My name is Aevelus, and for as long as I can remember; I have spent every second of my life hunting those with a marking. A bright red "X" in the form of aetheria, which is a power needed in order to cast spells. I take the life of those with this X, and I take their soul to a place called The Graveyard. Every time I return from The Graveyard, I forget everything from the moment I enter it, up until the moment I return from it. I don't know why I do this, nor do I really care, at least that's how I felt until recently. Around a month and a half ago, I approached a young female human, 26 years old, that had a marking. She was in charge of an orphanage, and was outside playing with the children. The children wanted to see her magic, and so she began casting various spells, showing each one of them off. One was a small ball of fire that shot up and popped into hundreds of sparks, another was bubbles of floating water that would distort whatever you saw when looking through them. She continuously made the children laugh and smile after each new spell. Now usually when I hunt someone with a mark, they do one of two things; fight back, or run away. In this case, it was one of those rare instances where they stare in shock, but instead of fighting or running, they do nothing. Well not exactly nothing, it's more like they begin crying, or have a warm and somber smile of acceptance. I use the word nothing cause those expressions mean nothing to me. I harvest their soul and move on. However, in this recent case the woman began talking to me as if I were just a passerby. She said, "The children love watching the little performances I do, just seeing their smiles is enough to motivate me for the day. I don't suppose your here to adopt one of them, are you?". I didn't respond, I glanced over realizing that the children don't seem to have noticed me.
The Woman: "I'm just kidding, haha. I do understand why your here. I was wondering if I can send someone a message just before I take my leave? Would that be okay?"
I replied, "One message, that's all I can allow."
The woman, looking quite relieved, smiled, and began casting a spell. A beautiful sunrose began to take shape, the warm colors from the flower matching the sunrise, she placed a note along with it on a nearby table. She then yelled for the children to come inside, "Come on everyone, you don't want to miss breakfast now do you?" The children ran on inside, each one of them eager to grab a bite of whatever was prepared.
The Woman: "They're orphans, they all lost their parents in a devastating attack led by the Lornknelm kingdom. I decided to use my magic in order to provide them with a better life. Leaving them alone would just be too sad. I pray my message reaches him...."
These were her last words before I took her life. I never gave too much thought about what she said, I did the usual visit to the graveyard and was on my way to the next hunt. Around just over a month later, I found myself in the same place where the young woman was. This obviously happens occasionally where I revisit certain areas, but for some reason her last line, "I pray my message reaches him...." resurfaced in my mind. I can't say why, but this led me to returning to the orphanage. Upon my arrival, the first thing I saw was the note with a wilted sunrose left in the exact same spot on the table. No sign of anyone being around, I entered the building, and saw that it had most likely been pillaged. Broken glass scattered across the floor, flipped over chairs, blood stains, empty shelves and cabinets. Things like this never surprised me, I knew very well the way this world works, yet I still revisited the orphanage, but for what reason?
For the very first time, in the hundreds of thousands of years that I have lived, I have never questioned myself. Not the hunting, the graveyard, none of it. But that day was different, I felt an unease welt up inside of me, I didn't understand why I was experiencing this. I should state that I am not the only one with this task of hunting marked beings. There are six of us in total, we are referred to as the kin of death with each of us having are own seat. I happen to be seat six. We each also have are own unique weapon which allows us to harvest and store souls, in which we being to the graveyard. Mine is a sword called the Eternity Blade. The weapons, and we ourselves are immortal, on extremely rare occasions we can be evaded, but 99.99 percent of the time, being marked means your life has reached its end. Ever since revisiting the orphanage, it feels like my mind has been plagued by never-ending questions. Questions like, what is my purpose? What is The Graveyard? Why are we given this task? Who gave us this task? And the question that seems to not leave my mind no matter what, Does being marked, mean they truly deserve death?
I saw Ethyr, who is seat 3, and decided to ask him about marked beings. We rarely interact with each other, and to be honest, I don't think any of us has ever asked each other a question before. If someone does say something, it's usually along the lines of marked beings locations. I approached Ethyr and asked him, "Ethyr, have you ever wondered if marked beings truly deserve to be hunted and killed?"
He stood still for a second, then said, "It's unusual of us to ask questions, but to answer yours I can't say I have ever thought about it. I don't believe it really matters whether they do or don't in the first place. What's important is that we bring souls to the graveyard, that is of utmost importance."
Aevelus: "I hunted a woman just over a month ago, she was taking orphan children in and raising them, and because I took her life. The children suffered a tragic fate. Something I did, resulted in unrelated people being negatively affected. This is why I asked, I just don't think it makes much sense that they had to suffer as the result."
Ethyr: "I see. It is unfortunate, but we know very well the nature of this world. However, that doesn't mean we should neglect our task. I do believe that there's nothing wrong with prolonging a marked being's life, as long as it doesn't slow your hunt."
The way Ethyr thinks is similar to how I used to think, before I began having all these questions. It's not that I have no desire to bring hunted souls to The Graveyard, however I now don't like the idea of unrelated beings being affected by my hunts.
Today, I entered a village within the Yelmish kingdom in search of a man who was marked. I looked over to my left to see the red X marked on a man sitting outside his front door. I approached him and he, like the woman from a month and a half ago, looked at me shocked, but instead his face began to grow somber and worried. He said, "Why me? I won't complain, fight, or run. I just want to know, what have I done to be marked by the kin of death?"
I didn't respond, there was no response I could give him. I've been asking myself that question for a month and a half now after every single hunt. A woman opened the door, and noticed me. She looked shocked, but knew that I wasn't here for her, but rather the man instead. She began crying as she hugged him.
Woman: "Honey no!.. Please don't go, please don't leave me. What about Sophie? She needs you, a father to be there as she grows up..."
Man: "Honey, Amanda. I.. tell Sophie I-" A little girl peaking out from the front door, she says, "Mommy? Daddy? What's wrong?"
The Man walks over to Sophie and hugs her tightly.
Man: "Sophie, I love you very much. You are so so smart and talented, and I'm sure you'll make me proud no matter what you do in life. Daddy has to go somewhere far away now, and I'm not sure if I will make it back. In the meantime, keep smiling, because in the night time full of shining stars, I'll be looking out for you, since you'll be the brightest one." The man, struggling to hold back his tears, gave her a warm smile, and kissed her forehead.
I had to keep reminding myself, or else I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to hunt this man. This is the way the world works, whoever is marked, gets hunted, and their soul is brought to The Graveyard. That is my task. I must fulfill it.
Amanda: "Fredrick, why is this happening to us? Why? I don't understand."
Fredrick: "I'm not sure, perhaps these things are beyond us."
A small pause follows, Sophie begins to tear up realizing the weight of her father's words.
Sophie: "Daddy, no don't go, I don't want you to leave us!"
Fredrick: "Amanda, you're the most beautiful, the most amazing woman I've ever met. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll take care of Sophie. You're strong, and intelligent. I know you can do it. I love you, thank you for loving me." Fredrick gives her a kiss and makes way towards me.
I put a barrier of eternity, an ability the sword is capable of, between Fredrick and the two girls. They both desperately try to grab hold of him.
Amanda: "Wait no!, please! please! please! please!, I'll do anything, please don't take my husband away from me!" Amanda yells out alongside Sophie's yells' for her father.
We depart to another location out of respect for his family before I take Fredricks life. He had no final words to give me other then, "I'm ready." I found it strange that he was so resolved to face death, so I asked him, "I unfortunately can't answer your earlier question, for I don't know why, nor how a being is marked. However, you seem quite resolved to die, I'm curious.. what gives you the strength to leave your family behind without fighting back."
He said, "There is nothing I can truly do in the face of death. I believe I have done everything I can for Amanda, and Sophie, and I believe my efforts in providing for the both of them will pay off. I am sad to go so soon, and not spend more time with them. However, eventually I know I will see them again, wherever, and whenever that may be. That is what gives me the resolve to face death."
Aevelus: "I see.." I unsheathed my blade, and gave him as painless a death I could.
The following month, became the most agonizing month in my existence. I resisted visiting that village. I held on to hope that without him, they would truly be okay. That me hunting Fredrick would not have resulted in a life of suffering..... but deep down, I knew that unless I see the outcome with my own eyes, I will go insane. So I revisited the Yelmish village, and approached the residence of Fredrick and his family. In the front yard, just in front of the porch. Stood a group of men, one with an axe, surrounding a tall wooden stake, upon which was decorated with the head of Amanda.