Death's Apprentice

3

Ash filtered to the ground, slipping through Death's fingers before disappearing in soft flashes of light. God turned and walked away, the archangels following behind him. Death sighed, shaking the last remnants of the note from his ungloved hand, before putting his glove back on. I hadn't seen him take it off. Death followed the others, and unlike God, he looked back to make sure I followed too. Soon, the elegant halls turned to wide open space, a courtyard filled with beautiful plants, each one more beautiful than the last. My eyes caught on a flower with leaves of metal and petals of gems; Death's hand closed around the back of my shirt before I could walk towards it.

The archangels flapped their wings, launching into the air. God sighed and shook his head, though I caught a glimpse of a smile when he looked back at me and Death. He led us into a study. The room had a lot less decor than the entryway, but the large windows made up for it by offering a spectacular view of the city below.

Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael piled onto the worn couch which sat pressed to a wall. Their wings crossed over each other, other limbs tangling together. God sank into an armchair, while Uriel swiveled his office chair from side to side.

Death's scythe dropped to the ground, any sound absorbed by the thick carpeting. Just like his scythe, Death dropped gracelessly into the last remaining seat: the armchair directly across from God. Burning blue eyes fixated on me as my eyes engaged in a desperate search for a place to sit that wouldn't be rude or demeaning. I didn't mind sitting on the floor, sometimes I liked it better than chairs, but would it be considered rude? Maybe? Probably? Other words that carry similar meanings?

Like a dog beside its master, I moved to sit next to Death's chair. Before I could lower myself to the ground, Gabriel extracted himself from the tangled mess of heavenly guidance, grace, and perfection. He slid onto the ground and patted the space beside him. Perry walked over from his platypus bed and curled on Gabriel's lap.

"Here, Ardia. You can sit with me and Perry," Gabriel said.

The corners of my mouth twitched. I nodded and sat beside him. As soon as my butt hit the carpet, I had a platypus on my lap. Perry stretched out, bill resting on Gabriel's leg. I stared at Perry, before looking at Gabriel with an eyebrow lifted.

"It's okay. You can pet him." With a smile on his face, something about Gabriel made me want to hug him and stab anything that ever tried to hurt him. He kept staring at me with unabashed eagerness, which turned to joy when I started petting Perry. His eyes, misty blue, held a light absent from Raphael's. They glowed softly as he looked down at Perry.

"Great, so now I know the kid's going to get roped into platypus sitting," Death said with a sigh. "Why'd you want me here?"

"We both know the answer to that question, Death," God said. He tied his hair into a half-bun, as he remained either unaware or impervious to the glare Death sent him.

"Uh, no. I don't think we do. Not all of us are all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving, all-annoying, you know."

"What did you just call me?!" God asked, shooting to his feet with his hands clenched into fists. The sunlight intensified. Despite this, Death didn't seen the least bit concerned; his hand didn't so much as move towards his scythe.

"You heard me. Now, can we hurry this up? I still have-" he reached into his pocket and procured a small book. He flipped through it. "-seventy thousand people to reap today."

God opened his mouth only to shut it when Raphael stood and walked out. Dangerous silence cloaked the room until he returned with coffee mugs. He forced one into Death's hands and the other into God's.

"Thanks, Rafe," Death said. He took a sip and made a face. "Too sweet."

"I'm sorry, we make our coffee as dark as our souls," Uriel said, not looking up from whatever game he was playing instead of taking notes.