Death's Huntress

The land between life and death exist to host some of the darkest creatures that live. It is a dark land filled with even darker things. The angel of death himself resides in this desolate place. The very soil itself dyed the color of dead blood shaded slightly red by the blood of fresh human souls as they are drug through to the next life be it heaven or hell the final destiny all pass through these lands.

Set in the high mountain tower the angel receives his orders from above and below as both have a list of souls whose time has come. For every life there is a price to pay of death. From the very mouth of the angel to the thousands of reapers who take their list to the land of the living and bring the souls across these lands where they shed their human forms in piles on the ground. Theses skins are not wasted as they go into making the materials needed for robes of the reapers, the huts they reside in as well as much, much more in this world of death and decay. Perhaps the most distinguished of its uses is to make the uniform of the most feared humanoid creature that lives in this realm. Death’s huntresses, in all there are a total of only a hundred that exist as of today. The black leather uniform marks the highest rank granted. Only females can be in this position as they are more nimble as well as seductive not only to men but to women as well as they hold an air of unnatural beauty to them.

“Good morning Celestrica, may the morning bring you a fair and fruitful hunt.” A dark skinned huntress exits her human skin tent as she stretches her wary body to greet the new day. Not that you could tell in this land as the sun never touched the sky. Here the sign of a new day is the mystical white and red glow that enter the atmosphere from above the white glow of the names meant to be claimed for heaven. From below the red words of the devils advocates ready to be called to service. It is by far the most beautiful site here and the huntresses stand on the edge of the higher cliffs where they live above the rest to watch this beautiful display of power.

“Good morning Monicayo, may the morning also bring you a fair and fruitful hunt.” The two huntresses could not be further from opposite as Monicayo’s skin is pale like the moonlight in the human’s sky. Both are dressed in a tight fitting blackened leather uniform. The top with a strap two inches wide on one side baring the opposite shoulder. The creases where the leather is patched together visible to the eye. It ends showing the mid-section of the abdomen there is no navel as all have shed their human form upon entrance to this land. Each hand picked for one reason or another from souls that pass through. The pants start just at the hip bones and fit just as tightly as they are designed to allow for maximum movement as their job can be the most difficult. Both women bare the stripes down their face paint made from the being they ultimately serve. White like Celestrica who serves the gods of the heavens, or red like Monicayo who hunts the villains due to the realm of hell. Both can be just as dangerous as they have, on purpose, found ways to avoid deaths grasp. Both women are armed with a bow made from the wood of the tree of life and a quiver that contains arrows made from the same wood. The tips are sharpened teeth of the dragons of old dipped in the poison from the fruit that tempted the very earliest humans into sin. There is an enchantment that exist on the quiver as it never runs out of arrows to be fired.

“Does the day bring us bountiful targets or will he only need the two of you?” a third huntress asks looking at the two who should be best of friends, but are too busy being in competition. This one looks like Monicayo pale skinned red markings with white braids adorning her head. Her eyes as red as the markings on her face as she watches just as intently as the two.

“Come now Diatia you should rejoice in the down time. Fine tune your skills to allow for you to reach the level of reliance we have provided for the angel of death.” The smug over confident Monicayo says to the third huntress to join them.

“There is always room to improve even if you are at the top of the list of huntresses. No one of us is perfect even if one believes herself to be. I take every moment I can to improve and fine tune my skills Monicayo. This is why I am more than a hundred claimed souls ahead of you.” Celestrica says to spurn the overly confident Monicayo.

“For now you are. Today is a new day.” She responds the look on her face holding all the hatred she has for not being number one. She is never allowed to take the most trying and important souls even if they are for the gods she serves. Those are always given to Celestrica and it burns inside her with the jealousy of a thousand mortal souls.

“Jealousy will be your tripping stone when you tumble and fall over your pride Monicayo. Be wary the path you take as it may lead to places you cannot come back from.” Celestrica was far older than any living huntress and had seen the very bravest and wisest above her fail the angel of death through their own pride. She herself tries to remain humble as she knows all too well how easy it is to get caught up in the praise of the angel of death. It has lost her more than her fair share of souls at one time when she was younger, and not as wise as she is now. She remains ever cautious of the ideas of grandeur.

“Remembering how many times you have failed will only make you weak and pathetic even at your age, keep your wisdom to yourself and let the younger of us rise as we will.” Monicayo turns swinging her braids into Celestrica’s face only to have them caught in a harsh tug as Celestrica catches the mass with her hand.

“Be careful who you speak to with that tone, I am the oldest here. The only left alive from the small group formed with me. I have more than earned my place to give advice to those who need it. Head my warning Monicayo it is my last to your prideful heart.” The look of surprise in her face lets Celestrica know how underestimated she is in the eyes of the foolish youth. She releases her grip and Monicayo storms off more upset then she was when she started to leave.

“You are far wiser then her, yet she pays you no mind. I will take your advice huntress and try to remain humble ever learning from each task set before me.” The extremely young Diatia says as she turns slightly and humbly bows her head to take her leave. Celestrica bows slightly as well remaining on the edge facing the angel’s lair. The flow had finally ended and the reapers fill the lower floors heading to retrieve each list divided amongst them. It will take but a moment for each list to be branded in the reapers minds then the angel will call forth the huntresses to give them any names that have avoided the reapers.

The masses of reapers stand before the large angel of death. He is as beautiful as he is terrifying. With long blonde hair and blue eyes he stretches his hand outward towards the repeatedly cloaked figures. The names flow from the angel’s finger tips as a glowing stream of red or white lettering into the open masked mouths of the reapers looking up as the lettering enters through the thinned human skin masks. Past their skeleton teeth that has been stripped of any form of flesh, swirling up into the skull until the glow form in the hollow eyes of each individual reaper. Within a few moments the room fills with black fog from the vapors left behind when a reaper leaves the land between to head for the land of the humans.

Celestrica is the last of the huntresses to leave the high cliffs and head towards the tower as she has learned patience far out ways enthusiasm. The later earns you no more assignments then arriving in time. She walks through the dark fields of hunts for the reapers into the fields of skins a she watches the flow of souls begin to enter the atmosphere. The rain of their blood hits her face as she looks up watching the human forms being pulled from the souls freeing them to pass to the other side. She closes her eyes for a moment walking forward more than aware of what was ahead of her. The skins fall into their designated piles where small twisted elf like creatures work on a chain gang type line passing the skins along to the next heading to the buildings that turn them into the materials needed. She now looks ahead at the highest peak where the beautiful angel sits waiting for her to arrive. She steps up the steep trail of stairs that lead to his chambers.

The halls like the rest of this dreary land are black she shake the blood from her body before entering the hall where the rest of the huntresses are gathered to receive their orders. She look up at the shirtless angel setting on a slate black throne. His black wings folded behind his back as he leans slightly forward. He has white pants that are loose fitting and bare feet as he sits watching the beautiful room of huntresses take a knee before him. Celestrica taking her place in the front role where she has become accustomed to kneeling. The black and white covered heads all bow before the great angel who has blessed them with their immortality and who can easily take it away. Other than a different hair style and small differences in the facial features together as a group it is most difficult to tell the huntresses apart.

“My beautiful huntresses receive your lists. For every life there is the price of death must be paid.” He says as he stretches out his hand. All the huntresses look up and in unison the huntresses answer.

“We bring the price to those who run from it. Every life shall end in death.” The names come from his fingers the same as they did for the reapers only the separate into sides, those who serve the heavens and those who serve hell. Within a moment it is done and the huntresses rise to their feet vanishing to the realm of the humans behind the reapers but in directions the reapers cannot follow. Celestrica the only one remaining knelt before the angel of death as it was requested in the lettering he sent out. A secret way to meet without the others knowing if necessary. There is something troubling the angel of death and the only one he trust is now alone in front of him.

“My master why have you asked me to stay behind rather than give me names to pursue?” she looks up at him with her whitish blue eyes set out from her dark skin.

“I have some heavy worries weighing on my mind. It seems that artifacts that had been captured and locked away are resurfacing in the human world. Items that I myself have locked away in the volt of life. I fear one of your fellow huntresses has forsaken the oath they took to ensure balance.” She looks at him in confusion as she has never heard of such betrayal. The look of honest surprise tells him she is indeed innocent. The one thing she has never been able to do is lie well.

“My master what do you wish of me? Tell me your command and I shall do as you ask.” she says bowing her head back to the floor in earnest. The angel stands from his throne and shrinks himself to her size as he is enormous in comparison to her, or to any others that dwell here. He walks up to her and stands before her. He looks down at her knowing that even in her failures she had always taken full responsibility for what went wrong. This allowed her to far out live any other before, with, and will hold her immortality long after those who have come after her.

“I will be giving you a list of names daily of humans I suspect have come across these items you are not to immediately kill them I need you to watch them, interrogate them, even torture them to find out where they are getting these items from. The one responsible for betraying me will suffer a fate far worse than death.” She remains knelt as he lifts her head and her mouth opens. He puts his hand slightly out hovering over her mouth as the names both red and white enter her mind. Her eyes slightly glow as her mind is filled with these names. “Suspect everyone my huntress.” He adds as the names end.

“As you wish my master.” She rises to her feet and steps forward vanishing from the land between into the land of the living. A shadow unseen by those who have not been called to her attention. She controls who can see her and when just as most huntresses could. She must find the one responsible for this heinous crime against the balance.