Reaper

Angels and Demons

The old lady gave David the creeps. He locked the door securely and made up his mind to stay awake. But his tired body soon gave in and he fell asleep at the stroke of dawn.

At midday he was woken up by a soft rapping on the door. The host himself had come to fetch him. He was allowed to freshen up before being called for breakfast in the great supper hall. What immediately caught David’s attention, were the paintings on either wall. On the left were the figures of graceful and handsome young men and women and on the right were the grotesque and animalistic images of deformed and loathsome monsters. It wasn’t exactly the kind of art one expected to find in a supper hall. Ryder noticed his curious and frightened gaze and immediately read into his thoughts.

“These paintings remind me of my true position in this world. The ones on the left are angels and those on the right are their more malicious and embittered brethren, the demons. Mr. David, don’t be fooled by these pictures, for evil comes in all shapes and sizes.”

“So, you believe in their existence?”

“After having spent a considerable amount of time among them, I think it would be quite dishonest to deny it.”

“I still don’t believe you. I don’t know how you brought me back to life and I don’t know what attacked me in that alley. But there has to be a logical explanation behind it all.”

“And does your logic only dwell in the realm of the mortals? I think most natural laws, though a bit twisted, operate in all the worlds. You can keep turning a blind eye to truth, but it will still remain unaltered.”

“If you know so much about demons and angels, then why don’t you tell me what attacked me and that man in that alley?”

“I think it would be best if you learn the truth from someone from your side.”

On Ryder’s cue, a young girl in her early twenties entered the room. Her face was pretty, even with the long scar running down the length of her nose. She was much younger than David, but her vengeful eyes made her appear older than her years. With her brown leather jacket zipped to the neck and her black locks tied into a neat ponytail, she didn’t seem to be dressed for breakfast.

“I would like to introduce you to Ms. Vanessa Chase. She has had quite a few encounters with the creature which attacked you in the alley, owing to her changed vocation.” Ryder shifted his gaze from Vanessa to David and asked, “Could you please describe the creature you saw in the alley?”

“It was too dark. I am not sure I can describe it properly.”

“Well, anything at all. I am certain you must have seen something since you had your flashlight on.”

“How did you know?”

“It is my job to know. Now please, be so kind as to describe your attacker.”

Slowly David began to realize that Ryder was no ordinary human and he certainly wasn’t lying about bringing him back from the dead. The guy knew too much about him and what happened that night. He finally began describing the creature as accurately he could.

“It was small, almost like a child or a dog. But there was something wrong with its posture. There was some sort of a hump on its back and...” He shuddered at the recollection. “And...Its skin had peeled away almost completely. The last thing I saw before it all went blank was its pitch black eyes.”

Ryder motioned towards Vanessa. “So, Ms. Chase, what do you make of that? Was it an animal that attacked Mr. David?”

She replied promptly and with conviction. “No, it wasn’t an animal. It was a ghoul.”

“I am afraid your new friend here isn’t familiar with the term. Would you care to explain it to us?”

She looked at David and began explaining. “Ghouls are carrion eaters that mostly inhabit places which reek of death such as graveyards or morgues. They are quadrupeds with soft rotting muscles and no external covering of skin. The male of the species is called a ‘ghul’ whereas the female is referred to as ‘ghulah’. They usually feast on dead humans and animals but will attack lonely travelers who cross their path. These fiends use their long sharp claws to s***h open their victims and disembowel them. They have 4 sets of elongated canines for biting into soft human or animal flesh. The females are smaller in size and hunt in packs of 5 or 6 but the males prefer to scavenge and hunt alone. When confronted with—”

“I think that would suffice for now. Thank you, Ms. Chase.” Ryder instructed his servants to serve the breakfast and requested the two guests to take their seats at the table.

David had only seen ghouls in movies till now, but the manner in which this young lady described the creature in such great detail, it was impossible to not believe in their existence. She must have seen it with her own eyes, of that he was certain.

Breakfast consisted of poached brown eggs and bacon along with cups of steaming black coffee. The fine silvery cutlery and embroidered kerchiefs were telltale signs of the man’s affluence and aristocratic taste. After they had eaten their fill, Ryder summoned them to the living room.

The living room had a central oak table sprawled around with 3 cushioned red chairs and a blackboard on the farthest wall. Violet satin curtains hung from the windows, resisting the bright sunlight. The sole source of light in that room, were wall lamps which were arranged in regular intervals. When David and Vanessa had made themselves comfortable in their cushioned chairs, Ryder ignited the logs in the fireplace and turned to the blackboard with a chalk in hand. He scribbled in bold white letters the following words:

Angels, Demons, Spirits and Monsters.

Turning to them, he began, “Mr. David, I think the time has come to satiate your curiosity. The reason why I returned your soul and mended your wounds was to ask you for a favor. You see Mr. David, I am no ordinary man. It is my duty to preserve the balance and in these troubled times I need a helping hand.” He paced around the table and continued. “In the dark ages, demons, monsters and evil spirits plagued the lands and inflicted terrible miseries on the hapless villagers. And to deal with such nefarious beings, the demon hunters and exorcists were trained in the art of demonology and exorcism. With the coming of the industrial revolution, times began to change. The monsters were pushed to the fringes of society and the houses of God kept away all malevolent spirits. But the demons always found a way to influence the weak of will, and some of them even clawed their way onto this earth to wreck havoc in the form of floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and terrible accidents. And now as the humans stray farther from the path of virtue, the forces of evil grow strong. Malevolent beings walk the earth once more, lurking in the shadow, prowling the dark alleys and preying on the weak and helpless. At this time, the humans need a sword to guard their realm.” Narrowing his gaze on David, he whispered in his almost prophetic voice, “And that’s where you come in, Mr. David. You are going to be the weapon that protects the earth from what lies on the other side.”

“You want me to become a demon hunter?”

“Oh no, I want you to become a Reaper! You must cleanse the weeds of evil from this world so the balance maybe restored once again. Ms. Chase has been on the path for a year, but I believe she could do with some help from a talented young cop such as you.”

“What exactly is a Reaper?”

“A Reaper is a harvester of souls. Reapers aren’t the demon hunters of lore, for they hunt both demons and angels. They slay what needs to be slain, and banish what needs to be banished; for malice may dwell, even in the noblest of beings. Only a Reaper can cleanse the world from the forces of evil which are festering upon this neutral ground. But first, you must learn the ways of the Reaper and train not just your body, but your mind as well!”