PAL.ADIN

8

I don't remember how many I killed. I only know the feeling of a green head beneath my boot- or, whatever remained of a green head. It's still- unmoving and limp. I feel blood dripping from my hands.. something that usually only happens when I start the Offering. I slam my foot against a tree, and instead of making a dent in my foot I made a dent in it.

I lost control, again. How many times will I have to repeat this? At this rate, I'll lose myself. I'll grow tired of this, and generate simulations of warfare to degrees found disgusting even by man. No- I'll never lose myself to that. That's something I can't do.

I look for my sword- it's impaled with a goblin, to a tree. I yank it out, as I look at the scene around me. The average battlefield- guts, gore, with the exception of casings on the ground. I notice something move- one still lives.

I can't spare it, but if I kill it now..

I shake my head. It's going to bleed out, theres deep cuts in several of the vital areas. It's a miracle it's even alive.

I look around me, for her. I hear the song- she truly does know how to lead someone. Even the bleeding goblin, dying, is encaptured. I find myself walking over. She's scratched, but just minorly on the face. Nothing that won't heal.

Good.

"Coralline- spray some water on me."

She turns around with a surprised expression- as if she thought I wouldn't come back at all. She's not disappointed to see me, at least.

She nods, with hesistating slightly. I feel a jet of water blast all the bits and pieces off- the golem body being far easier to clean than I thought it would. Actually, I wonder why I even wear clothes at all- boots seem obvious, but everything else is kind of impratical without some attachment or enhancement.

No, I can't walk around naked like a fool. That's just weird.

I hear more steps, but I hesistate to draw my sword. I don't feel like killing- no, butchering- more things.

"Let's go. The scavengers are probably here."

I grab her, leading her back along the path. I doubt we're going to run into anything else- the stench of slaughter still lingers on me, and I'm surprised Coralline doesn't care. Or perhaps she simply just can't detect it- perhaps she must experience it herself.

N.. No.

Never. I will never let her do that.

I feel a thud against my head. What the fuck?

I swivel around- Coralline hit me with a twig. Why does a twig produce a sound like that?

"Finally- you've been silent for about an hour!"

She seems worried. Always worried, never concerned for herself. I feel envious of her, when she's in a state like this. But it feels nice to be worried about.

"Ah. I'm sorry.. I just had some thoughts."

She doesn't believe me at all, but yet she just plays along and keeps walking along the road with me. At some point we transitioned to a more peaceful forest, with odd fruit surrounding us, some having the shape of claws, or some looking like wire twisted in odd ways.

She pulls a fruit off- specifically, the clawed-shape one. She hands me one, and..

What am I supposed to eat this with? Do I peel it, boil it.. smack it against a rock. I mean, is it really safe to eat a random fruit you got off a tree?

"Just peel it, silly."

"Well yes, but I don't even know if I can digest things."

She gives me a strange look but shrugs. It's not a unprobable statement though.. I might not be able to digest things, at all. Mana is not acidic- or, probably only certain types are. And my body is just metal and mana, not that I'm keen to find out what's inside.

I peel it- and try to take a bite. I feel something worm inside of my mouth- and I spit it out, stomping on it like that goblin's head. I peel up my foot, only to find some suspicious purple gel on my boot.

You have amused the War God. Stompa' Feet He grants you a gift. Orginally a technique used by Orks, it has been lost to time until now. Deals ungodly amounts of damage to the heads of enemies in critical condition. The skill Offering can be used alongside this.

That's real fucking funny, War God. Real funny.

But why is it spelled like how Urik speaks? Maybe he's.. Orc- er, Orkish. I mean, there were merpeople in Caldria..

It's odd, but I dismiss the tab. I don't actually know much about this world.. aside from the fact there's about six nations. I could ask Coralline, but she probably only knows stuff about the nations in the sea. Or, are there even any in the seas surrounding? That's probably something that needs to be discovered, or already has been considering the presence of aquatic races on land.

I wonder if I think too much sometimes. I analyze Coralline without knowing it, I memorized Urik's speech patterns- although, to be fair, it's not hard to do with him..

Maybe it's just my nature- starship pilots are supposed to be highly.. ah, fuck that.

"Coralline. Where are we going after the hunt? Back to Caldria, or to a different city?"

She seems shocked, probably because neither of us had thought about it until now. Why do we not think of the most common things someone should think of in these situations?

She stops for a minute, and I don't know why. Who stops in the middle of walking just to think? I had to stop too, or I'd leave her behind..

"Let's go to Adder after this. It's close to the forest- well, the forest is huge.. and we can turn in our rewards! Isn't it great!"

This does not seem right. She sounds just like me when I ready for the slaughter. She seems overly excited, and her hands fidget around.

"Coralline. Are you sure that's it?"

She looks away from me. I realize now that she hadn't been cloaked properly since the fight with the goblins.. if you could call it a fight. Her breath is growing ragged- and this seems like something out of one of 'those' games.

"J-just the sea's nearby! It's really pretty, and I'd like to have you see it.."

Well, that's not as bad as I thought it would be. She's probably been in the center of the country for a while, without any real oceans. Her reaction is.. unexpected. How long had she been inland?

"Oh. Then let's go- I haven't seen the sea in a long time either."

A convenient excuse, but a good one. The last time I went to the sea was really a few years ago.. with Fransica, on a vacation. I wonder how she's doing.

I focus my attention on Coralline- she's shaking quite a bit.

I feel intensely uncomfortable, for some reason.. then, I come to a conclusion.

Sirens are instinctively skilled in seduction, not just the voice- or that's how most stories portray them. She's probably doing this without even realizing it..

I'm grateful to be a golem.

"Coralline. Let's keep moving. We'll visit the sea."

She manages to control herself very quickly- impressively, even. Much better than I do, at least. I hear a cricket chirp. The day went faster than I thought- I suppose this damned eyeball lets me see in the dark too.

But that really wasn't right.. wasn't it day just a few hours ago? As in, two to three hours?

"Coralline. Hasn't it turned dark.. oddly fast?" I motion her to look up, as it had already reached midnight already- the stars glistening in the night sky, a sight to behold. Or, if it wasn't for the.. danger I felt.

"The time did pass quite quickly.. let's keep moving."

It's a somewhat sound plan. Most animals should be asleep- except for those who prey on the sleeping.

"How can you see in the dark, though?"

"Sirens on the rocks can see ships much farther in the dark."

I have the feeling I shouldn't pry about the sirens on the rocks. Genetic trait- maybe it could be studied..

I quicken my pace, and she follows suit. Studying can wait for another day, I feel as if that we need to hurry to a safer location sooner. The forest brush leaves for much room to be ambushed.. and the sounds of insects is already making me become more paranoid with every step.

Think of something. Did she do anything in the slaughter between you and the goblins? She was singing at the end, so was that an effect that she did throughout the battle..

Singing, of course. This might benefit me more than anything else, but it's worth a shot- for my sanity, at least.

"Coralline- can you sing something.. soothing? The animals probably won't attack us if they hear, I doubt any of them are intelligent enough."

She nods, and I hear a gentle song. I don't know the lyrics- I can't even memorize them. But it calms me- I hear my footsteps much better, and hers along with them. I hear the bugs and various pests chirp and whistle, all among the melody of her song.

I slow my pace- the song is so.. well, soothing. Relaxing, dangerously so. But I welcome it. It's just like.. that feeling. Pain- a forbidden sensation, but exciting nonetheless. Or, forbidden in the way I think of it, anyway.

"Keep.. going. I think it's working."

I see something in the distance- a cabin. Empty, and it seemed as it was for several years.

Oh, that's definitely a trap, but we're not going to make it far. Or, she won't, anyway. Now I can see she lied to me about going days without sleep- a side effect from being inland, most likely. Her pace is slowed and resembles the way a person would sleepwalk..

I manage to snap out of the song, just so I can grab her arm and start to run to the cabin. I don't really get why I ran, or how time is passing so fast when we travel. Instinct, perhaps? To run? Me, who goes insane through the battlefield?

No, this is me. I think I'm just concerned for her. There's nothing wrong with that- I think?

I kick open the door, and it's fairly well maintained, but dust still gives off the impression that no one had been here for years.

I lay her down on the bed, walking to the fireplace.

"Supreme Goddess, lend me a hand here."

I can't believe I'm asking that woman for help. But, even I'll swallow my pride as I see the fireplace roar with fire, a gentle wave of heat easing into the room.

Skill Unlocked Prayer Ask, and you shall recieve. Sometimes.

Sometimes? It's like I'm being fucked with on purpose..

I walk to the door, closing it and using the door bar that was there to lock it. It's a giant steel bar- who would use this for a door?

I walk back to the fireplace, leaning against the wall next to it. I suppose I'll have to stay like this- I'm not going to log out with her in danger. She's sound asleep now, and I intend for her to stay that way.

Or more offerings shall be held to the gods.