Earth had changed.
The last thing Faust remembered about the mortal plain of humans was that everyone was entertaining the notion of a flat planet and there was little to no questioning religion. But now that he was here, and he didn’t even know what century it was, he had a mission to accomplish. Still, it was refreshing to feel a summer breeze passing over the hills, instead of a wind that ripped right through his body. For the first time since he could remember he felt warm.
No sooner had he emerged from the crypt, however, when a statue of the Grim Reaper – positioned right across from the entrance – began to call.
‘You idiot, get over here!’ the statue shouted.
Faust stormed over.
‘Well, you don’t have to throw a temper tantrum,’ said Faust. ‘How come you’re talking through a block of rock anyways?’
‘You know very well why,’ exclaimed Grim. ‘Don’t be a tease. Do you think it’s easy projecting yourself through solid rock?’
‘If I had all my powers back, I’d transform into a pigeon and – .’
‘Okay, enough with the jokes, Faust,’ Grim snapped. ‘Mr. S isn’t going to be happy about your decision to be a mortal for a while. And remember – if you cause an apocalypse, it’s your neck on the line – not mine! So refrain from fire, brimstone, and meteorites and everything will be dandy.’
‘No apocalypses. Got it.’
‘I hope so. Do you remember that incident when you pretended you were the Antichrist?’
Faust grinned crookedly in response.
‘Just remember our deal,’ Grim continued. ‘If you wish to linger longer in the mortal world, you have to marry a mortal within a year. A magical mortal. It doesn’t count if they’re ordinary. They have to be a witch.’
‘It’s a silly rule for just a little fun,’ said Faust.
‘Do you want to remain a mortal or not?’
‘I suppose. That ambiguous place where we come from isn’t very entertaining. Alright, I’ll get married – just you wait and see.’
Grim laughed darkly. But Faust let him laugh. He’d prove him wrong.
************
Faust quickly learned a number of things about Monte Vista (the name of the town he’d landed in).
The first thing he learned was that introducing himself as “grim reaper” didn’t provoke the sense of terror and fear it used to. If anything it suggested insanity.
Fortunately he did find out what century it was: the twentieth. People seemed confused at his inquiries, but remained to chat…up until he asked them if they knew any witches.
Not all hope was lost, though. By the latest hours of his first night on Earth, he’d settled into a cafe where he could observe the people in relative peace. Many appeared to be impressed with his morbid appearance. Obviously they were not as easily frightened as they used to, and he was contemplating whether this was an improvement or not. Regardless, it didn’t take long before he did attract some trouble from a fellow who introduced himself as Valentine. It took him a minute or two to realize that the fellow in question was actually one of the many undead spirits he was so accustomed to interacting with that he had to struggle to remember that the undead did not belong in the world of the living.
‘Good to see you again, Valentine,’ he nodded agreeably when he finally realized this blinding fact. ‘Why, I haven’t seen you since I took your soul.’
‘Yes, good times,’ Valentine smiled. ‘What brings to Earth?’
‘Long story, really,’ Faust shrugged. ‘Needless to say my occupation has its ups and downs. I decided to stretch my legs a bit. Thought it might be interesting to live as a mortal for a while.’
‘That’s a commitment. Don’t you have to marry a mortal to remain one for a mortal lifetime?’
‘That I do. I might even try to have children.’
‘I didn’t know that was possible.’
‘Well, Grim used to brag about having “reaper children” with mortals in the past, but for some reason he stopped talking about it…Unfortunately there’s a bit of a catch. In order for the marriage to be considered valid, I have to marry a magical mortal…Say, have you been haunting Monte Vista for long? Do you know if there are any witches living nearby?’
‘Not as many as there used to,’ said Valentine. ‘Most Supernaturals live off in quieter, secluded places and those that do live around keep their heritage to themselves. Now that you mention it, though, I do recall I rather unusual rumour recently.’
‘Oh?’
‘Yes, it was about that Rabuano girl. People are saying she practices witchcraft and can do all sorts of strange things. It doesn’t help that she spends quite a bit of time on her own, running through the hills and skipping school and doing who-knows-what…I would try the Rabuanos’ place if you’re looking for a bride.’
‘They live off in that house outside the wall, the one overlooking the graveyard. You probably saw it on your way up.’
The Slender Legacy 