Oken Rebirth: Tales of An Unknown World

CHAPTER 2: THE REAPER

"Just toss it in and get it over with!" Someone shouts waking me up from what seems to be one of the most pleasant and well deserved kips I have had in long time. Slowly opening my eyes and to my surprise my vision is welcomed by darkness. All around me, all I see is darkness.

Why is everything around me so dark? And-, why can't I move? I recurrently gasp for air. Why can't I-, why can't I breathe properly?

Trying to catch my breath and figure out where I am. I do what I think is the best thing to do in this situation and start retracing my steps.

Okay, I bumped into some noble on our way to deliver a batch of contraceptive potions to the brothel on the other side of the city. Mother got mad after I pointed out something about the noble and then she tried to kill me-all in a day's work for Annabelle, and then I passed out, but the question right now is:

What happened to me after I passed out?

I try putting the bits and pieces together, but this swaying motion is in no way helping me at all, until finally: Death.

Am I dead?

I think about this for a while trying my best not to panic, fear slowly creeping out from whatever hole it stays inside my chest. This goes on for a minute or so until I realize nothing is happening.

Hmm, well if I'm dead and if this is the afterlife, the goddess Abeh really needs to work on getting more space and air in here. I can't even move. Still in thought, something goes off in my head. Those men. What happened to those in-?

[Abeh - Liegen-goddess of death]

"Come on you coward, just toss it in and get this over with. I have to get to that brothel before it gets packed or someone requests her company for the night, so hurry it up, I don't want to be late." The same hoarse voice that woke me up sounds off from the dark surrounding again.

Funny, I never thought the goddess of death would be one to go to a brothel or she would sound like a man, but hey, who am I to say what she can or can't do and what she can sound like. But then again, could this really be the goddess of death?

No, that can't be a goddess of any sorts.

Why?

Something about this voice sounds familiar.

"This is wrong man, it's far from right." A second voice speaks up. The second voice sounds a bit familiar too and from the sound of it, I think they're arguing, but m about what? "Look, we both got paid to get rid of her okay? You were inclined as much as I was and we both enjoyed it, now this tot is basically a slave with no master so no one will notice her being gone." The first voice, obviously a man, says.

Wait, get rid of her? Who? I don't see anyone here, but... wait, I can't see anything at all and something about their conversation tells me that I should be really worried right now.

They continue arguing and slowly putting two and two together after getting a little more information from their conversation: Are they talking about me?

No doubt they're taking about me, I mean as far as I can tell I'm the only 'her' here. This is bad, this is very bad and what does he mean toss it? Toss me where exactly? I'm not a thing and who paid them to do this to me and why? My mind goes to work and finally catching up and it hits me. Annabelle.

That damn witch! Did she sell me off? – No, she gave me away and from the sound of it she paid these servants of death here with her lady folds as a way to get rid of me. These lust driven cowards are probably some of the hired muscle, they're probably out of town adventurers and they put me in a sack? Smart. Probably to avoid suspicion from the city guards, that's what I would do.