PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

“State your name and your reason for being here!” I was at one of my many usual posts, the front of Death’s Palace. It was more of like a small, well sheltered, village, but I digress.

  I look at the fair-skinned male before me, draped all in black. He seems familiar, but I have seen many, many faces, while running errands for Death and those at his side.

  “State your name and your reason for being here, stranger. My time is precious, and I absolutely refuse for it to be thrown away by the mere likes of you.”

  He cringes at my cold words, but I do not care. The other side of me has stepped forth immensely, ever since the treachery, deceit, and heartbreak by all those I once held near and dear to, what used to be, my heart. I can control her better now, but I do not fight it, much, whenever she wishes to break through and take full control.

  “I said, state your business!”

  He cringes inward a tad more before standing straight and tall. “I have come to talk to Death and to ask his help in finding my long lost sibling.”

  “And who would that sibling be?”

  I know almost every creature, species, and person of our world and the other. If he tries to pull the wool over my eyes, I will know.

  “Death knows who they are. Why should I tell you?”

  “I am many things to this palace and the people that inhabit it. So if you wish to enter and converse with the head of this establishment, you must go through me first, meaning that you must tell me all that I need to know before I allow you to enter. Who is your sibling? What is their name?”
  “As I said before, Death knows. I should not have to tell you.”

  “And as I have said, I-”

  A hand suddenly rests upon my shoulder. I know the hand well, as well. It has guided me all through this palace, with his son by my side. The hand that offered me an official realm, an official kingdom to stay in, be apart of it. He welcomed in a freak, and she has shown him nothing but gratitude and loyalty ever since.

  “Zania, what is all this? Are you not allowing someone through, yet another time?”

  “He refuses to tell me all that I must know, before he enters your sanctum. Your world.”

  “Young stranger, why have you come?” Death’s voice so kind and gentle, for such a man that has caused so many to fall, so many to die in my arms and many others. He is such a loving man to have caused so much death and heartbreak in our world.

  “I have come to converse with you, Death. I seek my sibling and beg and plead of you to help in the search for her.” The stranger licks his lips, while plead and sadness dance within his eyes. “I promise I will tell you more, once I enter your official kingdom. I just beg that you let me enter.”

  “Zania,” Father Death turns to look me in my eyes. “I treasure you for being such an amazing protector of my kingdom and of me, but to stop this poor man from getting the answers he seeks? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I knew you had a cold heart, so you would not be wavered by such pleas, but I guess I also should have known that when a true one came about you would still have that cold unmelting heart to them as well the others.”

  I instantly regret my decision and kneel, head bowed, in front of Father Death. “A thousand pardons, beggings, and pleadings for forgiveness and mercy, I truly did not mean to ignore a true plea.”

  I feel his hand brush the curtaining hair from my face and feel his lips press against my forehead. His cold lips. “Your pardons, beggings, and pleas have all been heard and have all been forgiven.”

  I stand back up, head still bowed. “Thank you.”

  “Now come along, young stranger. We shall talk in my quarters.”

  I wait for the stranger to enter the palace before me. For not only must I look out for Death, I must protect his company as well.

  I follow silently behind Death and his company, mind wandering to his son. How I have grown fond of his son. He, also, seemed quite fond of me when we first met, but he seems quite distant at times now. I cherish the times that he creeps up behind me on my nightly posts and stroke my hair from the shadows. I always have to say, “Son of Death, if it truly is you then please show yourself. My paranoia is beginning to get the best of me.”

  He always appears and says, “A thousand apologies Miss Zania. I should have known better than to sneak up be hind you,” he smiles, “I am just amazed that you did not attempt to slice my neck or do away with my head entirely.”

  I chuckle and say, “Well, it is most surprising that the son of Father Death is apologizing to one of the many lowly severs of his father, and it is not surprising that I did not try to harm you.”

  “And why is that?”

  I would smile and say, “Because I can sense when you are near, but I also sense others near as well; which is usually when my paranoia kicks in.”

  He would usually just chuckle and kiss me, then I would say, “Who knew such a kiss from Death would be so kind, so sweet, so…”

  “So…what?”

  I usually would smile, “Warm.”

  I am brought out of my memory by my blade deflecting its first of the many attacks to come.

  “Joanzac Almighty.”

  “Crimson Lily.”

  “Treachery.”

  “Deceit.”

  “Hatred.”

  “Somody.”

  With every name I spoke, it was my greeting and defense of those who attacked me.

  “Good Morn, all. I advise you all to stay out of hearing distance of Father Death’s meeting quarters.”

  “Yes, Zania.” Their reply comes in unison, all one hundred and thirty-five of them.

“So, young stranger… Who are you? And why again have you come?”

  “I am Sergio Shadowalker. I have come in search of my long lost sibling, hoping you know her whereabouts.”

  I raise my eyebrow at the second part of his answer, utterly confused.

  “Yes, Zania? You have something to say?”

  I shrink back. “It is just that… would he not go to Goddess Calliope for such an answer, before coming to you?”

  “But I-”

  “But he has gone to my sister, Calliope, but she refused to tell him. Zania, even I expect you of all people to know how in touch and in love with the rules my sister is. How obedient and under the thumb of the Elders she is. So of course she would not tell him. And now he comes to me, the only other being in our world that knows any and everything and one here and does not fear what those idiotic Elders have to say.”

  “My apologies, Father Death.”

  “You are forgiven, Zania. So you have come to see where your sibling is? May I ask you to specify who your sibling is that you are looking for?”

  He hesitates for a slim moment, “Yes… my sister. We were separated when we were five. I have been longing and searching for since that dreaded day.”

  “That’s just like…”

  “Like what, Zania?”

  I shake my head. “Nothing, Father Death.”

  “Very well. So tell me, Sergio, why else are you here? And remember, I know everything, so you might as well, as those in the other world say, ‘spill the beans.’”

  “I… I wish to find her and make her mine, as in…court…her.”

  I crinkle my nose at that. What the other world calls incest, this world calls love beyond their birth connection. I just think it is sickening. They are your brother. They are your sister. They are your mother. They are father. Leave them that way!

  “Do you have anything to say, Zania?”

  “No, Father Death. You already know my standing on incest.”

  “Incest?” The stranger looks at me. “She speaks as if she were born in the other world.”

  “Not born, but I do have a mind set as most that live there. I highly frown upon spouses marrying and intercoursing with their spouse. I think it is vile, and it disgusts me.”

  I watch as his face goes pale and looks toward Father Death.

  “Is there any reason why you wish to court her?

  “Yes… my kind needs her…. We need…Pain.”

  Something within me stirs. I ignore it. “I thought only Darkness needed Pain.”

  “Well, by looking at young Sergio, he looks as if he soon shall be Darkness.” He speaks to the stranger, when e says, “Your true last name is Dark, is it not?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  I am taken aback. “He is to be the knew Darkness?”

  “Yes, he is. Darkness himself may give up his post to a worthy gentlemen, if he so wishes. And I am guessing that by the this Darkness-in-Running is searching for Pain; the original Darkness has grown weak. Is that correct, Young Sergio?”

  “Yes, Death, he is, and the Prophecy of our kingdom within kingdoms states the a women unique to Animegas. She will be like no other creature, species, or kind of this world. She will be one of a kind and possess a darker half that shall completely consumer her, if she does not come over and be with Darkness and rule over the kingdom within kingdoms. It is said that she will be able to enter every single kingdom and territory without the need of shadows or darkness. She will be the Dark’s queen.”

  I roll my eyes at yet another prophecy, but marvel at how much it sounds like me.

  “So you believe that your sister shall be the one and only Pain to ever walk Animegas?”

  “Yes, I am. She was so undecided when we were children. She always seemed as if she had a bit of a darker side, that looked as if it were going to try to fight and break free once she hit her teen years. She wanted to be just like me, but for some of the wrong reasons and was banished. Though, I do have a very strong feeling that she is still in Animegas, searching for a place to fit in.” The entire time the stranger spoke, I could feel his eyes on me.

  I did not pay him attention. I am only to look out across the wide quarters in case one of its inhabitants attempts in ease dropping.

  “Ah… I see, Young Sergio. I see the predicament that you are in, so I shall tell you that, yes; your sister is still in Animegas and has not had a run in with my very well known ‘kiss to end all kisses.’ She is very much alive, in fact, and very much closer than you or her expect…. Well, mostly her. You know how close she is, and, yes, she truly is the infamous Pain that Darkness has been searching for for eons upon eons.”

  I hear a startled and relieve cry pass the stranger’s lips. I also have the oddest feeling that they are speaking of me, so I turn to face them both.

  “So who exactly is his sister, Father Death? Who is this girl that is Pain, the one that both kingdoms among kingdoms have been searching for?”

  They both look towards me with such a smile, it send unwanted chills up my spine.

  I shake my head. “It cannot be me.”

  “And why not, Zania? Do you question my knowing?”

  I quickly stiffen and shake my head, once more. “A thousand pardons and apologies, Father Death, for having such a rebellious tongue. I just cannot grasp how this stranger before us is my brother…. I have no brother, Father Death. I was an only child.”

  “You are forgiven, Zania, and the Elders played with your mind. They made you believe that you were an only child, so that they may get you to do as they so wished, with out you wondering where your twin brother had gone.”

  I look at the stranger and instantly see the same angular jaw line, the same round of eyes, even the same exact way we set our jaws in annoyance and anticipation. I sigh, knowing I shall not win this argument but continue on nonetheless. “But what about you and your son? I cannot leave you two. I refuse to do so.”

  “Zania.”

  “Yes, Father Death?”

  “As my last and final command for you, I order you to go to your true home with your brother, learn the Dark’s ways, and remember your brother and how much fun you had when you were children, and get past the reached Earth’s incest ideas and learn to find love beyond the bound of blood. Am I understood that you shall do all these things?”

  I close my eyes.

  This was unfair. How am I to do all those things he asks of me? But then again… how am I to say no the request of a man that openly, and non- reluctantly, accepted me and welcomed me to his kingdom, where all those that inhabited it accepted me as well? I couldn’t. I can’t. He has done too much for me to ignore his last requests, commands, and orders for me. I sigh and choose to agree but in reluctance to this whole matter. “Yes, Father Death, I shall follow and do all these things. I will go to my quarters, clear out my things, and return all items of weaponry and books of spells that you have given me.”

  “You will do no such thing, Zania. Those items now all belong to you. You have mastered them. You may keep them, as well.”

  I bow in front of such a gracious man as him for the last time. “Thank you, Father Death.”

  Father Death smiles, as the stranger speaks. “And you do not have to worry about your things Sister. Some of my most trustworthy of companions have all gathered your things and transported your things to our realm, our kingdom within kingdoms. We must hurry back and quickly plan our ceremony of bondage.”

  I tense, still not yet relaxed from the last time I had stiffen. “Very well, Stranger. We shall make haste.” I look back at my Father Death and go against everything I had told myself that I would not do. I hug Father Death. “Farewell, Father.” I turn and leave my startled father, and his son, as I leave with this stranger that calls himself my brother. I do not block all one hundred and thirty-five of Father’s followers, as I exit the palace. I let each strike and blow be there farewell to me. I let the wounds stay open as a reminder of how much I was loved and accepted here. I do not cry. I just accept the physical pain, so that it may drown out the emotional pain welling up inside of me. At the entrance, I turn back to the one hundred and thirty-five pairs of eyes staring at me and smile, letting the drops of crimson, dripping from my wounds, be my tears. “Farwell, all you. You shall always be deep within my heart. I shall always remember your kindness and acceptance of me, a freak of Animegas. You shall always be my true family.”

  “Farwell, Zania Dark,” they all say in unison. “You shall always be our unofficial Mother of Death. You shall forever warm the black hole in our chests. We shall forever show you love, gratitude, and respect.”

  I cringe at my, soon to be, last name. “I shall forever miss being Zania Death: The unofficial Mother of Death.”

  “We shall forever miss being your unofficial Children of Death.”

  I do the Death’s salute: my left index slowly sliding from right to left across my neck, up to my left ear, tapping it twice, then sliding down my neck to the point over my chest, where my heart should be, tapping it three times, then forming a heart there with both my hands.

  My unofficial children do the same, as I turn and leave with this stranger, feeling my children’s eyes on me the entire way to this man’s kingdom among kingdoms. My scarlet tears dripping all over me every step of the way. I do not think that I shall ever lat these wounds heal.

EVER.

To Be Continued…