Chapter 1058 (1/2)

“Uh…” Randidly blinked several times as his mind struggled to cope with so much strange information. Vualla had attacked him so quickly he could barely cope, and then she had stopped herself. And obviously, he had seen other people in pain before. The Grim Chimera itself was an image that was built on a lifetime of pain. Yet those sparkling tears in Vualla’s eyes seemed to force his breath to catch in his throat. “Is… everything alright?”

“No.” Vualla shook her head, still facing away from Randidly. “But don’t worry about it. It’s none of your business, anyway. I’m just… just taking a night walk to clear my head. Just walking.”

And with that, Vualla began to walk back toward her camp with a determined stride. Feeling helpless, Randidly turned and looked at Zuana and Salazar. Zuana was standing silently and Salazar was wringing his hands and flicking his tail from side to side. If anything, they both appeared even more confused than Randidly was.

Completely useless.

Randidly turned back and looked at Vualla’s departing back. Even in the dim light of night here on the edge of the Great Rift, her vivid azure hair was a poignant as an auditory thread of a saxophone on a street corner. Randidly couldn’t look away from the sinuous motion of her gait.

And to his own surprise, he spoke again. “Do you… want company for your walk?”

That was a dumb thing to say, a small voice whispered to him. If you take a walk, you won’t gain any PP for the main body. Training would be a better way to spend your time.

Vualla stopped. She slowly turned around and stared at Randidly for several seconds. Her mouth twisted. “There’s no need. It will be a long walk.”

“I have long legs,” Randidly grinned and gestured with his claw down at his raptor lower body.

Some life returned to Vualla’s eyes as she studied Randidly. She inclined her head toward the space behind him. “What about those two.”

Randidly shook his head in mock sorrow. “If I’m being honest, they follow me around everywhere. They would be coming as well. But as far as I can tell, there are no problems with their legs either. They are like baby chicks.”

“T-tweet tweet,” Salzar said helpfully. Randidly suppressed the image to turn around and stick his bone spear down the snake man’s unnecessarily vocal throat. He wondered idly if snakes could regenerate severed limbs.

But Vualla laughed. Then she shook her head. “I’m obviously not concerned about their legs… Thank you, but it’s unnecessary. What I’m about to do… it can be considered desertion, even if only for a night. I hear Iellaya is a relatively lax Commander, but she won’t look kindly on you leaving.

“Honestly…” Vualla narrowed her eyes as she peered at the three of them. “I’m surprised you left camp at all. That’s why I was… uh… so interested in you two days ago. Rumors are that all of Iellaya’s troops are part of a cult. Everyone says that when no one else is around, they kneel before her and call her Queen.”

Vualla seemed to be studying Randidly for any sort of reaction. He shrugged. “I’m a recent transfer. But I will say that I don’t think it will be a problem for me to come with you. I was ordered to spend some familiarizing myself with these two subordinates. This walk can be considered a team-building exercise.”

“Pfft, would anyone actually believe that?” Vualla shook her head, but then she threw her hands up in the air. “Well, I can’t very well do anything if you also want to take a night walk in the same direction. And… thanks, Randidly..”

She couldn’t very well use her heavy iron gauntlets, so Vualla rubbed her shoulders against her cheeks to soak up the tears. Randidly felt strangely tingly as he settled into pace next to her. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was beaten to the punch by Salazar.

“If… if this is a team-building exercise…” Strangely, his voice sounded hopeful. “Perhaps… introductions… and fun facts about ourselves…”

“Fine,” Randidly said as he glared over his shoulder at the inane snakeman. “I suppose Zauna can go first.”

Abiodun’s relative trundled forward in silence for several seconds. After flashing a look of triumph toward the hand-wringing Salazar, Randidly turned back forward. And then a surprisingly soft and feminine voice spoke from behind him.

“Zauna Tjak. I play common musical instruments.”

...what sort of musical instruments are common for rock people…? Randidly wondered, but already Salazar was excitedly beginning his own introduction.

“Salazar Grisss. In my homeworld, I had many w-wives and admirers. I had so many children that there would always be at least o-one person s-singing s-songs about me at every time of day.”

Doubtful.

Then Randidly belatedly realized that everyone was looking at him. Vualla's eyes were so very bright. After gulping down a mouthful of air, Randidly raised his bone spear and waved it vaguely. “Randidly Ghosthound. Specifically the image of the Grim Chimera. I… uh, my body is being punished for some reason, but the main body is very skilled at creating Engravings.”

“Oh,” Vualla seemed rather disappointed after Randidly spoke. “So you don’t look like this normally?”

Randidly blinked. “Well my face looks the same, and most of the torso, but my limbs are a bit more… average.”

“S-so s-sad. Very dangerous looking…” Salizar shook from side to side.

Vualla bobbed her head. “I guess the face is okay, but that huge claw of yours… ehhehe, it’s definitely a capable body that you have there…”

“...sharp claws…” Came the low whisper from Zauna. But by the time Randidly twisted around, he could see any proof that she had spoken.

Despite the strange compulsion Randidly felt earlier to come on this walk with Vualla, suddenly Randidly felt profoundly tired. The three people around him were all weirdos. And Vualla especially… did she have a fetish for large hands…? It made a certain sort of strange since while looking at her huge gauntlets.