Leather began to panic "Please don't cry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you! Listen Girl I'll let you off with the thank you! You never thank a Creature of FAIRY! And it's insulting. One of us can do anything to you if you thank us! See I actually should not be telling you that! I Mean It doesn't matter You are indentured to me as a squire but please please don't cry! I told you it's not normally something we do! Usually, we trick humans! We have personal codes but those words thank you would let me off with Anything!  Please please, please! I killed them Dead they will not be troubling you again! Please stop crying!"

 

I looked up at the elf who was nearly reaching out still covered in the blood of people I saw her cheerfully rip apart Like a Vengeful God Answering a Prayer and now she was panicked I was crying and somehow it just made me laugh. Leather was right They were dead and I was alive and they wouldn't be troubling me again! Well Yeah, they kind of would with the investigation. I took a deep breath" Leather I'll stop crying if you do something for me" "ask me and I will Slay a drake, Raise the dead, steal the eyes of a goddess!" "How about you just hide and tuck down in the car, tuck your head down while I drive out of the parking lot! I don't want any CT cameras seeing you as we leave. For that matter, I don't want to witness to see. "

Leather "Now that I can manage!"

 Despite myself, I liked the girl this creature whatever she was.  No soon than I said it was safe to sit up she was all over the car looking at everything while we talked as we drove asked me how the car worked and the lights without mana and a dozen other questions, She was acting like a 7-year-old a psychopathic cannibalistic none human 7-year-old but still a 7-year-old. And there was this whole save the world thing and because Leather was right she did literally save me.

As I drove I asked  "There was a voice said I'm going to be a squire in return for saving me. What exactly does that mean? And Who was the voice?"

Leather "Let me first explain the latter first. I have no idea who the voice is. All I know is it raise me from the dead. Shipwrecked me here and I am going to fight some ultimate darkness save this world and they picked me because I was a champion instead of a hero. It would send me back to Death if I didn't agree. It said I would get a squire. As for what Squire is it's an apprentice also someone is supposed to carry your armor and shield, not to worry been hollowing out your shadow no reason to thank me! Unless you really want to put yourself in my power! Yum, you look tasty, not saying I would eat you mean I would have sex with you! And You've been warned about thanking ME! Perhaps I get some human fertility in our lovemaking!" 

 

I tried not to blush, I was straight "Ok do you know what you're saving the world from what, and what do you mean hollowed out my shadow?"

 

Leather "Well I have only a guess no idea really it might be the Demon King. If it is your screwed, so am I. " 

I said "who's the demon king sounds like a bad manga character"

Leather "I no not exactly what a manga is but the spell translated words to me was closest to my own concepts, Picture Book?"

I nodded and that made sense.

Leather "As for who the demon king is she challenged and killed the Unseely king for his power but then she killed the Seely King and took his as well!

She ravaged the courts killing one after the other any that didn't join the Army she was Making. She enslaved everything not in a fun way! In the end, we rebelled, The human nations DemiNation joined together with Rebels Shee of surviving courts to challenge her but then she summoned demons! And for that she needed souls and sacrifices! Not that made a lot of difference as she was blood-crazed even by unseemly standards!

That is how I Died!

We went into a big battle with a drake counsel elders, the many races of man ,the Trents, and she threw a Dragon at me!" 

I said carefully "she killed you with a Dragon she threw at you?"

Leather "It's not funny it's heavy ass lizard. Snapped like a whip so hard its head came off! Felt my ribs as they pierced my skin, I felt my stomach and gut rupture out of my body. My armor was enchanted so only Magic and Magical weapons can injure me! It's Armor of my Father! It's how I got my name.  But apparently, a dead Dragon used as a whip counts somewhere in that! "

 

I realized I was making some headway getting a more human side of the Girl" So this was Armor your father gave you or Inherited?" 

I was a little confused as it was clearly very Form-fitting female armor maybe it was rebuilt out of his Armor. But I felt I could relate, she loved her father.

Lether" No no no I Made it out of him! I made an offering of Trickery to the Goddess Morgan and asked her what I could do for revenge because I had been forbidden to kill him by my mom. She hated him but she feared a blood Curse if I killed my Sire and Lord. But I got him to break a Blood Oath that earned him punishment. And Morgan Gave me a scroll of transformation to reward my cunning and punish his oath-breaking and it let me changed him into a horse then I carefully skinned him. But I didn't kill him I left him alive!"

 

My mind kind of just stopped for a second as I looked at the Elven Armor. Talk about Giving words new meaning! "What could he possibly have done---" but I stopped my self I knew a lot of parents in my job that did a lot of things to children. And at that point, I didn't want to know.

 

Leather "It's not complicated he kidnapped my mother when she was from the Seely court. Because it was believed she was fertile and they wouldn't take her back after she had been touched by an Unseelie. He wanted a son and he had a daughter. He never had another child with her no matter how many times he tried. I used to hear her scream as a child. The happiest day of my life was when I finished skinning him and I heard him scream. Morgan blessed Armor made from the skin so I could do better in battle. Until the day my mother Forgives him as a skinned horse he shall Remain trapped in that form and since it's divine curse no magic can heal him nor can he die!"

I thought to myself {okay mental note she really is a monster and never piss her off.}  

I asked, "How strong are you?"

Leather "Get some Wine in me and some horse meat and I'll show you my appraisal scroll! I'll cheerfully show you many things!"

I got on my cell phone "Dave when you come to the apartment can you do me a favor and bring me like 10 big Macs.

A box of wine and a bottle of tequila.. And please don't ask till you get there"

Leather "what is tequila? Big Macs?"

I said "The tequila is for me after today I need it. Big Macs are probably horse meat I think"

I knew that the I.A. would Be checking CT cameras at her building. Looking for a mysterious Hoja or Bennetti boyfriend and with the amount of blood on Leather, they know something was up.. Not to mention how she looked.. I considered concealing her in a garbage bag..
I said "Listen Leather you stand way to out to hide. They can check to see who comes and goes to my building a camera it's a box can take pictures. Like it's a Scrying spell" Silently I thanked the gods of Manga for giving me a good analogy.
Leather "Arrrh So that's a trick you worried about at the city guard! The Voice was right I wouldn't survive without you. Not really a problem. I'll just go inside your shadow. I spent all day hollowing in it out and making it bigger inside. "

And before I could respond Leather vanished. And I realized Leather had Dived into my shadow.

And I realized she got out of EXPLAINING what did it mean to Hollow out someone's Shadow!

I felt like I had a tapeworm, some kind of parasite. Just the whole idea of someone was hollowing out my shadow scared the crap out of me! Was that like my soul? What wear the side effects? I really needed to ask more about this! 

 

 

When I got to the elevator I began to realize that being a Squire if it was to carry her shield and armor this might be what they meant to carry Leather Around in my SHADOW!!! Was this some kind of possession! Was I going to start spitting up pee soup and having my head spin around!
"Leather can you control my actions manipulate me from inside my shadow you try to open my mind? Can you hear me from in there!" She shouted just as an old black woman got into the elevator.." Hello Mrs. Davis! So happy to see.. I mean hi!"
Mrs. Davis"Look honey your a nice white girl and I like you. It's nice having a cop living in the neighborhood. But get a boyfriend and get laid. Please you're too young to start living with cats and talking to yourself."

I Had told Mrs. Davis I was Mixed before but with Blond Hair and Green Eyes and pale skin, it sounded lame even to me. 

Just then I started thinking about Leather's Cat eyes and her weird ears. And let out a laugh.
Mrs. Davis "Honey you're cracking up!"
I apologized got off the elevator and walked to her apartment and started to hear"Giggling"
I said "You can hear me!"
Leather "I do not do possession. I am not a demon except in the sheets!"
I growled, "Look I'm not sexually attracted to women!"
Leather "That's okay I'm a Shee elf, not a woman! This makes it better Half the fun is in the seduction, not the conquest. Courtly love. I'm not worried. I will seduce you."

Sarah slammed the door "Get out of my shadow and explained what that exactly that is and the side effects! And was this what you were talking about when you said a Squire!?"

 

Leather "Look realy I know about as much as you do but everyone where I come from has an inventory most of us keep our stuff in our shadows. Even I keep stuffing my shadow. It's a special skill I have shadow travel. With it I can rob somebody's shadow inventory. So I assume this is what our benefactor had in mind. Even the Humans Pay us to hollow their shadows. Not as common among them but they dearly love to get it! It's a great gift!"
Sarah looked at Leather "Waite hold the phone. Are you telling me you gave me some kind of weird power?

Leather somehow was holding Sarah's phone. That she knew was in her Pocket" That is not what I meant! I mean about you giving me an inventory!"
Leather" I've been working on your inventory all day and you never thanked me once for that."
I looked at her and said "why would I thank you I never even...WAIT!  Your trying to get me to thank you!"
Leather"How good you remember never thank a Elf. Or any fairy it means you're in our debt. Leaves you vulnerable to binding magic. Training might not be as hard as I thought. If you want to make something go away just imagine pushing it into your shadow as if it was a hole, then you can reach in and take it. You cannot enter your own shadow unless I drag you that's a special power I have. It's more limited than normal spatial magic but larger. In light or absolute darkness it will not work."

I suddenly realized Leather was taking training as a Squire seriously.

I walked to the bathroom turned on the tub"this is for hot water this for cold. I got to clean my car. So you wash up!"

I grabbed some Paper towels and And a bottle of Bleach. And left to clean the car. 

I was so tired and I had a chunk of mythology upstairs but something could not wait! I went down to clean the car. Well, not clean so much as destroy DNA from blood Leather had flaked in my car. I tried not to think about how Frankie Planned to use bleach in me. It was not fancy and it would ruin Seats but I did not want the FBI searching my car and finding Frankie and friend's DNA. I would get it cleaned out tomorrow right. But I could not leave it tonight. There was no way I could Account for all that Dry Blood! But for now, I just Dumped the Bleach Out on the mess. My own clothes wear taken as Evidence And I showered at the station. Still, I could claim what they might find left in the car was from me not washing my hair well enough even if I scrubbed my hair over a dozen times ...Wait she was in my shadow in the shower with me! And she could she SEE! 

I was awake and pissed went back to my Apartment. I got in through my door. I still had time till dave got of work and over here! Do not ask me why I was not scared of Leather but I was just to tired and I felt she would not hurt me. I hoped she would not hurt me! 

She was Naked of course she was Naked and I froze...I am straight. I am straight..Every bit of Anger Vanished..Her face had been covered in black powder residue dry blood and dirt. Her hair and every inch of her skin had been covered in dry blood and dirt. But now she was clean. And she was HOLY SHIT Perfect. I do not mean Perfect as in Human. I mean as inhuman beauty Perfect. She had glowing skin and had a body that a super Model would cheerfully sell their soul for. This was inhuman beauty and Looked on and I wondered. And Bit my Tunge and dug my nails into my palms!

I coughed and tried to talk again.  "Please Put a Bathrobe on here." I reached for the thing looking at her smiling face and realized I was not looking at the Robe!! 

Suddenly Every Complaint I ever said about the Male Gaze went out the Window! I closed my eyes and said, "are you dressed?" 

She answered, "Yes Love, and that Tub is a Wonder!"  

Carefully opened my eyes.

She was wrapped up in that Pink fuffy Bathrobe far to big for her and managed to look cute and innocent and sexy and I bit my tunge as hard as I could! I needed to get Angry hold on to myself. Was she messing with my head? 

I said "And what if I don't want to be a Squire? We don't even know if this great darkness is real. You can't force me even if this Ultimate Darkness is real! We should take it to the government! There are people they have that can handle it."

Leather "Oh you think we have a choice? Do you remember what you told the Voice? Because I know what it told me.That (They called for Aid to be saved that life is yours...) To be my squire. Now here is the thing about God entities and I'm assuming it's god-like since it raised me from the dead. When you make a bargain with them it's like making a bargain with a Shee. You have to keep your word. Seriously that's why you don't tell us thank you. That is a debt and I could use it to call in a favor from you of any kind and if filled with power you would have to pay up! I could make you fall in love with me. And stupid me decided to play fair Or I could tell you to sit down quietly while I skin you alive. And if it makes you feel any better I made the same promise to save this world from ultimate evil to that voice . Until I do I'm stuck here with you! Don't believe me try walking out the door going to these people that can help. You use the magic box! The Phone thing! Go call your boss! I will wait here for them! I Vow it go ahead try!" 

I carefully looked at my phone went to contacts and hit Speed dial internal affairs. And my finger wouldn't hit the button. What the fuck! I tried the FBI! I dialed the number from memory. And got a strip club.
Then I made up my mind to walk out that door to the federal government and nothing was stopping me! Leather was going to wait there until I got back that's what I would do. I knew it was childish and the cage with my future cellmate Cthulhu at warehouse 13 awaited. But I would not BE OWNED!

  And I fell down and broke my ankle. I screamed Bone Felt Fractured! I struggled to crawl to the door, I was not giving in then suddenly my back spasmed an old injury I got from the jackass at Quantico. 

Still, I tried to move forward just get to the street! Someone would see me call an ambulance and I would be able to talk to my boss and suddenly I couldn't breathe! 

 

Leather in an instant blurred speed was holding me Screaming " Stupid stupid human monkey listen to me! Carefully LISTEN to me carefully nod your head yes that you will honor your OATH! Or you will get me killed too! We have to complete the mission it's an OATH it's Contract magic, a curse. A divine curse, a Devine Quest as in becoming undead or worse if you go back on it! You can't break it you need to fulfill it! Now you Stubbin human don't get us killed! I'm not doing this to you it was done to me too! I didn't think you would keep pushing it after the first warning or second warning or 3rd warning! Just nod yes that you will keep your Promise! Or we are both dead! And I do not want to die AGAIN!" Suddenly Leather started to cry! "I don't want to be dead again or worse, I don't!" Suddenly I believed I nodded yes gasped breathlessly at best just mouthing it "yes I agree I will keep my promise" and I started to fill my lungs.

I was seriously creeped out on too many levels! So much for taking control of the situation!
And at that moment Dave smashed through the door with his gun drawn!