Zensuon: Crystal Age

Dead Men Can Tell a Lot of Tales, if You Just Know How to Listen

Where a halfling and their newly minted 'master' add another unlikely companion who unwillingly joins their unmerry band.

They were standing in the late evening in front of a grave. It was a well-cleared-out portion of the forest. It seems the wood was used to make part of the booths and huts around that the gravekeeper is using, alongside the fence.

The original space the graveyard took didn't seem that big, considering Soulless is more prevalent in Zensuon.

The place felt lonely to Mica. Even with all of the workers in the distance pulling back fences and digging more spots for graves needed (and graves that will be needed, likely). It was something else that caused that feeling.

Maybe the location. As if the graveyard was a part of the forest, but also a part of the town further in, which lay in sand. Like something caught between two parts, not truly belonging.

Tobias was less philosophical about it, looking to ensure no one was immediately around. Unfortunately for him, the grave keeper and his large crew were too close for his comfort.

Tobias glanced down at the halfling.

"I'll come back at night. You're going to watch over the grave. Make sure no one does anything to it." With that, the spellcaster walked away.

Mica stared in confusion. What?

"What?" Mica said but didn't want to inquire into grave-guarding loudly.

Mica felt at this point that he had no choice in the matter anyway. Tobias likely knew that, since he ignored the halfling, and kept on going until he was well out of ear-shot, and the graveyard.

The masked halfling turned back to the grave and stared.

'Siegfried.

Beloved Guard Commander of Break City.

Champion of the Weak.'

It seems someone wrote it with chalk upon a yet unrefined slab of stone. It's likely there are too many dead right now to make anything fancy. And with Break City in shambles, this temporary solution might be permanent for a while.

Could I run away when he's away? Would he know? Does he know I'm here now? If I run off and he can't see me or I'm a certain distance from him, will I fall again? Was it the distance from him that dropped me or he did do something unconsciously? Best result, I'm out of danger as long as I never see him again. Worst result, I'm dead... Should I just kill him when he's asleep? Can I do that? I've never killed a person. Would that trigger something in the necromancy contract? Is he keeping me alive? That's a horrible fate. Urgh... So many questions. I hate this. I hate this.

Mica was facing death, and something ached inside of him. Was it that he avoided death by giving up his freedom? Did he feel wrong to have survived the orcs and that horrible human, while this person did not? Or was it because even though things are so chaotic right now, people loved him enough to take the time to make a half-decent gravestone to remember him by?

Was this because I didn't try hard enough back in the factory? No, I knew that there was nothing I could do. Father was dead, but no one would listen. They all tried to stop me, it was as if they thought I was already guilty! Sure, the weapon that killed him was mine, and it would be pretty hard to get into my room with the complex locks we all have, and there were rumours that Father was going to leave the factory to Goldstein instead of me, but that doesn't mean I killed him! Fuck, maybe it was Goldstein! No, but I don't know. Is that what is eating me inside? Is it that I logically know that I should've run, but I feel like I should've stayed? Maybe if I told them all a piece of my mind? Like it would've mattered. I shouted and shouted there like crazy, Styllia, I can still remember crying. So much help that did.