Divine Sword Tales

Series One, Part 1: A Conversation With Death

I look around my deathbed, surrounded by the ones I love, expecting to go somewhere beyond. I lived a life fighting unendingly, my sword covered in a thick sheet of blood. If I had not opposed the evil that threatened my world, I would've left this world to the wolves and my descendants along with them. My final reward was eternal rest, forever to never return to the mortal coil.

I remember how I got to the end. My wife disappeared and has been gone for months, and I became depressed to the point where I stood empty-eyed at the side of the bed she once rested in. It was an agonizing two weeks for the last embers of my hope for her to return to die, and she never did come back. She never came back to me.

In those two weeks, I saw the shadow of Death haunt me. It was not far behind. I could feel its cold hand reach for me. As my body started to give way and my mind along with it, I heard the bells toll for me. I was scared of this. I don't know what is beyond Death because I have never listened to a dead man speak. I have to let it take me without a struggle. I am not Roosevelt, where Death had to take the man while he slept.

I am happy I got to die awake. At least I could say goodbye to those I loved. But I don't want to die. I can't do anything about it, though.

My final words were, "Please keep her safe." before I closed my eyes.

In this transition between life and Death, I heard my grandchild say, "Please don't leave us." before I felt my soul separate from my body, and everything went quiet.

And I opened my eyes once more, but I wasn't near my deathbed. I was in a white room with a single door and no windows. As soon as I appeared, someone knocked at the door, and I answered.

I opened the door to a man in a black robe, ripped at the edges. He held a lantern in his left hand, glowing a deathly blue. I was uneasy about this being. His robe hid his face, and I didn't know his intentions. I was a little afraid of him.

He tapped on a frozen clock with my name and said, "Seems like the sands of time have buried you, Miguel. Nice to meet you, Legendary Hero."

I asked, "Who are you?"

He said, "I am Death. I bring people to God when their time is up." before telling me, "Including you. Even living legends die. Come."

I hesitate, asking, "Where am I?"

Death says, "The Void." before requesting, "Come with me." signaling to go.

I walk forward and think, "I hope I don't go anywhere bad." as I leave.

Ten thousand people of different ages, riches, appearances, and places were outside the room. I saw all kinds of people, from the youngest to the oldest, from the poor to the rich, from the ugly to the drop-dead gorgeous. I saw people from the most western west to the most eastern east. I even saw a Kalmyk in there.

Death snapped his fingers, and for a moment, I saw how I looked like here. I looked like the man I was at the peak of my life. Young, with a full head of hair, a thick beard, and a smile on my face. I could've sworn I time-traveled to my days as a fighter for the world I loved in my living days, but I know I am dead.

Death announced loudly, "All of you have passed, unfortunately, and I will take you all to God."

The crowd of people panic. Death is barraged by thousands of questions, worries, fears, and other things. He knows that the people are afraid of what is next for them. One even asks what or who God is.

I heard one of them say that they were a sinner. I heard one of them say that they killed a man unjustly. I heard one say they were a petty tyrant in their house. Everyone had something they were afraid God would damn them for because even the most saintly man had at least a stirrup in their closet.