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"This is a horrible and reckless idea no matter what angle you think about it." Stefan protested. His dark green eyes narrowed in frustration while his brows ceased in tension that mirrored the emotion reflecting in his body. It was already stressful with Klaus and his plotting to kill his ex-girlfriend. Summoning the God of Death should have been completely out of the question to add to their list of things to worry about.
The older Salvatore stared at his brother blankly. He knew his brother had a point, but they both were aware there weren't many other options left for them to take. "Alright, righteous Bunny eater. If you have another idea, please share it with the class. We would be more than happy to hear." Damon snorted carelessly. His voice was sarcastic and dry, as if further dwelling on the matter was nothing but a waste of time. He poured himself a glass of Bourn with blood before downing the drink in one go. A quiet sigh left his body as he swiped his tongue over his teeth. If the day continued on like this, he didn't want to be sober for it.
"We have both tried research and we got next to nothing other than tales and rumors, Stefan. Nothing we found was reliable, and you know damn well." Damon refuted in a tired tone. This conversation was more bothersome and took more time than needed. To the supernatural world, the first vampires were just myths to scare the young supernatural generation. Only a few have encountered them to truly know their origin or how they came to be. From the corner of his eye, Damon glanced at his brother, silently waiting for the worries he knew Stefan had. This could potentially make them a target for a being as fearsome and callous as Death was.
"I know that, Damon. but maybe there are other options we just haven't yet explored." Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling sharply as he avoided glancing at his nonchalant older brother. They had been at this back-and-forth bickering for nearly two hours now. Stefan was growing quite tired of repeating the same words over and over again just for his brother to disregard them. It was frustrating.
"I wonder if these other options will just stroll into town and say here I am now conveniently for you." The Raven-haired Salvatore remarked in mock wonder—a teasing smirk on his face. At this point, he was provoking his younger brother on purpose just to spark a reaction. Stefan glared at him with a scoff.
"You don't need to be such an ass, Damon," Elena added, cutting into their argument before it could get further heated. This was getting them nowhere when they were supposed to be talking about gathering the ingredients that Bonnie needed while she was learning the spell with her older sister.
Damon looked upon the lookalike of his ex with a mocking grin tugging on his features. He really couldn't take her seriously right now. "It's a part of the package if you haven't noticed. One of us needs to be realistic." He wondered what his brother could have possibly seen in this girl to date her in the first place. Or this ridiculous need to do all this for her life that could end at any moment. Of course, it was a stupid attachment, but his brother would not listen to reason.
Elena rolled her eyes at the older vampire. He was certainly an annoying man to deal with. She had enough of the two arguing and no results, just pointless bickering. The four of them, including the brothers, with her and Caroline talking amongst themselves. Bonnie was also supposed to be there, but she decided to stay home. The witch had told them that she hadn't been feeling well but did not directly tell her she was sick. Elena had wanted to pry but instead left it be and hoped she would recover and get well soon.
"Stefan, why are you so against this? There is no guarantee this will even work in the first place. Trying this is a risk we might have to try just to see." Before now, she had never considered the possibility that the gods or even the tales she heard as a child existed, but now that a homicidal thousand-year-old vampire was after her head to complete an ancient ritual to break a curse, she was willing to expand her perspective and see what else could be out there. It was becoming clear that many other things may exist outside of her life that she did not know. However, at the same time, she felt interested to know more about the unknown.
"Do you believe in the gods, Stefan? You are putting up a pretty strong argument, you know." Caroline spoke up in question. She was curious, considering he was still older than her despite looking their age. She assumes at one point, he must have heard about these celestial beings. The blonde had been listening silently to the two Salvatores. Just watching how they reacted to the other's words. She agreed with Stefan about the risk of taking this path when they had no idea what would be asked in return. There was just no telling what could happen, and that was a frightening thought in itself.
Stefan turned toward the blonde female. A frown bent his lips downward while his expression turned grim. "Caroline, whether I do or don't believe in them, doesn't change the fact that the book is incredibly dangerous." The dark, Brown-haired Salvatore couldn't stress enough that they had very little information on handling this type of dark magic or whatever sort of magic created the cursed book. Even without being a witch, he could sense all too well the heavy sensation of dread and despair from the Death book. It could be their end instead of leading them to a solution if they were not careful.
"We don't know the risks involved in using this book or what they could have on Bonnie. There is a price to pay with this magic." Stefan couldn't help but point out that additionally as a tired breath left his body. He was concerned for her wellbeing even though she was not his biggest fan. Dark magic has its effects on whoever chooses to use it. Though Bonnie is a very gifted witch, she is still learning more about her power. And it could very well taint her in a way that could never be reversed.
"You are right. We don't know the risks and I don't want anything to happen to Bonnie truly." Elena agreed on behalf of Stefan. She was willing to see and help, but at the same time, she could tell there was a pressing danger in attempting to summon Death. There was so much none of them knew that made her feel unsettled and on the edge of the bad things that might happen. It would be Bonnie's life on the line, considering she is the one doing the spell. "And I would respect her decision if she chose not to be involved. I would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do." Bonnie was one of her closest and best friends. One of the few people she still had left in her life other than her family and Caroline. It would break her if something were to happen.
"If all that is known about the first vampires is just rumors and myths that can't be confirmed, it makes sense to attempt to search for a source that would have that information." The blonde vampire commented. Klaus must know something about them, and they have nothing so far on him. It's all about information and gaining the upper hand, after all. "I would bet anything the god of Death has been around much longer than the first vampires' bloodline. And would have a better way of getting that information." Caroline could see it on Stefan's face that he saw the points she was making but was still unhappy with the route they were heading toward, judging by the way he gazed at her in irritation.
Damon hummed loudly, leaning his back against the wall. His blue eyes are browsing away from Caroline and back to his younger brother. "You always did enjoy those stories we were told as children. Don't you remember them, Stefan?" He remarked coolly. He tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment. His mind surfaced the memories of his youth, which he craved to forget and bury in his mind. Without another thought, Damon dismissed them and took another sip of his drink.
"What do these stories have to do with what we're talking about?" Elena perked up in interest. She had always been curious about her ex's childhood. Stefan didn't speak about his life when it didn't concern his brother Damon.
Stefan grumbled in irritation at the question while, on the other hand, Damon chose to answer instead. "Our mother always told us of these tales—these myths of the Divine Ones who were first created by the Empress and later on created more to expand the series of universes. The first generation of gods was to be feared and worshiped by all those that desired their blessing." Damon started in a slow tone. These stories were a part of the fonder moments of his younger life, and he cherished them immensely. It didn't matter that Stefan didn't completely remember them; he would always cling to them.
"Our mother told us stories of the high goddess Nyx who mothered Death and protected the essence of the night from all those that threaten it. The Holy Ones, who are the Otherworldly, represent all that is purity and the bond between parent and child. How the divinity of Light created the sun as a blessing to restore the balance of nature and spent a portion of her existence performing many labors so we can seek salvation on the brink of darkness. You could say our mother was a bit obsessed with the mythology." His mother had always cared far more to please and worship the gods than she ever did with her children. It was pitiful.
As a child, he couldn't help but be fascinated and always wondered in the back of his mind if any of them could be real or just tales passed around. "I found the tale of the Wailing Man my favorite tale. Our mother told us a late-night story of a high deity whose sorrow was so great that it drowned universes in his agony alone. His sadness destroyed many in his path." Maybe it was the sadness that drew his attention or that the loss of a child affected a parent so greatly that it caused such a massacre to happen. Damon's parents would never have cared if anything were to happen to him, while the Wailing Man had been devastated at the loss of his stillborn child, thus leading to the massacre that could not be stopped. It was morbid to think, but his thoughts alone were a little too different from those of his brother.
Caroline and Elena remained silent as the older vampire was speaking. Stefan was turned away from the conversation, gazing out the window. Caroline sat up a bit straighter and leaned forward from where she was on the couch. Many questions were buzzing in Elena's mind, but she willed herself not to interpret. "I would think there would be plenty more tales to find out there," Caroline added after a brief moment of silence. She wasn't usually the biggest fan of reading, but this was the exception for learning more about the celestial world.
"However, our father was not a believer. But he could not bring himself to mock the gods without fearing he would one way or another regret his words." This time, Stefan said in a calm and even tone. His forest green eyes gazed at the others in the room once his attention had come back to the conversation. He shifted his neck slightly to the side; a crack rang that made him sigh in satisfaction. "He feared angering the God of Death most of all. He always told us the wrath of Death was an unstoppable plague that killed many that stood in their way. You would be dealt with accordingly." There were very few times his father expressed any sort of genuine emotion other than that familiar anger when he lashed out, but when he spoke of the deity Thanatos, only dread was present. It reminded him that, at times, even his father was human. No matter how monstrous and big he seemed to be, he was not a god. Someday, he would fall, and Death would take his soul.
"No matter how powerful or ancient you are, the mightiest have fallen to their demise. Death will befall us all; it is an inevitable force that cannot and will not be stopped. Death is not something you can trifle with and survive to tell the story." Damon muttered absentmindedly. It was the same words he once heard someone he cared for tell him, warning him to tread carefully. And here he was doing the exact opposite.
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The last thing Stefan had expected from arriving at the boarding house was an attack from a ruthless shadow-like creature. The creature looked like a crow, Stefan noticed before it came speeding toward him at an inhuman pace and slitting his throat with its clawed feet. The unexpected force slammed him into the wall. He could smell the hints of his blood in the air and was helpless to capture the creature as he was momentarily having to recover from pain that clouded his vision. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did and was taking longer to heal than normal.
"Everyone still alive?" Stefan hummed in a light voice, his hand sweeping over the blood from his neck with a wince. He peeked around the room to see what other damages were done. Some things were knocked out of their place and smashed on the floor. The windows appeared like they were smashed through inward like someone had thrown rocks at them.
There were no more creatures visible after Stefan was attacked as if they were seemingly waiting for him to arrive before going back to wherever they came from. He was curious about who had sent them and what their intentions were for this unexpected attack. It was too odd timing to be a coincidence but wasn't the pressing matter.
Damon sent him an unamused expression and narrowed his eyes before nodding, rubbing the blood off his neck and shoulder before holding out a hand to Elena, who had been knocked on the floor presumably. Jeremy gave a sarcastic and half-hearted thumbs up, recoiling at the sight of his bloody hand covering the cut on his collarbone and throat. It didn't appear the wounds were nearly as deep to cause more blood loss, from what Stefan could tell.
His green eyes wandered until he caught the appearance of an unconscious Bonnie and instantly made his way toward where she was lying on the floor. A nasty cut on her forehead and a bruise formed from most likely bumping her head.
He carefully lifted her head on a pillow nearby to stabilize her bleeding, his fingers pressing against her pulse. Stefan let out a breath of relief at the thumping of a somewhat faint heartbeat. "What the hell happened here? I thought this would have been done by now." Stefan questioned, lifting Bonnie in his arms and placing her on the couch. "Caroline, get a rag for Bonnie." He said without taking his eyes off the witch. Stefan was both glad and confused to see Bonnie's wound was more healed than the others, with some minor dried blood on her clothes.
The blonde teenager nodded and went to the kitchen to get a soaked rag and returned to hand it to him before leaving the room. Stefan gently pressed the wet rag against Bonnie's head, he watched as she shifted in her sleep at the sensation but did not wake up. He hoped she didn't have a concession.
"We went through with the ritual with all the ingredients Bonnie told us to get, and it seemed like it was all going as planned, but then those things came in and knocked out Bonnie when she said all the chants and attacked us." The younger Gilbert summarized, speaking up to catch Stefan up. Damon had gone to the basement to get more blood. While Elena looked dazed with hazy brown eyes, appearing to be struggling to understand what had occurred.
It was on the tip of Stefan's tongue to ask how long Bonnie had been knocked out, but remained silent as Jeremy spoke. "She's been out for a half hour or so. We tried to get to her sooner, but the shadow things kept swatting us away from her. Honestly, who knows why." Jeremy was surprised by how strong those things were, keeping them all at a distance away from Bonnie, almost as if they were protecting her in a way. Stefan glanced at him in question, but it was apparent neither of them would get an answer for the unusual occurrence.
"I guess we will have to wait for her to wake up and see if she has some answers," Stefan said, hoping she would wake up with her memory intact.
Bonnie cleared her voice. She felt helpless to stop the tumor of shivers all over her body. Or the fright scrawling up her throat and threatening to spill out of her. She took a couple of deep breaths, willing herself not to become consumed in the suffocating presence that was Death. She could feel the sinister aura that pricked her fingertips like needles and made her think if she made one wrong move, it would be her last.
As the young witch was collecting herself, the being of Death waited without fault for her to regain her composure so they may continue. "I must warn you of the risk of further creating this bargain, Bonnie Bennett." The entity said in a gruff tone. Death purposefully emphasized her name, the words as sharp as broken glass.
Thanatos' unflinching gaze moved to Bonnie without warning. Her breath caught in her chest, and she held still. "This is no child's play. This is life or death and, more often than not, may end in your death and all those you care for. Are you willing to take the risk when the odds may not be in your favor? There is no guarantee that this bargain will benefit you in the way you want it to." Death almost seemed considerate of the young witch to truly think of what she wanted before deciding on her actions. Once this deal was made and sealed in blood, nothing could break it. Not even God herself could.
Bonnie paused for a moment, thinking of her closest friends and how Elena had been there for her since childhood. Elena was one of the most kind-hearted people she knew. No one, especially Elena, deserved to be a sacrifice in events that occurred way before her time. Her friend shouldn't have to pay that type of price when she had nothing to do with it.
If Klaus indeed came to Mystic Falls, it would put them all in danger. Bonnie couldn't afford for that to happen when she almost lost her grams because of the Salvatore brothers. "Yes. I am willing to take the risk of creating this bargain even if it does not work out in the end for me." The Bennett witch uttered, her voice steady. Klaus was among the first vampires who were considered to be nothing but folklore. Gaining this information would be extremely beneficial and be used to their advantage.
From what they gathered, no one was sure for certain how they were created or if they were truly related to one another, just that they were the first of many vampires to come. "But I do want to know what you'll gain from me if what I gain is information about the Klaus. What exactly can I give in exchange for what you'll give me?" She needed more information to feel more certain of what she may be walking into. Bonnie felt out of her element enough. She needed to establish some sort of grounding if she wanted to get through this.
The dark Gray eyes narrowed curiously at her. A hint of amusement at her words. Despite the entity being immersed in darkness, making her unable to see Death's form, she had the feeling that Death was nearly smiling at her. She imagined no joy was in that smile but a sinister intent that made her feel anxious and gave to watch her words with caution. "I have nothing to ask but four favors for you, Bonnie." Death said lightly, seemingly tilting their head eerily to the side.
"Most deities would demand blood sacrifices and gruesome death as a price. I assure you, it would drive you to sell your soul to the wicked. Fortunately for you, I do not desire that." Each word was spoken carefully and slowly, the thickened accent becoming more apparent. There was no evident lie or deceit riddled in Death's words from what she could tell. There was only the truth Thanatos spoke. "The favors will vary and grow difficult, but they can be done. You are very powerful, Bonnie Bennett. Do not doubt yourself. Your bloodline is exceptional."
"What do you know of my bloodline?" Bonnie couldn't help but ask, her curiosity beginning to extend forward at Death's words. It has taken her some time to accept her family were witches and among one of the first bloodlines of magic. But what did her bloodline have to do with the entity of Death, and how much did Death know that she did not?
The entity of death squinted their eyes at her, gazing at her form briefly before those glowing eyes connected with her. She could almost imagine Death having an amused smile. "What don't I know of your bloodline? There are plenty. And we cannot get into that now." Bonnie nodded her head in understanding. They still needed to talk more about their deal, and getting sidetracked while in this murk of darkness wasn't the best idea. There was no telling how much time had passed since she was knocked out. "I would recommend you ask your grandmother and sister. There are things hidden that you cannot see, but it will not last forever."
Bonnie made a mental note to ask her grams when she came back to town from her trip. She had a gut feeling her sister wasn't up for telling her the truth. "So am I only going to know what these favors are while I am doing them, or will I be told them all beforehand? I would like to know the time I have to do the favors or if there is a limit." Bonnie brought forth, wanting to cover the questions she hoped would be answered.
She was curious what these favors were that Death would ask of her. Thanatos said she would be able to do it but it was still very vague nonetheless what she would be asked to do. "Communicate-wise, how would I be in contact with you? I don't imagine Death having a phone just to pop a question."
Death made a noise of acknowledgment at her questions. They appeared to be contemplating their next words. "Yes. You will be aware of what the favor entails once you begin one and to the next; you will not know until you get there. The favors will come to your house with a detailed letter only opened by your magic. It is not necessary for you to know all of them at the moment. I would like to avoid overwhelming you when it is not necessary." The Bennett witch supposed that it made sense to try to make this process a bit easier on her. It was surprising that it sounded considerate as well.
Thanatos paused for a moment, giving space to take in what they had said. "Each task will take its amount of time to complete and I can wait. As long as you hold up your end of the deal, you can take as much time as needed. No rush, my dear." Thanatos elaborated more in detail. "For communication, you can pray to me, and that will be how to get in touch if you have questions or need clarification; I may not directly answer, but you will have an answer nonetheless. Is that comprehensible?"
"Yes, I understand," Bonnie replied, her eyes glancing around the darkness in which she was surrounded. "I do want to know how I should address you. I don't want to be disrespectful." The warning she received from Emily Bennett made clear in her mind that disrespect would not be tolerated and that she needed to be careful. She willed herself not to show more fear than she had already. It would do her no good.
Death stared at her blankly, an agonizing moment of uncomfortable silence of those burning yet hollow eyes staring into the depths of her soul without mercy. "You can address me as Thanatos or Death; both are acceptable. No need to be frightened, Bonnie. No harm is meant to come for you." Bonnie let out a shaky breath. Of course, Death could hear her heartbeat; Thanatos is a celestial, after all, higher than the supernatural and ten times more deadly. She couldn't help but notice there felt like a yet was at the end of Death's sentence. If she doesn't tread attentively, harm will come to her eventually. "If you have no more questions, I will present the contract you will sign, and in roughly two weeks, you'll have your first favor to do after you receive the information."
Bonnie thought over thoroughly if she had missed something to ask. Death had made it clear she would only know the favors when she did them and that was the major one she was most curious about but would not be able to know presently. "That is all the questions I have. Thank you for patiently answering." She wasn't sure how to feel with this conversation overall and left it to think about when she woke up.
"Of course. It is most important to know what you are walking into." Death uttered roughly.
A contract appeared in front of Bonnie, and a pen beside it floated, waiting for her to grip it. The witch noticed there was a sharp end to the black pen. It looked like the sharp end of a knife. She glanced at it in confusion; the eyes watched her as her hand lightly grasped the middle of the pen. Bonnie jolted at the chill sensation when her fingers touched it. With her other hand, she gripped the contract. The paper was white, and the font of the words was neat cursive that she could easily read without trouble.
The Bennett witch carefully wrote her signature down on the dotted line at the end of the contract after she glanced after the written words of the bargain. It only had what they had talked about and went over. Nothing was out of place, and no conditions were added to the contract. "Why is there a sharp end to the pen? I don't understand if it's just for show." She has a feeling it was meant to be there on purpose, or why else would there be a knife-like weapon?
"The sharp end is meant to be used to draw blood. To seal the contract as a precaution." Death remarked bluntly, their words arrows hitting their mark. "All you need to do is cut your thumb until blood pours from the wound and press on the right side of where you placed your signature to finalize our deal." Bonnie nodded her head. The instructions she was given were simple enough to do.
The witch bit her bottom lip to hold back a flinch as the knife cut against her thump. A trickle of blood went down her thump before she moved her thump next to her signature and pressed the wound against the contract. The text promptly glowed an ominous blood-red color before it disappeared into shadows that slipped through her fingers along with the pen.
"Our deal is now official, Bonnie Bennett." Death seemed to gleam with a seeming amusement present in those dim eyes. "But I would like to offer you one piece of advice before you awaken." This made the young witch pause, she could feel herself about to wake up soon, and there wouldn't be much time left to talk about.
"What is the advice, Thanatos?" She tested uttering the ancient name, keeping her tone light and respectful.
"When the original Klaus arrives in Mystic Falls, find a way to imprison him or lock him away so that he cannot do harm. Do not just go for the kill, Bonnie. You will find the means of killing him and the others. I would highly suggest you do not kill the originals." Death's voice was hardened like a stone as Thanatos spoke.
"Why? He is a threat to my friend's life." Bonnie
deadpanned, narrowing her eyes in confusion. Thanatos seemed to be firmly convinced she would find the means of killing him, giving the idea they were not untouchable. But it raised the question, why would Death be warning her not to kill the original?
In the darkness, Thanatos' eyes glistened in sadistic mirth. "The books will tell you all you need to know. Every action you take, there is a consequence in response. You will not like what happens. " The warning was condescending and edged like a razor. "Now you must awaken Bonnie Bennett. We will talk soon." The outlines of a smile appeared in the form of a shadow-like being below the eyes.
Before the witch could say anything more, the darkness around her was fading, and Thanatos vanished out of sight. Soon, her eyes snapped opened, and a grasp of air filled her lungs. For a moment, the light from the lambs nearby had blinded her, forcing her to blink a few times. Her head was spinning, and her hand held her forehead.
"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, the first to notice Bonnie was finally awake and rushing to her side to help her sit up on the couch. "You're finally awake! You were out cold. We had no idea when you were going to wake." Her blonde-headed friend expressed worry clearly in her tone and pulled her into a hug. If she hadn't woken up soon, they were planning to take her to the hospital.
Elena and Jeremy rushed to the room from the kitchen to see Bonnie was awake and a flash of relief made the heavy feeling lift slightly in their chests. They made their way to her side. "Bonnie I'm so glad you're awake, I don't even understand what happened." Elena was still baffled by the crows and couldn't process what kind of forces could have made such a thing happen. They must have been from out of this world.
"It was crazy the way all those ravens came in and knocked you out. They were so fast." Jeremy described, shaking his head in confusion at the entire odd experience it was. He hated the helpless feeling of being unable to help his friend when one of them attacked Bonnie. "We don't even know if the summing worked or not." That was another thing they had all been wondering for the past hour and a half.
Bonnie cringed slightly as Caroline pressed a cloth to her wounded forehead. She took in their words and exhaled deeply. She felt exhausted and wanted to sleep for days to come. "It worked. I met Death." She couldn't quite believe it herself that it had worked. Her friends glanced at her in surprise, their eyes appearing to pop out of their heads.
"Does that mean..." Elena trailed off, tightening her arms around her chest as if she was preparing herself to hear what they had been hoping for but thought would not work in their favor.
Bonnie glanced at her friend's direction and nodded once. "Yes, we have a deal with Death, and we must keep our end if we want to survive." It would not just be her paying back Thanatos, but all of them must make an effort if they did not want Thanatos' wrath to get inflicted.
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