C20/11- Passing and Protecting

The roll of paperwork and the funeral of those that aren't coming back even if their remains had be returned to this realm of no death. It sparked this idea in all Clothus about the truth of their mortality. Sort of a shockwave I had seen coming, those that should have been considered dead in this realm all worried about who is left that would work these very fragile political scale landscape. The four countries that make up this realm all soon had their own ways of changing this and not all ended up so well in the first years.

It were during these first years that myself and the prince became targets to more then the average assassins or gameplays. It had became much more worse as the higher took the wealth, as the bellow folks took lands and lives. The mother of the house was found properly unreturning back to life on a normal working day, this followed the eldest and the second elders being executed for their dirty works behind our back. Then the following order from my god-like friend of watching over, a sort of warning that this was to happen, the death and soul of the prince I worked for. It would have also meant my life was in threat here; but in a sort of honor; I am willing to die again before he does.

The burning of boarding schools, hopistals and the ruin spreading over house to house… it came like a mustard gas and took the servant lives. My life were taken while I were in a shadow form, having the shadow cloth be burn to ashes had in turn killed me. What is left of me hide in shadow to watch over the continue murder of the prince; death in his sleep. His soul unaware and I took it from wondering too far from me. I allow the between to swallow us and I am left to the path. In full lizard form, eyeing the soul of the clothus that once were a prince. It knew eventually, understood it all and sort of stayed to watch for a real reaper to claim us.

"I have to say, you have lived long this time then previous occasions." We have a very chatty low reaper order, "I have a moment of writing names." They do so and bowed with their finish, "Well, you have already found yourself here. They call this path of the between because it the path where the passed souls of the dead choose to go for their next life or just wonder here until whenever." My soul was handed over for a check by them, "Yes, you too. But by what name this time?"

I crumbled into only bones and my arms took ther book and wrote in a name; The nightmare poacher, Head Hunter and James Crafter. They peered into the book and froze up with it retrned to them. I have my soul back into the bones. There is another name in that list, it must be what he was shocked over; the nameless reaper. Which was a damned title… a title I can't have.

"Ugh, are… you… forgive me for not being aware." I shook no with it being no bother and clattered into a pile on the floor. I sunk slowly through the floor into the shadow path – the other side of the light. A more grey path that in clattered in ash and bones. My mask the tries to reform was a shattered face. Walked this part of the path better then I do the light, yet it is a struggle. Anyone that passed me backed off or hide to a doorway to the side. I coiled in a path splitting point, laid here in pondering of how I am going to return from this state.

"Someone burn you to ashes, friend." One them elder damned that mimic humanity perfectly; it almost as if they are a living damned, "What are you anyways?" I lifted to glare about them and lower to seem uninterested in any deals, "Not able to talk anymore or something?" they stepped around and looked about the bones better and back off, "Lords, you're a slayer." I gave off the impression of huffing as it would been the habit to react like this, "You're a dead damned slayer." My tail sweeps dust at them and they backed off, "You would be that tinker watch fixing one that once spoken words and stuff." I got up and shook the feeling of them off and marched my way avoiding them. Walking a darker side of the path, "Hey!" they race over to stop me, "That's not our reality." I backed off and peered at them more, "Ok, I mean it's not yours. You can tell that I not to be on this side."

"In this reality that you stand, this isn't the path for complete souls to wonder. This is the path for those in regert or trouble walk. This isn't hell. This path is for them that don't make it to that scale or suit it."

"We have our own version like that. One side the reborn side, look like this here. And the other side by things that don't fit in." so the understanding is there, "it's flipped the other way." They though out loud and ran to go to thier reality. I stayed around here out of their reality, at the walls edge of it. keeping souls like me from walking through. It was a while where I fall asleep… that what I would call it. I went to sleep here.

"Hey, James… or not james anymore." My skull knocked me awake, "What are you doing?" the end look more like a child, "Why are you here?" I looked to the fixed wall and that realities have moved away from each other, "What?"

"I died and sort of just got stuck." He backs off and looked at a book and looking at me, "Normal books I died. I am immornatl by mind as a constant reincarnation but I do die and be reborn ever so often." He peered at the books again, "Did I end up on the wrong side of the wall?" I stood up and inspected about the place, "Ah, the wall gap is larger." He peered too and froze, "You might be on the wrong side. This break between to univereses." I muttered, "The end should be told of this."

"End?" the other glared, "who do you think your…" this one stopped with being hovered over by another, "You be this realities side of last reaper."

"I am." The end peered to the wall, "And your right, God slayer… this wall should not be like this. I see you met a terrible fate as the body guard." I nod with that honesty, "I still can't take you. You promised to help."

"I will and I am. I stayed here to see it would go away… but it being larger, I thought I wise to tell you. I am not a thing to be fixing walls of existances."

"That is true. That's my deparment." He got through this understanding with this other here and they yammered on and on. I picked up to find the edge of where this tare could be an issue… going back up the path a little to find the seam creak clicking ever so often closer to a door to another realm. I sit watching it, my body laided to be the wall for folks to not cross. From the guess the two end's made there ways of trade. They both go closing it before things grew worse. I find myself being watched by his scythe, it being a indepent thinking being itself. I ignored them for a time with worry of this gap growing.

"I was like you once." Shifted to a bird of metal silver and landing on my head, "I were a soul that fell out of time too. I watched the end of the living realm too… several time over now being a ally with the boy." His scythe knows the end personally and is allow such disgracing words in ear shot, "What was the time you knew like?"

"It were beyond that of the end of humanity, the afterlife broken the few rules left that mattered. Not to enslave any living creatures, not to cross in sun light or be there in a physical sense, not to murder living. The land of the living became so sentient to this awareness of the afterlife attacking it… it too then broke rules in counter; eveolution drastically altered over a span of 4 years. Creatures that ate the souls. It had it beauty and peace meanwhile being well… surivival of the fittest. Humans that were around were changing; unhappy that their afterlife crawled on this living hell as the same days they hated living there at all. I miss it in a sense; I was many animals… I loved humans too. Then I got enslaved, cursed and well… I watch the time restart again. I am still cursed and still here confused."

"Did he do it to you?"

"No. It were the creators of the solar system, whom own their little room locked from all time. And it was that timeline's Death. Took my soul and forced it into a bird. Then I were told to find humanity; they slaughtered the humans left. I got my redempetion in saving one little untouched group of vault dwellers… taught them how to live and their practices they shold have known to live in unforgiving lands. I was happy for that at least." I snickered a little, "The god of that timeline fear this name called twilight. That were my name when I was a cursed raven."

"Oh, I have heard of you… in several resets between him losing his title as end."

"I must have borrowed it to punish them… I don't remember it being several. I knew of the one when they locked me in that room. Took me so long to finally be accepted as among them in heaven and them creators locked me in that room. Took that away and my angelic partner too."

"Oh, I know. I brought him peace and heard his confusing arguments. It makes sense more, now that I know you were his partner." I hummed and peered to how the end was finishing the stiching up, "Did you forgive them?"

"I did. Eventually." I snicker, "Now I wonder around trying to grasp where and what. To try to find me as I should have been."

"You're soul currently exists as one the rare types."

"I was a rare type in the timeline before too." I sigh, "It were my curse by that then death." They both glared about that, "Yes, fundmental laws were broken in a timeline before this one as you knew it. I were just telling your scythe that."

"But they were broken at all is troubling fact."

"I snap any necks otherwise." I hissed at my own thoughts, "I would never want that to repeat again." The Scythe returned to hand of the end. Those two commented on this being a bad thing, "I think, I am what stops it from repeating. Why things aren't the same…" I lowered to a whince, "just another to stop it."

"Rare soul that had fall out of time." The end gets it, "I think I can understand that."

I bowed to the thought and coiled back up to a pile, looked about this path of damned… to my front arms and the remains of my hand claws. A lot about me. The dust of ashes that make me.

"How about we go together to the flame's of creation?" The scythe suggested, "You need a restart and we go been out of our realm to long again."

"I have to agree." The end sighed, "I have felt to shattered as of lately."

"I know that feeling… my soul is dust contained in a crystal shelling…" I sigh, "Cursed I say."

"Would you be able to help us in doing that to us?"

"You don't really want that."

"It might stabilize this one." The scythe hops in bird over on my back as we trail through talking as if nothing around us mattered, "The dust…. Well."

"I see." I thought hard, "I can try for you and you may blame and hate me after. As I have blamed and hatted that death for it."

"What century did you live in?"

"Something like 4030… ugh… human calander. They had it changed when ai was taking over the measuring systems, including the world clocks and calanders. World wide standarding." They both laugh at this, "I like them. Them Robotic types were fair trades folks and their own souls towards the start of their calander restart." The shut up, "There wasn't many humans left to follow anyways. Just creatures like me or the corpse parasite lizards. The folks of the afterlife were discrimtive about them but nature wasn't."

"What a messed up timeline…"

"Magic was still a practice by humans until their very end." I continue, "It's what human used against demon and the misguided few angels. Angels thnking they were doing right to guiding the living to the afterlife; innocently unaware of the law." They have interested expressions for that, "When humans left, laws were forgetten as the laws mattered when humans were around. They took a few screw up turns before… before I…" I paused, "I do remember when I took your title. I am sorry to had done so but they were doing wrong and I with the backing of other souls were… misunderstood? Not listened to." The end lowed to tap my head, "the between was different then. The bridges between realms had sentient life about them. Them nice folks crystalize my soul."

"Oh. That makes more sense." He stood in greeting of folks in our way, "What is the matter?" asking across several gods in the way, "Which of us are you affraid of?"

"You are a person at least, I can get that. The scythe makes sense… but not the pet."

"Excuse you?" I lifted to their eye level, "I am not a pet nor am I just a thing." Hissed at them they backed, "You should be more scared of him then me. I am more a flu compared to him." I lowered a lot more, "You have to take that as you want; warning or words. But understand it was in worry of your well being."

"The god slayer is truly correct in that sense." End spoke up, "But you know me as 'friend'. They haven't any memories of my insane timelines." I nod in understanding, "Maybe during my down time, the title temporary went to you."

"Must have." I agree, "I don't like making them souls cry."

"That's interesting fear to have." The end noted, "Why?"

"Crying screams of breaking souls is always a painful and heart crushing. I hated it so much, that I borrowed your title. That says a lot."

"Really does." He muttered.

"Maybe when a souls are beyond repair, the ripple effect of the souls create this temporary empowerment to change things from getting worse." The scythe whispered.

"I find it odd that we all speak the same language." I commented, "I am not deaf."

The one's that can't speak this language or comprhend it backed off scared of what is being spoken about. The fear of the unknown and misunderstanding. It was the End that backed from me when knowing I could understand this language.

"Cursed by our title, shared for when it dealt with your down time." The scythe voiced, "It could be that our hanging around each other is resonating the memories of those timelines that had be erased. As that hold the memories of timelines you weren't present for."

"That makes logical sense." The end stops being a little freaked out with facts and stepped in making these clueless folks part for our path and he was back to speaking a open language for them to understand, "We are leaving the timelines alone for a while. As title as end and last reaper isn't required."

"What? There a war going on?"

"Then you know what to do; you all have a duty." I walked along past with his scythe in bird rusting shape on my back for a ride, "We as a collective need a rest. There been 98 collected this timeline. That is a sorrowed burden that will be fixed with our temporary leave."

The folks all hissed and ran to inform everyone of this truth. Sweep away the folks that think to much and there is hardly anyone left around here to say goodbye. The end prefers it this way, that there is no one aware of him or know about him personally to be be here for it. yet I am different, in wishing there was some here to nod at least.

"The when the title of end was owned by everyone but the one that should have owned it." I seemed to spoken a moment without thinking, "It's not the same as what they are." My own words and a sigh to follow it, "I give what they need, stability. To share this between will." Maybe this was the crystal fraction of myself that peered through these two, the bird and the boy. When my crystal shattered, body I currently am shattered and flew first into the flames of recreation.

The side effect was that the seeds of crystal attached to them and formed their needed shells. It only made them stronger willed to fall into flame. Like always the end crawls out at his own will, as the flame had always rejected ending anything. The scythe were morphed back to place with time crashing back to a starting line again. Then I were taken, into the slayer I have always been. Placed as an egg left alone on the between path, here left alone to be reborn as the between realm protector or it's eyes.

I didn't grow up alone, as they others of my races, minor slayers were born on the path and guided to the realms they most protect. Guided by me to places that need our slayer's care of ruthless non-discrimitating harshness. I was being the only one of my race not following into feral treats; the others worship me as the mother. That's why they don't go for me; as I would visit each to insure each child serpent is safe.

"You're not a normal slayer." I am pointed to by a new faced god, this is whom will become a god of the good side, "Why?"

"I protect everyone by making sure that the others of my race protect their areas. Sure I understand I have a barbaric way of going about making sure no one does wrong by being the line of wrong. But without me, there isn't a line at all." My argument makes this god understand, "What you believe maybe good and evil could be the opposite understand of another and what these opposite collide that make a mess of order and understanding. This clash creates misunderstanding and things twisted of that belief. So be careful of what you dream and set in stone; the mistakes will come back alive to tell you otherwise."

"I understand." They moved away and soon became this wisdom god that sets the stone all those after them.

These folks come to face me from time to time; wisdom, justices, belief in miracles. They do eventually create mistakes; chaos, revenge and the disillusion. They mixed to make the neutral Egyptian foundations and that of other early culture ideas. Farming and life came with death and plague. The horse men passed into shape by the new turned century and other faiths jumped boarders. I would be renamed as minor things and forgotten and remembered. Never worshiped by humanity, just fantasized myth for them. It's been quite a watch. I have lived a little at a time, but never that really alive.

A chance came when I learned to be other shapes, as I soon guided regretful types through to the path between. The other side of light as they called it. I turned into the blank face leader or question taker of the damned. I guided damned to find ease out of regret and back to the life systems the universes has started up again. I was there watching the creation of the title end exist in a non-existent way. How I bowed in greeting to the title mask as it were locked by the gods and then stolen by me. I were called the shrouded thief; taking the unexplained things from gods. Often things are found again and they are left to those places as the items were better protected and better reached by the gods that owned them. The mask was the exception to this; the title went into sleeping, as the host soul wasn't yet ready to take this title. Yes the end comes out of creation before everyone but they are marked as the last of that timeline. This is a new line, so the renewal of the title comes with it too. As often does the reshaping of the gods.

The day I became among one of the living, I had stick to this shape of a ocelot cat, a small type of big cat that. White silver fur that sparkled in the gloom of any shadows I happen to lay in. The current climate was that of a tribe of people using the practice of magic and learning how to fit themselves the concept of society. I was the one of few creature types that became 'tamed'.

My grand children would be the founding breed for domesticated land cats for here. I grow old and were reborn to this land of living, as a cat. This little story leads up to this moment now, as I purr scratching up a tree and blinking down to the loving children humans that feed me.

"We are not getting rid of the cat for a dog!" I would mind a dog, it's the dog that got to be use to me, "We aren't getting rid of the cat!" Maybe I am misunderstanding the conversation, "You think it was Snow shoe?" Ah, they aren't arguing about me. I am not snow footed, that's the other cat. That one doesn't like me.

"What about Tessy?" I perk to my name being dropped in and meowed at them, "Wow." I scared the dog owner as I jumped down from tree and go greet the dog on the leash. I sit out of reach and brush about the floor, show my tummy to the dog and purring. The dog wags tail and came close for a sniff. I rolled a little closer and head but the snort softly, "That's a fearless cat… Tessy move away from the war dog."

"We don't need a war dog, we have Tessy."

"What do does Tessy know how to protect us from other dogs?" I pet the dog with a paw and hop on the dogs back. Balance comfortable for both of us. I clawless pat at the lead, he looked at us and snarled hateful of me, "Tessy! What is wrong with you? Your sitting on the thing that eats cats for breakfast!"

I pet the dog I am sitting on as the owner barks at us both, give a final little head but of affection and leap off on down to the little girl of my eyes. This lady whom defends me staying here at home.

"Tess, you have been going through any trash as of lately?" I am picked up and give her the disagreeing shake, "Was it Lily again?" I disagree, "Snow shoe baby whom I haven't named yet?" I purr and purr on her cheek as she shares the affection, "Aw, thanks for letting me know. Your my clever kitty." Yes, my little clever child.

Your my sweet little girl with man hands to cook me yummy foods and chop fishy head treats. Yes you are a clever little human. Yes you are.

"Ugh, that cat isn't listening to you or telling you yes or no." I am grabbed by the scruff by him and dangled towards the dog. My front left paw allow me to pet the dog as he dangles me to the dog. The dog licked me and whines. I purr in understanding. The dog gets it, and bites the owners hand, "Ouch, bad dog." I brush up with the dogs legs as I am released and purr with telling the good dog that they are for not letting the man hurt me. I pet and the good itchy spot that had the dog drooling in happy sloober. Get soaked with a sloppy kiss.

"I say that cat has the motive and mind of one human." A passing folk elder man that often is asked to deal with arguing loud people, "What is the exact problem here people?"

"Jack want's to give me a cat eating dog and was trying to have Tessy ate in front of me. Yet you know old Tessy good at talking to other creatures, convinced the dog to bite jack for mishandling Tessy."

"I was trying to convince you to not live alone with just cats, by giving you a dog you would have to walk to socialize with other people with and about. Unlike your cats. Your too weirdly alone with them cats and I would imagine the day you see one turn on you be the day you start talking to the rest of us. None of that talking to cats, plants and birds. How the hell are you able to keep birds and cats anyways? They attack each other in the wild."

"That be because old Tessy here is older then you, Jacks. That cat's got a life span of a turtle. I am sure Tessy was a kitten when this isle was connected to the main lands."

"You to old man?"

"Tessy is special and taught me about what herbs to use when I was ill and where to find good fish. I bet if you spent a day with Tessy you would understand better, Jack." She takes the lead of the dog, "If you're so hating of Tessy, they I do you a deal. We trade for a day. I take this dog if Tessy shows you all the cool places."

"Sure. I let the cat do that." I hop right to his shoulder, "Hey!" he can't get me off even when he tries, "Fine, you stay there and she keeps the dog for the day." He stormed away and I blinked slowly with love as a good bye. The old man and my little girl has a talk about the dog and they go for a walk into town. I looked around to the places he tries to scare me with, how he tries to get me off his shoulders as I walked around his odd angles to get me off him. I lay on bot his shoulder winning that war, a few poke of claws for time to time was necessary.

"That's one very stubborn cat you got there boss." I peered darkly over this fool smelling pretend person, "Wow, and clearly has a nack to detecting the unnatural." This sly thing steps around, "Maybe it's unnatural and unnatural needs someone like me to remove it. How about a deal buddy?" I hissed at this foul little greedy devil and have my tail wipe a bottle of holy water over the devil. This showed their true shape melting through the fake skin and made the devil deal maker run from us. The commotion attracted others to see that monster for what it was and prolong the chase out of town.

"Are you alright?" A god follower stepped around to jack and me, "You have one very lucky cat stuck on your shoulders."

"Lucky?" jack hissed, "This thing ill not stop annoying me, but it did knock that bottle of water you gave me over that stranger… turned their skin scaly. What are you the follower of any ways? What the hell was that potion?"

"Potion? That is water, holy water. I gave you a drink of it many times before, friend." This dumbfounded Jack quite a lot, "That water removes the fake illusions from your eyes from time to time. That stranger was a temping demon. We call the deal makers. Always makes deals to good to be true and tricking folks like you to sell your soul over to them. Nasty to end up dead and going to hell in the afterlife because of a few words." This follower linked a arm and drags him over to the temple, "You make one the few folks to say you had that happen and come back alive from it."

"All because of this cat. You would happen to know how to get the cat off?"

"Cat's are fickle and clever; I bet this one around you for a reason."

"I promised his owner that we do day swap, she takes my cat eating dog and I take her clever cat. She says that it teaches her things and loopy stuff."

"Are you sure this cat is a cat?" The follower asked and flicked water on my. Sure it changed the color of my fur but I stayed a cat, "Oh, you have a cat ghost. That's unnatural but not unheard of. Maybe it's just listening and keeping that promise you made with trading your dog. You know?" the follow leads through to a church area and sits use around a table.

He goes runs off making drinks as others come to chatter about why he was here and how lucky he was to not lost his life to a deal maker. I was give a few fishy treats and gently playing with stings and feathers. I most have gotten carried away with eventually being alone on a table. I perk up with listening for Jack and jumped right over to land on his shoulder, meowed in his ear.

"Lord of cats I beg of thee." His heart paused a moment with looking at me. I greet with a loving blink and head but.

"That cat has nothing but care and love for humanity." A different follower noted, "How you get here cat?"

"I jumped here, as I always do." I purr and I am well aware of being at the crossing line between, "I love my humans and this one needs attention. To be looked after like any child should be."

"You're a celestial cat?"

"Hahaha, no. I am a cat. But I am also something else like a cat. Fickle in nature and often hunter types. We pride ourselves in protecting. I am the one and only of my kind to be more human about it all. You funny humans with ideas about good and evil; it is quite a joke among us." I snickering purr and loving over Jack, "I am not a god or a dweller of any other existence. I exist as a cat, no more and no less. In spite of my alterations while being here of all places."

"Please stop head butting me."

"I am leave my scent to tell others you are of my protective care. My little girl told you that I must stay for the day, so I will. But now that you been digging your grave to be here; I might as well watch over you play games." I snicker, "good and evil. No such things." I purr and paw his mouth to stop, "You humans made that up; it was always neutral before you lot came in."

"And what are you while being 'here'?" a follower asked.

"You could call me a nightmare, a dweller of such existence… but even nightmare's don't like my race. My race don't speak like me or you. My race only protects and preys over little folks trying to cross in wrong places."

"A type of damned?"

"Hahaha… a lost soul?" I ask in purring while they blink, "Ah, you don't know that secret. Oh well. Yes, I am part damned in some ways. But I am the only one of my race to be of such. I am not exactly a damned by your understanding or theirs for that matter." I pause to listen out around for approaching sounds, "Someone or something is coming little group of followers and little Jack."

"Cat's have sharp ears." The encounter agrees, "I came to take me of them."

"Oh, sir Death. The great grim himself. I honored to met you this time. I do have to speak on behalf of my race… but first. Duty." I see he took the eldest followers life and the corpse fall through to the land of the living, "very good. Was that it?"

"It would be but a group of living folks like you concerns me."

"I agree, living should not be crossing where the dead walk." I purr and Jack stood to face death, "You should not touch Death as a living person. It may cause some very strange things to you and you don't want that." Death agrees, "As I said, I must apologies on behalf of my race. I being the only words speaker of them and their guided god to them." Death is always a hard stranger to read emotions from, "Forgive those we slay and ourselves for being the murderers. As a race, we are place by universal laws to protect the grounds from those that want to misuse the powers of the area's we are protecting. We go for anyone innocent or not; as those are they types to make things worse for everyone else."

"You're a god slayer… am I correct?"

"A retired slayer. I am among the living and love humanity. But this doesn't change my knowledge and my soul's shape." I tell them and they are all confused, "Now I am cat and I am loved by my little human girl. I am only here because she made this man trade for a day, a confusing thing that humans say or do often."

"Unlike the rest of your kind, you're very talkative and well minded like a human." He guesses, "You're not even breaking any laws. I will leave you be as you are. Yet I am worried for this band of humans."

"Me too." I bowed and he left. I looked about the group, "The god of death, soul remover and honest speaker is a natural for this fella. Just like I was explaining it to you."

"Well that makes sense, death cares for only dying or passing souls."

"That true in a duty sense."

"Yet our gods are more one sided."

"because that are created from your one sided thoughts as humanity learns. You lot are a funny." I snickering purr and a wide lips up grin, "Toddlers of understanding."

They stop hiding around and looked around the place. They even crossed into natural living territory. Here where gods speak to followers. The follower fill around gifting the gods of things. gold items or food offerings.

Jack follows up to a god without a follower. There this prolong conversation of soul agreements being passed on and the god gifting him sight and symbol of faith. The now new follower gave the agree gifts to the god and this exchanging were formally finished. This them rolled into a causal conversation.

"You traded you dog for a day for this cat."

"I was trying to get her out of the isolation."

"By giving her a dog that eats cats."

"It's not a prefect plan."

"It already paid consiquences." I lower my head to the news… I am not there to protect the kitten or the other cat from that dog. That dogs likely ate one of them or both, "Lives have been taken." I even feel as I guess maybe me not being there meant her life too, "She was taken under a carriage by your dog. Both in death's hands." Jack teared up in shock, "I am sorry to be the barrier of news."

"I forgive you at least." I told the god and they looked at me, "Now I know and I have to tell the other two."

"Other two? Are you a celestial?" the god asked.

"No. I am a cat, nothing more at moment. I place not blame on you or Jack for the death of my little owner. I only dread the sorrow my fellow cats will think of her passing." I bowed, "I will take my leave, sorry for listening in you little conversations. I must go tell my other fellow cats the truth."

I hoped into shadows and faded away. I land on all fours at the laid corpse on the road. I howled at loss and cry to morn her. A voice that carriers to her soul that turned to see me, such a little girl hugged around me and I head but only air in greeting and tears. Lowered to her hand too, showing her she's not here anymore. She to cries but she doesn't regret it. The dog has already been marked and left to new life. Death was at pause to see her and see me. A small nod. I stopped howling and just gave my low nods back. Prayer…

"Time to go." She cries and leaves as spirit.

In real time, they cover her over and rolled her to be cleaned and buried. The dog picked up and carried by the passing elder; to bring the news to Jack about her and the dog. But it was Jack that comforted the old man and promised to look after use three cats she has left behind in life. She house gone through of possesions and turned into the bural cremation. I took the kitten from her corpse on the day they go do burn it all away; now this youth understood death in a new harsher way.

The other older cat followed me right up to jacks place, inside were he place dishes for all three of us to eat well. He picked up the few things from her place that was considered in need to look after us. The few folks around telling him about how to look after cats. Myself and the kitten settled easy in the new place but.. the older cat kept returning to the shell of our previous home. Maybe in memories and love or just helpless in that the home it always knew and can't leave it alone. That cat passed in sleep of the little misses arms. Months of finding a way in and died loving her.

The kitten was now a adult and fit well with sleeping around Jack and loving him. I needed more space and kept to my isolated ways. I found new watching points – got on well with route. I hop down to listen to him talking about random things and that occasional moment of wanting a good scratch.

"I need to find something, and I know you're not the average cat. I normally have my dog do this sort of thing, no lie." He sighed, "I am looking for this person." He poked a picture of a family and to a exact person, "I need him." I peered at the picture a while and know exact where to find him. Hop from my sitting spot and walked him through town. I would howl to grab attention and guide him around to the exact house, "Wow, I didn't know this place existed."

"Well, it doesn't on the living lands." I spoke and hop to his shoulder, "The realm of the living is full of these pocket like places. This alleyway through to a creepy dark house is one of them pocket forgotten spots."

"If then why would he be here?"

"He isn't alive anymore but does have a means of speaking to someone like you. Just have to… well… put up with a little scare to make them show." I jumped off him and hide and he looked around for me now. He jumped skin with a damned playing a game – which had them all step out from hiding. I were to the roof of the pouch, looking down on his approach, "See, his among them. He would help you if you say what you needed from him."

"Really? Like anyone of them would happen to know where a eye of chaos would be laying around?" there appeared behind him, the person his been looking for with the item he just asked about, "Lords…" he stepped back and forwards to the item, "I promise it will go back to gods it belonged to." The mass of damned have been released and walked over to the between for new life, "That was cool."

"It's a good thing. They must have been waiting in worry for this items return home where they could do it themselves." He placed this odd item carefully away and leaves. I hop on down and guide him out of here, "I guess you had a ghost sniffer dog… quite a meow…" My voice altered to my living ways, "meow." I hop to his shoulder and love him.

"The dog was a demon dog, I traded with a slice of cake. One of my friends in strange clothes; always asking for mundane things of trade." I peered blankly in thought of what he meant by that… be could mean the Clothus. But this early? No. it be some god or damned. Maybe… I meowed at him, "I wish I could understand what you meant by that." He huffed and walks is way back around to the temple, gave the offering over and left to the market.

Does trading for foods and essential needed things. He made me pick the fish today, purring that I knew this type of fishy was loved by our little left at home. Walking up towards home, our little friend was sitting in one my watching spots for us. I purr in greeting and spoken cat about the fish.

We both hop into the house once the door opened; the only thing was that we weren't the only three beings here. The normal cat goes to his normal spots unaware of the truth. I was more cautious, hopping to the kitchen counter, eyeing them folks around the dinner table. Jack's puts things to the counter but got on with making tea and plating cakes.

"Here for some advice?" he echoed and the group of strangers looked over their shoulders to us. My tail twitched as I eye them, "You will need someone like me for anything or just like my house for a reason."

"You're often a nice host, that's all. You know your way around the living and we don't." I jumped through on and sat at the table. Pawed at plates as they were being placed; pretending to play games. Attacking a plain biscuit on a plate, sliding it across the table. No claws.

"I thought you hated cats."

"A good friend of mine passed away, she was killed by the dog's choose of running into a carriage." I stopped pawing the biscuit for a moment and twitched my tail a few times… the long silence and I continue pawing about, "There were three… one passed recently. These two have been nice… not the typical cat I thought they would be. Like Tessy here, that one was special to her and now I fully get why." He takes a empty seat, "Tessy, you would kindly help out the stuff away." I blinked and tilt. My tail twitched about this lot and even narrowed about it, "I know, but they aren't going to do anything." I huffed and jumped down to land on the counter from the shadows.

I dragged things around, mouth or tail. I even plates a few fishy for my fellow kitty to enjoy. My purr echoes and is met with the kitten boy jump to the counter to enjoy it. Bunting in thanks, my mend in happy to see this one happy. Loudly purring.

"I don't think we would be able to find this person around here. Nose of your dogs gone." I stop purring and jumped out of no where to smell the material being offered and paw at how it felt, I even howled about it.

"You know where?" I was asked by Jack and I purr in reply, "Of course you do." He sighed, "That you are a clever Tessy. I should rename you Nessy, the lock ness monster." I purr and pawed his chin and wipe all over him, "Please stop." I laid around his arms.

"that's not a cat then."

"They are a cat among the living here… it's their crossing over that changes them." I am pet a few times and I purr about it and enjoy it, "they aren't for trade neither of them. They live here and so taking them from here breaks law." I nod in agreement and that off set the group around, "the other is a normal cat, no change about it."

There was a small few that snarled and I wasn't going to have any of that. I jumped on their shoulder brushed a ear or cheek… spooking them to stop. Jumped back to lay around Jack's arms.

"That cat is a ghost toucher." Jack continued, "Always spooking folks like you when you do something threatening… I would not continue as Tessy is protective and territorial." They chilled, "You want to find that person? What are you expecting to find?"

"Them, dead or alive." I get the look from Jack of asking to help, a flatten my ears in being unsure about these ghost faces. I can't really say that they were anything but chill ice cloud in human figure.

Things here in visitation doing have form or physical presents. Just the change of the air around them. The cake or tea that disappears, lifting cups without explainable force… as if they were sitting here. Yet they are not. My tilt about them and twitching tail with trying to understand them. Lower ears paired in the narrow eyes glaring about things moving.

"You think that they are bad?" I am asked and I tilt with being unsure, "They aren't demons. They are a version of us but from another side. Sort like our negative prints." I lifted a ear to hear, "They don't have a name of race, as their realm only has them. Unlike here, we have humans and creatures like animals, bugs, fish etc." I looked up to Jack and brush his chin, "mmm, stop please." I looked at the group around and tilt around with looking at them, "I bet you understand when you see them over the crossing." I purred with that agreeing statement. I turned all silent and looked about them, "Is it alright if I leave you to guide them while I stay here and spend time with Echo?" I purr and stood up and walked over to look at each clouded figure. I study their body language about me; not to happy, "Make sure you get home safe and I promise I will be alright." I nod and he left the table to go do normal human things and sit at the center of the table purring at the group. Slow blinking to each. A hand goes to grab and my tail snapped at them. They pouted about being nipped like that.

"We should be heading off… you show us the way to find this person." The Clothus lifted in meaning. I nod and jumped down from the table, to the front door. One of them follows quick to open the door. The group sighed and slowly lifted in following. Some complained about me.

"Follow the cat folks, we just have to trust the follower of wisdom." I danced and wipe the door as they walked out… I hop to a shoulder, brushed a random one and jumped with directing. I watched the roads before crossing. I hop to higher and easer to follow sight places. I howled at the alley crossing that leads through a pocket place. They walked through and altered to be more solid now, walking thin figures with interesting mask faces.

"You're fellow friend you asked for has been seen around this little bar for folks like you." I finally spoken in a gentle purr, "Come this way to the bar, you folks are always around here." They snarled with freezing at me, "Oh, a group of strangers snarling at a cat. You're nothing original." I hop on over to the window and howled. Someone opened the door, "Thanks for opening it for me."

"No problem, Tess." I hope through, "A group of folks looked for someone?" I nod to the servant demon that helps run the bar, "Yeah, there one them that hasn't left for a while. Not dead but just refuses to leave." I pointed to them. I jumped from shadow to shadow; landing up beside them and give them a smell. Tail poked them and it startled them awake, muttering darkly.

The group of folks are directed around this drunk and get him all picked up. They go carry him off back home. I danced with my farewell, hop down to follow the group of where they go.

"We go back to your home now." I nod, "So you can talk?"

"Only with I cross over. In the land of the living, I am only a cat with human thought. Here in a bridge between or even in the full afterlife; I speak. I guide you back safe, follow me or my howls." I hop on passing them and walked in making them follow.

I howl few time to time; even when I turn corners. They were good to follow; all the way back home. One of them opened the door and I purr in greeting Echo with being home. I even brought back a fishy treat and gave it too him and he purred and head buts me. Gives a little kissy. In cat, asked about Jack's and Echo shows he went to bed.

I go sort out the invisible folks and tell Echo to go back to bed too. The living are at rest and so too was I when watching the dinner table from a high shelving. Originally glared down at them, now at resting lightly. Ear perking at the sounds that folks would be making. The long night draw to a early morning; Jacks having woke me up with his muttering to the folks still here.

"Tess always talks in the cross over. There is a lot of little pocket places around and Tess is good at finding them." I sighed with waking up – long stretch and hopping down to someone's shoulder. Give a little look around, "I can see Tess moving… Echo will have to go to a neighbor." That's very true.. Echo belong to this village at the top of the little isle we call home, "Ah, Tess. Good morning. You're really need to get off their shoulder." I peered about this person I am sitting on, give them a little greeting and hop down to the floor. Walked on over to have breakfast, have a cat talk to Echo. Echo understands more of what is going on and loves the idea of living here and already loves the neighbors little children. As Echo as always clung around there in spare time, I made since that Echo knew to go live there. I gave my kiss to the child I watched grow up and helped drag what was his to his new home.

The prolonged talking between us cats had over stated whatever the folks around us were talking about. There was a sudden day where Jack had not been present, long after the crossing vieled guests had left. I want to call it about a month that strangers were coming around this old place and packing away furniture. I hitched my ride to this new place one the back of a carrage, the three to last of everything going away.

The army of people unpacking it and running around to orginize everything. There ran spirits of elements around here, snickering about the new arrivals. The big talk being Jack's as that all they have seen of this far. I played hide from everything as the furniture was being places.

"Did a cat hop in to any of the carriage?" I heard, "I haven't see them since the furniture was being taken out." I peered at Jack in hand with a lady hook around his arm… talking to lower servant types.

"There was a cat and it ran off somewhere here when the carriage stopped." A servant bows in their greeting, "Would you need us to look around?"

"No… someone put a fish out on a dinner table. Someone tell me if the cat takes it."

"Ah, so worried for me." I spoke and hop to his shoulder and greeting him as always, "I am a good hunter myself you know?"

"Tess!" I am picked up and inspected, "You talk here."

"Yes, this place is full of strange powers… allows me to speak as I please. I am ok. You mustn't worry." I paw his lip, "I was mostly helping Echo settle next door during the packing; But with them having such bright children, Echo felt at home."

"Echo?" the lady asked.

"The normal cat that lived there. This Tess, the not normal of the two…" I am cradled and show to the lady, "Tess, this is the new land lady and is allowing us to stay here on condition we help with the strange powers issues."

"Ah. It this strange flux of powers a new thing then?" I asked.

"You're really a fast acting cat." She giggled, "No, it always been like this. But it's the new visitors I am worried about. We always had the elemental spirts live along side us here and the visit from the few goddesses of life and nature. It the more creepy one I am worried for."

"Creepy huh… I have a little run around and try to talk to them."

"Tess, don't get yourself in any danger now."

"Oh please, I could pin a demon anytime I want. The creepy folks are averagely street standers… harmless folks in those sorts of ways. But being here must mean a change of some unseen ways. Omen prehaps… not always bad. Think of some as the natrual tricky fey – they are there to either help or be mysterious. But you be careful too; they are good at scaring folks. It's their way of life to scared people. The should never do anything of physical harm. They would only reach out to you prevent something or be trick at their own games. Whom knows until one talks." I hummed, "That harsh reality of that is, they are a mute race. They don't talk unless they had to."

"Well aren't you knowledgeable."

"Hanging around the streets makes me talk to the few noble types; they explain things to folks like you and me. Often broad in how they explain it… but every creeper is different so broad is the only way." I hop out of arms and side on a banister, "As for you elementals, they are new to me. I have to get used to their sociable ways. They are gossiper makers so I have heard."

"Tess, you should worry about no upsetting them."

"I promise to be kind, I don't want to disturb any balance here." I walked around the pole a few times, gave a bow and walked around one last time to disappear.

"And off Tess goes with disappearing like a weirdo. I don't know how that cat does it." The lady looked around for where I may had disappeared from here. But I were at a window sill at the top of the large stair case. My paws and nose at the salt protecting the place this become very common at every door and window facing outside the place. Internal ways are kept clean and fresh; the elemental folks do their part to keep it all lovely. I pouted with thinking that there might be a chance that I could be locked out from this place if I were to leave during the wrong times… I have to watch where the servants walk and use them as my way in and out.

I openly had a proper bath by the servants of the house and were brushed and fluffed up. A was told to wear a protective collar, so I may not be rudely mistake for a outsider by the elemental fey.

I understood my status as a outsider creature to the fey. They don't like me, in spite of my talking and my care with them. A sort of truce and trust; I bow to respect them and they share this nod the same. I help in minor things they can't and they open doors for me. A give and take deal. I don't touch or mess with the flower arraignments and I ensure the salt lines of every strangely high windows to be same as always salted. But all this salt is making feel off, so I been avoiding those windows in times of rest. Only there to check them and leave them be.

As for the creepers issues, they are servants that once lived here and have wanted to return items of inform folks of something that happened when they died here. I gladly was able to help be a translator or to put things away to where they belonged. Many were gone from these little acts of kindness. The more scary one's weren't servants… they are in fact the real nightmare dwellers. They are here as what they always are for. To scared folks for a living… a sort of strange need for scary things to be reminds of terrible things. There is one nightmare here that only bothers the fey; as it here to be their reminder. With Jack moving in, so to did the nightmare beings for him. I talk to mine… they do a good job at reminding me and we have a truce too. The one loves making illusions of things drop near me, making me jump to the ceiling in a fright… other then that. I understood and get over.

"There been a decrease of creepers since you moved here, Cat Tess." A flame fey hung around my side as I walked a empty corridor, "This area is often forbidden by anyone… even us fey."

"Forbidden by whom?" I asked and they stop as a salt line across the floor… I crossed back to listen.

"The lady and the gods say a dark thing is locked around here. They can't work out what to do about them." I nod understanding, "It larger cloud black mass and echoes terrible whimpering cries. Everyone doesn't like it and those that use to belong over there are gone now. Like they been taken."

"I see. I will avoid there today." I go back the way I came and look back to this cloud mass watching us, "I will return with maybe a few offers and see if I could speak to it. Come to understand what is the issue maybe." It has red eyes the glared, "I could help them move on or see if living arraignments could be better for us all."

"I don't like it." The fey commented, "they seem like cold… and stillness."

"I believe maybe you just can't hear them or understand them. It maybe that they are harmless and mean well… and maybe have strange practices that could be misunderstood. I have met may that are described as you just done so… from the grim reaper himself to those lost people. Demons sometimes. There them odd other realm dwellers we are only now contacting with. This figure maybe just another we have to greet open minded and with care."

"Hmmm… you are a strange cat."

"Hahaha… the truth is weird. I also I am a living cat here on the living lands. I am something else over the crossing lines… something that others fear. I don't blame anyone that looks at my other me in such terror. I would be scared too. Unlike my race, I love humans and believe in the many things as if a human."

"Ok. You promise not to at anyone of us."

"As long as you don't attack every time. I am patient and understand that most times is a reaction but as long as you calm down… I will be able to help you. If you don't I leave without my help. I promise to eat things that speak to me as a equal. I have understanding of respecting those with titles such as gods and rulers of realms. A share of respect."

"I see, I make sure that anyone else of our kind understand this."

"Good." I looked around at how this back room section is all salted off, "You must really fear this stranger. I feel bad for them… they must be lonely and sad to be locked up like this." The red eyes hovering a far door frame watching me. The fey runs off back to the lighter part and to safety. I take a seat and stare at the dark, "When I come back, would you like anything in particular? Tea and cakes? A bowl of soup? A book? Puzzles?" it glared darkly with how I was being direct, "glaring at me isn't really answering anything mist." It backed off from knowing I see it, "I just want to understand and see what can do. It's wrong to lock away a child that doesn't understand." It formed into a mimick of me, "Ah, there we go." I reflective of my actions, "Learning are we?" I stood and do a twirl and sit down. It mocks this, "Mmm… maybe some simple books to do through together, learn to speak." It has this pretending impression of acting clueless, "Or maybe you do know and your playing games. Still a child." It turned into a human and a full formed one at that… sits to eye level.

"I am locked here and you're a clever thing. I hoped to fool you but you to clever for that." Trying to tempt my ego, "Bet a cat like you knows about how to move salt."

"I am not doing that yet. We learn what to do with you…"

"What if I told you I could leave."

"So could I. Anytime I wanted, without help. I bet you can too. I bet the salt isn't the only thing that makes you not cross it. A mist like you wants something to posses and your attempts have failed. Now you have scared away all potential… except me. But I am not a toy to be taken over. You need a more empty thing with a shell for that."

"Oh, and where to get that?"

"Mmm… I am not fetching you anything like that." I stood and shook off the evading senses and even bit them. They backed away hurt by me, "I will be back before you die from that. Unless of course you're a me… then I have to be more drastic."

"A you?" the looked at the hand I bit, "Your not cat."

"No. Not when I have crossed over." I walked away from this area and find my way to the main building hop to the banister and watched folks run around cleaning or what have you.

"Tess!" I heard and I hop to the stairs and wonder over to a main speaking living area, "Tessy! I have fish!" I hop to a small table, up a draws crossed through shadow to the fireplace mantle and gave my howl, "Ah, Tess. Where have you been? Oh, the folks here aren't used to you." I nod getting that and purr, offered the fish, "But serious. Where?"

"The back rooms, talking to the mist you have locked there. I may have bit it in a snap with it." The news made the lady run into the room, "Mm, I were just trying to understand what a mist strange thing was doing being locked up for. I finally got why, but still a strange thing. I do have to check if they aren't dead later."

"Not dead? From bite?"

"Yes, I can kill a lot of things with my bite. I may fool you in what I am currently as a living soul… but one I cross over; I am more… well. I can seem dangerous but I do love looking after little humans like you folks." I purr and crunch away at the bones of the fish and purr prolonged with this yummy treat.

"Anyways, other then talking to the possessive cruse demon; where else have you been?"

"Wondering the house, I stay indoors these days. I am afraid of being locked outside."

"Ah, that explains that." Jack's voiced, "One of your fears keeps clawing the back door."

"Ugh, I have a word with them later… after checking if I killed thing as you put 'possessive curse demon'. It's a very painful death, you know. Poison is a terrible way." The folks all glared at me, "Other then my nightmare of being locked out clawing the door, the demon mist being a pest and there being total stranger sitting here… is there anything else?"

"Ah, these folks need you hunting people skills." The lady picked me up from the fireplace and to the coffee table facing some god followers, "they need this thing or being." I am showed a damned.

"Ok, why?" I ask, "They are mute after all and often creepy selfish."

"Huh, I thought that there was only one."

"Might be. I have never got a reply, only a few shrugs and coin."

"Really? A coin?"

"Yes my coin." I stood, have a twirl and laid down comfortable in a tight bun… feet tucked under, "They or it is named by other societies as several things. Commonly the silence dolls or shadows of the damned. Such names are of unknown reasons other then it how to best describe the encounter of a good one."

"and bad encounters?"

"scare the living daylights out of you in some nightmare manner. It why the nightmare types hate them; job stealing according to them."

"What?"

"Nightmares have a duty to remind folks of things. They have these dolls in competition of salary pay in their eyes."

"The more you learn from a not cat."

"My name currently is Tessy. I am a living cat, thank you. If I were to leave away from such strange powers, I would be nothing more but a cat. Back to my meowing at you." The oddity is that meowing was 'words' in cat tongue, "What you need one of the mutes for anyways? You have the fey to take you across or help you."

"Not to hell."

"Hell… why does living folks what go to that? There is many hell, many versions. You're way to board in say that. Like this is the land of the living; but this is the veil of unseeing, the isle of magic workers… see. Details are the devils work."

"Ugh, I see. So what if we need one of these to cross to hell to give a god demon a item back."

"Oh, what shiny is it?"

"A chair?"

"Oh, chair with sparky pain about it?"

"How do you know?"

"See, not all things look like they should on the surface… I can have that chair delivered." I purr, "I bet they expect it and would send a few demons too." They pointed behind me, "Ah, see. They know where to cross without the hocu pocus." I sit up and glared at them a while… they frown faces being a little too blank, "Oh, you dealing with the faceless god named the stranger." I look back to the follower that nods, "Ah, makes more sense. Yes, I would be scared to cross that way too. But I have a way."

I hop down and up to the chair they are delivering, I paw about it in many places and jump off with seeing it a live working chair at the moment.

"Damn, I could fry the cat."

"Fry me? I would have snapped your neck in reaction." I tell the gloom, "You want your chair or not."

"Mmmm… fine." The chair faded with the demons. That problem sorted. I hop around to the table have another fishy and jumped shadow to be back in the corridor of the pocesive demon. There it is leaned as it were when I left but it isn't as well from before.

"You want me to cure you?" I asked and it jumped so much in crawled backwards away from me, "I am impressed you lived this long from such a small dosage. My full jaws and bite kills gods, you know."

It hissed and frozen with looking at folks coming over to find me talking to it.

"Wow, I didn't know you can have a body of our own." The lady huffed and was prevented from crossing to it by the fey. They beg her not to cross the three salt lines at the edge there.

"That is a illusion body, the real body is mist and dust. Clumping it together and then acid attacking the clumps is that of poison for it." It hissed interrupting me and I sigh, "Look I am offering to help you. I bite you because you were poking about me senses and I didn't like that. I bite as a reaction to have you off me, a reflex if you will understand. You can't go poking peoples senses like that, there are sensitive types like me. Them mute puppets are like that too. I learn that like you have now. Taught me a thing or two."

"I want to be free."

"And you were muttering about how you could at anything."

"I want to be among here."

"There are laws you know, even a thing like me must follow those laws. Someone go breaking it and there will be to many dead among the living. It takes a idiot like you to ruin it of the rest of us."

"I want freedom."

"You keep saying that and not saying that you want to be healed. I want your word that you don't poke at me again or posses me. I will help if you give me that promise. I will hold you to it or leave you dead. I have a grim come collect you."

"No the grim!" the thing slammed into a wall forgetting it can't… out cold or pretending to be. Give the breathing… it's pretending.

"I have to fetch a grim then." I voiced very loudly, "Oh grim!"

"No." it flees to another room.

"See, this what you call a demon is a child. It misunderstands things and locking it away hasn't educated what is good and bad." I tell the living folks, "I say, we help it for now." I looked to them frowning at the seen and turn to the glowing eyes glaring at me from a new room, "Maybe we teach you a few rules and then you can patter about like a fey." The thing hissed, "Or creep out like a nightmare?" it scrabbled about that, "mmm, a doll?" I continue to see it run into another wall, "I just want to know the motive here, child! Why here? What is your purpose in life? And are you really sure that want to hang around the strange practice of living humans. They do all sorts like baths and the sleeping." It growls at a wall, "Now you just being weird."

"You can see it?" I looked to Jack standing at the salt.

"Yes, but don't cross over that salt. It want to take your bodies and play you like toy. It learned the hard way that I would be more a harm then the body worth. You folks are human, targets for this thing of misty sense playing body snatching what have you." I peered a look to how it was coughing up stuff, "I make my offer again!" I shouted over to it, "Want me to heal you and stop the poison or are you just going to be a child and die?" growls at me, "Stop being difficult. I am no where near you." It sits up looking around and see I been at this spot the whole time, "Are your nightmare playing up with you?" it hissed at the direction of the nightmares, "Do you want me to help you?"

It turned into a cat and limped over to the nearest door. I sneezed at it and that what all I needed to counter the poison on it.

"That was disgusting."

"Yes, but my spit the cure." I tell, "and I wasn't going to lick them better."

"Eww…" it complained.

"Better that you covered in spit then to be dying." I tell the demon, "Now, house rules. No possessing people and no under any chooses would you dare leave this house without anyone's permission. If you do, you have to bring me along or some else also suitable. You may live here under the lady's orders; she owns the place anyways. Have to make truce with the elemental fey folks and the nightmare things agreement." I am at pause, "I can fetch you a empty doll to have as a body. You can have that to posses."

"Really?"

"I am sure." This got it out of hiding and out to the open on show the the two normal people… whom throw holy ways, spoke prayers and attempted to summon it back to the realm it origined. Although it looked painful and sure seemed scary; it's soul went with peace and flowed to the path of reborn. There to start again.

They so had everyone else here, hands on deck to clean out the place of the corpses and bad smells… dusted cleaned and refurnished. The whole month had been taken to convert these back rooms into a guest dorm. Of which no one was to tell of the deaths that happened and that life has to move on. Here there was very little need or use of salt; I preferred living back here then the main sections of the house.

The salt not doing my living cat body any good of health… I am not a demon, it just the amount of salt around is enough to make any window plant ill, let alone a cat like me. Mould even avoids the substances.

"Tess, your asked for." Informed eventually by a fey sent to find me sleeping in the back rooms, "I wouldn't live back here."

"The protective salt in all the other places is making me ill." I tell the Fey, "Any normal living creature around that amount of salt on a daily bases is going to make it ill."

"The birds say that too, your not alone. We elementals find harm in the touch of it." I nod with allowing this flower fey ride my head as I walk my way over through the changing redecoration of the main house. This forsaken smell of fresh paint and thick chemicals; is making me worse feeling.

"You asked of me." I hop to a dinner table and bowed to all in greeting, "Long time no see."

"I can't believe your still alive." Jack's goes to pick my up and my tail swats the hands away, "Right, not cat."

"I still can become ill and still do I one day talk to death like a old place to take me too." The pout of that truth, "Beside my next life isn't going to be that surprising." I laid where I am and have a gander at the visitors, "What's a group god spooks in need of?" I see they all have there unpleased reaction to me, "Children, if you please. I am a old lady and I am not going to tolerate rude expressions."

"We looking for a title, a mask that had been stolen by a reptile of legend and disappeared with time. There is rumors that this reptile is among the living; since to lost gods saga." This reffered to a time where gods choose to get lost in the creation of the new living realm. Its why I to crossed over, "You know all the hidden back ways, you would happen to have any clue where a shapeshifting legend lizard is going to be."

"Lizard?" I voiced, "Do tell what sources state that?" they glare at me, "In any case, there a law you seemed to have glossed over."

"That the dead can't be among the living in a physical ways." Jack voiced, "What if it didn't need to with the back loops around here."

"There never existed a crossing for living to be among the dead until the code of follower began." I voiced and made this later dating seem more impossible, "Are you even sure that it crossed? It might be lost in some afterlife realm or whatever… I never heard or seen a lizard cross here to the land of the living. None of my trusted history book keepers have ever encountered this lizard." I sighed, "Also, you being very vague on the details of what this lizard is or was."

"It was a percussing god type whom has looped around many legends. You had always had mentions of snake, lizard or monster in holy text."

"Alright smart boy, try connecting them together and come back and tell me. This lizard whatever doesn't truly exist nor does this whatever title mask. I never came across any information about them before. Not directly linking them at least of any proper associations in fact."

"Well so were the first gods… then they got split into all the religions you know now."

"There you go, what is this lizard was split too." I state, "I am really just theorizing at this point; as I have no wise comments or knowledge of these subjects."

This larger group sits back prolonged in thought.

"The cat's right… there is lizards the do exist across many realms. Monsters that protect areas from each others. That eat anything."

"They are called Slayers among the afterlife." One silent smart mouth rings over them, "they all, as I mind read from them… have belief or trust on the one that guided them to their areas. They sort of have a religion of which trails the first every Slayer. A slayer that spoken words to each precuring god and helped shaped the ideas of those first ever faiths. It rolled in a snow ball until humanity crashed it to a brick wall. The later bible texts always mention a lizard because of this first slayer… the thief vault maker. Whom stole and soon later place items in accepting trail realms. Famous later for never returning or making aware of the first item stolen; the mask of soul's devastation. A cursed mask and title giver for the poor fool that makes the end like like kittens in a basket."

"You're a cursed family name, aren't you?" I voiced, "The only folks that know of that to that detail."

"And you talk like you knew more then I do."

"Well, existing among the living has been great and as always. I love humanity. Of all the trails that human makes for themselves; direct or not. Era's of time to come or had passed." I snickered, "Yet too see the raise again."

"Right, your not splitting any beans to why your not saying anything and there been a fact you would have pointed out in our rant here." This smart mouth stood and pointed a weapons towards me, "That lizards a shapeshifter."

"So it doesn't have to be a lizard anymore. Yes, that is true. However, were back to this law that does pose issue. How does a spirit among the realms beyond coexist as if among the living? I would have to be very old. A lot older then my current age. My sweet little owner before Jacky here raised me as a kitten. She was a human, no goddess in hiding. I too am a normal cat outside this manor, I wouldn't be talking if this manor was so full of spiritual flowing energy."

"I go on a limb to guess there you're a direct bloodline decadent of this lizard."

"Maybe but I had normal cat parents, so too were they and theirs. And theirs before. I am sure if I were a bloodline, I would had more then just my speech and strange thinking ways. Maybe a longer life."

This smarty sits down and huffed.

"Why are you all after this cursed mask anyways? If it exists and or not, why would you want it?"

"Oh, that a strange way of wording that."

"Yes, because this item your asking does have a history beyond existing time as you knew it. This mask has brought more then horror chaos and well… It's a strange cursed item that has it's own wishes. It picks whom to have it and not the people that want it. That of insanity must have been beyond salvation and bring fourth the nightmares that the four horse men fear. They whom are sacred for when they have done their duty that this next to take them is there to beheaded them too."

"Ek, Your not speaking in English anymore."

"No. That is what happens when the mask of end is spoken about." I have my voice returned out from the grave it dug, "A cursed item protected by three souls. First the soul of the slayer, the soul of the scythe that judges all and that the last soul – tortured human soul whom see all what they have done, in spite of timelines passing."

"Timelines? There been many restarts?"

"hahaha, yes little children. Maybe times have came and gone. It's all part of this system… a cycle. There can't be life without death. If there wasn't any of those two; then there is nothing. Even nothing is a something to have a word for it."

"cryptic weirdo."

"It does and doesn't exist. This masked curse. It's a title that exist to not." This fella got something very wrong about them and I stood up and stare all about them. Even down to their shadows flicker ways, "It was created as a foundation to build up from and not it lost is meaning…"

"Stop speaking." I warned them, "Unless you daring faith."

"I have no need to believe in fate."

"I said faith. Not fate."

"What difference does it make?"

"Many. Are you wanting them to scream at you for all of your existence?" I asked and that one dipped a little to far, "In any case, it doesn't matter anymore. Existences or not of this power. They only walk around or among when things go wrong or that they shout loud enough to awaken."

"What?"

"It always happened before and no history has changed from it, as they do as they exist to be. They exist to not. Erase and give them more a chance again. More like death then even death likes to thing it to be." I snicker, "Speaking of such god as Death, I know my time s coming to leave the living; I don't need reminding." My stare over to the grim reaper had moved this grim to peer deep at me, "There is a scythe locked away by your people, grim. When that scythe is free before the true fall of humanity; I would worry about which god screwed up."

"Aren't you a mouthy cat… with only one life."

"hahaha, yes. One life. I know and I have loved being here. Cherishing my time as a beloved pet; I miss them already." That scythe take strike and fails… but I have already done what needed without them, out my soul goes and dropped into the abyss of dying.

My shadow's strength had wrote my living name down, Tess. Dropped from standing and heard the loved ones call for me. The anger that I have evaded telling them anything more. I had prevented the downfall of humanity by preventing a god from being their precursor. Instead it is up to humanity to fall… as it was as it had been.