That wasn't her.
Iris thought to herself in the darkness. She could feel the soft pillow under her head, a luxury she never experienced in her adult life until meeting with Kia. Well, unless she counted the nights she unwillingly slept in the heroes' beds.
"Salty." The risen felt something wet on her cheek and she raised her arm although weakly to defend herself.
"Do you always think of food?" The elf pressed her palm against the cold surface and pushed the strangely wet kitten.
"Why are you pushing the construct away?"
"Huh?" Iris opened her eyes, feeling like she was tearing open a glued door. She looked at her hand and saw a clay golem at the end of her hand. Turning her head over she met Kia's face which seemed the only thing with any colour among the bleak world around them.
The girl was kneeling on her with her hands resting on her chest. She seemed to have been stuck in this position for quite a while given the fact that their skin had been fused together by a very thin layer of ice.
"Why were you asleep and why were you whispering my name?" The ancient looming overhead resembled an owl with how her large eyes unblinkingly watched the elf with curious interest.
"I had a terrible headache and thought I would take a quick nap."
"Headache?" Kia freed her ice-locked hands and rested them both in the center of Iris's chest causing the chime of ice-breaking to fill the silent bedroom. "Describe it to me."
Describing a feeling is never easy but that task become even more challenging when the ancient necromancer began to worm through Iris's soul searching for any defects. Without any warning, the necromancer got off Iris's torso and ordered the elf to wrest her head on her lap. Somehow the hungry kitten transformed in front of Iris's eyes, becoming a concerned creator who didn't take no for an answer.
Is this how she feels? Iris thought to herself as she gazed upward to see Kia from the bottom up, a sight rare for the significantly taller elf.
"Shhh, I need a little bit more time." The ancient gently ceased the risen's hand which touched her cheek and rested it down.
No wonder she likes sleeping like this.
Feeling like staring for longer at Kia might be distracting, Iris tilted her head in the direction of the window through which stars twinkled in the heavenly canopy. To her side, a featureless construct was standing on the bed awaiting orders from its creator. Unlike golems in the human realm, this clay construct roughly the size of her foot moved by itself. It wasn't even a necessary movement but rather the tiny clay figure appeared awed as its smooth red-brown head followed Kia's every move causing it to bob up and down while its fingerless hands hanged its sides.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
It looks like a chick following its mother. Iris thought before the small clay head stopped and turned around.
On the desk, a second clay marionette crawled from between the books. Quite literally crawled as the second construct appeared to be only half finished with two arms functioning. The two golems stared at each other for a moment before their eyeless gaze gathered on the laying undead in the care of their creator.
Somehow Iris felt the construct's jealousy and awe gather on her, building up with each time passing second Kia didn't spare her attention away from her.
Maybe because they were her fellow creations the elven warden felt a hint of understanding toward the clay pair, what sort of things one had to do to have their creator nurse you with such a concern in her eyes. Yet understanding didn't meet agreement as there was nothing in the world that would make Iris forsake her favourite status.
"I didn't find anything wrong with your body," Kia said pulling her present from within Iris's body. "The only thing that I can think of now would be something in your status that is causing the pain."
"You think so?" Iris asked. "What would I look for?"
"I don't know, something off I would assume." Iris gave the girl a slight frown before closing her eyes.
Status
Iris
Race: Risen {Undead}
Age: 5 months
Title: [Anchor of Undeath]
Classes: [Risen Level 32 ] [ Hoplite Level 21]
Talents: [Masterful Translator] [Pure Mana Manipulation(awaken)]
HP 2000/2000
Strength 440
Constitution 436
Dexterity 446
Wisdom 438
Intelligence 438
Charisma 435
MP 2300/2300
Combat;
Active Abilities: Mana light, Mana Shockwave, Mana Missile, Flame, Touch of Decay, Shackles Off, Fortitude, Sparks, Infernal Mirage, Calm Mind, Crippiling Blow, Firebrand, Self Combustion, Bouncing Shield Throw, Shocking Touch, Negative Life.
Passive Abilities: Combat Precognition (F+), Regeneration (E), Nightvision, Enhance Vision (A), Enhance Hearing (B), Mental Resilience, Immunity to Magical Domination, Immunity to Magical Charm, Strider
Physical Resistance (E), Monster Experience Gain (B),
Magical Talent (E+), Taunt Aura, Mark of Darkness, Anchor.
Basic;
Abilities: Cooking (Level 5), Survival (Level 6), Maid (Level 6), Fishing (Level 1), Cleaning...
"Did you find something?" Kia impatiently asked as soon as Iris opened her eyes. It would appear that the petite mage was stressing over her favourite's health and was trying to reign them in by braiding Iris's hair over and over again.
"My age and Anchor ability are highlighted for some reason." The elf responded.
"Can I see?"
"Sure." The risen raised her hand and manifested her status sheet for Kia to read.
"Our bond is growing stronger?" Iris asked.
"It is but I assumed it would grow linearly rather than in stages."
"So this headache will not go away?" The elf asked feeling the wave of pain crash against the coldness seeping from Kia into her head.
"I think your body is adapting." Kia dodged the question while massaging the elf the same way Iris always did to her.
"Adapting to what?" The elf asked not hiding her worry from the pale ancient.
"It's hard to say. You are my first ever Anchor."
"And the last one too."
*Yawn*
The mage let out a loud yawn before removing her lap from under Iris's head. The weightless girl had no problem scurrying away from the risen and laying down by her side. The girl rested her head against the elf's ribcage while her finger drew a spindly pattern through the towel.
"I don't want youuu to suuuffer." Even when deadly serious Iris couldn't see the powerful necromancer as anything but a sleepy kitten.
"I'm not. Its the reality of having a parasite inside my heart." The elf said hugging the icy parasite, feeding it with her warmth.
"Iris?" Squished against the elf's firm body, the velvet-soft girl managed to squeeze out a word.
"Yes?"
"Can I... can I eat?"
"Kia, I don't think I can today." She said holding her hands to her throbbing forehead.
"I mean can I bite you?"
"And drink my blood?" Iris's brows dipped into a suspicious frown. "The last time you drank my blood-"
"I'm really hungry." The girl begged, her legs rubbing against each other.
"Don't suck me dry though." The elf sighed before a pearly pair of fangs dug into her collar.