Rigor Mortis

We Need To Talk

Nowadays Rigor Mortis slept at the entrance of the cave. He knew immediatly when something happened and could smell everything what could threaten him, his dad, or family friend Dux who had joined their sides permanently and build up a bond with Rigor too. Since Corax and Dux met again, there were always talking about what happened lately.

Today Rigor slept peacefully until his dream was ended by a few pictures that shot through his head.

Magpie, female, quite young, death by disease.

Rigor opened his eyes and stood up. His tail wagged in excitement. This was his first call out. His very own call out.

He ran to his dad in his favorite tree.

"Dad, guess what? I just got a call out!" he said in a proud manner.

"What, now already? I had my first call out at twenty-one! You're only ten months!" Corax said indignant.

"Are you jealous?" Rigor laughed. Corax shook his head. The raven had seen it coming. Rigor would get a call out at an early age, but he was Death. Ofcourse he got a call out on an early age.

"No, I'm not jealous. I understand. Just go to your call out and show him or her what you got."

Rigor smiled at his dad before leaving. And as he left, he reminded himself to the first time he was allowed to go to a call out with his dad. He had a great time, but wondered how Corax knew the way. He said he couldn't explain that. He just knew and had to wait for his own first call out to understand. Now he sure understood what he meant. He just felt when to turn left or right or in which direction he had to go.

Suddenly the voice of Dux spoke to him.

"Where are you going?" he asked. Besides exploring, just walking through the territory to inspect it, or doing some practice for something, Rigor wasn't far from the cave. But today there was something about him that was different.

"Where are you going?" he asked the crow above him.

"Call out. There appears to be a dead deer and we know what happens next."

"I'm off to my first call out!" Rigor said excited and smiled a proud smile. Dux felt some proud too. He had known him for almost his entire life too. However he couldn't do anything for him since only Corax could, it didn't keep him from being happy for the wolf.

"Well good luck than!" Dux said before turning left. Rigor had to go straight. He had quite a speed.

After a while he turned left and he soon saw the body of the dead bird lying on the ground. She missed a lot of feathers on her chest and missed quite a few of her important flight feathers, making her an easy prey. But the disease had killed her before someone did. That didn't mean she was lucky though.

Rigor got closer, looking at the magpie without any clear emotions. It was sad, ofcourse, but the many call outs he had gone to with Corax where sad too. But they were so beautiful at the same time. The only thing he felt sorry for, was that this magpie had suffered a slow death. Losing her feathers, full of parasites making her condition even worse and painful and she had to live in fear now she couldn't fly anymore.

Rigor sighed.

"At least it's over." he smiled with a sweet voice. He moved closer after those words and inspected the body. He suddenly felt something new. As he calmly observed the dead magpie, he connected himself to the soul. It was a strange feeling, but he felt at ease. He knew what to do after all. The Dance of the Dead. But he couldn't dance like Corax did. He again had to trust his intuition and should follow the lead of the soul to make her lose the bond with the physical body. He didn't find any problems at all and the Dance went smooth and graceful. After the Dance he looked in the eyes of the soul. A healthy magpie with all her feathers and a thankful look, waited for her instructions on how to get to Yggdrasil. Rigor sat down and looked at her in a kind manner. He spoke in the long lost language to her, telling her the way his intuition and bond with Yggdrasil told him. Then he said a goodbye and good luck and parted their ways. The magpie's soul flew away and Rigor watched for a second before making his way home again. He took his time, he didn't have anything important on the planning. He walked back in an easy pace and again met Dux on the way. He looked a little worried. Dux hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell him to prepare him.

"What's wrong?" Rigor wondered. He stopped walking. Dux landed next to him.

"Corax needs to tell you something." Dux explained. But these words only raised questions. Was it bad? What about? Why? Did he do something stupid? Was it a confession?

"It's about you. Corax kept something about you silent and that something is what you are." Dux explained further. Rigor was a bit confused, angry and sad. Mostly confused as he did not know what to think of the situation. He looked at Dux for a second, not knowing what to do. Then he sighed and continued his way home.

When he got back he actually didn't want to talk, in fear of what it was about. He just wanted to lie down and prepare more for what was coming. But in the entrance of the cave, was Corax. That meant Rigor had to have this conversation right now.

"Dad?" he asked. Corax looked a bit worried, but at the same time he looked relieved. It confused the pup even more.

"Don't you worry too much. Dux probably told you it was about you." Rigor nodded at this answer.

"The day I found you was the day my life changed and your mission started. You are someone everyone counts on." Corax started. Rigor ofcourse didn't understand what he meant.

"Than what am I?"

"In one word? Death. You have to prevent Yggdrasil from falling apart. That's why your here." Corax' explanation went on.

"Can you be more clear?" Rigor asked.

"Well, Yggdrasil left a message in the back of the cave. It's the myth about the Prophecy, you. No one can remember the whole story and Yggdrasil probably send me some pieces to explain things to you. But nevermind that. Just go inside and see for yourself." the raven said in kind manner. He gestured to Rigor to go first and followed his lead.

"Why did I never know?"

"I waited for something to make it easier to explain. This whole myth about you is something that no one can remember entirely. But the whole myth was still written down. Now you can see for yourself." Rigor accepted it for now. He walked further. Untill he was at the end of the cave.

"I don't see anything on the walls here." he stated. Corax nodded in agreement.

"I discovered that this wasn't the end of the cave. Look. That dark area over there. We thought it was a corner, but it's a hallway." Corax then disappeared into the dark. Rigor just followed him, stepping out of the little light that shone there. And into the complete darkness where you couldn't even tell what was right and what was left.

"Dad." he whispered disoriented.

"Over here. Were close." Corax said. Rigor suddenly saw a faint green light coming from him. That normally only happened when he was in contact with a soul. Now it clearly was this myth written on the walls that showed it was close. Rigor tried to focus on the faint green light untill he was close enough to touch Corax. Then the raven moved on, his green lines shining brighter.

"Here we are." Corax suddenly said. The light as bright as when he guided a soul, lit a part of a text on the wall. Not everything was visible, but the part that was able to be read, made clear this text was about Rigor.

"What does it say?" Rigor asked and he sniffed some of the strange shapes. As soon as that happened the text lit up.

He jumped back from the sudden light, but soon calmed down. Corax didn't move a muscle.

"They're runes, Rigor." he explained. Corax took a quick look at them.

"It's how we write down the words from the long lost language."

"Doesn't mean I know what these things mean."

"I'm not saying that, am I? I will read it for you."

"Go on dad, I want to know what you kept secret from me."

"Ofcourse. Here goes."