Leslie's soul returned to her own soul space, as she felt some levels of soul fatigue.
"That wasn't nearly long enough... Ha... Ha..."
"No... It wasn't, but there is always tonight." Jack replied, but then his voice hardened as he asked, "Do you feel different anywhere? Feel strange? Any pain?"
Leslie became quiet for a few moments as she probed her soul and body, and then replied, "No...?" She popped the evening tombs led to open, as she asked, "Do I look different?"
In the glowstone light of the room, Jack traced along Leslie's body and then her face.
Being scrutinized so heavily by Jack made Leslie squirm slightly.
"Hmmm... Your eyes have changed color."
"Huh?"
"Your eyes have a bluish-green tint to them now," Jack commented, after a moment of articulation.
"That's funny, your cultivation effect, the flames of your eyes have that same color."
"Is that what Eldritch Taint looks like... Changes your eye color?" Jack asked.
Leslie shrugged, as she then spoke with a joking tone, "Maybe it's because the eyes are the window to the soul?"
"...Maybe... Hmmm." Jack thought this might just be it.
"Perhaps We'll have time again tonight, but I have to go sort out my duties. Not only to the shadows of the Kingdom but also with Crag. The Money Exchange should be ready soon, and We'll only need you to make the coins."
"Ah, yes." Jack floated out of his evening tomb and was quickly followed by Leslie, who felt uneasy about suddenly flying. She was placed on the floor standing next to Jack.
A jingle of glasses collided inside Jack's ribcage, as a reminder they were still there, with the thumping of a heartbeat that he could no longer hear due to being once alive himself and use to a heartbeat.
Looking at the vials in Jack's ribcage, Leslie opened her mouth, "Jack honey, I've been meaning to ask, what are those vials exactly?"
Jack looked into his ribcage as his pointed his bony index finger to the purple tube, "This is the blood of the god of death, and-" He moved his finger to the yellow tube, "This is the blood of the god of decay, at least I think it's decay... Might be disease all things considered, maybe slime, now that I think about it."
"God of Death? God of Decay?" Leslie looked a bit frightened but quickly calmed down, as she asked the five Dubs.
Jack narrated what he remembered, being kidnapped by Asstur, Carcosa, calling Yoggi, the battle, and him coming back, while some parts expressed his displeasure on not remembering certain parts.
"That is... That is a lot to take in, but what in all the hells of the Underworld do you want with the blood of those two." Leslie reframed even using the nicknames that Jack spoke of the entities as they gave her a pain in her head.
"I think I can use these to make new technologies... For some reason, their blood gives rise to creatures... I'm thinking I can make an engine with the Death God's tome, and the blood of his brother."
"An Engine? What's an engine?" Leslie seemed to not understand.
"Think of it like clockwork. Gears that are moved with energy. Some worlds use steam or small hexplosive power to trap the energy to move the gears." Jack explained.
"Okay? Couldn't we just use a few dead rats to move the clockwork then, like the chronometer?"
"What I want to move is much-MUCH larger... I want to move wagons, boats, and entire ships with them."
"Like warships?"
"Yes... If I can get these engines to produce more power than they weigh in kg, then We can even fly without cultivation or without god powers."
"...This is a lot to take in."
"Yes... It will take time and a lot of experimenting on my part... I'm not really an engineer... I need someone that works with clockwork to help me."
Leslie brought up her hand to cover her mouth as she thought, as Jack waited.
"There is one I think that can help you," Leslie spoke after her moment of silence.
"Really? That's great."
"He's eccentric as all hell though, and I know for a fact he doesn't believe in the faith... Before or after."
"He doesn't believe in me, even after showing my god form that loams over the lands???"
"At least to my understanding, from what my agents just told me." Leslie nodded with a complex expression.
"What does he want? Everyone has a price." Jack's flaming eyes crackled.
"That... I don't know. He's almost always in his workshop and forbids anyone from entering except his nephew-apprentice.
"What is his and the nephew's name. I'll go visit them personally. This isn't something I need, but what Deagoth needs. This is what's going to push Us forward."
Leslie nodded, "His name is Ironically James Gearsmith. I've guessed before that he changed his name, but I have no proof, as he was named that before he and his brother came to Saigunrai five hundred years or so ago."
"Really. I should speak to his nephew first and see if I can speak to this Mr. Gearsmith in person."
Leslie nodded, "I'll send a message you wish to speak with him this evening... Until then go see Sister Emily. She loves you as much as I do, Jack."
"...That's hard to believe..." Jack spoke honestly and without hesitation.
Leslie giggled, before stepping and putting her hands around Jack's neck, pulling him down to her face.
"You play with my emotions too much," Leslie giggled again, planting her lips on Jack's Zygomatic bone, where his cheek would be on his face.
Leslie then released Jack, as she went to his closet and pulled out a new black robe, and a pair of inside shoes.
Jack walked over, as Leslie helped him into his new robe, as she used a chain to secure the middle of the robe around him, over his hip bones.
"This is new..."
"You ran out of robes, so I had some made."
"What's up with the chain?" Jack continued, looking down at his waist.
"I thought it matched your new armor and look. It's a woman's prerogative to dress her man how she wants, so no complaints."
Jack nodded his head, while thinking, [Yeah, but now I look like the edgelord I am...]
Leslie looked over Jack to ensure his grabs and reached up to caress his face again before she turned to leave.
"If you need me, I'll be with my agents for a while, and then with Crag after... Oh, and Jack..."
"Yeah?"
"My mother has been wanting to see you again for a long while..." Leslie looked back over her shoulder.
"..." Jack had been avoiding Leslie's mother in person and in conversation for a long time now...
Noticing Jack didn't speak, Leslie continued, "We'll both visit her tomorrow."
Jack nodded, feeling relieved. He had no idea how to face her mother after she declared that she wanted to be his lover and bare his child.
They both walked out of his room, to see the Holy Sentinels nod to their God-King before they disappeared in a flash of light.
[I have to learn how to do that... That is the coolest entrance and exit I've seen in person...] Jack signed within his mind.
"Be gentle to Sister Emily, She's currently with High Alchemist Raleigh in the first Royal Workshop." Leslie reminded and spoke the directions to Jack, as she then turned and walked down the twisted hallways leaving Jack in front of his room.
*******
Jack floated down the hallways to the first workshop. He rubbed his chin as he was walking; thinking he would need one of these workshops. There were three in total, four if Doctor Hollowell's could be considered one, now located in the underground catacombs of the Palace.
As Jack approached, he made out the angry voice of Emily. He floated much faster, as he heard her, as even this far away he could hear her words.
"Squandered? Do you EVEN know the God-King? Seeing him at a distance isn't the same-"
"If anything, I am wasted on him! My husband literally saved my soul from an evil goddess, you wretch-!"
Jack floated to the front of the door, as the board above it, wrote in Voidic, showed that this was "Workshop one."
"...Raleigh, you have about three seconds to leave my sight, before I rip out your guts and hang you with them, while I slowly feast on your body starting from your fingers and toes and ending with your eyes!"
"LEAVE!"
Hearing a crashing sound, Jack floated back out of instinct, as the door slammed open, and the tattered robe-wearing zombie rushed out looking much paler than a normal zombie. He spared no glances at the floating god to the side, as he attempted to run down the hall while gimping with a lame leg.
Emily walked slowly out of the Workshop to look in the direction of High Alchemist Raleigh, as she rubbed a finger across her bottom ragged teeth before she noticed Jack.
"You're here!" Emily pounced onto Jack, with a glomping motion wrapping her arms around his rib cage.
"My cutest goddess, what was that?" Jack thought to speak some honeyed words to calm the heaving Emily that stared into his flaming eyes with fevered eyes.
Emily's expression turned sour, as she turned her head, "Go into the Workshop, and I'll tell you all about it, while I eat. Ugh... I am so hungry; you have no idea."
Jack nodded, as he floated into the workshop, and with his intention, the door closed behind him.