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Dark dived off the platform and plunged into the murky waters below, swiftly retrieving its daggers and vanishing without a trace like a novice assassin. Only Jay felt its presence heading towards the swamp island. “Be careful down there,” he murmured to himself.

Jay grabbed the black orb, Leech, and held it for a moment.

Huh...? he examined it closely. I can sense something… like it’s one of the skeletons. Perhaps the necrotic mana it absorbed became a part of it?

He held the orb up to the light, examining its dark surface. Interesting.

As he looked at it, Lamp returned and Blue had finished gathering the amber spheres into his bag, so it was time to act.

Jay faced his gauntlet down and began to pull bones back into it, slowly lowering his platform down, closer to the water. Handy returned next, along with another skeleton which Jay didn’t realize was there until it reached its hands out of the water.

“…Heavy?” Jay raised a brow.

Heavy slightly climbed up the platform, and pointed at the black orb.

“Ah, I see.” He smiled, understanding that Blue had brought Heavy back so it could deposit its mana into Leech.

“Don’t drop it.” He warned, handing the orb to Heavy. Jay continued adding bones from below his feet until he was close to water level. Blue patiently watched as its master descended like a heavenly figure. Jay reached the bag at its side, and stashed away the amber sphere’s as though they were an offering.

[Breaking Shard] x 52

“Nice work.” Jay nodded to his commander, and Blue nodded back.

While he had expected more shards, there were other things out there that needed killing, which diverted his skeletons attention and giving him extra experience.

The fire lights were giving him 20 exp, and as for whatever creatures were giving him 15 and 30 exp, he couldn’t be sure—but neither did he care about whatever slimy wriggling creature would be lurking in this accursed place. Instead, his attention was focused on the musty smell that filled the air, the humid feeling that clung to his skin, and the faint sound of flowing flood water, the water that he would be traversing.

Jay took out his throne and ran his hand along the armrest with a slight smile. It was the only sign of civilization in this place. He checked the supports and added a series of notches and bumps along them, ensuring his skeletons would have a sure grip. The thought of falling into these parasite-filled waters made him tense, and while the skeletons hadn’t dropped him yet, he didn’t want to take any chances—and if they did, the grudge he would hold against his loyal minions would be a long and bitter one.

By the time the throne was ready, Red appeared. Its armor was still shining even though the dark waters tried their best to stain it.

“Red, recall your guardians. They’ll help to guide us. I don’t want any of you to fall or misstep while carrying me.” Jay said, and Red stood by Blue’s side and nodded.

The skeletons cant see underwater, so the smaller skeletons will need to scout the ground with themselves before I get carried over it.

This was Jay’s plan, anyway. As for how well it would work, well, he would find out.

Jay sat on his throne and had the skeletons leave the water, ascending the bone platform to stand by his side. They carefully lifted him up and Jay stashed away the necromantic construction: the roof with the four beams.

Next, they stepped into the water. The skeletons held him at shoulder height at first, keeping their master about a foot above water.

Jay shuffled and turned, reaching out with his gauntlet, stashing the last of the bone platform and the bone crucible away, and under his instructions the four skeletons lifted him higher.

They had to drop their weapons to accommodate their master’s needs, but for them, obeying any of his commands was an honor. Besides, he could make more weapons for them if they didn’t craft them themselves.

Jay glanced down, guessing he was about eight feet above the water. His skeletons truly were trying to hold him as high as possible, pushing his throne high above their heads.

It was a little shaky and didn’t feel very secure, but Jay didn’t have much choice.

(Go slowly. Very slowly.) he ordered, gripping the sides of his throne.

With each step forward he could feel his teeth slowly clenching tighter, but there was some relief as Red’s guardian skeletons returned from hunting.

Heavy still held Leech, the black orb, and followed along - albeit fully submerged underwater. The only sign of it was the top of its necrotic barbute helmet pushing against the water. A little white dome following them around.

(Blue, use Red’s guardians to guide us. I don’t want a single one of you to misstep. I don’t care how slowly we go, just don’t let me fall.)

Jay didn’t look over the side of his throne, but knew that Blue would have nodded. He sensed the smaller guardian skeletons moved forward and begin to step left and right, feeling the terrain with their feet, perhaps even their hands. Each of them stirred up more clouds of black grime as they crawled and darted around.

The journey towards the swamp island was slow, but mostly uneventful. They had to turn a few times, dodging something that Jay couldn’t see, though if he had to guess, it was probably a ditch, and as they drew nearer the island the skeletons skulls became fully submerged.

“Hmm, this isn’t too bad.” Jay nodded. It was slow but the sounds of gentle flowing water through the skeletal arm bones holding him up was quite relaxing. All he needed was a little sunlight and he would probably tilt his head back, close his eyes and relax.

Yet anyone who could see Jay right now would have to pause in wonder as they witness skeletal hands holding his throne above the water, silently drifting its way through the swamp as if it were a magic boat.

***

~A few minutes prior~

“Red? Hey where are you going—? Red!”

Asra slammed open the rotting door, chasing Red outside. Yet the skeleton was already jumping away.

*Splash!*

The last she saw of Red was a shimmer of its shining armor, disappearing into the swamp waters.

“Why?” she said, pouting.

Without any warning, Red dashed from the shack and dived right into the swamp water.

Bob? Has the husk found a way to disobey me? Did he just abandon me? She thought, frowning, but a moment later she dismissed the thought.

Sweeper appeared at her side, and now, she couldn’t help but worry about this husk, the human named Bob who was not scared of her in the slightest. She threw up her arms and shook her head.

Wait why am I worrying… he’s a husk. I just need him to get me back home… Yes, that’s why. He’s a useful tool. And a nice snack. A tasty snack… She thought, thinking his undead mana gave his blood a delectable flavor that agreed with her nervous system.

Asra glanced down, rubbing her hand over her stomach, feeling hungry. She went inside and lay back onto the table, wrapping herself in the noon-leather blanket. From under the blanket she glanced at Sweeper, looking into its skeletal eyes for a moment. He better be ok.

Heavy footsteps creaked the floor. Hegatha appeared from the mirror portal. Asra narrowed her eyelids closely together so it would look like she was sleeping—but had them open just enough to see Hegatha’s bulky figure plodding around.

Hegatha turned to Sweeper and scratched her head, wondering why the skeleton had just left her side. The skeleton’s neck croaked as it turned its head and glanced back, giving up the empty, hollow stare that it always did.

“Geh.” She grunted, waving her hand dismissively and ignoring the skeleton again. “Dumb.” She said.

Hegatha look up at the roof and opened her fist, and from her palm some new leaves flew up into the roof. Asra opened her eyes a little wider and noticed they were all green, young, tender leaves. About five in total. The rest of the leaves in the roof shuffled around to give them room, almost like they were welcoming them.

New leaves? She’s making them? Asra thought.

Hegatha turned around but Asra shut her eyes. She felt Hegatha touching her hair, stroking it silently. If Hegatha didn’t look like such a beast, whisper like a witch, and live alone in a swamp, perhaps Asra would even relax in a moment like this.

“What are you doing?” Asra blurted out, opening her eyes and pulling her head away.

“Hmph. Nothing. Show me your leg.”

Asra narrowed her eyes for a moment, not trusting Hegatha in the slightest as she tried to read Hegatha’s nodular face. Yet Hegatha had a job to do. Asra frowned and revealed the wound, letting Hegatha get to work again.

Like last time, Hegatha hovered one hand over the wound. Some older gray leaves flew down which she crushed and swallowed, then began the healing process.

She eats them when they’re old? Asra thought, trying to make sense of this woman’s odd magic.

With the pain fading, and little else to do, Asra had time to think, time to wonder and time to plot. While Asra didn’t care too much for the husks, she wondered what Bob would do with the information she had gleaned about Hegatha—the strange alluring whisper of Hegatha that sounded like a sweet young woman rather than a beast, and the whispering children’s voices they heard in the fog. Not to mention the underground room which had something like an altar.

As for hunger, well, she definitely wasn’t tempted by Hegatha’s blood. Not in the slightest.