*One of my favorite places in the Dali: Death’s ship. This isn’t the vessel she uses to shepherd souls. This is her home, her safe haven. This is where she finds peace and tranquility.*
Normally, he wasn’t one to bang on doors but there was no one on the charred black wooden deck. And when he asked the stars about Saravia’s whereabouts, they simply hummed annoyingly and pretended to be busy. As if stars were ever busy. All they did was chatter incessantly. But when it came to Ean, they chose to show self-control—something he hadn’t known stars to possess. Not one question broke their terrible tune.
“At least pick a different song. And maybe harmonize,” Ean shouted towards the glittering night sky.
The stars simply hummed louder and with a purpose to cause irritation. If stars could smile, they’d have looked like plump satiated Cheshire cats at that moment.
Gritting his teeth, he looked around the deck for a clue. This was Death’s realm and domain. Every Sharu had a home-base they’d forged for themselves. A place to hold court, to find solace and sanity. They were not places that were for visitors. Sharus had places of business, like Reason’s office or Saravia’s waiting room, or Luck’s travelling cottage, but their homes—that was simply for them and those they considered kin. The deck was quiet, clean and everything was placed as if the owner would be getting back at any minute. He shrugged. Fine. He could spare an ‘any minute’. Ean took a deep breath; he could smell the magic of the laylines, the sacred place the universe created to unfurl its threads and power.
But even without the magic of the laylines pulsing in every length of wood, the ship was still impressive. Black. Gold trimmed. Ornate but not gaudy. It was decadence and simple comforts in harmony. This was a reminder of how powerful Saravia was, even if she didn’t appear that way.
He made his way to the Captain’s quarters, but the doors were locked. Locks were nothing to magicians. They simply indicated a focus for their curious nature. What did Death keep behind lock doors? Ean flexed his fingers; locks were easy to tackle as long as one’s fingers didn’t cramp. He smiled. Big or small, from simplest to intricate, the click of a liberated lock was absolutely satisfying. Such an intoxicating sound.
“There are places that even Death’s beloved will not stray,” a quiet, but strong voice stated.
Ean looked over his shoulder, though his hand was still on the door’s handle. He gritted his teeth before responding, “Don’t call me that.”
“Yes, it sounds loathsome to my ears as well. She should not love someone like you, no?”
The stars stopped their humming to go oooooo. They loved a good verbal spat. Ean whirled to face Destiny. He’d heard the rumors. That this Sharu was in love with Saravia, that he’d discovered his name in discovering desire for her. It made Ean want to rip apart every wooden piece on this ship and to have the sky littered with wood chips.
“Isn’t it your job to observe?”
Destiny took a seat on one of the lounge chairs, arranging carefully the pleats of his gray robe. “Aren’t I doing just that, Lord Magician? I am observing you trying to break into Sharu Death’s sanctuary.”
“I mean observe silently.”
Destiny chuckled. No, actually he made an audible exhale that denoted humor. “Ahh, well you see I’ve evolved. Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“Social butterfly now?”
“I prefer the coloring of moths. The ones that flutter about in musty closets, spying skeletons and secrets. Magicians are famous for those things, no?”
Ean smiled. “True. But what’s not a secret is that Death loves me, no? And your…infatuation is only one-sided.”
Destiny shrugged. “Your thoughts are your own, no? We are all observers of the intricate truths and plausible paths. Some of us are better at observation than others. You and I are perfect examples of both these extremes, no?”
“…”
Destiny drew his hood even lower. “Go home. She will not come while you are here. There are no plausible paths in which the two of you reunite at this moment.” His voice held the hint of amusement. “You see, my presence establishes that.”
“If she and I are to meet, we will. You cannot toy with the universe’s decree.”
“Ah, so you are learning.”
“What I mean is that you’re a Sharu. You are bound to the universe. You can’t go against it.”
“True. And because I am bound to the universe, I am also in tune to its decrees better than you are. And it says go now. Play your scavenger hunt for a time, but know very soon the universe will take you in its grip and extract every drop of magic from your body. It will leave you a useless husk if you cannot change your ways.”
“I’m not moving.”
Destiny moved his hand as if he were swatting a fly in the air. Ean’s body strained to keep still and fight back the pressure Destiny was creating around him, but when Ean heard the first bone cracked, he allowed his body to tumble off the ship and into the inky black celestial night. As he fell back onto solid ground, he saw the stars twinkle and heard them repeat their ooooos. His hit list now included luminous spheres of plasma.
jaedawson 