The Blunt Reaper

Rook stared at her. Unable to accept the words she just said.

Mara smiled faintly. "She means you." Mara snickered.

"I know what she means. Doesn’t make it any better."

"Then why are you making her suffer through saying it?" Mara teased

"Because she deserves to."

Elara slid the tablet toward him. "You found Voss when three Bastions failed."

Mara glanced between them. "That is why you need him?"

Elara nodded. "Most Reapers rely heavily upon their Death Imprints. Rook never had that option. He has spent three centuries learning how to survive without one."

"That almost sounds like a compliment," Rook said.

"It wasn’t meant to be."

"Figures..."

Elara ignored him and continued speaking to Mara. "Rook knows how to track Abominations without allowing them to sense him. He can identify which creatures passed through an area from what they disturbed, what they avoided and what remains after they feed. He knows how to follow Reapers who can disguise themselves, alter their weight, destroy tracks or travel through routes ordinary souls cannot survive."

Mara looked toward Rook.

"Quite the set of skills."

"A set of skills I wish to not be forced to use."

He appeared uncomfortable with the praise, though Elara delivered it with enough irritation to prevent it from sounding complimentary.

"He caught Voss because the deaths of his contractees did not match the routes that were reported," Elara said. "Rook followed him, found the nest and proved that Voss had been feeding protected souls to Abominations."

"I know," Mara replied. "He told me."

"Did he mention that he followed Voss for eleven months?"

Rook looked at Elara. "That wasn’t relevant."

"Did he mention he crossed four regions alone?"

"No."

"Or that Voss changed Bastions twice and killed three people who came close to finding him?"

Rook’s expression darkened. "They weren’t careful."

Elara looked back at Mara. "He is unpleasant, destructive and incapable of following simple instructions. A trouble magnet, and he is ’unfortunately’ also the best tracker available to me."

Rook folded his arms. "You could have stopped after the last part."

"I could have. I chose accuracy."

Mara looked toward the maps covering the wall. "Then why hasn’t he already agreed?"

"Because helping me would require him to leave the Forty-Second."

Rook’s eyes moved toward Mara.

Elara continued, "His contract prevents him from deliberately travelling beyond the distance from which he could reasonably protect you. If you remain here while he searches for the Manager, the Brand will consider that abandonment."

Mara understood what Elara had not yet said. "You need me to release him."

"Temporarily," Elara said. "You would remain inside the Forty-Second under our protection until he returns."

"No."

The answer came quickly enough that Rook turned toward her.

Elara remained patient. "You would be safe here."

"I said no."

"Mara," Rook began.

"No."

"You don’t know where the search will take us."

"Neither do you."

"That is the problem."

"You agreed to help me reach Yama’s Gate."

"And I can continue doing that after I find the Manager."

"You expect me to remain here without knowing how long you will be gone."

"You’ll have an entire Bastion protecting you."

"I have seen two Bastions. One nearly dropped me in the wrong place, and the other was controlled by murderers."

"The Forty-Second is functional," Elara said.

"So was the Eleventh until its Beacon failed."

Elara did not immediately answer.

Mara looked between them. "You said the choice belongs to me."

"It does," Elara admitted. "The protection contract cannot be broken without your consent. I can request it, but I cannot force you."

"Then I refuse."

Rook leaned closer. "You are not following me into another unknown region."

"I am."

"No."

Elara spoke at the same time. "No."

Mara looked from one to the other. "You wanted him to help."

"I want Rook," Elara replied. "I do not want an untrained soul accompanying an official search party."

"I can Cull."

"You awakened in the sea less than an couple hours ago."

"And I still Culled twice."

"You used an ability you do not understand while it’s eating away at you, your arm almost became unfunctional."

"It improved."

"After you stopped using it."

Rook nodded. "She has a point."

Mara looked at him. "You used a scout as bait while half your body was poisoned."

"He was not under my protection."

"That isn’t the important part."

"It was to the Brand."

Elara raised one hand before the argument could continue. "You have a Death Imprint. That does not make you a Reaper."

"What would?"

"Training. Examination. Learning what the Imprint costs before you discover the limit by collapsing in front of an Abomination."

Mara glanced toward Rook. "How long does that take?"

"For someone who has already awakened, basic instruction can begin immediately," Elara said. "The Forty-Second maintains a training facility for Volunteers and newly Condemned Reapers. Under ordinary circumstances, you would spend several months there before accompanying an official expedition."

"We don’t have several months."

"No. We have approximately one week."

Rook frowned. "Why a week?"

"The officers I intend to send with you are deployed along the eastern boundary. They need time to return, recover and prepare. I also need to consolidate the reports from the earlier searches."

"You’re sending officers with me?"

"Yes."

"No."

Elara stared at him. "You are not deciding that."

"They’ll slow me down."

"They know the region."

"When was that ever a problem for me?"

"They also possess abilities."

"So do Abominations. I don’t invite them along."

"The search is being conducted under the authority of the Forty-Second. You will have officers."

Rook looked toward Mara. "Everyone here is difficult."

"I wonder what they say when you leave." she grinned.

"They celebrate," Elara replied. "Sometimes we rebuild."

Mara smiled, then considered what had been offered. A week would not make her a trained Reaper. It would, however, allow her to understand the ability that had awakened beneath the sea. More importantly, it removed Elara’s strongest reason for keeping her behind.

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