The two of them walked on a path until finally it connected with a large, well maintained road. No one was on it, and after a moment’s pause the woman led the two of them down the road.

It didn’t take long for them to spot a carriage making its way toward them. The woman tensed but after a moment’s hesitation continued to walk forward, the robed skeleton behind her following along. As they got closer, her breath came quicker and her teeth clenched. Finally, the man sitting on the front called out a greeting, she returned it, her voice tense. The man in the carriage looked at the robed figure and after a moment, bowed his head in greeting.

Seeing the skeleton was not going to respond, the woman hissed “bow back” under her breath and the skeleton did so. The man in the carriage turned his eyes away from them and back to the donkey leading the small carriage away. As soon as the carriage had gone off a bit, the woman walked to the edge of the raod and found a rock to sit on. She did so with a big sigh.

“Just. Give me a moment.” She muttered at her companion. She ran her hand over her face roughly and through her hair, tilting her head back to look at the blue sky above. “I guess I didn’t actually think it would work. I am glad it did, but...” She turned to look at the skeleton. “I’m going to have to name you. Someone is going to ask your name, and I need you to be able to react to it. Do you know what your name was?” The hood nodded. “Well, that’s not terribly helpful now that I think about it. I’m sorry if I give you a name you don’t like all too much, I just don’t know how I will find your name.” The woman closed her eyes and started muttering different names as though testing each one.

She didn’t notice the skeleton’s robes moving in a strange way, but she did look over when she heard what sounded to be a broken twig from it. Moment’s later, the skeleton pulled the box out one of the sleeves and opened the it. The skeleton pulled out the top paper and stared at it for a moment. Confused, she just watched as it put the paper back into the box and slipped it back into the robes. Another cracking sound and the skeleton crouched down. Using its finger bones it began to dig out lines in the dirt, slowly.

The woman sat up and watched as the skeleton worked. It was a long wait, and just as she started to look impatient, the skeleton stood up and moved away. It watched her as she walked to where the skeleton had stood. Very crude letters were dug into the dirt. “Pe... Pervy?” She looked up at the skeleton and it lowered its head slightly and shook it negatively. The woman looked again.

“Ah, Perry?” The skeleton nodded. “Well Perry. It’s not a very monkish name, but it will do. I’m Josephine, but everyone calls me Jo. You should probably know that. Just in case. Anyway, I’m ready. Let’s get going.” Perry nodded his head. They both continued walking and remained silent, but this time Jo kept glancing over at Perry, her eyes lit with curiosity, but occasionally would show anger instead and she would turn away. Until she was tempted to look again.

Eventually, the trees started to thin out, and farmland was visibly with a city in the distance. A smile flickered over Jo’s face and she started to walk faster, the skeleton following easily behind. More people walked or rode past them as they approached the wooden gates. Most called their greetings, and Jo responded and Perry nodded. They made it to the guards without much issue, but were stopped.

“Identify yourselves.”

Jo frowned at the guard. “I am Josephine Spite, and this is Monk Perry. Why are you stopping us?”

A second guard walked over and looked them both up and down. The first guard spoke. “Reports of the perverse moving in strange ways. Either of you magic users?”

Jo frowned, “He’s a monk, so no. I’m a Body Mage. Let us through, we have nothing to do with the perverse.”

“We’ll see about that.” The second guard said before muttering a spell. Jo’s eyes widened and she turned to look at Perry. Green vines of magic grew up from the ground and surrounded Perry before bouncing off him.

Jo’s eyes turned to the mage. “What are you trying to identify?”

The mage ignored her and turned to the first guard. “Non-magical.”

The first guard grunted. “Fine. Go on through.”

“What? By what right do you to...”

The guard cut her off. “Either get in or get out. Now.” Jo eyed the guard who had put a hand on the ax on his waist, and the mage guard who had done the same.

“Fine, we’re going.” Jo walked past frowning as they stepped aside with Perry following behind her. Muttering angrily, she walked into the city and began to search around until she found a building that had a sign hanging off it. The sign showed a mug of beer and the face of a bear behind it. She didn’t hesitate to push through the doors and into the tavern which was already a third full.

Perry followed behind and Jo walked up to the bar. “I need a room with 2 beds. Do you have one available?”

The old woman behind the bar only paused cleaning a glass for a moment. “I do. It’ll be 2 silver.”

“2 silver? That’s insane! Why are prices so high?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Lots of travelers wanting to stay in the walls lately, less rooms available.” The woman lifted her head to say something else but spotted Perry. “Oh.” She looked at the robes for a moment. “1 silver, to honor death’s walk.”

Jo glanced at Perry for a moment. “Deal. How much for a meal and when do you serve?”

“3 coppers a bowl, and I imagine we’ll start soon. Though, there are plenty of travelers here, so don’t wait too long or it will all be gone.” Jo reached into a bag at her waist, dug around a bit before pulling out a silver and 3 coppers and putting them on the counter.

The woman looked at the coins before turning to look at Perry. “He’s currently fasting.” Jo quickly bit out. The woman looked at Jo for a moment as if judging her, before nodding and scooping the coins off the bar.

“You’ll be on the third floor, 2nd door on the right. The deer room.” Jo nodded her thanks and headed to the stairs, the two of them moving until they found the door with an old painting of a deer on the door, faded and barely visible. Opening the door revealed a small room with two beds on either end of the room and one little desk in the middle on the far wall under a smaller window. A single candle was lit and illuminated the room as the sun began to set.

Entering, Jo dropped her pack into the one bed, then she pointed at the door and began to mutter, green vines appearing to grow from the base and up the whole door before fading. Then she turned and did the same to the window. Perry had walked to the center of the room, and then to the side as Jo moved.

“Alright. I want to see what’s going on with you. Arm.” Perry lifted one of his appendages

and Jo looked down at the exposed bone as the sleeve fell back. Nothing seemed to have changed. The black veins still acted like tendons holding the bones together. Lifting her hand she pushed a finger against the magic.

She shuddered violently as what appeared to be a blue seed pulled from her skin and settled into the skeleton. She ripped her hand away and stared down at the magic. Then she looked up to the skeleton. “Do you feel any different?” Perry paused for a moment before shaking his head negatively. “Well. I don’t know what that is. But that was the most disgusting feeling I’ve ever had, almost like...” Jo paused and frowned. “Well. I think we should do our best to not let me touch that magic again.” Perry nodded in understanding.

“Anyway, I put detection on the door and windows, if anything or anyone comes in the room, I’ll know and be up here as fast as I can. You stay here while I get something to eat.” She hesitated. “Do you... need anything?” Perry shook his head. “Alright.” Jo turned and walked out the door shutting it behind her.

In the room, Perry stood still a moment before going to Jo’s pack. Perry stared at it a moment, before picking it up and putting it under the desk. Then Perry walked to the other bed and sat on it. Perry paused a moment before laying on it fully, the robes fell against his bones and Perry sat up enough to see his bones clearly outlined. He sat up again and looked at his knee bones, easily noticeable. Perry stood again. And waited.

Downstairs, Jo grabbed a bowl of stew and bread from the old woman before sitting at a table. Her eyes trained at the bowl as she ate slowly, but they were looking without seeing anything.

The words “the perverse” whispered by a nearby table caused her to pause for a moment before she continued eating. She muttered a spell under her breath and her ears glowed red for a quick moment.

“The guards are trying to find the necromancer who’s moving them.”

“A Necro? Didn’t they die years ago?”

“That’s the story. But I heard from my friend who works in the capital, that the palace keeps a small party of them. How else would they be safe from perverse attacks?” Jo shook her head but continued to listen. “But anyway, apparently someone saw them.”

“Saw who?”

“The necromancer you idiot. Saw them walking through the forest with 2 or 3 perverse following them.”

“Who saw it?”

“Don’t know. But the mayor must’ve believed them, because he’s tightened up security on the gates.”

“I don’t know...”

“Come on, all of us know that there have been more perverse in the area the past year than the 10 before.”

“Is that true? Maybe I’ll leave the city sooner then. I’ll head to Balgurg.”

“I have some business there, mind if I travel with you?”

“Not a problem. You’ll just have to convince Marie.” The other man groaned, and nothing else they said seemed to be of any interest to Jo. After a while more, she muttered and the red glow appeared again for a moment then she picked up her bowl and returned it to the bar. The old woman nodded in greeting, and Jo headed back up the stairs.

When she opened the door, she was visibly startled to see Perry standing in almost the exact same spot as before. But she didn’t say anything, instead she turned to her pack and growled to see it missing. Her eyes scanned the room before seeing it under the desk. She looked at Perry. “Did you move this?” He nodded. “Did you open it?” He shook his head. “Why?” Perry stayed silent. “Right, too complicated. Did you see anyone?” He shook his head. “Did you think someone would steal it?” He shook his head again. She growled in frustration before sitting on the bed. “Just sit or something.” Perry shook his head. “Fine. Do what you want. I have enough to worry about.”

She stripped to her undergarments, glancing at Perry again, before shaking her head and continuing uncaring. She pulled the blanket back to reveal the small hay bag of a mattress. Without hesitation, she slipped into it and sighed in content. “Night Perry. Kick the chair if you need to wake me. If you hear anything interesting or important, wake me.” She opened an eye to peek at Perry. The skeleton nodded. She blew out the candle sitting on the table and turned to her side.

Later, as Jo sighed into her sleep, Perry pulled out his box and pulled out a paper once more. But this time he put it to the side and pulled out a second paper. A drawing on a flower and a wolf were in the corner. They were not the most beautiful, but still Perry spent the night staring at that paper until Jo started to wake up. Again he packed the box and slid it behind his ribs and waited for Jo to wake completely.