Mortal Death

Still magic in my veins

Life's company was a mess of Givers rushing around like little lightly dressed ants in the big white hall.

Brina was running around with a pen stuck in the messy bun on her head and her long beige cardigan was flying behind her like a superhero's cape.

She spotted us in the crowd and came over to us to tell us out of breath: "Life was captured by Death and I have no idea what I should do anymore. Everyone is absolutely stressed and running around like a bunch of headless chicken. Edith, thank god you're here!"

Edith hugged her girlfriend quickly and then lead us through the chaotic crowd of Givers until we reached the Register.

A few Givers were hurrying down the rows with textbooks and files and returned to their work after taking short notice of us.

"What exactly happened? I mean sure, Life went to negotiate and then they just locked her in?", I wanted to know, but Edith and Brina looked just as clueless.

"The only thing we know", Brina started to explain, "Is that she went over to the funerary company with another Giver and then asked him to stay outside. After a few minutes he tried to go in, but these people in black clothes threw him out."

I nodded: "There are powers at work we don't know of. They have no faces, just skulls that seem to float in black mist under their hoods, almost like ghosts or demons."

I felt a small shiver running down my spine when I thought about their lifeless expression that was still so full of death and pain. In my imagination I could still recall the scratchy voice they all spoke with.

"Yes I don't think that Death alone could keep her down there, I mean she has the same power as him and they re equally skilled, so he has to have something illegal going on", Brina meant, "Something magically illegal."

I told them about my suspicion towards Dr. Suicide: "I think Dr. Suicide has done something. I mean the fact that Lilith committed suicide and he is the Cause of Death who has to do with those souls. And he was being really arrogant and proudly saying that he was capable of a lot more than I could imagine, he for sure is the "devil" who is possessing Death."

"I think we can all agree", Edith nodded and everyone around the table did as well.

Ezra suddenly rose from her chair energetically: "All right, as long as we don't have any information we should focus on improving our powers. Cat, you are special and honestly our only hope right now. We have weapons for our Givers, but we can't reach them without Life's permission and I fear we need to go into battle."

I was looking up and into his piercing eyes that gleamed from worry and I needed to take a deep breath. Edith's and Brina's eyes darted between me and him and Edith took the word.

"Then we should start testing what you can do."

I shook my head doubting: "I don't think I have anything more in me than a little leftover Reaper magic."

Edith just smiled mysteriously. We crossed the white hall in our group of four into another corridor that lead to unseen depths of the company of Life.

I had no idea where we went, but as Ezra opened the huge double door we had walked up to, I was pretty stunned.

Behind it was the biggest ball room I had ever seen.

It was decorated with golden baroque ornaments of flowers and tiny twigs with fine leaves that gleamed in the light of three big chandeliers. The huge and probably ancient glass balls swung in the air, crystals singing.

"Oh wow", I whispered, "This is beautiful. Death could never have something like this, the only big room we have is an ugly dark one for some practice shooting or such."