Necromancer For Hire- Arc 8

Arc 8, Chapter 16

The Saint

Hugging his backpack to his chest, Pilate stumbled down the alleyway, turning a tight corner. Pausing to catch his breath, Pilate wavered in front of the wooden door, the fading image of a sun scratched into it.

Right when the bell had rung, Pilate had sprung out of his desk, eager to bypass home and go to the guild. He had his first meeting with Life today, and he didn't want to be late.

The dark, damp decline into the guild was familiar, the cold concrete steps bleeding through the thin soles of his shoes. The guild carried a grim atmosphere, but Pilate tried to see the bright side.

"Pilate, what are you doing here?"

Pilate's heart skipped a beat. Head pointed to the floor, Pilate meekly pulled his eyes up, cautiously glaring at Hawkins. He hovered a solid two feet above him, a gun strapped to his hip and stubble on his chin.

"I work here," Pilate growled, "I'm going to go see the boss."

"The boss?" Hawkins questioned as Pilate shoved past him, sprinting down the hall.

Pausing by an unsuspecting door, Pilate swallowed down fear. He had only been in Life's private office a few times in his entire life. His skin tingled as he rapped his fingers across the door's surface, the hairs on his arm standing on edge. A sort of electricity seemed to radiate from the room.

"Come in, Pilate."

Pilate slid into the room, trying to make his presence as small as possible. Bare walls and pristine floors met his eyes, the only sign of disorder in the room a stack of books sitting on Life's desk. Life himself was perched at his desk, a calm smile settled on his lips.

"Please, sit down, child," Life murmured, gesturing at a chair sitting in front of his desk. Pilate sank into the chair, pulling his backpack into his lap. He kept his head down, afraid to make contact with Life's scarlet eyes. Eye contact only got him in trouble with Asher.

"Pilate, how much do you know about the history of your bloodline of life mages, about the story of myself and..." Life halted, the corners of his mouth twitching, "The Überdragon Death."

"I, um," Pilate's bangs fell across his face, "I almost flunked history. I'm sorry."

"I suppose I should start from the beginning, then," Life had regained his composure, steepling his fingers, "Thousands of years ago, Death and I created this universe with our own hands. Side by side, we ruled this world, our powers and spirits entwined." Life closed his eyes, resting his head on his chin, "I loved him, and he loved me."

"I, and by that extension, you as well, have the powers of creation. Death was my counterbalance. For every force, the universe requires an equal and opposite force to neutralize it. Death's nature was to destroy. He took away my creations, and I made more to replace them. It was a perfect cycle."

Life's eyes were distant and glassy as he stared past Pilate, lost in his memories. "But he changed. Death began abusing his power, taking more than I could give. Innocent mortals began to die en masse. Vicious plagues wiped out animals and humans alike."

Life tightened his fists, knuckles turning white. "I tried to reason with him, but Death was defiant. He was jaded, cold. He wanted to destroy all of creation."

"I was forced to do the unthinkable: I waged a war on Death. Our followers, loyal even in the face of certain doom, joined the fight, and it turned into an utter bloodbath. It was a gruelling, heart-wrenching battle that stretched across the years and dimensional barriers. I barely managed to get the upper hand."

"On that fateful day," Life's voice dropped to a grave whisper, "I defeated Death. I killed his avatar and sealed his essence." He gritted his teeth, a tear streaking down his face. He reached across the desk, gently touching Pilate's hand.

"I was praised for Death's demise, but I don't see it as a victory. I was forced to destroy the person I loved," Life turned to look at Pilate, blinking away tears, "Do you know how it feels, dear child, to have the person you care for slip out of your hands?"

Pilate flinched, memories of leaving Victor fresh in his mind.

Life felt the subtle movement and saw the painful flicker in his eyes.

Now he had something to work with.

Author's Note- :))))