Kenny stepped back, his desire for revenge completely drained away.
With a grunt, Sally turned to face him and raised her hand up to quieten the others from interjecting.
“What exactly was your plan, Kenny?” She stepped toward him and wiped the blood from her mouth with her arm. “You thought a knife could do the job?”
“I-I was just-”
“You don’t know me. I’ve been disemboweled, dismembered, and decapitated.” She continued slowly toward him as he backed himself up against the dungeon wall. “Burned. Broken. Turned to ashes and frozen solid. I have died hundreds of deaths, and you thought a basic dagger would even faze me?”
The young man was silent now, squirming and trying to sink through the wall.
Sally placed a bloody hand against his shoulder, keeping him in place. “But do you want to know why I’m so chipper and friendly all the time?” She leaned in closer and lowered her voice, so that only he could hear. “You think me a Monster, but you can’t see the forest for the trees, Ken. Left unchecked, I would not just be cold and callous, but I would be ten times worse that the shmuck making trouble in this world. My life’s work is to save and protect good people, because otherwise… I would erase everything in my sight.”
She let go of him and stepped back to sigh. “Virgil isn’t dead. Choose which side of the line you stand, because this is your final warning.”
Kenny nodded slowly, but was too frozen in fear to reply.
Sally turned to the side, her eyes lingering on Kenny before she looked over to Claude. “Could you pull out my new dagger, please? My back is an uncomfortable sheathe - I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Already, healing was slowly ticking up, repairing the wound. It had been a decent attempt on her life, but missed anything that would take her out for good. Neck shot would have been best, as she doubted the man had the strength to sever her spine directly. She winced slightly as Claude withdrew the blade and handed it to her.
Despite the jovial conversation she had with Chuck back then, she was pretty sure she was right on the mark about him pushing her into violent situations to dull her to being hurt. As a zombie, she already had a high pain tolerance and casual attitude toward mortality. Even if their respawning in Sanctuary took away most of the trauma and mental effects of dying, it had still stuck with her. There were few others in the System who so eagerly got mushed into a corpse like her.
She smiled. “Let’s get Virgil back. We’ve delayed enough.”
They each nodded, although Kenny seemed less eager. None of them said anything, even Poppy didn’t send her a message. Perhaps she had let the veil slip a little too much, there. If there was one thing the Outsiders did well, it was keeping her grounded and carefree. She didn’t feel like a Monster or a villain when they were around.
Not even a day here and she was a few steps to becoming Bad Sally. With a sigh, she followed the others down the valley path back to the Keep.
[Sally: Hey, fam.]
[Norah: Hi, hun! Everything okay?]
[Humphrey: ARE YOU OKAY?]
[Humphrey: sorry, caps]
[Lucius: :D Sally!]
[Henkk: Hope you are well.]
[Lana: How’s the other world?]
[Edward: hi]
The messages came in slowly, but each one made her feel a little better. Nothing from Theo yet, but she couldn’t help but smile and wipe something away from her eyes. Probably blood. Yeah, she’d say it was that.
----------------------------------------
Edward tapped his foot on the floor as he stood with arms crossed. “Focus, Humphrey.”
The Death Knight turned his attention back to the demon. “But Sally sent a message. I needed to make sure she was okay. She might need me to come help her already. Perhaps it’s too dangerous there and-”
“Enough. I didn’t bring you to this room so you could whine about the zombie.”
Humphrey grunted and narrowed his eye sockets. “You said you had a file here for each of us?”
“Yeah. Not just the Outsiders, but anyone that is either notable or has something interesting that I could use against them, eventually.” Edward grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets.
“So… can I see-”
“No.” He shook his head. “I did not bring you here to share my gossip.”
The Death Knight shrugged. “Then why? I do not see the purpose of not allowing me to see your collection of secrets.”
“Oh, it’s rather simple, actually.” Edward grinned and clicked his fingers.
The stone door behind Humphrey groaned and moved to close as the lanterns dimmed. Blue light tinged the area as the demon’s eyes glowed brighter.
“It’s so you can be the first,” he whispered, drawing a knife into his hand.
----------------------------------------
Theo went to clutch at his neck to stop the spray of arterial blood, but found that his arm was actually missing and unable to perform the action. Instead, he went to dive to the side to avoid the follow-up attack coming his way, but slipped on the tiles slick with his blood.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Darkness took him as his spine broke from the impact.
A second of silence, before he appeared back up at the staging area. He let out a long sigh and worked his shoulders out.
[Warhammer (+5 exp)]
Still slow going. Was he improving on a physical level? Perhaps. He stepped over to retrieve the weapon from the rack once more and went halfway down the steps.
“You have a casual relationship with death,” Borin stated. “Few are as eager to be crushed beneath my weapons and not start to lose hope.”
“Lose hope?” Theo grinned, exposing his fangs. “You have this all wrong, my friend. Even if I am able to pluck a grain of sand every life, eventually I will form a mountain to bury you.”
“I see.” The giant tilted his head to the side. “You are betting that I will break before your sanity does?”
“Betting would imply there is a chance I would lose.” The vampire tensed up, before bursting down the rest of the stairs and into combat.
----------------------------------------
Sally sighed and leaned against the outside wall of the Keep. After escorting the others inside, she couldn’t take the odd looks and stifling misery of the place. From here, she could see that the Dungeon ahead had now collapsed, so now she was just biding some time… mostly to find out if anyone was going to join her.
She closed her eyes and relaxed. Seemed to only be early afternoon, so there was plenty of day ahead where she could get into more mischief.
“Sally?”
Furrowing her brow, she turned a tired glare towards Kenny, who was now standing just outside the Keep entrance. “What? Did you actually want your dagger back?”
“N-no. Keep it.” He looked out towards the valley. “I wanted to… apologize.”
“Oh.”
Kenny clenched and flexed his fingers. “I’m going to leave the Party… but it’s not because of you. I have no idea why the System gave me this Class… I’m not built for adventuring.”
Sally followed his gaze out to the horizon. Hills, dotted architecture, and mountains further down the island. Adventuring wasn’t just about exploring and finding neat loot - it also involved a lot of deciding how much peril and trauma you were willing to subject yourself and those close to you to.
“I understand, and hold no grudge.”
He looked back at her. “None at all?”
“Get in my way again and I will kill you.” She shrugged. “I’m here to save your asses, whether they are dumb or not. It only works if I live, though.”
Kenny frowned and gave her a nod, but wasn’t sure what to make of her cryptic message. “I’ll gather up what supplies I have that you can use. It’s not enough to make up for stabbing you, but more useful than my well-wishes.”
Before she had a chance to respond, he had darted back inside.
[Poppy: Sally? Where are you?]
[Sally: Just outside getting fresh air.]
[Poppy: Can I borrow you for something? ^^;;]
[Poppy: I need to repair my armor.]
[Sally: Sure, I’ll come find you.]
With one last look at the wider world, she sighed and walked back into the gloomy Keep. After updating the Baron on the partial good news, Claude was now overseeing a couple of people tending to Virgil. The majority of those left had some form of medical knowledge - even if basic. Something of a necessity, he had said.
She caught the knight waving her over to a side passage she hadn’t noticed before and was glad to speed up away from the eyes that were giving her mixed attention from the main hall. Some were way too hopeful, and others still suspicious. Holding some grudge as Kenny had.
This area looked to be some manner of dorms, or at least a place for people to sleep in actual rooms. Sally followed the woman into one and shut the door behind her.
[Poppy: As part of my vow…]
[Poppy: I’m not allowed to let any living mortal see me without my armor.]
[Poppy: So… since you’re undead, it should be fine.]
Sally smiled. “Sure, I guess? That’s a pretty restrictive. Do you lose some of your abilities if your vow is broken?”
[Poppy: That’s right.]
[Poppy: I don’t mind it most of the time…]
[Poppy: But being mute makes it more of a lonely existence, though.]
The woman turned and placed a small hammer on the desk beside her bed. Some of the metal plating on her chest had been dented inward during the fight, and was making some of her movements awkward.
Sally looked down to see Archie by her feet. “You’re not alive too, right? Plus… have you been shadowing me this whole time?”
The cat nodded, before moving to jump up onto Poppy’s bed. “It is my sole purpose as your guardian angel.”
She rolled her eyes. “How can I help you, Poppy? I don’t really know the first thing about armor repairs.”
The knight gave Archie an intangible stroke, before she turned her side to the zombie and raised her arm. Where the clasps for the plate connected, the metal had been mashed.
[Poppy: Fair warning - it gets like an oven in here!]
“Say no more.” Sally grinned and narrowed her eyes at the clasps to see if she could brute force it. “I’ve smelled plenty of things worse than after-battle odor.”
Straining her fingers, she didn’t have to try for too long before the clasps popped and the armor hung a little loose on straps. Poppy turned from her and removed her gauntlets one by one, revealing a dirtied, long white shirt and pale hands.
The woman sat on the side of the bed—making sure not to squish the cat—and removed her helmet slowly.
Sally raised her eyebrows in anticipation before smiling. “Not sure what I was expecting, but you’re dazzling, popop.”
Poppy smiled in return. Her short auburn hair tied up in a short bun was drenched through with sweat. Exhaustion clear, but her light green eyes were still bright. Her soft pale skin was gently freckled, only marred by scars that criss-crossed from around her mouth, down her neck and below the dirtied white tunic she wore.
[Poppy: You’re just saying that ^^]
She averted her eyes and looked back down at Archie, giving him some pets.
“Nah.” Sally pulled out the chair that was beneath the desk and sat on it. She removed her boots before putting her feet up on the bed beside the cat. “Scars are pretty badass. With eyes like that, and your proficiency in battle, you’d have no trouble finding someone who would treat you like a queen.”
Poppy tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
[Poppy: Honestly, I’ve never been much for courting.]
[Poppy: Back home I had two cats all to myself.]
[Poppy: And that was all I desired]
[Poppy: Socks and Paddy. I miss them dearly.]
[Poppy: Does your heart belong to someone other than Archie?]
Sally grinned. “Yeah, I have a squeeze back home. He’s part Monster as well.”
[Poppy: Oh, a zombie?]
“Vampire.” She smiled and looked up at the ceiling. “I give him a lot of shit because he is a dork with a finely crafted set of abdominal muscles… but I guess the best thing about him is… he has always accepted me. He makes me feel normal.”
[Poppy: It’s important to have a community that makes you feel safe.]
[Poppy: He must be quite the man to be worthy of you! ^^]
“Right?” Sally clicked her fingers. “Oh, you’ll have to meet my adoptive pops. He would love you. He is a powerful knight as well.”
The woman nodded slowly.
[Poppy: I’d love to - although I’m not sure how realistic that is.]
[Poppy: Our chances seem dimmer by the day.]
Sally furrowed her brow. She’d already grown too attached to some of the people on this world, and success wasn’t guaranteed. If she died… the world would be doomed. Something she’d known from the start… but now that it was personal, she couldn’t let them down.
“Let’s get things fixed up, Poppy.” She withdrew her legs to stand up from the chair. “We need to break every rule you know so that I can become disgustingly overpowered.”