"Congratulations with soul collecting. Converting them back over, we have 6 larva of a scaled reptile. 2 hatching eggs of bird creatures and this." Picked up among them – tiny runt of a snake batch, "A badly hatched snake."
"How much does this give me?"
"All my stock. Unless you plan on returning the world back to what it should have been. Then you get just to pick one to keep around you."
Something else were placed on the counter as a distraction of what really is going on. Picked up in a quick slide of hand, dances a thief before the wholesaler could stop them. Picked among the batch stolen, picked up as some frowned stare. This is the expression of a demi-human pissed with what he managed to steal of today.
Back to hiding among the lands rebuilt populated areas and full of living and dead coming together. Here they are trying to reverse the damage by grim. This is achieved by slowly releasing souls back into things that will grow or breath. Plants were becoming the ruling force, as were the return of bugs to pollinate it all. It's attracting amphibians live out from ponds and snakes from the oceans. The parasite corpse takers were a dying species or adapting into half plant life. Venus man sized traps.
"So what are you?" This thief stared into me, "Not that you can speak."
I blinked at them and gave the tilt of listening to them, then looking around the please and back to how creep out there were of my sentient living standard. Out of hunger I picked piece of the egg shell I live in, munching away out of starvation.
To be given a meat item was a thankful blessing, head butting then taking. Coiled out from shell and around the one shoulder – due to my little size. I am bigher then their fingers.
"You do understand me." I nod softly but continue on trying to eat the meat without teeth, gumming it with little happening. I whipped my tail around to inspect why this meat were hard… some sort of stone. Licked to further support this being a stone, "Yeah, sorry. I will get you something that you can eat… when I figure out what that is." I passed the gem back to him and looked around to where he was going. He seemed to know where to put other creature's. They turned from living like they were when at the stall, reversed back to being unborn eggs again.
"What to do with you…" Picked up and back to my shell and offered around to foster parents, "If we met again, you bring me back that gem."
Given with my shell and placed to the claws of a cat crawler mother. To be taught to be alive yet then also to learn I wasn't just this shape alone.
I grew up being a shape shifter; human, plant or animal. A thing of my will is all I needed. Pretended to be a cat crawler for the benefit of my foster family and so that they may understand.
Four years of being among the cat crawlers, the last of themselves. The last of their species before converting into new. I weren't the only cat crawler that shape shifted; but the only one to keep it for the rest of my life.
I made sure kept the gem that the theif told me to given him back one day. It be 12 years of being this shape shifting merchant stranger before crossing words with them. A year of picking up their language and trading salvaged lost items; gurgled in a gutted growl if someone were to rob from me.
Today was another market stalls trade; set up where all those years ago I were pissed with a master. Feels like a circle around in being here. In my eyes, I think I can still see the place like it were when it were alive of breathing people.
"You're new trader…" I had been setting up spot where none what to be, "You clearly have no mind about the wasp nest above." I blinked at them with question of wonder. Are they aware that those wasps tasted nice? Free food for me with a good market spot, "Ok." My current look where that of a human lady in a scaled like tight wear – mocked to be armour instead the truth, "Hey little lady, what you got here to please my wife with?"
I hand rolled stones out, to sparkle with being real crystal instead of the soul gems. They looked at them with strange expression. I hung up necklaces fashioned of materials I been finding, as real as this earth can be. Thread made from the weaving of hairs. Clothes made from weaving with a loom. I were skilled in my craft making but I were also greater at hiding what I am. Pulling on a scarf to hid my face from those that trade with me.
"I see and what would you like from me for it." This clothes was offering crap things. I weren't a fooled, taking there hands from hiding from me. Lowly clicking for such rude, "Sorry, you caught me." they put all of them things down and a extra for the trouble, "Since you new, I were testing if you be tricked or not."
"No tricks can pass me, Clothus." I spoken gently, "I trade for what seems of little worth to you. If you have anything from this land that no one else wants; I gladly swap it for something here."
"Oh, great. I have this." It looks like a vile of fluids, "It's a water sample taken from a clear water river." I peered at it for some time, "Well, ok. Clearly your not a fool. But no one wants the vile of stomach fluids." I tuck it away to a bag and passed something else, "Really? thanks." He then offered a few rings, "How about all this?" I peered at each and took them with then replacing it with something of as same value to me, "Would I likely able to trade them back?"
"If no one else beats you to the punch, Clothus." I snicker, "But I keep them safe for you, little lad. They aren't going anywhere soon."
"Uh, right. Thanks for business." Was about to walk off, I had pick pocketed back my things that he didn't trade.
He like many gently sway among crowds of market. I eased with trading with normal folks again. I would change genders where needed to be more man for man talk. I have fool them to thinking there are two people that run this stall. Two opposite personality; just my acting around their reactions. Keep my shape shifter a secret. Fools will be fools.
"I just finished soul trades but you're a dweller from this land. So may I ask that you could raise some of them for me?" My old friend.
"You asked me a long time ago, quite a few year back… to give you back a gem. Am I right?"
"I gave that to a snake."
"Yes, youthful I were." I spat it out and showed it, "Raised among the cat crawlers, still do I play games like one." He tries to look about me. the stall between use was that barrier, "Which hatchlings are you having an issue with? I don't mind being mother. This land is slowly creeping back to a living state, despite the gloomy look of it."
"It's really you?" I put the gem back under my tongue and cross arms with staring them down. My tail whipped their hand from stealing, "Yeah, I knew it be you." They pet their hand from the pain, "I have a cat crawler hatchling." I offered my hands out and such egg were placed to my hands – converted to the newborn. I feed the newly fresh one a bit of meat and purr to the temperament of happy. The soft purr rungs back from the child in my hands.
"I promise to look after him." I let them coil around me neck and back, "Here, have a diamond in payment." A promise met the such a gentle touch from him, "One of the hardest precious stones in the world." He placed it away. Soon backed away off to other trades as I haf be the mother of this one around my shoulders.
Teaching through actions of what I do. When it were time I moved on, I taught to hunt in a cat crawler form. I taught them how to live and over the month; they soon became independent enough to leave me. Letting me back to trading stalls around about 3 months later: life is cruel and children adapt fast into the harsh world eating environment from young ages.
I have so much to trade by this point that I was about to pass off my wares as currency with the other trades stall holders here. To drift back to my little wasp nest stall hidden in the corner. Eating the recovery of wasps when no one is looking, the nest population was large enough to be a feisty snack compared to when I was last here.
"Hey, you back from you holiday." Rings dealer puts the trade I gave him before, "Rings right?"
"Rings." I slide sweep the payment back to my pockets. He seems pleased by the return. Rings of patterns relation with afterlife tribe types. It's all I could gather about the rings and why they were of status importance, "That's all of them."
"Wow, cleaner then last time."
"Cleaning things is what makes them shiny and worth more… normally. You had a deal about trade holding them, so I cleaned them out of boredom. Free of charge."
"Wow, thanks." Off they walked and my little tail steal back the stolen things. My eyes will always roll while sighing with wonder if the lad is going to learn not to steal from me. The soul dealer ally come about next after watching all that and looked around oddly.
"If you looking for the child whom became a man; he be hunting around the swamp grounds toward the eastern front. Meaning following the raising sun until unable to walk through the mud." I directed with one hand the direct. A hand that fixed things together and a tail that whipped a wasp out of the air.
"You really did raise them?" I nod, "Thanks. I haven't any this time. But I wanted to ask what its like to live out here."
Still this stall stand between us, in his way for inspecting my shape. My folk tail let me eat the bug quietly as he is often distracted from other things.
"Here in the land of the living, it's a animals world. Survival of the fittest usually. The rarity these days is things coming together as tribes. Makes you afterlife folks a oddity among us living. What we view as our afterlife and what will be out dead states walks among us. A sobering chill thought."
My eyes were tracing those walking around, acting strange for what is often a market place. Folks that weren't fitting in and were clearly stick ups. Think themselves above others, these the first to be ate alive.
"Uh, right. A very cynical thought towards a breathing recovery." He looked oddly with how my eyes focused on them and bowed instantly in seeing them the whole market were like this.
The after-living must have some sort of monarchy. I stood back and hide with blending into the stall. This posy of folks snicker the air as high as they can stand any straighter. Foul mouthed about things after they left normal folks to grovel about them. They never stepped around here, must be the wasp threat. They had servants on tight leash, following behind – making the market's a hell. How they are up turning the place is a right mess, servants trashing the few stalls that didn't have some paper. They up turned a stall a path over and had caught a little glance this way; posy and servants that conspire to ruin folks like me without a chance to tell them straight.
My tail swept all my trade my backpack; slowly I was able to sneak lower out of eye level. I have made myself low enough to be out of mind or sight. To sneak in the shadows all the way up the roof of my stall with my bag. So my sight or view would be staring down on them from here. To make more space in such tiny spot, I had to turned into a bird. I were only the size of a hand really. The gem in my mouth as always not shape shifting to my shapes held in my beak.
"A soul sweeper? What around here to die for you?" Time has passed long enough for them posy snappy rich kids to be here. Of not shock to me that it wasn't the prince but two posy buddies walk this way. It seems that the key folks that mattered in the group weren't going to bother this way, just the little snappy no ones. My ally of hatching souls were all silent and eyes that dotted oddly to where I was and wondering where I went. Screw that thought, one is of importance wants to trade.
"I would like to do a trade with this." The prince himself as a ring he said he wanted to trade, "It's a worthless to me." This self-proclaimed prince made a silent dodge around everyone right to my counter space, "I was not aware of this counter merchant being here before."
I hopped down and kept completely covered up of all cloth. I have became this stood hooded stranger, eyeing the hand reached out to me. This reach was a test or a game, Clothus magic to collar entities into a servant life. I have seen it before and this little hand out thing is how they get you. I do not even dare touch or speak; the mute glare is plenty enough. He tries to make some sort of monologue with detailing about the rings history and if the worth would amount to anything if I took it off his hands. I hissed sharply for attention and he froze in a strange expression – finally listening to me with that crap.
"It is such a beautiful ring with a long heir history, with owners whom never seem to outlive it family placement cruse. A lot of hocus-pocus in actuality and this ring, is also meant to be an engagement ring. You must have lost it is partner ring, haven't you?" I cut him off from rambling all too long alone there, "There is no price on a ring of sentimental value; in trade that's called being worthless. The expense of the ring out ways any money or trade value for it."
"Oh, I like you. Got any eyes on rings like this one?"
"Well, I have but they weren't this and much different in their individual context. None were Clothus make, but if you so wish to make me keep an eye out for such value in the partner ring. If such ring were lost here of this realm; I will try hard to find it. It's of no bother to me; to me it is just rings from another world beyond the view of living."
"Thanks." The prince were discomforted by me, "Madam?"
"Whichever sounds like now." I laughed, "Do mind the wasps, they hate their location. Have a safe traveling while here in the land of the living, Prince. This realm has became a dog eat dog world where your body is more the much then your worth."
"Incredibly rude and creepy."
"I am not a Clothus like you… just another living thing among the living realm. My words are worthless as I am considered dirt maybe."
He backed away into hid little group and edge onwards around the market.
"Great shame of it being a beautiful piece. The garnet of that clarity is very rare, and stood out around the Topaz." My commented muttered with being near my friend, "What of anything else you needed of my services? I lost track of time and conversation."
He looked at how I set things back around my table stall again in a new arrangement. The crowds increase with vast trades which crossed through my paws; sold out of luck charms made by bone carvings and the miniature animal carvings. The few what seemed women took the weave cloth scarves. No thief made it away by me. The mid-night was coming and the crowds were ghostly gone. I picked up and had my last wasp out the nest… to then collect the entire nest for it's grubs and honey. Good medicine.
My ally and all those around him in friend circles were all nattering at the closing gates of the market area… maybe they waited for me? Hardly see why they would. Tonight was around a great time for a long west journey for materials. Climbing out of here is what I have always done. I will try out this new dress I have and go from there; mock a hooded lady human out the gate today.
My large bag were of things doesn't bother me, walking quietly around them. I make sure to do anything that would catch me out. I wouldn't look back or touch near them. I make no comment or ignore them. Equally they did too, to focused on combing the crowd of leaders for something. I manage to also avoid the grim syth man... he been lingering the edge of town lately.
Getting deeply lost into the forest to drop my bag to my nesting tree. Here to freely converted into the shape I were most comfortable being then a thin little human. Larger then a cat crawler, more arms and better claws. A lot of teeth and the tail that could be heard creaked like a whip for miles.
In such a shape makes hunting prey children's play, as were crafting the bone figures. But it's not good at not hiding or a shape that terrifies everything to death before even killing them. At least I am strong and tough in my scales for the fools that fight back. And the few Clothus or winged men I pass do this magic stuff; has no effect on me in the slightest. The day they work that out, will be the day I could probably finally speak back to them in this form. I made up about half the stock needed to replace what I sold today before getting so sleep.
There was little out there from what I could here. I am not interested in much else for craft tonight. What bothered me instead were that someone from the shadows has parked their but under my tree and were just panting like a dog.
"Would whatever you are be a little more quite?" I whimpered, "There are monsters that wish to sleep."
"What?" they breathlessly stood and backed away from the tree and looked for me. Being its night, moon is not helping the sight. I were just fine with being as I am.
"Chill, you safe to stay under my nest. I don't eat beings that speak common tongue. Just be quite and take rest. If you feel any safer there a branch up here for you to borrow."
"May I please join you?" they rushed back closer and looked around, "I am trying to avoid things."
"Promise me you don't scream at me, I know how horrifying I look." My tail gently picked them up and onto the branch beside, a lady Clothus that being chased in the dark, "Now rest easy and we can speak on better grounds tomorrow. Maybe I will take you to where a lot of your kind are, if you see feel you can. We don't have to if you wish it not. Just a thought while you rest."
She studies me a while and were pale as if wanting to scream. There was a while her gaze stuck like that as I study her cloak and mask the same odd ways. I sighed softly and curled back to sleeping. Something she must have found calming, hearing her get comfortable with the materials around the branch. Soft weave knitting I been working on for more scarves.
Those after her ran around not far but never this direction; snapped a things that had me study the edges of the place. Just to be sure I circled this tree of salt – blocking folks from cross my place without my presence noticed. The issue would for if this were someone to leave, they would with the salt circle. I am sure I just have to help them leave for her to go.
I settled with calm and acted as if back to sleep, my tail on offer as a vine for her to leave if she so wished to try. All through to the light of the new morning. They must have had a argument in mute language as she stood across them and making angered gestures at them individually.
"Good morning all these wonderful folks of guest, is there something of an issue here? Is there of anything I could do to help without sale of my soul?" I break the tension with all be her backing away. She returned back to the underneath the tree. I only lowered my head down to scan them all and to her a final time. I tilted in question, as if gesture my repeat to her alone. I even looked at the crowds and to the suggestion of murder needed here. She disagrees while following a stare to someone coming forwards with a gun and a smile.
"Whatever you are, dare not hurt my little sister."
"Is he really?" I asked and she sadly gave a slow nod, "sibling complex?" a strong nod in agreement, "It's cute really. Yet I can understand the complexity of the issue. Are you comfortable with leaving with them or would you like them to leave you alone?"
"You really not interested in eating me?" I sighed with that and climbed higher, in fetching my pans and shifting to a mock human. Set up all the good stuff and got on with my daily life – ignoring them, "Are you a shape shifter?"
"Well, I don't think that how I do but to your understanding of the definition, sure. Would you like to try my fried bird or would you prefer a meatless meal? You Clothus are questionable in what you eat, so I ask." The bird being plucked with every feather into a bag I made as while she joins by the fire pit, "Not interested?"
"I have never seen anyone cook before."
"It's not a pleasant thing to deal with dead things but food is rare here on this land. You lucky to have me instead of a false tree stomach. Happens a lot to them winged folks and scaled winged folks all the time. The flower fields is so much worse but often the most fruitful in veg when you know how to not be killed by the bed of thrones underneath." I can tell she not a nature lass, "Should I allow you folks through? They seem worried for you, lass."
"Please."
"You were free to have left anytime, I didn't mind being bothered." I stood and caught a arrow fly by, "Excuse you! I call that rude. I haven't even done anything."
"Oh, you are the dark figure of the tree."
"This is my nest, and you lot are rude. I didn't mind helping the lassie here but the rest of you need some better manners."
"I am a prince."
"Another one around here of all places, ugh. You find that I don't grovel over you title as to me. You just another Clothus. You could be a pretend prince, I still will not care. I mean it in no dishonour to you alone. I am like that with everyone, few expectations. You could even be a king and claim to own this world; I would reconsider not snapping you little neck for the claim of thinking you could own a land that thinks otherwise."
"You're incredibly snappy and creepy." I lightly smile, "What? Does everyone tell you that?"
"Literary and I love it." I sweep the line of salt back into a pile and back into a bag it goes. I go back to finishing my bird preparations and singing along at my one tune. Teaching about the bird parts and the many uses one gets out of the organs or bits. They gathered around and made through spots, never to close to my tree. The conversation died out of teaching and into her adventure of leaving the side of her protector. Ending up lost and scared of being chased by assassin or whatever. She has no sense of direction and got in a locked walked loop around the place until she stumbled here and was protected by me. Her story telling took so long I finished cooking and eating the bird. Then was one to stitching up a few more items and making carvings again.
"Ever consider book making?" Her brother asked me in private conversation.
"I don't have the materials to make glue and paper. I have the leather, thread and wood."
"I thought paper was made by wood."
"Well, not wrong there but the stages from wood to paper is long and also needs bleach. I don't have bleach. No paper, glue, bleach or time at the moment. It's not something I found worth the trouble needing yet or sale. Before you ask as I knew you are – I do record my sales and trades. The catalogue of skins is somewhere."
"Vellum parchment is skin paper."
"Are you asking me to make a notebook for you and for what is the exchange value are you offering for the weeks work from scratch?"
"I just wanted an idea of what your skills were."
"I craft necklaces, bracelets, charms, miniature figure. I even do thread to cloth to clothes… with enough time and full effort a adventure travel outfits that fit any human (within size reason). It seems my cloth of scarves and handkerchiefs is booming business here with lady's." The blank look was a lot, "From scratch."
"I am very impressed stranger. Clearly you are a merchant crafter that knows how to make things. How about I trade you a ring for a few things?" Well I be damned, that's the other prince's partner ring. With matching stones and all, "We lost a few folks and stumbled on a graveyard of our own."
"My condolences. I do not mind trading a few things for just the ring alone. Even a book requested out be made."
"You like gold or something?"
"I am a being of interesting taste in fashions. I try to be a trend setter for this realm. But my trendy ways do go far." Yeah, his testing me and knew the reality of this partner ring, "I also have clients interested in things too. Say the other side of that partner ring looking for the lady side back…" that he gladly just placed it to my hand, "What sorts of things would you like for it?"
"Call it payment for protecting and saving my little sister. I only wish you aren't wrong about whom wants that ring." I nod softly and place the ring with my gem in my mouth. He backed away from watching that but settled back down with how I wasn't at all going to be terrifying to them. Back to making things and focus with multitasking work projects. Humming softly to my own tune in a continuation of ignoring them speaking to each other. My eyes rest back to the sister looking around unease about her.
"I am the only thing around here that of a threat to anything. These grounds are my territory as this tree is my nest. You shouldn't be so scare of the world around you all the time. Sure this world is kill or be killed sort of way but stressing it only makes you grave a little closer in." My words were a wisdom that brought a weird comfort without really being comfortable about facts. She was able to smile with the rest of them slowly and opened up a lot easier with there plans of action. They were packing up real quick to move on from this area; in avoiding someone or something. Whatever the case of hand. I stood up and accidently fall backwards into my shadow, just becoming shadow.
I looked around this void of endlessness confuse for who, what and where. The lovely folks noted that my shadow disappearance were the time for them to leave. Gone like that of the wind. Here in this void is where I learned so much more about me. That I could fit everything I own in here. There is no doors or anything. Just the hole window I can climb back through to the light side. It were like walking down stairs or climbing steep hill. Stacking up my bags, I reorganized it all. Found things I thought lost. No more big heavy bag on my shoulder. A belt pouch for small things will do for instant grab needs.
Finishing the next morning alone and mid-day sleep through; folks were coming out of no where to bother this spot. Winged fellows of feathered kind; walked of men and women. No children. All setting up their camp here being normal. I shifted to a full human and lay in my tree watching them.
"Excuse me, stranger? What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you feathered folks what your doing here. This is my home and you're here making camp."
"Explains the salt remains." I heard muttered bellow me, "Are you a human?"
"No. But I am not a afterlife dweller like you. I am from here and a part of this land. This tree were my nest until today." I hung down with legs hooked around the branch. Stare at them from upside down. This feathered man were different than others; white whites that has a hue of golden sheen. He also as tattoo like marks from his left arm stretching around the bare left shoulder. The wear was a sort of tunic ancient style with a lot of flashy shiny bits of bracelets, belts, rings and earrings. Nothing Gothic like nose and brow piercing. Those golden natural brown eyes stare in a wary strange expression, "I don't have a interest in attacking you folks as long that stays mutual. I were about to move on to new area. Have a new view and less attracting of folks."
"I see, as long as you keeping your word." He moved off the tree and towards his camp with allies. Helps them and all treated equal. Working hard together to get the place propped up. I hop down and on to a tent with holes through it. Feeling the fabric and pouted of the holes through such quality. A lady of blue hued father wings stepped around from noticing I am here.
"Sorry. I admire you fabric but pity the arrow holes through it. I often find making clothe quite hard and to see this just seems…" I stopped talking and stopped touching, "Sorry for disturbing you."
"It's ok, I had been meaning to get around to sewing. But all the needles I own are all too dull for the tight work plus…" she shows me another side of a hole cut through. Needs more material to fix something like that.
"I have some materials but it's not the same quality." I hummed, "Need a lot of pins to hold it as it's stitched… the bone splitters will have to do to hold it in place. But then a needle…." I see the material's quite thing, "One of my claw sheds will do." I were in my own little world just thinking about it holding up the parts. Hummed softly with thinking of best stitching methods.
"Could I leave it to you? I promise to give you something in return for it all." She smiled gently with giggling about how I was so infatuated in fixing the tent. It altered the hue from blue to silver. I smiled back gentle, "What is you normal shape?"
"I look nasty in my comfortable shape but you often seem me as a cat crawler or a mock of a human. Unless I needed to blend in, I don't really have any reason to be anything else. But I am not impartial to sleep looking like a part of the tree." She laughs and nods walked around to the other side to the inside. Moving things in there. I altered to a crawler so that I may have more arms then just two to be working on this. Sewing seams and trying to think of improving the largest gaps. I got so carried away in sewing up holes in tents that I moved to another one. Purring along my work as I were of bliss in sewing up the tents.
"May the lord hear me prayer that I hope such a lizards not here to eat me." I paused with knotting up to peer at the cream hued winged lad backed from the door I were fixing.
"I am not eating anyone. I just go a little carried away. Hi. Is that lovely silver hued lass I spoke to about the tents still in camp?"
"You mean officer Kayleigh, she around here still. Likely speaking to Commander Thomas."
"He has the golden hue?"
"Yes."
"Ok, thanks. If you see her, just let her know I finished that first tent up. I will be around patching up these normal white other tents. I have no way of matching the patch work for you red tent. None my cloth is dyed and I don't think I will have enough for it."
"The red one is more a shade shelter then a tent." I tilted oddly in thought about it, "But its good you avoid that one. We don't like strangers around our mapping area."
"Ok. I will no go near it unless offered by you lovely folks." I smile gentle and find another hole. Patched it up.
My threads are still enough for every tent here and to make a tent of my own. Yet I might need my threads for other things. Not all the tents were of any need of touch up. Just the three to the side there. I never went into them to see the work from the other side. Just finishing the tents patching up were a great sense of self-achievement. Coiled around that big tear in study of wonder if it were going to last long like that.
"Oh, there you are." She lowered to share height with me, "You are very skilled in sewing."
"I made it some of my trade. I make all sorts of things folks may need or want. I would show you my works but you seemed not the type to be needing hand-made bags or charms."
"I would love a charm to remember you by."
"Really? mmm…" I thought about it and crawled into my shadow pick up a few different ones and back out as a lady, "How about once of my scales and a setoff claw material needles. They are what I used for this and own plenty to get by." She tries on the scale necklace inspected how much larger the scale were to the small scales of a cat crawler. The length of her point finger, oval black with a sparkled sheen. Almost looking into the night sky itself, "I have a plenty of my scales, shedding them is not rare but not common every day. You take good care and be careful of my claw needles. I have poked through wood with them before."
We stood up to talk better and not look to weird with being low at the ground for no reason. She guided me around toward of the white tents. I stood outside looking at the evening slow down. Most around camp fires talking stories of battle, growing up or miracles.
How things seemed to have opened up for them and that the trail onwards with fighting 'demons' were a honour. Saying their honour pride of being a solider was never tainted with knowing they put these 'demons' to death. But from the sounds of it – death doesn't sound like death to me. How they moved onto how they would like to be sorted when or if they fall. Some were honestly playing a joke and others were sober serious. Being reflecting of life and death.
"Thank you for the beautiful scale, needles made of claw and fixing up our tents." She trades me one of her feathers of blue turquois sliver – the light seems to make it glow and feel alive. Plus she gave me their sleek white cloth materials, new threads of all sorts of colours. Just the basic range of a rainbow. What they use for the threading is silky stronger then my spun threads. Tighter and not of hand made quality; very so much rare to find these days.
I were so overjoyed and happy for the gift back that I could help to inhuman purr through me. I couldn't stop there as I just had to give a big hug. She wasn't used to the human gesture yet sort of fell into liking that. Trying to be both glad for the hug and understanding such a living gesture.
"Thank you. They are beautiful colours. I wish could figure out how to make my own like this. It's so lovely." I give breathing room and properly grinned without being that weird with my grin, "It's been fun to patch up the tents. It gave me great ideas to make some other styles of clothes."
She got out of my arms grasp and smiled softly with inspecting my good mood looks. Seeing how I keeping up such a perfect human balance in stare trading.
"Really?" She must have found it odd about how I talked to her as a good friend. But being friends was the best part of it. The good feeling was all she needed to feel stronger. Her thought of maybe seeing me as a threat was gone. Or just being doubting of me ever being threat with them.
"I do have to apologise from never telling you a name to call me by. Often these days, them Clothus love to try to enslave folks. Some sort of laws of theirs and disrupts the order around here. But it's not so bad as others." I seemed to have only made her a little more curious and confused with me.
"You seem so, alive." She commented more to herself in out-loud thinking then telling me.
"Oh, yes. I am a dweller of this land here. You can call me Liz. It's my nickname, so no worry about that slaver servicing stuff in calling me that." I shake hands in greeting her properly and understood that she still being so cautious. Even after the long day of fixing their tents they are still questions of if I were to be trusted or not. But being at ease with them and sharing the smile of calmness when those unaware notice me is such a sweeter experience. A better first impression for them the those aware of my honest shaped side.
"I am so sorry of all the trouble and grief that comes from us of the other side." She does sound like she is testing me on if I felt grief or gave some false reaction towards them. It's came off as being a nervous sounding echo of what she really thought. The study of her expressions seemed just a scared thought crossing her mind.
"I am not fussed. I get to trade easy with folks like you or them. The locals aren't so like-minded or often too rude to trade. I don't blame them for being protective of themselves, life is harsh. But I don't eat people or things I can have good talks with. Bugs and birds make good eating, a beauty to the wildlife or pets to look after." My inside knowledge of how this land works has lifted her well out of thinking of me as someone else. Her eyes dotted about the tent back over behind us… stuck in a stare with how fixed it was. Back around to those around her, this fire pit and myself taking a seat around it.
The folks do a swap around from watch duties. Laughing at a passive jokes. It seems more feathered fellows to take a seat around this fire – the quietness is consumed by this new set then the rowdy youth talkers before them. It seems there is a set that fought war already and a set before are new to war.
"I am glad you are on the same page with how life works. Yet are you aware of our laws?" She sits next to me with asking her next consider. She has something from her belt passed over to everyone, a bag of nuts of some kind. I were the last to have them and there weren't any left. I handed the bag back her. She looked at it and picked one from it. Tied the bag to her belt.
"No. No one has ever explained this to me. I don't know your lot's history." I looked about to how everyone feathered winged, "None of you have scales on you wings and you are so kind. Thoughtful of your surroundings and good will. You seemed overstepped with the military command style. War is hardly what you folks are here for, despite folks around here talking like you're in some sort of truce between war."
My eyes gently watched the fire, as it were always a hyponitc thing to watch. It's never boring. Looking to her with the strange ridding expression about her, she was in a tilted doubt again. Or just trying to think of way to explain things to me. As I was completely clueless.
"We call ourselves Angels. We come from a place were good will is what ranks you – despite any negative deeds you done." Interesting, it's not the deed but the thought around the deed, "We are war with those you call scaled wings. They are our counter opposites (if you could imagine that). It's their believe that it's the deed that rules that thoughts of why. They punishing the wrong people and why we are always at war with each other all the time. A bonus of our duty is to guide souls to our realm so that they can be reborn angels like myself an those around you."
"I understand. It's very human-like system. Justice sort of ways." I have my eyes closed for a brief moment to think about it in a pause of thought. She seemed laughing for a moment and wasn't.
"If the living aren't aware of us; we must never alter their views of us. One of the laws we follow for centuries. Demons refuse to see our laws and has versions that also refuse to follow types." A chaotic order without much control.
"They sound like hell." I commented innocently, having heard the many versions of belief of what 'hell' seemed to everything. Always a bad thing for bad peoples or misbehaving souls.
"It's where they are from." No wonder they follow no laws when the place is madness. You not going to have a bunch of foul moody folks listen to you unless you bested them in some why. Does this mean they have a sinner system for hell?
"Really? Those scaled folks are called demons and come from hell?" She nods, "You lot are angels and come from?" At least the facts were straighter in my mind.
"Heaven." Angels are from heaven and demons are from hell. Clothus are a mysterious creepy cloth lot. Sums up all I need to know for now. When I die, could I try to cross over? Be reborn as an angel or demon when I die? Could demons be good like angels and could angels become bad? Is there half types out there?
"What about them Clothus?" Rolling onwards with the mystery of the princes.
"I don't know." Oh, I guess she doesn't know. I am not faulting her from the lack of knowledge. It seems like they are total strangers anyways. Given the slave laws, it ponders if the slave ownership could happen to a Clothus from a Clothus.
"I should be leaving. I know where it becomes a point of over staying welcomes. I had originally planned on finding a new nest area." I thought about it, "If you were of any interest to find a market meet point of them Clothus; there's a ghost town south east from here. I have seen two prince types around there, Clothus I mean. I think I plan on traveling to the other side towards the west front and see where around there is better suited for me. I might one day find a ruined house to fix maybe.
Thank you for explaining things to me, hardly anyone seems to remember why they even fighting these days. I hope you stay in good health and fair fortunes while being here." I shake her hand again and stood bowed to the rest of them in a thanks. Then with looking about the sky of wonder if it were worth the flight. Getting to dark for that. I picked up a lantern from my shadow and lit it with the flame of the camp fire. Then onwards in the dark, walking as a human into the shadows of the forest. A small wave of goodbye with anyone behind me on patrol.
Picked up a few fallen tree branches that make good canes or fire wood. I do human hunting of a few small frogs or newts. Out from the coves in the trees. Small stops for plant remedies. Veg stealing. Herbs around here. Not too much left around here. Needs to be left to grow for a while. I tried to seed around here – replace what I took. Nothing ready to pick.
It was around dawn with the market gates being open for traders only. I walked on through without the paper's business as I weren't a Clothus. I don't follow their laws. I haven't needed to yet (well excluding that time as being a servant). I wasn't about to tell that to them here. Nothing knows my soul past. From before I hatched again.
"Good morning lady trades, What you go on offer today?" Before I could set up, I have someone here with paper for something. I sigh and cross my arms with paying attention to them. My eyes scanning there looks and that lovely looking assassins blade around the belt there. The not a assassin got themselves a little patch with a skull on the cloak right shoulder. Circled in daggers.
"Hello. I haven't finish setting up today but you here to bother me. What is it you want, Clothus? If you're here to take me as some fool – I will sting you to the fence."
"You seem aware that I am a hire for kill but you aren't my target. What I wanted to know is if you seen a pair of sibling royals around." I acted to give that a questionable thought.
"Clothus can be siblings?" I muttered and were lingered on that thought longer then they have patience, "Uh, I never heard of sibling Clothus. But I have royal folks before. The are some that are here in town that visit the market and others around the out skits of nowhere. Some I walked into by chance in my material gathering and others come here to tried trades with me." It wasn't the information the hired mercenary wanted to hear. Huffed and paid with a few strange coins. Walked off. I inspected the coins at length with what metals it were and what they showed me. Slide off to storage and out came the trade goods I wanted to sale today. Charms lined in row and hung necklaces off a skull of a deer. Show casing the things made it seemed better. I got no one interested in my wares today.
It allowed me to play with my new cloth. Wanting to make a new something with it. Something different. There is to many ideas with all the sorts of things I could make with it. So I will hold off for now. Folding it perfectly and sinking back to storage. On to the eyes of someone walking up to the stall, around about 5 hours of no one all day until now. I don't think the one the assassin counted.
"Hey lady trader, got anything new?" my rings fool with a bag of gold today, "How's life been?"
"It's lovely lately, I got new threads and cloth. Learned about angels and demons from the views of an angel. I am going to be moving nests. My favourite trees not looking to happy these last few weeks." I see the causally comments I makes news to this Clothus, "I have new stock. I had this ring of ideas in my mind about making dream catchers and pillows."
"You got an angel to talk you? Where and when?"
"Nosy much, tradesman. Not the only asking strange questions. I don't know what is up with you Clothus." This trade was each as the whole bag of gold rings was made easy swap with figures of cats and dogs. I knew he like cat and dog figures. Made a batch just for him. He took a few bats this time and the one reptile figure. Miniatures seem to be his thing, "I looking at moving markets too since I am change nest sites. I thought it be wise not to flood the market with my figures and charms."
"But your so famous for them." I have been picking up piece of that he offers one at a time. Inspecting quality and worth. The plain one's look like the over saturated amounts that angles wear. Then the few feather symbolic angel rings of different metals.
In thought, the colour of the metal seemed a reflection of their military ranking. Their ranking of metal goes as follows (in theory): Tin, copper, mixed silvers / plated, then pure silver, golden in colour range then lastly (which isn't here) platinum or rare metals. The status rings had deco and the plain one's have another purpose I have yet to understand. I just often assume they like their many heavy rings, bracelets and necklaces.
"Something wrong about them?"
"No, they are authentic. I am not worried or bothered by them or their quality. Just a curious soul, is what I am. I wonder why they wear so many rings and things. Just doesn't make sense. They don't carry weapons but talk all military like. It's strange to me."
"Oh, no one has ever shown you." He picked on of the dull ones and it altered to a arrow, "All the dull one's are weapons converts. Some ranked rings too but that the rare ones."
"Oh, that's cool. Now I know." I laughed, "They are showing off they gear by wearing like it's a fashion. The scare tactic in more subtle ways. Oh love it."
"You so weird and creepy but I think am getting use to you." He laughed with and made the last bits needed, "Happy house hunting. Avoid the drowned ones."
I waved and picked out more rings I have on me and re-ordered everything. I find that do in fact happen to own a few high graded rings… from corpse savaging. I should have took a feather too. My thoughts humming with the demon sets being complete impossible to judge their ranking by looks and nature. In some ways, I can see this being fitting for chaotic beings. I have to learn from one to understand their views. Maybe the angles aren't seeing or is missing out on something. They seemed to… A hunch really.
"Hello again, have any child in need of care?" I got my allies attention from his walk by, "How are you?"
"You look completely new today." I am not wearing a hood or hiding my face. Just following my stare about him and what his got for offering trades. His eyes also danced with the odd dot on things laid out to the table between us, around several goes and stopped about a dream catcher.
"Could you trade me that?" He directed to it.
"The dream a catcher." I hooked it off the top and looked at it with how normal it seemed to me. All the feathers were normal bird ones. The bone teeth and thread from the lizard I caught. I offered it across as he looked at it. A free hand of his petting the surface, "Humans made them to prevent them from having bad dreams or nightmares. It's a old superstition that the living have. To me, I think it works. Yet I am a fool for believing the superstition."
"Catches dreams?" The markets around was flocked of people stopping by to look at the things, interrupted this conversation with small trades. I got back around to him and noted the long pout he had about it.
"Yeah, it hang over where you sleep at night and picks up the bad dreams. So that you may have a better sleep." He laughed at the notion a while, slowing with seeing how serious I was being, "Have you never dreamed in your sleep before? There's so much about dreams that makes one wonder. Most times dreams are warnings about things or loss thoughts that been ringing around you. It's all in the mind."
"I have never heard of someone talking about a dream like that. Dream is often refers as a goal to want to have but never get."
"It's a double meaning word for humans. Dreams are what we have in our sleep; imagination running wild or premonitions of have has had. Dream are also goals and it's up to the dreamer to make it a reality. As not all dreams are impossible even if they seem to."
There is this cloud of ringing thoughts flowing to my mind in this conversation. Is he saying that Clothus don't dream when they go to sleep for the night? I get that not every night does everyone dream. I just find it weird that they don't seem to dream at night. People sleep of dreams they wish they have true, right? Some have nightmares they wish never existed.
I fixed up in quick hand to restock up my figures, pulling them out from underneath the scarves stack beside them. My eyes were dotted about the amount of necklace were on the skull and around to the rings I was playing around with are still out. Those all get taken to storage of my shadow by a gentle sweep off the table. Pilling into the darkness cupped in my hand as each dropped into storage. I dusted the feeling off my hand with then seeing that he is been intently watching me for a while.
"You very wise today." He hummed and looked back at the dream catcher in his hands. Those clothed fingers playing about the bones, feathers and threads, "It's an interesting belief."
I swept around with another restocking of items around the table, pocket back something someone was trying to steal. I fixed up another skull to hang more things off it. Muttering as I worked had soon added.
"Belief in whom you are and what you do is all that often keeps the living from death. You may think the living as weird but without faith in own ways then this land would really be dead. It's how it hangs on with very little." He backed away from a weird comment, "I seemed to notice the lack in faith with you Clothus. Maybe you should try to being brave in your actions and hold a tighter grip around those dreams. They sure fly away when there is lack of strength in the soul that believes in those dreams."
"What are you? A god?" He tries to do that head to toe check. But his sight fixed right to my eyes, searching in them for something. He even seemed scared of me with this belief.
"No. Just a dweller among the living. If I were a god, I would have done so much more with things around here. Or at least, I want believe that I can even if am not a god." I smiled lightly, "Hey, if you see that prince around with that ring again. Would you let him know that he might be interested in finding me. I think I got a lead on that partner ring."
"Me?" He huffed. He wasn't as scared of me in a sense of not being a god. Yet this is the man knows that I was a serpent snake in disguise. So he has always been that little cautious to not do things that would upset something like me. A good example is smiling after me or be slow reaching around the table.
"You're more likely to met him then me. I live here and I would never be able to cross over to your realm. Just at least sending some sort of letter from within your realm or however you communicate normally. I am not asking much and I not even doing this favour for any award."
I relaxed with standing here in a chat, gentle passive trades that would interrupted were dealt with a quick but careful manner.
My necklaces of charms and bone figure's have ran out. I had to start taking out my more detailed wood figures and some only slightly larger. Details and my signature mark hidden around the base and design.
"Selfless but they likely not going to believe you and me." he picked up the cat and dog larger versions and did a trade back of figure for them instead. I also had someone trying to trade for one of the skulls I had for display use. Something I let happen; snickered to them for such wish.
"well, whatever you do. Just pass on the message. I thinking of moving one a new town north west. I have been thinking of actually trying to live in a house or finding remains of human technology. I am sure there going to be some hidden gem somewhere." Muttering on with the conversation with some new to slide to him. He frozen up like a scared man watching an oncoming storm.
"You're very clever for a reptile under that corpse." He is finally finished with doing any more trades with me and is also just here for conversation. Moved to the side for others to trade here but stuck around in ear pitch.
"Oh? You think these skins are drop dead. You're amusing, really. This my friend is my little secret. I don't need to wear corpses. Plus, I can't fit myself in one like them Cat crawlers. They have a different joint system then me." He blinked several times, maybe not sure with how this all works. I see that folks were slowing up and business in trades is down to the shady folks around here. The most shady of shady has to be my next customer, a grim that comes with a bag of human make full of human items. There is a lot of rattle noise from it… loose glass. I tilt and wave in ask of what would this reaper want in trade for it.
"I would rather find someone that know what it is then to trade it." I stare with how cold and the memory of sorrow in their voice… As if I felt like I recall back to when a reaper took me in my last life.
"May I have a better look in the bag?" I asked catiously, "You never know what human have around them." The repear noticed instantly in my changed demener and scared actions. Down to staring at how I breath and the way my words echoed within the air. He soon nods lightly, placing it down on the stall. I opened and picked through – bits of main pieces at a time.
Laptop, tablets, 10 smart phones; things with smashed screens or dead batteries. Computer parts, screws, glass shards, wiring and computer borad. I did try to turn any of them on, to look for electricity that still worked. Being methodical and still cautions about this reaper stood watching me.
"All of these are examples of human technology. Thing's such as the computer, the mobile smart phones, tablets, ipads… all useless now. It's needs alot work to be done to get them working." He reached over to the few items, only having me react to back away from dare crossing any form of touch. He tries the exact things I just did and tilted in thought of his own about it all, "If only there was ways to recharge some of them batteries and fix the glass screens. It's not any old glass on them. The many things are made of complex metals." I get looked at oddly, "You don't know how to read human books or something?"
"What books?" A few folks were gathering around to listen to the information. Nosing about what got on the table of trade and over all the staring. It doesn't help my nerve; already bad with this being a grim of all things. My primal fear is natural and justified.
"There are no books here but I just saying information from books I once read. If not that then the signs or words on the actually parts." The reaper moved his hands back to his side. I were quick and careful to place them back in the bag, in a more careful manner to no further bust it all. My hands felt the tools in the other pockets. Tools for such fix jobs. I only noticed a little to late for the reaper to be reaching around to what seemed like picking up the bag again. I try to be quick about not being touched and yet my ally got my left hand in a lock from moving away. I did protest a little without meaning to be rude or hurtful. I just weren't comfortable around this reaper and my hand out to his touch was a scary thought.
"That isn't the skin of a dead thing you wear, reptile." The reaper only poked my fleshy hand out of feeling my living status. I were finally let go and I moved my arms away. Even back a step to sort of hide from being touched again.
"Hardly not. I don't fit like cat crawlers do. Much to many extra limbs for that." I muttered coldly for this mistreatment and pet my own hand in worry of anything to happen to it for such touch.
"Is that so?" My worry was warranted with how there were a new mark on my hand with marked even my scales. Something I looked at checking instantly… not happy of being marked by them. Worse of the likelyihood of this mirroring a mark given by someone under contract. I didn't want my soul past to be told or noticed by others.
"So what are you hiding when you are in this mock human shape?" Such a nosy pair in front of my trade stall.
"I don't have to explain myself or speak to you. It's unhealthy to speak to a grim reaper. Espeacailly when it comes to the end of one's life… but such role is needed for a cycle system to work here." they were in a quick flurry of comments to each other in a different language. I hide my wares and did try to move away slowly from them. Only to be met with a blade cruved around me and my back. I froze there scared, my tail tapped around me. The lower the average hissing out of being scared then anything else.
"You're not human but pretend to be. Why?"
"I live here. I often like the social interaction compared to the silence or threat of the living. No tree ent or Venus man traps gonna speak to you. No frog or fish share a language like humans or you afterlife folks. I would kindly prefer to keeping living if you do not mind. I have not intent in being someone else's servant or be some fools play toy. I live freely and with my terms of common human sense – disptite having the jaws to eat one. Why eat something that can plead for mercy or have emotions?."
"You were always creepy but your motives in murder is non-existent." They edge the blade away a little, "Are you aware of the death of a group of humans east from here?"
"If I knew there were humans, I would have wanted to protect them. Humans are rare as cat crawlers these days. Such a advance race of like minded folks is a sad waste to be lost. I wish to had met them and learned from them… I wish I could have been there to protect them." the blade is moved from me and I settled more. But I know stood with something to guard my back from being curved cut again.
"You like humans and wouldnt hurt them out of emotional sense?"
"I guess you could see things that way. You don't understand how harsh this land can be. Hunting for food gets harder to do when it hurts you back. Edible to the menu for humans isn't edible for a lot of things. That can also work in reverse too. There are more things that a human would die eating then what is safe for humans to eat."
"That's very interesting… and you know this why?"
"I can mock a human look but also their organ patterns too. I find that raw meats is harder to eat as a human that if I were in my comfortable state." The point was valid as it meant I didn't have to meet a human to know that. Just understand that when I take on a same I take on their organs and senses like them too.
The point of their weapon is back around me, around my shoulders to behead me – despite the metal guard precaution. So scared this time I altered shape to a standing cat crawler and fall to floor lowest height away from the swing they took. They stared at length of shock for what just happened after trying to behead me.
They're to blind to notice, I crawled into shadows further hiding on the underside of the table in complete shadow. Scared to move and scare to be murdered. If this continues, I will consider what no creature should ever have the law to do; to consider harm over a grim out of defence to the point of their death. Sure plants have killed the grims before but I am sure that no sentient things with human congintive ability has ever been in this situation to murder.
"That's not a human, it's abmitted that honestly and it were honest to tell it weren't a crawler either. It told us that it were a living thinking something; which means it belongs to the ground rules of the living." My 'ally' opened up next with there pause of silence from the repear. My tail is all that whipped around to pack away my things and pray they leave me be. Even leaving the husk of the empty horent nest on the table for them to go away with. From the sound of it, it moved away some but still from how I see under this table. The damn reaper stayed around glaring for any chance to see me again.
"Whatever you are, I wish to make a deal with you. This is so you may pass between living and dead alike without breaking any sort of reality laws. In return for a privelige; I wish to seek the shelters of where humans have stayed hidden."
I had to think about if those words were real or not. If my imagination just broke into reality and spat from the reaper. A nightmare of thought lingering around the very questions in my mind. It's made me ever more scared and just that much closer to considering to eat this reaper out of frightful instinct for my life. Ringing in my mind and twisted around my forked tongues. Lumped in my throat, that ball of needed to know question fighting to break out of me. So I had better reason why I should fight and flight. A since that I wanted pure justification over my life to bite them. Eventually the dam of nerve creaked open the lake flash flood of thoughts; crashing my tongue into words.
"For what exactly? All the souls were collected by the last folks that I guided through them parts. Long have those places have been seals as tombs for dead should be. Sure there is every possibility for one to still inhabit some forms of life or humanoid like things." I spoke gently in a low hiss and do my best to slide the shadow from sight when they will go to check for me, "You maybe lucky to find computer parts in working conditions… a valid thought from someone interested in bring back lost or being erased technology."
My flood of rambling was suddenly sealed up but the fears the sealed the creaks for now. Bringing long tapping of impatience. Gueine worry for this spot about to become a repears destruction.
"Are you interested or not?"
"Will I be enslaved for it?" a rapid question to that such question.
"No. Acts as both a curse and gift." Well, isn't that a peachy. What a horrible way to sale one soul over? Heck no. But this isn't some trickster right? This is honest and relying grim. A grim interested in technology and not the souls… totally nothing shady here.
"Details. Side effects?"
"Whom knows the side effects of such spells. It's rare for one to be offered a one time chance." Not working on me. You have to know more then just it's special and hardly used ability to expend on useless nothing. A good guinea pig for when I met a human to do this exact spell over.
"It sounds to good a deal to be trustworthy." My sarcasm is not being swept aside here. It is a push for better answers then what crap I being forced feed into here.
"I am not a demon." Repear took offence to such subby tone. At least they are emotive beings stuck in a soul crushing job. Misery should be there middle name along side 'endless echoed sorrow'. Here is no happiness to watch other pass in front of you and knowing that is exactly what they all wait for. That there is nothing truly motivating a soul takers duty.
"I know but even grim like you are shady." The prolonged silence, "Other then not being physically able to break the law of what is life and death. What else does such gifted cruse offer?"
My resolve of fighting them, eating them and running crumbles the longer I linger here stuck with this pissed beyond belief reaper. That this offer wears thinner the longer my mind were getting turned around to agree to it. Interrupting it all is my 'ally', whom had my soul reborn as new hatchling. Nosing around the side for any sign of where I went. Weighting on working with the grim to drag me into forced agreement.
"At least you have it interested; despite not being brave to face you in direct conversation anymore. While being camouflaged to the…" the ally peered around the under table ad back up. Sounds like he climbed my table and looked above on the roof, "Despite disappearing from plain sight."
The repear was in a deeper thought match… finally giving up something.
"You will have accesses to the other interconnected realms around this one and have ability to have the same status of living dead during periods of visitations in those realms. You will forever be stuck in a limbo of having to keep living and dying… whom knows if you will recall such deals in the next life." Spoke hollowed of the doubt that I could ever comprehend this offered gifted curse. Ever so much more tempting to me, a moth to flame is what I am becoming… soon if I don't laving the alluring sounds. Soon will I have a foot in the grave forever.
"What if I were ever to do that? Recall life." It spooked them both that I seemed still 'here' and listening.
"Then I will adjust this cruse around you soul without enslavement. You will be a free soul after this." Oh, so tempting. So bright the light. So beautiful and warm.
"Living dead like status in any realms connected to this one… does this include learning new languages…. I have to wait and see about that. The offer is tempting repear. My only few questions concerns what you wish to do with all this human broken tech and exactly why you so interested in revival of it. Maybe teaching you a thing or two about how electricity works and where it comes from will help you rethink touching those vile things."
Burning to the touch, in a moments leap to crawl out from hiding. So much heat that it comes so close to burn my little month wings.
"Anti-techno reptile which knows about things that is very beyond what it would know. Hatched in the arms a average cat crawler – you nothing like your surregnts." The ally crept around for any sign of my shapes and signal of life.
"Look and sense not like them. Body different. I am a thing that is not classed in any biological books. I a thing that is considered terrifying even to the local inhabits of this land." My little trick slides ever so gently up around the underneath of the roofing.
"Creepy is they're style… I am beginning to wonder what really hatched from that soul." The defeat of not seeing me moved them both backed enough… Out I coiled from underneath the roofing and in the thick scaled miniature of my comfort looks. Eyes sunk right on the repear and traced a little to crowds I have gathered in such a sensitive conversation. Some fools were about to step forwards to claim me. They are all met with my true gurging hiss and that of whipped creaking at ther feet by the wave of my tail.
"Scale so rare in such sky lighten colouring… no wonder none see you when hidden to well in darkness." The grim spoken next and dared forwards. I may have coiled into on the offensive and turned silent. But I did ally this… moth test the touch of fire. He dares reach out a hand, "I wish to offer you as not a slave but a gifted curse over your soul. You must trust me so I may trust you to guide me through the vaults."
"Did you hear about the raven that showed the reapers theat life were more then just human?"
"It's a legend with unfounded proof."
"I remember well when I died that year… remembered being stuck into such small bird body. Forced as some guided wing. Cross the migrations just to find the death off humanity. A horror I refused to see first hand, how bitter as I scared you grim. Years before you were our guides when our souls were locked in torment of our earthly shells. Now such a nightmare to harvest the vast 5 million sealed in metal vaulted boxes. Still todays is corpses lay in such horror. Such horror has grown now. I promised to never returned back to those tombs for good god fearing reasons." This grim backed away from me, "Take this as a heed. A dare if you wish to open that tin of worms; then expect the horror of what they before you had to slay." I coiled tighter, "I have no issues with you grim. The task that humanity left you weren't a easy one. One to never be forgotten and brace as the reasons of humans being mysteriously rare these days."
"I retract my deal, thing." The grim takes lift of his syth, "How dare you sneer my forefathers?"
"Is that how it came across to you, grim repear? My words were my way of respecting what had to be done, a loving forgiveness and maybe apology for having to take the world of humans on you shoulders for gentrations. I only wished to heed you in where you will find in those cold evil vaulted tombs. I mean no sneer down on you, your duty, or ansestory. Such to the faith in human thoughts; death is always cold, sudden, honest and always emptiness. Such looked up to as gods to humans. Repescted and worshiped. Still by souls worshiped and unseen praises."
It has the repaer drop his defence a tiny bit and were right for the open to that their throat at my jaws… yes, I could. My stare on such a bone body being defensive was only the moment window for him to see I considered it. I backed away with looked down on the floor and whipped the clothus out of my path to the chained fence. There I shrink to hop through the fence, take a moment to hide and look back. That grim dared step through that fence to look onwards to find me… only to stare right down my soul from where I hide.
"Hey repear, forgetting something." The ally were just the perfect distraction on him to look up. The fractions of a moment to me to leap away a few blades futher in the grass. Into my full size, claw my way out to the open plains. Make a circle around away from the eyes of this town and the grand vast empty forests. Here into the kill or be killed. To be intangled in fear of death by a grim out on the head hunt for my beady little soul. Climb, run and fear. Flight is my only response. The shape of a reptile into bird to fly low in branchs. To run from death.
Not to burn… to keep my freedom wings of beautiful flight. So lighty and airy they. Perfect and effortless. No shackles to take me. Freedom!