The Outlands

“What do you mean it’s not dead!” The man in front of Marie shouted, banging his fist on the table.

Marie, the Hunter, sighed, pushing his fist away. “I mean I won’t be killing her.” She said. It was something of a relief, if she was being honest. Human-looking monsters were always emotionally taxing to kill, but even more than that…she felt like she couldn’t kill the girl.

The girl just had this air about her, and even when Marie had been about to shoot her, there was an odd sort of…confidence about her, like she wasn’t afraid of whatever Marie could do. Most monsters, even the tougher ones Marie had fought, showed at least some fear, but not this girl. And then, when those claws came out…

Marie shuddered a little as she recalled it. The girl had gone from unusual to terrifying in an instant. Marie had seen her share of nasty claws over her career, but those were something else; they made the claws of even a dire bear look like toothpicks. And the look in her eyes…Marie could tell the girl had more than one easy way to kill or disable her, and she was just trying to figure out what would draw the least attention.

“Why not!” The man cried, gesturing at the shell-shocked teenager to his side, the one who had confronted the girl back at the graduation. “It’s traumatized my girl, and the whole community lives in fear of it! This is your job, so do it!”

Marie shook her head. “No. My job is to deliver death to things that would break the order of the world, things that should not be. Whatever she is, that girl is not one of them.” Or, if she was, then she was breaking order that the gods wanted broken. Marie had never in her life felt the presence of Death as strong as she had on that girl, and the pastor had seemed to agree.

The man growled. “Fine. We’ll deal with it ourselves.” He stood up, but Marie laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from storming off.

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” She said, giving him an even stare. “I wouldn’t be able to deal with her, and I’m the best in the business. Attempting to do so is just going to end with you getting hurt.”

The man grit his teeth. “What do we do, then? Just let it continue to terrorize the town?”

Marie shrugged. “To be honest, from what I’ve gathered, there’s no concrete evidence of her doing anything strange without being provoked, so my advice is to just not poke the bear. If she wanted to actually hurt people, she would have done so by now.”

“But, my congregation–”

“Is not under my purview.” Marie said, cutting him off. “The only reason I came is because I sensed a potential threat to the good people of this town, and I have decided that there is no threat. I did not come because the leader of some fundamentalist fringe movement wanted me to. My loyalties are to the gods and their church, and if you’re going to stir up fear in your congregation, that’s none of my business.

“The official stance of the church here is that there is nothing to be worried about, and I intend to follow their direction.” She turned to leave, paused, then turned back to the teenager. “You.” She said.

“Y-yes?” The girl squeaked.

“A word of warning, stop poking your head into other people’s business.” She said. “Life teaches that everyone has the right to choose what they believe and how to put that into practice. Death will judge them when She comes for them, there is no need to do so in this life. You’re only going to get yourself into trouble if you continue down this path.”

She paused, then continued. “I would also strongly recommend a careful examination of your beliefs. Are they something you believe, or something you believe because your father tells you to believe in them?”

The girl gave her a meek nod, but her father had other ideas. “Don’t speak to my daughter that way!” He exclaimed, outraged. “Why, I oughta…”

Marie gave him a glare. “I am merely repeating the words of the gods, if you have issue with that, then I would suggest reading the scriptures more closely. Furthermore, if your daughter chooses not to believe in your teachings after careful thought, that says more about your teachings than it does anything else.” She turned and strode out of the building, ignoring the protests of the man.

She got in her car and drove to the church. She was a few hours early, yes, but she wanted some time to meditate and prepare herself for the words of the goddess.

Marie’s meditation was interrupted by a knock on her door. “Um, Marie?” A voice said. “It’s almost eleven.”

Marie opened the door to the private room she was in to find Pastor Faust outside, looking nervous. “Apologies for my rough treatment earlier.” Marie said. “I was truly under the belief that the girl was dangerous, I hope you can forgive me for questioning your judgement.”

“It’s fine.” Pastor Faust replied. “I understand. I have cleared the Holy Room, would you like me to lead you there?”

Marie nodded. “That would be much appreciated.”

The two walked in silence as they made their way to the Holy Room. Eventually, they reached the door, which Pastor Faust opened for Marie. “I will wait outside.” She said.

No. Marie jumped as Death’s voice rang out in her head, rooting deep into her subconscious and making it abundantly clear that it was Death speaking. It would be best if you hear this too.

“Yes, my goddess.” Pastor Faust replied, stepping into the Holy Room. Marie followed, and Pastor Faust shut the door behind them.

Thank you for coming here. Death said. You had an encounter with one of my servants today, and, as a result, I have decided to give you new instructions.

Marie dropped to her knees. “I am at your command, my goddess.”

Great changes will be coming to this world, and this town is soon to become the focal point for them. Numerous strange events will occur, and, as some of my chosen servants, that girl and her family will be at the heart of most.

I need you to let these events happen, and to keep the rest of the Hunters satisfied that all is well here. I will contact the leadership, of course, but should a Hunter choose to come here anyway, I will need you to deal with them.

Do not engage in conflict with the girl or her family. They wield power far beyond what is normal for this world, and to fight them would only result in your ruin. Furthermore, they are to be considered as my instruments at all times. Should they ask you to do something, I expect you to do it without question.

And that is all. But, before I go, as thanks for your service, I will allow you one question. Ask, and I will answer should it be something mortals are allowed to know.

Marie pondered that for a moment. “Why choose me? Surely there are better Hunters for this job. I’m…not the best with people.”

There was a short pause. But you are strong. Though you may not be the best with people, you are someone they can look to for security in times of danger. That is why you were chosen.

“I…understand. Thank you, my goddess.”

And with that, the holy presence that had filled the room withdrew, leaving only Marie and Pastor Faust.

Marie slowly looked up at Pastor Faust. “Might I ask for a room? I’m afraid I’m suddenly in need of semi-permanent lodgings here.”

Tess was getting ready for bed when she received a message from Death.

Tess nodded to herself, set her alarm, texted Alice and Maven, then climbed into bed. The next morning, she and Ellie made their way to the church, where they knocked on the on-duty priest’s door.

To Tess’s surprise, Marie opened the door. “How may I help…” She trailed off, staring at Tess and Ellie. “Oh. Um…my apologies for yesterday, miss Los. I was unaware of your circumstances and was out of line.”

Tess blinked. “No, it’s cool, you were just doing your job. Um, Ellie and I need to get into the Holy Room, we have…business there. Can you let Pastor Faust know?”

“Of course.” Marie said. “Please step inside while I fetch her.” She motioned towards the inside of the room, where a couple of chairs were set out. Tess and Ellie walked in and took a seat, closing the door behind them.

Marie left the room, and returned a few minutes later with Pastor Faust in tow.

“I’ve cleared the Holy Room for you girls.” Pastor Faust said, giving them a smile. “How long do you need it for?”

“Up to a couple of hours.” Ellie replied. “We’re not exactly sure yet. We’ll let you know when we’re finished, though.”

“Take as much time as you need.” Pastor Faust replied. “We have no pressing need to use it, so we can wait for however long it takes.”

“Thanks.” Ellie said, standing up. “Also, uh, sorry, I know this is pretty sudden, but…”

“Don’t worry about it. Your business is far more important than our prayer, everyone here understands. Besides, we can occasionally feel the presence of the gods linger after you or your grandfather leave, it is an honor to have you use our facilities.”

“Ah, really?” Ellie said. “That’s good, then. Uh, could you lead us to the Holy Room? I’m afraid it’s been a bit and I don’t remember the exact path.”

“Of course. This way, please.”

Marie stayed behind as Pastor Faust took them to the Holy Room. Pastor Faust dropped them off in front of the room, and the two walked inside. The moment the door was shut, they were enveloped in a flash of light, and then they were in the realm of the gods.

“Yo!” Death said. “Good to see you. Come take a seat and we can get started.”

Life, Death, and Fortune were all in chairs across from a small loveseat, waiting expectantly. Once Tess and Ellie were seated, Fortune began to speak. “So, honestly, there aren’t any hard and fast rules for debuts, but the general idea is to make some sort of big public appearance so that everyone knows you’re a thing.”

Tess nodded. “So, what did you have in mind?”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure.” Fortune replied. “It’s not like there are any super visible gambling scams that you could bust in and stop, and I was sorta hoping to have you debut together with Ellie, so that wouldn’t really work either.”

“Crime is at an all-time low in the Outlands, so there isn’t some murderer you two can bust there, though I believe I could find a high profile one in one of the other planes if you want.” Death said. “Though I’d honestly prefer if it was something to do with the Outlands, since that’s much more of a…neutral area and word will get out to everywhere faster.”

Tess thought about that, stroking her chin contemplatively. “Could we like…appear right before the expedition leaves, offer our goodwill or something?”

“I think you might be on to something.” Life said. “There will be a lot of reporters there, people tend to turn out to watch expeditions go. Plus, it will raise the expedition’s morale. I think it’s a good idea.”

“Right, so, if we’re doing that, what do we need to do?” Ellie asked. “Like, during the debut itself.”

“For you in particular, not much.” Death said. “Mostly just be there to let people know you’re around. People in planes other than Mael don’t really have many dealings with Life and I, so we just want it known that you’ll be in their way if they get any ideas about Mael.”

“And Tess, you’ve got a bit more to do, but really not that much.” Fortune added. “Basically, you’ll just need to say that you’re going to be auditing my church and then work on reforming gambling. Shouldn’t be more than like, two minutes.”

“The both of you will be wearing recognition-scrambling items like the one Tess’s uniform has.” Life said. “And Tess will, of course, be in full uniform for this.”

“Oh, and I was actually kinda hoping you could pretend to be a rabbitkin.” Fortune said. “I’ll get you a core with the Trait later, but I feel the rabbit parts just…complete the aesthetic, you know? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.”

“I’m fine with that.” Tess replied. “Doesn’t really make much of a difference to me.”

“Awesome.” Fortune replied.

“Um…will I need a uniform or anything?” Ellie asked.

“I was thinking that like…black robes would work fine for now.” Death said. “We can get you some fancy plate armor or something later.”

“Actually, let’s get her some decorative plate armor now. That way people won’t wonder what the robe was later on.” Life interjected. “I’m sure Kane can whip something up in time if it doesn’t have any effects.”

“Fair enough.” Death replied. “Does that sound good to you, Ellie?”

Ellie nodded. “Sounds great.”

“Good. Oh, and, just so you know, you’re probably gonna have to do a separate debut on Mael. That’s going to come later, though, so don’t worry about it too much right now.”

“I figured as much.” Ellie replied. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Exactly.” Fortune said. “So, shall we get to discussing specifics or…?

“Sure.” Tess replied. “Might as well, since we’re all here.”

And so, they spent the next hour or so fine-tuning how exactly Tess and Ellie would debut, after which the two were returned to the Holy Room. They left, only to find Marie waiting for them outside.

“May I speak with the two of you?” She asked politely. “After you let the pastor know you’ve finished, of course.”

Tess hesitated, then nodded. “I don’t see why not.” She said. “Just so long as you don’t attack me again.”

“I will never attack you again unless you wish it.” Marie said firmly. “It would not only go against the wishes of my goddess, it would be tantamount to suicide. I’m not that foolish a person.”

Tess raised an eyebrow. “Very well, then. I’m assuming you’d like to talk in private?”

“Yes. I will show you to the pastor, then I thought we could talk in my chambers.”

“Lead the way.” Ellie said. Marie took them through the church to Pastor Faust’s room, where Ellie let her know they had finished with the Holy Room, then they went to a small room at the back of the building, presumably where Marie was sleeping.

“First, let me introduce myself.” Marie said. “I am Marie, senior Hunter. I…was hoping I could ask you a couple of questions. I understand if you’re not at liberty to discuss everything, but as someone who is going to be working with you, I would like as much information as you’re willing to give me.”

Tess paused. “There are many things we cannot say, but I suppose I have no reason to hold back anything we can tell you. Ask away.”

“What…are you?” Marie asked. “I’ve never seen anything quite like those claws, and I heard rumors claiming that you cut through a metal door with no apparent effort. Is that true?”

Tess nodded. “I did cut through a metal door, yeah. As for what I am…well, there isn’t really a word for it, but human is the closest there is, believe it or not. At the very least, I used to be completely human. Then…well, things happened.”

Marie frowned. “I…see. Second, can you teach me anything about fighting? I’m positive those claws aren’t the only trick up your sleeve, and I’m always looking to better myself in whatever ways are possible.”

“Actually, you’re probably better than me.” Tess admitted. “In terms of skill, anyway. I’m still relatively new to everything, I just have…circumstances. My way of fighting really isn’t compatible with normal people anyway, so I wouldn’t be of much help to you even if I were more skilled.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Marie admitted. “Last, would you be willing to let me know in advance when supernatural events are about to occur? I would like to be on top of things in case I’m needed.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Tess said. “Do you have a cellphone?”

“I do.” Marie replied, taking out a phone. “Would you like my number?”

“Please. Ellie or I will text you when things are about to go down.” Tess stopped, realizing she hadn’t introduced herself. “Oh, right, I’m Tess, and this is Ellie. We’re both working for the gods, so…yeah.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Marie said.

“I…suppose it is.” Ellie said. “What’s that number?”

Marie gave them the phone number, and Tess and Ellie both sent her a message, so she had theirs.

“Alright, anything else, or can we get going?” Ellie asked.

“No, that is all. Thank you for your time.”

“Well…goodbye, then.” Tess said, and she and Ellie retreated from the room and back to Ellie’s car, then headed back to their house. It was, finally, time to start their careers in earnest.

Fighterman481

I spent way too long deciding on what I wanted the Hunter's name to be. At first I was thinking something more African or Indian, and had settled on 'Zaida', but as I was working with it it really just...didn't work. It didn't really fit with the culture of the country Tess and Ellie live in, and while that's not totally a deal breaker, it was kind of distracting and eventually I decided to go back to the drawing board.

Anyway, we're getting close to the beginning of Tess and Ellie's work proper! Much of that is going to occur after their debut, and that's still a few chapters away, but there are still a couple of things that will be done in the meantime.

Which, I guess is what we'll be getting into next time, so look forward to it!

And, as always, thanks for reading!