Book 3: Chapter 117 (1/2)

Lindyss tossed a red orb up and down. “That wasn’t very fair at all,” she said and shook her head. Surrounding her, a little more than half of dozen dragons were lying around with their mouths and claws stained red. There was one crushed dragon skeleton resting on top of a red puddle, its limbs ground into dust. “It’s still a shame I lost a skeleton though.”

“Undead are meant to be used,” Grimmy said and thumped Lindyss’ back with his paw. He knocked her over onto the ground from the blow. “You were saving it for something important, weren’t you? If this wasn’t important, you wouldn’t have lost it, but since you did, then it was worth spending.”

Lindyss spat out a mouthful of mud as she pushed herself up with her arms. “Watch your strength, you oaf,” she said and glared at the black dragon. “Am I going to be compensated for my lost skeleton?”

“Compensation?” Grimmy asked and raised an eyebrow. “Why would you need compensation for accomplishing a good deed? The sense of satisfaction from achieving good in the world should be all the compensation you need.”

“Satisfaction won’t replace what I’ve lose,” Lindyss said with a scowl.

“Then … do you want me to gift you another soul?” Grimmy asked and grinned. “I can do that. Which one would you like this time? A beast tamer’s? A phoenix’s?”

Lindyss furrowed her brow. “Why do you have a phoenix’s soul?”

Grimmy shrugged. “You know how things are,” he said. “Things just happen and somehow things end up the way they do.”

“I’ll … take the phoenix’s soul,” Lindyss said and nodded. A moment later, she frowned. “Which phoenix did this belong to?”

Grimmy chuckled before reaching behind his wing, pulling out a hazy red orb. “Despite what you say, you’re quite greedy, aren’t you? As for the phoenix this belonged to…, it doesn’t really matter, does it?” He held out his paw, offering the orb to Lindyss. She grabbed for it, but Grimmy moved his claw forward and smacked the cursed elf’s forehead, planting the hazy mist directly into her face. She yelped and clawed at her face before curling up into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest as she lay on her side in the fetal position.

The annoying trio, Sera’s sister, and Sera’s sister’s mate turned to stare at the fallen elf. “Um,” Bonnie said and bit her lower lip. “Is she okay?”

“This happens all the time,” Sera said and wiped at her mouth with the backs of her paws. She spat a few times, shooting out bits of red saliva. “You can ignore her.”

“Is, is that so?” Bonnie said and swallowed. Lindyss was rocking from side to side, thumping her knees against the ground with every twist. Bonnie snuck a peek at Grimmy, and his eyes met hers. She froze, her wings stiffening against her sides. “Y-yep. She looks perfectly healthy. Nothing wrong here.”

“Did I hear that right?” Tafel turned towards Vur. His face was also smudged with red liquid, his claws tinting the ground red. “Grimmy just slapped a phoenix’s soul into Auntie?”

“I heard it too,” Mary said. She pursed her lips and walked up to Grimmy, holding out her arms which were covered by leather gloves. “Give me back my sword and armor, please.”

Grimmy snorted. “You always cause trouble when you have that sword,” he said. “Why should I give it back?”

“That’s not true,” Mary said and pursed her lips. “Sword, please.”

“Oh? Have you been causing trouble without your sword?” Grimmy asked and raised an eyebrow. His gaze landed on Tafel and Vur. “Has she?”