Chapter 7: Ch 6 “Awaken”

"Hit me." Said a girl beside her bed with a look of hope and anticipation.

 

  The girl, looking no more than 20 with a long dark hair that seems to consume the light around them, possesses eyes of two different colours eyes. One of snowy blue and one of deep golden yellow with a hint of red crimson. She wore a black sleeveless dress with silver trim that Iris has never seen before all duo she knew nothing about fashion. She also noticed after some time staring at the strange girl that her alabaster skin looked as if no blood was present under her skin adding to her sculped beauty. To add to her appearance, a purple jewel that emitted a muffled glow was visible through the thin fabric of her dress slightly under where her clavicle bones should meet. She looked so delicate that Iris feared that the lightest touch would break the girl into a pile of dust.

 

"Did it work even, she does look fine...Mm," The girl muttered to herself casting her expecting eyes down with a face of deep thought.

 

"W-Where a-am I?" The elf spoke with much hesitation and confusion in her voice.

 

  The girl's eyes shoot up to her, and her face seemed to change so fast with many emotions with her jaw wordlessly opening and closing that Iris found it to be quite adorable at the range of them.

 

"Y-You will n-not do as I-I ordered? She finally responded.

 

"Do I have to h-hit you?"

 

  For some unknown reason, the girl's arms shot up towards the ceiling and on her face, a giant smile that would cause a person to stop whatever action they were performing regardless of importance and simply witness it for even a second. 

 

"I did it!" 

"I did it!" 

"Finally!"

 

  She spun around so her back was facing the bed and fell on it repeating the words a couple of times with the most adorable face that beamed out the feeling of accomplishment and relief. She stayed lying on Iris's bed for a little while with the same cute smile until she turned her head and meet Iris's eyes.

 

"Aa!"

 

  She stood up with a small squeal of embarrassment and shame. The girl stood there, not meeting Iris's eyes while fidgeting around with a visible blush. Absinmidly Iris asked herself how was that possible but she abandon the thought when the girl spoke.

 

"W-well we are in m-my house, under the capital."

 

"Oh. "

 

  An awkward silence surrounded the two.

 

"Are you Kiayicu by any chance?" 

 

"Y-yes I think that was my name, how did you know it?"

 

"Huh? What do you mean that you think?"

 

"I-I didn't speak to anyone in a long time," Kiayicu answered with an emphasis on one of the words.

 

"Oh, I am sorry for asking," Iris said with a slight bow

 

"O no, I am very happy now that you are here, you do not need to apologize, perish the thought!" She started to wave both of her hands in refusal of Iris's apology.

 

   Trying to change the subject Kiayicu extended her arm which has disappeared into a purplish void. Much like Brad or Alicia, Kiayicu appeared to be able to use [Inventory] which to Iris's knowledge was a very high-level spell. After a few short moments, her hand came out holding a long white sleeveless dress with a bronze belt and a pair of undergarments with a bra. 

 

"Eek!"

 

  Just now Iris realised that she was naked, she quickly covered more of her already covered the body with the blanket that she was under. She made a frown but Kiayicu returned her frown with a confused tilt of her head. The elf wondered who undress her was it the sentinel or the girl standing before her. Before her thoughts turn darker Kiayicu spoke.

 

"The sack that you wore was all patchy and I had to perform the ritual so I removed your clothes." She spoke and made a hand gesture when her "clothes" were mentioned. 

 

  Iris agreed that calling a sack with holes in it "clothes" was generous, she made a heavy sigh realising that frowning at her saviour that apparently did not know why it was wrong to see someone naked was pointless. She stood up pulling the thin blanket with her causing it to fall off the bed, she reached out towards the clothes that Kiayicu was still holding.

 

"Thank you very much, but you should not look at people while they are naked..." Iris explained using a very simple language, similar to how would a parent explain to a child. After that, the girl's alabaster cheeks became flushed pink from embarrassment, which still puzzled Iris. 

 

  Iris asked where she could get change and the black hair girl showed her an area of a room beside the massive wardrobe and body size mirror with a movable wall made of paper or something similar that was slightly taller than she was and had colourful floral patterns. She undressed and curiously gazed at the elaborately made mirror. Her previously malnourished frame with many bruises was now in an immaculate condition even possessing breasts of slightly average size. The dress given to her by Kiayicu was something that she would never dream of possessing. Its fabric was soft to touch and somehow fitted her perfectly. Iris could only ask herself a question. For how long was the mysterious girl looking after her and was the girl was the owner of the temple that she had entered with the humans or simply she had forgotten something or made up memories because of the stress. Her memories did feel like looking through a mirage.

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  When she exited and put the "separator" in its previous position, she found Kiayicu sitting on a chair waiting with an expression of fear but when she noticed Iris came back she sighed with audible relief and a hand on her crystal dropped.

 

"I again thank you for this dress."

 

"No problem! Eem... I forgot to ask you your name." Kiayicu stood up full of enthusiasm but it quickly disappeared and was replaced with an expression of committing a grave sin or worse.

 

"My name is Iris." She approached the depressed-looking girl putting one of her hands on the girl's shoulder in a comforting manner. "Nothing bad has happened Kiayicu, so you could not be so sad," Iris said with a reassuring smile.

 

"Thank you very much. C-could you call me K-Kia please?" Kiayicu asked her while slightly fidgeting around.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"YES, em I mean...I am sure." Kia struggled to answer but finished her answer with a smile.

 

 Dark hair elf smiled at the girl with an innocent and heartwarming smile of hers.

 

"Would you like a tour of the area?" 

 

"If it is no problem to you." 

 

  They left the room and Kia started to explain with meticulous attention to detail about every room while they walked through a corridor made of white marble and filled with evenly spaced columns. They have reached a small circular courtyard with an old tree in the centre of it, surrounded by many types of flowers and a bench made out of lightly colour wood on each of the four sides. 

 

"You mentioned a ritual, yes?

 

"Yes."

 

"What type of ritual?" Iris asked the question that plagued her mind for some time now.

 

"E-er...reanimation ritual that I..."

 

"What!" Elf almost forgot to breathe.

 

"Reanimation ritual that I was creating but because I primarily use death element it caused you to be revived as an undead. You were dead when I found you. You died because of a heart..." She speeded up her explanation.

 

"W-What! Why! You turn me into a monster! You stole my SOUL!" she screamed at the girl and stormed out.

 

  The girl's double colour eyes started to gather pools of water that flowed into deluge tears. She tried to stop Iris from running from her but tripped and fell.

 

 Iris did not know where to run. She ran to the room where she woke up and closed the door. She sat down on the bed, angrily starting to curse another monster in human form, she suddenly stopped and closed her eyes. 

  Kiayicu offered so much to her with no real benefit. Trying so hard to have someone to talk to. Was there a reason why all undead were viewed as a monster? She did not feel dead or hate towards the living if Kiayicu was one, she felt better thanks to her but she repaid kindness with curses, overcome by her and outside views she became a monster then not before it. 

  She opened her eyes only to be greeted by a soft light of an azure ring around her. She jumped at the sight and fell from the bed. 

  Why did her talent awaken during such a time? Iris enlighten by the revelation prayed to whatever Aspect that would listen to what she could find Kiayicu, no Kia.

 

 Iris ran towards the courtyard entrance and the sight caused her to shed tears about what had she done. Kia was still sobbing on the ground not bothering to stand up. Half of her body was just a skeleton frame while the border between the halves burned with black flame. Without hesitation, Iris threw herself at Kia embracing her.

 

"I'm sorry so very sorry!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry so very sorry!"

 

  Kia grabbed Iris and hugged her, muffling her sobs. Iris rocked back and forward gently, almost motherly patting Kia's hair. Kia clung to Iris hard, which hurt elf but she did not care.

 They sat there with the high rocky ceiling of the underground cavern which housed Necropolis.

 

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"...only those with a functioning soul can be granted or awaken talents..."

                                                                                                                                                 -Exert from a torn page from an unknown diary