"No, no they aren't Broken Prince."
The largest and only real skeleton Fragment had ever seen suddenly appears filling the door way leading down. Easily 7 feet tall probably taller, with a body filled with hair thin silver white roots. Which visibly sqirm and twitch as the bones are puppeteed along. The strangest part is that the creature is waring a doctors lab coat, in some attempt at appearing modest.
"Do you not feel it?" The skeleton quirks its head curiously."No no you don't, the natural supreson of grade is completely unaffecting you? … unlike the poorgirl. Ghost drear you should probably leave, you've fulfilled your promise." Ghost who had been momentarily paralyzed bows to the skeleton and scampers off without even looking back.
"What? I…Ghost?" Fragment stairs In mild disbelief she actually left him to die.
Despite his shock at being abandoned yet again by Ghost, he does notice the odd pressure that's similar but much stronger than, what the Corruptor Heart had emitted. A pervasive aura of dispare, that thankfully can't quite seem to get a proper grip inside of Fragments body as it keeps getting swept into his astral body and dissolving before achieving much.
"Oh don't be so surprised." With Ghost gone the Skeleton fully advances into the room and towers Fragment. "She was offered a chance to leave this dungeon freely and receive a…modicum of protection and long term aid in exchange for saving your life and delivering you unto me. Of course until you gained access to the first floor our meeting would have been…less than productive." Before Fragment even relies it he's press backwards against a wall of squirming roots that hadn't existed a moment before. Infact the whole room has seaming come alive!
"Now before anything else introductions are in order. Oh and please take a seat." With a flourish the floor finishes warping and regrows into a tasteful office space with two chairs facing twords each other separated only by a way to small coffee table. The skeleton sits down in the larger of the two chairs but Fragment simply distances himself from the wall."I am Saint Malady, 3rd Subsidiary of Life, born from the collective suffering of all who have ever been admitted to this hospital. For that your kind have my greatest thanks. Furthermore if your family had not been here…if you're brother had not invested so much of the Mothers flesh into this structure, I would not existed as I do today. Infact I'd likely be similar to that club on your back."
"What do you want from me. I already refused that tree's offer, and I won't change my mind about enslaveing my self." Fragment grips onto Gluttons handle protectively, silently bouncing imprisons of ideas on how to escape this confinement between himself and the Spirit.
"Sigh. Is it really enslavement? You truly wouldn't lose much, infact you would gain an incredible amount and you would be helping our realm grow and stabilize. All you would really be sacrificing is the ability to leave this realm, or act against the Mothers interest…though you'd also have to aid in her mission of course, that part is nonnegotiable and standard."
"And what is that mission?"
"Growing and stabilizing the realm of course. As a Subpilar of Life your primary expectation will be to, in some way help the Mother grow and flourish. Though only the Realm Pillars themselves can really improve a Realms state. I for instance am tasked with managing all of the Morher Systems assigned dungeons. Ensuring that they provide more to her than they cost in upkeep."
"Is that why you rewarded us after killing the Corruptor Heart then? Because it was consuming the Dungeon to build itself a body?…The acolyte class too, is locked behind a test that requires you to be faithful to pass." He's generally curious? But what the alleged Saint is implying does make some sense.
"Or you could be an incredibly stubborn human who barely relies on there skills like you. Then just force your way through while ignoring the actual point of the test. Though that one dose require a specific ability set… But generally your correct, only those faithful to the Mother would normally be able to pass the first there floors and become Acolytes."
"How is that fair."
"Nothing is ever really fair. Now are you finally willing to embrace your destiny Broken Prince and bind yourself to The Pilar Of Life?"
Fragment shakes his head, feeling both agitated and resigned."No. No I said it before i don't belong here I'm not worthy, i just want to leave and reunite with my brother." Fragment gives a half hearted bow since he vaguely remembers hear that people do that during negotiations?"Thank you and your mother for the opportunities you've provided but I'd like to leave."
-
Ghost gazes upon the lobby. Having only seen it a few times before this mess and she has to admit that Saint Malady has definitely improved the place. A tasteful if mostly empty lobby with a simple but elegant throne In the center, clearly intended for the imposing Skeletons personal use. Have replaced the lossy waiting chairs, storage rooms, and office spaces. Small gardens dot the floor separated by a trail that leads to the throne, wraps around it and continues to the front doors. Two heavy metallic looking things that when joined together depict a truly beautiful carving of a tree. Even in a rush to finally leave this hellhole Ghost finds her self unconsciously slowing down as a pleasant aura his her. It's safe here, nothing bad will happen,after all these years she can finally rest and she can finally go home.
THUNK!
"YOUR RIGHT, YOU ARN'T WORTHY. NOT YET AT LEAST, BUT DONT WORRY MY DEAR BROKEN PRINCE! LIFE HAS WAYS OF CHANGING PEOPLE!"
With those bone shaking words echoing from above Ghost sprints twords the door, truly turning her back on her once companion for the last time. This wasn't how she originally thought things would go…okay she did expect to leave Fragment for dead while the Skeleton shredded him as it did with the swarm of rouches she tried to follow out down from the second floor. So bonding with Fragment was never something she overly invested in. Still. She never expected that the skeleton would willingly let her leave, just for delivering the boy to him! More than that, but also be give a skill and a magic ring up front, just to make sure he didn't die on the 4th floor. Both of which should help Ghost make a name for herself in this new world.So Fragments 'valiant' sacrifice should be more than worth it! Why then, why dose her heart ach so much as she pushes through those heavy doors? Why can't she just forget that stupid face of his, like every other meaningless person she's ever met?