It's quiet easy to be lost among the hunter's and guild staff for both the living worlds (human awake one) and eclipse worlds (be it the afterlife, dreamlands and fragments of lost living realms by other universes). Quite a crowd of Over powered magic users, immortal warriors and even ancient European folk tale beings cross this British neutral zone. The mages ruled by the royal Glader family have their hands full in being the administration over these gate towers; places of many door ways that act as short cuts across all wavelengths of realities.
My handing of confidential work has granted me unspoken respect by other agents here; being the point of call for mediating between non humans and humans. My personal close family (notably my Mom, Brother and Her father - my Grandfather) are tied to an assassins and spies guild. Their mark by the blood hand print or red hands. The network runs deep in strange directions. My biological Father and his parents are part of cult that is still manipulating the tomes in broken ways to own souls and beings against will. My grandmother (my mother's mom) is the priestess to the dream chasing cult that keeps harassing my spirit Clothus side for things beyond them.
I have however lived up to being the schemer the universe labels me with; using all three of these fraying relationships to my own work style. I am slowly crumbling my father's leader position and cursed all tome access holders with living status (Although I had a personal request letter from the god of death about this interfering with his grim reaper workers). I have protect dream creatures from torture by the dream chasers. I have used my close family to make black market requests to find evidence for unsolved damned soul cases. My imaginary animal's and my ties to the abyss have its uses too; as since I never let them run riot among these souls to far. I am still making round trips through the many layers of hell and the neutral markets in non-human territories. I made my own wood protection trades and god offerings and been barely getting by as a human.
This isn't a complain; rather just a reflection of how far my soul has journeyed to start again. I am protected by my thriple ranks in the Sigil system - being a hidden dark web merchant, a clothus lawyer and a mute human estranged by all once tied to her. Its what I expected when I can't explain to them what I am and what my soul's been through. The only alarming factors are; that my god trial case of my souls prosecution of my biological father is a pending case (going cold and no where - as expected by gods not able to see the damned like us), all ties to the undertakers was lost in this time being human again, my ties to outside this universe keeps sending back to the black sand beach outside of this time and space of tomes. I am having to rely on god eaters and other creatures of hidden places to trade and cross back to this life.
Another big deal secret that all the gods wish to deny. This isn't a standard universe with typical issues. Humans are constantly at war with 'monsters' but it really turns out that there is no such thing is boundaries between all these tomes. It's borderless. The only few factors keeping this place acting like any other universe is the soul norms. Everyone just assumes laws and things. Even the gods are just following these assumptions. It takes a freak like me and other 'Oath Cogs' to keep it from total annihilation. Its why my work with god eaters to keep gods from crossing mortal worlds is one my biggest sins. I have a lot of similar sins that no mortal should have. All excused by being both a Fallown and Seer as a living human, trickster in spirit from and an outsider ranker in the Sigil system. In simple terms, folks come to me to break the rules they can't - that's what they want me for. I am gladly not a fool.
The last case file at the reception desk is filed back away. The grand centre plaza's on the ground floor of this British mage tower insulation has this water fountain which on cue to the living world local time began its hourly muse. As a gift by the neutral monarchy undertaker kingdoms that cross on this ground; this copper gear work clock that runs on water turning a wheel springs into a beautiful metallic flower and chiming music display. It's become the met up spot for new forming hunter teams or pairing up. Humans under ranks B must always partner up for off living realm requests. This area is the human zone for human hunters. The walls around are human trade markets stalls or private hiring folks; just everything that is humans. there a sort of airport crossing and then the other half is the undertaker control zone. The fountain is reminder to humans that undertakers are the governors beyond that soft crossing. Once you are on the Undertaker side. There is five undertaker kingdoms with separate entry gates to each crown state. There a gate to the living world to the mage hidden country there. Monthly there a rotations of occurring eclipsing realms that link to monster homes - these are hell worlds, heavenly realms and similar realms. God realms are only accessible with a human in contract to such gods. There are illegal realms ran by Clothus and Damned. Demons and Devils are to are war with each other to make any attack to holy Angelic realms. Angels are as much a threats as demons. Being empty soul beings that become humanized by their upper ranking - it puts terror in humans meeting the lower ones.
She takes pause watching the fountain, a slow blank expression as the gears click and chimes its beautiful song. She had her own version of a smile when it ended, turning away with sorting out the newly stacked papers by undertakers. Mutely back addressing her own care. Her stomach gurgling a little.
"Excuse me!" a punch at the counter by one the arrogant B ranker humans. She stops with staring blank at them, they aren't doing the thing. Those in the know, tap morse code requests. Humans aren't trusted to this until after death or god contract. You do have some that know by connections but not this prick.
"Identification." She posed her left hand over him and this brought the Sigil panel window display (She and other spirit people are able but no other humans. Only the Gladers have access like this). He has criminal marks from the undertakers around here. A demon wants his soul - so he evading justice of due law. He dropped credibility marks with all normal merchants. He stole from one my dark network merchants - a dark web request against him. Everything I need to know that this freaks screwed.
"Here." Tampered ID card that is attached to a dead hunter's file. Adding potential Murderer to his charges.
"Invalid ID." She waved left hand and turns ignoring him, "You're black listed. All exchanges and requests have been paused until further notice." He was about to jump over this counter to get what he wanted. Likely the rewards of the requests he stolen from the dead hunters. He finds instead that his been held down by unseen forces, tangling in my shadow and Clothus tendrils. You're not evading justice unless fate or Omens gives me notice. She takes soul checked him too, just to make perfect measure of his magic abilities and his mark place in the tome (I may have to be his active grim reaper if he stupid). The flicker of her eyes changed from not human ones and he struggled afraid of her. Soon squirming like his life depends on the escape. Even so, she watched the goddess of Fate's weaving this man's future and that Omen's isn't changing stance.
"Martian!" She shouted to the side and the spirit agent of this guild counter arrived. She posed left hand open to the being, and the creature smiles with pleasure. Jumps the counter and man handles the criminal right over to the security and court association. She closed the distracting sigil window softly and was back to considering a human meal. Having enjoyed the negative fear of the man. The Fountain chimes again and she turned looking that way perplexed. She then looked at her own wrist watch and sees the human world was paused only for a second. Its officially now ended the chime now. It only made her more humanly hungry, its the end of this desk shift.
"Eliza." She tilted calmly towards this voice, she stares about the vessel for a long duration. Once she sees that it was one of Death's, she humanly smiles warmly and approached with attentive listening, "Although I dislike requesting this of you, I require your help. You're one of ten beings that handles translating the tome languages and one of five that repairs souls. You are the only known being to make, repair and recondition the tomes. Do you require a reward of my request?" Speaking in the death god's personal god language... its a test as well as a plead for help. She waves the panel in making this a formal huntress request under her Clothus Lawyer ranking. It's an odd choose but it keep them both in clear stance of the others danger. Just as death can snuff her human life, her Clothus taint can break some norms (or really just the laws they assume).
"Don't forget the formality, just so we aren't making your sister-in-law life or your wife have another fit." The vessel jolts and stuck that way for a while. She frowns a little in worry, "Sorry I meant to say that to the title. I sometimes forget the many versions of death are sometimes separate but the same. I will borrow a spare soul blade but I have no intent of using it against its will. Rather it is just to keep the soul judgement of my work in check. Formality I have always respected in your work, regardless of tome access and origins." The death god having noted her Clothus label marks in that ID, now got what she was meaning. That she is aware of broken facts that would shatter a human's faith in gods - but yet she a functional sane human. Although her calm around a death god maybe isn't a sane thing. It is refreshing to be spoke as an ordinary soul. She clearly still respects and may even still prayer for gods like death.
"This is all with the request the god follower that Omen's has tangled binding to. As it was them to brought this topic up." She softly gestured a clothus agreeing hand gesture to this statement. She then slides gaze at the white, grey and black specked mock raven... eyeing the poor vessel for the meat the god is. She quickly used her human hands at snatching the god eater and grapples the thing to rest in her arms. Once the god eater huffed in defeat, she feeds it snacks of bloody gore meat. It soon purrs and sinks it loving hold with her, eating away the meat morsels in gusto. Her shadow clothe, disguised as a shoulder shul takes grasp of the offer weapon death handed her. It placed to her belt gear. He posed where she needed to go. Walking away quickly. She fully aware that he knew that he nearly go ate by her Loki. She huffed, plays a few raspberries on the mock bird belly and with one last meat chunk that thing left her hands for zoomies. She watched in worry of what next Loki was going to muck up next. As the mock bird just brokenly crawls on all fours then flies as a bird. She had even worried for a moment of what other see of him. She shakes away as it was just another aspect of her life. looking at how death pointed to the undertakers crossing side at the meeting area. She rubs her own hungry belly but just goes.
I just felt my human name flicker with the tomes. Not only did someone just access my page but they had even brushed my name. Not reading it and narrow missing some accidental death scene. Just another day of being targeted by two different death cults. There are no many that access the tome of tricksters - those dead humans of cursed bloodline families. hybrid humans become tricksters too. But only the Seer's and some handful of gods access the tome. It's normally the patron god of darkness that the Seer's worship that opens it. Often to seek whose next in the direct head of house. Erebus has a history of being unfavourable to human's prolonging existence. Several tomes I have recovered are collapsed ender worlds that Erebus and a gang of his mates have succussed this total dismantle. I wonder how long it will take him to realize that what he wants is already be. There isn't anything stopping him but his follow gods, humans and undertakers. It's not like the reality stops him doing whatever it is. They all assume they can't. Its the ones that don't want to ruin it that cross and break it. Like Omens. Dude is always on the black sand beach picking relics.
"I am ordering one the Cuban Sandwiches club meal deals to go." She knocked the bar counter with a few other other bits. The staff across from her picked up the notepad, wrote fast and ran to make this order snappy fast. She wedged herself in blocking Omen's three eyed raven vessel and Mattu in the feathered cloak. Mattu has that human tan featuring the brown short styled hair. Yet his clothing suited his days as an undertaker with added godly protections. Mattu frowns unimpressed of Eliza's blocking of omens. She pays with a debit card in her human name and huffed. The stared a tilt to Omens with deep watching the god's soul for a little bit. Her order is placed at her front with a brown bag. She shadow sank it and scoops Omens up. She then place him to Mattu's shoulder. A bottled water is put to her left hand after that and she leans staring at the overall place of things.
"Well another day of clashing worlds." She opened and downed the drink.
"And what god are you serving?" Mattu asked her.
"I am hired by Death. I am no a grim. I am not his lackey. I am here on tome business. Just here to hover about in the way of near dying experience's to fix soul problems." Crushed bottle is tossed backed and clattering the back of bar recycle bin. She not really sure who and what death meant of what soul topic was at issue here, "But I am not sure what his exactly trying to hire me for this time. Everyone here is in the range of expectations I take from hunters, gods and hidden. Even you two." She pointed Omens in measure to remind them she's able of sight and maybe even more then that, "Although, what's with that god over there by the Glader? His looking a little flumexed. Flips enough tome pages like that, I might have to stop before it eats him." Give her human voice had just sounded out to the whole room, the exact being froze up in shock, "Tome's have a defence in place to stop idiots breaking the rules. This is why not all humans can just be grim. The tome has a capacity of limitations on the keeper and access holders. It's not unbelievable." The god takes a while in debating his input.
"Leana?" she huffed of that being her human name used with her Fallown side. So she measured up who, it's gladly just her brother.
"Joseph! Look at you all marked up in curses. You pissed off something..." She stares a lot of him overall, "Oh, you forced the soulless index again. Man, you got to treat it very differently. Its not the normal half of the tomes. Just one poke of a letter and you have nightmare monsters hunting your soul." She now summons up the tome of his name access and with lazed causal peering looks right over the pages blankly. She had to blink a few time to adjust her senses, closed it and opens again for retry. She then shuffled the material of the tome to not paper format. It sprays continues bubbling ink liquids in her hands. She watched it in knowing how to read this format. She makes a mental note and pulls this tome back into herself. She tilts staring at him, sighing in disappointment. She couldnt even began to fathom why it was her page entry in the soulless pages he accesses.
"What? Why are you looking like your going to murder me for?"
"I am debating it." she voiced in her abyss voice and clears back to a human on, "Why are you looking at that page of the soulless index for? In what law made you think to peer at that? As not even the 194 hell realms would a demon dare your soul to open the abyss tome. Unless I have some god to blame." she stares to the god seated nearby and he waved defensive, "Well at least none the animals has come to eat yet. I got here in time before Loki or Morpheus makes show." She stares around in being leery, "Oh, well yes of course. The eater of god eater is why your still alive." She walked around to the living art at the bar wall. She traded a bunch of barrels of unknown subtainces, spoke gurggling tones and was snatched through the wall at one point. She was place back on the ground and the art left. She makes a instant sharp snap and with a claws removed Joseph's soul from his living stood body. She breaks away the soul chains and place him back before his living body could fall the floor. She makes a metalic clicking sounds and the room seems all the more empty now. She flexed her hand back to human and grappled his collar. She souls tares him deep and dropped him to a near chair.
"Just another day of my life." She reminded herself in human tone, back beside Mattu, "Joseph, the next time you die. The true title of death will have to ask my permission. But it doesn't make you immortal. If anything, it sucks. badly. You're such an idiot. Maybe you're lucky too. If it was the page before or after. My neighbours are not nice soulless beings with human intentions. The guy after me would have made you a Dementor. Be locked Under the SCP foundation or contained in one the Seer's estates." She shakes disappointed.
"I have a lot of questions." The god across voiced and she ignored the invisible folks. Looking to the humans looking at reports of all sort of crap. She steps to the table of guild requests, its all her stuff. She makes another swap of Clothus gesture. Instantly all these files are out of reading range to every normal person. Most turned into ashes in cold blue flames erupting by the wave seals. She wafted it all to the sigil panels glass hidden feature.
"Crossing the lands of the Dream abyss is a risk to your very being. You are to no cross with human flesh nor to even be labelled alive or dead. It is a place hat only the soulless, lost and broken exist. You would just kill us all in attempting travel there. Breaking the foundational laws of space and time." She slams the table, "So maybe don't bother. I don't want to hear death nagging me about your souls getting tome erased." she stands up straight, "You're not even work the tribute."
"Why are you so depth in know about such details like tribute?" She huffed annoyed in not spoon feeding a clueless bunch of humans, gods and idiots. At least Joseph was soon making some dots up.
"No, you cant be. You're a human." he approached her, grapples shoulders and shaking her about. hands that pat her sides and her head, "You're a living human." he conculded with being somewhat sure, but there a knot in his throat that uneased him, "You just removed my soul from my body without a scythe." slow on the near dying thing, "What are you?" She stirs him to sit down at the table.
"Oh I know, since we have you here. You finished that death request with fixing your brother." Omens speaks up. She closed his beak quickly.
"Fixed? No. He is owned by me now. If I tell him to punch the table." Indeed Joseph then just now punched the table. She posed this fact, "His entered a clothus soul binding deal with me. In exchange of me owning him. I suspect I grant him some unwelcomed things. Like being loved by god eater, instant language translations and some broken fudging of the rules. Like seeing your real god forms. Its a very dangerous contract and it is for until I eat his soul. I can't eat him until he dies. So screwed. The up side would be now his about to see the monsters in a new light. Oh, wait that might be bad thing too." She huffed, "I guess i am going to have to hire one my proxy to keep him in law."
"The lost kingdom of the god eater Undertaker crest was tied to the AByss tome page we had him access. So in basic, why is you part of this?" The glader hissed.
"I had forfiet the 14 fallen crowns to their new crown kings and queens. Thus loosing my empowerment over undertakers. All that remains of this was two skills, my god court pending status and my abyss ties. As my ties to abyss are even more too much to explain. As the Empress of god eater crest and i am still the reigning owner of the Noctorm. Everything that is my business is mine alone. Damn nosy brats." She made several clothus commentary's about their personalities, clothing chooses and arrogant assumptions. She had even tongue clicked about the gods around her being vacant. Her over dissatisfaction of each was pinned by how there as silver knives stabbed at the table of those annoying her the most. Her shadow cloth snatched the Seer access tome closed from Erebus (as that is one of his vessels).
"Yet with Joseph's soul being handled by you alone, and that his just cursed for now. I would say that your request by the god of death has been pinned until further notice." Mattu cuts in with stopping her hands gesturing, "Given you're Penheart. Will you please help with this current issue?"
"Mat, you have the the abilities to clean this all up without me. You just have this denial of the darkness. I get it, omens has been protective of your soul. But I can't actually help you with the god case. As I am one the victims, the one that accused the guy of selling my human soul to the Clothus. Really, it may have only been 1 human month since it happened." She crossed her arms at her front in habit, as if holding her stomach in pain, "But I have lived, died, been removed and crawled myself back here. So just maybe be careful what you ask of me. As it is a god trial, I am weigh down by the sins of the one that did that to me. I have already did everything in evidence, witness reports, Clothus laws... everything. Anything. But still the scale is broken. You can not impose over a human mortal soul if your soul is the one out scaling the scale."
They don't really understand that frustrating answer and not even translating to them. All but Joseph and Mattu that could. Even then at a slow rate, so they lost retaining the means of the words. She once more met with why this universe hasn't broken apart. Strange laws that prevents them listening to her. She finds even if the did learn what she said, it be useless.
"You can't ask the once making the accusation to withdraw the proven crime from court matter. It is a stance that no side will accept change." She revoiced in human terms as possible, "I am just the face to the many that were broken. I was the worst hurt. I gave everything. I will no back down the fight over my soul. That's the human mistranslation." she finds tone change and they all got that at least, "It's much bigger a case. But more god fearing then any Ender. I accept what comes, but its others that haven't. He hasn't either. So its stalemate. Checkmate that doesn't change." she shakes away with knowing Clothus terms are trying to slip in. She holds her mouth closed with her right hand. She steps around to her brothers back. She began removing a bunch of jarred cloth materials. Many sealed spells of magic that she save in case of this. Spent power being put to good use. She was doing something only she can do among those of this universe, binding magic and reality laws to block joseph to a semi normal seeing again. The jars once emptied were being gifted away to god eaters at her feet. As it was materials made by the meat they eat. She unfazed of how bloody this appears to humans and how much worse omens was reacting to her. Her way of tie folding cloth of sealing magic over Joseph's eyes. Once more he had the sight he knew but he will occasionally see as she does. How transparent things are of this universe.