A court house is designed hardly different to a theater. She been here before and grows tired of seeing this place. She repaired it plenty a time. She been kidnapped here. Parental custody lawsuit. Her court in demanding the right to be an oath hunter. The case won many times to shame her father and his side the family. The judges table was like the background stage. The public gallery and the two tables either side were the seats for such audiences. The stage that even the god of justice can be proud to wage wars. The actors are the lawyers. The set movers are the security detail. The fools were always those in the witness box or the main characters seated in crowned cages wither side. A fancy stage where many gods and mircales, privileges can be exploited. Get away with murder if you capture the hearts of the gallery. A crude place always busy.
"This way." Dragging her by her left wrist, the shabby cart has been handed over to the next jobs for some other shadow of the left hand to play with. Many undertakers around here have thier prized children. Methods of keeping them was certainly obvious.
"We have plenty to of loving realm reverts to go for more hulls of recruiting like this. I hope this batch is better then the last pull." Heard snapped.
"I heard that in order to rank themselves, those from that pull have been the tasked the capture for this new pull." Making gasps of the nobility worry about being thrown away if the job was a real done deal.
"Don't even bother." She informed the wolves of the court, "I just going play silent until something interesting happens. Otherwise act like I am not here." It patters away obeying the command. Curiosity who was holding her close while filing the papers at the desk for entry. He caught glimpse of the wolfs exit and did hear her say what she did. Omens and his three eye raven was ahead and taking spot into the gallery. The dragging iron chains of other kids glare at how weak she is and stupid that she not putting up a fight to flee from the event. Other prized hens to this county fair. A demon with a clip board is making some fast notes. Peering at the potential soon to fall failures. He pushed glasses back up his nose feeling there wasn't much special here. He dropped everything as she being dragged past. Through the doors. The demon sinks to the floor, curled in a ball and rocking himself. The papers he been writing flutter about, none of it matters. He pulled at his face and hold a horn, making strange sounds that everyone peers down at the mad demon.
"Maybe the fact that the demon of such ranking being turned into a mindless mad man instantly is a good enough warning for things." Taking part in watching the show were several visitors and gods. This commentary being agreed among themselves as they too took seats into the galleries. A lone stranger puts a document to the desk, armed to the teeth in gear and out of place for sure. They had the go ahead and step towards the public gallery. They stop short of the broken mind demon. They lowered gave the demon a charm, spoke some words and flicked stuff at them. The demon common sense and pride came back. A hand pats shoulder, lifted the demon off the floor. The clip board and documents miraculously back together neatly. The demon continues his duty and the stranger continues into the gallery.
The children have been either forced seats at the frist or second row. Or even worse was the pen holding cells for those not cooperative enough. Their kidnappers took the next row, some had ring contracts with the kids and were mentally teaching the recruiters the rules.
"No cloak." Curiosity was fast at whipping it away, revealing her unique uniform and that she still was wearing a lace veil over her face. This veil has been invisible until now. He forced her to sit and glared that she should stay. She does without making trouble for him. He sits right behind her, sighed that this was the best he can achieve. The rest was out of his hands. He doesn't even know if he will even achieve a position higher then his sister. He can't even feel that she tried hard enough for her catch.
Sure enough the undertaker by the name of Pride waltzes in. Four unique children she harvested for carrying high favour to the monarchs. One from each household of the school, the underdogs of those houses. They follow Pride thinking that they get something better then what fate they had with being who they were as humans. Convinced that becoming undertakers for the greater machinations. Pride sneers a laugh at Eliza, aware that Eliza was Curiosity's kid. She hides not of feeling won of this over her big brother. The four unique children all stare at Eliza to, as none of them even reconginze who she is in the way she is. Those seated around Eliza hasn't a clue where she came from. She does still continue to cause stir among the few kids that have accepted their fate. That everyone was around was guessing which school grounds she came from.
"Silence small fry." The turn of heads as Pride was being suddenly talk down to, "You had your hunt. Sit down." The stranger was the one who helped the demon have common sense again and now wad smoothing things between Pride and Curiosity. Pride was going to puff to fend herself but the being knew all the joint folds to put the lass into a seat. The stranger now continues to the front and kneels before the monarchs.
"We hired you to fetch the best of the bunch. You seem empty handed, oath hunter." A monarch of the spider crest posed hands in playing their games.
"Someone beat me to my own punch. As was third, fourth, fifth places. However..." They stand and waved someone from the gallery, "I made due with next best. I originally set out for the little sister. I got myself a fine young man with strong shoulders." Eliza peers in shock to see her brother taking steps from behind and his slow March in kneeling beside the oath hunter, "The issue with the prey I wanted to caught originally... well maybe I should save that part for the little Miss to say." They both stand as ordered by gesture and now was able to sit places in the gallery. Her brother sits beside Eliza, he brought something out from a pocket and posed it to her.
"Keep hold of it, brother. You're in need of it more then me." Eliza huffed, "I have stuff to do." He peers about her armour and the hunter speaks to Curiosity at the backs. The hunter praise the undertaker for not being devoured, turned to powder or cursed in some way. The many things she had wards for and the sheer complexities she goes out of the way of keeping. The more the hunter spoke in being inadequate of the catch, the shocked Curiosity is that Eliza was being to easy for him. He had even turned to Omen in wondering if Omens had did something for her to agree to coming with.
"It's most urgent my beloved mistress." The panting of a court wolf in deep bowing at her feet. She doesn't even seem to act like she noticed, "Someone broke the leather bindings you had temporarily cast. The pages and spine of the current tome has came undone. A invasion is coming." It trembles and still she unmoved. Her brother leans looking upon the creature as it whinced more. It's stuck to the spot, afraid.
"Do you have mayonnaise?" She asked eventually and it perked at her causal smooth silky voice. It had stared totally allured into her depth. It has another wolf approach with a basket choose of mayonnaise. She leans takes the whole basket and peers about the brands. She simply held the whole basket of all of them. Leaned back, left hand flicks to remind the little things away. Crawling away stiffly, keeping bow. There was a wet puddle left behind but she takes no notice.
"I refuse to be here!" A Seer was struggling in a curse binding and was fighting every ounce of those touching him. The oath hunter seeing this flicked a black dusted and the kid was out like a light. It was easier now to move the boy to a cell. The lad was out of focus and calm down enough. The bewitching did last long as the kid was banging about the cell and shouting loudly.
"Just as we planned it." So even if the world of the living reverts, there is Gladers and Darkwoods who found a thier way to avoid it. Taken suitable temporary forms to be here and seat themselves in the gallery. The latest keeper of the core index takes seat at the front in a lawyer seat. Her grandpa whom choose no family sides takes seat too, he had to died recently to be here and will be only around if time doesn't change his circumstances of dying. Ever since there been Gladers and Darkwood folks, his been dying at a age when Eliza is very young. Her mother has been turned to the Gladers for help instead which was why her brother has stayed with their Grandmother. He wears the cult of Dreamers symbol as a necklace, not that he a full believer or fanatic of the schemes. He already had bad veils of the Fallown Cult, he must have worse impressions of Glader and Darkwood. The tensions of all sorts of people in clashing energy are making stink eyes of whomever. It was easy to tell who hates who. The hall is not ready yet. There still ten empty kingdom seats of monarchs not in attendance yet and their captures are only now starting to sit down.
"Someone planning a coup." Omen hissed in bird shape appearing over Curiosity's shoulder, "the assassination attempts to fall the kingdom of lions has began and the successor is not known." It wasn't a bad thing but it does delay this event.
"What did the creature on Curiosity's shoulder just say?" Her brother can't translate the language.
"The event is delayed due to trouble with one the kingdoms internal struggles. The lions particularly." She changed the wording to not stir panic.
"And what are the Darkwood and Seer up to at the front left?"
"They been attempting escape for a while even then they were thrown into the pond. They willing to turn some undertakers into ashes if it means throwing themselves back to the living world. To which I think that a is stupid idea and have places a trace tracker on them since." She now crossed her leg and leans back casually, "They may kill a few folks as they plan but they are in for some unhappiness in exchange. The court wolves will be offering those two as tribute since they been marked as prey." Her brother nods softly at first and then sharp to her like that last part does bow well, "I wonder when the first veil breaks down and what goodies will come flooding in. I would love some grilled meat." She plays about the basket of mayonnaise at such thought, "Speaking of..." She leaned to the side and posed to a near wolf, "Jestker, the missing undertaker kingdoms. Was one them the lot set beside the domain of plants?"
"Yes mistress." It bows at approach, "You are correct. They're names have been moved to your tome. Ragnar and Morpheus has already began cleaning. I heard that Isolde has too." She posed in wonder since when would Isolde bother such things. The poor dog has love for the two cats but there isn't a threat to be had. Unless there is.
"Have Luna and Suna gaurd the next layers and have the dream veil ready for shuffling." She told the wolf and it pelts it away. She leaned back to being as if bored.
"Who were all those names about?" Her brother asked.
"Eaters of gods, time and space." She flats flip her left hand, "They don't eat souls. That's sort of more my job. I am a page soul name sort. Fixing broken names is my pleasure. But broken souls directly broken are the jobs of others to fix. This is why I work in partnership with the god of Death. He deals in the physical broken ones and I fix the names on the tome pages. He has me to thank for accessing tomes he shouldn't."
The hunter and Curiosity leans forward from hearing this conversation. One them was about to say something but omens jumps fast off Curiosity's shoulder and acted strange at the floor. Struggling with himself. Maybe he can heard them. She does to but she isn't afraid. She instead smiles about it.
"Prepare to protect yourselves!" Many flee since weapons aren't allow. But plenty stya calm and ready. Stashes to fight among themselves has now been taken out to defend all.
It was now take kids took action to fight undertakers, not aware of what's coming. It was interesting to want how that failed quickly as monarchs used powers to enforce their rules over thrae children. Many locked to boxes in the meantime to now be more trouble.
"All this because a kitten cries?" Eliza sighed. The two not so smart cookies indeed turned three folks into ashes and were at opening a door, hoping it was a exit out of here. But since they are unaware of the door being a bad thing, they were about to take chances in walking into the creatures jaws. The two are pulled away in time by the court wolves, as the wolves don't want the tributes to be wasted on Loki. Loki suddenly smelling them and that she was here. It breaks the frame of the door climbing through. Many hand limbs push and pull the long length body and there isn't a face but a open mouth of many teeth. There isn't any glamor hiding what he is. A creature crude and abondoned by laws. Skidding about on claws as the floor isn't designed for monsters like it. It makes meeps, bleets and a weird gurgling echo. It stomps smelling up everyone it reaches. It blindly smells even the wolves. The chaos of undertakers attacking it has no affect. It doesn't even feel the attempts or have attention to small things. The gladers and Darkwood try using magic, flame and lightening isn't scratching a mark. The oath hunter seated peels at the seat afraid, trying to avoid being smelled. Dragged Curiosity the next Bench over. Her brother joined in to use the bench ad some shielding.
Loki is mostly having fun playing with all these toys. He smacks some them in seeing they were poking games. He had even forgotten he was looking for her. He bats about all sorts of beings. He didn't care as long as they entertained him. He wasn't eating them or using teeth. He may claw but no posioning. It most definitely got very playful with Omens, as he was amused another of his kind was already here. Omens a not fully converted or changed soul. He doesn't understand that his not being attacked. Eliza hasn't moved a inch, rather she was laughing at how silly her Loki was being and how easily distracted he became. To her eyes, loki was simply a kitten. A child.
"Look at how they are getting along. If undertakers are kidnapping students of the spirit fighter schools for prized underling hire. Then I guess Loki here would be my catch." She soothed and pats her brother at her side. He dived evading someone thrown this way and she snickered, "His a happy kitten. Little toy insects to kick about."
"You have lost your mind!" Her brother hissed.
"I guess I did a few 1000 lives ago." She shurgs, "But look at how he isn't killing anyone and even spitting anywhere. His not using the fluid from his claws. His not using his 5 rows of jaws to eat them." She lifted her brother from hiding and forced him beside her. She then elbows him, "Your the uncle. If you think he gone to far. You go hiss at him. Like you would telling off the cats at home. I imagine you already have before." Her brother looked scared.
"If his your cat, you should do it!" The thrown person recovering and screams.
"My lady, death isn't pleased with this disorder." A wolf informed.
"Sheesh afraid of a cat." She stands up and makes a check over herself. She stretched and clicked something in her. She rolled shoulder and walks lazy steps. She has hands to hips. She then bull whistles attention to her. The room stops mid chaos, held posed of defending. The children not escaping. Death with pages of the tome opened and at pause looking over to Eliza.
"My beautiful little boy! Loki!" She throws hands up and the monster meerps. It lets everyone go and lowered itself to her, "My sweet little kitty. Here you are being a riot. You a good boy. You not killing people. You good boy." She suddenly petting over it and a flash of glamour spreads over the creature. It pops and melts and shrinks. It turns fluffy, white with black patches. The long whiskers and fluffy tail shakes. It jumps to her arms and she cuddles the big cat. Provides tummy rubs and plenty of loving attention. The broken door shattered from changed energy force, spraying black crystal all over. She turns around and is back to her seat, petting the kitty.
"So I heard this correctly translated." Death towered over her in pointing a finger at the cat, "A eater of time, space and existence?"
"No, lord of Decay. Loki which is my pet nickname of it. Loki eats gods, time and space. Not existence. It takes a whole team different types of eaters to become a existence eater." She corrected and Death moved away from Loki, "If your afraid of loki, you should be more afraid of Omens there. His drooling." She smirks and omens quickly fixed himself from being seen wrong.
"She isn't wrong omens. You have been altered and I can't fix that. You will cause panic even if your doing nothing wrong." Death moving away with that heed. The wolf has her basket of different jar brands mayonnaise. It glares at loki.
"Well the chaos is mostly over." The stage of court is quickly back on track. Some demon cleaners here with brooms trying to sweep the black crystal and can't. They spend the rest of the time doing so. A pair of unattended child came running through a gate that shattered, informed the court about the fall of the mermaid undertakers and that they were meant to be here for something. They are given comfort and looked after by spare attendees in the meantime. The monarchs make do with such new. The spider monarch was leaned listening to someone behind them for a while. Being updated about their realm being under attack. It will seem the folks here for the children to be returned back to the living world has began.
The last to rock up are some late comers. They are soon filled in about why there was a lot of chaos and scared stares towards a girl with a fluffy white kitten. The last of the children that been fallen to this scheme take their seats. Some handed drinks and for most this was a test for how human the kids still think they are. There was open rival wars between them being turned towards those whom made thier lives short. Glares of anger and discontent for blaming the undertakers this wrong.
"Mistress... a soul eater has been sensed and is trying to locate your greatness." The wolf bows with the basket of jars.
"It fell for my Leer or my weakened status?" She asked and the wolf lowered at not wanting to answer. She pets the top of the head and changed tone, "You think the soul has a lot going on on this eater? I hope there plenty of meat left for you lot too. I am just as starved as you lot are. It be nice for a decent amount." It lifts ears in how she meant it. That she was sharing such morsels to everyone. The wolf knows that she keeps such promises.
"Maybe we will like some condiments too with such things." The wolf testing her limit.
"As long as it's human condiments like ketchup or honey. I allow maybe some herbs like thyme. But we are not going to be on a massacre of tree or meat populations for the sake of condiments." That was a reasonable idea for even the wolf to see her way. There be no blood gravy or excessive realm erasure. Eliza low and strange conversation to the wolf was caught wind by more then just her brother and the hunter. Omens whom been struggling with sounds had finally snapped back together. Death was froze in staring at tome pages. The rest of the room was settling down.
The announcer speaker has began speaking continued news of which factions has made qualifying for this undertaker recruitment program and competitive strikes between the nine crest monarchs present. Excluding the lions crest as the monarchs is unavailable. Putting it politely.
Eliza poses pretending to be bored and unprepared. She occupies Loki from doing anything crazy. She watched the cleaner demons in hiss of still being unable to remove the black grit crystal spray from the floor. They had even an angel over consulting the matter about what the material is and laws about why they are unable to move it. She slips glances at strange places, those black crystal spots that no one else had taken notice appearing. The wolves nested themselves to block anyone being in direct danger from these black crystal slates. Death has finally turned a page and was shocked of the tome strange next set of 'paper' pages. He attempted to touch, but even he couldn't even make sense of the broken laws for why this page was solid untouched light. Like a voliet holographic machine screen without the sensory screen contorl. His hand fazed through the one page thrice. Eliza takes glimpse of the kids trying another attempt to escape, screaming and kicking - grip locked by undertakers. The survival instinct has really set in. Dream creatures that normal hide by perception were visible and trying to take cover away. Some had even ran it out the last and only door here.
"Beloved lady, the great stage has been set for your amusement. Please enjoy this short program of entertainment before the main course begins." A broken thin humaniod has broken the perception veil and made itself visible to her, bowing to her. A Dreamer whom normally dwells at the edge of her territory and the proxy master lands. It a nightmare catalogue type, someone whom controlled the black crystal slates around here. She suspected this much from those who feel indebted to her hand work.
"We shall first enjoy the undertaker meeting and then get the party started. If that works for you lot?" She looked to it and it smiles in bowing, "I think there be a fair share for even Selene and Ersa." It crawls broken into the nearest shadow.
"What party?" Omens asked.
"Don't worry old brid brains. You can't leave monster's to starve forever. I have a level of responsibility to make sure my friends are well looked after. It is them whom helped me to being what I am. And keep this universe from being the broken puddle of acid mulch it was a turn ago." She doesn't look like someone that was ready for combate. But Curiosity noticed her hand resting on a weapon hilt and that she posed her legs that was ready to take strain. He also got himself at least prepared enough. Looking at how the not humans of the gallery were still on edge, holding in waiting for something.
The energy was vanished, not a speck of loose energy freely flowing about. That spell casting was about to begin, reserve for when to make action.