Galen Vesa

Light. How come it felt so light? So, well fitting, so, warm.

Like a pair of old shoes, my body felt oddly… in place. Singed here and there, especially around my arms but oddly, fitting.

Is that your doing dragon?

*I can not feel any difference. You are dolty as ever, you insufferable human dolt. *

Pout all you want, I can feel the difference.

My hands, my skin, even my pillows. It felt, mine. Well, maybe except for that disgusting, scabbed out ash that covered my body. Thankfully it crumbled and fell off at the lightest touch, so I pat myself out, freeing fresh pink skin from underneath the charred layers.

“She’s alive…”

A terrified murmur awoke the remaining party. Ignoring their stares, I continued to peel myself out of the burned flesh. The walls, the ceiling, and the floor were blackened and glassified around the place where I stood.

I may not be an expert on mana handling, but I think you have gone slightly overboard with that spell.

* Well, I could have used less mana but what matters is the result. The gate is secured.*

Yeah, and I am pretty sure there is nothing left on the other side of the gate.

“Weren’t there more of you?”

I asked as I finished. The smell of burned meat and fine dust will have to wait for a proper bath.

“Not anymore.”

Leon’s voice was weak and coarse. He sat near the unconscious ferru woman and stroke her cheek. Aside from them, I could see Carl speaking to two warriors whose names I did not know, and a headless corpse furthered along.

“Difference in opinion on who lives and who dies.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Carl answered my unspoken query then tossed me a cape.

“Cover yourself.”

Quite a generous gesture still not a practical one. The cape hampered my movements and I wasn’t cold or hot and their stare didn’t bother me.

“Your knife, may I borrow it?”

He stopped as if contemplating whether to give me the knife or to run me through with it. Eventually, he unsheathed it and gave it to me.

“Thank you.”

I spread the cape over a clean part of the floor and begun hacking at it.

Fascinating how trash gathered within your memory may one day mean the difference between life and death. Or the difference between going commando or getting some underwear. I cut a long strip of fabric, about a palm’s wide and sliced in half one of its ends. Well, I wasn’t fancy enough to go for a fundoshi so I settled for a simple loincloth. I tied the split ends around my waist and thread the dangling part between my legs and over the knot. Et voila, no more flashing my womanly bits.

The rest of the cape I sliced into thinner straps, some of which I used to improvise a sarashi and the rest while heading the paladins advise, I wrapped around my shins and forearms. Finished, I gave back the knife. The final strap of cloth I used to subdue my unruly mane and whipped it up into a ponytail. It worked much better than the seaweed I used before and even Erta made a murmur of approval.

“The ramp goes down below us. There’s another chamber with a gate leading deeper into the tomb. Judging from the markings I found, this is the way they got their people and equipment into the town without the guards noticing. If it’s still passable we may have a chance.”

The two warriors came back, much more relaxed compared to when they left.

“There’s nothing else out there and the gate’s closed. Do we open it?”

“Leon?”

We all looked at him.

“What’s the difference? Either we open it and we may die or we stay here, and we die.”

He turned his gaze to me.

“I know I’m asking much but can you carry Dosie?”

“Ney carry me. I walk myself.”

“You know furball, your common tongue’s getting worse by the day.”

She hissed at him in response yet otherwise made no attempts to free herself from Leon’s grasp while I watched life returning into his eyes.

Amidst her complaints, Leon carried her down the ramp into the lower chamber.

“O mother of light, blessed be your mercy. In a time of need, you give us strength. In you, we put our hope for you never abandon your children. Guide us towards the light. Protect our path…”

Dosie’s ears flapped and turned, interrupting her prayer.

“…huh?”

She looked around troubled.

“Is something wrong?”

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Shh! Hear it? Somebody’s praying!”

Only troubled stares answered her as we waited in silence. Apparently, hearing voices is bad regardless of the world you live in.

“Let’s get this open.”

Carl took place behind the wooden winch while Leon shrug his arms and followed the knight.

What do you think?

Erta did not answer. Instead, I felt enchants spreading through my body. Shield, strength, speed, and one I felt before when we battled the undead on the bridge. Holy?

Rumbling in a low and angry growl, the gate opened. A breeze played with my hair as the air got sucked into the tomb.

Using a spear as a walking stick, Dosie stepped into the darkness and we followed.