The Order

Unlike my purgatory-like slumber I had shortly after my death, this sleep was truly peaceful. I awakened only to find myself in a soft silk bed. There was an eerie silence, similar to those noise-cancelling rooms in mental asylums from Earth. Quiet enough that you'd go insane.

There was a canopy curtain surrounding my bed, the kind of thing that sleeping beauty had. I sat up, my naked bones sinking further into the silk. I peered around at my surroundings unable to see past the fine black gauze draped from above. Brushing it aside I stuck my skull outside only to see a plethora of peculiarities. Firstly, there were no windows. The room was lit by strange lanterns with flickering white flames. Next to my bed there was a black cabinet, upon which rested a white gun case with golden etchings running along the body.

'Python.'

'Yes Master.'

'What happened?', I lifted myself from the bed standing over the cabinet.

'Currently we are at the headquarters of an organization named The Order, after you slew the Lord Class Demon, they began calling you the Black Saint and then brought us here.'

My memories began flooding back. It was then I remembered that peculiar black sludge. I looked up from my thought only to see a strange black skeleton with large horns protruding from its skull.

'That's me,' I said realizing I was looking at a mirror, 'Python, did I always have these horns?'

'No master, they developed after you consumed the Demon General and proceeded through an evolution.'

'When did I eat that Minotaur? And how did I evolve?'

'You consumed the remnants of the Minotaur In the form of a black sludge, something about the Minotaur triggered an evolution in your being.'

Comprehending the happenings, albeit barely, the conversation was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. I reflexively flung open the gun case and drew Python from within.

'Who's there. Ah shit!', I remembered I had no voice.

'Master, you can communicate through the strands of magic. Allow me to show you.'

As Python willed it thousands of magic strands knotted themselves into something resembling a voice box. It glided through the air latching onto my neck. The overwhelming sensation of wanting to clear my throat became apparent but I proceeded to speak.

"Whooo's theeeree?", a spooky voice similar to a child pretending to be a ghost sounded in the room. It was exceedingly difficult to control the makeshift voice-box.

"Ah!", the shriek of a girl and the shrill shatter of porcelain rang out in the room.

I did a militaristic dive from behind the bed pointing Python at the intruder only to see a young girl, no more than fifteen covering her mouth with her hands and shivering.

"Whooooo aaareee youuuuu?"

"O- Oh your holiness, this insignificant one is Helen Gracia." The girl stuttered out whilst getting to her knees prostrating in repentance, still quivering.

I was so embarrassed by my voice I wanted the ground to just open up and swallow me, although when I thought about that phrase, I felt a dose of PTSD coming on. 'Even though it sounds weird, surely my voice is not that bad.'

Of course, I couldn't tell her that. As I lifted myself up from the red velvet carpet, I looked at what the girl had dropped. A blue liquid stained the girls white dress and shattered porcelain was scattered across the floor. I placed Python on the bed and went to pick up the pieces, carefully laying them on the tray at the side, but as my naked bone met the porcelain it disintegrated before my hollow sockets. The aura of death. Focusing my mind, magical strands wove around my skeletal body resulting in a fine Armani suit as well as a pair of fine black gloves.

I tried to pick up the porcelain once more, placing it carefully of the serving tray. I observed for a moment, finally the whole piece of porcelain proved my speculations.

'Hmph so I have the Midas touch gone wrong. How tragic' I muttered internally, turning my attention to the girl who was still quivering in silence.

I began sheepishly patting her head in silence. I was too nervous to use my voice to comfort her. I patted her head like a dog, almost patronisingly so. At first, she tensed up and peeked at me with an expression of surprise. I felt bad for how terrified she must have been, seeing some dead guy jump out of nowhere with a spooky voice. After all, even if it were me it would send shivers down my spine, let alone a little girl.

Mustering my courage, I tried to be as mellow as possible, "Theeeree theeeree, iitssss oook."

She lifted her head and leaned back, allowing me to see her face, she was a very pretty girl, incredibly pure. As someone with an ocean of blood on their hands, I got the same feeling from her as I did from the white lilies I used to grow in my free time.

A crystalline tear ran down her cheek, a small sniffle made my non-existent heart wrench. I reflexively pulled out my handkerchief and crouched down. She backed away slightly, but I continued, wiping her away her tears.

"Heeeree, youuuu caaan keeeep itt."

"T-thanks."

She looked more confused than grateful, but I could tell she was calming down. As she did, the sound of running footsteps sounded from behind the door. Hearing this Helen jolted to her feet and visibly paled.

*Bang*

The door was flung open and Helen began quivering slightly once more. I reached out placing my gloved hand on her shoulder reassuringly, relaxing her.

A blonde-haired middle-aged man who resembled the girl closely stepped through the doorway. The similarities were uncanny. The man had large blue eyes and a petite nose making him quite handsome, however deep wrinkles of worry were entrenched on his forehead. He stepped through the doorway, a sheen of sweat covering his face as his eyes darted from the stain in the carpet to the bed I slept in, finally landing on Helen and me.

"Ah! Your holiness, you're awake! Thank the Gods."

He glanced at Helen and the floor again. His eyes widened in comprehension, shooting Helen an angry look she stood firm, but looked downtrodden. The man then bowed deeply.

"Your holiness, I ask not for forgiveness of my own impudence, but please spare the girl, she is but a fool."

'Eh?' Even though I was the one who scared her, I decided to play along, in an effort to ingratiate the enigmatic fellow.

"Theree's noo point crying over spiiilt miiilk." It seemed I was getting better at controlling my voice. "Now stop all this bowing and prostrating, it's very inconvenient."

"Y-yes your holiness." The man stood up tall once again, a befuddled look on his face. "Milord, forgive my foolishness, would you mind me asking, what is milk?"

"Ah. Err-." I hadn't considered the cultural disconnect between worlds.

"The phrase means it is useless to worry over something that has happened and cannot be changed."

"I expected nothing less of milord, such a profound meaning for a single word."

"…" My palm never ached so much to feel my face.

"Now, if it pleases milord, I can show you the different locations in our trifling facility." The man seemed to be buzzing with excitement.

"What is your name?"

"This servant is named Lionel Gracia. I am of the Crescent Moon rank in The Order."

Despite not knowing the ranks, I nodded.

"That's impressive, someone so highly ranked being assigned to someone like me is quite odd."

"Hahaha! Your holiness, surely you jest."

I didn't feel the need to reply. My hollow sockets stared so intently at Lionel that he began to shiver. Lionel cleared his throat, the smirk on his face vanishing into a sudden wave of seriousness.

"Your holiness, could it be, you are not aware of your position in The Order?"

I felt the best thing to do was be upfront about it.

"Indeed, that is the case."

The frown on Lionel's face deepened as he stroked his chin lightly.

"Follow me then, I will take you to the Eye of the Gods."

Once again, I didn't know what he was talking about but opted to follow. I suppose I had a strained relationship with The Order which made me wary of my surroundings. In my past life I had slaughtered them in droves, finally I was killed by them, but also resurrected by them in an indirect way.

My experience with The Order was a roller-coaster. I had many questions I wanted to ask those who pulled the strings behind this organisation. But I decided to cross that bridge when I come to it.

I lifted my hand from Helen's shoulder as Lionel exited the bedroom. I picked up Python, quickly casting an underarm holster for it to rest in. Sliding it in I noticed Helen peering at it inquisitively.

"This is a souvenir from my world."

The girl was even more confused as I flashed Python to her from the inside of my jacket. Smiling internally, I buttoned up my jacket to the second and followed Lionel from the room with Helen in tow.

The corridor was very different from the room I was staying in, if you could call it a corridor. It was more like a grand hall. The cavernous corridor was built from endless grey bricks and the white magic lamps lined the walls. The peculiar thing was the doors in the corridor. My door was the most luxurious, a fine but strange wood lined with golden trims.

My room was at the very end of the corridor, as Lionel, Helen and I trekked down this seemingly endless corridor we passed by a myriad of different doors. Rainbow coloured doors, sand doors, glass doors, even bone doors which I found quite amusing. I didn't know if it was because I had become a skeleton, but there was a certain beauty which lay in a good bone, one I could never notice when I was alive.

"Lionel."

"Yes, your holiness." Lionel swivelled and stopped his march, but I continued on and he followed as did Helen.

"What are these doors for?"

"Please forgive my rudeness your holiness, but I am unable to disclose that information."

'It must be important then.' I muttered to Python.

Especially considering how they treated me as a deity-like figure. The fact that he is unwilling to disclose that information means it must be a great secret of The Order. My curiosity was peaked, but now was not the time.

After walking for another short while the corridor came to an end. From here Lionel led the way taking many lefts and rights in this grey-scale labyrinth.

Eventually we arrived before a set of golden gates, and I saw the first people other than Lionel and Helen since coming here. There were two people either side of the gates with powerful auras, which led me to believe they were guards, but their hilarious outfits made me think otherwise.

They were the most stereotypical wizards I had ever seen. Both had flowing grey-beards and round spectacles, pointed hats and long robes. But that wasn't all. Their robes and hats were an obnoxious azure colour and had the kind of pattern you'd see on a kid's pyjamas. Golden stars and moons. Their oaken staves resembled random tree branches, if I didn't know any better, I would think they were exactly that.

I had to resist the urge to burst out laughing, unsuccessfully of course, oh woe was I who had no lips to bite.

"Hahaha." I pointed a bony finger at them as I keeled over. What had set me off was their prideful faces, like lions with flowing manes in the savannah.

"Pfft-" Helen couldn't resist the urge either and contracted a giggle, peals of laughter rang out from behind as Lionel was dumbfounded by the situation. The aged Wizards furrowed their brows drawing their eyes back from thought to look upon our buffoonery.

"Lionel, who is this- what is this creature?"

Lionel's face went a few shades whiter, I looked up wiping an imaginary tear from my socket. Upon closer inspection the two Wizards had released their true auras, flaunting their strength in an effort to suppress me. While they were the most powerful people I had met, they were merely rocks trying to move a mountain. Their purple auras flared around their bodies making their robes flutter and beards twirl.

I felt Python itching in my pocket.

'Relax. They aren't much.'

'Master, I don't think you can handle them in your current state.'

My evolutionary slumber was one of many revelations. I had completely grasped my powers in that time, their functions becoming engraved in my mind.

'Who's the Master here?'

'…'

"Big brothers, if you would please listen-" Raising my hand, I stopped him from interfering.

"Relax Lionel, I wanted to test my powers in the first place."

Not wanting to offend both parties, Lionel quietened. The wizened old men grew wary of me. Clearly, they noticed there was something off about me.

This room was the largest I had encountered so far, spanning the perimeter of a football field and the ceiling was nowhere to be seen, an ideal arena for a spar. I thought about what I had learned in my slumber, I felt all those strands of magic connected to my body. Instead of urging these strands towards the men I controlled grabbed the ownerless strands in the air controlling these, and with these controlling more and more strands, like a domino effect my power multiplied infinitely as a vacuum resonated from my body attracting mana from outside the complex.

Failing to notice this, the old men stood firm preparing to attack, they waved their staves entirely synchronized. Similarly, they froze in sync. Their eyes widened, and wrinkled lips quivered as they sensed something. The grey brick surrounding Lionel, Helen and I began to contort and crack, evaporating into dust.

Like the eye of a storm, we were left unscathed as the rest of the stone floor crumbled to dust. It slowly expanded towards the old men who's faces darkened abruptly and a cloud of purple expanded from their bodies. Their two clouds combined and formed a shield which began to push back against the storm-like mana. The Wizards faces eased as it began to push the mana back, but just as quickly soured as their purple shield was added to the storms unstoppable swirl. The storm slowly creeped towards the Wizards as they took step after step back in retreat towards the gates, the grey bricks they once stood on vanishing.

At this stage I thought I had made my point. The black strands from my body grabbed the strands of magic once more, slowing them and finally stopping them. Seeing this, Lionel's troubled expression eased.

As the storm came to a rest the golden gates behind the old men squeaked. All eyes turned to the figure who stumbled from within. It was a decrepit man that resembled a beggar, with tattered brown robes and scabbed bare feet. The ancient man was clearly blind but deceivingly walked normally, as if he could see all. I knew this guy was no joke. The strands of magic in the air fled when he neared, as if he were their natural predator.

"Thank you for sparing my guards, your holiness. Ever since they journeyed to the surface world, they have contracted the plague of Pride. Alas, this is a great stain on my name."

I had no clue what this geezer was on about. I didn't know whether he was actually the biological father of those senile wizards or if it was just a method of speech.

"Come, please. So far my brothers and sisters and I have been appalling hosts."

"Not at all, I found it all rather amusing in fact."

I could hear a slurping sound in the back of my mind. I was so used to sucking up to people in my past life that it has become a norm for me.

"Your holiness' magnanimity is something us mortals can only admire."

With a slight smirk the beggar-like man bowed his head, leaning on a stick for support.

"Come, your holiness, we have much to talk about."

I followed the old bedraggled man up the stairs into a strange room with clouds. It resembled the heavens but there was no sun, leading me to believe it was underground. The golden steps led to a floating cloud, upon which the old man sat. He gestured towards the cloud facing him and I followed. The cloud felt just like a normal sofa from Earth. The only difference was that it had no back support. Of course, I didn't have much to support anyways, but that was beside the point.

Lionel, Helen and the elderly Wizards stayed outside the beggar's personal quarters.

"My name is Bartimaeus, I am the Eye of the Gods."

Bartimaeus' eyelids fluttered open for the first time since I had met him, a golden light overwhelmed my senses. I felt that, if not for the deathly aura which coated my body I would've evaporated. The sensation was overwhelming, but also somewhat familiar. Something clicked.

"You were there, I felt your gaze- when I was dead."

Bartimaeus' brows furrowed as I said this, while he had no pupils, nor iris', I could tell he was deep in thought. He suddenly jolted as if he had thought of something.

"Could it be? You felt my Lords gaze!"

Bartimaeus leaped from the cloud, his face was euphoric. He shifted his weight from foot to foot awaiting my confirmation.

"Well, its hard to say, but just before I lost consciousness, I felt the mocking eyes of someone above, as if I was merely a puppet on strings."

"Hahaha! It was my Lord! My Lord sent you unto me, there is something she wants to happen. Yes, there is a reason she sent you to me. But you- you are very odd, my eyes cannot see your future, nor your destiny."

"Who is your Lord?"

"The Great Primeval Goddess, the omniscient Ananke, mother of the three fates."

"A Goddess?"

"Yes yes, The Order is the instrument of the Gods. The strings of The Order run into the heavens, when the Gods pluck on them, their melody runs through the mortal planes."

"I see."

"Hahaha, you see- you see hahaha! You have a funny way of speaking, your holiness."

"Ahem."

"Ah, yes then your holiness, what are your plans? Do as you please, your will is the will of the Gods."

Thinking about it carefully I wanted to explore this world discreetly. With the power to protect myself, I would rather answer my own questions than be deceived by others. This new world was far too mysterious for me to sit idly in an underground bunker. I decided that I would be leaving soon enough, but first I would need a name.

"I have put it off long enough. I want you, the Eye of the Gods, to name me."

"Ah, your holiness does not have a name?"

*Bang*

As Bartimaeus said this thunder rang out and a sudden darkness shrouded his golden eyes, turning them black. The black light dyed the clouds and his face contorted. His body began to spasm and his face looked like he was having a stroke. I sat completely still, inexplicably calm, as if the darkness was a lover embracing me. Bartimaeus was panting heavily and sweating profusely as the blackness descended on his body.

"Ah, ah! Goddess! Yes- he, he shall be- he is called… Ere- no no, of course not. Then he is called Subere."

After Bartimaeus' soliloquy, the sudden darkness that overcame him suddenly left his being and speared into my chest, straight into Python.

I couldn't pay attention to this due to my new name ringing in my ears.

"Erebus", I muttered to myself. An unknown sense of familiarity striking me. Erebus was my name in my last life. The Gods were truly omniscient. Subere. Fitting, as I shall live with morals opposite to those of my past life. I will live free and enjoy being a bony bastard.

"Thank you Bartimaeus. My second wish is to delve into the mysteries of magic."

The old man recovered swiftly and smiled when he heard my suggestion. His wrinkled cheeks pulled back to reveal a set of yellowed rotting teeth which seemed to be strewn across his gums lackadaisically.

"Good. Good!" he repeated with enthusiasm, "let us begin right away."