A Grim Reaper’s Revenge

Welcome to day 24 of Fyretober! I hope you’re all enjoying a month of flash fiction as much as I am. Enjoy today’s writing challenge from Fyrecon’s Fyretober!

Her black cloak couldn’t keep the chill out. During more hours than Liliana should’ve spent in the rain, water had worked through the little protection the thing had begun with. She raised her hand, wiping the back of it across her nose. However miserable, she wouldn’t trade her watch for a hearth and roof.

Across the street, light leaked around the door and shuttered windows. She could occasionally hear the obscured voices within. Her eyes swept over the high wall surrounding the building for the hundredth time. Once more, no path forward presented itself.

Reaching up, she grabbed the closure of the cloak, dragging the wet material away from her throat and frowned. She released her grip she instead touched Mafist’s amulet beneath, praying her last coins hadn’t gone to a skinflint.

The door creaked open, a shaft of light illuminating the muddy cobbles, blocked quickly by the shadows of four men emerging. One of whom was dragged between two others with shackled hands.

“Andres!” The word tore from her, propelling her feet forward even as her heart shrank back from the fourth man trailing behind the two.

Where the deep night shadows obscured the other men, there was a glow about his form which illuminated him. Now the clean light of the moon, nor the ruddy light of torches guttering in the rain. No, there was a tinge to his light to which Liliana’s mind could only call darkness.

Still it was a glow of darkness that let her note him turning toward her, the narrowing of his eyes, and the shifting of his cloak.

Light shot out from beneath the material and Liliana fell. Andres screaming filled her ears but try as she might she could not make sense of them. They quickly grew more distant as if cloth were stuffed into her ears.

Then the sound ended as did the unlight of the man.

Liliana lay in darkness. At least she thought she was still laying.

“Oh dearie.” A voice said. She twisted meaning to follow the sound, only to realize that it came from before her. A man sat on … air before her, tapping his lips thoughtfully. He tilted his head to the side.

Liliane straightened, adjusting to the new orientation. “Where? Who?”

The man hopped of whatever and moved about her. “Where makes no difference. At least not for nowhere. Who though…” He paused ducking his head and moving close, peering at her chest. “Ah, now that makes sense.” He straightened and darted backward before Liliana could protest his closeness through words or a slap. “You’ve my amulet.”

Liliana glanced down, her fingers curling about the trinket you still wore. “This? Did it work then? Was I protected from his magics?”

“Ehhh.” The man let the sound sprawl out. “Worked is a relative assessment. Probably from your end the answer would be no. Since he killed you and all.”

“He killed me?” Liliana blinked and saw the mud of the street impose itself over her vision of the man. The rain still pounded about her, but she couldn’t feel it anymore. “He killed me.” She stepped backward letting the vision fall away.

Her hands shook and she clenched them into balls. If she were dead, then she’d failed in protecting Andres. “No.” The word was little more than a croak. “No, I can’t have failed.” Her eyes spring up to the man. “Send me back.”

“Whoa!” He said raising his hands. “What makes you think I can send you back?”

“If this is yours,” she grasped the amulet in her fist, “then you are Mafist, God od Death.”

“Well, yes. But death. I deal with dead things. Not once dead things.” The man wrinkled his nose and seemed to peer beyond her. “That would fall in Katiman’s territory.” He raised a finger in a sweeping gesture to forestall arguments. “But the amulet did prevent him from stealing your soul with your life.”

“And what of Andres’ soul?” Fear settled over her. The amulet had been for him. He’d been the one the wizard marked.

“Oh, umm…” I’ll keep an eye out. He shrugged. “But the chances aren’t great I’ll catch his passing. Not with that man’s foul magic.” He turned waving his hand for her to follow. “Now, let’s get you settled.”

Liliana didn’t move. “Can I watch?” Her voice was quiet even in her own ears. But the god halted, turning back to her slowly with a quirked eyebrow. “Can I prevent his soul from being taken to Katiman?”

Mafist stood still, his head turning slightly away from her. His thinning lips and narrowed eyes made it sound as if he listened to someone else. Someone Liliana could not see. Finally, he turned back to her fully. “Yes… but I’m not sure you’ll like it long term.”

Liliana stepped forward pressing a clasped hand to her chest. “Anything. I’ll do anything to break his stranglehold.”

“I can make you a guardian between life and death. Unlike me you’ll be able to greet people at the threshold, not once they’ve already been swept through a death’s door.” He paused, and shook his head sadly. “But once done, I can’t ever undo it. And a threshold isn’t someplace anyone will be able to tarry long.”

She could hear the sorrow in him voice, the concern. But she could see Andres being swept away by the wizard. Him and so many others. What choice was there?

Her voice was somber when she spoke. “I’ll do it.”

Light wrapped around her, tugging at her cloak as it lengthened the material and deepened her hood. Her hand clenched and the light firmed in her hand, extending into a long pull and a swooping blade appearing at the end. A blade of light which could slash through anything. Liliana grinned. A blade that could cut through any chains binding any soul. Denying the wizard greater power from those stolen souls would be a sweet revenge.

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#fyretober #fyretoberflashfiction #fyretoberday24

“Fyretober isn’t for just writers or just artists. It’s for everyone who loves to create, and this month we’re looking to see your flash fiction, poetry, and illustrations every day. We’ll be providing daily prompts for the month and want to see what new concepts and wonders you can make with them.

Join the creation fun and share your work with us.

This isn’t a contest. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be giving out random prizes for amazing work.”