Laughter

Now someone might question that while The Master of Death was going through the Samhain Sabbath Ritual, what was happening in The Land of The Dead.

After all, this was the day that was associated with Death and its minions.

Ah.

How should one describe the atmosphere in Death's realm?

It was better to say that it was in a state of controlled pandemonium.

Truly, there was no other word for it.

Why?

Because some Reapers were running helter-skelter as they answered the summons of various Necromancers.

Because obviously those tiny specks of life - humans, elves, vampires, thought themselves to be brave and courageous and had the misconception that Death was ever free to visit them on the one day Death could roam between realms.

Idiots the lot of them.

However, what was more aggravating for the Reapers was the fact that Death had delegated that task to them and since there were countless morons calling for Death, thinking that Death wasn't as metaphorical as it seemed, the Reapers were the ones to suffer.

The mortals - no matter whether magicals, mundane, vampires, elves or anything else, always had such delusions and listening to them prattle on about their own 'greatness' was not something Reapers were too keen upon.

Hence, when All Hallows Eve once again arrived, the Reapers decided to rise in revolt against their leader.

Alas, before even a spark of revolt could be ignited, it was doused with cold water by Death's order, "Anybody who completes their duties before time can view Master in the viewing pensive for the next few hours."

Death was a certified lazy taskmaster, so it came as no surprise to anyone that he had found a new method to distribute his duties to his subordinates while he lounged and enjoyed himself.

However, the reward for this year was different from all the rewards given to the Reapers from aeons and aeons.

Therefore, the present scene where The Reapers were rushing about.

A distant wail of a newbie Reaper could be heard, "What great Necromancer? Pah! He was nothing more than a phoney. He wanted to rule over the world with the help of Death. What does he think that ruling over the world is all flowers and kisses?"

Another Reaper could he heard consoling the newbie, "Ah! We get a few like those every year. Don't worry. You'll get used to it after some time. I even had to deal with someone who apparently wanted to court and finally marry Death. Wasn't that hilarious all on its own?"

Then in an even softer whisper, the Reaper continued, "That guy killed millions as a courting gift for one of the personifications of Death. The moron didn't realise that more deaths mean more paperwork for us and anybody who gives Death more work is its mortal and immortal enemy."

If any mortal had seen or listened to this conversation, the solemn, dignified appearance of Death and its minions would have collapsed in less than a second.

Thankfully, no one was there to view such a scandalous thing.

Anyways, this night could be termed as something extraordinary because tonight whenever the necromancer's called for Death for its blessings or power, they realised that the entity(or The Reapers in this case) were in a hurry and didn't even take the offerings provided for them and were just there as a token effort on their part.

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The Reaper who had been originally tasked with watching over the Master of Death all those years ago had seen an unprecedented change in his social status since then.

Everyone would come up to butter him and talk about the ongoing's of the mortal plane(s) and you ask about their Master.

When Death passed the order that all of them could watch Master, The Reapers rushed towards the viewing room where the pensive was but they still didn't act like recalcitrant children upfront of that Reaper.

They were afraid of being evicted from the room if they made any unnecessary noise.

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When they watched Master perform The Samhain Sabbath Ritual even though he didn't need to, the Reapers felt so moved.

Look.

Look at the Master.

Even when he doesn't need to perform the ritual - for he was already the Master of Death, Still, he took care of their feelings and performed the ritual.

It made them feel so grateful to have the luck to have such a 'nice' master.

However, the Reapers felt irritated when they saw the mortal boy again clinging onto him. They recalled that mortal humans started their courtships when they were thirteen or fourteen summers old generally.

Master was twelve.

They only had a year to come up with a plan.

It seemed their intervention was clearly needed if the mortal wasn't even leaving the Master alone to perform the ritual.

Moreover, the mortal clearly benefited from the ritual even though he hadn't done much except sit there and then panic.

When they felt Death's magic rise and rush forth in response to Master's magic, all of them felt a faint tugging at their own souls.

It felt as if someone was trying to play ping pong with their souls but since it couldn't leave their bodies, the ball remained on one side of the net.

Once the Reapers realised that it was their instinctive reaction to the connection between Master of Death and Death itself, they couldn't help but laugh at the phenomenon.

This meant that even though Master had never summoned them specifically or asked about them, he still cared for them.

Otherwise, why would his magic affect all of them?

As such, a most curious incident happened in The Land Of The Dead.

The Reapers in the viewing room laughed together.

If it had been a room full of humans laughing so merely, it would have given off a feeling of happiness and joy.

If it had been a room full of High Elves laughing in such an entertained manner, it would have given off the feeling of contentment and the sound of tinkling bells on a summer evening.

However, since it was the Reapers who were laughing, it gave off an eerie feeling.

The laughing sounds felt like the last, dying breaths of thousands of mortals all at the same time.

Morpheus who had come to pay a visit to his brother on a day that was celebrated in his honour heard the sound just as he was entering The Land of The Dead.

He had come to give his felicitation because the day could be practically celebrated as a Birthday - in mortal terms - for his dear brother but when he heard the ghoulish sounds, he felt so afraid that he ran away from his brother's realm - all the while huffing and puffing.

Dangerous.

Too Dangerous.

He didn't want to know what those loony Reapers were up to.