S1 E14: Death Inc. Pt. 7

Anubis Khepri Khnum (Present Day: Jan 5, 2015)

Anubis (Anpu) Khepri Khnum: God of embalming and the dead; God of creation, the movement of the sun (when he helps Amun-Ra), and rebirth; God of the source of the Nile (deferred duties to Styx and the other port Gods).

Sighing in annoyance, I pushed my black hair out of my face. I simply couldn't believe how much paperwork had piled up during such a short absence. I'd only been gone half a year at most, and Lucifer only took a short, two-week vacation with Michael. I wasn't even truly gone. I still checked on the weekends for major things that needed my signature and yet pile after pile was laid before me with no end in sight. I flitted through a few documents with my chestnut-colored hands looking for an easy document. My mind could not take much more of this redundant monotony. Rubbing my tired golden eyes, I tried to get myself to refocus before signing another paper. I half-wished I still smoked... anything. I'd had so many things over the years and didn't have a particular preference for one over the other. But, at least then I'd have a reasonable excuse to get up from my desk and take a break that lasted more than the five minutes it took to get water or coffee...

Ah, but Anput would throw a fit if I smoked without her. She was hell the last time I went to a hookah bar and she was too busy to come... Fuck, when the hell will this stack of papers end? This kind of repetitive work could drive a lesser man mad… I should make it a punishment and hire someone sentenced to one of the many hells… Like a good behavior program… No, the others would never agree to it, probably have a field day with arguments and tearing into me for even proposing such a thing. Too many sensitive documents and secrets that are only meant for immortal eyes.

A ringing phone pierced the silence as I signed yet another report. I reached for the old black phone without looking up.

“Hell–”

Another sharp ring cut me off, forcing me to look up. The black office phone was dead silent. It was my secondary, ivory spirit-phone that was ringing. I hung up the black phone in shock.

Only gods or the truly desperate would use that line. However, it is one of the more direct ways to contact me; it uses a lot of magic and energy just by touching it. It can easily obliterate a lesser soul… Even some minor gods feel drained after using it. Who in the universe would be so desperate to contact me? Those I truly care about have my communication crystal and the black phone has all the relevant employees...

I picked it up; my curiosity peaked.

“Hello?”

“A spirit is using their 'Free Call' to contact you. 'Free Act’ has already been used,” the phone whispered into my ear.

“Oh? They usually contact the living to warn them about some danger or to say goodbye,” I mused.

A mortal spirit was risking it all to talk directly to me. What could be worth the threat of non-existence? How did they even get this number? How did they even get access to their own spirit phone?

“Do you accept this call?” The phone hissed excitedly.

“Yes, patch them through.”

The rumors about the black market in the Yokai district must be true. You really can find old spirit items... I wonder if I could even find a few things of mine that have been lost to the greedy claws of time.

An ivory chain shot out onto my wrist and began to glow as it siphoned magic to strengthen the connection. It was a small drop of energy to me, but to mortals...

“Hello, Anubis? This is Katheryn Heart family line 224. My son, Silver Heart, needs help, or he could stay in the land of the dead,” a frantic female voice pleaded.

“Why would I stop my own nature? You could have used your 'Free Act' to save him,” I sighed.

Really? You call me for something as mundane as a mortal life? Here I thought the spirit phone usage would have given me something more fun… This isn't even mildly entertaining. Maybe she'll use up all her soul force and vanish. At least I'd hear something interesting.

“I did, but the act will only let him live for a few minutes, maybe an hour at most, and if he can't get help in time...”

“I see no reason to stop my power of death, nor use my servant's power to let him live as an undead,” I sighed, getting bored with this conversation. I was only staying on the line at this point to see how long before she would be drained of power and hang up or vanish into the ether if she didn't stop in time.

“He’s the Full Moon King,” the woman declared. I kept silent for a moment, not believing my ears.

A lead to the King fell into my lap?!

“What a mean thing to offer… How do you know that all the Gods want that elusive toy?” I questioned, starting to get interested in this conversation again. I let more of my magic leak into the line to take some of the burden off her. I wanted to get as many details as possible, and I couldn't have her obliterate herself before I was satisfied or at least mildly sated.

“If the hunters wanted that beast… then it’d be safe to assume a being the opposite of them would want to stop them.”

How in the great Cosmos does she know we are opposites?! Most just assume we are different beings all together… Very few know of our history.

“Why would you assume Hunters and Gods are opposites?” I calmly inquired, leaking more magic into the line. I did my best to keep calm. A mortal should never know they got under God’s skin...

“I've felt Creature magic, Hunter magic, and, when I got here, God's magic was in the air. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

She must be sensitive to energies… For those abilities she must have grown up as a Healer or a Seer. Both meet all manner of beings. Though a creature interacting with Hunters usually means a violent ending...

“Fair enough. How do I know the 'King' statement isn’t a lie to save him?” I questioned with a hint of suspicion.

It's common for people to lie to get what they want. More than once, mortals have lied to get the Gods to do their bidding.

“I’m not lying. You can punish me however you desire, if he’s not what I say he is. I'll swear on my magic, on my soul in the old ways if you want me to.”

Now, that's enticing. That would obliterate her soul and gift me any remaining power she carried if she was lying... Using this phone and offering to make such a promise... This is too good to pass up. I need to investigate.

“Very well, I don't require that promise. You have shown me enough resolve that I'm inclined to look into this matter and offer the child a few hours of life, so I can see if this prize is worth a seat in my house to continue life as an undead. But just know that if you're lying, I will personally put you into one of the fiery pits of our worst hell. The ones even more sensible gods avoid,” I threatened, and then hung up the phone. I was in no mood to entertain her fears or show how badly she was getting to me. I got up and strolled over to my private elevator. Pressing the button, I waited for the machine to do my bidding. While I stood there, my heart whispered hope and my mind raced.

If it is the King, and he falls into my service, I can make things a little more comfortable for my family in our home in God’s Realm… I'm still on thin ice for many… Many things...