Chapter 1 The Exception

As Calypso sheathed The One Feared by All, she shivered as she stared at the next victim of her sorrow. She had been bound to have died years ago, yet here she was now. Taking the lives of those who dared to sign the contract. She could taste that metallic flavor of the dead body below her, that she had gotten oh, so used to.

Many didn't even know when they signed the deadly contract that it would enslave them to the deathly torture of an idiotic and pathetic life until she did her part. Unless, unless, unless there was one harrow escape, a clause if so wish to put it, if you can or and are willing to take that journey. It is harder than most think it is to find the truth. Called by many as "The Question". Answer the most overbearing question: Why are you here? It is one that must be answered right by the time that she met you. Few make it. Many choose death and don't even try. But others wish to keep living pathetic lives. There is one more way. You can make a deal with Life and Death itself that's what she did.

Lysander was not about to die. He didn't even understand when or how but he knew he would meet his fate if he didn't, answer the question correctly: The Question. His mother made it and was gone, to the After the place people who won at life went. His dad didn't care enough to answer and met his fate on the side of a road. He assumed. He hadn't met him. He didn't care enough to check either. Life without parents was easier. Anyways he had a plan. A dumb one but a plan at least. He was an archer, a magical ace archer. How unique. He was going to look death in the face and beat it. Of course, he didn't know when it was going to happen but he knew he could do it. So when a crashing, earth-shattering sound pierced his ears he dashed for his bow and prepared his hands and himself to face death himself.

"Of course he lives near the wall that stupid enchantment people think will save them" Calypso grumbled as she felt toward her next stop. She had no idea who they were or what they looked like she just had a compass built in her brain constantly commanding tiresome places for her. Today's was just to get rid of this nuisance unless they had figured it out. Her tightly coiled dark hair puffed out springing lightly as she dove feet first into the ceiling of a house. Her landing nearly hanging her by her hair. If she were normal she would have died. Just tired and ready to get it over with she shook it off and stormed (well storm floated) into the kitchen. She practically killed herself almost bumping into her own sword when she saw her next victim. Since when did this type of person elicit this kind of reaction from her? In all of Calypso's times of travel, she had seen some of the best and some of the very worst. He was in the middle, he wasn't ugly either. His loose curls hung around his ears and his eyes. Those dark brown eyes. She had killed or "saved" so many people even those who tried to answer the question. They all had the same look in their eyes, fear and you could always see they had given up. But his eyes, they were different. They echoed raw defiance. Hope. How naive. She had to get rid of these people. She didn't enjoy it or want it but she would die if she didn't kill them, so she always fought like it, and in combination with her superhuman abilities they never had a chance. But she needed to help him. She absolutely had to help. She couldn't save Lyla but she could save him.

Lysander first off did not expect death to be a she. As she came crashing through the ceiling and flew over to him he got ready to shoot but instead of attacking she just stared at him. His hand twitched as she lowered herself from floating still staring into his eyes. As he scanned over his doom he noticed her sword. It was at least 7ft long and twice as thick yet it just hung on her belt just as easily as it was a canteen. Her eyes were piercing, yet a warm brown, and her hair bounced around her as if she had just come from the salon and not fell from the ceiling. Her skin was a deep chestnut that had an aura of warmth. If he wasn't about to be killed he would be blushing. He snapped out of his daze as she began walking towards him and he nearly fainted when she grabbed his hand, his skin jumped off him. Her skin was colder than ice. She yanked his hand with her as she flew out the ceiling taking him with her. "Oh, so this is how I die like a fool I didn't fight back," he thought while bracing for the impact that would kill.

As Lysander blinked away the dust from his eyes he realized he wasn't dead! He looked around at the pearly blue sky as Death carried him across. He took a breath not caring at what she might be doing, just taking in the time he had. Ever since his mother left when he was 12, he had learned that it's just best to live for himself and in the moment. Not to feel the loss of people by just not talking to them. If he began caring, it would mean that he had to focus on someone other than himself. That wasn't the way that his life should go. Of course, he didn't pretend to be some weird loner he had "friends" but they were just empty space, and they knew it. As if she was getting annoyed Death just plummeted down so rapidly he felt that his ears were popping. Just before colliding with the earthy ground she stoped and levitating, letting go of his red marked wrist, making him hit the soft ground with a thud.

Calypso could read thoughts. Only of the victims though, if she could read everyone's her life could be 10X better but, yes she knew what this idiot was thinking. How could these people think that their lives were selfishly their own?! And why did they choose to live it in such a miserable way? If you were going to live for yourself instead of going to the After or whatever the humans called it might as well enjoy it. She was starting to regret her decision more and more. What was her plan? To save the mortal boy help him across the Journey and let him into the After, then after making sure he was safe, crumbling into nothing and forever feeling the pain and misery of her life choices while boiling alive in space of nothingness. So simple. But spending more than 10 minutes with this human sounded like it was going to be torture already.

"What do want from me? Why are you dragging me around? Aren't you the one who is supposed to kill me? Aren't you Death?"

Questioned Lysander she had now affectionately named Whinny.

"Death? That is what they call me? Not the deathly beauty or anything like that? Well, I guess no one has survived to see my face so they never get to see this" she framed her face

"But yes I guess I'm the person you're always talking about if that's what you mean. And I'm not dragging you I have saved you, I deserve a thank you!"

She said while trying to look as magical as she could after dragging (yes she does admit that) this human flesh bag around for 30 minutes in the air with no help from him.

"So you're not going to kill me?" Lysander said looking up still obviously in shock. "If you keep thinking what you are thinking I will, Whinny! You want to get to the After right? I will personally help you. You're welcome."

She crouched down to reach his sitting level he flinched away as she approached him which made her smile. "I don't want to go to the After. What's the point? Just being there just being! I rather have defied Death and live to tell the story and become a hero among the people here. Also, no one knows what's there. Or if it's real." This ignorant piece of flesh almost got knocked out for good with her sword right there and then.

"Look, whether you believe in the After or not I'm going to do it. You have three choices: One you choose to walk around living in a human corpse what you call living for "yourself", Two you try to kill me which could never happen unless I let you and even if I did you would go back to option one or of course Number 3, you can come with me go to the After and see your mom again and live the rest of your lives together forever and ever". Lysander looked at her with the same look in his eye she saw when they first met. Defiance. Before he even spoke she knew he would never accept the fact that he is not living in reality. He can't. She started getting flashbacks to Lyla. She also didn't want to believe it. She believed in her own destiny in her own strength, finding out the truth crushed her and she dragged me along too. So when he said " If I do go why do you need to come? Couldn't you just send me there? Isn't that what you always do??" It was so excepted she let out a long excruciating sigh. "I can't just send you even those who make it to the After have to go on the Journey except they when crossing has a supernatural bodyguard. Do you have one of those? No. So you need a supernatural person to help you. And that's me"