Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 19

The day was cloudy and dark, just like the mood. Grim walked out of the church using his chains to lift a coffin behind him. He walked across the street to a small garden that had mostly survived. A hell hound lunged at him as he stepped through the gate. His left hand turned to scales and he grabbed it by the top jaw. With a flick of his wrist he snapped it's neck and flung it away. He gently laid the coffin at the base of a tree and walked to the side. He laid a hand on it.

"I'll end this so no one else has to get hurt. Rest in peace, you earned it." Grim said. He pulled a grenade off his belt and placed it on top of the coffin. "Ashes to ashes." He walked back into the church as the garden was consumed by fire. Inside the sanctuary Nadia was sitting on the couch, curled up in an oversized hoodie. Death came out of the weapons room.

"Grim, Nadia, I figured you would like to know Selena and Ryan are on their way here." He said. Nadia's eyes widened and she stood up.

"I have to leave. I can't face her and she'll more than likely try to kill me."

"Then she'll have to go through me." Grim said.

"Grim, I..."

"I'm not going to lose anyone else. I didn't do all of that to watch you leave."

"Why did you?"

"Because... because I..." He took a step towards her. "Because I love you." He lifted her chin and kissed her. She hesitated then put her arms around his neck. "I never want to lose you again." She kissed him and he pulled her closer.

"It seems you've decided on who you want your partner to be." Death said behind them. Nadia pulled away.

"What?"

"Grim plans on becoming a Reaper. A nearly immortal warrior that serves me for centuries. But he must have a partner to act as his weapon."

"You want me to be your partner, even after..."

"There is no one else I would rather be with."

"To give you both an idea of what will happen. When you become Reapers almost all of your soul will be destroyed by the process. I protect what little remains by shielding it from the rest of your body. Because of this you will not be able to enter the underworld which exist solely for beings with a soul. You won't be able to rest in peace and be with anyone you knew or will know for possibly hundreds of years. Also considering you will stay at the same age the entire time you can never settle for more than a few years."

"Centuries of nothing but fighting, I can't force you to make a decision like that so it's up to you." Grim said.

"I'll do it." She said.

"Excellent." Death said clapping his hands. "Both of you to the forge." They followed behind him. "I have given you all the materials you need to build a proper Reaper weapon. Nadia if you would please stand next to Grim." She took a step back and the world crumbled. She look at the black flames of her soul. Death was pure green and radiated power. A green rope of flame formed in his hands. He pushed his hands through their chests and the rope stuck.

They both couldn't stand as they were rushed with an onslaught of images in their mind. Grim didn't recognize any of it and grabbed his head. Flashes of faces he's never seen and places he's never been ran through his mind.

"You are seeing your partner. The memories and emotions that made them who they are."  The tide slowed and Grim managed to stand. Memories continued to flood his head but he was able step back into the real world. He helped Nadia.

"Time for the interesting part. Grim I assume you wish to be the soldier and Nadia the weapon." They both nodded. "Alright then. Fair warning this part always feels strange."

Nadia's body broke down into silver dust which took the rough shape of a scythe on the anvil.

"This is really weird." She said, her voice echoing in Grim's head.

"Now forge her design in your head and the anvil will do the rest."

Grim swept his hand over the shimmering shape and morphed it. The curved green blade formed first. A black spine piece covered the top of. As it merged with the shaft, dark skeletal wings decorated the back of the blade. From the back two fang like spikes extended from the back forming a V. The shaft was a solid piece of black metal with two green spirals wrapping all the way around it. At the bottom three long green blades with black points merged into a point. He picked her up and spun her a few times. She was light enough for him to wield with one hand.

"Elegant and deadly. You always did have a thing for style." Death said. "As effective a weapon she will be, you'll need something to deal with people at a distance. Half the time you get hurt it's because you can never put distance between you and something. Chose from the collection, that goes for you too Nadia." She retook human form and shook a little.

"That single handedly was the weirdest feeling ever." She said. They roamed the room searching for just the right weapon. Nadia picked up a submachine gun and realized she had no where to put it. She has tossed the outfit Skyra gave her, only keeping the eye patch.

"We can get you some new gear in a moment." Death told her.

Grim stopped at a shelf and pulled two guns off. Each was a long barreled pistol with a revolver chamber. Twenty-two long thin bullets lined the outside.

"12mm armor piercing hollow points with a white phosphorus core. One of the few types of bullets that are more effective then firing your own energy."

"Perfect." He said holstering them.

"This is your last chance to change your mind." Death said. "After this point you can't go back."

"I'm ready." Grim said.

"Me too." Nadia said taking his hand.

"Then it is time." Death grabbed the green tether connecting their souls and a third strand formed. He grabbed it and threw it into the Death Gate. Grim and Nadia stayed on their feet only becuase they were frozen in place. They could only watch as the flames ate away their souls. They couldn't even scream as all but a scrap was destroyed. Only a outline of them remained. From the single black embers floating in them a white blaze spread until their outline was filled with the pearl flames. The grip on their bodies stopped and they gasped.

"Fucking hell!" Grim yelled. "What the hell was that?"

"Reapers aren't just powered by the Death Gate, they also draw from the Underworld itself like myself."

"That's what the white flames are, energy from the Underworld?" Nadia asked.

"Yes." Death responded.

"What happened to your lips?" Grim asked Nadia. She felt her lips and said.

"What's wrong?"

"They're black."

"Yes, I used your Stigma as barriers to protect the last of your souls." Grim pulled up his sleeves and looked at the two black braces around his wrists. "You are now officially Reapers, some of the most powerful beings on the planet."

"Grim you here?" Ryan yelled out from the main room and the newborn Reapers gulped.

23,621 words down about halfway. It doesn't look like I'm  finishing NaNo but regular updates will come out for Death's Stigma about every two days or so. Thanks for the support and don't forget to leave a comment.