Charles walked down the halls of the nursing home toward his girlfriend’s grandmother room a bag of take out food in his hands. The room was at the end of the hallway and do to her advance age and her poor health she had a solo room.
The room was full of memories of a long life well lives, photos from her life as first an army nurse and later an army wife raising a family. Before retirement, which showed a lot of traveling around the world, from multiple cruises and trips to some of the most far flung places across the world. Lying in the bed with multiple medical devices attached to her was the women in most of those photos. There where multiple pieces of artwork, most of it native American in origins which made sense considering her ancestry.
The 93-year-old women, had lived a long life but it was clearly coming to an end very soon. She was visibly frail; her breathing was shallow, and she looked like death warmed over.
Sitting in a chair beside her grandmother was Charles’ girlfriend Stacy, she had fallen asleep since he had left to go get food with a quick stop at Heaven to check on Josh.
“Charles….” Said the elderly woman as she opened her eyes, her dark eyes where still there but the doctors said she was nearly blind.
“Yes, came to check on Stacy and bring her some food.” Explained Charles as the figure curled up on the chair beside the bed began to stir. She opened her black eyes, her black raven hair highlighted with some yellows framed her face. She let out a load yawn as she stretched her frame, she wasn’t a large woman in any way, her breasts where modest and most would consider her a plain jane. A good looking women, but one who you notice and then forget about once your eyes left her. She had the body of an athlete which came from years of horseback riding, mountain climbing and being out in wild nature.
She was fit, from years of hiking in the deserts and mountains of Arizona and a taking up boxing from her late father. He had actually met her while he was boxing in a gym, he was punching a bag when she came in and in the end they ended up sparing against each other. Being trained by two of the best warriors in heaven Charles was sure he was going to win, he ended up flat on his ass with her smiling over him.
She had taken him riding across the desert and to multiple save the Earth rallies for if there was one thing, he loved about her above everything else was that she wasn’t afraid of anything.
“Sorry, I feel asleep.” apologize Stacy as she stretched a bit, she wore multiple pieces of native American jewelry around her neck and wrists. Some of the pieces she wore had been her great, great grandmothers or older.
“It’s alright, I sleep all the time…” confirmed her grandmother as she looked at Charles.
“You have one fine gentleman here, Stacy my only regret is that I will not be around to see you get married and live the life together you will have.” stated her grandma
“Grandma don’t say that, you will bounce back from this.” Said Stacy as the elderly women gave a soft weak chuckle.
“I don’t think so, I am just glad God sent Charles to help you, he is a real angel.” Stated the elderly women, not knowing how right she was. “In fact sometimes, I swear I see a blue halo above his head.”
That caused Charles to pause, he did have a blue halo in his angelic form but there was no way a human should be able to see through the spell hiding his true form.
“I don’t think I will be here much longer; it is time for me to go.” Said the women as her nearly blind eyes moved toward the door. “Yes…it is time for me to go.”
Charles followed her gaze to see a cloaked figure standing in the doorway a scythe in his hands.
“Grandma, you are going to be ok.” Reassured Stacy
“You see him, don’t you?” inquired Charles, his voice serious as Stacy looked at him confused but a disembodied voice answered Charles question.
“When a mortal soul is near death, they can see the divine nature of the world.” Stated the voice as the figure walked into the room, as he did he began to manifest himself into a more visible form, it started as an outline but with each massing moment.
“Don’t scream, everything will be ok.” Reassured Charles
“My…my God.” Said Stacy, she had yelled down police officers and men with guns to protect mother nature but seeing the embodiment of death moving to stand in front of her grandmother’s bed was causing her to lose her voice.
“Not the first time I have heard that before.” stated Thanatos as he turned and looked at Charles.
“Who are you?” inquired Thanatos as he looked at Charles.
In his gaze he could see that a divine soul was hiding behind magic, no magic could hide a soul from the eyes of death for Death could see a person’s soul and know what they really are. It wouldn’t have mattered if a demon hiding in human form was before him, they would have been just as visible to him only their soul would have been a different color.
“Charles, Michael's and Joan’s son.” explained Charles which really confused Stacy, she wasn’t fully sure she believed what she was seeing.
“Can I talk to Thanatos’ real form?”
“Of course.” Said the figure of Death as the humanoid size hooded figure grew in size until he was at least 8 foot tall and a skull became visible under the hood instead of a black void.
Death was always busy and there was no way a single death could be everywhere at once. There were in fact multiple servants’ deaths all over the world all acting on their own but all of them linked together in a semi single hive mind. They could also switch places with each other at any moment with the actual Thanatos being taller and with a visible skeleton under the hood.
The real embodiment of Death, the prime death was now in the room.
“Please be kind to her.” requested Charles, Death was outside the court of Heaven or Hell, he didn’t have to answer or take his request into consideration.
“Of course.” reassured Thanatos in a voice that while haunting also spoke of kindness, with a bow of his head. “Who am I to refuse a request from the Son of the Archangel Michael himself.”
“What?” inquired Stacy as she looked at her boyfriend.
“I am actually an angel.” explained Charles as his body began to shift, his form becoming bigger as four pairs of blue wings and a blue halo appeared over his head. “My dad is the Archangel Michael and my mom…well you would know her as Joan of Arc.”
“Ok…am I dreaming or high or something?” inquired Stacy
“No, you are not, I will let Charles explain.” Said Thanatos as he moved to the far side of the bed beside the elderly women, extending his hand.
“Wait…” said Charles as Thanatos looked at him.
“I am sorry but…” started Thanatos
“No…I know you have to take her, but you knew I was an angle, right?” inquired Charles.
“Yes, I can see a person’s soul.” Stated Thanatos “I can see through all magic, no one can hide from death.”
“Then…maybe you should talk to my father and Baal, they are looking for those Iron Knights who are hiding in Hell aren’t they?” inquired Charles as Thanatos placed his hand under his chin.
“Yes…I can’t believe I didn’t think of that and with the weddings coming up, it would be best to end Rev. Church and his Iron Knights threat to his daughter’s marriage to the Princess and his wife’s marriage to the Lady of the 7th circle.” Stated Thanatos “Alright, I will go offer my aid, but first.”
“It is time to go dear.” said Thanatos as with tears in her eyes Stacy watched as her grandmother took death’s hand. Then she watched as her grandmother’s soul was pulled from her body and using his scythe Thanatos opened a portal and walked her soul through.
The sound of the heartbeat monitors going flat brought the nurses but while they tried to save her the soul was already gone. Charles had returned to normal even as Stacy eyes was full of tears.
“I am so sorry.” Said the head nurse “She is gone.”
“I know.” Said Stacy as she eyed Charles, he knew that look. It was a look that told him he would have to explain everything to her the moment they were alone.