We were finally able to exit the lair. Our path followed another black wall corridor.I relished the calm and uneventful experience we had so far. Colin constantly reminded me to stay alert for surprise attacks.
"Hey Famine, about what you did for me back there, I am extremely grateful. I"m very lucky to have you as my baby brother." Death thanked me.
"It"s no big deal Death. We"re family. It"s what brothers do."
I casually palmed off his thanks. Hoping it hid the embarra.s.sment I felt. I mean, I had just found out about my brother being something of a floozy. It was a surprise and a half.
"Death, yanno, I"m all good about hearing who you love, but I"d rather not hear the sordid details of your romances every again." I grimaced.
Death"s laughter rang annoyingly in my head, which startled Small Cap and caused his body to twitch in the belt pouch.
"Death! Have consideration for Small Cap!" I scolded him aloud.
I frowned at the weird look Colin gave me. "You try to cope with my big brother"s kooky voice in your head!"
"Commiserations," he sarcastically answered back with a chuckle.
I groaned, attempting to keep my thoughts to myself as best I could. It was extremely difficult when my brother voiced his interest in every detail of the corridor we walked through.
"Aah, the corridor is made of obsidian. Fascinating. I can detect a type of transmap force magic from the walls..."
I rolled my eyes at his voice harping on about force magic this and force magic that.
"Sheesh Death. Didn"t I tell you to have consideration for Small Cap." I grumbled.
"Me don"t mind Freend. It be nice voice." Small Cap was being a polite host.
"Small Cap, you"re too kind," I said.
Colin stopped us at a T-junction and pointed to a direction of where I should be standing. I took up the spot. He stood in front of me.
I heard Death"s voice gasp with awe when the T-Junction unraveled, going from the outside to the center of where we stood.
The bricks reformed into a new, L-shape, corridor before us.
We travelled down the new corridor and then into another that had taken shape. The way before us was looking uneventful.
My thoughts went to Leinard who I hoped was okay. I was concerned that the hiruda had placed him in a banshee lair as well.
Although Leinard was a skilled and capable magis, I doubt he"d be able to fight off a clutter of redback spiders on his own. The thought of it made me tense with worry.
"So, who is this Leinard person. I"m getting a strong mental image from your thoughts?" Death surprised me.
"Leinard?" I gulped. Saying his name made me feel fl.u.s.tered.
"Yes. I"m seeing a stoic man from your thoughts. An officer by the looks. Tall. Extremely handsome with intelligent gray eyes." Death added with a sober tone.
"Ugh! That"s invasion of privacy Death!" I shouted.
I was glad that Colin couldn"t hear my voice. And hoped that Death couldn"t intrude further into my memories.
"Famine! You and that man kissed?!" Death gasped.
He began lecturing me on how wanton pleasures led to sin and that was the path to trouble.
"Death! Stay out of my private thoughts!" I shouted again, which had caught Colin"s attention this time.
I waved off his questions and growled at his smirking face.
"Did you not learn anything from my experiences?! I succ.u.mbed to l.u.s.t and look what it caused! Learn from my example..." Death continued. His scolding turned into another lecture.
"Since we have time, I think it"s appropriate to have a proper and serious conversation about s.e.x that you would not have garnered from Bulldog"s gravure books. You need to understand the consequences and risks of..."
"Ugh! Spare me the lectures." I groaned, meeting Colin"s eyes. They held an expression of laughter.
"You"re the Light Grimoire! Don"t you have a spell for silencing voices or inner thoughts?!" I begged him with pleading hands.
"Why? What"s your brother on about?" His hands were twitching from his chuckling.
"He"s, um, well." I fumbled and fidgeted on the spot, averting his eyes as I signed. "He"s lecturing me on s.e.x "cause I kind of kissed a guy... or two."
"Two?!" Death"s voice roared in my head, which made Small Cap yelp.
I cupped my hands over my ears and mumbled flower names, cat breeds and anything that could distract my brother from this train of thought.
Colin doubled over with laughter; tears were squeezed out of his eyes.
"Does your brother know sign language?" he asked once he had calmed down.
I nodded.
He tapped on my belt pouch to call out Small Cap, who raised his head before him.
"Rest a.s.sure that your little brother"s chast.i.ty is still in order." He signed his rea.s.surance to Death.
"This man seems suspicious. Who is he?" Death inquired.
I was glad for the change of conversation, so I formally introduced Colin to Death by proxy of Small Cap.
"Very shifty. I know that we need him to find our way, but try not to make any unnecessary physical contact with him Famine." Death warned me.
"My brother is saying thank you for saving our lives back there. He is extremely grateful." I lied with a smile.
Colin nodded his head and resumed his lead down the corridor.