I’m doing my best to prevent that, dear girl, but if you’d stop with all the doom and gloom, I’m sure it would be easier. You’ve cast out demons before. Just do it again, quickly now, my cheerful — and very dead — paladin superior Sir Branson said in my mind.
Look, I know it’s because I’ve gone mad. I’m under no illusions about this.
Sir Branson had been a Vagabond Paladin of the Forsaken Aspect in life and now, even in death, he did not seem to have a set course to take. It was disheartening, really, to think that I might suffer cold and loneliness all my life only to have it continue past the gates of death.
Well, I’m not exactly staying here for me. It’s just that I may possibly, sort of … well, it pains me to admit it, but I may have skimped just a little on your training and this death situation has brought that screaming realization to the forefront and it feels just a tad irresponsible to sidle off now.
The dog crouched low, growling with a vibration so deep that I felt it more in my bones than heard it in my ears.
“Are you still in there, Brindle?” I coaxed. Who knew, maybe there was an epic dog-versus-demon battle going on within. Maybe the dog would win. He’d nearly beaten me. “Who’s a good boy?”
A flash of red rolled through the dog’s eye and then an eldritch voice — the demon, no doubt — replied, “NOT ME.”
Send the denizen to hell, girl. One deep strike to the throat of the dog! I think you know how stories like this end. No need to turn them on their heads.
Sir Branson was very confident for a man I’d been forced to kill. If he couldn’t cast out the demon, how did he expect me to do it?
Well, I didn’t want to murder a human. A dog is different.
Was it though?
I hesitated. It should be stated most adamantly that I am not a dog murderer and did not wish to become one.
You didn’t have such qualms with me.
I hadn’t had time to think with him. It had been mostly instinct.
You really have no option here, my squire.
I had some option. Seeing as I was the one holding the sword.
The dog sat on his haunches and whined.
“I don’t suppose you’ll dig the grave?” I asked him hopefully. I was bleeding far more than I liked. My blood alone might soften the clay — though not enough to make any headway. In hardpan like this, I’d be digging all day. And I’d be doing it with a demon-possessed dog watching me and a dead man talking in my head.
Don’t you fuss. I’ll be right here the whole time, Sir Branson said gamely. Just, do me a favor and maybe turn my body so I don’t have to look it in the, well, not the eyes, obviously. In the place where eyes once were.
“Go with the Rejected God, Sir Branson,” I intoned the sacred words, trying to dismiss his ghost while swallowing bile. Look, don’t judge, it’s hard to give last rites to a man with no face.
I stumbled over to his horrific corpse and made the holy sign on the place where his forehead used to be and where one of the bends in his arm that I was relatively sure was the elbow was located. I touched a second one just in case. The God would forgive me … possibly.
“Blessed Lord take from me this knight, consecrated by water most holy, dipped in the cold of sacrifice, given now into thine —”
Blessed Saints! Wait. I’m not taking last rites!
“You are extremely dead, and you should take last rites,” I said aloud to the miserable corpse. I refused to speak with him in my mind. He had no right to be in there with me.
I shot a sad look at Brindle. We were both possessed. He, with a demon. Me, with a dead knight. What a sorry pair we made.
Except I will remain with your mortal coil, though I am bereft of my own, while Brindle will be relieved of his haunting spirit.
Remain?
I’d hardly abandon you when you need me the most. Like I was saying … there are things I forgot to mention that you probably should know …
I closed my eyes and sucked in a long inhale. It was how I handled frustrating situations — that and prayer — although this time I got a nice whiff of dog and death for my trouble. Wonderful.
“Rejected God, I beg thee send to me some means by which to bury Sir Branson with honor,” I prayed aloud.
