order to have a contract. I had to seek a advice from someone before so... making the only god follower whom is trustworthy of knowledge. He knows the difference between host and title. My title is why it is so, I had no say. This maybe true to you too. Why we are investing in truth of it."
Lord Death and his apprentice eased with this... it was clear for them.
"So you seek the soul tome holder for answers."
"Well... like us. The soul tome holder is complex too. It as a whole is shattered. The book and sycthe are safe. Its human connection torn to soul dust. The title... is off universe. So... Its all a little..." Wing flutter with lacking words for fitting the language spoken. There isn't a need to continue, huffs in defeat of lacking words. Both Death hosts nod in getting it... now privy to forbidden knowledge they weren't aware before. They two in muttering about the side affects of lacking the title of death around them, and the headache guess of why the title of ender did what it had. So much was making sense suddenly of why other gods were visiting death very often too... each being as confused about their titles as death has. Even the ladies of life came here... taboo but as host to host - this was allowed.
"Omens, I pray that you find answers for us all. We are accepting of you followers awareness if it the means of him being a translators. We gods hosts are unable to speak honest at heart with or see the damned for what they are. Humans can."
"Your follower is special soul too... he has the colours of ender." the apprentice summarized.
"A ex-host, I know. I have a guess it was my predecessor hosts fault or something. He is a good soul. I choose him, even without input of my title meddling." Omens takes wiggle and jump into flight, another hummingbird act with hovering to eye them, "To answers." He nods and fluttered in telling Mattu to fly to. The nightmare bowing at their leave.
"The aftermath of the enders war has been the main reason for all this... mess." Mattu spoke at heart again, at least now aware of himself doing it.
"War?"
"There has been a war among Enders... but that isn't accurate to the truth. Enders are created by universes when there's a threat far exceeding its government laws within itself. Ender is what tried to make sense of these off universe things. That turth is what I learnt when I was host once. So... then when considering the clothus breaking things. The other timeline versions coexisting with us. Even other Enders of other Timespace. This war... has to be serious. Mean something."
"You make a terrible sense of it all." The two eventually evaded enough flying books and soul crows to reach to the entry into the basement under the Death tomes. it was here that his lord changed to a standing male figure, dressed accordingly to the portraits of omens. His lord giving Mattu permission to sit on his lord shoulder, Mattu was very exited and overjoyed of such rarity. Head bunting his lord ear upon landing, watching the golems reactions from his bad eye.
"We are hoping to find Sean, we had permission from the host. May we seek them bellow?" Omens asking the statues directly, he wasn't going to bother with the grim reapers around here that organised things normally. Those lot are at the mercy of golems too.
"Omens... You have permission from Death himself." A lady in finery lace came forwards, her skin looked polished and smoothed by water erosion. Her many arms posed hidden or holding somethings, "Unlike the 183 gods whom tried before you. You and your follower have a clue. Your not blind." She tilted in looking behind her, "Besides, you are are expecting yourself, right?" She testing them.
"I know that my title has gone ahead of us. I am indeed expecting to find myself too." Omens made her look to Mattu.
"It isn't hard of a guess that my lord would have. I can see how me, my mortal self could find something I shouldn't. Yet... I have been aware a long time. I can't freak put about anything much anymore then what is primordial instinct to stay alive."
"Well put... both of you. Yes wouldn't be playing with things you shouldn't." She Welcomes them, "Your not afraid of me, a refreshing change of tempo."
"You remind me of Twilight." Mattu continues muttering, "That whole crystal business stuff. It reminds me of her." The Golem twitched a lot but simply let's them be.
"But that isn't Twilight. Maybe she's the same soul type as Twilight." Omens ponders, "They both are different people but the same abilities... other then Twilight being ex-host of ender." They both coo on such strange thoughts together. Walking in follow of golems directions. Making around toward the sycthe chamber, many blades stashed here without a weider. Many fragile ones lay in the walls as part of mementos of past service. Most areas of sycthes with brimming of shape points, some daring to try for them both off glance of Golems. Golems lined here and there policing the path around the sycthes chamber.
"Dark that way... no normal person or object lays beyond here." The last Golem claims, "But this is exactly where you are to be directed."
"Thank you." Respects the job golems have to protect all realms, "Your services have been of up most respectful and responsible. Please continue you ace work. Prevention of even dream demons for laying a claw here."
"To you Omens, your words hold power." The golem is swift to go back to prevent things. Indeed flattery not wasted.
Not a single light breaks past this area... there isn't damp or cold to feel. No warmth. No air pressure changes. No much of sounds. But there is dread... off sicken feeling about this darkness. It was and wasn't noiseless.