Death and the Lady

There was the clash of steel on steel and a burst of blue fire raced along the training hall. Several people stood watching as scythe and sword clashed again and again. Black robes swirled as Death spun, bringing his scythe around in a fast arc. Lily ducked and lunged inside his reach, but Death easily spun out of her way.

There was the flash of polished bone as his robe lifted around his bony legs and the click-click of his bony hands as he shifted his grip on the handle of the scythe. He brought it down aad the shimmering blade bit into the ground, right where Lily had been a few moments ago.

“You’re slow!” Helandel called from where he stood beside the training mats, leaning heavily on a cane. “You’re full of openings. Death, stop going easy on her. She needs to learn, and she needs to learn fast.”

Death laughed as he swung the scythe. The hollow sound boomed around the silent watchers.

“Whose side are you on?” Lily snapped as she rolled out of the way of a fast sweep.

Helandel tapped his cane on the ground. “There are no sides in a battle.”

Lily managed to wedge her sword into the angle between the scythe blade and handle. The screech of the two soul edges was like the wail of a banshee.

“Yes, there is.”

Death laughed. Helandel wishes you to learn, so you must learn.

With that he twisted the scythe and brought the butt of the handle sharply into her shoulder. As she staggered he brought the scythe around and knocked her on the back of the head with the handle. As she staggered again he brought the blade around with the sound of tearing silk.

Lily barely managed to bring her sword up and the jarring of the two blades against one another numbed her other arm. She fell back and landed hard, knocking her head against the floor. Death brought the blade around in an overhead arc and slammed it into the centre of her chest. The onlookers gasped.

Lily lay there for a moment before she started to dissipate like smoke. As Death straightened up she slammed the back of her blade into his skull and kicked his feet from under him.

As he went down, Death twisted and brought the back of the scythe hard down on Lily’s shoulders, knocking her to the ground. Death and Lily lay immobile for a moment before Death pushed to his feet and leaned on his scythe, looking down at Lily.

Do you yield? he asked and Lily turned her head to glare at him.

“Someday I’ll get a piece of you,” she growled.

Death grinned. Do you yield, Lily? Yes or no?

“Yes, yes, I yield, I yield. I’ll get up as soon as I can feel my shoulders again.”

Helandel hobbled closer, leaning heavily on his cane. He leaned down to glare down at her.

“Blame yourself for this,” he said as she pushed to her knees. “You could have been much stronger than this, but you chose to share your time to keep me alive. You’ll still drain much faster than other Reapers, still be weaker than you could truly be.”

“You sound like you regret me saving your life.”

“At the probable cost of yours,” Helandel snapped. “How do you hope to stop Stephen if you keep sacrificing your strength on pointless endeavours?”

Soul fire ripped through the air and Lily surged to her feet. In a matter of moments Helandel was pinned to the wall of the training room with both swords crossed over his throat. The sizzle and snarl as the soul edges touched each other was the only sound that filled the room.

“That situation can easily be remedied,” Lily snarled and Helandel smiled.

“Good, you’re learning. Your speed is your greatest asset. Stephen cannot touch you if he cannot catch you.”

Lily stepped back and levelled one of the swords between his eyes. “Don’t goad me, old man,” she warned, “you’re testing my patience.”

Which you’ve never had much of, Death said as he walked up.

Lily made a face at him. Helandel chuckled and shook his head. “Provoking you used to be the only way to get you to do something.”

Lily lowered her sword and turned away. “Not anymore. I’ll do what has to be done. I’m not that scared little girl anymore.”

Helandel nodded. “I can see that.”

Helandel’s face fell as she walked away. “She sounded so much like her father there,” he admitted as people started leaving.

He is part of her.

“Let’s just hope she’s got the strength of will without the hunger for power as well.”

Death shrugged as he shouldered his scythe. One can only wait and see.

Lily walked into her room in a foul temper. Her shoulder ached where Death had hit her and her body felt heavy and tired. As she walked into the room Haji hugged her tightly and kissed her with such passion that she momentarily forgot her discomfort. She laughed when he broke away.

“What was that for?” she asked and he smiled at her.

“Can’t I kiss my girlfriend?” he asked and she grinned.

“Not when she’s aching all over. All I want now is a hot bath and a long sleep.”

“Helandel push you again today?”

Lily closed the door and painfully pulled off her shirt. Haji gasped when he saw the long red welt that ran across her shoulders.

“You have no idea.”

“That looks bad, let me take a look.”

Lily sank down onto the chair and breathed a long sigh as she let her shoulders drop. Since she’d woken up she’d kept a front of being bad-ass and composed, but around Haji she could let her fatigue show.

“You should get more rest,” Haji said and she shook her head.

“I can’t. It’s like there’s this fire inside me that won’t let me rest.”

Haji smiled as he ran his hand over her neck. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek.

“I can think of a few ways to get rid of that energy, love,” he said and she laughed as she pushed him away.

“Later, right now I’d love for you to make me not hurt anymore.”

“Ja, ja,” Haji said as he reached over to the dresser for a jar of ointment.

The ointment was cold and soothing across the painful welt. Lily breathed a sigh of relief as it started to take affect and soothed the pain. She leaned forward and pressed her elbows into her knees as Haji rubbed the ointment into her shoulders.

“We’ll have to leave here soon,” she said to the floor.

Haji frowned. “Why?”

Lily looked up at him. “This place is made for me and Helandel and Death. Not for you. The Reapers can barely stay here longer than a week.”

“We’ll adjust.”

Lily shook her head. “You won’t. How much time do you think has passed since you came here?”

Haji looked speculative. “Well, we’ve been here about three weeks so I guess a couple of days.”

Lily shook her head. “You haven’t been listening. An hour has passed. One hour, that’s it. Not a couple of days, one hour. That’s why people can’t stay here for very long. Your minds can’t really adjust to the time difference.”

“Why can you, then?”

Lily looked away. “Helandel and I are different.”

“Explain to me what a Master Reaper is!”

Lily looked up at Haji again. He sounded exasperated and looked frustrated. She could barely blame him. All this time he been hearing about the revered Master Reapers, was taught to hate them more than normal Reapers.

“No one quite knows how Master Reapers are made,” she admitted. “Helandel thinks is because we come from a warrior lineage. My forefathers are the Templars, just like yours were the Teutonic knights.”

“But you don’t think so?”

“Personally I think we’re born with a twist in the soul, one that even Life can’t fix. We can see ghosts from a very early age, even talk to them. We live hand in hand with Death from the day we’re conceived. Somehow that skipped my father, maybe Fate saw what he would become, which is why Helandel keeps pushing and pushing so hard.”

Haji hunched in front of her and took her hands. “He’s just worried about you.”

“I’m not going to kill my father. I won’t stoop to his level.”

Haji gave her a pitying look. “I’m afraid that it’s the only way to stop him.”

“Not if I get a say in it.”

Haji was walking Lily to her next class. It’s been a couple of days since they returned from Death’s domain and Haji was realising what Lily meant when she said that people had trouble readjusting to Real Time.

Lily’s mother was taking their relationship with happy smiles and Haji liked the older woman. She was a lot like Lily when she let her hair down. In the afternoons he watched them rehearse for the upcoming play. He could see why Lily had gone into acting; her skill on stage was unmatched.

People often stared at them when they walked hand in hand between classes and stood talking until the lecturer came. He often worked the evening shift and slept in the mornings, so he spent time with Lily in the afternoons.

It wasn’t until after two weeks when the nightmare started. Lily, Claire, Nate, Haji, the twins and Kenny were helping them set up the stage for the play when a shot zinged off the metal support Haji was holding. He dropped it and it clattered loudly to the ground.

Everyone spun around and saw Stephen standing against the tree, twirling his gun. About twenty other Clerics were standing around him, all guns levelled on them. Stephen sauntered closer, a wolverine smile across his features.

“So the traitor still lives,” he said and Lily put a hand on Haji’s arm.

“We know a few tricks of our own, Stephen,” she said and his face turned cold.

“That’s ‘father’ to you, little girl.”

“I have a father, and he’s not you.”

“Oh, so your mother remarried?”

“Nope. But I have a father, and a grandfather. Brothers and sisters who would stand by my side without even needing to ask. I have a family, Stephen, and you’re not part of it.”

“Oh?” Stephen asked coldly. The wolverine smile was gone from his face. “And you would call these abominations your family? You’re as bad as the rest of them.”

“You’re the abomination!” Haji yelled and Stephen levelled his gun on him.

“And the traitor must die!” he yelled and pulled the trigger.

There was no time to get out of the way. Haji braced for the impact, but someone bumped into him and then a weight pressed against him. He opened his eyes and felt his heart grow cold as he realised what was happening.

Stephen’s face was locked in a look of horrified shock as he slowly lowered his gun. Haji held out his hands as Lily sagged against him, her eyes wide open and staring blankly into nothingness.

She’d jumped in front of the bullet. Even as he watched her face became pale and lifeless, felt the life drain from her body. He sagged with her and shook her gently.

“Hey,” he said dully, “hey, wake up.”

Darkness spread all around. Darkness filled with echoing silence. It was neither hot nor cold and calmness spread through the world. She opened her eyes and looked around, up at the black sky above her and down at her feet.

“So” she said and her voice had a strange echoing quality to it. “I’m back here again.”

She heard the click-click of feet approaching. She closed her eyes peacefully and savoured the tranquillity around her. Calm spread around her, no struggle, no fight to live, just endless calm.

Fair lady, throw those costly robes aside, no longer may you glory in your pride; take leave of all your carnal vain delight, I have come to summon you away this night.

Lily smiled as she hung in the darkness, motionless and calm. She felt Death approach her and felt a bony hand touch her brow. The touch was gentle and loving, like a father greeting a sickly child.

So, this is how it ends? Helandel will not be happy.

Lily shook her head. “Do you remember how that ballad ends?” she asked and Death nodded.

Yes, I do.

Lily smiled into the darkness. “Then with a dying sigh her heart did break, and did the pleasures of this world forsake. Thus may we see the mighty rise and fall, for cruel Death shows no respect at all. To those of either high or low degree the great submit to Death, as well as we. Though they are gay, their life is but a span, a lump of clay, so vile a creature is man! Then happy they whom God hath made his care and die in God, and ever happy are! The grave is the market place where all must meet, both rich and poor, as well as small and great. If life were merchandise that gold could buy, the rich would live – only the poor would die…”

And now, Lilith Valleyscape, you must finally come away with me.

Slowly Lily opened her eyes. Death was standing over her, the soul blue pinpoints of his eyes searching hers. She knew what she had to do, and she hoped like hell that it would work.

“You’re going to be so angry at me,” she said softly and he made a questioning noise. She reached up and her hands touched the polished skull softly. “Somehow you became the father I never knew, gave me the family I never knew I wanted and granted me a love I so desperately needed.”

She drew his head down and kissed the top of his polished skull. It felt like kissing a billiard ball, but she felt Death rock with shock. She smiled against his skull and turned it so that she could look into those pinpoint eyes.

“Please, forgive me.”

Lily slipped her hand into one of his eye sockets. Strange that her hand fitted through the tiny hole, but as she reached further inside the hole grew wider to fit her arm and shoulder. Death tried to fight her off, but it felt as though he was weak as a kitten.

“The eyes are the windows to the soul,” she muttered softly.

Lily’s hand closed around the tiny burning star and she pulled it out. Death staggered back and his bony hand went to his denuded eye. He glared at her and she saw the remaining pinpoint flash bright red.

She lifted the hand that held the piece of Death’s soul over her head. She could see it shining through the shin as brightly as though she was really holding a star.

“I’m so sorry,” she said as she started to lower her arm, “I’ll return this to you if I survive.”

Death screamed and lunged forward, but he was too late. Lily swallowed the piece of his soul and light exploded around her, sweeping the darkness away.

Haji lifted his head and glared at Stephen’s shocked face. Tears were falling from his cheeks and onto Lily’s shirt and pale cheeks. Above them the thunder crashed as the afternoon rainstorm blew in. Fat drops started to fall onto the ground and then the rain came down in a torrent. It was almost as though the sky was crying too.

Another flash lit the landscape, but this one didn’t fade. Haji looked down at Lily’s body and saw her eyes snap open, but they weren’t her eyes. Instead of her steel grey, they were the same shade as her soul fire.

Lily pushed away from Haji and sat up; making everyone gasp and some of the Clerics start to mutter. Claire rushed forward, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped the embrace. The hand felt bonier than it used to be. Then Claire saw it.

Lily’s face was hollow, skin stretched over a skull. Her dark hair was going black as though someone was pouring black ink over it. Her skin was pale, almost ghostly white in the gloom. Her clothes shifted and changed, became the night-black robes of Death. When she held out her other hand Death’s ivory scythe burned into existence and shrunk to fit her shorter stature.

The wind suddenly kicked up and blew her hair out around her, her dry hair in the raging torrent of rain. It seemed as though the drops weren’t hitting her. When Lily raised her head her face looked strange and alien.

When her hand closed around the handle of the scythe she shot forward and brought the blade around, not even seeming to move through the intervening space. Stephen flinched and closed his eyes, but opened them slowly when nothing happened.

Lily was standing by his shoulder and the scythe blade was almost, but not quite, touching the skin on his neck. He could hear the sizzle and hiss as it cut raindrops in half.

Remember that I could have killed you, Stephen Rush, she said in the strange laden tones of Death. Remember that I could have ended your life in an instant if I so wished.

He didn’t dare move and she turned her strange hollow face towards him. Thunder crashed and lighting lit up the world and showed shadows on her face, horrible shadows.

Reapers do not kill, she said slowly, deliberately, yet you slaughtered thousands of us for sport.

“You’re monsters. Look at you,” Stephen managed through clenched teeth.

We are monsters? Does the lizard forsake the snake for a beast? Does the beetle call the bird a murderer? We are not the monsters, Stephen Rush, you are.

“What did you do?”

I took a piece of Death’s soul into myself. Now I am truly a monster. I am Death in human form and believe that I will be far worse than Death because I possess all the traits of a human. All the selfishness and cruelty and vengeance.

“Lily!” Haji gasped and she turned her face to look at him before looking back at Stephen again.

However, your twisted soul cannot be used as template for all others. Become as a child again, forget your hate and malice, drown in your hunger for power.

“Like hell I will!” Stephen snarled and struck out towards her.

His arm passed through Lily and she reached up, touching a fingertip to the centre of his brow.

Master of the Clerics, forget about the Reapers and your Holy Order. Became a man amongst men once more. Return to the world of the ignorant and a life best suited to you.

Stephen disappeared suddenly and Lily turned to the remaining Clerics. They all fell back from her gaunt features and she settled the scythe beside her.

Clerics, you need not continue this war, she said and they stared at her. Work alongside the Reapers, there are much worse beings in this world you can do battle against. We ferry the dead, you can protect the living.

“But who’ll lead us now?” a voice called from the crowd and Lily looked over her shoulder at Haji.

Johannes Eisenberg was to be your next leader, was he not? Is he not a suitable candidate?

Haji waved his hands. “Not a chance, Lily.”

The choice is not mine to make, Lily said and sagged.

Haji rushed forward and grabbed her before she hit the ground. The scythe fell from her hand and was caught by another, bony hand. Death stood in front of them and glared down at Lily.

You dare? he snarled down at her.

Lily smiled. Her cheeks were no longer gaunt and she looked like her old self again, but her eyes still glowed blue.

I told you that I’d get a piece of you, she said, still in the heavy tones of Death, but it was modulated with her own voice.

Death sighed heavily. Always with the theatricals, Lily? he sighed and she chuckled.

Gently he reached a hand into her chest and drew out the blue star. He held it in his hand and slowly in faded into the bones. The pinpoint reappeared in his eye and he shook his head. Raindrops were already soaking through Lily’s clothes.

“It worked, though,” she laughed and Death shrugged.

A very risky endeavour, nonetheless. Do not do it again.

Lily lifted a heavy arm and saluted him. “Aye, sir.”

Death looked at Haji. What will you do now?

Haji looked at the watching Clerics. “I can’t lead them.”

Why not? It seems that you cannot be a worse leader than your predecessor.

“You’re kidding.”

Death straightened up. I do not kid, he said and disappeared.

Claire, the twins, Nate and Kenny all rushed towards them and Claire threw her arms around Lily, sobbing loudly and cursing her in French. Kenny was howling as he grabbed her around the middle and the twins were talking over each other for a change.

Haji left them to their reunion and walked over to the watching Clerics. The man in front he recognised as Francis Donaland, one of the Paladins. The man looked carefully at Haji.

Then he bowed. It was like a sudden cascade effect ran through the Clerics. One man after the other bowed to Haji. He stood staring at them, dumbstruck. He felt a hand clapped to his shoulder and he looked around to see Nate grinning up at him.

“So, big bro,” he said happily, “now you’ve got an army of gun wielding, trigger happy, modern-day knights. What is the first thing you’re going to do with them?” he asked and Haji wiped his wet hair out of his eyes.

“I have no idea.”

“Are you stupid?” Nate asked and Haji frowned down at him.

“What do you mean?”

Nate spread his arms wide. “Take over the world, of course!” he laughed and Haji punched him hard on the shoulder. Nate laughed as he jumped aside, rubbing at his arm.

“You’re crazy,” Haji laughed and Nate shrugged.

“Well, you raised me, didn’t you?” Suddenly Nate’s face became serious and he edged closer. “By the way,” he added in hushed tones.

Haji leaned closer. “What?” he whispered back.

“Don’t piss off your girlfriend. She’s terrifying.”

Haji threw back his head and laughed loudly. A clump of mud hit Nate on the back of the head, making his stagger forward.

“I heard that!” Lily yelled at him.

She’d gotten to her feet and was rolling another ball of dripping mud in her hands. Nate gave a shout and ran behind Haji, so that the mud hit Haji on the centre of his shirt, his white shirt.

“Hey!” he yelled and Lily laughed loudly.

“By the way, if you want to be with me, no more white shirts!”