Page 33 of Souls We Rip

Ignoring every possible new and old sensation, although mostly odd, I led my horse out of the forest. The smell of blooms was intoxicating.

She kept quiet, her back touching my chest from time to time. And right then, my horse decided to trot instead of walk, making the whole atmosphere unsurpassable.

The sun cast shadows through the firs’ needles, making me squint my eyes. My horse did not need my guidance as it knew well the way to my purpose.

The woman’s long hair was braided and draped over her shoulder, leaving me to stare at the nape of her neck. The sound of her rapid heartbeat pounded in my ears, making me squirm inside.

“Can you calm down? Your breathing irks me!”

She took one loud breath, and her heart rate gradually slowed. One corner of my mouth raised, enjoying the power I had over her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice small.

She kept her face forward. Her shoulders were strained, as if she would move one muscle, the horse would throttle her.

“You’ll see. No need to share details ahead.” I stopped all the unnecessary conversations.

The noise of my stallion’s trot was the greatest sound on Earth. I could finally hear my thoughts. This way, I could daydream about my life, once the tenth soul would be collected. The greenest grass between my toes, the warmest fire heating my skin in the winter, the coldest river refreshing my body after a hot day…

“How would I know which soul to take?”

The rustle of the leaves and her voice broke the line of my thoughts.

“What did I say earlier?” I retorted, refraining from sighing.

She huffed, her back's muscles contracting. If not for the radiance of her soul, which must replace mine, I’d have hurled her from the saddle and let the wolves teach her obedience.

The sun was closing its time for the day, hiding behind the hills of the countryside. The villagers here would have to yell at their neighbours over the field in order for them to communicate.

Orchards filled with ripe fruit stretched to our left, some people already picking them for different beverages or to store them over winter. I tasted before the compote that the ghost made. The sugary syrup in which the fruit was sunk was pleasant to my taste buds. Although I never said that out loud.

Cows were scattered here and there eating grass, their bells ringing in my ear; horses neighing in the distance, with a plough attached to their waists. But, as we deepened in the forest, the howling of the wolves replaced the trill of the birds.

I steered my stallion to the left, climbing a steep hill to the top.

There was a ritual for the woman to get the same powers as me. For a short time, she would be my equal.

A ritual I would have to explain to her. She was currently sniffing in her sleeve. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes as another wave of tears touched her hands.

Her purity would be my downfall.

I tried to take my mind off the woman and her muted sobs. I thought back to the ceremony when I chose my goat skull.

I didn’t have any recollection of how I got to be the Goat Man.

My baptism, how the Elk called this ceremony, happened centuries ago. I was surrounded by dozens of masks, while Elk pushed my whole body underwater. When I emerged to the surface, my master placed the Goat Skull on my head, and instead of pristine skin, I had fur.

It took me a while to get used to what I could do. My powers stretched from the moon to the stars, from the stars to the sun and back. They, like me, were endless.

The scythe became my companion in my endeavours. Its bloody blade aged me with every soul I took.

“Are we there yet?” the human asked, her chin supported on her shoulder. Her blue eye dug into my soul, which I didn’t like at all.

I tsked, rolling my eyes. Luckily, they were concealed by the hood. Maybe if I kept quiet, she would stop her rambling questions. She was still looking at me, expecting something that would not come until we reached the Souls’ Pool.

“Can you at least tell me if I would ever see my family?”

Air filled my cheeks, stopping me from laughing. I am not sure why she would not understand that she was mine to wield.