Reapers

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Burning Trees

Era couldn’t help but watch as Alex fidgeted with his leather gloves as they neared the side entrance on the opposite side that Mo and Aletta had headed toward.  

He still wore his surfer shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.  She didn’t understand how he wasn’t cold standing in his short sleeve T-shirt that exposed his tattooed, and non tattooed, arm.

She hugged her arms as she realized that she was still missing her leather jacket.  She had been so fond of it that losing it was a greater pain than what she’d have to go through to get a new one.  

She sighed.

“You cold?” Alex asked as they came into view of the side door.

Era shook her head, “I should really be asking you that, I’m part death, but you’re part tree.  Death is cold, tree is...”

“Not cold?”

“I’m just saying your not a Demigod of fire.” Era murmured.

Alex gave a half hearted smile, “I know, and I’m fine, thanks.”

She stopped without responding and reached into her pockets, she felt her Scythe Stone in her right pocket.  She turned it over in her pocket several times before taking it out of her pocket, she stared at it for a few minutes.

“Time to go.” she said shortly flipping the Scythe Stone and catching her katana in the air.  She took several long strides over to the door, “Come on, Alex.”

Alex bit his lower lip and walked toward her, “Era, shouldn’t we have a plan?”

“This is our plan.  We hit ‘em hard when they’re not looking.” she grabbed the door’s partially rusted handle and pulled it open.

“I mean for defeating them, the Reaper and Demi-Reaper.  I’m close to useless unless there’s some sort of nature around.”

Era looked over her shoulder at him, “What about the knife you carry?”

Color drained out of Alex’s face, “How’d you...”

Era gave a quick smirk, “I know a concealed weapon when I see it.  Question is why didn’t you use it when Kali, Trix, and Luc attacked your house.”

Alex sighed, “And you decided now would be a good time to ask me?”

Era shook her head looking back at the rusted door, “I figured you had your reasons, but since you brought it up.”

Alex walked to her, Era turned her head toward him as he knelt down and pulled up his right pants leg.  He pulled the concealed knife out of the sheath at his ankle.  The blade was silver while the hilt was a brown leather covered with vine like designs that went down and etched into the blade of the knife.

“My father, the God of Nature, gave me this knife when I accepted my first job as a Demigod.” he held it, looking down at it as if it were a cursed object.  “The job tested me.  In the end I needed to choose between saving a town and saving a someone I knew.”

Era placed a hand on his shoulder knowing which he had chosen.  “You don’t need to say anything else.” Era said moving her hand from his shoulder to Alex’s hand that held the knife.  “In theory, one life can’t match hundreds, but it doesn’t make the pain any more bearable when you’re forced to choose.”

Alex nodded, “I know.”

Era sighed not knowing what else to say, “We do what we must.”

“But we always end up sacrificing everything in the end.” he paused and met Era’s electric blue eyes.  “Like now.  I don’t want to lose anymore people.  I carry this knife to defend myself, but also as a reminder of the pain of war and battle.  I don’t want to lose anyone ever again.  Especially you, Era.”