Crim's Story

The sun set in brilliant colours of pink, orange and purple. Shadows settle across the vastness of the land. They contorted and shifted, created shadow demons out of nothing. Crim sat up top of a large cliff that over looked the landscape. He let out a sigh as he placed his chin in his hands and closed his eyes. He often came here to contemplate his life and things he did; some he was proud of while others left a tarnish mark on his soul forever. No one knew the pain he suffered day in and day out. No one knew of the things he dreamt of when he laid his head to rest at night. Nightmares consumed him, ate at him, devoured him.

Sithana stopped and rested for a brief moment. She hunched over and placed her hands on her knees.

“ Why couldn’t he run off somewhere closer to home,” She said to her self as she glanced up at the setting sun. The moon was barely visible and was anxiously waiting for its turn to reign.

Letting out one last big breath, she started to walk again.

“Next time I wear jeans instead of a dress,” She exclaimed as she hiked up her dress so she could walk faster.

Crim sat cross-legged his opal cloak that he wore formed a blanket around his body as he continued to meditate in silence. Because he was deep in thought, he didn't even sense Sithana's presence until she sat down next to him.

“Crim?” she said as he slowly opened his eyes only to be met with hers. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know,” he replied as he arched his back and looked up at the night sky. He didn’t realize how long he was there. It was day light when he arrived now the moon has settled and the stars paint the horizon like gems.

Sithana looked at her friend with concern.

“Crim, you can talk to me you know. You’re secrets are safe with me. How can I help you if you won’t tell me what’s wrong,”

“Sithana, my dear, my secrets are even too dark for me to know. I can’t remember them even if I tried. I feel stretched, worn, tired. There is an emptiness inside that’s eating me alive. I can’t see the light not even when it shines in front of me. I see only darkness, pure unaltered darkness,” he said as he titled his head and sighed.

“I have seen the seasons pass endlessly for centuries and yet I am still amazed at the beauty that is Mother Nature. Empires fell before my eyes and I’ve watched countless kings and queens reign. I have seen painters such as Da Vinci and Botticelli work their magic with only a blank canvas and a few paint. How many times have I watched love grow and finally die? How many lives have I taken? How many more will I take before I can rest?” He asked as he stared straight ahead. Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes before rolling down his face.

Sithana took his face into her palms and tenderly wiped the tears away.

“My dear Crim, You are not alone any longer. I am here now and Cleric is working feverously for a way to stop your curse. Believe me, Cleric won’t rest until he does. The others are helping as well. Listen to me Crim” She exclaimed as she looked into his eyes. “I won’t leave you. I will stay with you even if I can’t bare it no longer. I will walk with you to the end of the earth and back if need be.”

Crim smiled and laid his head in her lap.

Maybe there is hope yet even is it is just a sliver.1

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It was late before Crim and Sithana made it home. The house they lived in was situated in a vast forest where as their house laid smack dab in the middle. The large building was constructed for the purpose of teaching and knowledge with the largest library in the country. It housed thousands of books, scriptures, tomes and anything else one needed to gain knowledge. Down the large hall and to the left laid the den; a large stone fireplace laid on the north wall of the room. Large leather sofas wrapped themselves around the adjacent walls giving it a lived in feeling. Two large suits of armour greeted the visitor as soon as they entered.

Opposite the den was the entertainment room where one can sit down and enjoy the company of others while playing pool or even watching TV. The kitchen and dining room were located at the back of the house. A large stove lay beneath a picture window, the soft glow of the sun always made this room feel warm and inviting. Marble counter tops lied on opposite sides of the large culinary stove. A built in dishwasher and trash compacter were mounted beneath the counters. An island counter was also available which was where the sink was located. The dining room was just a few feet from the kitchen and housed a large oak dining table, which could seat a dozen easily yet it was hardly used since none of the occupants were home long enough to use it. Large oriental style rugs lie underneath and large works of art hung in almost every room.

Up stairs were the sleeping quarters all in which they were 20 rooms yet only 9 were used the others were use for misguided visitors who needed a place to stay.

“Urgh,” Cleric shouted from the library as he slammed a book down hard. It made a loud thump as it landed. Crim and Sithana peeked around the corner, looking at a dishevelled cleric, his hair escaped his trademark braid and it hung loosely down his back before spilling out onto the floor.

“You know it’s not nice to spy on people,” He said as his eyes peered up from behind a book.

“Sorry Cleric,” Sithana replied as she entered the room, casually stepping over the occasional book that found its way discarded onto the floor.

“How’s the research going?” She asked as she leaned up against a rack of books.

“Frustrating to say the least. He said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I have every single book readily available on this subject yet they all state the same information over and over,”

“What information would that be?” Crim asked as he stood in the doorway.

Cleric stood up and looked over at him. His eyes always made him uneasy as they always showed the same vapid expression. His body was always hidden beneath that cloak, that cloak that seemed to move even when there was no wind to do so. Cleric shuddered. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair as he ventured over to stand next to him.

“Reapers are a mystery and almost every religion and country has it’s own interpretation of what a reaper is,”

“Reapers personify death, they often resemble skeletons carrying a scythe. Their job is to carry wayward souls to the underworld to await judgment. Also they can prolong life if they see that the person is worthy,”

“We know all this,” Piped in Sithana.

“Yes, Of course we do. It all makes sense except the whole skeleton carrying a scythe since as we can clearly see looking at Crim is hardly a skeleton or carrying a scythe, “ Continued Cleric as he glanced at Crim who had a sullen expression on his face. Several strands of dirty blond hair escape from beneath the hood of his cloak and fell forward across his eyes. Crim bent his head down and sighed as Cleric continued his findings.

“What we don’t know is how a reaper is chosen and how to stop from being one. It’s complicated to explain yet I’ll keep searching the books though. Maybe I overlooked something,” Cleric remarked as he picked up another book and sat down once again on the floor to read. Knowing full well that Cleric despised being interrupted reading, Sithana motioned Crim with her hand to exit the room and leave him in peace so he could research in quiet solitude.

As they were leaving the library, the familiar sound of the front door opening caught Crim’s attention. As he neared the front door to see who was here, he was suddenly greeted with a vice like hug.

“Hello Eostra,” He said as he tried to catch his breath.

“Hey Crim, How’s it going?” Eostra said cheerfully as she gave him a big toothy smile.

“Fine, I guess,” He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“That’s great!” She said as she gave the bag in her hand a swing.

“Um Eostra?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s in the bag?”

“Oh, it’s…” Before she could complete her sentence, Phoenix came around the corner with an irritated look on her face.

“There you are,” Phoenix said as she crossed her arms across her chest and impatiently tapped her foot on the floor. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this stuff,” She said as she grabbed the bag from Eostra’s hand and took a peek inside.

“Hope to the heavens, my Dittany Of Crete and Mugwort aren’t damage from all that swinging,” Sighing, she turned and walked away from the stunned friends.

Sighing Eostra replied “ She needs some fun in her life,” Before walking off into the den.

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