Arkhelios Adventures
The air around the Grim Reaper suddenly crackled with dormant power. That was always the first sign. Like a tornado, there were always warnings of the coming danger if you knew what to look for. Lukas may be his father's partner, but there were times over the centuries where the deity of Life had been lethally dangerous and Gee could never forget that. While the Demon Sovereign remained convinced that Life could not take a life or end an existence of a living thing, Gee knew better from experience. There were only a handful of souls over the millennia that had been lost from his records and somehow Lukas had always been the last person to see them before they vanished. Death was always reliable and certain. It followed the rules and no one was exempt from its reach no matter how rich they were or how they begged. Death was predictable; Life was dangerous.
"Lukas, you should have told me you were coming over," Gee called out cautiously. The energy coming from his doorway wasn't threatening, but he could sense Life’s anxiety all the same. This wasn't just a friendly visit; this was a work matter.
"I have Davis' sweater from when he came to visit last week and Leah made-"
"Yeah, yeah, ask your father to help with that, he's retired," Lukas interrupted quickly. "We need to talk."
"About what?"
Gee sighed, and as a game to save his sanity, he tried to guess the topic at hand.
His father? No, Lukas usually showed up already drunk and with their annoying best friend when they wanted to complain about Death. Something at work? That was harder to guess. Lukas had been better than usual at work the past few decades. They hadn't completely burned down their shared official office space since marrying Death. His reaper teams hadn't reported Life's occasional interference with the living kingdoms so it had to be….
"Demons," the two said together. Gee groaned, crossing his arms irritably.
"You do know that the demons aren't constantly after you, right? We've been down this road before."
"Come tell me that when you've had to reincarnate twice because of demons," Lukas replied defensively, toying with an artifact on Gee's shelf. "They want my power, they'll never stop."
"And has anyone tried since you came back this time? Since you married Dad? How about since you revived your line of champions and have living agents out in the world to report back to you? Or since taking control of your full powers and nearly burning down half of the afterlife because you and Dad were fighting?"
"They could always try again," Lukas muttered but their stepson was tired of having this conversation over and over again.
"And the last demon who tried to take your powers? Are they still around, setting a good example of how to seize powers they can't control?"
"You know they're dead, but that doesn't mean-"
"The last great demonic commander in the Demon Wars isn't dead, he's nothing," Gee snapped. "He doesn't exist, he was wiped clean out of existence into some hellish alternate universe, if he survived at all. And before that? He was driven mad by just touching your lowest abilities. The last person to try to seize your powers, you obliterated yourself with ease. No one is trying to steal your powers, Lukas. Even if they were, you'd just reincarnate again. Stop worrying about demons."
Lukas paused, toying over their next words and whether it was worth it to share their information with their stepson.
"I can feel it," they said quietly. "Something powerful is growing and I can feel it. It's getting stronger in the old magic and the angels-"
"What about the angels?" Gee demanded. "There's like four of them left and they haven't said anything relevant since the formation of Pleasantview. They're relics, remnants of a broken system. Ignore them."
"They're tied to me, I can't ignore them," Lukas pouted. "They said-"
"Did you watch the workplace training video I sent you?"
"Angels and Demons Are Not Your Enemy or Demons: They're Just Like You? I don’t need workplace training, I can remember how things used to be and who i have control over just fine."
"I'm older than you and I don't remember the old days," Gee remarked dryly. Well, at least Lukas had read the titles of the training. He had made the training for his reaper students, but it never hurt to remind the chaotic deity of how the universe was supposed to function.
"You're only seventy something years older than me," Lukas protested. "That's nothing. Besides, I had a much closer view of things than you did. I know what I know and I know that the demons are planning something. Look at the whiteboard."
Gee frowned.
"What whiteboard?"
"You know, the whiteboard," Lukas replied, gesturing vaguely with their hands. When Gee continued to stare blankly at them, Lukas tried to hide their chuckle. "Your dad never told you? I thought for sure that it'd be covered by your extensive training program."
"Clearly not."
"Let's go to your office upstairs, your father wouldn't want me to discuss this openly."
Gee followed Lukas upstairs to his private office, curiosity getting the better of him despite his hesitation. While it was true that he was older than the deity, Lukas did know a lot more crucial information than he did. Gee had been estranged from his father for centuries and had developed a terrible reputation among his fellow reapers by acting out. There were things Gee's father knew that were older than the universe itself and he absolutely would not divulge them to his son if asked. Lukas' paranoia might be the only way he'd ever learn his father's secrets.
Lukas locked the office door behind them and took a seat on Gee's desk.
"Okay, how much do you know about deals?" they asked curiously.
Gee shrugged.
"Demon deals? The basics I guess. It's an energy transfer of some kind that demons rely on."
Lukas shook their head quickly.
"Nope. Not what I mean. Where do you get your list of reaper candidates from? When someone dies who is eligible to take your training? How do you find out?"
"A list appears on my desk," Gee replied. "Or sometimes I get a message on my phone. Dad never said where they come from. He said it wasn't any of my business."
Truthfully Gee had always wondered how he received the names of who was to die and when. It was a question that many reaper candidates asked him and Gee had always repeated his father's words to them in reply. It wasn't anyone's business and that was the best he could say.
"It's not. Not really. People think that your father makes the list and he doesn't correct them. He used to receive it just as you do now, though he knew who was sending it. Back in the beginning, way back before even you were born, there was the Universe, your father and my…predecessor. Way back before even demons or teams of reapers existed. Just those three and thousands of angels to govern the living and the dead."
Gee knew the gist of the distant past, or he thought he did. His father governed the dead, working opposite to Life, just as Gee was doing now in his place. The first Life deity had fallen away from his purpose, taking scores of angels with him to pursue power. Life became the devil, the very first demonic sovereign and his followers became demons, sent into exile in the Void the Universe had created to house them. Lukas had come into existence later to take the devil’s place as Life, but their powers spawned from the empty space the devil left behind. Because of this connection, Lukas remained tied to the demons on some level. Demons began as corrupted servants of Life, despite the many differences between them now. He supposed that was why Lukas felt entitled to the handful of remaining angelic beings as well. Lukas was the closest thing they had to the original deity they had served.
"So the Universe makes the list and decides who lives and dies? What does that have to do with deals or a whiteboard?" Gee sighed.
"Demons aren't the only creatures that can make deals," Lukas said cryptically. "Your father can too. Apparently he used to play cruel games of chance with the loved ones of someone destined to die. Let them extend their loved one's life slightly longer if they won. It's twisted. It's certainly something he'd yell at me for doing these days anyway. He was a different man back then."
"And?"
"And if he altered someone's lifetime, then the change had to be recorded somewhere. Back when it was just Life, Death and the Universe governing existence, any message that needed to reach the other deities was written down. The first messages were on a scroll, then a chalkboard and now a whiteboard in modern times. We don't use it often anymore, since your father and I live together and the new Demon Sovereign tends to just ignore us, but it's still there."
"So why has no one told me about this?" Gee asked skeptically. "Shouldn't I have access to something that important? I'm doing Dad's job after all."
Lukas shrugged.
"I guess he didn't think it was important for you to know," they answered. "Your father can be a little…unaware that he's being close minded at times."
"You think?"
With a snap of their fingers, a plain looking whiteboard appeared beside Lukas. Gee tried to hide his interest, but he was obsessed from the moment he'd discovered that his father had hidden this object from him. What was on it? What secrets did it hold? Was this something he could use in the future?
To the naked eye, the board didn't hold anything supernatural or strange. Sticky notes were added, written in various samples of handwriting. He could see one note from Lukas that listed the school numbers for their children in case of an emergency. One note was a surprisingly spicy reminder from his father that Lukas' father would be looking after the kids for date night. Next to that was a list of seven unfamiliar names, some crossed out and two with stars beside them. It was a rare glimpse behind the wall of secrecy that his parents erected around their private life. If he didn't remember every detail now, Gee was certain that he'd never see this board or its secrets again.
"The Kenukin matter had been resolved," Gee read aloud, startled to see the name of his hated half-brother written in faded ink before him. "What does that mean?"
"Hmm. A bit of business from a few centuries ago, just ignore it," Lukas said quickly. "The important part is in the corner on the right hand side."
Gee tried to limit himself to just that area, but his eyes kept straying.
Natural disaster scheduled for March. Twikkii Island royal family murdered on/near boat. Special meeting of Pleasantview reaper team scheduled. Arkhelios team sent to training so mistakes aren't repeated. Queen Claudia's heir-
"Bottom corner," Lukas called, obviously watching where their stepson was reading. "Most of that is all old anyway. If you snoop too hard, you may run into your dad's and my whiteboard sexting, so snoop at your own risk."
Gee shuddered at the thought of whatever it was that his father thought was sexting. It had been a marvel just to see his idea of being romantic at his and Lukas' wedding. Gee didn't think he could endure finding out what Death thought was sexy.
List of Untouchable Souls was an interesting title, but no list followed. Finally Gee's eyes rested on what he assumed Lukas wanted him to see.
In the corner was a sticky note in unfamiliar handwriting addressed to Lukas. It was short, simple, and punctuated with a smiley face doodle.
"Dear Lukas, please update my nephew's file for your records. Theodosius Ulysses Bellamy's true name has become Theodosius Ulysses G Bellamy. I know how dedicated you are to following up on my personal causes and wanted to save you the time. This one's one of my personal favourites. Kisses, Saren B Diablo. That's the demon sovereign's name? And she ends a threatening note with 'kisses'? Bizarre."
"How did you not know her name? Did your father really teach you nothing about your job?" Lukas asked, looking at their stepson like he was an idiot. When Gee responded with a glare, the deity moved on. "Either way, that bitch knows that I'm watching her little science project and something has changed. True names don't change over night and sometimes not even within a human lifespan. I feel something demonic and old awakening and I know this is related to it. The kid's studying blood magic and is descended from a Great Demon, this just screams Saren."
"Why did a G get added?" Gee wondered, scanning the note for clues. "Is he a Maricourt? They're certainly crazy about that letter."
"I don't know, Gee. I was hoping that you could tell me about it."
"Well, don't look at me, ask my dad why my name's Gee," the grim reaper scoffed. "I don't even think I've met this boy, so start your search elsewhere. I can guarantee you that I'm not involved."
Lukas carefully studied their stepson for a lengthy moment. They knew what Gee's name truly was of course, but they were far more interested in his reaction to the question. Gee never used his proper name because it was terrible. Lukas had no idea of why their husband had chosen it in the first place, aside from his proven track record of bizarre choices.
"It doesn't hurt to ask," Lukas replied with a well practiced casual shrug. "Of course I know what your dad named you, I just wondered if you had a little side project of your own. Maybe a cult of witches determined to worship the Grim Reaper to replace the one that tried to kill you. G could have been a tribute."
"Not that I'm aware of," Gee said flatly, suddenly wishing desperately for this conversation to end. "I can look into this Theodosia kid if it makes you feel better. Saren is probably just trying to seem important again. The kid is probably just an annoying brat that her new wife wants to make feel special."
"Theodosius," Lukas corrected. "The kid has been on her radar before the marriage. Hell, maybe she only married the aunt to get close to the kid, you never know with demons. The kid is strong and if he's truly already capable of magic that can change his name, then he's probably what I've been sensing. Old blood and old magic don't just appear out of nowhere. If he's somehow attached himself to the Maricourts' power, he could be very dangerous."
"And? Are you planning on killing this boy or something? Is that somewhere on this whiteboard? It's unnatural for Life to take a life, even if I suspect that it's possible."
Lukas rolled their eyes.
"No, Gee. Do you know how much trouble I'd be in if I did that? Then I'd end up with an angry, powerful demon in the afterlife, making my own existence hell. It's better to play the long game and see what I can influence as long as he still draws breath."
"And what exactly are you planning? Following the kid around yourself?"
Gee remembered all too well his stepparent's flair for the dramatic and talent for stalking. Lukas showed up nearly everywhere in history, hidden behind a tree or quietly reading a newspaper next to a busy scene. They knew things about just about everyone alive or dead and when they weren't stealing priceless jewelry from the various monarchs of the living world, Lukas could usually be found lurking in the shadows. They had a talent for "research", one that only Death could ever see through, though Lukas' main disguise usually featured red hair and glasses.
"What do you think? A war breaking out or family drama or both? Usually it's both."
Leah stood in the hallway, eavesdropping on her husband's meeting. She was Gee's only wife but there were four husbands in their polycule. Ben had been Gee's first spouse back when Ben was alive, but Death forced them to break up after Ben's death. Now that Gee could stand up to his father, Ben had gradually been reintroduced into family life. As he and Leah were Gee's only dead spouses, they were usually the ones who heard all of the gossip.
"It sounds like Lukas is up to their usual tricks," Ben replied. "I'm voting for terrible disguise that ends up with them stealing anything shiny nearby. You never saw them before the Demon Wars. They were unhinged."
Leah had been born in the Demon Wars long ago, but she could guess how Lukas had been. They had five kids with a reaper woman to spite Death's rejection of their advances, and then had a messy affair with the afterlife office's secretary when Leah first encountered them. Her own husband had been just as bad until she came into his life. Death and his reapers all needed a stern person to guide them away from destroying themselves. She had no idea what Lukas needed to stay out of trouble, aside from Death's gentle nudging. They were a complicated family.
Gee frowned as Lukas disappeared into thin air, taking the mystic whiteboard with them. Gee had wanted to scour the object to look for clues about his father, but as usual, he and Lukas were determined to keep their secrets. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to warn his father about whatever Lukas was planning or just wait for the inevitable disaster to begin. No doubt Lukas would begin stalking this child, possibly involving an angel if they could. Who could say if this plan wasn't playing into the Demon Sovereign's own plans for this child? There certainly wasn't much love lost between the two of them.
He would put a warning out to his reapers to watch for Lukas' plan; that might help the matter. This poor demon kid had no idea of what was coming his way.