Tenuk sighed as he sat down on the little glass stool, while he waited for Death to finish off whatever she was doing. Whatever it was, it involved a lot of screaming, which abruptly came to a halt. Finally, the wall ahead of him opened up and a couple of Veth charged out, carrying two halves of what used to be an Anexartan. The Veth disappeared out of a doorway to the left, while Death herself grinned, shaking green stuff off her hands.
“That was relaxing!” Death waggled her arms around happily. “Nothing like torturing those who try to break the cycle!”
“Why were you torturing him?”
“Simple! It had a plan to destroy half of all Veth. I didn’t want that to happen. I needed him to tell me his plan. He refused. I ended him!” Death smiled. “If half my Veth were destroyed or separated from me… I don’t know what I’d do. Panic as Deitics rush in and start stealing souls in my confusion, I assume. Can’t have that!”
Tenuk squirmed in his chair. He was a Deitic, a god-like, soulless monster, just like that Anexartan. One false move and Tenuk could end up even more like the two bits of Deitic being thrown around by amused Veth outside.
“Why have you summoned me today, Death?” Tenuk was still eyeing the Veth outside.
“No particular reason. Just fancied seeing you.”
“Why though?”
Death shrugged. The little Kronospast was always at his cutest when he was scared. She enjoyed messing with his head. “I just do.”
“So no actual reason why you often torment me?” Tenuk sighed. “I know I’m going to end up not existing. Gave up years ago hoping that maybe, having spent time as a mortal, I’d get to join them in the Cycle.”
Death gave Tenuk an odd look then abruptly laughed, spitting silver saliva everywhere. “Pffff-hahahaha!”
“Um… What’s so funny?”
Death didn’t answer, she was too busy laughing.
“Death?”
Finally, Death stopped laughing and picked herself up. “Silly Tenuk! I told you exactly how it’d all happen! And then on your way home you had the crap kicked out of you by a bunch of pissed off Allagon! And I killed them with a horde of Veth! It was hilarious! But you don’t remember!”
Tenuk slumped in his chair. “I knew my end and I… forgot?”
“Yep. A whole month of your otherwise eventful life, gone forever. Well, for you. Not for me.”
Tenuk slumped even more, feeling sick inside. Death was still snickering and giggling under her breath. Finally, she stopped laughing completely. She looked at Tenuk, who wasn’t really doing anything.
“Tenuk, are you okay?”
“No…”
“Oh.”
The Kronospast got up, readying himself to leave, but Death held him by the shoulder.
“Do you want to know?”
Tenuk hesitated. “You’re willing to tell me again?”
“I forgot that you forgot,” Death shrugged. “Despite the randomness of our meetings, I’ve been kinda giving it away. What with how much I…”
Death paused. Tenuk didn’t dare try and fill the silence. Suddenly, Death exploded with words.
“I’m obviously going to turn you into a Veth and play with you so hard you wished you’d ceased to exist. I’m not letting a rarity such as you go to waste. If I could do that now without killing you, even better, but it doesn’t work like that. Takes concentration to not kill you on touch, you know.”
Tenuk fell out of his chair in shock. He wasn’t expecting that at all. He tried to make some sort of sound, anything, but there was a vast disconnect between his brain and his mouth, causing him to gasp and not say anything. Death smiled at Tenuk’s reaction and offered to help him to his feet, but the little Kronospast backed away in a mess of conflicting emotions.
“What?”
“Y-you fancy me.”
“Fancy is a bit of a light term. I LOVE little things like you, critters that somehow manage to bridge the gap between Cycle and Stasis. I only get one or two of you every few billion years, if I’m lucky. Somehow, you just… reconnect with me, the way it was in the beginning.”
Tenuk remained silent.
“I am sorry for scaring you.”
“I-it’s okay…”
“Would you like a drink or something?”
“N-no thank you…”
Tenuk struggled to his feet, accepting Death’s aid this time. He glanced towards the exit.
“You want to leave?” Death asked.
“I just need to digest this… But… I’ll come back at some point.”
“Very well. Look after yourself.”
“You too, Death,” Tenuk muttered as he walked away. “You too.”