Soul Thief
Athena brushed Ardora's leg as she sat down beside her.
Despond sat across from Ardora, leaned back heavily and crossed his arms. His face had thawed but his grimace had not.
Ardora had been trying to meditate when Irene and Oberon stepped through the grand doors.
"You all have been informed about the matter at hand," Irene began.
Ardora immediately wept and Despond was suddenly interested.
"What does this mean for humans?" Despond asked.
"It means they cannot pass on to Heaven or the Hells. It means there will be wandering souls on Earth until the end of time," Irene said.
Ardora sobbed.
Ardora, Oberon said.
"I'm sorry," wept Ardora. "But these humans mean so much to me. Who will I play with now?"
Despond huffed. Athena looked between them and hid her smile.
"I think we should tell Edol," Athena interrupted.
No one will tell Edol, Oberon said.
"Are you afraid of what he might do?" Athena asked.
No, but you all should be.
There was silence.
"Who has the power to steal souls?" Despond mused.
"No one but us," Irene said.
She was on the arm of Oberon, clasped his hand in her own. This gesture seemed to calm Ardora. Until she was no longer calm.
For Ardora said to Despond, "Stealing souls is the kind of wicked sin Despond would commit!"
Despond sat up, pressed his hands against the wooden table.
"Why would I ever care about the souls of these pesky humans?" Despond asked.
"You care about them just as much as I do," Ardora argued.
"Oh you do, Despond, don't you?" Athena pressed.
"What about that man, Despond? You were with him until the day he died. You wanted to keep his soul for your own."
Tears ran from Ardora's eyes, dripped onto the table and turned to ice.
"Ardora," Irene called softly.
It had been not a man, but a woman for Ardora. She was not only upset for the loss of all these human's souls, but one in particular.
Despond sat across from Ardora, leaned back heavily and crossed his arms. His face had thawed but his grimace had not.
Ardora had been trying to meditate when Irene and Oberon stepped through the grand doors.
"You all have been informed about the matter at hand," Irene began.
Ardora immediately wept and Despond was suddenly interested.
"What does this mean for humans?" Despond asked.
"It means they cannot pass on to Heaven or the Hells. It means there will be wandering souls on Earth until the end of time," Irene said.
Ardora sobbed.
Ardora, Oberon said.
"I'm sorry," wept Ardora. "But these humans mean so much to me. Who will I play with now?"
Despond huffed. Athena looked between them and hid her smile.
"I think we should tell Edol," Athena interrupted.
No one will tell Edol, Oberon said.
"Are you afraid of what he might do?" Athena asked.
No, but you all should be.
There was silence.
"Who has the power to steal souls?" Despond mused.
"No one but us," Irene said.
She was on the arm of Oberon, clasped his hand in her own. This gesture seemed to calm Ardora. Until she was no longer calm.
For Ardora said to Despond, "Stealing souls is the kind of wicked sin Despond would commit!"
Despond sat up, pressed his hands against the wooden table.
"Why would I ever care about the souls of these pesky humans?" Despond asked.
"You care about them just as much as I do," Ardora argued.
"Oh you do, Despond, don't you?" Athena pressed.
"What about that man, Despond? You were with him until the day he died. You wanted to keep his soul for your own."
Tears ran from Ardora's eyes, dripped onto the table and turned to ice.
"Ardora," Irene called softly.
It had been not a man, but a woman for Ardora. She was not only upset for the loss of all these human's souls, but one in particular.