The girl stayed paralysed on the ground for a time. Her legs feeling as solid as the slimes back in the tunnels.
Her mind was overloaded by the events of the day, and no time to rest to collect her thoughts. In the space of a day, she had been cornered and befriended by an undead, chased by a hoard of zombie slimes, pieced back together her newly acquired familiar after it fell apart, and now had come close to being another victim of an ogre attack.
And that was after I’d been left behind by that group, she sighed inwardly, her mind settling as she put all of the events of this tattered excuse of an adventure in order.
But with this chance to rest and re-organise her mind, came a wave of dejection and worry.
What if sis sees me come back and gets angry at me coming back? What if I was meant to die and the priestess orders me dead!? What if they call me a heretic for having an undead familiar and burn us as necromancers!?
Her mind raced as these thoughts entered her mind, jarring and rattling any order from her mind. The tears flowing in torrents down her face, her sobs coming in great hiccups as the air spilled from her lungs and came back in gasps and gulps.
Her mind darkened further still and brought her to a brink of despair that she’d not experienced until what had happened had sunk in.
But then, she felt something on her head. Hard feeling but gentle on her hair. She looked up through her bleary vision at the greyish, pinkish white blur surrounded by the browns and reds of all shades that made up her cloak.
The skeleton had put away its weapon and was...
Comforting me?
She was brought back to the real world by the rhythmic movements of the skeletal hand stroking her hair. For some reason, she began feeling quite contented to be comforted in his way.
She decided to let this continue for a while before coming up with a plan to get home
***
I’M SCARED!
I DID NOT CONCENT!
IMPRESSION! WHAT THE HEAVEN DID YOU DO!?
Nothing I swear! This ones all you pal
What do you mean “all me”? I’ve made it very clear I hate this! And now I can’t control my movements.
You did this didn’t you impression? You’re taking over to help mistress
Firstly, I thought you were fighting the urge to call milady that? And secondly, I don’t take over unless you’re about to violate familiar contract terms!
What the heaven is a contract!?
Well under subsec- wait seriously? You don’t know what a contract is?
Oh of course I do, I just asked for a laugh
Was that sarcasm? I can’t tell with you sometimes
Yes impression, it was SATAN DAMNED SARCASM! NOW TELL ME WHATS GOING ON!
Alright alright, calm down, no need to get rattled. I think it’s just the way familiars work.
Really helpful, anything more, oh I don’t know… specific!?
You know for a skeleton you sure do let stuff get under your skin. At any rate, normally creatures become subservient right away, but it seems as if you’re holding onto the mind you had before it and it’s conflicting with your newfound desire to please milady.
I thought that’s what you were for?
Me too, I probably showed up to stop your mind from overloading from the struggle.
Okay, I’m done with the lessons for now, I’ll wait with bated breath for your next interruption.
Right
Y’know, if I actually breathed
I got that
Okay, now back to the matter at hand.
Mistress we can’t do this all d-
Where’d she go?
How long have I been moving my hand over nothing?
I turn quickly to find where she’s gone.
I look at the gap in the trees formed by the ogre.
Not there.
Up the way we came?
I don’t think that she’d be that stupid
Of course she wouldn’t! She’s our mistress after all!
Oh back so soon impression? Joy of joys
Well someone definitely knows how to make someone feel wanted
Moving on.
I turn back to the grove of trees. I think those colourful things were called fruit.
And there she is, plain as day.
Standing out in the open.
Right after a zombified ogre passed through.
What was that you were saying about mistress impression?
Be quiet, the comforting thing seems to have really perked her up, we’ll be right there milady!
I guess we will. Onwards and upwards as they say
As who say?
I don’t know, it must be the people who say it
Your wisdom knows no bounds
Back to what I have to deal with outside of my mind, mistress seems to be waiting for me so we can get going.
I catch up to her and wait for her to order.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Satan I hope this can stop soon.
“Alright, let’s go home *mutters*”
What was that milady? I didn’t quite catch that.
Oh, okay then, I’m sure if it was important you speak clearly about it.
And awayyyy we go!
***
*muttering* “…even if my sister doesn’t like it”
Even with the comfort giving her new energy and determination, she still doubted her place in her sister’s life.
Yet, despite her thoughts being dark, and entering the towns territory with an undead in tow was near suicide, she kept her head as high as she would allow (which admittedly still left her looking slightly downtrodden).
The kindness and protection the undead beside her had shown to her was like a sign to her.
No matter how weak she felt, or how helpless she was, she believed with all her heart that the world wanted her to live, and had sent the skeleton to make sure she did.
***
If only I had taken that left when I was running without feet!
I could have carried on and found feet another way.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
And now through complete chance I’ve ended up forced into being familiar to milady.
Even if it can seem like a good life at times.
Ugh…
If I had a stomach I probably would have thrown up just now.
But at least we’re travelling. I could come across more bones and complete myself. Or maybe I would have been able to find enough of other skeletons to take parts from in the tunnels.
Don’t see a point worrying though I suppose.
Things can only get better, right?
And I guess even though there’s way too much light, these trees are nice to look at.
The grove seems like it goes down for miles.
How far out is this place?
Can’t you just put a town next to it? I need to cause some kind of misery before milady’s familiar mind-wiping takes me completely.
Being good can’t be that bad can it?
I wouldn’t know, never tried it. But I can feel it, I was made to hurt people wasn’t I?
I wouldn’t know, I only came around when you kept fighting the familiar alterations.
Point taken.
No compulsion, I doubt you’d know either.
Yeah compulsion, prove you’re useful and maybe we’ll listen to what you want.
***
The girl walked along the centre of the long stretch of grass, where the shade of the trees parted, and the sunlight soaked into the skin not covered by armour or clothing.
This gave her a small respite from the constant stream of dark scenarios that played through her mind about when she would return home.
The sunlight warmed her through as they pressed on the long stretch of the wild groves, a natural orchard of wild fruits. A mystery as to how it formed in such perfect rows, but it was this mystery that stopped people eating their produce.
The girl made a side glance at her companion.
She’d found that apart from its interactions with her, it seemed to be in a constant state of thought.
Its eye looked vacant while they were walking and she pondered what a docile lich would think about.
Even if it was just a strangely unfortunate skeleton, this kind of thing happening outside of necromancy was unheard of. There were no cases of undead familiars. Only ones taken control of by dark mages delving into forbidden magics.
A shiver ran through her.
Partly at the thought of the minds twisted enough to bring back bodies and trap their souls to walk the earth as forsaken monsters, but also at the fact that is exactly what it looked like she had done.
She shook her head in disagreement.
No, she thought, this one is different. It’s saved me more than once, and before it had become my familiar too.
With this thought beginning to fill her mind, she looked towards the sky with a rigid mask of determination, clenching her fists in front of her.
And immediately had to flinch back as her eyes had looked directly at the sun.
She whined quietly to herself as she kept walking with blue patches blocking her vision.
***
In the middle of an argument with impression, I noticed a sudden movement to my side.
Mistress was covering her eyes and seemed to be in pain.
Oh my Satan what happened milady!?
I take my eye off you for one moment and you go and get hurt!
I reach into the bag of supplies to find a potion for her, before realising she’s completely unharmed, but seems dazed.
Geez, don’t scare me like that mistress.
…
Why Satan? Why have I been forsaken? I don’t even think I’ve been around long enough to do THAT much good.
Which begs the question: WHY DO I HAVE TO CARE ABOUT THIS HUMAN!?
So now I’m walking along with a mistress who seems to not be able to see in front of her, and a wolf running up at her with its teeth bared.
WAIT WHAT!?!?
I reach for my dagger moving as fast as I can and leap in front of the wolf, catching it as it pounces.
Nope.
Once it collides with me I fly back with it, only just knocking it off course and avoiding mistress.
I drive my dagger across the animal’s side, but to my dismay all it does is shave some fur off and make it angry with me.
How do I know this? Easy.
It has my arm.
The arm currently holding the dagger. Not to mention the only arm I have right now.
It shakes its head, intent on ravaging the already broken lengths of bone.
So I’m reduced to aiming kicks at it’s under belly until it lets go of the arm.
Damn.
Its let go of the arm but now it’s on top of me trying to snap every bone its jaws can get around.
But it made one fatal flaw. It left the arm close by.
Using a leg, I kick the arm over to the empty socket. Waiting for my life-force to spread into it once again.
Just a little longer- no doggy! - A bit more.
Satan damn it, the dagger is too far.
I guess this will have to do
*squelch* *squish*
That’s right, who needs weapons when your fingers are thin enough to jab eyes out?
Huh, that move felt quite enjoyable, got to remember that.
I take the chance of the wolf pulling back, a bloody hole where one eye used to be, and leap out from under it to grab my dagger.
I take stance, holding the blade backwards ready to stab down.
Oh you’re no fun, it’s just an eye! What are you running off for!?
I relax my stance a little, remembering what it was I was protecting.
I turn to mistress to check if she’s okay.
She blinks a few times and rubs her eyes, focussing slowly on the me in front of her, which starts the barrage of apologies and red faces.
Well, face.
***
I can’t believe how lucky we’ve been! So far there hasn’t been even one wolf!
The girl thought cheerily as they plodded along.
They two companions had reached the end of the forest and were now strolling down a wide dusty path, the treeline receding on the left, and open grassland on the right.
Every step sent a shock of nerves through her. They were getting closer.
Closer to home.
But what if I’m not welcome at home anymore? Her thoughts wandered to this question as they crept ever closer to the farmed plains masked by a single line of scraggly trees, most of which had long died.
Fence posts began to line the path, giving off and enclosed atmosphere. This greatly comforted the girl. Yet as they drew closer to the line of trees and a small shack with a chicken coop and a fenced area meant for larger animals came into view, the nerves threatened to bring the girl to gaging on her own breath.
Leaning against the fence post, head in hands, was a woman, being comforted by a young noble looking character.
Although comforting would be an over statement. Every time a hand was gingerly outstretched to her, the hand would be waved away weakly.
The girl recognised both of them instantly.
Conflicted as to whether she should yell out or run away. She stood stock still, a good twenty metres apart.
The skeleton stood beside the girl, giving her the jolt back to reality that she needed.
She had to do this. She had to face whatever her sister had to say, or do.
She walked forward slowly, almost silently, as her size meant there was very little crunch of dust and gravel underfoot.
When she had reached five metres away from them. The noble looking leader that abandoned her stood there stunned in a resplendent display of expensively embroidered clothes.
The woman he had been attempting to touch spoke to him.
“Just… just let me be. I d-don’t want you here” she sobbed. Her voice was one that sounded strong, but had had all its life and strength drained from it.
The leader didn’t respond. All he could do was stare in horror at the sight of the girl before them.
The woman looked up to check if the man had left, but followed his gaze when she saw the expression plastered over his face.
Her tear streaked visage turned to face the girl, not fully comprehending the sight before her.
The woman took two shaky steps forward, the shock evidently sinking in.
“I-I’m back big sis” the girl offered, casting a weak and worried smile.
At this point the woman raced forward and dropped to her knees before the girl. Although this still left her able to press her face into the girls shoulder, as the woman was almost twice the girl’s height. She wrapped her arms around the girl and began to whine out soft sobs.
The girl stood stunned for a split second before her own arms wound around the back of her older sister’s head, and let her tears flow freely.
“I didn’t know w-what to do when I heard you hadn’t m-made it!” the older sister wailed, “I d-didn’t want it t-to be true”.
The older sisters last line petered into a whimper, the girl quickly joined the tear filled exclamations.
“B-b-big sis! I was so sc-scared! After that j-jerk left me behind, I th-thought you w-wouldn’t want me to c-c-come back!” the girl bawled her eyes out to her older sister, seeing how distraught the thought of her not coming back had made her sister.
But her sister had stopped crying and shaking. She leant away from her little sister, her face growing colder.
She turned her head slightly and called back.
“y-you said you did everything” the sister began standing up, strength returning to her voice.
“You said you were overrun and she was taken before you had a chance to react”
The girl’s older sister turned, her farm developed muscles involuntarily tensing, her voice rising from a growl to a roar.
“YOU TOLD ME MY SISTER WAS DEAD YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!”
The older sister charged at the young man, the only reaction he had managed to express before he was lifted off the ground by the front of his tunic was fear.
And with a loud animalistic roar, the big sister threw the man through a fence.