The origins of death
By Bardo Tsa
Each individual blade of grass swayed in the wind on the forever blissful grassland called the Field of Peace, as birds chirped and butterflies fluttered in the almost sweet air. The sea below carried its salty air, mixing with the sweetness that came off of the beautiful flowers. Each note that the birds tweeted trailed along with the gentle breeze, carrying itself through the world. The waves crashed onto the shore below it, the clouds above it slowly moving throughout the sky. This place was lathered in strong mythical power.\
No one could really object to that.
A dragon landed on the grass, and a man named Thanatos got off.
He took a second to look at his surroundings.
“It’s beautiful… isn’t it…?” He smiled serenely and sat down onto the soft ground.
His dragon stomped towards him, and lay down around him, like a protective circle.
This was truly bliss.
An eternal life, free of worries.
---
His eternal life got filled with worries as soon as he stayed on the perfect grass for more than five seconds. A golden blazing light appeared out of nowhere, shining through the sky, revealing almost angel-like figures descending down to the earth, creating a gentle thud.
Thanatos yelped and started backing up onto his dragon, which startled it, causing it to incinerate all of the plant life forms in its path.
“Thanatos, we need you to do something for us.”
Thanatos quickly nodded and kneeled down in submission. “What is it, my- My Mythlinesses.”
“The people in your village have become terrible and rude people. They no longer worship us Myths. We need you to figure out why, and give us a solution.”
Thanatos looked up, only to be blinded, before quickly looking back down. He gulped. “Why me?”
The Myths raised their eyebrows as if they were telling him to not say anything and leave.
Thanatos started slowly climbing up on his dragon. “Yes, I will follow your commands.” He thought of another term that would result in him not dying by the hands of literal gods. “My Lords …”
---
Before reaching the village, Thanatos first stopped by to see his wife, Anta. After landing on the ground, Anta burst out of the doors with joy. “Thanatos- It’s been so long!”
Thanatos smiled and embraced his wife, before becoming grim. “I have to tell you something…”
Anta pulled back surprised, her warm brown eyes filled with worry. “What is it?”
Thanatos looked at his dragon, shifting on the spot. “Well… the Myths-”
“The Myths?!”
Thanatos was promptly dragged into the house and plopped onto a chair, Anta standing in front of him.
“Yes, the Myths— I don’t know why they picked me- asked me to try and find out why the new generation-”
“Aren’t upholding the Myths’ commandments, and being bad people … ,” said Anta knowingly.
Thanatos gently smiled and caressed her cheek. “That’s my wife,” he frowned. “Though I still can’t understand why I was chosen to do this…”
Anta laughed, stood up, and got Thanatos out of the chair. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
---
The Village of Immortality had become a mess. Thanatos walked slowly on what used to be a perfectly paved path, stepping cautiously, avoiding the jutting rocks that looked dangerous, and what was now left of the path. He saw a woman and her son hiding in an alleyway and quickly rushed over.
“What’s happened?” he said, concerned.
The woman stifled her tears and looked at the tall man, incredibly exhausted. “The young ones no longer want to be good. They did what they wanted, ignoring us poor people-”
She broke into tears, and Thanatos quickly ran over the best way to make her feel better and apologized silently in his head over a thousand times for making this woman cry, before kneeling down and putting a hand on her back, comfortingly (but awkwardly) patting it.
“I’ll- I’ll fix this…?” he murmured hesitantly.
As if on cue, the woman’s head jerked up to look at the philosopher, her eyes glistening with tears, her frail arms clutching her child. She softly replied back to him, “You will?”
Thanatos was immediately overwhelmed with guilt and pity. He solemnly nodded and walked away.
---
“What can we- no, I do to make people think changing is worth it?”
He bit his lower lip and clenched his fists. “Why would I know—”
Thanatos groaned a bit. He looked at his dragon who seemed like he was trying to cover his head.
An effort to be good… He started walking.
What would push people to make good decisions?
What would push people to make a conscious effort to be good?
He groaned once again and started walking towards the library.
---
Collecting all the books on the Immortal Giving, and philosophy in general, he sat down at a table and started reading. He heard whispers and murmuring all around him, saying things like:
“I can’t believe it’s Thanatos, the great philosopher.”
“I heard he’s traveled to the Frigid Peaks before.”
“I’ve heard that he’s gone to the Neverending Desert.”
“Really?”
Thanatos thought to himself. We are now incapable of dying because our town achieved great things, asking for the all of the world to never be able to die. However now… a few decades after that, the new generation realised they can do anything without consequences… And everything’s chaos-
A child ran up to Thanatos and tapped him on the shoulder, holding up a book as well as breaking him out of his thoughts. “Hi Mr. Thanatos, your books about the self and deontology are truly amazing.”
Thanatos looked up from his reading and at the child. “You’re a smart one, eh? But honestly I’m not that good.”
The child shook her head rapidly. “No, no! Your book was so good I had to read it before I had to return it!”
Thanatos blinked and processed what they had just said for a minute. “Say that again.”
“No, no, your book was so good. I had to read it before I had to return it?”
Thanatos stood up from his chair. “That’s it! Things are only precious when they end because there is a deadline and if you have something you want to do, you’ll want to do it!”
The child below him blinked a bit, and said, “I’m smart, but that’s not a train of words I can understand because you were talking too fast.”
Thanatos ran out of the Library, and back to his house.
---
“So you’re saying we need to go back to how we were before- dying.”
Thanatos nodded quickly.
Anta sat down in disbelief. “That would completely negate the great deeds the heroes from our towns did- we would go back to the status quo!”
Thanatos shook his head. “We have been immortal decades now- we can do whatever we want, but what if we do everything?”
Anta thought about this for a second. “There would be nothing left to do.”
The philosopher smiled a little. “Exactly. And all you have to do when you do bad things is just to-”
“Run. Hide. Avoid the consequences, and they’ll never come.”
Thanatos smiled gently and sat next to Anta. “It’ll be okay…”
Anta smiled back gently, resting her head on his shoulder. “Yes, yes it will.”
Thanatos looked up at the dim lights that lit up their home. “Are you worried?”
His wife sighed. “Only slightly.”
“This is a big decision.”
“I guess it is.”
“Could you go with me please?”
“Always…”
Anta and Thanatos calmly walked out of their house, swinging their arms back and forth.
---
Thanatos and Anta walked hand in hand, content.
The godly figures once again appeared in a blast of radiant light.
Both Thanatos and Anta bowed down in submission.“My Mythlinesses! My Lords!”
Once again, the Myths appeared before him. “Thanatos, have you found the answer?”
Thanatos got up. “Yes! Your actions only mean something when your life ends! If your life ends!”
Anta got as well. “Because you’re on a deadline, and you only have so much time until your life ends, so you have to do the most you can!”
The Myths murmured among themselves for a minute then looked at Thanatos. “Wish granted.”
---
Anta and Thanatos smiled, the old age crinkling up their faces. “We’re close aren’t we.”
“Very…” Thanatos smiled.
“Are you ready to experience your own creation?”
“I’m ready.”
And so, a day after that, the two died hand in hand, their final content smiles on their faces, surrounded by friends and family.
---
So now, our lives end. All to make good decisions, and think good thoughts.
Because our actions only have meaning when your life ends.
So do what you can, okay?