The Reaper's Apprentices #1: Awakened (4 page)

Linn held up her hand. “Apologies accepted, boys. Though I’m not sure what you were arguing about in the first place.”

“Clothes,” they both replied.

“Clothes?”

“In short, Grim Reaper Linn, they are being morons. It’s a pleasure to see you as always.” Sebastian bowed to her. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Actually, I came to see Yuka. I have something to tell her,” Grim Reaper Linn explained, turning to Yuka. “I need you to come with me. This is very important.”

“Can it wait?”

“I’m afraid not. We’ve thought about putting this off before but decided we can no longer do that. Please follow me so we can have a discussion.” She nodded at Sebastian. “I promise this will not take very long.”

Yuka turned to her master before following Grim Reaper Linn. Then Linn turned to the others. “Tessa, Kaska, Avani, you have to come as well.”

“What are we needed for, Grim Reaper Linn?” Tessa asked.

“You will see in a minute.” She nodded. “Today is a very exciting day for you.”

Kaska looked surprised. “How did you know I made the cheerleading team?”

“That’s not what I was talking about, though that is also exciting. Congratulations on that by the way. But what you’re going to hear will be even more amazing,” Grim Reaper Linn said. “It is the one thing that is going to change your life.”

“You managed to get me the Givenchy campaign!” Avani exclaimed. “Oh thank you, Grim Reaper Linn!”

“…that wasn’t what I was talking about either, Avani. This goes beyond cheerleading and campaigns. In fact, your very existence is what will save the world.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. I need the others with me first.” She motioned them to follow her. “You four stay behind. I’m sure they will tell you in any second what I’m about to tell them.”

“Oh, it’s that big.” Sebastian winked at them. “I wonder what it could be.”

“I have a feeling you know, master,” Yuka said.

“I might, I might not.” He shrugged. “Let’s just say that we have our hunches.”

“Uh-huh.” Adair nodded, not looking up. “We have
hunches
.”

“Follow Grim Reaper Linn. She knows just what it is
, and it will be revealed when you go inside,” Gideon said. “Now hurry up! She’s waiting for you!”

“Okay, okay, I’m going! I’m running as fast as I can with my wet nails!”

“You painted your nails before you came here?”

“What’s wrong with painting my nails?”

“You just leave marks behind, because they’re never dry. The piano has your nail polish on it!”

“Boys, if you can, hold off the arguments until they return,” Linn suggested. “Come on, girls. I don’t know how much longer I can hold in my excitement.”

“All right, lead the way,” Yuka said. One by one, they followed Linn inside the house and wondered just what the exciting news could be. The other demons watched them, waving as they walked by and whispering amongst themselves. But they kept walking, hoping that whatever happened, it would be good for them.

Chapter 3

Tartarus Sanctum was much bigger on the inside. As the girls walked through the halls, they looked up the stairs to where all the bedrooms were. Everyone had their own
room that was next to each other on the top floor. The bottom floor housed the dining room, two recreational rooms, a library, a meditation room, the kitchen, and a few other places to sit and relax. Paintings and pictures filled the walls, along with many statues made long ago. Some of the art was of a demonic nature but there were more whimsical and lighter subjects as well. The place was also oddly very well lit for a house of demons. If any human were to break the barrier and wander in, they would feel right at home. Nothing about it felt scary. Even the gardens looked like they had come straight from home and garden magazines.

The walk seemed to take a long time when they reached the end of the house. There were three doors that none of them had ever seen before. Very rarely did anyone venture this far. It usually did not mean good news for any who did. Rumor had it that ghosts haunted the back rooms or that the rooms were lost tombs where skeletons had been laid to rest and never found. While no one really believed those things, they couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable looking at this place. “It’s in here,” Linn said, opening the door to the secret room. No one ever liked this room because rumor had it that this was where demons were tortured. While there had never proof of this torture, it was enough to keep anyone away.

“What’s going on?” Tessa asked. “Are we in trouble?”

“Hello, girls. I’m glad that you’re all here. Please have a seat.” Grim Reaper Olana greeted them while pointing to some mats on the floor. “And no, nobody is in trouble. I promise this will take very little time. We’ve been meeting with many demons lately. This is just a test. There’s no right or wrong answer here. Just be as honest as you can.”

Yuka sat down on the floor. “So what is this test? I didn’t study for any kind of test today.”

“Relax. This isn’t a test you needed to study for. We’re just going to show you some pictures and ask you some questions,” Grim Reaper Linn said. “It won’t be hard, and you’ll simply answer in the best way you can. As soon as you’re all seated, we’ll begin.”

The girls were still confused by this, but did as they were told and sat down on the mats. The dim lighting and closed doors meant that this was something only they needed to know. Their predecessors sat across from them with papers and a few other things by their side.

“All right, we’re going to start with a little visual test here. Just relax, take a deep breath, and answer truthfully. Now look at this drawing. What do you see here?” Grim Reaper Salvador asked, showing them a piece of paper. . “And how many do you see?” There were several small drawings on the paper

Tessa squinted at it. “There are thirty drawings there, Grim Reaper Salvador.”

“Are you certain about that?” Grim Reaper Odom asked.

“Yeah, I count thirty too,” Avani agreed.

“So do I,” Yuka said.

Kaska finished counting before nodding. “Thirty drawings. I think that’s our answer.”

“Interesting.” Grim Reaper Olana rubbed her chin. “You’re the only ones who said there were thirty drawings on this piece of paper...”

“Well, aren’t there?” Yuka asked.

“Yes, there are thirty drawings. But to any other apprentice, there would be only twenty-six.  The remaining four are only visible to the four Guardians of the Underworld. Those four are…”

“A ring, a locket, a rose, and a goblet,” Kaska interrupted. “What does that mean?”

“You know!” Linn gasped. “We never told you about the importance of those objects either! You wouldn’t be able to know if you weren’t…” She looked at the others who were shocked but hiding their expressions better. “I am not going crazy, am I? They are…”

“I believe so. There’s no other way they can know,” Odom said.

“Know what?” Tessa asked, still not sure where all this was leading. “Did we do something wrong?”

“On the contrary, you said everything we expected you to say. We had been thinking about it for a while, but this confirms our suspicions. You are exactly what we thought you would be.”

“And what is that?”

“You are the next guardians of the Underworld,” Olana said. There was silence and stunned stairs all over the place. “Are you surprised by this?”

“How does seeing thirty pictures make us the next guardians of the Underworld?” Avani asked.

“It’s because these pictures are special.” Odom nodded. “Only the four guardians would be able to know that and see them. These items are special because they belong to four of our Underworlds rivers: Lethe, Acheron, Cocytus, and Phlegethon. Do you remember the story we told you a long time ago?

“About the siblings who tempted fate and became the rivers of the Underworld? You might have told us that once or twice,” Kaska said sarcastically. “I know those items belonged to the siblings, but I thought that was a fairytale. I didn’t know they existed.”

“Well, we never said they existed. Their
items
exist,” Olana said. “And those items will rightfully be yours someday, as will all of the Underworld. By the time Avani is forty, you will be able claim it and all the souls that live there. You will be Death, ready to take souls and lives.”

“Nothing for Styx is here,” Yuka said, noting the longest river in their Underworld. “There’s nothing for Eridanos or Alpheus either.”

“The item of Styx remains a mystery to all. The same goes for the other two. Their powers aren’t easy to obtain and not everyone can master them,” Grim Reaper Linn said. “But that is something we will get to when the time comes. This, I think, is proof enough that you are our successors. We have determined your lines from this box.” She showed them a jeweled box that also had several items in it.

“These are items that come from Grim Reapers of the past. We asked you to pick three of them. Anyone who picked three items that belonged to one single demon was that demon’s successor. Yuka, the day you took out all of Sebastian’s things made me realize you belonged to us. No one else has done this. No one else but a successor would do this. The same goes for the rest of you. You are in my line. You follow Sebastian, myself, Grim Reaper Taya, and so forth.”

“So you know this for a fact?” Yuka asked. “You are certain that it’s not someone else, Grim Reaper Linn?”

Lynn nodded, and then added, “Positive. A piece of all of our souls are in you girls. We made sure that everything lined up before we told you. I know it’s a little early to tell you and Avani, but you’re so close with the others that we felt you could handle it.”

“I still think it might have been too early,” Salvador said. “We could have waited two years.”

“I feel like they are mature enough to understand and handle the responsibilities laid out before them,” Odom said. “The Master has said so as well. If the girls themselves think they are ready, then I say we should get started.”

“Get started with what, Grim Reaper Odom?” Tessa asked.

“Your training! To be a Grim Reaper, you need to know and understand the Underworld very well. You need to be able to balance this world and that one. More importantly, you should know what the Underworld and five rivers are made of. They will be under your control, after all. You need to know their powers, including how to keep them from ever stopping flowing. If they stop, the world will fall into chaos. You must never let that happen.”

“Yes, Grim Reaper Odom.” Kaska bowed to him. “I promise I’ll work hard.”

“Me too,” Avani agreed.

“Same here,” Tessa chimed in with a bow.

“So will I,” Yuka added. They all bowed in unison again.

“I know you won’t disappoint us,” Olana said. “It’s not us that I’m worried about anyway. Ever since demons have been spotted by humans, they’re becoming more wary. Groups of demon slayers are slowly growing. I can’t remember how many demon slaying organizations are out there now, but you all need to keep an eye open and not trust any humans with your secrets.”

“We rarely interact with humans anymore, Grim Reaper Olana,” Avani said. “I don’t even talk to any of the girls that are in the shows or campaigns with me. Just a simple ‘hi’ or whatever. I never get into what my life is about.”

“And that’s good. You don’t know which models are humans and which ones aren’t. For your sake, it’s best to keep such things secret.” She looked behind Avani at the clock on the wall. “Well, I think we have taken up enough of your time. You should go and share this news with your masters. They had a hunch, but this will make everything official.”

“So our masters are going to teach us everything?”

“It’s usually how these things go.” Salvador nodded. “Normally I wouldn’t get you started on your training so early, but the guys want to get some stuff done before they go the Underworld. Plus you feel closer to them over anyone else. I was wondering why, but now it makes sense. The Chosen Guardians know their own. Their souls are in you, as are ours and every Grim Reaper prior to us. You are part of history now. You will go down in demonic history.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that…”

“It seems overwhelming but trust me; it’s going to get better. As the days go by, you’re going to get used to all of this.”

“Yeah but everything’s changed now,” Kaska said. “I’m not just Kaska anymore. I get a title now. More than that, my life is going to be over quicker than I thought.”

“You’re not going to die, Kaska,” Odom said. “Just relax and let your masters help you harness these powers. I guarantee it will make more sense as time goes by.” 

“How long is it going to take?” Avani asked. “When will we know that we’re ready to be Grim Reapers?”

“It varies.” Olana nodded. “Some realize it very quickly. Others take their time. But when you know, you will know. That’s all I can say about that really.”

She knew that Olana couldn’t explain the feeling, but it still left her disappointed. “I guess we’re just going to see where all of this leads.”

“That would be a good idea,” Odom agreed. “Now you go off and tell your masters, though I’m sure they’ve already figured this out, they would probably like some confirmation.”

“Yeah, I guess we can tell them.” Yuka got up. “Thank you. We’ll let them know what happened.”

“Take care of yourselves, girls. Don’t try anything reckless.”

“Or try anything at all,” Tessa muttered.

Salvador heard her. “I know it doesn’t sound like much fun right now. You’re still young. You just learned the truth today. Training will take a lot out of you. There will be a lot that you won’t understand, but your masters will be right there with you. They will be your guides and show you what all your powers can do.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make us any less nervous,” Kaska said. “I don’t know if I like the idea of leaving everyone and everything I love behind. I don’t know if I can be a guardian or take care of the Underworld. I’m just a girl.”

“So you think,” Odom said. “Remember, girls, every single Guardian was once just a boy or girl. They didn’t get their powers overnight. In fact, they worked hard to be well-known and respected. Only then did they realize they belonged to the Underworld. Give it a few more years and you’ll see what I mean.”

I don’t know if I can.
Kaska thought, but didn’t say out loud. The girls bowed once more before the Grim Reapers allowed them to leave. As they were walking out, Linn turned to the other three Reapers with questions.

“Do you think we’re moving too fast? We usually don’t tell anyone the truth until they are at least sixteen years old. Sure, it’s right to tell Kaska and Tessa, but Avani and Yuka are only fourteen. This is a lot to take in.”

“I realize that, but I think they can handle it. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling it’s better to tell them altogether than separately,” Olana said. “They’re always hanging with the same crowds, so the word would have spread to them soon anyways. We might as well save them the trouble of finding out from other sources.”