Chapter 3
Rumors Have Wings
Beginning their new relationship as teacher and student, Delaney and the enigmatic Marrow decided to travel towards the next town over, known as Noctithnain. Once there, the two believed they would be able to collect themselves and form a rescue plan for the unfortunate tragedy within Veilein.
However, the path to Noctithnain was no short walk, and the sun was already beginning to retreat, quickly blanketing them in an eerily still night. This left only one option...
Camping out in the woods.
Now, you may be thinking "A camping trip? What fun!" or perhaps even "Romance so soon? How scandalous!"
But quiet your minds, dear readers, because as your reliable and diligent author, I must inform you --
You could not be more wrong.
Delaney had brought along a compact survival tent in her messenger bag – a sort of expanding magical item that stores as a parcel similar to a rolled up mini-umbrella – which she and Marrow used to sleep in for the night. Although it was technically enough room for two people, the tent was pretty cramped nonetheless.
This was something that Delaney's small body had no issue dealing with, nodding off rather quickly under the immense weight of her stress and exhaustion. However, Marrow was as restless as his kin were so often stereotyped to be.
Not only restless, but hungry as well...
"Hhhhhhhh..."
Delaney would awaken to drops of saliva on her shoulder and the looming jaws of her Ghoul companion, set to bite a chunk out of her arm. It was a strange sensation, the drops of cold saliva enveloped in lukewarm breath on her skin. At first it left Delaney bemused, her emerald eyes fluttering open in a stupor. However, as soon as she recognized the glint of teeth her reaction was swift; she grasped the necromancy tome she'd been using as a pillow and whipped around, lobbing Marrow in the head with it.
"Back off!! Just what sorta sick pervert are you!?”
Marrow recoiled with a recomposing “Agh!”, stumbling to the end of the tent. The great commotion was enough to cause the whole thing to rustle and shift about.
"Ah, Hæmos... what was that for??"
Marrow's eyes, once glazed over, were now returned to normal. Well, as normal as a Phantom's eyes could be.
"I'll be the one asking questions here!" Delaney retorted, still quite obviously alarmed. However, as she held the tome before her as if it were some sort of sword, the ginger began to take notice of Marrow's change in demeanor.
"What... What exactly were you doing!? It looked like you were going to... To eat me!”
"Eat you? Why would I..."
Marrow took a moment to self-reflect, realizing he felt a kind of salivation in his mouth when he looked at Delaney's flesh. The kind of feeling a hungry wolf gets when they see a deer drinking water by a river.
"Ah... Ghoulish tendencies... I was afraid this would happen."
Marrow stayed seated, hands on his criss-crossed knees as he gazed at the ground in front of him, deep in thought.
"Ghoulish..."
Delaney took a moment to mull over the scene before her, still a bit unnerved from being ripped awake so suddenly. But it was even more jarring to see Marrow assuming such a submissive position, as if ashamed and disgusted with himself.
Although they had only been around each other for a brief time, Delaney had assumed this sense of superiority from him. After all, Marrow knew far more about the situation than she could put together in time, and he had been inadvertently teaching her for all these years. But now... It was humbling for Delaney to realize that Marrow was just like her...
Afraid, and doing his best to adapt.
"Hey... I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that. I didn't realize you'd have some sort of affliction,"
The ginger moved closer to Marrow and placed a hand on his chilled shoulder, sitting level with him.
"C'mon, tell me what's going on.”
"Being only half-dead, I didn't know if I'd have the same hunger for flesh as the ghouls... apparently I do."
Marrow liked the warmth of Delaney's hand on him. It spoke of young life; bountiful potential. A gift to the world he couldn't bear to damage. So, Marrow reached for her planted hand and removed it from his shoulder.
"Try not to touch me for a while. I don't want to be tempted into biting you..."
He then uncrossed his legs and got out of the tent, sparing the space of his discomfort. Delaney frowned gently as she watched Marrow leave. Even he was suffering now, all because of her reckless mistakes...
Such a revelation felt like a stone plunging into the very pit of her stomach, but it also hardened her resolve all the more. Infact, the stone's very descent made her gullet roar with determination!
Or... Maybe she was just hungry...
"What a mess..."
Delaney heaved a sigh as she fell backward onto her thin sleeping bag, immediately regretting that decision as her back and head thumped against the hard ground.
At least her bushy ponytail provided a little bit of cushion.
".... Ow...."
Unamused with herself, Delaney contemplated the pain that resonated through her body. It ached, both from the slam and fatigue, to the point that she was certain she could feel every organ she possessed.
Was this penance for her sins? She couldn't argue with the verdict that she deserved to suffer for her ignorance, were she to be condemned as such.
But if she felt this hungry, Delaney could only imagine how Marrow was faring. It must be hard for him to resist those urges; how long could he restrain himself? Was Delaney in danger with her newfound old friend? Perhaps she should stay vigilant – endure her own hunger pangs alongside Marrow both in solidarity and self protection.
Yes! Be strong, my ginger warrior!
...In the end, Delaney still fell asleep.
~~~
The crisp air of a spring morning was filled with a biting chill that made getting out of bed all the harder, but to Delaney's surprise, her dreams would melt away to the smell of smoke from a fire... It was awfully close too.
A sultry-sweet smell of wood smoke and meat wafted into the tent and up Delaney's nose, prying her eyes open in anticipation. Although still groggy, the ginger could tell that it was dawn as she scrambled to the tent's entrance.
Peeking her head out into the morning air, she could now more clearly place the scent of–
"Venison!"
Delaney stumbled to her feet as she hurried outside, spotting Marrow only a few feet away. He was perched on the balls of his feet beside a crackling fire, turning a sort of makeshift rotisserie stick over it. If Delaney wasn't already so familiar with his shoulder-length mop of raven hair, and tattered clothes, she would have thought he was some woodland cannibal preparing to cook her. But right now, and forever more, such a thought never crossed her mind.
"No way! How did you manage to get venison!?"
She asked with excitement, still clutching the Grimoire to her chest.
"I hunted it," answered Marrow, his face molded into a tired, quizzical sort of expression, as if the answer should have been obvious. Delaney's curiosity was piqued by this response, however, watching the scrawny deadman feasting on a once healthy and living deer.
"Without any gun or spear or anything? Just what exactly are you capable of?"
"Right now? Just Fire Magic. Most budding Wizards tend to have a Fire Spell in the first few pages of their tomes, and the one I got from that Wizard guy isn’t any different. It’s not hard to cast, but the steps were different than what I was used to, so…”
Marrow showed Delaney his right hand, which was blackened by ash.
“I killed the deer with one blast, but I singed my right hand in the process. It feels... sore? But not burnt. In any case, I’ll be taking it easy on the spellcasting today… Oh.”
With his burnt hand, Marrow pointed to a cooked and warm piece of venison on a sharpened stick, planted into the ground. It was a bit away from the fire, set aside for Delaney's breakfast.
"There's no plates, so you'll have to kebab it.”
As satiating as the explanation was, it couldn’t fill Delaney’s stomach like some cooked meat. She picked up the kebab with a soft tug, inspecting it before taking a small bite. The taste left much to be desired, but she was so hungry that she didn't care.
"Could use some seasoning but I'm not gonna complain. It's great!”
"You better not," said Marrow, chomping into a roasted deer leg. "Otherwise there'd be more for me."
Delaney frowned slightly at him as she swallowed a bite.
"You know, just because you can’t feel pain as much doesn’t mean you should be reckless. You should be more careful with that tome you snatched. I've read that magic you're not familiar with can be really taxing on your body, and we have a journey ahead of us. You'd better not collapse on me when I need you most, Marrow~”
"Yeah, yeah..."
Marrow wiped his mouth with his sleeve, tossing the nearly bare bone to the wayside before standing up.
"What are you hoping to accomplish in Noctithnain anyways? Rally a bunch of people to fight the undead? It's not exactly as romantic as most wars you read about…”
"Man, that sounds like a way better idea than I had," The ginger replied, sounding almost impressed.
"Honestly, I just figured we could find some help at the next town over. Reanimated corpses couldn't possibly move very fast, right? Maybe here we could get some information about how to fix things. Or..."
Delaney paused for a moment, staring at the remnants of her meal before she finally stood and moved back towards the tent.
"Noctithnain has a small branch of the Hounds stationed there. At the very least, maybe we could get them to go back to Veilein and… eliminate the Ghouls…”
"Hounds?" Marrow asked, "Like… Dogs?”
Delaney froze midway to the tent.
"Uhm. No. Hounds, like... The Hounds. You know?”
Marrow looked at Delaney with an expression of pure confusion. Every muscle in his face was practically screaming “What?”
"I'm sorry, is this a gang? Are you… affiliated with a gang?? Wait, Did you get my book from a gang???"
Marrow swiped his tome from Delaney protectively, checking the pages for alcohol stains or any unsavory substances.
"Gang? Wh– Hey!"
Delaney quickly snatched the book back from its author, as if it were something she treasured and wouldn't dare part with. In fact, aside from its age showing a bit, the grim tome was in pristine condition.
"I stole it from a library, thank you, and I wouldn't dream of associating myself with gangs!"
With a huff, Delaney turned around and snapped her fingers. For a moment, their handy little survival tent trembled before rolling its walls and sides up with a Pop!
It left behind Delaney's satchel, a flashlight sized tent-roll, and the mysterious tome that Marrow had acquired.
The ginger then stomped forward and scooped all of the items into her arms, placing the tent-roll and grimoire in her satchel as she turned back around.
"C'mon. We have to get going," She remarked, shoving the other tome into Marrow's hands as she walked past.
"You stole my tome, yet you're offended by being accused as a gang member..."
Marrow muttered as he followed Delaney down the road to Noctithnain.
~~~
It didn't take very long at all for the pair to reach their destination, and they were beyond relieved to see that the town was functioning normally.
"Sweet! I was right, everyone here looks perfectly fine!"
Delaney exclaimed with rejuvenated enthusiasm. Noctithnain was gently bustling with morning routines, the town entrance apparently spilling into a lively marketplace. All around, the buildings were adorned with depictions of constellations and Zodiac symbols, as well as various other sigils which most people would surely be unfamiliar with. Apartment buildings were painted like the night sky, and there wasn't a single street lamp in sight.
Everyone here seemed completely oblivious to the horrors taking place merely miles away, yet the most peculiar thing was probably the types of shops featured in this town square. Aside from a handful of grocers and tailors, most of the businesses sold services such as Divination, Horoscopes, and Tarot Readings.
"Quite a lot of spirituality," commented Marrow, staying close to Delaney as they navigated the bustling town life. "And weirdly out in the open…”
"Weird? Why do you say?"
Delaney asked curiously, half distracted by a talisman she was examining at a nearby shop.
"Wait, was Noctithnain not around back when you were alive? How old are you??”
Marrow stared at Delaney stunned.
"Do you think I had a watch on me while I was dead? How am I supposed to know that?"
Shaking his spectral head, Marrow pointed his thumb to an awesome sight: a Church of Seras on a hill to the north that overlooked the entire town. Even from far away, it felt as if the eyes of the Holy were watching at all times.
"I figured with such theocracy nearby that stuff like this would result in Witch-Hunts... Oh wait, it does."
His attention turned to a nearby building wall. Stuck to the bricks was a wanted poster with a feline looking profile on it.
"Huh?"
Before Delaney could respond, she was distracted by the poster Marrow had pointed out. Tearing it down from the building, she began to read…
"Warning, Lucifee sightings in the area... Beware the wretched feline dæmons parading as humans. Two Lucifee have recently been spotted within Noctithnain – one male and one female. If seen please report to Republic Enforcers and protect yourself accordingly. The aforementioned will be apprehended at all costs; D… Dead or alive..."
Delaney had to swallow hard, the words catching in her throat by the end of the notice. Disgusted, she tore the paper into shreds.
"Revolting... To think even here would be so xenophobic…”
"Another black sheep getting sheared and slaughtered. Doesn't sound too out of the ordinary for Eydìs."
Marrow passed the lynching poster off as if it was just another common sight on an average Tuesday. He's dealt with his fair share of prejudice in life, and he was ready for more in undeath. Though Delaney's surprise caught him off guard...
"Why are you surprised that this place is as Witch-Hunt happy as the rest of Eydìs?”
Delaney simply sighed and walked away, gesturing to the decor of the town.
"This is a town of diviners and stargazers, Marrow. People who study the sky and the world around them, using that to make predictions. It's just barely normal enough that no one here really gets harassed for being supernatural – or so I'd thought. I guess even here some people are still hunted like beasts... Though, I guess it's kind of ironic to sic the Hounds on cat-people…”
Marrow scratched his chin as he listened, every odd-numbered scratch phasing through his semi-corporeal being.
"Lucifee have always been seen as misfortune incarnate. They just aren't liked in general; not that they've done much wrong, history-wise... That being said, does that make the Hounds dog-people? You still haven't given me a proper explanation.”
Delaney merely sighed and shook her head.
"The Hounds are the Republic Enforcers, that's just what everyone calls them. Probably because they have the mentality of hunting dogs or bloodhounds – ruthless, stubborn, and persistent. The Hounds enforce all of the government laws or whatever, but they're especially known for showing all sorts of cruelty towards supernaturals…”
"Racist Dog Police, got it."
Marrow walked beside Delaney as they bypassed the hustle and bustle of the town. Suddenly, he stopped, grabbing Delaney's shoulder to halt her as well.
"Hm!? What's wrong?"
Delaney nearly fell to the ground from the sudden stop, but was lucky enough to keep her balance before turning to inquire Marrow.
"Shush!"
Marrow covered Delaney's mouth with his wispy cold hand almost as soon as she'd turned. There was a conversation going on near them with some mighty interesting buzzwords…
"So what did you think of yesterday's mass?"
A young woman asked her companion in a hushed voice; clearly concerned with keeping their conversation somewhat private, yet not concerned enough to prevent her from gossiping in the first place.
"Cold... Weird... Why was it held outside?"
The companion, a more energetic young woman, offered a curious expression.
"Apparently they're doing some renovations on the church. At least... that's what Father Almenon told me when he stopped me mid-walk up the hill."
"Yeah, that too!”
The second young woman mistakenly raised her voice in agreement before hurrying to lower it again.
“Why did they hold mass so far from the church? Why not do it near the entrance?"
The first young woman shrugged.
"Father said they were using some kind of chemical for the renovation, and that it had a bad odor that could be smelled from outside the building."
"Oh... But what about the soap box he brought?"
"I think he just has a height complex. Marjorie said so.”
The two women then exchanged understanding nods, as if Marjorie's word was as good as fact.
After listening to the conversation, Delaney pried Marrow's hand away from her mouth, if only to whip around and raise her eyebrow in curiosity.
"The church is doing renovations..? Something about that seems strange…”
Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice in the bustling crowd when a small child with fox ears raced into his mother's arms. Once again, the necromancers’ attention was diverted.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Cried the fox child, barely catching his breath.
"There were creepy noises coming from the church! It sounded like g...ghosts! Or lots of hurt people!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
The mother scooped up and cradled her child, continuing in a hushed voice.
"Goodness, dear, did you run all the way down the hill just now? I told you not to play there; what if Father Almenon found out? Who knows what they might do to us..."
"Sorry, Mommy..."
The young boy apologized as he wiped tears from his eyes, ignorant to Delaney's gaze. However, when his mother noticed the ginger watching them she quickly bowed her head and nervously scurried away.
"Cute kid," said Marrow, watching the pair as their bodies hurried off. Their words lingered almost eerily in his mind.
"You thinking what I'm thinking, Del?”
"What? No... No no no no..."
A look of concern swept across Delaney's face.
"You don't.... You don't think they're Ghouls, right..? How could my magic reach this far…!?”
"It's not common," pondered Marrow, considering the possibilities of his claim. "But spells with wide-spanning effects are feasible. Often it's a result of the Mana put into the spell having no clear path, so it disperses outward like water poured on the floor. It spreads and spreads in every direction until it can't spread any more. But for a spell like this to have spread so far..."
Marrow couldn't help but size Delaney up after speaking. She held more mystery inside of her than most things the old necromancer had ever experienced.
"You must be some kind of anomaly, having that much magical power.”
Delaney didn't like the sound of that. While Marrow was eyeing her like some sort of wondrous mystery, all she could think about was how many more people she may have unwittingly condemned...
"Come on, Marrow, change of plans. We're visiting that church.”
