Reaper3

Tales Of The Reaper

And Down Came The Reaper [shortened]

It was dark now, with only the fire providing enough light to see. I saw Alice smile at me. I didn’t like that! Nobody smiles at The Reaper! And yet, I liked it when Alice smiled at me?

As I moved to leave, Alice called after me. “Thank you Reaper!”

I didn’t like that either! Nobody thanks The Reaper! And yet, I liked it?

No, I didn’t like it! Nobody thanks The Reaper!

I paused, then turned to Alice. “Nobody thanks The Reaper! Stop confusing me! Stop looking at me with your eyes! Well, obviously you look at me with your eyes? But… look you’re muddling my head Alice! Just stay here! You’re beautiful! Stay safe! Stay warm! Stay quiet!”

As Alice met my eyes, which I was pretty sure was exactly what I’d just told her not to do, I saw something more than firelight sparkle behind them? There was something in her eyes that seemed to be somewhere between a smile, amusement, and… there something more? I felt a warmth burning in my stomach that seemed to spread outwards to ripple up my spine?

It took all my willpower to break eye contact with Alice.

Actually, that is a complete lie! I have no idea how long I sat there staring into Alice’s eyes as they danced in the firelight. As her eyes stared back into mine. In the end, I didn’t break eye contact with Alice. After far too short an eternity, Alice’s eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness.

And yet, I just stayed there? I watched Alice’s shallow breathing. I watched her neck rise and fall with each breath. I was only watching her to make sure that she was still alive of course! After yet another too short an eternity, I wearily got to my feet.

I covered Alice up better with my cloak because she was cold. I put another few pieces of wood on the fire, then moved her boots and socks a little closer to the fire so they’d dry off quicker. The fire was a risk, but Alice needed the heat from the fire.

No! Stop using her name!

I was only using her name so much because she was in shock! Because she was concussed! My summoner needed the heat from the fire! I fetched some extra wood for my summoner so she’d have wood to put on the fire when she awoke.

Why was I so confused? Anyway, it was time to go to work.

I reluctantly left the cave. It was a perfect night. It was dark, but I could see well enough. The rain was no more than a drizzle. I wasn’t cold. Alice wasn’t cold. I could see the moon through a gap in the clouds, and it was close to full.

I love the moon! I’d love to see the full moon one day! I had forgotten to ask Alice if she’d ever seen the full moon. Of course she’d seen the full moon! I shook my head in confusion! I had to remember who I was! I had to remember what I was!

I am The Reaper!

And tonight was a perfect night for killing!

That thought didn’t really cheer me up very much. I was just trying to stay positive. I despondently started making my way down the hill. I was in a very bizarre mood.

Hounds [G]

As I headed down the hill towards the town, the hounds picked up my scent and started barking. That was entirely deliberate on my part. Useful fact. Scent travels on the breeze, however streams really confuse hounds and mess up the scent trail. I never completely understood that part, given I can smell woodsmoke over dozens of streams? I guessed it was because the hounds tracked the scent on the ground and the running water took that scent.

Anyway the raiders released their six dogs, and they chased me. I ran back up the hill a little way, until I got bored.

I hate dogs. A dog once bit me on the back of my thigh, and I really didn’t like that. I don’t like running from dogs. Unless there are streams close by. Then it’s quite amusing to watch them run in circles. However, there wasn’t really enough time for playing games. I’d love to have time to play games one day.

I found a huge tree, then climbed it. I love trees! Dogs can’t climb trees. The six dogs snarled at me from the base of the tree. They jumped and snapped at me in fury as the raiders clambered up the hill.

I reflected on what the delineation between a dog and a hound was? At first, I’d guessed it was something to do with whether or not they could track scent? And yet, I thought that all dogs could track scent? These hounds had tracked down several of the townspeople that had fled from the raiders. They didn’t just bite their thighs; they killed them!

These hounds would have ripped Alice apart if she hadn’t used the streams. And they still might track her down. I didn’t really want Alice to be ripped apart! I’d seen some dogs that were friendly enough however? Were hounds like evil dogs, or did they just track scent better? Was it a hound that bit the back of my leg that time? That was definitely a pretty evil dog anyway, and it had managed to track me across three streams!

I reflected on my thought process. Why would I care either way? I’m The Reaper? Kill them!

The dog that bitten me that time had looked a bit liked these dogs. And these hounds would track down and kill Alice. I decided that the dog that bit me was a hound, and these were also hounds! There were six hounds snapping at me from the base of the tree. They good thing is that I have a lot more than six throwing knives. I only needed six!

A few minutes later, the raiders found the tree, and their six dead hounds lying beneath the tree. They weren’t very happy about that. That was good! There were ten raiders, and they fanned out to look for me. Now that was really quite a stupid thing to do. Given that I was still hiding in the same tree? The same tree that the hounds had obviously tracked me to? How could they not have noticed that? Seriously? Well, I was pretty high up in the tree, and I was very well hidden. Whilst I’d been waiting for the hounds I’d also put some stones in my pocket. I love stones! I’d thrown some of the stones out into the night to distract them as well. However, if it was me, I would have checked the tree properly myself? The raiders were stupid!

I dropped down from the tree, then crept up behind each of the raiders. I killed them quickly. All apart from the last. She was a tall, burly woman and was obviously the leader of the unit. I moved in complete silence as I crept up behind her, then I held a blade to her throat. I whispered. “Hi!”

She moved in order to try and break free, so I held her tighter and pushed the blade beneath her chin. A spot of blood appeared on her neck. I hate blood! I queried. “I said hi? You’re supposed to say hi back?”

The raider didn’t nod, because that would have been a pretty stupid thing to do. Given that she had a knife at her throat? She replied. “Hi!”

I laughed at that, and my laugh is quite terrifying. “Hi, I’m The Reaper. You might have heard of me? I would ask for your name, but honestly I’m in a bit of a strange mood tonight, so I really don’t care. I have just killed all your hounds, and the rest of your unit. I’m leaving you alive for one reason. I’m leaving you alive so that you can run back into town to tell your boss that I left you alive so that you could tell him that I wanted him to know that The Reaper left you alive because I wanted him to know that the reason I left you alive was so that he knew that..? Oh wait, I could get myself into an endless loop here. Do you get the general idea?”

Again the woman didn’t nod, given there was a blade at her throat. Instead she whispered. “Yes, I get the idea! I’ll pass along the message.”

I laughed at that. “Brilliant! You’re stupid, but you’re not completely stupid! You have no idea how many people get confused at this point. It’s really quite tedious. Then I have to kill them and find someone less stupid to pass on the message. So I’m glad you have some intelligence. Oh, and just to make things clear. Your boss can try to hold the townspeople hostage. He can threaten to kill the children, the woman, the chickens, or whatever. But you see, the thing is that I’m The Reaper. The only reason I’d be annoyed is because it’s my job to kill people, not yours! I really don’t care about the chickens. Actually, if you were to kill some chickens, I wouldn’t mind too much. I had roast chicken once, with gravy. It tasted amazing! So your boss is welcome to kill the chickens as long as he cooks one for me. Then I might be less annoyed. Maybe ask him to add some garlic and herbs to the chicken? And some potatoes? And gravy? I love gravy! Though I had watery gravy once! I didn’t like that so much! Thick gravy!”

The woman replied. “I understand! I’ll pass on your message!”

I laughed at that. “Brilliant, off you toddle then! Tell your boss I’ll be coming to see him soon! Oh, and no brussel sprouts. I hate brussel sprouts!”

The raider walked away for a minute, then sprinted at full pelt back towards the town. That was the usual response in this sort of situation. In fact, the raider had really been most agreeable all round.

Though, I should really have asked the raider lots of questions? About their defences, numbers, strategy, plans, and sensible things like that? I should also have asked why they appeared to be more than just raiders? Despite being idiots, they were actually fairly professional, in a stupid sort of way? They definitely had military training, so maybe they were deserters from the army? Something felt wrong about this? Something didn’t add up?

The thing was that I couldn’t really find it in myself to actually care. Now that I think about it, it seemed that it was myself that was being pretty stupid? I should have asked some sensible questions? I was in a strange mood, and I couldn’t work out why?

That might have been somewhat concerning, but the fact was that I couldn’t summon up the energy to care about the fact that it was somewhat concerning. The strangest thing was that I had tonnes of energy. And I’d have even more energy if I could taste some of that venison. It smelled amazing. Or some roast chicken, with garlic and herbs! With gravy! Thick gravy! No brussel sprouts! And yet I didn’t have enough energy to care about how many people I had to kill? It was quite the conundrum!

I love that word!

Conundrum!

After that, I found a stream and washed away the blood. I really hate blood, but I love streams! Then I found some flowers and pine needles. I crushed the flowers between my fingers. They smelled amazing, especially the small blue flowers. I decided I’d ask someone what the blue flowers were called. Maybe Alice might know?

No, don’t call her by her name!

I meant, maybe my summoner might know? I put several of the blue flowers in my pocket, along with more pine needles. I was doubtful there would be any pine needles in town, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty. Pine needles are amazing! Trust me!

Given the raiders were focused on the hill that I’d come down, I circled the town. The raiders had nine scouts covering the roads, and again, that seemed confusing? Who exactly were they expecting to come up those roads? They definitely weren’t expecting me, and my messages wouldn’t yet have arrived? It wouldn’t have filtered back to the scouts? And even if they were expecting me, The Reaper wouldn’t just walk down the middle of the road? Actually, truth be told, I did walk down the middle of the road once and ended up with an arrow in my arm. It was a lesson. I love lessons! Apart from boring lessons. And lessons that end up with an arrow in your arm! Anyway, the scouts were hiding here and there, and as it turned out, one of them was actually semi-competent.

The scout leader somehow managed to detect me before I put a blade to his throat? That was pretty impressive all in all, so I decided I might have a little chat with him!

I gave the same message to the scout leader. “I’ve killed the rest of your unit, but I’ve left you alive to so you can let your boss know that I left you alive to... blah blah…”

I didn’t have the energy to go into an endless loop; but the scout understood my message. I liked the scout, and I was really quite impressed that he’d managed to detect me in the first place! However, he did seem somewhat lost. In all honestly, he didn’t really seem that much like a raider to me.

I asked the scout for his name. Not so I could threaten to hunt him down and kill him, just because I was intrigued.

That’s wrong! The Reaper only asks for peoples names so that he can hunt them down and kill them. Or at least to threaten them!

I threatened the scout, but my heart just wasn’t in it. The scout’s name was Jumil. I commended Jumil on his scouting abilities, then suggested that perhaps if he passed on my message, then ran away very fast, in order to find a more suitable line of employment, such as defending towns rather than taking them over, I might not kill him.

Myself and Jumil had a long chat, and I think, in the end, I might have convinced him. Jumil even agreed with me on several points, then he thanked me! Both for my advice, and for not killing him.

This night was getting more and more bizarre. Nobody thanks The Reaper, and yet it had happened multiple times on the same night? And The Reaper doesn’t give advice? The Reaper doesn’t spare people? My job was to kill all the raiders, and yet, I was considering letting the most dangerous raider I’d come across so far live?

Jumil actually seemed to be quite a nice guy, and I was positive he wasn’t a child killer.

However, I’m not entirely sure that I liked being thanked! Again, I should have really asked Jumil some sensible questions, like how many raiders I was up against? I mean, I was full of energy and focus, but for some reason I had no energy to care about how many people I had to kill? I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to know how many people I had to kill!

Truth be told, and don’t tell anyone this, I really don’t like killing people!

That was yet another fundamental mistake on my part! I told Jumil that I really don’t like killing people. I should have killed Jumil for that! I mean, what if word got out that The Reaper doesn’t like killing people? Or that he hates blood? And tears? Or… I mean seriously? What the hell is wrong with the world? Why? Why are they killing children? It’s complete madness!

I blinked back my tears!

No! That’s a lie! I didn’t blink back my tears, because as everyone knows, The Reaper most definitely doesn’t cry!

That was another huge mistake. I should have killed Jumil for that! I mean, what if word got out that not only does The Reaper hate killing, blood and tears, he cries?

So, it’s just as well that The Reaper loves killing, blood and tears! And The Reaper most definitely doesn’t cry!

However, I kind of liked Jumil, and I didn’t think he’d tell anyone! Honestly, as I looked into his eyes, I knew he wasn’t a child killer. He was just a nice guy caught up in whatever the hell is seriously wrong with the world. It’s complete madness! Jumil seemed to agree with me that killing children was just seriously twisted and wrong.

So I let Jumil live.

Don’t be ridiculous, The Reaper doesn’t leave anyone alive.