Seeing Death After Life (HoO Leo fic)

Chapter 2: Silent Night

LEO FLEW WITH A GODDESS ON A BRONZE DRAGON.

They were the strangest thing to be seen, had the mist been broken. Nonetheless, the unlikely duo circled overhead their destination. Makaria wanted their first destination to be the closest one, approximately fifty miles from the island.

"Where are we anyway?" Leo grumbled against the billowing wind. "You haven't told me anything about this place. And the coordinates seem unfamiliar to me, I've no idea where we are."

"It matters not the destination." Makaria replied. "Only our objection carries importance at the moment."

Leo looked back at the goddess sitting behind him. She looked like she was having a blast, apparently bronze dragons were a new mode of transportation to her. Her smile was wide in joy and she's been moving around excitedly since the moment they were readying for takeoff.

It was not annoying or anything. In fact, Festus looked as if he thought she were adorable, creaking things like "at least someone thinks I'm awesome at the moment" or "I should really take more girls on flights". Leo would shake his head, and chuckle in reply.

Makaria's a strange one, she is. I wonder if she's actually been allowed these little adventures once in a while? Nah, she probably doesn't. She's the goddess of peaceful death after all, that's not someone who'd ride atop dragons to deathbeds.

Minutes later, the duo stopped on a secluded area near a small town. The town, as Leo saw it, was a bit old fashioned. It had a stone church, wooden houses and stores were lined up in a "U" formation around it.

"Where's our place, Makaria?"

She pointed at a bench located in the town market. There was an old man sitting on it, coughing and wheezing. Leo felt quite sad seeing people die like this, but it seemed better than the Michael Bay explosion he experienced.

The old man smiled amidst all the pain he seemed to experience, waving at an old lady that was probably his wife, and a younger lady that must've been his daughter.

Makaria approached the old man, changing form that's very presence screamed of power. It wasn't the goddess's true form as it would've vaporized anyone watching instantly, but it was strong enough to have an aura that shone bright. Leo noticed that no one looked her way, that probably meant that the mist was doing its thing and hid her presence.

"Teodoro Firenze, your time hath cometh
Close thy eyes, and let thy breath stop
Let your silent soul leave in peace
Dance with me, danse macabre."

Leo looked on as his companion approached the man whose eyes seemed to twinkle, his smile never wavered and he seemed at peace. He waved one last time to his family before his body went slack. A green wisp of smoke came from the old man's body and seemed to fly off into the heavens.

Makaria returned to Leo's side and she looked a tad sorrowful. Her jet black hair rested on her shoulders as her cyan eyes looked far into the horizons. She stayed quiet for a while, not speaking a word.

Leo felt a need to comfort the sorrowful goddess and held her left shoulder. Makaria looked at him and a small smile filled the corners of her mouth. They sat on a bench the whole morning, not really interested in walking any farther at the moment.

About three hours later, Leo spoke up.

"You never really get the hang of seeing people die, do you?"

Makaria shook her head in reply. "No, it seems I never really do."

She looked at Leo and continued. "This is my purpose. I am a goddess of peaceful death, a death that comforts the minds of those who wish for silence. But in those last moments of their lives, when they see their whole lives flash before their eyes..."