Book 3: Chapter 50 (1/2)

“That’s odd…,” Mr. Skelly said as he leaned back, a book in his armored hands. He was sitting beside Alice, the two of them covered in a layer of dust with piles upon piles of books lying on the ground beside them. Every time one of them turned a page, another cloud of dust would fall out from within the book. Alice had to wear a facemask that covered her nose and mouth to breathe properly.

“What’s odd?” Alice asked, her voice muffled. She placed the book in her hands onto her lap and grabbed her glasses, tapping them against the chair’s armrest to knock the dust off the glass that was obscuring her view.

“I thought I sensed the mistress’s aura,” Mr. Skelly said, meeting Alice’s gaze. “But she’s supposed to be on vacation. What’s she doing here?”

“Maybe she’s vacationing here?” Alice asked. “She seems to be all powerful, so it’s not unlikely that she’d show up at another continent, right? Who doesn’t like sightseeing?”

“The mistress isn’t all powerful,” Mr. Skelly said, shaking his head. “She’s actually quite fragile. Not too long ago, she’d die if she stepped out into sunlight.”

“What, is her other weakness garlic?” Alice asked, rolling her eyes. “Or perhaps a wooden stake driven through her heart would kill her?”

Mr. Skelly removed his helmet and dropped his mouth open while widening his eyes. “How did you know?”

“Wait, really? That’s it?”

“No, of course not,” Mr. Skelly said as he put his helmet back on. There wasn’t a need to because Alice punched it off along with his skull. “That was a joke.” He paused as he groped around for his head. “Do you think the black dragon that Mary went to find is Grimmoldesser? If the mistress is here, then certainly Grimmoldesser’s here as well.”

“Didn’t you say there was nothing going on between those two?” Alice asked. “If the mistress is taking a vacation, why would Grimmoldesser be there too?”

“Grimmoldesser and the mistress are like … cookies and milk,” Mr. Skelly said, picking up his helmeted skull. “Cookies are in relationships with other cookies, and milk belongs with other milk, but despite that, the two are perfectly suited for each other, but alas, their love can’t come to be because they’re both eaten.”

“That was a horrible analogy,” Alice said. “Stick to making jokes, please.” She shook her head. “If you’re curious about them, why don’t you ask? You have some kind of mental connection to the mistress, don’t you?”