Reaper of Souls: A fantasy short story Read online

  Dylan-creature tapped his tail to the Twinkie box on the counter.

  “All gone,” she informed him.

  He made a sound similar to a horrified gasp.

  “I’ll get more tomorrow,” she insisted.

  The creature moved toward the Twinkie box and pushed it around with its tail while attempting to peek inside.

  †

  Dylan’s bedroom had been cleaned after the incident but otherwise remained untouched. His bed was made and the room had been preserved as it was prior to the attack. Dylan-creature scurried into the room and leaped onto the bed. Reggie followed him into the room and was surprised to see him already on the bed. She was having a tough time keeping track of his fast movements.

  “Something in here might tell me what happened to you. I need you to help--”

  Reggie looked toward the bed. Dylan-creature burrowed his way beneath the covers, circled beneath the sheets, and then poked his head out enough to rest on the pillow. He took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and immediately fell asleep. Reggie stared a moment longer then smiled.

  “Well, maybe it is getting late.”

  As she watched, Dylan-creature twitched and took several, labored breaths, as if indicating he had been through hell the last couple of weeks. Reggie stared a moment longer, fought her tears, and then offered a smile to the sleeping creature.

  “Good night, Dylan.”

  The following morning, Reggie entered Dylan’s bedroom and approached the peacefully sleeping creature still beneath the sheets.

  “Come on, Dylan. Time to get up,” she informed him. “We have answers to find.”

  The creature opened one eye, glared at her, and snarled. His long tail appeared and flipped the pillow over his head. Reggie stared with some surprise then laughed.

  “Well, I see some things never change,” she scoffed. “I’ll give you another hour.”

  Dylan-creature was still fast asleep when Reggie returned that evening. She stood over the bed and watched the sleeping creature.

  “You must have been be exhausted,” she said sadly. “Come on, Dylan. Time to get up.” Reggie revealed a plate of Twinkies. “I have Twinkies.”

  Dylan-creature suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the plate of Twinkies, and leaped out from under the covers. Reggie set the plate on the bed. He immediately devoured the Twinkies. She approached the closet door and opened it.

  “As good a place as any to start.”

  Reggie routed through the closet and dresser drawers over the next hour. Boxes lie scattered across the floor. Dylan-creature lie on the bed with his head hanging over the side and watched her while she routed through items. His tail occasionally poked her in the side just for laughs. She cried out each time and batted at his tail. Reggie tossed the last box aside and groaned with disgust.

  “This is hopeless.” She looked at the creature. “We’ve played charades before. Isn’t there any way for you to communicate what happened that night?”

  Dylan-creature rolled playfully onto his back with all four legs in the air and swished his tail. He appeared to be playing dead. Reggie groaned lowly.

  “You’re absolutely no help, Dylan.”

  He turned his head to look at her and playfully snarled with his teeth bared. Reggie frowned and shook her head. She straightened her legs and kicked something just beneath the bed. She pulled her legs back, reached under the bed, and removed an old leather-bound book. Dylan-creature suddenly sprang to his feet and whipped the book from her hands with his tail. The book flew across the room and struck the opposing wall near the closet. Reggie stared at him with surprise.

  “That certainly struck a nerve.”

  She stood and headed across the room. Dylan-creature leaped from the bed, scurried past her, and picked the book up in his mouth. He attempted to crawl up the wall to escape with it. Reggie grabbed the book and tried to pull it from him. He snarled and pulled on the book with his teeth while hanging from the wall. Reggie pulled back with all her weight. Dylan-creature whipped his tail and knocked her feet out from under her. She fell onto her backside. He scurried along the ceiling with the book in his mouth.

  “Dylan, come back here with that!”

  He scurried along the ceiling for the open bedroom door. Reggie slid across the floor and kicked the door shut. Dylan-creature struck the closed door, appeared dazed, and fell from the ceiling with a thud. She grabbed the book and backed away from him.

  “I’m trying to help you. What’s the matter with you?” she demanded then reconsidered. “Well, besides the obvious.”

  Dylan-creature flipped over and onto his feet, stared at her, and snarled. His tail pivoted over his body in what appeared to be an attack stance. He whipped his tail for the book. Reggie cried out with surprise and leaped out of its path.

  “Stop this!”

  Reggie opened the book. A brilliant flash of light flew out of the book. She cried out and dropped it. Dylan-creature wailed and darted under the bed. Reggie was slightly stunned, hesitated, and then looked across the room. A handsome, well-dressed man, Kahn, stood only a few feet from the book. His attire suggested great wealth, possibly royalty, and nothing from this world. She stared at him with surprise. He shared her surprise then smiled.

  “Well now, this is a pleasant surprise,” Kahn said.

  Reggie kept her distance and continued to stare at him. “Who are you?” she demanded. “How did you get in here?”

  Kahn maintained his charming smile and casually paced the room. “My name is Kahn, and I’m a Rottiwelt.”

  “A what?”

  He chuckled. “A sorcerer of sorts.”

  Reggie continued to stare at him and remained uncertain. “A sorcerer?” she questioned. “Why are you here?”

  “You invited me.”

  “I don’t think so,” she protested. “I just opened that book.”

  “Same difference.”

  Kahn uncertainly looked around the room, appeared curious, and then waved a finger toward the bed. The bed suddenly slid across the floor to the opposing wall and exposed Dylan-creature hiding beneath it. Dylan-creature squealed and scurried back toward the bed. Kahn pointed his finger at the creature.

  “Not so fast.”

  Dylan-creature was captured in an invisible bubble. He attempted to claw his way out of the bubble then finally gave up.

  Kahn shook his head with a look of disappointment. “How did you manage to get away?” He waved his finger and the creature vanished.

  Reggie suddenly gasped and took a step forward. She stopped and looked at him. “What have you done with my brother?”

  “That was your brother?” His grin mocked her. “I can’t say I noticed any family resemblance.”

  Her expression turned hostile. “What did you do with him?”

  Kahn appeared humored by her hostility and aggression. “He decided to join my society.”

  “You sent him away against his will,” she snapped. “I don’t think he had much of a choice in the matter.”

  Kahn maintained his charming smile and casually approached her. Reggie stood her ground, despite her fear. He paused before her.

  “Your brother contracted my services,” he informed her. “I granted his wish, but he was unable to repay me. In accordance with our contract, he’s legally bound to serve me in my world. It’s quite cut-and-dry.”

  “Contract? Show me this contract.”

  “Sorry, the details of a contract are confidential,” he replied. “Business ethics.”

  “How convenient,” Reggie scoffed.

  Kahn studied her with some surprise then appeared humored. “Oh, you are a feisty one,” he announced. “Obviously you’re not satisfied with the end result of my contract with your brother.”

  “No shit.”

  “I could return him to his former state, but that would involve you entering into a contract with me as well,” he remarked.

  “What sort of contract?” she asked suspiciously.

  “
I’ll restore your brother to his mortal state if you complete the simple task he failed to complete,” he replied.

  “If it was that simple, my brother wouldn’t be a seven-foot tall lizard.”

  Kahn chuckled softly and paced before her. “Nothing is ever as easy as it first sounds, but I doubt you’d have much trouble completing the task. Your brother simply lacked passion.”

  “What’s the task?” she demanded.

  “You travel to my world where you’re then sent off on a little treasure hunt. You bring the specified object back to me in the allotted time, and your brother will be returned to his mortal state. If you fail, you join your brother as one of my subjects.” Kahn flicked his hand and a contract appeared in it. “All you have to do is sign the contract--” He hesitated and gasped softly. “Oh--” He again flicked his hand and a pen appeared between his fingers.

  Reggie eyed the paper in his hand then looked back into his sinister eyes. “I’d like to read through it first, naturally.”

  Kahn handed her the contract. “Be my guest. I’ll give you one hour.”

  He suddenly vanished. Reggie jumped with surprise and looked around the room. She uncertainly looked at the contract in her hand then quickly tossed it aside and ran across the room. She rummaged through several boxes in the closet.

  †

  Reggie sat quietly and comfortably reclined on the plush sofa with the contract in one hand and a pen in the other. She studied it in great detail. The clock chimed midnight. She glanced at the fireplace mantel clock and slowly sat up. Kahn suddenly appeared in the living room doorway, startling her. He casually leaned against the archway and wore his usual charming smile.

  “Have you had a chance to review the details of the contract?” he asked.

  Reggie casually stood, held up the paper, and eyed him. “I don’t care for a few of the terms. They’re a little vague,” she said. “I’d be much more comfortable with a few minor word changes.”

  Kahn eyed her with some surprise. He straightened, flicked his fingers, and the paper appeared in his hand. He looked over the contract with several scribbles on it. Kahn looked back at her with surprise. “You’re correcting my grammar?”

  “I just graduated college,” she said with a shrug. “It’s all still fresh in my head.”

  He rolled his eyes, groaned, and tossed the contract over his shoulder. It again appeared in her hand. “If it pleases you, you can have your grammar corrections. Do we have a deal?”

  “I’ll abide by the terms of the contract, yes.”

  Kahn again smiled charmingly. “Splendid. Just sign the contract, and we’ll be on our way to Neverland.”

  She approached him with the pen. He gave her a strange look. “If you’ll just initial the changes--”

  He stared at her and appeared completely baffled. He snatched the pen and initialed the changes. It again appeared in her hand. She took a deep breath and signed the contract. She barely finished her signature when he was about to make it disappear.

  Reggie held out her hand. “Ah, I need to make a copy of that for my records,” she announced firmly.

  His look conveyed his surprise. “This is the hardest I’ve worked in centuries,” he muttered. You have got to be the most controlling, manipulative female I’ve ever come across.”

  Reggie offered a pleased smile. “Thank you.”

  “That wasn’t a compliment.”

  Chapter Two

  Kahn’s world was that of a tropical island but with bizarre, seemingly haphazard terrain. It was unlike anything Reggie had ever seen. Parts of the island appeared rocky, parts appeared deserted, and still other parts resembled a jungle. There was no transition between areas, just a sudden, drastic change. The island was something from another world. Along the beach like setting, there was an amazing fairytale castle straight from a gothic horror book. As Kahn and Reggie stood on the sandy beach, she was left wondering how they even got to wherever it was they were.

  “Where are we?”

  “We’re in my world,” he informed her and grinned proudly. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “I rather doubt I’ll have the opportunity to appreciate it.”

  He chuckled lowly. “I love your sense of humor. You’re going to need it,” he remarked. “In accordance with the details of the contract, your task is to find the dagger or Zagaball and return it to me.” Kahn pointed to Reggie’s wrist. An elegant digital watch appeared. “You have three hours to find the dagger and return it to its rightful place in the library. Just to be fair, I’ve provided a map.” A detailed leather map appeared in her hands. He smiled pleasantly. “Happy hunting.” Kahn suddenly vanished.

  Reggie looked at the map then headed along the beach. “Map my ass. Detailed description of where not to go.”

  †

  Reggie hurried along the worn path within the jungle and looked around cautiously. “Too easy so far,” she muttered. She paused and looked at the map. “According to the map, the dagger is just down this path within the ruins of the old temple.” She assessed her surroundings then eyed the path behind her to the left. “The map says to go straight, so that tells me I should go left.”

  She headed for the path to the left and hurried along it. The ruins of the old temple were covered with thick vines and vegetation. Reggie appeared just behind the temple and climbed the crumbling building. She approached a pile of stones, crouched down, and looked down to the temple’s main entrance. Everything appeared quiet, which bothered her, so she watched a moment longer. Big, burly ape-like creatures patrolled the entrance, remaining hidden within the thick plant life. They watched the path she was supposed to take according to the map.

  “An ambush,” she muttered. “Who didn’t see that coming?”

  Reggie carefully walked along the side of the temple above the opening. Stones were heard falling into a cavern beneath her feet. She hesitated then looked at a small opening in the stone. She removed a pen flashlight from her pocket and shined it down the hole. She smiled deviously.

  “Hmm, the back door appears to be left open and unattended.”

  Within the temple ruins, the small, empty room of stone was lit only by the remaining sunlight from an opening in the broken stone. A golden dagger rested on the old, stone altar. Reggie let out a tiny, shrill scream. She plummeted through a narrow opening in the stone above, taking down a thick layer of cobwebs with her body, and gracefully landed on her feet before falling onto her backside. She was covered in a cocoon of cobwebs. Reggie jumped to her feet and frantically pulled the cobwebs from her body.

  “Oh, disgusting,” she cried out softly. “I hate spiders!”

  As she pulled the last of the cobwebs from her body, she saw the golden dagger on the altar. Relief swept over her. She hurried toward the altar, hesitated only a moment, and reached for the dagger. A large spider crawled across her arm. She gasped and frantically shook it off. Reggie groaned softly then snatched the dagger from the altar. Despite that it was probably worth millions in her world, she barely even looked at it. Getting her brother back was the only thing that mattered. She looked at the main entrance and considered her options.

  “Now I just need a way out.”

  The ape-like creatures attempted to remain still and hidden along the path not far from the temple entrance. They were keeping close watch for her arrival. Little did they know that she was just inside the entrance behind them. Reggie quietly slipped out of the temple through the main entrance and kept close to the vine-encrusted wall.

  †

  The castle’s broad, marble hallway seemed to extend forever, passing dozens of doorways and a sea of suits of armor. Kahn stormed along the hallway with an ape-like creature grunting as it hurried after him, attempting to keep up.

  Kahn appeared furious. “I want her found immediately!”

  The creature grunted a response, hurried past him, and left through the front door. Kahn approached the library with disgust, threw open the door, and suddenly stopped in th
e doorway. Reggie casually sat on one of the leather chairs with a book on her lap. She looked up at Kahn, glanced at her watch, and smiled.

  “You’re early,” Reggie casually announced. “I wanted to finish another chapter before collecting my brother and heading home.”

  Kahn stared at her with surprise then looked at the golden dagger in its rightful spot above the fireplace mantel.

  “That’s not possible,” he snarled. “My troops didn’t see you pass through the temple opening.”

  “You mean your ambush party?” Reggie shut the book, carelessly tossed it aside, and stood. “Please--” she scoffed. “There’s your dagger. Task complete.” She glared at him through evil eyes. “Now get my brother.”

  Kahn’s surprise quickly turned to hostility. “How did you get into the temple?”

  “Through the back door.”

  “There isn’t a back door.”

  “I beg to differ,” she scoffed. “Where’s my brother?”

  “The rules of the contract specifically stated through the temple door. You didn’t complete the task appropriately.” Kahn held out his hand. The contract appeared in it. He pointed to one of the paragraphs. A sentence was immediately highlighted. “Right here,” he announced firmly. “Through the temple door. You didn’t complete the task. You lose.”

  “You cheat,” she snapped. “The task was to retrieve the dagger and return it to the library. I did that.”

  “The contract is the contract.”

  Reggie boldly removed her copy of the contract from her pocket and shook it straight. “Is that so?” She held up her copy of the contract. “Then allow me to draw your attention to paragraph four, addendum two,” she announced.

  “Addendum?”

  “So long as the dagger is returned in said allotted time frame,” she read, “any means necessary shall be considered binding.”

  She eyed him and raised a cocky brow. Kahn looked at his contract, saw her scribbled writing, and appeared stunned. He suddenly sneered and glared at her.

  “You added that yourself.”

  “And you initialed the change, thereby agreeing to it.”