But Shalise was unsure what kind of disappointment someone here would have in her. She was probably just misunderstanding things in the heat of the moment.
However, if it got Prax to answer her, the threat was worth it.
His presence in the back of her mind had been stewing in his own rage since Shalise closed her eyes. It was like the lid on a pot of boiling water, just shaking back and forth as the steam escaped.
Of course, the pot was inside Shalise’s head.
Shalise opened her eyes, wide in alarm.
Prax was laughing.
The boiling pot of water turned to ice.
Do you know how Keeper creates his dolls?
Shalise frowned. “N-no.” Cursing her stutter, Shalise bit her lip and waited.
After a turn through the abattoir, Keeper offers a mortal a choice. Death or doll. Most mortals are not in much of a position to respond, but he is fairly liberal in interpreting their screams, cries, or stillness.
And then, he strips their soul and hands it off to Hel or Aosoth. You saw what happens after. They become those half mechanical monstrosities.
“S-so what?” Shalise took a deep breath. “You think that doll wanted to turn me into one of them?”
Another chill came from Prax’s section of her head. Maybe not. But she is sure to report to Keeper that two little mortals are running around without souls. The last time a mortal was in charge of her faculties enough to respond to him, that mortal became the sword wielder.
The small chill in the back of her mind expanded outwards, encompassing her entire body. “W-what do you mean? ‘Without s-souls?'”
As I said, I fail to comprehend how mortals can be so ignorant of their own being. Surely you have attempted some kind of magic and have found yourself lacking.
She actually hadn’t. Juliana had said it wasn’t working and Shalise had taken her word for it.
Pulling up the hand that held the ring Juliana had given her, Shalise tried to channel magic into it. The effect didn’t matter. A gust of wind, a spark, anything would prove him wrong.
Nothing happened. She couldn’t even feel her magic moving. It just fizzled out somewhere deep inside her.
Sweat started dripping down her back as she strained from the effort of casting.
No amount of concentration did anything.
“It-it’s not working.”
Of course not. You have no soul. I can feel it. I am inside you, after all.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Shalise said as a thought occurred to her. “It is a prison. Of course it wards against magic.”
I would know far better than you.
“You’re lying,” Shalise shouted. “L-liches can use magic. They don’t have s-souls.”
Prax didn’t laugh at that. He rolled his eyes. You are no lich, servant. Your education is woefully lacking. Fear not, in time I shall educate you.
Shalise slammed a fist into the ground. “I’m not your–what does it even mean? Am I going to d-die?”
Do not be foolish. So long as you reacquire it soon, the disparity should be kept to a minimum.
“What does that mean?”
Prax gave a mental shrug. You would have to ask Death, though I doubt He would share. Demons do not possess souls, though we have a similar concept.
Which brings me to my point. Upon being brought here, we are forced to touch a very specific crystal that strips our ‘soul’ until such time as we are to be released–should we ever be released. That crystal is the reason every demon ran into that fight.
Shalise slumped against the wall. “How does any of that help me?”
You are within this prison. Is it inconceivable that your soul is contained within that crystal? What harm could there be in touching it to be certain? Perhaps having her soul back will even assist your mortal friend in her recovery.
Shalise glanced down at the sleeping form of Juliana. She looked peaceful. Too peaceful. She placed her hand over Juliana’s open mouth to double-check that she was still breathing.
Everything seemed fine. Or the same as it had been for however long it had been.
“I don’t remember touching any crystals.”
Your mortal friend had many gaps in her memory surrounding your internment. Is your memory so perfect?
“No,” Shalise mumbled.
So get up, servant, and return to the battle before it ends. Use my kin as distractions.
“Touch the crystal and leave.” Shalise slapped her cheeks. She had to drag herself to her feet. The rest was nice, but she had a more important job. “Nothing else?”
Nothing.
She could feel his grin in the back of her mind. His eagerness was almost infectious.
Shalise found herself smiling as she reached down and slung Juliana back up around her shoulders. After taking a moment to adjust Juliana into what would hopefully be a comfortable position before taking a step down the corridor.
Alright, she thought, I can do this. I have to do this.
—
I so cannot do this.
Maoa and the sword-doll blinked around the wide open space faster than Shalise’s eye could track them.
Except she did not think they were blinking. Not the thaumaturgical teleportation. They were simply moving that fast.
At any point, the sword-doll or Maoa could notice her and take her head off before she realized what was happening.
The rest of the battle hadn’t settled down in the least. Twenty or so dolls were engaged with about the same amount of demons.
That building, Prax said, is our destination.
For the first time, Shalise looked beyond the bloody battle.
It was no wonder she had completely ignored the building before. It was a plain cylinder maybe three stories tall. No windows adorned its walls, only a single entrance facing her. A red barrier was stretched across the opening.
Prior to paying attention, she had assumed the room was triangular in shape with the building making up one wall. Looking around, it was clear that the battle was taking place within a diamond-shaped room centered around the cylinder.
At least there wasn’t a locked door. The other demons likely intended to break down the walls as they did to some of the cells. Unless that barrier was different from the cells, she could walk right though.
Now she just had to get there.
“A-any suggestions?”
Sneaking will be difficult unless you abandon your mortal friend–
“Not a chance.”
Do not interrupt me, servant. You asked for suggestions. I am providing.
Shalise bit her lip, barely paying attention. One of the dolls stared straight at her.
A six armed demon gripped both of the doll’s arms before anything more than eye-contact could happen, but it still sent a jolt of adrenaline through her body.
Join a side and hope that whichever side you pick will not stab you in the back once the fighting has ceased–if not prior to that.
“I-I can’t fight. What happened to using them as a distraction?”
By edging along the wall, you may be able to bypass much of the fighting at this entrance. Be warned: I would be surprised if there is not a battle going on of similar scale on the opposite side of the armory.
“Between the two fights.” Shalise swallowed a dry lot of nothing. “Okay.” Her dry tongue scraped across her lips, feeling like sandpaper. “Okay.”
Cease your panicking and get on with it.
“Okay!”
Shalise spoke too loud.
One doll turned a birdcage-entrapped head to look straight at her. To do so, it had to turn its head almost completely around.