Everything he said so far made sense and made me want to believe him.
“God of Death, kill me, please! It hurts! It hurts!” yelled the God of Love as he tried to shake Crowley off his finger. The dog had a look of joy in his eyes as he bit down even harder.
“You’re a god now, but that doesn’t mean you have the full powers of death. It takes time and training to master the full powers of death. Right now you basically have unlimited death qi and can dictate how death works. I must warn you though. If you decide that no one will die then the universe itself will be destroyed. Death and time are things the universe must have to survive. Without them it will cease to exist.”
I walked over to the God of Love and removed Crowley from his finger. “So that’s where I left my little Crowley. Be a good boy and don’t chew on trash.” I held him in my arms and petted him. He had a happy smile on his face and his tongue was sticking out of his mouth.
“My finger…” cried the God of Love as he drew his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth.
“YOU’RE AN EMBARESSMENT TO GODS EVERYWHERE!” yelled Cronus at the top of his lungs.
“I just want to be loved,” said Cupid.
“What if I did want to change things a little? Like have the body of every human that dies instantly teleport to the monster world?”
“That’s a strange request. I don’t know about teleportation, but all you would need to do is will it to happen and your soul guides will do their best to make it happen. If you don’t already know, you will have a little over a thousand soul guides following your orders. They are all echoes of yourself. What they see you will see, what they hear you will hear, but they will move on their own with limited intelligence. They are only a pale representation of yourself, but without them your job is impossible. When they go to collect the souls of the dead at the moment of their death, will them to take the bodies to the monster world.”
Cronus waved his hand in my direction and a black tattoo of an hourglass appeared on the back of my left hand.
“What’s this?”
“A gift, the same I gave to the previous holder of your office. When he died it reverted back to me and now I’m giving it to you. It gives you partial authority over time, second only to me. Your soul guides will act in your place and will now have plenty of time to guide all new souls to the next life. If you want to gain direct power over time, you only have to speak the activation words, ‘in time everything arrives at death’s door.’”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Don’t worry, we will be keeping an eye on you.”
With those words, Cronus and the crying Cupid disappeared.
Chapter 25
I sat in the school’s cafeteria reflecting on recent events. Even as death I couldn’t bring back someone who had already died, but with my control over death and partial powers of time I could impose my will for Bob, Nyxra, and my parents not to die. Of course they could still die from an injury, but not from old age. They would remain at their current ages just like me. I decided not to tell them and just let it be a surprise.
I looked around the cafeteria and noticed how few witches there were. A room that would normally have been bustling at lunch time was almost empty. So many things had changed. I didn’t like coffee so I bought an orange juice to drink.
I had sent a message to Edward by tying a note around the neck of a zombie rat. It explained that all human bodies that died would appear on his side. I also informed him that no matter what the reason, should the monster realm ever invade the human realm then I, as the God of Death, would wipe his entire planet clean of all forms of life. Not a single monster would be spared.
I knew Edward would follow my instructions, but I had another concern. A large amount of monsters had already entered the human world. Also, we had lost a large percentage of the witches in the world. In fact, several of the strongest had been among the ones I had killed that were creating the pentagram for Chaz. I wasn’t sure there would even be a school of witchcraft in the future. I needed help tracking down all the monsters in the world and exterminating them. Unfortunately, we were severely lacking in man power. I wasn’t sure what to do next, so I decided to spend some time hunting the monsters that were foolish enough to sneak into the human realm to feast.
“Tarous, how are you doing?” asked Bob, walking up from behind me.
“Just peachy,” I replied and then took another swig of my orange juice. Vitamin C is good for you after all. “Or should that be ‘just orange-y’.” Ah, the great conversations I have. The last time I had one this thought provoking, I had been drunk.
“I hear Nyxra is doing fine.”
“Physically she has made a full recovery. Mentally… That may take some time. She lost her father yesterday and in some ways she lost her mother again.”
“That would be tough on anyone,” replied Bob in a sympathetic tone.
Truthfully, Nyxra had shut me and everyone else out. After she woke up I had filled her in on everything that happened. She had spent over an hour sobbing into my shoulder, then asked to be alone. Since then she had been locked in her room not seeing anyone. I had left food outside her door, but I wasn’t sure if she had eaten it.
Bob and I sat at the cafeteria table, no longer speaking. So much can be said without speaking and the truth was we all needed to sort out everything that had happened recently. I was thankful to Bob because he remained patient and loyal through everything. It was nice to have such a great best friend.
For me, I was no longer human. I was a manifestation of one of the primal actions of the universe. I was death. Whether people thought of me as a god or a mere physical representation of it, either way I was no longer human. I did not need to eat or sleep. It was nearly impossible to injure me unless I allowed it. No human nor witch had ever been this powerful before. I had always thought of witches as humans plus magic. Was I now a witch plus godhood?
“The truth is, the next step is easy. We have monsters to hunt. So let’s get to it,” I said as I stood and finished the last of my orange juice by quickly chugging it down. I no longer needed to drink, but I still enjoyed the taste and satisfaction of it.
Bob stood and followed me out of the cafeteria.
Chapter 26
“Another drink, sir?” asked the waitress who was wearing a silky black outfit.
“No thanks, I need to be sober enough to drive home.”
She gave me a million dollar smile and gracefully turned to head back towards the bar. She dodged the hand of another customer trying to grab her butt without slowing down. She didn’t appear to look at him or even to put in any effort to dodge. She was naturally as graceful as a jungle cat.
It was easy for me to see her movements were way too quick and graceful for a normal human. Humans could not move like that.
~I wonder if she is single.
Bob’s voice came in loud and clear inside my mind. Telepathy was a minor magic for a god. Bob could hear my thoughts and could see through my eyes, but only when I allowed him to.
~Bob, she’s a monster. She would eat you alive.
~I know.
I could almost feel him smiling within my mind.
I turned my attention back to my surroundings. The club didn’t have a true name, but most people called it Club Night. The club was majorly exclusive. Only the richest of the rich were allowed in, by invitation only of course. Thanks to a gross misuse of my new powers, I was currently one of the richest movers and shakers of any human in the world. Acquiring wealth in the human world had been rather easy for me. Perks of being divine.
I had decided that being insanely wealthy would help me with hunting monsters. I currently owned several news companies around the world. Certain individuals at those companies were instructed to notify me via a certain cell phone number if they or any of their reporters encountered any stories that involved anything strange. Despite all of my acquired resources I was currently getting rather tired of investigating b
ig foot sightings. Only a small percentage of sightings were real.
“Wow. Someone is slumming it,” commented a voice I recognized in a snarky tone.
Maybe if I didn’t acknowledge him he would go away. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Though it does have a nice atmosphere here,” said Cupid, the God of Love. Also known as a pain in my butt.
“How much do I have to pay you to go away and leave me alone forever?”
“We told you we would be checking up on you. This is me doing my civil service. Would you like a drink?”
Two golden goblets suddenly appeared in front of us.
“Cut that out,” I told him sternly while looking around to make sure no one had noticed his little display of magic. “Don’t do magic in front of the mortals.”
“Relax. Even if someone saw, they wouldn’t believe their eyes. Mortals are experts at lying to themselves.”
He reached down and picked up one of the goblets and took a drink. He looked over the top of the goblet at me. “Give it a try. It’s the nectar of the gods, ambrosia.”
I reached down and took a sip from the other goblet. “Fruity.” It was actually rather good.
“One of the many perks of being a god,” he replied.
A tall, slim girl with blond hair walked up to Cupid.
“Want to dance, cutie?” she asked with a cheeky grin.
“Maybe another time,” he replied. He still took his time checking her out.
~She’s cute. I’d dance with her.
~Bob, I need you to find a girlfriend, quick.
~That’s what I’m trying to do! Ask her and see if she likes pale and short guys that are scared of the dead.
I ran through multiple scenarios of me chatting the girl up about my pale friend that’s scared of the dead and every time it did not go well. So I ignored Bob.
The cute girl pouted, but walked away. Cupid seemed to also be enjoying watching her leave.
“That was a perk of being the God of Love,” said Cupid with a smile. “I can’t keep the ladies, and some men, off of me.”
I rolled my eyes and took another sip of ambrosia. It was growing on me.
“I can’t turn it off. If I even concentrate a little I can make this entire place turn into a giant orgy.”
“Please don’t. These clothes I’m wearing are really expensive. I don’t want to get any stains on them.”
I adjusted the tie I was wearing. I would be super pissed if my tie got messed up, as I had spent over a thousand dollars to buy it.
“Relax Tarous. Do you really think I would do something like that just to entertain myself?”
“Yes, without a doubt,” I replied instantly and without hesitation while simultaneously glaring at Cupid. I almost felt like I was channeling Cronus.
“You know me so well, despite having just met me,” said Cupid with tears brimming in his eyes.
I could tell the tears were fake. I took another sip from my glass. I was really enjoying the ambrosia.
“So, what are you hunting this time?” asked Cupid.
“Not sure, but I’m pretty sure all of the staff here aren’t human. Perhaps you would like to stick around as bait?”
“Oh, look at the time! It’s getting late. Unless I get my beauty sleep I look only extremely handsome instead of my usual absolutely gorgeous.” He faded away, along with the two goblets.
~Loser.
“Cupid has left the building,” I mumbled to myself. Stupid pigeon of love, I wasn’t done drinking that. I really wished he had left the ambrosia.
“Do you think it could be aliens taking the bodies?” The conversation of a nearby table wafted over to me.
“No way. How could aliens be everywhere at once?”
~I just wish that for once the sightings of Bigfoot would be real.
~Bob, Bigfoot isn’t real, give up on that fantasy.
~I know he is real Tarous and I will prove it, one day.
Bodies that disappeared seconds after a person died was something so attention grabbing that even humans had noticed, although barely. We aren’t talking about the most observant of species. They still think witches are fairytales. So far, Edward had managed to keep most of his monsters on his side and we had worked out a peace between my world and his. Keeping the monsters fed had played a big role in the success of my plan. A full monster is a happy monster.
Now that stupid Cupid had left and taken the ambrosia with him, I had become rather thirsty.
“Another drink, sir?” asked my waitress that had suddenly appeared.
“Yes please, rum and Coke.”
~You’re drinking a lot more lately. I think you should drink less.
~Bob, I’m fine. Gods can’t get drunk.
~For someone that can’t get drunk, you sure do drink a lot.
Sometimes being able to communicate with Bob telepathically was more of a curse than a blessing.
The waitress gave me a smile that was a little too big and friendly and once again moved with surprising speed and grace. Though she did take the time to give her hips a little extra ‘swing’ to them. I liked to pretend she had done it just for me and it wasn’t something she did just for more tips.
It was only luck that I heard about this place. Most of the monsters I had found so far were because of the impressive body count they had been racking up. I had taken care of all the monsters that hadn’t been smart enough to hide their presence. Werewolves were especially easy to track. Any area with a large amount of missing hikers and large animal attacks that started after the portal was opened between our worlds was a dead giveaway that werewolves were nearby.
A new person sat down opposite me. He wore black pants, black shirt, and had black hair. I wondered if he was trying to steal my look.
“The one that has been hunting our kind, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said the man with a big smile. I received a good view of his sharp fangs. “So much talk and worry over such a weak little thing. I can’t believe a foolish witch thought he could stop us.”
~Tarous, I think he might be a vampire.
~Gee thanks Bob.
~No problem buddy.
To monsters I still smelled like a witch, despite now being a god. I noticed several waiters and waitresses were now standing much closer to us.
“Poor human blood bag. You came looking for monsters and unfortunately for you that’s exactly what you found.”
The group of vampires moved in closer. I started to notice several of the guests also standing and moving closer. Fangs bared, eyes glowing red, fingers turning into claws. They were all ready to attack.
I just shook my head. “Simon says: die.” And just like puppets who had their strings cut, all the vampires fell to the floor dead.
God of Death here, remember.
Chapter 27
The next morning I headed back to what was left of the academy. Repairs were underway, but it still took time. Luckily our new allies from the monster realm, the Rasks, were more than happy to supply the gold it took for the repairs. Thanks to our little arrangements with all newly dead humans appearing in their castle, the Rask’s fortune had doubled in a month and they were already insanely wealthy to begin with. The Rask family was doing everything they could to maintain a good relationship with us.
All manner of creatures were showing up at the academy through the portal now that it had been stabilized for travel between the realms. Monster merchants were flooding the academy, but they were carefully monitored and not allowed to leave the academy.
Rare ingredients were traded for new technologies. As I entered the academy great hall I noticed a student trading a smart phone for a bundle of rare magical herbs that never even existed in the human realm, along with a single blue dragon scale. Though spells did exist that used dragon parts such as scales, they hadn’t been used in centuries as dragons had long been wiped out in our realm. The ancient spell books that utilized dragon parts were probably being used as paper weights
or to prop up wobbly coffee tables.
Nyxra was there talking to a group of monsters. One of the monsters in particular caught my eye. He was insanely handsome. I automatically hated him. I also didn’t like the way he was looking at Nyxra. Little red flags went off in my mind. I went from being in a good mood to glaring at this new monster’s back.
Over the last few weeks Nyxra had finally made our relationship official. The other half to my soul. It still felt weird to be in the relationship, somehow I felt unworthy. I tried to shrug off my jealousy and told myself it was all in my mind.
The monster moved closer to Nyxra and slightly touched her arm. I did not like that. I did not like that at all. My anger flared like a caged beast trying its best to escape. I tried to remind myself I was not a caveman and I would not solve this with violence. The murderous look in my eyes was counterproductive to that thought.
I examined Mr. Good Looking up and down. I just knew he had abs under his shirt. I couldn’t keep myself from glaring at him. I clenched my fists in anger.
I trusted Nyxra. I trusted her so I decided not to interfere. I could trust her and she would handle this situation. I took a deep breath. Then I turned and went to mingle with the other monsters. None of them had heard about my recent power upgrade besides the Lord Rask and Edward. I knew this because no one seemed afraid of me.
As the evening wore on more and more guests arrived, monsters and witches alike. The refreshments for this little get together were wonderful. Ever since I became the God of Death I no longer needed food, but I enjoyed eating more than ever. With my new body I could eat as much as I wanted and not gain any weight. It was truly magical.
Everyone was playing nice, as the Rask family had ordered every monster to do. The Rask family was the undisputed powerhouse of the monster realm. No one acted up, not a single monster. The witches were not as much of a concern, but we had still had a meeting about monster etiquette before the party and I generally kept an eye on anyone that might cause trouble.
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