Chapter 25: 22 Bonds
So many pains, fears and sins weigh down over her. Every part of her aches. She slept through the time revert and was aware it happened but the moving forward only made her really experience waking from her new flat bed. It is still thw morning after moving in. So she still feeling hung over from her drinks last night. She takes the time clicking bones back in joint and cleaning up the blood from her mouth, ears and eyes. She can't be bothered to replace the whole pillow, did what she could in cleaning it, letting the thing air dry while having a clean pillow case to hide it. She barely makes it to the shower. Once refreshed and a few sport tape supports on her knees and elbows. She changed into a suitable outfit for the day. She meant to return back to the base as a volunteer until she settled into a normal job.
Following that, she should have a box left behind. Upon avoiding trouble with other tenants again and getting through thr code gate. She can't help but enjoy the morning air, like feel of the old British village laced in some time to recover old scars. She was early out the apartment block to not be hassled by the others who live there and to explore the small area for its worth. Taking in where the shops are and what they sale. She nosed at the smaller ones that were off the main street. She was alone for a long while, stepping into the open green space for a sit at the benches. She had noticed she was too early, even for coffee shops to be open. Even still, she watched wildlife and way it works beside the unseen creatures. So many fey like beings that float about ans own aspects of the parks green. At this moment to have time of peace with herself. She looks down over the many promised, sins and wishes that chained to her. These chains are what prevent anyone turning into angels and gods, they are easily broken if you can solve the issue bond is made from. Some chains aren't meant to be broken and others are more a support then a hindrance. But these chains are unique to her. Her chains are the only set that are made with recycled links. Unlike the normal chains, these chains she foraged herself from the broken promises she learnt in other timelines and other universes. These chains are fragile and easily realised, could always be returned to the bits they were. But she needed these broken chains in order to feel grounded among humans. These broken chains tever her to this existence and help her keep a more human act. She knows more of how to be a spirit then she does a human, and thrse broken bonds are a reminder she can't take what she has for granted.
"Knock knock." She just smirks at the notion, picking through her chains but also looking up to the stranger, "I needed some time away."
"Me too." She offered the seat beside, "It's hard trying to be human like I was. I can't be that blind arrogant girl that this universe knew me as." She finds one the chains has broken up again and softly fixed it back together.
"The god followers are just going into business they shouldn't. Threatening the shadow of the damned to relocate themselves. Soon there wouldn't be a place for the lost ones." She nods at that.
"Why not break a pocket between places? It's temporary solution. The undertaker in this universe do it all the time. You break no rules but instead are using the time difference between realms as an excuse of space to have occupy." She softly let's the chain free among other ones and goes through all these emotions and wishes. These things she lost from leaving other universes. She turly missed those places and people. She clearly cherished these things. But here she was being in the most miserable place should could have choosen. Where even the job of duty she loves in repairing broken tome pages is used against her. The young man with a grey hoodie, headphone in one ear and short buzz design black hair. His shadow mask was as powdered smashed and she is, which maybe why they share this connection to help each other for mental breaks. Otherwise they both work past to point of having limbs at all. They both were bad for working past even after they died, inhabited their own corpse to still finish a job.
"Things would be faster if you trying to make closer with freinds and or build your own family."
"If another Seer fallown shows in a tome of the index but under my name. This universe will hunt me down and spit me put in grit. I can't even adopt someone, as that counts too." She shook, "If I married or had a lover they would be turned against me or used to stab me through the guts again." She looked away with some sound from her tomes, "You need some souls?" She asked.
"I do... sorry." She shurgs at this.
"If you can make them happy, it's all that matters. I even give you a realm that needs darkness and warmth." She took out the tome of broken souls and he took his tome out, they do some exchanging for a bit wrote in each others books for spelling corrections. He puts the book away and leaned back, looking at the sky.
"You still so loud as soul. Your still crying." He softly spoke.
"Better to face my fear and wear it like armour. Once I can get over that trauma or at least learn to cope with it. I will know how to pick myself up from the ashes. I could do whatever I wanted. I would finally be strong enough to reach the core of the parasitic monster that devoured many worlds." He sits up from that, "When I was plucking souls from the guts of the eaters of existence, there was so many more of souls I wasn't strong enough to carry out of them. I reached our all my hands. But it is for their sake, I can keep all these memories and promises. Those aren't mine but I feel compelled to keep these broken chains alive. These lifelines of souls I couldn't save." He pats her shoulder and looked outwards at things she can't be bothered to pay attention to. He shook in disbelief and back at her.
"You're the strongest person I have ever met. I feel like I learned something from you." She smiles at that, "You could always play a prank on this universe by using that." She chuckled at such devil's plan.
"Nah, I already make nightmares run from me. God slayers. Death gods. I am beginning to wonder what doesn't fear me. Who will realise what I fear most is why I do this." He stands and Commanded a gateway up. It was incomplete and didn't need to be fancy. She gave him a little nod as he slips away. Back to wherever that universe cares in using him for. She couldn't tell if that was the blood Prince or his servant but it had not mattered which it was. She back alone petting the links of broken chains.
"4 am and you think sitting alone in a pitch black field is wise? Weren't you drunk? Are you still drunk?" She makes the chains disappear in hearing the approach of the disgruntled demon. She had not minded at all whatever idiot was going to sweet talk her into this time. The fact it approached her blindly with not discrimination if she was any other human. Yes, it nice to be human for things like this. She brought out a tissue to hold at her mouth, as most times demon aura triggers her blacken liquids to leave her lungs.
"Wait a minute." An angel steps around cautious of her, as most times an angel can tell her soul isn't normal. It's rare to see a demon and angel working well in duty side by side. It's uncommon but it's not unheard of. As long as the demon as an open mind and the angel is fine with tough love. Eliza acts she unaware of them, sitting with enjoying a raising sun. Swimming around in daily thoughts and pondering life's mysteries. She seems switched off, even as these two can't work out what to do about her. It seems like it's a problem that she was at this park at this time of the morning. She wasn't here to spy, just take in the dawn rise and the village waking up. She only really seen a small bit of this village from the training drills she does. But taking in the change from the demolished broken building, sand dunes and flooding sea over streets to the picturesque village among rolling hills and quilted patch fields. Living on streets to living in a flat.
"Miss Fallown, you just in the right place at the right time." She blinked in being aware and couldn't help the automatic standing to attention. She stares the direction she knows in waiting, "Accurately sightseeing as always." The base angelic instructor came forwards, "How is the flat we choose to place you doing?"
"I don't mind looking after a gateway. It's not the frist time I had been around some. The flat itself is plenty for just myself. Although most human residents are going to have time to get use to me, I respect that humans aren't the only ones. As it should be, really." She softly bows at the end of stating these things in indicating she had noticed the gesture. It was a silent order to move topics, "I can't help feel I needed to watch the sun rise. I used to as a child enjoy watching the sky change." She softly looks at this sky, "I considered stargazing for a hobby."
"I don't really recommend it as a gifted seeing sort that you are. Nothing good at spying at the gods." She raised a brow to that notion. Although there is layers of atmosphere and human shells block passing the curtains. Her sight would by theory ignore this.
"It's still a beautiful dawn as the dew mist rises over the fields." She purposely changed the topic again, "There is peace if we ignore the painful eye sores."
"I doubt you would know what that is." Meaning the thing laying in the field and why it's a hive of activity around.
"Human mythology would call it a earth dragon. Given the body is made of the very soil and stone of this land, it be a novelty to tourist." She looked so calm about it and her voice didn't waver, "This is the land of fairies. The natural creatures who live these wide field lands have less in the modern age to hide in. As my view of faith, this is no different to a land spirit guardian. Respect the boundaries Angel of heaven." She doesn't wait to be dismissed, rather she looked at her watch and took a slow walk to finding a coffee shop. She sat down for the duration of one fast cup and then a large coffee to go. Strolling to the reception of the campus air hanger with new trainees learning how to fix and the concept of the small plane engines. Its good to learn this now then being stranded no where. Taking flight during time revert has lead to missing people and unrecorded ones coming in on air stripes. Especially here in Britain, more then any other place in the world. Although there is maybe some rumours of the upper tundra lands of Russia having appearing and disappearing, people in the same air plane situations. She stood fence between sipping coffee in watching the trainees. 'better safe now then sorry later.' She puts her head down and crossed in through the gate.
"Here is your licenses in single craft flight, driving and gun permit. Not that we allow guns here in the UK. Both passports, as you earned more than enough time and money with us to do so." Her squad leader pats her shoulder, "Lastly, your badge. You are no different to a community street cop, so not powers of arrest or anything extreme. But assistance to any officer is within your bes interests. Applying to be a community officer for your area is a simple move but you see set for more." Giving her a letter, "The undertakers have taken a shine to you. If you really going to take them at full time job, then I wish you the best of luck surviving at the edge of time." It's what many whom been lost from reverting call it.
"Even after I am dead, I will be stunning in a black uniform." She gives a well practiced court bow to her squad leader and stands summoning her mask, "I look forward to seeing you among the gallows. I am more than glad to take stands as any character peice." when she smiles, her mask carved a mirroring on through itself, "because you met me, the creatures of the gallows will be wary of harming you."
"I don't know why but I find that comforting to know." The leader snickered, "Thanks for letting me in." On the secret that she had a mask this entire time. She never hide it among her squad and has used the shadow sight to advantages. It makes a bond of being allies even when things get harder to deal with. She waved the coffee in cheer when taking leave. She stood beside the packed boxes and sunk them into shadow. She gives a shared nod back and out the reception. Walking onto the road side, peering back to the trainees playing with engines behind her. Her mask has already read the mail from her majesty's order. That there will be some request of assistance for a robbery to happen a town over. That needing a spare human pair hands will prevent the demon slipping away again. She makes it to the train station in walking, throws away the cup. She took out the prepaid ticket and scanned through the train barrier. Took a seat in the location she been requested to. The train itself was a hybrid of modern and empty living space but it was also a train for undertakers to travel locations through slip ways. This particular track was the run through this queen's kingdom and whomever owns the Welsh boarder. Although its not modern boarders, rather the UK spirit map looks right out of the Anglo-Saxon period. Many sparce kingdoms and Lords, all at constant internal war for who claims which territory.
"Why is there a human here?" Slapped across the head by someone they are with. Sits filling in as destinations of spirit stops blend between living world train stops. She sits comfortably waiting for someone to say or have a particular nickname.
"You are right on time, little tricky." Glasses guy who the right hand of the queen, "I am over seeing the operation that was briefed to you in the letter. You are to help the human police detain the human side. To watch over the human while we get the demon suspect removed." He sits across from her, "Is there any questions?"
"Did you want me to remove the demon and hand him over?" She asked. There a long pause, so she waved her left hand in finishing her question.
"If that's within your capacity." He states.
"I guess it does depend on the type of curse that binds the human host to the demon. Some crimes of sin enhance the binding curse. But I tend to find nothing serious has them so attached to hosts in modern times." She once again gestures that she finished saying her piece and stays collected as the stops pass by.
"You don't have any other questions?" Making sure she was fine.
"I will respect what you undertakers have to do. But I will warn you, you can't take possession of my body. I am already host to many things. These things will not be a bother to us during the operation. Instead I actually hope that none of them accident eat one of you." She closed hands as indicated that she was not open for further conversation. The undertakers who she will be working along side look to each other in having to accept she on the team and factor to consider. She stares dull of no where particularly but her eyes are following traces of what sort of sins these different people held and held them back from being granted a normal afterlife. An average person that dieds is moved to the Next life or new realms of living. But undertakers are souls with resentment or unfinished things. Most undertakers don't even know they had anything unfinished.
"This is our stop." She automatically clicked the button and stands. She makes it for the living way exit. She walked ahead and alone. She was soon mixed among the human crowds and blending in among shoppers. She plays her part in finding the target and tailing at different stores. The demon attached is directly forcing the human into doing what it tells him, if the human tries to not there a burning inflected pain. Meaning this was a attached curse by some revenge. The demon here was likely a freind or relative when they were alive. Cute little nicknames they use. She so good at being ignorant that she puts herself to be the victim he will grab for. She was in the middle of making a social media photo of her coffee cup when he snatched her. The crowd around gasp in horror of the hostage situation and the roll out of cops acts fast. She keep calm of her life on the line like this. Her shadow was doing the heavy lifting of breaking down the curse binding on the human. So when she was ready to be released as a hostage. She would already bind the demon up. Just a few more seconds of total unawareness.
"Damn it, them black coats are among the humans." The demon hissed, "We need to get out of here. You can't let yourself be captured."
"What now?" Sweary hand is not holding that knife tight enough anymore. But his hugging her tighter as a sheild, "You lady are going to die if you don't help me." She shows her human hands in surrender but already her shadow breaks the last link. She makes four fast very well trained moves. Knife knocked away, trips them both to the floor and then locking him to a strangling pose. Her shadow mirror this for the demon in the same head lock pose. The police and undertakers sweep in and took over. Binding restaitns or hand cuffs. Being put to jail for attempt murder and assault. The demon had larger and bigger charges of many hosts to be accounted for.
"He just choose the wrong hostage." She flashed her badge, "I was here in leasure when he took hold of me. I am glad to had helped." Police thanked her for her ability to stay level in a high stress situation. After taking her account of things, a quick med check for any wounds to press more charge for. She was let on her merry way. She picked up her minimal shopping and was back to the return train, another ticket bought in advance by the undertakers. She played her part and was to be returned back to her flat. She sat reflecting on the operation and how smooth it went with her double body skill. She suspected they were actually ready for her to be a one man army for these sort of things.
"Your a cursed human. Which was why you don't ask the typical boring questions." Glasses pushed back up ad he flops through a ton of paper.
"I am much scarier then that, boss." She has a business card for these paperwork problems, "The Myraid of nightmares." She puts the card over the paperwork and the ink floods from page to page, it was removing detail about her action in this, "You could say that the eyes beyond the edge of time have taken grasp over what seems a trivial task. Compensation has already been paid for such a service." She moved away, "A pleasure to be back in business. However I will no longer be snapping up so many requests in the long periods of boredom I held before. Instead it's a more relaxing turn of things. A chance for sales and trades to take my priority."
"You live up to your name, Tricky Trickster. But what scheme of game are you trying to play that doesn't include either side of your family?"
"They will force themselves to be my business. Not my care if they do or don't. You are a Trickster too, but I not telling tales. Its not my business what your doing." She closed hands and he snarls in being caught.
"Questions, is all the paperwork from our human assistant sorted?" The rival kingdoms right hand.
"I just found out that things aren't always as they appear. Human she is. Ranking however puts her off table." He pulls in the papers into a pile. He clatters them straight while the bundle seemed to expanded just then. He puts it all to a folder and handed it over. The rival right hand goes through but stops of the stamp bind over the file.
"The nightmare eaters collector? I guess there needs to be some humans with the active imagination to keep such nightmares detained. What a misfortune for a living human to be cursed with?" The misunderstanding throw even question speechless. He couldn't bubble up the words to correct the rival kingdoms assumption. Blindly accepting the papers as they are. The two took leave. The squad members taking seats and they being brief in whatever next mission they have.
"Say, you have a way in sneaking around." Across from her slide a note, "If you got no where to be, why not take a bit of shade?" Shade is the left hand of a monarch. Going by looks this was a rival kingdoms spy. She hasn't any reason to get her hands dirty in to many politics. She politely kept her hands closed and turned away the offer. The paper slides back hidden and all act like it never happened. Rather they causally moved seats eventually as stops pass by. She sits patient of the journey.
"Smooth act you got." She turns in study of this undertaker which was that guy that complained she was human in an undertakers cart, "Don't living with being aware of the afterlife around make you feel weird?" Alonely guy of no partner and its quiet the personality to try to find match with. He lived life as some sort of drug gang type or at least he wouldn't be out of place for it. How he wears the uniform and the way his clay joints stick in particular habit poses. Especially fingers around where a cigarette would be.
"Don't you know? Smoking habit carries to the afterlife as an undertaker. You just can't be a scared of where you get it." She raised brows and he hide away his hand in being shy, "Why be afraid of what happens after when I have my moment of living here and now? I will just have to wait what happens until the day I die. Until then, I am going to take nothing about being alive for granted. Not even the pain of dying matters to me." She takes this moment to sneak a wipe away of her nose and mouth. The undertaker sitting up in shock, "The cursed ones never live long lives. There is always something that attracts closer death for those crazy from sensitivity of awareness." She hide away the rag and sits comfortably in watching the cabin of seats from her perspective. She gestures that she was done talking for now.
"You leaving anyone behind when you do?"
"Plenty." She replied so quickly, "But I suspect my funeral will be empty seats or full of greed." closed hands at her front holding her pain and slow blinking eyes trailing the sea of seats. Blurred for a soft moment and all normal again. She didn't feel pain for just that meer moment. Lacking the strength to keep holding on. A little mop up and button press for her stop. She walked softly staggered for a few paces and then a little normal again. A wave of her left hand to anyone that was trying to talk to her. Stepping off the train to the platform with all the shopping she got. She brought out her cart of staked boxes... and once again repeated that she mets the Handy Dan. That she treated him like a person and helped with the sink. The drama of her flat door kicked over again and the waiting for the girl to stop having tantrum over nothing. That the unpacked flat is refurnished the way she preferred when her unwelcome guest left... of both living and dream. Another shower after dinner. Sewing open wounds she gained from her shadow taking risks. She bandages up neatly and sleeps alone in her sorrow.