Isaachad to cross out some of his notes.
“Imagine,squire.I got you rethinkin’ your life.I left youraptured with a lick and a pound.Clearly, I have the power of gods betwixt mylegs.What other souls could I save, with a clamp of my healing clunge?”
Heattempted, pointedly, to study the symbol of the stripes and stars, noting thefrequency with which it now appeared in the reliefs, especially when thenecromancers depicted their gods.It was obviously a religious symbol.Itsignified some degree of authority.
Butwhat, exactly?
“Imagineme,” Zaria said, “smashing my way to some king’s bedchambers, aye?Some tyrantor other that’s actin’ like a spoiled brat, running his fiefdom like a personaltoy.He gets his cockle croaked, like I done to you, and, real sudden-like,there’s no more persecution.Peace everlasting.I could save the world just byparting my legs.”
“Iregret sharing my feelings with you,” Isaac said.
“Oh,you’re right, love.I gotta think smaller.Perhaps I could travel the Nine,aiding the sickened folk by charging for licks.Maybe, with some industry, Icould bottle my juices as life-saving elixirs.”
Hestopped walking, pausing at a particularly large relief.There seemed to be adeity figure, its head shadowed within a sphere of glass, resurrectingdifferent species from oddly shaped coffins.Isaac gathered his tablet andcharcoal.
“Comeone, come all!”Zaria proclaimed, her voice carrying through the empty street.“Meet the nethers that makes you better!They’ll cure your woes!Absolve yoursins!Oh, good people, I promise—if you supp of my water, you shall neverthirst again!”
Isaacbrushed away some etchings with his sleeve, hefting his sketch pad to aone-handed position at his waist.The vellum was scratchy.He should havescraped it better before departing.
Oh,well.
Atleast his uncle hadn’t noticed.
As hedrew a quick sketch, he felt Zaria standing behind him, looming like a statue.He pointedly ignored her presence.Eventually, the shadow behind him moved, andhe felt her rough, street urchin voice whispering in his ear.
“Youcan tell me to stop,” she said.
Hebegan to draw.“You’ve never needed my permission to blather.”
“I justwant to respect our new boundaries.”
“Ournew—” Isaac once again lost his place, having to scrub an errant stroke ofcharcoal with the sleeve of his robe.“Respect?Our new boundaries?”
“Justso.I’m committed to change.”
“Areyou?Are you respecting my boundaries?Are yousurethat’s what you’redoing?”
“Well,”she said, “I’m givin’ you the option, at least.Wouldn’t want my squire to blush too fiercely.As hisknight, I have to care for him.”
Isaacshook his head.
“So?”she asked.“You’re not offended?”
“On thecontrary,” he said, “I find your utter barbarity amusing, in much the same waythat a king will laugh at a jester.”
Shesnorted, loudly.It made him flinch again.A streak of charcoal went skitteringacross the parchment.As he furiously attempted to save the sketch, he felt hermuzzle drawing so close to his ear that her whiskers tickled the lobe.
“Inthat case,” she whispered, “what did you like about me fucking you?”
He didnot answer.
“Huh?”Zaria said, insisting.“Come on, now.Which part blew your mind out throughyour cock?Was it my teeth on your throat?Was it me pounding you down to a moanin’ puddle of meat?”She blew some hot breath in hisear.“Do you like knowing everyone’s gonna smell my scent on you, like you’remy favored bouncing rod?”
“Yourealize,” Isaac said, “that we’re in a long-lost city of necromancers?”
Shestraightened.“Oh, sure.Bone houses and such.”
“Noone’s been down here for centuries.”
