64- Tauluthet’s Gambit

Kyffin stared at Tau before sitting back and folding his hands onto his lap.

"My life is all I have. If there is something more after, I'm unwilling to bet on it."

"Then understand, I say this with all sincerity; betray my confidence or do anything that could bring harm to Quayleigh, and I will kill you," Tau stated in a way that left no room for his words to be mistaken or misconstrued. This was not a threat nor a warning. It was a fact. And he wanted Kyffin to be completely clear on the matter.

Kyffin twitched and Tau knew he understood.

"And what do you have to lose in all of this?"

"More than you could imagine. I have a promise to keep Kyffin. And I will end this world to see that promise come to pass. But for now, I want only to live a quiet life with Quayleigh, while I can. I'm willing to gamble on you being an ally, if you are willing to accept the terms that knowing my truth comes with."

"What guarantee do you offer that your truth is worth my life?"

"I ask not for your life, but your silence. That alone isn't really worth much."

"Silence, and nothing else?"

"Silence, and nothing else."

Kyffin nodded, "then tell me everything."

Tau smiled. He knew the risk of letting Kyffin in on his secrets, but there was a thrill to having another on his side; someone of value. And so, he began to speak with an unbridled freedom. "It is wise that you cherish this life mortal, for it is all you have. When you pass from this realm into the land of the dead, all that you are fades away, and you are returned to the river of life from once you came."

"And you know this how?"

"Because I am a sen'awan'qachi, a being from the land of the dead, better known to you as a Reaper. When Dylan cast his ritual, I came for his soul, and when I touched him, there was a flash of light, and when I awoke, I was trapped in his body. He was attempting to exchange his soul for Francesca's, not knowing that such was impossible."

Kyffin listened intently to Tau as he told his truth, sharing only the details he deemed important. Answering his questions in a way that would reveal nothing he didn't wish for him to know. He was exceedingly cautious when it came to speaking about Quayleigh, considering he was aware of Kyffin's connection to the MET.

After their lengthy conversation, Tau watched as Kyffin removed his glasses and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "And how am I to believe anything that you've told me?" he asked, putting his glasses back on.

"Uroxuz."

The stoic, unwavering demeanor of Kyffin began to crack as beads of sweat appeared upon his brow and a faint, yet visible tremble wracked him. Standing, Tau held within his hands the smooth metal shaft of his scythe, the air turning bitter cold as the very warmth was devoured by its presence. Uroxuz's razor sharp edge gleamed in the rays of the midafternoon sun, a gaping maw of immanent peril. And Kyffin's façade shattered at the notion of his impending doom.

Tau reveled in the delight of watching the pillar of stone crumble, because he knew that he had won the game. "Keep your silence, Kyffin Kirkwood, and you will have nothing to fear of him or I."

Relaxing his hands, Uroxuz vanished, returning to Quayleigh's side at Tau's internal command.

Kyffin shook and began to laugh, "You… you're a reaper. You're really a grim reaper!" He began to breath faster, as he tore off his glasses and clawed at his face, tears pouring from his eyes as he curled over, gasped for air and trembled uncontrollable. "There was nothing. Absolutely nothing! There was no magic! There was no magic, nothing. I have seen the void of death, and lived," he muttered, and Tau watched as Kyffin struggled to stifle his lapse in sanity by biting at the tips of his fingers.

"All I have told you is the truth Kyffin. Take the time you need to regain your composure."

"No! No. I don't need time," he remarked as he stood up, a frightfully deranged smile stretched across his face. "I need to see his notes. Dylan's notes, where are they now?"

"They are at Quayleigh's."

"Then we must retrieve them. No one else must ever know what he did! No one! Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, and I agree," Tau said as Kyffin took a step away only to immediately turn back.

"Yes. My silence. You have it. I will not speak a word of your existence to anyone, not even the woman you keep," he remarked as he turned around and stepped away again. "You keep a woman," he giggled with a maniacal undertone. "But why? Is it possible? Do you actually love her? Can you love her? Are you even capable of such emotions and ties as you are? Or is this something else entirely? An instinct perhaps? What must it be like for you?" Kyffin rambled out his questions as he paced about the room only to suddenly stop and grab a hold of Tau by the shirt, desperation languishing on his face. "Tell me everything!"

"Calm yourself," Tau exclaimed as he grabbed Kyffin by the shoulders and pushed him back. "You need time to gather yourself. I promise, I'll answer what questions I can, in time, but you need to regain yourself."

"Yes, that's it, a deal. I want to make a deal. I'll find a way to reverse whatever this buffoon did, and in return, you will tell me everything I desire to know!"

"Have you truly lost your mind?"

"No! For the first time in ages, I am finally seeing things clearly! I have been constrained by my mother for decades. Bound by her demands that I follow the same path as she, only to falter at every turn by her design. When I succeed, she takes the credit as if I had nothing to do with the advances that I make. But with you, I can finally step out of her shadow and prove myself capable to the magistrates. Earn my own merits and claim my own tokens. I won't have to rely on that bitch anymore. Tauluthet, I am your ally. I swear to you, once you are gone, I will protect Quayleigh for you. I will ensure that everything that belongs to Dylan remains hers. I'll make her untouchable and give her the freedom to do as she pleases just as you desire for her, and in return, all I ask is that you answer my questions with honesty. Allow me to gleam what I can of the knowledge you impart to me."

"And what knowledge do you hope to gain from this?"

"Knowledge of the afterlife! Humans have always wagered on the possibility of what comes after, but you can tell me the truth! You can answer the questions and let me share that knowledge with the world!"

"I can't Kyffin."

"What? What do you mean you can't? You have nothing to lose in this."

"As true as that is, I can't allow you to share it with the world. You need to understand, Death is not a god to be worshiped. He cannot be prayed to or bargained with. He makes no deals with mortals. He exists because there is life. He will not fade as others have, for everything knows he exists, even if they do not understand him to be real. Any worship gained is wasted," Tau explained as he sat Kyffin down. "Cultures of the past have sacrificed their own and their enemies in his name, and it was for nothing. As appreciated as it was, Death could give nothing in return, and all those lives were wasted. Death doesn't wish for those things to happen again. Everything that lives should die when its time comes to an end. It needn't be sooner when there is nothing to be gained from it."

"But the truth should be known."

"The truth already is. It's the details you want to share. But you need to think about what you're truly after. Knowledge like this, without proof, could ruin you. And the proof could do the same. You won't be the first to study death, but I doubt anyone will ever see your efforts. The MET will destroy you, Kyffin." Kyffin sat with his head in his hands, and Tau could see the way he was struggling with the eternal conflict. "In the end, it is your risk to take, but I would caution you against this. What knowledge I give to you, be wise with it. Once I'm gone, I can't prevent you from doing what you will, I can only hope that you make the right decision."

"No, you're right. Of course, you're right. The MET notoriously goes after anyone who works outside their purview. And study in this area would certainly draw their attention. They would just seal away anything I published and even with my connections I doubt I could keep myself safe. At best I would spend the remainder of my days locked away, and at worst, I would be sentenced to ēvirātus, and be disowned from the family, if not executed for studying illegal practices. Thank you for bringing me back to my senses. I am not prone to such foolishness as this."

"It's understandable. You live under a tremendous amount of pressure and restraint. Everyone reacts differently to learning the truth," Tau replied as he made his way to the kitchen.

Retrieving the open bottle of water from the fridge, he returned to Kyffin and refilled his glass before handing it to him.

"Drink this."

"Thank you. I never would have expected a reaper to be capable of showing compassion."

Tau chuckled as Kyffin took the glass from him. "That is because you don't yet understand the extent of my purpose. Compassion is only one of the things all reapers must possess if we are to do our jobs properly. We serve as more than just collectors. Each soul reacts differently when it is parted from its body. Many are frightened. Some are confused. The young don't always understand why they must go, and others are desperate to cling on. Patience, compassion, and a kind but steadfast hand can make departing easier until the lingering hold fades."

"You said what Dylan attempted to do was impossible. Why?"

"Because Francesca no longer exists. Once the soul parts from the body, little of what it was remains, and that fades quickly. The souls then take their final journeys to the cleansing pools where they are washed clean. Impurities are cast out into the void of oblivion and what remains is poured back into the river of life. Like a raindrop in the ocean, it can never be retrieved as it once was."

"I see," Kyffin said as he stared down into his glass. "I assume there are more than just you?"

"Yes. I am one of many. Thirteen of us are called Reapers. The rest we call Shepherds, and the Yioaleu watch over the cleansing pools."

Kyffin took a drink and set down his glass. "What is the real possibility that Dylan is in your body?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Quayleigh believes that she can use her ritual to discover if he is or not, but we have to wait until the weekend as it is exhausting for her to perform."

"Do you know how she does it?"

"Not exactly. There are preparations I've never seen."

"Will you take me to her?"

"She is working now."

"That changes nothing. I need her to give me her recipe. I'll preform the ritual for you. We need answers and with her ritual, I can provide them," Kyffin remarked as he sat upright, his composure now regained.

"Very well then. I'll take you to her. But I warn you, she isn't going to be happy about any of this."