Lunari - Part 5 - Brush with Death

EIDOLON

The first time I met Lunari should have been the last.

I hate my job. Yes, being the lord of the dead has its perks, but... having permanently lost someone myself... it makes me feel like the lowest of the low. But I'm the only one who can do it. If I wasn't around, people wouldn't move on when their lives came to an end, which would make the mortal world a cluttered, horrible mess. So I keep doing it.

I entered the hospital in my own, quiet way. Nobody saw me. Nobody needed to. I tried to distract myself from the morbid task at hand, tried to stay detached. That's the only way I can stand it. I'm not cold and unfeeling towards the living because I want to be, I'm that way because I have to be.

Today's distraction was a king-size chocolate bar with almonds. Chocolate is easily the best thing humans ever invented and brought to Gargantia. It was a little bit melted, having been in my pocket for a bit too long, but that didn't bother me. No, I was more bothered by the fact that I had had to buy a different brand than what I normally get. This stuff wasn't as good. I wouldn't buy it again if I didn't have to.

I made my way to the designated room and went through the door. Nobody else was there, just a small figure laying motionless in the bed.

Crap. I hoped it wasn't a little kid. Taking kids makes me feel the worst. No parent should outlive their child.

But these things are chosen by powers higher than me. Hesitating would only make it worse. I stepped closer, ready to get it over with.

But it wasn't a little kid, at least not any from this planet. Hidden under all the blankets and beeping machinery was a Silivar.

How long had it been since this planet had seen a Star Flier? I wasn't sure. When you're eternal, time tends to blur together. A long time, certainly...

While I was trying to figure that out, her soul came into view. And despite the condition of her body, she wasn't going down without a fight. Silivar never do.

And she was going to make me regret taking one step closer.

I paused. I'm not supposed to break the rules, and have gotten myself and others into some deep trouble by doing it. But as I've said, I hate my job. And if someone has the strength and the nerve to stand up to death itself, well... I'm not going to argue with them. They clearly still have something to live for.

And also... I wasn't sure I wanted to mess with her.

So I left. Live and let live. I had other things I needed to get done today. Like buying better chocolate.

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LUNARI

I stayed in the hospital for a long time. The longest any Silivar had stayed in cryogenic suspension up to that point was about 50 years, and he came out a bit skinnier than when he went in. I was on ice for 8 centuries, and I was malnourished and skinny as a rail. I had a hard time keeping my body temperature up, and for the first few days, did nothing but sleep on and off. The rust-furred one was there almost every time I managed to be awake for a few minutes, either talking to someone else or looking at me. Later, when I could stay awake for a few hours at a time, he would sit and talk at me. It wasn't really a conversation, because I wasn't saying anything and didn't understand a word he said, but he kept at it. Eventually I started to pick up on a few words.

His name was Ardran. I still didn't trust him completely, at first, but he was the closest thing I had to a friend, so I started talking back. That's when I really began to learn the language, and learn it fast.

And eventually... he adopted me. I stopped calling him Ardran... and started calling him Dad.