Julius finds himself adrift in a silvery grey void, totally featureless with no visible source of light. There is no sense of depth, no sense of up or down, even. There is a certain sense of behind, however, as he can hear the hissing scratch of a blade being honed behind him.
Julius turns slowly towards the sound while at the same time taking one step away from it.
Julius sees a figure clad in a tattered, greyish-black robe, the hood hanging low over its face. It is honing the glinting blade of a large scythe with leisurely, measured movements. Though it is hard to tell with no reference points whatsoever, it seems to Julius that the figure is at least a foot taller than him, and after his cautious retreat, it seems to be about four yards away.
Julius asks: "Are you the bringer of sorrow, harvester of souls ? And has my time come to an end ?"
There is a glint of whitish yellow bone as the figure moves its head slightly. It thinks extremely loudly inside Julius's mind, and with nuances of gloomy relentlessness: "I AM A HARVESTER OF SOULS. YOUR CURRENT INCARNATION HAS NOT EXPIRED - YET." The rhythmic scratching of its whetstone continues without missing a beat.
Julius asks again: "When you say ‘yet’, do you mean soon in a regular person's view, or soon on a cosmic scale?"
"IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE?" The mental voice is excellent for getting one's attention, but unfortunately it also shakes Julius out of his line of reasoning every time it sounds in his mind.
They look at each other for a short while. Julius continues "And more importantly is there anything this humble servant of greater powers such as yourself can do to extend one’s stay in his current incarnation?
"YES."
"Lastly did you say A harvester, thereby indicating there is more than one?"
"YES."
"Otherwise I must congratulate you one your fine choice of attire - it really helps enhance your appearance." He looks for a glimpse of compassion from the hooded figure, and catches a glint of yellowed jawbone and teeth.
"THIS MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERN TENDS TO GET THE POINT ACROSS. PERSONALLY, ONE CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW YOU GET ALONG WITH ONLY FOUR LIMBS." the robed figure snorts telepathically.
Julius asks: "You mentioned there was something I could do to extend my stay in my current incarnation, may I ask what it is?"
"TRY TO STAY OUT OF BURNING HOUSES. CONSUME NUTRITION WITH PRUDENCE. BE TEMPERATE WITH INTOXICANTS. DO NOT USE MAGIC. STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING WITH THE REEK OF CHAOS. GIVE GENEROUS OFFERINGS TO THE GODDESSES OF LIFE AND DEATH."
"And as a curiosity would you in your infinite wisdom share with me knowledge about other anthropomorphic entities such as yourself?"
"WE ASSUME SUCH ANTHROPOMORPHIC SHAPES WHILE WORKING WITH SOULS OF YOUR WORLD AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND."
"Why?"
"TO FACILITATE THE SOULS' COMPREHENSION OF THE SITUATION."
"Another question, what is your view on undead?"
"VAINGLORIOUS AND PROCRASTINATING CREATURES. NO MATTER - THEY WILL ALL BE HARVESTED, EVENTUALLY." As it speaks, it hones its scythe with increased fevour.
Julius wonders whether this is a sign of annoyance, but his ability at reading non-verbal communication is severely curtailed as this being does not seem to be a real body, nor to have an auditory voice.
"I'm just curious, where are we - and more importantly - have you come here now to harvest me?"
"YOUR BA AND KA ARE IN THE BORDER ASTRAL. YOUR SHELL OF MEAT IS IN THE WORLD OF MORTALS. 'I' -AS OBSERVED BY YOU- AM IN THE BORDER ASTRAL, BUT 'I' AM ALSO IN OTHER PLACES. 'I' HAVE COME HERE TO 'HARVEST' BA -SOULS IF YOU WILL- AND OTHERWISE EXERCISE WHAT POWER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO 'ME' AS A PROXY OF THE QUEEN OF THE DEAD, 'WHOM' YOU HAVE BEEN PRUDENT ENOUGH TO WORSHIP. FOR THE TIME, 'I' STAY READY AND WAIT FOR PHYSICAL SHELLS TO WITHER. AS YOUR BA-KA COMPLEX HAS PROJECTED ASTRALLY, 'I' 'CHAT' WITH IT WHILE I WAIT, AND BONE UP -IF YOU PARDON MY PUN- ON MY COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH LOWER FORMS OF EXISTENCE." The harvester's mental projections are still hitting Julius's mind with the speed and force of a spiritual battering ram. The sensation as such is not painful, but it is terribly unpleasant, disgusting, if he was in his physical body, Julius would vomit.
"Do you seek to harvest a particular physical shell or do you just harvest a general area?"
"’I’ HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU."
"Anyhow do you know what has become of my mortal shell? The last I remember before coming to here was battling with a creature that must have been no other thing than a vampire."
"IT IS NOT WITHOUT SATISFACTION REPORTED THAT WHAT WAS INDEED A VAMPIRE HAS BEEN HARVESTED, AS HAS ITS MASTER. YOUR MEAT-SHELL IS BURIED IN THE SMOLDERING REMAINS OF A COLLAPSED RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE."
"Oh what great delight. Thou wouldn't happen to know if anyone made it out of the house before it collapsed, do you?"
"ONE KNOWS."
"Does thou mean that someone knows or that you, as represented by this anthromorphic personification, know?"
"BOTH."
"In that case would you be so very kind as to share this information with me?" he asks with pleading eyes.
"NO."
(under his breath) "Now there's a biiig surprise." He continues "Doesth thou know of a way to return to my shell so that I may return my voyage in the land of mortals? If thou doesth I will heed thy words and be on my way"
"IT IS DOUBTED THAT RETURNING TO YOUR FLESH WOULD DO YOU ANY GOOD AT THIS TIME. IF YOU ATTEMPT TO DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM THIS AREA ASTRALLY, YOU WILL HAVE TO BE RESTRAINED."
"So what thou art basically saying is that I don't have any other choice than to stick around and converse with thee until my cage of flesh has withered away and I may join, nay be harvested by thee?"
"YES. ALTERNATIVELY, YOUR BODY MAY RECOVER AND YOUR KA-BA COMPLEX RETURN TO IT".
"Regarding that alternative is there anything at all I can do from my current position to help my body recover?"
"VERY LITTLE."
"You see, I was rather beginning to enjoy my present form and I would be delighted to return to it and hunt some more Vampires."
"INDUBITABLY"
"There wouldn't happen to be anyone else around that I could talk to, would there?"
"THERE MIGHT BE."
"I'm getting the feeling you are not very fond of precise answers, are you?"
There is no answer.
"Why are thou constantly sharpening your scythe, is it because you're, eh.. I mean IT's becoming dull?"
There still is no answer forthcoming from the harvester.
"I'm just wondering, there wouldn't be any chance of me borrowing you scythe? Just for a second?"
The robed figure remains silent.
"If you don't mind terribly much, I'll head off to seek new conversation partners. Farewell to thee." Julius begins to walk away from the creature.
The endless scratching of the astral projection's equally incorporeal whetstone halts for a brief moment, and there is a flurry of movement. The next thing Julius knows, there is a ghastly gash down his left arm and the harvester is back to sharpening its scythe. He did not even feel any impact, it is as if the slash opened by itself. The cut is extremely painful, quite equal to the experience of having the length of one's arm carved open in the physical world, except for the fact that there is no moment of numbness - the pain is instantaneous.
The harvester dryly comments "METHINKS 'TIS FAIRLY SHARP. DO NOT PRESUME TO INSULT YOUR BETTERS, MORTAL."
"Aaarrghh, hnnnghh, YOU CUT OFF MY HELLWIND-BLASTED THRICE-DAMNED ARM. By the poison-dripping cunt of Echidna... I CAN'T believe it...AAAAaaahhhhrrrrrghh..."
"YOUR ARM WAS MERELY SLASHED, NOT CUT OFF - AIM MUST BE SLIGHTLY OFF. AS FOR THE BLASTING AND DAMNING, I CAN EASILY SEE TOO IT."
At this, Julius shuts up. Some minutes later, when the initial shock has worn off, he continues: "Methinks 'tis NO way to treat a forthcoming client, thou could AT LEAST wait until my mortal shell has expired." (He makes a mental note to add this hooded character to ’The List’.)
"THAT LIST OF YOURS WILL LIKELY PROVE YOUR UNDOING" muses the Harvester.
He walks around cursing in Clemencian. Calming himself somewhat he asks: "So you were dead serious about that restraining issue, weren't you?"
"YES."
Standing considering his options, realization finally dawns on him. And after one final practice of Clemencian foul language he speaks.
"Look, I can see that my previous statements had thee insulted and with thy permission I would like to apologize. After all I'm nought but a mortal deprived of my shell with a burning desire to complete his journey through the lands of the living. If thee could help this lost one get on his way thou could go back to mingle with thy peers, and I would trouble you no more."
"All said and done, I do however think that you overreacted."
"WITHOUT DOUBT A FLY WOULD THINK THE SAME WHEN YOU SWATTED IT AWAY, IF IT WAS SENTIENT. AS FOR THE APOLOGY, IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO YOU THAT THIS HARVESTER IS BOTH A TELEPATH AND MANIFOLD MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU, AND SHOWING A SUBMISSIVE FRONT WHILE KEEPING 'ME' ON THE LIST IS FOLLY. IF YOU SHOULD COME AT 'ME', IT WILL SAVE 'ME' A BIT OF WORK, THOUGH. STILL - BACK TO THE TRAMMELS OF THE FLESH YOU GO, PUNY MORTAL. IT WILL MAKE YOU EASIER TO KEEP TRACK OF, ANYHOW."
After this last mental hammering, Julius begins to feel an intense feeling of vertigo. The image of the harvester in front of him grows distorted, and then all grows black. Briefly he feels pain, then he loses all consciousness.