In conjunction of real time events, she sees the backyard of her grandpa house was time stopped. There seems a fight happening as the tome flickered pages of restless in being unsure to document this. She was not interested of the rules that she already knew and slips from this conversation easily.
She squeezed herself through the back door and into the frozen area of stopped time. She had seen it as solid mass of crystal blocking the door, and she knew that she can flow through this crystal time structure. Her eyes may see it as a solid mass but to her it is just like a curtain of cold to walk through. Upon being within, she sees a fight between the Seer demons with enslavement runic marks and the dragon crest undertakers. The humans are all knocked out or frozen to time. So it's a brutal battle of fleshy demons and proclean puppet body undertakers. The undertakers with advantage were able to pin lock the demons. None of the demons know how to fight a undertaker, as the body isnt able to feel the same sort of pain as skin cover demons do. Pain is possible if the joints are bent wrong or hit on the right organ spots. But you have to have intmate knowledge of the undertakers manufacturing to know this. These demons don't have a chance otherwise. Even if an undertaker is in pain, they play down to out smart the demons.
"Nuteralized for now." One ordered another.
"They all are enslaved to the Seers." She steps around looking over a few demon examples. She stands at the side of the undertaker that seems in charge of the situation.
"Here I thought you were the owner but... this is stopped time. You have to be a fallown."
"A both, did you want me to break their collars?" She asked the undertaker and stares deeply at her, "They wouldn't be in obligation to keep silent then." The undertaker crossed his arms, "the family that raise me said that your like the peace keepers between demons and angels. So your like the police. Right?"
"You're a innocent soul." One the undertakers pats her head and she frowns at her hair being messed with, "You would do that for us? So there is a sense of justice." Wanting to be sure of her intent.
"It's this or they be ate by the creatures. I think giving them a choose is much smarter. There a lot of creatures that eat you folks. I have seen it a few times. I always feel bad to not help. But I know if I do, I will be messing in someone else's business. The book has a order of things, and I get it. Just dislike their pain." She stares at how they pulled the demons in one pile and were conversation to each other.
"Sadly the kids not wrong. If we deal with them, they are under our custody. If we let them free back to the Seers, we know half of them aren't going back. Those left behind will be ate by the local living realm territory keeper." The one in charge puts hands on her shoulders when saying this point, "This is one the human hosts that protecting the pocket we are invited in. She is being nice enough to even ask our opinions. If it were someone else, there be a choice made already." Plenty tilted downwards with thinking this over.
"We are lucky that it is quiet late at night. It's very dark back here. If it was sunny, they would have been a lot less of you all. It sleeps at night." She furthering her point of the local creature that gets rid of afterlife beings, "Although because I am here... there be a lot of unpleasant things." She looked at the darkest spots of the yard, "But time is stopped. They can't act in this space without my permission." She looked up to the undertaker hover over her, "You don't have a lot of sins. That's interesting." Hands off her. There a deep stare into her eyes for a while and then a gentle nod to her.
"Please can you release their contracts." Asking her.
"I can do what I can. I cant do a lot." She freely moved about and over each demon faces she hovered her left hand. She altered the runic tattoo contract. She was basically removing the unseen spell casting into a material cloth. She would then tie this cloth onto the same plam tree in the backyard. It released the demons but makes the contractor on the other end unaware of this break. The leading undertaker watched her carefully as he was trying to understand her method. Those released now blabbering everything in confession and were dragged into a black gate disc that is the portal for undertakers. The last demon with the contract removed didn't speak. She had even smiled at them, staring past the fake eyes. This demon was dead but there is a parasite inside acting in the demons behalf. She can tell and it knew from her smile it was found out. She offered her left hand to it and her right posed silence. It tilts afraid of her. But with the undertaker approaching it jumps out of the demon corpse and to her left hand. She hide it. Now she frowns in seeing no soul in this demon. She stands in looking to the undertaker.
"His dead." She told them.
"Mmm. That's a human term." The one in charge steps right over, "maybe the type of contract he wad under made his soul as payment. I guess you could call that dead." He pulled her away, "But demons even without souls can still move." She protected as they pour salt over this body and it was gate passed back to hell. She puts the parasite to the nearest plant which happens to be grandpa's lime tree. It makes home of this lime tree.
"Are you sad to see someone dead?" The undertaker lowering to make sure she is mentally OK.
"I don't know. I am sad they are but that shouldn't be a sad thing. They just left for somewhere else. That's a good thing." The undertaker nods to her and gently gets her back to the inside of the house. She exits the stopped time area, as they were cleaning up and moving more demons through that portal. Upon being back in she quickly pulled to the bathroom to be cleans up. The demon that died in front of her left mess on her dress. Someone quickly had her go wash off. Left with a lady undertaker. Dabbing a towel soaked in holy water.
"Thank you for letting them demons off and trusting us to deal with them. If you had just banished them, it wouldn't have solved anything." The lady tell her.
"It was sad that the demons that didn't make it through the contract removal didn't get free. But it's the price they asked for. I cant save them from themselves. I am not a god." She trying to resolve some rational thought over her actions. The lady softly smiled that the little girl has a warm heart to even worry about demons.
"Demons have their own ways. It might not be a bad thing for a demon. It would be for a human or undertaker. You mustn't worry about it further. You did a good thing. Better even." Laura sad smiles back to the woman, "I bet the world looks very strange for you."
"It would be someone else's nightmare to see what I do. But I guess I am very use to it. Unfazed by the strange." She was all cleaned up now and looked about for anything that shouldn't be there, "Maybe I should draw it. Show what I see." The lady undertaker cleans away the towel and other stuff. Gives the girl a small sip of holy water to drink. Laura knows it would be for her best even if it may not. She aware that she has properties of cursed problems, holy water tingles on her. To sip even this will burn a little. She also knows she human enough to not be as affected.
"Thank you." Pats her head and fixed her hair neat. She sips as she should and was patient with her hair being neater. Exiting the bathroom and guided to sit beside her family.
"You're cooperation with us has gone unchanged. You all demonstrate enough action to be your own separate act from the three way war among the others. Clearly not cult active." Laura notes her grandma isn't seated with them, so she's a cultist with her branch of her family, "Nor do you act in interest of the Seers. You have one the direct bloodline of them, but she stands to your morals." Her mom pats Laura shoulder in being grateful of this, "You don't make contact or a habit of relying on the tricksters." The majority of this family aren't sure of who that is.
"Those that were once living as a fallown or Seer. They are the passed on relatives." Her grandpa explains for them, "We don't actively make contact as we don't want part of their schemes. Inviting one of them is to make war. We are to peaceful."
Everyone that is seated here has their own thoughts around this and look to grandpa in trusting his choose. They all had encountered a Trickster at somepoint already. Except Laura and her brother, as they are young. But its clear he sides with the reaper and in turn meaning the death order. Laura is uniquely the only one that seems unclear of stance, but her demonstration to look after the tome meant she is a tome keeper. This has its own weight of values and proves she has already potential in morals.
"Indeed. You all have been very passive at not interacting. It's also clear to us that you could if you wanted. But you avoid meddling which is appropriate." The monarch voiced in reconginzing and study of their reactions. He seems pleased that they didn't seek out to trust Trickster types, "We are going to continue individually and independent contracts with you. Respect your standards of blending it."
"In adding to the kings point, and just passing on a message. The domain of death has reconginze your two youngest as worthy to hold reaper status. The lad is undergoing the reaper training under me. I am informed that the little miss isn't in need of this."
"Oh, reminding me." She pats about and then finally lowered to the floor in plucking her shadow into a cloth material. She spreads it across the coffee table and pulls it off again. It left behind a stack of tomes and some the sycthes in dagger form. She pats each in counting them and hand reached into her cloth for something. Adding a bag of coins to this table. She counts another time and then with nod to the reaper, "These are for you to take off me. The coins aren't coins. I just invented them. A sort of container. You don't want to ask much of what and why. My book dislikes being asked things."
"Yes... the index has self-awareness. That's why your not needing training." The reaper taking the coins, books and blades, "Your a good soul. I can tell, they aren't upset."
"I don't like them sad." She agrees with dropping her shadow back as it should be. Sitting down again.
"Index... as in the keeper of the index?"
"Mmm. It's more complicated." She shakes at this, "We just are on good terms. I don't nose in whatever it business is. It doesn't bother me unless it had to."
"My sister has always had strange friends. Strange pets. She hiding a lot of things." Her brother huffed.
"Maybe that's for the better. To say that the boss up top is highly keen to know her opinions." The reaper frowns, "I am meaning the god title has taken a stance." There a slide of plenty to stare at her. Even her own mother is concerned of such values trusted to a kid. But this could be over looked as already Luara has said things like 'the book said' and her impression of 'crows'.
"The index is using her as a mouth peice. Just as we could in borrowing use of a human. It's not a strange concept and the god of death work relies on the tome. So valuing the index will isn't strange." The monarch states more toward grandpa. He nods gently in seeing those perspective, "We are in a accord of truce." Offering right hand.
"We are in truce." Grandpa shaking this offered hand. Each of them are given what looks like a mundane item to wear. Be it a bracelet, necklace or broach. There is a undertakers mark which is tell enough that they are sanctioning their place in spirit matters. Plenty knew now to leave. The formal part of this event is over, the monarch and his guards take leave. Everyone else that lost out bargin over them leaving too.
The guy with cold feet is kicked out by the normal uncle that wasn't part of the ritual event. Just getting rid of unwelcomed guests. The spirit sorts were banished out by grandpa casting purification over his house again. The mage shadows took leave before then, leaving letters of interest in their place. The house was normal again, taking off the disguise masks now.
"Do you understand how important that was?" Grandpa testing the children.
"Highly." Her brother answering and she nods.
"Promise to not make me regret this." He stares to them both.
"I can't make promises that I am not sure how to keep. But I will with the best of my ability not intervene in affairs of the spirits unless I deem it possible and not harmful." She maturely replied and its good enough for grandpa. Her brother snarls in how that didn't seem a good enough answer. Yet he doesn't voice this as he knew she wasn't just a fallown like them. He makes voice of wanting to be given proper education about all these supernatural phenomenon.
"It might be to soon to send you both to the school." Grandpa sighed, "There an age criteria as well as promising to never speak secrets."
"Does this have to do with the mage people that the reaper and sis were talking about?" He turned to her more.
"Most likely. They are magic users that can make water float in air and stuff. There a set of them that are cursed like the Seers are. But the curse is more mask then book keeping. Wear Seers have cursed books attached to them. Magic is only possible with some very exact conditions and training. I guess this school is full of these sorts." Her grandpa nods at them, "it's no different to keeping our secert about being able to walk in stopped time or listen to anything within stopped time." She nods.
"I guess we can't tell them our secrets." Her brother huffed.
"Exactly that and you cant tell normal people that mages are real. You can't talk about the afterlife. You can't meddle in business that isn't for us as humans." Mom really doubles down on much she can, "You can't show anything strange to them. Only the strange folks will have some vague thoughts, we must let them keep that beleif untainted from us." That was difficult to grasp but in some examples she follows in teaching. The children get it and everyone can now relax a little for now. Laura looked at a demon sneaking about in the kichten as it plays about the stove.
"It's late." Mom taking the kids back home for bed time. It was very late for them. Grandpa seems aware of the demon and something larger at play here. As he isn't allowing anyone to stay overnight. Her brother isn't caught on to this, upset of leaving. But she knew, the book is flickering. She gives a longer and more proper goodbye then anyone else. She looks her grandpa deeply in conveying that she knew. He grateful that she is follow through on promises to not meddle in what is meant to happen. That there was uncertainty. He felt even comfort with how she went about this.
"Never change your ways. You are are to smart for anyone." Is his parting word. She leaves quickly and looks back at the house. The premonitions of flame and the creatures of misfortune are crawling all over the roof. Moth to flame. She finds herself crying now, now that those words from the undertaker made sense. She wasn't comforting her about the demon that was dead in front of her. Its that she was prepared for her grandpa's departure. There slim hope that he makes it out of this situation, his still able enough. It's still a sad thing. Sad to see the house damaged and him being in harm. No one but her was aware. She fell asleep from the amount of tears and heartaches.
"Small acts of kindness goes a long way." This is her dream world, rather she in her shadow body and seated in this realm made for her. Its so big and empty. She knows a lot of things are gone. Those things aren't if use as things have yet to happen and will likely not to happen with the changes that been. But there is a locked library of finished books, the rift to her existence eraser blade, the gate to the abyss beach and some pile of broken sigil panels. It's plenty enough for her.
Gone is everything else. No candles. No other materials from path walking and universe crossing travels. No extras from summons. It would seem she never had to encounter the other gods. Death seems only vaguely aware because of the tome and her soul uniqueness. She likely triggered his concern when the index started making less demands from his order. That the index took fancy over her then the cultist humans. There is a lot of salt and sand. She knew this was all that remains of erased things.
"I trust myself." She voiced towards her mask, "We are me. I am me. You are me. A soul. The parasite we left." The clay figure across is her spirit mature side and nods at this, "OK but I am sad still."
"That's OK. Its OK to feel those emotions. This pain is only temporary, it will pass. There more hurting out there that could be worse." It doesn't sound comforting but it is a good point. That makes it work out. She maybe crying even in her dream but here in this dream. It welcomed other things. She got to from sitting and walks about the realm before her. She thinks deeply about how she wants this place to be. She thought about the layout and what makes it comfortable for her.
"Maybe I want a liquids cabinet again." She tells her mask, "I liked making others smile. Nice to have emergency stuff to help the unseen. Stuff for the tomes. I want to sell carvings and candles."
"No gate candles." She remembers why her original candles were dangers, "Mmmm unless we use them to banish things." The nod of the uses for this, "We need to go worm meat hunting and a fridge area to keep it fresh."
"We can remove them from the sand at the beach." She thinks of a safer for her method and her mask makes her iconic hug around her front. The waking world is bright again.
"Laura." Her mom at her bed side. In there shared room in the back of aunts house. It seems she slept in the nice dress over night, "how would you free about having someone added to the family?" Not the conversation to expect waking up to. It comes to suddenly be a realization that Laura isn't awake yet and this too is her dream.
"If he can accept the crazy things this family goes through." Laura answering her mom and sees other hints. Things that dream world's always have. These nonsense stuff that wouldn't exist in the awake living world.
Like the ceiling is a visible cut through to someone else's dream. She sees nightmares upsetting this person's dream walker shape. The man in black uniform is fighting a illusion of his dead corpse sister. Shouting nonsense about exorcism and spirits taking over corpses. He stabs that sister through the heart and excessive then real blood spraying.
This whole place of her with her mom and his world with that corpse all faded to black. Lifting two masks. She knows her broken face and that of the title of Ender. The broken one comes to her and greets her as old pals. The Ender speaks riddles to this black blood covered man.
"Man that's a tough one." She voiced hearing it too, "That's a difficult paradox problem to throw him." She hugs the broken mask and petting it, "But no matter what you choose as an answer. There isn't right or wrong. There isn't good or bad. No Saint or sinner. You don't have to be alone. I believe in you, Mr undertaker." She smiles warmly to the man covered in blood, "I am not afraid of someone that wants to save everything. No matter how much a burden it is." She takes his left hand in sharing her warm, not fazed by this blood, "There is mercy."
"You're creepy." He takes away his hand from her. She snickered at that and she now looked to the Ender.
"Never changes. I am OK with what is to come. I know you do it to follow things on track. So I am not going to be mad inside." The mask of Ender nods to her. There that blade through her front again, blood hands. Her hugging the broken mask was more about holding her insides to stay inside. She still warmly smiles to the hands on this blade and trails his eyes. He has the mask on and there is his normal eyes behind it. Cold and seemingly transparent of his lacking judgement. She lifted free her right hand, "I am going to be fine."
She shot up right, knocked her head into her mom. Both complained of knocking each other out a little. Laura gets off the car seat herself remembers thar they left grandpa's formal party.
"Sorry mom. I had a strange dream and you made me wake up with trying to get me out the car." Hugs with apologies.
"It's fine. I should have just tried to wake you up. Let's get straight to bed. Out of these nice clothes." Rubbing the pain away. Once everyone is out, the car is locked and they got inside quietly. Front door softly behind closed. Auntie and uncle were already in bed. Expected to be sleeping. They pass the bedroom door, there was a negative aura behind it and was likely one them awakened by the entry. All was normal otherwise.
Laura being awake now had strange feelings pass her and takes a hard quiet cry in knowing something is happening at grandpa's place. She was back to sleep in weeping as she was. Unable to do anything and helpless in protecting.