Death and the Lady

Lily jogged to keep up with Ryo’s sudden fast pace. She was happy about the fact that she no longer needed the crutch to move around and the fact that she could breathe deeply without hurting her ribs, but Ryo seemed strangely agitated.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she jogged to stay by his side.

Ryo glared down at her. “How could you speak so familiarly to the Master?” he snapped and she stopped dead.

Realisation dawned and anger flared through her. “What the hell?” she snapped and he took a step back. “I’ve walked alongside Death for more than two months now! Do you have any idea how it feels to go to sleep with the scent of him in your nose every night? The feeling of lying in his hands hour after hour? You wonder why I can be so familiar with him. He’s been my constant companion for every night since the accident! Even in a coma I felt him watching over me!”

Everyone in their vicinity stopped and stared at them. Ryo’s face was pale and hers was flushed with anger. She was trembling with rage as she squared off against him, barely able to keep her temper in check.

“I’ve always been able to see the dead walking around the living! Spirits that haunt old car crashes and accident places. I can’t even go near the site of the building anymore! The bodies of the people they uncover even now are haunted by their ghosts and they beg me! They beg me for release! There’s nothing I can do to help them!”

Lily’s hands went to her head and she screwed her eyes shut. Ryo took a step closer to her and she retreated one back.

“Sometimes the spirits would just disappear; sometimes they would follow me home! I know what goes bump in the night and it’s a lot more horrible than what people think! I know what lives in the dark corners and I can hear them!” She lifted her eyes to look at Ryo. “Death said that he usually doesn’t choose Reapers from people as badly injured as I was, but he knew that there was something different about me! So why do I speak to him like he’s just some other person? Because to me he isn’t half as bad as the stuff I grew up around.”

Ryo was pale as he stepped forward. He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hallway towards an elevator. They stood in silence as the elevator descended down the levels. Lily stared down at the floor and Ryo shifted constantly, almost uncomfortably. When the doors slid open she followed Ryo along the new hallway and through a door he opened.

Inside was a room with a single bed covered in white sheets. There was a desk beside the bed and another door that led to a small bathroom. A bookshelf stood against the wall and the other side of the room was lined with doors.

Ryo turned to her and grabbed her arms. He pushed her against the wall and pinned her in place. Lily struggled, but a stab of almost-pain from her leg made her freeze. Ryo thrust his face close to hers.

“I didn’t think your type still existed,” he hissed and she stared at him.

“My type?”

“Born Reapers.”

Lily stared at him and he smiled at her wryly. He stepped back and she sank to her knees. He gave a harsh laugh and ran a hand over his face.

“No wonder the Master said that he doubted that you needed training. No wonder you could read the writing over the doors. You are already a Reaper when you came here. You were a Reaper before you even met the Master in the darkness. All you needed was for the link to be established.” He turned to her. “We all thought that it was strange that the Master chose you. Your injuries were far too severe and your body would never truly heal from the damage. You’ll always have a physical disadvantage against the rest of us.”

Lily’s hand went to her leg and Ryo nodded.

“You can feel it, can’t you? The phantom pain?” He chuckled and ran a hand over his face again. “And here I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

“What?”

“The first time I saw you, in the hospital in a coma you probably would never wake up from, I thought I saw you as a Resonant Reaper. It was barely a flicker and then I saw it again when I gave you the key. No wonder that damn Cleric was hanging around all the time. He must have seen it too.”

“Seen what?”

Ryo reached down and hauled Lily up by her arm. He dragged her to the bathroom and threw her in front of the mirror.

“That,” he snarled and pointed to her reflection.

Lily stared at the stranger in the mirror. It was the same face she’d seen in the mirror in the hospital. Hollow cheeked and pale, Death warmed over. With a shaking hand she reached up and touched the black streaks that flowed over her face and she took a step back when the reflection winked at her. She came up short against Ryo where he stood in the doorway. He was grinning horribly down at her.

“You’re the closest thing to the Master a human could get without being turned into a Reaper first. Why didn’t the bastard Cleric kill you then? You must have told him about your meeting with the Master.”

“I didn’t tell him,” Lily said softly and Ryo blinked.

“What did you say?”

“I lied to him whenever he asked about it, or I said that I couldn’t remember. I never told him anything outright.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Lily looked away. “I don’t know,” she lied.

How could she explain to him the almost physical feeling of distrust she felt towards Haji, how she wanted to trust him, but some deep part wouldn’t allow it? There was no way she could even explain it to herself.

Ryo sighed and Lily looked up at him. He’d taken off his glasses and was rubbing at the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache.

“Truth to tell, I don’t even know why I’m so annoyed at you, it’s not like me.” He replaced his glasses and smiled apologetically at her. “Did I hurt you?”

Lily shook her head. “Not really, but I would like to sit down. It’s all been a bit much to take in.”

Ryo stood out of her way and she walked towards the bed, where she sank down almost gratefully. Again she ran her hand over her leg and breathed slowly and deeply.

“It’ll fade in a few minutes.”

“But it’ll never really go away, right?”

He shook his head. “No.”

Lily fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Great,” she muttered and he smiled. “Why does my reflection move?”

“It’s the Reaper inside of you, it comes out in mirrors. You’ll get used to it and it’ll start behaving as you gain experience as a Reaper.”

“That’s great.”

Ryo gave her a sympathetic look. “Get some rest. I’ll come fetch you in the morning.”

She jerked upright. “I can’t say here! My mom will worry!”

Ryo paused at the doorway and smiled at her. “You don’t have to worry. The only time here is that which we bring with us. You won’t be missed.”

Lily stayed where she was for a long time before she got up and walked towards the door. She paused for a moment before going through it, making up her mind. The hall beyond was empty all the way to the silver elevator doors at the end of the corridor. She walked towards them for want of anything else to do.

As the steel doors slid aside she stepped inside and looked at the panel against the wall. She pressed the button for the topmost floor and leaned back against the steel interior, staring blankly at the doors. When they slid aside again they revealed two identical boys. Their hair was blonde and they had mischievous faces with large blue eyes. They stared at Lily as she stepped forward.

“Is this the right floor for Death’s study?” she asked and they nodded in unison.

“Hey you’re-”

“-the new girl,” they said and Lily felt unbalanced.

She’d never met twins before, let alone twins who completed each other’s sentences. She smiled at them and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m Lily. What’re your names?”

They were both younger than she was and she figured that they were barely seventeen. They were identical to the last hair.

“Ash and Clay,” they said together and Lily tried to keep her smile in place.

“Nice to meet you,” she said and edged past them. “See you around.”

Lily left the twins at the elevator and headed down the hallway, listening to her echoing footsteps. There were more people here and they stopped to watch her pass. She tried to ignore the inquisitive looks as she headed straight towards Death’s study. Pausing only long enough to draw a deep breath, Lily knocked at the door.

The door creaked open and she stepped inside. Death was seated at his desk and glanced up when she closed the door behind her.

To what do I owe this honour? he asked and she smiled self-consciously.

“I’m having trouble falling asleep. Do you mind if I sit here for a while?”

Death looked surprised. You wish to relax in the presence of Death?

Lily looked down at her feet. “I know it sounds strange, but I’ve gotten used to you being around.”

Being around?

“Yeah, so, do you mind?”

Death waved to the low chair in front of his desk and she headed towards it. She pulled it to the side of the room and settled into it.

“What are you writing?” she asked as she pulled her legs up against her chest.

I am logging the names of those souls due to be collected. They are then sent out to the relevant Reapers.

Lily leaned her head back against the back of the chair and watched Death writing for a while in silence. Soon she felt her eyes start to droop and she dropped off to sleep.

Death looked up at her and saw that she’d fallen asleep. He carefully got to his feet and walked over to her where she sat curled up in the chair. He looked down at her in silence for a while and then reached out to touch her brow.

How strange you are, child, he said solemnly as he brushed a few strands of her hair aside.

He took a step back and regarded her, then he walked back to his desk. There he rang a bell and a door in the far wall opened. A massive man strode in and bowed deeply to Death.

“You called for me, Master?” the man rumbled and Death waved to Lily where she was asleep.

The man looked at her with raised eyebrows and then turned back to Death, who sat down again and leaned back in his chair.

Return her to her room and see that she is not disturbed.

“Master?”

She wished for my company in order to rest.

“I see.”

The man walked over to Lily and carefully lifted her into his arms. He cradled her like a baby and turned to leave via the door he’d entered. Death’s voice made him stop at the doorway.

You have a daughter, do you not?

The man looked back at the skeleton and smiled. “Yes, she is ten now.”

What does it feel like to care for someone other than oneself?

The man seemed to consider the question before answering. “Wonderful as well as terrifying.”

Death nodded. I see. He waved his hand. You may go, and speak of this to no one.

The man bowed his head. “As you wish, Master.”

Lily woke up in the unfamiliar bed in the small room. She was curled up on her side and her head felt fuzzy, as though she’d been switched off. Slowly she sat up and ran a hand through her hair, letting her fingers linger on her brow. She pressed her palms to her eyes and got up and staggered towards the bathroom. There she splashed cold water on her face and looked at her reflection, startled to see strange face wave to her with a broad smile on the black lips.

Lily groaned as she towelled her face dry and walked towards the door. She froze when she opened the door, only to see Ryo standing there with a worried expression and one fist upraised in order to knock.

“Are you alright?” he asked and she frowned at him.

“Yes, why?”

“The Master ordered you not to be disturbed. I was getting worried so I thought I’d better check up on you.”

Lily ran a hand over her face. “How long was I asleep for?”

“More than a day.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“It’s hard to tell time here. Clocks don’t really work.”

“Oh,” Lily said as she walked back to her bed.

She fell down heavily and ran a hand over her face. She still felt groggy, as though her mind couldn’t get quite up to speed. Her body felt heavy, like it didn’t really want to move.

“I know how you’re feeling. Everyone goes through it after the Link is established. That’s what we call it when you become a Reaper. It’s best to get moving as soon as possible so that the heaviness can pass quickly.”

“I see.”

“Well, first off we’ll head down to the armoury to get you your weapon. Every reaper is assigned a weapon with which they can carry out the Duty.”

Lily looked up at the rustle of paper and saw Ryo holding a sheet. He ruffled it importantly and then smiled at her, peering over the top of his glasses. With a heavy sigh Lily got to her feet and waved him out of the room.

“Give me twenty minutes. I want to take a shower and get dressed.”

“There will be some clothes in the closet over there. It’ll fit, it always does. Best not to wonder too much about it.”

“Okay,” she said and closed the door.

Twenty-five minutes later Lily was standing in the middle of a massive room. Weapons lined the walls on every side. There were a few other Reapers in there already, training with an assortment of handheld weapons. She looked around at the weapons with a disheartening feeling.

“What are all these?” she asked.

“These are Reaper Weapons. They’re constructed in such a way to sever the soul from the body when it is no longer needed.”

“So I’m going to have to kill people?”

Ryo looked shocked. “Definitely not! Reapers only take what has already been spent. We come after life has stopped. You’ll find out more about the Duty from this afternoon’s lecture. Now, choose a weapon.”

“What? Do I just take one?”

Ryo nodded happily. “That’s right. Simple as that.”

Lily sighed inwardly and walked to the nearest wall. There was a collection of scythes arranged there as well as some other things she didn’t recognise. She spotted a few swords and axes. All of them were bladed weapons, there was nothing for ranged combat. No guns or bows. Ryo remained in the centre of the hall and the other Reapers had stopped and were watching her.

Ryo’s gaze was fixed on her. Lily didn’t seem to notice it, but there was a flickering line of pale blue around her.

“Soul Resonance?” Ryo asked as he turned to look at the other Reapers.

They nodded. So, they could see it too. He watched as Lily walked along the racks of swords and blades. These seemed to attract her attention.

Lily reached out to take a double-edged short sword when her hands hesitated and she looked around at the far wall, just behind Ryo. These weapons were different than those that lined the other walls.

“What are those?” she called over and Ryo glanced around at them.

“Those? They’re Death Weapons. Weapons used by the Master exclusively.”

Lily walked towards that wall and stared up at them. She recognised the scythe that hung right in the middle. A handle of ivory and a blade of flickering blue. It was the scythe she’d battled against when she’d faced Death in the darkness.

She turned her head and hurried along the wall towards a small object. It was almost as though it was tugging at her, edging her to take it.

It was just the hilt of a sword. Black as midnight and inlaid with fine silver thread. On the end was a flawless diamond that glittered gold and white in the lights overhead. It called out to her, called right to her soul.

Someone grabbed her hand as she reached towards it. She looked around, right into the face of a massive man. He tightened his grip on her wrist and she winced in pain. The man thrust his face close to hers.

“Who do you think you are?” he growled. “These are the Master’s own weapons. Choose a Reaper weapon like the rest of us.”

“Now, now, Michael. Please calm down,” Ryo said beside her and she looked up into his worried face.

Somewhere a door creaked open slowly and there were a few gasps. Michael’s hand tightened around Lily’s wrist and she made a small sound of pain. Ryo took a quick step away from her and bowed deeply. Lily managed to turn her head enough to look over her shoulder and saw Death approaching, bony feet clicking as he walked over the tiles.

What is the matter? he asked and Michael let go of her wrist.

He took a few quick steps aside and bowed deeply. “Master, this child wishes to take one of your weapons.”

Death turned his skull towards Lily. Is that sword the one you wish to use in the Duty?

Lily nodded as she rubbed her wrist. Death glanced down at the red mark and then looked at Michael. For a moment Lily could have sworn the blue pinpoints flared red.

It is only natural that this weapon would call out to you, child. It is the one you faced me with.

Everyone in the room gasped and Lily saw Ryo jerk beside her. She glanced around and saw the looks of awe and disbelief on the faces of the other Reapers.

“You faced the Master in combat?” Ryo whispered and Lily nodded. “How did you survive?”

You may use this weapon, Lily. It has already chosen you. Another weapon would only hinder your progress.

“Thank you,” Lily said and saw Death reach out slowly to grasp the shaft of the scythe.

Slowly she reached out and took down the hilt. When she touched it she swore that there was a spark of static. She turned it over and over in her hands and looked at it from every angle.

Do you know how to use it?

Lily nodded. “I think so,” she said slowly.

She turned the hilt around so that it pointed towards the floor and then slammed her palm into the diamond on the end. Ryo stared at the effect this had.

The flickering line of soul blue vanished at the same time a blade grew from the hilt. It made a soft humming sound every time she moved it and left a thin line of flickering blue behind in the air.

“A blade made out of her soul?” Ryo whispered and Death nodded.

Correct. Only a Master Reaper can use that sword, and she proved as much during our duel.

He lowered the scythe to the ground and grinned down at Lily as she wove the sword to and fro in front of her. It made a sound that reminded her if a Light Saber.

I will be going out on the duty. Do you wish to come along, Lily? A practical lesson will aid you far more than a lecture would.

Lily looked up at Death and returned his grin. She moved the hilt oddly and the flickering blade vanished.

“Sure,” she said happily