Whisper

It was his first day as an official undertaker. Zeek was surprisingly not nervous whatsoever. He'd already been given his training. It seemed like such a simple thing to bury a body, but in all honesty, it wasn't. You had to dig the grave a certain way. There was a certain length and a certain depth for every body. Zeek had to work twice as hard since he had to dig his graves. He was talentless...or at least that's what he'd told his superiors. Then there was the correct way to transport the body, without damaging it or… in extreme cases… leaving any bits behind. Then there was the correct way to put the body into the grave. It needed to be done ceremoniously, not just dumping the body in and making the limbs flop everywhere.

Ah, but no sense in thinking about that now! He was on the job and by himself too! That meant… well, no, he wouldn't think about that just yet either. He was getting ahead of himself! The white-splotched buck had taken the body that he was supposed to bury already, so that part was done. He felt sorry for the doe, but he knew that she was with the Gods now. She had been old and died in her sleep. Her life had been long and filled with many laughs and many precious moments. Zeek began to dig. It was a long process, taking him far longer than it would have if he had the correct magic for this job though. He didn't mind it though, for if he had earth magic he would not be able to do what was coming.

After hours of digging, he had finally made a grave of appropriate length, width, and depth. Sweat poured off of the heavy buck and his breathing was labored. Damn, he might actually lose some weight by doing this! Pff, fat chance...not with the way he liked to eat! “Alright, miss. It's time to put you in bed.” It was an incredibly creepy sentence, but it was said with such sincerity. Gently, he began to lower the doe into the gaping hole. Once she was in, he made sure that she looked nice. She looked peaceful, mane and tail spilling across her creamy body. “Alright then. Time to cover you up.” He now set to work piling the dirt over the doe’s body. Bit by bit, the soft cream of her coat disappeared until there was only a mound of freshly-churned dirt in her place.

“Alright then.” Zeek breathed heavily, plopping down onto his chubby hindquarters to rest for a moment. “Come say hello, miss.” He called upon his magic and, as he did so, summoned the spirit of the doe he had just buried. She stood before him, a shimmering white form. He could see the confusion on her face as she looked around. Her eyes, which lacked any pupils or irises, locked upon him. He could feel his gaze on her, even if he couldn't see it. ”Where am I? What's happening?” Her voice was soft. Zeek had hoped that she would already know. This was why he summoned the spirit of everyone that he buried. He wanted to make sure that they knew of their passing and could move on.

“You passed away in your sleep last night, miss. Your mate was by your side and when he awoke in the morning, you were gone.” The chubby undertaker informed her. The doe was silent for a long moment before speaking again. ”Oh, bless his dear heart.. My children...my family...are they okay?” Zeek smiled softly. He'd had a feeling that she had been a very compassionate, loving doe in life. “Your family is mourning, but they have shared many laughs and smiles in your memory. They will be alright. Now, it's time for you go and be with the Gods. There is nothing here for you.” The doe looked hesitant. ”How?” she asked him quietly. Zeek merely smiled.

“Close your eyes. Let your mind take you back to happier days. Think about all the time that you spent with your mate and your children. Let yourself be happy. Let yourself relax...and let yourself go.” The doe did as he asked, closing her eyes. She stood there for just a moment before her form began to shimmer and dissolve. Finally, the rest of her soul was whisked away on the breeze, but Zeek caught one last whisper of her words.