DCMAGR | Chapter. 43: Warning (1/2) (Patreon)

We stayed in silence for a few minutes, no things said. Simply, mulling on the things that had happened. I felt happy and Ash was trying to calm herself down, it seemed she was slightly overwhelmed which I found funny. But I didn’t bother her, not wanting to tease her. We waited for a few more minutes before Ash finally spoke.

“Kaiti,” she called.

“Yes?”

Ash fidgeted before finally taking a deep breath. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I sat straight. “Do you feel better now?”

Ash slowly nodded. “I feel… calm. Though I suppose, it’s closer to simply feeling things? I don’t know,” she sighed. “Weird sensations I suppose.”

I nodded. “I felt the same… when my er scythe…” I paused. Would it be weird to tell her my scythe liked to be petted? “I felt the same when thinking about my situation.” I corrected myself.

Ash raised her brow. “How so?”

“I suppose that I felt lost, regarding my life.” I let out a chuckle. “My only goal seemed to be to make people happy, because I liked to be happy. It’s… odd?” I looked at the ground. “I mean, I don’t really have anything else I want aside from wanting to do that.”

Ash nodded. “Does it bother you?”

“Now that I know, a bit?” I scratched my cheek. I had already thought about all of this, and well. I was just me. But it was still odd. “Weird to realize that all my life has been all about one goal. I found it sad initially and now I think it’s just me.”

“I think that’s fine, but do you not enjoy being happy?” she said, “I mean, my entire life consists of killing stuff and eating snacks while being a hermit. It’s pretty lame in that regard.”

Ash shrugged and continued. “With that said, I think I am pretty happy with my life. Just because your life revolves around being a Grim reaper⁠— well i don’t find anything wrong with that, and I don’t think you should either.”

I paused. Is that really fine? I had chalked everything to being me. ‘Come to like yourself, and the peculiarities. The things that make you, you.’ I recalled the Old man’s words, things about loving myself. It went past being fine with it. It was closer to being happy with my situation, or as he said it. Loving myself. As Ash had said it, did I not enjoy being happy?

I frowned. I certainly enjoyed being happy, but for some reason now thinking about it. It was simply just⁠— uncomfortable? Could I go back to doing my things without judging myself? I didn’t know.

In the end, I shook my head. “I find that hard… Somehow knowing that I am helping people, and that makes me happy is…” I pondered for a second. “Uncomfortable. It’s like lying to myself.”

“Well I don’t really know what you can do about it, you can try to just forget I suppose.”

“Forget?” I asked Ash what she meant.

She nodded. “Distract your mind from whatever is happening at the moment. Change things around you.”

I had been doing pretty much the same thing this entire time. So that made me question. “How?”

“Well, we have to go kill a monster tomorrow, so there is that. Perhaps it helps you get your mind off from things.” She smiled. “Unless you don’t want to do that.”

Kill a monster? I kind of didn’t want to do that. At the same time… I had nothing to do, my days had been peacefully quiet but boring, everyday was the same as the last. There was still the problem with the Grim reaper, but… did that even matter? I pondered before making my decision. The Old man wasn’t available some of the days anyway, though I had yet to call him⁠— perhaps I could call after the monster thing? With all that in mind, I took a deep breath.

“It’s fine, we can go kill a monster tomorrow.” I agreed.

“Then, it’s done.” Ash sighed and laid on the couch. “I am tired.”

I stared at the window. “But it’s like mid-day.”

Ash grunted. “So? Still tired.”

I paused, feeling disillusioned. Now I kind of wanted to do something with Ash. My week had been relatively dull, and talking with her had been… nice. Though she was just slouched on the couch. I thought about things to do with her but arrived at nothing. I sighed and turned to the TV, perhaps i was just going to watch TV today as well⁠— The game was still on.

“Ash, can you um…” This was awkward. “Can you teach me how to play?”

She looked at me for a few moments and sighed, getting up. “Sure.”

She inched closer and sat next to me.

“Alright, so you want to⁠—

Ash spent the following hours teaching me how to kill other people. At first it was hard but eventually I got the hang of it. I even started to have fun, and so did Ash; though mostly came to telling me to do this and failing miserably at it. I enjoyed myself nonetheless. The day eventually came to an end.

Ash slept on the couch, and I accompanied her.

◇ ◇ ◇

A small tingle spread through my cheek. The trickling sensation spread once more; again and again. I slowly opened my eyes only to see Ash with a small smile. She paused and coughed.

“You’re finally awake.”

“Oh…” I rubbed my face. “Yeah.” The odd warmth spread through my face.

Ash waited for a second before speaking. “So are you ready for today?”

I slowly nodded, my brain parsing through the information. “Yeah, I think so. Let me just take a shower.”

Ash nodded, letting me slowly get up and stretch before going to the bedroom to shower and grab clothes. Though I ended up wearing the same clothes due to the fact that they⁠— well they were technically never dirty. A few minutes later we stood by the door. Ash wore a pink onesie.

“Ready?” She asked, a flash of concern went through her otherwise dead emotions.

I nodded. “What type of monster is it?”

Ash sighed. “No clue, as always. Deserted place outside the city.”

“I guess we should get going then.”

◇ ◇ ◇

The car ride took two hours.

I stretched upon stepping on the rural ground. Plants upon plants filled the vicinity, to the horizon there was nothing but a sea of golden stalks. Stretching as far as I could see. They rustled to the wind. The sun shone overhead with its bright warm light, a contrasting piece of shade caught my attention. In the middle of the plain, there was a house. One made out of wood, and smaller than the one we were currently residing in. It was dilapidated and somewhat torn.

And the place, as far as I could sense, was completely deserted. Ash arrived next to me, her padded footsteps barely sounding through the dirt. She hadn’t brought her weapons, strangely enough. Perhaps she could just summon them much like I could with my scythe.

“This place is empty.” I mentioned.

Ash paused. “Is that so? Perhaps the monster is hiding?”

“Maybe?” I agreed with confusion. “Though, I don’t really get how it could be hiding.”

“Perhaps another dimension?” Ash shook her head. “Sometimes they do that. You know, like the Bordering Lands.”

“I suppose.”

“Well, enough doubting.” Ash gave me a small smack with her hand. “Let’s just kill that thing and leave. The sun is too strong over here.”

“Right,” I agreed. The sun was simply too hot, and I could visibly see Ash sweating, which made me question. “Why don’t you take off your onesie?”

Ash instantly scoffed. “Impossible, the onesie stays on.”

Huh. “Alright then.”

After that brief interaction, we marched forth towards the shack. The ground softly crackled from the dry stalks of plants, and as we got closer and closer the more lonely the place seemed.

“Huh, this place has been quite lonely for maybe a week?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but it seems older.” Ash shook her head and walked forward hearing me.

She approached the shack at a leisure place, not particularly worried about getting attacked. The closer she got the more doubtful I became. I called.

“Shouldn’t you be more careful?”

“Nah,” Ash waved. “Not particularly worried.”

I gingerly followed behind Ash as she scanned the perimeter of the shack. The wood was dry from the merciless sun rays. Though there was nothing of note, just dried cracked dirt. There was the occasional dead weed around but nothing else. Eventually we stepped under the porch of the shack.

The wooden floor cracked after every step.

“Hmm,” Ash mused. “Maybe there are no monsters?”

“That’d be for the best, though I don’t think there are any?”

Ash nodded. “Perhaps, unfortunately we have to check the entire place including the shack.” She sighed. “So let’s just get this over with.”

She approached the door and kicked. The primal strength broke the door on its hinges, wood splintered into the air with a crack. Dust rose. The air stilled with a cloud of smoke.

“Well, let’s just get this over with.” Ash ignored and passed through the smoke.

I quickly followed after her, but just one step into the building and I shivered. Primal bloodlust. “Ash, there is a monster here, similar to the feeling of the tentacle one.”

Ash nodded. “So perhaps from the Bordering Lands?” She walked back and stood next to me at the doorway. A second of silence passed before the air distorted.

“N̶e̸w̵ ̶p̴r̸e̵y̷,̴ ̴f̷a̴l̴l̴e̵n̸ ̵i̸n̴ ̷m̴y̸ ̶t̶r̵a̴p.” A deep voice spoke.

At that moment the whole shack trembled, dust fell from the gaps on the roof. And after a deep rumble three tentacles opened through space. They pried open a hole where a deep purple eye stared at us, its diamond-like shape pulsated a few times per second.

“Neat,” Ash said with a smile and raised her arm. A weapon was already there. What? She pulled the trigger.

A sea of white engulfed my vision, shards of wood flew like black ashes. An ear-piercing wail resounded before the light vanished. And soon there was nothing.

“Alright, let’s go to the Bordering Lands.”

That was it?  I stared at the now missing shack. Half of it had been blown up in an instant. I sighed and summoned my scythe. It quickly appeared in my hand and Ash flicked her sleeve. Pulling out a bone wand.

“Well, we gotta hurry.”

I nodded, and thought. To the Bordering Lands. I swung my scythe down and a portal was ripped open. Ash grinned.

“Yep, much faster than what i can do.” She jumped through the portal, reaching into her bosom while doing so. “Time for that thing to die ASAP.”

I followed after her.

◇ ◇ ◇

I set foot on the gray land as two emotions reached me. One of fear, and one of hatred and nervousness. I paused as the shack in this side was completely missing, blood filled the ground and other places.

Ash paused.

“Um, I’ll go check on the thing feeling fear.” I mentioned. Ash looked at me weirdly but nodded.

“Just don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.” After saying that I went in the opposite direction.

The field was gray and somewhat crestfallen, but it was as expansive as ever. A trail of blood went into its depths. But I didn’t stop, waving through the stalks of plants for some time, even though they were gray they still stung and hit my face every now and then. Until finally I arrived at a clearing.

And there, someone laid. An old person, frail and fragile gasping for air. A straw hat hung loosely atop his head. I froze for a second before rushing to his side. He seemed scared.

“A-Are you okay?” I knelt, and quickly spotted crimson to his side, running down his torso to his leg. Though I couldn’t see any injuries.

He gasped. “You must be an angel…” He raised his head before pausing and looking at my scythe. “Or the Grim reaper⁠— never thought a mistress would be the Grim reaper.” He chuckled.

“Um…” I paused. “I think I can get you medical attention… if I⁠—” I did mental calculations in my head. If we teleported to the city, perhaps he could live⁠—

“No need.” He shook his head with a hoarse voice. “My wife and kids were killed by that thing⁠— what a nightmare.” He sighed. “Tell me I am dreaming…” He took a deep breath. “Tell me I am dreaming, please.”

His voice cried in pain.

“I…” I paused. His emotions were pure despair. What could I do⁠— right… He had called me the Grim reaper. In… in this world the Grim reapers reaped the souls of humans. “I have come to take your life as a Grim reaper.”

The man sighed. “I don’t know what is real anymore. Allow me to ask, is this world the afterlife?”

I shook my head. “No, this is a different dimension.”

He took a deep breath. “Can you grant me the wish of seeing my wife and kids? I’ve always been a farmer. I’ve lived a humble life…” He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. “Please…”

My mood got worse and worse hearing his despair. Elysium. He could be… happy. “I can grant you that wish in Elysium…” I said in an almost whisper-like voice.

“Please,” he begged. “I cannot offer anything, but please. Miss Reaper, grant me that wish.”

I took a deep breath. I was going to kill a human. He wasn’t close to dying just yet, but if I wanted to help him⁠— to… allow him to see his family. Then I needed to send him to Elysium. At the same time I could still sense the monster far away, I had to help Ash.

My fingers shook on my scythe. “I will need to kill you to do that.”

The man nodded solemnly, and put his hat on the ground. His hair was ashen and a bald spot was visible.

“Do what you must.”

He sat there, and I took a deep breath before expanding my senses. The thread of his soul was still relatively far away from snapping. My scythe traced above him with a shaky grip and odd hums. Was this right to do? He was sitting defenseless waiting for me to kill him. Would killing him be wrong? He was in misery, he was… He wanted me to take his life— I pulled. The string snapped and he fell like a doll. I expanded my aura hurriedly and grabbed his soul.

To Elysium. I swung my scythe and pushed the soul through the hastily opened portal. The process, not taking more than a second. Once that was done I let out a deep breath. I had done it… But…

I killed someone. My hands were shaking. I had done my duty as a Grim reaper…

Clapping reached my ears. And I turned around.

“Well done, Kaiti.” It was a figure of cascading shadows, holding a scythe between its arm that stood much taller than him. Its grip, ivory white contrasting to his black figure. And the blade of the scythe uneven and made out of bone. “You’ve sent someone to Elysium.”

My heart skipped. “W-What are you doing here?”

“To give a final warning, of course.”