Keeping above the water.

Getting around the flat open floors between offices gets exhausting very quickly. On top of everyone falling for the illusion shape all the time. Asked if I would go out drinking with colleagues or if I needed a cigarette break with them. Stuff I don't part take. I had to do something that would blend in with a shopping mall while aiding me with getting time sensitive messages.

I have infamously been seen everywhere as the pro skater whom delivers messages. I am relied on often for serious messages as I don't use magic for delivery.

No thief could simple tamper the delivery casting to it to them instead, also providing a level of understanding I am trustworthy. Validates my title as a inner Palace servent.

I have just turned 15 around when they stopped needing my mentoring skills. The announcement of the King and Queen failing to show for public events 2 years in a row has started cause external island nobility to seek direct word from royals. There hasn't been any comment back by the inner Palace or the internal nobility of voters.

This lack of communication has a knock on effect with world wide trading of this company, pressuring external MAC nobility and bosses to make unwanted forced chooses without royal approval. Due to the snobbery of internal politics having the powers to do what they like, the main island has simple refused the demands of outsiders (ignoring that MAC is mostly people once being insiders too). That is making the outside mages worry that the island will force them back and wall lock every last magic person or face execution.

Its unsettled times. If they knew of what murders had happened to the late king and queen, then a temporary plan would be posed to action. Smoothing things better for the long run. Giving whole island voting on law passing in the temporary time no leader was in power. On top of this would give the MAC its own independence officially and allow to make their own political movement to the island nation.

"James..." I kick off the skate board and waited where I am. I listen without turning around, "With you abilities of being trusted. You can send a note from us... directly during the meeting. Its starts on a hour. Say nothing... just give the note to the lead in charge." The royal wax seal upon such note was passed over by inky shadow... faceless today, "You will be informing them of the news you know." I hold it close to me. The ink left with scratches strange marks along the wall if came from, I would assume it was temporarily fey door to the afterlife.

"The trust should be enough." I mutter and sigh, "Things will settle after this."

"After what?" The black feather sweep from a landing bird into a standing man, narrowly miss me. He peers through the illusion maybe for a moment and then steps back seeing his assumptions, "I heard about you. Your a inner Palace servant. I can tell with you lack or reactions to strange magic. Or your sometime abilities to notice gods without knowing it."

"We should go together. I was just asked to deliver a letter on top floor." He looks about me and around, "The delivery from the strange has been happening more often. I worry sometimes of what that means of him." He gurgled within his throat with a doubtful sound, "They are having a meeting in a hour. We must get moving."

"There isn't... not on timetable." He looks around but he follows me up the stairs. My skate board carried with me. I pose a moment to take the elevator the rest of the way, my hand hovers the id scan then provided the correct vip coding, "How do you know that?" I say nothing to ease the omens follower.

I ignored the training test of illusions upon reaching to correct floor. I have flicked someone's nose so they break illusion and let me through the meeting door. The bird man is quick to follow past... around confuse with how his fooled by high magic level casting. He cringes with walking what he assumes a wall.

"What are you doing here?" The meeting has yet started. I stood here at no bow or greeting... waiting for the exact time. Being totally sure everyone whom would normal be here had soon filled space. The meeting stilled with me in the room.

"You are all here... just like they said." I noted, "I didn't want to believe them... but I guess I have to now." I walked around to the further and most quiet seated here, "You are wearing a illusion weaker then mine. You aren't just someone in charge of this company. You are the founder." The illusion they wear is removed, "They told me to deliver to you... now at this time."

The letter is authentic as the seal changed colours when given to the intended recipient. The runes of magic that prevents anyone reading it are altered to protect the paper until the message is read entirely. The paper turns to ashes upon finish.

"You a servant to someone. Do you know what I read about?"

"I know a lot. I wear my illusions because it protects the other whom does too. I should died in my escape. For what I witnessed. The news is authentic. I wish I could say more and told sooner."

"You're cursed... it would explain a lot." The founder stands with digesting the news... getting a drink and trying to not have a panic. I sigh with casting magic over my clothing, wrapping the official royal servant uniform. The rest at stance of knowing I have been around a while in this headquarters. I have hand delivered letters for the past year, so meeting face to face with them with this uniform has affect.

"You're very young for your place as someone's personal servant. I know whom you are." The Omen follower points at me.

"As I know you. Sitting upon the kings shoulder and being left hand advicer is not small feat. You are why church schools were set up." I answer back calmly, "You must have had your memories altered... if you don't remember that." I sigh, "I am cursed because I know but I mustn't break my vow. I wasn't subject to the curses that other servant people had. I have far more important cursed upon myself. I am required to never forget it."

The room at gasp as that spell is reverse on him. My words are the tigger for such deep recall. He becomes so frozen in shock on knowing, he altered to a bird and then again into his status as the kings crow.

Before he were a typical American crow, blending perfectly with wild birds. He would be having no shows of being a human in movement.

As the Kings crow, it were more breed of bird not recognised. A larger then normal eagle shape, duck like feathers that traps air pockets yet still within the grey black pallete of a raven. The eyes narrow much faster with agile flex. He can curve feathers to act like fingers, fully able to write like a human in this form. Suppress by memory alterations.

The branch bosses of other headquarters from around the world being witness to whatever is going on had spoke up. The second in charge silenced everyone and looking to the founder sitting down again.

"The Queen and King have been assassinated. The ones in control are the nobility searching for the next heir in line, also attempting assassination over him. The leading group cause this was kings family, the former darkwoods bloodline. There is wide search to comb through young mages and have them beheaded until the heir is found or died."

"But there was things in motion before the king and queen died. Due to the tension of families and nobility, the prince has been sorted ahead of time. Which why the current nobility have not been in power yet." Landing upon the table and making sense of his minds wondering of strange other information. I stood straight and stay silent, I tucked in pose of waiting.

"We need to cycle through seeking the prince for his own safety. Protect the younger generation from such mass slaughter. It doesn't matter royal or not Darkwood use twisted methods that require blood sacrifices."

"The curse on you is protecting another. You just told me that." The founder picks up quick, "You're protecting him." I make no changes and no reaction, "Ah right, you can't be allow to confirm that. The curse that strong would mean you are not in control."

"I have most freedoms. The occasional order is to be followed with no questions asked. I can't speak of whom, what or why." I stay as I am and as still as possible. I can feel he was watching me, "I have done as they asked... delivered the information. It is now your turn to make your moves of informing the public. As it is a national affair."

"Yes... it should." Demands of normal staff are on it. Fast and spreading.

"Don't die yet" I heard as the sense of them leaving. I moved with going some area unoccupied by any abnormal beings. Not even of shadows stood here. A alterations of the room is made and it clear I see why I am warned.

"Lord Darkwood, your presence is never missed. You came to stop the spread of information or are you hearing it for the frist time?"

"It is rude to imply I was any part of what happened. But you have always been a uncomfortable one, servant of my nephew. I do wonder how you came about sourcing a letter written by the dead."

"I not going to denial that it was likely by the dead whom handed it to me." I tilted, "The affairs of strange are just a slice of talent I always had." I straighten back again, "Given the one whom stands with you, you would never be a god follower if you committed a murder to personal. A cult of darkness does not make pacts of blood or requires anything of blood ritual." I cough a little, "But there is the matter of that other thing that doesn't change my suspension. A rank among the hidden, so I heard."

"Why are you here?" Lord Mark hisses and I say nothing. I stay still at fold with waiting for orders or to be asked to deliver anything else.

"Erebus, I would never thought you would pick someone in the limelight." The chatter between gods is distracting and with the two follower having the same exact sort of conversation. They freeze up with how the landing of a new bird sits on my shoulder.

"Not you. Always you. Will you just get out of this room." the complaints of the metal being whom pecked my ear, telling me off in a second language.

I pulled the servant uniform off and jump to the skateboard. Sailing out of there with ease, satisfying the death scythe to leave me alone. I skid down the banister rally, landing safe to next floor bellow.

To be quickly snatched up by the strange runes of the doorway the inky freak had made before. My board left in the world I am pulled away from, mummy wrap in my own off realm gear. Dropped onto a existence.

It was chaotic to really pay anymore attention to how quick everything was changing so fast.

"Rank?" I am asked. I wasn't finished being messed with my soul's aura. Turned from living human into the undead, putting my living body into sleep within storage. The duration of waiting for a response was worn thin, a weapon unsheathes and directed.

My sight in focus traces out the world around me. A sort of chamber hall of ranked oath of hunters. Among one side were enders titles of other universes. The other side it the internal works of this main thread universe, hunters whom are rank because thier territory protects dense soul realms.

A dim stone place with all the hallmarks of being from a world that doesn't share living laws. Floating bits along the air that would cut a human. It has no affect over eatheral beings.

"I am not the host of the elder, however... I am his to whatever is needed. I am sent here for a reason, I am guessing you have a problem that I know to fix." I spoke calmly and in a time that reaches them all. I stand stiffly straight once more and waited accordingly. Sensing he was going to focus over me for something again. I felt brushed a little and look directly that way.

"He sent you here too? how? I was just..." I study how the scythe being mocks a grim repear for itself, "Do you know who these folks are?"

"I know you too. But what I know doesn't always matter. There is a problem that must be sorted. It needs human hands or living presence." I felt brushed a new direction and so I follow as he directs. I study whom I looked to and for what I was seeking. A soul that holds many curses and is about to shatter.

They are a fallen favoured god, a sort of one whom had a small cult following. Given that this god was to do with royal mages, there is a god political issue surrounding the current hosts soul. This god I am staring at is also another soul whom is just about strong enough to not fall victim as the other soul.

"Why are you pitying me?" So they sensed my emotions. I say nothing as in continue looking around them. Thier bodies conditions are a tell for what curse is under them.

"You're exhausted and lack the influence of miracle to keep those whom believed in you in faith and favour. The highest devoted was recently announced as assassinated." I take pause with thinking and stopped them speaking with found words, "Due to the curses inflected, you were unable to obtain the title that would serve to help you. That isn't accurate but it will do for making sense for you. The only hope you had their soul shattered as retribution for tampering the curse."

"How are you not the current host of my partner?" The grim scythe asking and I shrug, "Wait so the soul that was shattered by this gods curse." I flutter a hand.

"His sorting them." I gently voice, "I hope not to entangled in the affairs."

"Your very trusting for a host." makes note of me many my manners. How I watched everyone around from time to time and spoke to not spook others. I felt something about a fragmented of myself nearby, it coming this way mean better in sync thoughts.

"Excutioner of gods..." most stood where the enders often stayed seated. Watching but ready for any fate given. That fragment is ordered to take the life of the cursed one here. But it can't unless I removed something.

"Excuse me." I walk around over, I avoided my other sides contact. Stood at the back of the potential hazard of a soul. My gear as a oath hunter peels off me the closer I am. The necklace over them... they had not be prepared for me to snatch it.

The object erases or prevents the dead and undead from reaching them. It prevents death gods and even grim scythes to do thier duty. It removed meant the Excutioner of me can do his order. I am quick to evade this cursed guys attempts to have his necklace back. The gasps of horror of everyone else. The necklace is a holy known artifact that can't be touched by anyone. The very ability to touch it was powerful enough to other realm exists.

When laws of living can't exist in a realm, the get around is created into a object. In this worlds case, there is no hiding gods presence among the dwellers. They known of each other but they aren't able to interact as universe law states. This object is the embodiment of being cloaked from the sight of each other. Even the shadows of damned can appear beside a god without side affects. This ticket is that side affect. It only matters in the realm is exists laws to. If this necklace was to be removed from this realm, a new object would be created within the realm to replace it. This cursed soul was untouchable as long as he stayed in this realm. The ender of his timeline unable to deal with the issue as the host was also its problem child.

It gave title to inky, out of time existence so that souls laws make sense for how this was resolved. My Excutioner side catches this problem and broke the curses over them. This broken the curses over the inks current host and is now able to restore that time close and tome of soul to leave this existence.

I place the necklance to the centre of the room. Simply to be allowed to be snatched again by the ink or the goddess of summons. I find my path gear returned once away from the aura radius of the holy object.

"Right... Now you can be collected." The scythe sighed, "Its what he told me to. You were murdered after giving the letter over to the founder. The founder stabbed you through the heart. The fact you continue indifferent to dying had tricked everyone that you weren't hurt in anyway upon meeting them."

"So... I should be dead outside the office or something." disagreeing with taking a door back. back to the doorway that inks left. A investigation team taking photos of my corpse laying at the floor, the skate board drenched in blood, "So like, time I was sorted to the tomb or something."

"The realm of the u dead city is currently off limits to someone like you. You're only a fragement." I guess being whole is required to enter the undead city. A rule I had not realized before, "So where will you run off to?" I stare down at my ownself, let my mind meditate in the chaos of everything. As of eventually altered into a damned. A noble one, suiting to the cursed aspect of myself. I stand with knowing that I suddenly appeared to the humans around here.

"How?" The scythe must have nothing else better to do, other then being a metal hawk on my shoulder.

"We can't purify you nor can the grim repear collect you." I ignore the living around here as noted the gods do not see me. Even if I did speak, they shouldn't hear me. I stand over my own corpse, pondering what they will do of me.

"Crap, you were one of the princes." I disagree with that, a hand fluttered without worries. I was a not convinced by the queen's blood. I say nothing as I settle in staring about myself. Checking what was the murder weapon, I studied my own expression. I showed quite numb and peaceful. I stood back up with being over my own corpse, waiting.

"I do wonder why he isn't freaking out about his own corpse." Several followers told to sort me out making commentary of my note making. I sense direction of cold and welcoming aura, I stare to whom it was now. That was elected as next host. My contract with the title is of only the title, so the host changes don't matter.

"A waiting game to see how time flies." Judgement left on that note. Evidence and body away. Cleaners behind me as I stare to the space at this spot. I wait as said.

Watch how things go wrong quickly and that of a humanities many ways to fall. Indifferent to how I seen it before. Many of my inner selves were unfazed with the horror of time ending.

To awaken from the nightmare is to be reawakened to a new life. Another host for now, as it will be as title of elder of Enders.