《Quiet Tales of a Forgotten Reaper》


 Intro

    In the distant past man was simple and had no issues with their world. When they needed food they picked it. When they needed sleep they slept. Now the world is filled with chaos and strife as each person struggles with him/herself to get what they believe they need. So what changed, what drove this world to the state in which it currently resides?


    I don''t know. But I do know one thing, I am one of those people. Always trying to find something other than what I need. Well I found it. Power, Wealth, Fame, and an infinite lifespan. Sounds amazing right? Yeah I thought so too. Of course there is always a price for these things. For me it was peace and comfort. Also it was everyone I ever cared about.


    Do you wish to hear my story? The story of a man who has lost everything. Too bad I''m not gonna tell you. But I will tell you this, I''m over one thousand years old. Ive seen the rise and fall of a hundred nations. The changing of the seasons and the moving of the earth. But one thing never changes. Death, Death doesn''t change it comes in many ways and with little warning. So let me tell you about death and how he works.


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    One thousand years ago.


    I was born. I know very important fact right? Either way this is a necessary piece of information if I want you to believe what I say. My mother died on that same day. Now don''t be worried by that back then people were expected to die giving birth. About one in three mothers died so no surprises there. Anyway without that sacrifice I would not be here to tell you this.


    Shorty after my birth another clan attacked our settlement. Much death occurred on that day as well including the rest of my family. My father, my brothers and  my sister. You might ask well how did you survive? Well it was simple. Death decided to have mercy, on me anyway.


    Twenty years later


    In a small town on the coast of some unknown island. It is the middle of a slightly chilly night. The wind blows softly through the home of our wonderful protagonist. The house is small, not much lager than a shack. With one bedroom a window set into both the east and west sides. There is nothing in the frames just small openings to provide light and a breeze. In the bedroom a man sleeps restlessly as if trapped in a nightmare. In the shadows around the bed lurks a quiet being shadowed and hooded. From the front you can see the fire in his eyes.


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    The being speaks in a shrill tone with a  hint of ice to it. "Hello, my child." The man on the bed stirs as if hearing the words spoken by this otherworldly being. "Have you enjoyed these years, spent in peace with not a care in the world?" Again the man stirs almost as if in response. "It is time for you to start repaying your debt" Suddenly the man sits up straight in the bed breathing rapidly in a panicked fashion. "I see that woke you up."


    "W..Wh...Who are you? The man stuttered clearly terrified by the being in the shadows.


    "I am what most would call the emboidement of Death. But you my child will call me Master. Because from now until your debts are repaid you will obey me. No questions, no hesitation, no resistance. The price of your life."


    The man on the bed begins to move, slowly at first but quickly gaining momentum. His feet hit the floor and he jumnps toward the window intending to make the leap to freedom. As his hands touch the windowsill the room begins to shift. Instantly they are in a large hallway. The man falls to the floor when he pushes down in his attempt to jump. "Did you think you could run from me?" The man''s face changes as he sees the hallway. There are doors lining the walls the hallway seemingly going on for eternity. True panic emerges on his face. Stumbling to his feet he starts running without thought or reason.


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    Thanks for reading.

 Intro Part II

    Hmm...so you might be thinking...how...predictable. If so your correct. Most things in life are predictable if you look at the signs. I mean who makes it out of a burning village as a baby when everyone else dies. At least not without a deal being made. In this case that man in the shadows. His name is Death. The man running, that''s me. See, I told you it was predictable. Now, I didn''t make a deal with Death. He made a deal with my father, as a result here I am running from death. Quite literally, not that anyone can escape Death.


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    As I was saying. I start running as fast as I could. This goes on for about three minutes before I notice I haven''t moved. "I told you that running wasn''t possible didn''t I? Now you can either give up and work for me or I can make life hard for you." Slowing down and then stopping I turned to Death and shouted. " Why should I work for you at all! I don''t owe you a debt!." The eyes under the hood glow brighter as if angered. "You didn''t make this deal but the debt is still yours to pay."


    "Then who made the deal and why cant they pay it!" I said my mind rushing to find an answer to my own question. "Your father made the deal when he died. Your life for his." Death said casually almost as if he was mocking me. Calming down from the initial panic a strange calm settled over me. "Then why am I here in this place, my father is dead. He paid that debt."


    "You are here because the price he paid only covered the remaining time in his life span. Your father only had twenty years left to live when he made the deal with me." With a slow motion at his side Death raised his hand and pointed towards me. "That is why you are here. Because your twenty years are up." I started feeling the panic rising again. Looking around trying to find a means of escape, I noticed the doors. There were hundreds of them all along the hall. Many were the same dingy gray color with no ornamentation. But a few had colors or odd shapes, including one near me. A plan hastily beginning to form in my mind I started talking again. "Wait...if my father made a deal with you to keep me alive for twenty years then why am I going to be calling you master?"


    "A whim. I''m letting you live and serve me as a whim." I slowly start inching towards the nearest door as while continuing to speak. "A whim? You brought me here and decided to let me live on a whim?" A little closer and the door handle would have been in my grasp but alas nothing is so convenient. "I see you are trying for the door. That is good it means you react well even under decidedly tough pressure." Freezing in place I began to feel the despair break me. There was no escape from Death no way of running or hiding. It was over. "What are you going to do with me? And why do you even need a servant?" My knees buckeled and I fell to the ground. "You will become a Reaper and assist me in the collection of souls. I may be Death but even I need a break. Oh and breathe. You don''t need to anymore but it will calm you."


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    As he mentioned that I instinctively took a deep breath. Immediately my mind went blank as if some kind of magic had been cast on me. Never in my life had I felt that calm. "How do I become a Reaper. And since when does Death take a break?" Death moved his hand and suddenly he was a man. A normal man with light brown hair, pale white skin, about six feet tall and thin. Disturbingly thin, you could see the bones on his arms and face. Oh...but the eyes. The eyes were the same flaming dots. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T shirt. For all that he didn''t look old though, maybe thirty at the oldest.


    Death began speaking again in a lighter tone and a more human voice. "You see everyone has to start somewhere. I was once just a normal man with a normal life. Most people think of death as the ending of life and the beginning of something else. It is true enough for most people. I take lives and ferry the people to the other side. That''s where these doors lead. Death is a job child. When I died the previous Death came for me and made me a Reaper. I was to be his heir. As time pas...." Before he could finish his sentence I interrupted him.


    "Wait...hold on what do you mean heir? How can Death have and Heir? Also stop calling me child...I have a name you know." Deaths face changed to one of shock. "How dare you interrupt me I am Death, and I am trying to answer your question." He waved his hand in front of me and my point of view seem to shift. "There that should keep you quiet for the time being. Now where was I. Ah yes...as time passed I learned that Death is more like a business than anything else. You see that have been multiple souls with the title of Death. Each soul given this title is allowed to recruit Reapers who will serve until the next Death is chosen. The title is transferred once every thousand years as a soul cannont handle more time than that as Death. I was unlucky enough to still have the highest debt at the end of the cycle. Also you will..."

 Intro Part III

    Ok time for a break from that. Right you know what I mean. Slow boring explanation of his life. Hunh? Oh, why didn''t I keep interrupting him? Well you see he took my soul out of my body. Souls cant speak when they don''t have a body. And, well, Death has complete control over all the souls under his care. I was entirely frozen during his whole conversation. It went on for hours...


    But there a few more things I need to tell you about so you understand. Please, don''t die while I inform you, this might take awhile. When the new Death is chosen one reaper is chosen for every dimension. It''s a lot. Death can choose his own reapers to help him with more personal tasks. A.K.A Me, and a few others. The primary task of a reaper is to take the souls of the dead to the afterlife. However some people try to cheat Death. Silly idea I know, but people still try. That is where Death comes in. He is the one you goes and claims the souls of those who try to cheat him.


    This can prove to be a very large task as there are a lot of dimensions. And so here I am. Chosen to help Death rid the multiverse of its cheaters. Death also makes deals with those who summon him and are willing to pay the proper price. The price can be pretty high as a longer life isn''t cheap. You know, equivalent exchange and all that. There isn''t much else to say about that right now. Sooo...onto that whole debt thing. As I said earlier life isn''t cheap, when you get picked as a reaper there is a...hmmm what to call it...lets call it a tuition fee. It is assigned to you when you are chosen and no one knows the amount. Except maybe god.


    The debt is paid by collecting souls and leading them to the afterlife. If a reaper finishes paying his or her debt they pass on. Another reaper is then chosen automatically. In the case of the renaming of Death. The title transfer he mentioned earlier. The reaper with the highest debt left to pay becomes Death. And all specially selected reapers pass on. Given they don''t have the highest debt. Now that I''ve told you all that I think I will get back to the story. Well this one at least.


    Life isn''t free. Not everything has a soul. For one to live another must die. These are the rules.


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    Five mileni...I mean hours later.


    "..and the wardens do most of the actual work. I will release my grip on you now." My vision changed again as he finished speaking. And warmth as well as feeling began to spread through my body. "You talk too much you know that right?" I said after the shock wore off. Death looked at me as if I had just spoken something true evil. "No...I don''t know that. I only told you what you needed to know" at that I started laughing. Not gentle good laughter, no it was the insane laughter of someone who broke in their mind. Stopping enough to speak I said. "You brought me here, in the middle of the night. With no warning, terrified me. Then sat there and talked for whats feels like millennia. And think I needed to know all that. I will not be a reaper! So take me home now!" shouting at him towards then end.


    As I finished Death began to move towards me speaking in a soft tone. "You are already dead child. That is the only way you could ever see this hall. What I am offering you is a deal to extend your life. The price is your undying servitude until you either pay the set debt, or until the title passes on." Closing in close enough to touch me. He raised his hand and grabbed my head. "What do you mean I''m already dead?" I said and then...pain nothing but pain. I don''t know how long he held me there, shaking and screaming. But afterwards I felt changed, less human, less nervous. More obedient.


    Death began to speak again this time though I felt mesmerized. "You are now my reaper and will do as I say. Go through that door to your left and claim the soul of the woman trying to cheat me. I warn you though, do not directly take her life simply set into motion the events that will end her. If you try to take her directly you will cease to exsist." with that he disappeared. I stood there for a few moments letting the orders sink in. The feeling of absolute obedience slowly fading. Looking to the door, a wide wooden door with blackened edges. Feeling a strong desire to walk through I placed my hand on the side and pushed.

 Intro Part IV

    Authors note: Anything marked in parentheses () is Bob making a side note


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    There are not words to describe the feeling of walking through a door and arriving on a vast plain with nothing around but grass. But alas I must try to explain it. If you haven''t guessed already, each of the doors in that hall lead to a different dimension. I wont bore you with how dimensions are made or created as it would take too long. Only know that each place is separate yet the same. The beginning is the same point while the end is vastly different. The true could be said of people as well I suppose.


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    Seconds later


    As I stepped through the door I felt my mind filling with knowledge. It was as if someone had just explained to me everything about the world I had just stepped into. As I recovered from the shock of that information I saw the plains. There was nothing elsearound me. Only grass, grass as far as the eye could see in every direction. A few hills interrupted the monotony. Behind me the door had disappeared. Strangely, I didn''t find anything odd with the disappearance of the door. Only in the strangeness of walking from an endless hallway into a sea of grass.


    As I began to make more sense of where I was. The knowledge in my mind informed me that I was in the Plains of Gerun. The center of the continent of Foltest. On the planet of Drunitas. (Like I said knowledge, lots of knowledge.) To my west is the city of Gerun, a center of trade in the region. Also the location of my target on this mission a girl named Senna. Beginning to walk towards the city I noticed some dust rising in the distance. At first it seemed to be some kind of animal. But as it got closer I realized it was a person. The person was flying, quickly and low to the ground. More importantly he was heading towards me.


    Deciding that running would be less than effective against someone moving at that pace. I decided to wait for him to arrive. It didn''t take long at the speed he was going. As he neared me he began to slow and then finally stopped a couple of feet in front of me. (How to describe another reaper 101) The man in front of me was shrowded in a light shadow. Just enough to make him blurry but not enough to make him impossible to identify. His skin was of a darker tone closer to ebony, with long hair drifting down his back. His eyes were black and lifeless more like a void than eyes. His height was hard to tell as the shadows seemed to have a magnifying effect similar to water through glass.


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    Speaking at me he said "Why have you come here reaper? This is not your domain and you have no right to be here." I paused a moment, then began to speak. "I am here because Death has sent me to claim the soul of one by the name of Senna nearby."


    Shock quickly passed across the face of the man in front of me. "I am the reaper in charge of this place. I was not notified that you would be coming to claim a soul. You will walk back through that door and not come back." Waving his hand the door reappeared behind me. A sudden urge to kill this man arose in me. Managing not to yell I told him. "I will not leave until my mission is complete. Failure is..."


    Before I could finish speaking the man slammed me back through the door and into the hallway. Tumbling to the floor I watched as as the door silently closed. Sealing off the view of the grasslands and the man who attacked me. Before I had the chance to rise to my feet Death appeared in front of me. Once again he was in that shadowy form with the burning eyes. "Well that was amusing. I half expected you to start running away as soon as Raj came at you." Feeling a rising hatred for this man and his disregard for my life I started shouting.


    "You found that amusing! Did you find killing me and holding me hostage amusing!? What kind of being are you to treat my life this way!?" Slowly his eyes began to burn brighter as if he was angry. "You were already dead before I brought you to this place. I only brought you here and extended your "life". And if I happen to find you amusing you should thank me rather than yell. You will go back through the door and you will claim the soul named Senna." With that he waved that creepy formless arm and I was back on the plains. This time though it was dark with little light to see by.


    Taking a moment to analyze the situation I decided to head towards the city. After a few hours of walking I began to see light in the distance, the city finally being within sight. During the walk my thoughts had been dark and focused on how much I had lost in a single day. But as I saw the lights of the city, the mission pressed on me. Somewhere in this city was the woman named Senna. Somehow I was supposed to kill this woman without directly interfering with her. Thinking on these things I made my way towards my fate.

 Welcome to Senna

    Well now that I''ve told you a bit about me and where I come from. I believe it is time for me to begin the true storytelling. The story I am about to tell you is the story of Senna. A young girl from a rather large city. If your thinking to yourself, that is the girl he was sent to kill. You would be correct. But everything, everyone, has a story. Never forget that. And besides, what good is a story only about me. The guy who kills people on demand. Welcome to Senna beauty of the city.


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    Fifteen years before death.


    Today, like many days large groups of people enter the city of Gerun through the west gate. Towering arches mark the official entrance to the city proper. Though like all ancient cities the houses and poorer districts expand well past the wall. On the side of the road near the gate walks a girl. She is young maybe eleven or twelve. She is short for her age with bright blonde hair. Her eyes are a deep green almost emerald. Her skin a light brown like most of the people entering the city. She wears the clothes of royalty. A day dress of dark purple with golden embroidery.


    Behind her walk a man and a woman. Most likely her father and mother. And if one were to look closely you would notice a small number of armed people stalking them through the crowd. Silently following them, some guards some, not so noble. This man and woman are the king and the queen of the great country of Formani. As they begin to pass under the gate an explosion erupts in the center of the street. The shock from the explosion shakes earth and nearby buildings. Knocking everyone nearby swiftly to the ground. Some of the men who had been following the king and queen quickly regain their feet and rush forward. While others try to stop them.


    The girl, being far enough from the explosion to not suffer injury, begins to cry. The shock from the explosion gradually begins to wear off of the less trained individuals. And so begins the chaos. Not knowing what to do the girl looks for her parents even through the tears. Catching a glimpse of them through the mob of people running to and fro in the street she crys out. "Mama! Poppa!" She tries to push through the crowd but with no success as she is too small. Behind her one of the shadows comes alive and grabs her. Covering her mouth and dragging her into a small alley.


    Ten years before death


    Boom! A loud sound erupted from the door on the other side of the small room. Senna bolted upright in her bed at the sound. She had heard these sounds before and knew what it meant. Tollen had come home drunk again. He always did on the days when she fell asleep before he did. It had been five years since her parents had died in the attack on the west gate. Tollen had pulled her away before the assassins had been able to locate her. She still had nightmares about that day. Getting out of bed she decided to go help Tollen into his bed and away from any liquor he may have brought with him. There was no need to get dressed as she always slept fully clothed, should they need to make a quick escape. As she headed towards the door a new sound came from beyond.


    A sharp rasping sound similar to that of a sword being drawn from it''s scabbard. Instantly she went for the sword she always kept under the bed in case the assassins ever came again. Clang! The sound of metal on metal rang out. "Run! Senna run! They found us you need to go now before they catch you!" Tollen''s voice sounded from the other side of the door. No...this cant happen again she thought. But even as she thought that the part of her mind that had been trained for this made her body move. She went to the window and looked out. Checking to make sure there was nothing to injure her, she jumped. Despite the training Tollen had put her through it still hurt to run away. Hitting the ground with a roll she rose to her feet and started sprinting into the darkness.


    Five years before death


    Senna never liked small towns. Nothing ever happens, nothing ever changes. Senna had been living in Nettlie for three years now. Stepping out of her small house she began to walk towards the small market near the center of town. Her house was only a five minute walk from the market. She had been lucky that the former resident had moved to the "big city" shortly before she had arrived. In truth the nearby city was more of a way station for passing travelers and only had a few thousand residents living within its palisade walls. As she reached the corner of her street, if you could even call it that, her neighbor Cally stepped out of her house and waved hello calling out. "How ya doin Sadie, it''s nice to see you up so early." Senna waved back at her with and replied. "Up as early as you normally are, I''m surprised you would even call this early."


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    "Where ya headed goin this early in the morning anyway?" Cally said. "I''m headed to the market to get the ingredients for my famous berry pie." Senna picked up her pace as she didn''t want Cally to try and join her on her market run. It reminded her too much of her time with Tollen. She was only in this town because she was laying low trying to avoid the assassins. So far it had worked quite well. She was beginning to think she had finally found a place to call home. Even if it was such a quiet town that she was bored to tears. "Wait up Sadie" she heard Cally call out from behind her. Resigning herself to the company she slowed down enough for Cally to catch up. Cally was a typical small town girl. With the brown hair and brown eyes and deep brown skin. She was still young, close to Senna''s age. When Cally reached her she started chatting away about whatever came to her mind.


    As we approached the market the volume began to increase with the sound of voices. "Isn''t it a bit loud even for the market Senna?" Cally asked. "Maybe a trader came to town?" Senna replied. Occasionally traders would show up to the town and sell interesting trinkets and oddities. But they also came with more important things. Information, salt, various seeds for planting, and of course money. "A trader. Maybe I can get some of those fancy scents." Cally started getting more excited towards the end. Senna on the other hand began to get more on edge the closer they got to the market. What if the assassins had sent someone in the caravan to try and find her. But it was too late for Senna to turn back now, turning the corner to the market traders had indeed made it to the town.


    The traders had set up in the middle of the market square. Their carriages were made of wood painted bright colors. Each was designed with a side to open up and display their wares as well as provide shelter if it rained. Inside were the typical trinkets and sundries as well as some other odds and ends. The townspeople had started gathering as well some with things to sell but most looking at the traders wares. "Where do you want to start looking Senna?" Senna was startled by Cally''s question as she had been observing the carriage farthest from them thinking it odd. "Hunh..oh how about we split up so I can go get my ingredients." Senna said as she started walking towards the odd carriage. Cally looked slightly disappointed at that but her excitement got the better of her and she almost ran towards the trader with the perfume.


    As Senna arrived at the carriage she noticed that everyone seemed to be avoiding it. Even though it was no different from the rest of the carriages. Behind the counter was a grizzled old man with completely gray hair and a long gray beard. "Welcome young one, may I interest you in some of my wares. I have potions and talismans to ward off evil or make any man love you." Senna looked at him blankly as if barely seeing him. "Who are you?" Senna asked. "A wizard. A maker of fine potions. A father. A merchant. Whichever you prefer. However my name is Kind." Kind replied with a smile. "May I ask who you are since I have shared who I am with you?" Almost as if in a trance Senna replied "I am Senna, daughter of the former king and queen of Gerun, I am Sadie a woman who does not speak of her past." At these words Kind looked shocked. His carriage was enchanted to make people who approached more willing to speak the truth. But he hadn''t expected to find a princess hiding as a woman in a middle of nowhere town.


    Slowly Senna seemed to return to her senses. As she realized what she had said she turned and ran towards her house. It was time to move. She had given herself away and didn''t even know why. Kind shouted to her. "Hey wait don''t go I still have some questions." This only served to make Senna run faster. Turning the corner out of the market and picking up speed on the straight path. Panic was all she could feel at that moment. But as she neared her house she just felt exhausted. Why did she need to keep running from the assassins? Why did she need to keep making new names and homes? These things bothered her even as she packed her basic necessities. Clothes, daggers, money, food, tent, bedroll. Changing into her traveling leathers she took her things and disappeared from the town and the old man who knew her secret.

 Senna Part II

    Hello again. Yep its me, Bob. Didn''t expect to see me so soon? Well maybe you did. I do try to be a little "consistent". It''s amazing isn''t it? She had such a tragic life up until that point. Well....I''m sorry to say...it doesn''t really get better. Well for the people around her anyway. Fate isn''t kind to the those who don''t obey her... Well... More like them. You see Fate works kind of like Death and people can "change their Fate". However its kind of like cheating. And that is also one of the ways that you can cheat death. Yeah I know I like using clich¨¦s but hey its chill right? Anyway back to Senna.


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    One year before Death


    Gerun, what a large city. Had it really been thirteen years since she had been here? Why had she made her way back to this city? It was still in the distance, still enough time to turn around. That seemed a foolish thought now though. She had come to far to turn back now. She hadn''t seen or heard anything relating to the assassins in over eight years. Also there was her birthright. She still had the signet ring that Tollen had given her shortly after her parents death. It was the only item she still had from that time in her life. Her only memento of her parents. But it also proved her origins. She always kept it hidden in her boot. But today she would wear it. As she approached the city she realized she was coming in from the west. Past the place where her troubles had began.


    The road she was on was made of poured stone. Something she hadn''t seen anywhere else she had traveled. Though she hadn''t been to any of the larger cities since Tollen had started taking care of her. They had avoided any place that was big enough for her to get separated from him. It was crowded here. Even as far as she was from the edge of the city. There seemed to be some order in the way people walked to and from the city, people on horses, carriiages and gaurds traveled the center of the road while everyone else walked on the edges. The people on the heading towards the city on one side and the people heading away on the other side. She of course was on the edge of the road. The city sprawled in front of her, the poor districts easily seen from the road. The path to the center was clear of buildings though and you could see all the way through the city. It almost seemed as if the city had been built around the road rather than the road being placed through the city.


    As she got closer she noticed the spires. They were small at first but as she got closer she realized they must have been at least twelve feet tall. At the top of them were banners. The two nearest the road held the kings sigil, her father''s sigil. The ones next to them were the sigil of he mother''s family. Remembering something Tollen had told her she realized these were the rankings of the families in the city from highest to lowest. It seems her parents families had fared well despite the death of her parents. As she was observing the banners the plan she started to feel more confident about her plan. If her relatives were still in control of the city she should be able to claim her inheritance with ease.


    Upon passing the first row of shacks new smells began to rise up and infect the air. She hadn''t remembered there ever being a smell that foul when she lived in the city. Looking around her she noticed a large quantity of the people raising small squares of cloth to their noses. It seemed that this smell was expected on the way in. In the shadows of the buildings she saw people moving. Most wearing nothing more than rags. All of them covered in what looked like dirt. Not wanting to be in that section of town much longer she hurried forward towards the gate. As she neared the gate the buildings began to look more like buildings, and the smell began to abate some. Food stands began to appear as well, helping to cover what was left of the odor.


    The west gate quickly rose up in front of her. Looking around she tried to see if there was anything left of the damage the explosion had caused. But thirteen years is a long time and things need to be maintained. There was nothing, not even a memorial to mark the passing of a king. As for the gate itself, it was a set of giant wooden doors rounded at the top. They were surrounded by large gray stones forming an arch above the gate. They continued into the wall which surrounded the center portion of the city. Guards shouted out orders to the masses desiring to pass through the gate, ordering them to form lines and await inspection.


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    A guard a few feet in front of her shouted. "Have your papers ready if you intend to pass through the gate. The price of entry is one silver piece per person, five silver pieces per horse, one gold piece per carriage, and twice that if you are passing through." Senna hadn''t realized she needed identification to pass the gate. When she neared the guard who had shouted she tapped his shoulder. When he turned to her she asked. "I am from a small town far from here and I was wondering what are the papers that you spoke of?" The guard smiled at Senna and said. "Just stay in this line and when you get to the guard tell him you need to apply for papers he will take you aside and get you sorted out. It costs two gold coins for the papers though so if you don''t have the money please step aside for others to pass." Turning away from her he shouted again repeating the same phrase.


    Checking her coin purse she was relieved to see that she still had enough to get the papers and pass the gate. The line continued moving forward until she reached the guards. The guard looked at her and said. "Papers please." Looking at the guard Senna replied. ''I talked to the guard back there he told me that you could take me to get papers.?" The guard nodded and waved for Senna to follow him. Another guard immediately took his spot. Following the guard the moved off to the left of the gate towards a rather large building with many open doors. Walking through one of the doors they walked towards an open table with a few chairs around it. "Please have a seat while I get the paperwork." Senna didn''t have to wait long as this seemed to be a common occurrence, judging by the number of people at tables in the building.


    When the guard returned to the table he began to speak. "The paperwork is going to cost you two gold coins plus the one silver for passing the gate. Please present the coins for verification." Senna reached into her coin purse and pulled out the appropriate coins. Placing them on the table she asked. "How long will it take to get the papers?" While grabbing the coins the guard said. "It takes about an hour to file the papers. What is your name?" Deciding not to lie or hide her identity she said "My name is Senna Daxen" At the mention of the surname Daxen the guards'' head bolted up from where he was beginning to write. "You are not to lie about your name. Lying will result in imprisonment and potentially death. If you claim that last name you will need proof of your claim." Senna shook a bit at the guards expression when he said that as it went from a smile straight to a glare. Despite this she managed to remain calm and started pulling off her boot. To the guards credit he didn''t laugh as she unbalanced and fell from her chair.


    Embarrassed, and in a slight amount of pain Senna finally got her boot off and pulled out the signet ring. After putting her boot back on she got up and sat back in the chair while presenting the ring for inspection. Eyeing the ring the guard paused. Then he waved to a man behind one of the desks. Turning to Senna he said. "Where did you get this ring?" This isn''t what she had expected when she pulled the ring out. "I got it from Tollen. He was my caretaker when i was young. He told me it was my fathers. Please don''t take it." She was beginning to cry at the thought of the ring being taken from her. The guard replied. "We are not going to take it from you but we are going to verify it''s authenticity. This has the former kings sigil on it. But you already know that don''t you.


    The man that the guard had waved over arrived at the table. "Is there a problem Wec?" The guard, Wec, turned to the newcomer and said. "She claims to be Senna Daxen, she intended to verify her claim with this ring sir." Handing the ring to the officer. The officer looked at the ring and spoke a few words. The ring glowed with a bright blue light. Turning to Senna he said. "Put the ring on. It is real as the protection spell activated when I spoke the key words. If your claim is real you won''t die when you put this on." Sweating a little Senna took the ring a put it on her ring finger on the right hand. (Hehe...Bob here. I know haven''t talked since like...the beginning of the chapter. I don''t like leaving cliffhangers...but this is too good. Till next time.)


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    Thank you for reading.

 Senna Part III

    Hello again and welcome to another chat about the future of the poor woman named Senna. Really who knew she would just magically have a ring that could make her a noble or send her straight to me. It''s a little too convenient, if you ask me. Ha....ah..ahahah.....If you ask me....That was funny, I''m here dictating everything and suggesting you ask me. I mean really who else are you gonna ask? The queen from the story? Senna? Ahhh that was good.. Anyway where was I, ah yes. The very, very convenient ring. You know how I said you can meet fate...well lets just say fate, decided to be "Kind" that day.


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    One year before death.


    It burned. The ring burned on her finger. Senna had never felt such pain. It was as if her entire body had been engulfed in a fiery inferno. In front of her the two men looked at her without pity. There was no fire for them only a girl spasming on the floor, screaming about being on fire. "It would seem you lied about your identity." said the officer. Neither of the men moved to help her as this was the price paid for trying to pass as a royal. There was no protection spell on the ring only a curse that had been cast by the officer. Everyday there were many people who tried to pass as nobles. For most they used false papers and were simply arrested. This woman had tried to pass as not only a noble but the deceased daughter of the previous king. "She was foolish to try to pass as that kind of royalty" Wec said. "Indeed" replied the officer.


    At the nearby door a balding man with gray hair and a slightly crooked back saw the commotion. As did most of the people in the building. The man wore robes of blue with a yellow trim marking him as a wizard of the local guild. Unlike the majority of the room this man knew exactly what was happening to Senna. He had seen the curse used several times since he had begun searching the city for corruption. This was a spell granted to the mid level officers in the city for use in an emergency. An emergency such as war, or assassination attempts. Noting it in the little book he had hid in his robes. As Senna rolled on her side in a way in which he could see her face, something clicked in his mind. He had seen this woman before. When he had been traveling the countryside, again searching for corruption. He had gone by the name of Kind during those travels.


    He remembered the talk he had with her. One where she was enchanted to tell the truth. He had lost track of her back then as it hadn''t been part of his assignment to find the missing daughter of a dead king. However things were different this time. During his inspection of the city it had become clear that someone with rank was abusing their position. "Save her." A quiet voice sounded. Looking around he tried to find the source of the voice. There was no one close by, certainly not close enough to be heard at that volume. "Save her Kind." He heard the voice again. This time he started chanting the counter spell and his legs began to move. He didn''t choose these actions, they just happened. Senna slowly stopped screaming and the spasming stopped.


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    Seeing this the guards swore and jumped to their feet. "Who dares interfere with the actions of the City Guard!" They shouted in unison. They quickly spotted Kind walking towards them and speaking softly. (Crazy fate....As if the clothes wouldn''t give away a mage.) Moving with the speed expected of guards they approached Kind with swords in hand. "You will cease chanting immediately mage or you will cease breathing." Shouted the officer. Finishing the chant Kind stopped, and backpedaled as he finally got control of his body again. "Good, now get on the ground and don''t give us another reason to kill you." Kind dropped to the floor while raising his voice to speak. "You don''t have the right to kill me. Besides you should be thanking me right now." Wec raised an eyebrow at him while the officer just moved forward and said. "I have the right to kill you as you have interfered with my duties. A crime punishable by death." The officer forcefully grabbed Kinds'' arms and tied them together behind his back.


    "If you would listen for just a moment I will explain why you should be thanking me." Kind said in a slightly muffled voice. Wec turned to him and asked. "If it''s so important why not just say it old man? Why try to hide whatever it is your hiding." The officer turned to Wec and said. "Don''t engage the prisoner Wec it won''t do you any good." As Wec turned to leave Kind spoke as loud as he could manage. "That girl over there is the princess this city. I can prove to you that it is so. If you had killed her I would have had to report you to that girls relatives." Without giving Kind another chance to speak his mind the officer smacked him on the head with the blunt of his sword. Knocking him out and leaving a trail of blood. "You do not speak of this to anyone. Do you understand, no one." The officer said to Wec in a stern voice, with the air of command, but also with a hint of panic.


    It was to little avail however as more than a few people had heard the statement of the mage on the ground. Within minutes more guards poured in through the doors some rushing to the girl lying on the ground. Others, those who knew the identity of the old mage, rushing to arrest the officer and aid Kind.


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    Hello the author here. Sorry this one is short im still working on how to continue the story from there without going straight into boring ruling the kingdom stuff...gonna try to post another chapter thursday and thank you for reading.

 Senna Part IV

    Wow....the author really cut me off there...what a je..*cough* wonderful man. Well seeing as I have a moment to speak to you before I begin the story again. Let me just say, being royal must be tough. You know all the bowing and scraping, that you have to sit through. It sounds truly boring. But guess what is not boring. Did you guess? No. Well guess. I can''t wait to tell you so lets begin.


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    Stunned, Senna was stunned. She shouldn''t have been, her goal was, to become the queen. Still, sitting on the throne looking at all the people coming into the great hall just to see her. Hundreds of people had come for the crowning. Rich, poor, foreign, local, so many people had come. Each bowing down to offer her their fealty and a gift. Senna knew this was expected from them but still she was shocked at the sheer number. Only three weeks ago she had been officially deceased in the eyes of the country.


    The curse cast by the guard officer had put her into a coma for two and a half days. When she had awoken everyone in the room had bowed to her. She felt then much as she did now. If it hadn''t been for Kind she would be dead right now. And if it wasn''t for Kind she wouldn''t be sitting here accepting a crown. He had stopped the curse and helped her prove her claim to the throne. She pinched herself discreetly to make sure she was actually awake. Nothing changed. People continued to cycle in through the doors. The gift table to her left slowly began to fill will gifts all equal to the prosperity of the giver. From those with little money she received a copper coin, it wasn''t much but this was a show of loyalty not wealth. She would return the coins by issuing mandates to aid the cleaning and repairing of the warrens.


    The merchants and craftsmen gave something from their wares or of their craft. Many of these items would be put to use around the castle or in the public places in the city. From the nobles she was given large sums of money, or expensive gifts, meant to be used or sold to enhance the fortifications of the city. Of these gifts she herself would be able to keep three items as personal gifts, regardless of the value. Almost six hours passed before the line of gift givers began to show any signs of ending. As the final person walked through the door the guards closed the main doors, and began to line up in ranks. There were fives rows of ten with the commanding officer standing at the front.


    Raising her voice she spoke. "The throne thanks you for your service this day. You may each take one gold coin from the table as a sign of my respect. You are dismissed." Before the men moved the officer made a quick motion with his hand. In unison the guards spoke. "For my Queen, for my country, and for the safety of her citizens. We salute." As they finished they raised their arms to cross their chests in a X fashion. Senna then did the same in return. As she did so the men released their salute and began to file towards their bonus.


    "Princess it is time for you to claim your three gifts. The rest of the gifts will be sorted and dealt with by the bookkeepers." Kind said. Senna had named him royal advisor as a reward for his aid. Though she was beginning to regret that as he was rather good at the job. Part of which was ensuring she studied, every day, five hours a day. "What would you recommend I choose Kind. I wasn''t paying close attention during most of the ceremony." Senna said. Replying quietly he spoke. "There were many objects of note amongst the gifts given. However I would recommend the bottle with the label of ''Fenrir''. The book labeled On the ''Cultures of Nations Far and Wide''. As well as the small purple ring that was placed next to the coin dish." Getting off the throne Senna moved to the table and began to browse.


    Senna had Kind pull aside the items he had mentioned as well as an expertly crafted pair of daggers, some clothing of various styles, and a few interesting knickknacks. "Kind why do you want me to take the bottle?" Senna asked. "I think you will like the secret it contains your majesty." he replied. Picking up the ring Senna examined it for some kind of trick or magic. "What is the value of this ring? Why do you recommend it?" Senna handed the ring to Kind. Taking the ring from her, he held it up to the light. "I had thought you might find it interesting seeing as it came from you uncle. He listed this as a family heirloom." Putting it down on the table he asked. "I understand your other choices of items but why the daggers? You no longer have a need for weapons with your royal guards. Also women wielding weapons is something considered unbefitting someone of your rank and station." Senna grabbed one of the daggers and spun it in her hand before replying.


    "I have had a dagger with me since my parents died. Even now I have three on me.  And these are wonderful blades, I also believe they may even have an enchantment on them. Do you know who presented them?" She said with a reminiscent voice. Kind picked up the ledger and glanced through looking for a name to pair with the daggers. Finding the listing he found no name only a small description of the person. "It would seem they did not give a name. You should be wary of those my queen. They look too expensive for someone to give them without taking credit." She nodded and picked up the other dagger anyway. "I will take the bottle, the ring, and these daggers. Have the book sent to the library for all to read." Taking her other items Senna had Kind lead her to her chambers.


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    As they moved into the hall Senna shivered slightly as she noticed the difference in the temperature. She hadn''t realized that the throne room had been so warm. "Would you please explain what the bottle does Kind. I am still somewhat confused as to it''s purpose." Senna said rubbing her arms to get a bit warmer. "Indeed I can. Though I am not entirely sure that I am correct. From the design on the bottle I believe someone had managed to capture a Djinn." Kind said with a slight bit of hesitation to his voice. "And?" Senna replied after a few seconds. "You haven''t heard of a Djinn your Majesty?" He said, barely able to contain a laugh. "You should respect me a little more if your going to call me you majesty Kind. But no I have not heard of a Djinn." She said frustration beginning to rise in her voice.


    "According to the Lore Masters a Djinn will grant three wishes. However those wishes are granted as the Djinn sees fit." Kind said sounding like he was quoting a book. "So if I have, by some amazing luck, acquired a Djinn. Why does it seem like you are warning me about the wishes?" Senna said as they continued walking. They passed suits of armor and paintings of former kings. Some of the paintings were of singular old men while others had their families about them. "Well, the Djinn do not particularly enjoy being trapped in anything. As such they enjoy making the lives of any who ask their assistance decidedly painful." Kind said involuntarily wincing at some thought which crossed his mind.


    "Are you alright?" Senna said noticing the slight look of pain. "I am fine your Majesty. I just recalled the one story I read where a man summoned a Djinn and asked to be immortal. The Djinn granted his wish by transforming the man into a water fountain at the center of the city he lived in. If you go there he is still there water coming out of his mouth. The legend persists because no one can damage the fountain in any way. Nor can they stop the water. There have also been reports that if you look closely his eyes move." Kind stopped speaking as they turned a corner in a more secluded area of the castle. Here the royal living areas began and the floor was given a sturdy carpet rather than the gray stone floor. There were no arrow slits in this part of the castle as it was towards the center. "Why would you get me to choose something that might turn me to stone? And for eternity I might point out." Senna said coming to a stop rather suddenly.


    "More importantly why did you hesitate to tell me what I had taken?" Her voice getting loud enough to be heard quite far. Cowering a bit Kind replied. ''I did not want to you to think you had acquired something grand without being able to verify it. Also I didn''t want you to leave it behind thinking it was a mere trifle. There have been many stories where a well worded wish minimized the danger to nothing more than a bruised knee." There was no malice in his voice as he said it. Calming down at the explanation Senna began to think of what she could wish for. Starting forward again they followed the carpeted halls. "So how will we know this is a Djinn and not something more evil?" Senna said questioningly. Kind looked towards her and spoke. "We will know it by it''s first words. All Djinn are trapped with the same set of circumstances. The first words they speak are ''Who Summons me, Name yourself so I may curse you.'' The line is made to scare off any who do not know of it''s true nature. Simply answer the question and the Djinn will grant you your wishes." They were nearing her chambers now and air had begun to smell of tulips.


    "Is that all? No magic words, or special rituals?" Senna said sounding slightly confused. "Indeed that is all there is too it. The Djinn will always return to the bottle as long as you haven''t finished all three wishes. Beware though, the third wish will free the Djinn. Do not make the Djinn angry while you have it trapped. It will not end well." Kind said as they arrived at the door to her chambers. "And this is where I will leave you until the morrow you Majesty." Kind bowed and turned to go. Before he could leave Senna said. "Thank you for the advice and the warning. Please check these daggers for and enchantment so that I am not caught unaware." She handed him the daggers, which he accepted gently. "Gladly you Majesty." Turning he left the way they had come.


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    Thank you for reading. I wont be able to write this weekend as I not be near any form of technology. 4th of July weekend.


    Sincerely, The author

 Senna Part V

    Ahh...the mighty Djinn whose powers can even trap souls and prevent their death. Impressive is it not? You thought death was a certainty? For most people that is true. For some however, well there are fates worse than death. Anyway where was I. Oh, yea, Djinn. Now that Senna has such power how could she possibly die in under a year. How could I with my measly powers, take her soul.


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    It had taken Kind a week to get through all of the tests on the daggers the Queen had decided to take from the party. He was tired from the research and the extensive testing. She had been correct though. The daggers were enchanted. When Kind held one in each hand and said vanish he would disappear from sight, though he still made sound when he moved. It had only taken two hours for him to figure that out. The rest of the week had been spent insuring the daggers didn''t had side effects. The Queen had good instincts it would seem. The halls seemed longer today, perhaps it was just his exhaustion. Making his way to the Queens chamber he seemed to see a figure at the end of the hall. It looked like a man dressed in black. But there was something wrong with it, it looked stretched, like a piece of taffy pulled too far. His chest started to feel heavy as if a great weight had been placed there. Stars began to appear in his vision. Kind tried to call out for help, there was no sound just a faint wheeze. Falling to the floor Kind fainted, daggers falling from his pocket.


    Walking by him the figure in black touched his head and spoke. "Your journey has ended good friend. May you travel swiftly through your door." With that the figure vanished completely leaving nothing but a corpse lying in the hall.


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    Senna looked at the bottle sitting on her dresser wondering how to phrase her first wish. Kind had given her some books to read to aid her in making the wishes without ending up dead, or worse. Most of the books seem to agree that the first two wishes would most likely be granted generously by the Djinn as the third wish meant freedom. However there had been cases where the Djinn had been passed from master to master without ever giving a third wish. In these cases the Djinn had stared twisting every wish it could. And so here she was. Thinking long and hard how to make a wish with few or no negative consequences.


    *Knock* Startled by the sudden sound on her door Senna jumped and let out a yelp. "Your Majesty." A male voice came from the other side of the door. "Yes." She replied with a more collected voice. "Your Majesty, your presence is requested in the hall. I was sent to escort you." The man said sounding stiff, as if he was nervous about something. Senna took a final look at the bottle then said. "I will be out shortly." Rising she grabbed a robe designed for when she was summoned with little notice. It was purple and wrapped around her entire body with sleeves and a few buttons allowing her to appear dressed regardless of when they needed her.


    As she made her way to towards the door a feeling of dread began to rise in her. She had never needed the robe before, in fact she had never been summoned before. Putting a hand to the door she froze. The handle was cold, far colder than it should have been in the current weather. No...no it couldn''t be. The assassins had stopped chasing her, why would they come now. "Your Majesty? Do you need me to send in one of the handmaidens?" The guard said in a respectful yet questioning tone. Moving towards the wardrobe Senna spoke. "There will be no need for a handmaiden I will be out shortly." Opening the doors on the large wooden chest she quickly grabbed her leather traveling clothes. Removing the robe she hurriedly threw on the leathers and grabbed her daggers.


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    Only a few minutes had passed since she had felt the handle on the door. But to her it seemed to have been hours. She grabbed a few other useful items from around the room before stopping at the bottle. Should she take it? Could she use it without dooming herself? She took it despite the risk. She would decide later whether to use it or not. Making her way to the door she touched the handle again. Nothing, it wasn''t cold. The feeling of dread eased a little at the notion she may have been mistaken. Opening the door she began speaking. "Now tell me why you have interrupted my sleep so that I may prepare. Also send for Kind as I wish to have his advice in whatever this matter may be."


    The guard outside the door moved to attention and replied. "Yes your Majesty. Kind is dead. He was found lying in the hall this morning at the changing of the shift. The body has not been moved and we have called for a priest to inspect the body and read the rites." At that the guard turned and began making his way down the hall. Senna followed behind him feeling empty, almost hollow. How could he have died so soon. Would she never be able to have friends, family? Her hand went to the bottle in her pocket. Could it bring him back? If it was even what he had thought. She kept following the guard. Left, right, right, another left.


    They were heading towards the laboratory. Kind had been working there since she had given him the daggers. As they turned the final corner she saw his body. There was no blood, he was just lying there on his chest looking as if he had just fallen asleep. Next to him she saw the daggers where they had fallen from his pockets. Around his corpse was a small group of guards and servants. Whispers could be heard from the servants while the guards tried to keep the area clear. As Senna approached the body silence fell and all the people turned to her for guidance. With a commanding voice she said. "There is no need for the servants to be here please leave this area and continue your duties. This hall is off limits until Kind has been given his rites and moved to the catacombs." Upon hearing this the guards began to usher the servants away, posting themselves at either end of the hall.


    The captain in command of the night watch came up to her. With a strict tone he spoke. "Your Majesty, My name is Porten I am in charge of the night watch. I have insured that nothing was moved or taken since the discovery of the body." His armor was painted blue on the shoulders marking his rank and duty. Senna spoke barely managing to keep from letting fear claim her again. "Thank you Porten for arriving quickly and keeping the area exact. Who found the body?" Porten called out to a nearby guard to approach. "This is Robert he found the body on his final round of the castle before the guard change." The man named Robert saluted Senna and stood at attention. "Tell me how you found the hall." Senna said beginning to feel more in control. The guard began to speak.


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    The Author here, firstly thank you for reading. And secondly sorry this chapter cuts off like that however I haven''t fully decided where to take it from there. Thank you for being patient. Also concerning the poll I am deciding whether I should go for something a slight bit different and would like to see if that appeals to you, my readers. Any suggestions are welcome.


    Sincerely , The Author

 Senna Part VI

    What does someone see when they walk into a situation they don''t understand? What kind of conclusions do they come to when they have only a small part of the puzzle to work with? I sometimes wonder this myself. When I go to take a soul. I walk into a situation that I know nothing of. Then I step in and the situation changes. Did I change the situation or did the situation change for me? Oh well I guess it doesn''t matter. Either way when I walk in someone dies.


    Did I get a little dark there? That happens occasionally, you know, cause I''m a reaper. Anyhow, welcome back to Deathterpeice Theater. Robert was about to give his little chat about how he walked into the hall. Shocking right? Someone walked into a hall. How do you even tell a story about walking into a hall...


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    "As I was rounding the corner during my final sweep of the castle. I found Kind lying dead on the floor. No one had passed me in the hall on the way there. Nor had he been there on my previous sweep. Upon seeing him there I ran to his body to check whether he was still alive or if he had just fainted. I shook him a bit but he didn''t make any response. Fearing the worst I rolled him over and checked to see if he was breathing. There was nothing. I attempted to resuscitate him. But as you can see your majesty I failed in that. After realizing there was no saving him I went to inform the captain of the situation. Upon our return the captain ordered me to move the body back to it''s original state." The guard finished speaking showing a slight bit of panic.


    Senna didn''t notice the slip in the guard''s composure through her own mental struggles. "Thank you for the report Robert, you may go back to guarding the hall." Senna said, her voice beginning to shake. The report had reaffirmed the fact that Kind was dead. Just another person who had tried to aid her. Just another dead friend. She move closer to the body, to Kind. Kneeling down she reached for his shoulder. At this Porten reached out and stopped her with a gruff voice he said. "Your Majesty.  You mustn''t touch him. The priests need him as untouched as possible to aid in finding the reason he died." Senna looked at Porten with pain stricken eyes. Her mask beginning to fall apart. With a deep breathe she spoke. "I will take the daggers now. Please guide me to my study so that I may arrange the funeral and viewing." Porten replied. "Yes Your Majesty." Senna slowly picked up the daggers as if they were made of glass and easily broken. She placed them in a pair of pockets she had sewn into her pants for the purpose.


    As they made their way through the halls towards he study Senna felt her mind being pulled towards the bottle she had stashed in the small bag hidden at her side. How much power did a Djinn really have? Could she bring someone back from the dead? Her parents? Tollen? Kind? How would she phrase the question? A little ray of hope began to blossom in her mind at the thoughts. She began to move faster. The closer they got to the study the more rapid Senna''s pace began. Soon she was nearly running through the halls with no concern for her appearance or Porten, whom she had left far behind.


    Reaching the door to the study she pushed the heavy wooden door with enough force to make it bounce as it hit the wall. When Senna heard the thump of the door she jumped in surprise. Slowly recovering from the exertion she turned to close the door. Only then did she realize she had left Porten far behind. Leaving the door open for him she went to the sturdy wooden desk located in the center of the room. It was covered in books, as were the walls in the room, all of which she had been studying since she had arrived. This room was special to her, the only room she really remembered from when she was young. Her father had spent his days looking at papers here. Everything had been so good back then. Her first wish had been decided. "Your Majesty. You shouldn''t run through the halls like that I nearly lost you." A slightly harried looking Porten said as he stepped through the door to the study.


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    Hearing his voice Senna turned to face him. "Thank you for your concern with my well being Porten, as well as your assistance in getting me to the study. You may return to your men. I can care for myself for now." She spoke with a calm voice, clearly wishing to be alone. With a almost inaudible sigh Porten saluted and began to march back to his men. He was well trained and didn''t know the Queen well enough to argue for her safety. After he had left Senna closed the door and headed back to the desk where she had unconsciously begun organizing a place to put the bottle. Reaching into her bag she grabbed the bottle. A shiver ran up her arm and straight up her spine. The bottle was cold, very cold, it felt like it should be covered in ice from how cold it was.


    Pulling the bottle out of her bag she looked at it. Had this been the cause of the door handle going cold earlier? Looking at it now the bottle seemed such a simple thing. It was small, only about ten inches tall, and bland. The bottle looked like any other brown bottle you would find on the street. With the exception of the piece of paper that named it Fenrir. As she placed it on the desk the red lettering glittered slightly giving the appearance of a flame. Blinking Senna took another look at the bottle. Nothing happened it was just the same as it had been in her room. With a deep breath she reached for the cork and pulled. It didn''t move. Why didn''t it move? The books had all said simply touching the cork could allow it to be opened. Taking the bottle in both hands she pulled hard on the cork. Nothing, no movement at all. The feeling of despair was beginning to come back. Had Kind been wrong? Was this just another bottle of wine.


    No, it couldn''t be what about the odd things she had seen and felt? Taking out one of her older daggers she pushed it into the side of the cork. Holding tight to the bottle with one hand she pushed hard on the dagger. Snap, the blade on the dagger broke clean in half. Senna was stunned. She had opened bottles that way dozens of times. What kind of cork was so sturdy that it could break a dagger? Setting down the broken dagger she went to pull the fragment of blade out of the cork. She carefully place a finger in each side of the blade and pulled. Feeling pain come from her hand she looked down to see blood coming from her hand. Why hadn''t she grabbed a piece of cloth before trying that? As she watched the blood slid down the blade and into the cork.


    In seconds she began to feel a warmth from the bottle. Senna dropped the bottle as it quickly got to hot for her to touch it bare handed. When the bottle hit the ground it smashed releasing a plume of smoke which rapidly expanded. "Who Summons me, Name yourself so I may curse you" A gravelly voice erupted from the cloud of smoke. Senna couldn''t move, or speak, from the thunder of the voice. A form began to emerge from the smoke. It had a twisting body somehow similar to a heavily muscled man, but wrong somehow. It''s face was like something out of a nightmare with red eyes like fire, a mouth with a wide grin from smoke seemed to emerge. Light began to surge through it''s body and she realized there was lightning running through the smoke.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself child!" The being shouted the books around the room shaking a toppling from the force of the sound. Senna shook, fear of this beast forcing her into shock. An arm formed out of the smoke and moved to Senna''s neck. "Give me your name child!" It said with enough force to blow her hair back. "Se...nna" She said in a voice barely more than a whisper. "Senna. You have three wishes. No More. Upon your final wish I will be freed. Until then I will not harm you. My name is Fenrir. King of the Djinn." Fenrir said his voice becoming more human. With that the smoke began to fade and in its place was a man.


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    As always thank you for reading. Oh and thoughts on the new name for the fiction?


    Sincerely, The Author

 Senna Part VII

    It never mentions in the stories that the creatures that humans capture and enslave may have their own culture. Not once do you hear about the cities built by the goblins. Oh sure they talk about the king of the bad guys. But it is always to the effect of "There is the evil one, get him." It never comes out with "Hey! There is the goblin king. Let''s see if he knows our language." Well I suppose that''s how humans are right? Kill first, never get a chance to talk later.


    But I mean come on... he came out of a bottle and said "I am the King of Djinn." Sounds crazy right? How can the king of a super powered race get captured by mere mortals. Do you want to know? Yeah. So do I. Anyway back to the story...


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    The man standing before Senna was only slightly taller than herself. He had dark brown hair with flecks of blonde mixed in like little sparks of lightning. His eyes were so dark they were nearly black. Only the slight ring of red surrounding the iris gave it any color. He wore the clothes of a commoner though they were odd, shifting in a nonexistent wind. All of this was nothing compared to the feeling of absolute power which seemed to surround him like a cloak. Senna continued to shiver in the corner of the room having not fully recovered from the suddenness of it all. "What is your first wish Senna?" Fenrir spoke his voice becoming more human with each syllable.


    A few seconds past without Senna responding to his question. Seemingly becoming inpatient Fenrir began to cross the room, he walked but his feet never touched the ground, as if he were walking on air. Reaching her he moved to touch her. Senna was so afraid of this being, who could change shape and voice at will, that at his touch she began to cry. Fenrir spoke quietly, and with a bright light Senna was calm, tranquil really. What had she been afraid of? Fenrir wasn''t here to hurt her. He was the Djinn that would bring back Kind, or maybe even her parents. She calmly wiped her eyes and rose to her feet. "What is your first wish?" He said again a slight impatience in his voice.


    In her mind Senna had already wished for Kind to be brought back to life. However a voice in the back of her head stopped her from making the wish. She needed to think about the phrasing of the wish. How could it be twisted? What would it cost? ¡°I wish you could bring Kind back to life.¡± She said. Fenrir grinned ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± Senna gasped when she realized what she had done. She hadn''t meant to say that yet. A glow began to form around the Djinn. Raising his hand into the air he made a slight gesture and disappeared. Senna stood there stunned at his sudden disappearance. The thoughts running through her mind beginning to overwhelm her. What had she done? She hadn¡¯t said anything to bind him. Not like the books had instructed. Maybe it would all be okay. Maybe she would get back Kind with no problems.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!¡± A feminine sounding voice screamed from the hall. Senna could hear footsteps coming closer. It sounded like someone was running towards the room very quickly. At the sound of the shouting Senna jerked up from her worrying and moved towards the door to the room. As she reached the door a maid passed by screaming as she ran, clearly frightened of something. Cautiously she stuck her head around the corner. Before her was...an empty hall. What on earth was that maid running from? Being cautious she drew the daggers Kind had been examining, and began making her way down the hall. As she neared the end of the hall she began to hear more screaming coming from the left. That was the way to where Kind had died.


    As she continued down the hall she began to hear the sounds of combat amidst the screams. Gradually her pace picked up until she was running towards the sounds. What had happened? Were they under attack? The sounds became more clear the closer she got. The guards were fighting. That was Porten¡¯s voice issuing orders to the men. As she made the turn to the hall where Kind had she saw something that didn¡¯t seem right. Why were the guards putting their spears into Kind¡¯s chest? Standing there she seemed frozen, as a thought passed through her mind. Why was kind standing? Had the wish worked? Then why were the guards attacking him? In front of her the guards continued attacking. Despite the number of places the guards had stabbed him, Kind was slowly advancing  on them as if he were immune to all of their attacks. ¡°Don¡¯t give up men! I don¡¯t know what is keeping that body moving, but if we stop fighting we are all dead!¡± She heard Porten shout. Going to die from Kind? That¡¯s when she noticed the bodies on the floor.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Amongst them were guards, servants and the white clothed men of the priesthood. All of the bodies had what looked like bite marks. What had bit them she wondered. Looking up she saw Kind again this time noticing how pale his skin was, and the way his teeth kept opening and closing like he was trying to eat something. Why was his mouth red? As she realized what was happening she began to cry. What had she wished for? She had wanted Kind to be alive again. But why was it like this? ¡°Are you not happy with your wish?¡± A deep voice came from behind her. Fenrir had appeared behind her. ¡°Why...why did you do this to him?¡± she said tears streaming down her face. With no emotion in his voice he said. ¡°You wished for me to bring him back to life, didn¡¯t you? Well there he is, alive.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I wished for¡­¡± she said through her tears.As one of the guards in front of her tripped and was quickly overtaken by Kind. His teeth ripped through the guard¡¯s armor and into his neck. Before he was able to take another bite the remaining guards distracted him with their spears. They were slowly reaching the end of the hall where it turned off to the right heading towards the throne room. ¡°I can repeal your wish. If you wish for it.¡± Fenrir said with that same emotionless voice. Turning towards him she said ¡°Please...please undo this.¡± Looking at her he said. ¡°You have to wish for it if you want me to take it back.¡± Why did she have to wish for it? He could obviously just undo what he did couldn¡¯t he? Had he done this intentionally in order to make her waste her wishes? But what choice did she have? Clearly the guards were unable to kill Kind. Making a decision she spoke. ¡°I wish for you to undo my last wish.¡± As soon as she had finished speaking Fenrir waved his hand. This time the light grew intensely bright forcing Senna to close her eyes. Even then the light could be seen through her eyelids. In a couple of seconds the light began to fade along with the sounds of combat and the smell of blood. Opening her eyes she found herself back in her study, Fenrir standing in front of her with a cruel smile.


    Fighting back the urge to run down the hall and check to see if everything had really been undone she quietly said. ¡°What did I do to be cursed like this?¡± The smile on Fenrir¡¯s face grew slightly at the sound of those words. ¡°Cursed? You are not cursed.¡± He said laughter in his voice. ¡°How can I not be cursed? Everyone around me dies.¡± She said the tears beginning again at the thought. As she said those words the smile on his face changed slightly, almost unnoticeably. ¡°Curses kill people quickly and without mercy. You still live.¡± he said, then he started moving towards her again. ¡°Either way, you have one more wish. Free me.¡± he said the laughter dying out, that emotionless voice returning, as he spoke. The change in his voice shook her out of the shock. Something began to click in her mind as she processed the words. ¡°Why do you keep saying ¡®Free me¡¯.¡± she said her voice growing slightly louder. This question made him pause a look appeared on his face as if he was thinking quite hard. Slowly he began speaking. ¡°Finally. You asked a question of worth. Unlike you I am cursed. Until my master frees me I am bound. No more than simple slave made to grant wishes.¡± With that Senna began to understand what he was asking for. Something so simple, he wanted her to wish away the curse. Speaking up she began to form her wish.


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    Thanks for reading i will try to post the next rehash by friday. The poll will come with that post. Also i lost the writeathon this month so here is the winners link  http://royalroadl.com/fiction/6356</a> (note: the fiction page advises 17+)


    Sincerely, The Author

 Senna Part VIII

    Wishes are kinda strange aren''t they? I mean how does something that can be trapped by mere humans be powerful enough to grant wishes with nearly unlimited power. Obviously there has to be a trick to it right? Here is what I think. I think that they cannot control their power. Otherwise they would just free themselves right away, right? That matters little at this point though I think. Shall we continue?


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    ¡°I wish to have your power. The power to change reality as I please.¡± Senna said. (hehehe she wished for ultimate power) Upon hearing this Fenrir looked at her in shocked disbelief. Had she really just wished for his power? ¡°Are you sure about that wish?¡± He said the shock obvious in his voice. Senna replied with a quick nod of her head. ¡°You won¡¯t like what you receive¡­¡± He said trying to persuade her to pick something else. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± She said slightly confused by the warning. ¡°If I grant you my power it can¡¯t be undone.¡± Fenrir said. ¡°Of course it can¡¯t be undone. This is my final wish.¡± She said as she began to move around the desk. ¡°You seem to be saying to me that this is a bad choice. So, please what is so bad about this wish?¡± Confidence beginning to show on her face. She had him cornered this time. Even if he twisted her words she would still have his power and be able to remove any side effects.


    ¡°You do not want my power. It is a curse. You should not want it.¡± he said backing up as she started moving forward. Seeing him begin to retreat Senna started moving faster. ¡°Are you not able to grant me my wish¡± She said. Stepping back further he felt the wall behind him. ¡°If this is what you want then so be it. You foolish child.¡± With that Fenrir waved his hands in the air. Senna passed out as a wave of energy hit her. The force knocking her body back into the desk.


    A few hours later she woke with a pounding in her head unlike any she had ever felt. ¡°How do you feel¡± A man said standing above her. ¡°Ughh¡­¡± She groaned ¡°Who are you?¡± The man seemed slightly taken aback by that, though he quickly recovered and and said. ¡°Why I am Fenrir. Are you confused as to why I look like this?¡± Fenrir looked different than he had before. His hair no longer had the specks of blonde in it ,having become black throughout. His eyes had turned a light green and were normal. His clothing was the most shocking difference, where there had been the clothes of a commoner he now wore the clothes of royalty. On his head was a crown of solid gold with gems of every size, shape and type embedded to form swirling designs and odd shapes. The aura that had surrounded him now seemed a shadow of what it had been. She nodded slightly in response. ¡°It is quite simple really. Your wish drained me of most of my power. I simply couldn¡¯t hold the illusion any longer.¡± he said with quiet calm. ¡°As you can see this form is quite ¡®ostentatious¡¯. This is what I truly look like. As you can see I am a king.¡±


    As he spoke the pounding in her head began to recede rapidly. ¡°So where is my power then? I don¡¯t feel any different other than that pounding headache I had.¡± She said sounding slightly confused. ¡°The power will build slowly over time. Time of which you now have far too much of. My race, or should I say ¡®our¡¯ race does not have a specific age limit.¡± He said a hint of sorrow showing in his face. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say she wasn¡¯t going to die? Her eyes opening wide she sputtered. ¡°W..wwait did you just say I am immortal?¡± Fenrir laughed slightly at that. ¡°I did not say you were immortal. I said there is no known age at which a Djinn has died. Understand that you can be killed just like anyone else.¡± He said in a serious tone. What would she do with nearly unlimited time to live? Then a thought hit her. Why had he been so against her wishing for this? ¡°Why were you so against me wishing for this? I can see it took your power but as you said it will recover in time. So what is so bad about being a Djinn?¡± She said as she began to get to her feet.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.As she stood she noticed how clean the room was, how empty it was. A light layer of dust coated the floor and there was nothing left in the room. Looking at her clothes she noticed she too was covered in the dust. As she went to brush it off she noticed how dark the dust was. It wasn¡¯t dust, it was ash. Everything that had been in the room had been turned to ash except her and Fenrir and their clothes. ¡°How long was I unconscious?¡± She asked, thinking it odd that no one had come to the room despite the force which must have shook the whole castle. ¡°You were only out for a few minutes.¡± He said ¡°This is ash right? How could everything in the room have burned so quickly?¡± she said trying to make sense of the rapid disintegration of her father¡¯s study. ¡°Wishes have unexpected results. That leads to our next talk. I didn¡¯t twist your wishes. Wishes have a life of their own, Djinn are simply able to focus the power of the words into a change in reality.¡± He said starting to move towards the doorway which no longer contained a door.


    Following him she said. ¡°Then how come the wishes seem to always come out bad or twisted?¡± As he passed through the door he turned towards the hall where Kind lay and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the wishes turn out that way. You should however be careful what you wish for, at least out loud. As they will come true as long as you have built up enough power.¡± Looking around senna noticed the hall seemed to have not been affected by the wish. ¡°How do I..¡± she tried to say before she was interrupted by Fenrir. ¡°Stop asking questions. You have other things to do now. You are still a Queen and have a country to run. I will be leaving now that you managed to free me.¡± He said sharply. ¡°You¡¯re free? How did I free you?¡± Her surprise evident. Turning to her he said. ¡°I was too weak for the spell to hold me any longer. Goodbye.¡± As he finished speaking he waved his hand and vanished.


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    Hello and thank you for reading. You may have noticed I added a cover picture. It is temporary till I get around to drawing a new picture for it. Also sorry for the shorter chapter of explanation. I have been rather busy this week plus No Man''s Sky Came out... Also, please vote on the poll which chapters you prefer for the story line. Again Thank you for reading


    Sincerely, The Author

 Senna Part IX

    So yeah...that happened. She managed to become a Djinn with all the power that it entails. Are you surprised? I wasn¡¯t. Why would I be. Everything just seems to fall into place in her life. Well except for that whole everyone she has ever cared for dying.


    Let me ask you something. Did you know that with great power comes great responsibility? Some various superheros seem to think that anyway. I think great power just leads to bigger problems myself. Shall we see?


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    It had been about four months since Senna had gotten her powers. The burial for Kind had gone smoothly. No one who had died during her wish had stayed dead. Kind did not rise up and try to eat anyone. All in all a good funeral, well as good as a funeral can be. Her wish for power must have worked as she could feel it slowly building in her. Her new advisor was a man named Bob. (I can¡¯t wait to tell you who this is..) The man was infuriating, he seemed to think he needed to be involved in everything. Since he had started she could count on one hand the number of hours she had, had to herself. Fortunately she had managed to get away from him today. It had occurred to her that she might be able to wish him away. Though Fenrir¡¯s warning still rang in her head. If the wish was twisted it might well end up with him being dead.


    The reason she had gotten away from him today was simple. She was going to go out into the city. It had been nearly half a year since she had been out of the castle. It wasn¡¯t because she hadn¡¯t tried. Everytime she suggested going out into the city Bob would intervene with some reason she couldn¡¯t. It was like he planned for her days to be endlessly busy with court politics and governing. ¡°I wish I could just explore the city.¡± She said with a sigh. Noticing she was getting close to her chambers she picked up her pace and turned the corner. And walked right into a stone wall. The pain in her head was quite a surprise. (Kinda like that wall.) Where had this wall come from? Turning around she began to notice the smells, sounds, and more importantly the decidedly not castleness of it all. Looking around she became aware she was in an alley off the side of a large street. How had she gotten here? Thinking back she remembered the wish. ¡°I said that out loud didn¡¯t I?¡± she said to herself.


    ¡°Hello? Is someone there?¡± A pile of trash near her said. Looking towards it Senna realized that the pile of trash was actually a person. What gender the person was she hadn¡¯t decided as the voice didn¡¯t give much away and the clothes, if there were any, didn¡¯t give anything away. ¡°Where am I?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re in an alley. My alley.¡± It said with that same non descript voice. Getting slightly frustrated she said. ¡°I know i¡¯m in an alley what city am I in?¡± Before the person on the ground could say something a man in armor passed the entrance to the alley. As he looked into the alley he noticed Senna and said. ¡°You there.¡± He pointed at her causing her to jump slightly. ¡°What business do you have in this alley. Why are you skulking around in here?¡± He said as if she were some kind of thief. Trying to think of a reasonable explanation she said. ¡°I am not quite sure. However you shall be greatly rewarded if you lead me back to the castle.¡±


    The look he gave her was not at all what she had expected. Instead of the courteous look of a gentleman she had expected, she received a glare. The guard began moving towards her speaking. ¡°And what could a woman of you lowly birth hope to provide me? Impersonating a noble is considered a crime.¡± Grabbing her roughly by the arms he tied them together and marched her out into the street. Stunned, Senna could hardly resist him. Looking down she began to take notice of something quite peculiar. She was wearing rags. The clothing covered her well enough however it was nothing compared to the robes she had been wearing only minutes before. She didn¡¯t even have to think about it to realize the wish had been twisted. Could she just unwish it? With that she spoke quietly. ¡°I wish to undo my last wish¡± Nothing happened. No white light, no returning to where she had just been. What had gone wrong, clearly she had enough power to get herself here. Shouldn¡¯t it be easier to turn it back? ¡°What did you say thief?¡± The guard said pushing her in front of him.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!¡°Nothing¡± She said trying not to provoke him. As they made their way through the city she was able to get a good understanding that they were most definitely not Gerun. The clothes of the people were not the same. Everyone seemed to be wearing dresses. Most were a white or tan color though a large portion of them wore more fanciful colors. Looking closely she realized that the ones wearing the more interesting colors had a more feminine shape. Whereas the people wearing the white and tan were primarily more masculine. Not a single person she saw had a beard though. ¡°Where are we she asked the guard.¡± She said hoping he would give her some more information other than restating her resemblance to a thief. ¡°We are in the market district. Now silence before I decide your tongue suits you better outside of your mouth.¡± He said with a low growl.


    Not wanting to risk her ability to speak she didn¡¯t ask anymore questions and continued to study her surroundings. The buildings they passed were all made from the same rough yellow red stone. They were built closely together leaving only enough room for alleys similar to the one she had appeared in. A few of the buildings had wooden planks set across the alleys clearly allowing people to move freely on the rooftops. Slowly the area began to change, opening up into a wide clearing filled with street vendors in semi-permanent stalls. On the other side of the square was a large building that seemed to be surrounded by men in similar armor to the guard who was escorting her. As they made their way towards the building Senna noticed something felt slightly off about the area.


    The area was relatively quiet for a market square. Everyone she passed here seemed somehow subdued, as if something tragic had happened recently. She wanted to ask what had happened but restrained herself. After a few more minutes of walking they arrived at the building which was surrounded by guards. ¡°This is where you will spend the next few days thief.¡± The guard said as he walked her through the main entrance. Upon entering the building she was assaulted by the amount of sound inside. On her left was a large metal cage with many men locked in, most of whom were screaming at the guards or each other. On her right was another large cage this one full of women who were also screaming. The guard didn¡¯t take her to either of the cages and instead lead her forward towards a line of prisoners waiting to be processed.


    ¡°Got another one Kianoush?¡± Said the guard transporting the prisoner in front of her. ¡°No, this one is just a common thief. What about yours?¡± Kianoush said with a friendly tone. ¡°I found this one just outside the market. He was pickpocketing the locals, almost managed to get away until he tripped on a basket.¡± The guard said laughing lightly. ¡°Those cages are starting to get full. How many more screamers can we really hold?¡± Kianoush said his tone turning more serious. Senna couldn¡¯t help herself and said. ¡°What are screamers?¡± Before she was able to react Kianoush smacked her on the head with a closed fist. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to speak thief.¡± He said clearly not expecting a response. Senna¡¯s head was swimming from the hit. He had not held back at all.


    Slowly they approached the front of the line. Behind them more and more guards came in with prisoners many of whom were screaming like the people in the cages. Why were all of these people screaming? As they reached the front of the line Senna felt her heart drop as she realized what this place was. In front of her people were being put in front of judges and sentenced with only the words of the guards to justify the sentencing..


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    Hello The Author here thank you for reading. So the rehash seems to have won my little poll. As such i deleted the old VII and VIII and removed the Rehash Label. Again thank you for reading.


    Sincerely, The Author

 Interlude Part I

    Ahh..Suspense. I hope you enjoy it as I am going to take a slight detour now that we are nearing the end. Would you like to know what I was up to during this story? Yes, good. No, Too bad. Now you might wonder where I enter into this story. Well to be honest I didn¡¯t know myself until I found her. That day, the day I walked through the door, was the day of Senna¡¯s birth. Still following? I showed up way earlier than I needed to. But enough with this hype talk, let''s get onto the good stuff.


    <hr />


    The night had only just begun the second time I walked through the door, and my walk got me to the city before the dawn. The lights from the city were so bright I was able to see the colors all around me from over a mile away. The amount of light stunned me as I had never seen anything so bright other than the sun itself.


    At the City shortly before dawn.


    Walking into the city I found out what was creating the horrendously bright light. Each person had a light shining from their entire body. The light was a light yellow color similar to the sun, though despite the brightness I was still able to see their likeness through it. As I began to draw near someone who looked to be a guard I waved my hand in the air and said. ¡°Sir. Sir. Why do you and all the people in this city glow like the sun?¡± The guard acted like he hadn¡¯t seen or heard me. Had I not spoken loud enough? Raising my voice I spoke again. ¡°Can you hear me? Am I not speaking loud enough?¡± Again the guard ignored me. Why couldn¡¯t he hear me? None of the information that was filtering through my head said that these people would be deaf.


    I decided that if I couldn¡¯t speak to him I would have to get his attention some other way. Going up to him I attempted to tap him on the back with my finger. White light erupted in my vision blinding me. What felt like hours passed before I was able to see again. The guard was gone and the sun had risen slightly in the west. (Yep the west. This word spins opposite to your planet.) Clearly touching him had been a mistake. Should I try it again? No. It took far too long to come back from that. Still how am I supposed to talk to these people? How am I going to find a single person in this giant city if I can¡¯t communicate.


    Looking around I was able to get a bit more detail from the buildings in the sunlight as if it diluted the light coming from the people in some way. The main street that seemed to run straight through the city was in front of me and the amount of people passing by had begun to increase as I stood there. Oddly there seemed to be people who didn¡¯t glow walking amongst them. Why didn¡¯t those people glow? Were there two races of people in this city? Should I try to talk to one of them? Waving my hands again trying to attract their attention I yelled. ¡°Hey you, the person that isn¡¯t glowing. Why aren¡¯t you glowing?¡± To my surprise the person nearest me who didn¡¯t glow stopped and turned towards me and began to speak. ¡°I¡¯m a warden. If you can see me then you must be one of us. Though I didn¡¯t know that someone had passed on. If you want to know what¡¯s going on follow me and don¡¯t fall behind.¡± With that he turned back towards where he had been heading and continued walking.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.He heard me, and he spoke to me. Better not fall behind. Moving quickly I hurried to catch up to him careful not to touch any of the glowing ones. The man moved very quickly through the crowds. First a left then a right then a few more turns then he was gone. Where did he go? As I turned my head back and forth searching for him I saw nothing but the glowing ones. Where am I? All those alleys and side roads looked the same. ¡°Now what?¡± I said quietly to myself. ¡°You follow me into this building¡±. The voice from earlier said from above me. Looking up I saw the man waving at me to come into the building. Circling the building I found the door and walked inside. The main entrance the building was a hall with a short hall leading to a staircase. Walking down the hall I passed two open doors leading to small rooms filled with furniture and plants each having a window.


    Going up the stairs I found the man who had been guiding me. ¡°Welcome to the headquarters.¡± The man said with a grand voice. ¡°Headquarters of what? You said you would explain once we got here.¡± I said slightly confused. The man moved to my side and guided me towards one of the doors on this floor. ¡°Ah I see a persistent one are we? Well then let me show you to a seat and tell you what I know.¡± He said mockingly. As we passed through the door I saw something I had never thought possible. This room was massive. There was no end to it in  any direction except through the door behind me. ¡°Well don¡¯t just stand there drooling.¡± The man said to me. My mouth had fallen open at the sight it seemed. ¡°How?¡± I said stupidly. The man slapped me on the back and pushed me forward making me walk. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter you won¡¯t ever reach the end. I¡¯ve tried it just gets bigger and bigger.¡± He said laughing a bit. ¡°I think I need that seat you told me about.¡± I said.


    With no warning he pushed me. Putting my hands out in front of me I closed my eyes waiting for the smash. Then I was sinking into something soft. Upon opening my eyes I became aware of the couch I had landed on. Why did people have to make me fall into things? First the floor, then the hall and now this. Turning myself around I grunted out. ¡°What was that for? Did you really need to push me?¡± The man was on the ground laughing. ¡°Haha...You should have¡­.haha...seen your face...haha¡± Putting on a blank face I stared angrily at him. It took the man several minutes to finish laughing at me. When he finished laughing he finally noticed my less than amused face. Sitting up he said. ¡°Why are you so serious? You do know that you¡¯re dead right? At least try and have some fun now that all is said and done.¡± I continued  sitting there with the blank stare. ¡°Fine, fine you wanted me to give you answers I will give you some.¡± He said finally giving up on getting me to laugh. ¡°Where would you like to start?¡±


    <hr />


    Sorry it took so long to post another chapter and that it is slightly short. As you can switch I decided to switch back to bob as I really didnt plan far enough ahead with senna and am essentially stuck. (writers blick me thinks it''s called. Foolish mortal) Anyway i am going to try to get back into a rhythm of writing. Thank you for reading.


    Sincerely, The Author