Desecration Chapter93: There's A Corpse On The Streets!

Xae took stock of my state. The necrotic bits were a dramatic contrast compared to my usual caral. Patchy too, Ken wanted to sequester each bit so they didn't combine and grow large enough to be a problem.

In the sense that they'd kill . Their existence was problem enough.

My hands and feet were a bit weird with that, only the vasculature and so of the deeper layers were living. Everything else was dead as could be. But at least I could use them.

Xae seemingly finished her assessnt and turned to Aira. "Are you sure she isn't undead? My nostrils are screaming that this thing is a corpse."

"Undead don't have a sll," I grumbled.

"I don't know." Aira rubbed her chin, following Xae's example in ignoring . "Never seen one before. Always so mythical in how they're described. This is just uncanny."

"Undead can't speak either."

"Do you think she's so kind of variant? A sllier, uglier variant?" Xae said with a hand on her chin.

"Both you bitches are getting your asses kicked as soon as I can throw hands."

Aira chuckled. "Alright, alright. We'll stop. This whole thing is just a bit absurd. Who'd want to waste Healer's Bane on you?"

"I take offence to that."

"I am glad you pulled through though." Aira gave a soft smile. "I don't doubt Ken's abilities, but when he insisted you couldn't have guests for the better part of a month...it was worrying."

"Except for those guards apparently," Xae grumbled.

"Yes, but they have good reason."

"Good reason to piss off you an," I grouched. "They have a newbie interrogating ! The ass is barely focused on the actual incident, instead wanting to scrutinize my every move since coming to Anik. I'm the victim! Why am I being treated like a criminal?!"

"Well, you are pretty suspicious." Xae nodded.

"In what way?"

"The fact you keep visiting that jeweler."

I blinked. "What about that?"

"You're a training maniac. Taking breaks with is one thing, but you've been going everyday not long after those slum friends of yours got munched up. I sincerely doubt you're learning about jewelry."

"He pays well." I shrugged, trying to fake nonchalance. "An elf mascot is good for business."

"And so you chose him specifically?"

"That's enough now." Aira chuckled, though there was a weary look in her eyes. "I doubt she wants to suffer two interrogators picking at her brain. We're just here to check up on her. You can ask all your lovely questions when she can talk without that crackling quality."

Xae turned to consider Aira for a mont, looking at her for longer than was comfortable. "Alright," she said. "But for the record, I think her new voice is a drastic improvent."

"Fuck you, my normal is great."

"Your normal is snobbish." Xae grinned. "At least now there's so sexy to mask the smartass beneath."

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"I'm always sexy."

"You two are children," Aira gave us each an unimpressed look. "You can get into the rat race of beauty once you have to start paying taxes. In the anti, I'd much rather not hear what you find attractive."

"Didn't know you had the ears of a maiden," Xae scoffed.

"Also, we technically already do pay taxes," I said. "Loklan always takes those bits out of our share."

"Just don't get into these conversations when I'm around, please? I have enough to deal with when half the guild is trying to get into my toga. I don't need my sanity to suffer either of your opinions on romance."

"Should just beat them up. That got my admirers to stop admiring."

Aira gave a look. "If I ever need your advice in knuckle diplomacy, I'll be sure to ask."

"Always happy to share my knowledge!" I chirped.

It wasn't a good idea to use my mana while I was going through intensive healing. Tolerance didn't only apply to only mine after all. Still, if I managed to balance shit then I'd be fine. Helped a lot that my tolerance was leagues above a non-mage, as Ken ntioned ad nauseum.

Still ant that a month had passed till I was allowed to roam the streets on my own.

My strides were short, complinting an overall unsteady gait. Normally I got enough space to walk without too much trouble, but apparently the nauseating sll of rotting was more convincing than my eleven charms. How the guards and Ken managed to act like there was nothing in the air, I'd never know. Well, probably used to it. I wonder how many corpses that newbie had seen? He was an adult. Technically.

Looked to have barely passed the threshold at least.

The citizens of this fine city weren't nearly as accustod. Even had a few scares when one would look ready to push around! I assud they didn't because I looked diseased as fuck.

Necrosis wasn't common, so they probably attributed the sll and blotchy black to whichever disease struck their fancy. One kid did throw a rock at though.

Freaked him out when I dodged without looking, or maybe it was the smile I gave him?

Probably both.

Got a chuckle out of though, which was all that mattered at the end of the day!

The east side was much less humorous. Verbosity was a gift often abused by those trying to sound smarter than they really were, and the amount of ways the rich folks could say the sa thing with different words was getting old.

"Who let a cadaver out of their tomb?" One of said rick folks said. "I can feel myself withering away at the re sight of it. Tell girl, was death so offended by you that she refused to guide you down the river?"

I raised a brow. death wasn't a domain in the empire's pantheon. Closest I could think of was Unadine, but that would be a massive stretch to say the least. "You a tourist?" I croaked. "Don't look rich enough to be a travelling rchant at least."

His face twitched a bit, but that fake ass smile stayed plastered all over his face.

"I am Pokan, honourable tradesman serving House Enthel. I have travelled far before finding my place here. What does it matter to you?"

Enthel? That's...hmmm. Nope, couldn't rember.

"Good for you." I shrugged. "Do you mind getting out of the way now? I'm paying a visit to the graveyard, as funny as that sounds."

He blinked, then let out a kind of scoff/chuckle before moving to the side. I nodded to him and kept true to my path. When I passed, he turned and followed. For a while. Matching my slow as shuffling while giving a very open stare.

"The fuck do you want?" I grouched and glanced at him.

He humd. "Nothing, I just...expected more?"

"What's that supposed to an?"

"You're a bit of a celebrity in the city," Pokan said. "Probably why the guards haven't thrown you out for bringing the rank sll of a corpse to their streets. But you're...just a girl."

"Gee, that surely doesn't have any offensive connotations."

"It's not supposed too."

"Sure." I rolled my eyes. "Still doesn't explain why you're following like a lost puppy."

"Curiosity I guess. There aren't many that my master cares to notice, entirely because he's a snobbish boy, but still. I guess I thought you'd be more...intimidating?"

"Catch on a good day and I'll show you how intimidating I can be," I glared at him.

He shrugged. "So? Has that Rhombal boy pinning after you co to visit his dying lover?"

"Not lovers," I gagged. "And you're getting a bit too familiar for soone I just t. Especially when the first words out of your mouth were the saddest attempt at a creative insult I've heard today."

"So he hasn't?" He raised a brow.

"My desire to break your bones only goes up with every word that leaves your mouth. Do you not understand the concept of minding your own fucking business?"

"Just making conversation."

"You an gossip," I glared.

He chuckled. "That's just conversation with extra steps."

I glared harder. Whoever this idiot thought he was, it clearly wasn't soone keen on basic respect. I looked forward and dragged myself a bit faster as Pokan kept trying to probe my personal life with zero subtlety.

Tuning him out was hard, since he'd tap on my shoulder if I spent too long not answering.

At least I knew whose bones to break once I healed up enough.