The skeleton placed the creature in the middle of its makeshift laboratory.
'What should we do with it?' 'BRING FORTH LIFE' 'with what? Meat? We don't know how to use meat!' 'Test meat. Strengthen body with bones!' 'Yes, grow! The bigger the better, just like them pilot ACE computers!' 'The, what?' 'What's a computer?'
"Not important, we can talk about them during experimentation!"
Placing one hand on the creature's head the chorus tested: {DECAPITATE}. Slowly, its neck began to tear. One centimeter at a time it ripped apart, from left to right. However, after about 7 seconds, it stopped. Only about a fourth of its neck was torn.
"Seven seconds? That's the limit of a single command, huh? I wonder if that's the limitation placed upon us by the ability or ourselves. Because if it's simply us, there might be a way to lengthen it. I'm not sure how though?"
'The length of time isn't important! The command is!' 'Yes, the commands are more important, not their time frame.' 'ILL KILL YOU!' 'But if we don't get the full potential out of each command, our understanding of their true effect will be off by a possibly large margin!' 'Should we be doing this?' 'We should take advantage of their current effects, then worry about efficiency once resources are more expendable.' 'Yes' 'Right' 'Aye'
Refocusing on the neck it spoke once more: {HEAL}. Nothing happened. It didn't vibrate, shake, or so much as twitch."Thought so... {MEND}" and the torn fourth of the neck began reattaching itself. This was faster taking a measly three seconds. Then the creature was healed. It even stopped spewing blood from the death wound.
"This is a tad more intricate than bones! I suppose that means we're considered alive, in some way, shape or form?"
The experiments continued!
_________________________
"I'm telling you, it was some kind of spirit."
"And I'm telling you, it was just a memorial site."
"Will you two shut up! You're both fools, there hasn't been anything out here for about twenty years at least."
Along the usual trail Jack and James patrol, they suddenly took a turn off the intended path going deeper into the woods. This time they brought Foster, one of the senior guards.
They were all in their leather armor carrying their preferred weapons. Jack had blonde hair, blue eyes, and an above-average build but not by much. Carrying both a short and long sword on his left side. James on the other hand was a couple of heads shorter. Sporting an exaggerated body to the extent one might think they see his muscles through the leather. His hair and tightly trimmed beard were brown. Armed only with two daggers.
Foster was the tallest, his red hair slightly faded with age. Dispight seniority he seemed the largest and healthiest of the bunch. Sporting two short axes and a sharp pair of eyes. One of the axes was clearly used more than the other.
They continued onwards!
________________________
'Time' 'Sun's getting low.'
[50:22:38]
'Three men, 50 paces North!'
The skeleton ceased activity for a moment then began preparation.
______________________
"It's right up here!" Proclaimed Jack.
"Keep your voice down," replied James.
"Why, like it cared last time?"
"Why can't you just respect the-"
"Get to navigating, not yappen!" And Foster ended that strain of dialogue...
Soon they reached their destination.
"I definitely don't remember that being there." Said Foster
In front of them was a small clearing. Dotted around the area were strange 'sculptures' made of bone, hanging or protruding from trees. Off to the side was a dismembered creature, warped in such a manner the men couldn't even tell what it was.
However, what caught their attention wasn't any of that. In the middle, they focused all their attention on the statue in the center. It resembled a skeleton, with flowers flowing in and out of random areas. It was relatively clean, the only thing out of the ordinary was its left arm which was only blade, elbow down.
It stood facing them, unmoving. Blade down, hand out. As if accepting a gift.
"This is totally different!" Said Jack.
"It wasn't like this before?" Asked Foster.
"No... before it was only the skeleton. I'm sure it was missing a hand and was severely battered too." Answered James.
"Isn't this about where the howl from earlier would have come from?" Foster asked.
"Wait, HOLY SHI-"
'come little on-' 'What are you doing!' 'Shush, I'm being mysterious. Watch and learn. Argh humm' the whispers cleared their nonexistent throat.
'Come little ones, offer your devotion.'
They looked at each other. Beckoned by the strange voice, they all hesitated.
The two of them knew no one would be so foolish as to fall for-
Jack took a step forward.
"What the hell are you doing!" Said James.
"What? You are the one always going on about respecting the ancestors!"
"This is different! Don't be stupid, you have no idea what that thing is!"
"Shortstack's right! This may be dangerous." Foster said
Jack stepped forward again. "You dumb ass!" And so did James.
"I always said you kids would get me killed." Foster joined them.
Carefully they made their way forward. The entire time the only movement made was by them. Not the trees, 'sculptures', or even the skeleton.
Soon they found their way in front of the skeleton...
"...now what," asked Jack.
"offer your devotion." James mumbled.
Foster suddenly began fumbling through his clothes.
Eventually, he pulled out a ring.
"Wait, you're not going to give it that, right?" Asked James.
"Huh, give?"
"Don't worry I picked off the the Addlemen Brothers a week ago, thinking I'd sell it. But no one in town wanted to buy it. If I was ever going to get any use out of it, might as well be now."Foster explained, placing the ring within the skeleton's hand...
For a moment nothing happened.
{HEAL}
All of a sudden, a chorus of voices spread from seemingly nowhere. Frightened they all stepped back.
While Jack and James were looking around, Foster noticed a rush run through his body. He felt invigorated. All the aches of the day faded and his hair regained its youthful luster. Even his wrist which never fully healed after a certain battle, felt good as new. For a few seconds at least.
Once those seconds were up, the pain returned. However, his body was clearly in a better condition.
"This..." exclaimed Foster.
He then began rummaging through his clothes more vigorously than before.
"Gramps?" Said Jack.
"What's wrong, are you alright?" Asked James.
Once Foster seemed to find what he was looking for, he walked back to the skeleton and placed a small bag in its hand. After he heard the jingling stop he stepped back and waited...
{HEAL}
"Again?"
"The hell is going on"
The chorus sang once more and Foster felt strength seeping through him. He stood still for a few seconds embracing the feeling and just like the previous time, it stopped after a couple of seconds. Unlike last time though, the pain didn't return. He inspected his wrist.
"Its... it's really healed. It healed me!" Exclaimed Foster.
"What." Asked Jack.
"Wait, is that true?" Asked James.
"Are you deaf i said it healed me, do you think me a liar?" Foster confirmed once again.
"N-no, Sir!"
There was a bout of silence for a moment or two.
James decided to test his luck and gave it a dagger.
"A knife? Seriously?" Asked Jack.
"Yeah, a knife. You know I don't carry coin on me anymore. Besides these are relatively cheap. I can buy a new one, next trade." Replied James...
This time it took more than a minute.
"Maybe it doesn't like weapo-"
{GROW}
James felt as if every muscle on his body was on fire. They expanded and warped his Armour.
"Argghh-AHHGH" pain pulsed through his body like venom.
By the end he had grown by a full inch nearly all due to muscle expansion.
Now larger, the dwarf was dripping with sweat and panting beyond belief.
"This.. this is... incredible." Said James, feeling as if he could see the strength coursing through him.
*ha ha HaHAHAHA*James began to laugh looking towards Foster, flexing his muscles the entire time.
James and Foster then began to laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
After a minute or two, they settled down and ceased their humor, for fear the skeleton may dislike it. Eventually, they fully calmed down and looked towards Jack, who had been completely lost for a while now...
"What?"
James nodded towards the outstretched hand which was almost overflowing with 'proof'. "Y'know... prove your devotion?"
"I uhh, look I'm a bit strapped this fall and I can't just give him a sword." Replied Jack.
Foster, now in the best mood he's had for a while jumped in."Just give it the long sword, you can't even use it in the forest, nor have I ever seen you train with it."
"You can't be serious, what if there's an emergency in the village?"
It was now James's turn to convince Jack to make a deal with the forest skeleton. "As if there's ever been an emergency. Besides, if there really was one, you have far more experience with a short sword. You'd be at a disadvantage trying to use the long one!"
"I... ugh FINE!" Jake then proceeded to unsheath his sword, and proceed to fail to balance it in the skeleton's hand. Resulting in a loud clank.
Picking the weapon back up, he reattempted balancing. Learning from his mistakes, he didn't let go until it stayed still without swaying.
Happy with his accomplishments. He took a step back and waited... and waited. Waiting over two minutes.
"So-"
{SHRINK}
"Huh, WAIT!"
Jack's body began to shrink. He didn't feel anything, everything just started to get bigger.
After a couple of seconds, it stopped.
"Oh, no." His body felt just as strong.
"Nonono" just as fast.
"NONONO" just smaller.
"NOOOOOO, MARY IM SORRY"
He was now about six inches shorter.
"So it's not always good things." James pointed out.
"What's he so glum about?" Foster asked.
"He probably thinks wome-"
"THEY WILL NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!"
James continued "He thinks women won't bother with short men."
"Oh, what a naive little fool."