Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 22: What Death Is


Author's Note: Please read my artist's comments before continuing. :3
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“SICK?!”

Hissing resentfully, the god Eclipse turned and threw his yarn ball at Ptaharamnan. The elephant priest flinched as the ball bounced harmlessly off his chest. He stood before his master with a look of great worry, leaning on his wooden staff and swishing his ears nervously.

“OmenBeast... is... sick, my Lord. There’s nothing we can do about it.” Ptaharamnan leaned down and picked up the white yarn ball, tossing it back to its owner. He then grinned slightly, in a fruitless attempt to cheer up the god. When the elephant met Eclipse’s angry eyes, the smile vanished.

A tiny snarl creased Eclipse’s nose. In the dim reddish light of his temple his gold eyes swirled with madness, but he folded his paws into his robe sleeves and sighed half-heartedly. Then after much silence the feline unfurled his arms and placed a single paw to his forehead. “So tell me. What happened?”, he questioned, turning to face away from the priest.

Ptaharamnan clicked his walking staff on the polished floor of the temple. The single tap resounded throughout the church and mingled with his voice as he spoke to the heavenly being. “You see, great one, after I hadn’t received any news on Ribbontail’s death I called a sending dove to find OmenBeast. The dove returned to recite a dire message from him...”

The elephant’s voice trailed off as he seemed to hesitate.

“Go on,” Eclipse murmured, not bothering to move. His eyes, deep with both worry and hatred, were fixated on the stained glass image before him.

“He said that he had gotten into a fight with an Emalian named ‘Kerberos’. He thinks that the Emalian was venomous... and that it had attacked him with its poison. In the message he mentioned that he was not feeling well at all. He claims to be losing vision, and that his paws are numb and he is having a hard time breathing. Sick. Very sick-”

Holding his ears taught, Eclipse hissed, “Did he defeat the Emalian?”

“He might not live,” Ptaharamnan continued, having not heard his god’s question, “in his condition he could perish in the desert. It’s far too hot there for a beast his size, and if he were to come across an Emalian he would not be able to fight back-”

Without warning, Eclipse whirled on his heels and pointed an accusing paw at his priest. His bared teeth glinted wrathfully as he demanded, “Did he SLAY the Emalian?”

Ptaharamnan stood silent for a moment, his thin mouth held open and his trunk fiddling uneasily with his cane. “Um...y-yes, my lord. The one named Kerberos was done in. OmenBeast noted that he seemed to have sacrificed his life... for Ribbontail.”

“Ribbontail...” The feline’s voice dropped. From beneath his beautiful golden hair his eyes blazed with a closeted wrath; Ptaharamnan knew, from decades of serving such a being, that Eclipse had a well-renown ability to hold back explosive anger. “is still alive. And those filthy Emalians are willing to sacrifice themselves for her?”

“It would seem that way...” the elephant mumbled, “but remember that Ribbontail and Fidei have only been in the mortal world for a week. Barely any Emalians know of their existence.”

As though lost in thought, Eclipse raised an eyebrow. He remained silent for the longest while before finally he lifted a paw and noted, “And nor do many of my Eclipsians.”

Ptaharamnan shifted where he stood. Presently the pachyderm nodded, a hesitant gesture that seemed to fly right past Eclipse. He said nothing, knowing just how in thought his god was. He respected the almighty being and did not dare interfere.

Finally it seemed as though Eclipse had a thought. The feline’s eyes still burned as he turned and brandished a claw in his servant’s direction. “My messenger doves,” he commanded, “every last one of them. I want them all out here, now.”

His beady eyes glinting assuredly from beneath his bushy eyebrows, Ptaharamnan reached into the folds of his robe and drew forth the little black box. Without a pause he clasped his massive hands and clicked the box open.

Into the air ascended dozens of glimmering white orbs, alighting and dancing about like fairies. Their tiny forms twisted and bounded in the air for a moment before finally slowing. As they did every time they were released, the little lights slowly melted to take the shapes of glowing white doves.

When at last the holy birds halted their freedom dance, the two score of doves arranged themselves before their god and hovered in midair. Eclipse held his paws up to them- as though offering an unseen plate of treats- and frowned.

“Messengers,” he declared, “the gods Ribbontail and Fidei have finally shown themselves. Send this message to any Eclipsians you may see in Emalia: I want both of them dead.  Any ribbon-tailed Emalians or long-eared lions will be fine for slaying too.” The god paused to gesture towards his ears; being black, long, and slender, his ears were quite similar to Fidei’s. “Tell them to spread word of mouth, too. Every Eclipsian must know that I want the both of them disposed of immediately.”

The doves didn’t wait a single second after the message. As soon as their god was finished he flicked his paws, and the magnificent white beings turned to evanesce into nothingness. One by one they vanished from sight, leaving behind nothing but trails of sparkling dust.

Eclipse’s eyes gleamed with pride, but his face remained curled with the same frustration. When every sign of the messengers were gone he once more turned his back on Ptaharamnan. His dreary shadow fell upon the temple floor as he sighed, adding, “We wouldn’t have to send the lot out if OmenBeast had done his job on the first place...”

“He was poisoned, great one,” Ptaharamnan interjected quietly, “there is nothing he can do now. It was all a wicked twist of fate. But please, what will we do with him?”

“Nothing.”

“...My lord?”

The god turned and looked over his shoulder at his faithful servant, the usual glimmer of thoughtfulness in those golden eyes. “We wait. When he dies he’ll return to me, and I can send him back out. He’s of no use to me in his condition. Forget him.”
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When Ribbontail awoke from her sleep- which she had fallen into at midday- she found herself in the all-too-familiar dream realm. For once she was standing and fully energized, as though her body and mind had been preparing for this moment.

She was standing paw-deep in a cold river over which a sparkling fog swept. Ribbontail smiled almost immediately; for once the little goddess knew just where she was, and she had come to love this region.

This was the River of Life.

Mystified, Ribbontail watched as white lights crept along the surface of the river, bobbing in her direction and beyond. The wolf turned to watch the flow of these lights. Some briefly flicked with the shapes of mortal beings: old animals crippled over and shuffling along, children playing with one another as they hurried down the river, and even a couple still clasping hands.

She recalled that they were the souls of the dead, and she smiled at how nonchalant they were. But before she could do anything more a distant voice called across the river.

“Attention! Company!”

It was a firm, commanding, militant voice that called from upriver. Ribbontail turned and blinked through the fog, squinting until she saw a row of dull lights lined alongside the inner edge of the river. Unlike the other spirits that made their way down the waters, these ones remained immobile. After staring at the glows for a good minute, Ribbontail finally made out the faint outline of the spirits’ mortal forms. The line presented at least a dozen anthropomorphic Emalians- varying greatly in species- dressed and armed like military men.

Ribbontail cocked her head, thoroughly confused. The spirits seemed to be waiting for something.

“Present arms!” called the sergeant’s spirit, a harsh-faced badger in the respectful attire. “Goddess Ai the Fierce!”

In awe, Ribbontail watched as the fog before the troops rippled and trembled. Then the mists swirled slowly, and from them slinked a large white figure. Ribbontail blinked. It was Ai the Fierce, who she had met only a week ago. With the face of a pig and a long, snaking body, Ai the Fierce was the mighty goddess of nature; her mane of leaves made this very clear.

With a prided gait, the swine landed in the river and waltzed her way to the troops. Her long, drooling snout peeled open and she chortled at the fallen warriors before her. “Guys guys, y’ll kin jus’ relax n’ all. Ain’t no need t’ be so formal. Y’ll deserve a break, hah hah hah!” she swooned.

At once the souls before her shifted and relaxed, their rifles drooping and shoulders slouching. There seemed to be an overwhelming relief among the warriors lined before them, as they offered their hands to the god. Some even crumpled to their knees and cried with joy, faced cupped in their hands.

“Very gud men, ah?” Ai finally slurred, “All died fer yer god. Das true hearts, right there. All o’ yeh. Wuzzit bad ol’ Eclipsian y’ll fought?”

Saluting the god with a look of great joy upon his face, the deceased army sergeant nodded. He bared his sharp teeth in an unprofessional grin; the calming presence of the god gave even him the right to relax. “Affirmative. The Eclipsian Liolindis was detained and defeated, but platoon A-” the badger gestured to the groveling men behind him, “was ANNIHILATED.”

“...Like true heroes, yurss. N’ you gave yer life too, ah see. Y’ go n’ fought with yer men din’ya?”

With a respectful bow, the leader of the troop nodded. “Yes sir- uh, ma’am. We prayed to you for strength in this battle, and that’s just what we got MA’AM. Thank you, great god of ours.”

“Gave yer lives fer meh. You’s all true heroes, yessirs.” Ai the Fierce placed a massive paw on the shoulder of the badger general, looking through the ghostly men behind him with her toothy smile.

Ribbontail smiled as the army men clasped their hands and bowed to her respectfully. “They must’ve died in the name of Ai,” she thought, her ears drooping, “So sad...I wonder how often this happens?”

One-by-one the soldiers regained their stances, and as they began to file back into line Ai the Fierce opened her mouth in a wet laugh. “All is well n’ good then? You mortals all ready tuh go tuh the Heaven now, uh?”

Faint murmurs of agreement and bright smiles beamed from the assembled spirits. They watched in amazement as their god turned and gestured with her axe-tail; then she began a proud, slow saunter down the river. Almost instantly the deceased soldiers followed. They tagged along in a single-file line behind the goddess, like a slow and ceremonial follow-the-leader.

Ribbontail turned and stared wide-eyed as the procession slowly marched by. Ai the Fierce did not even notice Ribbontail as she led the faint spirits down the river and into the fog.

“What was that all about...?” Ribbontail mused to herself, her ears drooping. A more valid question in her case would have been why she was here in the first place. Did this have something to do with Kerberos, who in turn gave his own life for Ribbontail? Or did the goddess Sasha have a message for her?

“They’re going to the Heaven, dear one. That is what ‘it’s all about’.”

Bingo. Turning abruptly, Ribbontail almost fell back as the massive dragon Sasha came floating through the mist. Massive, white, and majestic, the heavenly being looked down upon Ribbontail with soft golden eyes. She was just as beautiful as Ribbontail had remembered, and the little wolf goddess bowed her head in admiration.

“I...Sasha!” Ribbontail grinned and swished her ribbon-tails. Not knowing what to say, the little goddess bowed her head again and kept her eyes low.

Sasha chuckled, sounding quite motherly, and swished her feathery tail under Ribbontail’s chin. At this the young one lifted her nose and their eyes met, for a moment feeling as though everything in the world was alright. There was something truly mystifying about Sasha. Her very presence washed away all negative energy.

“Ribbontail, you’re probably wondering why I brought you here.”

For a second Ribbontail paused and blinked up at the heavenly being, not sure what to say. She knew of course that Sasha had something to teach her; this process was something Ribbontail had grown accustomed to. “No, I don’t,” she finally admitted, “Does this have something to do with Kerberos?”

Sasha closed her eyes to nod once, before she leaned down and placed a claw upon Ribbontail’s head. “Did you see Ai the Fierce just now, with those who gave their lives for her?”

This question was quite unexpected. Ribbontail flicked her ears down and nodded. “Yes, I did. Does THAT have something to do with Kerberos?”

The heavenly dragon nodded her head, the motherly smile across her face sending waves of warmth through Ribbontail. “You see, child, personal sacrifice is the greatest gift anybody can give. You give your life for somebody and that is the end of your mortal life,” Sasha’s glassy gold eye twinkled down upon Ribbontail as she bobbed her head once, “And to give your life for a god, that is truly the highest thing one could ever do.”

Ribbontail could only manage a smile. This was a perfectly reasonable concept, as sad as it was. The numerous gods seemed to be the protectors of this world called Kuutamo, so to give your life in the name of one would be like giving your life for the good of all. Slowly Ribbontail’s ears lifted and she nodded at last.

“As you should remember, this is the River of Life,” Sasha turned and gestured downriver with her claws. Into the distant fog the many spirits were going, as though the two gods were not even present. As before, they bobbed along with the flow of the water. “At the end of the river are three trials that all souls must take before resting in either Heaven or Hell. Every other soul must go through the tests. But if you sacrifice yourself for a god you may be escorted personally to Heaven, much like those Emalian troops were. Does this make sense, Ribbontail...?”

Again Ribbontail nodded in agreement, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Sasha spread her wings as though at full attention, and whipped her tail about once. She directed Ribbontail’s attention downriver again. “Those who give their lives for us don’t even have to face the first test. Not far from here is a waterfall, where most spirits take the plunge to the first test below. Those who died in our name, though, are lifted to heaven at the waterfall’s edge.”

Not having to throw yourself off a waterfall was reasonable enough for Ribbontail. It all made logical and perfect sense to her- the concept was totally understandable. But it didn’t answer what it had to do with Kerberos. The old beast had given his life for Ribbontail, and Sasha seemed to be ignoring this fact completely.

Seeing the wolf’s agitation, Sasha blinked. Then in her usual gentle voice she explained, “What Kerberos did for you was the act of a true hero. A true believer. He is a great mortal.”

“He really was... he was very nice to my friends and I. I really was starting to like him...” Ribbontail lifted her nose and met Sasha’s smile with one of her own. In this realm of death she could not feel sadness or anger of any kind, so instead she was happy for Kerberos. He had given his life for her; perhaps that was the honorable end that the Emalian was hoping for.

Sasha said nothing for a good minute. But then with a flap of her glimmering wings, she leaned down and whispered quietly, “And I’m sure he was fond of you as well. Tell me, child: would you like to speak with him one last time?”

“I... may I?” Ribbontail’s ribbons swished with a spark of relief. She would give anything to ask for Kerberos’ forgiveness. “Please, may I?”

Calm and quiet as she always was, the goddess Sasha closed her eyes and stepped aside. She gestured behind her with a sweeping motion, and Ribbontail almost cried out at what she saw. Standing there was the hazy, faded image of Kerberos. He was a glowing orb like the other souls about, but Ribbontail could tell clearly that it was him that stood there.

Ribbontail took a hesitant pawstep forward, her mouth open but refusing to move. The old beast looked so at peace. He simply stood there, head lowered and eyes downcast.

The wolf goddess had no idea how to react to such a being. Finally she turned, her eyes questioning, as though to ask Sasha for guidance. But the mighty white dragon stood there, a smile upon her face as she remained dignified and stoic. Then the goddess simply turned and faded away into the mists behind her, vanishing like a specter.

“Sasha, wait!” cried the ribbon-tailed goddess, hurrying to where the dragon once stood. The angel was no longer there. “What do I...?”

Suddenly lacking confidence- the sheer positive energy that was present whenever Sasha was around-, Ribbontail turned and lowered her ears at the sight of Kerberos’ soul. He was watching her now, from what she could see. It was strange that he had a smile on his face. Was he truly so happy to be dead?

Ribbontail turned on her heel slowly, approaching the large beast with her head hung low. She finally cleared her throat and said in a meek voice, “Kerberos, I’m... I’m really sorry about having to leave you like that. I really didn’t know that you would die. I really didn’t, I’m sorry...”

She almost lunged at the spirit to catch him in a hug, but she knew that in his current form he was not tangible. Kerberos seemed to know this as well, as he simply stood there and never moved once. Amidst the fog the two stood still; the other spirits passed by slowly, detached to the god and her friend.

Ribbontail shifted uneasily, not knowing what to do. Unlike the other spirits that she had seen with Ai the Fierce, Kerberos didn’t seem to have the ability to speak. Perhaps this had to do with her godly power; maybe only full gods could be spoken back to. Kerberos, though, showed signs of understanding. He nodded his head and swished his tufted tail.

“Well I’m safe now,” the wolf goddess continued, “I ran all day as fast as I can, so hopefully OmenBeast is slowed down or something. I really hope all goes well. Don’t you?”

A silent nod came from the spirit, followed by another smile and a gesture directed at his horns. Ribbontail pondered on the motion for a moment before finally thinking “venom”. THIS of course was common sense. Any beast with thorns and quills was bound to be venomous; perhaps there was conquest over OmenBeast after all.

Ribbontail nodded in response. They were both hoping that he’d had the chance to defeat OmenBeast; that would do them all good. Then, again, silence reigned over the two. It was not that there was nothing to be said; it was that neither of them knew how to work with the situation. Kerberos’ spirit had no ability to speak audibly, and Ribbontail was too stuck to converse aloud.

But after many tense minutes Ribbontail cleared her throat and spoke again to the undead being. “The god Sasha said that if you give your life for one of us, you can go to Heaven immediately,” she explained half-heartedly. “She said that sacrificing yourself for somebody is the greatest gift anybody can give.”

The glowing spirit’s dull eyes flicked for a second. Though it could say nothing, Ribbontail knew full well the emotion behind them. “Is that so!” was something the living Kerberos would have said.

Ribbontail smiled inwardly. Such a kind man he was. He took her and her friends in and gave them food and shelter, and shared many stories of his childhood. Being the reason behind his death, Ribbontail felt terrible. But the smile that beamed from Kerberos said otherwise; he was more pleased than anything else. Now he could go to Heaven and, hopefully, meet those who he cherished. His daughter and mate that he spoke of in tales, and his wonderful spirit guardian Hanshui. They would all be there waiting for him when he passed on.

“Your... your family. I’m guessing that you really want to meet them again, right?” she asked the apparition.

Kerberos’ spirit nodded silently, the familiar twinkle of enjoyment on his face. From what she had seen in her life as a human, Ribbontail half expected the beast to crumple to his feet and sob pitifully. Even the soldiers before Ai the Fierce had done this, shaking their fists in the air and crying into their palms. But Kerberos had a very kept, very tame reaction. A simple “yes” gesture was all they got as in response.

“So um...” Ribbontail whispered to the spirit, pausing to think before finishing her question, “Would you like me to escort you to Heaven? I don’t really know where it is, but I’m sure you do.”

The faint apparition nodded and gestured with his snout, pointing downriver. Indeed he knew, and he was more than willing to follow.

Ribbontail sucked in a deep, cold breath and turned to take her first step down the River of Life. But in her lack of understanding she whipped around and glanced back at Kerberos. As was characteristic of the old beast’s personality, he was right behind her with a diligent and obedient smile on his face. Evidently, he couldn’t wait to be escorted to Heaven.

One more step. Again she turned and glanced back. There was Kerberos’ obedient spirit, still behind her with a look of gleeful anticipation.

In a heartbeat Ribbontail’s ears were down again, flattened against her head as she pondered the state of her deceased friend. Then she announced to Kerberos, “Let’s go.”

Ribbontail took in a deep, cleaning breath before gritting her teeth and starting down the river. The sloshing of her paws in the water echoed in her mind and the silence of the life river buzzed at her ears as she led the bobbing spirit downstream. Together the two slowly followed the other deceased beings, with Ribbontail trudging along with her head held low.

Fraught with confusion of how to feel, Ribbontail kept peering back at the spirit who was following her. It was a pity she could not speak to the being; she wanted to hear what he had to say. But the smile on his face was all she needed to see. He was happy.

The two slogged along at a slow pace, silent as they moved through the purplish fog like a pair of specters. It was the young Ribbontail, the untrained and confused new goddess of death, and the kind old man who gave his life for her. In peace did the two travel, until finally a voice rang within Ribbontail’s head.

It was Sasha. The dragon could not be seen anymore, but her voice was crystal and keen like a sacred bell. Ribbontail lifted her nose and peered about, her golden eyes dulled in the muted fog.

“Death,” called her voice, “Is nothing to fear. It is nothing to resent, or to hate or scorn. It is something that the powerful fear, something that the weak welcome.”

Part of Ribbontail was not convinced. Her eyes brimming with tears, her ears folded back once more and her body shook as she shook her head. How could one welcome death knowing that you could no longer be in the world?

“Death,” the voice rang again, “Is the force that unites one life and the next. It is the power that frees us from our pains. It relieves us of suffering and relinquishes us from earthly desires and hatred. It cuts the ties that bond us to our hunger, to our fears and our worries.”

A silent tear trickled down Ribbontail’s cheek, twinkling as it curved down her face and plopped into the sacred river below. Uncertainty held her silent. Death couldn’t mean any of this at all. It forced you to leave the world and everything you had there- your home, your games, your collections all would be lost at death.

“Death,” a third time the voice called, “Is the path that leads us to everything we need, everything we TRULY longed for. Love, peace, joy and unity, are all found in it.”

Ribbontail bit her lip and spun her head around to stare at Kerberos, who still trudged faithfully behind her. His faint form flicked in and out of sight. Yet still he seemed blissful, his frail form seeming to flow with relief. It was true. Death took every pain from Kerberos. His body was no longer youthful, his family and friends were no longer with him. Death would take these woes from him, and give him the peace he’d always needed.

A sudden roaring thundered from up ahead as Ribbontail turned back around, and Ribbontail halted in her tracks. Before her raged an unexpected waterfall, as wide as the river and twice as loud. Ribbontail halted a good couple yards from its edge and watched in shock as the unguided spirits continued along, plummeting down into the gray depths below.

The little wolf flicked her tails and backed away two steps. But she felt a force behind her shift, and the soul of Kerberos continued on without her. His glimmering form halted at the crest of the waterfall. With nose lifted and eyes full of wonder, he seemed to be staring into the distance.

She followed his gaze. Out in the expanse far away she could make out the faint glow of a light, the source of which seemed totally untraceable. Yet with Kerberos’ soul fixated on it, the thought of “Heaven” stuck in her mind.

Ribbontail finally broke into a smile, beaming through her tears as she watched Kerberos’ spirit turn and look back at her. The grin was still stuck on his face. It was a look that could be expected from an old man flipping through a book of memories, or a child admiring a collection of shells. Audacity and triumph reigned in his eyes, too.

And in a final act that drew Ribbontail’s tears back to life, he managed to open his mouth and say a single phrase. “Thanks for everything, lassie.” Then the spirit lost all shape and became an amorphous sphere of light. Into the distance he sped, trailing and bobbing towards the light that was Heaven.

Her eyes now overflowing with tears and her mouth parted in a gape, Ribbontail watched him go. But it was a feeling of joy that spread to her now. Standing at the edge of the waterfall, all alone in a world of death and peace, she had nothing to do but stare and think.

“Peace,” came Sasha’s voice one last time, “that’s what death is.”