Tarous

I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift.
I spent so much time researching western medicine, but I was unable to find a cure. My parents had taken me to several doctors. They were useless, but happy to take our money.
I turned to magic, despite the negative stereotypes about it. I found that I had a natural talent for the magical arts, but alas they were also useless for improving my condition.
After western medicine and magic failed I turned to eastern medicine, but what I found was more scams and hokum than medicine. I had all but given up when I turned to eastern magic. I found scraps of information that slowly lead me to a torn copy of an old book.
The title was arrogant to the extreme. Heavenly Emperor World Technique. It was almost completely destroyed except for the first few pages. Its writing was mostly illegible and the details of the technique were probably in the later ruined pages. Just my luck. What I found inside, on the few remaining pages, was the first bit of knowledge to actually help me with my condition. It told about qi, especially death qi, and how to absorb that qi.
Death qi was not a perfect balance for the destructive fiery energy inside my body, but it did help neutralize it to some extent. Death was cold, the grave was cold, and that coldness helped to neutralize the fiery qi within my body. I planned to continue to use death qi to stave off my death for as long as possible. Death might run towards me like a wife running towards her husband’s embrace, but I refuse to receive death with open arms.
I continued to meditate, focusing on my breathing.
My life isn’t a complete tragedy. I have learned an incredible amount about magic and through my magic I have made interesting friends. One particularly interesting friend might even visit me tonight.
Most people believe magic has to be summoned with Latin or some other ancient language. That human sacrifices must be made to summon the power of magic and strange hand gestures made to control it. All of these are lies that witches have told themselves for centuries. Words and gestures are only the framework to put one in the correct mental state. Truthfully any words will do, or no words at all. The only thing that truly matters is the will of the witch. A witch doesn’t do magic, a witch is magic. That was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn and the knowledge I’m most proud of. It shaped me and allowed me to travel farther down the path of magic than many other witches my age.
“Death is a release and love a promise.” I spoke the words like a solemn oath. Words that moved me, that spoke to my very soul. The words themselves had no power, they were not magic words. They were words that moved my soul. The most powerful magics come from the soul.
A vague form began to take shape behind me. Most would mistake the form for a ghost, but it was something much more powerful. A black robe floated behind me. A hood covered its head and long sleeves covered its hands. The only thing that could be seen besides the robes was an old rusty scythe.
“Hello death, my old friend.”
The grim reaper is not something to be feared. It is an old being. It does not kill, it only comes to watch over the dead and guide them to their destination. It is a hero and a guide who deserves our admiration and respect for the lonely vigil it has held since the very first death. It is our protector, who asks for nothing, but only ever helps.
My words did not summon the grim reaper, nor would I do so even if they could. The words I spoke were less a spell and more of an invitation, the essence of my soul sent forth into the world. It was merely a ripple in the pond of magic saying, ‘I am here if you wish to visit.’
Though there was only one grim reaper it could have as many bodies as it chose. There are many grim reapers, but there is only one grim reaper. It could be everywhere at once or nowhere if it so chose. It is difficult to fully comprehend a being that can be everywhere or nowhere all at the same time. I do know one thing for sure, the reaper will always be there at the moment a person dies, to escort them to the other side. Not because he has to, but because he cares.
A silent guardian.
The world is vast so it sends shadow versions of itself to guide souls to the next life. Without this help many souls would remain on earth and either be preyed upon by evil creatures or eventually go mad from being so close to the living, but unable to touch or affect them in any way.
The grim reaper floated through the graveyard and as he did flowers began to wilt and die. Once vibrant flowers turned black and lifeless.
“Thank you for the honor of this visit.” I never knew completely why it came to visit me. Maybe because I had spent my entire life closer to death than others. It had appeared to me when I had first started training in death qi to prevent my own death. Maybe it knew that its presence made death qi gather, which made it far easier for me to absorb it. Maybe it was just lonely. Death isn’t a lot of things, but it is a lonely journey.
“I think I’m close to another break through with my technique. I’ve noticed certain magics vibrate at different frequencies. By studying the vibrations of magic I may be able to figure out a way to further neutralize the fiery energy within my body.”
I smiled at the reaper. I was so young then. So innocent, never realizing how