Chapter 401 - The Soul- Part 1
Though the death reapers apparition didn't work in the high tower, it didn't mean it wouldn't work in the other places in the land of the dead. Lucas and the others left the forest to go and take a look in Winston's quarters that was located not too far away from the high tower.
As it was the land of the dead, there were no guards to guard the house and it was left open. When Belle had entered the house, she was surprised to see there was furniture added in here like any other mortal's house.
"What makes you guys think that he would have left the body in here. Unprotected," asked Barron, who could finally breathe and walk without having to latch on to Greed's body.
"Why would he leave the body out in the open?" asked Lucas who was going around the whole house like the rest. They seatched the soul not only in the cupboards or drawers but also small items that had a lid on it, "I don't think he would leave the soul out in the forest or the house to be fed on. If he's pulled it out from the river and not put it back, it only means it is very important to him."
Belle pulled out the drawers that were in the living room, going through the books that were stacked inside. Curious, she picked up one book and read the title of it--Rules of the dead.
"I didn't know there were books in the land of the dead. Wait, are there more copies like these?" she turned around to question about it.
Rower who stood nearby, answered her question, "Indeed. The book is given to every single reaper and the creatures who work closely with the Hawverts to maintain decorum."
"That's so strange," she commented, and then opened the book randomly to read a page from it.
"Why do you say that?" asked Rower. He moved closer to the drawer and picked up one of the books from there, "The land of the dead and the living are nothing but a reflection. The dead picks up things that once they were part of and implying the same."
"So who came first?" asked Belle, "Was it the dead or the living?"
"Maybe both," answered Rower, "It will be hard to debate for just one. But I would bet on the dead. A reaper would be needed to pick up the souls of the living."
"What if the souls turned to a higher power to be turned to like the Hawverts and then went to the land of the dead by themselves?" Belle questioned to see Rower smile.
"Who knows, Miss Belle. We are left with nothing but possibilities," he responded back.
The four Grim reapers and Belle continued to search the house that belonged to Winston but they weren't able to find anything that held of any importance. Maybe as Barron said, Winston had not kept the soul in here.
Belle wondered if she could use her magic on the deceased person. To search a soul that was similar to Ophelia, would it work?
Walking away from the others, Belle moved to an empty place. She didn't know if it would work but with the location spell that she had just tried on Rower and Greed earlier, she hoped that it would work. Bringing her hand up, she created a small circle in thin air. The circle looked nothing less to bright light in the dark house of the Hawvert.
The circle then suddenly turned smaller to almost disappear and manifest itself to a small ball of light. The light flickered, moving in the air and Belle followed it. Her footsteps were quiet as she left the rest of the party behind.
She could hear light whispering that came from the house, making Belle turn her head around to see from where the sound was coming. It sounded more like spells that were faint on the ear.
The ball finally stopped when it came reached a room.
Belle looked around to see if this was where the soul was present. She had put the spell on the possible soul that was present in the house as she didn't have specific details of who the soul belonged to, who Lucas had seen in his past. Her red eyes moved from one corner to another, trying to see where the soul was. When she turned around, she heard a crackling sound from behind her. It was very faint, but being a vampiress by nature, she picked on it.
She doubted if she found the soul of the woman they had come here for, but there was definitely something that stood behind her right now.
Belle clapped her hands together and before she could turn around and get hold of the weapon that she was used to using it, the creature in the room made its appearance, swiping its scythe right towards her.
When Belle tried to dodge it, she crashed into the vase, creating a loud noise that caught other's attention of the others who were in the house.
"Belle?" asked Barron who started to search for her, "Bel-AHH! You damn thing!" exclaimed Barron and pulled out his scythe and clunking the mighouls head that had come out of nowhere.
Lucas who was in another room, was about to leave when he saw four mighouls appear through the walls of the room.
"We have mighouls in the house!" Barron shouted.
"They are everywhere in the house!" shouted Belle and stopped the mighoul who was holding the scythe. She never knew a mighoul could have a scythe too. Wasn't it only the death reapers, Grims and the Hawverts who possessed it? Asked Belle to herself.
"I told you he wouldn't leave it unprotected!" Barron shouted back as they fought the mighouls. Belle, who was in her reaper form, touched her back when she felt a rod behind her. Her hand quickly moved, feeling it and then brought it forward to see it was a scythe. She had a scythe??
"Barron! I have a scythe!" she shouted in excitement. The rabbit who was in the next room looked at her, realising it was indeed true. This was the very first time, a mortal possessed a scythe.
"Swing it and see what it does!" shouted Barron, using his own scythe to push the mighoul away.
"Like this?" asked Belle, her hand that held the scythe moved towards the mighoul's body to see it get hurt. While she was still fighting with the mighoul who she had encountered, Belle felt something to be very odd with the mighoul. Had the reapers turned to mighouls? Falling down from their position or were the mighouls elevated to a level close to the death reapers for Winston's use?
She turned the scythe around to hit the mighoul with the edge of the rod. When she finally killed the creature, she turned around to see Barron who had beaten the two mighouls who had come to attack him.
"The soul must be somewhere here in the house," Barron said and Belle nodded her head. Lucas and the others were still fighting the mighouls where they could hear the crashing sounds.
The ball of light had not stopped and Belle walked towards it, "It should be somewhere here. In plain sight," Belle said. When she heard another crash come behind her. She noticed that a reaper had appeared, wearing robes similar to a Grim whose scythe was pressed against Barron's scythe.
"Long time no see, Barron," came the whispered voice of the reaper. The reaper moved its head to look at Belle stood and then back at Barron.
"Beezelbee!" Barron gritted his teeth while trying to push the reaper with his strength.
Belle saw how the scythe was slipping from Barron's small hands and the other reaper was pushing Barron into a corner. When they pulled their scythes away to clash again, sparks erupted because of the friction between the two rods.
At the same time, another mighoul appeared in thin air and it used its scythe on Belle. The robes on her shoulder tore as she nearly missed it to hear the crack on her bones. Using the magic, she used her hands to stop the scythe from advancing towards her and throwing punches in the air for it to fall away and crash into the wall. The place around them was turning to a mess with everything breaking and falling on the ground.
Belle finally kicked the mighoul, its face crashing into the wall again to crack and fall.
Just when she finished beating the mighoul and turned around, she caught sight of the death reaper who almost swiped Barron by his scythe when Belle turned her finger to her mortal form and bit into her finger to draw blood, mixing the magic around them and placing her hand on the ground to say,
"Freeze!"
The death reaper stopped in midair but Barron fell right on the ground. His body didn't move.
"Barron!" Belle screamed Barron's name. Pulling Barron away from the reaper, she shook the stuffed rabbit, "Barron?!" but the rabbit didn't move. Not a sound came from him.
Unfortunately, she couldn't feel his pulse as Barron was not a mortal but a dead being. The scythe had definitely not touched the rabbit. What happened then?!
"What happened?" asked Greed who hurried into the room to see the death reaper who had turned like a statue, without moving an inch. Belle held Barron in her hands.
"He's not responding. What happened?" Belle asked and Greed to take the stuffed rabbit in his hand. Greed shook Barron's rabbit body to receive no response.
"Let's wait for Lucas or Rower to check him. They will be able to tell us what happened."
Belle looked at Barron with worry. Barron was still there right?
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