I fired my bolt as the man shouted the girl's name. His hands were up to his face gouging out grooves. The girl, Sara, looked at me. Her expression was dead. My system told me her level race and no title. Not even [Child].

  “Are you a slaver or one of their clients?”

  The hell? That's the first thing she says to me. No running up to me sobbing, with thanks for saving me. Her emotions were focused on murder for the slaving bastard.

  “Um neither, I'm just an adventurer out to collect an abandoned [False Soul] ring. Seems a tier five adventurer must have died to these slavers two days ago. Damn shame, the ring must have been using the ambient mana to send a signal. The local hall noticed and sent me and my team out.”

  “Oh.”

  Just an Oh? Does she not care?

  “Where are the rest of the slavers?”

  I look past her and see bloody footprints.

  “That was the last one I believe, my associates have been combing this abandoned keep with me, clearing them out.”

  “Oh.”

  Another Oh. Seriously. She pulls off a ring from her finger and holds it out to me. Not sure why she offering me a ring, perhaps a family signet? I held my hand out and the ring she placed there was the quarry I was after. The [False Soul] ring.

  “Can you tell me the way to Hilgurd?”

  Uh thats like a hundred miles of not here.

  “Uh sure, if you wait here a moment. I just need to confirm a thing or two.”

  I place my fingers to my mouth and make a piercing whistle. Jenar was the first to show up. Sara is just staring vacantly at a wall.

  “Fucking system, there was still a girl here, thought we got here too late to save anyone.”

  “Careful, I don't think she is quite alright, just watch her for a moment, I need to check something.”

  I follow the bloody footprints to a set of stairs. Walking down I find the body of an elf, her neck twisted. Did she throw herself down the stairs? I take an ear, disgusting work. I follow the trail of footsteps and come across two corpses of men. The first is slumped over a fork jammed into his eye socket. The second laid next to him, his head cracked open. There is blood on the cell bars. It is where her footprints led me. How the hell did she kill these men?

  -----

  Getting her to Yetna was a rather silent affair. She didn't complain, or talk really. At least until we got into sight of the walls.

  “That’s not Hilgurd."

  “Um, right you have to go through Yetna to get to Hilgurd.”

  “Oh.”

  When we went to the guild, the girl kept walking down the street. I ran up to her and stopped her. She looked annoyed.

  “You're going the wrong way, hey let's go get you some…directions yes, to Hilgurd.”

  “Directions would be good.”

  -----

  “And she just handed you the ring.”

  Guild master incredulousness bleeds off him.

  “She was wearing it.”

  “Where did you get the ring?”

  Thane tries the girl. Best of luck on that, she seems single minded.

  “Can you tell me the way to Hilgurd?”

  Haven't seen Thane blow his top in awhile.

  “Damnit, child its a hundred miles to the east”

  “Thank you.”

  And she is leaving…seriously. She plans to just walk a hundred miles east. Thane gets up to block her path.

  “Where are you going, Missy?”

  “To Hilgurd, would you move please, you're not a slaver. I don't want to have force you to kill yourself. Unless you are a slaver or one of their clients, I think I can live with watching the clients kill themselves.”

  “You are one spooky kid.”

  When her emotions shifted from annoyance to that deadness I felt when she engaged that slaver. I spoke up to distract her.

  “Sara, Sara thats your name right.”

  She is looking at the wall, her head only slightly turned when I got her attention, it can't be [Wider Vision]. The hell?

  “That is my name.”

  Her stomach rumbles, she barely eats. The slavers were clearly starving her. We couldn't get her to stay still long enough to feed her more than jerky.

  “Good um Sara, before a long journey, you should eat a good meal right?”

  “That sounds practical.”

  Finally a conversation with her. Now to keep her here.

  “How bout we bring you a meal here?”

  She is no longer paying attention. Looking towards Thane again. I tried again. The deadness returning.

  “Sara, we can bring you a meal here before you leave, will you wait?”

  She never turns fully to look at me, but I swear she sees me somehow.

  “Alright, I will wait.”

  Just like that she was back in her chair.

  “What was that about, Derrick?”

  “I back tracked the girl's bloody foot prints and found three corpses. She was unarmed and the man I killed in front of her was in the process of clawing his face off.”

  I didn't dare take my eyes off the girl as I said this. The only reaction I got is that she starts looking at the bottom of her feet. As if killing three slavers meant nothing to her…

  “I apologize for tracking blood everywhere.”

  That's her response…

  “We should just compel her to speak.”

  Ah shit, no no no no. I ain't doin’ it.

  “The guy clawing his face was using one word commands with her name. He shouted the last one, it didn't phase her.”

  Thane looks like he didn't believe me. The girl's attention is waning again. I re-engage.

  “Sara, is there a meal you like to have delivered here?”

  She stares vacantly for a moment. Then starts talking as if her stream of thought needed to be heard.

  “Anything as long as it comes with bread, bread life is the best life. Though the last thing I ate had no taste, which is strange as it was spilt on the floor and I would of expected it to at least taste like floor, don't tell Marie I ate with my hands but the fork that the guard brought ended up entering his brain through his eye socket and I thought eating with that would be worse than using my hands.”

  The fuck. No, this at least is good. We can ask her things, if we just use her name.

  “I think so long as you use her name, she'll pay enough attention to answer you, watch, Sara who is Marie?”

  “She is the sadist who liked to zap me when I was slouching.”

  Thane speaks up before I can ask why she knows the word for sadists.

  “We got a giant word bonanza when it came to food, but just a sentence when it came to this Marie, do you think she was one of the slavers?”

  Okay that's a great deal of murderous intent coming off her.

  “Do not ever besmirch the names of those under the employ of grandmother.”

  I get between the girl and the guild master. She is ready to kill. I get to her eye level.

  “Sara, he didn't know and didn't mean anything by it, maybe if he knew your grandmother's name he wouldn't be so disrespectful.”

  The murderous intent lowers itself. It just simmers now.

  “That could possibly be true.”

  “So?”

  And I lost her again.

  “Sara, what is the name of the grandmother you just spoke of?”

  “Bianca, though I only really think of her as the [Lady].”

  A noble grandchild? They never say what brats they have. Fearing ransom.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Sara, does Bianca have a family name?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which is?”

  Thane already forgot the first rule of talking to Sara.

  “Is the bread arriving soon, if not I would like to get started for Hilgurd, I'm sure there are mandrakes along the way I can eat.”

  Pretty sure those are poisonous, alchemists love to tease kids about eating them. Damn, now I'm getting distracted. I ask before Thane provokes her.

  “It will be here soon, Sara, what is Lady Bianca's family name.”

  “Maxwell.”

  -----

  “Bloody murder ghost.”

  Jenar huffs out at the bar. We had just watched the guard march the girl away.

  “She cried when we took her to the Maxwell store.”

  “The twat had emotions?”

  “Sara… but ya, total emotional breakdown. She bloody thanked me for stopping her from murdering the hall. Was like a different person afterwards.”

  “Fuck, thats almost enough to get me to buy a drink.”

  The elf looks up at her, expectant.

  “Said almost, dipshit. What ya think will happen to her?”

  “Not sure, probably a stern talking to after she tells the guard who she really is.”

  “Who fucking lies about being a noblity brat?”

  Who would lie about being a bleeding Maxwell.

  -----

  “Hey hun, boss wants ya in the client room. Figure you'd be best for this new request.”

  Really. Fine. I head to the doors. In there, I find the gnome who likes to rob new adventurers with shoddy work. There is a long braid of hair on the table. Black and Maxwell blue.

  “Ah, good not sending a greenhorn. Laddy, I be needin’ ya to find whateva’ monster that new girl be hidin’.”

  I quirk an eyebrow. I feel the greed coming off of the gnome. Thane seems concerned.

  “Why do you think she keepin’ a monster?”

  The gnome motions to the braid.

  “Of course, she got a monster of some sort. See this fur, laddy. It's like iron rabbit but it resist my forge. Clearly she must be leveling one or some other thing. Look I just need ya ta find it. For the protectin’ of the city.”

  For his greed. I look at the braid of hair. Then to Thane. He radiates approval.

  “Sure, will get right on that.”

  The gnome satisfied leaves. I look to Thane. He waits a moment, as if the walls weren't sound proof.

  “It's Scratches's hair.”

  I quirk my eyebrow at that.

  “Who the fuck is Scratches.”

  “Sara Maxwell.”

  The murder ghost? She had muddy blonde hair before.

  “Didn't believe she was back in the city. They paraded her through the city months ago, soon to be executed. Still hated that you sent me to interrogate that child.”

  She was alive then, and he used the Maxwell name…

  “Wait you fucking telling me she is a Maxwell? I thought they sent her to the capital to be executed for claiming that.”

  “Ya well, she is. Now she is here as Scratches and running around with illusions over her body. She is that eight year old violet haired cat girl that's been turning in massive amounts of clover.”

  Well that confirms she is a Maxwell, mental mages. Wait … cat girl?

  “So why she got metal hair?”

  “I can't say, I gave her my vow. Go find her and find out what her plans are. ‘She who Titters’ has been keeping an eye on her as well.”

  “Why not just ask her then, seems a lot of effort for one girl.”

  “‘She who Titters’ reports to the [Countess] now. Look, just tell me her plans, the girl has been causing headaches with the alchemist guild already. I don't need the smithing guild coming here.”

  “Righto, boss.”

  -----

  “Dirknae sent a request in, to find the monster you've been getting your hair from. I set it as a tier four and assigned it to an adventurer. They reported back to me about your thread idea.”

  “Then why are they still following us?”

  The hell, she knew I was there?

  “You knew?”

  “He got too close, after he tripped my soul sense with no one being around me, I made sure to keep my nose aware of him. Is it Derrick? I could smell wood shafts and small bits of iron on him.”

  Well shit, she even knew it was me. Wait, she can smell me…is she the bleeding tiger she is walking around with the ears of. I end my cover spell.

  “Hi, Derrick.”

  Well chance to improve my craft I suppose.

  “Exactly how much can you smell of me? I need to account for such in my cover spell.”

  She's panicking in Thane's arm crook.

  “Scratches, help your fellow guildmate.”

  “I can smell your equipment, sweat, breath, grime.” And in a very small voice, “ass and crotch.”

  Thane stops for a moment. Really five distinct smells. I was only accounting for my sweat.

  “You're not smelling that on everyone, are you?”

  The girl buries her face into her hands, clearly embarrassed.

  “If they have a recent cut, I can smell the blood.” A pause, her emotions are all over the place. When they settle she speaks again. “So what will you report back to Driknae? I'm not sure why you took the request in the first place.”

  “Another reason to get to tier three is I can refuse investigation requests on you, as for what I will inform the gnome? I'm leaning towards returning the money saying we couldn't find anything.”

  “Will it end there?”

  “Depends on you, if you weren't planning on selling your hair it would be over. I suspect the blacksmith guildmaster will be visiting after your iron hits the market.”

  “I'm more than willing to discuss my third guild membership.”

  Seriously, they are more likely to cage her and shave her bleeding head.

  “You know I feel rather unprepared for all this, guess I am glad you're coming with me.”

  “Both of us will be waiting up here, you are to bring me the skeleton captain's head.”

  “You'll be fine Scratches, off you go.”

  Thane pushes her down the tunnel. Harsh treatment for a little girl. Is she going to be alright down there? Mental magic is worthless against the undead.

  “Now now Scratches, time to be an adventurer.”

  I hear various curses sound out as she plods down, a few in a language I hadn't heard before. I look to Thane after the voice cuts off.

  “Did you really send her down Beckner's instance.”

  “Only one that won't give a shit about missing skeletons.”

  Ya cause they're dead. Systems I haven't had a chance to collect their bodies yet. The girl is going to get a fright going down there.

  “Think you can follow her without her noticing you this time.”

  “Shit, really? Guess so.”

  He opens the barrier again and I head down. I am greeted by the sight of the Horned rabbits hopping away from the girl. I keep my distance, keeping in mind that I need to contain my smells. My system whispers to me. Seems I can still progress afterall. The skill had been stuck forever. I should tell others.

  The girl passes the gate. She continues as if it's not a dark fog filled graveyard. It looks like I already will need to intervene when she falls onto the skeleton. I stop when I hear the bones shatter…just how much does she bleeding weigh. She gets up and stomps on the head of another. Holy hell, I hear the bones shatter again. She starts hopping on one foot. The final one she severs the head with her sword. She takes a moment pulling bone out of her foot. The claws on her toes look a lot like the monster her ears come from. The thought of her being part Yetna tiger returns. She dresses the wound and continues on. Muttering about the smell.

  Her fighting style becomes a mix of absurd and frightening. She is turning her back and slamming her tail…her bleeding fucking tail into their skulls. That it is also shattering the skulls with said tail makes this all the more absurd.

  When she reaches the captain, she is shocked by the speed. Her evasive maneuvers leave her winded. Not a good start. She gets one dead before she points to one. No good girl, mental magic don't…that skeleton just obeyed her…she a bloody necromancer now? She sets the other two on the captain as well. Don't amount to much though. She commands even the captain. He bows to her, his head down. She walks up and severs it. She walks to the stairs, wrinkles her nose and turns to head back.

  I leave ahead of her. Careful not to thread the same path she went.

  -----

  “You’re hunting Yetna tigers?”

  A trio of monks had approached me for advice.

  “Yes, the bishop informed us that our god would like us to hunt some for him. We heard you had new insight on how to approach them unseen.”

  “That I do, see it ain't the seeing, it's the smellin’. Apparently they can smell at least six different things on ya.”

  I go on to explain the various smells Sara had told me about. They listen carefully. The last few weeks, I have been getting plenty of rounds of ale bought for me for explaining how to better use cover. It's nice. I should flip a silver to Sara later. Wouldn't want to be ungrateful.

  -----

  I've been on their trail for the past day. The moment Thane got a signal for a [False Soul] ring, he sent me out. The first thing I found was the patches of blood. A cart full of bones, rabbits and jars was pulled into the woods. I open one…why blood? From the rabbits? The containers were worth far more than the blood they held. Nevermind.

  Whoever killed the adventurer wasn't after their haul. I see a fire in the distance. The watch was one of the monks I had met earlier. I counted at least seven others. I creep closer. I see the corpses of four Pimar girls. Nooooo, Sara. A hole is in her chest. Very much dead. Her cat eyes open staring at me. I tear my eye away from her dead ones, looking to the other bodies

  Phenolp and Alicia are with her too, they now sport her ears and tail. A fourth girl I didn't know was there as well. These bastards weren't hunting tigers, they were hunting Sara. I did this. It's my fault. I found the ring with the rest of her clothing. I take it all with me.

  -----

  “You left them alive.”

  I had delivered the clothing to the [Countness]. Her emotions are between rage and despair.

  “Why did you take so long to inform me?”

  I was in my cups. I couldn't confront—

  “Tell me.”

  “I was why the monks were able to catch Sara unaware. I taught them about masking their scent. It's my fault they were ambushed. I feared your wrath.”

  “And now they are days ahead of me at this point. Your cowardice has delayed my vengeance.”

  I snapped too a moment later. She was looking out the window. Apparently done with me. I head out. To find the bottom of more cups. A messenger runs past me, towards the estate.

  I need to tell Thane that I was going to need to head out of the city. He was consoling Cecelia Maxwell when I found him. I turned around and left. I headed south.

  -----

  Another cup down. Anything to stop thinking about it. It doesn't last long. My system tells me I am resisting it more. Damn. Soon enough I won't be able to forget. I need something to distract me. A purpose perhaps. Something.

  A knight bustles into the guild hall. They walk up to the counter. The receptionist points to me. The knight walks up to me.

  “‘Silent arrow’ right, I need scouts to help keep an eye on Bronfkin forces. Will you be willing to assist the Queendom.”

  I look at the mid aged knight. His violet skin reminds me of someone…I drink the rest of my cup.

  “Name Derrick and I ain't taken a job in weeks.”

  The words come out slurred.

  “Then you're available, good. My name is Krakner and I will see to it that you are put to use.”

  I look at the knight, seeing Phenolp in his features. I dare not tell him…nor do I dare refuse him.

  -----

  Another position found. The sneaky bastards. I leave them silently, too many for me to take on. I head back to Sir Krakner camp. I trace my way back through the underbrush, the way I came. Best to not make too many trails back. I could use a stiff drink, Sir Krakner cut me off the moment I was in his camp. I kept a flask on me when the guilt grew too much.

  When I get within eyesight of the camp, I drop my cover spell. Wouldn't want to ruin some poor guards day by showing up at Sir Krakner's fire without them knowing. I make various hand signs that are way too over the top but are specific to this camp. I get the acknowledgement signs back and I move forward.

  The old Knight entertaining a woman is he? Bet he is planning to make a new branch of the ever growing Krakner tree. They say the man is insatiable. A Tibyder? That's new. Her six legs were scaled pink, with the joints of a spider. She had a spider ass thing too, above her legs appeared a human woman in robes. This new priestess was wearing a rather fancy scarf over her head. Spider silk? Is it her own? I walk up to the man. Best to get this over with and out of his hair. As I approach the mood is actually somber. Not a tryst then. Glad I hadn't said anything foolish.

  “Hail, Sir Krakner, a report.”

  The woman turns to me, “Derrick?”

  I feels as if times slows, her eyes peer into me. Her fucking cat eyes. Everything I knew said that she was dead. I had tracked down the bastards who did it myself. Found her corpse, retrieved the ring. Yet she was here, looking at me, changed so greatly, but those eyes, never forgot those eyes. I see them every sober night. It was my fault and those eyes know. A glint of red grows in them accusing, knowing. I feel what started as curiosity began to smolder into rage.

  “Scout Derrick, you look as if you have seen a ghost, out with the report.”

  It feels like she is staring at me. She is always staring at me.

  “Um right sir, I found their camp. It's about ten miles in that direction. I'll get with your cartographer and get the exact position.”

  I leave the man's fire and her eyes. I left the camp swiftly after not bothering with the cartographer. I had to flee those eyes. My cover spell shall keep me safe. I head into the woods.

  -----

  It was a creeping feeling. I throw more wood on the fire. It was all my fault. I should have thrown myself at her feet to beg her forgiveness. They say you can't seek forgiveness before you're ready to forgive yourself. It was all my fault. Damn flask empty. I look up and I see her.

  Her eyes are crimson, her emotion is twinned with hate. She has an illusion of herself on her shoulder. I want to speak but she does first.

  “Were you the one who killed me and my daughters?”

  Straight to the point. I don't bother negating it, I'm worthless. I deserve her vengeance.

  “I am.”

  She walks towards me. Her voice speaks again, but her mouth hadn't moved.

  “Present your neck.”

  I kneel before her head down. A slender finger tips my chin upward. My neck is fully on display. A decapitating strike then. Perhaps to place my head on her mantle. Fitting. Her front two legs lift me up, towards her face. Why? The answer comes when she clamps down on my neck, her teeth piercing my throat. I bleed into her mouth. She is swallowing my blood. Greedily. Her emotions soar in ecstasy and hatred as she drank my life away. She hugs my body and I return it. I deserve this. I feel her magic enter me. My blood seems limitless as my hair grows and greys. It falls out completely, I hardly notice. My mind grows vaguer as my body ages and grows withered. She's been crying this whole time.