Chapter 101: Gray (Patreon)

“So you can help me then.” The Long-name sighed, sounding relieved. It was perhaps the first time she’d sounded anything other than distant. 

I swirled the white bottle around in my hand, wondering how to proceed. “I don’t particularly plan to help you if you’ve murdered someone on the ship, you realize.”

“It’s a good thing I haven’t, then.” Long-name grabbed her glove, and pulled it away. I saw her hand, and then I smelled it. It was a putrid thing, with loose skin, covered in blisters, with a slight sheen of gray. It was only just beginning to bloat. 

Zinuetet backed away, immediately holding her nose with the hand that wasn’t holding her unextended spear. I, unfortunately, had a mechanical hand, which was currently holding a white bottle. Even if I dropped it and held my nose, the hand’s fingers were probably too slender to fully block the smell. 

“Jesus. Fall asleep with dry ice? Wanted to get prosthetic paws? Let me tell you, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” I wanted, vaguely, to reach out and touch, but I didn’t have fingers that could feel a thing, so it’d mostly just be strange. “Could you, uhh, put the glove back on?”

“You said that you got involved with the wrong people,” she said as she struggled to put her gloves back on. Her hand very clearly seemed dead, and so to see her move it was just bizarre, like a zombie. “That’s why you lost your arm, right?”

“That’s how it happened, yes.” I watched in relief as the glove covered Long-name’s zombie hand. The putrid smell lingered briefly before dissipating. 

“I’m the same. I… got involved with the wrong people. And she… inflicted me with this, this dead body. Each and every day, my body continues to rot. The only thing I’ve found to reverse the effects is something intended for dead bodies.” She crossed her arms. “Longsleep Awakener. I’m surprised you knew of it. It’s an uncommon potion. I had to search for a long time before I found someone who sold it.”

“I tried to learn all that I could,” I said vaguely. 

“I see. I’ll be brief with my request. It’s difficult to find this potion anywhere. Not many people die in the Archduchy, and those that do rarely have need of this potion. As such, I’ve had to commission alchemists multiple times to make it. I was hoping, given how charitable you’ve been, you might consider making Longsleep Awakener instead of Silvertrench Dew for me.”

I paused for a moment, gazing at the veil that covered most everything but her eyes. It was becoming rather apparent that her white eyes were nearly bulging out of their socket. “The ingredients for Longsleep Awakener are quite expensive. I’m sure other alchemists have told you this.”

“I can pay more. Or maybe you’d like a different favor?”

I considered for a moment. “Can you teach me your attack method?”

“Isn’t that illegal in the Archduchy? We get the three basics, and we have to earn others based on merit, right?”

Knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Rule-followers. Teacher’s pets. Good citizens. When I was a lawyer, these were the bane of me, and even now they haunt my armless person. “Is it? Must’ve slipped my mind. If you can get the ingredients—assuming you know them, of course—I can make you the potion when you need it. Keep in mind, I only know how to make it. I’ve never made actually done it. There are bound to be some failures at first.”

Though it pained me to be so charitable, it was really no different from what I’d done with Rashien. I was exchanging my services for practice. It’d probably be some time before I was able to wear down this do-gooder to give me her ability to conjure small, bright flames, if indeed I did at all. Nonetheless, having a positive relationship with the whole squad was a goal of mine. 

“…you’re a good guy. I can’t say I trust you… but I appreciate it, Casimir.”

“You’re welcome, Gray.”

“Gray?” she asked.

I handed her back the bottle, which she slid into her pocket. “It’s a nickname. Unless you have a better one, it’s what I’m going to call you.”

“Why Gray?”

I pointed at her. “Gray is gloomy. You are gloomy. Maybe once you get some Longsleep Awakener, you’ll cheer up, but for now, Gray it stays.”

“I’ll put it on after this. I just held off so I could prove my point to…” She stopped and shook her head. “Why am I telling you this? There’s no need for you to know.”

I’d offer to shake on it, but I might tear off her hand… I laughed out loud at my own thoughts, but the newly christened Gray didn’t think much of it. Gray stood around, not making any moves to leave, and so I said, “Are you trying to sleep here? There’s only one pod, you’re aware.”

“Oh. Sorry. Lost in thought. I’ll be going now.” Gray left as abruptly as she had come. 

The sleek black door slid shut behind her, and I sighed once she’d left. “Some people really don’t understand how they impose on others.”

“I didn’t think you’d say yes,” said Zinuetet after she’d let my words hang in the air for a while.

“I know. I hate it. The things I do for the squad… nail me to a cross.” I massaged my temple. “So much work to do. You’d think a little ride around space would be a vacation, but I keep on taking more responsibilities.” My words were laden with unveiled sarcasm. “The burden of leadership. I am the turtle with the world on my back.”

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“It makes me uncomfortable.”

Giir, who’d been sitting cross-legged, focusing on something in his own head, opened his eyes and turned to Vast. The mantis-man sat atop the lid of his sleeping pod, one leg bent, while the other dangled off to the side. He had his arms crossed, and though Giir was not a mantis-man himself, he’d known Vast long enough to see that he was distressed. 

“What does?”

“I can’t help but feel that we’re competing, him and I. There’s no reason for me to feel that way, but I can’t help it. Ruel has no interest in leading the squad. It’s like Casimir and I are rushing to fill the role of the de-facto leader.”

Giir nodded, though he did not entirely understand. “So beat him.”

“It’s not as simple as that. He’s already getting close with that jackal-man, Day. The others seem predisposed to him, as well. I can’t sabotage him. We’re on the same ship. If I set it aflame, I might go down with it, too. Much as I loathe saying it, I’ve been… slacking.” Vast clicked his mandibles together, and jumped down from the sleeping pod.

“Rubio was a good find. I’d no idea that he was an engineer. I just need to be certain Casimir doesn’t find that out, else he might try and forge a strong friendship with him, as well.”

“Aren’t you being hasty? We’ve not even landed at our destination. Helping people in cases of life and death makes for far better allies than his smooth tongue. Besides, he has the advantage of looking like those khorts.”

“Hmm… Disadvantaged or no, there’s no excuse for falling behind.”

Giir’s head was occupied with other matters. “You really think he beat me?”

“This again? Yes, he beat you. Perhaps if you’d had an enchanted item that warded against electrical attacks, you’d not have been so devastated. But you didn’t, so you would’ve fallen off the building. From there, you’d be crippled if you didn’t die.” Vast stated things very matter-of-factly. 

“If you ever need him to die… I’d welcome the rematch.” Giir clenched his hands into fists.

Vast stared at Giir. “I’m a long, long ways away from taking that option. He’s shown he’s clever. He probably has more he’s hiding, too. I haven’t seen him use his movement ability, I don’t think. It’s probably an innate ability, but I can’t be too sure. Besides, if I balk at so small an obstacle, am I really fit to see my goal to completion? Definitely not.”