Another day in the village has gone by without Demi’s return to the Earthen villages. My dear friend of the Earth’s people left on a ship to heal those of a far off land. I, unfortunately was not one of the Reaper’s chosen for the escapade. The villages of the natural elements, fire, water, air, earth, and even death lived under the generous rule of the King and Queen of Light. The King and Queen hadn’t chosen me to go this time, but Demi was. Not hearing from her has been driving me insane.

I have received a letter from her! She said her mission has been completed and she with the rest of those chosen will be setting off soon. She was able to scribble the letter down and tie it to her dear falcon, Hermes, and set him off to find me. I replied and told her how excited I was to see her again and that I hoped her return would be safe.

The chosen people have returned! The entire kingdom rejoiced with a great feast! It truly was amazing! The Earthen People grew and raised food while the Flameheads- I mean Blazers, cooked and prepared the meals. The Aquas provided a great water show of sea creatures and water fountain type pictures. The Winds of the Air elements kept the weather pleasant and fair while we celebrated, and the Reapers decorated for the occasion with the famous Reaper materials of silk, satin, and other weaved materials made from our soul material. They even performed old traditional music for us to dance to around the bonfires! Demi and I danced away for hours.

Demi and I took a small trip to Fire villages to see Ignacio. On the boat, there was a small band playing sea shanties. Naturally, Demi and I joined in with the dancers. However, as I left the circle a man in an officer uniform had grabbed me. He said to me:” You’re a Reaper woman. I’ve always heard of Reaper’s beauty, but I had never imagined the glorious people to be this mesmerizing.” I had been taken aback. He was clearly a Blazer, and most of them hate Reapers. This royal guard apparently has never seen a Reaper this close.

However, on his coat I noticed a medal that haunted many of my people. It was a dark green skull on fire, the symbol of the ancient royal group of people that specialized in capturing my people and forcing them to weave fabrics and become slaves used for protection. Every Reaper has the potential to raise a small army of souls. That’s why today there are so many Reapers in the army and why Reaper villages are so safe from harm. I immediately backed away from him and called him a Reaper Catcher, pointing at the metal. He got the sacred look in his eye that was hard to ignore and he began apologizing and saying he had no idea what the medal had meant. He insisted it was an heirloom bestowed upon him from his grandfather. I believed him as he dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness.

The mysterious soldier from the ship came to my home today. He introduced himself as Rhys, a lieutenant of the royal army. He, once more apologized for his ignorance and I noticed on his uniform that there was an empty space where the medal had been. My mother behind me had asked who the the handsome Firehead was, and over Rhys’ shoulder I could see passerby giving him odd looks. His dark hair and gray features almost let him pass as a Reaper, but his stance, and tattooed skin that peaked out from the edges of his uniform. I have to ask Demi about this.

Demi said I should keep him around. He seemed trustworthy to her, and she’s heard about him through Earthen gossip that he was a rebel in the Blazer villages for supporting Reaper freedom and release from Blazer grasp. Usually, I trust her judgement with no question, but something about his smile and insistent kindness made my skin crawl. Demi said I just wanted used to such treatment from Blazer men, but I’m not sure she’s right. He asked if I would like to accompany him to the next Light ball occurring in a month. She said I should go. Under her assurance, I accepted his invite and desperately tried to dismiss the feeling of wrong in my stomach.