Shaping Fate Read Free

name could.
    “ Ria, I like it.”  Her voice now held delight and her eyes had lightened to an even more enchanting color. Before he could lose himself in the vortex again, he felt the pull of a soul, and knew he couldn’t ignore his duty of escorting it to hell, even for the intriguing woman lying on the nearby cot.
    “ Stay here. I’ll be back in a while.”  He teleported away without another word.

Chapter Three
     
    He loved fishing in the mortal realm, he really did. It was soothing.
    So why in Hades aren’t I relaxing?
    He’d finished his work with the soul and now stood knee deep in a gorgeous Apalatian river. The gentle waters churned unnaturally into tumbling rapids as Thane whipped the fishing line back and forth. He jerked the line out of the water and just as quickly threw it back in. The fish were hiding under the nearby vegetation, watching in silence.
    They’re laughing at me, I know it . Damned fish. The thought frustrated him even more. His wings heaved a great downward stroke just as he yanked on the fishing pole. He felt a slight sting, but ignored it as he tried to whip the line back into the water. The sting turned into a burning sensation as the line refused to spring forward. Cursing the moon blue, he brought his left wing forward and spotted his hook imbedded in the leathery membrane.
    His shoulders slumped as he looked to the sky, “Now I know how Mortals feel when they say the Gods hate them. We surely are some mean bastards.”
    A low chuckle from the shore caused him to turn quickly . An old man dressed in worn jeans with a white t-shirt and fishing vest stood on the bank. The man looked like Thane should have carried his soul to the Underworld decades earlier.
    “Looks like you’re having some trouble there, son. Let me give you a hand with that.”  The man stepped forward with a pair of pliers. The man’s rough, calloused hands gently took hold of his wing; the metal pliers felt cold against the normal raging heat of his skin, but there was no pain as the man extracted the hook.
    “ That’ll feel better, I bet. Name’s Irvin. Now, I don’t know much about fly fishing, too sporty for an old codger like me. Come sit on the bank and enjoy an old man’s fishing.”  His voice shook with age, but was low and rumbling at the same time. He chose a spot in the lee of two tree roots to sit as he baited his hook.
    Thane settled on a rock nearby and watched the old man. He was curious about so many things. The questions built up in his mind, begging for a way out, but he had to choose his words carefully. He would not alienate this fellow; he wanted answers first.
    “ And how do old men fish?” he asked to buy time with his thoughts.
    “ We just sit, talk, maybe have a beer, enjoy nature, and if we catch something…great! If not…well, we still had a good day.”  Irvin chortled happily.
    “ Why are you not afraid, old man?”  Thane couldn’t think of any other way to ask it. The man must be senile, it was the only explanation. After all, Irvin hadn’t reacted to his wings, or the cloud of terror that surrounded him. The man must be mad.
    “ Why would I be afraid? Because you have wings or because you’re Death?”  Irvin asked casually. The shock on Thane’s face must have been hilarious, because the man roared with laughter as he said, “I’ve seen… my share… of Gods in my day, Boy.”  He began wheezing, “You’re nothing new to a man of my years.”
    “ Damn kids, you’d think they’d learn to respect their elders,” Thane mumbled, causing Irvin to once again roar with laughter.
    As Irvin took the time to regain his breath, Thane watched the bobber on his line bounce with the waves. He smiled slightly. Old men were rather funny.
    “ I’m guessing it’s some woman that’s got you so tied up in knots.”  The mortal nodded sagely, “My wife knits or cooks when I get her riled up. Me? I prefer good old fashioned fishing.”
    “ I’m not riled.