Curse of an Era

“Master Iset, could you explain to me the meaning behind the words of the advice you gave Zeke?” Ardeth asked while approaching Iset at the funeral proceedings in the Du-wat. The Du-wat means underworld in its native language, and all worthy reapers are buried at its original cemetery along the darkest colored river in the underworld.

“I’m surprised, there is no deceased human’s soul traveling about now. Judgement is open 24/7, after all.” Iset said staring at the river’s black water.

“Master, please don’t change the subject!” Ardeth snapped.

“Patience was never your strength. However, you are correct lieutenant, my apologies. Let’s see, the meaning was simple, “every power has it’s weakness.” His weakness was that he doesn’t follow orders and he dives into things blindly without knowing the consequences. When he heard the roof crash, he ran away from his squad members to save you, and without thinking of him being easily seen, he was shot.” Ardeth whimpered a bit.

“I see.” Ardeth muttered.

“I wanted to warn him without Maat getting on my back. You see, life and our actions are things we should learn for ourselves, if we took every risk there is, we won’t survive. Ardeth, us reapers, have rules and to break those rules is breaking Maat.”

“Of course, thank you for explaining, Master.” Ardeth bowed his head to thank him.

“Anytime.” Iset waved goodbye.

-----

Back at the Army of Darkness headquarters in the Du-wat, Memare and Gurmaine go through old paper work at their desk’s while Ziye naps in Ardeth’s chair.

“It feels empty without Zeke being here.” Memare sighed.

“It’s just boring, eh sis?” Gurmaine sighed as well. Memare nodded, it really seemed quiet to them without Zeke. A knock hit their squad’s door, while everyone turned to look at a nervous Zara. Even Ziye’s sphinx ears perked up.

“Gumi, Meme, could I talk to you two about something?” Zara was all blushed but very shaken.

“Zara, of course, what’s wrong?” Memare waved her over to sit down next to her.

“Well nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to mention something. Just to get off my chest and all. I wasn’t ready to tell Yukel or even Ardeth yet. It just seems kind of hard to say, Especially since we are short one member and all..” Zara went on.

“Zara, spit it out already!” laughed Gurmaine.

“Oh, right! Meme, Gumi, I’m pregnant!” Zara said waiting for a response.

“Are you happy or not?” Memare asked.

“I am happy. I am very happy!” Zara smiled.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” Memare said hugging her.

“So why didn’t you tell Ardeth or Yukel yet?” Gurmaine asked, in a tone that sounded a little bit of heartbroken.

“I felt that Ardeth would think I couldn’t help with the case if I was pregnant.” Zara laughed.

“What about Yukel?” Ziye asked waking up from his cat nap.

“Yukel is the father. I just don’t know how to tell him.” Zara said in a sad tone.

“He has a right to know.” Memare said pulling her into a comforting hug, while Zara sobbed silently.

“Believe me, I do know that.” Zara cried.

-----

While other Army of Darkness members felt empty-ness of Zeke’s unfortunate death, one Army of Darkness member felt something else. Yukel was always picked on by Zeke, but Yukel laughed it off usually. All these bottled up feelings are now being surfaced, of how Zeke verbal abused him.

“Useless newbie!”
“A nobody!”
“Idiot!”

Most of all the term, “Rookie” bothered him the most. Simply pointing out he didn’t belong because he was new and not aware of this case. Yukel decided now he’ll change the image that Zeke made him sound like.

It was time for Yukel Adams the rookie, becomes Yukel Adams, an Army of Darkness officer.

-----

“Mr. Michaels, Thank you so much for the service.” Ardeth said bowing his head respectfully towards Kiye Michaels.

“No problem, I overheard what happened by the king. He seems to be very afraid, if McRosa stops by North Star, since she is homeless now, she maybe wandering.” Kiye stated to Ardeth.

“Maybe we should guard the palace to protect the royal family.” Ardeth said to himself in a low tone.

“I’ll be on staff too, for extra protection.” Kiye insisted.

“Hm?” Ardeth questioned.

“You are one officer down, Lieutenant. Please understand my devoted loyalty to our king.” Kiye said.

“You are not a reaper.” Ardeth plainly stated.

“No, but I fight like one. My job is to defend and protect King Nazwadjat Zachariah I. My body, mind, and passion are devoted to him and his life.”

“If you say so, I will set up as soon as possible.” Ardeth snickered at first.

“I am looking forward to it, Lieutenant.” Kiye smiled.

-----

Back at Kelter’s bar, before closing time, Elric Henry stops by to instruct Taylor on the next step of the plan.

“The last blow.” Henry whispered.

“The last blow? What does that mean?” Taylor asked scrubbing a beer mug clean.

“A direct order is to attack North Star Palace. Leave no witnesses and no survivals. In other words, the royal blood must be spilt.”

“What happens afterwards?” Taylor asked.

“No more royal reaper lineage, means no more threat to Lynx’s power.” Henry answered. However Henry’s casual tone and expressions turned to facial expressions and a tone of pain.

“My family?” Taylor questioned.

“They will be freed, of course.” Henry said casually again.

“When will be the attack?”

“Tomorrow night at midnight.”

Little did they know, Kelter overheard the entire conversation, behind the back kitchen door.

-----

“Ardeth, you are finally back. Why did you over stay at Zeke’s funeral?” Memare asked after greeting Ardeth back in their squad’s office.

“As the Lieutenant of this squad, it’s my duty to pay my respects to one of my fallen officers, and thank the many guests who arrive or attend to help the funeral procession. My father would have done the same thing, correct?” Ardeth said showing no emotion on the word ‘Father’.

“Correct.” Memare nodded. Memare was only seventeen when she served Lieutenant Benjamin Ardeth II, Ardeth’s father. It wasn’t until that same year, The Lieutenant’s life was taken away, that she got to meet and recruit the late Lieutenant’s son, Benjamin Ardeth III. The current Ardeth feared to be like his father, and it makes his skin crawl when he notices that he did become him.

“Meme, you look tired. Please go home and get some rest, I’ll be home shortly.” Ardeth said sitting down at his desk.

“Ardeth, I traded shifts with Zara, you’re stuck with me.” She giggled.

“Why would she trade shifts? She’s been out this afternoon..”

“Benji, Zara’s pregnant.” Memare interrupted smiling.

“She is?” Ardeth said stunned.

“Remember when I was pregnant with the twins? You told me go home, I shouldn’t be on my feet. I believed you were in shock and didn’t want me to get hurt, but being a stubborn man, you would never tell me how you really feel and why. I think if you weren’t so stubborn, they would still be here with us.” Memare said trying comfort the situation, but instead she made it worst.

“This has nothing to do with me and our daughters, Memare! Zara shouldn’t be working on this case if she is pregnant!” Ardeth snapped.

Before Memare could get a word in, Ardeth’s desk phone rang. Ardeth ignored the argument and Memare muttering out ‘stubborn ass’, and answered the phone.

“Hello? Yes, this is Lieutenant Benji Ardeth. An attack at North Star palace, tomorrow night at midnight? Okay, do you know these conspirators?” Ardeth motioned for Memare to take notes. “Emilie McRosa, Elric Henry, and Vincent Taylor. Yes one second.” He puts the phone away from his mouth, “Meme, he requests that if we arrest them, do not kill this Vincent Taylor. He believes that Taylor is a good man, and is being forced in order to free his family from these other conspirators.”

“Ask him, how does he really know?” Memare asked. Ardeth nods and places the phone by his mouth again.

“My fellow officer, wants to know, how do you really know that Taylor is a good man? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay, wait one second.” Ardeth again turns to Memare.

“He says, when he first met McRosa as a customer, she asked if Taylor could stay at the bar’s apartment, since he ‘recently lost his home and family’. This bar tender agreed only if Taylor helped out with the bar. Since then McRosa comes in every night with a man named Elric Henry, to sit, drink, and chat with Taylor while he works. Tonight, he overheard a conversation that Henry was having with Taylor, saying that there was a plan called ‘the last blow’ which instructed them to kill off the royal family, so there is threat to Lynx’s kingdom. If Taylor complies, his family will be freed.” Ardeth repeated the story back to Memare.

“Lynx? You mean the current goddess of Chaos?” Memare’s eyes widened. Ardeth nodded and went back onto the phone.

“Okay, I will grant your request to arrest Taylor alive. In return, you must speak in front of the gods during his trial. Yes, what is your name? Erik Kelter. Thank you, Mr. Kelter. Goodbye.” Ardeth hung the phone up and then turned to face Memare.

“As you probably already know, whenever the word chaos is mentioned, it already points to her and her kingdom. I believe, why she is attacking reapers and the royal family is because of her brother.” Ardeth started.

“Brother?” Memare asked confused.

“The goddess of order, our lady Maat, married the god of chaos, Set, in order to keep a balance in the universe. They had six children, but only two of them could succeed to their thrones. Ay, is the universal god and has more of Maat’s genetics. Ankh, was the life goddess and succeeded Maat, however her daughter Nepsa is the current successor of Maat. Then, there are the four children who take after Set’s genetics and blood. Set’s son, was supposed to take the throne of Chaos, however his love for a reaper turned him away and abandoned the throne. Lynx took the throne as the oldest princess to the chaos kingdom. Leaving Set’s youngest daughters, Kara and Marquelle, to serve Lynx. Do you remember the name of Set’s former successor and son?” Ardeth asked.

“I don’t really.” Memare admitted.

“Kiye Michaels, the royal family’s doctor, loyal servant, mortician and guardian at Resting Valley. Claims to be in love with ‘his’ king and is a non-reaper.”

“Kiye is Lynx’s brother? Why would she be attacking the existence of reapers?” Memare asked.

“It’s because she hates reapers. She hates that her brother betrayed her father and their kingdom. She hates that he swore loyalty to another race and kingdom. She hates that he fell in love with a reaper.”

“It’s mostly because she was formerly engaged to marry a reaper king.” Osirah Interrupted.

“Master Osirah!!” shouted Memare and Ardeth as they both jumped.

“There are somethings that shouldn’t resurface, but Lynx and my nephew Memphis were supposed to be married as children. He chosen love instead of peaceful order, and lost his wife from a chaotic beast. When Kiye swore loyalty to young Nazwadjat, it caused more conflict. Nonetheless, the idiot won’t leave; he claims to be loyal that way. Now, tell me your strategy, Lieutenant, and every detail you figured out.” Osirah ordered.

-----

To Be Continued……