THE REAPER'S SCYTHE: THE LOCI CHRONICLES BOOK 1

by L P PATERSON

  "Please Rogier. She doesn't know how to use or control her powers yet. The time sphere can help us to unlock that."

  "I can't Reaper. You know how it works. You need the coin to gain access." said Rogier.

  "How much do I need?" asked Cymon. He stared at Rogier.

  "A lot more than you have Reaper."

  Cymon stood and reached towards Rogier, I gritted my teeth waiting for the worst to happen. Was he going to grab Rogier? Force him to let us use the sphere?

  "Rogier I'm begging for your help!" hissed Cymon.

  I heard something, like a swishing sound and I looked up. I saw a small silver disc slowly spinning through the air towards Rogier. It landed neatly on the bar in front of him, spinning a few times before slowing and lying flat. I turned towards the end of the bar. A tall woman stood there looking towards us. Her dark brown hair framed her face and swirled around her shoulders in large curls. The blue/black thigh high boots that she wore over dark trousers added an extra six inches to her already tall frame and the knee length overcoat added to her dark look. All of her clothes were the same blue/black and as I watched I saw the colours swirling and mixing, shifting from black to the darkest navy and deepest grey. Her eyes were a deep brown and her skin a rich olive tone. A golden chain hung around her hips and on it was a pendant of a set of scales. Very strange. She was full figured and stood tall and elegant.

  "Take the coin barman." she said. It was said so softly that we all knew it was an instruction and not a request. "Let the Reaper use the sphere." She then turned to Cymon "Do this quickly Reaper."

  Cymon’s eyes were open wide and his pale face seemed to be even paler. His body was suddenly stiff as he replied "Thank you my Lady." Rogier picked up the coin. My Lady! This was another Horseman. She had to be. I wondered which one. It couldn't be Death, everything we were doing was to try and find the scythe before she knew it was missing. Which one was this?

  "Don't thank me Reaper." she said. "Get this done. You have nine and one! Don’t waste them." and with that she turned and left. Moments later, over the noise of the bar I heard the deep rumblings of a motorbike coming to life.

  CHAPTER 9

  The time sphere was actually not a sphere at all, but a rectangular room which was totally white and empty except for a rigid chair at one end. The walls and ceilings were covered end to end in a cushioned material which reminded me of sofa backs. It also reminded me of an insane asylum. This was definitely a padded room designed to prevent injury from hard impact. I swallowed and wondered once again what happened in this unlocking process.

  I turned to Cymon. He was also surveying the room. "Have you used it before?" I asked. I didn't really know what a time sphere was and I was a little anxious as I knew that we were here because of me and the need to unlock whatever loci skills were hidden in me.

  "No." Cymon answered. "There are not many time spheres in the world, and I have never had the need for one before."

  "Well how does it work?" I asked. I expected Cymon to give me some background on this whole thing. When Papa Babash had mentioned the time sphere it seemed that Cymon knew what was going on. But he now looked as clueless as I was feeling. He ran his hand through his hair and adjusted his crumpled hoodie.

  "I don't know." he shrugged. "Maybe we just have to wait".

  I could not believe what was happening. I tugged on the waistband of my trousers again, I couldn't count the amount of times I had tugged or pulled or fixed my clothing. I could not keep my hands still. I wanted this unlocking process to be over and for some reason it seemed that fate was conspiring to make it take as long as possible. I looked back towards the door but could not even see the outline of it in the cushioned walls. That was the end of my escape plan. I was going to be stuck in this room with Cymon and four padded walls. Which gave me the perfect opportunity to ask questions.

  "So, who was that woman at the bar?" I asked. Questioning Cymon would give me information and it would also distract me from my impending 'unlocking'.

  "What woman?" he replied while looking at me with a straight face. I looked at him with rounded eyes and my mouth partially open. Was he really going to play that game?

  "Really Cymon" I said. "The tall woman at the bar who gave Rogier the coin and who you referred to as 'My Lady'. That woman!" I was not impressed with his response to distract me. I knew that she was another Horseman. She had to be. Who else could instruct Rogier like that, and who else would know about our time restrictions? I folded my arms while I stared back at him and was tempted to tap my foot as well but managed to control myself.

  I watched him inhale as he started pacing around the room. When he finally looked back at me my face was expectant and I lifted an eyebrow in question. "Yes." he finally breathed out. "That was another Horseman. That was the Lady Famine, the third Horseman." he said.

  I knew it! But Famine? "Are you sure she's Famine?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes and my mouth pulled to the side. "I mean she didn't really look like someone who is starving. You know what I mean?"

  Cymon's eyes closed to slits. "What are you saying Audrey? Are you commenting on how a Horseman looks? I mean that would be extremely brave of you if you were." he said.

  "No." I said as I held my palms out. "I didn't mean anything. It's just I didn't expect Famine to be so... so... voluptuous I guess."

  "Well. It looks like you guessed wrong." said Cymon. "And here is a tip for you. Remember Audrey, the Horsemen are at the top. They're not omnipotent, but..." He let his words drop off and I wondered at exactly what message he was trying to convey to me.

  I chewed on my lip sure that I had once again managed to offend someone. I wondered how this particular response from a Horseman might manifest itself. Always trying to escape what was coming to me I turned to see if I could find the door to this room with four walls which was parading as a sphere.

  There was a small child sitting in the chair.

  He was small. A tiny thing who looked to be about six years old, he sat on the edge of the chair with his elbows propped on his knees while his chin sat in his hands. His little legs swung back and forth beneath him. I turned to Cymon and saw that he had also noticed our new companion. But he said nothing.

  "Have you come to play?" the child asked. "Have you?"

  He spoke so fast that I barely registered the question. Where had he come from? Seconds ago, the room had been empty except for me and Cymon and now I was looking at a little kid who was probably lost. He shouldn't be in a bar let alone in a time sphere. His blonde waves bounced on his head as his swinging legs picked up speed and his grey irises, which were unusually large, sparkled with anticipation, being outshone only by the ice white of his trousers and tunic.

  He jumped off the chair and ran forward wrapping his skinny arms around my legs. "Do you want to play?" he asked again and his eyes seemed to shine brighter. "I know a good game."

  "Hey. What are you doing here?" I asked him. I peeled his arms from around me and knelt down. Cymon seemed to be lost for words and was still just staring at the child. I on the other hand needed things to move forward. If I was to be 'unlocked' then the quicker it happened the better.

  "Is your mum here with you?" I asked. He smiled at me but did not answer. Instead he skipped across the room and then started running around with his arms stretched wide while making engine noises with his mouth. It was a cute impersonation of an aeroplane but it didn't help us.

  Cymon stepped into the path of the running child and gently took an outstretched hand. The child stopped instantly and sharply pulled his hand back. "Stop it Reaper." he shouted. "I want to play." Then like any small child he stamped his foot, crossed his arms and turned and stomped back to the chair.

  I turned to Cymon with my mouth hung open. "What the hell is going on?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders, obviously as confused as I was. "I thought we came in here to do this unlocking thing?" I asked.

  "We did." he replied. "I'm just not sure how we do it." He ran his hand t
hrough his hair and shook his head.

  "Well didn't Rogier tell you anything?" I asked him. I was still anxious about this whole thing and not knowing what was going on or how to do anything was not helping.

  "No. He didn't. I know that within the sphere we can see into time but we cannot interact with what we see. But Rogier, he just said to go into the sphere. That was it. He didn't give me a manual!" he replied.

  "He didn't give me a manual." echoed a mocking voice which was followed by cackling laughter. We both spun around to see an old man hunched over in the chair. His shaggy grey hair reached his shoulders and looked like it was the mortal enemy of shampoo and water, and his clothes which may have once been grey or maybe even white was now filthy. He looked disgusting, but his grey eyes twinkled.

  I spun in a full circle trying to catch a glimpse of the kid. But he was nowhere to be seen. The door had not opened and no one had gone past us. But he was gone. I turned back to look at the chair. The old man sat calmly watching us. I waited for Cymon to make a move. To ask a question. To do anything. But he just stood staring at the old man.

  "What do you want Reaper?" the old man asked. He started to laugh again and then doubled over into a phlegmy coughing fit. I almost went to him. Almost. He looked frail and alone. His limbs were thin with defined bones. He probably had not eaten a good meal in a very long time. The state of his clothes screamed that he was not being cared for. I felt sorry for him, but I said nothing. I looked at Cymon and waited.

  "Well!" the old man barked. Cymon stiffened and there was a tight set to his mouth.

  "We seek the services of the Time Master." said Cymon. "My companion, Audrey, is a Loci and she cannot access her power. We need to see her past."

  "I will tell you what you need to see Reaper! You do not dictate to me inside my sphere!" he said through a further stream of coughing. It sounded as if he was about to cough out his stomach. My lips curled and I cringed as I stepped back. I could barely mask my revulsion.

  "I meant no offence," said Cymon. The old man managed to take in a few wheezy breaths and leaned back in the chair breathing noisily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I turned away.

  "Loci!" I jumped at the sound of the name that everyone was now calling me. I turned towards the chair. The old man had gone and in his place was a much younger man lounging in the chair. His trousers and tunic were an off white and his deep blonde hair framed his angular face. His shining grey eyes bored into mine.

  "Yes." I answered. I glanced at Cymon hoping for a lead on my next move. He gave me nothing.

  "Come forward." said the man. Now I knew that in order to help Cymon I needed access to the knowledge which was apparently locked inside me, but I also knew that this man, who seemed to be sometimes old, sometimes a little child and now a grown man was probably going to be the one to do it. I was not confident that this was going to turn out well. I turned to look at Cymon again. This time he gave me a brief nod. I shuffled forward.

  "It's been a long time since I have seen a Loci." he mused. "Which line do you come from? Who are your people?"

  My first thought was that if I never saw Michael again then this guy would be a perfect substitute. My second thought was that he might morph into the old man at the worst possible moment. I took a deep breath. "My name is Audrey." I informed him. "My family name is Jones."

  "Come closer." he said. His voice was soft and somehow mesmerising. My feet moved and I found myself walking towards him as if pulled by an invisible cord. I could not look away and I felt myself swaying slightly, leaning in towards him. I felt intoxicated and I did not like it. "Who is your mother?" he asked.

  "Why do you want to know about my mother?" I asked. I was curious. This was the first time that anyone wanted to know anything about me. Before this it seemed that everyone knew everything. Things that I did not even know myself. I was not prepared to willingly offer any other information.

  A smirk appeared on his overly handsome face and he leaned forward in the chair. "Loci's are almost always female Audrey and the gene is inherited from the mother. I assume Jones is your father's name. So, who is your mother?"

  Although I heard the word’s I couldn't quite understand what he was saying. My mother was sweet and calm and everything that I wasn't. She definitely was not a Loci. My parents had met at university, or so I had been told. My father had been studying engineering and my mother maths. They were a perfect fit. My mother went on to have a great career as a maths lecturer. Numbers were the love of her life after my father and I. She had nurtured my own love of the subject and she had been way too happy when I had decided to follow in her footsteps academically. But a Loci? No way. The only things that I had inherited from my mother were my love of numbers, red hair and green eyes. Everything else came from my father.

  "My mother is not a Loci." I said. I really did not care what he knew or didn't know but I was certain that my mother was not part of this world. My father would have told me. Now I know that my mother could keep a secret from me, but she definitely could not keep it from my father, and he... he told me everything.

  "No. She was not." he replied. I heaved a sigh of relief. "It is almost impossible for the gene to appear in two consecutive generations. Almost as rare as a male Loci. I have seen very few of those." he mused. "But she carried the gene. So, one last time Audrey. Who is your mother?”

  "Alison Jones. My mother's name is Alison Jones." I replied. "Her maiden name is Davis." I knew a lot about my mother's family because they had been poor. My mother never failed to remind me of this while I was growing up and the torture of listening to these tales could not be shared among non-existent siblings.

  "And your grandmother?" he asked

  "Alice. My grandmother was Alice Davis and her maiden name was Edwards. And my great grandmother was Anna. Anna Edwards. Who was unmarried and brought shame on the family by having a child outside of marriage, but who claimed that Alice was meant to be because every time that she was touched by Alice' father it was as if time itself stopped,” my prattle instantly came to a grinding halt and I felt my mouth pinch tight. I heard Cymon try to stifle a choking cough but my gaze was focused on the Time Master.

  "Never happened." he stated flatly. "Go on."

  "That's what you would say." I said.

  "Because it is the truth. Believe me, I would know." he had me there. I guess you can't be a master of time and not know everything that happens.

  I continued. "As a result of this child she never married and ensured that she and her family would remain in poverty forever. Although her prediction was a little extreme." I took a deep breath and looked at the Time Master. I continued relaying the stories that my mother had forced into me all the way back to my fifth great grandmother Agatha who had mysteriously disappeared in the year 1850. Mum said she had been searching for a missing gemstone which had been stolen from its rightful owners.

  The Time Master looked at me intently while stroking his chin. "I can't say that any of those names have left a great impression on time. But Agatha must be the one."

  "So can you help us?" asked Cymon. I turned to look at him. He had finally found his voice again. My drawn - out account of my mother's lineage had taken up a good amount of time. I was sure that Cymon was anxious to continue the search.

  "Well hurry up hurry up. Let us get on with this. Do you want to be unlocked or not?" That old craggy voice was back again and I turned to see the old man standing by the chair. "Come along come along. We don't have all day."

  "Where is the other man?" I asked too quickly and instantly regretted it as the old man's eyes immediately clouded over. But almost as quickly their sparkle returned and he smiled briefly.

  "You can't use the present to view the past young lady." he said. I instantly understood that I was seeing representations of time.

  "What do I have to do?" I asked. My anxiety had reduced and I was keen for the worst to be over.

  "Strip!" The old man cried through another fit of coug
hing. I spun to face Cymon whose face blanched even whiter than its normal pale colour.

  "There is no way that I am getting undressed!" I said to Cymon. "No Way!"

  "Your mind child. Strip your mind. Clear your mind of everything." The Time Master said. A long sigh of relief escaped me. Clearing my mind I could do, as long as my clothes stayed on.

  CHAPTER 10

  My head ached but I kept my eyes open and focused on those of the Time Master. The old man had instructed me to breathe normally and relax. I tried hard to relax but I knew I was a coward and even now I was frantically trying to find a reason, an excuse of any kind to allow this process to stop.

  Cymon stood behind the Time Master. I could see his Adams apple bobbing up and down due to his constant swallowing. His arms were wrapped tightly across his chest and his tight face told me everything. Cymon needed this to work. He had to find his scythe and my ability as a Loci was the only thing that could help him. His face seemed paler than when he first appeared in my room so long ago, and he seemed more agitated. I guess I would be as well if Death was my master and I was keeping a secret.

  "Focus Loci." The Time Master growled. I forced my attention back to him and tried to empty my mind, which was much harder than I thought it would be. It seemed that the instant I was told to empty my mind every possible thought started running through it. I fixed my eyes on him again and tried to control my breathing. I let my mind go blank and concentrated on nothing. Slowly my mind emptied, the busy images which had taken hold before were now replaced with a calm swirling whiteness. The Time Master smiled and nodded. I smiled back and I quickly glanced at Cymon.