"You're going back for him." Her calm voice filled with its usual icy sting. Unpleased with my lack of response was only met with a slam of her fist on the stone wall. "I said-"
"I heard you M'lady." thankful she couldn't see the smirk beneath my mask, her fist tensed as she looked ready to swing again. "You're going to break your bones again. I know you want to keep him, but why." Instinctively raised my hands in defence, "I never question anything you say. Ever. So this is my one, I need an answer before you send me to meet death again." The usual harsh stare softened as she pondered for words. Probably conjuring up a lie or some miniscule detail-less story. I beckoned her to sit at my side, already holding the gauze for her wounds. "You can lie to me if it eases you, but I need something Grimm."
"You need him. To leave it as simply as I can, he has your soul. You need him or I can not free you from my service." She fell silent again, hanging her head to avoid my gaze as she held her cracked skeletal hand out for me.
We sat in silence, which was rare as a purple moon, the only sound was the dripping of water and gauze as I wrapped her bones she had cracked in her anger. After dressing her hand I tended to my own wounds, offering her to assist with my shoulder. Remaining in silence she stitched my wound. My contract with her has been going for years, decades even, but never has there been silence between us. I collect her souls, and she grows to her full Reaper power. When she steps into the living realm her true form shows the skeletal spirit that is a Reaper. When she has enough souls I won't be here wrapping her broken frail bones every time she gets angry and lashes out. So many little thoughts running through my mind, but only one really stuck to me; Blake was with the Zodiacs and I needed to get him back. I flashed a look over to Grimm, she was also deep in her thoughts, why has she given my soul to him? She usually kept all of her little contract's souls in vessels that meant something to them, and for me it was usually a viper, specifically the one who killed me so many years ago.
"Retrieve him and I'll give you my reason. You deserve to know." With a simple nod, I stood, throwing a bag of my usual provisions over my shoulder, turning back to Grimm with my hand open to her. "No list, no other contract, I meant it. He has your soul. Bring him back and your life is your own again." She grabbed my hand, slipped the coin I usually have under my bracelet out and tucked it away in her cloak. "You're free Dusk, I mean it this time." With a brush of her hand on my cheek, leaving only her icy sting, she was gone.
I knew the way to the Zodiac Hall, everyone did, they practically based the colonies and capital around the damned place. I was always telling Grimm I was done being her puppet, but it had become more like a greeting, or another common phrase we shared like a secret handshake. The words had no meaning, not until today. Free. Did I even want that anymore? I brushed the thought from my head, freedom or not, the goal was to get Blake. One last look at the crumbling ruins that Grimm claimed as a lair, was this really my end? Is this my last contract?
Heading to the capital was a breeze, everyone was heading there following the memorial for Taurus, stupidest of things. Celebrating a murderer because she was one of the 'special ones.' I knew each of these people's 'Zodiac Heros" and quite frankly, they aren't all that good, well not all of them. Leona, or LEo, was actually one of the most pure and justice driven of them all. Never having a bad mark against her, she never took a life, or destroyed without making amends to whoever owned the property. Even when it came to fighting me, she could have bested me and taken my life at several of our encounters, but never did. Fortunately she never learned a better way at capturing or containing me so I always escaped if she managed to get an upper hand, well paw. The worst of the Zodiacs were the one they kept as guard dogs for the hall, Scorpio, Cancer, and Pieces. Something went amiss when they went through the gene therapy, and they took to it all too well. I only met Scorpio when she had gotten loose once, the memory brought chills to my skin, she was the one who had taken my original life. The reason I lived this life with Grimm as a collector was because I was young and thought I was the toughest out there. Went out of my way to take down the fearsome Zodiac, the Scorpio.. I shook the thoughts from my head as the gates to the city opened, here I come Blake, please be alright.
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Dusk Chronicles: Among the Stars
Fantasy**These reads may be difficult and change now and then, they are still being edited** A fiction novel involving, good, bad, a reaper named Grimm, a fugitive named Papillon, vigilantes taking after the Zodiac signs, and a man seeking revenge. This wa...
