The shell understood that it was necessary to compile a firm and complete understanding of his forces. As a result, he decided to conduct a series of tests to firmly grasp the nature of the unique skeleton in front of him. After all, knowledge is power, and ignorance is weakness.
For his first test, he wanted to ensure that although the skeleton in front of him was intelligent, it remained loyal. He commanded it to perform a series of minor actions in sequence and observed the results. Despite its sentience, the skeleton dutifully followed every one of his orders with perfect rhythm. Moreover, it seemed quite content, almost dancing as it carried out his instructions.
His second test aimed to assess the level of the skeleton's intelligence. He ordered his subject to repair the house from which he had emerged. This test was designed to see how it would complete tasks. The results were surprisingly impressive from the shell's perspective. The skeleton first carefully observed the structure of the dilapidated abode before meticulously examining the various damages. It then attempted to repair the home but struggled to make any significant progress. After a few minutes, the skeleton returned and dejectedly lowered its head, as if it had suffered a major defeat.
The test revealed two key points: first, this undead could indeed problem-solve and devise solutions based on the situation. Moreover, it could interpret commands and act upon them independently without supervision. Second, although it understood the command, it couldn't carry it out, likely due to a lack of knowledge about construction or repair. Since it didn't know how to proceed, it chose to do nothing and return.
The final test focused on its ability to communicate. After some experimentation, the following outcomes were noted: while the skeleton could not speak- most likely due to the lack of vocal cords or muscles-it did understand words. It used head nods for "yes," shakes for "no," and tilts to indicate lack of understanding. The shell had effectively created a rudimentary language. He then asked a series of questions and mentally recorded the findings:
"Do you understand my words?"
Nod: Yes
"Are you capable of repairing this house?"
Shake: No
"Do you have memories of anything before meeting me?"
Shake: No
"Are you aware of the differences between yourself and others?"
Tilt: I don't know
Although the shell still had more questions, these answers sufficed for the moment. He confirmed that the being in front of him could understand words beyond merely following commands. His hypothesis that the lack of knowledge was why it didn't repair the house was neither confirmed nor denied. For now, he would operate under that assumption until proven otherwise.
The third question was especially important, as it confirmed that the being had no memory of who it had once been. If it had retained such recollections, it would have posed a massive problem. In his mind, memories of a past life would only create numerous complications down the line. The consequences of such a scenario went beyond mere logistical hurdles; if unresolved, it could become a crack that would ultimately shatter the foundation.
Consider a scenario where a significant number of his forces retained memories of their previous lives, even if he could control them, would they remain loyal? The answer was an obvious "no." Given the autonomy displayed by this companion, even slight disloyalty would be significantly dangerous. He was thankful that such a situation had not arisen. Now that he pondered the topic further, this conclusion was reinforced by his own example: he was intelligent yet had no memories before awakening in that house. Was that a good thing?
The final question was mostly a shot in the dark. Even if the skeleton understood why it was intelligent while the others weren't, it wouldn't have been able to articulate it in meaningful detail. He had more questions, of course, but he didn't believe he would gain much from asking further at that moment. Instead, he began to examine his surroundings.
After the shell finished his questions, the skeleton noticed him taking stock of their surroundings. It then walked over to its perfectly still brethren and attempted to communicate. It raised its hand, waved it in front of their faces, and even lightly tapped one on the head. Unfortunately, they seemed incapable of thought. Feeling a little disappointed and quite frustrated at its inability to connect, it went to find its master, the only one who understood it.
It found him crouched low, studying some marks in the dirt and carefully analysing their direction and patterns. Although the skeleton did not understand the purpose of this examination, it mimicked him, hoping to be of some assistance.
These were tracks, the shell concluded. He observed many footprints, horse imprints, and what appeared to be wheel grooves. Someone had recently been in this area, judging by the clarity of their footsteps.
The large black bird flew swiftly through the chilling autumn night, zooming just above a dense and verdant forest, gazing down at the dark green canopy. In the distance, it spotted a small shack, eerily out of place in the lush wilderness. It silently headed straight for it and began to descend cautiously. It landed atop the hut's jagged roof and called out loudly and obnoxiously. Soft footsteps, followed by a loud thump, approached the bird.
A small figure exited the house, holding a long walking stick with an avian head carved at the top. They looked up at the bird and spoke.
"Oh dearie, you've seen something interesting, haven't you?"